Monday, April 30, 2012

significance.

Did you know that you are a significant part of the Kingdom?  That you have a daily assignment to spread love and joy AND that it's an integral and important part of healing the people right here at home and all over the world?  Just making sure you know that you're significant, that you matter, that you count!

I think sometimes (or all the time for me - haha) it's hard to remind ourselves that we matter.  Mostly because we don't want to come across (either publicly or privately) as entitled, as proud, as fake Christians.  Can anybody identify with that?  Wanting to lay as low as possible to avoid any and all attention to the fact that you might be doing something great for someone else?  We figure that as long as we're humble people, always denying a compliment, always passing on a really cool opportunity to someone "more deserving", always making excuses for why we're good at something that we are somehow living the life of Jesus and saving people.  I'm here to tell you that that mentality is wrong, SO WRONG.  Now, please don't get the wrong idea...I will be the first to tell you that all of those things that I just wrote are present in my mind and words and actions everyday and that it's a daily battle to think otherwise.  The Bible speaks of the above mentality and it calls is false humility.  We have to realize that we ARE significant!  We have to realize that we are called to do even greater things, that we are capable of healing the sick, of encouraging the disheartened, of loving the unloveable, of giving when we ourselves are in need.  That's real life Christianity, that's real life humilty, that's real life Jesus!

It's incredible just how the Lord will use us when we put wrong mentalities aside as just commit to serving and loving as Jesus did.  It's amazing who God through us will impact.  It's amazing what assignments we will be asked to fulfill, what role we will be asked to play.  I challenge you today to lay it all aside.  Lay your false humility aside.  Pick up a heart of servitude instead.  I don't care if you're a student or a young adult or a growing professional or a successful business person or a world renowned speaker, and neither does God.  You've been called on this day to wash feet, to bless extraordinarily, to empower with your words.  You have something on the inside of you that HAS to come out.  It's not designed for you, it's designed to encourage someone elseLet it out.

Last night, I just let the Lord speak to me and use me however he wanted.  He ended up calling me out of a group of people to lay hands on every person in the church and pray for the renewal of their hearts and for increased vision.  I never in my life would have done this on my own, but there's no denying your assignment when the Lord literally pulls you out of a group of people eager to encounter the Lord and sets your feet with someone of the most influential people you know to be a part of the impartation.  It's a night I'll never forget because it marked the start of a new me.  I'm laying my "personality" aside, I'm washing feet now.  I'm blessing people whenever and however I can.  I'm giving of all of my resources because I don't really need them.  I'm commiting to a Jesus life. 

I'm writing this blog today to ask for your accountability.  I am, of course, still human, but no longer will I hide behind my humanity as an excuse to not step up and take initiative for Jesus.  I'm also challenging and encouraging you to do the very same thing.  Lay your own agenda aside right now and ask to be used in this moment and every other future moment for God.  Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven!

Monday, April 23, 2012

Monday. Ecuador. Blessings.

This is just a blog full of the most sincere gratitude to every person reading, every person who thinks about reading, and every person who will never see it.  I am so humbled and grateful to serve a God who not only provides for my needs but meets my desires and sends me to love on others.  What an incredible assignment!

I'm even grateful for today's April 23rd snow in Boone!  Yes, even grateful for it, though my heart loves and longs for consistent spring weather!

A little over a week ago I needed about $1000 to meet my financial obligation to be able to serve in Ecuador.  Today, I'm so excited to announce that I am just $580 short dollars and 12 days away from my deadline!  PRAISE JESUS!  It's seriously an incredible thing to believe the Lord for a LOT of money to be able to fulfill the mission He's set before me and to recognize that it's not about money at all, it's all about HIM.  Friends, I am out of my mind at the way our team has been provided for, blessed and is being abundantly prepared to love on and impact lives in Ecuador.  Hallelujah!

