Lost For Words

December 25^th, 2014

Merry Christmas! Sue-sa-dye Noel! There is something so special about this year, that there are no words to describe it. God brought together four girls in a way that doesn’t have a word, but simply God Himself. The unity that we have is so incredible and what makes it that way is the power of prayer. The three girls I get to serve alongside are so beautiful and I couldn’t have asked for a better team. We’ve witnessed so much, we’ve shared so much, we’ve laughed uncontrollably, and we’ve experienced the presence of God so raw together.

     Raw. Raw would be the best way I can describe last night to you. Cambodian Christians have their Christmas festivities every weekend throughout the month of December and don’t really make Christmas Eve and day as much of a big deal. We’ve celebrated six times already! In light of that, we had our own Christmas Eve service on our wonderful balcony. The same balcony where we shared snacks, laughter, joy, and our experiences with the Lord. Lighting the two candles we have, we placed them in the middle and passed around the Bible, reading Luke chapter two…only by candle light. And don’t forget the bugs that flocked to the candles. After reading, we went into worship and prayer. During that time, the Lord touched me in a way that I cannot describe. I had prayed, “Thank You that it’s not about the snow or even our families…but it’s about…Your Son…” and I lost it. I was speechless. We went into more worship and the lyrics to one song was “At the cross you beckon me. Draw me gently to my knees and I am, LOST FOR WORDS, so lost in love. I am sweetly broken, holy surrendered…” I was brought to tears. With the candles flickering, over a starry night, the four of us were crying out to our King. He slowed down time in that moment, it was just me and Him, and I’ve never experienced Him in such a raw way.

     I have always known the true meaning of Christmas and that is Christ, but I have never experienced this and fully known it with my heart. I am so thankful that it is not part of the Cambodians’ culture to do something over the top on Christmas Eve. God wanted it to be just me and Him. He made it so clear last night. Genuinely, JOY TO THE WORLD, THE LORD HAS COME!

Week 11 IBS Matthew 1:24-25 ~Break Every Chain~

Wednesday December 24^th, 2014

Matthew 1:24-25 “Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS.”

            Merry Christmas! It’s the most beautiful time of the year! Here in Cambodia they celebrate Christmas many times throughout the month of December at different villages. We have attended six parties and we’ve been invited to a few more. It’s been an interesting experience to say the least. At these parties, the hosting village usually does the play of Baby Jesus, some traditional Khmer dancing, and sometimes a fashion show. It’s definitely not the normal Christmas experience I’m used to, but I’m blessed to have been and still be a part of it this year.

            Khrang Thnong, my home village, was the one I was looking forward to the most. It was on Saturday December 20^th and we got to be a part of the hosting! It was quite the time! Kim Thean, one of the English teachers I’ve written about before, and a couple of the high school girls that come to English class came to the Christmas event! And all of them are Buddhist. My heart was filled with joy when I saw them. When it came time to Worship, they told me they were leaving and that they would be back in 30 minutes. Saddened, I asked them why and they just scattered away. I got really discouraged, because I felt like we had taken a step forward with them and now two steps back, so I just prayed. I asked God to take away the discouragement, and knowing He had a plan, I asked Him to bring them back and to just continue using us. Well the last song they sang was “Praya-yay-su” (“Jesus”). It is a very moving song, just making the name of Jesus known. All of the girls returned just in time for this song…God IMMEDIATELY flipped the discouragement. I was filled with His joy and peace and encouragement.

            Later on in the event, those of the church did a mime to the song “Break Every Chain”. In Cambodia, there isn’t really a focus of chains of worldly things like drinking, or self-image, but it’s more of a spiritual battle and a lot of darkness. The mime was showing how Jesus breaks those chains and overcomes the darkness. It was a very powerful mime. Kim Thean and all the girls saw the mime and I heard Kim Thean say “wow” while it was going…! The name of Jesus was loud and clear that night! God is working and I have faith those girls will come to know Him personally!

            Prayer is what got me through and that’s what the Lord has been working and growing me in! I NEED to continue to turn to prayer right when things like that occur. Praise Him in every situation!

Week 10 IBS Matthew 16:24-25 ~Board Talk~

Thursday December 18^th, 2014

Matthew 16:24-25 “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”

            The Salt and Light School is Monday through Friday from 5pm until 6pm. Anna, Izzy, Kaylee, and myself rotate between classes to help the teachers conduct their class and teach English to the children. On Monday I helped with Linda in her class. Afterwards, I talked to her and asked her questions about her day and if she read her Bible that day. She is one who doesn’t know as much English, but she has improved immensely! We teach her and the other teachers, the youth, English at 6pm after the Salt and Light School. While trying my best to communicate with her, she asked me to write my questions on the white board. Each time I would finish writing I would turn to her and ask, “yoll?” which is the Khmer word for “understand”. She would nod her head and try her best to answer. When I came to asking her about reading her Bible she said yes, but then asked, “Can you teach me Bible in English?” I was just filled with joy and of course my answer was yes! We spent a good 10 minutes trying to communicate when would work best. Finally we came to the conclusion that Monday through Wednesday at 12:30pm would work! I invited the other youth girls too.

            So aware that they would be coming the next day, I began praying as to what the Lord wanted me to talk about with them. Knowing the fact of daily surrender and dying to self has spoken to me, and that we need to encourage them to daily read their Bible and pray, I thought of Matthew 16:24 that morning. But one problem…I couldn’t remember the reference, I only remembered the verse itself. So I just prayed and knew the Lord would make it clear and show me the reference for that verse if He wanted me to talk on that. Remembering I needed to underline something in Matthew 18, I turned there. After underlining the verses, I decided to read Matthew 16 since that day was the 16^th. Reading through, God was just speaking. I got further and further and finally verse 24 says, “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” I nearly jumped out of the hammock I was swinging in, I got so excited!

