Joyfully, I lift my voice in praise to Thee!

This week I began working with the WONDERFUL Buckner Honduras Interns!! These girls are so amazing and I could not have been more blessed.  They instantly made me feel so at home and welcome here.  I have had so much fun working with them the last few days!

Me, Mary Elizabeth, Caitlin, Sarah, and Kimberly outside of the orphanage we are at in the afternoons.

For the last month, these girls have been teaching English in the CTC and a local school.  Mary Elizabeth and Sarah teach English to about 25 young adults while Kimberly and Caitlin are teaching to about 40 elementary school kids.  This week, I joined Mary Elizabeth, Sarah, and Karla (our translator/friend) in teaching their young adult English class. For the past 4 weeks the students have been singing the praise songs "Joyfully" by Kari Jobe and "Starry Night" by Chris August as a way to practice their English. Tuesday morning was the first time I got to hear them sing, and I was blown away by how tanglible the Holy Spirit was in that tiny classroom. It wasn't that their voices were great or that they had their English down perfectly; It was the fact that in that moment I got a glimpse of what heaven would be like. Voices from every nation coming together to worship our One Lord. I had a huge smile on my face the whole song as I watched 25 of my peers passionately worship God in a language they were just now learning. It just reminded me of how big our God really is, that every day people all around the world are praising and seeking Him. It amazes me too, that although I had just known these students for a few days, I instantly felt connected to them because we were all united under Christ. It's moments like that where I can start to comprehend how huge and powerful the entire body of Christ really is!

 

Here we are with all the students on their last day of English classes.  We had a goodbye party on Thursday and it was so amazing to see how much the students LOVED Sarah, Karly, and Mary Elizabeth! They decorated the classroom with balloons, made a huge cake, brough home-made burritos for everyone, and had tons of snacks and food to celebrate the last month.  Coming in at the end of the class, it was neat for me to be able to see how much of an impact Sarah,Karla, and Mary Elizabeth's love had on their class.

Me with Daniel, Nelson, and Guillermo playing the guitar during the party.  Everyone in their class was SO musically talented.  They all sang, played guitar, bass, drums, piano, everything!  These boys were amazing at guitar so I had them teach me a few songs :)

Karla, Mary Elizabeth, and I in front of the class.  Karla was their amazing translator this whole month!  They were so sweet for letting me try my hand at teaching English.  I wrote the Bible verse on the board for that day and then let them take over the rest.

Caitlin, Kimberly, and our other translator Luis were at the elementary school.  They taught the kids how to sing 3 different songs in English and their recordings of them are adorable!  I admire those three for having that much patience while teaching such a huge class.

In the afternoons we went to an orphanage to hang out with the kids there.  On my first day, some of the girls there were doing hair and nails so we got pampered by them!  Here are the results of our stylish new hair- dos:

Cute right?

This week has been so much fun getting to hang out and serve with the Honduras team! First of all, I was amazed at how much English all their students knew in just one month! It was also very obvious what an impact they'd made in the orphanage already because all the kids just adored and respected them so much. I've really loved getting the chance to encourage these interns as I've seen all the places where they work! I know that sometimes you can't see that you're making any progress where you are because you're only taking tiny steps forward every day. But I hope they realize how much they have meant to their students and the kids. Just seeing their work has encouraged me to pour out Christ's love like they've been doing because now I see how Christ's love really can radically change any situation.

Goodbye Guatemala, Hello Honduras!

Where you go, I'll go
Where you stay, I'll stay
When you move, I'll move
I will follow you

So today I had to say goodbye to all my friends in Guatemala.  Although I was supposed to stay there until August 6th, I had to leave today for safety reasons.  Their elections are coming up in November so political violence has increased these past weeks.  I am going to miss everybody so much!  Here are some final pictures with all my Guatemalen family :)

Mario, Me, Carlos, Kaitlyn, Guillermo, and Olivia

Out last day of VBS in Jocotenango, the CTC we worked at most of the trip.

All the girls!  We LOVE our translator Betzy!  We were so blessed to have her help us out these past 3 weeks.  She became such a good friend to us!

Kaitlyn and I with one of our drivers, Eric.  He was so sweet!  Everytime we got out of the car and said thanks he would say "OK." or "You.. are.. welcome!".  And he would great us with a "what's up ladies!". 

Krista and I in front of a YUMMY icecream shop named after me :)  I loved being her roommate for the past few weeks!

Celeste, me, Suzy, and Maggie on my last day.  I loved living with them!  We always had fun trying to communicate in our broken Spanish/English.  They are SUCH sweet and funny girls and I loved getting to hang out with them at night!

Today is pretty bittersweet for me.  I'll miss everyone in Guatemala, but I am so excited to be here in Honduras! I'll be with Mary Elizabeth, Sarah, Caitlin, Kimberly for the next week here in Tegucigalpa.  They have been here all summer teaching English classes and working at the orphanages.  Then Mary Elizabeth and I will be on our own here for one week until we go to San Pedro Sula with the second group of interns in July.

The sudden change of plans really put things in perspective for me.  I think we all often make our schedules and count on having that exact amount of time to do what we plan to do.  We find comfort in knowing exactly what comes next.  But, if this summer has taught me one thing so far, it's that many times God has something totally different planned for me than I expected.  I'm not saying it's bad to make plans, but we just can't get so hooked on those specifc plans that we're resistant when God decides to change them. I also realized how much I take time itself for granted.  It's easy to put things off or not give it your all when you think you have unlimited time.  But I realize now how important it is to focus my heart on Christ each morning so I can follow Him and not miss out on his plan for me that day.  Just because I don't think something is important or don't see how I can be useful, doesn't mean I get to waste that time. There's a reason that He gives us each another day, and I'm determined now to seek after Him constantly so that I don't waste it! 

