I am a 23 year old single female missionary trying to live out my daily life for God. My thoughts, struggles, and beliefs are subject to change as my life progresses and as I come to know the Lord more, through His Word and the help of older mature Christians. I say this because what I am about to share is personal, but I believe it is necessary that I share this with you all.
"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed." James 5:16
Confession is apart of my daily life. I confess daily my sins to God, but I also confess my sins to others so that I may be held accountable for them. My walk with the Lord is serious to me and when I say that I seek the Lord I mean it. I seek Him with every ounce of my being and I pour my heart and soul out to Him, I want nothing hindering our relationship.
So here are my struggles (these are the things the Lord has revealed to me that I have struggled with all my life):
- I struggle with trusting others.
- I struggle with accepting love from others. I often wonder, why do they love me?
- I struggle with sharing my feelings with others. I often hid my feelings because I think my thoughts and ideas don't matter to others.
- I struggle with accepting my identity in the Lord and accepting His love for me.
- I struggle with forgiving myself for my own sins more than I do with forgiving those who have wronged me.
- I struggle with trusting God in certain areas of my life.
- I struggle with loneliness.
Those are my struggles and if you could pray for me in each of those areas I would appreciate it.
Since, I have been in Costa Rica the Lord and I have beening talking a lot. He alone has been my stronghold and my Rock. When you are left with no where else to go, it can be easy to run to the Lord, but what you might find there is not always what you want to hear or see. God has been peeling back the layers of my doubts and struggles in order that I may serve Him completely. When we, as Christians, talk about surrendering everything over to God that means everything, even all your insecurities and failures. God already sees you for who you are, but God wants you to see yourself as the person He has made you to be, good and set apart to do good works. God is teaching me about who He has made me to be and each day I am starting to see more of that person. When I go out every morning, I want people to see less of me and more of God, but in order to do that I need to give every part of my life over to God. I need to trust in Him and His love for me.
God and I have spent many hours dissecting each of my struggles and filling them with His truth. God is faithful and the joy that I am feeling now is indescribable. It is not easy giving everything over to the Lord, because that requires letting go of control. However, when you do the peace and the rest that you find is amazing. God's grace is truly amazing.
"To the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding." Ephesians 1:6-8
"But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to fruit." Jeremiah 17:7-9
July 31, 2011
July 30, 2011
Saturday: my favorite day of the week
Today, I woke up excited and ready to go. Usually on Saturday mornings I stay in bed til 11am, reading or watching a movie, but not today. I was up early and was ready to go.
Yesterday, while I was at the STUCO, student council, dinner at Joel and Krista's house, Joel told me about a jazz concert that was taking place that evening. I am falling in love with jazz music (and it makes me think of my host family in Wisconsin) so I dediced this morning to go downtown to see if the jazz concert was going to be taking place again.
Going into downtown San José by myself is quickly becoming one of my favorite things to do. I love to walk around and people watch. Today, I got to see 2 different people/groups doing street evangelism, a dancing elf, 2 guys dressed up as bees, and a failed attempt at a robbery. Where else would I get to see all that in two hours? Really my favorite part is watching how people talk and interact, and dress, you can learn a lot about the culture by just watching the people.
As it turned out the jazz concert isn't performing again til Thursday. I am going to see if I can get a group from the school to go since it is going to be in the evening. I ended up walking around and exploring different streets. I found a second hand store having a sale so I dediced to go look for a pair of jeans. After almost an hour, I found a pair of jeans and a shirt. I was happy. (It is hard to find a pair of jeans, that are not skinny jeans, in my size in Costa Rica so finding a pair is a big deal.)
Afterwards, I headed back to the bus station and waited for almost a half hour for a bus. I was running late to meet up with Steve to go to Valle del Sol, and ended up grabbing a taxi once the bus dropped me off at the park to go meet up with him. I am getting more comfortable traveling by myself, and I like it alot. Don't worry though I am always cautious and use discernment.
Today at Valle del Sol, we had so many kids. In the classroom for kids under 7, we had at least 40 kids. We also had a group visiting from Brazil that dediced to help out. The kids learned a song in Portuguese. That was cool. While we sang, I thought of my friends, Jim and Shelley, at home.
The classroom was somewhat crazy because we lost our lead teacher, at least for now. If you could pray for the church in Valle del Sol and the president of the barrio, there is a lot of tension and it is affecting the ministry. Please pray that Clara would come back and be able to teach again. Pray that people would be able to get along and humble themselves, specifically the president of the barrio.
Even with the chaos, The kids had a lot of fun. We had a piñata, as a surprise, today and they loved it. It was such a blessing to see that many children there and then to also be able to have two surprises for them, the group from Brazil and a piñata. We almost didn't have enough supplies for all the kids, but God is faithful and everything turned out great.
It was a wonderful day.
Yesterday, while I was at the STUCO, student council, dinner at Joel and Krista's house, Joel told me about a jazz concert that was taking place that evening. I am falling in love with jazz music (and it makes me think of my host family in Wisconsin) so I dediced this morning to go downtown to see if the jazz concert was going to be taking place again.
Going into downtown San José by myself is quickly becoming one of my favorite things to do. I love to walk around and people watch. Today, I got to see 2 different people/groups doing street evangelism, a dancing elf, 2 guys dressed up as bees, and a failed attempt at a robbery. Where else would I get to see all that in two hours? Really my favorite part is watching how people talk and interact, and dress, you can learn a lot about the culture by just watching the people.
As it turned out the jazz concert isn't performing again til Thursday. I am going to see if I can get a group from the school to go since it is going to be in the evening. I ended up walking around and exploring different streets. I found a second hand store having a sale so I dediced to go look for a pair of jeans. After almost an hour, I found a pair of jeans and a shirt. I was happy. (It is hard to find a pair of jeans, that are not skinny jeans, in my size in Costa Rica so finding a pair is a big deal.)
Afterwards, I headed back to the bus station and waited for almost a half hour for a bus. I was running late to meet up with Steve to go to Valle del Sol, and ended up grabbing a taxi once the bus dropped me off at the park to go meet up with him. I am getting more comfortable traveling by myself, and I like it alot. Don't worry though I am always cautious and use discernment.
Today at Valle del Sol, we had so many kids. In the classroom for kids under 7, we had at least 40 kids. We also had a group visiting from Brazil that dediced to help out. The kids learned a song in Portuguese. That was cool. While we sang, I thought of my friends, Jim and Shelley, at home.
The classroom was somewhat crazy because we lost our lead teacher, at least for now. If you could pray for the church in Valle del Sol and the president of the barrio, there is a lot of tension and it is affecting the ministry. Please pray that Clara would come back and be able to teach again. Pray that people would be able to get along and humble themselves, specifically the president of the barrio.
Even with the chaos, The kids had a lot of fun. We had a piñata, as a surprise, today and they loved it. It was such a blessing to see that many children there and then to also be able to have two surprises for them, the group from Brazil and a piñata. We almost didn't have enough supplies for all the kids, but God is faithful and everything turned out great.
It was a wonderful day.
July 29, 2011
Speechless
Tonight I am at a lost for words. God is showing me things that I have never acknowledged before and I am not sure what to do with them. He is showing me things that I have struggled with all my life, but God has been so good to me. This past few days God has been clearly showing me things that need to change in my life and He has made Himself very evident to me in my daily life here in Costa Rica. Have you ever wanted a clear sign from God to tell you what you need to do or change, well those signs for me have been popping up left and right. Today, I felt overwhelmed, I was like, "Okay God I get it, please stop." I know that was not the right response, but I needed time to process everything (I later went back, repented, and thanked God for showing me the way to go and His truth).
When you have been believing so many lies for so long, it is overwhelming when you see the Truth. I have been diving into the depths of my heart to see where these issues have come from so that these lies won't come back into my life again. I have also been reading God's Word and meditating on His truth so that I won't fall back into believing these lies. When I can articulate what God is teaching me and the layers of my life that are being pulled back, then I will share more, but God sure is amazing. I know all of this is being done to prepare me for something in the future and I am excited to see where this leads. God is good.
When you have been believing so many lies for so long, it is overwhelming when you see the Truth. I have been diving into the depths of my heart to see where these issues have come from so that these lies won't come back into my life again. I have also been reading God's Word and meditating on His truth so that I won't fall back into believing these lies. When I can articulate what God is teaching me and the layers of my life that are being pulled back, then I will share more, but God sure is amazing. I know all of this is being done to prepare me for something in the future and I am excited to see where this leads. God is good.
July 28, 2011
The girl nobody loved...
I am reading this book right now called, "Doris: The Girl Nobody Loved". This biography is based off of the life of a young girl who was rejected by her mother, abandoned, brought to an orphanage where she was abused regularly by the director, and eventually comes to know God's love through a group who comes to the orphanage.
While reading the first chapter, my heart just broke for this girl, who felt so ugly and unloveable. I felt like I just wanted to jump through the pages and wrap her in my arms and tell her that she is loved. I can't understand how someone can choose to not love a child.
This story has reminded me of my first mission trip in college to a children's village for orphans, called Caminul Felix, in Oradea, Romania. It was there that I met a little girl, named Andrea. From day one that girl stole my heart. She was the quiet one who would sit while others played and would smile while the others laughed.
I was instantly drawn to this girl, because I could tell that she had been hurt and needed a friend. As the week went on, I learned that she had been found abandoned in the trash on the side of the road. This sweet little girl had been rejected by the only person she knew, her mother.
Every day in the children's village, I would look for Andrea and I would talk to her and play with her, even though we didn't speak the same language we understood one another. We would smile, hold hands, play games, and make funny faces to make the other person laugh. The other girls at the children's village would come up to me and ask me, "why do you want to play with her"? Even at the orphanage Andrea could feel the sting of rejection from her peers because she was shy and guarded.
On my second to last day in the village, Andrea said something to me that changed my life. As we were saying goodbye for the evening, she asked me with her head bent down, "Will I ever be as pretty as you"? I was shocked at her question. How could this precious, sweet, and beautiful little girl think that she was ugly. I remember looking at her with tears filling my eyes and saying, "You already are".
This is how I think God looks at His children. We can be so quick to judge ourselves and critique ourselves, that we lose sight of who are in Him. At one point in time or another, we have all given into the lies that we are unbeautiful, unworthy, and unlovable. While all the while, God was watching and pursuing you wishing you could see yourself, the way He sees you...His beautiful and holy child, who is loved. It is this love that moves me to serve and it is this love that I want to share with others.
You see I didn't see Andrea as anything but beautiful from day one, and the fact that she did was so heartbreaking for me. She is one of the reasons I dedicated my life to helping at-risk children.
God doesn't see you as anything, but loveable, worthy, and beautiful, you just have to trust in Him and accept your identity in Him through Christ.
While reading the first chapter, my heart just broke for this girl, who felt so ugly and unloveable. I felt like I just wanted to jump through the pages and wrap her in my arms and tell her that she is loved. I can't understand how someone can choose to not love a child.
