Have Life Abundantly ~ John 10:10

New Year. What Does it Hold?

2011-12-29T14:19:00.000-05:00

Yep, it's 2012! For some reason two-thousand twelve looks so futuristic when written. A new year is the time for many emotions. It can be the most depressing time of the year for some, and for others it is a new opportunity for exciting beginnings. I earnestly hope that the beginning of 2012 will be a joyful time for you and that this "new year" will motivate you to live life abundantly no matter what resolutions you make.

In years past, I have made "new year resolutions" and some I've kept, and others I haven't. But this year, I've resolved to not make any. :) Actually I just made one, and that is to live life abundantly and to its fullest in 2012!

Looking back over 2011, I've realized that God has blessed me SO MUCH. I've been places and done things that I was certainly not expecting but were amazing adventures! Below are several pictures highlighting the best times in my year. Enjoy~


JANUARY :: My wonderful friend Kayla and I (we've been through a lot together this year!:)


FEBRUARY :: My parents came to visit Chicago. :)

FEBRUARY :: Chicago blizzard!

MARCH :: St. Patrick's Day insanity!

APRIL :: The best birthday so far with my grandmother visiting!

MAY :: Fun times making sushi for delegations

MAY :: Peru delegation!

MAY :: Hosting delegations by seeing sights and going shopping!

JUNE :: My dear Suzanne came to visit!

JUNE :: The Filipino kids make their way into all of our hearts.

JULY :: Week long mission trip to Peru.

JULY :: Sharing Christ's love with Peruvian girls.

AUGUST :: An amazing week in Guadalajara!

SEPTEMBER :: My favorite place...the beach!

SEPTEMBER :: At the beach with my wonderful family.

OCTOBER :: 10-10 Celebration with co-workers and friends!

OCTOBER :: A lovely visit to my dear friend Shae.

OCTOBER :: A team of 15, myself included, had a powerful week in Romania!

NOVEMBER :: A month of GREAT times with friends/amigos!

DECEMBER :: WONDERFUL time spent with my wonderful family. :)

The Rest of the Story...

2011-12-27T12:46:00.001-05:00

Gifts are exchanged. Hot chocolate and candy canes are staple food items. Families gather. People around the world eat, drink, and are merry. Jesus' birth is remembered, Santa Clause is exploited, and shopping is insane during December. What am I talking about? Yes, I'm sure you guessed it: Christmas!

Christmas is a strange thing. It is the biggest holiday in the world, but everyone celebrates in uniquely different ways. Some people celebrate Jesus' birth, other's celebrate the abundance of things, family, or goodwill on earth, and yet some don't celebrate at all. In my family Christmas is a big deal. We celebrate for over a week sometimes! And although we have various activities ranging from eating BIG meals, shopping, opening presents, hanging out with family, our celebrations revolve around Jesus Christ, Who is the Reason for the season.

I'm very sure that during the Christmas season you have heard at least once a phrase similar to: "Let's not forget the most important part of Jesus' life–His sacrifice on the cross." And I couldn't agree with that statement more, however, EVERY step of Jesus' life was important because all of it was prophesied by Scripture which led to the climax of His life–dying in place of us on the cross of Calvary.

Can I tell you a secret? I love Christmas. Not because I can feel like a little girl again, or because of the great time I have with my family (although those ARE secondary reasons), but because we as Christians can publicly rejoice in the remembrance of our Savior's miraculous and humble birth.

Even though the holiday of Christmas is over, let's not stop celebrating the life of Jesus Christ. The story of His life keeps being written in the Book of Life.

[giving. thanks.] Provision

2011-11-24T09:21:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving! The day for giving thanks is finally here, and I must say that I am going to really enjoy everything else that goes along with Thanksgiving. :-)


The Pilgrims were thankful for God's simple provision. Count your many blessings!

Today, I'm thankful for so much, but especially for God's provision. I know it sounds cliché, but I am grateful that He has always provided for me and my family's needs. I've never known huger or thirst like millions have around the world. We've always had enough or more than enough food, water, and clothes. And we have a nice house which stays warm in the winter, and cool in the summer (for the most part :). Many people do not have even the "basics," and God, in His goodness and mercy, has provided for us so abundantly.

Thank you Jesus Christ for being the Provider in our lives and for the basic things you've given that we take for granted everyday.

[giving. thanks] Comforter

2011-11-23T12:19:00.001-05:00

Today I am thankful for the Holy Spirit. I was just thinking this morning . . . we have a great privilege to have to Holy Spirit within us at all times and forever. The disciples did not even have the gift of the Holy Spirit (until Jesus left), but Jesus Himself could not even be with them at all times.

Francis Chan's Holy Spirit DVD is amazing.

I often wondered why Peter could be so "on fire" for Jesus one moment, and then deny Him the next. I doubt he would have if Jesus had been in his presence. As Christians, we have a power within us–a voice in you and me that comforts, guides, reveals, corrects. Even though Jesus is not walking the earth with humans anymore, we can still feel His love, teaching and power through the Comforter which He sent as a gift to us.

"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." ~John 14:16-17

Thank you Jesus Christ for not leaving us as orphans, but for providing a Comforter who is within us forever and always.

[giving. thanks.] Freedom

2011-11-22T12:18:00.001-05:00

Freedom is something so easily taken for granted. We don't think twice about posting to Twitter, "The United States will be judged for the sin of murdering hundreds of thousands of lives through abortion! Abortion is murder." Or updating our Facebook status message to "Going to Wednesday prayer night at Main Street Baptist . . . ." I mean seriously, when you go to write something publicly or say something, do you think to yourself "Am I going to get arrested or killed for saying/writing this?" No! However, if you were in China, Syria, or Iran you would not be allowed to post things similar to the phrases above, and you would be thinking twice about bashing the government, mentioning Jesus Christ, or speaking out against sin. These words would be censored, or worse, you would be found out, arrested, tortured, or killed.

We are free from censored speech.

So today, I'm thankful to be an American living in a land of freedom. Freedom does not come free. There is a price. And I'm grateful to those who gave it all–even their lives–so generations could live with liberty. My ancestors left Europe due to religious persecution and began a new life in the United States in the 1600's. I know that took a leap of faith–and who knows? If my great, great, great, great . . . grandparents had not "stepped out on a limb," I may have been born British–not American! Or rather, I wouldn't even be here today . . .

Even though the United States has some major problems, it is still the country that upholds freedom and liberty and we are truly privileged to worship our Savior without fear of persecution and death. Some people would kill to have the "right to freedom" which we take advantage of everyday.

Thank you Jesus for the gift of freedom to proclaim your name and Word, but most of all, thank you for the liberty we have in You.

[giving. thanks.] Grandparents

2011-11-21T11:20:00.000-05:00

Today (and everyday) I am thankful for my grandparents. They have been such a Godly influence on my life and I do not believe that I would have a relationship with Christ if it was not for them and their Godly heritage. It is my greatest hope to carry on their righteous heritage for generations to come.

Mimmie and Pappy

I love my "Mimmie" and "Pappy." They are both so giving, loving, and encouraging. I look back to the days that I used to stay with for a week and I'd shop with my grandmother, bake cookies, and learn knitting. My grandfather would take me fishing, buy me all the ice cream I could eat, and fix amazing breakfasts! I praise God for both of them and can't wait to be with them over the holidays! They have always encouraged me to follow the Lord and give my life to Him. I will be forever grateful for you both.


Mema

There are not enough words to describe all that "Mema" has done for me. I would not be the person I am today without her. I can say that she has been a wonderful mentor in my life with the most influence on my spiritual walk. She has always been there for me when I need someone to cry to, to talk to, or to laugh with. As firstborns, we have a lot in common and we like to talk about what we have in common. :) I love her very much and thank God for her life!

Thank you Jesus Christ for my grandparents.

Thanksgiving [giving. thanks.] Week

2011-11-20T20:09:00.002-05:00

God's word, good food, His providence, and my family are just a few things I'm thankful for.

Today is officially the beginning of Thanksgiving week, and in celebration I would like to post something I'm thankful for each day until Thanksgiving. I love this time of the year because it always prompts me to look at situations in my life, the people I know, and the things that I have with a grateful heart. "I will magnify him [the Lord] with thanksgiving." ~Psalm 69:30

". . . [And] giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ~Ephesians 5:20

Romania: Part two.

2011-11-06T21:30:00.001-05:00

Everyone shared a talent.

We fell in love with sweet children at an orphanage.

We pray that there won't just be many church steeples in Oradea, but that there will be many people with relationships with Christ.

We played and sang as a group wherever we went!


And we were fed well, quite well, wherever we went. :)

The last three days in Romania were the best–in my opinion. We visited two more "Gypsy" villages, an orphanage, and had an open house at our local property and lodge (future home of a large ministry center). Each day, the Lord seemed to bless more than the last.

The most significant event to many of us was the last evening in Romania.

Tears were streaming down the dark face of the Gypsy pastor as he stood up before his youth group and our team of 15 from the United States and began speaking from his heart. "You have no idea what it means to me for you to be here tonight having fellowship with us and accepting us as we are. For generations upon generations even until now, we are despised for our race and told that we will never be able to change. They tell us, 'Once a Gypsy, always a Gypsy.'" This scene took place on the last night as we were sharing and giving testimonies to solemn-looking youth group.

We had walked into the small Gypsy church earlier that night and felt a darkness among the young men and women there. They were sitting separately–girls on one side, boys on the other–according to tradition. Mr. Gothard began the meeting by asking them to move their chairs closer to the middle so he could talk to them as one group. This initial change seemed to unite them as a team. What followed seemed to really impact each young person.

Mr. Gothard began discussing each principle talked about in the Basic Seminar and if any of us (our team) had a testimony. The topics included accepting our "unchangables," forgiveness, giving away money, clearing your conscience, resolving hurts, etc. Each of us shared a testimony on one of those topics demonstrating to the young people that we are not perfect and have had to work through sometimes tough circumstances in life. But this allowed them to see that God's principles really do work because they are hearing first-hand, personal accounts.

At the end of the testimonies and singing, Mr. Gothard explained that we are made in three parts: we are a spirit, with a body, and a soul. And that we must be born again in our spirit so that we might have eternal life. He asked if a raise of hands for those who had believed in their heart and confessed with their mouth the Lord Jesus Christ. Most of them raised their hands. Then he asked who of you would like to do this? And a few raised their hands. Together we all prayed a prayer out-loud, led by Mr. Gothard. I prayed silently, "Lord, please just save 5 young people tonight. Please God. Amen."

After Mr. Gothard prayed for and blessed all the young people, we had a time of just gathering in a circle, holding hands, and singing "Blest Be the Tide That Binds Our Hearts in Christian Love" and then they sang a Romanian version. We are are united as brothers and sisters in Christ, even though they we are of different nationalities, race, and language. We truly felt the Holy Spirit there among us.

As we were saying our good-byes I heard someone say, "There were 5 young people who got saved tonight!" I smiled and my heart was filled with joy at that second. "Thank you God–you're so good."

Smiling~

Thank you so much for your prayers if you prayed for us sometime during that week.

Romania: Part one.

2011-11-03T00:26:00.001-04:00

Romania was incredible to say the very least. The director of our ministry center there said, "This trip has been the most significant of IBLP's visits to Romania." So much happened that I cannot contain it all in words. The way I experienced God was so real it was like I could touch and feel it. He truly emptied me of myself before and during the trip. God kept me weak in body and soul, and He filled me in spirit.

Madelyn and I embarking to Hungary via American Airlines!

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." ~Matthew 5:3

I saw this verse become more than just words in my life and in the lives of my teammates'. We experienced God's kingdom (His authority) rule here on earth, in Romania. And that can happen when a team of 13 dedicated individuals are completely dedicated and sold out to Jesus Christ.

A delicious Hungarian dessert.

Brent, playing in the the airport.

Fine dinning.

After having a delightful 5-hour layover in New York where God ordained a divine appointment with several families, we arrived in Budapest, Hungary and drove three hours across the border of Romania and into Oradea, where our newly constructed large lodge awaited us. That evening we had beautiful dinner with around 20 doctors and medical personnel from around the county. The President of Bihor county greeted us, and then we as a group sang a hymn in Romania. As we fellowshipped with the Romanian doctors, God opened doors of conversation that led to at least one person getting saved that night. Dr. Gothard then concluded the evening by sharing testimonies of people's chronic diseases disappearing due to resolving a stress in their life. He shared how 70% of diseases are either stress related or stress induced and explained that stress resolution should be a vital part of the medical world.

Dr. Gothard sharing at dinner.

The following day, our team traveled to downtown Oradea to meet with mayors and principles in the county. Many of them had visited our ministry headquarters in the past, so it was encouraging to see them again and to re-establish our connection with them. We sang again, and several of our team members played an instrumental piece on their violins, clarinet, flute, and harmonicas.

Our day continued with an 3-course lunch at a hotel with government officials, another meeting with judicial leaders (many of whom have visited our ministry headquarters), and a trip to a gypsy village that evening. When we arrived in Tasad, we were greeted my the mayor himself, and several other civil government officials. They had prepared a huge loaf of bread served with salt to welcome us to their village. The mayor escorted us down the streets as we passed out tracts to the locals. It was amazing to see how God used the government officials to advance His kingdom. Finally, we watched a performance by the middle-schoolers in that village sing and dance in traditional Romanian attire and concluded the evening with a lavish Romania meal.

Just as a note, our pre-planned schedule for the week was almost doubled with appointments and arrangements that God just miraculously worked out. I still marvel at how much He allowed us to do in such a short time!