 I'm excited to start serving with this new team of awesome girls, and I thank God for the time he gave me with all the wonderful people in Guatemala!

Who you love, I'll love
How you serve I'll serve
If this life I lose, I will follow you
I will follow you

Taco, Taco, Taco!

Hello everyone! This week, my team and I got to lead the VBS classes by ourselves, and the title of this post pretty much sums up that experience.  No, we didn't eat a lot of tacos (although we did get to chow down on some authentic Guatemalan food), but we did sing a lot of children's songs, test out our Spanish, and learn about finding joy in the little things.  Here's some picture's showing what we did everyday!  We were working in Jocotenango, a city right outside of Antigua.

(Photo by Kaitlyn Whitley)
Starting off the day with a few fun songs. We sing “The Frog Song” a lot and for about three days I was singing “taco, taco, taco” during one part instead of “canto, canto, canto”… our translator Betsy kindly corrected me

(Photo by Kaitlyn Whitley)
This week the Bible story was Noah’s ark so we had the kids decorate bookmarks with rainbows, animal stickers, and rainbow crosses. One of the kids with the finished product!

(photo by Brittany Watson)

Such sweet eyes!

(Photo by Brittany Watson)

Handing out candy after craft time. Probably saying “Ohhh muy bien! Quieres un dulce?”

Next is game time! We have a few of our favorites we like to play everyday...

(photo by Brittany Watson)

The t-shirt  relay race game!

Some of the girls waiting patiently for their turn.

(Photo by Brittany Watson)

(photo by Kaitlyn Whitley)

Playing a game like sharks and minos!

 

(Photos by Kaitlyn Whitley)

Playing animal charades to go along with the Noah's ark theme!

On our lunch break we had some time to sight-see in Antigua.. so beautiful!

(photo by Kaitlyn Whitley)

The hill overlooking all of Antigua with a volcano in the background.

(photo by Kaitlyn Whitley)

All the girls (including our translator Betsy) under the arc in Antigua

(photo by Brittany Watson)

Beautiful view of the streets of Antigua!

So that's been our week summed up with a few pictures! But the most important thing our team has learned this week is how to see God in our day to day routine.  We had new groups of kids every morning and afternoon so we did the same lesson every day. While we're thankful we got the chance to love on so many kids, about half-way through the week we found ourselves getting too caught up in our routine.  Thankfully, in our team devotional on Wednesday we read this by Oswald Chambers:

"I must realize that my obedience even in the smallest detail of life has all of the omnipotent power of the grace of God behind it. If I will do my duty, not for duty's sake but because I believe God is engineering my circumstances, then at the very point of my obedience all of the magnificent grace of God is mine through the glorious atonement by the Cross of Christ."

We were reminded that God is always near us and in everything we do even when we think it's just small details of life. On mission trips we often expect huge, life-changing moments everyday, but sometimes God chooses to work differently.  This week I've started to learn how to seek and find Christ in those every-day moments. I'm learning to trust that God is going to work in the hearts of the kids long after we've left. That even though I may not see any instant changes everyday, everything we do now is all part of God's plan for those kid's lives.  Again, I am reminded that this summer is not about what I get out of it or how I feel.  Each day is not just the same old routine, but provides me with two new opportunities to show God's love to these children and I can't take that time for granted.

First week here! (Part 2)

On Wednesday our first team from Buckner arrived! About 30 mothers, grandmothers, daughters, and granddaughters joined us, and we are so thankful that they are here! One of the main things we have done these past three days is get a chance to pamper the mothers/daughters of San Jose Pinula.  We massaged their hands, gave them manicures, brushed and styled their hair, decorated cookies, and made flower jewelry with them.  It was such an honor to get to serve all these women and teach them about how much they're worth to God.

(Photo by Kaitlyn Whitley)

One of the girls with her hair done and the tissue flowers we all made together.

(Photo by Kaitlyn Whitley)

Brittany painting one of the mother's nails.

In the afternoons we traveled to the City of Children orphanage home and spent time with different girls there.  There are a total of about 800 kids living in this one orphanage, and, to be honest, I was not prepared for the effect it was going to have on me.  On Wednesday we set up the same stations and got a chance to pamper about 200 of the girls there.  It was hard not to get emotional thinking about all the times my mom and I had done that same kind of girly girl stuff together.  It's just difficult thinking about how those girls will never have that same kind of bond as I do with my mom.

Each afternoon we also spent time with some of the special-needs girls there.  I quickly formed a bond with one of the girls, Erica, when she insisted on painting my nails after I painted hers.  She ended up painting about half of my hand with magenta polish and was just laughing hysterically the whole time!  The next day I saw her again and we got the chance to make fruit-loop necklaces together.

(Photo by Kaitlyn Whitley)

Putting her necklace on.  A few minutes later we took it off so she could just eat the fruit-loops.. that's my kinda girl!

(Photo by Kaitlyn Whitley)

Erika!

We also all had a big dance party towards the end of the day.  So much fun!

(Photo by Kaitlyn Whitley)

These girls wore me out! 

Yesterday, after working with the special-needs girls again, we got to spend some time with the little kiddos in the playground!  Check back tomorrow for the rest of this blog!

First week here! (Part 1)

Hello everyone! So it's officially been one week since we arrived in Guatemala and so much has happened!  First of all, welcome to our home here (ours is the one with the brown door)

Photo by Olivia Artusa

It's kind of like a town home, and we live here with 3 other girls our age from Guatemala City, along with one long-term volunteer Krista.  The first few days here were spent getting settled in and becoming aquainted with the city.

Yummy sweets from a nearby bakery! They definitely use way less sugar in everything here.