This story has reminded me of my first mission trip in college to a children's village for orphans, called Caminul Felix, in Oradea, Romania. It was there that I met a little girl, named Andrea. From day one that girl stole my heart. She was the quiet one who would sit while others played and would smile while the others laughed.
I was instantly drawn to this girl, because I could tell that she had been hurt and needed a friend. As the week went on, I learned that she had been found abandoned in the trash on the side of the road. This sweet little girl had been rejected by the only person she knew, her mother.
Every day in the children's village, I would look for Andrea and I would talk to her and play with her, even though we didn't speak the same language we understood one another. We would smile, hold hands, play games, and make funny faces to make the other person laugh. The other girls at the children's village would come up to me and ask me, "why do you want to play with her"? Even at the orphanage Andrea could feel the sting of rejection from her peers because she was shy and guarded.
On my second to last day in the village, Andrea said something to me that changed my life. As we were saying goodbye for the evening, she asked me with her head bent down, "Will I ever be as pretty as you"? I was shocked at her question. How could this precious, sweet, and beautiful little girl think that she was ugly. I remember looking at her with tears filling my eyes and saying, "You already are".
This is how I think God looks at His children. We can be so quick to judge ourselves and critique ourselves, that we lose sight of who are in Him. At one point in time or another, we have all given into the lies that we are unbeautiful, unworthy, and unlovable. While all the while, God was watching and pursuing you wishing you could see yourself, the way He sees you...His beautiful and holy child, who is loved. It is this love that moves me to serve and it is this love that I want to share with others.
You see I didn't see Andrea as anything but beautiful from day one, and the fact that she did was so heartbreaking for me. She is one of the reasons I dedicated my life to helping at-risk children.
God doesn't see you as anything, but loveable, worthy, and beautiful, you just have to trust in Him and accept your identity in Him through Christ.
July 27, 2011
An unexpected day...
Desert Song by: Hillsong
This song has been on my mind lately so I wanted to share it with you. Today, I stood still before the Lord. I praised God and prayed, but mostly I tried to listen to the Truth that He is speaking into my life. Today, during our break at school, I sat in silence listening to worship music. After school, I went out with a friend for coffee, which now looking at it was totally a God thing. As I sat there listening to my friend, she talked about her job back in the states and how she helps people. Hearing the testimonies that she shared and hearing about her job, they spoke directly to my heart. I have to admit I wanted to cry because I had only met this lady twice, but she was speaking truth about God into my life over things that I have been dealing with and I didn't even tell her anything about my life. She had no idea the impact that conversation was having on me, but God did. We sat there and talked, but I just tried to listen. I didn't share much about my life with her because I wanted to just listen. It was great, I know God provided that moment for me and allowed her to speak Truth into my life and help guide me.
Then later on today, I had another great unexpected moment. As I was babysitting, guess what movie we watched? This was the DVD that was already in the player when I arrived and the one the kids picked out, "The Prince of Egpyt". Yeah that's right, the story of Moses and God's love for His people. Since my arrival to Costa Rica, I have been studying Moses and God's faithfulness and now I got to watch some of the story unfold on the television screen. Not only did I watch this amazing story, but I also got to explain God's love and faithfulness to the children I was babysitting. Even though, they knew the basics of the story a couple of them had never watched the movie so I explained it to them. After the movie, one of the kids was asking me about the rocks (ten commandments) that Moses was carrying at the end of the movie, so I went and found a children's Bible and read the rest of the story to him. While I was reading, I stopped and asked him if he wanted to go play with the other kids, and his reply was, "No, this is the best story". I just smiled and thought yeah I think so too.
What an amazing unexpected day, thank you Lord.
Then later on today, I had another great unexpected moment. As I was babysitting, guess what movie we watched? This was the DVD that was already in the player when I arrived and the one the kids picked out, "The Prince of Egpyt". Yeah that's right, the story of Moses and God's love for His people. Since my arrival to Costa Rica, I have been studying Moses and God's faithfulness and now I got to watch some of the story unfold on the television screen. Not only did I watch this amazing story, but I also got to explain God's love and faithfulness to the children I was babysitting. Even though, they knew the basics of the story a couple of them had never watched the movie so I explained it to them. After the movie, one of the kids was asking me about the rocks (ten commandments) that Moses was carrying at the end of the movie, so I went and found a children's Bible and read the rest of the story to him. While I was reading, I stopped and asked him if he wanted to go play with the other kids, and his reply was, "No, this is the best story". I just smiled and thought yeah I think so too.
What an amazing unexpected day, thank you Lord.
July 26, 2011
Be still and know...
None but Jesus by: Hillsong
I did have something that I wanted to share that I started writing earlier, but I don't think now is the time to share it. I have been doing alot of thinking lately about God, and He has been revealing alot to me about Him and who He has made me to be. However, this morning when I started dwelling on all these things again and His truth I got to a road block. It felt like God was telling me to stop thinking for a moment and just be still. I have been doing a ton of thinking lately on life and God, and He knew that now I needed time to process it all and just accept it as His truth. So His words to me are, "Be still". This has never been something easy for me to do so I am trusting in Him to show me what this really means. This is not something I should do, but it is something that I have to do.
"Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth". Psalm 46:10
July 25, 2011
Fear God...what does this mean?
So I left my last post with this thought that we need to fear God. Almost as quickly as I finished that blog, I realized I didn't understand what it means to fear God. When I think of fearing God, for some reason I automatically picture a guy with a Bible and a megaphone yelling at me about how I am going to hell if I don't believe in the God. But that is not what I am not talking about when I say that we should fear the Lord, so let's look at Scripture...
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise." Psalm 111:10
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline." Proverbs 1:7
So it is safe to say that fear is a good place to start when looking at our relationship with the Lord. Do you "fear of the Lord"? Why or why not? Was there ever a time in your life when you did fear the Lord? If so, why?
God created the universe and He is the same God as yesterday, today, and tomorrow(Hebrews 13:8). He is the one who was, and is, and is to come (Revelation 4:8). So in knowing that to be true, our God as described in the New Testament is the same God as found in the Old Testament. This is hard for some people to grasp.
We want to think that our fear should be different than the Israelites' fear of God or even the unbelievers' fear of God. We want to make our fear seem less fearful and seem more as this respect and awe sort of thing, but this is not the way it should be (Francis Chan).
People in Scripture who loved God had this fear of God. What did Moses do when the Lord first appeared in the burning bush? He hid his face, why? Because he was afraid (Exodus 3:6). What did Isaiah do when he saw the Lord? "Woe to me, I am ruined" (Isaiah 6:5). What did John do when He saw the Lord? "I fell at his feet as though dead" (Revelation 1:17). That isn't normally the way someone would act unless they were afraid. What makes you think your reaction to seeing the Lord would be any different? When you see God you will fear Him, we all will (Francis Chan).
Without this fear of God we wouldn't be able to understand God's power. The same power that is available to us through the Holy Spirit. Why do we find comfort in the verse, "I can do all thing through Christ who strengthens me,"? (Philippians 4:13) Because we know through Scripture what God is capable of and we know His power and strength.
"The fear of the Lord leads to life: then one rests content, untouched by trouble." Proverbs 19:23
We start with this fear of God, but God out of His love for us doesn't keep us there. God told Moses, "I will be with you," God was comforting Moses (Exodus 3:12). God took Isaiah's guilt away and sin, in order for Isaiah to stand before the Lord without fear (Isaiah 6:6-7). With John, God said, "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last" (Revelation 1:17).
"I am the first and the last; apart from me there is no God," (Isaiah 44:6). In Isaiah 44:8, God says, "do not tremble, do not be afraid". We start with fear, but God does not keep us in that fear. God like He did with Moses, Isaiah, and John comforts us and tell us to not be afraid. Why though?
You see once you admit your fear and humble yourself before the Lord with the understanding that you are nothing apart from Him, you don't need to fear.
"If God is for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31
Once you see God than nothing else matters. You see this is not about you, this is about God. Your life is not your own. Apart from Him, we are nothing, and only through Jesus can we find our identity. Only through Jesus can we be secure and find comfort, in knowing that the Lord of the universe loves us enough to allow His only Son to die for our sins. God is that good and powerful that He can wipe away all our sins and guilt, and make us new. Through our fear in God, we are led to life.
"The fear of the Lord leads to life: then one rests content, untouched by trouble". Isaiah 19:23
We rest and become untouched by trouble, because we feared the Lord and have been led to everlasting life.
"The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?" Psalm 26:1-2
If you have never feared the Lord, but have a desire for the Lord maybe this should be your prayer, "Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name". (Psalm 86:11)
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge..." Proverbs 1:7a
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise." Psalm 111:10
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline." Proverbs 1:7
So it is safe to say that fear is a good place to start when looking at our relationship with the Lord. Do you "fear of the Lord"? Why or why not? Was there ever a time in your life when you did fear the Lord? If so, why?
God created the universe and He is the same God as yesterday, today, and tomorrow(Hebrews 13:8). He is the one who was, and is, and is to come (Revelation 4:8). So in knowing that to be true, our God as described in the New Testament is the same God as found in the Old Testament. This is hard for some people to grasp.
We want to think that our fear should be different than the Israelites' fear of God or even the unbelievers' fear of God. We want to make our fear seem less fearful and seem more as this respect and awe sort of thing, but this is not the way it should be (Francis Chan).
People in Scripture who loved God had this fear of God. What did Moses do when the Lord first appeared in the burning bush? He hid his face, why? Because he was afraid (Exodus 3:6). What did Isaiah do when he saw the Lord? "Woe to me, I am ruined" (Isaiah 6:5). What did John do when He saw the Lord? "I fell at his feet as though dead" (Revelation 1:17). That isn't normally the way someone would act unless they were afraid. What makes you think your reaction to seeing the Lord would be any different? When you see God you will fear Him, we all will (Francis Chan).
Without this fear of God we wouldn't be able to understand God's power. The same power that is available to us through the Holy Spirit. Why do we find comfort in the verse, "I can do all thing through Christ who strengthens me,"? (Philippians 4:13) Because we know through Scripture what God is capable of and we know His power and strength.
"The fear of the Lord leads to life: then one rests content, untouched by trouble." Proverbs 19:23
We start with this fear of God, but God out of His love for us doesn't keep us there. God told Moses, "I will be with you," God was comforting Moses (Exodus 3:12). God took Isaiah's guilt away and sin, in order for Isaiah to stand before the Lord without fear (Isaiah 6:6-7). With John, God said, "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last" (Revelation 1:17).
"I am the first and the last; apart from me there is no God," (Isaiah 44:6). In Isaiah 44:8, God says, "do not tremble, do not be afraid". We start with fear, but God does not keep us in that fear. God like He did with Moses, Isaiah, and John comforts us and tell us to not be afraid. Why though?
You see once you admit your fear and humble yourself before the Lord with the understanding that you are nothing apart from Him, you don't need to fear.
