Never Alone

September 11th. It’s been 17 years since we woke up that morning. We sat in complete silence as we watched planes fly into the World Trade Center's Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and crash into a field in Pennsylvania. Our hearts ached for a reason. A reason for why this was happening. 

We experience many things in our lifetime, some good and some bad.  It's how we react and respond to these experiences that make us who we are.  Sometimes it's hard to get through the hard times, but it is in the brokenness within us that beauty comes.  Even in the fragile cracks of our lives, an amazing and beautiful experience can come from it.  We learn through our mistakes, through our trials, and yes, through our pain.

Many lives changed that day, in ways we couldn’t have imagined. We never know how the day is going to turn out, we have no idea what tomorrow holds for us, and we aren’t supposed to. We are just supposed to live in this moment. We have this incredible opportunity to be a light in the lives of others. To show who we live for and who we put our faith and trust in. When bad things happen, sometimes we get quiet and want to hide away but if we hide it’s more difficult to seek the help we need to heal. When we enter into a relationship with God, through His Son, Jesus, we are filled with His Holy Spirit, we are given an overwhelming peace to get us through our difficult times. It’s through this relationship that we can heal, that we can tell others about how we are healing and our faith. The road is not always going to be easy and more often than not it’s the most difficult road to travel, but in the end we are going to see the reason for it all, the reason we went through all that we did, and through all the tears we cried we just may cry tears of joy as we kept our faith and trusted in The One who has never left our side. 

“because the truth lives in us and will be with us forever. Grace, mercy, and peace, which come from God the Father and from Jesus Christ—the Son of the Father—will continue to be with us who live in truth and love.”‭‭ 2 John‬ ‭1:2-3 NLT

Let’s live in the truth, live in the light, and even though bad things happen, we can take heart that something good is on its way. When we wait through the hard times, when we wait through tradegy, when we wait through what we fear the most, we can look forward to the beautiful thing that awaits us. 

My prayer is that we hold tight in this wait.  Hold tight to our faith in times of trial and loss.  Our story is continually being written and just like a best-selling novel, there is a rise and fall, but more often there is an ending that comes out of the blue, catches us by surprise, and leaves us completely in awe, never expecting what was coming.

It's in those still, quiet moments in our lives that we hear from God.  When we take time to slow down and really listen.  Time to reflect and time to renew our strength with The One who gave us strength. We are fearfully and wonderfully made and it's all about timing, the perfect timing.  It's in the wait that God is building our strength, our character, our story.  The waiting is the hard part, but how great will it be to say that I waited for this moment, I waited for God's perfect timing for me, and when that time came it would be so much better than I could have ever even imagined it would be.

"Now all the glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we ask or think." Ephesians 3:20

Blessings

New Perspective

Does life feel like a construction zone, rough and rocky?  We get tired along the way and sometimes we think that we can’t go any further.  It’s not always a smooth path, but if it were easy, there would be no learning through these experiences. It’s the times of trial that we learn just how to deal with our circumstances and get a new perspective. It’s a time of building and rebuilding, whether in the physical or emotional sense. 

The life of Nehemiah and his experience is powerful.  Have you ever felt like you've been rebuilding your wall just to have the enemy come and knock it –or you down?  Sometimes you feel it’s too much and you start hearing those voices telling you that you can’t do it.  But there’s something more powerful that is out there. A fresh new start, and you don't have to do it alone. God is there for us.  He is there to walk with us and to help us, all we have to do is let go, give it to God and give Him the control of our life. 

Isaiah 41:10 says, “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.  Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you.  I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”


We don’t have to walk this path alone, and we don’t have to do it by ourselves.  Sometimes we feel as if there’s no one else that would ever understand what we’ve been going through and we tend to take so much on ourselves that we let it weigh heavy on us.  But when we let our Heavenly Father in on our life, that load becomes a little lighter and our baggage doesn’t seem as heavy as it once was.  Dig into the scriptures and engage in your quite time, then see what you discover. Be still.  

In Matthew 11:28 Jesus says, "...come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest."

We have a team as well.  Within our church body, our fellow believers, and Christian family whom are there to hold us up and encourage us as we travel these roads along our journey.  It's not always going to be easy, and sometimes the road gets rough and discouraging, but when we stick it out and keep going when we want to quit, and don't let discouragement bring us down, we can look forward to the next steps we are supposed to take and how we are to get there. We need to trust God's process.  When we put our trust and faith in God...our mind, body, and soul can rest assured that He has got the best planned out for us and He can help us through our struggles to find where we are supposed to be. God puts us in the right place at the right time to bring about His great plan.

Psalm 24:8 states that, – “Who is the King of glory?  The Lord, strong and mighty; the Lord, invincible in battle.”  Don’t give into those voices of discouragement.  Remember, if God is for us, than who can be against us. Don’t give up hope.  Keep on fighting because God is going to do great things in you and for you. He’s got great plans for his children and He wants to be a part of your life for eternity. 

