I have semi- started training (waiting to kick it into gear after all the Christmas CHOW:)
for a half-marathon, So I've been trying to build up my endurance again,
which is a challenge all in itself as it's fallen tremendously, so I have a LONG way to go!
The Lord really likes to tell me things when I'm running for some reason..
I think because it's the most focused I am during the day and he has my attention. So
we have some great conversations. Mostly me listening :)
For those of you that know me well, you know I am very hard on myself. If something doesnt' come quickly or easily,
I get frustrated with myself. So while I am battling things in my mind and at the same time feel like quitting.. he keeps
telling me "RUN THROUGH THIS.. I got this, just RUN THROUGH IT." In all circumstances!!!
I give up too quickly, and don't lean on the one I know who can carry me through. So for
2011 my mantra is RUN THROUGH IT. No matter what.
Keep running the race ( literally:) He has set out us,if we would only TRUST! Each of us has a task to complete in this life, so let's not be wimps and just do it!!
It's not going to be easy, there is going to be HILLS.. big ones.. Trials, disappointments, heartache.. but that is why we have THE BODY OF CHRIST!!!!
At the end of this life, I want to be able to say...
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7
And then hear HIM say...
'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness! Matthew 23:23
So make it a great day & RUN THROUGH IT!!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
The Comradeship of God
I am going to share with you part of the devotional I shared with our team on our first morning..when we had just spent our first night in Entebbe, Uganda and where we ready to start our trip into Gulu.... I was praying that God would give me a good "charge" to give to the group and he did.. He wanted us all to leave "ourselves" right there in that hotel room and only rely on Him and Him alone.
From Oswald Chambers~ (Upmost for His Highest, August 4th~The Brave Comradeship of God)
The bravery of God in trusting US! You say- "But He has been unwise to choose me, because there is nothing in me; I am not of any value." That is WHY He chose you because you have ends of your own to serve; but if you have let Him bring you to the end of your self-sufficiency then He can choose you to go with Him to Jerusalem (fill in the blank- mine was Village of Hope at the time), and that will mean the fulfillment of purposes which He does not discuss with you.
We are all apt to say, that because man has natural ability, therefore he will make a good Christian. It is not a question of our commitment, but of our poverty, not of what we bring with us, but of what God puts into us; not a question of natural virtues of strength of character, knowledge, and experience- all of that is of no avail in this matter.
The comradeship of God is made up out of men who know their poverty. He can do nothing with the man who thinks he is of use to God...
"Then He took with Him the twelve" ~ Luke 18:31
Where is your poverty level today?
From Oswald Chambers~ (Upmost for His Highest, August 4th~The Brave Comradeship of God)
The bravery of God in trusting US! You say- "But He has been unwise to choose me, because there is nothing in me; I am not of any value." That is WHY He chose you because you have ends of your own to serve; but if you have let Him bring you to the end of your self-sufficiency then He can choose you to go with Him to Jerusalem (fill in the blank- mine was Village of Hope at the time), and that will mean the fulfillment of purposes which He does not discuss with you.
We are all apt to say, that because man has natural ability, therefore he will make a good Christian. It is not a question of our commitment, but of our poverty, not of what we bring with us, but of what God puts into us; not a question of natural virtues of strength of character, knowledge, and experience- all of that is of no avail in this matter.
The comradeship of God is made up out of men who know their poverty. He can do nothing with the man who thinks he is of use to God...
"Then He took with Him the twelve" ~ Luke 18:31
Where is your poverty level today?
Thursday, August 19, 2010
The journey Part 2
Hi there!!
You are probably wondering why I say the journey part 2.. since I haven't even shared with you about Part 1.... well the Lord awoken me at 4:45am to give me a Word, so I had to go with it.
As I just came home from the experience of a lifetime... I am trying to figure out how to express everything I have seen, learned, and experienced in the past 2 weeks.. and even more so, How I can LIVE OUT what the Lord has shown me through the people of Uganda..I stand in awe of them... They are the example of what living out Christ's love should be..How can I be more like Christ and more like them??
THAT is the journey Part 2. We all go on these amazing trips, but if our lives and hearts aren't in someway changed by them, then the work that the Lord has done somehow has become a distant memory.. and I do NOT want that to happen to me again... the fire inside me is burning brightly and I want to use it for whatever HE wants me to...
So with all that to say. My focus in the days and weeks to come.. while I want to reconnect with friends, will be focusing on HOW I can live out what the Lord has changed in my heart? How can I continue to pour into the children and people I left behind half way across the world?
That, only the Lord can show me.. but that is what He wants from me.. my attention and obedience.
Looking forward to sharing more.. Pics to come!!!!!
You are probably wondering why I say the journey part 2.. since I haven't even shared with you about Part 1.... well the Lord awoken me at 4:45am to give me a Word, so I had to go with it.
As I just came home from the experience of a lifetime... I am trying to figure out how to express everything I have seen, learned, and experienced in the past 2 weeks.. and even more so, How I can LIVE OUT what the Lord has shown me through the people of Uganda..I stand in awe of them... They are the example of what living out Christ's love should be..How can I be more like Christ and more like them??
THAT is the journey Part 2. We all go on these amazing trips, but if our lives and hearts aren't in someway changed by them, then the work that the Lord has done somehow has become a distant memory.. and I do NOT want that to happen to me again... the fire inside me is burning brightly and I want to use it for whatever HE wants me to...
