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, 

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, 

Calling all hearts!

Music Video:  Be One
   (Natalie Grant)

“It's time to get our hands dirty
Be love there's a whole lot of hurting
Calling all hearts
Calling all hands
Calling all feet to take a stand
Why sit around and wait for a miracle to come
When we can be one
When we can be one
When we can be one”

Hey there!  Hope everyone is doing great out there!  I just love our coffee chats on here.

I recently attended the movie debut of the Dare to Be movie.  It was amazing and inspirational.  Sitting in the theater and listening to these women share their story and why they do what they are called to do and how they work with God through it all.  Natalie Grant presented some powerful songs from the beginning of the movie.  Then it came time for her to sing the song, Ever Be.  I love this song, "your praise will ever be on my lips"  and that's what it should be...always.  God's praise should be upon our lips.  It's hard though, right.  Circumstances through out our day get us down and it's hard to sing that praise.  God can help us through that, taking our mind off our own circumstances and situations and putting our focus solely on God and his presence in our lives.  
It's not about who we our in our life, it's about whose we are in God's family and what God has called us to do.  

"...Faithful you have been and faithful you will be..."

As I was listening to Charlotte Gambill give a message in the movie, she talked about not letting the misunderstandings of your past claim your future. Isn't that the truth?  So often we feel so dragged down by the past hurts in our lives that we stomp out all the good that is awaiting for us in the future.  Our destiny is far greater than our past. 

I love how Matthew 11:28-30 states this passage in the Message Bible,  "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion?  (Hand raise in the air) Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. (Amen) I'll show you how to take a real rest.   Walk with me and work with me--watch how I do it. (YES!)  Learn from unforced rhythms of grace.  I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.  Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
Have you ever felt like this?  You can work for God, you can work with God and these two are far different from each other.  God tells us to walk with Him.  Walk with Him and He will be with us and help us.  

I love the saying, “all you need is 20 seconds of insane courage.  Just literally 20 seconds of just embarrassing bravery.  And I promise you, something great will come of it."

What happens when we take that 20 seconds and do something so incredibly brave that our lives could just possibly change forever.  What if we dared to be fearless?  What if we set out to do that one thing that we have been scared to do?  What would happen?  How would you help someone?  What would you do?  How would you feel after it was all over? You may go out there wanting to be able to bless someone, but just maybe you'll find yourself just as blessed by them. 

What would it take for you to get out there and Be One for Someone? To recognize there is a need that you can help out with.  To be able to share the love of Christ with someone else.  What would happen in your 20 seconds of courage? 

Dare to be what God is calling you to be!  What are you daring to be known as?

Here's a little take home. Leave a comment with your dare to be answer.  

I Dare to Be known as __________________.  


Praying for you!


Blessings, 

Women of Faith part 3…bummer lambs

Bummer Lambs

"...My chains are gone I've been set free My God, my Savior has ransomed me And like a flood His mercy rains Unending love, Amazing grace..."

During one of Sheila Walsh’s messages she spoke about how sometimes, like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, you can be singing, ‘Somewhere over the rainbow  Way up high, There's a land that I heard of Once in a lullaby. Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue, And the dreams that you dare to dream Really do come true.’ And then, before you know it, you have no idea that a tornado is on it’s way, in the midst of our dreams.  But when we can't seem to go on anymore and we come to understand and realize that we can't do it alone...we see that God has been with us the whole time.  We just need to reach out our hand and God will pull us through.



Sheila’s book, Honestly, takes a look into Sheila’ childhood, through her 30’s and so on through her life.  She talks about how her life changed in an instant and how she just tried to cover up the fact that she was hurting inside by looking okay on the outside.  Which so many of us try to do, don't we?  We work so hard to make everything look so good on the outside so nobody can see what is really happening on the inside of our lives.  I would definitely recommend this book to read!   We all have dreams for our life and sometimes it just takes a little longer to get there.  We will never get something completely right....but God still loves us anyway!  He is there to pick us up when we fall...as we reach out our hand and grab a hold of HIS!
"...nothing in my hands I bring, simply to the cross I cling..."

