Keeping updated with Jess

Mali's Story

2011-12-01T09:06:00.000-08:00

Back in spring of 2008 I went to a conference for slave trafficking. Since then I have been getting emails from Hagar Ministry; a ministry that takes women who have been physically, emotionally, and sexually abused and speaks truth and love into their life. This ministry loves on these women sharing that they have a purpose and a worth in Jesus. They teach them traits that they can call their own to enable them to support themselves. I got this email this morning and wanted to share: :)

I am 22 years old now. I grew up in a very poor Cambodian family. My parents didn’t own land, so we worked as laborers on other people’s farms. My parents were very violent towards my siblings and me. We never felt love for them. We lived in fear and shame. I never went to school because I had to work all day. It was hard to imagine having a good future.

I still don’t believe my mother thought I had value. Money was more valuable to her than me. To them I was just a laborer. When my parents fell into debt, they sold me for $500 to a family.

The family treated me like a slave. The husband attempted to rape me many times, but I refused with all my strength. He hit me every time I refused. One day I decided to run away from the family, but I got caught. They hit me with electric wire. I stayed there, but I did not give up.

Finally, I escaped with a man I fell in love with. We got married. He introduced me to his parents and they rejected me because I was poor and homeless.

One day my husband and I were in a very serious car accident and my leg was broken. We went to the hospital for care and he left me and never came back. I felt rejected and hopeless. I wanted to kill myself because I thought that no one wanted me.

The hospital sent me to Hagar’s Women Shelter. I was so nervous when I arrived. I didn’t know anyone. I cried. My legs felt horrible. And, I did not have the will to live.

Hagar staff were persistent and encouraged me. Their words were so wonderful. Living in the shelter, gave me hope. I received care, love, counseling, food and other things I never expected to have in my life. Job training from Hagar’s Career Pathways Program in cosmetology really helped me recover. I have a skill that belongs to me and I can support myself. I have value and worth. Now I can say,

“I am priceless. I am more valuable than money.”

Even though my leg still hasn’t healed, Hagar staff keep praying for me. I have hope that God will heal me completely one day, and I just keep praying and waiting.

-Malis

Oh wow, reading Philippians in the Amplified translation blew my mind!

2011-09-20T11:22:00.000-07:00

7But whatever former things I had that might have been gains to me, I have come to consider as [[a]one combined] loss for Christ's sake.

8Yes, furthermore, I count everything as loss compared to the possession of the priceless privilege (the overwhelming preciousness, the surpassing worth, and supreme advantage) of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord and of progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him [of perceiving and recognizing and understanding Him more fully and clearly]. For His sake I have lost everything and consider it all to be mere rubbish (refuse, dregs), in order that I may win (gain) Christ (the Anointed One),

9And that I may [actually] be found and known as in Him, not having any [self-achieved] righteousness that can be called my own, based on my obedience to the Law's demands (ritualistic uprightness and supposed right standing with God thus acquired), but possessing that [genuine righteousness] which comes through faith in Christ (the Anointed One), the [truly] right standing with God, which comes from God by [saving] faith.

10[For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [[b]which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope]

11That if possible I may attain to the [[c]spiritual and moral] resurrection [that lifts me] out from among the dead [even while in the body].

12Not that I have now attained [this ideal], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own.

13I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,

14I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward.

15So let those [of us] who are spiritually mature and full-grown have this mind and hold these convictions; and if in any respect you have a different attitude of mind, God will make that clear to you also.

16Only let us hold true to what we have already attained and walk and order our lives by that.

Falling in love with Simplicity

2011-09-14T10:42:00.001-07:00

I've been meditating on 'the good news of Jesus,' going back to the foundation of salvation. It is for love that He sent His Son to pursue a relationship with me. It is for love that Jesus came as the perfect image of God the Father. It is for love that He has left me His Word to instruct me.
"For I have been saved through faith. And this was not my own doing; it was the gift of God, not a result of works, so that I cannot boast."
I've been asking the Lord to personalize my relationship with Him.
"For I am His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that I should walk in them."
It has created questions in me to seek the One who chose me to see what He desires that I may be used for. Think on that with me. If you identify yourself as 'in Christ' saved by God's grace, then boldly ask the One who has called you what He has called you to. If you identify yourself by anything but the Lord, then I challenge you with the question: what are you living for?
The good news of Jesus is so beautiful and so simple! He desires to set us free from the bondage of sin and give us a purpose. We no longer have to be enslaved to live for things that hold us captive, but we are free to live for a purpose beyond this life. He has brought purpose to our lives. He pursues after our hearts: He freed me of living for myself, to live for One who has loved me eternally.

Eternity minded

2011-08-10T11:41:00.000-07:00

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end."

Eternal life is to know God (John 17:3). This is so encouraging because before seeing the Lord and truly knowing Him, we may know Him now. This is eternal life. I've been challenged with this question lately: what am I living for? Really, what am I living for? It boils down to one purpose. Jesus. What am l living for? To know Him. I know for certain, because of His finished work for me, that one day I will truly know Him and see Him in the fullness of all that I've read. But I also know that eternal life now is to know Him now, and to truly respond to His desire to reveal Himself more.
I'm reminded of this reality as our Lucille went to be with the Lord this last weekend. As Doug her husband puts it, "she has graduated!" She has moved from this world to the real purpose of life! What a change of mind in thinking. I mean, think about it... as believers we live knowing that one day that we will be with the Lord... but meditate on this! Let it sink in. One day, like Lucille is now, all that we experienced of eternal life on earth will be displayed in its fullness. When my heart can grasp even just a piece of this, it makes me want to know Him so much now. It also breaks my heart for those who only intellectually know the Lord and haven't gotten to experience His love for them. There's so much more! I plead with you as I plead myself.. don't only know of Him, experience the goodness of our God... enjoy a sweet relationship with Him! I know Lucille is now, and I wonder what all she is experiencing as she is in His presence now.

He has put eternity into our hearts.. respond to His desire to show Himself.

Please pray for the Search family! They are rejoicing that Lucille is with Jesus, but I'm sure sad as they miss her on this side of eternity

In trials? Pray. Experiencing blessings? Sing.

2011-08-04T11:04:00.000-07:00

This last Tuesday night we finished our study through the book of James. Tuesday nights have become my favorite time of the week. We all meet in the school parking lot and carpool over to a home where we get to have a home-cooked meal, meet new people, spend time in singing to the Lord, hear from the Word, and break up in groups to pray for one another.

"Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise." James 5:13
This verse shows two circumstances of life: hard circumstances, good circumstances. This verse takes both and points us back to the Lord.
Hard times? Pray. James exhorts us to pray because he knows that in prayer we take our focus of current circumstances and shift our thoughts to the truth of God. Isn't that the truth? Trials can rob our eyes of seeing the goodness of the Lord and place them on the current thing. Praying refocuses us to truth.
Things going well? Sing. Why is James exhorting us to sing? I never caught this before- James tells us to sing because when things are going well in our lives, we may start to think we have things in control and lose focus on God. Sing to the Lord because in this you will recognize Him in it.

