Hi everyone! For those of you that follow me, I have decided to change blog sites. I think I have found another blog that has better options. Here it is:
http://runningtheracethelifestory.wordpress.com
Please be sure to check it out and subscribe to my e-mail list. Every time I write a blog, it should be sent to your e-mail. I'm still working on getting myself familiarized with wordpress so be patient with me. I hope that you've enjoyed following me and will continue to do that with my new blog.
Thank you very much!
Heather
Monday, December 13, 2010
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Spiritual battlefield...
I have to apologize for not writing a blog entry in a long time! I have been extremely overwhelmed lately and have been in a war, spiritually speaking. I mean this so very bluntly. Many people do not realize that we have a battle to fight in our daily lives, whether for ourselves or for others. Too often we go about our normal routine so unprepared and blinded by the fact that Satan is doing everything he can to destroy our lives. Wake up people! There is a battle going on – and it’s the battle between the God’s army and Satan’s army. The bible is very clear about Satan’s tactics. As it says in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
Going back a few months, I really believe God has been preparing me for this spiritual battle I have been experiencing. Before I dive into this, have you ever prayed a prayer and had an expectation of turning out the way you want it to turn out? Allow me to be transparent. Last summer, I was camping for a week with my parents up in northern Wisconsin. It’s a beautiful state, by the way! I spent a week in a deeper relationship with the Lord. I spent more time in prayer, bible reading, living in simplicity (no phones or technology), and allowing myself to be still and being open. I distinctly remember expressing my discontentment in my relationship with the Lord. It wasn’t because I lacked the disciplines in my bible reading and prayer life. I felt like I was spiritually growing. Rather, it was because I wanted MORE! I just wasn’t satisfied. I wanted God to dig deeper, wider, and longer into my life. I desired for my relationship with Him to continue to get stronger and stronger! I remembered my prayer to God regarding the desire to experience something so powerful. At the time, I was thinking about the disciples healing people and witnessing miracles. I wanted to experience what Jesus’ disciples experienced. Little did I know what I was getting into, but God knew and just smiled.
Let me just tell you that Satan will do everything he can to shoot lies, confusion, hate, insults, temptations, mixed emotions, setbacks, hopelessness, and so on to throw us off. What are we to do when that happens? As human beings, we are so weak, vulnerable, and sensitive. I have been attacked by anxiety a couple of times here and there. It was really uncomfortable and stressful! I had to learn to depend and trust in God with His Truth no matter what attacks was being thrown to me. Quite honestly, there have been times when I felt confused. During that confusion, I turned to the Word to seek for His truth and prayed for His truth. God revealed His truths to me and built me up. I knew I had to continue to nourish my life with His truth constantly because Satan can just come at any moment to throw me off. I am reminded that to be able to withstand the attacks, I must always depend on God’s strength and use every piece of His armor – the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20). What are they?
1. Belt of TRUTH. Satan will fight us with lies and sometimes the lies sound like the truth (we must believe in God’s truth to defeat that).
2. Breastplate of RIGHTEOUSNESS. Satan will attack our hearts where our emotions, self-worth, and trust are located (God will protect our hearts).
3. Footgear of READINESS. Satan wants us to think that telling others about God is worthless and hopeless (God gives us motivation to proclaim who He is to others).
4. Shield of FAITH. Satan will insult, tempt, and setback our lives (God helps us to see beyond our circumstances and know the victory is ours).
5. Helmet of SALVATION. Satan will make us doubt God (God will protect our minds).
6. Sword of SPIRIT. Satan will attack us (God gives us the Bible to use as a weapon against those attacks).
We all experience some type of challenge in our lives. If you feel discouraged and defeated, don’t. It is easy to be frightened by the wickedness we see all around us and feel overwhelmed by the problems we face. Evil seems to feel stronger than we are, but rest assured, God is even STRONGER! Knowing that God has an eternal purpose for us will help us through these difficult times. 1 John 4:4, “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in your is greater than the one who is in the world.” Don’t lose hope. God will conquer all evil and His Spirit and His Word lives right in our hearts!
