Captivating...

I am in the middle of reading Captivating by John & Stasi Eldredge and at the end of the book (I know, I know…I always do that, I read the end of the book before I even get there, same way I will read a magazine from the back… Just something I do :) there is an amazing prayer that I want to share with you. It truly touched my heart and resonated with me.

It’s called:

A Daily Prayer For Freedom

M y dear Lord Jesus, I come to you now to be restored in you- to renew my place in you, my allegiance to you, and to receive from you all the grace and mercy I so desperately need this day. I honor you as my sovereign Lord, and I surrender every aspect of my life totally and completely to you. I give you my body as a living sacrifice; I give you my heart, soul, mind & strength; and I give you my spirit as well. I cover myself with your blood- my spirit, my mind, soul & my body. And I ask your Holy Spirit to restore my union with you, seal me in you, and guide me in this time of prayer.

Dear God, holy & victorious Trinity, you alone are worthy of all my worship, my hearts devotion, all my praise and all my trust and all the glory of my life. I worship you, bow to you, and give myself over to you in my hearts search for life. You alone are life, and you have become my life. (I love that part!)

I renounce all other Gods, and idols, and I give you the place in my heart and in my life that you truly deserve. I confess here and now that it is all about you, God, and not about me. You are the Hero of this story, and I belong to you.

Forgive me for my every sin. Search me and know me and reveal to me any aspect of my life that is not pleasing to you, expose any agreements I have made with my enemy, and grant me the grace of a deep and true repentance.

Heavenly Father, thank you for loving me and choosing me before you made the world. You are my true father- my creator, my redeemer, my sustainer, and the true end of all things, including my life. I love you; I trust you; I worship you. Thank you for proving your love for me by sending your only son, Jesus, to be my sacrifice and my new life. I receive him and all his life and all his work, which you ordained for me. Thank you for including me in Christ, for forgiving me my sins, for granting me his righteousness, for making me complete in Him. Thank you for making me alive with Christ, raising me with him, seating me with him at your right hand, granting me his authority, and anointing me with you Holy Spirit. I receive it all with thanks and give it total claim to my life.

Jesus, thank you for coming to me, for ransoming me with your own life. I honor you as my Lord; I love you, worship you, trust you. I sincerely receive you as my redemption, and I receive all the work and triumph of your crucifixion, whereby I am cleansed from all my sin through your shed blood, my old nature is removed, my heart is circumcised unto God, and every claim being made against me is disarmed. I take my place in your cross and death, whereby I have died with you to sin and to my flesh, to the world, and to the evil one. I am crucified with Christ. I now take up my cross and crucify my flesh with all it’s pride, unbelief, and idolatry. I now bring the cross of Christ between me and all people, all spirits, all things. Holy Spirit, apply to me the fullness of the work of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ for me. I receive it with thanks and give it total claim to my life. Jesus, I also sincerely receive all the work and triumph of your resurrection, whereby I have been raised with you to a new life, to walk in newness of life, dead to sin and alive to God. I am crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me. (AMEN!)

I now take my place in your resurrection, whereby I have been made alive with you, I reign in life through you. I put on the new person in all holiness and humility, in all righteousness and purity and truth. Christ is now my life, the one who strengthens me. (Thankful for that!!)

Holy Spirit, apply to me the fullness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ for me. I receive it with thanks and give it total claim to my life.

Jesus, I also sincerely receive you as my authority and rule, my everlasting victory over satan and his kingdom, and I shall receive all the work and triumph of your ascension, whereby satan has been judged and cast down, his rulers and authorities disarmed, all authority in heaven and on earth given to you, Jesus, and I have been given fullness in you, and Head over all. I take my place in your ascension, whereby I have been raised with you to the right hand of the Father and established with you in all authority.

I bring your authority and your kingdom rule over my life, my family, my household, and my domain. And now I bring the fullness of your work- you cross, resurrection, and ascension against satan, against his kingdom, and against all his emissaries and all their work warring against me and my domain. Greater is he who is in me than he who is in the world. (YEAH!) Christ has given me authority now over and against EVERY enemy, and I banish them in the name of Jesus Christ. Holy spirit, apply to me the fullness of the work of the ascension of Jesus Christ for me. I receive it with thanks and give it total claim to my life.

