No One like the God who rides on the heavens ... : )

"There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides on the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty. The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." --Deuteronomy 33:26,27a

This is the memory verse some of us girls from my Bible fellowship class and I decided on for the week, over lunch and dear fellowship on Sunday. :) We're keeping each other accountable to memorizing Scripture each week ... and I have been so encouraged at how powerful, living and active God's Word truly is in my day-to-day life!

I know I was really blessed by this verse last night. Next week we'll be picking another verse ... anyone like to join us? :)

Song of Rest for a Weary Week :)

Give to the wind your fear
Hope and be undismayed
God hears your sighs and
counts your tears
God will lift up, God
will lift up, lift up
your head

Leave to His sovereign sway
To choose and to command
Then shall we wander on His way
Know how wise and how strong
How wise and how strong

Through waves and clouds and storms,
He gently clears the way
Wait because in His time,
so shall this night
Soon end in joy, soon end in joy.

God will lift up your head ...

(Jars of Clay: "God Will Lift Up Your Head")

Somehow this song just resonates with me today ... I had a really wonderful, memorable Thanksgiving weekend with my family, but somehow this week has been been kind of a tough one for me, and I find myself in need of rest and solace ... refreshment from my Savior. I know it's a busy time of the year for so many of us, but it's always been my favorite!

I LOVE the Christmas season, and I think the stressful times this week are a great reminder to take some time to sit back and rejoice in the One we celebrate this Christmas ... the One who will lift up our head and pour His words of refreshment into our hearts. How I praise the Savior that He is always with us ... and that He came to this earth around 2,000 years ago to be born in a stable ... to redeem us!

Shoes, Scripture verses and God's Manifold Provision

At our ministry's prayer meeting last night, the brother who was sharing encouraged and challenged us to write in a journal or notebook something for each day that God had done that we were thankful for. I thought, Wow, what a wonderful idea! And ... how fitting, too, with Thanksgiving almost here!

I thought I would include just a few things I'm grateful for over these past few days ... God has been doing much! :)

A few "snapshots":

*I had a wonderful time after church on Sunday, just taking a walk and enjoying God's creation at the nature preserve. I reflected on how I love being outside in nice weather, and wondered why I loved it so much. I realized that everything in creation points to Jesus ... The wind blowing, the sound of the leaves rustling ... the beautiful sky ... it has His fingerprint all over it! No wonder it's so exhilerating! :)

*Loved getting to chat with a friend from my Bible fellowship class last night ... and we decided to each pick a Scripture verse for both of us to memorize weekly, and keep each other accountable! I'm so excited! Last night the verse she picked really encouraged me, and a little while ago I received a message from her that she was able to use my verse to encourage several people God put in her path who needed it! Such a reminder that His Word is living and powerful ... It speaks to every area of our lives, and I know it wasn't by accident that those verses were picked for this week!

*Then, on "my way out" from the Cowboys watching party (it had been a long day ... in a good way, though!) I ran into another friend and we had a wonderful time as well, getting to catch up and pray for one another. We also enjoyed some great laughs ... because inevitably as we were talking there were moments where our voices sounded really loud. In our defense, the game on the big screen was pretty loud, so we were having to talk above it, and then there were suddenly these random moments where everything was quiet ... so our voices really stood out in the room! :-D We were laughging so hard over that ... and of course we'd kind of look around ... but people seemed pretty absorbed in the game, which was good. We figured no one even noticed ... until later when we told a friend who was walking out with us, and he grinned and was like, "Yeah, I heard y'all yelling over there!" :oD Good times! :o)


*Finally I have a shoe story! (Guys ... lest you think this is a girl story ... just give it a chance ... you might like it and learn something from it ... :))about the mysterious world of girls :) of course, even more, about God's provision and care in our lives!) So I was at the mall last week ... I had a coupon for two FREE truffles (who can resist that) at the Godiva store. I also had to make a return. As I walked by the DSW shoe store, I thought, I know I'd probably find a cute pair of shoes. But I have more than enough pairs of shoes and the last thing I need is to spend my money on a pair of shoes today! So I went on ... bypassing the DSW shoe store of course! :) Well, the following morning I found out about some shoes a volunteer was getting rid of and donating to whoever could use them at our ministry. Two pairs of the shoes fit me perfectly, and I liked them both and couldn't have picked better myself! :-) It may seem like such a small thing, but it reminded me in an incredible way of God's provision ... a provision I never would have seen if I had rushed ahead and impatiently tried to buy a pair of shoes myself! It's really amazing how He cares about even the "little" things ... and, in this case, an "extra" blessing because not something I absolutely needed ... and how HIS provision in every area of our lives is always perfect and best.

*Had such a good time of prayer with a friend this evening. She and I were both full of praises!

I have been thinking a lot today about how God is always working our lives and the lives of those around us ... how nothing is coincidence. I love seeing His hand at work ... I love how each day is a new day with Him, how He is always doing something. Isn't that cool?! :)

This Great Fall Season

So I haven't updated for a bit ... as I sit here listening to the David Crowder band and enjoying a nice Thursday evening, I thought it would be fun to write a bit in my blog. :)

Some highlights of the last few weeks since I've posted ...

* Continuing to enjoying the wonderful teaching and fellowship God has provided for me both at church and at the ministry where I work!

* Good times of laughter with friends

* Trying out fun new recipes in my crockpot. (I love cooking with my crockpot! I love that you can put something in there, turn it on low, come back hours later and have your meal ready. :)) It's probably one of my favorite methods of cooking.)

* A wonderful time of fellowship with a girl from my Sunday school class. I was so blessed by things the Lord had been doing in her life and showing her!

* Going to a scary movie night where, thankfully, the movie itself wasn't too scary and it was fun being with friends!

* Great weather, and long walks at the nature preserve, sometimes with friends, sometimes with my audio Bible ... a gift from a conference that I've enjoyed so much!

* Fun at Sonic last weekend with my Bible study group. (I even went home with a cool and educational toy from the kids meal! ;-D You can't beat that!)

* Being so refreshed, challenged and encouraged by my Philippians Bible study last night.

* Playing volleyball with friends in the church gym on Wednesday nights! :)

* Marveling at God's goodness and patience toward me. I love Him so much and am so grateful to know Him!

And now? I am getting excited about tomorrow ... It's Friday, and I'm looking forward to lunch with a good friend, and then we all get off a little early since it's prayer night. And I'm thinking about making oatmeal cranberry white chocolate chunk cookies to bring! It may depend on how much energy I have tomorrow after I get off work ... :)

What Is Your Dominant Intelligence?

I just took this quiz and thought it was interesting! You all should take it, too, and let me know what you get! :)

Honestly, I don't agree completely with all of mine by any means ... although at least the "enjoys writing" aspect does definitely sound like me. :o)

I enjoy writing in my journal and writing stories about missionaries at work, and I enjoy word games like Balderdash and remember loving to learn new words in junior high and high school! Some of my friends in college were surprised when my favorite classes were ones where you had to be involved in "creative writing", as those were often their least favorite!

Your Dominant Intelligence is Linguistic Intelligence

You are excellent with words and language. You explain yourself well. An elegant speaker, you can converse well with anyone on the fly. You are also good at remembering information and convincing someone of your point of view. A master of creative phrasing and unique words, you enjoy expanding your vocabulary. You would make a fantastic poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, or translator.

What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?

Jesus' Amazing Love

So much has been going on, it feels hard to konw where to start! Even though I am tired, I am full of gratitude to the Lord ... and marveling at His tender mercies that are new every morning.

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to take half a day off from work. I had something I needed to be at for the church, anyhow, and things had been busy and I thought the rest might be nice. It was an amazing time ... I couldn't have asked for better weather for my time off, and I got in some great Scripture and Piper reading outside by a creek ... and a nice, long walk!

I was so refreshed and encouraged in the Lord through that time. It was well worth it! Then I had some friends come visit me over last weekend ... We had such a nice visit together, I don't think their visit could have been timed more perfectly. It was just when I needed it most!

This past Sunday I was baptized ... I don't know if I could describe in words how the Lord ministered to me through that time. It was an amazing experience ... I felt so grateful and even more in love with the wonderful Savior I have known for so long now.

Last night in prayer meeting as we were all singing worship songs, a phrase from "How Deep the Father's Love" really stood out to me ...

"Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders ..."

Wow ... He did that for me! He went through excruciating pain for me ... and for YOU. He loves us that much. How indescribable and unfathomable is His love!

Perfect in All His Ways

God has been doing some pretty incredible things in my life lately to show me just how amazing are His ways! The first was this weekend when I had the chance to serve down in the Bonton community.

I was with a team of other women who were going and praying for different women in the community and encouraging them. We also prayed for a nearby school. And we wrote notes of encouragement to a woman going through some particularly hard times.

I loved agreeing with these women in prayer and could really sense the Lord's presence among us ... One of the highlights of this time for me was when we stopped at the house of a woman who was just about to go visit her son in prison. The awesome thing is that it sounds like her son is coming around and wanting to do the right thing ... the amazing thing in all of this was how perfect God's timing is. If we had been a few minutes later, she probably would have already headed out to go visit her son!

She told us we had just caught her ... and we could tell how much our hugs and prayers meant to her. :) My heart rejoiced to think of the perfectness of God's timing and ways ... and even now, I am so happy as I write this! :)

The second thing was this morning ... Once every week, our department goes through reports from the mission field to decide where each will be used. Well, there was one about one of our missionaries and his motorbike. It turns out the person who gathered that story just kind of "came across" it ... It wasn't one he was originally planning to cover, but we know now that the Lord brought it his way. Because we needed it for a very specific use ... for something we've never done before (motorbike appeal letter) and that he was unaware that we even needed at the time. But God knew ... how wonderful and unsearachable are His ways!