Whatever the season... remember Him

I was encouraged by this closing passage from James. I hope this blesses you as well! :)

God is good

2011-08-02T16:11:00.000-07:00

God is good.
It’s something in the very beginning of my walk with the Lord that I’ve come to terms to know. I believe it is a life-long process to come to understand. God is good. I’ve come to know it by blessings. God is good. I’ve come to know it by circumstances. God is good. I’ve come to know it by His Word. God is good. I’ve come to know by trials.
I’ve learned intellectually of God’s goodness for so long, but I’m learning to see the blessing of learning it through experience. He is good- I cling to it because I know it is true. God is good. I know it because I know that there is nothing good in me. He is good. I know it because the only thing good in me is Him that lives in me.

"But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me." Micah 7:7

"Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, for in You do I trust; cause me to know the way I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You." Psalm 142:8

Back from Costa Rica

2011-06-30T16:27:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all of those who kept us in prayer while there. It was a great two weeks to see the missionaries down there, see the students before they left, and get to see a bit of the country there- green, mountainous, beautiful clouds, and friendly people! The three of us (Hollie, Carrie and I) flew down together and met up with the missionaries there (Ryan, Gerry, Sosi, Gabo and Vanessa) as well as Dave and Mark who were there teaching the last class. We got to see the ministry down there with Sunday night chapel now open to the community, the drug rehab ministry, and meet a lot of the locals that have been impacted by the guys down there.
Before going I had been asked to pray about serving down there this next semester as a missionary and Dean of Woman. I am still in prayer about this and ask that you would come alongside of me in praying! More pictures to come! :)

From Jacob to Israel

2011-06-07T16:05:00.000-07:00

From ‘heal catcher’ to ‘God prevails.’ I keep thinking on the scripture where Jacob wrestles with God and the Lord changes his name to Israel. It’s a weird scripture to think on, but the sweet thing about it is the result from their wrestling. The Lord touches His hip and his joint was put out of its socket, and Jacob begs Him to bless him. The way the Lord blesses him is through the changing of his name. He will no longer identify himself as Jacob- Jacob with a history of trickery, but as Israel- one who is governed by God. Israel leaves with not only this blessing but with a noticeable change in his walk (a limp)- his walk with the Lord was different as well. It’s a funny thing in scripture to see Israel and Jacob used interchangeable, but through acts of faith Jacob was recorded as Israel.
The Lord brought to meditation on this area of scripture. I don’t fully understand it, but I’m amazed at Jacob's approach with the Lord to wrestle Him. I wonder what he was thinking in the midst of this. I mean, wrestling with God…? My relationship with the Lord is different than Jacob’s. I can’t imagine the guts to wrestle with God over something and expect Him to bless me. I usually result to “You’re God; You know what You’re doing.” But God honored his request for a name change. He changed his identity in his name; a name that stated that the Lord would thus be his identity.
I’ve been in that place of prayer. Lord, will you change my name in how I view myself? “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” Galatians 2:20. It is by faith that Israel walked as one who was governed by God. It is by faith that I walk also as one who is dead to my old man and alive in Christ. This is a daily call to die to self, pick up my cross and walk after the Lord. The best part of dying to self is that we are already dead to self according to the finished work of Christ on the cross. It is an identity of ‘dead to sin’ that we proclaim by faith. By faith we recognize that Jesus took our place, and we walk as one who is not only dead to our old man, but alive in Christ. Not only did Christ die for our sins, but He rose again and is seated with God. If He was raised, we know that we will also be raised to be with God. “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” Colossians 3:1-3
Name change… I have been crucified with Christ!
From Jacob to Israel: Genesis 32:22-32, 35:9-10

Just because

2011-06-06T10:22:00.000-07:00

I was recently introduced with this new world wide.. game? I guess you could call it a game. Basically you just lay facedown on whatever you can. If I could rate this game, I would say you get points for creativity and difficulty. Here are a few pictures of the first week of the facedown world! :)

The Discipline of Thinking

2011-06-03T10:36:00.000-07:00

Analogies always allow me to understand things better. I’ve been thinking about thinking… go figure. But listen to this: If we were consciously aware of the Lord’s presence constantly with us, then our response would be different. For example: worry. Once we get to a thought that is true… our thought stops there. The end. We can then meditate on that truth. But with worry, it only leads to thoughts that train to other thoughts until our thoughts end up in China. Truth will always stop us and bring us to a conclusion to rest upon.
Hebrews 6:19 talks about Jesus being our sure anchor of hope. I’ve heard an analogy of drifting to be like one playing in the ocean in front of a lifeguard stand, and when they look back up that realize that they have been brought far away from that point. In Christ, we have a sure anchor of hope. He is our hope, He is our foundation- we will not be greatly moved! When I think of an anchor in the ocean, I think of a buoy attached by a chain resting on the water. When storms come, the buoy grows to recognize its foundation and the tightness of the chain that sustains it. My prayer has been that the Lord would grow me in the discipline of thinking; that I would grow as one who is conscious of the Lord’s presence, trusting Him in heart and mind at His Word. I pray that the anchor of our minds would be shortened to the awareness of God’s truths in every storm- so that we may quicken our trusting in Him!

Fear and Faith

2011-04-21T10:55:00.001-07:00

They both can't exist at the same time. When one is present, the other is lacking. I've been reading through the gospel of Luke and have been seeing these two things side by side. The disciples will be fearful, and Jesus will ask them where is their faith. Jesus tells the healed woman her faith has made her well. "Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well" Luke 8:50.

I've been thinking what it means to walk by faith as believers; growing in faith as we grow in trusting the One who is trustworthy. We have to know Him, learning His character, to truly know we can trust Him. It has been fear and control that have restrained me from letting Him have full control. Fear brings me to think on things in my own understanding- this understanding has kept me from seeing my God as fully capable and in control.

"When it comes to jigsaw puzzles, we all know that to enjoy a satisfying outcome you need all the pieces. In many ways, life is like that. We spend our days putting it together, hoping to create a complete picture out of all the scattered parts." My own understanding allows me to see these pieces of all the things circumstantially I know- trying to figure out how each will fit together. Faith requires us to give up control of putting the pieces together on our own strength and trust the Lord to do it- He knows the bigger picture and the final outcome!

It's fun to think that where there is fear, there is also an opportunity for faith. There is fear because faith is needed; with faith we cannot rely on our own strength. It can be scary to fully trust the Lord with an unknown... especially when we don't know His character and are relying upon it!

"Courage is acknowledging fear but taking action anyway"

We can take action when our focus is not on the circumstance but on the One who is higher than the circumstance! Peter lost faith that he could walk on the water to Jesus when he saw his surroundings of the waves crashing around him. This fear allowed him to sink.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5

"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth." Colossians 3:1-2

It is finished!

2011-04-20T10:53:00.000-07:00

I know this blog is pretty long, but I read this this morning and was so blessed! It is so powerful if you have a chance to read it, oh wow!

Don't Leave It On The Desk -

There was a certain Professor of Religion named Dr. Christianson, a studious man who taught at a small college in the western United States. Dr. Christianson taught the required survey course in Christianity at this particular institution. Every student was required to take this course their freshman year, regardless of his or her major.