            12:30 rolled around and they showed up; Linda, Srey Nich, and Seakly. I prayed in English and I asked one of them to pray in Khmer and we began. It was a short and to the point study, but seriously all the Holy Spirit. I encouraged them in daily surrender and giving their hearts to the Lord so we could be walking in the Spirit and not in the flesh. The girls said they had the desire to read their Bible and grow in their relationships with the Lord. They kept asking us questions and for advice. It was such a beautiful thing. After two and a half months of observing and praying and taking slow steps in the Lord faithfully, He has brought forth an incredible opportunity for discipleship! Kaylee taught yesterday and we’re praying about going through a whole book of the Bible with them. The Lord is working and His hand is all over this situation!

            Something started from the board talk I had with Linda that day, and I’m excited to see how it flourishes and what work the Lord is going to do! I must stay faithful, stay in prayer, and stay humble.

Week 9 IBS James 1:2-3 Stay Faithful With the Digging

Sunday December 14^th, 2014

James 1:2-3 “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.”

            Before beginning my reading in James this morning, I prayed for God to grow me. Now, in this moment I don’t believe I am facing a trial, it definitely came a while ago when I was not trusting God with my family. (Which God brought me through and I know I am so much stronger, because of that time) But knowing there is always time for growth, I asked God for that. Then, I read this chapter. I’m still not sure why I chose James to read, but I decided yesterday after I was done reading Jeremiah, all I know is I felt lead to do so and that was obviously for a reason.

God definitely has me in a time of patience. We are digging and building the foundation here in Cambodia, and that requires work, work that we may or may not see the fruit from ourselves, but will come in the future. I’ve been learning to have patience, trust, and obedience, and to stay faithful in the digging. And if I do say, which I’m sure we all can relate to…patience is hard. Some days we don’t do a lot of work, but in those moments, it’s a matter of seeking Him out, meditating on His word, and praying. I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, but it comes down to trusting that the Lord’s will gets accomplished each day.

So, if patience is something I need to grow in, then so be it. I’m not sure if this chapter was God preparing me for things to come or if it was just a reminder. Either way, I desire for God to grow me in any areas I need growing in. I want Him to grow me, so using that I can go forth and pour into other people. I can’t say anything that can happen in the future, only God knows that, but whatever it is, I know He is with me every step of the way.

Application: Count everything joy, I am alive and God desires to use me still. Whatever God has for me, remember to find joy in every situation! I will write joy on my hand as a reminder for today.

Week 8 IBS jeremiah 44:3

Wednesday December 3^rd, 2014

Jeremiah 44: 3 “because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke Me to anger, in that they went to burn incense and to serve other gods whom they did not know, they nor you, nor your fathers.”

            After an uncomfortable night, restless sleep, and waking up this morning with a sore throat, I thought to myself, “I can’t let this effect my attitude for the day.” So I marched on down to the handmade gazebo above the pond and just prayed…for a long time…for everything. I was overwhelmed with the joy of the Lord. There is nothing that can get me down, I am beyond blessed, I am alive, I am living in Cambodia, and I get to serve the Lord. I opened my Bible to Jeremiah chapter 44 and began reading. The whole chapter speaks of burning incense and serving other gods, false gods. The people would not listen to the word from the Lord told through Jeremiah and kept with the false gods. Not sure what the Lord was trying to telling me, I looked up at the beautiful scenery around me and realized the Buddhists down the street. Sitting there just saddened by the worship to a false idol, I couldn’t help but think of Kim Thean. I wrote about her on November 12^th. Praise report, she attended the youth cell group on Monday night a few weeks ago! She said she felt happy and I told her that was Jesus. Ever since though, she’s been holding back.

            Just sitting, thinking, praying, I just didn’t know what God was trying to say or tell me. I still am not so sure, I mean it’s only been a few hours, but I just don’t know. All I know is God is working. There is so much more than meets the eye and that I’m not aware of, but God is. I just need to trust. This book has shown me time and time again throughout these weeks of stepping out in faith, trusting the Lord, and obedience. So I may not know why this came up today, but I do know I need to humble myself, let God work, have faith and trust His will gets accomplished each day, and if He tells me to do something, to go and do it.

Application: Today, through prayer, I won’t let the joy of the Lord leave me. I will pray for humility to constantly come over me. I will trust in Him…always.

Week 7 IBS Jeremiah 32:27 & Romans 12:12

Monday November 24^th, 2014

Jeremiah 32:27 “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?”

Romans 12:12 “rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;”

            Day after day, I went through the motions, ignoring thoughts of doubt that would creep into my mind, until it would come up and bring me to tears. I lost the trust. I lost the faith. I lost the hope. I had forgotten how big my God is. Calling and talking to my family is amazing, but it’s difficult to hear the same thing, knowing that there are hardened hearts and there is no desire for church again or allowing God to work. It saddens me to see them in this state, but I let go of hope for change, I let doubt come and rule over my mind. Pray for big things I was told which is something I know, but because I let doubt come, I forgot….

That evening, we were doing a girls study with the youth and the lady leading it was doing some verse from Romans 12. That’s all we were told, because the rest was in Khmer. Praying for the Holy Spirit to fill us and surpass the language barrier, I just read all of Romans 12 and verse 12 was like flashing lights. “Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer”. And that’s exactly it, that’s what I was missing, hope, patience, and prayer.

 A day later, Jeremiah 32:27 comes into my morning with the Lord. “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?” God was using His word to ask me, “Brittani, why are you putting Me in a box?” God is so much bigger than I can ever understand. He is my Creator, my King, Jesus is my Savior. How could I possibly let it grow so far that I would forget that? Well I wasn’t giving my family to Him, I was letting thoughts build instead of taking them captive, and I didn’t have hope. But God restored all to me. These reminders were exactly what I needed! God is so good!

Application: To be sure I don’t let this happen again, I must daily surrender my family to the Lord, as I’ve done in the past, but in order to not forget how big God is I will memorize these verses. And I will constantly remind myself “Lord, I trust in You”.