He is so amazing and good.

Sunny Fall Weather, Groceries and Prayers

This weather has been ... absolutely gorgeous ... no other words to describe it! Makes me want to own a laptop computer and just work outside all day long. :) Yesterday I was out walking in it after work. And it's Friday, and that means a weekend to enjoy some of this indescribable weather. :o)

I had so much fun running to the grocery store during my lunch break and grabbing ingredients for the new recipes (soups) I want to try this weekend. I love cooking ... there's just something about it! :) And while I'm cooking, I plan to have the windows open in my apartment to let in some of the great breeze outside!

There continues to be persecution in Orissa, and in fact it has now spread to Karnataka state. Yet the believers in these places have such a pure, sincere love for Jesus that is carrying them through. It's really incredible to me. They still need our prayers though ... Please do pray for them, especially for comfort for those that have lost loved ones for the sake of Christ.

They Know Jesus is Priceless ...

Hebrews 13:3 tells us, “Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.”

*I love that this Scripture is in the Bible. How timely and appropriate it is, given the things Christians were going through for Jesus’ sake back then . . . and the things they are still going through centuries later because of their love for the Savior.

How does this verse play out in my day-to-day life as I long to know Jesus more each day and see things through His eyes? I know that I want to be faithful in lifting up the needs of the persecuted Church to Him . . . as well as the hearts of those who still need to know Him. Prayer … whether for His work across the globe or in the lives of those around us … is such a privilege, as a friend reminded me last night. I know my own faith is often greatly strengthened through prayer.*


*During prayer meeting the other night, we saw pictures portraying some of the suffering being experienced by believers in Orissa. Images flashed across the screen, bringing a face to the horrific suffering people are facing for their Christian faith. Pictures of houses and churches burned down. Or pictures of groups of believers fleeing their villages to seek refuge in the forests, or the ones living in little tent cities. One image of far more horrific suffering was omitted because they felt it would be too graphic to show for a family audience.

I was deeply moved and my heart went out to the believers, especially as I saw the pictures of them being driven from their homes to hide out in the forests and others who were living in tent cities. Seeing these made me think of the passage in Hebrews 11 that tells us Abraham dwelling in tents because he knew this world was not his home. That chapter goes on to list some of the suffering of the believers in the early church, telling us that they joyfully accepted the plundering of their possessions, knowing they had better and lasting possessions in heaven.*


*I think their perspective amazes me. We live in a fallen world with many perspectives that are vastly different from those of Christ’s kingdom. I think of that verse in Isaiah that tells us that His thoughts are so much higher than ours.

I know that in my own life … whatever may be going on around me, whether in Orissa, or in the lives of those I love around me … or in my own life at times … it is vastly comforting to know that God’s ways are higher, more grand, than anything we could ever think up for ourselves.*

****Think about Orissa, where six believers … people with not much as far as this world, but with a simple faith in Jesus and heartfelt love for Him … have given their lives. And thousands of families are still hiding in the forests as the beatings and burnings of homes/churches continue.

... or the dear friend from my college church who watched her husband die of terminal cancer . . . all the while both of them clinging to Jesus and His Word whatever the outcome. I received this incredible email from them not long before he passed away, while he was in hospice care.

… We love you and thank you for praying for us and trusting God with us. His display of love for us is exceeding abundantly above all we could ever ask or think. Steve looks more and more like the man described in Jeremiah 17:7,8 as he trusts God completely …

When I asked her how I could pray for her in the months following her husband’s death, her prayer request blew me away! It was not for herself but instead, she asked for prayer that she could shine the light of Christ in his workplace (after his death she began working there full-time to support herself), continuing the work that he had started as he witnessed to co-workers before his death. It reminded me of the stories we've heard of widowed missionary wifes continuing to reach out and share the Gospel in areas where their husbands had served.


*Whether in the Church across the globe, or in the lives of those around me … I see so many incredible examples of the worth of Jesus. That is He is so worthy and infinitely priceless . . . I truly can’t imagine this life without knowing Jesus!

Those of us who know Jesus, may we always remember the worth of Jesus and the amazing thing He did for us on the Cross . . . and His incredible, sustaining grace in each of our lives for each new day … whether we are going through difficult times like some dear people are that I know … or whether we’re simply have a day where we’re maybe tired and discouraged. Praise Jesus that He is always with us and is our everlasting portion! And may we be faithful to intercede for our brothers and sisters in Christ in other parts of the world. (This webpage has a link to stories of believers' faith amidst persecution ... and prayer requests for the persecuted Church in each story.)

And … for any of you reading this who don’t know Jesus yet … from my heart I would encourage and challenge you to consider Him who is so worthy that men and women in Orissa would give their lives for Him . . . and other Christians throughout the centuries as well. I promise you won’t regret it!

Amazing Faith in other Countries Amidst Persecution

Persecution has been on the increase in various parts of Asia, and I thought I would share a little about it and just a few of my personal reflections on it ...

Precious lives have been taken in Orissa this week... martyred for Jesus' sake. My heart hurts for the family members they leave behind. Yet, too, I know that those who are martyred are in a glorious place ... in heaven with the Savior they loved so dearly while they were still on this earth. And I was reminded just now of Romans 8:18 ... "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." (NIV)

I can't even begin to imagine the things believers in so many other countries endure for their love for Jesus. Yet being part of a missions organization, I have seen two incredible threads common throughout so many of the persecution reports ...

First, along with the persecution in other countries, Christ's church is growing and flourishing in the midst of it! And second, those experiencing persecution so often show incredible courage, love, and forgiveness in the midst of it. It is an amazing thing to me! I know this is not of them (for in our flesh dwells no good thing), but a work of Jesus in them ... and it has to be an amazing testimony of the Gospel to those who are persecuting them.

I remember a while back when I was reading Hearts Afire, a book published by Voice of the Martyrs ... as I read the stories of incredible faith in the lives of people in other countries who were willing to risk so much for their faith in Jesus, I was greatly encouraged and strengthened in my own faith.

I feel challenged to pray more faithfully for our Christian brothers and sisters in other countries whose lives so inspire me. What a privilege it is that we can play a part in the labors of these precious brothers and sisters, even though they are on the other side of the world. How amazing God is to allow us to play a part in His redemptive work, whereever we are! I am grateful.

[As I was finishing up this post, the song "I Can Only Imagine" started playing on my headphones ... I can't help but think, How appropriate. For those six precious believers who gave their lives for Jesus in Orissa this week ... they are now in the presence of Jesus. Wow!]

A Memorable August 14

I had a birthday recently, and it made me incredibly grateful ... again and again ... for the great people God has surrounded me with! From people decorating my cubicle at work to making marble slab cheesecake (yum!!!) for me for our department celebration, to a yummy team lunch at Schlotsky's to calling me or posting a Facebook note to wish me a happy birthday ... to cooking delicious Indian food for me and another friend whose birthday is close to mine ... not to mention the amazing party some dear friends threw for me Friday evening. I was truly touched and honored that they would want to throw me a party ... and by all the hard work that went into it! They were so creative ... one of them made a cake in the shape of a pair of flip-flop sandals. I loved it. :o)

And the girls had decided it would be a dress-up party ... which is why I was very surprised and a bit flustered when I walked in the door dressed rather casually ... But they came to the rescue with a dress one of them had "borrowed" from me earlier that week ... it was waiting for me for the party! :) She also gave me a beautiful pearl necklace as a present and to wear for the evening!

From start to finish, I had a wonderful birthday ... I think perhaps my most memorable yet! I can't begin to describe how grateful I am for the amazing people the Lord has blessed me with in my life and the warmth and care they have shown. Thank you to everyone who made my birthday so special .... y'all know who you are! :)

Cinnamon Rolls, Popcorn, Fellowship

Our department enjoyed some cinnamon rolls this morning for one of our co-worker's birthdays. They definitely hit the spot, especially since I hadn't eaten anything for breakfast. ;-)

I had a friend in the area for the weekend who asked if she could stay with me. I was like, "Sure!" :) She was catching up with some relatives and friends in the area for a good part of the weekend and I had a few things going on as well, so it worked out well that we could come and go as worked best for us ... But last night we did "reconvene" to hang out and catch up. It was a nice time of chatting, watching a movie (complete with popcorn!!!) and praying for each other. I am sleepy today, but glad for the time we were able to share. I love such times of fellowship.

I have so much been enjoying getting to know the young women interning at GFA over the summer. Anna's last day of her internship was Friday, and Erin's is tomorrow. They will be missed! I have been so grateful for the chance to get to know each of them (and Hannah and Jessica!!) and will be in prayer for the Lord to continue to lead their lives. I'm so glad they could come here and spend part of their summer laboring with us all here ... their lives are impacting Asia. :)

It's the little things I cherish ...

I think sometimes it's the "little" and thoughtful things in life that I love the most ... you know, those times when someone puts a candy bar on your desk for "no reason" other than that they thought of you and thought you would enjoy it ... or someone writes you a really encouraging note that came at just the right moment for a time you're going through ... You know, stuff like that. :)

Last night was so much fun. I hung out with Hannah, Erin, Anna and Jessica ... summer interns here at GFA who have quickly become great friends ... they're pretty much awesome. :=) Anyhow, we had a blast going out to Stonebriar Mall and eating in the food court there, and walking around and shopping.

