Day 5 - 25 Days of Christmas

Well...it turns out I forgot to take a picture, but today I had a new experience. Kelsey and I, drove down to Naples and went to First Baptist Haitian Mission. We had a great time. Church was very similar to church in Haiti. I loved the tradition, how welcoming and loving the people are. I can't wait to go visit again so I can get to know the people and hear there stories.

Day 3 & 4 - 25 Days of Christmas

 Day 3 - Sanibel Island

I have a great group of friends and two of my best friends both work for PR firms, which help put on events. Well, it so happens that they usually need volunteers to work the events. It's usually tough work, but am happy to help, (by tough I mean, work for 2 hours talking to people and then free food and fund with friends after). We have a great time. Last night was luminary for Sanibel and Quinton and I were in charge at a trolley pick up. On our list was to control the crowd, you know it did get a little hard, but we were able to calm them down with Grandma

 got ran over by a reindeer. HAHA!!! So fun.
Besides, that I got to work with Quinton...He is such a great friend. I know if I ever need anything, I could just call him and he would be there to help or to comfort!! He is the best!

 Day 4 - Saturday mornings at the apartment with the roommate. I must admit when Beth moved out and Renee moved in, I knew I would miss our Saturday morning routine of Coffee and College game day. While nothing could replace that...Renee seems to love the Saturday morning routine of coffee and hang out (so we may have switched to movies instead of college game day). Also you may not notice from these pictures but we are in sweatshirts, sweatpants, socks, and using 2 blankets each.. We had a cold front come through and left our windows open; our house was only 65 degrees this morning. A little chilly!! But who doesn't love that.

I am so thankful for Renee...She has been a great roommate and become a great friend! She is a great listener and does a great job of getting me out of the house, it seems I am able to stay up a little bit later and still function! Also, she does a great job of keeping me accountable spiritually and encouraging me in my faith! Renee is also a great friend and will absolutely do anything for anyone, she has such a servants heart that saying no to helping people is so difficult!! Love you girl, maybe we will have to continue saturday mornings via skype??

Day 2 - 25 Days of Christmas

Morning coffee with Alicia. Alicia is a great friend. I am so thankful for her friendship, for her desire to sharpen those around her. I am so proud of her and the godly women she has become. I am proud of her faith and her desire to be obedient to God's call. I love her desire to learn more about God and her love for God's word.

Thank you Alicia for being a great friend, an encourager and another girl, that I can enjoy sports with :) Love you...

Day 1 - 25 Days of Christmas

I am going to attempt it...attempt to document the 25 days of Christmas.

Today, like most Wednesday's, I had coffee with Kesley. I am so thankful that God has put her into my life. She is like a younger sister I never had. It is such and honor and a blessing to meet with her and I am so thankful that she shares her life with me. She is one of the wisest 16 year olds I have ever met. I have learned so much from her. I am so excited about her passion for God and her desire to serve Him, wherever He will take her.

Thank you Kelsey....I can't wait to see what God does in your life!!

A good heart

I was having a conversation last night and I heard the words, “but I have a good heart.” I can’t help but think, yes we are all created with good hearts, that was the way God intended, but how far we have come from our “good hearts” As I sit on a roof top in Haiti whose country has been and is torn by government leaders that are corrupt, I wonder what if they had “good hearts” how different would this country look. The problem with our hearts, not that there isn’t good in them, but how so many other “gods” have filled the space, not allowing our one true God to have total reign. I’ve been doing a bible study (Kelly Minter) that talk about letting go of the gods that have taken space in our hearts and making room for God. The difficult part of this making room, is often giving up things we like (most of us don’t really put things in our heart we don’t like) and heading to a new place, that is rather unknown. What will it look like if God has total reign over my heart, where will that lead. The truth is while we will be safer with room in our hearts, it seems so unsafe, because it is unfamiliar and it doesn’t feel like home.

While the words that were said to me last night, may not be true for all of us, since sin has entered our hearts, if we are willing to let go of those other gods and give GOD total reign over our heart, we will have a good heart. There is hope.

He is Faithful

Isaiah 55: 1-2

“Come, everyone who thirsts,

come to the waters;

and he who has no money,

come, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk

without money and without price.

Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,

and your labor for that which does not satisfy?

Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,

and delight yourselves in rich food."

My fellow Nogiteers and I have been studying about what idols/gods we have put in our lives and today in our study the question is asked...Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread and does not satisfy? You see many of us don't intentional put idols in our lives. We believe they are "bread" or food...that they will help satisfy us. However, God calls us out....why are you putting these that aren't going to satisfy you? I sat this morning and pondered. Why do I do it? Why do I take control or make my own plans? My do I cling to people? The very loud silence in my mind (have you ever had one of those, it is soooo quiet and so loud at the same time) said, because you don't have faith. Which seems crazy to say, because I do believe He will be my provision, my all in all, my sustainer...but I am afraid of the process, I know that in the end he will get me through, but I don't have faith that he will sustain me through the process. Through the hard part, so I cling to these idols.

Today I cling to his promises, that he will sustain me and he will carry me through the process. It may heart and be refining, but HE will be with me through it all.

1 Corinthians 1:9 (AMP) "God is faithful (reliable, trustworthy, and therefore ever true to His promise, and He can be depended on); by Him you were called into companionship and participation with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."

He has promised that he will Sustain us and he is faithful. In Hebrews 12 it says that the his the author and perfecter of our faith. I am so thankful I have a God that is faithful!

Ridding myself

have you ever felt God calling you to something more, calling you to sacrifice, calling you to make more room for him into your life?? lately God has been asking me to give up things and make room for him. I must admit at first I was resistance (it seems I have this problem). I was almost even frustrated with him (justifying my frustration with fact that I am giving up a lot already to move to Haiti - wow that sounds bad just writing it). I hadn't been feeling like those things in my life He was asking me to give up were bad, however, they were taking up room in my heart and in my life. I so desire to be one with God and to obey Him and so I will joyfully rid myself of those things and lay them at his feet.

While doing my bible study this morning (Kelly Minter's- No Other Gods), we learned about Abraham and Isaac. I have read this passage so many times, and never have noticed what was brought to my attention today. Abraham loved Isaac (his promise, covenant) so much that Isaac was becoming a god to Abraham. God called Isaac to lay down Isaac and make room for him once again.

So as I walk through this week, I will again ask God to show my what he is asking me to lay at His feet!! I want to make more room for him.