Week 6 IBS Ecclesiastes 3:1

Saturday November 22^nd, 2014

Ecclesiastes 3:1 “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven:”

            I’ve always loved this chapter of Ecclesiastes, it’s such a good reminder that there is a time for everything. Acting the wrong way in a situation that requires a different reaction could actually turn into sin. A better example would be the second part of verse 7, “A time to keep silence, and a time to speak”. Being the self-centered human that I am, I want my voice to be heard. So I tend to try and speak out when I feel I need to, which is quite often. Or if I do say something, sometimes I don’t feel heard or what I say gets shot down. I know that is not an all the time occurrence, but those are the ones I remember, because that is when my pride got shut down, which is a marvelous thing. I don’t need to speak every single time something comes up. I may be in a position of just listening, which is okay too. I can’t let my pride and selfishness get in the way when I need to just be listening.

            God has definitely blessed me with the gift of listening. When people need someone to talk to, I’m the girl to come to. I can sit and listen to you all day long. When it comes to advice, I pray and let the Lord lead, but listening is something He’s gifted me in. But that is not the point. I need to remember this gift of listening the Lord has given me and use it from time to time. I need to pray for discernment for when a good time for me to speak is or when is a good time for me to simply listen. Not only with listening and speaking, but for everything as this verse states. There comes season for everything, it’s just a matter of it being appropriate for the situation.

Application: God’s timing is perfect for everything, I need to have discernment with the different reactions I can have. So my prayer is for discernment. And I will just sit back and listen today, to those around me and to the Spirit.

Jeremiah 20:9

Thursday November 13, 2014

Jeremiah 20:9 “Then I said, ‘I will not make mention of Him, not speak anymore in His name.’ But His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not.”

            It’s 6:30am, probably the coolest point of the day. A nice breeze kisses my face as I rock back and forth in a hammock that sits under what would be a gazebo, above a mossy pond. The sun is rising behind me as I look out on the water and the surrounding trees while listening to worship music. Serenity at its finest. The lyrics that rang in my ears were, “Who am I, who am I without You? I’m the one that You reached out to. And faith had failed. Your brilliance held the sweetest truth. Nothing in this world compares to You.” All the while I open my Bible to Jeremiah chapter 20. Jeremiah has been experiencing persecution and with verse nine of this chapter, he is kind of done, but the Lord places His word on his heart and Jeremiah can’t help but let it out, he can’t hold back.

            Realizing the situation I’m in, God showed me that I cannot hold back. I will experience persecution and spiritual attacks, I will be uncomfortable in some cases, but God prevails. There is a work here that needs to be done and the Lord has place me here, at this time, for a reason. When I may feel I need to be done, that’s when I need to run faster. There is a passion and a desire in my heart for being here, I can’t hold back. The people of Cambodia need to hear the name of Jesus and know Him like I know Him. He’s already done a work in Kim Thean; He has a plan, not only for her, but for others and He has allowed me to be a part of it all. He has reached out to me and I am nothing without Him. He desires to use me, so I need to plunge into the unknown (what is only known by God), take heed, and run after what God has placed before me, not holding back one bit.

            Application: Do not hold back. Run with all you’ve got.

Week 5 IBS Jeremiah 18:15

Wednesday November 12, 2014

Jeremiah 18:15 “Because My people have forgotten Me, they have burned incense to worthless idols. And they have caused themselves to stumble in their ways, from the ancient paths, to walk in the pathways and not on a highway”

            It may seem weird that I am doing this verse this week, but I happened to be reading in Jeremiah 18 this morning and it just fit with an encounter I had yesterday. Every evening here in Kraing Tnong, there are English classes with kids from the age of 5 to 17, they are split up based on their level of English. The classes occur in the compound of the church and the teachers are high school students that volunteer to help teach these other kids English. Kaylee, Anna, Izzy, and I help out with these classes every evening.

All of the teachers are saved, except for one. Her name is Kim Thean. She is a real sweetheart and a good worker and teacher, but about a week or so ago she had mentioned to Kaylee that she wasn’t a Christian. With that news we prayed for her. Last night I happened to be helping in her class and at the end she was telling me how one of the other teachers, Seaht Lee knows a lot more English than her because Seaht Lee comes to the church compound all the time because she is a Christian and Kim Thean is not. Being a Buddhist prominent country, that was the alternative. So I asked her if she knew who created her. At this time Seaht Lee actually came over to us and she ended up translating for me, praise the Lord! Kim Thean’s response to my question was, “my parents”. I said, “Well yes, but God created your parents, and you, and me, and Seaht Lee, and this whole world and everything in it, did you know that?” And her response was no. So I just went into the whole gospel, getting into the sinning part and asking her if she’s ever lied before. She told me no, so I then told her that I myself have lied before, we’ve all done it. Of course then I went into Jesus dying on the cross for the bad things we’ve done and now He’s risen. I don’t need to write out the whole gospel here, but God gave me the opportunity and it was amazing! I asked her if she has gone through hard times and needed things and she said yes, so I told her that God can provide for her and be there for the things she may need, because He loves her! I gave her an example of when we were in need here. Hong, one of the other teachers prayed and then God helped us. I told her that all she has to do is pray and believe Jesus is God’s son and that He died for you and to worship Him you don’t have to light incense, you can sing or pray.

During the entire time of talking to her I could tell she was a little nervous. I will say, I was too, but I knew the Holy Spirit was with me. As I was telling her more and more I could tell that she was just taking it all in…and that is a lot to take in, but a seed was planted yesterday, I was just the vessel. And I pray that us being here and her fellow teachers will be an example and just shine His light. I pray that the seed will flourish and she will come to know the Lord!

Application: With that having happened, my prayer is for her. I need to be open to her and be available to answer any questions she may have, knowing that the Holy Spirit will be with me. That was stepping out of my comfort zone, yet through it all I was so comforted. So I need to be sure that I don’t revert back into a shell, but be the salt and light Jesus calls me to be.

