just a glimpse...

you must watch this... it gives me chills, everything about it; what God did that week, what we did as a generation and what is to come! you have to come to Passion conference 2013, if you haven't been... it will change your life, I promise.

commune

lets bother God w/
relentless prayer.
listen to podcast here.

God's supremacy.

At Passion, I reluctantly bought their digital all access pass -- judging it as a total money grab, I was sold once they said we would get a discounted rego fee for 2013. THANKFULLY that's not the only sweet thing about this special pass... it gives you the audio/video to each session! As they've been coming through I've been trying to take time to listen to each session, again... I seem to get HEAPS more out of something if I hear it a second, third, tenth time. With that being said, I leave you with two things; 1. YOU would be foolish to not pay $25 for this digital all access pass. 2. here are snippets from John Piper's talk on the supremacy of Christ...good stuff!

Seeing and savoring the supremacy of Jesus Christ frees you from the slavery of sin, for the sacrifices of love.



Being satisfied with all that God is for you in Jesus, frees you form the bondage of sin, for the suffering of love.



Faith in Jesus Christ frees you from the slavery of sin, for the sacrifices of love.

2 Corinthians 3 v 18
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

He is supreme over ALL things.
There's not a square inch on planet earth,
where Jesus Christ doesn't say, Mine.

Little hearts give little lusts, big power. Big hearts give little lusts little power -- because they look little. When you see the magnitude of your Treasure, your soul swells to get around it and you mock [insert sin here] as a powerless thrill.

*content & photo credit; John Piper & Passion

love this analogy;

"Our life is like a house; for Christians, Satan never owns the house, Jesus does, but Satan can influence and oppress. We must recognize the ways in which we could leave doors and windows to our house open (such as through unrepentant, habitual sin). Through repentance and faith in Jesus because of his death, burial, and resurrection, our allegiance to Satan is canceled, and our freedom in Christ is granted. God’s enemy becomes our enemy and Jesus’ authority becomes our authority."

- mark driscoll

listen to full message here.

. . . . . . . . .

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

EPH. 6:10-13

realizing God's value.

my life in a nutshell:

God blessed me with a seemingly perfect childhood. I really never experienced a horrific life altering event as a kid. My parents never got divorced. I went to private school for elementary and middle school. I knew what was wrong and what was right. I've been going to church since the womb, I know all the answers, I always seem to have it all together. I memorized the fruits of the Spirit, thanks to Steve Green sing-a-longs. I managed to struggle my way through AWANA. In high school I went to all of the youth group events / small groups / retreats. I was pretty naive about things when I went to high school. I wasn't really popular in my public high school, but at church I always seemed to be in the "cool" group. I prided myself in staying out of trouble and would judge the trouble makers. I’ve never actually been on a date before; making it pretty easy to stay out of trouble with boys. I never snuck out of the house. I never partied or drank illegally. I didn't dress like I was easy, because my mom wouldn't let me. And I only listened to Christian music, of course!

My story may not seem thrilling or exciting, but I can't discredit the story that He gave me. Just because I haven't turned down certain roads, doesn't mean God didn't still have to SAVE me! I was born a SINNER, in DESPERATE need of a Savior… still in need of grasping God's VALUE for me. After all, behind my clean/polished church self, was a very broken, depressed, and hopeless girl. As Lecrae would say I was “eating on some secret sin” … holding all of my sins and problems deep down inside of me; it made me be become a really good hypocrite too. UNTIL I stepped back, let Jesus step into my life and truly REALIZED HIS value for me.

here are 5 revelations that helped me,

REALIZE God’s VALUE for me :::

1. I REALIZED God’s VALUE for me, once I understood that I had…

VICTORY over all of my dirty / hidden / embedded / embarrassing / nasty SIN.

Jesus died to bring us to life! If we remain dead in our sins, we can't be fully used by Him. In is death brought victory over our sin, through faith/trust in Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:4 ... we were ONCE living in darkness, BUT GOD [He steps in] being RICH in MERCY because of the great love with which he LOVED us even when we were DEAD in our SIN made us ALIVE together with CHRIST—by GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED---and raised up with HIM and seated with HIM in the heavenly places.

IF you’re currently living in sin, run from it NOW, because your SIN WILL find YOU OUT… so why not start LIVING in FREEDOM right now!?