Next destination: ROMANIA

2011-10-23T15:05:00.002-04:00

The fact that I'm getting on a plane tomorrow and flying across the Atlantic to Romania still has not registered in my mind! I'm going to Europe for the first time with the goal of ministering to doctors, patients, government officials, students, orphans, and people on the street. What an exciting opportunity!

Oradea, Romania

It is especially exciting for me, because three years ago, I was anointed for ministry by a group of Romanian pastors who came to visit the IBLP ministry headquarters; and ever since then I've had a longing to visit their country. It will be, Lord willing, a joyful reunion with some of those same pastors.


"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound." ~Isaiah 61:1

If you have ever wondered whether or not Psalms 37:4 is true, I am here to tell you that it is. This year God has been granting me desire after desire, but only after I surrendered my desires to Him and delighted in Him and His ways. And this trip is yet another dream of mine being fulfilled!

"Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart." ~Psalm 37:4

If you are a brother or sister in Christ, please be praying that God uses us as a team and individually as a light to the world! I will update as soon as internet is available!

Watch 180, the Award-Winning Documentary by Ray Comfort for Free!

2011-09-26T16:16:00.000-04:00

180 :: Movie

2011-09-22T11:05:00.002-04:00

Sharp.

2011-09-19T00:56:00.008-04:00

*Note: if you are squeamish, don't read the first part of this post. :)

Doors flung open as medical personnel rushed a critically ill patient into the sterile surgery room. If surgery wasn't performed within minutes, this life would never be the same, or worse, lost forever. As the nurses were attaching the various monitoring devices and medication IVs, the surgeon was pulling on his rubber gloves and visually scanning the room to assure that everything was in place for this tedious procedure.

The patient's mid-section was draped, and the skin was prepped and sterilized. Everything was set and ready. The nurses were in position. The clock was ticking. The surgeon stepped close to the patient. With hard-gripping, confident hands he picked up the razor-sharp scalpel. The assistant nurse held her breath.

Then the unthinkable happened. The surgeon harshly and carelessly carved an unsightly gash into the patient's body, severing major arteries and vital tissue. The scalpel in the hand of this surgeon was out of control! Bright red rivers of blood immediately flowed from the incision as the patient's blood pressure dropped below critical level. The confused nurses cursed at the surgeon and frantically tried to stabilize the patient. The surgeon began sweating and frantically attempted to continue the procedure. But it was too late. The beep, beep, beep of the patient's heart monitor went flatline...beeeeeeeeeeeeeep.

The nurses stood there shocked. Each one solemnly stared at the surgeon who hung his head in failure.

What is this story all about? Why am I sharing this not-so-nice story with you? And what application does this have to our lives? Well let me explain.

Read this slowly: When you, or I, give the truth, without love, to a person who desperately needs it, we are making the same mistake as the surgeon in the story above.

What went wrong in the surgery room? The surgeon made an incision? The answer is "yes" and "no."

Yes, the patient needed an incision—but with care and precision, which the surgeon lacked. Instead of benefiting the patient's life, he messed things up and made the situation worse, much worse.

We can do the exact thing spiritually and emotionally when we shove the truth at someone without care or mercy. We may think we're doing them a service by trying to "fix" them with the truth. "You are such a cranky, hard-headed person!" "You are living with no purpose in life." "Nobody listens to what you have to say because it's not worth listening to!" These phrases and ones similar can be very tempting for us to use at certain times when we are frustrated and ready to give up on a stubborn person. Yes, they may be true statements, but are they building the body as Paul talks about is Ephesians 4:16 (see below), or are they like taking a scalpel and damaging a person even worse?

These verses are the crux for this whole post:

"Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love." ~Ephesians 4:15-16

Truth and love need to be intertwined–they must not be separated. If you just study Jesus' life, you can learn how he presented truth time after time in the most unassuming, gentle, and loving way. Speaking truth in love is the only way we can build the body up.

In my experience, I've only seen SUPER mature people take with grace the raw, ugly truth and apply it to their lives. Most people cannot handle it. It causes them to take up offense, build up walls, and run the other way . . . spiritually.

See how powerful God's word (truth) is:

"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." ~Hebrews 4:12

Don't use this carelessly. Truth is powerful. And it is dynamic when you use it with love. It performs a delicate surgery that ultimately heals the patient. I'm sure you know what truth is. But what is love? If you don't know, (or if you do, brush up on it:) read 1 Corinthians 13.

How do you hold your "scalpel"? And how do you use your "scalpel"? That's the question. And that's the challenge.

A Reminder of God's Goodness

2011-08-22T12:13:00.001-04:00

"On you was I cast from my birth,  and from my mother's womb you have been my God."

~Psalm 22:10

This morning in my Bible reading God sent me a little reminder of His goodness in my life. I was reading Psalm 22 and I read the verse above. You see, When my mother was pregnant with me, my life was almost lost. My mother miscarried her first child and when she got pregnant with me, she struggled and labored with the fear of something going wrong and losing me as well. And it almost happened that way.

I've always been the type of person to "jump ahead" of God's plan, and I guess that is what I was trying to do at just 6 months old in my mother's womb! My mother went into premature labor with me and the doctors were of course very concerned that I was going to born with undeveloped organs and live the rest of my life with defects, or worse, be born with non-functioning lungs or something fatal of that nature.

Thanks to the Lord for the doctor's knowledge of new medical treatments, my mother was put on a new medication that would stop her premature labor. Daily, she would stick herself with a needle so that the medication would pump through her body to hinder me from being born so early.

To my mom's relief, the medication combined with bed-rest stifled her labor, and she decided to come off the treatment. At 8 months into the pregnancy, she went into labor and I was born. By God's grace, all I needed was a little bit of oxygen but I was healthy in every way!

My parents dedicated me to the Lord as a newborn, and it is true that from my mother's womb the Lord has been my God, for I have seen His goodness and mercy following me since the very first days of my life.

Soar like an eagle my friends

2011-08-18T11:26:00.000-04:00

I escaped to Mexico. . .

2011-08-17T03:34:00.000-04:00

Have you ever completely left the cares of the world to seek God for a time? Well, I didn't really plan it that way, but that is exactly what I did this past week in Guadalajara, Mexico. And if you have ever been to Guadalajara, then you have experienced a slice of paradise.

Here's what happened: I went down to a ministry center near Guadalajara to help with a girl's retreat. I typed up notes, cooked, washed dishes, and took over 400 photographs! However, my real desire in going there was that God would truly meet me as I spent time with just Him and no distractions throughout the days.


"Open thou my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law" ~Psalm 119:18

God met me. He spoke to me. He renewed His promises to me and I reaffirmed my commitments to Him. My Savior is the One I love the most, yet I'm usually "doing" more for Him than seeking Him. My life is His. Without Him I am nothing. He is my existence.

During my stay, I was privileged enough to watch teenage girls on the retreat turn their hearts over to Jesus Christ and conquer addictions, deep hurts, bitterness while embracing humility, purity, and openness. God's word has power. In my eyes, there is no question about the actuality of Christianity and whether it's real because I have seen lives drastically changed in a week–not by the counseling of man or by self-generated metamorphosis–but only by being completely immersed in God's statutes and intercession to our Heavenly Father.

One girl is changing her father's life by spending hours in prayer for him. One is giving up an addiction of smoking. One restored a relationship with a friend by verbally forgiving her. Hidden and ugly sins are being confessed and resolved. Pride is being dealt with and clean hearts are being created.

"I am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me." ~Psalm 119:19

Due to the encouragement of a friend, I began to meditate upon and write out a commentary of Psalm 119 last week. I absolutely love the Psalms. The writings are so down to earth and extremely rich with truth. Doing this activity has increased my delight in God's word and though I am not even half way through, I have written out pages and pages of insights.

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." ~Psalm 37:4

God has granted me so many desires of my heart. One was to visit Guadalajara. Check. As I continue to delight in Him, I look forward to what desire He will grant next. Will it be my desire to write and publish a book? To get a new camera? An opportunity to travel? Or my desire to study Spanish in Mexico? I don't know. But we will see. . .granted that the Lord gives us tomorrow, and the tomorrows after that. This promise of fulfilling my heart's desires gives me an excitement about life. That's what living an abundant life is all about.

Dios es bueno. Tan bueno.

PERU :: A Summary with Photos

2011-08-01T17:11:00.002-04:00

God is working! His powerful hand was evident throughout the week as we were being used as His instruments to reach many people of all ages and social statuses. I could write pages and pages of what happened while in Peru and the many emotions I experienced, but I am simply going to summarize the milestone events that occurred during last week and include some photos.

• While the good news of the gospel in a cancer hospital, many teenagers and parents were saved and gained a new sense of hope and joy in their lives.

• Several girls in the shelter we visited accepted Jesus Christ and forgave their offenders while resolving their deep hurt.

• Ten former gang leaders (whom we met with last Peru trip and they all accepted Christ) agreed to continue character training and in the future work with our ministry to be successful leaders for the younger generation in Peru.

• Mr. Gothard and a few others attended the inauguration dinner party at the Presidential palace and established a connection with several key leaders and ambassadors.

• IBLP was given property on the coast in Callao to develop a ministry center where Embassy University can be established. This is a HUGE answer to prayer as getting a facility established in Peru will allow us to effectively help Peruvians while maintaining mobile ministry teams.

• Mr. Gothard and a small team were able to meet the Vice President of Peru, the Secretary of State, and had a meeting with an assistant of the First Lady which could lead to further meetings with the President's staff, Lord willing!

Peru and it's government is so open to Biblical methods and we are so thankful for the opportunity to be involved in such an exciting time of history in Peru as well as in the world!

"Mama Carmen" was excited to see us arrive in Peru!

The director of a large cancer hospital in Peru sharing with us and asking us to visit again.

Mr. Gothard and Elizabeth, the director of an ACE school in Lima.

Jill Duggar and myself.

Elizabeth, the school director.

"Mama Carmen" making Jordan eat. Classic. :)

PERU :: Day Six

2011-07-31T10:08:00.000-04:00

Well today is our last full day. I can't believe it! It's a sad thought, that's for sure. Today we attended the annual Thanksgiving prayer service for the nation of Peru where members of Congress and the national government attend. We were able to see the vice President and the Secretary of State of Peru! President Humala was scheduled to also attend but he had something come up late minute. Mr. Gothard and a few others were actually able to meet the vice President and the Secretary of State, and later had a meeting with the assistant to the first lady which we hope will possibly result in a meeting with the first lady and the President!

It is amazing how open the government of Peru is to Biblical methods and principles. Peru is ready for major change and transformation and we hope that we can be an instrument to help Peru be a prosperous, godly nation.

In the evening, we visited the Palace square (Presidential palace-kind of like the white house in the USA), gave out tracts and did more street evangelism, and then ate at a very nice Italian restaurant hosted by our Peruvian friends.

God has richly blessed us and we are both sad to leave and excited to return home tomorrow!

PERU :: Day Five

2011-07-30T20:56:00.003-04:00

Sorry guys...no pictures for this one because my iPod died! Just a quick update...on the 29th, we went to the annual patriot parade in Lima in support of our friends and the President who attended. It was primarily a show of Peru's elite naval, army, air force, emergency rescue, and police forces. After the two hour parade we went to our friend, Armando's, ranch house on an amazing piece of property. (I will post pictures later!) We then went to a plaza on the coast of Lima and enjoyed some Peruvian gellato.

These last two days have been more relaxed, but everywhere we go we pass out many many tracts. So far, we have passed out over 3,000 tracts plus hundreds of Bibles. Please pray that these small seeds of faith will grow in the hearts of those who received them. Blessings!

PERU :: Day Four

2011-07-29T20:01:00.001-04:00

Today was more of a relaxed day, which was nice! We watched the inauguration of the new Peruvian President and spent some time praying for the new government. The new President and his vice President have been labeled liberal and socialist, so even though he has a heart to help the poor, we are praying that he goes about it in the right way.
For lunch we went to a famous Peruvian hamburger joint called Bembos. And we all ate HUGE Peruvian hamburgers! *see the picture of Adriane and Jimena wearing the kiddie hats.
After lunch we proceeded to do some tourist shopping in the markets buying everything from miniature Inca Colas to traditional Peruvian clothing.
The most exciting news about the day was that the owner of the hotel we are staying at, and both of her sons, accepted Jesus Christ into their lives!

PERU :: Day Three

2011-07-28T14:14:00.001-04:00

Callao!!! Yes, we went to Callao today (on the 27th)! Callao is a port city—very close to Lima. We had a meeting with the President of the province of Calloa and with the gang leaders which Mr. Gothard led to Christ on the last visit. President Moreno was very receptive of Mr. Gothard's vision to help gang leaders and the young people of Peru and offered not only a long-term support but property on the coast to build an IBLP facility. This was exciting news to all of us since our dream is to have a facility here and to become established in Peru.
After having a very encouraging follow up meeting with the former hang leaders and giving them gifts we went to the municipality of Callao to visit our friend, the mayor of Callao. He was happy to see all of us again and gave us an update on his city and the problems he is facing. We prayed for him and then went to a nice Peruvian restaurant on the coast.
After a delicious lunch of chicken, rice, potatoes, chicha morada, llama, and Inca Cola we visited a large sports center established by Felix Moreno, the President of the Callao province. Thousands of children come to this center to be trained in different sports: futbol, volleyball, swimming, gymnastics, basketball, etc. These programs are free and help promote good behavior among Callao's young people. Sports keeps these young people from crime and gang activity.
I gave out tracts and small gifts to the parents and the children with some other team members. And then played volleyball with a few girls who played very well for their age. Even though I speak very little Spanish, I have found that I can relate with the children through playing volleyball or another sport.
Our last destination before dinner was a girl's shelter/correctional center. As I toured the facility, I realized just how much I have to be thankful for. These girls don't have computers, cosmetics, nice clothes, or even a room to themselves.
We were able to interact with several different groups of girls. Some had been involved in gangs, some had abortions at young ages, some had been abandoned, and many had mental diseases. The ward with the physiologically ill patients was heart-breaking. One of the women came up to me and just clung to me saying "Mama, mama..." Most of them were just abounded by their families because of their mental retardation. And the nurse said that all of them have dreams to be reunited with their families, which will never happen.
Many of the girls started crying as we sang because it brought back memories of their families in one way or another. Mr. Gothard and several others had the opportunity to counsel and help girls resolve their deep hurt and bitterness.
Note that I am summarizing everything because I don't have enough time to describe everything! God is doing amazing things and were halfway through the trip now! Thanks for praying!