Dear Lord God, sometimes life is just a big struggle and there are days when it just feels too difficult. Help us to always know that you are with us and will give us the strength to persevere. You always have a lesson for us to learn, so help us open our hearts and minds to see that. And help us to be ready, suited up in the armor of God, and prepared to fight the battle. This will be an ongoing battle until the day that Jesus Christ returns to conquer evil once and for all. The victory is ours, Lord! Thank you, in Jesus’ name, I pray, AMEN!
Going back a few months, I really believe God has been preparing me for this spiritual battle I have been experiencing. Before I dive into this, have you ever prayed a prayer and had an expectation of turning out the way you want it to turn out? Allow me to be transparent. Last summer, I was camping for a week with my parents up in northern Wisconsin. It’s a beautiful state, by the way! I spent a week in a deeper relationship with the Lord. I spent more time in prayer, bible reading, living in simplicity (no phones or technology), and allowing myself to be still and being open. I distinctly remember expressing my discontentment in my relationship with the Lord. It wasn’t because I lacked the disciplines in my bible reading and prayer life. I felt like I was spiritually growing. Rather, it was because I wanted MORE! I just wasn’t satisfied. I wanted God to dig deeper, wider, and longer into my life. I desired for my relationship with Him to continue to get stronger and stronger! I remembered my prayer to God regarding the desire to experience something so powerful. At the time, I was thinking about the disciples healing people and witnessing miracles. I wanted to experience what Jesus’ disciples experienced. Little did I know what I was getting into, but God knew and just smiled.
Let me just tell you that Satan will do everything he can to shoot lies, confusion, hate, insults, temptations, mixed emotions, setbacks, hopelessness, and so on to throw us off. What are we to do when that happens? As human beings, we are so weak, vulnerable, and sensitive. I have been attacked by anxiety a couple of times here and there. It was really uncomfortable and stressful! I had to learn to depend and trust in God with His Truth no matter what attacks was being thrown to me. Quite honestly, there have been times when I felt confused. During that confusion, I turned to the Word to seek for His truth and prayed for His truth. God revealed His truths to me and built me up. I knew I had to continue to nourish my life with His truth constantly because Satan can just come at any moment to throw me off. I am reminded that to be able to withstand the attacks, I must always depend on God’s strength and use every piece of His armor – the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20). What are they?
1. Belt of TRUTH. Satan will fight us with lies and sometimes the lies sound like the truth (we must believe in God’s truth to defeat that).
2. Breastplate of RIGHTEOUSNESS. Satan will attack our hearts where our emotions, self-worth, and trust are located (God will protect our hearts).
3. Footgear of READINESS. Satan wants us to think that telling others about God is worthless and hopeless (God gives us motivation to proclaim who He is to others).
4. Shield of FAITH. Satan will insult, tempt, and setback our lives (God helps us to see beyond our circumstances and know the victory is ours).
5. Helmet of SALVATION. Satan will make us doubt God (God will protect our minds).
6. Sword of SPIRIT. Satan will attack us (God gives us the Bible to use as a weapon against those attacks).
We all experience some type of challenge in our lives. If you feel discouraged and defeated, don’t. It is easy to be frightened by the wickedness we see all around us and feel overwhelmed by the problems we face. Evil seems to feel stronger than we are, but rest assured, God is even STRONGER! Knowing that God has an eternal purpose for us will help us through these difficult times. 1 John 4:4, “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in your is greater than the one who is in the world.” Don’t lose hope. God will conquer all evil and His Spirit and His Word lives right in our hearts!
Dear Lord God, sometimes life is just a big struggle and there are days when it just feels too difficult. Help us to always know that you are with us and will give us the strength to persevere. You always have a lesson for us to learn, so help us open our hearts and minds to see that. And help us to be ready, suited up in the armor of God, and prepared to fight the battle. This will be an ongoing battle until the day that Jesus Christ returns to conquer evil once and for all. The victory is ours, Lord! Thank you, in Jesus’ name, I pray, AMEN!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
The Life to Choose...
Luke 9:23-24, "Then he said to them all: 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.' "
Jesus' words surprises a lot of us, even the high priest, Pharisees, and Sadduces during his days on earth. I mean, how many of us don't want to save our own lives? We tend to hang onto it with deep passion. We strive to build up our lives with our own purposes with anything we can think of - our reputation, our families, our friends, our careers, our accomplishments, our health, our recreation, our things, our ideas, and so on... Honestly, I can think of some things that is difficult for me to let go of and recently the Lord spoke to my heart (again) to challenge me. It hurt and it's hard, but it's not impossible.