Sheila told the story of the shepherd and his sheep and how the shepherd will go and look for that ONE lost lamb. Then if something is wrong or that lamb is hurt the only hope is for the shepherd to come and lift the lamb up.  Sheep are the most defenseless of animals.  It’s known that an Ewe will reject one of her lambs after she gives birth, and that lamb will die of a broken heart/spirit unless the shepherd intervenes.  These lambs are also known as, bummer lambs.
The bummer lambs run to the shepherd because they get and they get it because they believe it!  
They embrace the relationship with the shepherd, because they know that they are loved!  They know where they can find help and a relationship.  They know that even though they wondered away, that they can come home again and be loved!
We are completely loved by God. If I could tell you just one thing...it would be that, You are loved more than you can ever imagine.  Each one of us can have brand new life and have a relationship with a God and Father that knows our hearts and our future.
The Shepherd is looking for you...where are you?  Will you embrace the relationship?  Because you are loved by the fiery LOVE of God!   

Matthew 18:12-14 If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn't wander away! In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish.

When we come to realize that, I am not the good news…GOD IS!!!  God is the good news that we need to share with the world!  

Having a true and real 'best friend' relationship with Jesus and wanting to know that when I wake up in the morning, HE is the first thing on my mind, because HE is the one that woke me up that morning, and HE is the last thing I want to think about before I go to sleep, because HE will give me a great nights rest!  

The decisions that you make today will affect your future.




Amazing Grace...My Chains are Gone

Amazing grace
How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I'm found
Was blind, but now I see
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed
My chains are gone
I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy rains
Unending love, Amazing grace
The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures

My chains are gone
I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy rains
Unending love, Amazing grace
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow
The sun forbear to shine
But God, Who called me here below
Will be forever mine
Will be forever mine
You are forever mine  

I'm with You

You were meant for more.  I live my life for God.  It's not about me, it's all about Him!  Just some of the statements we hear and talk about during our 
walk with Christ and our relationship with Him.
When you put your faith and trust in the creator of the universe, when you surrender everything; ultimately, to the one who knows you from the inside out, every part of you, including your future.  
We hear these words so often, but sometimes they're just hard to fathom.  We want to surrender everything. We want to trust that God has a plan for us.  But, sometimes are question back is...When God? When is it going to happen, for me?  
I mean, I know it's your timing but when?  We are constantly being little impatient children, it's part of our human nature.  We're like that child you see in the candy store, tugging at our parents side begging for that piece of candy we are so desperately wanting and we just have to have.  We want things now or in the time we think we deserve something.  It's not until something might finally happen to us when we finally realize why God has had us wait so long.  As He is preparing each and everyone of us for our own journey, and though we may not fully understand why, we ultimately know that our wonderfully Father has nothing but the best prepared and designed for his children.


As I listen to K-Love through out the day the song, I'm with you by Amy Grant and Nichole Nordeman has played several times now.  I love the words of this song and the way that the song describes the relationship between Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi.  It really just made me want to read this wonderful story, that I know I've read/heard so many times before, again to be able to recapture it again.

(Ruth 1-4)

I just love the relationship that was told about between Ruth and Naomi.  The story of the young woman who stayed by her mother-in-laws' side even after the death of her husband.  
Sometimes we don't understand what God is calling us to do, and we don't even know where to begin sometimes, but it's our devout faith in our God and King that gets us though some of the hardest times; because, we know that He has something better planned for us in the future.
Ruth loved her Heavenly Father so much that she was willing to devote her life to serving Him as well as standing by her mother-in-law, Naomi side.  She was willing to stay with Naomi's for the rest of her life. 
Ruth found so much in Noami.  She found this older, yet wiser woman.  She found a mentor. Someone whom she would be able to talk to, to confide in, to be a friend to and to learn from.
Again, this is another woman that God had more plans for.  It was then, while Ruth was working in the fields, harvesting the grain, she met Boaz.  This would be the man who had showed her kindness and ultimately being the man she will marry.  The story is an amazing story of faith, hope, love, commitment and devotion.