PERU :: Day Two

2011-07-28T12:51:00.001-04:00

I do apologize that this update is a little late. We experienced an amazing second day in Peru. We visited two main hospitals in Lima. At the first one, Mr. Gothard had a conference with head doctor on how we can help his patients resolve stress to in turn conquer stress-related diseases. We sang in several of the surgery wards and presented three LCD TVs to the hospital.
A friend we have here, whom we call "Mama Carmen," bought hats and scarfs for us to give out to children with terminal cancer. We went to a cancer in Lima and gave out the gifts while witnessing to the children. All 25 of us spilt into groups and took a different floor. My group went to a terminal cancer floor where the children there were 14-19 years old.
It was difficult for me to see people younger than me living their last days in a dreary hospital. I was able to share the gospel by using a rope trick and tell my story of receiving Jesus Christ. Many of the teenagers had already accepted Christ into their lives, but one young man realized he had never prayed with his mouth to receive Christ, so Ian led him in prayer while we all laid our hands on him and prayed.
It was a joy to show love to these teenagers and encourage them to live their last days praising God. The director of the hospital was so impressed and pleaded that we come again soon.
That afternoon we visited an ACE (Accelerated Christian Education) school in Lima which is run by our friend Elizabeth. We talked about supporting an working with her school in the future.
In the evening, a national tv station did a pre-interview with Mr. Gothard on his method of gang transformation and the Biblical principles we share. Overall it was a very exciting day! Again, we experienced such openness to the gospel and such a hunger for God's word. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS!
The picture is of Jimena, Adriane, and myself.

PERU :: Day One

2011-07-25T22:47:00.001-04:00

We have arrived safe and sound in Peru, and for that, I'm very thankful! We got settled into our luxurious hotel rooms (no joke!) and prepared for our visit to a hospital and a girls' shelter tomorrow!
The food in Peru is muy rico (superb)!!! Papaya juice, ceviche, cooked-to-perfection rice, and fresh fruit are all foods that Peru deliciously offers.
I'm more than happy to be back visiting a people who always welcome us with such loving, gracious open arms!

Voy a Peru!

2011-07-24T23:16:00.001-04:00

Lima, PERU

I have been blessed to receive yet another opportunity to visit Peru as an ambassador of Christ! A ministry team of 25, including myself, will be embarking tonight and arriving in Peru tomorrow. We are planning to participate in Presidential inauguration festivities, visit shelters for girls, teach character in schools, and do street evangelism. Please be in prayer for the people of Peru–that they might be hungry for and open to the good news of Jesus Christ!

Peru, October 2010

I'll be gone for a week! I would greatly appreciate each one of your prayers! Check soon for Peru updates. . .

Balance Beam.

2011-07-19T23:20:00.001-04:00

The Lies I Believe . . . The Fears I Have . . .

2011-07-07T17:56:00.032-04:00

Lies and fears are like poison to our lives.

We all are tempted to embrace fears and lies which creep in sometimes without our knowing. Lies will control our lives. Fears have a gripping power. Read my story below of how I have struggled with fears and lies in my life.

The lies that I have believed and continue to struggle with are “I am inadequate,” “I must hide my faults,” and “No one cares how I feel.” Many of my younger years were spent fearing evil, death and disaster, and during most of my teen and adult life, I have combated the fear of failure.

The lie “I am inadequate” stems from the idea that I am self-sufficient and can rely on my own strength. I know in my spirit that I can do nothing without Christ, but sometimes my mind, will, and emotions drown out the truth by screaming “We are capable of doing things on our own.” God’s grace is sufficient for me in the time of need, but I must not resist His grace by relying on my own strength.

In order to put on the front of perfection I had to believe that I must hide my faults. It is a painful thing to expose myself to others and let them see my failures and faults. This is a symptom of pride and it takes humility to do such a thing. I have learned that I must follow James 5:16 in order to take a step in the right direction of conquering my faults, which says: “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Notice in this passage that healing does not take place until faults are confessed. The healing is usually referred to the physical, but it can also mean spiritual healing.

In the past, I occasionally believed the lie that “no one cares” because at certain times, no matter what I tried to accomplish or the how much I was hurting, I would not seem to gain attention from my friends. Believing this lie allowed me to easily use the excuse to treat others any way I wanted because they “don’t care.” However, this viewpoint is self-centered by putting my feelings above everything else, and I must keep my heart focused on this scripture: “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others” (Philippians 2:4).

God is not a god of fear and confusion. 2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” During my childhood years I was a fearful and timid little girl. Fear impacted many areas of my life. For example, I would refuse to ride the kiddy rides at the fair (the ones that barely leave the ground by 5 feet) because I was afraid it would break and consequently something bad would happen. Instead, I would just stand outside the fence and watch my younger sister enjoy the ride with thrill and excitement. I would not swim into the “deep-end” of the pool until I was around 10 years old because I was scared of drowning and not being saved. Furthermore, the diving board frightened me even more, as I thought, “What if I sink after diving in and cannot come up for air?” In another instance, I made my sister get her ears pierced first so that if something bad happened, I could decide to not have mine done.

These little stories may seem silly, and I look back on them with amusement, but they amounted to something big in my life. Satan was trying his hardest to build a stronghold in my life, and he found an inlet: fear. Fear started to overcome me in such a way that I could not even sleep at night due to the intense panic I felt as I laid in bed staring in the darkness. Horrible waves of fear would stream through my mind and I would begin to imagine the worst: Robbers gunning my parents down and me waking up to a dead father and mother. Kidnappers storming my house in the middle of the night and taking me or my siblings. My dear elderly grandmother dying in her sleep. These were only made up stories, but when I feel asleep, these would become reality in my dreams. Abandonment, death, separation, and even evil spirits would be the theme of my dreams. I would experience terror so great that I would feel nauseous to the point I felt like vomiting. I prayed to Jesus for deliverance, but I would not feel comforted for too long before I felt the fear arise gain. In many instances, I would scream for my mother, who would rush to comfort me with as she wrapped her arms around me and prayed.

Not only did the fear torment me spiritually and emotionally, but also physically. Stress produces disease. I developed rashes on my legs, arms, and stomach that would cause excruciating itching and pain at the same time. My father spent endless hours helping me to cover the affected areas with a medicated cream two times a day, but it barely abated the symptoms. It was not until my mother prayed not once, but twice for me that the fears began leaving. She claimed the powerful blood of Jesus Christ over my life, rebuked Satan, and cried out that I would be delivered from the stronghold of fear. I prayed also, asking Jesus for His protection and for His deliverance of fear in my life. I felt an instant freedom, and have ever since then. I cannot claim that I am never fearful and I still struggle with a fear of failure, but I have never experienced the terror that had bound me as a child.

The fear of failure did not develop until my teen years, which was when I began seriously setting goals and striving for my ambitions. I set such high standards for myself because no one else would. I strove for perfection in everything. I owned my first horse at age 13, won multiple state horse-related competitions and competed world-wide at ages 14 and 15, graduated high school at age 16, was making a profit in photography by age 17, and had saved thousands of dollars by age 18—all this because I pushed myself to be successful. I feared that I would fail to live out my life purpose and that my failure would be a reflection on God’s reputation. However, as I learned to entrust the Lord with my future and ambitions, the fear left. It’s not that I never fear or am not tempted to fear, but I know Who makes me successful. I know that if God is the one orchestrating my life purpose, there is nothing to fear because God never fails! These two verses have been something I have held onto as a life rhema: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

What lies are you believing? What fears are you experiencing? It is important to identify and resolve the lies and fears you believe, as this "poison" in your life will lead to harmful decisions and physical illness.

The report above is the product of an Embassy University course assignment and based off of the book "The Lies We Believe that Cause Stress and Disease."

God's Sovereignty

2011-06-25T13:29:00.014-04:00

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to know the future?

I have. A lot actually.

I've heard some people ask why God doesn't reveal the future to us. And I've also thought about that a lot. I was thinking, "If God reveals the future, couldn't we make choices to evade future events?" Contemplate this: if God said you are going to die at 3:09 PM tomorrow riding on a public transit bus, what would you be doing at 3:09 PM tomorrow? NOT RIDING ON A BUS, right? Right. You would purpose to not ride on a bus or go anywhere near one!

Obviously, we cannot know specific things about the future because we would change our actions to either avoid an event or make one happen. God does not force us on a path of certain destiny. We all have a choice . . . choices that determine other choices . . . and consequences that follow choices. We are given the privilege to select our choices, but not the consequences that follow (whether good or bad). So isn't it so much smarter to choose God's ways?

I don't know about you, but I'm thankful for a sovereign God who gives us a free choice. He does not control us like little puppets. This is a God that KNOWS our future--every details of it--however, He gives us the chance to mess up, learn, and do what is right . . . and even to call His name in the midst of trouble. I think that's awesome. I think He is amazing. He is.

"Understand that the right to choose your own path is a sacred privilege.
Use it.
Dwell in possibility."
~Oprah Winfrey

"But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds." ~Psalm 73:28

"But my eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign LORD; in you I take refuge--do not give me over to death." ~Psalm 141:8

I Left My First Love.

2011-05-01T14:09:00.006-04:00

I don't really enjoy admitting failure. I suppose none of us do. But especially me, because I like to appear to "have it all together." Well, NEWS FLASH: I don't. I fail. I slip. I fall. And I've even done it recently. And I hate when it happens. I hate hurting my Savior, and grieving the Holy Spirit.

Jesus is my first love, and will always be. But sometimes I leave Him in the dust. I get too consumed with what I want to do and leave His path of righteousness. ". . . you have abandoned the love you had at first." ~Revelation 2:4-5

So who else is thankful that He loved us first!? (1 John 4:19.)

I truly am.

Why am I writing these thoughts? Well. To encourage you to not let go--to not slip and fall. It is not worth it. Think of effort you will have to put in restoring your relationship with God and man. Keep fighting the good fight of faith brothers and sisters! Stay in His Word. Hold His hand tightly. Talk with your Savior.

F.o.r.g.i.v.e :: p.e.r.i.o.d

2011-04-17T16:24:00.011-04:00

Look at the image above and read all of the words. Now, does someone or a situation immediately come to mind as you think of betrayal, hate, and selfishness? Most of us have someone in our minds that we automatically assign one of these labels. If absolutely nothing comes to mind, then you are a true "Forgiver" and I want to know your secret. :)

This morning's sermon was on the topic of following Christ's example of forgiveness. The speaker elaborated on the importance to forgive as a Christian.

"A Christian's refusal to forgive is the most damaging testimony to give the world since the essence of Christ going to the cross is forgiveness and love."

"Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34).

"You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also" (Matt. 5:38-39).

"Our job is not to retaliate when someone offends or attacks us. We are to respond in forgiveness and mercy as Christ did."

Do you need to write a letter, make a phone call, or spend time with the Lord to make an offense right by forgiving a person? Do it. Do it today.

Pick up your sword and fight like a patriot.

2011-04-13T11:10:00.013-04:00

"These are the times that try men's souls . . ."

I recently stumbled upon again some of the writings of Thomas Paine (1737–1809), the patriot, dreamer, writer, and philosopher who shaped so much of our country's beginning. Paine's writing is SO GOOD. It is a rare thing to come across anyone these days who writes with the same caliber of passion, precision, and wisdom. I thought I'd share an excerpt of "The Crisis" (December 23, 1776). Be encouraged to fight like a soldier, for THESE times have causes worth fighting for!

"THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated. Britain, with an army to enforce her tyranny, has declared that she has a right (not only to tax) but "to bind us in all cases whatsoever" and if being bound in that manner, is not slavery, then is there not such a thing as slavery upon earth. Even the expression is impious; for so unlimited a power can belong only to God."

You are Better Than Me.

2011-03-20T14:44:00.014-04:00

This Sunday morning's message was very convicting and further confirmation of what God has been trying to teach me. We read Philippians 2:3-8. This is the kind of text that I would rather skip over. But we did read it, and I know I wasn't the only one in the sanctuary cringing. The reason is the way it challenges us to live above normalcy. It dares us to live unnaturally--Beyond human inclination. And it hurts, let me tell you.

"Do nothing from rivalry [selfish ambition] or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves."

What!? Did I read that correctly? "Count others more significant than yourselves"? That honestly stings. You see, it is against my nature to esteem others better. So I'm supposed to count that person who is constantly annoying me, taking advantage of me, and on top of that, is dumber than me, "more significant than myself"? You have to be kidding! I must confess I hardly do this. However, this is Christ's will, and not only is it His commandment, it is the essence of what Christ did on this earth.

"Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."

Put others' schedules, time, and preferences above mine. Wow. Intense stuff.

"Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men."

Did you catch that? Christ made Himself "NOTHING." Null. Zippo. Nada. He had no status (except with His Heavenly Father). He had no money. He had few possessions. He didn't even have friends in "high places." But wasn't He the one that deserved these things more than ANY person who has lived or ever will? And how many of those things do we work towards obtaining? I know that in my heart I lust after those things he denied. It is a constant battle to make myself "nothing."

"And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."

So how many of us "humble ourselves"? Please raise your hand! Um, this is not a normal exercise to do, is it? Usually we are kind of forced into humility due to someone else humbling us. It happens all the time. But, humbling ourselves...well that is another difficult matter. We must though. It is what Christ did. He allowed Himself to be stripped, beaten, and spit upon. He did not put up a fight to preserve His honor (which would, BTW, be my first inclination). No, He kept silent and bore vulgar humiliation, all for us.

How many times have you heard, "I don't want people thinking that they can take advantage of me." "Don't let people run over you!" "I can't let them use me and throw me away like a dirty rag." I have heard these excuses over and over and have even agreed with those statements at times. Today, though, I realized the error in this viewpoint. If you and I truly want to be like Christ...if we want to be Christ followers we must welcome this kind of treatment. When will you allow someone to "take advantage" of your resources, talent, time, or counsel?

Disaster in Japan :: You Can Help.

2011-03-11T16:48:00.016-05:00

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A massive 8.9 earthquake shook Japan on Friday, the strongest earthquake in Japan ever recorded in its history. Experts say it's the fifth-largest earthquake ever recorded. Watch the video above and you will see massive destruction caused by the Tsunami.

It's not only the enormous earthquake that is damaging, it is the tsunami that brings waves of destruction: demolishing houses, swallowing cars, causing pipe lines to burst which create fires, and engulfing hundreds of people. Those little boxes you in the video are houses. Thousands will be left with nothing, absolutely nothing. Over one thousand people are dead, and many more are injured.

Helping the world is within your reach.

How can you help?

Well first, PRAY. Pray that through all this havoc people will realize who can truly save their souls: Jesus Christ. He is the only One that can save us, eternally. Pray that the millions affected will be protected and provided for.

GIVE. There are several relief organizations that are already going into action. Many have already began started a relief fund. I donated to GlobalGiving.org

Below, there is a list of organizations that are responding to this tragedy which you may support.

I want JAPAN to know that our prayers are with you and the Christians of the United States will help. Read President Obama's statement, offering support and condolences to Japan and the Pacific areas.

Relief Organizations

- Convoy of Hope's Disaster Response team established connection with in-country partners who have been impacted by the damage and are identifying the needs and areas where Convoy of Hope may be of the greatest assistance. The best way to help is to donate online at convoyofhope.org or text TSUNAMI to 50555 to donate $10 to Convoy of Hope's Disaster Response efforts.

- ECFA (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability) has created a link on its homepage for givers to connect with member organizations already assisting or poised to assist in massive relief efforts there. Through its "ServantMatch," donors can identify accredited organizations working to bring aid to the disaster area.

- GlobalGiving.org has already launched the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund, raising funds which they plan to distribute to various efforts in the region.

- International Medical Corps is responding to the health needs of the disaster's victims.

- The Red Cross is asking for $10 donations to their relief efforts in Japan online or by texting REDCROSS to 90999 to donate from your phone.

- The Salvation Army in Tokyo is sending an assessment team to the city of Sendai tonight to assess damage and will begin providing basic necessities (food, water, etc.) beginning as soon as possible tonight or tomorrow.

In Tokyo, the Army opened its main building to help shelter commuters who were unable to reach home. They served hot drinks and packed meals.
The latest updates will be available at http://blog.salvationarmyusa.org/,
www.facebook.com/salvationarmyusa
and www.twitter.com/salvationarmyus.

Those interested can text "JAPAN" or "QUAKE" to 80888 to make a $10 donation to the Army's relief efforts.

- Save the Children is moving quickly to address the situation there. Donations to their Children's Emergency Fund will support this effort.

- World Vision has also announced global mobilization in response to tsunami warnings. To help, consider making a donation to their World Vision's Disaster Response Fund.

A Passion for Jesus Conference :: 2011:: Atlanta, GA

2011-03-10T21:20:00.011-05:00

We live in a society where being a Christian girl is becoming increasingly difficult and where the majority simply settle for an added dose of Christianity to their self-absorbed, self-indulgent lives. The challenges facing today’s young people are overwhelming and the statistics prove staggering: 17% of abortions are obtained by teenage girls between the ages of 12-18. 1 out of every 100 young women between 13-20 years old are starving themselves, accounting for 90% of all anorexia statistics. Sadly, 1 out of every 4 Evangelical Christian girls admit they question God's very existence. Broken relationships, fear, depression, rejection and guilt are all too common struggles even among "Christian" young women.

In a broken world full of darkness, we would like to offer hope and Light! It is our goal and mission to help girls realize their ultimate purpose in life and to reach the full potential of who God created them to be. Our desire is to encourage young ladies in their walk with the Lord and help them realize that true freedom, peace, and joy is possible in their everyday lives through Christ!

Join other Christian girls at the Passion for Jesus Conference!

March 26th, 2011 at Calvary Baptist Church of Smyrna, GA located only 15 miles north of Atlanta.

This conference is for ages 12 through college age. Moms are welcome!

Please go to www.apassionforjesus.com for more information!

Westboro Baptist Church: I have a message for you.

2011-03-05T22:59:00.025-05:00

God Hates You. Thank God For Dead Soldiers. God Hates Israel. These slogans are just a sampling of the many hate-filled, anti-semitic, offensive anti-gay phrases paraded about funerals by Westboro Baptist Church members. If you haven't read about WBC's picketing, please take time to view this article. The Westboro Baptist Church has reappeared in the news recently due to the Supreme Court's ruling on Phelps vs. Synder.

I'm calling for a stop to this perverted and hateful picketing. I know that my blog is just one-in-ten-million; but as a member of the body of Christ, I have an obligation to take a stand. And if any supporters of Westboro's protests ever read this, I would like to say that you are mis-representing the body of Christ and this is a devastating thing. Where in the world is this group getting the Scriptural basis for their hate speech? What goal is trying to be accomplished? I can tell you what is being accomplished. The public is shoving the church farther away because of these incidents. People are being hurt and deeply offended by this. Protesting at a funeral is unthinkable. There is a time and place for everything! Yes we should present truth, but in love. "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal" (1 Cor. 13:1). And that is exactly what Westboro Baptist Church is--a noisy, clanging cymbal that is driving potential believers away. I would like to quote a few Scriptures below that clearly contradict these insensitive and disgusting slogans.

"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" ~Matthew 5:43-44

"Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.'" ~Matthew 22:36-40

"For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes on Him will have eternal life." ~ John 3:16-17

"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound." ~Isaiah 61:1

I would like to know what WBC has to say about these verses, because their messages are so contrary to each one listed above. If you cannot defend your position, there is a problem. Just a note, the only two groups of people that Jesus came down hard on were the "religious" pharisees and those who were corrupting the Lord's house. Westboro Baptist Church: If you want to protest, go stand outside of our corrupted, sham, and power-less churches across America!!!

My heart aches for those who have lost loved ones, either by AIDS, war, or other causes. Yes there are consequences to sins (such as AIDS), but we should pray for and love those who have not come to the light of Jesus Christ. Hate only drives away. Hate divides. Hate is of the devil.

Christians who are reading this, please re-post this or do something to raise awareness. We need to know what is going on in our world and make a stand against evil. We need to let the world know that we do not endorse this behavior and that true Christianity is about loving sinners. Pray for them. Write about this. If you really want to be radical, write a letter! 3701 West 12th Street, Topeka, Kansas is the address of WBC.

The Show Must Go On :: Alberto Solano

2011-02-21T19:38:00.024-05:00

Lights out.

The final call has been shouted, the time is here – the time is now. The curtains have been rolled back, the audience awaits in awe. The women have stopped flopping their programs in the air, the men their glasses have adjusted. The stage is ready, the people are expectant…

Your life has began.

A minuet, a simple tune starts to play. It is your relatives, tutors, teachers, and parents that set the music. As your life goes on, your feet start to dance and to the audience’s admiration, your steps become leaps in the air. One, then another, your accomplishments are applauded. Life. Life is nothing but cheering and candy jar spilling. Then…the tune changes…

The cast members hand you a pile of pages and books, you recall them saying, “You ought to learn.” Bound to schedules, short break times, and weird classmates, yet you jump, catching a camera flash or two. But, seems as if the stage lost a few light bulbs…things start to change.

Minuets turn into alternative pop; the play has a new pace. A few more scenes and the stage starts to grow on you. You like the smell of new costumes and the dazzling awe the new characters bring into the stage. TV shows, your friend’s new computer set, the new winner of American Idol.

And then…tragedy strikes. The sound your feet make is nothing, but imitations of the characters around you. Your costume changes; you command the DJ to change the tune. Your mind goes from concentration to alteration; your body from script to world utopia. Slow, fast, fast, fast, SLOW. The astonishing characters you once admired pull you back and forth.

Then, as if this play was not already a twirl of its own, the shouting comes as soon as your high school diploma arrives. Lawyers, doctors, fashion men, and business gals call you out to their chains of slavery, “Come”, they say, “be like one of us.” The words ponder in your head. What to do, what to do?! Sigh…you look at your feet, you call out a name. “You. Yes, you. I’ll become you.” Again, the DJ changes your tune.

Tic-Toc, Tic-Toc. You hear that? That’s your queue.

School is tipping off, you are reaching the mark, the end. Finally those words will leave your mind, never to come back. Congratulations, new individual in this planet, you are now ready to be chained to a step pattern for the rest of the play.

Oh.

OH!!!

Wait…isn’t there a writer to this story? Can it be that this stage is conducted by merely figures and sounds? A writer…a director.

In Jeremiah 1:5 we read, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.”

He – the creator of the stage, the chairs in the audience, the lighting set and the speakers – the All Knowing, all Majestic, all Powerful Creator. He formed you. Before you were born, He saw the stage you were to step in. He prepared your dancing shoes so perfect. He arranged every spot light and every floor tile, just to fit your dance…

But…you turned away from the director and decided to step in and change the tunes, the back wallpapers, and the scenes. You dressed up to the saying of the characters that came in, and never thought of the director’s idea.

Beloved, He – your maker – He knows your every move. He sees you every time you fall and fail. He knows the long hours you have invested in trying to perform just right. But, you have not invited Him to lead the steps for you. You have not let Him change the track and wallpapers for you.

Let Him direct; call Him up to the center-front. Together, your songs will turn into soft melodies, and your worries into joyfulness. For He promised, if you invite Him into the stage, He will never leave your side. Then, it will not be just you saying, but both in unison, “The show must go on.”

Hand in hand.

Alberto Solano spent most of his childhood and early teenage years in Mexico, with the exception of some years in the US. There, Al, as known by his close friends, would show his true colors to be travels, music, and disciple making. His passion is to encourage and exhort youth and young adults to a deeper relationship with The Lord. Calling out the forerunner that will prepare the way for the second coming of Jesus Christ. Through prayer houses, Bible study groups, and worship sessions, Alberto has devoted His life to be used by God.

Alberto recently graduated with a bachelor degree from the Verity Institute of Indiana. Attended Productivity and Innovation Development at ITESM as well as varios marketing and web design corses with graduate universities. Currently works at a local marketing firm in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Serving Christ Through Others :: Heather Ness

2011-02-09T20:39:00.018-05:00

Have you ever thought about what Jesus looks like? I do all the time. Maybe it’s the physical human part of me that wants an image for what I cannot see. It’s also the physical human part of people that want our Lord to look attractive. Most of the paintings I see of someone else’s idea of Jesus are usually of someone very beautiful and angelic, wide-eyed and innocent-looking. His hair is neatly combed, beard neatly trimmed, and clothes cleaned. How accurate is this image really? Even Isaiah 53:2 says,

“He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.”

Something tells me that, at least during His time on earth, Jesus looked like the average guy. This seems almost sacrilegious to say, but wouldn’t a plain face fit more with meek and lowly image Jesus revealed to the world?

I work in fast food, and sometimes I have to work at the window in the drive-thru to take the money for each car’s order. Recently a man drove through who caught my attention, not because anything about his physical appearance was special, but rather because it was so base.

When he pulled up to the window in his old clunker, the first things I noticed were his straggly unkempt beard and his raggedy, smelly clothes that didn’t even fit him. As he handed me his money, I saw his long, dirty fingernails. I think people’s typical first reaction would be to avoid unpleasant-looking people instead of to be drawn to them. For some reason, I thought, “what if Jesus looked like him?” Well, what if He did? Would I still follow Him, still love Him? My heart answered a resounding “yeah, of course!” Then I remembered that Jesus also told His disciples that one day He will say,

“Truly, I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40).

So, if we’re to really follow Jesus, if we’re to put His words into daily-life practice, we should deny our natural impulses. We need to love the unlovable, serve the people who will never thank us, and embrace those who everyone else avoids.

Heather Ness is a college student who lives in the Peach State, Georgia! She currently works at Chick-Fil-A and volunteers at a non-profit child advocacy association. Heather is studying to be a Christian counselor, and one day hopes to open her own counseling clinic to counsel young women through the difficult times in their lives. She has a passion for inspirational writing, and uses her skills to encourage others to pursue a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.

Live in Love :: Marian Solano

2011-01-27T21:23:00.030-05:00

Love. God is love. We say it so easily, and yet, do we even know what we’re saying? God created us with a great, deep need and passion to be loved, and to love. Why? Because He Himself is love. He created us with a vacuum, an empty space.