Week 4 IBS- Matthew 25:23

Monday November 3^rd, 2014

Matthew 25:23 “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’”

Kraing Tnong is a small village in the country of Cambodia, that isn’t even on the map, and I am living here…It still amazes me every time I think of that or look out my window and I don’t think it will ever stop amazing me. God is so incredible…for lack of a better word. Just last week a seven year old girl, named Srey Noit caught a glimpse of my bracelet. My bracelet tells the story of Jesus, from birth to His resurrection. Looking at the cross, Srey Noit points to it and tells me the word for cross in Khmer. Her doing that really brought a joy to my heart, so I said Jesus in Khmer and she nods her head and starts rambling on in Khmer. Only, it wasn’t rambling, it was the gospel! She was telling me about how Jesus died on the cross, was buried, three days later he rose, and is now in heaven. Not knowing the language, I didn’t know word for word what she was saying, but she had movements while saying it. She put her hands up like being hung on the cross, stomped her foot on the ground for being buried, and pointed to the sky for being in heaven. That moment was so exciting to me!

            Being the first team here in Cambodia, there’s a lot of work to be done, but building that up takes time. It has been a learning experience of waiting. Sometimes it feels like we haven’t done much work or ministry, but that is not thoughts of the Lord, because the case is otherwise. Daily, He brings forth some form of ministry or interaction with children and the people to build relationships. Things are slowly building, but God provides and it is all part of His plan. He brought forth this beautiful little girl that I’ve been getting to know, to tell me the gospel in Khmer. A small moment in time, turned into something huge!

Application: I need to DAILY place my trust in the Lord that His will is being accomplished. My prayer is to keep my eyes and heart open to the small things and to continue having experiences like this with the children and people. God makes the small things big, I need to be faithful in the small things, so God can provide the bigger things for me to be faithful in.

What and Experience…So Far

View from our new home

I am eager to write this from Kraing Tnong, Cambodia amongst the village people. God has been so merciful and He brings forth some form of ministry each day, whether it be with children, the youth, or just helping cleaning. He is so good and provides! It is crazy to think I will be here almost a month already! Being the first team of IGNITE students to Cambodia it has felt like we haven’t done much yet, but like I said God brings forth different forms of ministry. Basically the moment I step outside of the house with my teammates, children come running. When we ride our bicycles around the village, getting mud all over our legs, we are a testimony. I love being able to say God has given me the opportunity to do His work in a village in South East Asia. Every time we go riding around the village, kids scream “HELLO” or we’ll see kids from the Potter’s Field feeding program and they’ll scream our names as we’re riding by and it’s a blessing to be able to say their names back.

Feeding Program that Potter's Field is involved with

          The churches here in Cambodia are amazing, I’ve experienced real, raw worship and have really felt the Holy Spirit in the room. I may not know the language, I am trying to learn, but God’s love speaks to all and breaks that barrier. It has been a beautiful thing to see the older generation, who have probably worshipped to a false idol, Buddha earlier in life, kneel down before the Lord in worship and to see the younger generation coming up and serving God in the church. Just around the corner there are people who do, what I would assume prayer to Buddha, through a speaker so the whole village can hear. My prayer is that this church in Kraing Tnong will be louder than that. Not physically louder, but salt and light, that the people will hear the name praya-yay-su (Jesus) on the streets and know what that means. (Also just as a side note, the Cambodian language is Khmer and it is symbols, which I have no clue how to write, but praya-yay-su is how you would pronounce Jesus) And not only is that my prayer for this village but all others and all of Cambodia. Please keep that in your prayers as well.

~Joy, joy, joy, oh we got Joy~

          I’m excited to see what the Lord brings forth in the next five months! Please be in prayer for me and my teammates, to press on and to keep seeking ministry that the Lord puts before us.

My little buddy, Yung Che

Week 3 IBS- Proverbs 14:12

Thursday October 30, 2014

Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”

            It’s those books that always get me. I started reading Touching Godliness and Proverbs 14:12 came up and it really spoke to me. An opportunity may come up that may seem quite right to us, but in reality it is not a part of God’s plan and it can end in destruction if choosing that path. Seek wise counsel. God places leadership above us for a reason, so seeking wise counsel in those situations is important. God could place on their heart to tell you no and with following so, God will bless you immensely in other ways in the future. Just thinking about future things for a bit, I have no idea what is going to happen after INGNITE, but frankly, I’m not too worried. I have six months here in Cambodia and 3 more months after that with IGNITE. I know God will show me something, but I cannot allow myself to become blind to what He has because of selfish desires. There are things that I would like to do and I believe God places desire on our hearts for a reason, but it’s a matter of how and if that would orchestrate in God’s grand plan and will. I need to be totally and 100% sure of what I am doing is God’s will. I used to stress out a bit about this topic, because I felt like I never knew. But that’s where seeking God, being in His word, and stepping out in faith come in. Before doing so I just need to confirm with a godly leader and be in constant prayer. I need to see things the way He sees them, and think thoughts the way He does. Prayer. Praying is the key to all. We say it’s the only thing we can do, but it’s the very thing we can do, which is something that I’ve learned and am continuing to learn. I need to ask God for His wisdom, so I can know and see His plans over my own.

            Application: Just like I said, prayer. Praying is something I desire to grow in, so my application is to continually pray, but specifically for the His eyes and His wisdom, because I am living His will now. It’s a matter of seeing things with His eyes so I can carry it out and be the salt and light, be a vessel.

Week 2 IBS- Philippians 4:4

Friday October 24, 2014

Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!”

J is for Jesus, O is for others, and Y is for you. “You grow up when you get your first laugh at yourself” (A quote from a famous Shakespearean actress). I was reading along in “The Bumps Are What You Climb On” by Warren W. Wiersbe and today, chapter twenty-six just screamed volumes. It is titled Put Joy into Your Life. Many verses were mentioned in this chapter, but Philippians 4:4 was one of them and I happened to read that chapter yesterday; verse four is what stuck out to me then.

            A few things mentioned in this chapter of “The Bumps Are What You Climb On” were sin and disobedience to God causes a loss of joy, as well as neglecting the Word of God and forgetting to pray. All things are obviously quite essential for joy, but I tend to forget sometimes. I allow discouragement to creep in, but God doesn’t discourage, He encourages, He only discourages sin. Every time I feel discouraged, I need to remember to turn back to the Lord and pray and rejoice. I have a hope for the future, not only with my physical body and life because Jeremiah 29:11 says so, but also eternity, so why not have joy in that?

