Sunday, July 21, 2013
Well it has almost been two weeks of me being the only gringo and English speaking person here. It is going pretty well. Some days are harder than others but I love every moment I get to spend with my best friend and lover of my soul, Jesus. I have learned so much and God is really dealing with some things in my heart and uprooting old sin so new things can grow. The language barrier is harder some days then others but I am starting to get Spanish. I think I know how a baby feels when they are learning to talk they can understand what you are telling them or asking them but don’t know how to put in words what they want to say. I have been sick and in bed most of the day so I had some time to write down some of the things God has been teaching me. All of the students and dorm parents are so sweet, making sure I am happy and not depressed since I am the only gringo here. They have made me feel so loved. And God has been giving me all the comfort I need. I am truly finding Him to be all I need and desire which was the biggest reason of staying here for six week by myself. He is truly developing a full dependency on Him in my heart. In 100% surrender to him comes so much beauty. Solitude is definitely the channel of intimacy with God! Every day I grow closer to him and fall in love with him more and more every day!
Matthew 18:3-4
Matthew 18:3-4
And He said "Truly, I say to you unless you will turn and become like children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven for whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."
To become like a child is what God has called all of us all to. When reading this I ask myself what it means to become like a child. So I thought of some characteristics of a child. And this is what I came up with...
•They do whatever comes to mind and doesn't care what others think.
•They speak exactly what is on their minds.
•Their trust is easily gained.
•They are fun to be with.
•They don't care what people look like they just care about who you are inside.
•They are fully dependent on their parent's.; like we should be fully dependent on our father in heaven.
God is showing me the true importance of fully depending on Him of making him my everything, just as a child fully depends on his parents for food, protection, and guidance. God wants us to fully depend on him for everything we need. He wants us to find all contentment in him. And just as a child is very free in spirit and does not care what others think, God want's us to live for him and him alone.
And He said "Truly, I say to you unless you will turn and become like children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven for whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."
To become like a child is what God has called all of us all to. When reading this I ask myself what it means to become like a child. So I thought of some characteristics of a child. And this is what I came up with...
•They do whatever comes to mind and doesn't care what others think.
•They speak exactly what is on their minds.
•Their trust is easily gained.
•They are fun to be with.
•They don't care what people look like they just care about who you are inside.
•They are fully dependent on their parent's.; like we should be fully dependent on our father in heaven.
God is showing me the true importance of fully depending on Him of making him my everything, just as a child fully depends on his parents for food, protection, and guidance. God wants us to fully depend on him for everything we need. He wants us to find all contentment in him. And just as a child is very free in spirit and does not care what others think, God want's us to live for him and him alone.
The Heart
The heart is what controls every action, ever word we say and motivates us in all we do. The heart is the central part where everything pours out of our lives. A thought that is not backed up by the heart does not tack action in our lives. We do everything based on some kind of feeling if it is fear, love, happiness, hate or anger; it all out pours from the heart. So if your hart is entangled in some kind of sin every thought, action, and word that comes from you will revolve around that one central sin. So it’s not the thoughts you have to deal with it is the heart. Dealing with the human heart is the most painful thing, but is absolutely necessary to deal with if you desire your thoughts to change and your words to speak life. You have to let God deal with the root of the matter. If you want new growth then ask God to deal with your heart. It is painful for a season but what comes after the pain is a beautiful new heart that has a new outlook on life. Which from it can follow beautiful things.
Mark 10:17-30
Mark 10:17-30
So many of us that have grown up in the church have lived out what verse 19 says. We have lived it out our whole lives; it’s been drilled in to us by our parents, pastor, and Sunday school teachers. For a lot of us we can repeat these commandments like we repeat the ABC’s. So we think we are going to heaven because we have lived out these commandments and are a good person, I mean, that is what my Sunday school teacher said. But then we get to verse 21 sell all you have and give to the poor and follow me. In other words live radically don’t store up stuff on this world live life for Him. Let go of this world and temporary satisfactions and find full contentment in Him. We are all called to the same pursuit to live 100% surrendered to him and to preach His name to everyone. We can take nothing but souls won for his name to haven with us.
