Afrikids

This past week, I was blessed with such a sweet gift that I wanted to share with whoever actually reads this thing.

If any of you recall, a couple weeks ago I kept posting on facebook and twitter a message about voting for a gentleman (Nick Eastcott) who works with an organization called Afrikids. There was a facebook competition for selected charities to have the opportunity to win money for their organization. The vote was between three different NGOs, and the winner of that vote would go to the finals round.

I heard about this organization through a third party, and after looking into what they actually do I wanted to support them by getting as many ppl possible to vote for Nick Eastcott. Hence, the many tweets and facebook wall posts. Thank you to anyone who voted because Nick won and is currently in the final round to win! (Praying for a victory!) Here is a link to more info about the competition - http://www.afrikids.org/main.php?menuItemId=152&option=displaystory&storytype=6_

Here's a very brief overview of Afrikids from their website:

AfriKids is a Child Rights Organisation, which works alongside indigenous communities in Ghana to improve the quality of life for rejected and vulnerable children.

AfriKids specifically targets the root causes of the children's problems, by improving community support services and by providing access to basic education and primary health care...

(Visit Afrikids website here to learn more about them! http://www.afrikids.org/) Follow them on Twitter and Facebook!!! @Afrikids 

I saw that one of their core projects is to help eradicate child slavery/trafficking - something I am very passionate about if you don't know me. So I was on board right away!

Apparently, word got to Ghana of my incessant tweeting to get people to vote for Nick ;-), and a child in one of Afrikids' sponsored foster homes drew me a picture as a thank you!! I was so incredibly overwhelmed by this sweet gift by this sweet child. I do not know anything about her, except that her name is Gifty.

I wanted to share the picture she drew for me!

The internet is truly an amazing tool for communication. And I am thankful that I was able to use it to help further a great cause.

Thank you Afrikids for this sweet blessing! Look forward to keeping up to date and supporting all that you are doing for the sweet children and people of Ghana!

Here is the facebook page for info about the competition (voting now closed) - http://www.facebook.com/worldofdifference?sk=app_220502284678145

Community

*I wrote this a while ago, but never finished it. Just found it in my drafts and thought I'd go ahead and post it.


Yesterday, as I was walking back to work from my lunch break, I ended up saying hello to about 15 people that were passing by. (I think a class had just gotten out, cause people were all over the place).

The only reason I mention this is because it felt really good to have that treasured feeling of belonging. I know that Kyle and I have been at Asbury for 2 years now...but it just really hit me when I found myself recognizing the faces of so many people that make Asbury what it is - a true community.

I love my job, mainly because of the people I get to see and interact with everyday, including my co-workers! I also love detailed work - especially when my boss gives me data-entry projects! haha.

I am so thankful for this place, and it is going to be tremendously hard to leave in May. I don't even like thinking about it. I am scared to leave a job I love so much. I am scared to uproot and start all over again. Even though the plan is to move back home where our families are (and don't get me wrong, we are SO excited about that)...it's still really hard and scary to leave a place that has become a sweet home to us. It is hard to leave something I've found I'm really good at. It is really hard to think about having to find community again...I'm honestly not sure a community like Asbury can be found elsewhere. We've been spoiled.

So why don't you just stay, you ask? Well, something my sweet and wise husband has helped me see is that - for us as a husband and wife - we did not come here to Wilmore to stay and just be comfortable. (Please know I'm not suggesting that staying in Wilmore beyond seminary is a bad thing!) I tend to long for comfort in every situation I am in. I am the personality that plays it safe...although I must say marrying a good and adventurous man like Kyle has helped change some of that in me. With him, I've learned to "live a little" and for that I am grateful. As of right now, we know we're not called to stay at Asbury beyond this Spring...and while that saddens my heart, I know we must leave.

I honestly don't know what our future holds...but I'm learning that often times periods of not knowing are just simply a part of God's will...so that we will learn to trust Him along the journey.

So I will cherish the time that we have left, the community that we are a part of, the deep and lasting friendships that we have made...and I will look forward to what He has in store for us beyond Asbury Seminary.



In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps. Proverbs 16:9

Today I am Thankful For:

1. The new (used) clothes that were kindly given by my boss' wife for us girls at work to pick from.

2. My marriage - being married to a man who fully loves God and reciprocates that love to me is so overwhelming and amazing.

3. The Nigerian student who came by my office yesterday and needed assistance, but before he left, stopped to pray for me. I felt so appreciated.

