Today is Thanksgiving Day, a day to give thanks for the many blessings that we have received. As I have reflected on this day, it hit me that you should be thankful for the trials and hard times just as much as you are thankful for the blessings and good times. This year we have faced trials. My grandmother passed away in March, and we have had two babies born straight into the arms of Jesus this year.
This year we have also faced great blessings and encouragement. I was able to fly back home to attend my grandmothers funeral and be with my family during that hard time. We as a family were able to take a cross country trip to visit family, and our home church, and see some pretty amazing things.
God has allowed us to be a part of a great ministry here in Alaska, and we have an awesome church here in Alaska. I have become involved with the worship team, and it seems that God has reignited a passion in my heart that I honestly believe he placed there when I was born, for worship.
Looking back over this year I can see how God has worked in many ways. He has taught us many things, some lessons were harder than others. Some of the lessons I am not completely sure why we had to experience them, but then again, we are never really promised that we will find out the "why" of things.
Through all of these things though, one thing remains, my faith in God. Even though there have been times when I literally felt like a crazy woman, my faith remained in my awesome and loving Father. I know that God cares about everything that we care about, and He feels every tear that we cry, His Word says in Psalm 56:8-11,
"You number my wanderings; put my tears into your bottle; Are they not in Your book? When I cry out to You, Then my enemies will turn back; This I know, because God is for me. In God (I will praise His word), In the Lord (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"
I so LOVE that, "because God is FOR ME." God is for us friends, even when we face unspeakable pain, and what can seem like chaotic uncertainty, God is for us!! He is there, only a breath away.
While going through a very tough time, God spoke to my heart and gave me these words. I want to share them with you.
You are not a victim!! You are a child of the Most High King. You are worthy. You are loved. You were crafted by the very hands of God, and you matter.
You were not just made, you were crafted by the skillful hands of an awesomely talented artisan. Every detail of your beautiful face was intricately designed and etched out by God, You Matter!!
You have a purpose, you have a mission, and God has a plan for your life.
You are not a victim, you are a chosen anointed child of God. A Powerful warrior in the army of a mighty God, so stand tall!!
I can honestly look back at this year and say that I am thankful for all that it has brought with it, because character is built through the trials that we face, and God will get us through those trials.
Happy Thanksgiving my friends, I am so thankful for each and everyone of you!!
Thursday, November 27, 2014
Thursday, October 30, 2014
"So come whatever I love you".....
Those are some of the lyrics to one of the worship songs that I like to listen to. It seems that in uncertain times, I can always find strength when I worship.
This week has been a little hectic. The week started off well at church when at the end of the sermon our pastor reminded us that we have been give authority by Jesus, over the power of the enemy. He said that when we have put on the full armor of God, and the enemy continues to come at us, that we are to stand firm. Wow, what a powerful and timely message.
The enemy looks for our weaknesses and when he finds them, he uses them to his advantage. However, as I was reminded on Sunday, we do not have to stand helplessly by while we are attacked. We have the authority to stand firm in our faith and tell Satan that he is not welcome in our lives or homes.
The lyrics of the song say,
"You reign forever and hold me together, so come whatever you love me.
You reign forever and hold me together, so come whatever I love you."
I think the song goes along with the message. God always reigns, and whatever comes He loves us. When we are walking through a difficult or uncertain time we can find power and comfort when we tell God that we love Him, no matter what is happening in our life.
This song always makes me smile and feel better, so I wanted to share it with you.
This week has been a little hectic. The week started off well at church when at the end of the sermon our pastor reminded us that we have been give authority by Jesus, over the power of the enemy. He said that when we have put on the full armor of God, and the enemy continues to come at us, that we are to stand firm. Wow, what a powerful and timely message.
The enemy looks for our weaknesses and when he finds them, he uses them to his advantage. However, as I was reminded on Sunday, we do not have to stand helplessly by while we are attacked. We have the authority to stand firm in our faith and tell Satan that he is not welcome in our lives or homes.