Holy Spirit, I sincerely receive you as my Counselor, my comforter, my strength, and my guide. Thank you for sealing me in Christ. I honor you as my Lord, and I ask you to lead me into all truth, to anoint me for all of my life and walk and calling, and to lead me deeper into Jesus today. I fully open my life to you in every dimension and aspect- my body, my soul, and my spirit- choosing to be filled with you, to walk in step with you in all things. (LOVE THAT!)

Apply to me, blessed Holy Spirit, all of the work and all of the gifts of Pentecost. Fill me afresh, blessed Holy Spirit. I receive you with thanks and give you total claim to my life.

Heavenly Father, thank you for granting to me every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus. I receive those blessings into my life today, and I ask the Holy Spirit to bring all those blessings into my life this day. Thank you for the blood of Jesus. Wash me once more with his blood from every sin and stain and evil device. I put on your armor- the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of readiness of the Gospel of peace, the helmet of salvation. I take up the shield of faith and the sword of the spirit, the Word of God, and I wield these weapons against the evil one in the power of God. I choose to pray at all times in the spirit, to be strong in you, Lord, and in your might.

Father, thank you for your angels. I summon them in the authority of Jesus Christ and release them to war for me and my household. May they guard me at all times this day. Thank you for those who pray for me; I confess I need their prayers, and I ask you to send forth your spirit and rouse them, unite them, raising up the full canopy of prayer and intercession for me. I can forth the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ this day throughout my home, my family, my life, and y domain. I pray all of this in the name of Jesus Christ, with all glory and honor and thanks to him.

WOW, It was a long prayer, but so touching. I want to want Jesus with ALL of my heart; I don’t want to ever put anything before Him. This prayer helps me realize the greatness of what He did for me, for us! He is worthy of 100% of me. I surrender all to Him. I wrote in my journal the other day that the reason I seek God so intently is that I’m afraid to be away from Him. Without Him, I am not me… without Him, I can do nothing. Without Him, I am empty and unfulfilled. Without Him, I have no purpose or no reason for living. He is ALL I want or could ever need.

In Gods Sweet Spot

I know I’m right smack in the middle of Gods will for me right now! I have had such a heavy heart, a huge weight, a feeling of intense pressure, discouragement, doubt & insecurity over the past couple weeks. I have evaluated my relationship with the Lord & tried to find an area that I’m not giving up to Him… I can’t find one right now; I am in a place where I am currently surrendering all to Him. I let Him have access to every part of my life. If there is something that I’m not laying at His feet, I have asked Him to reveal it to me. I have been feeling an incredible amount of resistance, but because I know that I’m right with God at this present time & have no reason to be feeling any of these things, shows me that I am right where I am supposed to be! I am indeed in Gods sweet spot & satan is trying to get me out of it. He doesn’t want me to be effective for God. The enemy knows he can’t get my spirit to sin, so he is trying to keep my mind in thinking the way it used to think. To give me doubt & discouragement are satans biggest tools to get me to back down for what God has called me to. He knows those are my weak spots… and I now know that those are his tools… so I have been preparing myself to fight back.

Pastor said today “Praising God will bring freedom to your life & to your mind”

I have been praising God all week for things that He is doing in my life, for the growth in my life, for what He has done, is doing & is going to do in my life. I have NO reason to be down & discouraged. Jesus is ALWAYS victorious, He has already won, and He has already let every future circumstance that we will face pass through His hands, because He knows I can handle it when I walk with Him. He won’t ever give me something that I can’t handle…ever! It may be tough, and I may struggle, but as long as I lean on Him & walk with Him, I can win against ANYTHING.

Pastor said “We need to develop a strategy for God to keep us in so we can defeat satans strategy to keep us out.”

Pastor Steven said some great things in the resistance sermon today… He told us that God loves us, He has a plan for us, He has things He wants YOU to accomplish on earth & He already has a strategy for your victory!!! Are you going to fight?! Or are you going to back down and get comfortable with complacency?

Prov 3:5-6 says “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; Do not depend on your own understanding, but seek His will in all you do & He will direct your paths.”

When I don’t feel like doing what I should be doing, I praise God, when I don’t feel happy, I praise God for how my life has changed and for saving me. When I feel insecure about all the things girls feel insecure about, I praise God for giving me legs to walk, hands to cut hair, the ability to be his hands and feet. I complain about my legs, some people aren’t fortunate enough to have use of legs… I need to be thankful… that’s the way God made me.

