Recently, I have had the privilege of visiting the country of Uganda. What a beautiful land it is. I saw the Lord in new ways and it was amazing... Follow along as I process all that the Lord is teaching me.
Some patterns I see in 3rd world countries is their desperation for the Lord. Different than most of us, they are relying on God for all their daily meal and every other need. They seek Him in each moment of each day. So often I am reminded on missions trips to seek the Lord in every moment. There is something so freeing in trusting the Lord in the unknown, in what is next. He provides peace in every situation. This leads to the overflow of blelssing. That is why there is a constant thread of in-explainable joy in these people. They are not wrapped up in things, but rather present in each moment. The make the most of every situation. They are not distracted by things but invest themselves in relationships. Lord, I want to be in a posture of desperation for you. In each moment, to seek you so that I will be able to show Jesus throughout all of my actions. It is easy to miss God in our daily life because we have everything at out fingertips. We don't seek Him because all of our needs are provided. But imagine being intentional in the moment and seeing his hand move like never before. He is at work and we must join him in what he is doing. One of our key themes of this trip was obedience. Trusting the Lord and making ourselves available for what he had for us that day. For me, when I feel the Lord calling me to something-- it is not usually easy. It most always brings me out of my comfort zone. However, when I obey I am filled up. The more desperately I seek the Lord, the more I see him working and the more he invites me to join him. It is the coolest experience and it brings me constant joy. It is such a blessing to surrender it all to to the one who knows me better than I know myself. He knows what I need and when I trust him, I place my faith in something that is unshakable and it is always so worth it. Desperation is a blessing because it allows us to fix our eyes on the one who deserves all the glory and the praise. It puts our life in perspective. Desperation is an opportunity for surrender and a way for us to experience the overflow of joy.
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It is true when two or three gather in Jesus’s name, he is there. That is one of my favorite things about the Hartford Project. The presence of the Lord is there and its thick. Thick meaning, you cannot escape it, it is so readily available to those who seek it. The Hartford project is such a refreshing time for me. It reminds me how I should always be living my life, intentionally. THP stretches participants to get out of their comfort zones and talk to strangers in every moment. To proclaim the gospel of Jesus to all who need to hear. That is how I should be living my daily life… But often by selfishness gets in the way. I like to be in control and I have a certain schedule for my day. I will be intentional on the next week of Hartford project, I will do ministry then. However, that is not the Lord’s command. He calls believers to spread the gospel to the nations, 24/7. In our daily lives through every moment. What I learned through this week of THP is to be present. To be watchful in each moment to see where I could serve, pray and bless those around me. Let me just say the moments where I choose to be present in the presence of the Lord are LIFE CHANGING and ALWAYS WORTH IT. Yes, it can be uncomfortable and I tend to always make excuses but the times where I have pushed through and obeyed his promptings have been the best. I never regret them. One of the coolest things about the Lord is that he allows his kids to join in his mission of his Kingdom. He has a plan and it will get done but he CHOOSES to equip his children (all believers) to join him in the tasks if we are PRESENT! That is it, pretty simple and oh so life transforming! Our God is so intentional and will meet us where we are at and loves us enough to not keep us there. It starts with us, being present so that we can be aware of his presence. Then we are able to do his work. My charge to you is be intentional, be present so that you can experience the everlasting presence of the King. You will be forever changed, and it is SO WORTH IT. Check out this song! Intentional by Travis Greene https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH3f0ellNv8 had a great day yesterday. I mean a GREAT day. A big presentation went well and opportunities were presenting themselves that I was able to walk in. It was such a blessing! I was able to worship the Lord in a way that I know and love. It was literally a GREAT Day. Joy was radiating through my pores and it felt energizing.