The lyrics of the song say,
"You reign forever and hold me together, so come whatever you love me.
You reign forever and hold me together, so come whatever I love you."
I think the song goes along with the message. God always reigns, and whatever comes He loves us. When we are walking through a difficult or uncertain time we can find power and comfort when we tell God that we love Him, no matter what is happening in our life.
This song always makes me smile and feel better, so I wanted to share it with you.
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Getting caught up!!
Getting "caught up", that is what I feel like we have been doing since we returned from our trip. Trying to get laundry all caught up (there was A LOT), and trying to get caught up on school work. It felt like from the moment we walked in the door, we were constantly running. I guess that is what you do when you come back from a trip or vacation of any type, right? While it is great to get caught up on the chores and school, getting "caught up" can also be a bad thing.
Sometimes it is so easy to get caught up in the things that are happening around us. It is easy to fall back into the same old trap of comparing ourselves to others, and worrying about what others may think. It is all of the small things added together that can throw huge road blocks in our path. Although it only really matters what God thinks about us, it is so easy to become a people pleaser.
On the trip we bought the Action Bible on CD and listened to it a few times on the way back. It was awesome to hear the great stories of the Bible read aloud, and the children absolutely loved it, but one thing stood out to me in many of the stories. The prophets, and the disciples, and many of the other great people from the Bible had to forget about what others would think of them in order to follow Gods call on their lives. They had to remove those roadblocks with the help of God, so that they could follow His will in their lives. They had to decide to be "All In" for Jesus, even when it was not convenient or it was not the popular thing to do.
So, rather than getting caught up in the "everyday" roadblocks, I want to make an intentional effort to remove those roadblocks with the help of God. I want to make sure that both my mind and my heart are "All In" for Jesus. I want to get caught up and carried away in the awesomeness of our Savior, rather than the awkwardness of this life. What about you, what are you getting caught up in lately?
Friday, October 10, 2014
Back at Home!!
Wow, we are finally back at home after such an amazing trip. We were able to meet so many wonderful people, and share what we are doing here in Alaska. It was wonderful to meet with the group form Gateway Baptist, and to be able to speak at The Harvest in Lexington, SC. The purpose of our trip was two fold, we went to visit family and we went to raise funds for our mission work here in Alaska. We are still in need of monthly partners to join in our ministry here in Alaska. We are so very excited about the program that has started up here on the Palmer InterAct campus. The LEaD program is such an awesome opportunity to show the love of Christ to others, and to practice active discipleship.
God revealed Himself in so many ways to our family on the trip. Some wonderful people from Gateway blessed us beyond belief. A man in Pepin, WI blessed us with dinner one night. A very nice man blessed us at a random gas station by buying cinnamon rolls for all of the children. A sweet couple in IL at the campground we were staying at showed us love as well by giving us the things that they were not able to take back with them. Throughout the entire trip we were able to see God move and provide for us in ways that only He can. We know that He will continue to provide all that we need.
We would like to ask you, our friends and family to join with us in our ministry here in Alaska. There are two things that we need at this point, we need prayer partners, and we need partners who would like to be involved by funding our ministry. The sooner that we can reach 100% funding the sooner we can begin working full-time here on the mission field. We are currently working on the field, however we are not able to go full-time at this point. If you would like to partner with us, please visit the InterAct site here, and you can click on our name to set up a monthly donation. Thank you again to everyone for your prayers and hospitality. We were so very excited to be able to see everyone, and hope to speak to you again soon.
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Long Journey
It has been a fun and long journey so far. We left Palmer, AK on August 28, 2014 and began to drive to South Carolina. We stopped for a couple of days in Oregon for some training at the InterAct office, and then got back on the road to finish the journey to South Carolina.
We only had a couple of issues on the way, we blew one tire on the camper and picked up a screw in a tire on the van. However, no one was injured and we were able to get everything repaired.
