Sunsets

I love sunsets! They warm my heart as they set a great tone for the rest of the evening. The troubles of the day just seem to melt away with the afterglow. Have you ever seen a beautiful sunrise or sunset and marveled at how God could paint the sky so differently each day just for you and I? When you go for a stroll or a hike in nature, do you feel closer to God? Do you call to mind how God is faithful to keep His promises when you see a rainbow after a storm? The beautiful flowers of the field remind us of the briefness of our lives on Earth compared to time we will spend in Eternity. The four seasons tell the story of Jesus. Life sprouts from the soil each spring, flourishes in the summer, turns colors in the fall, lies dormant in the winter and is then reborn anew. When Jesus died upon the cross His creation groaned and cried out in response. You and I are made in the image and likeness of God, and we serve as His hands and feet. Each one of us is made to be unique and specifically created to fulfill a different purpose in life, yet we were all designed to shine a light and spread some salt.

Childlike faith is something we as adults have a hard time comprehending.  We can try so hard, but at the end of the day we have been tainted by the woes of real life, we lose the ability to truly be; if you will “fearless”.

Have you ever wondered what a child is thinking when they willingly jump into their daddy’s arms, completely unaware that the possibility is there that he could drop them? Or when a child takes their first steps? Imagine for a mere moment, what if you were to press pause, what would a child say in that moment? What feelings would they express?

I would think it would go something like this “I LOVE MY DADDY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1“….plain and simple. There is no fear involved; operating purely on the emotion of love.

Oh to be a child again, coursing through life, stopping to enjoy the sweetness that surrounds their every day, driven only by the unadulterated joy of figuring out what life is all about; each day learning, and growing in love.

The only word that would accurately describe the way these children is JOY. If we were to look at our lives with a childlike faith we would see JOY in avenues we never realized before; ultimately slowing down to see God’s beauty in all he has created.

For these children stopping to see the beauty He has created is an everyday occasion; constantly intrigued by all of life’s little nuances. When they look up in the sky and see the moon and stars peeking through the clouds, it is as if they has won the lottery. When they are running million miles an hour around the village, only to be stopped in their tracks when they sees a butterfly that has landed on a blade of green grass; they stop and stare at it for hours, looking at it, studying it, and seeing it for all its splendor, running back to me to notify me of the “BEAUTIFUL Butterfly” of which they have  been following for at least a half an hour.  All I can say is this, I want to live with a childlike faith…to love each thing, to see the beauty in all that God has created, to stop and take it all in; to fall in love with the moments we are given and to be inspired to live without the fear of falling, knowing that in every adventure I take on I have a father who will always catch me before I fall.

We need to live our lives with abandon, embracing the everyday beauty that surrounds us; daily evoking a spirit of JOY, for out of JOY comes PEACE and out of PEACE comes LOVE.

Birthday

Well everyone, I survived, and even enjoyed, my first birthday away from my family.
You might be wondering what the best part of celebrating your birthday in a third world country is?!?!!
IT LASTS FOR TWO DAYS!!

IT IS FRIDAY! Thank you, Jesus,  that I made it through this week. Every day is still a struggle, but it is getting easier. There is so much comfort in knowing that I breathe purpose in every breath and I am not half way around the Earth on accident. I was chosen. I have been anointed and my steps have been ordained. It's a whole new way of finding Jesus, and learning how to see from the perspective that loving the people around us is actually loving Him.

Hebrews 16:3
So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"

This week we finished up the last few training sessions and spent 3 wonderful days doing ministry in the squatter camps.  Despite my struggles with feeling homesick, I felt so at home the moment I saw a precious little African face. The joy that emanates from these little munchkins is infectious. You just can't help but be in a good mood. My heart's greatest desire is that these children would come to a saving knowledge and understanding of who their Creator is and what He has done for them. That they would know that their reality isn't their circumstances, but rather, their reality is their faith . To know that their worth and value is not found in this world, but found in Him. The Lover of their Souls.

Someone has got to love these babies. If I won't than who will?
 If my feet won't take the good news to the ends of the Earth than who's will?
He called. I responded......and now the real fun begins.

Homesick

I didn't think it would hit me as soon as it has….

Maybe it's because I'm one of the youngest interns. Maybe it's because I'm used to saying goodnight to my family every night. Maybe it's because my dogs are absolutely adorable. Maybe it's because I left the most amazing friends in the world. Maybe I'm just overly emotional. I really feel like no one here is homesick like I am. Not that they aren't experiencing homesickness, but it doesn't seem to consume them. Doesn’t physically knot their stomachs. Maybe it just hasn't hit them as hard yet....or if it has they are REALLY good at hiding it. Way better than I am. It comes in waves. I can force myself to forget it for a while, but the moment I let my guard down it floods in. I have to keep myself busy so that I don't have even a minute to think about it. I have to be careful about what I occupy myself with though. Not everything works. I can’t read a book about the bond of sisters because I will fall into hysterics, or listen to certain songs because the remind me of my mom or dad. What’s funny though is that I still love it here. I still want to be here. I still know that this is EXACTLY where the Lord has planned for me to be. I guess this is just part of the package. You have to make it through the storm before you can see the rainbow, right? I don’t want to give up or only serve God when it’s convenient and comfortable. I want to serve the Lord when it’s hard, when it hurts, and when I really would rather be somewhere else. He promises in Lamentations 3:22-24 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” Despite the fact that my family is halfway around the world and everything in me longs for the comfort of America I will put my trust in Him. I will cling to the heart of a God that won’t let go. That will never leave me or forsake me. He is good and His love is great.  This too shall pass, but until it does I need prayer. Lots of it.

Home

I have finally unpacked all of my bags. It feels weird to truly call this place home. This is no longer vacation or a short term trip. This is my place to belong. These girls are my family. I am not living out of a suitcase. My toiletries do not have to neatly remain in the bags I brought them over in. This bed. This room. They are mine. I live here. I went grocery shopping.

 I cooked dinner tonight....in MY kitchen. I will do laundry tomorrow (for the first time) with my detergent. Its all so bizarre. Don't get me wrong, I love being here and I am excited for what is to come, but this transitional period is definitely so much more surreal than I imagined it would be.

Proverbs 24:3-4
By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

Victory in His name

In being here in Africa just a few days, I cannot help but acknowledge the absolute deprivation and destitution these people on a daily basis. Honestly, it is overwhelming.  Sickness and disease runs wild, families are starving, babies are being abandoned, and people are committing ruthless crimes in an attempt to simply make it by. In my flesh it is easy to become discouraged and begin to question why I am even here. Obviously, I am not going to save the world or irradiate disease from the continent, that's for Jesus to do, but I can love. I can tend to one. Love one. And through that love, I pray that they would see the love their Creator has for them. That they are precious in His sight and created with  a purpose. There is victory in the name of Jesus. Through His death on and resurrection we are made victorious. The Lord your God is the One who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you VICTORY- Deuteronomy 2:4. We alone do not become victors by conquering the enemy. We become victorious through surrender to Christ and His will. We don not become victors by our independence from the enemy or the lack of influence he has on our lives. We become victors by our dependence on God. The road to freedom and life in abundance is quite the paradox, and almost humorous at times. In order to truly experience victory and freedom, we have to become captives. We need to develop and nurture minds that are captive to  Christ. We are most free when our minds are captivated by the Father. Victorious lives flow from victorious thoughts, and victorious thoughts come from seeking the face and heart of a victorious God.