BREAK MY HEART FOR WHAT BREAKS YOURS...

Break my heart for what breaks yours....

This line from a powerful song is stuck in my head as I walk through the aisles at the National Missionary Convention...I walk through the booths, scanning for people I know, glancing, but not paying attention to the booths, I have been here so many times after all...

I walk to a booth with really cute purses, journals and paraphernalia that I of course fall in love with...and it is ALL for sale! I don't pay attention to the title of the booth selling it but I begin looking at prices and thinking about what I can buy for myself and others that I know that would also like those things because one thing is for sure, regardless of the mission sponsoring this booth, it will be for a good cause...whatever the cause is.

As I am looking at a particular purse, I hear a girl speaking with a strong accent, saying, "I am from Cambodia."

Immediately I got "Jesus bumps" and I knew exactly what I was looking at. Rapha House is an organization that aids in the restoration of girls rescued from sex trafficking. The items I was looking at were all handcrafted by the girls that had been rescued and were now learning trades to make a living with.

Later, I attended a workshop on "Male sexuality, porn, and sex trafficking." That night in the main session statistics were thrown up on the big screen and I literally have a feeling in my gut like I have been punched and tears are constantly on the brim of spilling over.

Recently, when I invited someone to attend the "Missionary" convention with me...they said, it was "my thing." I am here to say it is not MY thing...it is GOD'S thing and it is the GREAT COMMISSION...to ALL believers...

Praying, and giving are not enough...Jesus prayed, but then he got up and WENT...

If you don't think you are called to go beyond our borders then making yourself aware of the issues that face the church is your responsibility. Shutting ourselves into our comfortable homes and spending our money on ourselves is selfish and NOT what God had planned. 80% of the world is living on 20% of the world's income...the rest of us 20% live on 80% of the world's income. We are called to LOVE others...not pity them from our living room couches and church pews.

Stay tuned for some more stories and thoughts from this past weekend...

If you are uncomfortable with some of the things I have written...good...we aren't called to a life of comfort...turn your eyes and hearts upward toward HIM and when He calls....GO.

Thankful!

Today I am just so thankful and blessed...

Yesterday was my birthday...I was scheduled to work 5am-1:30pm (So I thought)...my favorite shift...

I got up, got ready, finishing my look for the day with glitter in my hair! :) My birthday also landed on our Christmas launch day at Starbucks! Starbucks recognizes what a great day my birthday is of course...HA!

Anyhow, I got to work, and found out I wasn't scheduled till 6:45...bummer...

So, instead of driving home (less than a mile) and going back to bed, I got my Bible out of my car,bought one of our new Christmas mugs (SUPER CUTE), french pressed our brand new blend of Espresso Christmas Roast, a Cranberry Bliss Bar (YUM!), and sat and memorized Proverbs 2:1-5:

My son, if you accept my words and store up
my commands within you,
turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding,
and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding,
and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
then you will understand the fear of the LORD
find the knowledge of God.

I had a fantastic day at work, received a call from a fantastic man along with a special delivery of some happy daisies from said man...

After that I got to join fantastic friends for dinner.

The day was simple, yet I couldn't feel more blessed! I am so thankful to God for those He has surrounded me with in life.

I seek to do as the above verses say in my daily life...I want to accept HIS Word, apply it, and I want to find the knowledge of God...My morning set the tone for the day...praying that we each find the quiet time we need to fill up on HIS word DAILY!!!

Blessings!

What now???

Well...things have moved quite rapidly for me these past few weeks...

I walked through doors that were opened for me and I was super excited...and I still AM super excited though my excitement has been seasoned with a dose of reality and the simple unknown. I thought I was following God to a specific place and though I didn't know the timing I assumed I would leave directly from Ohio to that place. Well, I left Ohio unexpectedly and I am not sure where He will take me from here.

Since being back I haven't really spent much time around my friends, or what little time I HAVE spent with them has been pretty surface as far as conversations go. Just know that I have been away from my God for quite a while between the job I worked and the environment I was living in. You see, I have always wanted to be in relationship with people that can be mutually encouraging. By that I mean in Christ. When I am down, I need the people in my life to point me in the right direction (upwards). I quite honestly did not find that where I was and that is not blaming anyone. We are all responsible for our own Spiritual lives and I take full responsibility and am working right now to get back with my God through His Word and prayer. It has been a struggle every day to be in the Word and in prayer...so, I covet YOUR prayers as I rediscover who I am in Him once again.

I have also had some time to get reacquainted with my family...I have been away from them longer than I would like to be, though sometimes it is necessary...unfortunately. Here are a few pictures of my nephew from Sunday...we went to Georgetown to Evan's Orchard, and he crocheted with my grandma! LOVE him!






I don't know where God is going to take me next, though I am almost positive it is something I didn't expect and may not even desire...but I WILL follow!

Blessings!

Judging those who judge???

Today I was reading about a particular situation in which I could be quick to judge and say the people involved are being hypocrites, however...if I call THEM hypocrites, it kind of makes me one too.

