"Your Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done..."

What is God’s main goal for all of history?

When we pray ‘Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven… “ what are we really asking?

-       a confirmation in prayer of our allegiance to the sovereign rule of the Kingdom of God above all else -- absolute submission to God’s will is born only out of undivided, absolute allegiance to His Kingdom.

-       Communion with God through His Word and prayer is essential to the fruitful life that will hasten the coming of His Kingdom.

*Quotes from Kay Arthur in ‘Lord Teach me to Pray in 28 Days’

There is a big picture and we can choose to be a part of it, or we can continue to live our days as if it were only about us and our choices and our needs and feelings and happiness.

As I stand before my students every day and ‘teach’ them – I keep asking God to give me TIMELESS TRUTHS to impress on their hearts. Little did I know, they were being more impressed upon mine.

Mountain Getaway View

I have lived in unbelief in God’s great scheme. I have uttered words of belief and have tried to muster up the belief from my own inner strength and I have fallen miserably short.  When I sink down into the mud of this world and forget to turn my chin up, or when I simply just get dragged down by selfishness and busyness, I don’t remember what the higher calling to God’s kingdom is on my life.  I lose sight and fall short.

We were studying Joshua Ch. 1 in Sunday school yesterday and the pastor was talking about how God warns the people against the idols they were dealing with in Egypt and then he warns them about the idols they will face as they enter the promised land. He mentions two separate idols. One set are the ones in the past -- the bondage that we used to face and sometimes go back to. The ones in the new land are the idols of unbelief … the ones we trade for when we lose sight of God’s law and promises and trade the truth we know in the quiet of our hearts for momentary and easy.

Honduran version of race for the cure!

We fight the idols of the past by REMEMBERING God’s faithfulness, guidance, and blessings and we fight the idols of the now and future with FAITH.

Anything done apart from faith is sin. (Rom. 14:23)

Oh Lord I believe, help me in my unbelief. (Mark 9:24)

During a weekend retreat for missionary women I was challenged to write down my personal mission statement. This took me back to my knees in humility. I have been given much and called to MUCH MORE! Have you defined the reason for your existence, what your life should be all about? Maybe your church has a mission statement that you understand and agree with, but do you have one for YOUR life, your family? What are you living for? What is this momentary life all about?

Joelle -- my flexible student teacher!

You will find my scribblings below… just a start. I challenge you to try your pen at one, pray over it and continue revising as you learn and grow in the Lord. Then line your life up with your declarations and surround yourself with people who will hold you accountable to your claims and spur you on to love and good deeds.

Friends, we have but one life to live. If we don’t define our motives and set our gaze on something we will fall to anything.

A quick update from the school and ministry side of things here in Honduras:

1.)  School is a pleasure and the Lord is answering prayers for the student teacher and her short time in my classroom. We are in the thick of projects on Egypt and my classroom is a disaster zone of chaos in all the best ways… I love the mayhem!

Hands of praise/surrender 

       2.)  Bible study last week was on worship. 17 girls with their hands raised, hearts bent low, and minds seeking to take hold of God. They are hungry and yearning and I can’t help but tear up when I partake in it.

       3.)  I’m greeting more and more people at church, preparing for the wedding I will be in next month, and seeking ways to serve and love on others at church… so thankful for this community!

       4.)  Running with my crew keeps me going through long days and tough spots. I completed my first Honduran 10K which was actually 7.5 miles J and it was all by God’s grace. My next 9K race is this coming weekend!

5.)  Learning and being transformed by what I am learning in God’s word and teaching. What a privilege to have time and a job that allows me to dive in to the holy word of God. May this ever be the anthem of my life.

Staff who have become my family here

       6.)  I have made the dreaded decision to not extend my commitment for the following year here. I’ve finally found the courage to claim it. As I do though, I feel a deep sense of sadness overwhelm me, for the Lord has done great things for me here. I know NOT what the future may hold, but I do know that I am in good hands and have nothing to fear. Please pray for this reality as it’s destroying my heart. I trust the Lord and walk where He leads.

With renewed faith and strength flowing I press on, seeking first His kingdom and all these things (and immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine!) will be added unto me.

My beautiful friend Isa who will
be getting married in a month!