I am convinced being in step with God trusting him with complete surrender was the reason for this GREAT day. I started my day in utter weakness. I knew I could not do this day on my own. I trusted and believed in his presence and relied on him which led to great success and provision! Then I was living in an act of worship and praise to what he had done and was able to clearly see new opportunities for him to be glorified! It was so cool & empowering. That is what made yesterday great; I was living in freedom and power in my identity in Christ. He was equipping me with all the tools I needed and I was stepping into each divine moment he presented. Now today feels different. Why? Probably because I did not start today in ultimate surrender but decided that I could do this day on my own. There was no big presentation or event that I truly needed God for which is a LIE. I need the Lord in every moment and in every day whether I feel “equipped” or not. I am not ready to fight the battles of the day in my own flesh but I must be relying on the Spirit. Without Christ, in our own strength we are more prone to attack. I can feel the difference. I feel more spiritual warfare today. The enemy is reminding me of my weaknesses and my doubts. But I must remind myself the truth that transcends all powers! The Lord will provide, he has called me to these things and he will provide. If it does not end how I have planned then His plan is better. There is purpose in the waiting, the praying, the hoping, the dreaming. I am so thankful that in everything the Lord never leaves us or forsakes us no matter how big or small it is. He sees our heart, yet meets us where we are at to continue to bring us to where he wants us to go. What an amazing God I have. These are my messy thoughts that I will continue to process and grow through. My encouragement to you, recognize that without God we are missing out on all the divine moments he has for us. There is so much joy in surrender. He is present and is ready to prepare us for our day ahead. There is so much freedom in walking with Christ. My Prayer- Lord, may I remember that great day. May I rest in who you are and surrender for your will for my life. That I would walk in the Spirit in each moment and rely on your strength. I am fleshly, weak and tired and need you in everything I do. Please forgive me for thinking I could do even the small things on my own. You are so good my King. Looking back on 2017, the Lord’s goodness has been evident. He has been so good to me this last year and it has been such a blessing to see Him work. This does not mean that 2017 was a simple or carefree year which included zero problems or hardships but overall the Lord’s goodness remained true as it always does.
With every New Years I have been able to look back on the year and remember the good times and difficulties that shaped me into who I am today. 2017, was a year filled with surprises, adventures, and patience in the waiting. The Lord has put specific dreams and passions in my heart regarding His Kingdom and it has been cool to discover different parts of it this year. I have a passion for travel, people and places that I have not yet seen. For instance, I was able to visit my cousin in San Francisco, CA with my roommate and it was an eye opening experience. Seeing things and places I would never be able to see on the East Coast. I fell in love with San Fran’s diversity. However, I also saw people in need of basic needs as we do everywhere. Everywhere has need. This trip encouraged me to be intentional with people the Lord crossed my path with and to live in every moment. Then in October, I had the opportunity to help in the relief effort in Morelos, Mexico. Not expecting to see much beauty and preparing myself for the worst, I saw beauty in the people and the place. With all the destruction and demolition of houses and buildings around our van as we traveled down the streets, I saw beauty in the Lord’s creation. Even though this awful natural disaster occurred, the Lord has a plan for these people and this nation. We loved them and showed them the hope of Christ and that is all that we could give. There are so many mountains in Mexico and it is gorgeous. Traveling up and down dirt roads and around bends brought us to houses in harder to reach places. The beauty in the people shown through their generosity and thankfulness. The Lord was working here and continues to. As I look back over the course of this year I have also seen the Lord’s goodness in his faithfulness to answer prayers. It has been such a blessing to walk into what He has for me in this season. He has brought friends and people into my life that I did not know I needed. He has brought encouragement and iron sharpens iron council that has motivated me to grow in my faith. He has challenged me to continue to draw near to his throne through prayer. I am so thankful for all that the Lord has taught me over the course of this year and it definetly will not end in this year… I know 2018 will bring good change and transition as I will be hopefully graduating and taking the next steps wherever the Lord is leading me! I hold onto this command and promise as I step into faith wherever the Lord is calling me, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” The Lord is good and is so worthy to be praised, in the hard seasons and seasons of celebration, the Lord is with us even to the end of the age, we never have to fear! I think one of the coolest things about the Lord is His peace. As I accepted the opportunity to serve with LU Send Now in Mexico I felt immense peace. It was a peace that surpassed all understanding because I was traveling into the unknown, I had no fear but rather was filled with excitement for the journey ahead. I was excited because the Lord had ordained this trip for me and I was expectant of what He was going to do.
