It has been way too long since I updated this blog. We are still around, and still in ministry, just not in the same place. We have been back in South Carolina for a couple of years now, and have been involved heavily in church ministry. Bryan and I have been doing youth and children ministry, and I have been doing WMU ministry. We have been busy since the second we arrived back in SC, it seems. God has given us many experiences and opportunities to learn new things and to develop new passions for teaching others how awesome God is.
We continually seek to follow Gods call on our lives, and are completely dedicated to following God's call on our lives, no matter where He calls us to go. We greatly appreciate the love and support of all of our family and friends. We feel that God may be changing the direction of our ministry, and are excited to see where He is taking us.
Please pray for us as we continue to seek Gods plan for our lives, and pray that we have the boldness to do what He calls us to do, no matter how difficult it may seem.
Showing posts with label the journey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the journey. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
Thursday, November 27, 2014
Thankful for the trials.....
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!!
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!!
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!!
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.
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.
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Refining!!
Since arriving in Alaska, we have been able to experience some super fun things. We have seen many many moose, some in our front and back yard!!
We have seen some beautiful dogs, sled dogs.
We have also seen some reindeer!! The kids really got a kick out of these!!
We have met some awesome people, who have really ministered to our lives in ways that they probably are not even aware of!!
God is so great even in the hard times. This morning in my quiet time I was reading in Isaiah, the verse that really spoke to me was Isaiah 48:10, "Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction." My bible is a study bible, and in the explanation of this verse it says: "For without the testing, we would never know what we are capable of doing, nor would we grow. And without the refining, we will not become more pure and more like Christ."
Wow, this spoke to my heart, in a time that I really needed to hear something. Reading this verse helps me to remember that no matter what we face, we are not alone, and our experiences are not in vain. God has a purpose for all that we go through, even though in the middle of a trial it may be hard to see, or even think about a purpose, God has one. He can also use any trial that we are going through, or find ourselves in, for His glory.
We are not forgotten and we have not been left alone to find our own way. God is here and has been the entire time, even if we have chosen not to see Him, and He will always be here!!
I am so grateful this morning that God reminds us of His awesome glory and presence in our lives!!
We have seen some beautiful dogs, sled dogs.
We have met some awesome people, who have really ministered to our lives in ways that they probably are not even aware of!!
God is so great even in the hard times. This morning in my quiet time I was reading in Isaiah, the verse that really spoke to me was Isaiah 48:10, "Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction." My bible is a study bible, and in the explanation of this verse it says: "For without the testing, we would never know what we are capable of doing, nor would we grow. And without the refining, we will not become more pure and more like Christ."
Wow, this spoke to my heart, in a time that I really needed to hear something. Reading this verse helps me to remember that no matter what we face, we are not alone, and our experiences are not in vain. God has a purpose for all that we go through, even though in the middle of a trial it may be hard to see, or even think about a purpose, God has one. He can also use any trial that we are going through, or find ourselves in, for His glory.
We are not forgotten and we have not been left alone to find our own way. God is here and has been the entire time, even if we have chosen not to see Him, and He will always be here!!
I am so grateful this morning that God reminds us of His awesome glory and presence in our lives!!
Saturday, May 18, 2013
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