We all were walking around the food court, trying to decide what we each wanted. I think I took the longest to decide ... (food decisions are hard ... so many great choices there!) and ended up with Rollerz. Some of you know that I have been trying not to drink soda for a while ... I thought it would be hard for me since I love soda, but overall it's been surprisingly easy so far.

Well, most combo meals come with a soda ... but Rollerz had this awesome combo with one of their wraps and a small smoothie. Needless to say I was a happy camper, with my strawberry banana smoothie and santa fe chicken goodness. It may seem like a small thing, but it was just really a fun surprise. :)

I have been having a terrific week ... remember how I shared on Monday how I had been battling an unusual amount of discouragement for several days or more, but also how the Lord had given me a new perspective through my time of prayer with a friend. Well, a little later in the evening I realized the Lord had completely lifted my discouragement. I was so grateful! I believe He will do the same for any of y'all who may be going through discouragement, too ... just keep seeking Him. :)

Jesus is incredible ...

I shared yesterday some of the struggles the Lord has been allowing me to go through lately ... Ever since maybe Friday of last week I have felt incredibly tired and seem to be going through an unusual amount of discouragement ... yet today, as I was praying with a friend I always meet to pray with after work on Mondays, I suddenly started praising God and felt lifted above the pain.

I rejoiced because Jesus was giving me a whole new perspective, the perspective I was reminded of yesterday. I am so grateful! It's amazing how prayer and praise can change our trials into rejoicing. I would not in my natural human flesh choose to go through hardships and trials in my life ... Yet even these hardships and trials are dear friends to me, for anything that draws me closer to the feet of Jesus is my friend. More than anything, I want to know Him more. I love Him so much.

It is a busy week ... I am finishing up some stuff around the apartment tonight to get ready for out-of-town company tomorrow evening ... as well as running to the store to get some fresh fruit. :) And hopefully getting a nice walk in there somewhere, too. :) Then later in the week, I am hoping to hang out some with some of our summer interns ... great young women that I've been enjoying getting to know during their time here. :) Then on Friday evening is extended prayer here at GFA.

I thank the Lord that He is with me each step of this busy week ... I am hoping my out-of-town guest, Rebecca, will get to come for some of prayer tomorrow evening, if she's not too tired from her long drive to Texas ... this prayer meeting is just two hours, unlike Friday, which is our all-night prayer. :-D

Jesus is everything ...

This morning in my Bible fellowship class at church, I received a very timely reminder. I was so excited as I wrote down some of the truths the teacher was sharing, truths that felt so applicable to my life right now.

I realize I have so much to be grateful for ... so many blessings in my life and God has been so good to me ... I just somehow have found myself over these past several days feeling unusually tired ... a bit overwhelmed ... discouraged. I know we all have days that are more challenging than others ... I would say these last several days have been some of the most challenging I've experienced for some time ... and not sure totally why? I guess I have, for one thing, had a lot on my plate lately ... but I can trust that the Lord will not give me more than I can handle! And we're told in God's Word, in 1 Peter 4:12,13, not to be surprised at hard days .... that we will experience those in our lives, and also that we can rejoice in getting to (in a very small way at least) share in Christ's sufferings.

And my teacher this morning brought out some awesome truths ... definitely timely reminders for me. He talked about the Apostle Paul and how His attitude toward suffering was, "If it makes me more like Jesus, bring it on!" He reminded us that Paul's all-consuming passion was knowing Jesus ... and if suffering brought Him closer to Jesus, He rejoiced in it. (Romans 8:16,17; Philippians 3, verses 10 and following) He also talked about how some of Paul's very last words to Timothy were about the Gospel. The Gospel, he reminded us, is not just for our salvation ... it is ALSO for the trials we face in our day to day lives ...

The Gospel--that Jesus Christ would die an excruciating death of the Cross to pay for our sins--forever settles God's love for us. And this love is fixed and constant. Whatever trials we go through in life fade away when looked at against the backdrop of the Cross.

Praise the Lord ... I find that when I'm reminded that Jesus is everything, I am given a whole new perspective that encourages me, regardless of how overwhelmed I may feel or what may be going on around me. I am grateful.

A Good Week and a Heart Filled with Thanks

It's been a busy week, but also a good one. :) There have been a couple of days where I've stayed a while after finishing up a writing project ... but I've enjoyed it. I have been thinking lately of how grateful I am for my job. I think I've had many moments over the last number of months where I took it for granted and saw more the harder aspects of it than the privilege it is.

I enjoy what I'm getting to do, I love the people I work with, and most of all, the Lord is allowing me to help reach people in Asia through it! It amazes me that the Lord would call me to do something I have enjoyed so much from as far back as I remember (writing) along with a burning desire He gave me from my childhood (seeing people reached with the Gospel!). Thank You, Lord. :)

May He get all the glory ... for none of it belongs to me. It's ALL about Him. It amazes me that He would call me to serve Him ... I know I still have so far to go in my Christian walk, yet He is so patient with me. ;)

I think we all can get discouraged at times or take things for granted, so it's always so refreshing to be reminded of God's incredible provision in our lives. At different times last week, I felt myself tested in the area of trusting in the Lord and His ways.

I was struck with the contrast between human ways of doing things and God's way. The Lord enabled me by His grace to make a conscious decision to trust Him and be faithful in what I knew to do, even when it felt a little hard. As I stepped forward in that trust, I felt incredible peace and rest in Him ... I felt that I no longer needed to strive ... I could just faithfully do what He had set before me and called me to, but beyond that, just BE ... no more striving. :) Then, He confirmed what He had shown me through His Word, a Christian book and the lesson in Sunday school this past weekend, as well as allowing some great encouragement to come my way.

I was so encouraged today to get an email from a co-worker mentioning that some Gospel for Asia supporters had given to provide a well in response to a lot of the emails and PhotoShows that had recently gone out that reported back the eternal fruit God is bringing through these wells. Well, I thought about it a moment and realized I had worked on some of those emails and PhotoShows, such as this one! It's so encouraging to me to think that I could be part of people being ministered to and hearing about Jesus on the other side of the Lord. Praise the Lord.

I wanted to share this Scripture passage that so encouraged me when I read it recently ... I think it relates to what the Lord has been showing me lately!

"There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides on the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty. The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms ..."
--Deuteronomy 33:26,27b

Beef stir fry, Mango Pickle and God's Grace

Sitting in the outdoor patio at work today in the warm weather, enjoying some beef stir fry, mango pickle and rice from our ministry cafe, I felt like I was transported back to India as I cherished the company of two dear brothers from our ministry in Asia. It brought back memories from the time I spent there in 2004. How amazing the joy of the believers was! I still remember Gretch, the woman in the poverty-stricken slum area who ran up to us with this bubbling joy she could hardly contain, proclaiming "Jai Ma Siki" ("Praise to Christ" in her language).

This whole past weekend at our ministry's Renewing Your Passion missions conference has been surreal in some ways ... yet, at the same time, I know more real than anything I could experience on this earth. For I was reminded of the worth of knowing and following Jesus ... of how 100 years from now, the only things I will have to show for my life here on this earth are those things that will last for eternity. I was deeply challenged to cry out to Jesus in my heart, more than once, "Rid me of me! Fill me with You." I want to be poured out for His sake ... I was thinking, if He is my Savior and gave His very life for me, what is too much for me to do for Him? Not in any way to earn my salvation, because that was already purchased for me through His redemptive blood at Calvary ... I rather want to serve Him, out of gratitude and love for Him. I know I have so far to go in having a fully surrendered life, holding nothing back, but o how I long for such utter abandonment to Jesus. I love Him so much.

The time at the conference was also an amazing time of fellowship ... whether laughing with my roommates and new friends I made, or praying with and being able to encourage our supporters who are such a blessing and have given so much to help spread the Good News of Jesus in Asia. All in all, this whole past weekend was incredible and reminded me of what a privilege I have to get to serve Jesus to reach some of the most unreached and see lives transformed in wonderful ways by His grace ... a privilege that I am unworthy of and don't want to ever again take for granted.

Right after the conference, I got to go to lunch with a dear friend who had come down for the weekend. It was great catching up some more with her and sharing some more of what the Lord had taught us at the conference ... over yummy turkey pizza at Schlotsky's. :-)

May I never forget the things I learned and was reminded of this weekend ... Oh, Jesus, may my life never be the same again.

Church, Nice Sunny Days and Rollerskating

So this afternoon I did something I haven't had opportunity to do for quite some time ... rollerskating! Back in the day, when I was in junior high/high school, I LOVED to go rollerskating. They would have Christian skate night at the local skating rink ... which just happened to be very close to my house. It was a great deal to skate on Christian skate night ... $1.25! :)

And, thanks to a friend of mine, I found out about another great deal, at the skating rink not too far from where I live now! On Sunday afternoons through the end of August, it's just $3.00 to skate from 2 to 6 p.m. I went with a friend today, and another friend met up with us there, and I think we're going to try to get our Sat. night Bible study group together to go sometime. Wahoo! :) Skating is always something I've enjoyed a lot.

After skating, I ended up at the nature preserve walking. I heard a snake slither in the grass and screamed SO loud!!! (I never saw it, but am reasonably sure it was a snake ... ;-)) Later I saw an armadillo cross the path ahead of me. That was fun!! Then I went to Wal-mart to get ... smoothie ingredients, shampoo, etc. Amazing how much energy I've had today! Definitely not complaining, since it's been a couple of weeks since I've had even close to this much energy! ;-)

We sang patriotic songs in church this morning ... great fun! :) Oh, and the message in Sunday school was so good. He read some verses from Isaiah 44 and reminded us all of how Jesus is the only One who truly satisfies. What a great reminder ... I am finding myself reminded more and more of that lately. :)

A Post for 4th of July!