The Lord has once again expanded my perspective of the world around me in many ways. He has showed me the beauty of His creation in His people. I immediately felt love and compassion for the people of Mexico and it was the coolest thing. The people of Mexico are so loving and welcoming. At every house or church we worked for there was always someone giving us soda or snacks. We came to love and serve yet we were loved and served. I think one of the biggest struggles I experienced on the trip was encountering the desperation of the people. To see on their faces, the feelings of grief, hopelessness, and shear desperation was hard to swallow. What could we do? How could we help? Yes, we could give them some basic needs and that will last for a little, but what could ultimately change their situation? How could we package “hope” and give it to them? Jesus. The only name that can save. The only one who can see them and knows them. The only one who can truly satisfy all their needs. That is all I had to give. We loved on the people of Mexico by praying for them. We prayed for healing, protection, and for the Lord to supply all their needs. We prayed that the people of Mexico would know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. We prayed that He would continue to work in the midst of the tragedy of all that was lost in the earthquake. I think one of the hardest parts of this trip for me was coming back and resuming life. Every time I would close my eyes I could see the streets, the people, and the pure beauty of Mexico. I was challenged in figuring out what am I supposed to do with all that I saw, felt and experienced?! Will Mexico just live on in my memories? Or is there purpose in sharing this journey? I have come to the conclusion that the purpose of sharing my experience is to bring glory to God. To give a testimony of His power and His work in all of our lives. He was (and is!) present in all our lives. He was present in each moment and we felt it! He was moving and is continuing to work even as we have left. What a privilege it is to join him in his work! I know that the Lord is alive, he is moving, and he is drawing people to himself in relationship with Him. He is an amazing God and what a privilege it is to serve him wherever He calls and wherever He leads. "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world" John 16:33 Waiting.... I think in the waiting, one of the hardest things is the feeling of without. Felling like you lack in something or being without an identity. It is a season of wandering around in the unknown. THESE ARE LIES! We do not lack anything because we have Christ-- he has never left us or forsaken us. In Deuteronomy 31:6, it says "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." The Lord can call us to be strong and courageous because he is always with us and will never leave us. In this time of waiting he is growing and molding us so we are ready to be trusted with whatever he gives us. If we get it too early we will squander it and it will go to waste which is the complete opposite of its purpose-- all things are to bring glory to our King. To be completely honest, part of me wants to pray for the Lord to change and grow me fast so I can "be ready" right now. I am fleshly and so impatient. While the other part of me wants to be completely surrendered to God in this time of waiting. To cling to him, to run to him, and for Him to give me perseverance to endure this waiting time. He has the perfect plan for my life and it is perfect because of HIS timing, not mine. I must surrender my idea of how I am going to get to the dream he has put in my heart. I must trust him fully which at times is so hard because I don't know how it will unfold. That is why I want to take it into my own hands to make it tangible. I am so thankful the Lord has given me glimpses of my purpose in this life and I am excited for the day when those pictures will become a reality. In scripture I am reminded to trust Him in the waiting... "Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:30-31 The waiting may be a time where we feel lost and tired. But we can cling to the promise of God and he will give us the strength to endure in this season. There is a fine line to be complacent in the waiting time and just go through the motions but my challenge to you (and myself) is to be steadfast and continue to step out in faith and the Lord will direct us in His will. The waiting time is not a time to be lazy but a time to be diligent in obedience to what the Lord has called us to do right here, and right now. Remember waiting is not always a "No!" it is most likely a "Not yet..." Being in the waiting is a season of preparation to be complete in Christ so he can bestow the goal, dream, promise, and purpose to us fully. Encouragement for being in the waiting.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WiAv9Eghvw I first wrote this journal entry a little over a year ago when I was heading home for Christmas break. I remember the excitement of being able to go home since the last break and longing for the feeling of being in familiarity and being truly known by those around me. The Lord has been continuing to teach me the concept of Home in regards to a relationship with him. He has been teaching me that he is my home. No matter where the Lord calls me I will always be home. He is my refuge, safe place, comfort, familiarity, and peace. No matter what change or transition is taking place in my life I can run to him and sit in his presence to feel grounded again. He has been showing me that he should be my home rather than putting my security in wavering things like grades, acceptance, friends, and even expectations. Jesus is the only thing that can truly satisfy, he is all I need.