That’s why my heart is constantly unsatisfied, constantly screaming for more, more what? More of Jesus, more of Him, closer to Him; it’s the gift of the need, the beauty of weakness. I need Jesus, I need God and I know it. My heart longs for a nearness and intimacy that only God can fulfill. The deepest, truest, most excruciating need within me is for HIM.

The craving of my heart is for JESUS. The cry of thirst from my soul is for the living God, and the highest demonstration of true love eternal is the death of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross, because He loved the world, because of love.

What dictates my thinking? What motivates my behavior? What drives my actions? Love does. Love for myself, when I let my flesh drag me into selfishness, and love for others, when I attempt the difficult task of dying to myself to bless those around me. And it's my love for God that makes me attempt the “impossible” and take my cross daily, striving to let His Holy Spirit take over control in my life.

It’s love! Love is the reason, the cause, the goal, the beginning and the end. Then how to live? Live in love. In love with God, letting His holiness and beauty drown all doubt, fear and worry. Living in love with the initiator of this wonderful love story we’ve been caught in by His love, mercy and grace. To live in the love relationship we were created to thrive in, to experience the fullness of an all consuming love. Love is more than an emotion, more than a passion, a feeling or a conviction. Love is a Person. Jesus is love. God is love.

Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. ~1 John 4:8

So beloved, dare to love! Decide to fall in love with the Bridegroom of the Church, the Desire of Nations, the King, Ruler, Father and Judge. He is ready and eager to pour out His love on your heart. Just say “yes." The more we know Him personally, the more we fall in love with Him. We love Him more as we discover the magnitude of His love toward His children, we fall in love with God as a natural response when we chose to realize and believe that Love has loved us first, and we let that truth consume our minds and ignite our hearts.

Live in Love, abide in Jesus.

Marian Solano is an amazing writer, photographer, follower of Jesus, and many more titles! This girl of many talents is not wasting them-she strives to do everything for the glory of the Lord. Marian loves to travel and making God known wherever she goes, and being fluent in several languages expands her opportunity to minister to others around the world. Marian currently resides in Mexico, but she knows that her "real" home is where God is, heaven.

Introducing . . .

2011-01-26T22:23:00.002-05:00

. . . Guest bloggers! Tomorrow, I will start "hosting" guest writers on my blog. Be on the lookout for something new and exciting!

If you are interested in writing a post relative to my blog's theme, you may email me at havelifeabundantly@gmail.com for more information.

Do more than just dream.

2011-01-24T17:01:00.006-05:00

As the New Year comes around, I dare you to. . .

2010-12-27T16:18:00.020-05:00

. . . take time to set long-lasting goals. Here is an essay of inspiration:

I could not look up. I was trembling inside and didn't want my voice to show it. The words just wouldn't come out of my mouth! "Uh . . . um . . . I'm, g . . . good" was my answer to a simple "how are you?" question directed toward me. Now I hoped my poorly uttered answer would suffice, and this "stranger" would end her attempt to converse with me. As you have probably deduced, I had an issue with shyness which I eventually resolved to do something about. I agree with the statement that goals we set for ourselves are the most difficult and challenging, as opposed to other setting them for us. When we set them for ourselves, there is no question we must complete them. I experienced this firsthand when I resolved to defeat shyness out of my own initiative.

Clearly, I saw my inadequacy. Nobody accused me of being a fearful, timid mouse so that I could be offended and rudely defend myself. No, I acknowledged this big failure, therefore I determined to fix it. If that had not been the case, and someone had criticized me for being shy, I might have sunken into deeper introversion and denial. When one comes to the realization that he or she has a problem, there are only two conclusions we must come to. Either we choose to ignore the problem and move on, or we decide to fix it. I courageously made the latter choice.

Secondly, I am the one who resolved to overcome this monstrous fear. I "dared" myself in a sense, and I was certainly not going to "let myself win." From experience, I have determined that "self-dares" are the greatest incentives to complete a goal. Often, friends will dare you to do something, usually to do something foolish, and they really do not care if you go through with it or not. On the other hand, if you set a very brave, but challenging goal for yourself, you obviously do care and want to change.

Finally, knowing that I had a goal and was getting close to meeting it, I realized I could push myself further. When a parent tells a child to clean his room, he does it to meet her standards. But when he determines to clean his room, you will not find a toy or piece of clothing out of place. This is because he has set a standard, and he knows he can push himself further. When I saw someone I knew, I not only defeated my shyness by clearly and adequately answering questions, I determined to go up to that person, greet them, and ask them friendly questions.

In summary, goals set by yourself are the most challenging and difficult, because we know we have to complete them. When someone throws out a goal for us to give a shot at and we miss, it is not a great experience. But how much more humiliating is it for ourselves to set a goal, and we fail at it, miserably? That's why we do not fail at those types of goals. Face it--you have to live with yourself (failures along with successes) 24/7.

Spice Up Your Relationship!

2010-12-01T00:19:00.014-05:00

These days so many people are searching for ways to "keep the fire burning" or ideas to "spice up" a relationship between their husband/wife or significant other. What do you do when that natural spark is gone? Well I've got bad news. And good news! Which do you want first? Alright, here's the bad: I'm not here to tell you how to get the "butterflies in your stomach" feeling back for your lover. But I am here to make you think outside the box regarding your relationship with the Savior of the World!

Do you long to return to "your first love," Jesus Christ? Or maybe you just desire to relive a time when you felt so close, so intimate with Jesus. These things take time, effort, and a heart that longs after Him. If you are tired of the routinely 5-minute prayer and 2-minute Bible reading each day, there are a few things that might help you to shake things up and make your relationship with Christ different and well, fun!

1. Read the Songs of Solomon.
Ok, I must make a confession. This is one of my most favorite books in the Bible. :) For some reason this book is usually just skipped over by many Christians. Why? I just don't know. This book, (though a bit steamy:), is God's written Word and an expression of how Christ deeply loves his bride, us, the church! Read this out loud like you are reading a love letter, and try to comprehend how great his love is for us. One day we will be with Him, and will be wed to Him in heaven!

2. Study something interesting!
I knowwwww, no one likes to study anymore. But I bet you like to "Google!" That's right, all I'm asking is that you "Google" (in an online Bible:) a subject that you have an interest in or questions about. For example, I was curious what the Bible said about doubting, and whether it was a sin or not. There are so many interesting topics you can look up: family roles, the kind of food they ate "back then," soldiers, love, etc. God's Word is a great gift to us and we are able to study it so easily. The internet is a great resource for getting to know His Word better, which means getting to know the Author better.

3. Verbally tell the Lord you love Him.
It sounds so cliche, I understand. But do you do it?? I surely do not enough. Why do we forget that God is a being and LONGS for our love. Tell Jesus you love Him and mean it.

4. Write/sing a song.
If you are musically-inclined in any way, pick a portion of scripture or put a personal prayer to music as an offering to the Lord. The Psalms make great lyrics for a song to God! And it does not need to be perfect-because you don't have to share it with anyone except for your Creator!

5. Pick a special place to meet God.
As a child you must have had a designated place in the woods or inside the house that was "secret" to others and special to you. Maybe you still have a special place like that. Try to pick a place outside, free of distractions, and somewhat secluded where you can go and just sit in the presence of God. Bring a Bible and a blanket and just enjoy the time with your Redeemer. The instances I have done this has been my most memorable and intimate times with God.

There you go! Those are some ideas to give your relationship with Christ a creative boost. I would love to hear if you have additional thoughts!

PERU:: October 2010

2010-11-03T21:25:00.025-04:00

Ever heard the story of Gideon's army? Well, imagine you are picked to be one of three-hundred soldiers to storm a camp of several thousand enemy soldiers--armed with only trumpets and clay pitchers. It's no matter that your armour may not be properly adjusted or whether you suddenly have a feeling of panic, the call is to "move forward" and you are expected to advance and fight with what you have. In the end, Gideon's scaled down army conquered easily with the help of the Lord.

In a small way, I feel like this was our experience on the trip to Peru. Many of us left for Peru not knowing what to expect and feeling unequipped. However we when left Peru, we all had a completely different feeling--a feeling of victory through our Lord!

Honestly, I have no clue where to start. The trip to Peru was so much bigger and so much more than I ever expected. God truly answered every. single. prayer. request. and beyond!

These were our prayer requests before we left and I will try to summarize how God answered each one:

1. Unity: among the team members.
I've never seen team-work and unity expressed in a group like I experienced last week. I really didn't know what to expect since there were technically two teams on the trip: Team 1, who had already been to Peru in July, and Team 2. There was no division whatsoever but an overwhelming unity from God.

2. God's Providence: for finances, opportunities, etc.
Unbelievably, everything that involved our stay in Peru was taken care of financially, due to a very generous Peruvian gentleman. And God did provide numerous opportunities for all of us.

3. Schedule: that it would be according to Gods' will.
The schedule couldn't have gone better. It was jam packed! We were able to visit several schools, an abused girl's home, and a boy's shelter, where many received Christ as their Savior!

4. Health: for all the team members as they are in Peru.
No one got deathly sick, thank the Lord. :) And most of us remained healthy for the duration of the trip.

5. Safety: in all our travels.
It couldn't have gone better. We were provided with buses and drivers to transport us around in addition to bodyguards who made us feel super secure. :) Plus God's angels were there protecting us all the way!

6. Wisdom: for the leaders and directors involved.
Granted.

7. Gang members: as we develop a program to transform their lives.
We met with ten gang leaders, hand-picked by the mayor of Callao, to try and persuade them to begin transforming their lives. Dr. Gothard asked them if they had an opportunity to help young people avoid the hurts that they had gone through, would they? They all answered yes. In the end they all accepted Christ as their Savior and want to receive further training. Please continue to pray for this situation as Dr. Gothard creates a program to help them in the States.

8. Health system: that God would open doors for the healing of diseases
through resolving stresses.
We met with several top doctors in the nation on Peru and they were all open and excited to implement the material which explains how to destroy disease by resolving stress.

9. Government: that God would work through the top leaders in Peru.
Mr. Gothard, the President of IBLP, had the chance to meet with several of Peru's presidential candidates plus numerous regional officials. They were all so open to implementing Godly principles to change Peru for the good; and some of them even accepted Jesus Christ!

Please continue to pray for the Peru project! We still have much to accomplish!

God bless,
AJ

This is Our Time. This is Your Time. This is God's Time!

2010-10-23T12:10:00.009-04:00

"How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, 'Your God reigns.'" ~Isaiah 52:7

In less than 12 hours, the Peru team, including myself, will begin our gradual journey to PERU! I say that this is our time, your time, and ultimately God's time because we've been preparing for/talking about this trip for months, and it's finally here!!

This is the time to take full advantage of the opportunities put before by the Peruvians which has come from God. This is also YOUR time to begin fervent prayer for our team. You have more of an impact that you realize.

I humbly ask that you set aside at lest one meal to fast and pray for this trip. This visit to Peru could be the start of something HUGE. We have a chance to transform the political, health, and educational systems in the nation of Peru. And if this happens, Peru will experience prosperity as never before and will become an example to the world of God's goodness and wisdom.
Please specifically pray for the following needs based off the passage in Isaiah 61:1-3:

• That the spirit of God would be upon us. "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor"

• That God would give us wisdom in ministering to the brokenhearted, hurting, and lost.
"He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor . . . to comfort all who mourn . . ."

• That we would be able to give testimonies to transform painful memories into jewels of God's grace.
"To give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord . . ."

• That God might be glorified throughout all the nation, in every aspect.
". . . that He may be glorified."

Your fervent prayer will be more than appreciated. It will be valued higher than anything you could give. Thank you.

His Servant,
Amanda

How Qualified Are You to Serve God?

2010-09-27T21:00:00.002-04:00

Every person, at some point in his or her life, has had a dream to so something great–something big. It is exciting that Jesus Christ gives all of His followers a chance to do great works for His Kingdom in heaven and on earth. We are called to serve God in showing His love to our family, community, country, and our world.

Have you ever had a deep desire to serve the Lord in a "big" way? Do you think you are ready and qualified to serve the Lord in ANY situation? If so let's see how well you answer these questions!

1. Do you measure greatness by how many people you get to serve or in how many people serve you?

2. Do you spend time pursuing God in one way or another daily?

3. Do you have determination in properly completing any task that is given you, large and small?

4. Do you pursue wisdom and knowledge which is the beginning of the fear of God?

5. Are you still in your youth, or are you an adult?

6. In "the crowd" of people you hang around, are you known as the "cool" person, or are you despised or looked down upon?

7. Do you know the key for success?

8. Are you an intelligent, capable, and independent person?

9. Are you willing to give up everything, except for Christ and the basic necessities for living?

Well how did you do? Did you answer all the questions correctly? Some of the answers just may surprise you!

1. Answer: Greatness is not measured by how many people serve you, but by how many people you get to serve. ". . . And he [Jesus] said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” ~Mark 9:35

2. Answer: "He [Jesus] said to him the third time, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me?' Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, 'Do you love me?' and he said to him, 'Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.'" ~John 21:17

If you truly love someone it will show. Prove your love for Christ by seeking Him early and everyday. "I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me." ~Proverbs 8:17

3. Answer: If we can't complete a small task with endurance and determination, what makes us think we can accomplish big things? ". . . Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us" ~Heb 12:1

"The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor." ~Pr. 12:24 Laziness will come back to bite you one day. Furthermore, we are to do all things as unto Christ. (See Col. 2:23.)