Just a quick post today, to say ... Happy 4th of July, everyone! I spent part of it with folks from work. A family had everyone over to their house. I played some volleyball and hung out and talked with folks. Then I went walking at the nature preserve for a bit. :) I seriously love that place!

Tomorrow I am meeting some girls for lunch and Bible study ... we do that often on Saturdays and it's been so nice! Then tomorrow evening is my Bible study at church ... yay! :) I love those folks!

The series Chris has been going through has been so good, too ... basically bringing out a bunch of great Scriptures and reminding us of how amazing Jesus is ... and how our number one pursuit in life should be to know our Savior more deeply. I am so thankful for Jesus ... for the constant He is in my life! :)

Jesus is Renewing My Heart ...

Yesterday after work I had the opportunity to pray with another friend ... we meet regularly to encourage and pray for one another! It was amazing how my perspective had changed by the end of our time. I felt rest and joy in the Lord even in my weariness. It was great!

This morning our staff had a meeting about our upcoming Renewing Your Passion missions conference. As the meeting progressed, I found myself getting more and more excited about this time! It is next weekend, and I can't wait! :) I am looking forward to this time to fellowship with other believers and reach out to our donors and sponsors.

Just now I've been working on an email and PhotoShow about one of our missionaries who was beaten and publicly humiliated for loving Jesus ... just one of many of our missionaries who have suffered persecution. I was especially moved by his story when I realized he is very close to my age. It's touching to think of him going through such suffering at such a young age, yet it was also incredible to read about some of the amazing things God has done through his ministry in Orissa. An elderly couple was rescued from suicide when the Lord brought him into their path ... and they received Jesus as Savior! Praise the Lord. Just as this verse promises, truly this missionary's labor in the Lord is not in vain!

I so often am encouraged and strengthened in my own faith when I hear such stories of the amazing courage and perseverance of our Christian brothers and sisters in other countries.

Jesus is in the Valleys

For a week now I've been finding myself physically tired ... and at times kind of having an overall feeling of weariness. I did get a nap yesterday ... although I'm not sure it was enough. I should be able to get some good rest this evening ... and it's nice, too, that Friday is July 4 so I can sleep in. :) I kept forgetting about that ... so it was a fun surprise today!

Last night I did have a good prayer time with a friend ... It was amazing the sense of peace I was left with as we parted ways. Meeting with her and praying with her was just what I needed last night! Then today I had a thoughtful note from another good friend, reminding me to keep my eyes fixed on Jesus. That reminder was just what I needed today ... Jesus is incredible ... and no matter how weary I may feel at times, His presence is still a refuge where I can find indescribable joy.

I am finding myself constantly reminded lately of my need for Him. That's a good thing in the sense that it drives me to His feet. I was excited to receive in the mail an old Caedman's Call CD I ordered off Amazon. I think this excerpt from their song "Down in the Valley" says it well ...

Down in this wasteland I miss the mountaintop view
But it's here in this valley that I'm surrounded by You.
Though I'm not here by my will it's where Your view is most clear.
So I'll stay in this valley if it takes 40 years.

Now, I do hope I'm not feeling as weary for the next 40 years as I was from this past Monday to today ... :) But I do so much love the whole theme of these lyrics ... the willingness the songwriters express to "stay in the valley" for as long as it takes if that means they are drawn closer to Jesus through it. I totally love that! And I love that anything we go through as believers in Christ is for a purpose ... none of it is wasted.

Jesus and the Island of Patmos

Yesterday's message in church was really interesting and made me want to research the Island of Patmos. The guy who taught shared from Revelation 1:9,10 and brought out some really cool points ...

In verse nine, we find John was on the Island of Patmos where there was no Christian fellowship for him. This was also a place where hardened criminals were "dumped off", to fend for themselves. You could say, at least in an earthly sense, this was a definite trial in John's life.

Yet the next verse goes on to talk about how John was in the presence of the Lord. What better place to be than with Him? If we know Him as Savior, He is our Friend, our dwelling place, our portion. Oh, how I love Him ... everything in life fits in its proper place when we know Him ... Even if it's something hard for the moment ... because we know He is bringing about eternal good through it. So amazing.

As the guest speaker brought out yesterday, the Lord used John's time of exile in Patmos in an incredible way ... It wasn't a surprise to the Lord; He used it greatly, and now we have the book of Revelation. :)

Well ... I should go because I am sleepy and still wanting to get in a walk with a friend and get a few things done before calling it a night ... I am just so grateful for Jesus ... and that He works everything out for good in our lives. :)

Savoring the Savior's Sweetness

I have felt a bit weary at moments this week ... doing a bit better now, I think. I have been thinking about how knowing Jesus puts every part of life into proper perspective ... I have been reading a great book by John Piper about savoring the sweetness of the inexpressible joys found in Him. This is my prayer ... that the world around me simply fade away in the light of His incredible presence ... to be with Him, praising Him and seeking His face, is just wonderful. Everything else really does start to fade away in the light of the incomparable joys He offers ... :)

How refreshing is the light of His presence ... close to Him is where I want to always be ... abiding deeply in Him ... there is no joy like that of knowing this incredible Savior.

I love this passage from Isaiah ...

"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare."
--Isaiah 55:1,2

Oh yes ... Jesus is the "richest of fare" that passage talks about. And this is a wonderful constant, regardless of what is going on around me, or even simply the challenges sometimes of day-to-day life. I am glad.

A Tale of Redemption

Last night I watched The Last Sin Eater. It was a pretty powerful allegory of redemption ... especially once you get past the strong Appalachian accents. :) (At first, I thought the main character in the story was saying "Sunitra" instead of Sin Eater ... :-D) Set around the 1850s in the Appalachian's, it highlights a mountain community held bondage to years of superstition and tradition. There was an interesting twist in all that at the end as well.

Parts were hard to watch because of the violence ... more than anything, the sense of, "No, this shouldn't be happening." But overall it's a well-made movie that vividly portrays redemption as it follows the life of a community ... most specifically a young girl ... seeking atonement for sins in the tradition of a "Sin Eater", only to find that he is as empty and broken as she ... she needs the One who is the true Sin Eater!

It's definitely a movie that makes you think because of the great lengths people go to in hopes of redemption. It really reminded me of the traditions and superstitions followed by so many in Asia, when if only they knew ... true redemption and peace are found only in Jesus. I finished the movie with a fresh appreciation for redemption in Christ. What an amazing gift that we could never put a price on ... eternal redemption! How grateful I am for Jesus!

I had the opportunity to head down to a south Dallas neighborhood this past weekend for their annual Clean Sweep, where people from the Body of Christ in the Dallas area joined together to pray, pick up trash and plant flowers in the neighborhood ... it was a great time of getting to serve and fellowship with other believers, and truly the highlight of my weekend! I enjoyed it so much. I had the opportunity to reconnect with this really sweet Christian woman in that community that I had gotten to meet before ... it was awesome witnessing her incredible joy and her fervent heart for Jesus. Praise God for how His redemptive story is touching hearts in this community.

Rejoicing some more ...

I do think I'm on Cloud Nine! Or something like it, anyhow! I just got back from Transit (my Sat.nite study) and fellowship with the group afterwards at Baker Bros. Class was great ... the lesson was SO good. Our teacher brought out so many Scriptures about how amazing Christ is and how incredible it is that we can know Him ... that if we are His children, He is even living in us! How awesome is that? One thing that really, really stood out to me was when he said that so often, we settle for so much less than God in our everyday lives ... our desires are such that we have desires for lesser things than God Himself. Than the sweetness of knowing Him more deeply. So true ... and something I want to stop being guilty of. :) Deep down I do so much desire Him ... He is more to me than life itself! Now may I increasingly live and dwell in that mind-boggling reality.

There were so many visitors, too ... or at least, it sure felt like there were! :) I was running around like crazy, making sure our visitors felt welcome and that they each had visitors sheets to fill out ... but I loved every minute of it. :-) I truly love this class and the community of it and getting to serve and fellowship there. I'm so grateful. I also so much love the community of those I'm on staff with at GFA. I have been so reminded lately of how wonderful that is.

So ... right before class tonight, I went to get the folder with the roster and visitor sheets, and was walking down the hall with it. Well, just as I neared the classroom, suddenly the visitor sheets literally came flying out of the folder. And I slipped on some of them and ... totally went sprawling to the floor. Several of my classmates saw the whole thing. ;-D Good thing was, at least they were able to come to my rescue, grabbing the papers off the floor for me as I laughed ... and laughed some more ... and regained my composure. We decided the class folder should come with a warning label ... perhaps ... "Be careful ... could be hazardous to your health if carrying it down the hall". :)

Rejoicing this weekend

After a pretty challenging week, yesterday and last night were incredble! :) I was sharing with a few co-workers, on Thursday night when I sat down to try to have some good time with the Lord, it kind of felt like it took a lot of my energy but yet that it wasn't helping me ... but the Lord gave me the perseverance to press on by faith, trusting Him to use it in my life.