Although Dr. Christianson tried hard to communicate the essence of the gospel in his class, he found that most of his students looked upon the course as nothing but required drudgery. Despite his best efforts, most students refused to take Christianity seriously.

This year, Dr. Christianson had a special student named Steve. Steve was only a freshman, but was studying with the intent of going onto seminary for the ministry. Steve was popular, he was well liked, and he was an imposing physical specimen. He was now the starting center on the school football team and was the best student in the professor's class.

One day, Dr. Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him. "How many push-ups can you do?"

Steve said, "I do about 200 every night."

"200? That's pretty good, Steve," Dr. Christianson said. "Do you think you could do 300?"

Steve replied, "I don't know... I've never done 300 at a time."

"Do you think you could?" again asked Dr. Christianson.

"Well, I can try," said Steve.

"Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I have a class project in mind and I need you to do about 300 push-ups in sets of ten for this to work. Can you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it," said the professor.

Steve said, "Well... I think I can... yeah, I can do it."

Dr. Christianson said, "Good! I need you to do this on Friday. Let me explain what I have in mind."

Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room. When class started, the professor pulled out a big box of donuts. These weren't the normal kinds of donuts. They were the extra fancy BIG kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls.
Everyone was pretty excited it was Friday, the last class of the day and they were going to get an early start on the weekend with a party in Dr. Christianson's class.

Dr. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked, "Cynthia, do you want to have one of these donuts?"

Cynthia said, "Yes."

Dr. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut?"

"Sure!" Steve jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten. Then Steve again sat in his desk. Dr. Christianson put a donut on Cynthia's desk.

Dr. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, "Joe, do you want a donut?"

Joe said, "Yes."

Dr. Christianson asked, "Steve would you do ten push-ups so Joe can have a donut?"

Steve did ten push-ups, Joe got a donut. And so it went, down the first aisle, Steve did ten push-ups for every person before they got their donut.

Walking down the second aisle, Dr. Christianson came to Scott. Scott was on the basketball team and in as good condition as Steve. He was very popular and never lacking for female companionship. The professor asked, "Scott do you want a donut?"

Scott's reply was, "Well, can I do my own push-ups?"

Dr. Christianson said, "No, Steve has to do them."

Then Scott said, "Well, I don't want one then."

Dr. Christianson shrugged and then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Scott can have a donut he doesn't want?"

With perfect obedience Steve started to do ten push-ups.

Scott said, "HEY! I said I didn't want one!"

Dr. Christianson said, "Look, this is my classroom, my class, my desks and these are my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don't want it." And he put a donut on Scott's desk.

By this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and down. You could start to see a little perspiration coming out around his brow.

Dr. Christianson started down the third row. Now the students were beginning to get a little angry. Dr. Christianson asked Jenny, "Jenny, do you want a donut?"

Sternly, Jenny said, "No."

Then Dr. Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would you do ten more push-ups so Jenny can have a donut that she doesn't want?"

Steve did ten. Jenny got a donut.
By now, a growing sense of uneasiness filled the room. The students were beginning to say, "No!" and there were all these uneaten donuts on the desks.

Steve had to really put forth a lot of extra effort to get these push-ups done for each donut. There began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were beginning to get red because of the physical effort involved.

Dr. Christianson asked Robert, who was the most vocal unbeliever in the class, to watch Steve do each push up to make sure he did the full ten push-ups in a set because he couldn't bear to watch all of Steve's work for all of those uneaten donuts. He sent Robert over to where Steve was so Robert could count the set and watch Steve closely.

Dr. Christianson started down the fourth row. During his class, however, some students from other classes had wandered in and sat down on the steps along the radiators that ran down the sides of the room. When the professor realized this, he did a quick count and saw that now there were 34 students in the room. He started to worry if Steve would be able to make it.

Dr. Christianson went on to the next person and the next and the next. Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was taking a lot more time to complete each set.

Steve asked Dr. Christianson, "Do I have to make my nose touch on each one?"

Dr. Christianson thought for a moment, "Well, they're your push-ups. You can do them any way that you want." And Dr. Christianson went on.

A few moments later, Jason, a recent transfer student, came to the room and was about to come in when all the students yelled in one voice, "NO! Don't come in! Stay out!"
Jason didn't know what was going on. Steve picked up his head and said, "No, let him come."

Dr. Christianson said, You realize that if Jason comes in you will have to do ten push-ups for him?"

Steve said, "Yes, let him come in. Give him a donut."

Dr. Christianson said, "Okay, Steve, I'll let you get Jason's out of the way right now. Jason, do you want a donut?"

Jason, new to the room, hardly knew what was going on. "Yes," he said, "give me a donut."

"Steve, will you do ten push-ups so that Jason can have a donut?"

Steve did ten push-ups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down. Dr Christianson finished the fourth row, and then started on those visitors seated by the heaters. Steve's arms were now shaking with each push-up in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity. By this time sweat was profusely dropping off of his face, there was no sound except his heavy breathing. There was not a dry eye in the room.

The very last two students in the room were two young women, both cheerleaders and very popular. Dr. Christianson went to Linda, the second to last, and asked, "Linda, do you want a doughnut?"

Linda said, very sadly, "No, thank you."

Professor Christianson quietly asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Linda can have a donut she doesn't want?"

Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow push-ups for Linda.

Then Dr. Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan and said, "'Susan, do you want a donut?"

Susan, with tears flowing down her face, began to cry. "Dr. Christianson, can I help him?"

Dr Christianson, with tears of his own, said, "No, Steve has to do it alone. I have given him this task and he is in charge of seeing that everyone has an opportunity for a donut whether they want it or not. When I decided to have a party this last day of class, I looked at my grade book. Steve here is the only student with a perfect grade. Everyone else has failed a test, skipped class or offered me inferior work. Steve told me that in football practice, when a player messes up he must do push-ups. I told Steve that none of you could come to my party unless he paid the price by doing your push-ups. He and I made a deal for your sakes."

"Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Susan can have a donut?"

As Steve very slowly finished his last push-up, with the understanding that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 push-ups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.

Dr. Christianson turned to the room and said, "And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, on the cross, said to the Father, 'Into thy hands I commend my spirit.' With the understanding that Jesus had done everything that was required of him, he yielded up his life. And like some of those in this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk, uneaten."

Two students helped Steve up off the floor and to a seat, physically exhausted, but wearing a thin smile. "Well done, good and faithful servant," said the professor, adding, "Not all sermons are preached in words."
Turning to his class, the professor said, "My wish is that you might understand and fully comprehend all the riches of grace and mercy that have been given to you through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. God spared not his only begotten son, but gave him up for us all, for the whole Church, now and forever. Whether or not we choose to accept God's gift to us, the price has been paid."

Wouldn't you be foolish and ungrateful to leave it lying on the desk?