  Favorite songs as of late:

  Sovereign over Us by Aaron Keyes --   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPkMbhydU9I

  My Heart is Yours by Kristian Stanfil – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zC1MgLr2LqE

Personal Mission Statement

That I would remain in Him and He in me to: (John 15)

1.)  Bear good fruit

2.)  Share all things with the Father

3.)  Have abundant joy

4.)  Be sanctified by the truth

*Be still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10)

Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of God is this: to care for widows and orphans in their distress and keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:27)

1.)  Care for orphans in whatever capacity God allows

2.)  Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed with renewed mind and heart on truth and God’s higher calling (Romans 12:2)

Prayer and thanksgiving for all things at all times: (1 Thess. 5:16-18)

*the Lord gives and takes away -- Blessed be the name of the Lord (Job 1:21)

*Forgiveness is the secret weapon of a Christian life, I forgive all things and cover them in the blood of Christ so that the enemy may not use them to steal, kill or destroy, but the Lord may use for His glory (Eph. 4:32).

*Everything we receive is good if received with thanksgiving and sanctified by the word of God and prayer. (1 Tim. 4:5)

Servant leadership in humility:

1.)  Whatever you do for the least of these you do unto me (Matt. 25:45)

2.)  Attitude as that of Christ Jesus (Phil. 2:5)

3.)  Actions and words that point to Christ – a city on a hill (Matt. 5:14-16)

Mission:

1.)  May my life reflect all that I have received from God

2.)  Proclaim the good news in word or deed and on all occasions

3.)  Raise up the next generation with a heart for the nations and disciple to go unto all the earth with hope

4.)  "I know that my redeemer lives and in the end he will stand upon the earth." This is my secure hope and peace in all situations and times. (Job 19:25)

Floundering in the fullness of fall

*** Shout out to Audrey Pound for the brand new 'look' to my blog!!!!!
Preparatory Psalm 34 
(we are on verse 13 this week for memorization, you're welcome to join us!)

My days have been full.

Full of spiders and Bible passages, dancing and coffee, toppled desks and spilled paint, singing singing and more singing, random stories and the Shema in Hebrew, trips to mountain villages and answered prayers, laughter and videos, running and recess, deep questions and skype conversations, pictures and simply joys.

That’s the easiest snapshot I can give you to the fullness and it doesn’t even begin to skim the surface.

First off... my random trip reuniting with precious friends in Nicaragua on my return trip was the perfect transition between two worlds and it was a blast to spend time with the pieces of my heart left there. 

I knew I was due for an update when things didn’t slow down the entire month of September and we sneakily slid in to October without even a premonition of time passing.  (well, I don’t get the privilege of partaking in the majestic shedding the trees display at this time of the year)

Then the question begs to be asked…..how do I gather all the flavorful chunks of life and squeeze them into a few meaningful words? The only option would be messy, oozing, juicy joy. I will do my best to summarize. (most of you are already laughing J at the mention of the word 'summarize' …. Just keep reading)

Don’t get me wrong, transition through change takes time and tears and there has been plenty of that, but it is truly a year of abundance and I’m just beginning to grasp it.

Challenge club activity! 

I’m up to my chin in Bible Studies and loving every minute of it. From our study on Ruth challenging us to a life of faithfulness and obedience, trusting our Redeemer no matter the harsh realities of life....to my Inductive Study on Covenant that reminds me of my position in Christ and the cords of commitment binding me to my Savior; I have been learning and growing and then overflowing to many different student groups. We've been learning about passion for Christ and identity in Him and making sure our lives stay on the narrow path in all the different groups. The kids have been HUNGRY to learn and grow. Their hearts are fertile soil for deep root seeking seeds.  

Did I bite off more than I can chew? Absolutely! I needed to be humbled and challenged. This is the first year I haven’t had to plan a new curriculum or train a new teacher (granted, my student teacher arrives in 2 weeks….) but for the first time I’m realizing that I’ve grown a lot in this thing called ‘teaching’ over the past 4 years and I want to do more and more and more of it! I am equipped with the Word of the Living God which is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness and the more I can center all of life’s moments on the Everlasting Word, the better! This keeps me plenty busy.

6th grade team! 

I am so in love with teaching this new group of kids. They are quirky and crazy and our personalities just click. I lead and they follow and they are just as passionate as I am about everything we are learning.

When I stand before them and see their bright eyes, I can’t help but squirm a bit inside because of the adoration I feel for God in blessing me with such a gift.