Is God calling you to something? 
What advice can you share about taking time to be still as we wait and trust the process?



Blessings, 

A little something....can make a difference

It's been such an incredible, inspiring, and indescribable 12 days in Greece.  We left our hometowns not truly knowing what to expect.  We left with unanswered questions to what we were going to be doing over there, and still a little scared at what we might be in for.  

I can say that I am truly grateful for the opportunity to serve in this capacity.  For the opportunity to get to go to this refugee camp in Greece.  Even though I was a little bummed I couldn't be in both Moria and Gateways2Life at the same time through out the week, I know that God placed me in the exact spot He wanted me to be.  

My heart truly broke for the people in Moria, for the women and for the children who entered Gateways2Life each day and found a safe area outside the walls of the camp.  

When the women and children first walked into Gateways, you could see the look of uncertainty on their faces, not sure what to expect here.  You could see and feel the drained looks on their faces, the tiredness of being in camp for so long and the longing to want to be out and move on to their next place. They endure the fight through patience each day they are in the camp wondering when or if they will get to move on.  What a great opportunity we had here to give them a little bit of comfort and peace when they walked through these doors.

After they sat down, got comfortable, were able to take their showers, and see their children playing and being cared for....by the time they left Gateways they had the biggest smile on their faces and couldn't wait to be back next time.  It was great to be apart of their lives, even if it was for a short time. It was in the times that I sometimes felt as if I was wanting to be able to do more, when a little girl reminded me that all I had to do was simply smile at her and she ran to my arms.  The feeling of just wanting to know that people were there who cared about them, even if was just a simple smile or hug.   


Gateways2Life is an amazing organization that allows the women in Moria to come, relax, and be able to take clean showers in a safe environment.  There is so much that this organization plans to accomplish as they continue with their mission and calling, one step at a time.  I feel so blessed to have been apart of their grand opening week, to be able to help them get this ministry off the ground and going strong.  The people we met that operate this place will forever be in my heart and prayers.  They are doing great things and I can't wait to see how God works in this place in the days, weeks, months, and years to come. 








We experienced joy and many tears, we endured the hardships and seen several God moments we will never forget.  We were able to see God move in so many ways during our stay here and even though we couldn't "fix" everything, we left our mark.  We were able to shine a little light in the darkness and make their world a little brighter.  In the times that I felt like I could have done more, feeling like I only got to touch the surface of many issues that the people in this place face each and everyday, the different acts that each one of us were able to encounter I have come to realize that we were only meant to do and encounter certain people and help with certain things.  Although it may have seemed like a small part to play in our minds, it was just what was needed in the hearts of the people there.  

"But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession.  As a result, you can show others the goodness of God for he called you out of the darkness into this wonderful light. "'Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God's people.  Once you received no mercy; now you received God's mercy." 1 Peter 2:9-10

It was hard to leave the people there knowing that most of them still had a long stay to go and many trials to endure during their stay.  I, for one, am one who likes to be able to finish a project that I've started, so it was hard to have to leave knowing that the work wasn't finished yet.  My prayers are with the next team of people who come to help, to continue the work we started and to water the seeds that we planted, to continue to pave the way for the next team that comes and the team after that and so on.  I pray for each team that comes will leave there own unique mark on the people there. That if any of us ever get a chance to come back to this place, we get to see how our one small act had a huge impact for those to come.  

Even the smallest gesture can reap a harvest!

Blessings,

Embrace the Unexpected

Adventure Awaits!

When you are about to embark on your next adventure and the time to leave is closing in, your heart is racing and your head is spinning, and the fear of the unexpected creeps in. 

Well, here it is... FOUR days before leaving for the refugee camp in Greece. So many emotions happening right now.  Thinking about preparations to make and plans to lay out.  It's only that I realize I can only plan so much and the rest...well...stay tuned for how this adventure plays out in the coming weeks.

Excited, nervous, a little scared. Am I really supposed to do this? What did I sign up for?  All legitimate questions going through my head right now.

I’m terrified of not being fully prepared for what I may encounter over there, but it was in my devotional time this week when I was reading about choosing peace. The storm of life rages all around us. Fear creeps into our lives on a daily basis. It is when we choose to take a stand against this fear and look fear in the eye and say, “you don’t own me!” “You have no business inferring in the plans that have been set before me!” “We are through!”

Fear can't exist when our mind is fully focused on and filled with God.  When the storm is all around us and we are trying to weather the chaos, we often get discouraged.  When circumstances change and unexpected things get thrown at us, we feel helpless and confused, not knowing which way to go.  We are not meant to go through the storms of this life alone. Jesus is always there and will always be there for us, He is the true peace and comfort that we need and long so much for.  

In Matthew 14:22-36, we read about the disciples seeing Jesus in the storm while they are out on a boat.  They were terrified at the storm raging all around them.  Peter, being the one to walk toward Jesus on water even got scared and began to sink into the rough waves.  Peter started sinking when he took his eyes off of Jesus and began focusing on his fear. When we keep our eyes on Jesus and focus on Him even in the tough times, when the storm is raging, and the waves are high we can feel peace and comfort in the midst of the storm and we can release our fears to The One who can carry us through our storms.  