4. The crisp, fall weather outside today.

5. The Ginkgo Biloba trees outside my work building that are exploding with hues of bright yellow.

Today I'm Thankful for...

My job and where I work

My co-workers

Coffee that my loving husband made

The sunshine streaming through my big office window

My $1.50 candle from Dollar General that doesn't really smell like anything...but it makes me feel at home while at work.

Harder than it Looks!

Harder than it Looks! by lamullett featuring long sleeve shirts

J Crew long sleeve shirt
$40 - jcrew.com

Floral blazer
$342 - tenover6.com

J Crew long skirt
$135 - jcrew.com

J Crew platform high heels
$295 - jcrew.com

Floral tote
surfdome.com

Crystal bangle
£14 - debenhams.com

Alexander wang sunglasses
$369 - alexanderwang.com

Cheese Earrings?

I decided that I want to start documenting the things that Pinterest has inspired me to make or create...so here goes!

My husband, Kyle, saw this pin of making a cheese grater into an earring holder!



http://www.groovepress.com/shop/item/120-kitchen-grater-turns-into-an-earring-holder-.php

(He doesn't want his own Pinterest account, because only a few things interest him on there, so he uses mine and has his own personal pinboard with his initials...haha!). He thought it would be a cute birthday gift idea for me...so he bought me an antique/old cheese grater for $5.00 at the local peddler's mall and a bottle of school bus yellow spray paint. And this is how it turned out!

I just love how it turned out! I didn't add the feet on the bottom like in the original, but I think it still gets the job done while looking mighty purdy!

Oh and Kyle also bought me the shutter you see here. I have hung some of my favorite necklaces on it. I debated about painting it...but I kinda like the off-white, original rustic look it has to it. I don't think this will be the permanent use for the shutter, but for now I love it!

That is all I have for this post, but I plan to do more posts like these. I actually want to DO creative things when I see them on Pinterest, instead of leaving all those awesome ideas stuck on a computer screen. ;-)

A Pinterest Post

So I am addicted to this website called "Pinterest"

It is a essentially a digital bulletin board for all the wonderful things you find on the internet that inspire you or websites that you want to remember. You basically scroll through bunches of pictures that come off of websites/blogs and if you click on a picture it will trace you to the original blog. So for example, if I see a picture of a cute dress, I can click on the picture and it will take me to the website where that dress comes from. You can pin things from any wesbite, as long as you install the "Pin It" button on your internet tool bar, or you can just repin what other people are posting!

(You should check it out and request an invite - pinterest.com)

Anywho - I love pinterest because of 2 main things: the food/recipes and creative project ideas.

I have cooked so many great meals that I've found on pinterest. It has made meal planning so much better and less stressful!
I've also made some fun and different thing and have created some unique decorations for our home.

I thought it would be neat to share some of the things I have actually cooked/made from the all-inspiring Pinterest!

But I think I can only handle writing about one thing at a time...ha! So I thought I'd start with a delicious treat that I made tonight!



http://eatingwelllivingthin.wordpress.com/2009/08/21/sizzling-satisfaction-in-35-seconds/

Click on the link for the recipe!


This is a personal chocolate cake made in a mug in the microwave! IT WAS SOOOO EASY!

The recipe calls for splenda...but I hate that stuff...so I used real sugar - same measurements!! :-)

I was really surprised at how tasty it was...and the cleanup was a piece of cake! No pun intended. Bah!


Alright - that's all I have for now!

The bliggity blog got a new facelift. :-)


That is all.

Prayer for London

Father,

I ask right now in this moment that there will be peace in the midst of London, England and all surrounding areas affected by these riots and violence. In the name of Jesus, lavish your peace over that place in abundance! I pray that you give the police wisdom as to how to handle those participating in the looting and vandalism/destruction of people’s homes, cars, businesses. I ask that you be with each and every one of the offenders – that your spirit would convict and compel them to stop what they are doing. I pray that they will know they are loved and wanted by you, Jesus. That might be part of the reason they are doing this – they have nothing to lose because they’re deprived physically and spiritually. They feel unloved and forgotten. It’s no excuse for their actions. Have mercy on them Father, but also bring justice. Be with the people of London – calm their hearts and drive out any fear they may be experiencing. Give them strength as they come together to clean up their city, as they rebuild what has been broken. I pray that the people of London/England will unite, and that their spirits will be encouraged. Let their morale build and remain strong.