"If God is for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31
Once you see God than nothing else matters. You see this is not about you, this is about God. Your life is not your own. Apart from Him, we are nothing, and only through Jesus can we find our identity. Only through Jesus can we be secure and find comfort, in knowing that the Lord of the universe loves us enough to allow His only Son to die for our sins. God is that good and powerful that He can wipe away all our sins and guilt, and make us new. Through our fear in God, we are led to life.
"The fear of the Lord leads to life: then one rests content, untouched by trouble". Isaiah 19:23
We rest and become untouched by trouble, because we feared the Lord and have been led to everlasting life.
"The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?" Psalm 26:1-2
If you have never feared the Lord, but have a desire for the Lord maybe this should be your prayer, "Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name". (Psalm 86:11)
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge..." Proverbs 1:7a
July 24, 2011
Our God is Greater
"The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?" Psalm 27:1
"I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind," 2 Timothy 1:7
Out of those verses and others, I can see that I am not suppose to fear (I talk about fearing God later for those of you wondering). If you have ever heard the worship song "Our God is Greater," then you know this verse, "If our God is for us then who can ever stop us? And if our God is with then what can stand against us?".
There are many things in life that can cause us to have anxiety or fear, but with God nothing can stand against. Keep that in mind when you are afraid or when you have anxiety. Our God is greater and stronger than anything in this world, He has already overcome the world through Jesus Christ.
"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all of creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39
Remember this also...
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:10-12.
We can't be strong on our own against evil, but we are called to be strong in the Lord. Our war is against the powers of this dark world and the forces of evil. This is true so we need stand strong in the Lord and have faith in Him, that will protect us and guide us.
I say this to you so that you may be reminded of these truths just as much as I need to be reminded of them. Since, I was little this spiritual battle has never been hidden from me. I have noticed it at a young age and God continues to open my eyes to it. Very few people know this, but when I was in college this battle became even closer for me. My freshman year, I started experiencing stronger demonic dreams (I had a few as a child). These dreams go above nightmares, there is something very evil present in them it is hard to describe it, and at times these dreams seem so real. I would awake up in fear and sometimes be trembling. This continued to happen on and off throughout college, and then my junior year something new happened. This year was particularly hard for me emotionally and one night I was physically attacked by something evil. I was being choked in bed by something I could not see, this was not a panic attack. I was scared. The only thing I could do was barely whisper "Jesus," repeatedly until finally the choking stopped and then I could yell, "Jesus". I then proceeded to cry and sang every worship song I knew and recited every Scripture I had memorized. This has been my way to battle the powers of darkness ever since, cling to Jesus, be in His Word, and praise His name. I still have the demonic dreams every now and then, but I still continue to cling to God. I will admit that I struggle with fearing evil forces, but I always bring that before the Lord because I know I should fear only Him. No matter what Satan tries to throw at me, I know God is with me because I am His child.
"Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name." Psalm 86:11
"Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages. Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All the nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed." Revelation 15:3-5
Fear nothing but the Lord. God is true and just, your life could not be in better hands than in the hands of God. He will lift you up in your time of need. Be strong in the Lord.
Prayer Request:
I have had a few demonic dreams since I have been in Costa Rica and this usually happens when something good is taking place. So I know something good is happening here, but the dreams do make it hard to sleep sometimes at night so if you could please pray for me to sleep well and rest in the Lord, that would be greatly appreciated. Or pray that His will would be done and that I would continue to be strengthened in Him. Thank you.
I share my personal testimony on my spiritual warfare so that you would know that God is good and faithful. Satan can not win this battle, he has already lost. Fear not the evil forces or powers of this world, but be strong in the Lord and learn to fear only Him. To God be the glory and honor, forever and ever.
"I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind," 2 Timothy 1:7
Out of those verses and others, I can see that I am not suppose to fear (I talk about fearing God later for those of you wondering). If you have ever heard the worship song "Our God is Greater," then you know this verse, "If our God is for us then who can ever stop us? And if our God is with then what can stand against us?".
There are many things in life that can cause us to have anxiety or fear, but with God nothing can stand against. Keep that in mind when you are afraid or when you have anxiety. Our God is greater and stronger than anything in this world, He has already overcome the world through Jesus Christ.
"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all of creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39
Remember this also...
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:10-12.
We can't be strong on our own against evil, but we are called to be strong in the Lord. Our war is against the powers of this dark world and the forces of evil. This is true so we need stand strong in the Lord and have faith in Him, that will protect us and guide us.
I say this to you so that you may be reminded of these truths just as much as I need to be reminded of them. Since, I was little this spiritual battle has never been hidden from me. I have noticed it at a young age and God continues to open my eyes to it. Very few people know this, but when I was in college this battle became even closer for me. My freshman year, I started experiencing stronger demonic dreams (I had a few as a child). These dreams go above nightmares, there is something very evil present in them it is hard to describe it, and at times these dreams seem so real. I would awake up in fear and sometimes be trembling. This continued to happen on and off throughout college, and then my junior year something new happened. This year was particularly hard for me emotionally and one night I was physically attacked by something evil. I was being choked in bed by something I could not see, this was not a panic attack. I was scared. The only thing I could do was barely whisper "Jesus," repeatedly until finally the choking stopped and then I could yell, "Jesus". I then proceeded to cry and sang every worship song I knew and recited every Scripture I had memorized. This has been my way to battle the powers of darkness ever since, cling to Jesus, be in His Word, and praise His name. I still have the demonic dreams every now and then, but I still continue to cling to God. I will admit that I struggle with fearing evil forces, but I always bring that before the Lord because I know I should fear only Him. No matter what Satan tries to throw at me, I know God is with me because I am His child.
"Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name." Psalm 86:11
"Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages. Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All the nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed." Revelation 15:3-5
Fear nothing but the Lord. God is true and just, your life could not be in better hands than in the hands of God. He will lift you up in your time of need. Be strong in the Lord.
Prayer Request:
I have had a few demonic dreams since I have been in Costa Rica and this usually happens when something good is taking place. So I know something good is happening here, but the dreams do make it hard to sleep sometimes at night so if you could please pray for me to sleep well and rest in the Lord, that would be greatly appreciated. Or pray that His will would be done and that I would continue to be strengthened in Him. Thank you.
I share my personal testimony on my spiritual warfare so that you would know that God is good and faithful. Satan can not win this battle, he has already lost. Fear not the evil forces or powers of this world, but be strong in the Lord and learn to fear only Him. To God be the glory and honor, forever and ever.
July 23, 2011
I left my heart in Valle del Sol...
I didn't want to leave. If I could have stayed there all night playing with those kids I would have. We had a great time. Thank you Lord for all of the children who came today and for blessing our time together.
This week we also had three added blessings to our group. Three volunteers came and helped out with the ministry, two of which were guys who coordinated a game of fútbol for the guys in Valle del Sol. One guy is named Walter, he is currently homeless but he is working on trying to get his life together. If you are praying please add Walter to your prayers. He use to be a professional fútbol player for one of the top teams in Costa Rica until he became an alcoholic. Currently, Steve works with Him in the homeless ministry and is helping Walter find ways to fill his time during the day. Walter will not accept money and doesn't have any money because he is afraid of falling back into his bad habits. Please pray for him.
God also continues to bless this ministry with new children. This week we had a few new children. One little boy named Welmey, stole my heart. He is a tough kid but he also still has some of his childish innocence, he is in that in-between stage.
After the lesson, English word of the day, and coloring, we played a game of fútbol. It was great. The kids loved it and even though we didn't have a lot of room or even real goals, we used the resources God has given us and had a great game. Our two coloring tables turned into goals and we used the only ball we had to play with. We played for over an hour. I have never seen the kids play a game with such excitement and interest, it was great. I am going to have to buy a new ball for next week, our ball popped because of the nails in the wall, but we still had fun. The kids grabbed the ball even though it was flat and started playing a strange mix of basketball and fútbol. It was funny. In the States, the game would have ended when the ball went flat and kids would have complained, but not here they just picked it up and kept on playing.
I know God is with me always, but the joy and peace that I get when serving the Lord through working with children, is indescrible. Those four hours every week are some of my favorite. Serving the Lord is not burdensome or an obligation when you love Him, and have a love for His children. I can't wait til next Saturday!
This week we also had three added blessings to our group. Three volunteers came and helped out with the ministry, two of which were guys who coordinated a game of fútbol for the guys in Valle del Sol. One guy is named Walter, he is currently homeless but he is working on trying to get his life together. If you are praying please add Walter to your prayers. He use to be a professional fútbol player for one of the top teams in Costa Rica until he became an alcoholic. Currently, Steve works with Him in the homeless ministry and is helping Walter find ways to fill his time during the day. Walter will not accept money and doesn't have any money because he is afraid of falling back into his bad habits. Please pray for him.
God also continues to bless this ministry with new children. This week we had a few new children. One little boy named Welmey, stole my heart. He is a tough kid but he also still has some of his childish innocence, he is in that in-between stage.
After the lesson, English word of the day, and coloring, we played a game of fútbol. It was great. The kids loved it and even though we didn't have a lot of room or even real goals, we used the resources God has given us and had a great game. Our two coloring tables turned into goals and we used the only ball we had to play with. We played for over an hour. I have never seen the kids play a game with such excitement and interest, it was great. I am going to have to buy a new ball for next week, our ball popped because of the nails in the wall, but we still had fun. The kids grabbed the ball even though it was flat and started playing a strange mix of basketball and fútbol. It was funny. In the States, the game would have ended when the ball went flat and kids would have complained, but not here they just picked it up and kept on playing.
I know God is with me always, but the joy and peace that I get when serving the Lord through working with children, is indescrible. Those four hours every week are some of my favorite. Serving the Lord is not burdensome or an obligation when you love Him, and have a love for His children. I can't wait til next Saturday!
July 22, 2011
The Annexation of Guanacaste
This weekend in Costa Rica, we are celebrating the annexation of Guanacaste! The day that the people of Guanacaste decided that they wanted to be apart of Costa Rica instead of Nicaragua, July 25th. So in honor of this day, we had a celebration at school and we have a three day weekend. At our celebration, we ate tomales, drank horchata, and danced. For the past two months, some students and teachers have been practicing some traditional Costa Rican dances and they had a performance at the school today and yesterday. It was quite a show and a lot of fun. I love watching people dance, especially my teacher Graciela because she has a passion for dancing. (I have uploaded some of these pictures on Facebook along with some from Canada Day and from the La Paz waterfall garden.)
This week has been a great week and it continues on getting better. This weekend I get to relax a bit and study. I need to go back and review some nouns and verbs. I also get to work with the kids on Saturday, babysit on Sunday, and hang out with some friends throughout the weekend.
This week, I have had two exams: one in language class and the other in grammar, both of which went well. At least I hope so, I will find out next week what my scores are. I also have an update on my health. I have been feeling uneasy for quite some time now so I finally decided to go to the doctor yesterday. Turns out that I have an intestinal parasite, but I have some medication now so everything will be good in 4 to 5 days. Also, the prayers of all my friends and family have been helping tremendously I have not had very much pain and I have been more at peace, so thank you all so much.