 What do you constantly complain about in your life that would be an insult to the way God made you? That could be one of satan’s strategies to direct your focus away from Jesus. God designed you perfectly the way He wanted you…rest in His love, get your approval from Him. Walk in His confidence!!! FIGHT against any strategy satan uses to bring you down… Stand with Jesus, step out in faith, go overboard in your walk with Him rather than staying in the boat… God will always throw you a life jacket if you feel like you are drowning! GET BOLD, DON’T BACK DOWN…DO WHAT HE’S CALLED YOU TO DO!

Without you, Jesus, I am not me.

Run to Him

My relationship is the strongest with the Lord when I am struggling…I run to him. Satan may try to drag me down, but he’s in actual fact pushing me closer to the Lord.

When I hurt, I run to Him

When I fight internally, I run to Him

When I am confused, I run to Him

When I can’t see past my worries, I run to Him

When I think I have it all, I run to Him

When I doubt, I run to Him

When I am discouraged, I run to Him

When I am happy, I run to Him

When I am content, I run to Him

Proverbs 3:6
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

Run to Him, Look to Him, Thank Him, Praise Him, Acknowledge Him, Worship Him… in all areas of your life, in every situation, good, bad & the ugly! He is the only one that can give you exactly what you need to feel whole.

Tough times, quiet times, happy times… acknowledge Him for He is our source!

I want my whole inmost being to be full of Jesus… I want less of me, & more of Him. I don’t want any gap to be empty in chances of trying to look for fulfillment elsewhere… every hole is full of Jesus, every wound is healed with Jesus, every need is full with Jesus! I need nothing.

If you are in need today, remember His past faithfulness. Your faith is in the faithfulness of God. Tell Him what you need, thank Him for what He has already done in your life...

Phil 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

My answer is "Yes Lord!"

When God asks you something, your response should always be “Yes Lord”

Do you trust me? …Yes Lord

Do you believe me? … Yes Lord

Will you obey me? …Yes Lord

Does your life revolve around me? … Yes Lord

Do you surrender all? …Yes Lord

All of these become difficult at some point in our lives depending on the situation… but the first two are quite often the hardest for me… I say I trust God, but my actions don’t always show that I trust Him… I am like the annoying kid in the back seat that says “Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?” the whole journey! When am I going to just enjoy the ride? Some days …I do…other days I try to take the situation into my own hands and move it along the way I want it. It doesn’t work that way! When I say I trust God, I should rest in His love & know that He has me right where He wants me…I’m supposed to be where I am, even if I feel like I’m not.

So if I trust Him, I trust that He knows where I am going. He has gone before me & has seen every circumstance that lies ahead. He has allowed it because He knows that He will give me everything I need to succeed & to have victory in that situation. I just need to seek Him & I will find it.

The second one…do I believe Him?… that’s tough only because I never know when I truly hear Him… I’m 90% sure, 50% of the time! If I KNEW it was Him… of course I’d believe Him…but when I’m not sure whether it’s a word from God, a seed of distraction planted by satan…or even just my own silly idea, it’s hard to say “I believe you”. That’s when we get preconceived notions, then when things don’t go the way we thought, we blame God. “I thought ‘God’ told me this… why didn’t He come through like He said He would?” During this time is when you should run as hard & fast as you can towards Jesus…

The majority of the time I am pretty secure & very content. I love my life, I have all I need, I am growing & being challenged, I get to spread the gospel, I am fortunate & blessed… so why do I get so antsy?

I ask God to show me a glimpse of what He is doing in my life, where He is leading me so that I am able to see His work…and when He shows me a small piece of the puzzle, I get impatient & want the whole thing. It’s probably best that He not show me anything, that way I have nothing to run with! But then I’d complain that He’s not listening to me :) God can’t win no matter what He does according to our human ways!

Thank goodness His ways are not ours!!! It would be exhausting!

Let this scripture wash over you & cover you with peace. Rest your soul in Him, knowing that He’s got you, He won’t leave you & He loves you…Whatever it is that you are going through, He has you there for a purpose… be content with where you are.

Phil 4:11-13

  11Not that I am implying that I was in any personal want, for I have learned how to be content (satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever state I am.

    12I know how to be abased and live humbly in straitened circumstances, and I know also how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance. I have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation, whether well-fed or going hungry, having a sufficiency and enough to spare or going without and being in want.

    13I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency].

Here are some encouraging verses to remind you to come to God in prayer & ask Him what it is that you desire… most importantly, ask for your heart to desire what He desires.

Matthew 7:7 "Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.”

Matthew 7:8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Matthew 18:19  "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.

Matthew 21:22  If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."