I’ve settled in to a humble Honduran church and have been enjoying building new relationships there. Thank you to all of you who have been praying for this. God is at work in His body, but I pray desperately for God to raise up pastors and teachers here in Honduras who know His word and want to share it undiluted and pure heartedly. I get to see just a tiny chunk of that weekly and it is a testimony to me.

church in Saracaran - the tiny mountain town

On a recent trip to the church up in the mountain town, I reunited with some precious brothers and sisters that I had translated for during the medical mission event back in January. The Lord brought to mind several ailments and I got to follow up on those and see the fruits of the gospel’s acceptance into people’s lives. I was able to give the 30 something kids salvation bracelets and teach them how to share the best gift they’ve ever been given and they begged for me to return. It’s amazing how God cares for ALL His sheep, no matter how ‘far away’ they may be. I’m so proud of these humble people for clinging to the Lord and claiming Him in their rugged and yet charismatic way.  

Junior on our last visit

Our friend Junior – the fightfighter - has begun to turn to the Lord in this time more than ever and with some gentle pushing he is growing in his faith! This is an astounding transformation to be a part of! Please pray for his continued searching and drawing near to God.

The Maraton Sula team!

I participated in my first 5K run with 15 other teachers. It’s the biggest race in Honduras and drew more than 2,500 people to the main highway that snakes through the city. This was an awesome adventure and I even got to run with some students!

Yes, as you can see… time is flying and days are skipping by…. I try to tie down the strings of time and the moments continue to evade their entrapment.

We live in such an epoch  of go, go, go and busy, busy, busy.

Yet my challenge for you is this: decide what you are truly after in life and pursue that with the highest aspiration. Ask yourself at the end of the day if you sought that goal with every fiber of your being and passing moment. Paste reminders, scriptures, and resolutions in prominent places so that cannot escape the eternal tugging. We as Christians, in this day in age, cannot be swayed by the newest rage or diluted by the deluge of media and communication. We must cling, pursue, and seek hard after the Kingdom of God FIRST and then the rest will fill in the cracks to be added unto us. We’ve already been given EVERYTHING we need for life and godliness, we just need to choose this day whom we will serve. 

PLEASE, write out your goals, fix your gaze on the steady, beat your drum to the everlasting tune, and don’t give up, slow down, or rest until His Kingdom comes or His will is done on earth as it is in heaven.
Check out Jonathan Edward's resolutions for some inspiration:
http://verticallivingministries.com/tag/70-resolutions-of-jonathan-edwards-in-modern-language/

Running the race with perseverance... that ALL may know! 

Please Pray: 
- My student teacher arrives in 2 weeks! We need a smooth transition and a blessed relationship.
- We soon begin our monthly challenge of sharing the gospel and the Lord will inspire these hearts to partake in this grand scheme of redemption in Honduras.
- I need wisdom and fullness of the Spirit to lead and teach from His word every day to both students and teachers.
- Junior growing in His faith at this critical time.
- the Lord's CONTINUED provision for life and ministry in this place of abundance until this part of the race is complete.

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us too, that God may open a door for our messages, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” – Col. 4:2-6 - 

Testimony, Love, and Bittersweet endings

“Be imitators of God therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love.” (Ephesians 5:1-2)

What a gift to live our lives as dearly loved children and to pour out love for others from the overflow of the love that has already been given us.

This year’s transition has been bittersweet.

All our prayers were answered beautifully for the end of the year. The kids stood up and sang ‘Let my life be the proof of your love’ and quoted Romans 8:28-39 and Psalm 103 from memory with boldness. I put movie clips together from the testimonies of almost all the students which we watched for their 6^th grade program. It was an amazing witness to each child’s family of all that they are learning and what they want to live their lives for as they move on to high school. 

I am satisfied that the Lord was glorified in this display and HE accomplished what He promised from beginning to end.

à See this link to watch the video: https://vimeo.com/96881638

2 Corinthians 3:2-5:

2 You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. 3 You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. 4 Such confidence we have through Christ before God. 5 Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.

 

As an ending activity my friend Autumn and I got each student a bracelet with their favorite name of God engraved on it. We spent time praying over each student as we gave them their bracelets. This was my highlight end event because it was evident that God’s Spirit was with us as we prayed and I hope the kids never forget these prayers of sincere intercession over their lives.