Well, yesterday was a good day, and had a great time at lunch with a couple of co-workers - two really nice girls who have been here for a few weeks as summer interns. They're great and so much fun to get to know! I also introduced them to one of my favorite restaurants and they liked it ... yay! :)

Then last night was great. We had all-night prayer here at the ministry ... I ended up staying until it ended at 5 a.m. and had a blast! It was also really awesome that a few of my friends got to make it out for some of it and seemed to enjoy it, too! It was a wonderful, refreshing time ... and I have had such peace in my heart today and felt refreshed. When I got up this morning ... I mean this afternoon :-D ... I was able to have some good time with the Lord. I am so grateful.

Jesus is better than a magical switch ...

Ever wish you could turn on this magical switch that would make all your challenges and discouragement just disappear? :) I have been finding myself wishing that to an extent lately ... although ultimately I know challenging times are a good thing in that they draw me all the closer to Jesus ... so, really, why should I "wish them away" ... no matter how hard they may be from a fleshly, temporal perspective. Deep down what I need most is to know Jesus more intimately ... so anything that brings that about in my life is a Friend ... even if hard for the moment.

I've kind of found myself battling a good bit of discouragement lately. Part of it could be the spiritual battle we are all in, that I can so often forget about. As believers in Jesus, we are engaged in a very real spiritual battle ... but God wins! Praise the Lord for that! :)

On another note, I did have some nice times of fellowship this weekend with friends, especially with the great group from Transit (my Sat. night BIble study) as we all hung out at Pei Wei Asian Diner after the study. That was really fun!

A humorous note ... as I was sharing with the rest of the staff last night about Myanmar* for one of the segments for prayer, I was encouraging people to engage passionately in prayer ... doing battle for the people of Myanmar. I know that for me, physically getting on my knees when I pray can really help me sometimes ... not that there's anything special about being on our knees, but somehow the Lord just uses it in my life sometimes to get me in the right frame of mind. Well, anyhow, I was like, "Get down on your hands and knees if that helps" ... then I had to laugh (as well as others :)) because I have this picture of everyone on their hands and knees, praying. :-) Too funny! Of course I meant to say "Get down on your knees", but the slip-up gave me a good laugh ... which the Lord must have known I needed. :) Laughter is good for the heart and good medicine in the challenging times of life. So is God's Word. (eternally so!) He was encouraging me this week through Isaiah 58, especially as I was preparing to share about the incredibly hard situation in Myanmar.

*If you have been seeing the news reports on BBC news and other sources, you know the precious people in Myanmar could really use our prayers. Do cry out to the Lord of the harvest for them! I know God has a heart for the people there and we can look to Him in faith to intervene in incredible ways on their behalf to provide for them and draw them to Himself ... ]

It's all about Jesus ...

Well it's 5:30 on Friday and I'm about to start a busy weekend! In a little bit I am meeting up with a friend to walk for a bit and take some items down to the Colony Resale to donate. (It's always such a good feeling to get rid of stuff I don't need anymore ... it kind of feels like I'm simplying my life a bit. :)

All day tomorrow I will be at a retreat for the women who are part of my Bible fellowship class at church. I'm so much looking forward to that! It should be great teaching and fellowship ... and great time for girl bonding. :) That ends at 4:00, and then I have my Bible study and will likely go to Pei Wei Asian diner with everyone afterwards. :)

Sunday will be busy, too, with being at church and then later meeting up with some friends for fellowship and games.

As I consider some of the challenges that have come up in my day-to-day life lately, I am reminded that if I just remember that life, really, is all about Jesus, then everything kind of takes its proper place. :-D I want to remember that because there's such freedom on that ... it means I can rest in Him so securely, whether it be concerning a big project at work (thankfully I'm pretty much caught up on those now!) or just things on my mind. There is such rest and freedom in remembering He is in control ... and letting my life be guided by the knowledge that I can securely trust Him. It's been a challenging week in some ways, so it's good and so helpful to remember these things!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. :-D

Reflections and Thoughts on a Thursday

This week is going considerably better than when I last posted! It was interesting; I was talking to a friend from work yesterday as we walked at the nature preserve, and we both talked about how quite a few people here on staff have been having a challenging week. We talked about how it could be spiritual warfare. It's always so good to be reminded of that ... working here at GFA, we are at the forefront of something the Lord is using to powerfully break down spiritual strongholds in Asia, yet how easy it can be for me to forget that! I think sometimes I expect to plod along merrily, not suffering attack from the enemy. Yet it's so true that the enemy is not going to want to stand idly by while strongholds are being broken down in Asia! It can be a sobering thought to think of the enemy's attacks. I am simply human flesh and unable to fight back in myself, but thankfully Jesus Himself dwells within me since I am His redeemed child, and HE is able to fight these attacks. Praise the Lord!

You can keep my friend from church in your prayers as the Lord brings her to mind. Her name is Christina, and I know your prayers will mean so much. I can't even imagine what it would be like to suddenly lose my dad ... especially at such a young age. I am so close to my daddy! Last year we had about a week where we were faced with the reality that we could very well lose him (when he had cancer), and the peace the Lord gave us during that time was unbelievable. Still, though, I was so relieved and grateful when the Lord spared him. My friend and I may never know in this lifetime why the Lord chose to take her dad at this time ... but God is still on His throne and can be trusted just as much as ever. Thank you for your prayers ... asking you all to pray reminds me that I need to be faithful to pray!!

I am looking forward to a relaxing evening and some good times with Jesus ... and enjoying some chicken with sour cream, salsa and black beans that I cooked in my crockpot. :)

A Bit of an Update ...

It has been a bit of a challenging week for me ... just kind of one of those weeks ... then I found out some hard news yesterday about a friend who suddenly lost someone very close to them. I found myself giving them a big hug and praying with them, as they had desired, yet realizing that was, ultimately, all I could do ... I couldn't take away the pain because that's not humanly possible! But I can continue to PRAY for them ...

It's hard sometimes to understand why there are times of such pain in our lives here on earth ... yet I have to trust that in all of it, God loves us, His children, every bit as much and He is still just as much on His throne. These are objective, solid facts. He is, indeed, our solid rock that we can always lean upon in even the biggest storms of our lives ... our sure and lasting foundation. Praise God.

This evening I am spending some time with a friend, walking, and then making a few stops probably, and then looking forward to resting and doing just a bit around the apartment. I also want to spend some good time with the Lord. I am increasingly reminded of how incredibly important it is to have those times with Him ... through them, I often find my whole perspective is turned around.

Just a thought on the three-day weekend ... it included some great times of fellowship and laughter with friends ... whether hanging out at On the Border after church, playing Mafia, or laughing together at how I "growled" at the voice recording on Moviefone as as friend and I called to get the movie showings at the dollar theater. :-D (The only way I can get the voice recording to respond to me is if I speak in this voice that almost sounds like a growl ... otherwise she can't understand my southern accent. :-)) I find myself so grateful for the friends the Lord has given me and the warmth they bring into my life!

Confessions of a Sweet Tea Queen

Doesn't that sound like the title of a book?! I know I thought it did ... :) So, I did come to the staff picnic today in costume as Sweet Tea Queen. And ... my costume was surprisingly easy to put together. Which is good since I'm not particularly artistic!! It was so cool ... a co-worker told me yesterday that his wife had a tiarra I could use. Then I brought an umbrella I used as a parasol ... kind of like in the southern plantation days. :-) I also had a bright floral patterned purse ... which seems like a southern thing? And around my neck I had a placard that said "Sweet Tea Queen" and included a slogan about saving the world ... one sweet tea at a time. :) I also dressed up like I would imagine a southern belle on a plantation would!

If you'd like to see pictures from the picnic, you can at this link. [This is mainly for you all reading this blog in its original form on vesselsofclay.blogspot.com, since if you're on Facebook you can already access these photos. :)]

I was thinking a bit today about how sometimes I think it would have been fun to live in the days of southern plantations. Don't get me wrong, I know that a lot of things went on that weren't right and were not good things. But I just mean the whole aspect of women dressing up in a feminine way and there being formal balls all the time, and all that ... I think there is something in me that loves that and would have enjoyed those aspects of being born in that era.

Of course in some aspects I'm totally not a girlie girl ... I tend to go pretty much natural in that I've always kept my natural hair color (with the exception of putting some temporary dye in it just for fun, years back ;-) and I generally don't wear much make-up ... and most of the time not at all. It's rare that I paint my nails. And I have always had at least a wee bit of a tomboy side in me, I think ... and I still absolutely love hiking, biking, skating, volleyball, camping ... pretty much anything outdoors.

But there are very girlie sides to me too ... I like to wear a little jewelry, and I like shopping (although thankfully haven't been doing it as often lately :)) and I'm always up for a good chick flick and in fact went and saw one with a rowful of other girls last weekend. :) I also LOVE it when guys are chivalrous and do nice gentleman-ish stuff like open doors for me. I also, like many girls, find it helpful to "have a good cry" every now and then. And I am in a lot of ways sentimental, too, treasuring memories and sometimes remembering people by smells like their perfume and cologne. And while I like to be comfy, there are also times where I love dressing up a bit, just because I feel like it! It's kind of cool to think about how a lot of these things are reflections of how God made me ... they are His handiwork in me ... and the same could be said for all of us in the unique characteristics he has given us as men or women.

Oh, the picnic today was so much fun! I had such a wonderful time and was thinking about how grateful I am for the people I work with ... becasue of the nature of the ministry where we work, it's really more like one big family rather than "co-workers". It's great! I know that there are aspects of working in ministry that can be incredibly challenging, and it's not always easy, but I truly rejoice and thank the Lord for giving me this little taste of heaven on earth! Think about how amazing heaven will be ... as we fellowship with people of "every nation, tongue and tribe" as described in Revelation 5:9.