4. Answer: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." ~Pr. 22:4 (Also see Pr. 2.)

"The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life." ~Pr. 22:4 Solomon was given the chance to ask God for whatever he wanted, and he chose wisdom. This honored choice honored God, so He not only gave Solomon but riches and favor with others.

5. Answer: It doesn't matter! God can use you in your youth--not just when you are "grown up." "Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." ~1 Tim. 4:12

David was but a "boy" when he slew Goliath. (See 1 Sam. 17.)

6. Answer: You will be despised and persecuted if you take a stand for Jesus. That is a definite fact. "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." ~Matt 5:11

You can't serve both the world and God. Pick one and don't be a lukewarm Christian. "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." ~Matt 6:24

7. Answer: Seek God above all other things and everything else will be added to you. "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." ~Matt. 6:33

"The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life." ~Pr. 22:4

"In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." ~Pr. 3:6

8. Answer: You do not have to possess any skills or talents to serve God. He will give you supernatural strength and talent. (See Isaiah 40:31.)
You may recall God used seemingly incapable and sometimes incompetent individuals all throughout Scripture: Moses, Joseph, David, Daniel, Ruth, Mary, Rahab, and it goes on.

When God called Moses to lead the children of Israel, he said, "Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” ~Ex. 4:10

9. Answer: God will test you to see how much you are willing to give up for Him. Jesus always stressed the importance of giving up family, riches, and careers to follow Him. "Jesus told his disciples, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.'" ~Matt. 16:24

"Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." ~Matt. 10:39

"Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you." ~Matt 10:28

Please leave comments on your thoughts and additional insights! Feel free to ask questions as well!

Dios Bendice Monterrey!

2010-09-24T21:42:00.004-04:00

Saddle-back Mountain, Monterrey

This is a panorama I shot while Olivia and I were in Monterrey last month. Isn't God's creation amazing?

Wisdom is Her Name

2010-09-09T21:01:00.010-04:00

I wish I could say that my name is Wisdom. Not so. As I fail to be sufficiently prepared and make dumb mistakes, I am reminded that I am not the Woman of Wisdom. I want to be, though. Wisdom intrigues me. I pursue it. I want to be the master of wisdom--not just being "smart". I want to be smart about right and wrong, handling situations and decisions with expertise and discernment.

Today I went into the city of Chicago to take an "Intro to Computing" DSST test for school. I'm praying God worked through and gave me wisdom for each question to get it correct! I believe He did. I will find out in a few weeks, I suppose!

As I was waiting for the train, I sat outside at a little sitting area next to the Chicago river. The weather was absolutely gorgeous! In the afternoon it was in the 70's and felt amazing compared to hot Georgia weather. :) I opened my bible to read the Psalm and Proverb of the day; so since is was the 9th, I read the 9th chapters. Proverbs 9 is all about wisdom vs. folly (and so is the preceding chapter), and as I read it I decided to analyze it and write down the attributes of Wisdom, but before I type that out here is the passage on the woman of wisdom:

"Wisdom has built her house;
she has hewn her seven pillars.

She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed
her wine;she has also set her table.

She has sent out her young women to call
from the highest places in the town,

'Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!'
To him who lacks sense she says,

'Come, eat of my bread
and drink of the wine I have mixed.

Leave your simple ways, and live,
and walk in the way of insight.'"

I observed that Wisdom:

:: Has obtained skills (she cannot build a house not knowing how to do such a task)

:: Builds her house (life) with strong foundations

:: Is hospitable and adequately prepared (e.g. food prepared, table set)

:: Possesses the quality of organization evident in her delegation of friends complete a task

:: Is effective in communicating with others (going to the high places)

:: Is honest and non-seductive (vs. the woman of folly)

:: Directs people to the truth

I thought these are interesting insights and hope to one day achieve all of these attributes. What other insights can you share? Can you see another aspect of wisdom in either the 8th or 9th chapter of Proverbs?

2010 Vintage Girl Mexico :: Part 2

2010-08-16T18:48:00.021-04:00

After the three-day conference, we headed back to Monterrey, and stayed at the Rodriguez casa. It felt good to get away from mosquito haven, but it was sad saying "good-bye" to my newly made amigas at the end of Vintage Girl. The evening we left the camp to go back to Monterrey we went to Burger King for dinner and enjoyed some ginormous whoppers. Even though I love some good Mexican food, man I have to admit, the American burgers tasted good after several days of frijoles (beans:)!

The remainder of our time in Mexico was spent touring Monterrey, visiting an orphanage, and spending the night at the Abregos' amazing house. Going downtown Monterrey and shopping was so much fun, but the most meaningful experience was going to the orphanage. If you think you have it bad--maybe you're going through a tough situation or something is going wrong in your life--think again. I am guilty of doing that very thing. Sometimes I think I deserve to go through life trial-free. Or maybe my attitude is rotten because I an dissatisfied with my family, possessions, or where I am in life. Going to Mexico and visiting an orphanage opened my eyes to how good I really have it.

The group of American girls, Olivia, and I, went to a local government-run orphanage. I was blown away to see, not the physical condition of the children, but their emotional condition. The orphanage was good-sized, holding about 150 children at the time. Surprisingly, the facility and houses were in very good condition. The living conditions seemed very nice for the caretakers and the children.

We toured around some areas of the orphanage, such as the hair styling room, the art and dance studio, and the caretakers houses. Eventually we ended up in the 0-2 yrs. section where they keep the babies and toddlers. As we went up to their cribs, most of them just reached out to us. Only a couple shied away in fear. The caretakers don't believe in holding or showing any affection to the children. They believe that the kids will then become attached and hurt. So they are deprived of any affection, unless they get adopted. On a side note, Cristina said that it's very difficult to adopt from that orphanage, so the children stay there until adulthood. It's so sad. And not only do they deny them the necessity of being loved, they abuse the children. The babies are trained to lay a certain way, and are probably beaten into submission. I was shocked when I saw half-a-dozen small belts hanging up on the side of a crib. I don't even want to know what they are used for.

Playing with the babies and toddlers was such a joy. Though, Cristina said something that was very heart-breaking. She said that the day we played with the kids, might have been the happiest day of their lives. And that is because, obviously they weren't wanted and loved when they got to the orphanage, and even there they are abused. So when we spent time to hold and love on the children, it was a shocking reality that that day they were shown the most affection they had ever received. I wanted to keep every little girl and boy! I just wanted them to be loved on forever. I think every one of us left the orphanage almost in tears. It was a very bitter-sweet experience.

The last day came all too soon. But I'm so thankful for our time in Mexico and look forward to going back, Lord willing! I'm so appreciative to my Heavenly Father who protected us and made the whole thing possible!

2010 VIntage Girl Mexico :: Part 1

2010-08-12T22:04:00.013-04:00

Oh it's so hard to put down in writing, circumstances and events that cannot be captured in words. But I will try, and maybe you will get the "gist." On a side note, I'm packing for Chicago and am moving in a couple of days, so in the midst of having too much to do, I'm blogging. :)

In this first post, I will tell about the journey down to Mexico and the Vintage Girl conference. On the first day, August 3rd, Olivia and I flew into Laredo, Texas and stayed with a friend there until the following day. We enjoyed the good fellowship and awesome stuffed jalapeno peppers we had for dinner. :) We also drove around Laredo, (to get acclimated to the crazy Mexican drivers:), stopped at some local stores, and ate at a local taco place.

On the 4th we left Laredo in the morning on a bus headed for Monterrey! We had no problems at the border and it was a breeze getting our 180-day permits (or so we thought, but more on that later). The bus arrived in Monterrey in good time--even after picking up people from a broken down bus! And we were picked up from the airport and shortly thereafter arrived at the retreat campgrounds. We also met the other American girls who had flown into Monterrey. I can say without a doubt, that they all have a huge heart for the Lord and served without complaining or reservation.

On the 5th, the day Vintage Girl began, girls and their luggage started piling in. One cute dark-haired-Spanish-speaking came in one after another. And all the girls seemed to come with positive attitudes and excited spirits! I enjoyed being able to greet them with my limited Spanish, "Hola! Como estas?". :)

The days at the retreat were packed with fun sessions, creative group games, swimming, devotions, and great fellowship! At first, it was easy to become discouraged about not knowing much Spanish, therefore limiting my interaction with the girls. But God spoke to me and said that I do not needs words to show true love to these girls. All I need is a smile, perfect greeting, and a willingness to serve each and every girl. Matthew 5:16 says, "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." Just let your light shine, and there is no need for words in order for people to see your works, and glorify the Father.

During the retreat I was able to help Cristina with power-point, and Olivia and I played guitars and sang a couple of times. The girls seemed to enjoy our song, even though a lot of them didn't really understand the words. I'm thankful language is not a barrier to God!

On the last day of Vintage Girl, the 7th, we had a "spa session" where a lady came to talk about skin care and tips on keeping your skin healthy. Then we set up "stations" for the girls to go through and get beauty treatments. :) All of us team leaders were given the fun task of spoiling the girls. We did hand massages, back massages, nail painting, etc., for two hours! But it was an awesome time for all the girls to bond with each other and the team leaders during the relaxing spa treatments. :)

For the last session, Cristina presented the Gospel to all the girls and had a time of prayer. Even though many of them claim to be saved, Cristina made a wise decision to give the message of salvation, because that is fundamental. And praise God, 30 girls came up to Cristina and told her they had prayed and accepted Jesus into their lives!

The retreat was such a blessing to me. I love Mexicans because they are so much more open and not reserved, like a lot of Americans! :) I think I may have learned more than the girl's that attended!

The retreat helped many girls to hear the truth and forced them to make decision between serving themselves, or God. I am praying for all of the Mexican girls who attended and hope that God used those 3 days to impact their lives for eternity.

Well so ends part 1. I will continue and conclude with part 2 soon! Thanks for all the prayers!

We are here!

2010-08-08T00:39:00.004-04:00

Saddleback Mt.
(Wiki Commons)

Just to let all of you know, Olivia and I arrived (finally) in Monterrey, safely. We have completed the retreat and have a couple more days in Monterrey. God's faithfulness is ever present and His goodness is never failing. I love all the Mexican girls I got to meet--they are so sweet! I can't say much more right now, but we are having a great time and enjoying the Rodriguez's hospitality! I can't wait to tell you all about it when we get back! Adios amigos. :)

Vintage Girl 2010 :: Monterrey, Mexico

2010-08-02T18:40:00.007-04:00

Hi my long-lost-readers!

It has been quite a while, unfortunately. I'm pretty embarrassed to look at the date of my last post! Hopefully, (note I am saying this with hope, not confidence:) I will pick my hobby of blogging back up. There are going to be some major changes in my life, and I will have some great stuff to talk about in the near future.

But, back to my subject for this post, my sister Olivia and I are headed to Monterrey, MX tomorrow to help with Cristina Rodriguez's annual Vintage Girl Conference. We will be teamed up with a Spanish speaking gal to co-lead a team of girl's during the retreat. Olivia and I will also be doing worship music, and Olivia will be speaking at a main session.

I am so excited that God has opened up this opportunity and provided us with more than enough funds to go! I am looking forward to taking many pictures and sharing with you all what God has done in the lives of the leaders and attending girls. Please be praying for our safety. And be praying that God will start even now, preparing the hearts of the Mexican and American girls that will be attending the conference.

Olivia and myself!

"Then Job answered the LORD and said: "I know that you can do

all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 'Who is

this that hides counsel without knowledge?' Therefore I have

uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me,

which I did not know. 'Hear, and I will speak; I will question

you, and you make it known to me.'" ~Job 42:1-4

Change.

2010-02-24T15:27:00.006-05:00

I want to revamp my life. It's time for change. Every once in a while we must "re-position" ourselves. I just seem to lack something. I guess I need some structure.Have you ever kept going on in life feeling like something needs to change?

That how's I feel. I don't feel my life's spiraling out of control; or that I lack happiness. It's just that I need to re-focus every so often and evaluate where I'm headed and what I am pursuing. And change some things from there.

Some questions I need to ask (and these are good for everyone!):
~Where am I spending my time and effort? Is it eternal? Do things that benefit others.~

~What talents and resources could I maybe do a better job of reinvesting somewhere else? I could be wasting what God has given me.~

~And lastly how is my relationship with God? No it's not a religion. It's a relationship based on love with the One and only God!~

Lose Control

2010-02-11T22:16:00.017-05:00

As he grips the control wheel until his knuckles are white, the pilot keeps a nervous eye on the altitude indicator which displays a shocking rate of decline. The plane has encountered rough turbulence. The pilot suddenly becomes dizzy as the plane feels as if it is spinning continually downward.

Another man sits in the co-pilot seat firmly giving step-by-step commands to pull the plane out of it's descent and back to the normal flying pattern. The pilot yells "no" to the co-pilot--not verbally, but in his thoughts--and he tells himself he needs no help. I know I can do this by myself. After all this is my plane! These and similar thoughts are racing through the pilot's head.

Adrenaline is now pumping through the pilot's veins as he uses all his physical and mental strength to get control over the plane. But it is all in vain. Refusing to use the infallible scientific instruments, and being unable to get a grip of his position or altitude, the now nauseous and disoriented pilot gives up completely. "Will you trust me know?" asks the co-pilot seated beside him. "Yes! Do what you want!" screams the pilot. The co-pilot calmly takes the wheel and immediately gains control over the plane, saving the plane and the pilot from their certain destiny: destruction.

Often we hear the comment "God is my co-pilot." God does not want to compete for control of "the plane." Why fight with God for control? Why not just lose control of your life to Him?