He is always calling us home into a deeper relationship with him. He gives us a place to rest and gives us purpose. All we must do is trust and allow him to be our home. We never have to feel out of place no matter where we are moving, or starting a new job. If Christ is where we have found our home and identity we will not be shaken. He will empower us to do what he has called us to and lead us every step of the way. Trust in his faithfulness and the more time we spend in our Home the more we will feel at peace in all other aspects of our lives. "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. "Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8 We never have to be afraid of new transitions, jobs, or wherever the Lord is calling us to because he goes before us and will never leave us. So no matter if a new place you are going to does not feel like home, sit in the presence of the Lord and cling to the one who knows you better than you know yourself. He has great plans for this new place, trust him. Coming back to Liberty this year and transitioning was not as easy as I expected but I am thankful for what the Lord is teaching me through it. No matter how "familiar" a place is, it cannot be where we put our purpose. Our purpose as believers comes from Christ, it is not in our role (student, staff, leadership position). What I mean by this is that God may use our role for the good of those around us but our role should not be where we get our significance. Christ has given us significance when he died for us on the cross. So wherever the Lord has placed you he has a purpose for you there. Walk in obedience, remember your true purpose comes from Christ alone, and cling to the Lord who has amazing opportunities in the future for you. "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:8-10 Check this out! Come Home- Jon Foreman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jC8yvOkQO8Y Refuge- Finding Favour https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bt9K_eB74e8 This song has been one of my favorites so far. Please listen before reading on. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WPbs7N-E0Q Surrendering my crowns at the feet of the King who surrendered everything. As I began journaling this morning I was reminded of how many times I have wanted to control every aspect of my life. This song pricked my heart in that Jesus surrendered it all. That I must surrender all. Who am I to think that I should be controlling my life? That I should have the power to make those decisions; that my life should be lived according to my wants and desires? He was (is) perfect. He was (is) sinless. He lived a servant life. He could have come into this world on a throne but instead he was born in a manger. There is no greater call than giving you my all. I lay it all down. I am overwhelmingly thankful that Jesus obeyed the call of the Father to be the sufficient sacrifice in my place. There is no other response to the free gift of salvation but to surrender it all. “It is only after we have begun to experience what salvation really means that we surrender our will to Jesus to rest” (My Utmost for His Highest, September, 13). You can have it all Lord, every part of my world. When I first heard this song (recently) I was excited to lay it all down at the feet of Jesus because he knows what is the best. He knows me better than I know myself. He knows the full spectrum of time. He knows my every need. Surrendering all makes the most sense. Oh the joy I have found, surrendering my crowns. However, I have not always felt this way. I have been mad and upset at the Lord but he has always made my paths straight regardless of the struggles and hard times I have gone through. Oh the peace that comes when I’m broken and undone. Surrendering may seem terrible and hard but, it is freeing. To be at a place of realization that I do not have control and giving it all to Jesus who does have control gives me unexplainable peace. Because of your unfailing grace, I can lift my voice and say; You can have it all Lord. Over the course of the years that I have personally known the Lord I have witnessed his comfort, love, reliability. It has been a process of constant, daily surrender to his will. He has opened doors I never thought I could walk through, showed me things I needed to hear in that very moment, and so much more. His grace is unfailing, his mercies are new every morning, he loves us with a perfect and unconditional love. We cannot even comprehend it but it is true. We must believe his promises in order for us to live as he intended us to do. “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Romans 6:5, 7-11 If we accept what Jesus did on the cross and turn away from our wicked, sinful ways we can live with Christ. We can live freely because our debt (sin) has been paid for in full. Yes, we will still mess up and sin but Jesus forgives us regardless of what we have done. If we identify and accept the free gift we will be able to meet Jesus one day. So we must live our life for God, as Jesus did. “True surrender is a matter of being united together [with Jesus] in the likeness of His death until nothing ever appeals to you that did not appeal to Him.. Your entire life should be characterized by an eagerness to maintain unbroken fellowship and oneness with God” (My Utmost for His Highest September 13). If more of our goals were to be unified with Christ 100% of the time, imagine how beautiful this world would be. This requires action. A daily surrender to God’s will, disregarding our own. A willingness to obey what God has for us each day. A devotion to spread the gospel. I believe if we take these actions daily His Kingdom will come and his Will will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Take