2. I REALIZED God’s VALUE for me once I understood that I have the…

ABILITY to carry out HIS plans…

The only way you will be equipped and ABLE to carry our HIS plans for you, is by DOING THEM! If you feel like God is calling you to do something, DO IT! He put a call on EACH of your life and has given you the ABILITY to carry our very specific/unique plans...NO ONE’S PLANS ARE THE SAME, so STOP COMPARING yourself.

+If someone told me ten years ago I would travel to AUSTRALIA by myself, God would shake my life upside down and then take me to Thailand to minster to women enslaved by the sex industry, I would have probably laughed in their face! BUT God knew, and HE knew I would be ABLE to carry out EXACTLY what He had planned.

Ephesians 3:20 … Now to him who is ABLE to do immeasurably MORE than all we ask or imagine.

He will do MORE than we can imagine once we use our ABILITIES to fearlessly proclaim His name to all the world.

3. I REALIZED God’s VALUE for me once I forgot about the…

LIES that this world tries to feed me...

The world’s definition of everything is warped. Beauty in God's economy is very different than the world, we are conditioned from an early age that we have to be PHYSICALLY perfect to get a Prince Charming or a happy life with Ken. This is in fact a LIE. We think that living the American Dream will bring us lasting joy, fulfillment and happiness, FALSE.

1 Timothy 6:7-8 ... Nothing of this world will last, be content with the basics!

1 Samuel 16:7 ... Do not look on her appearance or on the height of her stature, because I have rejected her. For the LORD sees not as the WORLD sees: THE WORLD looks at her outward appearance, but the LORD looks at her heart!

We are all going to be wrinkly and saggy one day, so worry more about WHAT will last and that is YOUR heart! Your status will not bring you joy, only Jesus can give you true joy & satisfaction.

4. I REALIZED God’s VALUE for me once I accepted His…

UNCONDITIONAL love…

This means HE loves me WITHOUT conditions! I can’t do anything to deserve HIS love. He JUST LOVES, no matter what I say or do, HE LOVES ME.

1 John 4:19 ... WE LOVE BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED US.

John 3:16 ... For GOD SO LOVED the world, that HE gave HIS only Son, that whoever believes in HIM will not perish.

His LOVE for us is evident ALL OVER SCRIPTURE, read the BIBLE as if it’s a LOVE LETTER from the world’s most ATTRACTIVE LOVER.

5. I REALIZED God’s VALUE for me once I started to …

EMBRACE HIS VALUE…

CLAIM IT, WALK IN HIS VALUE. YOU ARE HIS FAVORITE. You are HIS most PRIZED possession. This is all just HEAD knowledge until WE EMBRACE IT. Tell yourself every morning in the mirror that YOU ARE HIS FAVORITE. YOU ARE HIS MOST VALUED CREATION.

Psalm 139:13 ... YOU KNIT ME TOGETHER… I praise YOU because I am fearfully and WONDERFULLY made.

Song of Solomon 6:3 ... I am my beloved and my beloved is MINE!

You are HIS. Embrace these truths. You’ve been ADOPTED into HIS kingdom, EMBRACE the VALUE He places on you! Apply it to your life.

the Comforter

"That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day." 2 Timothy 1:12

I love that God is a God of comfort, knowing exactly how & when to comfort us. the Groom looking after His bride...being patience...speaking tenderly...comforting, when the bride feels weak. God's comforting in the last 48 hours:: the message at lighthouse on Hosea; to remind me that Jesus will never leave my side & will always love me unconditionally...or today having a good cry; to release loads of bottled up emotions...and then tonight this verse in 2 Tim, to remind me that no matter what my current circumstance may be...since I have decided to entrust Him with my life, He will guard it knowing He is in control. + Speaking of comfort... my "no-word" playlist usually calms me down after a stressful/annoying day, so I was listening to Your Hand In Mine by Explosions in the Sky... how fitting!? My hand is in His...and He will never let go...thanks God for comforting me when I need it!

Our hand is always in the hand of the one true Comforter.

...allure her

Do yourself a favor and listen to this podcast, if you weren't at Lighthouse on Sunday...excellent reminder of God's unconditional love & mercy on us!!

podcast here.

kop-khun-ka

Friends & family... here is an over due piece of gratitude... For the past three months since returning home, I've had no idea how to really show thanks in a genuine way. The reality is that words won't ever do justice to the type of thanks my church, friends, and family deserve for supporting me the way they have! So here goes an attempt to fill you in on what you supported...and I really can't say THANK YOU enough for the support I received this past year. God has blessed me above & beyond with each of you!