We had the privilege of speaking with a wonderful group from Gateway Baptist church in Lexington, SC. It was such a blessing for us to be able to share what God is doing in our lives and ministry in Alaska. We look forward to speaking with our wonderful Church family tomorrow night and Sunday morning.
We have really enjoyed our time here in South Carolina, and are excited to see what else God has in store for us while we are here.
We only had a couple of issues on the way, we blew one tire on the camper and picked up a screw in a tire on the van. However, no one was injured and we were able to get everything repaired.
We had the privilege of speaking with a wonderful group from Gateway Baptist church in Lexington, SC. It was such a blessing for us to be able to share what God is doing in our lives and ministry in Alaska. We look forward to speaking with our wonderful Church family tomorrow night and Sunday morning.
We have really enjoyed our time here in South Carolina, and are excited to see what else God has in store for us while we are here.
Friday, July 11, 2014
Spiritual Warfare
Spiritual warfare, that has been going on lately here in Alaska. The enemy is launching some big attacks on those who are involved in the programs here in Palmer. It seems like the entire past year has been full of hard things, bad things, and things that I just did not understand. It has not only been our family, but others as well.
A few days ago I was reading my Bible and came across these verses:
1 Peter 4:12-19
12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. 14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.[a] On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.[b]
17 For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 Now
The first line of that really grabbed me, "do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you". We should not be surprised when these things happen. The enemy is going to try to stop the good works that God is doing, and that should not surprise us. It often seems like the closer we get to accomplishing something for God, the stronger the attacks become, and to be honest it seems as if they have been relentless lately.
God spoke to my heart a few days ago and told me to pray. Not just pray like normal, but put legs on those prayers, and surround this property with prayer. He impressed upon me that the enemy is so afraid of what God going to do here, he is trying to pull away all of those involved.
If he is that afraid of what is going on here, what does that mean? It means that God is planning to do something so BIG here that it will touch the entire state of Alaska and beyond. God is awesome, and still as powerful as ever. God never lost any of his power, we just stopped expecting great things from Him.
The God we serve today is the SAME God that created the universe!! He has the Power to change this world again, and He is working on those changes every second. He is the SAME God that made wonderful promises to us in the Bible. God promised us so many things, and God always keeps His promises!!
God loves us so much!! He created us, He crafted us, He chose us. Thinking about that just blows my mind. The God of the universe chose me, and He loves me, wow!!
God loves us all so much and even though we have been, and good friends of ours are still, facing some very difficult circumstances, God is here. The enemy wants us to quit, he wants us to give up, he wants us to say that it is just not worth it, BUT it IS worth it! Living the Love of Christ is so worth it! Living out what the Bible tells us, rather than just reading it, is worth it. So Friends, I want to ask you all to join with me, and cover this ministry and this particular place in prayer. I ask that you pray that the spirit of God saturates this place. Pray that the Holy Spirit is so evident on this property that it drips from the roof tops. Pray that God would make His presence so strong here that the enemy can not cross the property line because he will just be consumed!! Pray for strength and wisdom for those of us who are undergoing these spiritual attacks, and pray that we would have the boldness that we need to step out in faith and do what God calls us to do, even when it is not easy.
I believe in the power of prayer, and I know God hears and answers them. The Bible tells us over and over again to pray, so that is what we are doing and I ask that you join with us.
A few days ago I was reading my Bible and came across these verses:
1 Peter 4:12-19
12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. 14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.[a] On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.[b]
17 For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 Now
19 Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.
The first line of that really grabbed me, "do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you". We should not be surprised when these things happen. The enemy is going to try to stop the good works that God is doing, and that should not surprise us. It often seems like the closer we get to accomplishing something for God, the stronger the attacks become, and to be honest it seems as if they have been relentless lately.
God spoke to my heart a few days ago and told me to pray. Not just pray like normal, but put legs on those prayers, and surround this property with prayer. He impressed upon me that the enemy is so afraid of what God going to do here, he is trying to pull away all of those involved.