Something like this can only be devastating and unbelievable, but Father I ask that who you are is revealed in all this mess. I know it’s easy for people who don’t know you or who deny you to question why this is happening. I know that people often place blame on YOU for the chaos. I pray that understanding will come to many – that it is the brokenness inside each and every one of us as to why things like this happen. I know that people don’t want to hear that truth and refuse to believe it – but I pray that your Holy Spirit will convict and open the eyes of the hearts of desperate people.  They will say that you don’t care – but how far from the truth that is. Let them know you care.

Meet the basic needs of families right now. Provide a roof over the heads of those who have lost their homes. Provide clothing and food. I ask that you will bring full restoration in one way or another of all the material things that people’s lives depended on for daily living – but more importantly I pray for emotional healing and restoration, as well as spiritual renewal in the lives of all those affected and even those involved.

In the name of Jesus I pray all these things.

Amen.

But who was praying for her?

The death of Amy Winehouse saddens my heart greatly. Why? Because she never knew the power and reality of Redemption found only in Jesus Christ.

She was trapped in the bondage of addiction...which in reality was plain evidence of the Enemy's foothold in her life.
As believers, we know this truth (but I think more often than not, tend to forget):

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Eph. 6:12

I don't think Amy knew that...even though she was smack dab in the middle of this darkness. There was a great evil power at work in her life, that I don't believe she could see or understand - for the eyes of her heart were veiled by the Enemy.

As believers, we know the Enemy prowls about like a lion seeking whom he may devour...we know that the Thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy...But as believers, we also have HOPE - that Jesus came so that we may have LIFE, and have it ABUNDANTLY.

I don't think Amy knew that either...that there was still hope for her, even in her darkest days. That she could have had an abundant life, putting the mistakes and brokenness behind her. I don't think she knew that the God of Peace loved her immensely despite her brokenness. He still loves her, and I know that His heart is breaking too.

Believers and unbelievers alike are NOT exempt from the schemes of the Enemy. As Christ followers, we know what we must do to stand against the enemy (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+6%3A10-18&version=NIV)

But what about those people living in darkness...? Yes, some choose darkness...but some know no other way.

What about them? They're left to their own devices...where the Enemy takes full advantage and keeps them in the dark. "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." 2 Cor. 4:4

But there is always hope for them!

To be blunt, I don't like how we I tend to pity the lost life of an unbeliever ("Oh, how very sad, it's a shame that she struggled with addiction"), say a quick (but honest and sincere) prayer for the family and friends ("God, I ask that you bring good out of this, and that some will come to know you"), and then move about my own business.

God shook my life last year as I struggled with prayer. I had a very hard time believing that my prayers to God would actually make a difference in peoples' lives that did not know Him personally as their Redeemer, as their loving Daddy. You can read more about that HERE.

He placed a very obscure person on my heart - this person is one of my favorite actors/comedians. I was like, "What the heck?! Why is my heart so burdened for this person? I don't even KNOW him?!?!!!!!"

But I couldn't stand the dreadful fact that this person doesn't know the Jesus that I know. And through this burden, God helped me to understand that my prayers for this person did not go unheard. So I continue to pray for him...even though I will probably never meet him or speak to him in person. It is an act of obedience, and one that I may never fully understand or see the fruits of in this lifetime.

I pray God's hand of protection over him from the darkness/Enemy, that God would have mercy on him, that God would draw his heart near to Him, that God will place someone directly in his life to share the Gospel with him, that God would reveal himself to this person, that God will unveil his eyes from the lies that the Enemy has placed before him, that he will come to know deeply and personally the love that Jesus has for him that he might be saved and redeemed by the blood of the Lamb!!

This is not to bring me glory in any way, as I know it can easily seem like I am boasting...my heart is just so burdened and I'm convicted.

It is natural that we pray for our loved ones, those that are so very dear and close to us.

But I also think it should become natural for us to pray for specific people that we don't know personally. And I mean, seriously and intentionally PRAY. I don't know...call me crazy...but I know there are PLENTY of people, just like Amy, who probably have no one praying the precious blood of Jesus over their lives. 

As Christians, WE KNOW AND HAVE THE TRUTH! Within us is the power of the Holy Spirit who reveals the truth that Jesus is interceding before the Father for us so that we might approach the throne.  So why not come boldly to the throne of our gracious God on behalf of the lost!!!??? Because they don't yet know this freedom...they don't yet know the power of redemption...

"I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. ² Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. ³ This is good and pleases God our Savior, ⁴ who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. ⁵ For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. ⁶ He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone... This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time." I Timothy 2:1-6

Was anyone praying for Amy Winehouse...?

