Reckless

“If I am out of my mind, as some say, it is for You, God. If I am in my right mind, it is for you” -2 Corinthians 5:13

I love this verse. I want to be reckless for Jesus. Even if that means people will say I am out of my mind I’m okay with that. Jesus has transformed my life. Flipped everything that I knew…how I view the world, people, and life differently and most definitely for the better. Everything now streams from the gospel. Now don’t get me wrong, I still mess up and say things and think things everyday that I regret. But there is absolutely nothing that I love to talk about more than Jesus. Probably because I know I never deserved what He did for me. It’s absolutely incredible.

That being said, if you give me an opportunity to talk about Jesus, I won’t want to stop. So tonight I’m just going to share how amazing He is. How He transforms lives for the better.

I was living in a city that I will not verbalize online. But let’s just say I was a bit frustrated at the lack of interest towards Jesus over a series of a few weeks. I had tried to have spiritual conversations. Usually as a result of some taxi driver asking me to marry him for my green card, only to find out why I wouldn’t marry him was because I follow Jesus...which generally led to an explanation of how Allah and my God are different. Pretty exciting stuff, except generally speaking, they just wanted to know why I wouldn’t want to marry them. So after many frustrating conversations that only lead to sticky situations I thought to myself, I’m just not going to talk to this taxi driver tonight. I’m done and tired of trying.

Wouldn’t you know that was the one night God was going to examine my heart. I’m riding in my taxi. My driver is up front, long beard, beady eyes, about the age of a 28 year old or so. He’s looking at me in his rear view mirror as he listens to the Koran being played over his ancient car stereo. “You know Jesus, don’t you?” he asks. Taken by surprise I look into the mirror at his eyes. “How do you know?” I asked. He responds with, “I am not sure, but the Koran says I should read the Bible. Do you have one?” In my mind I think to myself, “SERIOUSLY, LORD?!” So as if a divine appointment couldn’t have been more obvious, I find a Bible in my bag and immediately give it to him. He looks at it, “Please don’t give me this new Bible, please find me one that is old so I won’t be taking from you”. I can see him shaking in excitement. “No please,” I say, “I believe Jesus wants me to give this to you”. He smiles back at me through his beard. “I promise to read this,” He says with an eager grin. Then he drops me off as he drives away reading the bible over his car steering wheel….

It’s amazing what I learned from this experience. The moment I don’t depend on MYSELF to share, God always blows my mind. He brings in people who are ready to hear. Who are excited and hungry so that I don’t even have to go look for them. How sweet it is that the Lord, if we depend on His Spirit, He brings conversations to us. If only I could live by the Spirit everyday. Father, please help me to hear the tones of your voices. Make me ready to move, to speak, to turn and to discern your voice when You command me to go. May I be absolutely out of my mind for You.

To live is CHRIST, to die is GAIN

“They triumphed over him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; 
they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.” –Rev: 12:11

This past week at the Kanakuk Institute we studied Church History. Over three days we started with the Great Commission and ended in present times. It was so interesting to learn how the different denominations began and how different theologians have inspired us and have led us to a deeper understanding of the Lord.

One of my favorite parts of the week though, would have to be the stories of all the people who had given their lives for what they believe in. There are so many incredible stories of how time and time again, followers of Christ were asked to recant from their faith in Jesus Christ in order that they might live, but they never did. These are my heroes. I pray, that if faced with the same decision, I too, would have the faith and strength to stand up for Jesus.

One of the men that was mentioned this week in class was a man by the name of Adoniram Judson. Andoniram Judson became one of the first missionaries to the country of Burma, where he and his wife would continuously suffer trials for the sake of bringing the gospel to the Burmese people. Immediately upon entering Burma, Judson and his wife, Ann, began language studies. But it wouldn’t be until 5 years later that Judson would have a first convert into Christianity.

As the gospel spread throughout Burma and Judson’s completion of translating the Gospel into Burmese was complete, opposition began to rise. Most of the opposition came from the war between Burma and the British East Indian government. The Burmese skepticism of Judson and his western heritage, led them to arrest him and his colleague in 1824. They were then taken to a death prison where they were repeatedly tortured. For eleven months they were kept here, only surviving starvation through the daily visits form Judson’s wife who would bring them as much food as was allowed.

After eleven months in this prison, Judson was moved to an even worse prison. He would be in this prison for six months, again only surviving by his wife’s visits. Judson prison guards were forbidden to execute him due to his phenomenal language skills that the Burmese desired to use for negotiations in the war. Eventually, they would release Judson as a result of British involvement.

Immediately following his release, Judson continued tirelessly in missionary work. However, this wasn’t the end to his trials. His wife would die a few months following his release from prison. He would eventually remarry, many years later to a woman named Sarah Boardman. But after having children together, she too would die leaving him with children to raise on his own.