What things, people, or idea do you cling to in this present day to define your life - makes you feel alive? (Take a minute to think about this). Now, ask yourself this: Am I attached to these things, people, or idea? Whether your answer is a yes or no, now ask yourself this: How do I measure my own reaction if God takes these things, people, or idea away from me? These are what we've created as our idols when fill ourselves with these false props to make us feel good, feel alive, feel like we're worthy. God says there's a better way and this way requires change, sacrifice, and leads to life. How?
Jesus says we must stop clinging to these things, but here's the catch. He actually condemns us of this natural tendency. God must first take them away, and we must let go of them. You may think that hurts and it's true because it's the only life that we've ever known. The truth is that the things we fill our void with in this world will never truly satisfy and it's always temporary. And that's the problem, we seek fulfillment in unworthy things - things that will not last.
I'm thinking about the things that I love to do such as running. I have often wondered what if one day I'm not able to run anymore. Whatever the reason may be, I just cannot picture myself not running. The thought is depressing for me. I remember a few times when I had ailments that prevented me from running for a few days, such as sickness or low back pain. I felt devastated and it brought me much closer to the Lord in showing me the true meaning of where my heart is at the moment. I know that running is just simply a pleasure that I have in this world, but it's not the ultimate thing that will last. Yes, there are many days I run for the joy of the Lord. It's my time of prayer and meditation. What I need to remember is that it's not the running that makes me feel better, but it's Jesus that came in and fills my soul. Life is so much more than just running and that's JESUS!
You may genuinely feel like you're losing your life when you let something go, but ultimately it's a way to save it according to Jesus. Jesus says to loosen your clutch and to let go. When you truly begin to do that, you will begin to experience the true life God wants you to experience! Maybe it doesn't make sense to you now, but eventually it will! The Lord will show you when you keep seeking Him with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:13). And remember that God's ways is always right:
Proverbs 14:12, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death."
Jesus' words surprises a lot of us, even the high priest, Pharisees, and Sadduces during his days on earth. I mean, how many of us don't want to save our own lives? We tend to hang onto it with deep passion. We strive to build up our lives with our own purposes with anything we can think of - our reputation, our families, our friends, our careers, our accomplishments, our health, our recreation, our things, our ideas, and so on... Honestly, I can think of some things that is difficult for me to let go of and recently the Lord spoke to my heart (again) to challenge me. It hurt and it's hard, but it's not impossible.
What things, people, or idea do you cling to in this present day to define your life - makes you feel alive? (Take a minute to think about this). Now, ask yourself this: Am I attached to these things, people, or idea? Whether your answer is a yes or no, now ask yourself this: How do I measure my own reaction if God takes these things, people, or idea away from me? These are what we've created as our idols when fill ourselves with these false props to make us feel good, feel alive, feel like we're worthy. God says there's a better way and this way requires change, sacrifice, and leads to life. How?
Jesus says we must stop clinging to these things, but here's the catch. He actually condemns us of this natural tendency. God must first take them away, and we must let go of them. You may think that hurts and it's true because it's the only life that we've ever known. The truth is that the things we fill our void with in this world will never truly satisfy and it's always temporary. And that's the problem, we seek fulfillment in unworthy things - things that will not last.
I'm thinking about the things that I love to do such as running. I have often wondered what if one day I'm not able to run anymore. Whatever the reason may be, I just cannot picture myself not running. The thought is depressing for me. I remember a few times when I had ailments that prevented me from running for a few days, such as sickness or low back pain. I felt devastated and it brought me much closer to the Lord in showing me the true meaning of where my heart is at the moment. I know that running is just simply a pleasure that I have in this world, but it's not the ultimate thing that will last. Yes, there are many days I run for the joy of the Lord. It's my time of prayer and meditation. What I need to remember is that it's not the running that makes me feel better, but it's Jesus that came in and fills my soul. Life is so much more than just running and that's JESUS!
You may genuinely feel like you're losing your life when you let something go, but ultimately it's a way to save it according to Jesus. Jesus says to loosen your clutch and to let go. When you truly begin to do that, you will begin to experience the true life God wants you to experience! Maybe it doesn't make sense to you now, but eventually it will! The Lord will show you when you keep seeking Him with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:13). And remember that God's ways is always right:
Proverbs 14:12, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death."