Jimmy John's, Starbucks and Sweet Tea Queen

I can hardly believe it's Thursday night?! This week has been going by rather quickly, I think? Tonight I met with some other girls for some Bible study and fellowship. We started at Jimmy John's, then ended up at Starbucks. One of my friends had several Starbucks gift cards and told me she wanted to treat me. That was really sweet of her! :)

As we talked about different themes from the book of Matthew, I was reminded of a great message I heard in community fellowship in downtown Dallas recently, about holding on tightly to Jesus and loosely to the things of this world. I think it's so wonderful that in all of life, whatever may be going on around you all or me, Jesus is a constant refuge and Friend for those who know Him. Praise the Lord! It makes me want to jump for joy. :) I hope today that Jesus is your refuge and strength, a very present help in time of need. :) He is supremely wonderful, and so faithful!

So tomorrow is our GFA staff picnic ... and I'm am thinking about coming dressed as "Sweet Tea Queen." ;) We shall see ... truthfully, I don't think my "costume" would require toooo much planning, but definitely at least a little bit ... especially since I'm not naturally that artistically creative (sigh). I truly have appreciation for artists and graphic designers and the gifts God has blessed them with. :)

Oh yeah ... in case you're wondering why I would dress as Sweet Tea Queen ... we're encouraged to dress up as superheros if we can come up with a costume. So ... I was trying to think of something that would relate to being from the Deep South (since my co-workers love to tease me about that since I'm a minority in that. :-D). So one of my co-workers suggested Sweet Tea Queen. Then I decided that to make it a bit more "superhero-ish", my slogan could be "Saving the World ... One Sweet Tea at a time." And then I would dress as a southern gal on a plantation, since sweet tea is definitely a trademark of the Deep South. :) So ... we'll see if my creative juices get flowing or if I just come dressed my normal self to the picnic tomorrow. :-D Either way ... it should be fun! And a good "end of the week" time of fellowship with people.

Hope you have had a blessed week, resting in Jesus! :)

Volleyball, Fellowship and God's Work in Asia

How are you all? : ) All in all, it was a nice weekend filled with some great Bible studies/messages and good times with friends. Yesterday was the annual kickball tournament with my group from church. Although I didn't actually play kickball, I had a blast hanging out with friends and playing VOLLEYBALL! :-D (I am always joking that I can't play "just one game" of volleyball ... that once I start, I'm pretty much in for the long haul ... :-D It's got to my favoritest sport!)

I wanted to pass on this link to you all - feel free to check it out anytime for stories that I hope will be an encouragement for you, to see some of the ways the Lord is working through just one organization in the 10/40 Window. : ) We update it several times a week ... and will also post more news on the situation in Myanmar as we have it!

Beautiful Sunny Skies, Weekends, and God's Work across the Globe

It is absolutely gorgeous outside as I write this! It is the weekend and I am looking forward to resting, spending extra time in the Word, times of fellowship with good friends, exercise and catching up on errands and stuff. :)

Our prayer meeting here at the ministry on Tuesday was so good ... we heard a story straight from the mission field in Asia that really stood out to me. Some time back, the people in one part of Northeast India suffered and lost so much in heavy floods. Yet ... the person sharing the story talked of how even as they had lost hope in their soil that was destroyed in the floods, they were finding lasting hope in Jesus! It was truly a great reminder to me of the same theme the Lord has been encouraging me with lately ... how even when we go through hard things in an earthly sense, we can rejoice that the Lord is using these things to bring about lasting good. I thank the Lord for the privilege to be part of a ministry that is getting to reach out to the physical and spiritual needs of precious people in the 10/40 Window where many still need to hear His name.

Click here to read an incredible answer to prayer in regards to the situation in Myanmar! The way the Lord is opening the door for GFA to reach out to these precious people is truly a huge answer to prayer ... We can rejoice in this, yet please continue to pray for Myanmar. The situation is quite serious (that is probably an understatement!) and the people have gone through so much. How good it is that we pray to a incredibly amazing God for whom nothing is impossible ... a God who cares for these precious people and desires to see them drawn to Himself even more than we do!

I am continually amazed at the awesome God that we serve ... and what a privilege it is to cry out to Him on behalf of a nation, knowing His heart of compassion and that there is nothing He can't do in their lives! I am grateful to know and serve this God ... aren't you?

[If you are reading this and don't know Jesus ... I would love to share with you more about Him. It would give me so much joy!]

Pineapple Chicken, Big Orange Cats and Loving Life

Something really neat happened last night. I was walking outside, enjoying the gorgeous weather, in a neighborhood across from the nature preserve. Suddenly I just started prayer-walking for the people in the houses in what was kind of a cul-de-sac. [Praying with my eyes open of course, so I wouldn't run into anything. :-)] Well, I felt like God was leading me to walk further down a main road and pray for a particular house whose lights I could see in the distance. On my way back, I ran into this big, gorgeous orange cat and got to pet it! This may seem like a small thing ... but any of y'all who know me very well probably know that I totally love cats, even though I haven't gotten to own one for quite a while. So ... that was way fun and something I really believe the Lord orchestrated. It really boggles my mind how He cares for even the little details of our lives, and loves to bless us for His glory. :-) He's pretty amazing like that!

I had a really good night, and today has been nice, too ... around 11 this morning, some of us writers went to Panda Express for a super-quick lunch before our afternoon seminar and I ordered the pineapple chicken and fried rice ... yum! :o) I totally loved the seminar, taught by this guy who's basically a ministry marketing specialist and whose book we've been going through, a chapter or so a week. He had so many great insights on how to make our communications more personal to our donors ... definitely stuff I look forward to applying in my writing. The whole topic he shared on is so fascinating to me ... we were in there with him for four hours, but it totally didn't feel like it!

After the seminar I took a quick walk (to stretch my shoulders!) and was thinking about how refreshed I am feeling ... like the Lord is giving me a fresh new start in my day-to-day life ... I realized that elements of my life were feeling routine, but that seems to have totally changed. He has truly refreshed my heart and awakened me again to His heart of joy. Isn't it incredible how He uses trials in our lives to do that ... how we can come through them feeling so alive, renewed? And how He has ministered to me in the midst of this trial and taken away the pain so quickly! In spite of that, I don't want to forget the deeper spiritual truths I have learned through it ... my heart yearns to be just as much abiding in Jesus in the easier times as in the harder ones. :)

Well ... I must go so I can eat some supper before prayer meeting tonight ... but I would love to hear from you if you'd like to share how the Lord is working in your life ... I'm sure many of you have some great stories to share! :)

Proverbs, Piper and Pain

So my Facebook status around 2:30 this afternoon read:

" ... fixing to have dental work done ... pray for as quick and painless as possible :)"

I am notably a big sissy when it comes to physical pain ... and so of course I went to the dentist today with at least a bit of trepidation. As I wrote that hurried status update and prayer request, though, I had to inwardly smile, as I thought of how God has been using pain in a really special way lately to draw me closer to Jesus.

I am truly so grateful ... I would not in my natural person, my comfort-seeking flesh, choose beforehand to go through trials. Yet I can already see the beauty of Jesus in this particular one ... I have truly been drawn so close to His side through the hardship and pain. And that which draws me nearer to the heart of Jesus is truly a friend and a welcome gift ... even if hard at times in a temporal, earthly sense.

Some highlights of this past weekend ...

On Friday evening, my friend Ann and I joined a bunch of girls from my church to go see a chick flick ... we filled pretty much a whole row in the theater! :) That was fun ... and it was the cutest movie, too, that I've seen in a while! Then Ann and I went to Chili's and had a great time talking and laughing together. :)

Saturday evening I was able to get together with another group of friends from church. It was so funny, 'cuz originally we were going to play Balderdesh, which I'd brought over. However, we ended up instead just talking for a while about the things of the Lord. So what we ended up doing was so much better than even Balderdash, my favorite game. :-D It was wonderful and refreshing, and one of my friends loaned me a John Piper book about desiring God and finding joy in Him. Such a good book ... and I have been getting so much out of it over these past few days, as well as from some reading in the book of Matthew. I also enjoyed reading again in the Proverbs this morning before work.

I long for more of Jesus ... I love being in His presence. And I don't want that desire He has given me to wane ... I thank the Lord for the special revelations of Him in times of pain, but I want that deep, burning desire for Him to always be fresh in my heart, whether in times of trial or when everything's "going well". :)I don't want to forget Him in the "good times".

Last night I met up with a good friend from work for a time of fellowship together. We ended up spending the whole time singing worship songs and praising God and praying for one another. I was so refreshed and encouraged ... and thought of how truly nothing compares with those wonderful times of being in Jesus' presence!

P.S. Oh yeah ... in case you're wondering ... about the dentist appt. :) Things went incredibly well and very painless ... and my new dentist is sooooo nice (and close to the office). I had to laugh pretty hard when they offered me "laughing gas". They obviously don't know me that well yet, or they would know that I laugh on my own ... and don't need any help with that ... :-) (Any of y'all reading this blog could probably have told them that!) They did, however, numb my mouth, which was definitely a good thing ... :-D

Please Pray for Myanmar ...

I'm sure by now you've probably heard about the major cyclone that hit Myanmar (Burma) over the weekend. Our office here has been busy in the aftermath, getting out news reports so people here can be praying and helping the precious people of Myanmar. Here is a report on our website, describing some of the devastation in the words of one who observed it firsthand.

