2.27.2009

The Shreve


I am so excited because I'm going to visit one of my best friends, Margie, from college this weekend. She and her husband live in Shreveport in their cute little house that I have never seen. It's been so long since we have really been able to spend time together, so I'm just excited about hanging out!



Margie and Aaron are doing some amazing things with Young Life there, and she actually asked me to speak to a group of senior girls and to share my "life story" with them tonight. So, if you read this, I would appreciate your prayers tonight. I'm expecting God to use a simple little story like mine to impact these girls lives and to draw them closer to Him. Should be a good time!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

2.26.2009

Bartimaeus

In the mornings lately, I have had the privelage of going through one of Priscilla's bible studies that will be coming out in print this summer. Let me just tell you that this study is so where my heart is. I appreciate Priscilla for many different reasons, but I'm so blessed by her hunger and thirst for the Lord.

I was reading about Bartimaeus in Mark 10:46-52

I'm really growing to admire this guy. Bartimaeus was a blind beggar. Doesn't really have much going for himself. But what I love about him is that when he heard Jesus was coming and would be walking in front of him, he just started shouting. I just picture myself walking into church on Sunday and seeing a blind beggar shouting for Jesus outside the building and wonder if I wouldn't also rebuke him like the crowds did who were around him. But the beautiful thing is that Bartimaeus didn't stop shouting when everyone was telling him to be quiet; he shouted all the more, begging for Jesus' mercy. So Jesus stops and calls Bartimaeus over to him and asks him what he needs, as if it wasn't obvious enough. Bartimaeus asks Jesus to heal him, and because of his faith, He heals him.

There are so many things to draw from this guys story, but what I admire so much in Bartimaeus is that despite the adversity, or the unpopular thing to do, or the fact that he was despised and made fun of by the people, his community, and believers in Jesus for that matter, he kept shouting out to God all the more. Because he had heard about this man, Jesus, and knew that He could heal him. And I just have to ask myself if I tend to draw closer to the Lord in times of great difficulty when it is very much the absolute opposite of what everyone else thinks I should be doing? Is my faith strong enough to heal my blindness? I don't know.

It just makes me want to shout and beg for Jesus' mercy upon me today. Jesus is asking us to come to him today. He is also telling us to ask Him what we want Him to do for us today. Jesus didn't walk over to Bartimaeus, he tells Bartimaeus to come to Him. Sometimes we have to get up from where we are and go to where Jesus is. Do you need God's mercy today? Get up and follow Him. Your faith will restore you.

2.24.2009

He Knows Us

I was reading this morning about the body of Christ.. 1 Cor. 12: 4-31. And I just wonder if there is anyone out there today who is struggling with where God has them in this season. Maybe you are questioning your job, feeling like you have these giftings but they aren't being used. Or maybe you have a dream that you just never feel is going to be carried out. Whatever it may be, I encourage you to rest over this verse today:

Before I formed you in the womb I KNEW you, before you were born I SET YOU APART....
Jeremiah 1:5

That's pretty powerful, and really awesome to think about. I'm still trying to figure out exactly what God wants to say to me through this verse, but I want to resonate over this today....

2.20.2009

San Jose

So we are here in San Jose for a Going Beyond event this weekend. I must admit that sometimes life just doesn't get much better than this: We are staying downtown and it is absolutely beautiful! I am sitting at a little quaint coffee shop sipping on a cappucino checking email. I'm about to go to the Bijan Bakery and Cafe next store to get a yummy pastry after I finish my coffee =) Who knew that San Jose was such a cool place? Did I mention that we are staying at the Fairmont. Thank you Lifeway. Excuse my worldliness for a bit. If I could I will put a picture on here of the area, but I'm not that high tech yet.

Everyone is resting before we have to head back to the church. Pray for us and Priscilla and she prepares to lead us into worship tonight. I'm excited to hear what the Lord will give her tonight as she speaks.