“Satan has a harder time tempting the man who has joy in his heart. A joyful Christian is a witnessing Christian because he has something exciting to share with others, and they can see the difference” (Warren W. Wiersbe). How amazing! That is such a good reminder, especially being on the field. Even though there are language barriers and Khmer is very difficult, God not only breaks the language barriers in ways, but He can use the joy that He puts in my heart to speak to others. They would be able to see the difference as Wiersbe says. What a powerful thing God can use in me and what a good reminder.

Application: No matter where I am, life is a struggle at times and God knows what we go through because of Jesus, so I don’t need to fret. Here, there are a million mosquitos and other things I am not used to, yet I am blessed beyond measure. And “the joy of the Lord is my strength.” So for today I write JOY on my hand and be constantly in prayer for joy in my heart and ways I can pour that joy out to others.

Angkor WHAT?!

Upon arriving in Cambodia, the first week was a whirlwind of adventure. We traveled to Thailand to get our visas fixed, which was a road trip! Along the way was the city of Siem Riep, Cambodia. After getting our visas fixed, Kaylee and I were surprised with a day at Angkor Watt…yes, Angkor Watt! It was quite a sight and a blessing to be able to see. Now I can say I’ve been to Thailand and I got to see one of the seven ancient wonders of the world! God is so good!

Words Cannot Describe

John chapter thirteen speaks of Jesus washing the disciple’s feet. An ultimate example of love and humility. In Guatemala, the last weekend of training for IGNITE, the girls had a foot washing ceremony. We got to wash the feet of the person sitting next to us and then switch. Instead of the person next to me, Kaylee, my teammate comes over and asks to wash my feet. She kneels down, dips my foot in the warm water and begins washing, all the while somebody is playing the guitar worshiping in the background. Just sitting there feeling…I don’t know, loved…Kaylee and I begin to cry. It’s like all the other girls in the room weren’t there, it was just Jesus, Kaylee, and myself. When the process was finished, we switched and I washed her feet. A feeling of lowliness came over me, but a good lowliness, that of a lamb, submitting to my Lord and becoming humble. It was a beautiful thing that words cannot describe. It was simply Jesus.

Week One IBS- Ephesians 6:6-7

First Week-Field Time

Saturday October 18, 2014

Ephesians 6:6-7 “not with eye service, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men,”

            Reading in Ephesians 6 today, I really loved this verse. It is something said quite often, but for a reason, it is so important. Every single thing I do is for the Lord; from playing with children, doing outreaches (which hasn’t begun yet here, in Cambodia), or buying bikes for our travels in Cambodia. All of it is for the Lord and is the work of the Lord. He is the Creator of the world, the King of all kings, the Lord of all lords, who sent His one and only Son to suffer and die for me…how can I not serve Him and do everything for Him?

            Unfortunately my flesh gets in the way from time to time, and I’m going to start off by saying it is really hot in Cambodia…that is a fact. I know I will have trouble with that at first, because at least right now I have the blessing of air conditioning, but complaining about it or not doing things with all I’ve got will get me nowhere. So with that, my prayer is to continue to die to self, because I have learned that is a daily task, and to continue to press on! If I don’t do things full heartedly, then what is the point? God has placed me here, at this time for a reason. I desire to build relationships with these people and these children and I don’t want something as small as the heat, which would in reality be my flesh, to get in the way of that. With God’s strength I can accomplish this and I’m excited to go into the village on Monday!

            Application: I need to do things with everything I’ve got and serve the Lord, so with that I will be sure to say a prayer every time I look down at my “Press On. Acts 20:24” bracelet.

Matthew 5:20 IBS

Friday October 3^rd, 2014

Matthew 5:20 “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”

            Praise the Lord my sins are washed away by the blood of the Lamb. Something that keeps coming to mind is the Perspectives article we did with Pastor Steve yesterday. It talks about the Hindus and how they act and worship and whatnot. They do things to the extreme that we need to see as an example. Am I willing to give my life for my Lord and Savior for the truth as those in the cults do for something that is a lie? Man, they are full out and dedicated. Does that mean I go killing others? NO, of course not! But it does mean that I need to make sacrifices and put Jesus as the head of everything. I need to do works according to His will and glorify Him through it all. People need to see that I am a fan of Jesus and even more so than that. That Jesus is my life. Instead of people seeing that sure I love the color purple or I really like London, they need to see hey, that girl really is on fire for Jesus. That girl gets it and I want what she has. My actions should point directly to Him and through that others should hopefully come to know Him. I kind of talked about that yesterday. I am a Christ follower, and with that I should be reflecting Christ.

            Now, thank goodness that there is no competition to get saved, but I should desire to have higher righteousness than the scribes and Pharisees. I should desire to strive and have perfection. Of course that will never be the case and that isn’t the point of doing the works. I basically just want to become low and have a Christ-like mindset. Make sure my ways are that which reflect Jesus and His love for others.

            Application: I keep coming to the same conclusion, but I know that’s not just some coincidence, it’s God. I need to become not less, not high, but low, like Jesus and that is a daily task. The only way to accomplish that is to be walking in the Spirit. I will write “ask” on my hand to remember to ask God for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit all throughout the day.

Matthew 5:19 IBS

Thursday October 2, 2014

Matthew 5:19 “Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

            So, knowing that I will break commandments because of my fallen nature, it’s kind of harsh to think of being considered “least”. But in a sense not really, I deserve Hell. But the beauty of it all is the grace of God and the blood of Jesus Christ. I can take it to Him and repent and ask for forgiveness and be washed clean. How incredible! But what I see that stands out to me is if you teach men do break commandments. That is for sure another story. To me that sounds intentional and that should definitely have the title of “least” in the kingdom of heaven. Now, I don’t consider myself to be teaching in that and be showing others to do wrong, but there is something that I thought of in a different way. I am a Christ follower and with that I should be reflecting Christ, so if I am not, then I am being a poor example. In a way I would be teaching others to do wrong. Of course sinful nature is in everyone, but by my example people can learn. Especially when I think about ministering to kids. They look up to me, to those older than them and if I am not being a light and reflecting Jesus, then they can learn that way and go in the wrong direction. Something I have learned here is everywhere I go is a mission field. I need to be showing Jesus and pouring out His love on everyone I come in contact with, especially in my home.