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
John 3:16-17

Skype date with Christy

2011-04-15T18:48:00.000-07:00

There has to be both a recognition of who we are, and who we are in Christ. The balance of both truths produce praise; for we in and of ourselves are sinful, and only when we see who we are in Christ do we comprehend His grace! It is through His grace that we no longer think our righteousness or good deeds to be sufficient, but that we recognize His righteousness as our righteous standing! Praise God!

I feel like there has been so much that the Lord has been teaching me lately. I've gotten to read some great books, and through the Word, conversations, and homegroup, there has been an abundance of information that I don't think I have processed. Whenever my friend Christy and I get a change to sit and talk, it is just amazing how the Lord speaks to us and brings understanding as get to share these things He has been revealing! We speak a lot through analogies, and like my other dear friend Lili, the Lord has been so faithful to bring similar experience to bring wisdom and light on our conversations.

I have to share just a piece of this goodness with you! So I recently got done reading this George Mueller book, and as we all know him as a man of faith or prayer, it brought more meditation on these two things. Like faith for example- it's something we all would love to grow in, but we know when we pray for it that we're also given an opportunity to use it... which usually leads to less prayers asking for that. So to obtain greater amounts of faith, we must exercise it in whatever small area now. I started to look at this as a muscle. I use to be in track, and when I was in shape, running wasn't so much a difficult thing to do as much as it was a discipline thing to continue in. Now that I don't run consistently, running sounds like a great thing... but also something that seems far from my priorities. Faith is that same thing. Although it is a spiritual muscle, it requires the same continual discipline.

I have been thinking about how strong my physical man is. I've been getting pretty strong. Not necessarily in muscle, but in dependence upon my own strength. I know the things that I can do on my own, and although I would like to think I'm being dependent upon the Lord, I realize I'm not when it comes down to the things that are unknown to me. He has been stretching my dependency muscle, and He is calling me to trust Him with the baby things and the grande things. It really is breaking to see how easy in our flesh we can fall to depend on the things we know. Oh but how sweet in this lifetime to be able to experience a deeper dependency upon the Lord and see His goodness on earth deeper and deeper before seeing it in the fullness of face-to-face!

As faith grows, so too does our understanding of our fallen state and our righteous standing before God because, and only because of the blood of Jesus! Praying now for a deeper understanding of Jesus' blood over you and over all who might read!

Letter from Brent from 4.7.11

2011-04-15T10:27:00.000-07:00

To our dearest family and friends,

We wanted to write and update you regarding the pathology report of the tumor that was removed from my head on the 25th of March. As of a few days ago, we now know that the tumor is a Glioblastoma (fancy word for malignant tumor). Our faith is once again being tested, having received what many would consider bad news. Yet we believe that God has given our family another opportunity to enjoy what we so often took for granted; each other! We are overwhelmed with excitement to be together as we are realizing that the most precious gifts that God gives are the gifts that we often take the most for granted. We don’t know how long we have here upon this earth, but one thing we do want to do is to live every day like it is our last. Our focus right now is our family and everything else is secondary to this focus. Our desire is to honor God in this way as much as possible (This is a lesson that my beautiful and gracious wife has exemplified to me during this trial; she is soooooo amazing). Just last night, Andrea and I were talking about not living in the future or in the past but seeking to honor Him presently. Therefore, we ask once again that you would pray for our family that we would magnify the Lord in this way by His grace.

We have been and continue to be humbled how each and every one of you have helped and continue to help support our family in innumerable ways, and for this we are humbly and eternally grateful. Words can’t express our gratitude yet we know that all the love and support that has been shown up to this point is a testimony of God’s grace; therefore we ask that you wouldn’t allow discouragement to eclipse the joy that God has granted our family during this time. We want our family and friends to rejoice with us during this time of new beginnings!
Please pray that God would give us practical wisdom, as I will need to start chemo and radiation soon. We know every situation is unique to itself, but isn’t this how God works anyways!  We love you all!!!!!

Carried by His Grace,
Brent, Andrea, Jaiden, and Micah

Psalm 126

New prayer request

2011-04-15T10:06:00.000-07:00

Remember those earthquakes we were talking about in the previous blog? There has been another round of earthquakes in those dear to us in the area of suffering. Many of you have been praying for the Yim family as we found out about Brent’s brain tumor. He is now out of the hospital and at home with family awaiting further procedures; the tumor was found cancerous. I now write for you to come along side of another family so dear to my heart- the Search family. Doug is the director of the Israel campus and his wife Lucille went this semester, but after having a seizure and was rushed to the hospital in Israel, there hasn’t been much recovery. Doug has been concerned, and last Tuesday night the two of them flew home to North Carolina and went straight to the hospital there. Lucille was found to have two tumors in her brain- one the size of an orange and the other the size of the plum. This last Monday they were able to remove the tumor, but due to the fast growing pace of it, chemo is said to only buy time. The tumor was actually the same cancerous tumor that Brent had.
Please keep these families in your prayers. They are both asking that the result of this would be God glorified!

(I tried taking a picture of Doug and his family off facebook, but with their new settings it won't allow me. This was the only photo I could find where you could kind of see who Doug is! He is in the yellow with the sweet hat! ha.. I'll try to add one of the fam soon!

Grace and Glory:)

2011-04-01T21:56:00.000-07:00

These are two words that I feel like I use in sentences pretty often, but at the same they are words that I still can't comprehend. This last weekend, I was asking the Lord to show me what these look like... I have to show you what He revealed!!

God being glorified- '"This," says Jesus in effect, "is the hour of My glory, for it is the hour of My grace to sinners." In Jesus, there we see that God's highest glory consists in His securing our deepest happiness.' (page 33 of We Would See Jesus)

Journaling: Sunday March 27
"God is glorified when Christ died because He was able to display His grace fully! This is the heart of God- that His goodness would pass before us. We wonder how we can glorify God? Jesus talked of His time to be glorified to be coming... crazy to think that Jesus of all possible thins (I mean He already is God and was in glory) would label the cross His time to be gloried. This reveals God's heart and desire to reveal His grace to mankind. How then is God glorified... through out death.. not physical, but yes in a sense to the things we cling onto that are physical. God knows that when we die more and more we must cling to Him, and in that He is glorified, because again His grace will be displayed. So God's glorified... when His grace is displaced! What a beautiful God... His heart is to reveal to us how much He wants us!"

"The Lord Jesus is always seen through the eye of need... The acknowledgement of need and the confession of sin, therefore, is always the first step in seeing Jesus." (page 35 of We Would See Jesus)

Oh man, I hope this blessed you even if just a piece of what it blessed me!! May you draw near to God as you see His true character as the one who made a way for you because of His amazing love and jealousy for you! The God of the universe thinks of you... He knows your life from beginning to end... and I don't even know what I'm doing tomorrow :)

Earthquake.. when all shakes what will remain?

