The Captain Expects Turbulence Ahead

                                                                5/26/15


      
                         Texas                                                             Portland, Oregon    



     “Ladies and Gentlemen please stay seated and keep your seat belt on, the captain expects that there will be turbulence ahead.”  Even with the threat of turbulence the passengers are excited to be in the air after waiting for takeoff.  I’m glad to be in the air.  Leaving is always bittersweet.  Bitter because I will miss exciting events in special people’s lives but sweet because, CANADA!  Specifically Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, Church on the Rock.  I will be spending 10 WEEKS in Pitt Meadows as a summer missionary intern with Church on the Rock doing life with four other interns and learning what a church planter’s life looks like in the North West.  Want to know something?  The Lord has already taught me two things, and I haven’t even left the States!

1)       WE ARE SMALL

     There’s something about being in the air that makes you realize just how small you are (and how much Texas rivers really have flooded).  This brings a new meaning to the saying “We serve a big God.”  People, WE SERVE A BIG God, and I cannot wrap my head around the fact (thank goodness) that He made this tiny world with even tinier people whom He loves, came to be with and died for with the purpose to save.  IT’S CRAZY, CHRISTIANS ARE CRAZY, I’M CRAZY, but it’s true.  A dear friend prayed over me yesterday morning Matthew 6:25-34 and Luke 12:27.  They tell of how our precious Jesus takes care of us.  If He cares for the lilies and the birds, why would He not take care of me!?

  *Thanks Hannah B. for being such a sweet friend and reminding me of truth!  I hope your time in Italy is a gift! 

You cannot see the lilies from the window of an airplane but the Lord can, and He provides for them and He provides for me and you too!  So remember when you prepare to travel and end up having a breakdown/panic attack like I did before leaving, we serve [I serve] a BIG GOD.  When you’re tempted to give in to the addiction just one more time remember, we serve a BIG GOD who cares and understands.  When you don’t know where the money is going to come for your bill remember, we serve a BIG GOD who cares and will take care of you!

2)      THERE WILL BE TURBULENCE AHEAD.  

Turbulence: Spiritual Warfare, Challenges, Testing

Seatbelts: The Belt of Truth

This is something I keep sensing the Lord preparing me for; turbulence up ahead.  I’m not for sure when, through what or whom, where or how much but He is continuing to push and pull me gently out of my comfortable Christianity and “safety”.  The Spirit is giving me a greater awareness and understanding of just how extreme and counter [Christian] culture a life lived fully for the Lord looks to the world.  I really think that this will be a summer of great growth.  Growth brought through turbulence to which the Captain keeps telling me “keep your seat belt on.”

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Captain expects turbulence up ahead, please keep your seat belt tightly fastened”   Ephesians 6:10-23

 

Blessed

Again, my best (actually my only) blogging happens at 1:00 in the morning. I don't know why this is. Whether it's because I'm a procrastinator, or maybe my best thoughts come out at this time. I'm going to go with the latter.  Lately, God has opened my eyes to how much He has blessed me!  First, ALL glory, honor and praise to Him for all He has done, for none of it is of me!   
I don't even know where to begin.  As I'm writing this I can't help but think of the children's song 
" Count Your Blessings, Name them One by One".  So here we go...

Blessings

1.   My Salvation that comes through my savior Jesus Christ...( if you don't have this you can. )

2.   My amazing family. This includes my parents who have been happily married for over 25 years.  Through their love for one another they have taught my sisters and I how to love, submit and honor our future spouses. They have taught us life skills, how to work with others, and respect authority. Most importantly they have taught us how to have a relationship with the Lord.  They have done all of this with undying love and affection, unending care and protection.  Why God chose to place me in an amazing family, I don't know.  I am still discovering the reason but I will forever be amazed and grateful for God's grace and provision.

3.   I live in a country where I can voice my opinion.  I can fight for what I believe in, stand up for what is right and I can do so with minimal consequences compared to other countries.  Yes, our country's economic and moral standards are decaying but for now I still believe we live in one of the best nations ever to exist - but only because of God's blessing.

4.  I have the opportunity to go to school, receive an education and advance in life.

5.  God had blessed me financially. ALWAYS providing for my needs and so many of my wants. ( His faithfulness in this area NEVER ceases to amaze me.)

6. God has placed people in my life who love Him and want to lead, guide and mentor me in  His ways. That's a blessing far greater than I can express.

7. God has (again) ALWAYS provided for our family,  which I am a beneficiary of. : )

8.  I have never had to solely depend on myself.  I can always depend on God, but I'm talking about being all alone - no family, no friends, just you. I thank the Lord that I have always had a support system.

9. A car that rarely has any problems but if it does, a great service team at Durant Toyota that fixes Sally      ( my car) right up.

10 Another year of life..good bye 2012. 



I could keep going but the point is God blesses us more than we realize.  I know there are many blessing I will probably never realize I have been given but my prayer is that I would never take any of them for granted.  Count your blessings my friends and praise/thank The Lord for them!!


- O

The Hardest Thing I Will Ever Do...