Monday, August 2, 2010
Priorities in this Life...
Ecclesiastes 3:9-15, “What does the worker gain from his toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil – this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him. Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account.”
Life is supposed to be so much fun! This is a special gift from God! Yet, so many of us don’t’ seem to feel that way. We complain here and there that it’s just work. Like you, I’ve been there and sometimes I still feel that way. I remember a time in my life when I felt unhappy. I was just unhappy with everything. What confused me is that I was a Christian and I was feeling this way? Deep down inside I knew that something was wrong. God wants me to live life to the fullest and I felt like I wasn’t. It was just too much work and I wasn’t motivated to do anything. This is when I dug deep down into my heart and examined it. I gave my heart of stone to God, so that I can get a new heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36: 26-27). Please understand that this was not an overnight change – it took years, and my heart is still at work in the hands of God.
One of the things that I’ve come to understand is how I choose to live my life to glorify God. The question that I was faced with myself is this: Is your heart in the right place in following God? At some point I thought it meant total sacrifice in everything – meaning I had to give up what I loved to do and the desires I had in life. In some cases this may be true, but what it truly meant is that are my priorities in order? We are called onto this earth to know God and make Him known to others. We are called to a loving relationship with God, go into discipleship, and make disciples! And this happens everywhere! Don’t miss out on the opportunity that you have in your current situation to serve Him!
There are things I truly enjoy in this life and desires that I have in my heart. I know that God wants me to take pleasure in these things as long as I have Jesus as my focus. I have discovered that real pleasure is found in enjoying the things I do as gifts from God. A good example of this is this: I love to run. I used to run for the sole purpose of keeping in good shape, being the best, and using it for my glory; and many times, running felt like it was just work because I was obsessed with when, how, where, how many times to run. Now, I truly love to run because running is my time with God in prayer. It is pure enjoyment and a time for me to feel free. It brings me a deep sense of pleasure and intimacy with God. It is no longer my obsession; rather it’s a God-obsession.
So whatever you are doing – whether it’s a job or things you enjoy – do it all for the glory of God. My job is work, but I truly enjoy it because I know God has placed me there to share the Good News to people that I am around with. There were several instances that I had an opportunity to share God’s love to my students in the classroom, through e-mail, and in person. Just knowing that I am there for a reason, and that’s to do everything I can to glorify Him. It’s no longer work; rather it’s an investment. Just remember this: It’s okay to have fun with what you enjoy in life as long as we abide in Him and our priorities are in order! I seek every opportunity to share the love of Christ and my prayer is that you will too.
1 Corinthians 10:31, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do; do it all for the glory of God.”
Lord God, I pray for everyone that reads this and examines their hearts about their relationship with you. You have given us the blessing to enjoy what life has to offer as long as we continue to abide in your ways. Maybe some of us right now feel like life is just so much work; help us to find the true pleasure. Maybe some of us truly enjoy life; help us to remember to keep you our focus and continue to follow you. I thank you, Lord, for everything! Thank you for the life you have given us on earth and the everlasting life you have in store for us! Thank you for your love, mercy, and grace! Amen.
Life is supposed to be so much fun! This is a special gift from God! Yet, so many of us don’t’ seem to feel that way. We complain here and there that it’s just work. Like you, I’ve been there and sometimes I still feel that way. I remember a time in my life when I felt unhappy. I was just unhappy with everything. What confused me is that I was a Christian and I was feeling this way? Deep down inside I knew that something was wrong. God wants me to live life to the fullest and I felt like I wasn’t. It was just too much work and I wasn’t motivated to do anything. This is when I dug deep down into my heart and examined it. I gave my heart of stone to God, so that I can get a new heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36: 26-27). Please understand that this was not an overnight change – it took years, and my heart is still at work in the hands of God.
One of the things that I’ve come to understand is how I choose to live my life to glorify God. The question that I was faced with myself is this: Is your heart in the right place in following God? At some point I thought it meant total sacrifice in everything – meaning I had to give up what I loved to do and the desires I had in life. In some cases this may be true, but what it truly meant is that are my priorities in order? We are called onto this earth to know God and make Him known to others. We are called to a loving relationship with God, go into discipleship, and make disciples! And this happens everywhere! Don’t miss out on the opportunity that you have in your current situation to serve Him!