With YOUR prayer/thoughts and financial support, I was able to know God better in the land-down-under and make Him known in the nation of Thailand with the organization, Youth With A Mission. The following is a follow-up-report of what I was able to do with YOUR help.

I completed a six-month program called Discipleship Training School, based in Newcastle, New South Wales. The program consisted of lectures, reports, and hands on mission experience. The first half of my DTS, referred to as the “lecture phase” was spent in Newcastle Australia. During this phase I had twelve weeks of classroom setting lectures, where I heard from various speakers on topics such as; Bible Study, Character of God, Missions, and Lordship, just to name a few.

During this twelve-week period of time, our school was also involved in running a local youth group called Youth Street. Youth Street is a group that meets every Saturday and outreaches to the local youth. Every weekend was spent with the same group of kids, that way we could build relationships with them and ultimately lead them towards Christ. Each weekend we ran age appropriate activities, worship, messages, and small groups.

After the lecture phase was “outreach”, another twelve weeks of cross-cultural missions experience. During our lecture phase we were given two options for possible outreach locations, Brazil and Thailand were the choices. From there we were asked to not discuss our intentions with friends, instead take our ideas to God and wait to get His word on which location we should choose. Before I left for my DTS, God had put Thailand on my heart. Ever since hearing Aka John and his wife talk about Thailand in church, I have had Thailand on my heart. When I heard the options I automatically assumed I should go! I took it to God and He clearly confirmed my decision.

After forming our team, we spent time getting to know the culture of Thailand. We did various reports on the different people groups, cultures, and studied the language to prepare for our journey. Finally April came and eight others, along with myself headed to Thailand.

Our team was able to spend three months serving in three different locations. The first location we served at was with a YWAM base, outside of Mae Sot. There we held a mini version of what experienced on our Discipleship Training School for Burmese refugees did open-air outreach and led church services to the surrounding hill tribes. This was the most rural of locations, we got to live in bamboo huts, eat rice three times a day, and take showers with a bucket of cold water. Living like this not only made me feel super blessed and spoiled, it also opened my eyes to see that we are not as blessed as we think. Those in need are more blessed in having nothing, they literally live off of love and putting others first, it was quite an eye and heart opening experience.

Next we spent time in the western city of Chaing Mai. There we taught English with a ministry called The Centre, held various outreaches at the local universities, and taught in surrounding churches. During our days working with The Centre, we would go into the local universities and talk to students about the ministry. Through the afternoon we would teach various levels of English as a Second Language classes. After class we would spend time getting to know our students through sitting down for coffee or having them show us what they enjoy doing on their time off. We were able to make some pretty meaningful and deep relationships with the students.

Finally we spent the last leg of our trip in Phuket (pu-ket), working with a ministry called SHE (Self Help Empowerment). This ministry works to rescue local girls from the tourist filled bars and a life of prostitution. We spent our days doing practical work around the city and our nights going into bars to talk to the girls working. We built relationships with the girls who worked there, letting them know that there were other options for work and that they were valued and loved. Depending on which bar you were in, the girls could have been trafficked or prostituted. While ministering there, we saw two girls potentially walk away from their jobs in the bar. We were also able to hand out Thai Bibles to the girls we had spent time getting to know. For me personally, working with this ministry wrecked me in the best way! I had never experienced more spiritual warfare or the continual presence of the Holy Spirit in a more tangible way before.

I feel very blessed to have had the chance to experience both domestic and cross-culture missions and ministries; it has given me a huge perspective of the Church. I am very humbled by the opportunities God has blessed me. Again, I really cannot thank you enough for the words of encouragement, thoughts, prayers and financial support during this season of my life!

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ

Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

Ephesians 2:10

Not Alone - Red

I am sitting at Starbucks...usual morning occurrence, thanks to sharing a car! As I am listening to this song and watching stranger after stranger walk through the door for their morning coffee, I can't help but want to stand on my chair and explain to everyone that it doesn't matter what their story is or where life currently finds them... they are not alone... there is hope! I want that to be the prayer of everyone I see at Starbucks today... God open their eyes to see/find Your hope, let them be strong and courageous today!