If he is that afraid of what is going on here, what does that mean? It means that God is planning to do something so BIG here that it will touch the entire state of Alaska and beyond. God is awesome, and still as powerful as ever. God never lost any of his power, we just stopped expecting great things from Him.
The God we serve today is the SAME God that created the universe!! He has the Power to change this world again, and He is working on those changes every second. He is the SAME God that made wonderful promises to us in the Bible. God promised us so many things, and God always keeps His promises!!
God loves us so much!! He created us, He crafted us, He chose us. Thinking about that just blows my mind. The God of the universe chose me, and He loves me, wow!!
God loves us all so much and even though we have been, and good friends of ours are still, facing some very difficult circumstances, God is here. The enemy wants us to quit, he wants us to give up, he wants us to say that it is just not worth it, BUT it IS worth it! Living the Love of Christ is so worth it! Living out what the Bible tells us, rather than just reading it, is worth it. So Friends, I want to ask you all to join with me, and cover this ministry and this particular place in prayer. I ask that you pray that the spirit of God saturates this place. Pray that the Holy Spirit is so evident on this property that it drips from the roof tops. Pray that God would make His presence so strong here that the enemy can not cross the property line because he will just be consumed!! Pray for strength and wisdom for those of us who are undergoing these spiritual attacks, and pray that we would have the boldness that we need to step out in faith and do what God calls us to do, even when it is not easy.
I believe in the power of prayer, and I know God hears and answers them. The Bible tells us over and over again to pray, so that is what we are doing and I ask that you join with us.
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Wow, what a year!!
Wow, what a year it has been. One year ago today we started our journey to
Alaska. After driving for many days over
5,000 miles, we made it. Looking back,
it has been a whirlwind, but in the middle of it, some of the time seemed to go
so slowly. This has been a year filled
with blessings, yet steeped in loss.
During the past year I have said goodbye to two grandparents and three
angle babies that we did not hold here on this earth, but I know we will see
when we get to heaven. I have dealt with
crippling panic attacks, but have overcome them with the strength and grace of
God. We have gone through a year of
Bible college, Bryan was the student, and spent about 6 months “dating”,
getting to know, a mission organization.
We are now officially a part of that mission organization. Our family is now officially a missionary
family with Interact Ministries. During
this process we have made some awesome friends and developed wonderful relationships
with them. We have also found a great
church here in Alaska, Church on the Rock in Palmer. Three of our children were baptized by Pastor
Chris from Church on the Rock, Palmer, and I have recently been able to become
involved in worship ministry again.
There have been many more ups and downs; I don’t think I
could possibly list them all. Most
importantly, our relationship with God has strengthened exponentially. We have really had to lean on Him this year,
and that has really developed our relationships with each other, and with
Him. God has taught us so many lessons
this year. This year has been FAR from
easy, but God has brought us through.
Honestly, there were times when I would just cry out, “God, I don’t know
how to do this, or I can’t do this”, but God would always put His hand on my
heart and give me the Peace that can ONLY come from Him and tell me, “I know
you can’t, but I CAN. I’ve got this.”.
I love to listen to
praise and worship music, and there is a verse in one song that says, “When the
storm rages, I won’t be afraid, because I have locked eyes on You face to
face”. I love that song, but more
specifically that verse. The storms will
rage all around us, in every season of our lives. We have been in the middle of some crazy
storms this year, but we don’t have to be afraid, because when we keep our eyes
on His, we WILL NOT sink. We may feel crazy, and it may feel like the
water is starting to rise, but as long as we are with Him, we will NOT be overcome by any storm that this
world may throw at us.
I am so thankful for all that God has done in our lives this
year, both the joy and the heartache. It
is easy to rejoice and praise Him in the good times, but our strength is built
in the heartache. It is in the heartache
that God will lift our heads and remind us that He’s got this!!!
Thank you so much for your prayers and love this year. We ask that you continue to pray for us daily
as we seek to do His will in our lives.