As we are traveling overseas, I pray for our team as we draw closer to God in prayer and in relationships with each other, that we can be vulnerable as we talk to and do life together in the coming weeks.  As we come together to be the hands and feet of Jesus, let us also remember that we need to fill ourselves up as well in God's Word.  Fill us with passion and the strength to keep going when things are going to get difficult and rough. The waves will eventually calm and the sun will shine through the clouds again.  When we remain strong and confident in the Lord we can make it through.  We may get bruised along the way, but it's through the bruises that tell an amazing story.

Matthew 25:25-36

For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.

Through out these next few weeks I want to share about what's happening.  I want to give a greater knowledge to what is not spoken a lot about. I want to spread awareness by writing about these experiences, corresponding about life circumstances in a foreign country, and to be able to bring a little hope to those who need it.  I can't wait to see everything God has for us over in Greece.

Francesca Battistelli - The Break Up Song

Blessings, 

Rest, Restore, Reset

Will you join me for a little coffee chat?

I sat down and started staring at this blank screen with the cursor blinking at me I started thinking about our lives.  Our lives are a lot like this blank computer screen when they start out.  A simple, white, empty canvas ready to be filled up with words and pictures. Throughout this canvas there will be mistakes made.  We type out our story on the screen and we misspell a word and a red line appears there's that constant reminder there has been a mistake made.  Those reminders are there as a way of telling us that we made a mistake and something needs to be fixed.  Most of the time we are quick to hit that backspace key and correct the mistake we just made. While other times we tend to let the errors pile up until the end of our work.  

Wouldn't it be great if life was that simple, that if we made a mistake or did something wrong we could just it the backspace button and it would all be gone so we can start over.  

So...we may not have the backspace button to erase with; but, we can make a fresh start.

Your story is constantly being written and you are continually discovering to ways to succeed and new ways that things won't work out.   So when things don't work out....

We have the opportunity to take the time to REST and RESET...

"This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" 2 Corinthians 5:17. (NLT)

How can I do this? How does it look?

• Take some time for yourself.  A little bit time to pause in the work day and focus on your needs and spiritual health. 

• Dig into scripture and allow God to speak to you through His words.

• Take a walk in nature and observe the beauty of creation around you. We often tend to get so caught up in our schedules that we miss the little things that made our community what it is. 

• Keep your focus and let in others to help keep you accountable.

• Join a Life Group in your local church that fits your needs, or start your own.

• Or maybe, just take some time to spend time with friends. Develop relationships and invest in one another.  If we are always on the go, then when do we have time for relationships with people?  Make time for each other.  

Stop. Breathe.  Rest. Reset.

Enjoy life!

The Bigger Picture

“I will call upon your name and keep my eyes above the waves

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders, let me walk upon the waters wherever you would call me, take me deeper than my feet could ever wander and my faith would be made stronger in the presence of my Savior.”
(Oceans – Hillsong)

Eyes swollen, tear-stained pages of my journal, my Bible underlined, written on and highlighted, scared of the next step and determined to conquer the world at the same time.  I’ve felt this strong feeling for a while, I’m ready, show me where to go from here.

In a season of waiting it can be difficult when all life tends to throw at you is the word no, not yet, later, hold on, etc.  It can be utterly discouraging and emotionally exhausting.  I thought you said I was ready, why are you making me wait? Can you even hear me?

If you ask me, it’s the word that most of us have despised since the moment we first heard it.  That word that disgusts us because we know we are not getting what we really want. As hard as it may seem to fathom, as much as we want to fight against it with all our might, just maybe that “no” is temporary.  A simple no doesn’t always mean forever, it quite possibly may be no for a season, a matter of protection to keep our heart pure, and potentially protect us from a bigger rejection or hurt.  God does know the perfect time to say yes, but as much as I hate to admit it, I still want to sulk into my pillow and scream when I hear the word no from something I really wanted or I think I am ready for.

“Have mercy on my, Lord, for I am in distress. Tears blur my eyes. 
My body and soul are withering away.” Psalm 31:9

In a season of waiting I always tend to think of David.  This was a man who was least considered in his family.  I bet he thought nothing good would come from his existence.  He was despised and rejected for much of his life.  Someone who was chosen last but still kept going. Despite several failed attempts at life, David was still known as a man who was devoted to God.  Much like all of us, we fail from day to day.  It’s when we realize where we fell and turn to our Savior to help us back up.  We can’t do it alone and we don’t have to, even though it may seem like it at times.

Father God, when I feel like giving up, help me put my trust in You, my God, my strength when I am weak, my Comforter when I am scared, my Protector.  Help me keep my eyes on you and know that you are with me in times of trouble and I’m afraid.

“You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope.” Psalm 119:114

Blessings,