2011-03-11T10:46:00.000-08:00

Earthquake in New Zealand, earthquake in Japan. It led me to Psalm 46 again- the scripture the Lord gave me after returning from Haiti and hearing about the earthquake that happened there. It first starts off to proclaim who God is and His accessibility, giving us the confidence to stand firm while everything around us screams the opposite. It tells of His authority over all things, and then lastly after all these things... "Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10
I have been thinking about the earthquakes that have happened in my life these past few months- things that have shaken me to, making known that my foundation can be in nothing but the Lord. There's a lot of things that can be said about our faith, but application is truly seen in the times of testing and in those times of shaking. I've heard it said that from the mind to the heart is the longest 18 inches that must be traveled. It's in these earthquakes of life that I can see how much of those 18 inches from the mind have: already made the connection to the heart, currently traveling, and what areas from the mind that need to travel to the heart yet still. It's true as well, when the things around us shake, the Lord can be the only One that we cling to for refuge. We learn this to be true as the facts or God's Word resonate in our mind and become the outflow of our heart. Trials only strengthen and speed up this understanding. I have found it to be a beautiful picture of dependency and the Lord rightfully receiving our whole undivided hearts. I'm finding His word to come alive to me and to be my source for all things. 'Living' is a word that continues to echo. The Lord has given us His living Word, His living Spirit, a living hope, and our living God is bringing His promises to pass.

An email from a missionary in Japan after the earthquake: "We are reminded at this time of whom we serve, of whom we worship and we want to be bold, efficient, effective believers who are seeking to live out the Presence of a very real Living God in the midst of this national tragedy."

Hebrews 12:25-29 ... all will be shaken that the things that can not be shaken will remain...
"Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away" Matthew 24:35... Him Word will remain throughout all eternity!

and lastly: "In this (our living hope because of Jesus' finished work on the cross) you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 1:6-7

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PiSaWBaKuY

"Obedience to the 'Heavenly Vision'" My Utmost For His Highest- March 11

2011-03-11T10:10:00.000-08:00

I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision —Acts 26:19

If we lose “the heavenly vision” God has given us, we alone are responsible— not God. We lose the vision because of our own lack of spiritual growth. If we do not apply our beliefs about God to the issues of everyday life, the vision God has given us will never be fulfilled. The only way to be obedient to “the heavenly vision” is to give our utmost for His highest— our best for His glory. This can be accomplished only when we make a determination to continually remember God’s vision. But the acid test is obedience to the vision in the details of our everyday life— sixty seconds out of every minute, and sixty minutes out of every hour, not just during times of personal prayer or public meetings.

“Though it tarries, wait for it . . .” (Habakkuk 2:3). We cannot bring the vision to fulfillment through our own efforts, but must live under its inspiration until it fulfills itself. We try to be so practical that we forget the vision. At the very beginning we saw the vision but did not wait for it. We rushed off to do our practical work, and once the vision was fulfilled we could no longer even see it. Waiting for a vision that “tarries” is the true test of our faithfulness to God. It is at the risk of our own soul’s welfare that we get caught up in practical busy-work, only to miss the fulfillment of the vision.

Watch for the storms of God. The only way God plants His saints is through the whirlwind of His storms. Will you be proven to be an empty pod with no seed inside? That will depend on whether or not you are actually living in the light of the vision you have seen. Let God send you out through His storm, and don’t go until He does. If you select your own spot to be planted, you will prove yourself to be an unproductive, empty pod. However, if you allow God to plant you, you will “bear much fruit” (John 15:8).

It is essential that we live and “walk in the light” of God’s vision for us (1 John 1:7).

Update from Brent Yim

2011-03-09T09:48:00.000-08:00

A lot of you have been praying for our friend Brent and his family after he found out about the brain tumor. Brent recently wrote us to keep us updated with his medical state. Please continue to keep him and his family in your prayers! He sends his love:

To my beloved family at TCC and TCS, I feel impelled to write and update each and every one of you concerning the events that have transpired in my life over the course of the last few days. No doubt these events have been unexpected, yet through it all I have never been more aware of the presence of God than at this point in my life. I have concluded in my heart and mind that God has ordained this by His sovereignty and for His glory. I feel so honored and humbled that God has counted me faithful to suffer on behalf of His name to this degree.

I have come to understand that the desires He has given me can only be realized in my life through His divine design. For my life He saw fit that this ailment would bring about that end. Although the natural man will never understand this fact, the spiritual man submits to the truthfulness of this reality with all of his heart. The redeemed children of God know that His ways are above their ways and they are past finding out!

I will not lie; I have experienced times of despair and fear since hearing the news. My heart yearns when I wake up next to my wife not knowing how many more times I will see her laying next to me. My heart has failed when I hear my boys laughing not knowing how many more times I will hear their beautiful voices or if I will see them grow up into healthy young men. But each and every time my heart becomes overwhelmed; the Lord’s supernatural comfort warms my soul. Not by revealing that He will heal me of this sickness but rather that He will be with me through the valley of the shadow of death! I wholeheartedly believe that all of these things will work together for good because I love Him and I am called according to His purpose. These events, no matter how they unfold, will turn out to the glory of His Name!

I have been astounded by the love of the saints. Your support, prayers, and comfort have become a great source of consolation to my family and me. I ask that you continually uphold us in your prayers. Pray that the Lord would grant us courage and confidence in Him as we walk forward in the future. Our greatest plea is that we would represent our Savior properly during this time.

I sincerely wish I could speak to each and every one of you face to face to express my appreciation. Yet it is clear that at this point I am to focus on my family and spend as much time with them as possible. I will purpose to keep everyone updated as we receive more information. To God be the glory in His Church both now and forever!

In His Hands,
Brent, Andrea, Jaiden and Micah
Romans 11:36

Oh Lord, You're Beautiful!

2011-03-09T09:19:00.001-08:00

Oh my goodness, probably one of my favorite songs! Read through this song and meditate on the Words! :)

Oh Lord, you're beautiful,

Your face is all I seek,

For when your eyes are on this child,

Your grace abounds to me.

I want to take your word and shine it all around.

But first help me just to live it Lord.

And when I'm doing well, help me to never seek a crown.

For my reward is giving glory to you.

Oh Lord, please light the fire,

That once burned bright and clear.

Replace the lamp of my first love,

That burns with Holy fear.

"Now set your mind and heart to seek the Lord your God." 1 Chronicles 22:19a

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1D9AKqoSIU

Is This True of Me? My Utmost for His Highest- March 4th

2011-03-04T10:39:00.000-08:00

"None of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself . . ." —Acts 20:24

It is easier to serve or work for God without a vision and without a call, because then you are not bothered by what He requires. Common sense, covered with a layer of Christian emotion, becomes your guide. You may be more prosperous and successful from the world’s perspective, and will have more leisure time, if you never acknowledge the call of God. But once you receive a commission from Jesus Christ, the memory of what God asks of you will always be there to prod you on to do His will. You will no longer be able to work for Him on the basis of common sense.

What do I count in my life as “dear to myself”? If I have not been seized by Jesus Christ and have not surrendered myself to Him, I will consider the time I decide to give God and my own ideas of service as dear. I will also consider my own life as “dear to myself.” But Paul said he considered his life dear so that he might fulfill the ministry he had received, and he refused to use his energy on anything else. This verse shows an almost noble annoyance by Paul at being asked to consider himself. He was absolutely indifferent to any consideration other than that of fulfilling the ministry he had received. Our ordinary and reasonable service to God may actually compete against our total surrender to Him. Our reasonable work is based on the following argument which we say to ourselves, “Remember how useful you are here, and think how much value you would be in that particular type of work.” That attitude chooses our own judgment, instead of Jesus Christ, to be our guide as to where we should go and where we could be used the most. Never consider whether or not you are of use— but always consider that “you are not your own” (1 Corinthians 6:19). You are His.