So far our team has seen blessings in these ways:
  • Every person on our team has been hand-picked and is strong, outgoing and encouraging.  These traits are going to be so necessary as we share Jesus through dramas and encouragement on street corners in Quito.
  • Every person has a heart that believes God for the necessary things.  We'd be naive to not admit that we need financial support.  But we need prayer support more than finances, and every team member has been committed thus far to lifting our team and trip up in prayer consistently.
  • Every member also believes God for the seemingly impossible things (i.e. $2,000 per person in the next 12 days)...and he is responding to our faith!
  • We've seen the Lord move in incredible ways through unconventional people, even people who don't know or love Jesus...isn't he AWESOME?
  • We are all excited and anxiously awaiting June 30th!
  • I have never served with a team of people who have been more open-minded toward a move of God!  We don't know what to expect but we are all expecting and that is a blessing to be corporately in tune with the Holy Spirit!
Please continue to be in serious prayer for our team.  Please pray that all financial needs will be met.  Please pray that we will strategically meet people even now that will pour into our team necessary skills and wisdom needed to serve in Ecuador.  Please agree with us that this thing is NOT about money and please pray that our hearts continue to be fully invested in Jesus.  Please pray for our ongoing health and strength as we prepare to serve.  Finally, please pray that we continue to enjoy and encourage each other as we get ready to embark on this life-changing adventure.

So much love to you all!  You're a blessing.

[Destination Ecuador:  Departing in 67 days]

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

on faithfulness & blessings.

Terrific Tuesday and I'm exceedingly blessed!  I don't know if you've ever noticed this or not, but I've begun seeing that everywhere in the Bible where the Lord talks about blessing, sustaining, providing, honoring and encouraging his words are literal.  They're also timeless.  Those words may have been written a lot of years ago, but those promises are timeless.  I've been learning that God and his timing are perfect in every way but also can't be put in a box.

Let me share a story:  One month or so ago I was approached about a possible job opportunity and asked whether or not I'd be interested.  The person in the position currently has done a phenomenal job, but is leaving to get married and start and awesome new season of life!  I thought about it and my honest initial reaction was that though it would be a dream to move into that position, my qualifications were far less that what was required.  I am too young, too inexperienced professionally...blah blah blah.  I immediately looked at my lack instead of my abundance.  Also, I was the assistant to this position when I first started and I saw/heard just how challenging on a daily basis this position was.  I didn't trust myself, I didn't believe in my ability, I was nervous, I wasn't trusting God.  Isn't it interesting that the Lord doesn't measure us by our thoughts and intentions?  He blesses us based on our God-given potential and he always shows off!

Well, after a long time of prayer and talking to a few very trusted and wise colleagues and friends, I heard from the Lord that I should pursue the position.  That was last Wednesday (yes, 6 days ago).  I mentioned my intentions to my boss and the process flew and yesterday I was promoted!  I'd be lying if I didn't say I was a little bit anxious, just because there are some really big shoes to fill, BUT I know that my God is faithful.  Faithful ALWAYS.  He never places you where you aren't capable of being.  He never challenges you to something that you cannot complete.  He never blesses you where you can't sustain the blessing.  He is an all loving, all powerful, all grace-filled, all compassionate God!  His faithfulness cannot be matched, challenged or comprehended. 

I am blessed!  It would be almost foolish to list out all of the good things the Lord has done because he never stops doing good things!

I'm really excited as I continue to sow seeds of faith and see the Lord move!

Ecuador:  Two weeks away from my fundraising deadline and $1000 to go!  God can do anything and I know that He'll make this happen too!  If you'd like to partner with me and my team, please visit the "Donate" tab right above this post!  74 days until departure...wow!

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

a day of joy.

Today is such a great day.  Wednesday.  April 11th, 2012.  A day with purpose.  A time with purpose.  We have been called to greatness and JOY on this day.  Believe it with me?  Well keep reading, hopefully you'll be encouraged and be a believer in the joy that you've been called to this day.  So today I had a really big choice.  It was presented to me the second I woke up.  My choice was between joy and frustration and my decision was to set the course of the entire day.  You see, I woke up, and in normal fashion, got in the shower.  About 5 minutes into that process, while still soapy and with conditioner in my hair, my water cut off.  It didn't come on the rest of the morning.  My choice today was joy.  I chose joy despite coming to work with overly conditioned hair and my day has already been so blessed.  And you want to know something?  Who cares what my hair looks/feels like?  Nobody.  My assignment on this day is to spread the joy that I've chosen, and I'm doing it.