Mark 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Luke 11:9 "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

John 14:13  And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.

John 15:7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.

John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

John 16:23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

1 John 3:22 And receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.

1 John 5:14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

My trip to Guatemala!

Dear Family and Friends,

God has blessed me with an amazing opportunity to work with children in Guatemala for a week this summer. Mike and Dottie Clark, a couple from Louisiana, answered God’s call to reach out to the orphaned and abused children in Guatemala 21 years ago. They started Casa Para Niños Aleluya to house, feed and educate needy children with the sole purpose of spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. They currently house 379 children in eleven dormitories on two adjoining properties. Their prayer is that these children will become the future leaders of Guatemala and will make significant improvements by applying the Christian principles they learn in the home.

I am extremely excited about working with the children at Casa Para Niños Aleluya this summer. The ministry simply cares for the abandoned, orphaned, and abused children in Guatemala by providing food, clothing, shelter, education, and spiritual discipleship. Their primary vision is to impart Christ's perfect love to broken innocence and create an equipped follower of Jesus who is transformed into a powerful witness of God's grace and mercy to the world.

Casa Para Niños Aleluya runs solely on donations and volunteers. As you can imagine, there are a variety of needs in the home. God has graciously met each of those needs throughout the years by supplying volunteers for child care and construction projects and funds for bills such as water, gas and electricity.

In preparation for this trip, one of the most important things I will need is prayer. I ask that you remember me, my team and the children we will be working with in Guatemala. I would ask that you pray God would use each of us as his hands and feet to continue His work in Guatemala.

We will be leaving for Guatemala on July 8, 2010 and returning on July 15, 2010. The total cost of the trip is $1,200. Anything above the amount I am able to raise will go directly to the children at Casa Para Niños Aleluya. Any donations you could make to help would be greatly appreciated.

James 1:27 says, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” I strongly feel God’s call to minister to these needy children. I have been blessed abundantly; I can only pray that God would use me to bless others.

Thank you,

Kat Crawford

World Outback Ministries

World Outback Ministries is a non-profit 501 (a) (3) organization for ministry use only. The Federal Tax ID # is #26-3611081. Any donations made to World Outback Ministries are tax deductable. Any donations can be made out to me, but if you would like your donation to be a tax deduction, please make your check out to: World Outback Ministries. Leave the memo section blank.

Financial donations can be given here: MAKE SURE YOU FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW THE LINK 


http://worldoutbackministries.org/donations.aspx 




INSTRUCTIONS:
Once you click on the link above, click on "special instructions" and designate it to the Guatemala mission trip. Mention my name otherwise it won't go towards my trip. 


You can also give donations to me directly, or even mail them to this address. Make sure you print this info out to mail along with it. 

World Outback Ministries

PO Box 691416

Charlotte

NC 28227

Thank you for your thoughtful consideration and continued prayers!

A Fathers love

The other day I was doing my daily reading & the study that morning was about the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32. I know the Lord was trying to speak to me through it because not only did I read it that morning but when I went out to my car & listened to a sermon on the way to work, guess what it was on… yep, you guessed it!...the prodigal son! I couldn’t quite figure out what He wanted me to get from it because I am not far from Him so I knew it wasn’t anything to do with coming back to the Lord. I’m close with Him and spend every morning in His word. So I was trying to look at it from another perspective… and then it hit me… that maybe I don’t accept Gods unconditional love as a father… I constantly think I have to be perfect in order to gain His love…and I wear myself out. Also that there are some things that need to be worked through in my relationship with my biological dad… I realized that I never had that “Father figure” growing up. I never had a dad to tell me he loves me no matter what, to hug me and give me a pat on the back when I did something good. I had a dad… he just never did those things. I honestly can’t recall any good memories I have with my dad growing up. Then as I grew up, I would always seek approval from all the wrong places. Until my step dad came along…He always tried to be that father figure that I never had, BUT, because I had never had that, I wouldn’t allow him to be. I would always keep my heart closed up tight. I would take whatever he said with a pinch of salt. When he would give me compliments or tell me I did good, I would feel awkward and put my guard up. I never grew up with parents that told me they loved me, I had someone recently ask “well how do you know” …I said, I just assumed… they are my parents, they have to love me. Don’t get me wrong, my mum was a great mum & I never doubted that she loved me, we just never said it.

My whole life it was always very difficult to get close to people and I struggled with receiving complements, and still do to a certain extent. I have learned to say “Thank you” and change the subject. The Lord is working with me on that!