Thankful

Today I am thankful for:

Living 3 minutes walking distance from where I work

Being able to fill up my water bottle with clean water from a faucet

Air conditioning

Hope in Someday

Heart's in a frenzy
Mind is spinning
Will it ever stop?
Is it all in my control?

Hurt makes us stubborn.
It's hard to let go,
Lest we be forgotten.

The beauty of the Father's heart:
He cherishes our own.
He doesn't forget.
He sees and knows all...

There's no safer place to be completely vulnerable
Than in Agape's love.

I'm almost there...
but not just yet.

There's Hope in someday.

Asbury Seminary is truly a place of healing...and for one reason only: the inescapable presence of the Holy Spirit. He overwhelms this place and the hearts of the people in this community.

Thank you, Father, for bringing Kyle and I here...to be in the center of your will is so good.

Good things come to those who wait...or so they say.

I've had my Dell Inspiron 6000 laptop for 6 years this June. It had a hard drive and full screen replaced while under warranty, and is still surviving.

I have already made the decision that I will buy an ipad2 once this one dies completely.
I've already had the blue screen of death two times in the past couple months on this Dell...but miraculously it has revived and is still functioning, (yet rather slow...but that's nothing new. haha!)

I have a membership with UPromise, which is a savings program for college and is partnered with SallieMae. If you buy from participating UPromise stores you get certain percentages back from your purchases towards college, or in my case, loans.

I just received an email today from UPromise saying that the Apple store for this week only is giving 10% back on all purchases. So that means I could earn $50 towards my loans.

So...do I go ahead and buy the ipad to get the 10% back? Or do I wait until this computer dies completely?

I have been leaning on waiting...because I have a hard time at the thought of dropping $500+ on an electronic device, when the one that I currently have is still functioning.

But there's also the thought that I will be buying one anyways...so why not buy it now and get money back in the process?

I want to honor the Lord with the money that he has given us. It's His after all...I feel kind of materialistic if I buy an ipad when my computer still works AND Kyle has an Apple computer that I can use too...

I guess we'll give it a week and then see what I decided. :-)

Defending hope

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;

I Peter 3:15

To be honest God, as a believer, I don't know what answer to give when disaster strikes and people blame you.

Disasters such as this tsunami in Japan are clearly easy grounds for people to blame and not believe in a God who says He's good. 

I still trust in you, Father. And I still believe that you are good even when I don't understand your goodness...
but in this case how do I give reason for the Hope within me to someone who seems to have a legitimate reason not to believe in you?

There are many times that I will begin writing something in this blog...and then I completely stop or give up because I feel like none of it makes sense. I think sometimes I try too hard to write things that are really deep or have significance...and as a result I get frustrated trying to produce something intelligent or weighty when it just isn't naturally a thought that's on my heart or mind.

So, I think I'm just gonna tell you about things that make me happy as of late. This is certainly a lighthearted and easy thing to write about.

the promise of spring in the air
going home to FL this summer for a week
our new apartment
Stephanie Lyell Photography
Kyle Mullett
organic, local milk in a glass bottle from Whole Foods
tax return


Oh, and getting off of work...which is right now. Bye!

Lost and Broken

The lostness and brokenness of this world is too much for me to handle some days...

While this is quite a dark and heavy burden to have, it's in moments like this that I have recently been reminded of the very heart of my Heavenly Father.
Take a look inside His heart...

“Do you think that I like to see wicked people die? says the Sovereign Lord. Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live!" Ezekiel 18:23


I want so much for the lost to find their way Home. I have been struggling with this lately - the thought that people are going to hell every single day, and I can't save them. Just imagine how Jesus must feel...He DID save them...but they can and will never know His salvation unless they repent and believe on Him.


Satan easily tricks me into believing that there is no hope. It's so easy to be overwhelmed at the reality that, yes, many many many people are going to hell. You figure the battle is just too great to be won. Even if a handful are saved, there are still plenty more who never will be. Once Satan got me to that point, I allowed myself to be defeated...for what could little Leigh Anna do? And I began to ask and question, "Why does it have to be so unfair, God?"  I mean, do you really hear and answer my prayers to save the lost? It really seems impossible for someone who doesn't know a thing about You, or who really doesn't give a rat's tail about any of Your Truth, to truly come to repentance and receive salvation..."


These are all very real feelings and thoughts that had echoed in my heart and mind recently. I questioned God and His ability to answer my prayers. I questioned why God seemed to be unfair. I felt completely hopeless. But in my hopelessness, I began to draw near to the Lord. And He began to speak truth into my life.

