Independance Day

I know I am a few days behind, but I am feeling freer than ever! I am still waiting. I am still trusting. My circumstances have not changed much, but my spirit is soaring! I have taken hold of some great freedoms in the past week. It has not been easy to hold onto them, but with God's help I will never let them go!

I declare freedom from manipulation. I declare freedom from destructive relationships. I declare freedom from shame. I declare freedom from fear and failure.

Jesus had victory over these things at the cross, I am a little late realizing this, but better late than never, right? Right! Something that I have to keep realizing over and over again is that these things only have as much power over me as I give them.

It's like a bully in the lunch room. He only bullies the people who let him bully. He won't take on the strong willed or the ones already protected. And that is exactly what I am! I am protected. I am strong willed.

And now I am choosing to live like it! I am standing my ground. I am standing in love. I am standing in forgiveness. I am standing in discernment. I am standing in grace and truth.

Will you stand with me? Will you stand for these things in your own life? Will you be free in Christ?

Spanish Youth & an African Testimony

Last Saturday night I had the incredible opportunity to share the Swazi trip with the Spanish youth. It was so much fun! I got to show them pictures of the trip and tell them stories about the outreaches. I encouraged them to make it a priority to go on a mission trip because of its life changing impact.

I shared part of my testimony with them to show the amazing power of God at work in me. I told them you don't have to be perfect to serve God...you just have to be willing.

The night was so full of the Holy Ghost! God was there during the English service at 5pm. We had an incredible time of worship and followed the service with baptism. Then the Spanish Youth service started at 7:30 and His presence filled the room a second time. It is so cool to be able to sing to Him in another language...we sing the same songs, to the same God in different languages all around the world! So cool.

After I shared about Africa, we did a little Q & A. One question was, "What motivated you to go all the way to Africa?" I started to tell them about my nutrition degree and how I wanted to help hungry kids all over the world. But then something really cool started to happen...I shared something God gave to me in worship earlier that night.

He showed me a great hall with tons of tables set for dinner and everyone had their place to sit. God was sitting at the head table with Jesus but he didn't look happy, he looked concerned. He was looking around for people that weren't there. He noticed that there were empty seats and he was asking Jesus where they were. I was overwhelmed. I mean...all those people were already there. The party was kickin, but He was worried about the ones that weren't there yet.

He love us so much. He knows when we aren't with Him. That's why I am motivated to be a missionary. Of course I still want to do the nutrition thing, but it is much more than that. God loved me enough to notice that I wasn't there...He missed me. Is He missing one of those kids from Swazi or one of the patients I will see in Honduras? Is He missing you?