It’s only been since I have had a relationship with the Lord have I learned what it’s like to have a “Father”. I lean on Him for EVERYTHING, I go to Him when I struggle, I go to Him when I need to make a decision, I go to Him when I need to hear His truth about myself when I feel insecure, I go to Him when I feel like He is asking me to do something uncomfortable so that He can tell me it will be OK & He’s got my back.

There has been nothing so comforting as knowing I have a father that loves me, cares about me and wants to give me everything my heart desires.

When I read the prodigal son, It reminded me that no matter what I’ve done in my life, who I have tried to seek approval from, God will always be there, approve of me and love me… unconditionally! That also made me realize that my step dad wants to do the same. I need to learn to accept that and be open to receiving his love as a father the way I receive Christ’s. It’s easier said than done!

I was listening to a sermon by Pastor Craig Groeschel the other day and he was talking about how his daughter wanted an i-touch and he was saying there is no way she is getting that. Then he went to watch her in a state spelling competition and he was so proud of her for going to state and have a chance at winning the spelling bee… and then she missed it, she messed up the last word. He said she was crushed and at that point, he wanted to do anything he could to make her happy… so he went and got the i-touch for her to make her feel better and help heal her broken heart!

That’s the way God sees us… He is proud of us and loves us so much… that when we fail or fall, He will do whatever it takes to make us happy, He will pursue us and give us every thing we desire. His heart breaks for us just as much as a parents heart breaks for their kid when they are crushed!

This morning I was reflecting on all that God has done in my life… He has given me EVERYTHING I need… I don’t NEED anything. He has given me almost every desire of my heart, except for one… and that’s a family. But in due time! I don’t worry or doubt because He has come through with everything else for me, I know He will come through on this too, in His time! I have too much work to do for Him right now, to be focusing on that would just be a distraction. God is never late, He is never early, He is always perfectly on time! & as a good friend said this morning “When our heart desires what God desires, He will give it to you”

In the meantime… I will continue to do what He has called me to do, be His hands & feet & to be the light in the world.
Who in your life do you seek approval from? Who in your life keeps your main focus? The Lord should be the answer for both of those. If He wasn't, take a good hard look at why He isn't your sole source of contentment. He is all you need, He loves you more than you can ever fathom... Soak in His love today!

PS… Howard, I love you and I appreciate you being an amazing step dad to me, even when I was the biggest pain in the bum :) Thank you for always loving me the way you have! I love you as if you were my biological dad. I pray that God gives me a man as good as you!

What does each of these say about God!?

Today I was doing a prayer study from my good friend, Wendy Blights blog! She asked us to read these verses & write what each verse says about God… It was great to be able to put in to words what I know in my mind. Somehow when I write, it clarifies things for me. I would love to share it with you in hopes that it will encourage you & remind you that God is so good and loves you no matter what!

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

God loves us so much that He explains how to live a fulfilling life... that does not include living out our fleshy desires. He created our bodies, He lives in us & He bought us at a high price. We are of intrinsic value to God. So because our bodies are His & were given to us to take care of, He wants what's best for us & so we should honor that! He has explained clearly how to do that and it breaks my heart when I see teenage girls, or even adults for that matter, who sell themselves short by trying to impress boys/men with provocative clothing. Girls you are worth so much more than you think. If any man is worth being with, he would encourage you to wear appropriate clothing out in public. Any man that doesn’t, isn’t worth giving the time of day! If he’s not looking at your eyes…run! Believe me, I have been down that rd & it doesn’t lead anywhere good. The famous line that all mums say “If I knew then what I know now… I would do things so differently!” But you live & you learn. Do not settle!!! Honor God by waiting for the one that honors you! 

Psalm 139:1-4

1 You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. 
2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 
3 You discern my going out and my lying down; 
   you are familiar with all my ways. 
4 Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely.

I love that God already knows! He knows my every thought, my every movement, He knows my thoughts before I know them! He knows every situation in my life that is going to happen & how I am going to handle it. He knows what decisions I am going to make before I even make them. You can never surprise God!

John 14:7

7 If you really know me, you will know^[a^] my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

He is everywhere & available to everyone!

Hebrews 13:8

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

That’s comforting to know that Jesus will never change! I can trust Him because  He is consistent! Not always predictable, but consistent & reliable!

