Just a little bit of how God has been speaking to me and challenging me through our study of Acts this past week...
Acts 1.6-8 So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” he said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
God has put out the invitation to be in relationship with each and everyone of us. He is waiting for us to answer that call and desires to transform and restore us. God’s desire is not to restore us in the way we think best, but in his own way. This is the truth and the challenge that I faced this week.
In Acts, we read about the Jews, who missed the call to relationship with Jesus Christ. They were looking for a spiritual restoration. When sent into exile their kingdom had been destroyed and as a result lost everything. In the days before the ascension when the Lord was revealing Himself to them, they were looking for, wanting, and expecting a restoration of their Jewish kingdom. They wanted a physical kingdom. Little did they understand that God was calling them into a relationship with him. God wanted to do something so much bigger and greater than restore to them a physical kingdom. He wanted to spiritually restore them, but they failed to see and understand this! They were so fixed on the physical blessing, and expectancy of what they thought this should look like that they missed the invitation to eternal life!
During the past couple years of my life, especially the last one, I have experienced a time of breaking down walls, or surrendering and being stripped of things that were not from God. It brought me to a place of desperation for God. Through this time God has done a lot of healing in me, and restoration, and is taking me further and deeper in my walk with him. I am learning to trust him as He is bringing me to places of discomfort and vulnerability. In this past week though I have felt incredibly challenged to surrender my expectations to God. My expectations of what this restoration in my life should look like. My expectations of what God’s blessings might look like. My expectation of what God should do for me in this physical world, according to myself when I have surrendered to him.
As I shared in my last blog entry I know that I’m exactly where I am supposed to be, in Costa Rica with YWAM studying his word. I gave up a comfortable life back home. I gave up securities, and answered the call of God and was brought to a place where I feel vulnerable, where I am challenged, and am faced with many of my insecurities. It’s a hard place, but also a great place to be. I have recognized in my life though, how just like the Jews expected the physical restoration of their kingdom for themselves, I also have put expectations on God. Some questions I had to ask myself...Am I walking in obedience to God in expectation that God will bless me physically here on earth. I recognize that God definitely blesses physically, but is the blessing my focus? When I walk in obedience to God do I expect a comfortable life? When I surrender the desire to be in a relationship, do I expect that God will bless me with a relationship? When I tithe, do I expect that God will one day bless me with earthly riches? Or am I willing to lose my life, be broken down, so that I may gain all that God has for me, and so that God may be glorified? Am I willing to allow my expectations to be transformed? It’s a scary, exhilarating, and very challenging place that I find myself in. As I continue to be challenged and wrestle with this thought though, we can see in the book of Acts that God’s heart is for his people. He desires to be in a living and active relationship with us I can trust that if I continue to say ‘yes’ to God, and truly surrender myself and my expectations to him he will transform me!
October 1, 2011
September 22, 2011
A new chapter...
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. - Jeremiah 29:11
A verse that is familiar to us all, but one that is becoming more and more real to me, and one that I deeply and strongly believe in. God has created and loves each and everyone of us. We are ALL worthy of the plans that God has for us, and they are not just little plans, they are big! Let’s start believing that, and step forward into what He has called us to!
With that I want to share with all of you the next adventure and chapter that God has planned for my life. I am back in San Jose, Costa Rica with YWAM, Youth With a Mission, where I did my DTS. Coming back to the same place has been such a blessing. It has been a blessing to be able to spend time and connect with many of the students and staff that were here with me this same time last year.
I have to admit though, it was not an easy transition. During my travels down I asked God why change is such a hard thing? Back home before leaving, when people asked if I was excited to back down to Costa Rica? My response was yes...which was true and it still is. I am very excited for what God has in store for me, but leaving home is never an easy thing to do. Obviously I can’t hate change that much, because if I reflect on the past year, I have not spent too much more than 3 months in the same place, but I can’t say that I am one of those people that get a thrill out of change. It’s hard. If I were to act accordingly to how I feel...I would stay home. It’s a lot easier that way. I was comfortable there. To a huge degree, I knew what to expect on a day to day basis. One problem...God didn’t call us to live a comfortable life. We were called to go and make disciples of all nations...That is the calling that he has put on your life, and that is the calling that he has put on my life. What that looks like for each one of us is different. For myself...it’s to spend the next three months here in Costa Rica digging deep into God’s word. To grow in my relationship with Him through spending time in His love letter to his children. To learn more of what it means to be God’s lover and for him to be mine. These next three months I will be studying as a student in a course called the BCC, Bible Core Course. There are eight of us students, and we have the opportunity to read through the Bible together, and study 14 different books of the Bible inductively. So please keep me in your prayers, because it will be a stretch in more ways than one!