It's so amazing to be able to have a wonderful mentor in your life.  Someone you can look up to, ask question to, someone who has possibly been where you are/have been and can give you advice on how to deal with life as you grow in Christ.  It must have been an amazing learning experience for Ruth to have spend this time with Naomi as she grew in the time they were spending together.  
Take joy in those women who you can get advice from and can learn from.  I, for one, can think of several wonderful women that have had an amazing influence on me, in every place that I have lived from California to Indiana.  I am grateful for the woman that I have become because of their influence and I am so thankful for everyone that has been involved in my life in these place.  What mentors have you had in your lives that have given you a positive outlook on life? Have they increased you walk with Christ?  

I'm with you

Love is a hurricane in a blue sky,
I didn't see it coming, never knew why.
All the laughter and the dreams,
All the memories in between,
Washed away in a steady stream.

Love is a hunger, a famine in your soul.
I thought I planted beauty, but it would never grow.
Now I'm on my hands and knees,
Trying to gather up my dreams,
Trying to hold on to anything.
We could shake a fist in times like this
When we don't understand or we could just hold hands.

You and me, me and you,
Where you go, I'll go too,
I'm with you, I'm with you.
Till your heart finds a home,
I won't let you feel alone,
I'm with you, I'm with you, with you.

You do your best to build a higher wall.
To keep love safe from any wrecking ball.
When the dust has cleared, we will
See the house that love rebuilds,
Guarding beauty that lives here still.

Who can say I'm left with nothing?
When I have all of you, all of you, yeah.
In the way you've always loved me.
I remember, He does too.

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made!

Jeremiah 29:11 -  I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.

I love that I have the privilege of talking to the Creator of the universe as often as I want.  He cares.  He listens.  He responds.  I repeat.

Grand Canyon

Hold me by Jamie Grace, LOVE this song! This just describes so much how I can just run at anytime to my Heavenly Father anytime I need to.  I can remember driving back to California from Indiana and driving through the beautiful scenery and while going through New Mexico and Arizona and listening to worship music on my car stereo.  Just driving and watching the wonderful creations that the amazing Creator of the universe created so long ago.  I mean, what a masterpiece!!!  I mean I know you're supposed to really pay attention when you drive but I seriously was more in awe of the amazing colors around me! :-) There are so many places through out the world that can leave a person in awe of the magnificent creation in front of us! If God can do create such beautiful scenery...how much more will he do us us as His children?

I love the way these verses are written out of The Message Bible, from Matthew 6:25-34.

^25-26"If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.

Sometimes we need to realize that God's got our back and learn to relax in the mission of being God's child.

 ^27-29"Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.

If you don't like the image you see looking back at you in the mirror then find your God mirror and see how Jesus see's you...YOU are perfection!!!

^30-33"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

You are fearfully and wonderfully-made by the skilled hand of an amazing God who loves us more that anything!

³⁴"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. 

When times seem that toughest we know what we have to do, probably the hardest thing of all, to surrender.  To surrender everything.  To lay it all down before our Father in Heaven because we can never do it by ourselves, but with God...we can get through anything, because He is the one that holds us.  He is by our side with His arms wide open!  

**Here's the official video for "Hold Me" from Jamie Grace!

Listen….

I absolutely love this part of the year!  When Autumn is ending and Winter is approaching.  Listening to Christmas songs while decorating the tree/house, drinking hot chocolate apple cider and making Christmas cookies all while making/creating your Christmas cards to send out. 

One of my all-time favorite Christmas songs to listen to is Breath of Heaven; Mary’s Song (Amy Grant version). I just love the words to this song!  It’s so poetic to imagine what this young girl, Mary, had went through as she was carrying the child of God.  Even getting a little bit more creative, I even wrote a monologue drama to Mary’s Song, and performed it at my church one year.  Where another year I pulled together an interpretive movement that went with the Breath of Heaven song to perform and share.  To be able to put yourself in Mary’s shoes or sandal's and to think about what she may have went through on her amazing journey.   What were her thoughts before and after she found out she was pregnant.  And, how she became a safe, healthy and empowered woman of God!