            I know at times I’ve been a poor example to my family members, by snapping at them or being sassy and whatnot and I’m so thankful I’ve learned so much so far that I can change that. Well that Jesus has changed me and can continue to change me if I am willing. I don’t want to teach others to break commandments by not acting Christ-like. I want to be the “little Christ” and do things with humility and love and point all the glory back to Him. I know I sin and fall short of the glory of God, but in repenting and giving it to Jesus I would be an example of what to do properly.

            Application: To be an example of Christ, I will praise Him, daily pick up my cross, and ask for a fresh outpouring of the Spirit so I can be of the Spirit and not of the flesh. I will look out for ways I can be a salt and a light during my week home. (I know a lot of these applications are similar, but that is what the Lord keeps showing me, so I need to make it happen when I am home).

Matthew 5:18 IBS

Wednesday October 1, 2014

Matthew 5:18 “For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”

            Hmmm. Okay. Nothing will move, at least law wise. Yesterday Pastor Don talked about what the law does. It reveals the fact of sin, it reveals the occasion of sin, it reveals the power of sin, and it reveals how sin can be deceiving (coming from Romans 7:7-11). The law is the law and nothing can be changed from it, but by the grace of God and the blood of the Lamb, I will not be condemned. I still need to strive for perfection, although I know I can NEVER reach it, I need to still follow the laws and serve my God. I’m going to sin constantly and go against the law, but that doesn’t give me an excuse to just do it intentionally. It is still bad and it is still going against God. I need to remember to take it to the foot of the Cross, repent, and walk away knowing Jesus has it and it’s gone, He chose to forget it, so should I.

            I think sometimes that’s my problem. I repent and ask for forgiveness, but sometimes I allow it to linger and I don’t forget about it. I beat myself up sometimes for it, not literally of course (haha). In doing so, I am not moving forward with God and I am letting that sin basically stay there. It’s like a trap for me to do it again. And not only that, but beating myself up about it is pathetic. God knew I was going to sin, I’m a wicked human being. He let it go, so should I. If I don’t I will be stuck going in circles forever without actually moving to the next step. I need to “LET IT GO, LET IT GO-OH…” J It helps to revert back to the “On Being a Servant of God” book by Warren W. Wiersbe, because I know it talked about this in that book. It was such a good book that gave me wisdom on some things.

            Application: This is a continuous process, so when I sin, I know God will convict me. And with that I will take it to the Cross, give it to Jesus, knowing that He has forgiven me, and pray to move on, pray for a change in myself so I don’t do it again. Of course sin will continuously happen, but if the same one is happening all the time, then that is a heart matter, but that is a whole different topic…

 

Matthew 5:17 IBS

Tuesday September 30^th, 2014

Matthew 5:17 “Do not think I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.”

            There is a God shaped hole in our hearts. It’s like that game when you are about the age of two with the triangle, rectangle, and circle. Each shape only fits in the one it’s made for, you can’t put it in the other ones; it just doesn’t fit. As humans, we need to constantly be satisfied and nothing will fully fulfill that satisfaction except for Jesus. Sometimes seeking Him seems painful and like it’s going to destroy, but it really is coming to a total peace. Don’t get me wrong, the beginning process is definitely a destruction, a destruction of the flesh, which can be a painful thing. But in the end, He brings a sense of peace and fulfillment.

            I still sometimes find my satisfaction in other things. Not necessarily in over the top things, but things like conversation with everyone here or making sure that I feel, I don’t know, happiness from my friends, well family here. And that is wrong, so wrong. The key word in that sentence is “feel” and that is my first problem. I sometimes allow myself to operate on my feelings and being a human, not to mention a woman; that is not the way to do it. Only the Lord brings true joy, I shouldn’t be seeking that in anyone but God. I know when I start to do that is when I get disappointed in others because I’m placing an expectation on them that they don’t deserve. Also, in a way I’m committing idolatry, because I’m placing them before the Lord. No not in a way, I am. He is first and should always be first, no matter what. He came to earth to fulfill and that is exactly what I should allow Him to do. He is my ultimate fulfillment.

            Application: To remember He is the true satisfaction, the ultimate fulfillment, I will write “True One” on my hand and be aware of situations where I start putting my satisfaction in others so I can immediately turn to prayer and place it in Jesus’ hands and turn my eyes back to Him.

Matthew 5:16 IBS

Monday September 29^th, 2014

Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

            Purpose. That is my initial thought upon reading this. What was it that Jesus commanded His disciples and us to do before He ascended back into Heaven? To make disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:19). The only way to do that is to shine the light in us that is Jesus. Humanitarian work is great, it’s the next step that is important; bring them to Jesus. If we feed a hungry person, that is indeed helping them for their needs for that day or even a meal, but if you show them Jesus, then they will have eternity. That is the ultimate goal. Sometimes I get scared to go forth and share the gospel. I run through scenarios in my head of how it could go and there is a huge problem with that. I’m not getting anywhere. I can run through a lot of “what if’s”, but the fact of the matter is I didn’t move, I didn’t take action to show them something that is the most important thing.

            I may not be so good at sharing the gospel, but I know at times, actions speak louder than words. This verse says to shine your light. If people see that difference in me, they may ask what it is that I have and they don’t. That is the perfect opportunity to turn them to Jesus. Or in situations of doing good works, it’s not my doing, but His and that’s what this verse says “and glorify your Father in heaven”. People may thank me for things that I’ve done, but in doing so I can tell them who ultimately does it and where I get my strength from. All of these things are perfect opportunities to let the whole world hear!

            Application: I know with the Lord’s strength I can approach people with sharing the gospel, but I can’t help but thinking of my family though. They know the gospel, but hearts are hardened. I need to let my actions speak louder than my words. During my six days home I will make it a point to do things that they see is Him and not me. (I know I had something similar last week, but as the time is approaching, it’s been on my heart.)