Scripture teaches us to love and to forgive. Not that we shouldn't hold each other accountable but that should ALSO be done in love and a way that is in the best interest of those involved. When the thought first crossed my mind, it wasn't in a loving kind of way and that is just honest! HA!

I want to be more focused on God working in my life than how other people live their lives. I want to learn to control my tongue especially, which was the focus of my Bible study tonight...Scripture teaches, "If anyone is NEVER at fault in what he SAYS, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check." (James 3:2)

Imagine...that one part of our body has been impossible for us to train and perfect since the beginning of time. We struggle with profanity, gossip, boasting, misusing God's name, inappropriate humor, and I am sure many that I haven't mentioned. Only ONE man was able to tame his tongue...and as a result was completely perfect in everything he said and DIDN'T say...

I pray that God would give me the wisdom and courage to speak when it is warranted and GLORIFYING to HIS name...and the wisdom and insight to know when to keep my lips sealed and to allow the silence to speak HIS glory!

Letters of Paul

I have been struggling for a while with having time with Jesus...

It is usually evident in my frequency of blogging and as you can see it has been quite a while since I last blogged.

Since my last blog things have changed so much from the direction I thought things were going. I am simply trying to walk with Him. And I have some important decisions to make.

In my time with Jesus the past week or two, I have been reading Philippians, and the letters written by Paul, although mostly Philippians. I can't remember which study I was doing that led me to Philippians but I was taken by the introduction and closure of his letter. Something I usually breeze over, because I see it as boring...just being honest...lol.

So, as I was reading, I was taken by his relationship with the people he wrote to, and their relationship to him. I love that he prays for them and was so connected to them even though he couldn't be with them all the time! I feel this way about many of my friends that I left in Kentucky...so much so that I just teared up writing this. I miss being there, miss being included in birthdays, births, deaths, zumba, coffee, dinners, worship, and the tears and laughter we all shared.

I miss them but I know God has a place for me here and now, and may move me somewhere else in the future though the timing and places are unknown...

My thoughts and prayers often turn toward friends and family from home. I want to be more intentional in my prayers for them. I want to be more intentional in keeping in contact with them and encouraging them in the Spirit as Paul does.

The specific passages that spoke to me are lengthy, so if you would like to read them in full, they are:

Philippians 1, 4
1 Corinthians 1:1-9
1 Corinthians 16

Otherwise, I leave you with these words by Paul:

"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in the knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God."

Philippians 1:9-11

Walking with Jesus!

This past Sunday Jesus and I had a conversation...

I Have been asking Him to go ahead of me each day before work and to prepare the way...but this Sunday I realized, I always pictured Him going way ahead of me...and we weren't really walking closely...

Sunday I told Him I want Him to go RIGHT before me so we can still be close because I need Him next to me, so I can lean on Him and talk to Him...I just love having Him next to me all the time!!!

Now I picture it differently. I picture me walking on his feet...STEP by STEP!

I LOVE the picture He gave me because several weeks ago I took pictures of a friend's baby. She didn't want to be in them but I caught a few of him standing on her feet while she walked...much how I picture walking with God.

Take a look...and let's try to walk closer to Him...if we walk on top of His feet like in these pics...He is big enough and strong enough to reach ahead and clear our paths!

WE ARE LOVED!!!

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

ROMANS 8:37-39

A lot of changes have been taking place in my life. SO much in my life is taking form and in ways that I never would have expected a year ago. I felt God lead me to move to Ohio a year ago, thinking that He was moving me toward Romania. How I LOVE to make assumptions...I am learning MORE and MORE not to make assumptions but to truly live DAY by DAY for Jesus as my blog address says...

So, as I was saying, things look SO different now. I am struggling to make sense of what I think God is doing, and I am realizing, it is not for me to make sense of. GOD has it all worked out and has prepared my way. My way toward what, I am not sure but this is what He is teaching me...

I AM LOVED...

again...

I AM LOVED!

Two nights ago, I sat there, with my Bible and my summer Bible study book (Ruth). My study told me to "sit before the Lord in the true state of my heart..."

I didn't realize how ALONE I have felt over the past months and maybe the entire year. That is what came out during my time sitting before Him. As I felt this, I asked HIM, God, what do you want me to know right now? I stopped and waited to hear (I rarely actually stop to listen). I stopped, listened AND HEARD, "I LOVE YOU." I was like, ok, what else (AS IF THAT ISN'T MORE THAN ENOUGH!!!)

So then, I heard it again, "I LOVE YOU."

Then I sat and soaked it in...The CREATOR, LORD, DELIVERER, ABBA, SAVIOR of this world and EVERYTHING in it loves ME!!!

So, then I opened up another book I have been reading...As I was reading it took me to the above Scripture in Romans. The words that stood out most were:

neither the present nor the future will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

How I needed those words...right NOW when everything about my life here in Ohio is hard God is here loving me...When everything about my future seems so unsure...God is THERE loving me...

The same goes for all of you...

WE ARE LOVED!!!
need to hear it again?

WE ARE LOVED!!!
soak it up friends...