Maybe this is a little bit what Mary felt like after finding out she would be the one to carry God’s Son…                                                                         

A little alone and scared, but incredibly happy at the same time, all while wondering, why me, why would my great and almighty God choose me of all women!  Probably pacing back and forth trying to figure this whole thing out. :)  I mean here she is, a young girl about to be married to the love of her life when she discovers she is carrying the God’s Son.  Wow! What an amazing yet scary feeling that must have been.  I’m  sure she did a lot of thinking about what people were saying about her, what she was going to tell people, what her family was going to think…and wait, how is Joseph going to react to this news?
     If you could imagine just sitting alone in your room as a teenage girl, just being told that you were going to bear a son.  Can you imagine the thoughts that would be going through your head alone.  You’re so innocent.  You’re a good girl, and here you are about to have a child.  Have you moved yet?  would you break down in tears?  Would you turn up your stereo speakers?  Would you grab your journal and spill it all out on paper to document every detail of this moment and what you are feeling at this very moment?  There’s a plethora of things that any young girl would do if she heard the news that Mary did.  The importance is how do you react to what God is telling you to do.  Sometimes we are just meant to listen!  Listen to the still voice that is calling us.  Calling us to a greater purpose.  Calling us to be THE ONE!  The one to be more, the one to do something, the one to just be quiet and listen to our Heavenly Father call us to be more than we could ever imagine we could be.


   Mary listened!  She sat quietly and just listened!  She was even able to go and visit her cousin Elizabeth.  What better way to have this whole situation explained to you than from an older and wiser women, about what is happening to her.  Another woman who was to bear a child.  A mentor.  To be able to sit and chat with someone who has been through a similar situation.  As Elizabeth was so excited that Mary had come to visit her.  She told her: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!  I’m sure she was incredibly blessed by the time she has with Elizabeth as she made her way home to Joseph. 
   An ordinary girl had been used to bring forth the Messiah.  “I am the Lord’s servant.  May it be to me as you have said.” 

   You know, it’s so wonderfully amazing how we can feel completely safe God’s arms and with his arms are wrapped around me….I AM a SAFE, Healthy and EMPOWERED Woman of God…..and with God….all things are possible!
(Scripture used from Luke 1:26-56)
 

The harvest is great….

“He gave them this charge:  ‘What a huge harvest!’ And how few the harvest hands.  So on your knees; ask the God of the Harvest to send harvest hands.  (Luke 10:2)

Serving….
     This topic always makes me think about a quote I read about by Helen Keller.  “Alone we can do so little, but together we can do so much,”  Isn’t that so true?  When we all come together for one purpose we can accomplish so much more.  We can cover so much more ground as we spread the good news of Christ. 

Acts 20:24 says, ‘But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God. ‘

     This past week my church was talking about becoming more outward focused.  We were talking about different ways we could reach out to the community and showing people that they are loved.  With the ongoing holiday season and people running around constantly through out the day, it’s good to take just a couple minutes and tell someone that, “you are loved".   You are loved by someone, you are loved by our Father in Heaven, you are loved more than you could ever know.  No matter where you have been in life no matter how much you think you have messed up.  Even when you feel you are in the biggest crisis of your life and feel totally and completely unloved….YOU ARE LOVED! 
     If I could just tell someone just three words.  If I had the chance to tell someone I knew a long time ago that I lost contact with, someone that was led astray and has completely lost all hope and belief.  I would want to tell them that they are loved!  That they are 100% completely loved by an amazingly God, who loves us just the way we are when we come to Him.
     So, this past Sunday, we split into groups and we went out into our community.  We grabbed some cheeseburgers from McDonalds and some cases of water as we went where God led us to go.  As we drove around Modesto we found many people on the streets who were just merely hungry.  They were so grateful to receive a single cheeseburger.  And, on that cheeseburger were the words ‘You Are Loved!’  No attachment to who we were, just three short words that proclaim a powerful message!  A message of hope, an assurance of faith that someone out there does care about them.  They really don’t have to know who we are or where we come from, all that matters is that they have realized that someone cares and loves them.