There are things I truly enjoy in this life and desires that I have in my heart. I know that God wants me to take pleasure in these things as long as I have Jesus as my focus. I have discovered that real pleasure is found in enjoying the things I do as gifts from God. A good example of this is this: I love to run. I used to run for the sole purpose of keeping in good shape, being the best, and using it for my glory; and many times, running felt like it was just work because I was obsessed with when, how, where, how many times to run. Now, I truly love to run because running is my time with God in prayer. It is pure enjoyment and a time for me to feel free. It brings me a deep sense of pleasure and intimacy with God. It is no longer my obsession; rather it’s a God-obsession.
So whatever you are doing – whether it’s a job or things you enjoy – do it all for the glory of God. My job is work, but I truly enjoy it because I know God has placed me there to share the Good News to people that I am around with. There were several instances that I had an opportunity to share God’s love to my students in the classroom, through e-mail, and in person. Just knowing that I am there for a reason, and that’s to do everything I can to glorify Him. It’s no longer work; rather it’s an investment. Just remember this: It’s okay to have fun with what you enjoy in life as long as we abide in Him and our priorities are in order! I seek every opportunity to share the love of Christ and my prayer is that you will too.
1 Corinthians 10:31, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do; do it all for the glory of God.”
Lord God, I pray for everyone that reads this and examines their hearts about their relationship with you. You have given us the blessing to enjoy what life has to offer as long as we continue to abide in your ways. Maybe some of us right now feel like life is just so much work; help us to find the true pleasure. Maybe some of us truly enjoy life; help us to remember to keep you our focus and continue to follow you. I thank you, Lord, for everything! Thank you for the life you have given us on earth and the everlasting life you have in store for us! Thank you for your love, mercy, and grace! Amen.
Monday, June 28, 2010
2010 Jamaica Mission Trip
On the left side photo, you see our Deaf Teen Quest group with the Jamaican staff and students at Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf. It was funny watching our students getting on the plane for the first time in their life. There were a mixed set of emotions as well as pure excitement. Mostly because we did not really know what to expect. The plane ride was new for some of us. Being out of the country is a first for some of us. Experiencing a brand new culture is definitely new for most of us! I've been on two missions trip before, however, this was my first time leading. It was a completely different experience for me. I mean, who am I that God would choose me to lead this trip? I am far from being perfect, though I am a work in progress! Don't you ever wonder why in the world God would choose us to do a specific task? I know that I often wonder about that. I sit here utterly amazed that God loves me so much and trust me that I would carry out His work. This happens as a result of faith, trust, and obedience. I can think of a person in the bible, a man named Moses. Exodus 3:10-12, "So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt. But Moses said to God, 'Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?' And God said, 'I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.'" Here we see a glimpse of God calling Moses to take the people of Israel out of Egypt and later to the promise land. Moses was far from perfect. He made many mistakes. Actually, earlier in his life he murdered an Egyptian for abusing one of his Hebrew people. To make matters worse, he actually hid the Egyptian in burial thinking no one saw him. He also had many weaknesses. For example, later on he complained that he was slow in speech and felt he couldn't talk fluently. Moses asked God to find someone else to speak for him. By now, don't you think God was burning in anger? Yet, God worked with him and provided what he needed.
When I was asked to lead the Jamaica mission trip, I felt a little bit overwhelmed. Lots of doubts came running through my mind. For those of you that know me well, I'm a very shy person and the thought of stepping up into a leadership role and making decisions terrified me. Despite of what or how I felt, I knew God has called me for a purpose. Luke 9:23 says, "Then he said to them all: 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.'" Sometimes in life the Lord challenges us to do certain things and he wants us to respond. The Lord wants a YES or a NO. The Lord will still carry out His work regardless of our decisions because he knows who will respond to His calling. I chose to respond to the Lord's calling because I want to see the glory of His kingdom even if it means getting out of my comfort zone. As a result of this mission trip, I have grown and I have learned from my weaknesses. What are some areas in your life that you know the Lord is calling you to do, but you feel like you're struggling?