I have been really enjoying my past couple of weeks here and God has been so good to me. I have little things here and there that try to distract me or get in the way of way I am here, but I love that every morning I can wake up and thank God that I am where He wants me to be. Since my arrival in Costa Rica, I have been able to experience God in ways that I never have before and it has been wonderful. I have had to be dependent on God and it feels so good to lean on Him. His love for me and others, continues to amaze me.
Thank you all so much for your continued support and prayers! It has been such a blessing and a privilege to be at language school. I will be sending out a newsletter update soon in the mail so be on the lookout. If you would like to receive my newsletter and are currently not on my mailing list, please send me your address at cd_0687@yahoo.com
Also, I would like to share with you something that has been on my heart. God willing I would love to stay here longer, but only if it is in His will. This is something that I have been praying about for quite a while now, almost since my arrival. There is something about being here at language school that seems so right. I know that God has planned for me to be here at this specific point in time so I know that He will provide the funds for me to stay til December and possibly longer, as long as it His will. I don´t want to make this decision lightly and frankly this decision is not mine to make, because my life is not my own. This why I am asking if you would prayfully consider supporting me financially, in a one-time donation or even a monthly donation from now until _______. I am currently still in need of $1,600 in order to stay in language school til December 2011, but my prayer goal is $4,900 because I would love to stay in language school till the end of April 2012. (For those of you reading who are unsure of how my financial support works, all support is not tax-deductible because I am an independent missionary, this means that I am not associated with any organization. Financial giving should be done only through prayful consideration.) Out of faith and love I came to Costa Rica and God provided, I know that if this is His desire for my life He will provide again. If God is calling you to support me financially, please mail a check to:
Chelsea Davis
1309 South Park
Streator, IL 61364
All checks should be made out to: Chelsea Davis
(Also, please indicate if this is a one-time donation or if you would like to give a monthly donation of a certain amount (Also please indicate the months. For example from August 2011 til December 2011). For those of you receiving my newsletter I will have a slip with my newsletter that indicates whether you would like to donate one-time or monthly.)
I would also appreciate any and all prayers, regarding my continuation with language school and my financial needs. Thank you.
This week has been a great week and it continues on getting better. This weekend I get to relax a bit and study. I need to go back and review some nouns and verbs. I also get to work with the kids on Saturday, babysit on Sunday, and hang out with some friends throughout the weekend.
This week, I have had two exams: one in language class and the other in grammar, both of which went well. At least I hope so, I will find out next week what my scores are. I also have an update on my health. I have been feeling uneasy for quite some time now so I finally decided to go to the doctor yesterday. Turns out that I have an intestinal parasite, but I have some medication now so everything will be good in 4 to 5 days. Also, the prayers of all my friends and family have been helping tremendously I have not had very much pain and I have been more at peace, so thank you all so much.
I have been really enjoying my past couple of weeks here and God has been so good to me. I have little things here and there that try to distract me or get in the way of way I am here, but I love that every morning I can wake up and thank God that I am where He wants me to be. Since my arrival in Costa Rica, I have been able to experience God in ways that I never have before and it has been wonderful. I have had to be dependent on God and it feels so good to lean on Him. His love for me and others, continues to amaze me.
Thank you all so much for your continued support and prayers! It has been such a blessing and a privilege to be at language school. I will be sending out a newsletter update soon in the mail so be on the lookout. If you would like to receive my newsletter and are currently not on my mailing list, please send me your address at cd_0687@yahoo.com
Also, I would like to share with you something that has been on my heart. God willing I would love to stay here longer, but only if it is in His will. This is something that I have been praying about for quite a while now, almost since my arrival. There is something about being here at language school that seems so right. I know that God has planned for me to be here at this specific point in time so I know that He will provide the funds for me to stay til December and possibly longer, as long as it His will. I don´t want to make this decision lightly and frankly this decision is not mine to make, because my life is not my own. This why I am asking if you would prayfully consider supporting me financially, in a one-time donation or even a monthly donation from now until _______. I am currently still in need of $1,600 in order to stay in language school til December 2011, but my prayer goal is $4,900 because I would love to stay in language school till the end of April 2012. (For those of you reading who are unsure of how my financial support works, all support is not tax-deductible because I am an independent missionary, this means that I am not associated with any organization. Financial giving should be done only through prayful consideration.) Out of faith and love I came to Costa Rica and God provided, I know that if this is His desire for my life He will provide again. If God is calling you to support me financially, please mail a check to:
Chelsea Davis
1309 South Park
Streator, IL 61364
All checks should be made out to: Chelsea Davis
(Also, please indicate if this is a one-time donation or if you would like to give a monthly donation of a certain amount (Also please indicate the months. For example from August 2011 til December 2011). For those of you receiving my newsletter I will have a slip with my newsletter that indicates whether you would like to donate one-time or monthly.)
I would also appreciate any and all prayers, regarding my continuation with language school and my financial needs. Thank you.
July 21, 2011
Jesus said what?
"He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord first let me go and bury my father." Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but go and proclaim the kingdom of God." Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-bye to my family." Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." Luke 9:59-62
Wow, really? I read those verses and thought, okay Jesus that is kind of strict don't you think? How come you wouldn't let the man go say good-bye to his family? Then I thought that even though those words may at first sound harsh, there is something more important going on here. I can't look at these verses based off of my first human instinct.
Imagine that Jesus Christ, the Lord, shows up while you are at work and is standing in front of you saying, "Come follow me": not in an hour, not in a few minutes, but right now in this very second. Leave everything you know and everything you have, and just follow me. How many of you would go? Forget calling your family, forget saying good-bye, and forget packing, there is no time. Jesus is standing in front of you now saying, "Come follow me". Would you go?
Well this is what Jesus did to His disciples. He met them where they were at and offered them the opportunity to come and follow Him. In Luke 9, He sends them out and says, "take nothing for the journey - no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic". That is right nothing.
Jesus wanted His disciples to be completely dependent on Him, and He wants the same for us. He wants us to be completely dependent on Him. He wants us to trust Him. You see God would have to take care of His disciples and followers, because they had nothing else to cling to.
We have to faith, like the disciples, that Jesus will come through. We have to trust in the Lord. The disciples did not have anything to cling to for comfort or safety, except for God. They had to put all their trust in Him.
"This place of trust isn't a comfortable place to be; in fact, it flies against everything we've been taught about proper planning. We like finding refuge in what we already have rather than in what we hope God will provide. But when Christ says to count the cost of following Him, it means we must surrender everything. It means being willing..."to go without an extra pair of shoes, without money, without a place to sleep, and sometimes without knowing where we are going. (Crazy Love, p. 123)
We need to trust God completely with everything. This will not make sense to an unbeliever, but to the one who loves the Lord, there is no other way than to trust and obey.
Wow, really? I read those verses and thought, okay Jesus that is kind of strict don't you think? How come you wouldn't let the man go say good-bye to his family? Then I thought that even though those words may at first sound harsh, there is something more important going on here. I can't look at these verses based off of my first human instinct.
Imagine that Jesus Christ, the Lord, shows up while you are at work and is standing in front of you saying, "Come follow me": not in an hour, not in a few minutes, but right now in this very second. Leave everything you know and everything you have, and just follow me. How many of you would go? Forget calling your family, forget saying good-bye, and forget packing, there is no time. Jesus is standing in front of you now saying, "Come follow me". Would you go?
Well this is what Jesus did to His disciples. He met them where they were at and offered them the opportunity to come and follow Him. In Luke 9, He sends them out and says, "take nothing for the journey - no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic". That is right nothing.
Jesus wanted His disciples to be completely dependent on Him, and He wants the same for us. He wants us to be completely dependent on Him. He wants us to trust Him. You see God would have to take care of His disciples and followers, because they had nothing else to cling to.
We have to faith, like the disciples, that Jesus will come through. We have to trust in the Lord. The disciples did not have anything to cling to for comfort or safety, except for God. They had to put all their trust in Him.
"This place of trust isn't a comfortable place to be; in fact, it flies against everything we've been taught about proper planning. We like finding refuge in what we already have rather than in what we hope God will provide. But when Christ says to count the cost of following Him, it means we must surrender everything. It means being willing..."to go without an extra pair of shoes, without money, without a place to sleep, and sometimes without knowing where we are going. (Crazy Love, p. 123)
We need to trust God completely with everything. This will not make sense to an unbeliever, but to the one who loves the Lord, there is no other way than to trust and obey.
July 20, 2011
What words would you use to describe you?
Be honest now. Seriously think about this question. What words would you use to describe you? Don't go ask your friend or co-worker to describe who they think you are, but look at yourself and describe you. Our thoughts and our actions don't always line-up with what or who people think we are. Some people might describe you as patient, but that is just because they don't know you that well. Some people might describe you as caring, but that is because they don't see your selfish motives. Some people might describe you as a good husband or wife, but that is only because they don't know about the affair.
The only person who really knows you is you and God. I already asked you to describe yourself so take a moment and think about those words that really describe you. Be honest. We all know you can't fool God so there is no point in trying to fool yourself. I would encourage you to write those words down and look at them for a moment.
Do any of those words that you used to describe you, describe God? If not, then why not?
No one is perfect, except for God, but there is a way to be made new through Christ. Think about the words on your list and how they apply to God and how they apply to you. If you see a word that does not describe God then pray about it, ask for forgiveness. Repent and confess to the Lord your sins. "For all have sinned..." you are not alone in this.
"Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God," 2 Corinthians 7:1
After you have prayed and repented, think about the changes you need to make in your life so that you won't fall back into those words again. What needs to change? Then thank God for His forgiveness and grace, and throw that paper away because those words do not define you. Your identity is in Christ.
The only person who really knows you is you and God. I already asked you to describe yourself so take a moment and think about those words that really describe you. Be honest. We all know you can't fool God so there is no point in trying to fool yourself. I would encourage you to write those words down and look at them for a moment.
Do any of those words that you used to describe you, describe God? If not, then why not?
No one is perfect, except for God, but there is a way to be made new through Christ. Think about the words on your list and how they apply to God and how they apply to you. If you see a word that does not describe God then pray about it, ask for forgiveness. Repent and confess to the Lord your sins. "For all have sinned..." you are not alone in this.
"Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God," 2 Corinthians 7:1
After you have prayed and repented, think about the changes you need to make in your life so that you won't fall back into those words again. What needs to change? Then thank God for His forgiveness and grace, and throw that paper away because those words do not define you. Your identity is in Christ.
July 19, 2011
Eternity
Today, I was not a people-person and I spent much of the day wishing I could just be alone with God. During the break at school, I looked for a place that I could claim as my own. I looked for a room or a bench that I could sit and pray and think without any interruptions. Instead of finding a room, I found a corner in the back of one of the buildings where I could hide from everyone. I really like that little corner.