We are addicted to these desserts!  Fresh fruit drenched in chocolate... delicious.

Monday we started teaching our VBS lessons to kids in San Jose Pinula, a nearby town about 1 1/2 hours away.  Buckner has a community transformation center in this town which offers things like counseling, computer classes, affordable healthcare, english lessons, and more.  We got the chance to hang out with kids from the town's school for two days! Basically, each day started off with teaching the kids a few fun songs, telling them the Bible story for the day, making some crafts, then just playing games and having fun!

(Photo by Kaitlyn Whitley)

Teaching them our favorite songs! They are very sweet to put up with my broken Spanish instructions.

(Photo by Kaitlyn Whitley)

Using my favorite go-to Spanish phrase: "Cuantos anos tienes?".  When I had them guess my age they said 30 or 40... great haha

(Photo by Kaitlyn Whitley)

The kids LOVE bubbles!

(Photo by Kaitlyn Whitley)

Helping the boys put together the memory verse for the day.  It amazes me how eager and excited they are to learn!

(Photo by Kaitlyn Whitley)

Teaching the kids about creation.  Afterwards we had them pick their favorite day to color a picture of.  Again, I was so amazed at how much they remembered and learned so quickly!

(Photo by Kaitlyn Whitley)

Walking into the school in San Jose Pinula.  So many sweet kids!  We had a blast getting to hang out with some of them.

Right off the bat, my team and I were overwhelmed with how much joy and laughter these kids had to share with us.  We learned very quickly that sometimes it doesn't matter how much Spanish you know as long as you're willing to run around, act crazy, and laugh with them. It really is the little things, like hugs and smiles, that go a long way.  Already God is teaching me that He is more than just an emotion.  What I mean is that I don't need to hype up God and put on an awesome performance when teaching the Bible story.  The more I remove all that fluff emotion, the more I can get to know Him genuinely so that I can genuinely share his love. And these kids are such a great testimony to what genuine love and happiness look like!

Our new home!

So after a long day (starting at 3 am this morning!) our team has finally made it to our home for the summer in Guatemala! We are going to be staying in the Buckner home with another long-term volunteer, Krista, and three other women about our age who work at Buckner and go to college in Guatemala.  We're staying in a quieter part of Guatemala City, and our home is quaint and comfortable.  We even have our own kitchen!  So hopefully we'll be pros at cooking traditional Guatemalan cuisine by the time we leave :)

Although we are very thankful to have such a comfortable place to stay, something my team and I talked about this morning is how important it is to have our comfort be Christ, not material things or familiar places.  The passage in Luke 9:51-62 shows a man who does want to follow Christ, but only after he finishes doing some other things first.  I think a lot of times we put off going someplace Christ wants us to go because we're seeking comfort from things other than Christ.  For instance, we might say we'll go to another country, but only when we have the language down perfectly.  Or, we might say we'll move to a different state, but only when we have enough money to buy a nice house there.  But look at the apostle Paul!  All throughout the book of Acts he is recorded spending a few months in one place, then a few years in another, and so on.  To him, his comfort doesn't come from where he is, or his high-tech hiking shoes (cough cough chacos), or the familiar food he gets to eat.  It comes from Christ.

Now, I know that when I leave Guatemala I'll be going back to my home in Plano.  But what if I wasn't?  It's easy to put up with change when you know you'll be going back to your normal routine eventually.  But what if I was called to live my life constantly moving from place to place in order to do God's work?  Would Christ be enough of a comfort and shelter for me, or would I break down because I rely too much on other things? Thinking about this made me realize what other things in my life that I actually have let take the place of Christ as a comfortor.  I mean, there have been countless times when I've grown too attached to possessions, people, or habits in hopes that they would provide the comfort I needed.  But I don't like relying on temporary hope and fickel paths to happiness. I want to learn to live with my eyes locked on my steadfast Lord, trusting in His guidance and love while letting all other idols of comfort fall away.

And just in case you all were in need of some Jesus comfortin', here is a passage from the daily devotional we did today:

1 John 4:18 "Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear.  If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love."

2 Thessalonians 3:16 "Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation.  The Lord be with you all."

"I want to be central in your entire being.  When your focus is firmly on Me, My Peace displaces fears and worries.  Let trust and thankfulness stand gaurd, turning back fear before it can gain a foothold.  There is no fear in My Love, which shines on you continually.  Sit quietly in My Love-Light, while I bless you with radiant Peace.  Turn your whole being to trusting and loving Me."


We start working in the orphanages on Monday so I'll be sure to let y'all know about that!

Currently Listening to: God of the redeemed by Bethel Live http://youtu.be/V-tGEaXLJUI

"I remember your faithfulness to me"

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1

Today, as I began to prepare to leave for Guatemala, I became a little nostalgic about my time spent in Nicaragua last summer.  I put lots of things from that trip (sea shells, letters, pictures, notes and drawings from the children there, and my journal) in a box at the end of last summer, so I decided to spend some time sifting through those memories.  I started to read the journal I had kept those two weeks and it actually made me tear up seeing how FAITHFUL God had been that whole time!

That trip was really one of the first times I had handed everything over to God and lived by faith and trust in Him rather than in myself or my own plans.  Now, I'll be honest, one of the main reasons I handed everything over to him is because, for most of the trip, I had no earthly idea what I was supposed to be doing.  I didn't have a daily schedule to go off of, I didn't know the language at all, I didn't really know where I was half the time (I'm horrible with directions), I was a little worried about hiking all day (I am by no means naturally athletic), and I didn't know any of the people I was going with before the trip.  So pretty much my only option was to say "Alright Lord, my trust is completely in You".  And you know what? Not once did God misuse my trust in him or lead me in a wrong direction.  He pushed me out of my comfort zone the entire time, but never let me wander there by myself.