"You can make many plans, but the Lord's purpose will prevail."
~Proverbs 19:21

"Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.' As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin." ~James 4:14-17

And my favorite:
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." ~Proverbs 3:5-6

1. Move out of the pilot seat and into the co-pilot's.

2. Know that the "plane" (your life on earth) is not your own. LOSE your life to Christ Jesus, that you might gain it. (Luke 17:33)

3. Pay attention to, and rely on, your "instrument panel." These are things like God's Word, the counsel of family and friends, and prayer.

4. Don't freak. God has it under control. I promise. The only way your life can end in destruction is to take control of your life.

Guess what? It's a new day and a new year!

2009-12-30T18:35:00.003-05:00

Happy 2010 (a little bit early)!!! Wow, it seems weird writing "2010." It just seems like yesterday we were entering a new millennium and everyone was freaking out about Y2K.

I'm excited to see what God is going to do in this new year. We will see what He has in store for our lives! I hope everyone has a Happy New Year and be safe on New Year's Eve. ;)

I come up with new year resolutions each year, and so I thought I'd share them.

1. Read through the Bible (again).
2. Play my guitar more!
3. Start running again, in preparation for a 5K in February!
And that's mainly it. :)

What are yours? And are you going to keep them!? You'd better! :)

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T21:45:00.004-05:00

May your holidays be spent worshiping the Savior of the world, and showing and receiving the joy and love of friends and family! Have yourself a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Christa-Taylor Holiday Giveaway!

2009-12-07T23:47:00.001-05:00

Everyone loves free stuff! Girls, check it out: Christa-Taylor blog...

Christmas time is around the corner!

2009-12-02T14:36:00.004-05:00

Which means it's time to turn up some Frank Sinatra Christmas music! :) Whatever Christmas music you listen to, I hope you enjoy it, and hopefully you are already getting into the holiday spirit! I am decorating my small Christmas tree in my room; and as you've noticed, I changed my blog layout color to a more "festive" one. Are you getting ready for the Christmas holidays yet? What are you doing to get ready for this glorious season??!

Here is my sad-ish looking Christmas tree. :) But I love it anyway.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-25T15:55:00.007-05:00

To all my faithful followers and blog "guests:" May you have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving!!! I hope you'll take advantage of this holiday to lift up and exclaim your praises to God and the people around you. Not that this should be the only time to do this, but it is a holiday to celebrate giving thanks!

There are so so many things we can be thankful for this year! I definitely have too many to list here on my blog, but I would like to list my top ten things I'm most thankful for. How about you? What are the top ten things you are thankful for? I'd love for you to share them! Blessings this Thanksgiving!

My Top Ten:

1. My Heavenly Father and my relationship with His Son
2. My wonderful family
3. My awesome friends
4. My country and it's freedom
5. Our good health
6. My church body
7. My nice and flexible jobs
8. God's providence (cars, clothes, house)
9. Hardships that help me grow
10. and...internet! :)

Pro-Life Victory! Pitts/Stupak Ammendment passed!

2009-11-08T19:44:00.006-05:00

Pro-Life Groups Applaud Passage of Stupak Amendment to Stop Abortion Funding
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
View the full article here.

The pro-life Democrats and Republicans took a stand for the sanctity of life by passing the Stupak-Ellsworth-Pitts-Kaptur-Dahlkemper-Lipinski-Smith Amendment on a vote of 240 to 194. This amendment prohibits the use of federal dollars to fund abortion in health care.

"Several top pro-life organizations hailed last night's vote for the Stupak amendment to stop abortion funding in the government-run health care bill the House approved last night. They said the vote was just the first step of many in making sure Congress doesn't create new programs to fund abortions."

"The measure ensures that both the public option and the affordability credits found in HR 3962 are not able to funnel taxpayer dollars towards abortions."

"Americans United for Life Action president Charmaine Yoest confirmed that the passage of the Stupak measure 'is a victory for the pro-life Americans across this country who have flooded Congress this week with the message that abortion does not belong in health care.'"

"'One victory however does not mean the battle is won,' Yoest warned."

"'The passage of this pro-life amendment represents the only bright spot in an otherwise troubling government-run health care package put forth by House Speaker Pelosi,' ACLU chief counsel Jay Sekulow told LifeNews.com."

"Sekulow gave kudos to Bart Stupak and Joseph Pitts "for their unrelenting efforts in protecting the unborn' but said, 'Unfortunately, the leadership in the House has produced a disturbing and flawed health care package that not only fails to meet the needs of most Americans, but interjects an unprecedented level of government intrusion and bureaucracy into health care.'"

"Troy Newman, the head of Operation Rescue, said, 'Today, the voices of 71% of the American people who oppose taxpayer funded abortions were heard loud and clear. We thank each one who took the time to raise their voices in opposition to the Obama-Pelosi-Carhart effort to force taxpayers to fund the shedding of innocent blood through abortion.'"

"Family Research Council president Tony Perkins also hailed the vote, calling it 'a huge pro-life victory for women, their unborn children, and families.'"

It is time.

2009-10-29T11:33:00.007-04:00

My Familia

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace."

~Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

It has been too long since I've written anything substantial on my blog! Where has time gone, seriously!? The scriptures say life is but a vapor, so we should be making every day count!

Well I'm not sure where to start, but I will begin by saying God is so faithful and has blessed me in so many ways! I have never stopped learning to trust Him, and my life is a continual journey to reaching that place of trust.

Since the last time I posted on here, I have started a program called CollgePlus! which will help me earn a fully accredited Bachelors degree in about two years. My chosen major is Communications, which will help me gain the skills I want, in order to write and communicate more effectively. I already have 12 semester hours and I've only been enrolled for 6 weeks. This is quite an intense accelerated program, but with God's strength, I know I can manage! :) My next subjects of study (and tests) are Western Civ. I and II. So if you ever think of me, please pray that I will have God's peace for the tests and that I will score well.

In addition to college, I am working two jobs, I was playing on an adult volleyball league, and I have been leading a girl's discipleship group, in addition to other random activities. As you can imagine, I stay pretty busy. :) Being busy is a robber in the night. It's so easy to get absorbed into the weekly motions, that I forget what is most important--spending time with God and meditating on in His word. I need that precious time more than ever, and a lot of times, I bypass taking the time to do it! It MUST be first priority. And I must choose to make it that way. Just as an encouragement to you, no matter how busy you think you are, don't forsake your relationship with Christ; so many aspects of your life will suffer.

I hope all of you reading are doing well, keeping the faith, and continuing to fight the good fight!

P.S. Posted above is a picture of my family taken on our annual beach vacation.

New post...

2009-09-02T15:12:00.002-04:00

I know I've been slacking...again. I will post soon. I promise! Just hang in there--I've been really busy. So I will update what's been going on and what God has been teaching me lately, when I get a chance, which will probably be next week. :/ For now, so long...

New pictures....

2009-08-04T09:37:00.002-04:00

I recently posted some new pictures on my photography blog...so here is the link! I had an awesome time taking pictures of my friend and her horse!

Summer is...

2009-07-23T15:26:00.002-04:00

...officially my FAVORITE time of the year! Maybe you're like me, but I sometimes think that I'm the only one who bites off more than I can chew. hehe... Just to mention a few activities I've involved with lately: guitar, volleyball, tennis, church, water sports, singing, VBS, running, working, photography, gearing up for college, and babysitting. Yeah I think I have too many interests. :)

Well guys, I'll post some pictures of my friend Lisa and her horse that I took this week. They turned out really good!

So I want to hear some summer memories that you all have made so far. Leave a comment and tell us what has been your favorite adventure this summer! Or something God has done in your life recently! I'd love to hear from you guys...

Do Hard Things Tour '09

2009-07-13T16:59:00.005-04:00

"The Rebelution's Do Hard Things Tour is coming to five major cities across the United States in Summer of 2009. Each conference is a challenging one-day event for teens by teens who believe that our generation is ready for a change. Ready for something that doesn't promise a whole new life if you'll just buy the right pair of jeans or use the right brand of deodorant.

We believe that our generation is ready to rethink what teens are capable of doing and becoming. And we've noticed that once wrong ideas are debunked and cleared away, our generation is quick to choose a better way, even if it's also more difficult.

The Do Hard Things Tour invites you to explore some radical questions:

Is it possible that even though teens today have more freedom than any other generation in history, we're actually missing out on some of the best years of our lives?

Is it possible that what our culture says about the purpose and potential of the teen years is a lie, and that we are its victims?

Is it possible that our teen years give us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for huge accomplishments -- as individuals and as a generation?"

and more! Please go to THEREBELUTION.COM/CONFERENCE for more info!

I hope some of you all reading this will go! I hear it's great. I will be attending the one in Birmingham, AL; so leave a comment if you plan on going!! God bless...

Don't Waste Your Life

2009-06-30T08:47:00.002-04:00

The Harris brothers, Alex and Brett, have published a book called "Do Hard Things" which is excellent! If you haven't read it and you are a teen, it is a must!!! Also The Rebelution's "Do Hard Things" tour is coming up, which I am planning to attend. I will post more info soon about it.

"Am I beautiful?"

2009-06-10T11:00:00.007-04:00

I believe the above question forever lingers in the heart of a girl. Every girl wants to be beautiful. It's evident at every stage in life, from being just three years old and trying on jewelry and costume dresses to being a grandmother and trying every wrinkle cream on the market. Let's face it girls, beauty is a top priority for some most of us.

"...For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." ~Samuel 16:7b

The culture we live in disgustingly distorts the meaning of what it means to be beautiful. While our society becomes more "beautiful" in appearance, the inner man is becoming more and more ugly and corrupt. We involuntarily begin to believe the lies the world throws at us. I took a poll on this blog and a couple of you voted that you were not beautiful. What do you base that on? What's your reason? You are too tall, too short, not skinny enough, have freckles, or your hair is just not right? And who are you comparing yourself to?

"Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear—but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious." ~Peter 3:3-4

As the scripture says, don't let your beauty merely be on the outside. Yes, our bodies are the temple of God and should therefore take of of it. But what is within your heart and spirit is so much more important! If you want to truly be beautiful, you must take your eyes off your appearance and ask yourself some questions. What does your heart look like towards God? Or towards your fellow man? Do you posses and gentle, loving spirit? For that is indeed precious to God, as it says in His word. Stop comparing yourself with Hollywood stars, billboard models, your friends!! And start comparing yourself with God's spirit and His Word.

For those of you who are believing a lie that you are not beautiful, number 1, you are because God created and fashioned you! Number 2, who are you comparing yourself to? God is not a respecter of persons. He does not compare you to anyone! He is concerned about how you are comparing your heart to His!

Girls, outward beauty does not last long. Don't waste time on it. Inward beauty passed on to a Godly heritage lasts forever. Attract people to your Father in heaven by your glowing inner beauty!

"Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." ~Proverbs 31:30

Does anyone have any thoughts or anything to add? I'd love to hear from you.

Where are you going?

2009-06-01T11:20:00.000-04:00

Last week my family and I attended a homeschool conference in TN. I just wanted to take a moment and write what great truths I obtained and what God is doing in my life.

The emphasis on this year's conference was the many lies we believe, germinated by our past experiences. We all believe statements planted in our hearts by the devil, ourselves, or our sinful culture. For example a lie can be planted in a young girl in middle school when a teacher criticized the way she looked and acted. "You're the most clumsy and awkward girl I've ever seen. You'll never amount to anything." That statement spoken by the teacher pierced that girl's heart like a poisonous thorn. From that day on, that student started believing that statement and defined herself by that statement. Broken down by her classmates at school who always poked fun at her big nose and crooked teeth, she knew she would never be beautiful and never achieve anything in life.

This particular girl, who fed her insecurity by believing she could never achieve anything, looked for security in wrong places. Entertainment, boys, eating disorders, and alcohol became a part of her life. Because no one ever showed her the truth her life was a complete waste and ended in a terrible way. This is just one example an individual could react to a lie. Another would be for this girl to be an overachiever to prove that she could "amount to something."

You may have had a similar experience in your childhood or days at school. Let me ask you, what lies are you believing? I don't need to ask if you are believing any lies, because 99% of us have them in our heart. And where will those lies lead you? Your path will be determined by the awful lies you believe. The belief in your heart determines your actions.

To change the subject God also jolted some of my plans I had for the Fall. He continues to teach me the way of trust. He knows I need to let go and put my complete faith in Him and His plans for me. But it's so hard sometimes, because I'm so goal oriented and like to have things set in stone.

Anyway, I would just ask you to pray for me as I seek Him about my future. I want wisdom and want to hear directly from His heart--not mine. I know I know he has plans for me but sometimes I lose faith and think He forgets about me. Ya know I'm like "God! Hey, I'm right here. I know you're busy with more important people, but don't forget about me!" So then I get impatient and make my own plans. :) Well, that's not the way to do it. You may be the the same way. But truth is, He is listening to me and will never forsake me. I know He wants to show me His faithfulness, if I just let Him!

Long time, no post.

2009-05-13T10:11:00.008-04:00

My poor little blog has been neglected recently. My apologies to anyone out there that still reads it! :) I honestly haven't had whole lot to write recently. Nothing "new" has really happened. I'm still helping my family out at home (teaching my brother Reeve, helping out with my dad's business), being an after school counselor, doing photography here and there, and being involved in my church.

It's easy to get used to the monotonous events of life, and get discouraged or become kind of slobbish or just plain careless. God continues to teach me so much. He always remind me to look at the bigger picture, and be content where I am. Nothing, nothing in the world can bring you joy and contentment--only, the one and only Son of God can do that. You will not be satisfied by looking to things, or success, or people to fulfill you. I can say that because I have done that, and sometimes still do; and those things will never compeltely satisfy you. I'm always reminded that I have *so* much to learn.