Sunday, June 15, 2014
We are official!!
We are so excited to announce that we are officially members of Interact Ministries. We have been working with Interact for a few months now, and have been in the application process, but as of this past Monday afternoon we are officially appointees with Interact Ministries.
That means that we are missionaries in the process of raising monthly support so that we can hopefully go into ministry full time once we are fully funded. We are not up on the website as of today, but should be soon. You can find out more about Interact Ministries here.
We are looking for others to partner with us in Ministry. Our ministry focus will be here in Palmer Alaska, ministering to individuals and groups who use our Lazy Mountain campus. We will also be working with the LEaD Alaska program, mentoring students who participate in the program.
We are so excited about the opportunities that God is placing before us. We would like to ask that you consider joining with us in this journey. We are just starting out on this portion of our journey, and are looking for partners who would like to come along side us in ministry and give their support both financially and through prayer.
If God is moving in your heart and you would like to become one of our monthly financial partners, you can contribute through Interacts site, or by mail.
Thank you for your love and support!!
That means that we are missionaries in the process of raising monthly support so that we can hopefully go into ministry full time once we are fully funded. We are not up on the website as of today, but should be soon. You can find out more about Interact Ministries here.
We are looking for others to partner with us in Ministry. Our ministry focus will be here in Palmer Alaska, ministering to individuals and groups who use our Lazy Mountain campus. We will also be working with the LEaD Alaska program, mentoring students who participate in the program.
We are so excited about the opportunities that God is placing before us. We would like to ask that you consider joining with us in this journey. We are just starting out on this portion of our journey, and are looking for partners who would like to come along side us in ministry and give their support both financially and through prayer.
If God is moving in your heart and you would like to become one of our monthly financial partners, you can contribute through Interacts site, or by mail.
Thank you for your love and support!!
Saturday, June 14, 2014
What does the Bible say to you???
We were recently in an interview and were asked, "What is the main theme that jumps out at you from the Bible?".
This was a great question, how do you sum up the Bible? What is the main theme? To me, the main theme of the Bible is love. God has really been speaking to my heart lately about this. The entire book begins with Love. God created the earth and everything in it, and it was good. He did not just half heartedly create the universe and mankind. He took great care when He created all of the intricate details that make up our world, and our very being.
Even today, God does not just poof us into existence. He crafts every detail of our being with His mighty, skillful, and loving hand. He knows every detail of who we are, and He still loves us anyway. Before the fall, Gods creation was perfect, and there was no reason not to love it. However, since the fall, things have gone terribly downhill, but He STILL loves us. He loved us so much to sacrifice His only son, the Holy Lamb of God. Jesus willingly came in our place and took our punishment. Did He do that because He "liked" us a lot? No, He did it because He loves us!!
When we look at all of the Love that God has for us, and has had for us since the beginning, how can we do anything but Love like He did, and does. We should love when it's not "convenient", when it is hard, and even when it hurts. We are called to love others. We are called to be bearers of good news, and carriers of Light. We are called to share the Love of Christ with others.
Love, Love, Love. God Loves us so much and he cares about all that we go through. He cares about the small things, just as he cares about the big things. We are His creation, created by His love, saved by the very blood of His son. God is Love and we are to live according to His Word. His Word tells us to Love.
What about you? How do you summarize the Bible?
This was a great question, how do you sum up the Bible? What is the main theme? To me, the main theme of the Bible is love. God has really been speaking to my heart lately about this. The entire book begins with Love. God created the earth and everything in it, and it was good. He did not just half heartedly create the universe and mankind. He took great care when He created all of the intricate details that make up our world, and our very being.
Even today, God does not just poof us into existence. He crafts every detail of our being with His mighty, skillful, and loving hand. He knows every detail of who we are, and He still loves us anyway. Before the fall, Gods creation was perfect, and there was no reason not to love it. However, since the fall, things have gone terribly downhill, but He STILL loves us. He loved us so much to sacrifice His only son, the Holy Lamb of God. Jesus willingly came in our place and took our punishment. Did He do that because He "liked" us a lot? No, He did it because He loves us!!