"It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect." 2 Samuel 22:33

Two of the biggest promises he kept to me last summer were him giving me strength and fellowship.  I learned to really rely physically on him for all my strength because I certainly did not have enough myself.  One day I even wrote "Sooo I probably should have worked out a little more before I came here cause Lord, I am tired!  But I know it really doesn't matter what I do because if you want me to hike up that mountain to give this gospel to that family, you'll get me there.  So Lord, please be my strength cause we are going up that mountain!"  I know it might seem silly to some of you to ask God for physical strength, but God really does want you to surrender EVERY part of your life to him, not just a few things that you think you need help with. He is a big God, but he doesn't just want you to hand him your big problems.  He wants us to surrender everything to him daily! And in living by faith and full dependence on him, we are able to experience first-hand how trustworthy, loving and faithful our God really is.

The second thing that I was reminded about was the awesome bonds created between my team members and me. The Lord totally blessed me day after day with uplifting conversations, deep discussions, and so much joy and laughter between us all.  It amazes me how complete strangers can grow so close so quickly when they are united under Christ.  And this fellowship was even with the people of the communities, too.  One week at church in the town of los encinos, the members of this small mountain community prayed for our team while we prayed for them.  The presence of God was almost tangible in that one-room, dirt floor church!  It was just so powerful to know that, although we have completely different lives and don't speak the same language, all of us our living for and praying to the same awesome and powerful God.

Re-reading my journal made me reflect back, not only on my summer, but on my whole year.  I realized how many promises he's kept and prayers he's answered. Going into this summer, I pray that I surrender myself daily to Christ so that I can do his will for me there.  I know that he will be my strength and my guide if I just let him take over completely.  I'm not sure if this is exactly appropriate to pray, but last summer I also wrote "daily prayer: Lord, please let me not screw up your ministry just because I can be stubborn and selfish". I honestly want to pray that every morning this summer.  I pray that Christ will humble me and teach me how to be a servant to others while there, and that I continue to live like that once I'm back home in the fall.

"Therefore, do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourself. " Philippians 2:3


Currently Listening to: Jesus You're Beautiful by Jon Thurlow http://youtu.be/EQQMG93kxqM (yes, it's 13 min but it's so amazing)

Week Sixteen: A Study Break

Hello ladies! Is everyone excited for summer in THREE DAYS?!?! I know you are all probably worn out from studying super hard, so I thought you could use a little break (aka more ways to procrastinate) from school stuff! Here are just a few links to some cool videos, songs, and excerpts from some of my favorite books. Enjoy!

1. “What is the G.O.S.P.E.L.?” This is an awesome slam poetry video explaining the gospel. This guy is super talented and really lays down the truth. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gb7n9B_8m8

2. One of my favorite hip hop dances to Trip Lee’s “Got No Worries”. If only I had these skills haha…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5Zt5aHZne4


3. “The BIGGEST Loser” Brings up gluttony as a common sin in America today. Kinda funny but also pretty convicting and not something we think about as often as we shouldhttp://youtu.be/yV3K8NcVt2o

4. “When the Secular is Sacred” I love Mumford and Sons so I thought this article was pretty interesting. It’s about how some songs by this band, and others, are really addressing the ‘sticky’ areas of Christianity by being more  open about questions they may have and struggles they're going through. (Also a good site just to browse)http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/worship/features/22374-when-the-secular-is-sacred
 http://youtu.be/-NXWE6AC8ao

5. “Death: His sting and defeat” Another kind of poetry thing from LifeChurch. http://youtu.be/8rhwbcRqUgY

6. This is the introduction to the book The Supernatural Ways of Royalty by Bill Johnson and Kris Vallotton. It touches on how we really are a part of God’s royal family. I just love to imagine Jesus getting ready to come back for us while we, on earth, prepare the way for Him!
    “Pauperhood is relegated to the children of a lesser god. It is the condition of slaves who have yet to discover their freedom on the other side of the river of baptism and find themselves still captured by the dark prince of torture and torment. He is the one who assigns them to a life of poverty, pain, and depression through a diabolical play of illusion. He hopes to conceal their true identity forever. This evil prince feeds his captives the poisonous rations of religion, convincing them they will fill their soul’s hunger for righteousness. These slaves, blindfolded by their sin, think that they are laboring for their own freedom and work to pave their way out of prison with bricks built from the miry clay of self-righteousness. Yet, unknowingly, brick by brick, they are erecting their own chambers of death. Worse yet, they birth children into the same darkness, ultimately creating legacies of bondage with mind-sets of hopelessness.
     But on a hill far away a Lamb-turned-Lion descended into this death camp through the portal of Golgotha. Crashing through the gates of hell, He met the dark prince in the mother of all battles. With three spikes and a thorny crown, the Captain of the Host conquered the devil, eternally disarming his destructive weapons of sin, death, hell and the grave. Sin could not tempt Him, death couldn’t defeat Him, hell couldn’t keep Him, and the grave could not hold Him. With watching witnesses and waiting warriors, He ascended through earth’s surface. The planet quaked to release its captives while Heaven thundered to receive its treasure. They weren’t just waiting for rescued souls to be redeemed, but for the crowning of the sons who were to be revealed. For with His blood, the Holy One of Radiance purchased rotten, ragged sinners and recreated us into His righteous, reigning Saints.
    We are not just soldiers of the cross; we are heirs to the throne. The divine nature permeates our souls, transforms our minds, transplants our hearts, and transfigures our spirits. We were made to be vessels of His glory and vehicles of His light.
    Perhaps we are better exemplified as the beautiful daughter who will ascend the throne through marriage, for she is betrothed to the Prince of Peace. The Bridal Chamber is being built, the feast is being prepared, and the Bride is making herself ready. Alternatively, we may be called the Children of God, the Engaged Bride, a Royal Priesthood, the Apple of His Eye, and a New Creation, but above all, one thing is for certain: We have captivated the heart of our Lover. Burning with desire, He has mounted His white horse, assembled a majestic entourage, and is making His way toward the planet!
    Meanwhile back on earth, God’s people are rising and beginning to shine in this present darkness. His Royal Army is spreading the Kind’s glory all over the earth as we take dominion of this planet back from the defeated one. Equipped with the light of the Father, His sons are finding buried treasure in the hearts of men that was once covered by rocks of offense, thorns of treachery, and relics of religion. Armed with the power of the Holy Spirit and commissioned to re-present the King’s Son, we are healing the sick, raising the dead, and displacing devils. Paupers are becoming princes as a result, and the kingdom of this world is becoming the Kingdom of our God!”