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. // Deuteronomy 31:6

cliché

God's timing IS perfect! These types of statements are unfortunately so cliche now-a-days. When we are going through a trial/hardship/valleys our sound minded friends tell us that His timing is perfect...everything happens for a reason...if it is meant to be, it will be. If we're being honest, we would say it crosses our minds to pop them a good one in the face for telling you 1,000,000x those flipping cheery/encouraging/positive statements!! When we are going through the hard times our vision is blurred. Satan places his smug in front of our eyes and we're blinded to see that God's timing IS perfect.

Two months ago this week: I staggered off of a plane, jet lagged, over dressed and hacking up a lung. Of course I came back with life changing stories, perspective and God-sightings...but I also had no job to come back to, twisted ambitions, $4.00 in my bank account and credit card debt. It seems petty to think that after God literally HANDED me $10,000 in the matter of 6 months.. it seems RIDICULOUS that I would doubt that God would provide for me once I settle back into life in Michigan.

Right when I got home Satan KNEW where & when I would give in... therefore he prowled like lion... I would give into doubting and get upset with God for not giving me a job when I, thought I needed a job. I went into almost every coffee shop, clothing store, library, and small offices handing out my resume...nothing. I spent time calling businesses asking what the status of my application was...nothing. I went into interviews with positive self-talk and Matt Redman's new track Never Once on loop...BELIEVING that God would give me a job...still nothing! How irritating...in my human mind I told myself I had reason to be upset and frustrated, instead of simply waiting.The past two months... I've certainly learned to wait, appreciate solitude, trust more, live simply, and that you can have fun on virtually zero cash :)

In my lessons learned God DID, of course provide me with a job, at American Eagle...paying 7.50, only if I could get a hang of forcing people to buy over priced holey jeans. I went with it, knowing a job was a job...even though I STILL wasn't satisfied. I went to orientation and went home knowing retail was not for me. I seemed like a brat for not appreciating FINALLY having a job, but I really sensed God has more for me than selling graphic tee's. I got a lead on two admin jobs and had a promising interview with Urban Outfitters... brings me to today, I got a part time admin job that pays more and in general suits me more. I called American Eagle and told them I was thankful for their opportunity but wouldn't need their job any more.

He hears what you want,
but knows what you need.

After a year of God CLEARLY proving He does indeed have perfect timing... I can now tell YOU that whatever it is that you are going through right now -- whether minor/insignificant or unbearable/too much -- God's timing IS perfect, He WILL see you through and He WILL remain faithful ... and I'm not trying to be cliché!

Psalm 27 (MSG)

1 Light, space, zest— that's God!

So, with him on my side I'm fearless,
afraid of no one and nothing.

2 When vandal hordes ride down
ready to eat me alive,
Those bullies and toughs
fall flat on their faces.

3 When besieged,
I'm calm as a baby.
When all hell breaks loose,
I'm collected and cool.

4 I'm asking God for one thing,
only one thing:
To live with him in his house
my whole life long.
I'll contemplate his beauty;
I'll study at his feet.

5 That's the only quiet, secure place
in a noisy world,
The perfect getaway,
far from the buzz of traffic.

6 God holds me head and shoulders
above all who try to pull me down.
I'm headed for his place to offer anthems
that will raise the roof!
Already I'm singing God-songs;
I'm making music to God.

7-9 Listen, God, I'm calling at the top of my lungs:
"Be good to me! Answer me!"
When my heart whispered, "Seek God,"
my whole being replied,
"I'm seeking him!"
Don't hide from me now!

9-10 You've always been right there for me;
don't turn your back on me now.
Don't throw me out, don't abandon me;
you've always kept the door open.
My father and mother walked out and left me,
but God took me in.

11-12 Point me down your highway, God;
direct me along a well-lighted street;
show my enemies whose side you're on.
Don't throw me to the dogs,
those liars who are out to get me,
filling the air with their threats.