My time of prayer did not last very long because I was at a lost for words. I didn't know what I wanted to say so I just sat there listening. Then after a while I decided to go find a book that I have been wanting to read. Instead, I found a book that was completely unexpected. I opened the first page and the book was dedicated to "that solitary individual". I immediately thought that's me.
I have been thinking since yesterday about living with an eternal perspective. "Our greatest fear as individuals and as a church should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter" (Tim Kizziar). This made me think that as individuals and a church if we lived with eternity in the front of our minds, we would never succeed at things that don't matter in life because God would always be our focus.
"What is man without Thee! What if all he knows, vast accumulation though it be, but a chipped fragment if he does not know Thee! What is all his striving, could it even encompass a world, but a half-finished work if he does not know Thee: Thee the One, who art one thing and who art all!" (Soren Kierkegaard, "Purity of Heart" p. 1)
Many of us just live day by day, but how many of us actually think about eternity on a daily basis? This thought of eternity makes me both happy and sad. I am happy because I know what eternity has holds for those who know the Lord, but it also makes me deeply saddened for those who don't and for those who think that they are Christians, but don't follow the Lord.
God says that He has given us eternal life through Christ so "if there is, then, something eternal in a man the discussion of it must have a different ring. It must be said that there is something that shall always have its time, something that man should always do" (Purity of Heart, p. 7). Eternity should always be in the front of our minds and in our lives, because God has made us new in Him, and through Christ we have eternal life. Therefore, if we have eternal life then how can we go on living without an enternal perspective. "For in relation to the Eternal, age gives no justification for speaking absurdly, and youth does not exclude one from being able to grasp what is true"(p.8).
We are without excuses. If we call ourselves Christians then our lives need to reflect God, the Eternal. Everything matters to the person whose eyes are fixed the Eternal.
"God has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men,"Ecclesiastes 3:11a (NIV).
My time of prayer did not last very long because I was at a lost for words. I didn't know what I wanted to say so I just sat there listening. Then after a while I decided to go find a book that I have been wanting to read. Instead, I found a book that was completely unexpected. I opened the first page and the book was dedicated to "that solitary individual". I immediately thought that's me.
I have been thinking since yesterday about living with an eternal perspective. "Our greatest fear as individuals and as a church should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter" (Tim Kizziar). This made me think that as individuals and a church if we lived with eternity in the front of our minds, we would never succeed at things that don't matter in life because God would always be our focus.
"What is man without Thee! What if all he knows, vast accumulation though it be, but a chipped fragment if he does not know Thee! What is all his striving, could it even encompass a world, but a half-finished work if he does not know Thee: Thee the One, who art one thing and who art all!" (Soren Kierkegaard, "Purity of Heart" p. 1)
Many of us just live day by day, but how many of us actually think about eternity on a daily basis? This thought of eternity makes me both happy and sad. I am happy because I know what eternity has holds for those who know the Lord, but it also makes me deeply saddened for those who don't and for those who think that they are Christians, but don't follow the Lord.
God says that He has given us eternal life through Christ so "if there is, then, something eternal in a man the discussion of it must have a different ring. It must be said that there is something that shall always have its time, something that man should always do" (Purity of Heart, p. 7). Eternity should always be in the front of our minds and in our lives, because God has made us new in Him, and through Christ we have eternal life. Therefore, if we have eternal life then how can we go on living without an enternal perspective. "For in relation to the Eternal, age gives no justification for speaking absurdly, and youth does not exclude one from being able to grasp what is true"(p.8).
We are without excuses. If we call ourselves Christians then our lives need to reflect God, the Eternal. Everything matters to the person whose eyes are fixed the Eternal.
"God has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men,"Ecclesiastes 3:11a (NIV).
July 18, 2011
.......
My testimony, this is the story of how God has worked in my life and how God is faithful.
Before I was born, my parents were separated and after I was born they tried to make it work, but still it ended in divorce. My mother remarried when I was 2 years old to a wonderful man named Mike (who I refer to as my dad). I have grown up in a Christian home with my mom and dad and my little brother, Trey. My mom and dad always went to church and made sure that my brother and I went as well. I first learned about God by watching my mother's life and also through a nice old lady named Blanche, she took me under her wing at church and helped me memorize some of my first bible verses.
I went to church every year growing up, but I didn't really understand why everyone, Christians, did some of the things they did. I praise God that my parents allowed me try to discover God on my own while at the same time being godly examples. My parents not only talked about their faith but more importantly they lived it out.
Like most children, I rebelled against my parents teachings and God. For a short while in Junior High I struggled believing in God. I couldn't understand why God would prohibit me from doing some of the things that I wanted to do. I didn't understand why my parents wouldn't let me do what I wanted to do or why they always seemed more protective or strict than the other parents. I did not like having a curfew or checking in with them and constantly letting them know where I was at. Later on in life, this becomes one of the things that I love the most about my parents, because now I understand that it was out of their love for me that they disciplined me and tried to protect me.
My parents noticed my rebelling behavior and started making me go to church with them. I groaned for a while about going to church, because we had just switched to a new church and I was just not happy about being at church. I didn't give God a chance because I stubborn and wanted to live life my way.
One day at church my cousin asked my if I would go to youth group with her. I had refused to go before when other people had asked me to go, but since it was her I decided to go. Well, she never showed up that night at youth group and I was stuck in a room with a bunch of people I didn't know. I thought they were weird honestly because the moment I walked in the door kids started greeting me, they had no idea who I was, but they made me feel welcomed. I made friends that night who would become my best friends throughout my childhood and teenage years, and some of them would stay for the rest of my life.
It was in that youth group that I learned about who God is, in a way that I could understand. I was introduced to teenagers that had something about them that I could not explain, they had God. I realized that this was the God my parents knew about too and I desired to know more about Him.
Well, it is over 11 years later and I still desire to know more about God. God has blessed me so much throughout my life. He didn't let me stay in my rebellion, but instead He persued me. He used my parents and new friends to help me know Him. I believe He knew how rebellious my heart really was and to save me from pain, He helped me learn about Him early on in life. This doesn't mean that I haven't made mistakes or rebelled since then, but I am constantly striving to know God and out of His love He never lets me stay in my rebellion for long. I always go back towards the truth and as I have matured in my faith that is the only place that I want to be, in His love and in His truth.
Once you had found something so good and so right, it is hard not to share that with others. God has transformed my life and I know He desires the same for others. This is why I share my testimony with you and why I became a missionary. I amazed by God's love for me and for others.
Before I was born, my parents were separated and after I was born they tried to make it work, but still it ended in divorce. My mother remarried when I was 2 years old to a wonderful man named Mike (who I refer to as my dad). I have grown up in a Christian home with my mom and dad and my little brother, Trey. My mom and dad always went to church and made sure that my brother and I went as well. I first learned about God by watching my mother's life and also through a nice old lady named Blanche, she took me under her wing at church and helped me memorize some of my first bible verses.
I went to church every year growing up, but I didn't really understand why everyone, Christians, did some of the things they did. I praise God that my parents allowed me try to discover God on my own while at the same time being godly examples. My parents not only talked about their faith but more importantly they lived it out.
Like most children, I rebelled against my parents teachings and God. For a short while in Junior High I struggled believing in God. I couldn't understand why God would prohibit me from doing some of the things that I wanted to do. I didn't understand why my parents wouldn't let me do what I wanted to do or why they always seemed more protective or strict than the other parents. I did not like having a curfew or checking in with them and constantly letting them know where I was at. Later on in life, this becomes one of the things that I love the most about my parents, because now I understand that it was out of their love for me that they disciplined me and tried to protect me.
My parents noticed my rebelling behavior and started making me go to church with them. I groaned for a while about going to church, because we had just switched to a new church and I was just not happy about being at church. I didn't give God a chance because I stubborn and wanted to live life my way.
One day at church my cousin asked my if I would go to youth group with her. I had refused to go before when other people had asked me to go, but since it was her I decided to go. Well, she never showed up that night at youth group and I was stuck in a room with a bunch of people I didn't know. I thought they were weird honestly because the moment I walked in the door kids started greeting me, they had no idea who I was, but they made me feel welcomed. I made friends that night who would become my best friends throughout my childhood and teenage years, and some of them would stay for the rest of my life.
It was in that youth group that I learned about who God is, in a way that I could understand. I was introduced to teenagers that had something about them that I could not explain, they had God. I realized that this was the God my parents knew about too and I desired to know more about Him.
Well, it is over 11 years later and I still desire to know more about God. God has blessed me so much throughout my life. He didn't let me stay in my rebellion, but instead He persued me. He used my parents and new friends to help me know Him. I believe He knew how rebellious my heart really was and to save me from pain, He helped me learn about Him early on in life. This doesn't mean that I haven't made mistakes or rebelled since then, but I am constantly striving to know God and out of His love He never lets me stay in my rebellion for long. I always go back towards the truth and as I have matured in my faith that is the only place that I want to be, in His love and in His truth.
Once you had found something so good and so right, it is hard not to share that with others. God has transformed my life and I know He desires the same for others. This is why I share my testimony with you and why I became a missionary. I amazed by God's love for me and for others.
July 17, 2011
Talking with God....
Today was good. I was able to go to a new church with my friend, Elaine. (I am looking for a church to attend after my friend Kelly leaves so I am starting to check out different churches in the area. I do like the church I attend now but I want to see what else is out there. I never ventured out explored the other churches because I didn't feel comfortable doing it, but now I do.) After church, Elaine and I went out to lunch and then traveled to meet up with a team from her home church in the states.
While talking and waiting for a cab, she reminded me of something that I would like to share today. It has been over a year since I have wrote about prayer so I would like to explore this topic with you again.
Prayer is something that should be apart of our daily lives. It should be almost like breathing. In Scripture, we are told to pray continually and in the Spirit. In Ephesians 6:18, Paul tells the church to pray on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests, and to pray for all the saints (God's people).
I believe God wants us to share with Him everything that is in our hearts, even our complaints. God knows everything that is in our minds anyways so why not just share everything with Him in prayer? I pray in private like God is sitting right next to me. I even pray out loud like I am having a conversation with God, if someone were to see or hear this they might think I am crazy. When I am not in the privacy of my room, I talk to God in my head or sometimes out loud as long as no one else can hear me. I like to say I have conversations with God because it helps me to see prayer as a two way street, this involves not only talking but also waiting for a response. Sometimes we can get so caught up in talking to God that we forget to or don't stop talking long enough to hear His response.
I share with God everything that is on my heart, but then I also listen, look, and wait for His response. They don't always come right away and sometimes I don't feel or see a response at all, but it is okay. God is in control and I know He is good. His response may not always be what you want but you have to trust in Him.
One of my favorite examples of prayer comes from the book "God is Closer than You Think" by John Ortberg. In this book, the author talks about a man named Brother Lawrence and how even though his job to wash dishes he would wash those dishes and talk with God. Brother Lawrence took an every day task and instead made it about God.