Now, about the mission trip. It was very humbling, powerful, and inspiring. It was an awesome experience for our Deaf teenagers because many of them never really knew what it was like in the rest of the world. Some of our teenagers come from broken families and very little income. To my inspiration, one of the teens that came from that background actually promised not to say that she is poor. Despite of living on less, there seems to be more happiness flowing in the air. The first two days we arrived, we were all hot, dirty, and sweaty. Our rooms did not have air conditioning, the temperatures were scorching hot, and shower pressures were very weak! We detached ourselves from any technology for a week. Though we were living on a lot less, the love of God was very evident! Our time and investment in building relationships with the Jamaican students by showing the love of Christ made a huge difference. Relationships were formed and lives were transformed. It was truly inspiring to be a part of God's chosen vessel to witness this work. It was hard to say goodbye to each other. There was a lot of hugging and flowing of tears.
Here are my final words. How have you responded in God's calling in your life? What are you going to do about it? God has special plans for each of our lives and he wants our commitment. Are you willing to say YES? There's no maybe in God's plans. It's either YES or NO. My prayer is that it's a YES and in turn, you must put your faith, trust, and obedience in the Lord.
Lord God, I pray right now for those who are struggling in responding to you right now. Whether it's making a commitment to follow you as Lord and Savior or to continue to obey your calling in each of their lives. Yes, it is going to be a challenge, but I know that no matter what, the victory is yours, Lord. We are victorious in Christ. Satan has no power or control over us when we choose to have faith, trust, and obey in you, Lord. Thank you so much for your love and grace. Continue to lead me and others in your direction, even when it's hard. Give us the strength we need to fight the good fight and to follow you. Thank you, Lord. In your holy and precious name, I pray, AMEN!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
The Fruit of the Spirit
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” ∼Galatians 5:22-26∼
As we grow in our relationship with the Lord, we find that our desire to please Him increases as we grow closer and closer to Him. We are not perfect, by nature, but we can grow towards perfection by allowing the Lord to transform our lives on a daily basis. We must always take the first step in this direction. I can think of many faults I have to work on and I wish I didn’t have them. I also know that through my imperfection, I am made more perfect according to His purposes (2 Corinthians 12:9). The Lord wants to use our weaknesses to develop our character and deepens our relationship with Him.
A group of us went on a DTQ missions trip to Kingston, Jamaica recently. The theme of the week was the fruit of the Spirit. Even though we were going to Jamaica to minister and develop relationship with the students from Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf (CCCD), I knew that God was also going to work on our lives as well. And sure enough, God started early! After receiving our boarding tickets, we went to the baggage drop off line. The lines seemed cluttered and it is easy to cut people off. Our group was standing in line and about 15 minutes later someone had cut us off! I was stirred by anger and I felt like I was going to pick up a fight with the lady. We were neck-to-neck for the next 30 minutes or so competing to beat each other to the check-in counter. Deep down inside I knew my attitude and motives were wrong. “But, it’s not fair! I was there first!” I replied back to myself. I was being stubborn and rebellious. The teens going on this trip saw that and were discussing how unfair this lady was being to us. There was a warfare going on inside of me. Finally, another leader told me, “Why don’t you just let this lady go. It’s not worth it.” This leader was with me side by side in competing with the lady. “I know it,” I said. I backed off and let the lady go. The Lord was teaching me how to be patient and be in self-control. It wasn’t easy, but it was the right thing to do.
Another lesson that I learned is the power of love. It’s amazing when you are willing to invest your time and energy in developing relationships with others; you begin to see the difference being made. I’m not boasting about this topic, but we (DTQ) have been told by CCCD how the students have been affected due to our time, energy, and relationship we invested in one week of their lives. They have never experience this type of relational ministry compared to other ministries that have come to their school. There was a young mature girl whose brother was recently killed by a gang member a few weeks prior to our visit. She’s the only Christian in her family and she was devastated! We invited her to join in our devotional time one evening. I shared a short message regarding running the race for the prize that lasts (1 Corinthians 9:24-27). I used this comparison as to preparing and running in a marathon. It was a perfect comparison. And it impacted this young girl so much that she realized that she should not give up in the race that she’s running for Jesus. Since her brother’s death, she has been in the valley of depression and lost hope. That message was for her and a smile formed on her face, not only that evening, but the rest of that week. This is the power of obedience and love. Other students at the school felt so connected to our team and was literally running across school campus and climbed the fence as we rolled away in the bus to the airport. Lives have been impacted due to Christ’s genuine love!