...Walking with Christ.  Yes, the hardest thing I can do but the absolute best thing I will ever do!  It's not only the best thing for me later down the road but also for the here and now.  Every minute spent with Him is every minute I am able to overcome anything this world will throw at me - but only through Him.  Will it cost me at some point?  Yes, but that's not where the story ends.  Yes, I have been called to suffer because Christ suffered, but more than that I am called a saint, an heir and child of THE KING! I am redeemed, forgiven and will always be love more by Him than I will ever be by my husband, children, friends or family.
Is that not awesome or what!!?? A little hard to grasp? Yes, but that is what is amazing about this relationship.  It will never reach a point where I know everything about God. There will always be more to know - more to experience and that excites me!  His love will never run out or run thin. His plan is far bigger and better than anything I can try to dream or even plan.  I have a long way to go but knowing that I can rely on my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, my Daddy who knows more about me than I know about myself, brings me peace and reassurance.  MIND BLOWING I know!! haha

Jesus' love is all we will ever need.  He loves me and He loves you with a literal unchanging, extremely passionate, incomprehensible love!

That's all for now.

-O

"Stop this Train"

I was thinking the other day that if I had to describe my life lately through an analogy it would be this.

   "I'm on a train, it's called "Life" and it's moving super fast.  It's beginning to pick-up speed.  It's beginning to move so fast I barely have enough time to catch a glimpse of the scenery. I want it to slow down, but it won't -it can't.
I take hold of the break in attempt to slow the train down but my attempt is futile and the break,breaks.  The break throws me back into reality where I realize there is nothing I can do about the speed of this train.  The only thing I have control of is how I will react to the trip.  I realize I'm only a passenger, not the engineer - someone else holds that position.  I realize the only thing I can do is make the best out of the ride no matter how fast the train is moving."

Now, it was about two weeks ago when I thought of this comparison and than began to feel smart about myself and the comparison because I am not much if a creative writer, you see.
Well people, there is nothing new under the sun!
This comparison has already been thought up and put into song. I heard it at Weatherford Christian's graduation ceremony.
Who, you may ask wrote this song!?  John Mayer did and it's called ' Stop This Train".
My mother always said there was a song for everything.
-O

Purpose

pur·pose (pûr'ps)
n.

1. The object toward which one strives or for which something exists; an aim or a goal: 

2. A result or effect that is intended or desired; an intention.

3. Determination; resolution

4. The matter at hand; the point at issue.

Oh! There is so much to think about and to prepare for and at times all I want to do is nothing, I just want to sit and stare.  I'm having to make more decisions then I think I have ever had to in my entire life and I'm having to think and plan for what I want to be doing four...ten years down the road without losing grips of what is happening right now!  The most important thing in order to keep my head on straight and to keep me from falling into a pit of despair would be to make sure that I make my personal quite time with God a priority.
( In all reality I have slacked off BIG time with this in the past several weeks. I am so thankfull that my God is still faithfull when I am not!! ) 
Without that time to reconnect and be encouraged by the one who loves me the most and who is fighting for my best, I begin to become very overwhelmed and loose sight of what our / my purpose is. 
That purpose is to be a "little Christ" in our actions and words ( I love being called that - " Little Christ" )
To tell others about His life saving, FREE gift and how they can have it.
We need to remember not to become bogged down with "religious rules" but to love recklessly abandoned  and madly in love with Christ.  I love being in love with Christ, I really Don't forget your purpose my friends!     : )

-O

Learning A Lot

Man! God is growing me a lot right now in this chapter of life.  High school is almost over and and with it, to be honest, so is my childhood.  This excites and frightens me.  I look forward to being used by God in the years to come and I am so thankful for the past years He has blessed me with but the idea that I will soon be responsible for SO much more is humbling.  I love getting to see how God is leading and providing for all my needs-physical, spiritual and emotional.  I was talking with my parents the other night about this whole "transition stage" and how I'm enjoying and disliking it at the same time.  Sunday for instance I was an emotional wreck.  ( Which is not at all like me)  I cried on and off all day and I didn't really even know why.  I didn't know how to explain what I was feeling or what I thought I was feeling, I just cried.  You have to understand that I cry when I'm stressed or tired- I was both- so that didn't help but still, I was having a real "come to grasps with reality" moment.
It's funny how God always knows when you need those.
God really showed me how short our lives are and how important it is to be sure that we live every moment for Him.
Through this, He is teaching me that I need to learn how to prioritize my activities and time - this is a hard lesson.  He is reminding me to be sure that I try to bring Him glory in all that I do and that my priorities are ones that honor Him.   I have always tried to searched for God's will in my life and asked that His will be done but lately I have really been convicted to dig deep and search hard for what the Lord is wanting me to do. What His specific will is for me.  This might take some time but I know He will answer me in His timing and until then I will wait patiently and expectantly for His answer.   He is also reminding me to live with purpose.  Not to got through the motions of being a Christian, not to be content with living in my own little Christian bubble doing my own little thing but to live reaching for goals and with a purpose to show others Christ.  Not be afraid of whether or not other people will except what I have to share with them about Christ but to be content in obeying Him.  That brings me to another point, contentment.  
He is showing me that I need to be content with the age that I am, in the place that I am and with what He has me doing right now.  That's another hard lesson but one I am so thankful to be taught.

Bottom line - God is good and He never changes.
He has a plan and my prayer is that I will earnestly seek and follow it with all my heart. I pray that I will not worry about the future but be content with the here-and-now and live every moment of this short life for His glory and with purpose for His kingdom.


-O

Thankfullness : Part 5

(96)... the smell of rain
(97)... my church North Side Baptist
(98)...Natalie Allen
(99)...Living ( somewhat) in the country
(100)... for making it half way through this project! : )
(101)...God's patience.  More than just thankfull for that!
(102)...Music