1 Corinthians 9:27 IBS

Friday September 26^th, 2014

1 Corinthians 9:27 “But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”

            We are all on the same level, the same battleground, no one person is higher than the other. I had a problem with this before coming here. And of course it’s a constant fight with that because of my flesh and the “I” factor, but before it was really bad. With my family situation, I really clung to the Lord to get me through and with that I became “big-headed” with my “so-called” faith. I say “so-called”, simply because it was there, but not fully because I still wasn’t in the Word every day and seeking His face. My family kind of took the other route and stopped going to church and their hearts became hardened. From time to time, whenever my sister would be in the wrong, I would call her out on it and in a way be a fire preacher and say things like, “you really need to go back to church” or “check your heart”. Every time I think of that, it breaks my heart that I would act that way! And that really has to do with Matthew 7:3-5, “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” It’s a matter of first checking my own heart. I love my family and I want to see them turn back to the Lord in brokenness, but I can’t make them do anything. I have to let God work in my life and daily break me; “God will work in the other more through your brokenness than through anything else you can do or say.” (Quote from Chapter Six of Calvary Road)

            Application: I am supposed to be humble, to be low, and to put others before myself. Jesus, others, then me last. All I can do is serve God, serve my family, allow God to break me, and pray. So during my 6 days home, I will be sure to serve my family in as many ways as possible and really pray that they will see Jesus and not me, so that they will have that desire to be broken as well.

1 Corinthians 9:26 IBS

Thursday September 25^th, 2014

1 Corinthians 9:26 “Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.”

            The first thing that I thought of upon reading this verse was stepping out in faith. Of course I need to run with endurance like I talked about the previous days, but running with uncertainty is another story. I need to know that I know, that I know that God is calling me to something. If I know that, then I will be running the right race. If I don’t know, I could be running away from my goal and soon off the track. Of course the ultimate goal is eternity, but I don’t need to work for that thanks to the Blood of Jesus Christ. Praise God. And how do I know what His will is for my life? Well by the Lord of course. I’ve been learning that everything is a one step at a time, daily task. And that seems pretty self-explanatory, but it is really serious.

Sometimes God calls us to be in a time of waiting, but are you doing anything during your wait? God has given me breath for this moment and if I am not taking each and every opportunity to glorify Him or bring others to Him, then what is the point? I like to think of the movie “God’s Not Dead” with this situation. Spoiler alert (in a way): The Pastor and his friend the entire time are trying to go to Disneyworld or something and they always run into situations with the car not starting, so they get stuck there. In the moment they don’t understand why, but all throughout the movie God specifically placed the Pastor at each place to help others and even bring someone to know Him. God had him in a time of waiting, but through that there was a reason and he took each opportunity that was before him to do God’s work.

That kind of leads me to the next point of not fighting as one who beats the air. Beating the air gets me absolutely nowhere. Whether I do know exactly where the Lord is taking me or if I am in a waiting period, if I am not aware of the opportunities the Lord has for me today, then I will just be standing there doing something as pointless as punching the air and not moving forward. The first act is stepping out in faith, which I see is a daily task. The next act is staying out in faith and making something of each day, pressing on to see the things the Lord has for me. Each day is a new one, do I want to be caught at a standstill, just simply punching the air, or do I want people to see Jesus shining through me in a new way. I don’t want to wake up tomorrow the same way as I did today.

Application: I will write “put on the Lord’s eyes” on my hand/arm so I can be reminded throughout the day to look for things God may have for me in certain opportunities and situations.

1 Corinthians 9:25 IBS

Wednesday September 24^th, 2014

1 Corinthians 9:25 “And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.”

            I kind of touched on the crown yesterday, but it’s so incredible to think. Every time I think of a crown, I picture that of a princess, or even more so a queen or king! Shinning gold, with a bunch of precious jewels, emerald, ruby, sapphire, diamond, etc. that goes on your head. It sounds so expensive! It’s like when you get a new phone and you’re just afraid to touch it, or some new shoes and you don’t even want to wear them because you don’t want to scuff them or whatever. But every single one of those things are just material items, and they will wither away, just as Isaiah 40:8 says, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of God stands forever.” -This verse speaks of God’s word living forever, but in a way it’s like that, I should desire to obtain that imperishable crown, the eternal crown the Lord has for me, that lives on. I will not receive it right away, it will be one day in heaven, and I should desire God to say, “Well done good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord.” (Matthew 25:21) What grace it is that God, who created me, who loves me, who doesn’t need me, yet chooses to use me, still can give me a crown for the works I do for Him on earth. It just blows my mind every time I think of that!

            But touching on the first part of 1 Corinthians 9:25, I am to be temperate in all things. A synonym for temperate is self-controlled. That definitely goes along with dying to self. I can’t be the one to run the show, Jesus is. I need to ask for self-control so I can let Him lead, and that is a daily task. Being human I always want to know what the next step is and have that control in my life, if I don’t know what is going on, I tend to freak out a little bit. The whole nobody knows what the heck to expect about going to Cambodia thing is kind of scary…But that’s the beauty of it all, only God knows the entire parade, I just see the Snoopy float that’s right in front of me. It’s a matter of daily placing my trust in Him. Man, I just can’t go over the fact that God has to work these types of things in me constantly, especially since I’m only human and I forget. All my goal should be is bring others to know Him, run my race, well the Lord’s race, with all I’ve got, and receiving a shiny crown that is solely thanks to God is an awesome plus and blessing from the Lord!

            Application: I will write, “Seek out God’s parade float for today” in my journal and pray that God will show me something new that I can serve Him or my family here in Antigua.