It would be years later, before Judson would again remarry. He and his third wife served tirelessly in Burma for years sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ boldly. Incredibly enough, Judson’s goal was to share with 100 people and that 100 Burmese would come to know Christ. But as a result of his faithful obedience to the Lord’s calling on his life to live in Burma, over 3,000 Burmese would come to have personal relationships with the Lord Jesus.

Judson would eventually die of a disease. But his faithful obedience to follow the Lord has led Burma to have thousands of Baptist Churches there today. Judson’s story is one of remarkable suffering, but in the midst of it all, his legacy will be remembered forever as one who daily died to self, and gave up his life for the cause of Christ. Adoniram Judson is just one of many heroes of the faith who believed that Jesus Christ and what he did on the cross for us was worth laying down their own lives for the sake of others.

Ya Masra

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/11/world/middleeast/coptics-criticize-egypt-government-over-killings.html?_r=1&ref=global-home

talked to maggie for a short time today. the thing she kept saying over and over again on skype was "pray for egypt. pray for egypt".

Maggie is a Coptic Christian, and in light of the recent Egyptian Revolution, Coptics especially face a hard road ahead. In any event, I agree with Mags, we gotta pray more for Egypt. Waiting for Isaiah 19 to be fulfilled!

Vision

So first week of Kanakuk Institute and we're already told to make our vision statement for our LIVES. yeah HARD. Except that there were some obvious givens. These verses came to mind while pondering over the significance of at least having SOME vision. encourage you to think of one too. It was pretty awesome.

“I do not count my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus Christ, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” –Acts 20:24

“…They glorified God because of me.” –Galatians 1:24

“Seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on the Earth” Col. 3:12

“Know the God of Your father and serve Him with a whole heart and with a willing mind” -1 Ch. 28:9

“For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God, if we are in our right mind, it is for God” -2 Cor 5:13

So, although subject to some change, without further ado, my vision thus far in the school year:

To seek and know God so that I might not count anything more significant than to finish my course in testifying to the gospel of the grace of God so that men might glorify Him because of me.”

"Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart,

naught be all else to me, save that thou art;

Thou my best thought by day or by night,

Waking or sleeping, thy presence my light."

Waiting

So today I prayed a selfish prayer. My iPod had crashed and I ordered a new one online that said it would be shipped out and arrive by the end of the day monday to my hands! Gosh...life without music...hard. Anyways, it was monday, around noon and we had exactly 5 minutes left before my mom and i would drive to the beach to meet up with the rest of the fam. So, I went outside to load my clothes in the back of the SUV and prayed, "Lord, i know this is slightly ridiculous but it would be so nice of you if my iPod would arrive within the next 5 minutes". And wouldn't you know I said "Amen" just in time to hear a huge UPS truck pull up to my drive and hand me my iPod. He has a great sense of humor and a reminder that His timing is always perfect!

But even now, as I pray for certain requests, remembering how quickly He answered that one, it is still difficult to trust Him with the things I'm "waiting for". I guess it's frustrating in a sense that I know He could tell me the wheres, whens, and hows of what I'm suppose to do/apply for in a split second. But then, I wouldn't be learning the art of waiting upon Him. Matter of fact, I'd probably take the fact that He has a plan for my life for granted. And now I'm clinging to that promise like it's the field with the hidden treasure.

so until i get those answers that He's waiting to reveal to me (and to us), I'll just keep praying, Lord, let Your Kingdom come in my life and in this world. And keep pressing on towards the prize. And prayerfully, will keep my eyes on the cross and what was paid there that ended up flipping my world upside down for the better.

Praying for you all too, as we all seem to be waiting on something.

summer!

despite the fact i have pneumonia (who gets pneumonia in may, right?), i've been so grateful for this week of rest. I thought i'd be at kamp after a whirlwind of fishing, kid watching, and packing, but my lungs apparentely had other ideas. so here i am, after a week of good solid rest, so ready to be at kamp!! i leave tomorrow. I'm still not over everything, but I feel so so so much better and excited at what the future holds! it should be a hilarious summer.

did i mention i'm going to be an aunt to another any day now? seriously, kimbo could call me now and tell me it's time! ah! i can't wait to find out what she's having!

babies!

Sooo... I can't help but steal these pictures from my sister's blog! I can't wait to be an Aunt AGAIN!! and crazily enough, round 2 begins next month, and round 3 right after! And as much as I'm excited to meet lil' one (be it a boy or girl) in June, and lil' boy in July, I really just can't wait to spend some time with my #1. Sure do love my first nephew! Granted, I know as soon as these little blessings arrive, my heart will get a little bit wider. And yes, I do realize how cheesy I sound!