Jan 31, 2012
It was the day before my bestest friend was coming back from Canada and I was super excited. Like most nights that week, I was headed over to hang with some friends of mine and I invited one of my roommates along as well. We were to bring drinks over, so a quick stop at TomThumb was necessary. As we perused the isles for some liquid to quench our thirst I had no idea that my car would be attacked. Attacked?? Well, here’s what happened. A family from Gospel For Asia had some ingredients for all night prayer that we had that Friday night and didn’t use. They weren’t sure what to do with the mushy corn, so they were going to take it home I believe. Little did they know my car would be conveniently unattended at TomThumb, so they disposed of the corn there.
From my perspective however, my roommate and I came out to find two packets of frozen corn from Target wedged between the antenna and the front door of my car. What?! Target brand corn, at TomThumb… on my car? Where in the world did this come from? And my windsheild wipers were up too… so strange! Who could have done this? and EW! The corn isn’t frozen! it’s all mushy and gross!! Anyway, I continued on my way and told the my friends what had happened. I ended up throwing the corn out, but was confused for a few days after that. Later however, the Gospel For Asia family confessed on my Facebook that it was them who placed the corn. Which was a great relief to my cornfused mind. 🙂
So, that was my mushy happenstance! Hope you enjoyed it!
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Jan 9, 2012
“They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, ‘Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.’” Rev. 4:10-11.
In the beginning of my School of Discipleship year I use to become distressed when I would think of that verse because every time I thought of that verse I would envision something that wasn’t pleasant at all.
My Dream: All the saints are before the Lord on that Day receiving their crowns. As they received their crowns they all fall on their knees, worship the Lord and give Jesus back the crown and all out of mere humility. As for me, I didn’t want to bend to my knees. I didn’t think it was necessary to give Jesus his crown back. With much pride I put the crown on my head and walked away as to say, “That’s right, I deserve this crown. I worked hard for it; I did the labor.” In the vision I walked away and that was it.
That dream of me before Jesus with that attitude was a reflection of how my life was here on earth as I served the Lord. I was selfish, self-centered, greedy and prideful. Yea, I know, gross! But God didn’t show me that to condemn me but to allow me to repent, become purified by the Holy Spirit and grow into the likeness of Christ.
What did I do? I prayed and prayed to become broken and humbled by the Lord so that my heart could change and Christ be glorified. After those prayers I started facing many challenging times in my life and all so that I could be purified and cleansed. (1 Peter 1:6,7)
The other night (Dec. 1, 2011) I was reflecting on my year and that night I was asking the Lord, “Lord, have I changed at all this year? Did I not take advantage of this year?” As I was praying that prayer the Lord brought me back to that verse in Revelations; I had that dream again but this time I saw myself in bended knees begging the Lord to take his crown back because he deserved it and I didn’t. I knew that brokenness and humility occurred this year in my life. I knew that I had more of an understanding of who I am and who God is and what he has done for me and for all the saints. In the midst of the dream I could feel the intensity so much that I wanted to cry; I never use to be eager to go before him because I knew of the condition of my heart but last night I was extremely eager to see him and worship him forever and ever as the creatures did in Rev. 4:10.
What God has started in me has not been finished. God continues but only if I truly yield to him, repent and allow him to change me.
How would I encourage you?: Pray, pray, pray and allow the Holy Spirit to search you and reveal your condition to you. When he reveals it to you yield to him, repent and allow the sanctification to begin. The process will be different for everyone but whatever the process may be remember that the painful process will be one that is good for you. Whatever situation God uses to purify you remember that it is about making you into the image of Christ so embrace the process with much joy and continue to walk in godliness. Brothers and sisters remain strong in the Lord because we will be with him soon and we will inherit the promises that he has given to us. PRAISE GOD!!!!
And another thing as you seek brokenness and humility: follow Jesus’ commands in Matt. 28:18-20. Make disciples of all nations… teach them the ways of Christ as you have been taught… in all this don’t forget that you go in the authority and power of Christ – remember Jesus will be with you until the end of the age.
I love you all with the love of Christ. The only love that lasts an eternity!
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Dec 8, 2011
Last weekend I took two days off. On Sunday, I was getting antsy. I just wanted to run!!!! (That is how I felt) The whole afternoon I couldn’t concentrate on anything else. It is pretty bad when you are having withdrawals from running. That night I couldn’t sleep. I realized I was making running an idol.
God has been teaching me to put him before everything else. Jesus says in Luke 15:26-27, “If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparision-your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters-yes, even your own life. Otherwise you cannot be my disciple. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my own disciple.” There are thousands of excuses we can come up with for not seeking the Lord. It could be work, school, running, or a number of other things. These things in the end will not matter. In the end there are two things that will matter. The first is knowing Jesus and having a relationship with Him. The second is telling others about Jesus so they too can have a relationship with God.