You can also see more on the cyclone at BBCnews.com. Current death toll has risen to more than 22,000. It is hard to think of so many lives lost ... and hard to think of people suffering, whether in Myanmar with this cyclone, or the hard things I've seen dear friends go through here in the States. Yet ... even though I don't have "the answers" to all this heartache, I know that there is a God who does, and that He is just as much in control and full of compassion as always!

I think of how so many times He has used events like tsunami and flooding ... and even Hurricane Katrina a couple of years back ... for people to come to Christ. He is still on His throne and full of infinite compassion, and mighty to save!

Please pray for Myanmar. Pray that many precious survivors, so dear to the Father's heart, would embrace the hope that can be theirs through Jesus.

If I Could ...

Sometimes I wish I could take away all the pain that anyone dear to me has ever had to go through. I would if I could. :) Of course I can't ... and I realize that in God's perfect and loving sovereignty it's somehow, paradoxically, best that I can't ... For, so often, the trials and pain people go through make them the person in Christ that they are today. In many cases, it is even what turns them toward Christ in the first place. So ... I must accept that God is sovereign and I am not ... and He is in control and works out everything for good, regardless of the earthly pain and sorrow me or those around me may have to experience in our lives.

But for now ... all of you in my life who are close to my heart and experiencing struggles ... please know that I care for you so very much ... and that if I could take away the pain and make it "all better" for you, simply by hugging you ... well, I would. :) I wish I could tell you that everything's going to be alright ... oh, but I CAN ... because of Jesus!

For all who have trusted in Him as Savior, He has promised that everything will work out for our good in the end ... and that He uses the difficult things in our lives to continue to shape us more and more into His image. And ... knowing Him as this incredible Savior, we are promised a perfect home in Heaven with Him, worshipping Him and falling at His wonderful feet for all eternity, in eternal bliss.

So ... maybe I really can hug you and tell you that everything's going to be okay. :)

Thoughts on the Weekend and Life in General

The weekend was great ... full of plenty of good times with friends, church, Bible study, and some nice, relaxing time at the nature preserve. It was an incredibly refreshing weekend that I truly enjoyed. :) I thank the Lord for the friends He has blessed me with, and for the good teaching and fellowship at my church. I am SO grateful! I kept thinking of how "full" my life has been feeling lately ... of the wonderful people in my life.

Yet this week has also had some challenging moments for me in various ways ... but yet beneath it all I also have this sense of peace deep down in my heart of hearts ... that even in those moments where life feels confusing or complicated, God can be fully trusted. God is so good ... always ... and His thoughts toward me are always good ... regardless of anything else going on or how things may seem at times. Praise the Lord! :)

This afternoon He gave me such a special sense of His presence with me ... I could hardly describe it in words! It was just what I needed in that moment, and I truly thank Him for that. Then, a friend from down the hall called me down to share a Pepsi with her ... it may seem like a small thing, but it totally brightened that part of my day. :)

Oh, and I invited some friends to church and Bible study this weekend. Even though they didn't make it, I had such peace in my heart that I had done what the Lord wanted me to do ... I think again about the Lord's heart and how it's even more on His heart than any of ours, that people come to experience His redemptive love and free gift of salvation. Praise the Lord!

Praising God for His Redemptive Heart

I have lately been fighting an inward battle at times as I seek to reach out to people God brings in my path, and share the Gospel with them. My inward battle being that sometimes I'm not completely sure how to go about reaching out to them ... or I worry at times that I said ... too much? too little? the wrong thing? But I must remember that I worship and serve a sovereign, all-powerful God. A God for whom nothing is impossible, a God who, at the same time, wants to see people come to know Him and experience His redemptive love even more (infinitely more!!) than I desire that in my human flesh, and with His perfect love. Praise the Lord!

When I worry ... I can often tell I'm not praying like I should. ;-) So ... I choose to pray in faith and lift any ministry opportunities in my life right now to the Lord, trusting that He will give me wisdom and show me His heart for each thing.

In some ways this has been a stressful week for me, and I have wondered if it could be a form of spiritual warfare, since the Lord taught me so much the other day through my Experiencing God study and may be drawing me to deeper places in my walk with Him. Somehow it's so comforting to realize this could very well be the case ... because it is encouraging confirmation that the Lord is working in my heart. Wow ... it's amazing just how writing this all out has helped me. :)

As I lift these situations to the Lord tonight, I can TRUST Him that He will work in people's hearts and lives, and that He will grant to me His perfect peace as I seek to focus my mind on Him. Again ... it's just so exciting to think of how lives being redeemed for all eternity is so dear to the Father's heart ... and that He is working in incredible ways to bring this about ... as I have seen so often firsthand through the many encouraging reports I get to hear from the mission field in Asia. How I praise the Lord that, whether here or in Asia or the jungles of the Amazon ... or anywhere else around the world ... He is about the business of redemption.

Reflecting on ... wanting to be moldable and the things that will last :o)

I wanted to share a bit about some things the Lord has been speaking to me lately ... but first wanted to just give a quick update on my weekend. The weekend was nice. Lots of time spent in volleyball throughout the day on Saturday, with various people! :) (first in a tournament with a group from church, then later with friends from work!) Great times in the gorgeous weather. And ... the Lord enabled me to make a new acquaintance and invite him to church! Please pray that the Lord will work in his heart ... that he will indeed come out and get plugged into the group (particularly with the other guys there as they can invest in his life in ways that wouldn't maybe be as appropriate for me as a female) and, especially, hear and respond to the Gospel! :)

Saturday night I went to Bible study and we all ate afterwards and then a bunch of us played Catch Phrase and Balderdash. :) So fun.

The Lord has really been speaking to me through my Experiencing God study ... as I was working on it earlier today, a phrase that really stood out to me is, "You cannot stay where you are and go with God." I so much want to grow closer to Jesus and know Him more each day. This was such a great reminder that I can't afford to stay "as I am" ... I must be willing to make adjustments in my life as He shows me where I need to change. It's exciting and scary all at the same time ... exciting because as His Word says, the spirit is willing, yet the flesh is weak.

But I love Jesus so much and want to know Him more. I thank Him for working in my life and for His incredible unending patience with me ... that He doesn't give up on me, even when my self-will can be so stubborn at times. ;-D I thank Him that as I continue to seek His face and ask Him to break my will in areas of my life, big or small, He will! If we have Jesus in our hearts, He will continually work in us to make us more like Him. (Philippians 1:6) And I have seen evidence of Him doing this in my life through various trials and challenging times. Praise God, for this is my deepest desire, ultimately!

Another thing I have been thinking about some lately is something I heard from the message last week at community fellowship in south Dallas. One of the leaders from my church gave such a good message ... and the thing that jumped out to me was when he urged us to hold on tightly to the things of Jesus, and loosely to the things of this world. I want to practice this more and more in my life! Isn't it so wonderful that, as believers in Jesus, we have a much dearer treasure ... infinitely so ... than we could ever hope to have here on this earth? And a lasting one, too, instead of just temporal. This is incredible ... yet, too, I think something we can so often forget when we are, in a sense, surrounded by the "here and now."

A friend of mine called me last week, sharing of her heart to be investing in things that matter ... things that will last for eternity. It is so refreshing to hear her heart to be part of those things that will last ... and a good reminder to me, too, about what life it all about ... and that I want to stay focused on Jesus and His eternal kingdom. :) She wanted to hear more about the ministry where I work. So tomorrow a friend is coming out to tour the ministry, eat supper with a mutual friend (Michele) and me, and come out to our prayer meeting. :) I am so excited that she can come out - and she's excited, too! I know she will be blessed and encouraged as she hears some of the stories from the mission field of the incredible faith and perserance of the believers over in Asia. I am often so encouraged and challenged in my walk with the Lord as I hear about their lives! :)

Well ... I guess that's all for now. :) Thanks, everyone, for letting me share a bit of what the Lord has been teaching me. It helps me so much, somehow, to verbalize it ... and I pray it will encourage you in some way as well. How grateful I am to know Him ... and for your friendship and fellowship in the Lord, too. :)

[and if any you reading this blog don't know Jesus yet ... I would love to introduce you to Him ... you will never find a greater Friend. :)]

Just a Quick Note ...

I am having such a good week! It's been very busy as far as projects, but I enjoy the busyness of it. I also have been refreshed and encouraged in the Lord, and so grateful for that. And my Bible study at church is tonight! Yay! :)

I have been enjoying reading in this great book, Lies Women Believe and the Truth that Set Them Free, by Nancy Leigh Demoss. She has a great website with her transcripts and broadcasts, and I really appreciate her close walk with the Lord. I am thinking about ordering a book at Barnes and Noble by Nancy Guthrie, that sounds so good. I even have a gift card that will pay for most of it. :) It's a topical study on the book of Hebrews, it looks like! I heard about it from a friend who's reading it.

Isn't this beautiful weather? Well, if you live locally at least ... I'm not sure how the weather is if you're further South, as some of you are. :) I hope it's nice there, too, though ... and that you all are having a good week as well. Continue to keep in touch ... it's always so nice to hear from you. :) So grateful for all the wonderful friends the Lord has blessed me with for encouragement and fellowship. He is so good!

So grateful ...

This will be short since I have some writing projects to work on ... (all of us writers are approaching tomorrow's big deadline ... :-D) I did just want to give a quick update ... to share these things before I forget!!!