1 Corinthians 9:24 IBS

Tuesday September 23^rd, 2014

1 Corinthians 9:24 “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.”

            With this, it’s not necessarily a competition, but it’s a matter of running full-heartedly, with all you’ve got. Being human, we tend to do things for others in order to obtain something in return, that’s our motivation. At least I know that is mine from time to time. It’s like saying, ‘here do this for me and I’ll give you 20 bucks’ or something and my answer is, ‘okay, since you are giving me 20 bucks.’ Now, this is definitely selfish and something we’ve touched on in these previous weeks, but what I see in this verse is endurance…pressing on. What grace it is that God, who created me, who loves me, who doesn’t need me, yet chooses to use me, still can give me a crown for the works I do for Him on earth. With that, I can’t be doing His works with only that as my motivation. I don’t deserve anything in return, it’s by the grace of God, like I said, that He gives me something. I should want to do His works solely to show others the gospel and to put a smile on His face and because I have that desire in my heart. He wishes everyone to know Him, it’s my job to be willing to let Him use me so others can hear that good news.

            This verse always makes me think of an Olympic athlete. I already mentioned an Olympic athlete in previous IBS’s, but it’s a good point. They run, and I mean RUN (not literally, well in some cases…haha) with all they have to get that gold medal. I would say even the NFL and such, those football players play hard throughout the season, so that they may go to the Superbowl, and eventually win and receive that trophy. That is exactly how I need to be. I’m either all in or I’m all out, there is absolutely no in between with running the race of the Lord. Before coming here, I was lukewarm, not fully seeking what the Lord had for me and because of that He vomited me out of His mouth as Revelation 3:16 says, “So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.” But I praise the Lord for that, because upon coming here He has broken me and is now reshaping me into a much stronger women in Him. God showed me that my relationship with Him before was slim, but now I know how much I need to do to be 100% in.

            Application: The only application I can think of with this is to pray DAILY, for strength and a heart that will be full in for the things the Lord has for me.

1 Corinthians 9:22-23 IBS

Monday September 22^nd, 2014

1 Corinthians 9:22-23 “to the weak I become as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.”

            This seems like a pretty self-explanatory verse. Become like the people you are sharing the gospel with so they could possibly be saved. Of course it’s not a matter of committing their sin they are in, but presenting yourself in a way so they can relate to you. For me, I think that would have a lot to do with different cultures and what they have. I get really set on the patterns of how I live and how I get ready and where I put things, that when they change I freak out a little bit. I know I’ve written on this when we changed rooms for the first time, but I see this in a different picture for this particular IBS. But something God has been showing me, is that if I am in His will I will never be “comfortable”. He will be changing things all the time, especially since I’m not the one too keen on change with certain things. But something I’ve realized is that if I indeed am in His will, I will be comfortable, but in a different sense of I’m doing what the Lord has called me to do. There is something I constantly need to be working on and allowing God to work in me, every day is a new day and He always has something new in store, it’s a matter of me seeing it.

            But with that, when I go to Cambodia, I need to be prepared to live like they do and do things the way they do. I need to keep in mind that the American way is not the only way to do things. There are many different patterns of living and I need to not be stuck in just one. I know we’ll be traveling quite a bit when we get there with five different kid’s clubs in five different villages, so that will be different and a shock to me at first, but what a blessing it is that there are five different kid’s clubs and that the Lord is allowing me to go there and pour out His love! Now that is incredible! I don’t need to worry about the way I’m living, because God is with me and He always provides. Be at their level, so they might understand and come to know the Lord.

            Application: It’s okay to be uncomfortable for the Lord! J So when I am packing for the six months I will really pray about what to bring. Of course I’m going to still be myself and bring things that I can feel like myself, but it’s really for the extra things that aren’t so necessary and prayer over that will definitely be important.

Philippians 3:12-13 IBS

Friday September 19^th, 2014

Philippians 3:12-13 “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead”

            Kind of referencing what I talked about yesterday is that I need to daily sacrifice things for my King and I need to daily deny myself. I need to daily seek Christ. Each day is new and each day holds new tasks He has in store. Paul is writing this in prison, for crying out loud, how hard is it to fully be grasped? But the encouraging thing is his faith in the Lord and remembering that He is sovereign. I really like verse 13 and him talking about “forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead”. I need to have an eternal perspective as well as live in the here and now. I don’t need to dwell of things of the past, but know that God has my life in His hands and He has my future. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “’For I know the thoughts that I think toward you’, says that Lord, ‘thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and a hope.” How encouraging! But with this I also can’t be constantly thinking of the future, otherwise I will miss opportunities the Lord has for me today. But knowing that God has a hope for my future is encouraging. I also think with this is that one day I get to dwell in heaven with Him! That’s the whole point of having an eternal perspective. I get to one day dwell with Him and I need to tell people about Him so they can too!

            Application: To remember to have that eternal perspective and that I need to reach lost souls and allow God to work through me, I will write “all nations” to paradise on a paper to put on my bed.

Philippians 3:11 IBS

September 18^th, 2014

Philippians 3:11 “if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”

            Live like there’s no tomorrow is my first thought with this and is something so cliché, but it is true. Each day holds something new and the Lord only gives me strength for that day. He has just been showing me that things are a daily task. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” I’ve always had this picture to help me grasp what it means, of a literal oil lamp in darkness and the light only shines one step ahead of you and there is only enough oil for that day. I know I’ve mentioned this verse before at some point during the previous months, but I don’t think I’ve ever fully grasped that until coming here and right at this point. Of course it speaks of relying on God and His strength, but it is so crucial, especially when it comes to this verse of Philippians 3:11. This verse to me speaks of daily sacrifice, daily emptying of self, daily asking for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit, daily, daily, daily.

            Just like I talked about yesterday, all to Him I owe. With this verse I need to have the desire to reach Christ’s resurrection. Of course, that is something I can NEVER achieve, but it’s a daily, that word yet again, picking up of my cross and serving Him. I need to run the race with ALL I have, with endurance, just like and Olympic athlete would to get the gold. They keep going and going and going, as the energizer bunny would for something that they can’t even take with them when they die. I have to keep going and going and going for the Lord and doing as He commanded in Matthew 28, “to make disciples of all the nations”. That sounds exhausting, huh? But not with the Lord, by His means and His asset and His glory will this be accomplished. My finger is pointed to Him.

            Application: I can’t help but going back to “all to Him I owe”, but that being my application for yesterday, I think I will focus on the daily part and write “daily” on my hand to remind myself that sacrifice is a daily task.