13-14 I'm sure now I'll see God's goodness
in the exuberant earth.
Stay with God!
Take heart. Don't quit.
I'll say it again:
Stay with God.

my prayer: spend it all

"We are not here to prove that God answers prayer, but to be living trophies of God’s grace" - Ossy Chambers

I open up my eyes, oh Lord / To see all the things you've done / I open up my heart, oh God / To feel your unfailing love / And I open up my all to you / All my life for your glory to show / And I open up my soul to you alone / Come make yourself at home

And I'll give all that I have to give / 'Cause it's everything I am, Lord / In this life I'll spend it all for you / I'll waste it all on you

I offer up my mind to you / I long for the truth, you know / I offer up my feet to you / They'll walk straight on the path you show / I offer up my time to you / So keep me and hold me still / And I offer up my hands to you / Lord, use them to do your will

And I'll give all I have left to give / 'Cause it's everything I am, Lord / In this life I'll spend it all for you / Yeah, I'll waste it all on you / I'll waste it all

Let your Spirit take me over, God / 'Cause it's all I ever need / Yeah, you're all I ever need, Lord / And receive this life in offering, God / 'Cause I spend it all for you / Yes, I spend it all for you, Lord / Ooh, I spend it all on you

My new theme song? I think yes.

label.ed

God is speaking to me a lot about L A B E L S .
First it was last week, in Nashville with our WSM students. Jerry did a really meaningful message on the labels that we believe about ourselves or labels that others put on us that we believe. Then last night at watershed we talked about our identity in Christ and how our only identity should be in Christ. Then this afternoon I was listening to a podcast that was all about labels and getting a new name for ourselves!! God orchestrates everything in our lives, so I know it's not a coincidences that all of this labeling stuff keeps coming up. I believe God is calling ME to look at the labels I've put on myself and believed about myself, or the labels that I've allowed others to put on me.

It's time for me to recognize the labels and pull them off. I'm tired of walking through life believing lies about myself. I just want to be known as God's... that's the only label I want to wear. Actually Cliff's message on Sunday was about following God and not looking at anyone else, keeping our eyes focused just on Christ...HELLO...that's what I want/need to do! Who cares what people have said about me in the past, who cares what I've believed about myself...I'm a NEW creation in Christ Jesus, the old has gone & the NEW has come...HE gave me a new name...the only label I want is that I am HIS.

...you shall be called by a new name which the mouth of the Lord shall name. // Isaiah 62:2

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! // 2 Corinthians 5:17

swing swing

Today I took the little boy I babysit for to the park. We went on the swings. I don't remember the last time I swung on a swing, but I loved it! [minus the slight headache that followed] The more & more I pumped, the higher & higher I got...the higher the swing swung, the whiter my knuckles got. I had the tightest grip on those chains. There was no way I could have slipped off that seat.

Why didn't I want to fall off the swing? Because it would hurt, it would be uncomfortable, it MIGHT be fun, and it would definitely involve risk. Okay wow, that's what I want my life to be like! I want to jump off the swing! That's how YOUR life should be! Don't waste your life by holding on to the chains of the swing...let go of the chains that are holding you back & live a risk filled life! Live life full of faith... faith that assures your jump off the swing, will be successful...no matter the outcome! We serve a God that wants us to step forward in faith, it's going to involve jumping off the swing....it starts with me.

"let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and
with the full assurance that faith brings... Let us
hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he
who promised is faithful." hebrews 10:22-23

Thailand

No big deal, I'm in Thailand... it doesn't seem/feel real. But yes, this is my life right now!? We're wrapping up a mini-DTS this weekend. We've been helping a Karen YWAM base lead their mini-DTS. It's been so amazing. The students are amazing and eager to learn and know God. Each team member has had a chance to teach lectures, lead intercession, worship, and drama. This weekend we're being split into three teams and each going on a weekend long Outreach with the students to a village up the mountain, near the Karen YWAM base.

Pray that the students are open to the Holy Spirit leading them while they are on their Outreach. Some of the people in the villages we'll be going to may or may not have ever hear that Jesus loves them... pray for soft hearts and open ears.

1 Corinthians 2
And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.

We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written:

“What no eye has seen,
what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived”—
the things God has prepared for those who love him—

these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for,

“Who has known the mind of the Lord
so as to instruct him?”

But we have the mind of Christ.

"Do you trust me?" - God.

(Isaiah 53-54) 53¹ Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
² He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
³ He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
⁴ Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
⁶ We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all. ⁷ He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
⁸ By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was punished.
⁹ He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.
¹⁰ Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the LORD makes his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
¹¹ After he has suffered,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.
¹² Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.