I had a nice weekend ... even though it was pretty busy, in a sense it felt restful and was refreshing. Always a good way to start the week! :) I met up with a couple of other girls for lunch on Saturday, to fellowship and share about the Lord. I treasure those times ... those chances for meaningful talks and fellowship. :)

Saturday evening was my Bible study as usual, and getting to fellowship with friends from there as well! Yesterday was nice ... I always enjoy getting to go to church and Sunday school! And I had the opportunity to go downtown for the homeless ministry and community fellowship as well ... I truly was refreshed and rejuvenated through that time! I always love the opportunity to go and help reach out to the homeless downtown when I am able ... I have a heart for those people down there who have so little yet are so grateful for even the little we give them ... a sandwich and a cup of cold water. Wow! Yesterday as I was helping pour water into styrofoam cups, I was reminded of the Scripture verse about how giving someone a cup of water on this earth is just as if we were giving it to Jesus ... wow ... what a privilege! I so much want to be close to the Father's heart ... to rejoice for those things that His heart rejoices for, and to have my heart ache for the things that break His heart.

And now ... as I head out in not too long, probably, to Barnes and Noble for the night, to spread out my writing projects and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate :) ... I think of the great privilege and joy it is to get to be part of this, too ... His work across the globe, whether here in Dallas or ... as much of my life is ... His work on the other side of the world, in Asia. It's amazing to me to think that something I do here could touch lives on the other side of the world. But oh, how grateful I am. I am not worthy, yet the Lord allows me to take part in His redemptive work ... His work of drawing precious people to faith in Him. None of us are worthy in ourselves, yet He still chooses to use us. What grace He has lavished on us!

I must say, Friday's are nice :-)

I am so glad it's Friday! I am a bit tired and have had a busy week ... and am looking forward to the weekend. :) The weekend is a bit busy, too ... but I still hope to rest a bit, too. :) Tomorrow I am meeting up with a friend in the afternoon for lunch ... she is an incredibly godly woman whom I haven't gotten to touch base with in a while, and I definitely look forward to our time together! A friend of hers will be joining us as well, and I am excited to meet her! And of course I didn't complain when she suggested we meet at one of my favorite restaurants, Corner Bakery. :-)

The rest of this afternoon/evening I am thinking to just "take it easy" a bit and take a really long walk (should definitely help my shoulders!!) and rest at home, but also catch up on some stuff around the house, too. If I have the energy I may even get out for a bit to work on writing projects ... I have a few due this Tuesday, so I definitely am planning at least one trip to Barnes and Noble over the weekend. That seems to be my favorite place to work on writing projects, and last night I even met a couple of new friends there, too. :-) I'm so grateful I so much enjoy writing ... I especially enjoy these particular writing projects that I'm working on ... God is so good to me!

Tomorrow evening is my Bible study ... and fellowship afterwards. A couple of girls I met in Autumn Chase, that I've mentioned before, might get to come this time! That would be nice. :)

I am looking forward to the weekend and so thankful for this incredibly gorgeous weather, too.

Beautiful Sunny Spring Day

I am looking out my second story office window at gorgeous blue Texas sky as I write this. :) I am about to head out and run an errand, and later in the evening pray with a friend. So far it's been a good day ...

Random Highlights of the Day so far:

Fun meeting moment: Laughing about our totally fun Toy Story character pens that have fuzzy stuff on them and light up as they write! [Thank you, Shelly, for a great dollar-store find that totally changed the course of our Monday news meeting. :-D]

Snack during Meeting: yummy Belgian truffles that the other Rachael brought in for us! :-) [Thanks again, R!!!]

Facebook Status of the Day: Rachel is negociating peace treaties with copy machines. [Hey ... don't laugh ... copy machines really can have their ornery and cantakerous moments. :-D]

Ate for lunch: tacos and an order of nachos at Taco Bell/KFC/Pizza Hut place
[Katie, it was great catching up with you and sharing with one another what the Lord is doing in our lives! So glad today worked out for you! :)]

Worked on: Ministry name database, Email about our GFA Renewing Your Passion Conference coming up in July

Watched out the window with a co-worker: A DirectTV blimp slowly cruising by in the sky [We joked that we should totally get one for the ministry ... and it could even transport our speakers to churches they share at on the weekends ... might just take them "a bit" longer to get there. ;-D]

Sharing Thoughts from another Great Weekend

I sure have been enjoying my weekends lately. This was another good one ...

Friday was good fellowshipping and praying with people from work at all-night prayer. (I made it until pretty close to 1:45 ... :-D) I shared some prayer requests for Sri Lanka. Several people came up to me afterwards to tell me they thought it went so well ... one shared that he could see my heart in the presentation. I was so very encouraged by their kind words ... especially since I really wasn't totally sure how it would all go until I got up there. :-) I was encouraged as I was preparing my Powerpoint, and then sharing it, that we serve a God for whom nothing is impossible ... This is the God who spoke the universe into being ... so how can He not bring political peace to the nation of Sri Lanka, provided that is in His plan for their redemption - their spiritual peace as well? Praise the Lord! There is nothing He can't do.

Yesterday I caught up with friends, both from work and church. And just overall enjoyed the beautiful weather. And got maybe just a bit done around the apartment ... although I was hoping to get a lot more done, but oh well ... maybe I needed the break? :-) All in all, it was a good, relaxing day. After Bible study last night, we all ate at Gazebo Burger and had a great time. A few of us played Catch Phrase afterwards, too!

Today was nice, being back at church/Sunday school and catching up with friends. It felt like I hadn't seen everyone from Sunday school in a while, with us not having class on Easter and then me being out of town last weekend. So it was nice to see them again! The teaching in Sunday school was really good, too ... He taught on Ephesians, illustrating from the Scriptures how the very essence and heart of our prayers should be for the wisdom and revelation to know Christ more. Amen. It was really a great encouragement and exhortation that ministered to me. Even in those moments when I'm praying for desires dear to my heart, I am to offer them to the Lord ... to pray that in these things, His glory would be manifest in my life. My chief end in praying about these things should be that His name be hallowed in them ... that they be used for me to know Jesus more. For that is the heart of life ... to know HIM. Praise the Lord that we have a wonderful, sure and lasting foundation in all of life ... Jesus!

Not by Accident

This is kind of neat ... I will preface this post by saying that I have been challenged in my Experiencing God Bible study at the church to be watching to see how the Lord is at work in events and people around me. :) Here are some examples of where I have seen that lately ... I think they have come at just the right time when I needed the encouragement that God is at work ...

In my last post I forgot to mention something really amazing about the young guy the Lord gave me the opportunity to share a bit of the Gospel with on the airplane ... Several days before, when I was preparing for the missions conference, I felt God pretty clearly putting it on my heart to change my presentation!

Well ... the new story I used for the presentation was the one I ended up being able to share with the guy on the airplane to bring out the Gospel message! And the story I had in my "original" presentation totally would not have been applicable to share, nor would it have brought out the Gospel. Praise the Lord!

I feel like He is continually reminding me lately that He orchestrates events ... that, in His scheme of things, there are no accidents. Another neat thing ... on Monday evening, I was a little tired (had just gotten in that day) but still wanted to do some laundry. Looking in my laundry room, I was reminded that I needed laundry detergeant. I can't remember the exact time, but it was probably close to 8:30, possibly later, when I made it to Wal-mart.

While I was on my way out with my laundry detergeant, I ran into Mimsy, this girl who lives in my apartment complex. [How we ended up meeting is an entirely different yet incredible story that I believe the Lord had His hand in. It involves a beautiful gray cat and another cat named Baxter that I have yet to meet. :) IF you would like to know, just ask me. :)] It seemed that she was just running in there real quick (kind of like I was!) and I really believe the Lord arranged us meeting up that night! We had a great chat right there in Wal-mart, and she asked if anything was going on with my church this weekend and is likely coming out with me to my Bible study! :o)

Well, I'm about to head out but just wanted to share these stories. :) Have a great evening, everyone!

The Weekend

I'm back in Texas after my time in Alabama and just thought I'd share a quick update on my weekend. I am tired, but it was a nice time of getting to catch up with wonderful friends and supporters from my college church. I also enjoyed getting to share a little of my heart with them as I shared an encouraging story of the Lord working in Asia!

Friday night was my presentation ... and amazingly I wasn't very nervous at all! (Thank You, Lord!) I enjoyed the dessert social that evening, and chatting with the people sitting by me at the table. :)

On Saturday we had ... a women's breakfast, a beautiful wedding and reception, and a missions banquet at the church, at 6 that evening. Some of us joked whenever we ran into each other at the various events throughout the day that we were pretty much eating all day ... and it really wasn't all that much of an exaggeration. :-)

Sunday I shared in the children's and youth Sunday school classes. Then, after church, a few of us ladies went to Applebees. You can see pictures here, including a bonus "just for fun" picture from a visit to the Mississippi welcome center on the way back to my hometown! :o)

On the flight back today, I was seated next to a young guy about my age who's in the air force. In fact, he is stationed in my hometown area. My heart was really burdened for him as I could sense that he needed Jesus. I prayed that the Lord would open up an opportunity for me to share with him. I wasn't sure what form that could take though ... he had opened up to me quit a bit about his life, but hadn't really asked me much about mine. But then he asked where I work, and the Lord gave me an opportunity! I shared with him the same story I had shared at my college church, about the people in North India who used to have many superstitutions but now know Jesus. Through that story I was able to share the Gospel - that I could never be good enough to get to heaven, but that Jesus paid the price for me. That He is changing lives as people turn from their ways and turn to HIM, trusting in what He did on the Cross.

It is hard to share with someone and have a burden for them, but know that, more than likely, you will never see them again in this life. Yet I know I can trust him to the Lord's hands, and that He is able to bring Christians into his daily sphere, to speak into His life. Praise the Lord!

Would you join with me in praying for him to know Jesus?