There are all different kinds of ways to pray but I think the most important thing to do is just pray. God wants you to share what is on your heart, even though He already knows. Isn't always better to hear what is going on in your friends' life directly from them instead of someone else? This is kind of how I feel when it comes to praying to God. He wants to talk with me, but He wants me to want to talk to Him. He doesn't force me to say anything to Him, but because I love Him I want to share everything with Him (the good and the bad, my ups and my downs).
I could go on forever about prayer but the point is to remember to just pray, talk with God. Talk about even the silly little things that you don't think matter, because it does matter to God. Then listen for His response to your prayers or requests. This is about having a deep personal relationship with God. You don't develop deep relationships by not talking or listening. You need to be willing to share with God what was on your heart and mind and listen for His response.
While talking and waiting for a cab, she reminded me of something that I would like to share today. It has been over a year since I have wrote about prayer so I would like to explore this topic with you again.
Prayer is something that should be apart of our daily lives. It should be almost like breathing. In Scripture, we are told to pray continually and in the Spirit. In Ephesians 6:18, Paul tells the church to pray on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests, and to pray for all the saints (God's people).
I believe God wants us to share with Him everything that is in our hearts, even our complaints. God knows everything that is in our minds anyways so why not just share everything with Him in prayer? I pray in private like God is sitting right next to me. I even pray out loud like I am having a conversation with God, if someone were to see or hear this they might think I am crazy. When I am not in the privacy of my room, I talk to God in my head or sometimes out loud as long as no one else can hear me. I like to say I have conversations with God because it helps me to see prayer as a two way street, this involves not only talking but also waiting for a response. Sometimes we can get so caught up in talking to God that we forget to or don't stop talking long enough to hear His response.
I share with God everything that is on my heart, but then I also listen, look, and wait for His response. They don't always come right away and sometimes I don't feel or see a response at all, but it is okay. God is in control and I know He is good. His response may not always be what you want but you have to trust in Him.
One of my favorite examples of prayer comes from the book "God is Closer than You Think" by John Ortberg. In this book, the author talks about a man named Brother Lawrence and how even though his job to wash dishes he would wash those dishes and talk with God. Brother Lawrence took an every day task and instead made it about God.
There are all different kinds of ways to pray but I think the most important thing to do is just pray. God wants you to share what is on your heart, even though He already knows. Isn't always better to hear what is going on in your friends' life directly from them instead of someone else? This is kind of how I feel when it comes to praying to God. He wants to talk with me, but He wants me to want to talk to Him. He doesn't force me to say anything to Him, but because I love Him I want to share everything with Him (the good and the bad, my ups and my downs).
I could go on forever about prayer but the point is to remember to just pray, talk with God. Talk about even the silly little things that you don't think matter, because it does matter to God. Then listen for His response to your prayers or requests. This is about having a deep personal relationship with God. You don't develop deep relationships by not talking or listening. You need to be willing to share with God what was on your heart and mind and listen for His response.
July 16, 2011
Valle del Sol
I got to go work with the kids today in Valle del Sol. It was wonderful. I love seeing those smiling faces and even the unhappy ones.
It was raining really hard this afternoon and last week we did not get together, because a nearby church organized a day camp so we wanted the children to go with them. This week we started back up again but not with very many children, most people won't go out when it is raining hard. Although, there wasn't as many kids there today we still had fun. I liked having a smaller number today because it gave me the chance to practice remembering some of their names.
To begin our day, I led the worship songs with the children, which has become one of my unexpected roles in the ministry. I am still uncomfortable with it but it helps when I know what the words are and what they mean.
Afterwards, the younger children and I went into another room and had a Bible lesson, played games, and colored. One of the little boys, Kennedy, showed up with some cuts on his lips and the teacher informed that he gets abused at home. It hurts me to think that someone could hurt a child. I have been around abused children and people all my life, but the pain and aching in my heart and stomach is still there whenever I find out. I can't even imagine how God must feel when He watches His children suffer. I always think of God saying, "whatever you do to the least of these, you do to me".
Please pray for Kenedy and his younger brother today. Also pray for all the children in Valle del Sol.
I truly believe that if Jesus where to walk the streets of San José you would find Him in Valle del Sol. There are so many people there that need His love and truth.
It was raining really hard this afternoon and last week we did not get together, because a nearby church organized a day camp so we wanted the children to go with them. This week we started back up again but not with very many children, most people won't go out when it is raining hard. Although, there wasn't as many kids there today we still had fun. I liked having a smaller number today because it gave me the chance to practice remembering some of their names.
To begin our day, I led the worship songs with the children, which has become one of my unexpected roles in the ministry. I am still uncomfortable with it but it helps when I know what the words are and what they mean.
Afterwards, the younger children and I went into another room and had a Bible lesson, played games, and colored. One of the little boys, Kennedy, showed up with some cuts on his lips and the teacher informed that he gets abused at home. It hurts me to think that someone could hurt a child. I have been around abused children and people all my life, but the pain and aching in my heart and stomach is still there whenever I find out. I can't even imagine how God must feel when He watches His children suffer. I always think of God saying, "whatever you do to the least of these, you do to me".
Please pray for Kenedy and his younger brother today. Also pray for all the children in Valle del Sol.
I truly believe that if Jesus where to walk the streets of San José you would find Him in Valle del Sol. There are so many people there that need His love and truth.
July 15, 2011
Coffee
My blog will not be long right now because I am getting ready to head out the door. Today has been a wonderful Friday. It has been full of laughter, games, jokes, and some good fellowship. I will write more tomorrow evening but right now I am heading out the door to go to a Costa Rican jazz cafe. I am really excited to hear great music and hang out with some new friends. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
July 14, 2011
Surrendering and Knowing God...
Is this true for you? "I want to know Christ the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death," (Phil. 4:15).
Most Christians will say that they want to know God, but how much do you really want to know Him? Do you want to know Him so much that you are willing to share in His sufferings?
If you have ever seen the "Passion of the Christ," this imagery can terrify you, but are you willing to offer everything up to God in order to know Him. This is what I have been thinking about today during my devotional time. Sharing in the suffering with Christ that is a huge. This is what it means to offer everything up to God, "if anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me while find it". Don't look over those words lightly. Are you willing to offer everything to God: security, money, safety, comfort, even your life?
Think about this before you sing another worship song about surrending. Is that really what you want? Are you willing to offer control over everything in your life to God? I still think about this daily because it so easy to get caught up in life and try to control things on our own. We live in a culture that says we can control everything. We can control how fast we get our food, where and who we do business with, what we want to be, when we want to have children..this list could go on and on. The reality is this if you really want to know God, you have to offer everything over to God.
You have to give God control over everything in your life, even control over your family and children. I always tell my mom, " you do know that God loves me more than you do". Think about the person you love the most, God loves that person more than you do.
God never said that life would be easy. He does say He will comfort us, give us peace, and eternal life... among other wonderful things. However, there will also be suffering. Are you will to suffer? Are you willing to offer everything to Christ?
In some countries, the moment you decide to become a Christian there is no question that you are surrending everything to God. Some people will lose everything the moment they decide to follow Jesus.
How much do you want to know God? " I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in death" (Phil. 3:10). The reality is that God wants our all so if you are not giving that to God think about what needs to change in your life. Life is short and God does not accept lukewarm people. This is an all or nothing kind of relationship, but sadly many of us are deceiving ourselves if we think we can have a relationship with God without surrending everything to Him.
Most Christians will say that they want to know God, but how much do you really want to know Him? Do you want to know Him so much that you are willing to share in His sufferings?
If you have ever seen the "Passion of the Christ," this imagery can terrify you, but are you willing to offer everything up to God in order to know Him. This is what I have been thinking about today during my devotional time. Sharing in the suffering with Christ that is a huge. This is what it means to offer everything up to God, "if anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me while find it". Don't look over those words lightly. Are you willing to offer everything to God: security, money, safety, comfort, even your life?
Think about this before you sing another worship song about surrending. Is that really what you want? Are you willing to offer control over everything in your life to God? I still think about this daily because it so easy to get caught up in life and try to control things on our own. We live in a culture that says we can control everything. We can control how fast we get our food, where and who we do business with, what we want to be, when we want to have children..this list could go on and on. The reality is this if you really want to know God, you have to offer everything over to God.
You have to give God control over everything in your life, even control over your family and children. I always tell my mom, " you do know that God loves me more than you do". Think about the person you love the most, God loves that person more than you do.
God never said that life would be easy. He does say He will comfort us, give us peace, and eternal life... among other wonderful things. However, there will also be suffering. Are you will to suffer? Are you willing to offer everything to Christ?
In some countries, the moment you decide to become a Christian there is no question that you are surrending everything to God. Some people will lose everything the moment they decide to follow Jesus.
How much do you want to know God? " I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in death" (Phil. 3:10). The reality is that God wants our all so if you are not giving that to God think about what needs to change in your life. Life is short and God does not accept lukewarm people. This is an all or nothing kind of relationship, but sadly many of us are deceiving ourselves if we think we can have a relationship with God without surrending everything to Him.
July 13, 2011
The First Time I Got It..
Do you remember the first time you "got it"? The first time you realized you loved God with all your heart, soul, and mind?
My first time was in Junior High. I was at youth group hanging out with my friends and listening to the message. I remember feeling like I was learning about God for the first time in a way that I could understand and I started to understand His love for me. A few day later, my mom and dad explained that they wanted us to become members of Central and they wanted to know if I would want to get baptized. I asked my mom what it meant to get baptized and I specifically remember her saying in the midst of her explanation, "Jesus tells us to be baptized". She could of just stopped right there because I don't remember anything else. I remember thinking well if Jesus said to do it then I should do it. When I was baptized I did understand that Jesus came to die for my sins and through Him we have eternal life. But the thing that got me was, Jesus tells me to do it so why shouldn't I? I was just so in love with the Lord that I wanted to do anything that He told me to do. If it was important to Jesus then I wanted it to be important to me.
This mindset has stayed with me all of my life, I want what is important to Jesus to be important to me. Don't get me wrong there are moments in my life when I get distracted or throw myself a pity party because I get upset with some of the struggles in life. However, God is always there to remind me of His love or He sends someone into my life to remind me of His truth and love. God is faithful.
My love for God only becomes deeper the more I learn about His love. "Our love for Him always comes out of His love for us" (Crazy Love, p. 62). I try put aside what I know about earthly love in order to examine a heavenly, perfect love that only comes from God. The more I know Him the more I love Him, this is one of the reasons why I enjoy reading Scripture. God's Word just shows His love and desire for His creation.
I hope that my motivation in life is always love, His love. I don't serve and help others just to be helpful and serve, I serve because God loves them, even if they don't know it yet, and He is teaching me to love them. His love and compassion moves me to action.