When we look at all of the Love that God has for us, and has had for us since the beginning, how can we do anything but Love like He did, and does. We should love when it's not "convenient", when it is hard, and even when it hurts. We are called to love others. We are called to be bearers of good news, and carriers of Light. We are called to share the Love of Christ with others.
Love, Love, Love. God Loves us so much and he cares about all that we go through. He cares about the small things, just as he cares about the big things. We are His creation, created by His love, saved by the very blood of His son. God is Love and we are to live according to His Word. His Word tells us to Love.
What about you? How do you summarize the Bible?
Friday, June 6, 2014
My chains are gone, I've been set free......
I love that song, and especially the chorus. Those chains can be different things to different people. For me it has been silence. I know that sounds akward, but for the past three years or so, I have worn the chains of silence.
For me this was a big deal. You see, I have been active in worship in the churches that I have attended since I was 4 years old. I can remember someone else holding the michrophone for me to sing into when I was super young. It has always been a big part of my life, until around three and a half years ago. It was at that time that I was silenced by God. It was so hard struggling through that and not knowing why it was happening. It was a real battle for me. I loved worship, and always had, but suddenly it was gone. I was no longer able to lead others in worship, and I just felt lost. It felt like a part of me was gone, and I was so confused.
Looking back now, I can see that even way back then, God was preparing us for the ministry that we are now in. I still don't know the exact reason, but I feel like that if I had stayed in the role that I was in at the time, we never would have moved to our sending church, and we never would have made it to the mission field in Alaska. I am sure I would have felt so obligated to stay where we were actually involved in worship ministry, that I may have missed the bigger picture that God was drawing for us.
I think that it is in our times of silence that we grow the most. I know during the past three and a half years, I have searched for Gods will, actively pursuing His will for our lives. It has not been easy, and there was a lot of time spent waiting. It was during this time that I was able to grow closer to God in my prayer life, and really really depend on Him. He has developed new passions in me that would not have come without the silence. He has shown me things that I never would have been able to see, without the silence. He has taught me how to "be still, and know that He is God".
Because of all of these things, I am thankful for the silence that I went through. Just recently God has been impressing upon my heart the desire to become involved in worship ministry again. At first I was hesitant, I wanted to be sure that the desires of my heart were also the desires of God. After much prompting from the Lord, I took the appropriate steps to audition and become involved in worship here in Alaska. It felt great, but I realized one more thing while I was up there on the stage, that in my time of silence, God was teaching me how to truly worship Him. Not just how to put on a show, but how to truly worship Him with all of my heart, holding nothing back. He taught me about living a life style of worship, not just waiting until Sunday morning, but striving to have a constant connection with Him.
It feels so good to be back where I know God has always planned for me to be, and it is so awesome to have that desire burning in my heart and soul once again. The desire to lead Gods people in preparing their hearts to be in the presence of the Holy Spirit and to be receptive of what he has for them.
For me this was a big deal. You see, I have been active in worship in the churches that I have attended since I was 4 years old. I can remember someone else holding the michrophone for me to sing into when I was super young. It has always been a big part of my life, until around three and a half years ago. It was at that time that I was silenced by God. It was so hard struggling through that and not knowing why it was happening. It was a real battle for me. I loved worship, and always had, but suddenly it was gone. I was no longer able to lead others in worship, and I just felt lost. It felt like a part of me was gone, and I was so confused.
Looking back now, I can see that even way back then, God was preparing us for the ministry that we are now in. I still don't know the exact reason, but I feel like that if I had stayed in the role that I was in at the time, we never would have moved to our sending church, and we never would have made it to the mission field in Alaska. I am sure I would have felt so obligated to stay where we were actually involved in worship ministry, that I may have missed the bigger picture that God was drawing for us.