Recently I've been learning to be more structured. Naturally I'm not a messy person, I like to think of myself as an organized individual, :) but latlely, man, I've just been slacking. I've definitely been learning from my mistakes. When one has to start forking out (lots of) money for being careless, right in a row, you can be assured, that will definitely wake them up to the realization that something needs to change. :) I'm not talking about a...ahem, specific person of course. ;)

God is a God of order, and people, we could avoid so much mishap if we just started getting serious about living a thoughtful and orderly life. It's so easy to be lazy. But that's not God's way. You will, (and I'm talking to myself), pay for living that way.

I write on here not to complain or compel you to show sympathy, or anything of that nature. But I want to share from my experiences and mistakes so that you, dear reader, will be forwarned and will hopefully learn quicker than I do.

God wants to give us so much, but He can only give us so much as we are willing to take. If we do not stand in His presence with open hands, how can He give us grace, and love, and wisdom, and so many more things? Take advantage of God's omnipotence, and omnipresence. God is there for you all the time, ready to give you life, and life more abundantly. All we need to do is ask.

Announcing "Radiant Daughters Newsletter"

2009-04-28T10:39:00.006-04:00

It is my pleasure to announce the beginning of a bi-monthly newsletter my friend Paige has recently began for young women: Radiant Daughters Newsletter! Here is an excerpt from their first publication: "It is exciting to announce our first Radiant Daughters newsletter. The Lord has called us to be radiant for Him. Girls that choose to live for God have no choice but to stand alone. Radiant Daughters newsletter has the passion to encourage girls to be radiant for Christ. Our desire is to encourage daughters to stand alone and challenge and equip daughters to live more radiantly for Christ."

"Daughters have a unique role and purpose. There are so many daughters that need to hear the truth and see the example of other daughters living for Christ. Day in and day out, daughters are living for the world. Even Christian daughters are giving their purity away at such a young age and living for the entertainment of this world.
Ephesians 5:15 'See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil;'"

This purpose of this newsletter is to encourage daughters to live a glorifying life in a dark world. Please support them by praying or subscribing. If you or someone else you know would like to subscribe, please email: radiantdaughtersnewsletter@gmail.com.

Living stones

2009-04-23T10:29:00.006-04:00

"As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture:

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” ~1 Peter 2:4-7

As the scripture says, when we accept salvation and come to Christ, we are "living stones." You are PRECIOUS and CHOSEN. And nobody can take that away from you. No matter what people say or do to treat you like you are a nobody--you as a child of God have a purpose to be a living breathing proclaiming stone for God.

Christ the cornerstone, our foundation, is perfectly cut for the foundation of the church. If you don't know what a cornerstone is exactly, here's how Wikipedia defines it: "The cornerstone (or foundation stone) concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure." So we are cut to be lined up with Christ. Christ is the example, the model, and we are to follow.

Also, stones come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. You may be a shining ornamental stone, or you may be a flat strong supporting rock. Whatever you may be, you have a vital purpose to hold up the entire structure of the church. You are unique and special--don't let down the other "living stones" by failing to follow Christ's call on your life!

Broken-hearted

2009-04-11T15:45:00.002-04:00

Last night my dearest companion was killed. Murdered by the people and the religious officials. He did nothing wrong, it was only that the people and officials misunderstood him. It was a most gruesome death he suffered. I saw him there shameful and bleeding. Struggling for just one breath. He was hanging. He was fastened to a piece of wood from a tree he had originally created. He was being scorned and mocked by the very creatures he designed and breathed life into. After struggling for hours, he breathed his last and gave up his spirit.

If I was present at Jesus' death, the above words would be how I would describe that solemn event.

Can you imagine what Mary the friend of Jesus was thinking as she stood by watching her Lord be humiliated before her very eyes. What about John the disciple "whom Jesus loved"? He also saw his friend of several years hanging on the cross. And Jesus' own mother was there. Can you imagine what she felt as she saw her unblemished, perfect, and sinless son treated as a horrible evildoer? I can not imagine...

Last night I went to a Tenebrae ("hour of darkness") service at my grandma's church. We left the sanctuary in darkeness. And there was complete silence and solemn faces as we realized how important the resurrection of Christ is. As the alters and podiums were veiled in black and the Christian emblems were removed during the service, you realize the hopelessness the disciples and friends of Jesus felt. They did not understand that he would return again to them. For all they knew, it was all over. A great prophet had died, and they were in despair (see Luke 24:19-21).

I've noticed that when the crucifixtion of Christ is talked about today, it kind of goes in one ear and comes out the other for a lot of us. But if we really take time to process what Christ did for us on that sorrowful day, it should no less than move us to tears. It really was a horrible death for Christ--but at the same time, it invokes awe that he would choose to die to liberate us.

A Heart of Praise

2009-03-18T10:18:00.009-04:00

When life is going good, and things are rolling along just how you want them to, it's so easy to be thankful and full of praise to God. It's natural. However when tough times come, when our road gets rocky, and when people get in our way, naturally our praise-giving attitude plummets. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the *will* of God in Christ Jesus for you." Paul knew what he was talking about. After being beaten and thrown into prison, he and Silas started singing praises to God. Singing! Would you start singing if you had just been beaten with a rod, and then left in prison!?

Giving thanks in "bad" circumstances is not a suggestion--it is the will of God. Wow, that hurts. How often I displease Him because of not carrying out His will of giving thanks. Especially lately. "God I'm sick of hobbling around like a cripple, and having to rely on others. This is painful. I want to be back to normal." Yeah, I confess, my attitude pretty much stinks. I haven't been very patient. But today, I'm going to change. I have to start giving praise for what I can do. A heart of praise, is what I have to possess. No matter what. If Paul and Silas could do it in their circumstances, so can we!

Ten random things about this past week:

2009-03-10T18:45:00.000-04:00

1. God is good--all the time! All the time--God is good!

2. I am allowed to start *trying* to walk now with a big boot thing. :) A pathetic hobble is all I've accomplished so far. :P

3. My friends and especially family are so important to me--and I'm so thankful for them! They're so awesome!!

4. My mom is amazing!

5. I'll never take walking or even chores for granted.

6. I hate physical therapy.

7. Laptops are great.

8. Reading is good...especially God's word.

9. Thank God for pain meds! :)

10. True love is dedicated sacrifice and care--not a fuzzy warm feeling.

What kind of juice are you?

2009-03-08T15:52:00.002-04:00

You Are Grapefruit Juice

You are a trustworthy, serious, and mature person.

And while you are conscientious, you're also very cheerful.

You don't mind responsibilities, and you enjoy doing what has to be done.

You may not have discovered the meaning of life, but you've figured out how to be happy.

What Kind of Juice Are You?

I thought this was funny...hm...grapefruit juice. Kinda sour...but I like it! :)

Pearl of great price

2009-02-26T13:19:00.006-05:00

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it." ~Matthew 13:45-46

The Kingdom of heaven (or we could say the Kingdom of God) is precious, so very valuable. Christ, the Pearl of Great Price, is worth everything we have and more. The Messianic King, who is ruler over the Kingdom of God, is worth spending our whole life searching for. Once we have truly found Him, make Him your own and never let go. Give up all and follow the King. In the era of Jesus, a pearl was one of the most valuable and prized gem. Christ cannot be compared to anything we own or even want. He excels far beyond anything we've ever experienced!

Wow...one of these days...

2009-02-11T08:53:00.002-05:00

...I need to post something on here! :) Well, I guess I haven't had much to write about lately...life's good...except for the cold I have :(. Work is great, warmer days are ahead, and my birthday is getting closer! OK, that was random, but anyway... My sister, Adriane, is having a birthday this Friday, then I'm going out of town so I will post something about those events soon. Until then, see y'all.

I don't know what to say.....

2009-01-25T15:43:00.010-05:00

You know when you start thinking about your next blog post, but you just don't have anything to say really? Well it's one of those days... :P But I did get a forward today and the email had some good stuff to think about. So I'll post some of what it said here:

Why do we sleep during church, but when the sermon is over we suddenly wake up? Why is it so hard to talk about God, but so easy to talk about bad things? Why are we so bored when we read a Christian magazine, but find it easy to look at a magazine of people? Why is it so easy to ignore a Godly message, yet we forward the useless ones? Just remember God is always taking account of every action you make.

Yeah the Christian life is just hard. We know the right thing to do. But constantly we reject the right choice. We're supposed to be "in love" with Christ continually, but really we have a desire for the world and the things of it. We must...we have to, drown out our flesh and laziness with discipline and God's Word. It's a choice we have to make. Everyday.

On that note, I think I'll get off the computer and go spend some time with my Lord. :)

Inauguration Day

2009-01-20T09:03:00.007-05:00

Today is a historic day for Americans and the rest of the world. As you know, today President-elect Barak Obama will be inaugurated. Obama promises change the day he steps into office, and I guarantee there will be change. Whether it's positive or negative change...well that's in God's hands.

I just want to remind all of you to stop sometime in your day, and say a prayer for Obama and his family as he enters into the Presidency. I don't care what your political views are, or who you voted for, we need to do the right thing; and pray for him.

Obama has a huge road before him, and daunting tasks to perform. Pulling this country out of recession, ending the war in Iraq, and making balanced decisions to accommodate the social views of everyone in this country, are just a few to mention. He definitely needs to seek wisdom and guidance from above. That's my prayer--that he would not rely on his own strength, but God's.

This is an interesting article to read about anointing the doorway that obama will enter through: "Oil-for-Obama anointment for ascension to 44th US Presidency."

"...For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God." ~Romans 13:1

God is the same yesterday. today. tomorrow.

2009-01-13T08:41:00.020-05:00

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." ~Hebrews 13:8

My God is mighty. He is the same every day there has been and will be. He is Love, Compassion, Righteousness, Power, Justice, Mercy...He is awesome, amazing, beautiful, strong, gentle...as He has always been. He is the God.

Even false gods fluctuate in their personality. You may recall in the Old Testament the time when Elijah had a competition between God and Baal. The rules were set, build an alter and call on your god to send fire to light the wood and the sacrifice. The prophets of Baal cried and wailed all day long calling on their god, Baal. They even began to cut themselves hoping that would catch his attention. How sad to have a god that will sometimes but not always listen. Elijah then began to mock them saying, "Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened."

My Lord so dependable...He does not "take a journey" or slack on the job when He feels like it. The Lord, the only true God, showed Himself strong. God did not just light the wood (as that would have been satisfactory), but He consumed with fire, the trench filled with water and the water-drenched stone alter with the sacrifice. God blew the people's minds, and they confessed that He is the Lord God.

Yes, and in addition to gods, we humans change. A friend of yours will seem to have a distinct personality one day, and the next it differs. You thought you knew this person, and maybe you did, but one day they're completely different after having gone through some experience. Some people change from day to day. Friends can change depending on the people they are hanging around or because of circumstantial events in life. Others are more stable, but even they are not always dependable. Humans in general are not dependable. We people are just plain slackers when it comes to being dependable. I don't mean to chip at your ego, but honestly I don't know a lot of people who are dependable to do all three: show up somewhere on time, keep their word, and just be there as a true friend. Now I am by no means a master of those things, either. I need to work on being dependable as much an anyone. I'm so glad my Father in Heaven is a master at those things.

He's never ever broken a promise, He's always there whether I show up for my quiet time or not, and He's my best friend--always by my side to give support and encouragement. We are striving to be like God, right? So, maybe we all should start trying be be dependable today and for the tomorrows to come. We can't change the past, so we have to begin with today.

He, the Lord, will never change. God will never forsake you. And He will never stop loving. Ever. Jesus Christ loved us before we were created, died for us over 2000 years ago, and still continues to show His love for us today in this modern world.

A new year.

2009-01-01T01:15:00.003-05:00

Today we are officially in the year of 2009! Sheesh, it seems like just yesterday I was approaching last New Year's Eve...with hopelessness. The day before 2008 was filled with with so much despair, for me. Why? I don't know. I just didn't feel like going on in life.

A new year brings so many many things: fear, despair, anticipation, a new start, hope, dreams, adventure, or excitement. It could bring a new job, moving to a new home, bigger and better things, success or even failure. What does it bring for you? Truth is, you don't know for sure. Have you ever written down what you will be, or what you will be doing in a year from now? Usually what you actually end up being, and doing, is quite different from what you originally thought. Just be aware, God is looking to work int the lives of those who are poor in spirit and easily moldable--or should I say, flexible.

Sure we all have plans for the new year, but just be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and have trust in God if He chooses to direct your path another way. Because He can and will fer sure (little southern accent coming out there :) change your plans sometimes, and we need to be ready and willing.

2008 was filled with a lot of interesting times, to say the least. Most recently, out-of-this-world gas prices, the Presidential elections, bailouts, and financial crises. But we're really just seeing the beginning of major change in our world...are you ready for it? Whatever God brings our way, we need to be prepared to handle.

I can't tell you how excited I am about 2009. I know God's going to work miraculously in the world and in my own personal life. This year is going to be different--I feel it. I'm pumped. I'm ready to go. I am determined to have no reservations, no regrets, and no retreats. 2009 bring it on!

Where will you be in life at the end of this year?

Do you dare to put your life in the hands of God and trust Him with it for this year? I'm trying...and I hope you will as well.

"But I trust in you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my God.
My times are in your hand;" ~Psalm 31:14-15a

"Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
all you who wait for the Lord!" ~Psalm 31:24