Beyond these three months in Costa Rica, I have no idea where he will take me...I don’t even know what to fully expect from these next few months. What I do know?
Isaiah 55: 8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
We serve a good God! His plans and his ways are so much higher than mine or yours. He is faithful! So all in all...it’s not easy leaving home...leaving family that I love, and that loves me...leaving friends that have been such an amazing blessing in my life...leaving a workplace that I enjoyed so incredibly much and believe was an absolute blessing from God...and stepping into something new...something that I know will be challenging, and take me out of my comfort zone in more ways than one! Also something though that will be so incredibly rewarding, and exactly where the Lord has called me to be for these next months in my life, and there is no place that I would rather be than smack in the middle of God’s will!
In just the few days of being here in Costa Rica I have already experience God’s goodness and faithfulness! I have been able to connect with friends that I made during my time here last year. As well as with many friends that I did my DTS with. I have been able to rest and relax before beginning classes, which is something that I would not have done at home.
I ask for your prayers in that these next few days before classes begin that God would prepare me and do in me what He needs to, to prepare me in whatever ways that He needs to in order to experience all the blessings that He has for me in the coming months. And for when school starts, that I would continue to remember to look to God alone for strength knowing that by his grace and mercy alone can I complete the things that He has called me to! I want to be able to stay connected with all of you, so pray that I would use my time wisely in such a way that I may do so! And just pray that I would be open to WHATEVER it is that God has for me!
Thank you so much! I pray that God would bless each one of you today!
A verse that is familiar to us all, but one that is becoming more and more real to me, and one that I deeply and strongly believe in. God has created and loves each and everyone of us. We are ALL worthy of the plans that God has for us, and they are not just little plans, they are big! Let’s start believing that, and step forward into what He has called us to!
With that I want to share with all of you the next adventure and chapter that God has planned for my life. I am back in San Jose, Costa Rica with YWAM, Youth With a Mission, where I did my DTS. Coming back to the same place has been such a blessing. It has been a blessing to be able to spend time and connect with many of the students and staff that were here with me this same time last year.
I have to admit though, it was not an easy transition. During my travels down I asked God why change is such a hard thing? Back home before leaving, when people asked if I was excited to back down to Costa Rica? My response was yes...which was true and it still is. I am very excited for what God has in store for me, but leaving home is never an easy thing to do. Obviously I can’t hate change that much, because if I reflect on the past year, I have not spent too much more than 3 months in the same place, but I can’t say that I am one of those people that get a thrill out of change. It’s hard. If I were to act accordingly to how I feel...I would stay home. It’s a lot easier that way. I was comfortable there. To a huge degree, I knew what to expect on a day to day basis. One problem...God didn’t call us to live a comfortable life. We were called to go and make disciples of all nations...That is the calling that he has put on your life, and that is the calling that he has put on my life. What that looks like for each one of us is different. For myself...it’s to spend the next three months here in Costa Rica digging deep into God’s word. To grow in my relationship with Him through spending time in His love letter to his children. To learn more of what it means to be God’s lover and for him to be mine. These next three months I will be studying as a student in a course called the BCC, Bible Core Course. There are eight of us students, and we have the opportunity to read through the Bible together, and study 14 different books of the Bible inductively. So please keep me in your prayers, because it will be a stretch in more ways than one!
Beyond these three months in Costa Rica, I have no idea where he will take me...I don’t even know what to fully expect from these next few months. What I do know?
Isaiah 55: 8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
We serve a good God! His plans and his ways are so much higher than mine or yours. He is faithful! So all in all...it’s not easy leaving home...leaving family that I love, and that loves me...leaving friends that have been such an amazing blessing in my life...leaving a workplace that I enjoyed so incredibly much and believe was an absolute blessing from God...and stepping into something new...something that I know will be challenging, and take me out of my comfort zone in more ways than one! Also something though that will be so incredibly rewarding, and exactly where the Lord has called me to be for these next months in my life, and there is no place that I would rather be than smack in the middle of God’s will!