"You know, Leigh Anna...I don't like it either. I hate the fact that many will never know me; that many will never know or experience the deep, unconditional love I have for them. This brokenness that you are feeling is what I feel. But child, your prayers for the lost do not go unheard. Your prayers asking that I work in their lives have not been abandoned. Listen... "Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear" (Isaiah 59:1).

"I hear you...and your requests bring joy to my heart. Do not fall to the hopelessness that Satan is feeding you. There is always hope in Me. Persevere through the doubt and just continually trust in me."

Listen to my Truth! "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective!"
Elijah was a man just like [you]... He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again, he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops."  -James 5:16-17


Once I heard that from the Lord, a spirit of unrelenting perseverance took hold of me, and I finally began to pray with belief in a God who IS mighty to save. Instead of analyzing the "how", "when" and "what". Instead of trying to figure God out, trying to figure out what he was going to do...I just decided to pray, and wait, and listen, and pray some more. And to be honest, I'm not stopping.

God led me to the book of Habakkuk. He was one of the minor prophets in the Bible. In this book He is questioning God about the injustice of His people, Israel. He is wondering why God is not taking action on their behalf. Believe it or not, Wikipedia explains that, "The major theme of Habakkuk is trying to grow from a faith of perplexity and doubt to the height of absolute trust in God." Sounds a lot like me, huh?

I love what Chapter 2 reads:

Habakkuk states:
¹ I will stand at my watch
   and station myself on the ramparts;
I will look to see what he will say to me,
   and what answer I am to give to this complaint.
 ² Then the LORD replied:    “Write down the revelation
   and make it plain on tablets
   so that a herald may run with it.
³ For the revelation awaits an appointed time;
   it speaks of the end
   and will not prove false.
Though it linger, wait for it;
   it will certainly come
   and will not delay... 

I discovered so much hope in that passage. Habakkuk didn't understand what God was doing...frankly he felt that God had completely forgotten about them and that his cries to God were unheard. (Read chapter 1...)
But God did respond with the promise that the His answer to Habakkuk's prayer would certainly come...even if seemed to linger.

I am determined to be like Habakkuk, standing my ground and remaining watchful unto the Lord,  as I continue to pray for the lives of people who don't know Him, but need Him desperately. I may never see the outcome of my prayers in this lifetime, but I now know that they are not in vain...there is hope in finally knowing that truth.

As I look back, all of this growing and stretching of my faith began with a tiny burden in my heart for a complete stranger. But that tiny burden began to feel heavier each day...I struggled with the thought of praying for the salvation of someone I didn't even know. I thought that I should be spending more time praying for my "loved ones." While of course this is obvious and true, the Lord gave me peace as He revealed this truth to me:

"I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. ² Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. ³ This is good and pleases God our Savior, ⁴ who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. ⁵ For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. ⁶ He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time." I Timothy 2:1-6

I realized that my burden for that complete stranger was supposed to be there...I believe God placed that burden on my heart...and so I have been praying for him ever since. That burden has allowed me to grow in a way I never imagined...and I am so thankful. And just think, this person has no idea he is being covered in prayer...but someday he just might! I believe and continue to hope for that someday!

I know that this is all a bit personal...and perhaps it was too much to share since it concerns the intimate places of my heart and walk with Jesus. But my intent is not to boast...but to praise and thank my loving Father who has taught me so much about prayer, believing in Him and His power to work mighty wonders. My trust in Him has deepened...and I am so thankful and excited to see what else He desires to show me in this journey.


Note that I do understand that praying for the lost does not excuse me from sharing the gift of Redemption with the lost...naturally I have realized that if I am going to pray for the lost, I had better be willing to open my mouth with the Truth of the Gospel when the opportunity lends itself... Jesus is helping me with this one too...:-)

"If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” -Romans 10:9-15



"Everything sad is going to come untrue and it will somehow be greater for having once been broken and lost."- Tim Keller

"Do not let the enormity of the issue evaporate your empathy towards it."

"I would rather fail in a cause that will ultimately triumph than to triumph in a cause that will ultimately fail." - Woodrow Wilson

"Nobody makes a greater mistake than he who does nothing because he could only do a little." - Edmund Burke

Omnipotent

God is doing something in me that I can't quite explain. There is comfort in the fact that he is actually moving in my life, but there is also an anxious wonder of what in the world is actually going on.