à See the photo and story below for more on God’s work through Autumn and the gospel in some other kids’ lives!

There are quite a few of my close friends who will not be returning next year and this leaves gaps and cracks in my heart. These spaces are always filled with Christ first and other incredible relationships later, but not without some heartache as it is hard to let go and move on when we have strived together so hard for a season and gone through so much together. I praise God because our ending time together was so sweet. God’s grace is lavish.

Now my homesick heart is being loved on as I am able to be with family and in the comfort and fullness of home. This is a gift indescribable because sharing moments of marriage, laughter, anguish, sickness and health, joy and love is more than my bursting heart deserves. Though I find it hard to rest, I keep soaking in the goodness of it all and I am content. I only have a little over 3 weeks left and though I am astounded at the passing time I am just watching God’s hand orchestrate and bring me good things.

Recently I read this quote about faith from the book ‘100 Days in the Secret Place’

“ A life of faith does two things: faith helps you see God behind everything that He uses. And faith also keeps you in a place where you are not sure what will happen next.”

As I rest in God’s control over my life and future I am content to receive with thanks everything that God uses and I’m anticipating what He may bring in the future THROUGH FAITH.

Hebrews 10:

23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

38“My righteous one will live by faith.”

As I begin looking forward to this next school year my vision is renewed for what the Lord has in store for a new group of kids and a new set of challenges to shape and sanctify me. I am in Honduras to do God’s will as He makes me holy and more reflective of His sacrifice once and for all.

More from Hebrews 10:

9 Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.

Have you reflected on all Christ has done for you recently? Have you thought about all He sacrificed for you once and for all?

How long have you spent in His word lately? It doesn’t matter where I turn in the Bible I find it spewing the gospel. I try to gulp it in and choke because I have to spill it forth to others. The gospel is unrelenting.

My challenge for you: read God’s word, meditate on it, soak in it. Memorize it. Don’t just stop at ‘a verse for the day’ or ‘enough to make you sound half way smart at Bible study’. Don’t pull out your cliché verses to sound like a good Christian or let other books crowd out The Book…. Let God’s word and gospel written on every page transform you. We HAVE to go back to God’s word for perspective and peace in the chaos of this world. We will find it in no other place. Take the time. Recenter on the Center of all things. Let the unrelenting Gospel spread through you.

Story:

The last Sunday at church I drove a few friends and the neighborhood kids down the mountain. We usually pack at least 9 of us in my car as a usual Sunday routine. We stop before church at a coffee shop to talk while the kids color. It is fun fellowship. On this particular morning Autumn was taking the kids to get some chocolate milk and cookies from the grocery store. On their way, a street kid asked for food. The neighborhood kids assumed that of course, Autumn would include their new friend in the mix. He waited patiently while they picked out the treat inside the store. When they came out, they invited him to color with them at the coffee shop. He was very shy, but agreed to come. Eber is one of the boys that comes to church and to visit Autumn weekly. He is 10 years old and accepted the Lord in February in Sunday school. After Sunday School that day he unashamedly stood up in front of church and proudly declared that he was now a Christian. Since then, he comes every Sunday with his Bible clutched to his chest. His mom just recently accepted Christ at church as well!

Anyways, the kids got down to munching and coloring and Jonathan (the new little boy) just sat there wide eyed. I asked him if he wanted to color and he said he didn’t know how. I asked Eber to teach him and proceeded to sit back amazed as Eber quietly and gently instructed Jonathan in the simple art of coloring. As Jonathan gained confidence I coaxed Eber to ask him if he knew what he was coloring (a picture of a cross on a hill). Without further prompting, Eber shared the whole gospel with Jonathan as they discussed the picture. He then asked is Jonathan wanted to pray to accept Christ into his heart and he nodded ‘yes.’

Autumn and I just looked at each other beaming with hints of tears at the corners of our eyes because what we had just witnessed was an exquisite picture of the gospel and God’s work spreading it through His children, His disciples --  through simple words and offerings and…..pictures.

Testimony means: May it be done again.

I share this testimony, as well as those from the past and those yet to be written, so that God’s work of redemption may be repeated… so it may be done AGAIN AND AGAIN. May you also witness this sweetness of God’s children, dearly loved, living a life of love for the sake of the gospel and may this example be stamped on your hearts and minds.

Lets make the most of every ‘picture making’ opportunity…..