So the question for you and me to contemplate is what is holding us back from having a deeper relationship with Him? Are you making an excuse not to know and follow Him above everything else?
Prayer: Father, so many times I fail to put you as the most important thing in my life. Please forgive me for those times I make idols out of the gifts you give me. Help me to seek and follow you above everything else. I ask you would take away my idols and help me to glorify you in everything I do. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Dec 4, 2011
I had an “aha moment” just now as I was listening to my current favorite song “How He Loves” by John Mark Mcmillan, while chatting with a friend of mine about how we are trusting God for the future instead of us trying to manipulate circumstances so they work out how we want them, instead of how God wants them.
This is what I sent him:
– It’s crazy that EVERYTHING in our lives was planned out to perfection before we were even born.
– That God planned what we would learn, how we would learn it, and when would learn to apply it.
– Meaning that everything that happened before we learned the truth, before it finally “clicked” was His plan as well.
– That those experiences are what brought us to the realization of His Truth in this very moment.
– Just like everything we are learning now is for preparation for what’s in store for us in the future.
– Everything is timed perfectly.
– So perfectly in fact that we often times miss it.
– We miss what He is doing and has done until He points it out to us.
– And it’s all so that we can know how much He loves us. All so that we can then turn and give glory to Him for working the good in our lives amidst all the bad that we perceived as bad, which was actually for out ultimate good.
Isn’t that crazy? God is so good. Anyway… that was my Aha moment.
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Nov 30, 2011
When I was a young girl I planned my life and was certain that by the time I was 25 years old I’d be married with four kids and succeeding in a career. Now that I have reached 25, I can testify to the truth of the statement, “God can do far more than what we can ever imagine.” I am so happy that God doesn’t take direction from me! His plan is a perfect, holy, blameless plan with a purpose greater than we know.
I am not married yet, but I have found a LOVE more beautiful and perfect than I have ever or will ever deserve! As I grow in my faith, my outlook on life and my purpose in it is unbending. A once panoramic perspective of me, myself and I has become a vast vertical vision of Jesus, His suffering children and the passion to uplift them.
I once thought it was impossible to know a mother’s love unless you actually were a mom. God proved to me otherwise when He blessed me with the opportunity to love and be loved by hundreds of underprivileged children in Asia. I have begun to understand a mother’s connection with her children. It is something of divine essence that is just so difficult to describe in words, songs, or poetry. I experienced the unfeigned sacrifice, or at least the inclination of it, to add to them even just a single trace of joy, safety, peace, and everything else righteous that a child deserves.
My idea of success now transcends all of life’s preconceptions, notions, and ideologies. I am nothing but a season, a chance that soon will pass. I’ve learned that success is not determined by how much I can accumulate, how great a name I can make for myself, or how high I can climb the ladder. Success is determined by the choices I make every day that will influence whether I am storing up the fleeting things of this world, or living in the light of eternity.
Growing up, I used to wish for lovely shiny things for my birthday. Now my only “wish” this year is to see progress toward the fulfillment of the vision God has placed on my heart: for underprivileged, orphan, and abandoned children in Asia to be raised up in God’s love and become the future leaders for His kingdom work. Please help make my “birthday wish” come true by spending a few minutes in prayer for the underprivileged children in Asia today!
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Nov 29, 2011
When you pray for the Lord to answer your requests… Do you realize He will answer them at what ever cost He chooses to? Are you willing to go through the answer to that prayer, no matter what it is? We have a choice to respond in a Godly submission, or respond to our flesh.
God has a sense of humor to answer prayer (Of course you probably knew that)
As you can see in the picture there is one of my friends. I just got this picture not that long ago. I thought “What in world? Why does he have “MY” cup and why is it in he HIS department room?” I really thought he took it just for a joke to see if I would go pick it up. With thinking that I went to his department and there I see “MY” cup and in the inside… it has remnants of coffee inside. “He drank from “MY” cup with out asking me! How could he, and how rude!” Is what I thought. I was a little bit offended and upset. Isaac then starts to tell me how he had no idea that cup was mine but he always saw me drink out of it and thought I’d appreciate the picture of him and that cup. RIGHT!
I then remembered a prayer I said to our dad last night. I asked the Lord to help me to be like Fred (one of the Gospel For Asia Staff) and not to become offended in situations but to respond to offense by choosing to let go and yield to God. I then started to laugh and praised God for this. Though it may seem very silly… God used this funny situation to open up my eyes. Sure, there will be more to come but I love how our Father has a sense of humor and how he loves us SOOOO much that he answers are prayers because we cry out to Him to have him respond to us.
Be encouraged to see that when we pray He HEARS and ANSWERS. Let us all not make the wrong choice to respond in a selfish way to our prayers being answered even if they are not the way we would want them to have them answered.
Have a beautiful blessed day brothers and sisters!
Do not loose heart and KEEP on praying!
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of him” (1 John 5:14-15).
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