One thing I am starting to see is that I think I'm maybe becoming a little bit like my mother. This is a beautiful and wonderful thing by the way. I'm no where close, but I think that my prayer to be a woman of faith like her is starting to manifest itself in my life. My momma is a woman who is constantly after the heart of God. She is faithful to Him. So faithful. Every morning she dedicates time aside for her and Jesus. She reads her Bible in a booth at Panera Bread every morning. She prays God's Word and pours her heart's desire to Jesus every day. She prays for me. She prays for my siblings. She prays for so many people and for so many different things. I can bet she's even prayed for you. Yes, you.

I want to be a woman of prayer like my mom. But in the back of my mind at times I have struggled (and still do) with actually believing that God could and would answer my prayers. I have had difficulty believing that my prayers can make a difference. But I believe God is taking me on a new journey...and I believe that this journey is going to strengthen my faith in a way that I have never known or experienced.

I know that you're probably like, "what is she trying to say here?"

In all honesty, I don't really know. But I am at a point in my life where I am asking God to do great and mighty things, and I am ready and willing to believe that God is going to do great things in lives of certain people who don't know Him and need Him desperately. I have it stuck in my head and heart that here I am, here we are, worshiping and talking to a God who made manna fall from the sky to feed his people, who made the sun stand still so a battle could be won, who preserved the lives of 3 men who were supposed to burn to death in a fiery furnace; a God who raised people from the dead, and healed the blind and lame. Here we are, talking to a God who holds all the power in the world to do any and all that we ask...but we fail to remember and recognize his ability to do so. I fail to ask and believe in the God of power. I am good at praying and believing in the God of love, comfort, patience, peace, grace, and mercy. For some reason, I've got that down...or so it seems. Of course God is all these things at all times, but I haven't been recognizing this pretty big aspect of who He is - the God of power...Almighty Father...Omnipotent One.

And so I go from here...with an expectant heart for the power of Jesus...and He will be glorified.

Jesus, I'm ready...







But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. James 1:6 (NIV)



...Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord..... James 1:7 (NLT)

Help Me Believe

Take me back to the time
When I was maybe eight or nine
And I believed
When Jesus walked on waters blue
And if He helped me, I could too
If I believed

Before rationale, analysis and systematic thinking
Robbed me of a sweet simplicity
When wonders and when mysteries
Were far less often silly dreams
And childhood fantasies

Help me believe
Cause I don't want to miss any miracles
Maybe I'd see much better by closing my eyes
And I would shed this grownup skin I'm in
To touch an angel's wing
And I would be free
Help me believe

When mustard seeds made mountains move
A burning bush that spoke for You, was good enough
When manna fell from heavens high
Just because You told the sky to open up

Am I too wise to recognise that everything uncertain
Is certainly a possibility
When logic fails my reasoning
And science crushes underneath
The weight of all that is unseen

Help me believe
Cause I don't want to miss any miracles
Maybe I'd see much better by closing my eyes
And I would shed this grownup skin I'm in
To touch an angel's wing
And I would be free
Help me believe

When someone else's education
Plays upon my reservations
I'm the first to cave, I'm the first to bleed

If I abandon all that seeks
To make my faith, informed and chic
Could You, would You show Yourself to me

(Help me believe, cause I don't want to miss any miracles)
Maybe I'd see much better by closing my eyes
And I would shed this grownup skin I'm in
To touch one of their wings
And I would be free
I would be free
I would be free
Help me believe
Help me believe
Could You, would You show Yourself to me
Could You, would You shoy Yourself to me

Help me believe

-Nichole Nordeman

Dreams

So lately I've been having some interesting dreams. I've never really taken dreams seriously, but today I got kinda curious. I know that there are general explanations for common dreams that people have. Like falling dreams = feeling out of control of something in real life. Naked dreams = vulnerability or unpreparedness. At least that's what I've heard...

Today I got to thinking...maybe God is trying to speak to me through my dreams. I mean, why not? He did it all the time throughout scripture...both Josephs, Jacob, and Peter just to name a few. What if my dreams have more meaning to them than what is at the surface...?

I'd like to think that they do. Not because I think I'm anything special...but because I long to hear from God about specific things in my life...and if he's trying to tell me something, I don't want to miss it.



"If we come to Him doubting His ability to speak, we will have a difficult time listening. So we must come expectantly..." -Charles Stanley

Habakkuk 2:1 - "I will stand on my guard post and station myself on the rampart; And I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me."

Job 6:8 - "Oh that my request may come to pass, and that God would grant my longing!"