My Utmost for His Highest- February 24 "The Delight of Sacrifice"

2011-02-24T10:12:00.000-08:00

These have become my favorite devotionals lately! http://utmost.org/the-delight-of-sacrifice/

I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls . . . —2 Corinthians 12:15

Once “the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit,” we deliberately begin to identify ourselves with Jesus Christ’s interests and purposes in others’ lives (Romans 5:5). And Jesus has an interest in every individual person. We have no right in Christian service to be guided by our own interests and desires. In fact, this is one of the greatest tests of our relationship with Jesus Christ. The delight of sacrifice is that I lay down my life for my Friend, Jesus (see John 15:13). I don’t throw my life away, but I willingly and deliberately lay it down for Him and His interests in other people. And I do this for no cause or purpose of my own. Paul spent his life for only one purpose— that he might win people to Jesus Christ. Paul always attracted people to his Lord, but never to himself. He said, “I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22).

When someone thinks that to develop a holy life he must always be alone with God, he is no longer of any use to others. This is like putting himself on a pedestal and isolating himself from the rest of society. Paul was a holy person, but wherever he went Jesus Christ was always allowed to help Himself to his life. Many of us are interested only in our own goals, and Jesus cannot help Himself to our lives. But if we are totally surrendered to Him, we have no goals of our own to serve. Paul said that he knew how to be a “doormat” without resenting it, because the motivation of his life was devotion to Jesus. We tend to be devoted, not to Jesus Christ, but to the things which allow us more spiritual freedom than total surrender to Him would allow. Freedom was not Paul’s motive at all. In fact, he stated, “I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren . . .” (Romans 9:3). Had Paul lost his ability to reason? Not at all! For someone who is in love, this is not an overstatement. And Paul was in love with Jesus Christ.

Faith or Disbelief

2011-02-22T09:46:00.000-08:00

If you knew the horrors of the potential judgment that hangs over us–if we really believed in what is coming–how differently we would live. Why aren’t Christians living in obedience to God? Because of their unbelief. Why did Eve fall into sin?
Because she did not truly believe in the judgment–that death really would come if she ate what God forbade. This is the same reason many continue in lives of sin and disobedience. - K. P. Yohannan

I was challenged by this question from a class I am taking... "what was the purpose of Jesus coming to earth?" Simple right? So many great reasons... to set captives free, to free us from our sin, to show us the image and character of God, all for love, to abolish sin. Jesus answers this questions directly in the book of John.. ready for this? "For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world- to bear witness to the truth." John 18:38 It's so cool that the truth is linked to freedom. I mean when I think that Jesus came to bear witness to the truth, I see that His truth set us free from sin, death, and hopelessness. "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:31-32 If Jesus is the truth, it implies that everything outside of what the Jesus says is a lie.
I'm reading this book on faith. It is impossible to please God without faith- our works won't please Him. Faith is trusting in what the Word of God says, and then walking in application of it. So if faith pleases God, than disbelief has to sadden the Lord. When we are not resting in the promise of the Lord, it shows that we really don't believe what we say we believe. This meditation was a challenge to my heart to examine how of much of the truth is applied in faith in my life. Look today for new promises of God to trust, and then walk in faith that what He says is really the truth!

On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord...'

2011-02-18T07:58:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking and meditating on this word 'Lord' lately. It's a very well-known word use in prayer and used in accordance to Jesus. Merriam-Webster's dictionary defines it like this: 1. one having power and authority over others, 2. a ruler by hereditary right or preeminence to whom service and obedience are due.

The truth is many have come to know Jesus as their savior, their redeemer, their friend, their healer... but He has also become to some a slave and a genie. For someone to be Lord over us sounds like a trapping thing. To think of Jesus as our Lord is an easy thing to claim in words, but would you believe that there is freedom when we come to the deep understanding of Jesus as Lord over our lives: Lord over our decisions, over our emotions, over our dreams, and Lord over our thoughts. Freedom sounds like a funny word to use when you read those definitions again, doesn't it? But what if we understood lordship in the sense of a battle and our Lord was the one leading us into victory? He is leading us triumphantly into victory, where with Him as our leader, we are destined to win! There is a pretty high confidence to know that you are on the winning team and the end result is already known!
We have been saved by grace through faith... We are saved from the captivity of our sin and saved from the lies of this world that entangle us. Jesus was the one who released us from our captivity... and He is our Lord! When we understand what Jesus has released us from, we understand that Him as our Lord means Him as our Savior! Read those definitions again... ask Jesus to have Lordship over every area of your life... it's only when He is Lord that you will find the most freedom to know that you are headed toward victory!
"If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is LORD and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." Romans 10:9-10
"Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is LORD, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:9-11
"Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the LORD, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving." Colossians 2:6-7
"In your hearts regard Christ the LORD as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you." 1 peter 3:15

The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. Romans 3:22

2011-01-25T09:43:00.000-08:00

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. Galatians 3:13. You are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God; and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. 1 Corinthians 1:30. Not by works or righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior. Titus 3:5-6.

I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith. Philippians 3:8-9.

Graduation!

2011-01-08T19:22:00.000-08:00

Since we backed it up to catch up on 2010... let's back it up a little bit more to Spring 2008, my first semester in Peru. But before that, we have to back up to 2005, my first mission's trip to Peru- which had a huge impact on my heart that lead to a change of direction in schooling. I was attending San Francisco State for interior design and knew it wasn't where I was supposed to be. My dad can probably laugh at this story.. I remember the first day of classes, I called home crying because I knew it wasn't the right fit. I took that year to seek direction and from there I transferred to a community college near home to get an Associates in Liberal Arts to be able to use for the missions field. My dad was so supportive in my changes while I was seeking where to go to prepare for ministry. My friend in Peru introduced me to the idea of Bible College. So from Peru, to Japan, to interning, to Murrieta, to Israel to Murrieta to finish... I got to graduate! My dad flew down to support me, and my friend Christy came as well! Thank you all for your support through my time through Bible College.. I feel like even now I am beginning to learn more as I get a chance to put into application all that the Lord has allowed me to dive into!

the last part of 2010!

2011-01-08T18:58:00.000-08:00

Happy 2011!! I think New Years and birthdays are the only two times during the year where people usually look back on the previous year where they were at and what that year was marked with! This year I look back on a measurement of growth and changes from Peru, to Israel, to San Jose, to moving to Southern California, to interning for the Bible College, to working at the Bible College, and also graduating from Bible College. So in just one sentence, there is a summary of 2011. I remember last year this time being in Peru with my dear friend Lili, praying about Andrew, the internship, direction, and wondering where I would be. Now I get to look back and see God's faithfulness in my life! Andrew said this to me once: "God is such a great leader that most of the time we don't even realize His leading." With that, I know that I can trust the Lord with the plans He has for this year!