The mission trip to Jamaica was an awesome experience. It is truly humbling to be a part of a different culture and a different environment. It doesn’t matter how rich or poor we may be, because if we strive to be more like Christ, we will be satisfied in any situation. Love is a powerful thing. If you have never experienced an international mission trip, I would deeply encourage you to do so. Our teens within the DTQ ministry has been impacted and they realized something about themselves that is truly humbling. What area in the fruit of the Spirit do you need to work on?
As we grow in our relationship with the Lord, we find that our desire to please Him increases as we grow closer and closer to Him. We are not perfect, by nature, but we can grow towards perfection by allowing the Lord to transform our lives on a daily basis. We must always take the first step in this direction. I can think of many faults I have to work on and I wish I didn’t have them. I also know that through my imperfection, I am made more perfect according to His purposes (2 Corinthians 12:9). The Lord wants to use our weaknesses to develop our character and deepens our relationship with Him.
A group of us went on a DTQ missions trip to Kingston, Jamaica recently. The theme of the week was the fruit of the Spirit. Even though we were going to Jamaica to minister and develop relationship with the students from Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf (CCCD), I knew that God was also going to work on our lives as well. And sure enough, God started early! After receiving our boarding tickets, we went to the baggage drop off line. The lines seemed cluttered and it is easy to cut people off. Our group was standing in line and about 15 minutes later someone had cut us off! I was stirred by anger and I felt like I was going to pick up a fight with the lady. We were neck-to-neck for the next 30 minutes or so competing to beat each other to the check-in counter. Deep down inside I knew my attitude and motives were wrong. “But, it’s not fair! I was there first!” I replied back to myself. I was being stubborn and rebellious. The teens going on this trip saw that and were discussing how unfair this lady was being to us. There was a warfare going on inside of me. Finally, another leader told me, “Why don’t you just let this lady go. It’s not worth it.” This leader was with me side by side in competing with the lady. “I know it,” I said. I backed off and let the lady go. The Lord was teaching me how to be patient and be in self-control. It wasn’t easy, but it was the right thing to do.
Another lesson that I learned is the power of love. It’s amazing when you are willing to invest your time and energy in developing relationships with others; you begin to see the difference being made. I’m not boasting about this topic, but we (DTQ) have been told by CCCD how the students have been affected due to our time, energy, and relationship we invested in one week of their lives. They have never experience this type of relational ministry compared to other ministries that have come to their school. There was a young mature girl whose brother was recently killed by a gang member a few weeks prior to our visit. She’s the only Christian in her family and she was devastated! We invited her to join in our devotional time one evening. I shared a short message regarding running the race for the prize that lasts (1 Corinthians 9:24-27). I used this comparison as to preparing and running in a marathon. It was a perfect comparison. And it impacted this young girl so much that she realized that she should not give up in the race that she’s running for Jesus. Since her brother’s death, she has been in the valley of depression and lost hope. That message was for her and a smile formed on her face, not only that evening, but the rest of that week. This is the power of obedience and love. Other students at the school felt so connected to our team and was literally running across school campus and climbed the fence as we rolled away in the bus to the airport. Lives have been impacted due to Christ’s genuine love!
The mission trip to Jamaica was an awesome experience. It is truly humbling to be a part of a different culture and a different environment. It doesn’t matter how rich or poor we may be, because if we strive to be more like Christ, we will be satisfied in any situation. Love is a powerful thing. If you have never experienced an international mission trip, I would deeply encourage you to do so. Our teens within the DTQ ministry has been impacted and they realized something about themselves that is truly humbling. What area in the fruit of the Spirit do you need to work on?
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
By faith...
Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is being certain what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
Has the world lost faith in the One that matters the most? The One that I’m talking about is Jesus Christ. From the beginning creation of the world, God showed that he loves us abundantly and wants to take care of us. We see evidence of that throughout the Bible. Here are a few of them:
The Universe – by faith we realize that God is the creator of the Universe; God didn’t create everything by what is visible, but through His commands!
Noah – by faith Noah obeyed God and built a huge ark. God warned that he would send heavy rains and would flood the earth. Noah and his family were ridiculed for such a crazy idea.