My first time was in Junior High. I was at youth group hanging out with my friends and listening to the message. I remember feeling like I was learning about God for the first time in a way that I could understand and I started to understand His love for me. A few day later, my mom and dad explained that they wanted us to become members of Central and they wanted to know if I would want to get baptized. I asked my mom what it meant to get baptized and I specifically remember her saying in the midst of her explanation, "Jesus tells us to be baptized". She could of just stopped right there because I don't remember anything else. I remember thinking well if Jesus said to do it then I should do it. When I was baptized I did understand that Jesus came to die for my sins and through Him we have eternal life. But the thing that got me was, Jesus tells me to do it so why shouldn't I? I was just so in love with the Lord that I wanted to do anything that He told me to do. If it was important to Jesus then I wanted it to be important to me.
This mindset has stayed with me all of my life, I want what is important to Jesus to be important to me. Don't get me wrong there are moments in my life when I get distracted or throw myself a pity party because I get upset with some of the struggles in life. However, God is always there to remind me of His love or He sends someone into my life to remind me of His truth and love. God is faithful.
My love for God only becomes deeper the more I learn about His love. "Our love for Him always comes out of His love for us" (Crazy Love, p. 62). I try put aside what I know about earthly love in order to examine a heavenly, perfect love that only comes from God. The more I know Him the more I love Him, this is one of the reasons why I enjoy reading Scripture. God's Word just shows His love and desire for His creation.
I hope that my motivation in life is always love, His love. I don't serve and help others just to be helpful and serve, I serve because God loves them, even if they don't know it yet, and He is teaching me to love them. His love and compassion moves me to action.
July 12, 2011
Sick...
I remember when I was a kid sick days were fun. I think that was because the majority of the time I wasn't sick or I had my grandma to take care of me. Well, today was not very fun, but it was overall a good day. I don't like being sick, but I did get to spend my time with the Lord. For some reason, when I got sick this morning I thought, "God please don't let me sin in my pain". I thought of Job and his pain, and I wanted to cling to the Lord. I still wanted to praise God even though every muscle in my stomach ached from pain.
I got a few nice surprises today. My book "Crazy Love" arrived today (my mother mailed it to me over a month and a half ago, but God's timing is perfect). I have enjoyed reading through the first couple chapters today, but then I had to stop, because even though I read this book before I still want to be in awe of God and meditate on what I am reading. I also received a roll of toilet paper and two powerades from my big sister, Kelly. Those were such a blessing to have. Even though, today in the eyes of many could have been seen as a bad day, in reality it was pretty good. Mamí also made me the Costa Rican equivalent to chicken noodle soup, it was delicious.
One of my favorite quotes from "Crazy Love" by: Francis Chan from today's reading, "if life were stable, I'd never need God's help. Since it's not, I reach out for him regularly. I am thankful for the unknowns and that I don't have control, because it makes me run to God" (p. 45). This section was titled, "Thank God we are weak".
I got a few nice surprises today. My book "Crazy Love" arrived today (my mother mailed it to me over a month and a half ago, but God's timing is perfect). I have enjoyed reading through the first couple chapters today, but then I had to stop, because even though I read this book before I still want to be in awe of God and meditate on what I am reading. I also received a roll of toilet paper and two powerades from my big sister, Kelly. Those were such a blessing to have. Even though, today in the eyes of many could have been seen as a bad day, in reality it was pretty good. Mamí also made me the Costa Rican equivalent to chicken noodle soup, it was delicious.
One of my favorite quotes from "Crazy Love" by: Francis Chan from today's reading, "if life were stable, I'd never need God's help. Since it's not, I reach out for him regularly. I am thankful for the unknowns and that I don't have control, because it makes me run to God" (p. 45). This section was titled, "Thank God we are weak".
July 11, 2011
What love really means...
What love really means - JJ Heller
God has been teaching me so much about His love and His love for others. I think many of us, at one point in time or another, have struggled with "owning" our identity in Christ. Reading "Who I am in Christ" (which is posted in another blog of mine) is making me ponder my indetity in Christ and others identity in Him.
In John 1:12-13, it says, "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed his name, he gave the right to become children of God - children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God". I read these verses and thought, "wow, how amazing is that"! These verses are powerful and packed full of hope. The Creator of the universe claims you as His own child.
After I read those verses, my mind also went immediately to all of the children I have worked with and do work with. Many of them grow up with low self-images and come from broken homes. I thought, "wow, I hope they all know how much God loves them". No child is ever a mistake. Every child is precious. I hope that all of the children I have ever known know how much God loves them. Even if their mother abandoned them or their earthly father betrays their trust, there is hope in the Lord. When you believe in the Lord and accept Him, your identity is found in Him. He claims you as His own child. Earthly parents don't always live up to their responsibilities and are far from perfect, but your Heavenly Father is perfect and He loves you for you. God did not make a mistake when He made you. Your frame was not hidden from Him.
We are the children of God. He formed us in our mother's womb and He loves you. He loves you not because of the works you do or because you go to church every Sunday. He loves you for just being you. For some of us, this is hard to grasp. You don't earn God's love. He gives His love freely by His grace and mercy. Jesus took on all of the things that separated us from God and through Him and because of Him, we can be joined with Him. We can be called children of God, "born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God". Do you believe this? Have you fully accepted your identity in Christ? Do you know how much God loves you?
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son (Jesus), that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have enternal life". John 3:16 (NIV)
After I read those verses, my mind also went immediately to all of the children I have worked with and do work with. Many of them grow up with low self-images and come from broken homes. I thought, "wow, I hope they all know how much God loves them". No child is ever a mistake. Every child is precious. I hope that all of the children I have ever known know how much God loves them. Even if their mother abandoned them or their earthly father betrays their trust, there is hope in the Lord. When you believe in the Lord and accept Him, your identity is found in Him. He claims you as His own child. Earthly parents don't always live up to their responsibilities and are far from perfect, but your Heavenly Father is perfect and He loves you for you. God did not make a mistake when He made you. Your frame was not hidden from Him.
We are the children of God. He formed us in our mother's womb and He loves you. He loves you not because of the works you do or because you go to church every Sunday. He loves you for just being you. For some of us, this is hard to grasp. You don't earn God's love. He gives His love freely by His grace and mercy. Jesus took on all of the things that separated us from God and through Him and because of Him, we can be joined with Him. We can be called children of God, "born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God". Do you believe this? Have you fully accepted your identity in Christ? Do you know how much God loves you?
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son (Jesus), that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have enternal life". John 3:16 (NIV)
July 10, 2011
Our Freedom and Skills
Exodus 35-40
As I was continuing my study on Moses, I came to the building of the tabernacle. I was tempted at first to skip over this section, but then I thought, "no I can't, everything in Scripture is there for a reason. God did not put anything in there without a purpose". So my word after reading the verses on the building of the tabernacle, "wow"! I am so happy I didn't skip over this section. All of the detail and craftsmanship that went into the construction of the tabernacle is amazing. God knew exactly how He wanted it to be and the Israelites made it exactly "as the Lord had commanded".
God brought together the people He needed to construct the tabernacle and the people because they were willing came and helped. I think that is so key, "who was willing to come and do the work". Those are the ones God used to build the tabernacle. God gives every person different skills, but He doesn't force you to use them to glorify Him, even though that is what He wants our desire to be. Out of His love, He allows us to decide how to use our skills. So what are you doing with the skills the Lord has given you? Are you willing to come and do the work for the Lord? Are you glorifying God through the use of your skills? I think this is important to think about.
Then look what happens when those who were willing came, Moses had to ask them to stop making/bringing things for the tabernacle. "Because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work" (Exodus 36:6-7). What would that be like for church leaders or missionaries to tell people, "please stop giving we already have more than enough to do all the work the Lord has commanded of us". That would be crazy awesome! If we all came together out of our own free will and gave so much to the work of the Lord that we had to stop, because what we had was more than enough to finish the work that the Lord had commanded us to do. What a day that would be!
As I was continuing my study on Moses, I came to the building of the tabernacle. I was tempted at first to skip over this section, but then I thought, "no I can't, everything in Scripture is there for a reason. God did not put anything in there without a purpose". So my word after reading the verses on the building of the tabernacle, "wow"! I am so happy I didn't skip over this section. All of the detail and craftsmanship that went into the construction of the tabernacle is amazing. God knew exactly how He wanted it to be and the Israelites made it exactly "as the Lord had commanded".
God brought together the people He needed to construct the tabernacle and the people because they were willing came and helped. I think that is so key, "who was willing to come and do the work". Those are the ones God used to build the tabernacle. God gives every person different skills, but He doesn't force you to use them to glorify Him, even though that is what He wants our desire to be. Out of His love, He allows us to decide how to use our skills. So what are you doing with the skills the Lord has given you? Are you willing to come and do the work for the Lord? Are you glorifying God through the use of your skills? I think this is important to think about.
Then look what happens when those who were willing came, Moses had to ask them to stop making/bringing things for the tabernacle. "Because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work" (Exodus 36:6-7). What would that be like for church leaders or missionaries to tell people, "please stop giving we already have more than enough to do all the work the Lord has commanded of us". That would be crazy awesome! If we all came together out of our own free will and gave so much to the work of the Lord that we had to stop, because what we had was more than enough to finish the work that the Lord had commanded us to do. What a day that would be!
July 09, 2011
Thank you Lord for today...
Today, has been a wonderful day. Thank you to all of those who have been praying for me. The fog is starting to lift. This doesn't mean that hardships or trials don't come cause they do, but my attitude and mindset towards them is changing. It wasn't even those trials that got me into the fog, but it was the lies that Satan had started deceiving me to be true.
It helps to be able to talk to someone who is older, wiser, and more mature in the Lord about my confusions and heartaches. I am grateful to have those kids of friends here in Costa Rica.
Today, I have rested. I noticed this past week that I have been busy for a few weeks now and I was in need of rest. It is so important to take time to rest and relax. It is when you are well rested that you are able to think clearly. Also, it is great to just rest in the Lord and allow Him to renew your mind through His word. Rest for me is not optional it is an essential. Jesus took time to rest because he knew it was important. Remember when the storm came over the sea and everyone on the boat was freaking out, and what was Jesus doing? He was sleeping then they woke him up and he calmed the sea. Take time to let Jesus calm your heart and your mind, each week.
It helps to be able to talk to someone who is older, wiser, and more mature in the Lord about my confusions and heartaches. I am grateful to have those kids of friends here in Costa Rica.
Today, I have rested. I noticed this past week that I have been busy for a few weeks now and I was in need of rest. It is so important to take time to rest and relax. It is when you are well rested that you are able to think clearly. Also, it is great to just rest in the Lord and allow Him to renew your mind through His word. Rest for me is not optional it is an essential. Jesus took time to rest because he knew it was important. Remember when the storm came over the sea and everyone on the boat was freaking out, and what was Jesus doing? He was sleeping then they woke him up and he calmed the sea. Take time to let Jesus calm your heart and your mind, each week.
July 08, 2011
Who I am in Christ...
For the past couple days, this is what I have been pondering. For some reason or another at times I can lose sight of who I am in Christ and who He has made me to be, as a believer and follower of Him. It took a friend this past week to help me realize the confidence and strength that I need to have in God. He did not create me to take on the guilt of others' sins or to feel guilty for past sins, which I have offered up to Him in confession. When the Bible talks about being made new this is what it means...
