THIS is what it means

a week ago, the ISP folks got together to perform skits and watch short films that we had done in order to raise money and educate our family and friends about our trips overseas this summer. this event is called "night of nations" (for my non-cbu readers, few though you may be). skits range from extremely funny to quite serious. the rwanda nursing teams, (the teams i get to be a part of), decided to take a serious spin on things and performed an "interpretive dance" with this song and video playing beind us. i am still quite proud of my team for taking this task seriously and for allowing the Holy Spirit to work through them so mightily. i praise God for the opportunity to dive into the pain and triumph of the people, specifically the women, of rwanda who survived the genocide and now seek healing.

here is a snippit of what we did:

RWANDA!

I can't believe me and seveteen other amazing individuals leave for Rwanda in 12 days!!!! I am so stoked for how God will use us. I ask that you continue to pray for us as we finish our stressful finals (we are all nursing students) and continue to seek after time to truly spend with God. Also, please pray for our time on the field. Pray that we would be fruitful in planting a healthy harvest and that we would allow God to work through us in any way that He desires, whether through a simple touch or through suffering in dire circumstances. As paul says in philippians: "I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death."

Thank you for partnering with our team in this way! more requests to come as the day comes closer....

peace

this semester seems to have been filled with a lot of pain. while i am not a direct recipient of some of these circumstances, i feel a connection with many people who did/are going through so much.

matthew henry wrote:

"When Christ was about to leave the world he made his will; his soul he committed to his Father; his body he bequeathed to Joseph of Arimathea; his clothes fell to the soldiers; his mother he left to the care of John. But what should he leave to his disciples, that had left all for him? Silver and gold he had none; but he left them that which was infinitely better, his peace."

but it gets better. i was reading psalm 46 the other day and it had a different meaning after the previous words.

"God is our refuge and strength,
a very help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling.
Selah

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah

Come, behold the works of the LORD,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
'Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!'
The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah"

as we, Christ's disciples, are still before God, He is exalted in a beautiful because He takes control and we displayed the peace that Christ left. i am aware that Christ also left the Holy Spirit and said "they will know you are Christians by your love," but isn't this amazing? by having the peace of the Lord, we share Christ in a miraculous way.

plastic...Jesus???

maybe that didn't make sense or maybe it did, but it doesn't make sense why i'd post it on my blog. wull, i'll tell ya! it's been our sermon series for the past few weeks at church. today, sean played that video and i was rollin for the first bit, but then i was broken those who believe Jesus the Christ to be nothing more than a charm.

for more sermons go here.

the past year

i think this Easter has been more of a time of reflection for me than New Year's. it was a year ago that i was coming out of this crazy weight of a new understanding of the Lord. it was a year ago that i did not know if repentance had been the form in which i came to Christ. it was a year ago that i began to relinquish my traditions for Christ Himself, a battle i still fight.

this Easter, i have been able to celebrate the death and resurrection of my Lord with much more understanding, but moreover, with more freedom. i think that's just it-i celebrated! i am no longer simply saved from my sin in which i still felt oppressed at times, but i feel a greater freedom. i am no longer under the suffering of the wrath of the Almighty. i am in union with Him through the blood of Christ! i wish i could communicate how much this year seems different. it's not a magical move from novice understanding to expert understanding-especially since one can never be an expert on the Gospel except the one who brings it-but it is a baby step forward.

i once heard someone say "plum deeper and apply wider" in reference to God. i've heard the "Easter" story countless times and never would i have anticipated the understanding and love of this story to grow so much deeper. oh, to be brought near by the blood of Christ! how precious!

another about Christ

just read this blog by john piper. AMAZING!

i love being broken by the mere thought of what Christ did through His work on the cross. i pray that i would learn more about grace and live in costly grace, remembering that His sacrifice is my life.

parallels

john stott says the following:

"It is interesting to reflect how three of the major actors in the drama of the passion were related to the cross. We could say that Judas caused the cross, because his treachery led straight to it; Barabbas escaped the cross, gaining his freedom at Jesus's expense; and Simon bore the corss, carrying it for Jesus. Moreover, these three are not incompatible with Christian experience today. Like Judas we hav caused the corss by our greed and duplicity. Like Barabbas we have escaped the corss throuhg him who died in our place. And like Simon we are called to take up our cross every day and follow Christ."

i don't really have much to say about today. i am simply reminded of the hymn:

I hear the Savior say,
“Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”

Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

And now complete in Him
My robe His righteousness,
Close sheltered ’neath His side,
I am divinely blest.

Lord, now indeed I find
Thy power and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone.

When from my dying bed
My ransomed soul shall rise,
“Jesus died my soul to save,”
Shall rend the vaulted skies.

And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete,
I’ll lay my trophies down
All down at Jesus’ feet.

Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

never forget

it's been fifteen years since the genocide in rwanda as of today. read about it here. after many atrocious events we have proclaim "never forget," but can we honestly say that we have held true to this statement? today, a genocide sweeps over the nation of sudan, but not much is being done to stop it. sadly in twenty years, when that horrid war is over, we will look back and say, "remember the genocide in sundan? we will never forget it." but we probably will have forgotten-at least we would have forgotten its devastating effects on the people of its land.

join me in lifting up rwanda today, and throughout the next 100 days, as they continue the healing and restoration of families and as a nation. also, pray that the sudanese genocide would come to a hasty and long-lasting end.

note: the following images are not meant to bring effect to the previous text. it is rather meant to break you as i pray that it will continue to break me.

faithful!!!!

i love seeing the hand of the LORD! He is SO faithful and i so often forget about it that seeing Him work helps me remember His greatness!

i thought i had all of the money raised for my trip to rwanda this summer. but i was counting on a certain circumstance that was no longer happening due to the economic crunch, leaving me with about $300 left to raise. i just checked my fundraising status and, through fundraisers and other donations, i only have $150 left, something i can pay thanks to the feds and tax refunds. how faithful is the Lord to provide!? i pray that i can remember such times as these the next time i feel the pressure of money or whatever, and rest in HIS faithfulness!

an impatient day

i get to meet with some amazing people to talk about serving overseas long term in the future. it is definitely the highlight of my mouth. however, i spend much time after those "meetings" researchers ways to go. right now, my heart's desire is to serve in South Asia...forever! okay, until the Lord calls me home, but until then. it frustrates me that i'm not finding opportunities to go! maybe its a good thing. maybe God is waiting to open up a job until He has prepared me to go. maybe He doesn't want me in South Asia.

i've been convicted about how little time i spend in intentional prayer. this is something that must be lifted up to the Lord. oh that i would become more faithful and patient, recognizing that i serve the perfect and unfailing God!