After devotions this morning, I turned to my right and found a woman that I've never met before.  I asked her if she'd like to pray and her response shook me to the core:  "Sure I'll pray with you," she said, "but I don't pray out loud."  Now normally I might have had a response that reflected how awkward I felt in that moment.  All kinds of thoughts about us working at a ministry and having to sign on paper an agreement to be encouraging and faith filled employees filled my mind.  BUT, my response was different because my choice of joy was early this morning.  I simply said to her "that's no problem, I'll just pray for us both."  I got back in my car and was in tears over the many times (I'm sure) that my reaction to Jesus' requests had been the same as that woman's reaction to my request this morning. How many times had I been intentionally unwilling to praise the Lord for his goodness and faithfulness?  How many times had I not even realized it?  I am humbled thinking that though her reaction was bold and outspoken, my reaction, albeit private, has been just the same many times.  I asked for forgiveness and moved forward with my intentions to seek and spread joy on this day.

I'm reminded of a pastor that I once heard talk about a condition called "face blindness".  How this condition affects the people who have it is that they have no problem seeing ordinary objects and things, but they cannot remember or retain the memory to recognize faces, even of those that they have known their entire lives.  Think of it as a perpetual, life-long, Alzheimer's.  But what if we, as followers of Christ, have experienced our own, intentional, face blindness?  What if we have seen the face of Jesus and forgotten (or blocked on purpose) what he looks like, therefore not giving him credit and praise for the wonderful things He's done?  What if we had forgotten that the face that is to be credited for all of the favor we walk in is the same face that hung on a cross and died for the remission of our sins? 

Here's the thing:  I praise the Lord that I have a shower to bathe in daily, and that I have no problem praising him publicly and that I have the ability to see and retain faces in my memory.  But spiritually, there's a whole different side of me that I hadn't recognized until today.  That's the unclean, timid and shy, forgetful side.  The side of me that has no recollection of all the great things God's done for me.  And then I remember:  I'm forgiven, that other side of me no longer exists.  I don't suffer from face blindness, I rejoice in the truth of knowing I serve a Savior who not only died so that I might live, but LIVES and rejoices with my victories.  I'm so thankful that THAT's my King.

Friends, today is your day to spread joy.  It's your day to be thankful, even though things might not be perfect.  It's your day to rejoice because you're free while others are oppressed.  It's your day to encourage someone, even someone who is extremely hard to talk to.  Today is the day.  No one's stopping you but you.  Take advantage of the next 14.5 hours to make a difference for the kingdom.  Oh, and most importantly:  be encouraged, there is power in the name of Jesus.

Monday, April 9, 2012

unpredictably awesome.

What an awesome weekend!  Celebrating the resurrection of a savior who gave his life so that we might have life...I don't care who you are or where you are, there's comfort in knowing that you're redeemed by a God who loves you!  That's encouragement in the highest form.

This weekend was full of relaxation and restoration and celebration from start to finish.  I just wanted to share a little bit with you.  Thankfully, we had Friday off, so I headed down the mountain to Greensboro to be with my family and friends.  First was a great coffee date with my dad...we needed a good conversation and I was very glad to spend time with him sharing about my job (he actually wasn't sure what I did) and sharing about Jesus and love.  Friday night, my roommate and I and a great friend from high school and some of his family all went to the Greensboro Grasshoppers game.  It was so fun (and I had to redeem myself by making it through a game without getting super sick...shoutout to you BDK :))

 Potentially my favorite moment of the drive.
 Dad date :)
Grasshoppers game in beautiful downtown

Saturday, I spent the whole day with my mom helping her around the house and just spending some time catching her up on my life, my job and Ecuador.  I am so excited about my summer mission in Ecuador and had to get mom on board!  Then I got to spend some time Saturday night with my aunt over dinner and great conversation.  I am so thankful for a supportive family who loves me. 

My mom's sweet little house...I will forever love this place.

Next is by far the most exciting story of my weekend.  I was at church with my mom and brother (which was awesome and shouldn't be discounted!) and my phone rang.  It was Natalie...I thought it was a really odd time for her to be calling, but we sometimes talk early too so I just let it ring to voicemail and said I'd call her back after church.  I took my time really not thinking too much about it, but was in for some exciting news when I did return her call.  She could barely contain her excitement as she told me that she and Chipper had just gotten ENGAGED!!!!  I remember the first time I met Chipper and never from that night would I have guessed they'd be here, but I couldn't be more glad!  I am fortunate to love him and not be able to think of a better future husband for my best friend!  I can't wait to put all those months of pinterest-ing (haha see Nat, it paid off :)) wedding stuff into action for her big day!  Sometimes you just can't predict how awesome things will really be.