So with all that to say. My focus in the days and weeks to come.. while I want to reconnect with friends, will be focusing on HOW I can live out what the Lord has changed in my heart? How can I continue to pour into the children and people I left behind half way across the world?
That, only the Lord can show me.. but that is what He wants from me.. my attention and obedience.
Looking forward to sharing more.. Pics to come!!!!!
Monday, July 26, 2010
Leave it all on the field!!
As the days get closer to my departure to to my trip.. I am reflecting back on all
"moments" in my life..where I had prepared and trained for things... and reflecting on how
I felt when it was over.. when the game was over, when the race was over..when the trip was over... when all of the hard work either paid off, or whether I didn't "leave it all on the field"...
As most know, I am pretty hard on myself, when it comes to measuring myself.. but the one that stands out to me is my recent Triathlon I did in April 2009. I trained for many months..swimming, biking, and running. I dedicated so much time to just training... I worked so hard and wanted to do so well. Well, long story short, I did FINISH, but I didn't leave it ALL on the field. I let the distractions get the best of me, I lost focus (But, I am learning that God made me the way He did for a reason, but that is for another time!)
I pray that in the weeks ahead I leave it ALL on the field at Village of Hope. I pray I allow the Holy Spirit to do things in me
that I cant' even imagine.. Really, this mission trip has nothing to do with me, and EVERYTHINGl to do with surrendering myself and allowing God to work in me & THROUGH me in ways beyond what I can even imagine... I am simply a vessel going to deliver love and hope to children who have been stripped of it...
In the days ahead, as I continue to prepare, my prayer is that He Rids me of myself!! That I give HIM my all..the children my ALL, and my team my ALL!
Philippians 3:12-16 (The Message)
12-14
I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back.
15-16
So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you'll see it yet! Now that we're on the right track, let's stay on it.
"moments" in my life..where I had prepared and trained for things... and reflecting on how
I felt when it was over.. when the game was over, when the race was over..when the trip was over... when all of the hard work either paid off, or whether I didn't "leave it all on the field"...
As most know, I am pretty hard on myself, when it comes to measuring myself.. but the one that stands out to me is my recent Triathlon I did in April 2009. I trained for many months..swimming, biking, and running. I dedicated so much time to just training... I worked so hard and wanted to do so well. Well, long story short, I did FINISH, but I didn't leave it ALL on the field. I let the distractions get the best of me, I lost focus (But, I am learning that God made me the way He did for a reason, but that is for another time!)
I pray that in the weeks ahead I leave it ALL on the field at Village of Hope. I pray I allow the Holy Spirit to do things in me
that I cant' even imagine.. Really, this mission trip has nothing to do with me, and EVERYTHINGl to do with surrendering myself and allowing God to work in me & THROUGH me in ways beyond what I can even imagine... I am simply a vessel going to deliver love and hope to children who have been stripped of it...
In the days ahead, as I continue to prepare, my prayer is that He Rids me of myself!! That I give HIM my all..the children my ALL, and my team my ALL!
Philippians 3:12-16 (The Message)
12-14
I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back.
15-16
So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you'll see it yet! Now that we're on the right track, let's stay on it.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Unspeakable Joy
Days like today are gifts from above. There is no other explanation for
it other than divine appointments from the Father.
Knowing that I was exactly where the Lord wanted
me today warms my soul. You see that is one of my biggest
struggles is I never feel like I am where the Lord wants me, but that is a
story for another day.
I had another Uganda Team meeting today and each meeting is more affirmation
to me of how anointed our Uganda Team is. His presence is so alive in the room
it's crazy !God is going to do Big Amazing Awesome (don't you love my big words) and wonderful things and I am patiently waiting with expectation for what exactly that is.. I know already it is going to be beyond what I can even imagine.
Learning about the culture and the people of Uganda, makes me crave for the day I get to meet these beautiful new friends.
My only responsibility on this Mission Trip is to love God's people the way he first loved us. WOW- what a privilege that the Lord has hand picked ME.. to send His love from Texas to Uganda in the package of someone like ME?
So undeserving of this blessing, but I will accept it with open arms. And as our team is learned this week in John 15:16-17... "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed YOU to Go and to bear fruit- fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command. Love each other."
I want to bear fruit that lasts...
I had another unexpected appointment tonight at Dallas Life Foundation (Homeless Shelter). Although I always expect God to do big things, I don't always expect Him to use me. In fact, lately, I have felt very USE-less to God. But as I learned tonight, that has been because of the attitude of my heart. Tonight he saw an opportunity to use me to show love to a woman names Meka and her two beautiful boys. If you saw these boys you would see why I was drawn to them. Meka had pain her eyes when I walked up to her and her boys tonight. I wasn't sure if she was going to let me "in".. but immediately she started breaking when we started talking.
Oscar's lessons are always powerful, but I prayed... Lord, please speak directly to Meka tonight and He did just that. She hadn't opened a Bible in years, and we did just that.We read together. I shared with her other chapters to read to encourage her. She was confused about whether she was saved or not, so she rededicated her life to the Lord and the shackles came OFF! She needed love tonight and through the Lord, I responded. It was a blessing and honor to be with Meka tonight and I felt the Lord squeezing both of us tightly. The Presence of the Lord was at Dallas Life tonight and I am blown away to have been a part!
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