Romans 8:38-39

38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[a^] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God is strong & nothing can separate us from Him. When we are truly saved  we can’t lose that. We can fall away but He will always pursue us! I am SO grateful when He does!! I never want to be without the Lord. I am nothing without Him. He has built me into the person I am today & will continue to grow me to the person He made me to be!

Colossians 1:15-17

 15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Because God created us for him, He loves us!!! He loves when we praise & worship Him – He wants to pour out his blessings over us! He can’t do that when we don’t acknowledge what we are put on this earth for, to worship Him & advance HIS kingdom, not our own!

I love the last line “And in Him all things hold together”

When we want what God wants, for the reason God wants it, we are unstoppable! He will hold every plan, idea, vision, friendship, relationship, job, position, situation together when we are In His will!

James 1:5

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

He is such a good, gracious God! He will give all His love & blessings freely. He just wants us to ask Him. Not because he NEEDS us to, but for us to acknowledge in our own minds that we can only get true wisdom from Him, not on our own.

1 John 1:9

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

I’m so thankful that when we confess our sins that He is so gracious to forgive us! We are human, we always fall short & make mistakes in some area of our lives. But He will show us those sins one by one and slowly work them out of us. He will refine us so that we may become more and more like Him everyday!

I end with this…

Joshua 1:7-9 

 7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Don't ever underestimate God!... He's got you!

God always has a purpose & He intends to follow through with it even if you try to back out! He may have showed you something that intimidates the crap out of you so much that you start to think you aren’t capable of doing it… ever been there?! Yeah, me too! But I love how he Re-affirms His plan by placing you in certain situations with certain people.

Today I went to serve at the Urban ministry Center & I had a blast! I love getting to talk to the neighbors & finding out about their lives. Most of them have some amazing stories. They are always so thankful & positive…it’s a blessing to see & truly makes me appreciate what I have.  I love to be able to hear from God through the least likely person.

Elevation staff went to Urban to serve for love week. Since I am the liaison for Urban & Elevation I got to be a part of it too. We broke off into small groups & shadowed some of the staff that work or volunteer at the center. I chose the counseling dept. because that interests me & I would love to volunteer in that area when I have some free time.

Our group ended up shrinking from 7 to 3…and I was kind of hesitant as to how it was going to work out. I thought that maybe it wouldn’t be as impactful with 3 people. But I was dead wrong. We were able to sit in with 2 of the neighbors, a guy named Luis & a young girl named Angel. They talked with us about their lives & how Urban is helping them get back on their feet… One of the Elevation staff in my team asked them “what is your passion? What would you love to do?” and Angel answered with “I would love to do hair” Both Elevation staff members just looked at me and I sat there smiling. They both knew what I was thinking because they both heard about my pg 23 vision God gave me a couple weeks ago.  THAT was all I needed to hear to know that God was telling me to stay strong, keep focused and believe that anything is possible with Him!  I want to be able to train girls, like Angel & pour into them with what I have been filled with! I want to pull out their potential and believe in them when no one else does.

Over this past weekend I had been having doubts about whether I want to follow through with this vision or not, mainly because I haven’t had time to sit & think about what needs to be done, because I have been focused on Love Week (one thing at a time!) Do you ever question whether you should follow this path or that one? Both are good, but which one is great? Which one will please God more? It can be a confusing thing! The great path is not always the easy one.

This past weekend Pastor talked about Honor. He said that when we honor people, God blesses us. When we miss an opportunity to honor someone, God can’t pour out the blessings He wants to on our lives. Pastor got me thinking when He said “what if we could see what God could see and were able to know all the opportunities we had missed to receive a blessing from God if we had honored somebody, & even what blessing we could have been to that person!” that’s a heart wrenching thought for me… I don’t ever want to miss an opportunity to be a blessing to someone when that is what God has called me to be. That statement pushes me to be great, that statement pushes me to do better, that statement pushes me to get out of my comfort zone and do things that I wouldn’t usually do, because He has called me to do it! Being able to honor someone shows obedience to God…if you aren’t obedient, you won’t receive the blessings He so longs to give you.

If God has given you a vision or placed you in a position you are uncomfortable in, yet you're doubting if this is where you SHOULD be or if you should DO it… change your perspective. There is a reason He has you there, there is a reason He gave you that vision. Stand in His love & know that this is what you were created for! God designed you for this very thing. Don't ever underestimate Him! It may seem daunting to begin with because you are extremely out of your comfort zone, but that’s where God grows you the most & when you are obedient there, that is when He will poor out the biggest blessings in your life… Do what He is calling you to do & watch what happens!