54 ¹ “Sing, barren woman,
you who never bore a child;
burst into song, shout for joy,
you who were never in labor;
because more are the children of the desolate woman
than of her who has a husband,”
says the LORD.
² “Enlarge the place of your tent,
stretch your tent curtains wide,
do not hold back;
lengthen your cords,
strengthen your stakes.
³ For you will spread out to the right and to the left;
your descendants will dispossess nations
and settle in their desolate cities.

⁴ “Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame.
Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated.
You will forget the shame of your youth
and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.
⁵ For your Maker is your husband—
the LORD Almighty is his name—
the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer;
he is called the God of all the earth.
⁶ The LORD will call you back
as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit—
a wife who married young,
only to be rejected,” says your God.
⁷ “For a brief moment I abandoned you,
but with deep compassion I will bring you back.
⁸ In a surge of anger
I hid my face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting kindness
I will have compassion on you,”
says the LORD your Redeemer.

faithful

“[Praise to the LORD] LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago.”

_ Isaiah 25:1

way-to-go

Tonight was my very last lighthouse...until I come home from Australia in JUNE!! How weird is that!? It felt funny to think that I'm not going to be amongst that group of people for six whole months! This situation I find myself in of literally preparing to leave everything I know and love behind is very... sad, exciting, nerve racking and rejuvenating -- all at the same time.

Of course Cliff's message was exactly what I needed to hear & the worship was exactly what my heart needed. The message was on b e i n g the Church, through discipleship & fellowship. Um, HELLO!! That's EXACTLY what I am going to do!? God is so cool in working things out, eh?!

As followers of Christ we're called to be disciples and to disciple others. Discipleship and fellowship go hang in hand, it involves investing and wanting to pour into anothers life.

Then he spoke about how as the body of Christ we're to do our part to expand the kingdom...in turn, creating disciples and a need for fellowship. We're to go to go the ends of the earth, making disciples, baptizing them in the Holy Spirit! It doesn't matter what our vocation is, if we're a follower of Christ, we're supposed to go the ends of where ever we're at...and that's exactly what I will be doing in three very short weeks. Actually going to the ends of the earth, as a disciple and to disciple...creating fellowship to expand the Kingdom :)

It was crazy how Cliff's message was just confirming that what I'm about take on this January is "from him and through him and to him ". I love how God uses others to speak directly to us! Tonight was such a great way-to-go.

Is this real life?

All of the major details are taken care of,
e x c e p t for the last one ...

Lets review:
Pray about it... check
Talk to my parents about it... check
Apply to YWAM... check '
Worry about it... check
Apply for passport... check
Apply for visa... check
Pray more about it... check
Receive passport... check
Receive visa... check
Buy health insurance... check
Procrastinate... check
Cry about it... check
Change plans & go in Jan instead of Oct... check
Write support letters... check
Make prayer cards... check
Worry some more... check
Stress about it... check
Pray some more... check
Cry some more... check
Send out support letters & prayer cards... check
Plan a fundraiser... check
Fill out resignation forms at work... check
Book flight... check
Get to Australia... _______

GOD is so faithful.
GOD is so good.
GOD is so providing.
GOD is so protective.

Honestly, so far nothing about getting to THIS point of my journey has been easy... but GOD has remained so constant! It's been hard, tiring, painful, scary, and intimidating -- and now I'm this close and God has proven His strength, by getting me past all the hurdles it took to get here. I can't believe this is real life?! I'm going to Australia for three months & around the world for another three months... God is crazy!

Certainty vs. Uncertainty

Being certain of anything is comforting.
–adjective
free from doubt or reservation; confident

Being uncertain of anything is scary.
–adjective
not confident, assured, or free from hesitancy

Certainties:
1. Christian
2. Fillmore
3. American
4. Twin
5. Truth

Uncertainties:
1. Persecution
2. Valleys
3. Mistakes
4. Job loss
5. Risk
6. Life
7. Marriage
8. Children
9. People
10. The World

Even though the uncertainties out number the certainties, they can never out weigh them. The weight that our certainties carry, surpasses ALL and any uncertainty we may face. These past few days, I've been examining the direction my life is heading at present... much of it feels uncertain. Therefore, I'm so glad I serve a God that chose, to cover my uncertainties with HIS certainty!