Alright y’all, that’s it! I hope everyone makes it through the next two days and does great on finals! Have an AMAZING summer, be safe, have fun, and I can’t wait to see you all next semester!!
4. “How He loves us: a story” Just a cool interview with john mark McMillan about why he wrote “How He Loves Us” and what it means to him. I just love his testimony to how God really does love us even when we're not crazy about him.

Week Fifteen: A Place to Belong

“Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we’re talking about is Christ’s body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as part of His body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut of toe we wouldn’t amount to much, would we?” Romans 12:4-5

Hello ladies! I hope you’re all enjoying this lovely day outside (ha, not). Can you believe that finals start this week? Seriously, where did this semester go?? It’s so crazy to me when I look back on the last 4 months and think about all that has happened. Personally, one of the biggest and best changes I experienced these past months has been really finding where I belong in my church. Even growing up, I never made it a priority to really be involved in church besides summer camps and mission trips. It wasn’t until recently that I realized what all I was missing out on. I know a lot of Christians don’t see why it’s so important to be involved in a church. I was like that too last year; I’d read my Bible, pray, and listen to worship music and thought I was doing just fine. Not being involved in a church doesn’t make you any less of a Christian, but it certainly isn’t God’s best for you. You are called to belong, not just to believe, and here is why. (This is based off my notes from a day in “A Purpose Driven Life“)

1. A church family identifies you as a genuine believer. You discover your role in life through your relationship with others. We are not the Body of Christ by ourselves; we need others to express that. When we accept Christ into our lives, we become part of His family, it’s not a solitary way of life. When people from different backgrounds come together to love as a church family, it is one of the most powerful witnesses to the world.
“By this, all men will know that you are My disciples if you have love for one another.” John 13:35

2. It moves you out of self-centered isolation. Only in regular contact with ordinary, imperfect believers can we learn real fellowship and experience the New Testament truth of being connected and dependent on each other. We learn what God’s sacrificial love (John 3:16) really means when we practice loving others like that through fellowship.
“If one part of the body suffers, all the other parts suffer with it. Or if one part of our body is honored, all the other parts share its honor.” 1 Corinthians 12:26

3. It helps us grow spiritually. It easy to fool ourselves into thinking we are mature Christians if there is no one there to challenge us. Just like I said earlier, I thought my daily routine last semester was fine until I had a HUGE wake up call this semester.  It really is a night and day difference when you're pursueing God on your own versus when you're pursueing God with the support of a whole community.  We are kept accountable by surrounding ourselves with Christians who truly are seeking Christ and really want to encourage us and help us grow, too. We need more than just a Bible to grow, we need other believers who are there to call us out when we're on the wrong track. 
“As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.” Ephesians 4:16b

4. The Body of Christ needs you! We all have our own unique talents and abilities; Some people can sing, dance, play guitar, write, teach, fix computers, organize things, care for others, make us laugh, plan really cool parties, etc. Whatever it may be, God wants you to use your gifts for his ministry. So plug in to your church by doing whatever you’re already good at! Use your talent to help the Body of Christ because that’s why you have it in the first place.

5. A church family helps you from being overcome by sin. Brennan Manning says “A church is not a museum of saints but a hospital for sinners“. I love that! We all sin, and our church should be a refuge from that, not a place of condemnation. We need to “Encourage one another daily… so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” (Hebrews 3:13) Everyone faces temptation daily, and being surrounded by a community of believers gives us people who are going to be looking out for us when we fall. James 5:19 says “If you know people who have wandered off from God’s truth, don’t write them off. Go after them, get them back!”. Your church is full of people who will help you overcome temptation and keep your focus on Christ.

The church meets our five deepest needs: a purpose to live for, people to live with, principles to live by, a profession to live out, and power to live on. I started really plugging in to First Baptist this semester and am just amazed by the people I’ve met. I had never been around so many Christians who were so knowledgeable of God’s Word, so uplifting and encouraging, so focused on Christ, so joyful and filled with His love, and so honest about their own sin. Not only that, but getting to know some of you girls has been such a blessing! I’ve loved being able to talk during Bible Studies and go to church and paradigm with y’all.

I know this devotional is kind of bad timing since we’re all about to leave for the summer, but I encourage you all to get plugged in to a community of believers wherever you are. I know I’ve said the word ‘church’ a lot, but a church is not a place it’s a people. So whether you’re staying here or going home, find people who are going to uplift you and challenge you in your walk with Christ. You could even get a couple of people together and go through “A Purpose Driven Life” together this summer since it’s a 40 day devotional (perfect summer fit)! Just an idea. Anyway, I hope y’all have a fabulous week and try not to get too stressed out over finals!