And God bless San Jose and pastries!

2.19.2009

Living Proof

This afternoon I had the privilege of spending some time speaking with Sabrina from Living Proof Ministries (lproof.org). Sabrina has been with Beth ever since the very beginning basically of Beth's ministry and is now the Director. She was so gracious to take time out of her schedule so that I could pick her brain a little bit about women's ministry and her experience through it all.

It's so neat to think how God uses us in different ways with our different gifts! I still can't hardly believe that I am here in Dallas getting to work with the Shirers and that God would choose me for such a task. Who would've thought that your dreams can come true at age 23? Not me!

With that being said, there is so much that I need to learn about this position and ministry. Sabrina is so good at what she does. There are so many things that I took away from our conversation, but what stook with me the most, is how we need to be intentional with everything that we do. With each conference we schedule, speaking arrangement we plan for, email that we respond to, or phone call that we make, we are to make sure that's where God is leading us and that we are responding with grace. With what we do, there will always be another invitation to speak or someone who needs ministering to, but where is it that God is calling us to? What group of people is He leading us towards? If God is not in it, then we don't want to be a part of it. And that goes for any of us with our daily lives. There are so many good things you can be doing, but if it's not where God wants you, then you don't want to be there.

I just pray that every day God will be right here with me and empower me to carry out the task He has given me. I pray that I will never attempt to do this on my own and that His mercy would be upon me and new every morning.

I love my job!

2.15.2009

Unobservant

I have lived in Dallas for three weeks now. Every morning I get my cup of coffee and sit at the couch in the den. It is such a beautiful room with large windows, a huge fireplace and big, fat comfortable furniture. I love sitting here every morning. There is something about the sun shining in on me, my hot cup of coffee, and my time with my Savior that is just the most precious thing in the world.

This morning I grabbed my cup of coffee and sat down on the couch to start doing my bible study, and for some reason I gaze at the center of the coffeetable and realize that I have never noticed the centerpiece before. It has been there since the day I moved in, (all of this furniture was here when I moved in) and I am just now seeing this decoration for the first time. I mean, I’ve always known that there was something in the middle of the table, but I have never stopped to look at it before.

I thought to myself… I never realized that there are two gold balls and about five straw balls in this bowl type thing. How could it be that I am just now seeing this for the first time, and in all reality, I have seen it at least 100 times?! I sit here every single day, all day long, because this is really where I do most of my work, and here I am wondering why I never stopped to take a look at it.

I am starting to realize as I get older that I am such an unobservant person. But I am really bothered by this centerpiece thing. I just wonder how many things in my life I don’t see or notice because I simply don’t stop to take a look at them. Or I wonder how many people I have come in contact with that I didn’t notice who maybe could’ve used a hug or a word of encouragement.

I wonder how many times God has been trying to speak to me or tell me something but my mind has been distracted by other things. Think about it… I come every morning to this couch to meet with the Lord. I have my coffee, I open my bible, and wait to hear a word or a verse or thought that the Lord has for me that day. But today, I stopped, and I looked, and saw this new thing for the very first time. I mean really saw it.

I don’t want to miss out on what God is doing because I’m trying to keep up with the things I am supposed to be doing (like bible study, and prayer, etc.). I don’t want to miss the opportunity to speak to the girl who is sitting on the front row near me at one of Priscilla’s events because God was allowing me an opportunity to minister and encourage. I don’t want to miss the opportunity to share with the person sitting next to me on the plane about Jesus and His love for them and how they can have a personal relationship with the Creator of the universe!

Lord, Jesus open my eyes to the things You are doing. Expand my mind and thoughts so that I can focus on my surroundings and see how You are working all around me. My hearts desire is to bring You glory. Thank You for opening my eyes this morning, I pray that I will begin living with an open heart and mind. I want to see how You are working. I pray that I won’t keep our relationship to myself but that You would use me to reach others for Your Kingdom and Your glory Lord!