      When people who are really hungry realized that there is someone passing out food they will come to you.  As we were out we discovered two people huddled among some steps to a building downtown to say warm.  As we pulled up we had asked them if were hungry and would like a cheeseburger. Thrilled as they were, another homeless person came over from across the street after seeing we had food for him as well, all were extremely grateful while offering their sincere gratitude for what we had offered them.  Even those we asked that were just sitting on a street corner or by the side of the highway if they were hungry, some said they had just eaten and as we gave cheeseburgers to the people around the corner from them, even those previous people we asked were grateful by what they saw.  Who knows, maybe we planted a seed somewhere and they can pay it forward sometime.  Speaking of paying it forward, one of our groups had given cheeseburgers to a couple sitting on the road, but these people actually already had food in their bags, and as the group was getting ready to pull away those people called another couple over and gave them their cheeseburgers, probably knowing that they were just as hungry and needed food as well. At one point we discovered a group of 8 people huddled over a small fire pit in the park to on the cold night ahead of them, 8 people who had no other place to go but to be in a dark park, who were so grateful for warm food being offered to them.  So what are we waiting for? There are so many people out there searching for something, anything.  What are we going to do about it?

     While in a worship service one Sunday the message was about serving and going out into our community and ‘being the church.’ Well at the end of the message we sang the song “Dirty” from Audio Adrenaline.  Just simply listening to these lyrics bring up such a good point about serving and ‘being the church’.  It’s about putting ourselves aside and focusing on what’s out in our community backyard and what can be done.  Sure there’s third world countries all over the world, but so much of that is right in our own communities.  People hurting, hungry and abused.  Even human trafficking has even been a huge issue in our surrounding communities.  What are we waiting for?  Are you willing to step out and get your hands dirty?  There is so much “need” out there….what are WE going to do about it????

"Dirty"
Tired of being clean, sick of being proper
I wanna live among the beggars
And dig out in the dirt
Step outside the walls we built to protect us
Don't be afraid to get some mud on your face
Come on, come on everybody
Come on, come on and serve someone

Let's get dirty, let's get used
No matter where you come from
If you're beaten up or bruised
Let's get foolish - let's get free
Free to be the one thing you were meant to be
Let's get dirty

You might get a bruise or some blisters on your fingers
You might start a question and wonder what it's worth
You may slip and fall from the burdens that you carry
But you can't have this treasure
'til you dig it from the dirt
Come on, come on everybody
Come on, come on and serve someone

Come on, come on, everybody
Come on, come on, serve somebody
Come on, come on, everybody
Come on, come on, serve somebody

Sometimes you just need to be rescued…

Isn’t it true though?  I know many of us have felt that way at sometime or another. ‘I just want to be rescued!’ ‘I need someone to save me!’ "’I can’t do it by myself!’ But yet we still work and work.  We try so hard to do it on our own, then we simply just can’t take it, and we can’t do it anymore by ourselves no matter how hard we try. 
I love this verse from the book of Romans (10:9-10) in Message Bible:
      “That's it. You're not "doing" anything; you're simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That's salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: "God has set everything right between him and me!"
That’s it?  Is that really all it takes? Yes!  When we call out for help we can be rescued, we can have our knight and shining armor come into save us, when we just surrender our hearts to Christ, he’s there to save us.

I love being able to share Christian Drama to anyone I come in contact with!  Anytime I have the chance to share…I am totally on board!  I feel so blessed to have been involved in OCU's Good News Players, as we were able spread the words of Christ through drama through out several cities and states. Traveling to different churches all over sharing our ministry and being able to pray with the people we had met.
It’s simply amazing that there’s pretty much a skit out there that most everyone can relate to--in good times and in bad ones. Sometimes we just need to laugh and sometimes we just need to cry. I love being able to portray different people through drama--whether it be a teen girl with struggles, an overworked mom, a southern coffee shop waitress, a housewife or a business woman who doesn't know the princess she really is. Each character I portray has a story to tell of their life and the trials and tribulations that they face. It's an awesome feeling when somebody can relate to something that I have performed, by myself or with friends.
Sometimes we just need to know we are loved and know that we can be rescued.  Each one of the characters that I interpret has been rescued from loneliness, heartache, fear, sadness, and anger.  Sometimes we just let things build up so much that we don’t even realize we’ve completely isolated ourselves from everyone around us.  It’s when we realize we can’t do it all on our own and that we need help, it’s then that our rescuer comes to save us.  He’s been there all the time, we just have been so preoccupied doing it on our own, we don’t always see that God is always with us.  He will never leave us!