In just the few days of being here in Costa Rica I have already experience God’s goodness and faithfulness! I have been able to connect with friends that I made during my time here last year. As well as with many friends that I did my DTS with. I have been able to rest and relax before beginning classes, which is something that I would not have done at home.
I ask for your prayers in that these next few days before classes begin that God would prepare me and do in me what He needs to, to prepare me in whatever ways that He needs to in order to experience all the blessings that He has for me in the coming months. And for when school starts, that I would continue to remember to look to God alone for strength knowing that by his grace and mercy alone can I complete the things that He has called me to! I want to be able to stay connected with all of you, so pray that I would use my time wisely in such a way that I may do so! And just pray that I would be open to WHATEVER it is that God has for me!
Thank you so much! I pray that God would bless each one of you today!
February 24, 2011
A small taste of dts...
Here is just a little slideshow that was put together by one of my most wonderful friends, Nicole, which gives you a little glimpse of my last five months in both Costa Rica during lecture phase, and outreach in Germany! Enjoy
this video! (just click on the words, "this video".)
this video! (just click on the words, "this video".)
February 16, 2011
Light in the darkness...
I shared with you in my last post that we were all busily getting ready for 5 weeks of outreach in Germany, and I want to thank you for your many prayers! While shedding light in the darkness we felt the presence of God, his guidance, and protection strongly throughout the entire time. By now our group has been to Germany, and spent five amazing weeks involved in various ministries in the cities of Berlin, Hamburg, Brandenburg, and Straubing. Returned to Costa Rica to graduate from the DTS, and all dispersed to our respective places from there. Unfortunately I could not keep you all updated while in Germany, but now I would love to share some stories of our experiences in the different cities of Germany of God’s goodness and faithfulness!
Right from the beginning of our outreach we saw God’s provision and faithfulness.
A lot of people in my school came to Costa Rica unprepared for the cold they experienced in Germany this last Winter. After all, we did not know for sure that Germany was where our outreach was going to be to, so needless to say there were many of us that were waiting for packages full of jackets, mittens, socks, and sweaters to arrive before we left for Germany. Of course what none of us knew was that the post office was closed the entire week after Christmas, which was the week that we planned to fly out. After turning the wheels of our brains around and around, trying to figure out some way we could access those packages before leaving, we arrived at the conclusion that we would have to leave for Germany without our warm clothes and trust God in the situation.
So we make the big flight to Germany, arriving in Frankfurt. There we are greeted by our contact and taken to the church where we were going to stay the night. We were only planning on staying in Frankfurt for the one night before we made our way to Berlin the next day, so not many people from the church knew that we were even there. Later on that day though, we were told that someone from the church was going to give us some jackets. We were all very excited, but really had no idea what to expect. I know I was expecting that they probably collected from whoever had old Winter jackets that they didn’t use anymore, but next thing we know, this lady, who owns a clothing shop, comes to the church with 16 brand new jackets each costing more than what was coming in any of our packages and more than any of us would ever spend on a jacket! God is good!!
The next day we were planning on taking the train to Berlin. In Berlin we stayed at the YWAM base, and we apart of the different ministries they did there. The only problem was that they didn’t have any room for us to stay at the base that first night. Considering it was right around New Years, there was not a whole lot of room in any hostels anywhere! On the train ride to Berlin our leader, Tony, really had it on his heart that upon arriving to Berlin we were supposed to take some time individually to pray about staying in the train station for the night to spend time praying for the city of Berlin. So as we each spent some time praying, we all felt this was what the Lord was asking us to do. God had provided us with warm jackets, so we were good to go! So we pulled out the guitar and drum that came along with us, and started just a time of prayer and worship. Many people in the train station stopped to chat, or simply just stopped to watch us, not sure of what was going on.