Christmas humility

2010-12-28T23:17:00.000-08:00

“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8:26-27
When things can’t be formed into words, we can take confidence that even the groaning of our heart is understood by the Lord. I take confident that I have Jesus as my great high priest and that He is interceding for me the prayers that are beyond what I think I want or above all needs. We think of Jesus as a baby, Jesus who is coming back, but Jesus right now is praying for us! When I get to seasons in my life where it feels like my prayers become sighs or groans, I get to a place of brokenness where I begin to walk by faith and not by sight.
With brokenness I’m reminded of humility before God; that sweet humility that reveals the power of God that is at work and not human effort. This season in thinking of Christmas as a time to reflect on the grand entrance of our savior... a savior who came in absolute humility! It isn’t necessarily a grand entrance to our human measure to think of a king entering not in mansion, but in a manger, and as a baby… the most humble dependent state of being. It’s a day where we don’t only remember His birth, but His life and His death… and the purpose for His life- the only being who came with the purpose of dying.

We read Hebrews 12:2. “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
“I asked, “What, or who, was this ‘joy’ that was set before Jesus?” This ‘joy’ must be important because it helped him endure the cross and the shame and pain he would go through. Of course, pleasing the Father was his joy but there’s so much more. We are his joy, also! Jesus knew that his finished works on the cross and his resurrection would create the possibility for mankind to be reconciled back into eternal relationship with the Father. The possibility of this brought him so much joy that he was willing to lay down his life to save ours. Consider this – we are worth the life of His Son!” (Weekly Ministry Report from “Christians in Action”).

I hope you all had a blessed Christ-filled Christmas and got to spend time remembering why we celebrate this day! :)

Below

2010-11-11T10:39:00.000-08:00

Below is a 31 day devotional that I went through in the month of October. It was called "Discovering the Father's heart." It dives into scripture to point out what our Heavenly Father has to say about us! I remember this longing in the beginning of this year to know God's thoughts toward me. It was Psalm 139 that spoke to my heart that His thoughts are as numerous as the sand, but still I wanted to experience more! This devotional blessed me so much and I hope it encourages you as well!

Day 1

2010-10-25T14:07:00.000-07:00

"Oh God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory." Psalm 63:1-2
There is a longing at the bottom of the heart of every believer who is the least bit responsive to the initiatives of the Holy Spirit. Once we begin to understand that our passions were meant to be satisfied in Him, and that only in Him is found the pleasure that every person seeks, we find our focus narrowing and our options becoming few.
In these verses, the psalmist is acknowledging that there is no true enjoyment outside the presence of the Lord. He has sought for pleasure in the dry and thirsty land, and has realized that even in those dry places he has in fact been looking for the Lord. Having found nothing in those dry wells, he wisely turns to the place where the Lord may be found-in the sanctuary, the place of worship and meditation, Only the consideration of the beauty and power of the person of Jesus is enough to satisfy the longings of the heart, and those who seek with passion and wisdom will turn their search to where joy may be found.
Prayer: Jesus, my heart is filled with desire, and only You will satisfy my thirsty soul. By Your help I will be wise this day, and seek You where You may be found-in the place of worship and meditative prayer. Let me not be satisfied too easily, but increase the longing in my heart until I seek only You.
Day 1 devotional "Forerunner Meditations: Discovering the Father's heart" by Gary Wiens

Day 2

2010-10-25T13:17:00.000-07:00

"Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You. Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. My soul shall be satisfied as with narrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. Psalm 63:3-4
Every individual has the freedom to determine how they are going to spend the resources of their time and energy, and those decisions are based on their perception of what will bring the greatest freedom and fulfillment. The writer here has come to a very important and fundamental understanding: the experimental reality of knowing the love of Christ is more important than life itself. He would rather forfeit other pleasures and even necessities than miss out on the experience of being loved by God. Therefore, he has set his will to the focus on the wisest and most important activity-the worship of God. Anyone who has ever been in love knows about the reality; other things are simply not important. Only the presence and attention of the Beloved is worthy of our full attention, and so we give ourselves to this most important thing-loving God.
Prayer: Oh my Beloved, waken my heart to see the wisdom of loving You as the first thing, the one thing that is necessary. All other realities come into focus when this first thing truly is first. Let Your lovingkindness fill my soul, that I might know life as You intended it to be known.
Day 2 devotional "Forerunner Meditations: Discovering the Father's heart" by Gary Wiens

Day 3

2010-10-25T12:51:00.000-07:00

When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches. Because You have been my help, therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. My soul follows close behind You; your hand upholds me. Psalm 63:6-8
Who hasn't known those times when sleep is distant and the hours of the night seem far too long? It's often during those sleepless nights that the enemy can come with all his weaponry-worry, anxiety, stress over what needs to be done, and fear that the resources to meet the needs are not going to be in place. In those times he also seems to bring his supply of false comforts, like fantasies and hunger for inadequate stuff, and we find ourselves wanting to eat and drink of the wrong kinds of pleasures.
It seems pretty clear that the writer of this psalm was familiar with those kinds of nights, and yet he found an antidote for the pain. His key? Remember the Lord and meditate upon the beauty of the man Christ Jesus. David's strategy was to let his mind become full of thoughts of the Lord, reviewing the history of God's faithfulness to him, and settling his heart in the comfort of God's constant nature. He sets his soul-mind, will and emotions-squarely in the path of the Holy Spirit, and places himself in God's hand, for only there is he surely secure.
Prayer: Father, I look to You to send Your Spirit to my aid in the night hours, when the enemy's worst seems to plague my soul. You are faithful and kind; Your nature is unchanging, and I will trust in You, following close behind You as You lead me. Thank You, Father!
Day 3 devotional "Forerunner Meditations: Discovering the Father's heart" by Gary Wiens

Day 4

2010-10-25T12:19:00.000-07:00

"Now I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth, for the first Heaven and the first Earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her Husband. And I heard a loud voice from Heaven saying. "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." Ans He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful." Revelation 21:1-5
I love to read adventure stories and watch movies that are made from books by authors like John Grisham or Tom Clancy. In a well-written story there is always a skillful building of tension, great disasters that loom as not only possible but likely, and surprising twists of deliverance and resolution that leave me cheering that once again the bad guys have been defeated, and the good guys have won. Occasionally, the suspense get so great that I have to sneak a peek at the ending, just so I can relax.
I think sometimes in the adventure of life, it's good to consider the end of things from time to time for the same reason. God has told us how this adventure called life on Earth is going to end so that we can rest in His marvelous strength and goodness. I encourage you today to consider this passage from Revelation 21 and just let your heart rest in the fact that the outcome of the story is already decided, and not only does the Good Guy win, He gets the girl! Over the next couple of days, we're going to consider this reality, so set your hearts at rest in His sovereign power and might, and give Him thanks that you are included in this great adventure!
Prayer: Father, thank You that You are the mighty God who sees the end from the beginning, and You have made every provision for the outcome. I give You thanks, Lord, that I included in this City that is really a Bride, and I can't wait for the story to unfold. Thank You, Lord!
Day 4 devotional "Forerunner Meditations: Discovering the Father's heart" by Gary Wiens