After performing and sharing a drama called “Lifeboat,” there are many lessons we can actually learn from this skit.  We learn that though we may seem small, God can have bigger plans for us if we just accept Him.  Just when we may want to give up, there is always something else we can do or someone else we can help.  Just like the lifeboat was there to save the two girls when they needed it.  When they reached out  for help, there was a lifeboat to rescue them.  Jesus is our “lifeboat.”  He’s there to rescue us from out sin.  All we have to do is admit we’re sinners, believe in that Jesus came to rescue us and confess and tell people how Christ changed out lives.  Answering to our calling and living our lives for Christ full of love and ministering to those who haven’t heard is better than sitting all alone in a lifeboat by ourselves waiting to be rescued, when all we have to do is reach out just like we were reached out to and we can do so much more!

Challenge:
Who can you reach out to this week?  Who can you help see God’s everlasting love and promise?  What can you do to share with this person?

Tami and Shelli performing “Lifeboat” at The Beacon! A dramatization about needing to step out and reach out to others no matter how small we are or may seem! Even if we are a small group of people we can do a WHOLE LOT! And, show a lot of LOVE along the way!

Romans 10:9-10 -- If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. (New  Living Translation)

Remember the Blessings….

Even in times of sorrow can come happiness and good things.  Love the song by Laura Story, called ‘Blessings’…..
”what if these blessings come through raindrops what if your healing comes through tears what if a thousand sleepless nights are enough to know you’re near….”

     Wow…September isn’t even over yet and it’s already been an eventful one.  Full of ups and downs. September marks the beginning of Autumn, the start of new school years and a month of remembrance for the past decade.  Many beginnings and endings to the many chapters of our lives.  Though the end of every chapter brings a new beginning to another chapter and a new beginning brings new experiences and many many new adventures!
     The beginning of September brought a great Labor Day with many family and friends.  My cousin had been down for the past couple of months and we had several friends over for dinner.  It was so wonderful to be able to spend time with family that I never get to see or don’t get to see that often.  That Monday brought many smiles.  My cousin had fixed my guitar in the past month so I could start practicing on it more and  he was willing to help me learn some more about the guitar to become better at it.  I was so excited to be able to learn more.    
     Well, as September pressed on and 9/11 was approaching and this being the 10 year anniversary of that unforgettable tragedy that struck NYC and the east coast.  I will never forget that day!  I still remember waking up to the news that morning (before 6am west coast time) and watching the two planes hit the twin towers and seeing them collapse.  I remember crying my eyes out that whole day.  Even watching the news in my Geography class (so grateful for only one class that day), in the whole room there wasn’t a dry eye in the place.  We will remember!  It’s amazing the things that we will never forget!
     Well, remembering that morning as well, this year is when we discovered that my cousin, had recently passed away early that morning.  A day where it was a great comfort to have most of the family get in their cars and make the trip to be with each other that day and comfort one another.  While many other family members were making plane reservations that day to fly in just to be around family, even the ones that couldn’t make the trip were all with us all in spirit and prayers.  It’s so great to feel blessed to have a great family that God has provided! 
    It was so great to be able to have my cousin around for these past few months and being able to talk to him, more than we have before.  We will all miss him so much and have treasured the time that we had with him this summer!  
     But, even though we have times of tears and sorrow, there is a greater joy that comes from MY Heavenly Father.  Being able to be apart of a new church plant…is simply amazing!  I am so blessed to be apart of an amazing Family of God!  Granted it’s not the easiest road to take and the path seems rough at times and we feel we just can’t take it anymore.  But, when we can reach those people who have been turned off church or  other religious paraphernalia, it’s totally worth it to be able to show them the true and everlasting LOVE of Christ!  If we can show the kindness and love of that Christ has to offer in our smiles and in our actions and in OUR FAITH…we can give a whole new meaning to the name “Christian.”  We can show people what it really means to be a Christian and me totally and completely in love with Christ…with “no strings attached.”  He can lift our burdens and be with us during our pain and wipe away our tears, when we go through a life-changing time in our lives.   God is with us!  Just ask….it’s    LIFE-CHANGING!
     Our church has recently relocated into a commercial building in North Modesto.  We’ve been working to fix up and prepare the building for our services to be held.  We will soon be able to be a “mobile church”  being able to have our worship services anywhere we feel led to worship and share this amazing love inside of us to those who haven’t heard!   This new adventure is exciting to see what God has in store for us here with The Beacon.
     I’ve been totally blessed this past month to be able to call on the friends that God has provided me as well here.  Being able to call friends up and go to a random movie in the middle of the week, just because I need to be with friends, makes me incredibly grateful for the people that God has provided to comfort me.  Whether it’s going to a movie or circling Modesto for a place open after 10pm and ending up at Denny’s.  To be able to hang out and just talk is something that is so wonderful to be able to have friends that share similar interest with each other! 