Who I am in Christ
I am accepted...
I am God's child. John 1:12
I am Christ's friend. John 15:15
I have been justified. Romans 5:1
I am united with the Lord, and I am one spirit in Him. 1 Cor. 6:17
I have been bought with a price. I belong to God. 1 Cor. 6:19-20
I am a member of Christ's body. 1 Cor. 12:27
I am a saint. Eph. 1:1
I have been adopted as God's child. Eph. 1:5
I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit. Eph. 2:18
I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins. Col. 1:14
I am complete in Christ. Col. 2:10
I am secure...
I am free forever from condemnation. Romans 8:1-2
I am assured that all things work together for good. Romans 8:28
I am free from any condemning charges against me. Romans 8:31-34
I cannot be separated from the love of God. Romans 8:35-39
I have been established, anointed, and sealed by God. 2 Cor. 1:21-22
I am hidden with Christ in God. Col. 3:3
I am confident that the good work God has begun in me will be perfected. Phil. 1:6
I am a citizen of heaven. Phil. 3:20
I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. 2 Tim. 1:7
I can find grace and mercy in time of need. Heb. 4:16
I am born of God, and the evil one cannot touch me. 1 John 5:18
I am significant...
I am the salt and light of the earth. Matt. 5:13-14
I am a branch of the true vine, a channel of His life. John 15:1,5
I have been choosen and appointed to bear fruit. John 15:16
I am a personal witness of Christ's. Acts 1:8
I am God's temple. 1 Cor. 3:16
I am a minister of reconciliation for God. 2 Cor. 5:17-21
I am God's co-worker. 2 Cor. 6:1
I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realm. Eph. 2:6
I am God's workmanship. Eph. 2:10
I may approach God with freedom and confidence. Eph. 3:12
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Phil. 4:13
(Who I am in Christ was compiled by Freedom in Christ ministries.)
Who I am in Christ
I am accepted...
I am God's child. John 1:12
I am Christ's friend. John 15:15
I have been justified. Romans 5:1
I am united with the Lord, and I am one spirit in Him. 1 Cor. 6:17
I have been bought with a price. I belong to God. 1 Cor. 6:19-20
I am a member of Christ's body. 1 Cor. 12:27
I am a saint. Eph. 1:1
I have been adopted as God's child. Eph. 1:5
I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit. Eph. 2:18
I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins. Col. 1:14
I am complete in Christ. Col. 2:10
I am secure...
I am free forever from condemnation. Romans 8:1-2
I am assured that all things work together for good. Romans 8:28
I am free from any condemning charges against me. Romans 8:31-34
I cannot be separated from the love of God. Romans 8:35-39
I have been established, anointed, and sealed by God. 2 Cor. 1:21-22
I am hidden with Christ in God. Col. 3:3
I am confident that the good work God has begun in me will be perfected. Phil. 1:6
I am a citizen of heaven. Phil. 3:20
I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. 2 Tim. 1:7
I can find grace and mercy in time of need. Heb. 4:16
I am born of God, and the evil one cannot touch me. 1 John 5:18
I am significant...
I am the salt and light of the earth. Matt. 5:13-14
I am a branch of the true vine, a channel of His life. John 15:1,5
I have been choosen and appointed to bear fruit. John 15:16
I am a personal witness of Christ's. Acts 1:8
I am God's temple. 1 Cor. 3:16
I am a minister of reconciliation for God. 2 Cor. 5:17-21
I am God's co-worker. 2 Cor. 6:1
I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realm. Eph. 2:6
I am God's workmanship. Eph. 2:10
I may approach God with freedom and confidence. Eph. 3:12
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Phil. 4:13
(Who I am in Christ was compiled by Freedom in Christ ministries.)
July 07, 2011
Update
This past week has been good. I am learning a lot about God, myself, life, ministry, and serving others. I am sorry I could not write yesterday. I spent my afternoon watching two little boys so that my missionary friends, Liz and Noah, could go out and celebrate Noah´s birthday. It was such a joy to be able to watch their two little boys and we had a ton of fun, which is why I was exhausted by the time I got home at 6:30pm.
I love being able to spend time with the families and children here at ILE, because it makes me feel like I am back at home with my family. My idea of family is constantly changing since I have been here. My idea of family has never been based solely on blood relation. Sometimes those closest to me are actually not blood related. I have a huge family here in Costa Rica and I love it. God has made me more vulnerable here and in return I am getting to know those around me on a deeper level, much faster than I normally would. You can´t hide your feelings for long when you are put into stressful situations with others or even when you are left with no one to talk to except the person sitting next to you, which by the way is the same person you have to see everyday. It is such a blessing to have these relationships and to have this family. I know many people would classify this as a family of God, but to me this is just family. This feels like what it is suppose to be like and what it will be like in Heaven. People from different nations, languages, and with different personalities all joined together as family, united in Christ.
Prayer Request:
Speaking of being vulnerable I want to share with you all that I have been having some hardships since my arrival in Costa Rica so I could use your prayers. My attitude and strength has been affected greatly these past few weeks. I am not sure if it is my anxiety or what is causing this change but I would really like it to go away. It is almost like having a fog in front of you constantly and I am trying to break through that fog. I share this personal prayer request because I believe in the power of prayer and in God. God has been so good to me and I want to continue glorifying Him through my life.
I love being able to spend time with the families and children here at ILE, because it makes me feel like I am back at home with my family. My idea of family is constantly changing since I have been here. My idea of family has never been based solely on blood relation. Sometimes those closest to me are actually not blood related. I have a huge family here in Costa Rica and I love it. God has made me more vulnerable here and in return I am getting to know those around me on a deeper level, much faster than I normally would. You can´t hide your feelings for long when you are put into stressful situations with others or even when you are left with no one to talk to except the person sitting next to you, which by the way is the same person you have to see everyday. It is such a blessing to have these relationships and to have this family. I know many people would classify this as a family of God, but to me this is just family. This feels like what it is suppose to be like and what it will be like in Heaven. People from different nations, languages, and with different personalities all joined together as family, united in Christ.
Prayer Request:
Speaking of being vulnerable I want to share with you all that I have been having some hardships since my arrival in Costa Rica so I could use your prayers. My attitude and strength has been affected greatly these past few weeks. I am not sure if it is my anxiety or what is causing this change but I would really like it to go away. It is almost like having a fog in front of you constantly and I am trying to break through that fog. I share this personal prayer request because I believe in the power of prayer and in God. God has been so good to me and I want to continue glorifying Him through my life.
July 05, 2011
Search me, O God
Search me, o God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is an offensive way in me, lead me in the way of everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24)
I would encourage you to read all of Psalm 139. I know this is a popular Pslam but just read it slowly and be amazed by God and His love.
I would encourage you to read all of Psalm 139. I know this is a popular Pslam but just read it slowly and be amazed by God and His love.
July 04, 2011
Happy 4th of July...
Today, I celebrated the United States' Independence Day with friends at ILE. We had a cookout and watched the fireworks together. To end the evening, we watched the movie Independence Day. Being around friends and laughing with children running around the room made me feel like I was home. I enjoy those moments that remind me of my wonderful family and friends that are in the states.
I really enjoy the 4th of July because it is a day that allows us, as citizens of the USA, to celebrate our independence and be thankful for all of the many blessings we have and are able to enjoy. I am thankful for being blessed with such a wonderful family and exceptional friends. It is so great to be so close to my family and at the same time have deep relationships with my friends. Many people can live their whole lives without having a deep meaningful relationship with family or friends, and I blessed to have both.
Thank you Lord for the freedom that I have in you and thank you for allowing me to be born in the USA. Thank you for all of the deep relationships that I have in my life and for all of the love that you have shown me and continue to show me through those relationships.
Happy 4th of July!
I really enjoy the 4th of July because it is a day that allows us, as citizens of the USA, to celebrate our independence and be thankful for all of the many blessings we have and are able to enjoy. I am thankful for being blessed with such a wonderful family and exceptional friends. It is so great to be so close to my family and at the same time have deep relationships with my friends. Many people can live their whole lives without having a deep meaningful relationship with family or friends, and I blessed to have both.
Thank you Lord for the freedom that I have in you and thank you for allowing me to be born in the USA. Thank you for all of the deep relationships that I have in my life and for all of the love that you have shown me and continue to show me through those relationships.
Happy 4th of July!
July 03, 2011
Desiring/Abiding in God...
This is something that really spoke to me today. Rarely do I find a sermon that God uses to speak to me in so many ways. It is almost like God designed this sermon just for me. He knows my heart and my desires and exactly what I need when I need it. He answers all of my prayers and desires accordingly, and He knows above all else I desire to be close to Him. I desire to know Him. I desire a relationship that is so deep and intimate that I know God is the only who can provide it. Maybe that is why I am so fascinated by Moses, because He had a deep relationship with the Lord and because He was just a man, like me.
July 02, 2011
God's Love and Ours
Dear friends,
Let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. (God does not love as the world loves, but His love is perfect and good. In our lives there maybe people who use the word love, but their actions do not show love. The true characteristics of love, the way that God designed it to be, are described in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7). Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed His love among us: He sent his one and only Son (Jesus Christ) into the world that we might live through him. This is love (this is true love): not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. (Not as the world loves but as God loves). No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him (since by love we are in him and him in us). There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a lair. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. (This includes everyone from every nation, tribe, and tongue, for we were all created by God and for God).
1 John 4:7-21 (NIV)
(Commentary or thoughts in parentheses by me, Chelsea Davis)
Let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. (God does not love as the world loves, but His love is perfect and good. In our lives there maybe people who use the word love, but their actions do not show love. The true characteristics of love, the way that God designed it to be, are described in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7). Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed His love among us: He sent his one and only Son (Jesus Christ) into the world that we might live through him. This is love (this is true love): not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. (Not as the world loves but as God loves). No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him (since by love we are in him and him in us). There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a lair. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. (This includes everyone from every nation, tribe, and tongue, for we were all created by God and for God).
1 John 4:7-21 (NIV)
(Commentary or thoughts in parentheses by me, Chelsea Davis)
July 01, 2011
With One Heart\Con Un Corazon
With One Heart\Con Un Corazon by: Proskuneo Ministries
This week we, the students at ILE, have been able to worhsip God in many languages. We have worshipped in Spanish, English, and Korean, along with a few other languages. It has been a wonderful time of worship and reflection on our Lord and Savior. Every nation, every tribe, and in every langauge will one day worship the Lord united as one. This has and continues to be one of my heart´s desires. Over the past few weeks, God has been opening my heart and mind in order to really worship Him in Spanish. I am at the point now where I can sing and pray to God with the same feeling as in English, this is harder than it sounds so it takes time. It doesn´t matter what language you speak or really how you worship as long as you are being obedient to the Lord. In my heart I praise the Lord, but in many languages I worship the Lord.
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