Currently Listening to: The Outsiders by NeedtoBreathe http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6xvpQYA94Y

Week Fourteen: Our Risen King

“Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!” Psalm 32:1-2Happy Easter everyone! I hope y’all are enjoying this extra-long weekend; hanging out with family and friends, eating lots of food and candy, and binging on whatever you gave up for Lent ☺ Today really is a day to celebrate! Think about it, the significance of this very day is the reason why we no longer receive the consequences for our sins that we deserve.  This day represents the gift of eternal life that God has given to us!  But I know for many people this day also brings up a lot of questions about the basics of Christian faith.  So, for anyone who hasn’t heard before, hear is just the basics of the gospel and what it means to serve a risen King.

Why do we even need a savior? Because as Romans 3:23 says “For ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  No one on this Earth is free of sin.  I know that some sins seem bigger than other, but this does not mean that because we only commit “little”” sins we deserve eternal life.  None of us deserve this gift.  All sins make us sinners and cut us off from our holy God therefore, leading us to death.

“Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous.  He did this through Jesus Christ when he freed us from the penalty for our sins” (Romans 3:24)  This truth right here is the reason for celebration today.  Do y’all realize what we’re worth to God? One-third of the angels (Satan and his followers) fell away from God and yet God did nothing.  But when the ENTIRE mankind rebelled against Him through sin, God pulled out all the stops to get us back.

“For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin.  People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood” (Romans 3:25).  When Jesus died on the cross for us, he experienced something that none of us will ever have to go through.  The physical agony was horrible, but even worse was the period of spiritual separation from God, his Father. Jesus suffered this double death so that we would never have to experience eternal separation from God.

But the story doesn’t stop there; On the third day Jesus ROSE from the dead! His resurrection is the key to the Christian faith.  Why? Because in rising from the dead, he kept his promise to us that he would do just that.  Therefore, we can be confident that he will accomplish all he has promised.  His bodily resurrection shows us that the living Christ, not a false prophet or imposter, is ruler of God’s eternal Kingdom.  We can be certain of our own resurrection because Jesus was resurrected first.  He conquered death for us!

So how do we receive this eternal gift? “If you declare with you mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved” (Romans 10:9-10).  It’s more than just good works, it’s more than just believing that God exists, it’s more than celebrating a holiday.  We can not hear the message of the gospel and not be left with a decision to make; we can not act indifferent to these facts.  The gospel is NOT relative.  It doesn’t just pertain to Christians because we base our lives on it’s truth; it pertains to everyone whether or not they follow it.  The truth is that Christ’s sacrifice was for ALL OF HUMANITY.  God sent his son so that all who believe in him will have eternal life (John 3:16).  He has laid this gift in front of us and it is in our hands whether or not we accept it.  We have to make a conscious choice to either follow Christ or reject him.
God genuinely wants us all to come to him.  That’s why he went to such great lengths to save us!  If any of y’all have any questions about what this means or looks like or why it all even matters in the first place, please feel free to ask me.  If anyone hasn’t accepted Christ in their hearts and wants to, I will always be willing to talk to you about it!  Enjoy the rest of your Sunday : )

Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father EXCEPT THROUGH ME.”  John 14:6
Currently Listening to: Death in His Grave by John Mark McMillan  https://mail.ttu.edu/owa/redir.aspx?C=fffc862cd0884dc5abc8a799b2197b7b&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.youtube.com%2fwatch%3fv%3dUJDguHJ34SE

Week Thirteen: Our faithful God

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight" Proverbs 3:5-6

I know we’ve all heard this verse a lot, but I think it’s important to realize what trusting in the Lord really means. It’s easy to trust Him when things are going right, when we’re in a good mood, or when we’re on track with the plan we’ve made for our lives. But what about when circumstances around us don’t make sense? What about when God has promised us something, but we don’t see how on earth He can make it happen? One of my friends who is going to Senegal this summer was talking to me about how this verse applies directly to her life right now. She has 3 weeks left to raise $2,220 for her mission or else she can’t go. Now I know a lot of us would be a little worried at this point as to what to do, but she has such faith and trust in the Lord that she isn’t at all bothered by this number. She has said that God has confirmed in many ways that she is supposed to be going this summer so she has chosen to trust completely in the promise He made her and not be worried about how He’s going to provide. In a message she wrote she said “Sometimes we have to remind ourselves of the promises God has made to us. Don't focus on the situation that you are currently in but know what ever God has promised you He will fulfill it. He is not going to lead you on to think He is going to do something, then not provide. That is not His nature, that's the devil.”

Her strong faith is such an inspiration to me! I’ll be honest, there are lots of times when it is so hard for me to have blind faith about things. I can be a very practical person, so when I can’t plan for things, I like to reflect on what’s already happened to see what I can learn from that. So this got me thinking, what other promises has God already fulfilled in my life that I can reflect on when I’m feeling anxious or worried about a current situation?

1. He has promised to supply for every need we have. “And the same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19) Keep in mind these are needs, not wants or luxuries. Sometimes, if he’s not providing it means you don’t really need it. It also includes financial needs, too!

2. God has promised that His children will not be overtaken with temptation. “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” (1 Corinthians 10:13) I also love the beginning of this verse because I think it shows how important it is to be in a community of believers who you can confide in and lean on when you feel really tempted by something.

3. Our God promises to never leave us. “Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, ‘I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.’ So we can say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?’” (Hebrew 13:5-6) Doesn’t this verse just give you so much strength and courage and trust, despite any situation you are in? Love it!

4. God has promised for all things to work together for good to those who love and serve him faithfully. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) I know this may be difficult for us to see and understand at times, but God has promised it so He WILL deliver.

5. God has promised us victory over death by eternal life through Him! “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:28) What an awesome, life-changing promise that the Lord has made and kept!