Grace and Peace to YOU and Blessings!!!!

Honduras! :)

Wow, I can’t believe it’s been almost 4 years since I last went to Honduras.  Going there was such an amazing part of my life.  Being able to go, help and serve these wonderful people who are longing to hear the Good News that Christ has to offer them, giving them hope for their future.
A couple of years ago I was incredibly blessed to be able to sponsor a child who lived on the outskirts of Tegucigalpa, Honduras.  Her name is Josselin.  We prayed together through letters back and forth and we sent pictures to each other.  It was so breath-taking to see how just a couple of dollars could feed, clothe and provide medical attention and an education for this little girl. When I was at Faith Home, our General Baptist care center for children, I met this little girl, her name was Emerita.  She was one of the cutest little girls (of course at Faith Home, they are all so adorable, you just want to take them all home with you, if you could).  She was attached to me that week when we were around the kids.  I just wanted to stay longer just to keep being there for her.  It was  fun just to be able to hang out with the children and play with them.

Going on the medical teams were so amazing to be apart of I’m so glad I was able to experience that.  Being able to see how these people live, but yet  how grateful that they are when they are provided medical treatment for, maybe even, the first time in their lives.  Even to be able to provide a church service for them and to be able to share with them the gospel for possible the first time in their lives. 
Then, going on a Vacation Bible School/Construction team we got to teach the kids and play with them during VBS time and then help with much needed repairs, maintenance and chores around Faith Home.  It was so awesome just to be able to be helpful and to be able to accomplish “much needed tasks and repairs”  around the property.  Being able to share the Love of Christ with children in the schools off-campus in the smaller towns was great, just to see their smiling faces when we walked in to teach and play with them.
I loved being able to travel to Honduras and I hope to be able to return and be able help out again.  It was such an amazing experience!!!
“Shine your light let the whole world see…”

Called to Worship

I was reading my daily devotion from a Rebecca St. James book one day and it was just an amazing way of stating how we are called into worshiping God.  She states, "that God does not call us to be robots.  He gave us a choice."  God wants us to be joyful as we worship Him.  He wants to see smiles upon our faces and loving hearts.  Every time we worship God we are in awe of everything that he has done in our lives, he gives us the desire to raise our hands and praise his name!  When we focus on God, and take our eyes off of  ourselves we can truly worship our Wonderful maker! :)  Rebecca St. James puts it an amazing way, she says that whether we "lead or participate in worship, none of us are called to be a star -- God has called us to be servants." 

                                         

As we worship God with all our hearts we are desiring that personal relationship with Him.  We want to be able to give him everything we have and will be, because "he is all I want, he is everything," I love that way the song "Everything" states that Christ is all that we desire! :)  We want to be able to feel the extravagant love of Christ and be able to share his love with everyone around us. 

I've done a skit, titled 'Best Friends' about two little girls one of them a shy new girl, Mallory, and the other a hyperactive girl, Tami.  When the Mallory is sitting by herself talking to nobody, Tami, who has lived in the town her whole life comes up to talk to her.  She talks about how she does so much playing and reading her Children's Bible everyday! Her excitement is so high and full of joy that her new friend, Mallory, is now very intriged by this excitement, and now wants to know more about this sudden joy and burst of energy, that comes from this hyperactive new friend of hers.  When we share Christ with those around us, he is with us, in a smile, touch or voice, he is there to help us meet those needs of others. 

"Your love is extravagant, Your friendship, it is intimate, I feel I'm moving to the rhythm of Your grace, Your fragrance is intoxicating in the secret place, Cause Your love is extravagant..."  (Your Love is Extrabagant by Casting Crowns)