I love how excited they are in this one :)
Love you guys!  Congratulations!!

Here's a quick Ecuador update since I promised to keep you updated:  I'm about $1200 from my goal and getting more and more excited about the trip (I'm still in need of financial support...if you'd like to give a donation of any size please visit the "Donate" tab above).  The Lord has been preparing my heart in unreal ways and teaching me a lot about love and his ministry through the simple loving and serving of others.  I was able to sit down Thursday evening with two of my fellow team members and strategize some prayer and fundraising ideas and we've got some really great ideas (soon to become concrete plans) going.  I've also had two really great friends see God show up in INCREDIBLE ways financially this week and know that as he's preparing them for their trips to India he will continue to work through my team and prepare us as well for Ecuador.

I know this is a long blog (I'm a talker and there are lots of exciting things going on), thanks for sticking with me!  Have a wonderful day and be blessed this week!

Monday, April 2, 2012

Monday.

Today I'm in a listing mood -- you're probably thankful, because lists are short (most of the time) and easy to follow.  I'm just going to share my brain with you: 
  1. I slept for 9 hours last night and, after a weekend full of meetings and craziness, I am so thankful (and I'm sure my co-workers are too).
  2. I recently had this stirring in my heart to start a corporate prayer opportunity in my office (I wouldn't share this with everyone but since you're obviously only reading this if you love me, you can know).  Stay tuned, but I believe that favor WILL change my boss' mind about letting me do it, and I believe that the Kingdom WILL come to Samaritan's Purse.  Praise.
  3. For the first time in my life (really?  yes really), I canceled cable today.  I know -- you can think what you want.  But this is HUGE.  I'm trying to get serious about being a good steward of my finances and TV just isn't that big of a deal (except for the Olympics...but we'll cross that bridge when we get there)
  4. I've raised $775 (from the pure generosity of others) to date for Ecuador.  I'm getting really excited about this trip and know that the Lord hasn't even opened the floodgates yet.  Also, have I mentioned that the team I'm traveling with is perfect?  Yeah, they're perfect for this opportunity.  Look at God. 
  5. There's this game called signs...if you've ever had the honor of playing with me you know just how good I am at this game...If you ever have to play with me, I'm sorry :)  I only mention this because it was the comedic relief of my weekend.  You have to be able to laugh at yourself right?
  6. Lately, I've been really really missing Greensboro.  I have no idea why, don't really have ties there anymore except for my parents.  BUT, I'm going home this week for 3 days and Easter for the first time in at least 6 years.  Praying that I come back refreshed.
  7. Have I mentioned how awesome of a church I go to?  Last week (Wednesday) this guy just stood up in the middle of service asking to be saved and we saw all kinds of miracles happen after that moment.  Yesterday, we saw the Kingdom for real in the healing and restoring of hearts and spontaneous sharing of testimonies.  I am so thankful to serve in an active and Jesus believing house. 
  8. I've been rollerblading a lot lately -- again, think what you want.  It's awesome. 
  9. In 24 days I will be landing on the tarmac in St. Petersburg, Florida and from there will spend 3 glorious days at the beach, with incredible friends and taking a respite from normal life.  Much needed & much anticipated!
  10. I speak a lot about how great my Pastor is (and HE IS great still), but today I've been overwhelmed with how blessed I am to be on the worship team and how wonderful of a worship leader we are all under.  He's talented and encouraging.  But beyond that, he loves Jesus first and makes that the main point of the team.  We're good not because we're the best singers and musicians on the planet, but we're good because our eyes are focused.  What an honor to serve with those kind of people.
  11. Scarf season is officially (pretty much) over due to rapid heat waves caused by global warming or some other unidentifiable cause.  Who knows why it's hot so early.  Anyway, my point is that I don't know what I'm going to wear without scarves being a daily addition to my outfits.  Feel free to offer your input. 
This post is such a reflection of my random thoughts of today.  Here's to hoping that days are brighter, joy comes forward, and you are filled with love today!  I love you guys a lot.  Thanks for reading :)