I think that it is in our times of silence that we grow the most. I know during the past three and a half years, I have searched for Gods will, actively pursuing His will for our lives. It has not been easy, and there was a lot of time spent waiting. It was during this time that I was able to grow closer to God in my prayer life, and really really depend on Him. He has developed new passions in me that would not have come without the silence. He has shown me things that I never would have been able to see, without the silence. He has taught me how to "be still, and know that He is God".
Because of all of these things, I am thankful for the silence that I went through. Just recently God has been impressing upon my heart the desire to become involved in worship ministry again. At first I was hesitant, I wanted to be sure that the desires of my heart were also the desires of God. After much prompting from the Lord, I took the appropriate steps to audition and become involved in worship here in Alaska. It felt great, but I realized one more thing while I was up there on the stage, that in my time of silence, God was teaching me how to truly worship Him. Not just how to put on a show, but how to truly worship Him with all of my heart, holding nothing back. He taught me about living a life style of worship, not just waiting until Sunday morning, but striving to have a constant connection with Him.
It feels so good to be back where I know God has always planned for me to be, and it is so awesome to have that desire burning in my heart and soul once again. The desire to lead Gods people in preparing their hearts to be in the presence of the Holy Spirit and to be receptive of what he has for them.
Saturday, May 24, 2014
With your "Whole Heart"!!
Over the past two weeks or so, God has really been speaking to my heart during my devotional time in the mornings. I have been reading Psalms. I find Psalms to be so comforting and encouraging when I am going through difficult times. Lately I have been immersing myself in them!! I love to just soak in His Word!! While reading through the Psalms God has been directing me to a certain phrase. It is almost like it is in Bold Red Letters, but it really isn't.
The phrase is, "With my Whole Heart". I have found it in Psalm 119:69, and Psalm 119:34. It is in other places as well. God has really been speaking to me about this term. In Jeremiah 29:11-13, God says that we will find Him when we search with "all of our heart".
God wants all of our hearts. He doesn't just want the good parts, or the parts that we want to share with Him, He wants the whole thing. Just looking at this phrase you might be thinking, "Duh, I already do that", but do you? As I thought about the phrase and what it means, it really made me examine my life. Of course I love God with all of my heart, but do I give all of my heart to Him at all times. Do I worship Him with all of my heart, or do I hold back that part that hurts?
I will be completely honest here, I like most of you, know what it is to hurt. I know how it feels for your heart to hurt so bad that you don't even know how you are going to take the next breath, let alone give praise. I know how it feels to feel forgotten and betrayed by those who you thought were your friends. I know how it feels to have your entire life turned upside down in mere moments, and I know how it feels to loose something that is so very precious to you, but PRAISE GOD I know the one who can heal those hurts!!
I know that for me, it feels natural to turn away, to protect that part that hurts to bad to even acknowledge sometimes. However, as God has been showing me over the past few weeks, that is not what he wants us to do. We can not praise Him, or even give Him our whole heart, if we are protecting a part of it. in order to give Him our whole heart, we have to be totally transparent with Him. He already knows what we are going through, but we have to be willing to let Him in.
It makes me think of my children when we are getting ready for church on Sundays. I want them to wear their "good clothes", you know the pants that do not have holes, and that are not two inches too short. I am pretty sure I am not alone here, right?? Why am I, or are we, so concerned with how our children look when we go to church? Could it be that we are worried about what others might think or say about us?
Well, guess what, God wants our imperfections. He wants our dirty secrets and torn hearts. He wants all of us, he doesn't want just our "Sunday Best", he wants our "real life" hearts. He wants us to turn to Him when we are hurting, when we are grieving, when we feel lost, and when we feel empty. He wants us to open our hearts and praise Him with our whole hearts, He wants us to give all that we have and all that we are going through to Him. He wants our praise even when we don't have the strength to speak. When there are no words, He deserves our praise. When there are only tears left, He deserves our praise.