One lady, who was in the train station to pick up her daughter from a youth retreat, stopped to talk with one of our teammates, Brittany. Brittany got to share with her what our group was doing here in Germany, and more specifically what we were doing in the Berlin train station, and how we had no place for the night, and so we planned to stay there all night in prayer. After leaving to pick up her daughter, she returned to where we were all gathered, no daughter with her, because she had missed her train, and good news that after making a phone call to her pastor, he had opened up the doors to Bethel, their church’s 24-hour prayer house. Praise the Lord! Our group had planned on staying up all night in prayer for the city of Berlin, and now God had provided us a place to do this where we could be warm! The lady now had to wait until tomorrow to pick up her daughter so she had planned just to join us for the night. She was willing to wait for us to the leave the train station though whenever we felt we were ready. So we spent a little more time in worship, and sure enough a couple of minutes later the security came and told us we couldn’t play music in the train station, so we were off!
God’s divine appointments are amazing! This was a contact that we did not have until arriving in Berlin that night, and this church remained a contact through our entire outreach. During those next two weeks in Berlin we joined their church services and prayer meetings, having many opportunities to lead worship and share testimonies. In our travels back and forth through the country we always had a place to stay when in the area and needed. God is good!
More stories to come...:)
Right from the beginning of our outreach we saw God’s provision and faithfulness.
A lot of people in my school came to Costa Rica unprepared for the cold they experienced in Germany this last Winter. After all, we did not know for sure that Germany was where our outreach was going to be to, so needless to say there were many of us that were waiting for packages full of jackets, mittens, socks, and sweaters to arrive before we left for Germany. Of course what none of us knew was that the post office was closed the entire week after Christmas, which was the week that we planned to fly out. After turning the wheels of our brains around and around, trying to figure out some way we could access those packages before leaving, we arrived at the conclusion that we would have to leave for Germany without our warm clothes and trust God in the situation.
So we make the big flight to Germany, arriving in Frankfurt. There we are greeted by our contact and taken to the church where we were going to stay the night. We were only planning on staying in Frankfurt for the one night before we made our way to Berlin the next day, so not many people from the church knew that we were even there. Later on that day though, we were told that someone from the church was going to give us some jackets. We were all very excited, but really had no idea what to expect. I know I was expecting that they probably collected from whoever had old Winter jackets that they didn’t use anymore, but next thing we know, this lady, who owns a clothing shop, comes to the church with 16 brand new jackets each costing more than what was coming in any of our packages and more than any of us would ever spend on a jacket! God is good!!
The next day we were planning on taking the train to Berlin. In Berlin we stayed at the YWAM base, and we apart of the different ministries they did there. The only problem was that they didn’t have any room for us to stay at the base that first night. Considering it was right around New Years, there was not a whole lot of room in any hostels anywhere! On the train ride to Berlin our leader, Tony, really had it on his heart that upon arriving to Berlin we were supposed to take some time individually to pray about staying in the train station for the night to spend time praying for the city of Berlin. So as we each spent some time praying, we all felt this was what the Lord was asking us to do. God had provided us with warm jackets, so we were good to go! So we pulled out the guitar and drum that came along with us, and started just a time of prayer and worship. Many people in the train station stopped to chat, or simply just stopped to watch us, not sure of what was going on.
One lady, who was in the train station to pick up her daughter from a youth retreat, stopped to talk with one of our teammates, Brittany. Brittany got to share with her what our group was doing here in Germany, and more specifically what we were doing in the Berlin train station, and how we had no place for the night, and so we planned to stay there all night in prayer. After leaving to pick up her daughter, she returned to where we were all gathered, no daughter with her, because she had missed her train, and good news that after making a phone call to her pastor, he had opened up the doors to Bethel, their church’s 24-hour prayer house. Praise the Lord! Our group had planned on staying up all night in prayer for the city of Berlin, and now God had provided us a place to do this where we could be warm! The lady now had to wait until tomorrow to pick up her daughter so she had planned just to join us for the night. She was willing to wait for us to the leave the train station though whenever we felt we were ready. So we spent a little more time in worship, and sure enough a couple of minutes later the security came and told us we couldn’t play music in the train station, so we were off!
God’s divine appointments are amazing! This was a contact that we did not have until arriving in Berlin that night, and this church remained a contact through our entire outreach. During those next two weeks in Berlin we joined their church services and prayer meetings, having many opportunities to lead worship and share testimonies. In our travels back and forth through the country we always had a place to stay when in the area and needed. God is good!
More stories to come...:)
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