Why can we trust in God? Because He has already kept so many promises that He has made to us. Even if you don’t understand what is going on in your life right now, you can find comfort and joy in looking at all that He has done for you already. I am so thankful to serve such a good and faithful God!
Currently Listening to: Forever Reign by Hillsong http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=au3EGgISYMc

Week Twelve: Wonder

  “As civilization advances, the sense of wonder declines” - Rabbi Heschel

Sorry this is so late!! This devotional is going to be pretty short and sweet but I just wanted to give a little word of encouragement for the upcoming weeks that are busy with tests, stress, worry, and hectic schedules. I think many times we get caught up in our busy lives and we miss the gifts that God offers us on a daily basis. As bad as this sounds, we grow used to seeing him work small miracles in our lives; therefore, we start to overlook the ways that he’s showing his love for us. Y’all, God is showing each of us daily how much he loves and appreciates us individually. Our God is a living, moving, working God who desires to be a part of our entire lives, not just when we ‘have time’ for Him. This devotional is simply a reminder to live in the presence of the living God by living in wonder, amazed by traces of God all around us. Whether this be in a beautiful sunrise on your way to an 8 am class, grabbing a coffee break with your best friend, or listening to your favorite band (unless your favorite band is Keisha… no offense), our God is all around us.  James 1:17 says “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” All good things come from God, therefore do not take for granted what brings you joy daily! He is wooing each of us, drawing us closer to Him by showing us His love in ways He knows we’ll appreciate. Don’t miss out on His presence because you are too caught up in your busy schedule. Psalm 46:10 says “Be still and know that I am God.” Sometimes we just have to stop and give glory where it’s deserved. Take a breather in your busy day to enjoy and be thankful for what God gives you! It's noticing the little things in life that can make a big difference in how your day goes.

The spirituality of wonder knows the world is charged with grace, that while sin and war, disease and death, are terribly real, God’s loving presence and power in our midst are even more real. (Ragamuffin Gospel 99)

Currently Listening To: Beautiful by Phil Wickham

Week Eleven: Fasting

“I humbled myself with fasting” Psalm 35:13

Hello ladies! I hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful warm weather! Alright, since I know a lot of us gave up things for Lent, the devotional this week is about fasting. About two days ago, I was working at Spoonful and had kind of a rude awakening from God as to what he intended the purpose of fasting to be. See, I gave up sweets/desserts for Lent so that day at work I was doing 2 things: a) throwing a huge pity party for myself because I really wanted some candy but couldn’t eat it, and b) kind of praising myself for having such great self-control that I didn’t even eat a single gummy worm. I mean, how annoying is that! No one wants to be around someone who willingly gives something up, complains about it, and then wants praise from others for abstaining from it. So I decided I better take a deeper look in to what God says about fasting.

First of all, why fast? Fasting in itself is of no spiritual value, but it’s the attitude of a heart sincerely seeking Him to which God responds with blessing. Fasting signifies humility, demonstrates repentance, appeals to God for protection, is a form of worship, empowers us for spiritual warfare, and makes us stronger in Him when we feel weak. Fasting and prayer does not change God. It changes us. It is not twisting God’s arm to get him to do our bidding but rather positioning ourselves to receive the grace He freely gives and to do His bidding. Fasting and prayer combined removes the hindrances to our peace. It ensures the sincerity of our humility, repentance, and acceptance of pardon so that we no longer feel estranged from God. It helps us humble ourselves and lift up others who are oppressed so that we remove tensions from our relationships.

On the sermon on the mount, Jesus said “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father , who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:16-18) Notice that it says “when you fast”. Jesus is already assuming that we are going to fast, so right away it’s clear that I shouldn’t think I deserve praise from others for doing something that we’re all called to do. It also says not to make it obvious when you fast. Why? Because fasting isn’t about gaining the approval of others or showing them how ‘good’ of a Christian you are. Romans 14:10 says “Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.” It doesn’t matter if other people know what you’re doing (or not doing) or visa versa. In the end, we will all answer to God and God alone. He knows about all the sacrifices you are making to follow Him so don’t worry about if everyone else does (side note: it’s still SO important to have other Christians to confide in who will comfort, encourage, guide you, and disciple you in your walk with Christ)
　
The void left by whatever you have given up should be filled by Christ. “The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength.” (Isaiah 58:11) You don’t give something worldly up to replace it by a different worldly thing. I don’t give up sweets just to replace them with bread or coffee or diet dr. pepper. Fasting is an expression of the heart’s longing for a greater intimacy in our walk with Him. It is to set aside our physical appetites and the time required to prepare meals (or the time you would normally spend doing whatever you’ve given up) in order to focus more of our time and attention upon the Lord.

Ok, last verse! I read this verse for the first time today and kind of laughed out loud at how blunt God is. I mean, He is of course a God of love, but He’s is so not afraid to call you out if you’re going against his will.
“They [the people of Israel] act like a righteous nation that would never abandon the laws of its God.. They ask me to take action on their behalf, pretending they want to be near me. ‘We have fasted before you!’ they say. ‘Why aren’t you impressed? We have been very hard on ourselves, and you don’t even notice it!” ‘I will tell you why!’ I respond. ‘It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves. Even while you fast, you keep oppressing your workers. What good is fasting when you keep on fighting and quarreling? This kind of fasting will never get you anywhere with me. You humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance, bowing your heads like reeds bending in the wind. You dress in burlap and cover yourselves with ashes. Is this what you call fasting? Do you really think this will please the Lord?” Isaiah 58:2-5
I think this speaks directly to what so many Christians get in the habit of doing now. We have a checklist of ’godly’ things to do each day, and once we do them all we wonder why we aren‘t seeing God move in our lives. Well, maybe it’s time for us to check our motives behind why we’re doing those things. Does are motivation for doing certain things come from wanting to show God how much we love him? Because if you’re doing certain things just out of habit or tradition or to look good, then there really is no reason to do it. Fasting can be just another way we put on the front of being a Christian, or we can really use it to grow in our relationship with Christ and affect others through it.