What does praise look like when you are speechless? It can be as simple as an open heart and lifted hands. What do you praise Him for when you are devastated? Praise Him for His love. Praise Him for His sacrifice. Praise Him for getting you through the last five minutes. Just praise Him, when you open your heart to God, He will speak to you.
It is so comforting to read Jeremiah 29:12-13, "Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all of your heart." (NKJV).
Sunday, May 11, 2014
A hug from God...
This morning in Church during worship, God just poured out His Love on me. It felt as if He wrapped His arms around me, and gave me a Great Big hug!! It was so real, and I could feel the presence of the Lord right there with me. Psalm 56:8 immediately popped into my head, and I know it was God who put it there. It says, "You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your book?". (NKJV). I am so glad that God cares about every single tear that we cry.
When we encounter struggles, as we often will, I am so glad that God is there to "love on us". He cares enough to know my heart, to know when I am hurting, and to let me feel His love.
Choosing to worship God in all things, even in the middle of a storm, just brings us that much closer to Him. I may not understand why things happen, but I know that God loves me, and no matter how crazy this life gets He will be there waiting with a great big hug at the exact moment that I need it the most.
photo source
Thursday, January 2, 2014
A Look Back...
As we take a look back at the year of 2013, it is still mind boggling. God has done so many things in our lives, and blessed us in countless ways. When we as a family decided to turn everything over to God, and serve Him in any way that he wanted to use us, it seems that we went into warp speed. I think that God wants us to be willing to serve, without mixing our own desires in. Sometimes it is easy to say that we will serve, if we can do this or that, there is usually one or two specific things that we want to do. However, I feel that God wants us to serve without expectation. Being willing to serve without expecting to get anything in return, is truly one of the biggest blessings that you can receive, in my opinion.
At the beginning of 2013 we spent much time in prayer about where God was taking us, and how he wanted to get us there. We knew that he was calling us to Alaska, but the specifics had not been reveled to us yet. We prayed, and asked friends and loved ones to pray for us as well. We had already filled out applications to colleges in Alaska, but were not sure which one to go with, we had no idea how we would get to Alaska, and how we would be able to make it once we did arrive. There were so many questions, and chances for doubt and fear to set in, but through much prayer we knew that this is where God wanted us, and He would get us here and work out all of the details.
God did just that!! He took care of all of the little things, that to us at the time seemed like huge road blocks. He provided the encouragement that we needed from fellow believers, our Awesome church family, and some family members. He provided the van that we needed to get here, and He provided the finances that we needed as well. Once we arrived in Alaska, God continued to provide. He placed us in our house for a reason, we are surrounded by wonderful people, who have been a tremendous help to us in our time of transition. We stay on a property that is owned by the mission organization that we are hoping to work with very soon.
It is so neat to look back on the past year and realize that what seemed like chaos to us at the time was actually a carefully orchestrated plan that God had created for our family. As we look back, some of the things that seemed to take an eternity this past year, now look like that went by so quickly. God is truly in control.
We have had our share of obstacles to overcome and heartache this past year. We have experienced more loss than I would like to think about, and have endured many attacks by the enemy. It seems that Satan tried so hard to stop us from getting here, and do you want to know why? I truly believe that God has big things planned for us here, and Satan knows that as well, so he has done many things to stop our progress. However, as we all know, he has nothing on God. God is bigger than anything Satan can throw our way.
Our hearts are filled with so much love for all of our church family, friends, and supporters. We have been truly blessed by your continuing prayers and support for our family, and the journey God has set us on. So many times I rest in the fact that He, Jehovah, is mighty to save, and that no weapon formed against Him or us as believers, will stand!! Abba Father has been here to comfort us in every trial. We may be far from our family and friends back home, but God has been with us the entire way, and He is not going anywhere!!
We are so excited about what this year may bring. Just like last year, we don't have all of the specifics, but we are ready to serve, and excited to do so. Please continue to keep our family in your prayers.
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