So many of us that have grown up in the church have lived out what verse 19 says. We have lived it out our whole lives; it’s been drilled in to us by our parents, pastor, and Sunday school teachers. For a lot of us we can repeat these commandments like we repeat the ABC’s. So we think we are going to heaven because we have lived out these commandments and are a good person, I mean, that is what my Sunday school teacher said. But then we get to verse 21 sell all you have and give to the poor and follow me. In other words live radically don’t store up stuff on this world live life for Him. Let go of this world and temporary satisfactions and find full contentment in Him. We are all called to the same pursuit to live 100% surrendered to him and to preach His name to everyone. We can take nothing but souls won for his name to haven with us.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
I have been here for a month!! Wow, time has gone by pretty fast. Sorry it has taken me so long to update you all on how I have been doing. But in-between the back to back short term teams and pure exhaustion, I have not found the time to sit down and wright something.
Well, I will try to put all that has happened in a month in a nut shell so you don’t have to read to forever.
God has really shown up to me in major ways since I have been here. In the first week I was here God real solidified in my heart why I am here; the purpose, to seek His face. It has been an adventure ride for sure but I would never trade a moment of what I have experienced being here for anything.
My favorite thing I have done so far was to spend a week in the mountains. For one, it is cold up there and I was wearing pants and jackets because I was cold. This was an awesome change from the desert of Guatemala (Zacupa where I live). And I love the kids up there they are so much fun to play with! They love to play chepo (tag) all most any time you walk past one of the kids they yell chepo chepo because they want you to chase them. Even though there is a language barrier, they don’t care, they love to play which is universal with all kids and you don’t have to know how to talk to them.
Last week I got to spend 2 days in the city before the Beean family (the family I am doing my internship with) left for Florida for 6 weeks. It was nice to have some down time and eat some American fast food. And it is cold in the city to and there is not as many mosquitoes to eat me so that was nice too.
For the next 6 weeks I will be the only gringo (American) here. I am living in a high school dorm which houses kids form the mountains that want to go to high school and if they want, we help them get in to college. The purpose of bringing kids down from the mountains is to try to break the poverty cycle.
I am really excited for this next 6 weeks. I will be concentrating on learning Spanish. And it will be an amazing opportunity to grow in God. Throughout the bible God talks about putting us in desert times so he can grow us and show us the love he has and how awesome He is. I know He has a plan and a purpose for having me here with no one I know very well, and I can’t wait to see what comes out of it.
I am doing pretty good right now. God has given me a lot of comfort all ready and I have only been on my first day alone, but I can feel God moving in me all ready. And know only good things can come out of this time. Thank you all for your prayers. I can’t wait to share more adventures with you all!
Some things you can pray for:
That I will learn Spanish quickly
That I will grow in this time that I have with just me and God m
And that I would not stand in the way of all God has for me in this next 6 weeks
Well, I will try to put all that has happened in a month in a nut shell so you don’t have to read to forever.
God has really shown up to me in major ways since I have been here. In the first week I was here God real solidified in my heart why I am here; the purpose, to seek His face. It has been an adventure ride for sure but I would never trade a moment of what I have experienced being here for anything.
My favorite thing I have done so far was to spend a week in the mountains. For one, it is cold up there and I was wearing pants and jackets because I was cold. This was an awesome change from the desert of Guatemala (Zacupa where I live). And I love the kids up there they are so much fun to play with! They love to play chepo (tag) all most any time you walk past one of the kids they yell chepo chepo because they want you to chase them. Even though there is a language barrier, they don’t care, they love to play which is universal with all kids and you don’t have to know how to talk to them.
Last week I got to spend 2 days in the city before the Beean family (the family I am doing my internship with) left for Florida for 6 weeks. It was nice to have some down time and eat some American fast food. And it is cold in the city to and there is not as many mosquitoes to eat me so that was nice too.
For the next 6 weeks I will be the only gringo (American) here. I am living in a high school dorm which houses kids form the mountains that want to go to high school and if they want, we help them get in to college. The purpose of bringing kids down from the mountains is to try to break the poverty cycle.
I am really excited for this next 6 weeks. I will be concentrating on learning Spanish. And it will be an amazing opportunity to grow in God. Throughout the bible God talks about putting us in desert times so he can grow us and show us the love he has and how awesome He is. I know He has a plan and a purpose for having me here with no one I know very well, and I can’t wait to see what comes out of it.
I am doing pretty good right now. God has given me a lot of comfort all ready and I have only been on my first day alone, but I can feel God moving in me all ready. And know only good things can come out of this time. Thank you all for your prayers. I can’t wait to share more adventures with you all!
Some things you can pray for:
That I will learn Spanish quickly
That I will grow in this time that I have with just me and God m
And that I would not stand in the way of all God has for me in this next 6 weeks
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