Abraham – by faith Abraham traveled through the land without knowing where he was going. He simply obeyed and God led him to the promised land, which he made his home like a stranger in the country. By faith, Abraham believed that he would have a son even when he and his wife, Sarah, was past age. God later tested Abraham to offer his son as a sacrifice, but God stopped him.
Moses – by faith Moses grew up refusing to be known as the Pharaoh’s daughter and left Egypt not fearing the King’s anger. He persevered and led the Israelites out of slavery.
Israelites – by faith these people passed through the Red Sea on dry land, however, when the Egyptians did, they were wiped away and drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down when the people marched around it seven times.
There are countless of stories in the Bible that demonstrates people’s faith. As I think of the world today, I often feel like I’m a stranger in this country. Even though it seems like home, but it really doesn’t feel like home. I am here just to serve God and try my best to obey Him. God simply asks for my faith in Him in everything that I do. The word “faith” sounds so simple, yet we make it so complicated. As a human tendency, we say we’ll do this or that IF that happens, but WHEN it happens we say no way! Well, I don’t want to be that kind of person. Sometimes it can be frustrating not knowing what to expect, but doesn’t that make it exciting at times? Sometimes we think we know what we are doing, but little do we know God has other plans (Isaiah 55:8). This happens to me very often and has happened to me again just recently. After shaking through my own doubts, I choose to trust and believe in the Lord. I know that God has great plans for my life (Jeremiah 29:11) and I’m here to say that God has great plans for your life as well! The Lord will take care of you no matter what situation you are put in right now!
If you are expecting to see the outcome, I might have to disappoint you because sometimes God just requires our faith even when we don’t understand or see it. Just remember that God is fully in control of everything, through good and evil. A good example of this is Abraham. God promised him that his genealogy of people will be blessed, but he died before even seeing that. Faith – this is what God loves about us – our own faith in Him!
In closing, Hebrews 11: 39-40, “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.”
Has the world lost faith in the One that matters the most? The One that I’m talking about is Jesus Christ. From the beginning creation of the world, God showed that he loves us abundantly and wants to take care of us. We see evidence of that throughout the Bible. Here are a few of them:
The Universe – by faith we realize that God is the creator of the Universe; God didn’t create everything by what is visible, but through His commands!
Noah – by faith Noah obeyed God and built a huge ark. God warned that he would send heavy rains and would flood the earth. Noah and his family were ridiculed for such a crazy idea.
Abraham – by faith Abraham traveled through the land without knowing where he was going. He simply obeyed and God led him to the promised land, which he made his home like a stranger in the country. By faith, Abraham believed that he would have a son even when he and his wife, Sarah, was past age. God later tested Abraham to offer his son as a sacrifice, but God stopped him.
Moses – by faith Moses grew up refusing to be known as the Pharaoh’s daughter and left Egypt not fearing the King’s anger. He persevered and led the Israelites out of slavery.
Israelites – by faith these people passed through the Red Sea on dry land, however, when the Egyptians did, they were wiped away and drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down when the people marched around it seven times.
There are countless of stories in the Bible that demonstrates people’s faith. As I think of the world today, I often feel like I’m a stranger in this country. Even though it seems like home, but it really doesn’t feel like home. I am here just to serve God and try my best to obey Him. God simply asks for my faith in Him in everything that I do. The word “faith” sounds so simple, yet we make it so complicated. As a human tendency, we say we’ll do this or that IF that happens, but WHEN it happens we say no way! Well, I don’t want to be that kind of person. Sometimes it can be frustrating not knowing what to expect, but doesn’t that make it exciting at times? Sometimes we think we know what we are doing, but little do we know God has other plans (Isaiah 55:8). This happens to me very often and has happened to me again just recently. After shaking through my own doubts, I choose to trust and believe in the Lord. I know that God has great plans for my life (Jeremiah 29:11) and I’m here to say that God has great plans for your life as well! The Lord will take care of you no matter what situation you are put in right now!
If you are expecting to see the outcome, I might have to disappoint you because sometimes God just requires our faith even when we don’t understand or see it. Just remember that God is fully in control of everything, through good and evil. A good example of this is Abraham. God promised him that his genealogy of people will be blessed, but he died before even seeing that. Faith – this is what God loves about us – our own faith in Him!
In closing, Hebrews 11: 39-40, “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.”
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