Currently Listening To: Where I Belong by Cory Asbury
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUsZ9LHNM40

Week Ten: We are the salt

Hello! I hope everyone had a good first week back and was able to get in the swing of things again after spring break! This week, I wanted to focus on one verse, Matthew 5:13. It says

“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.”

First, let’s look at the importance of salt in our regular lives. It performs two important functions. It is the commonest of all preservatives and keeps things from going bad. Salt also gives taste and flavor to food. Food without salt is insipid. In both cases, salt is used to improve the food whether it be by taste or by making it last longer. You should also be able to notice when salt is on your food because if the salt isn’t affecting it, then the salt really has no value or purpose.

So how are Christians the salt of the earth? We are meant to affect others positively. We are called to let our “good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise [our] heavenly father.” (Mat 5:16). If Christians make no effort to affect the world around them, then they are of little value to God. If we are too much like the world, we are worthless. Why claim to be a Christian if you‘re not going to lie for Christ? I’m not talking about being perfect or never sinning, that’s impossible. But as Christians, when we claim Jesus as our Savior we make the choice to be decidedly different than the rest of the world. Our entire life focus shifts from worldly things to things of God. This shift should be so evident in our lives that we simply can’t help but to ‘season’ our surroundings with the love and joy that is in us. People should be able to smell and taste and see our flavor when we interact with them because the positive affect Christ has in our lives is so apparent.

So ask yourselves, have you lost your flavor? Are you a Christian yet you still blend in with the rest of your surroundings? How are you using the love of Christ in you to bring out the best in others and in your every day circumstances? This verse was our theme for Beach Reach this year and it really was a wake up call to me so I hope it gives y’all something to think about too. See ya tomorrow! (Remember, come early or stay after for the fundraising bake sale :] )

Currently Listening to: Poison Tree by Ghost Ship Recording (just go here, it’s so good if you like acoustic stuff
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htYtKr2PLjQ )

Week Nine: Trusting Him to lead us

“Do not be afraid of them.” the Lord said to Joshua, “for I have given you victory over them. Not a single one of them will be able to stand up to you.” Joshua 10:8

Hey y’all!! I hope everyone’s spring break was great : ) A sermon I got to hear over the break really changed my perspective on how I carry out the tasks Jesus has called me to do. I think a lot of us feel a tension in our hearts when we step out of our comfort zone while following God. We want so badly to obey Him, but it’s hard when we deal with anxiety, worry, or fear of what we’re getting ourselves in to. What I realized this past week though is that the main reason we get that tension is because we’re trying to do it all ourselves instead of letting Jesus take over. The pastor I listened to said it perfectly: when following Jesus, you do what you know how to do and trust that He will take care of the rest. A lot of times we have such anxiety because Jesus calls us to an unknown place and, for some reason, we think that we’re supposed to handle it on our own. But, thankfully, that’s not at all the case!

In the book of Joshua, God calls Joshua to “lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them.” (1:6) Now, that’s a pretty big calling to answer to. Lucky for Joshua, the Lord also said, “This is my command- be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (1:9) So let’s think about this.. Joshua has this huge task he has to accomplish, but he also has the Lord’s promise that He will be with him. So Joshua can either freak out and worry about all the details of how he’s going to conquer all the nations, or he can simply do what he knows how to do (fight, organize troops, listen to God) and trust that God will do the rest. The book is filled with stories of battles, all ending in victory for Joshua. It says, “Joshua conquered all these kings and their land in a single campaign, for the Lord, the God of Israel, was fighting for His people.” (10:42) God will really fight our battles for us if we let him! All we have to do is trust, obey, and sometimes just plain get out of the way and let God work.

Another story in the Bible that shows this kind of trust is in Matthew 14. It’s the well-known story of when Jesus feeds over 5,000 people with just some fish and a few loaves of bread. I’d read this story a hundred times, but I’d never really understood the importance of it until this week. Just for a second, I want you to put yourself in the disciples shoes on that day. Thousands of people had come a long way to hear Jesus speak. They had all been outside in the heat all day with no food, and now the sun was setting. The disciples’ idea was for Jesus to send the crowd away to nearby villages to buy food for themselves. Instead, Jesus told them to bring the 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish that they had to him, He blessed the food, and then simply told the disciples to start feeding the crowd. I don’t know about you, but I would be pretty apprehensive about carrying out Jesus’ plan. 10,000 hot and hungry people would probably be a little annoyed and angry at me when they saw I was trying to feed them all with that little amount of food.

Despite any doubts they might have had, the disciples obeyed Jesus and did what they knew how to do: they walked and they handed out food, letting Jesus take care of the rest. If they had tried to figure out a way to feed those people on their own, they never would have succeeded but, because they did only what they could and let Jesus take over for the rest, everyone was fed!


When you’re in a new situation it’s so easy to be overwhelmed by the circumstances or surroundings and take your focus off of God. It’s so easy to focus on what you can’t do rather than what you can. This week, I encourage you to follow Jesus fearlessly, knowing that He will never give you more than you can handle, never ask you to do something that you can’t. If you are obeying Him already, but it’s just been so hard and tiring lately, maybe it’s time you take a step back and re-evaluate how much control your letting God have over your life. I really think you’ll find that the more you give to Him, the more peaceful and worry-free your walk will be.

Currently Listening to: Please Be My Strength by Gungor