this life and breathe on, this heart that is now yours. I love rain. I love how it slows things down. When it rains I am reminded to take a breath and rest in truth. I love how rain is necessary in our life. Without rain everything would die, nothing would be beautiful. All of God’s creation needs rain. Even us, humans. If we want to bear fruit as believers we need to water the soil. We need to sit, and soak up the truth of the word. We must let God reign (rain) in our life. Hosea 10:12 “For it is time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.” How do we become like Christ? Seek him and give him control of our lives. Allow him to reign in our soul (soil). This isn’t easy or comfortable. We must open up our cracked and fruitless soil to Him even if it hurts. The Lord never said this life would be easy but with him it WILL be worth it. He will restore all of our brokenness with righteousness. He will make us new. He will make us beautiful creations. Like plants we need rain to grow—we must allow God to reign in our lives for us to grow spiritually and to bear fruit. Most people do not love rain because it is dark, gloomy, and can change our plans. Sometimes I struggle with God reigning in my life because he changes my plans and I have to trust him rather than have control. God reigning in our life may not always be comfortable but we must remeber he has an outcome better than we could ever ask for or imagined. Ephesians 3:20 “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us..” This verse reminds us he has great plans for us, but we have to let reign (rain) in our soil (soul) and life. Crops need rain to become what it has been created to be. Remember, there is always sun after the rain.... Closer- Lifepoint Worship
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ca5VgjhXXis Like the rushing wind Would you breathe within my heart, heart Through the raging storm Would you hold me in your arms, arms Cause I need you How I need you I need your love like I need water I need your love like I need breath inside of my lungs Burn in my heart just like a fire Come and take me over, Jesus draw me closer To your heart Through the wind and rain I can hear you call my name, name And when the nights get rough I will sing out your Praise, praise Closer than my breath Closer than my every step Closer than the song I sing Closer than anything Let's be real, we all have mess in our lives. That is why the Lord sent down his son to take our shame, guilt, pain, and mess. God loved us so much he did not want us to live in the mess anymore!
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:23-24 Did you catch that? ALL HAVE SINNED. We are all messed up! We have fallen short, and there is nothing WE can do to fix the problem because the problem is way bigger than ourselves. My favorite part of this verse is that we are justified FREELY by his GRACE. There is nothing we can do and yet Jesus payed the ultimate price. He covered all our sin past, present, and future. All of sin was taken away when Jesus died on the cross. He did not die for everyone but for EVERY ONE and each mess that we had to offer. However, we are still sinful. The reality is that we create mess even as Christ followers. The mess does not just evaporate after Jesus’s sacrifice we must work through it with God. We are living in a fallen world and mess happens, but we do not have to live in it. Jesus’s sacrifice is so amazing because he gave us a way out of our mess. We did not have to be owned by it, identified with it, or shamed because of it. We are FREE. Are you living free? John 8:36 “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” Even though we live in a sinful world the Lord has given us the ability to live FREE. We do not need to be ashamed of our burdens, our mistakes, and pain. We are supposed to be in fellowship with one another and be transparent. Honestly, from personal experience I feel the most free when I share what I am struggling with, with someone else. It feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders and it is FREEING. After going to Women of Faith a week ago I realized the women on stage were real. They never put on a fake act they openly shared their struggles with us and each other. I could see their bond of freedom because they openly shared their messiness with us. I latched on to that because I think we are lacking that in our church, families, and friendships. People are still stuck in their mess that they do not want to be exposed with so they shut the door. They keep their mess on the inside and look good on the outside. We hide because we are afraid. We are afraid of what others will think. Christ followers should never show judgment, yet we are messed up and still sin. We have been shown the most grace and yet do we live out by showing that amazing grace to others who are in desperate need of it? Or have we taken the role of judge? We need to be reminded that we are all SINFUL. And will continue to be until the day we meet face to face with our Savior and King. We must be vulnerable in order to help people in our church, families, and friends find freedom. Let us open the door to share our messiness because sharing it can relieve the pain and the weight of it. That is what the Lord wants after all. He wants us not to be stuck but to be free in community with one another. “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” James 5:16 Why are we trying to hide? We all have messiness. We all our sinners. Let us love each other with Christ’s love and help one another live in the freedom that God has promised us through his son Jesus. |
AuthorA daughter of the King sharing her experiences and life journey with you. Archives
August 2019
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