Day 5

2010-10-25T12:18:00.000-07:00

"Now I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth... Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her Husband." Revelation 21:1-2
One of the questions that comes often concerns the focus we have at the International House of prayer in Kansas City regarding God's love for His Bride, the Church. We believe that the highest revelation of the identity of His people is that of being the Bride of Christ, and this passage is one of those that helps us understand this. Notice how the apostle John sees the city of God, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven, but that the city has now been transformed into a glorious Bride! This is an indication that no matter what else we are called as the people of God-His people, His army, His flock, His city, His holy nation, His children, His servants-the culmination of the whole thing is the identity He gives us as the Bride of His beloved Son!
Let you heart focus on this reality for a few moments, and give thanks that no matter where you are in understanding His revelation of your identity, where you are in understanding His revelation of your identity of a Bride perfectly adorned and made beautiful for her Husband. In other words (for you guys that haven't quite got this Bride thing figured out yet!), at the end of the day you will be perfectly prepared as the eternal partner of the Son of God, and He is filled with gladness at that prospect!
Prayer: Jesus, I thank You that you Holy Spirit is working in my heart even now, preparing me to be like You, to be perfectly conformed to what You have in store for me, that I might know the joy of anticipating that day.
Day 5 devotional "Forerunner Meditations: Discovering the Father's heart" by Gary Wiens

Day 6

2010-10-25T12:17:00.000-07:00

"And I heard a loud voice from Heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God." Revelation 21:3
This little verse is one of the most powerful and significant verses in all of Scripture, for it reveals the eternal purpose of God and declares that this purpose will be fulfilled at the culmination of natural history. This eternal purpose is an astonishing reality-the God of the universe wants to be with human beings forever! The phrase "the tabernacle of God is with men" is not referring to an idea that God has a big building that He is going to inhabit, but rather that in Jesus, God has clothed Himself in humanity as His choice of how He wants to spend eternity!
From before the foundations of the Earth, God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit decided together that they wanted to have intimate relationship with human beings, and that the only way this could happen was for the Son of God to take a form that would embrace created people. So, God became a Man. His decision was to be a human being forever so that He could have intimate relationship with people, including you and me. Focus your prayer time today on giving thanks for this astonishing reality that lifts us to an incredible place of dignity and significance.
Prayer: Oh Lord, my heart is stunned as I consider the reality that You desired to be a human being so that I could come to know You. Open my understanding, Lord, that I might comprehend the things You have in store for me as Your Bride and partner , and that You will be my God, and I will be one of Yours forever!
Day 6 devotional "Forerunner Meditations: Discovering the Father's heart" by Gary Wiens

Day 7

2010-10-25T08:53:00.000-07:00

"And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." Ans He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful." Revelation 21:4-5
There is a reality of wonderful comfort in this short passage, for each individual is able to experience the healing power of the Lord as He ministers to His people at the end of the age. Sometimes we can easily believe the God will be close and intimate to everyone else, but it's more difficult to believe that He will come to us individually in that kind of way. But the language in verse four is very clear-God Himself will wipe away every tear! In other words, there will be a personal encounter with the living God in which every sorrow that has touched your heart will be healed by the tender touch of the beloved Lord. Nothing that has to do with death, sorrow or crying from pain will touch you ever again! You will never again know pain of any kind, for the King of Heaven, who is you Bridegroom, is going to heal your heart in a deeply personal way.
The good news for us is that we can begin to experience that touch in a real way now, even if not in its fullness. As you fix your attention on the beauty of Jesus and set your heart to worship Him and to believe His Word to you, the Holy Spirit will come in a place of peace. Ask Him to do this today, and wait patiently for the Lord to come to you.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I bring before You the hurting places of my heart today. I fix my gaze on Your beauty and love, and I ask that Your Spirit would strengthen my heart to receive Your healing touch in Your perfect timing. And as I wait for You, I will worship You, love You and serve You with everything that is in me. Thank You, Lord.
Day 7 devotional "Forerunner Meditations: Discovering the Father's heart" by Gary Wiens

Day 8

2010-10-24T18:12:00.000-07:00

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:3-6
For the next few days, we want to focus on the process that the Father set in place in order to bring His chosen Bride tot he reality of the wedding feast in Revelation 19 and 21. The letter from the apostle Paul to the Ephesians is very helpful in giving us some understanding of this. I would encourage you to consider the thoughts i this passage today, and in the following days we'll look at each of the parts.
Notice that this amazing plan is set in place by the Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, as he orchestrates human history for the pleasure of His Son. See that He has given us all the resources we need- every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places- in order for us to fulfill His purposes for our lives. COnsider that the end result has been established in God's mind and heart from before the beginning of time; therefore, your destiny is secure in His love. Understand that His whole point is to include us in His own family by the acceptable activity of jesus, so that our hope rests completely in Him.
Keep in mind that, in the heart of God, this whole process of redemption is for the purpose of making the wedding feast a reality for His Son. As you pray today, give thanks that you have been included by the will of God, and that His desire is focused upon you as part of His beloved family.
Prayer: Father, I ask that today You would strengthen my heart in the knowledge of Your definition of my life, and the purpose for which You have created me and redeemed me. Thank You for making me part of Your family, so that my life will bring pleasure to You forever. I worship You, Father, and give You thanks.
Day 8 devotional "Forerunner Meditations: Discovering the Father's heart" by Gary Wiens

Day 9

2010-10-24T18:11:00.001-07:00

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ... Ephesians 1:3
You are invited to consider an amazing reality today- the God of the universe has granted you a standing to His own heart, to be included as a recipient of every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. This is the kind of statement that is so grandiose that our minds tend to skim over the top of it. But let the words roll around in your mind right now.. every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. Such a phrase requires that we come before the Lord and cry out for help from the Holy Spirit to even begin to conceive of what He was thinking when He gave that phrase to Paul. The very blessing of Heaven are already conferred upon us by our Father, who is the Almighty God.
As you pray today, ask the Lord to help you understand these things. Look at verses 19-19 of Ephesians chapter one, and ask the Father to release to you the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, so that you may be able to comprehend at greater levels the joy and beauty in store for you because of Jesus Christ.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, You who are the giver of the Holy Spirit, release into my heart today the power to comprehend just a little more the realities that You have made available to me. My heart longs to know the truth of who You say I am, and what my inheritance is because of Your great love for me. I'm grateful, Lord, and I thank You and ask You for more.
Day 9 devotional "Forerunner Meditations: Discovering the Father's heart" by Gary Wiens

Day 10

2010-10-24T17:59:00.000-07:00

Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love... Ephesians 1:4
I invite you today to fix your thoughts on this reality: you were chosen by God in Christ before the foundation of the world to fully meet His desires as one He loves. Le me set the scene for you. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit were in an eternal relationship of joy and delight. The Son is forever the perfect fulfillment of all that the Father is, the full expression of the heart, mind, will and emotions of God. Hebrews 1:3 calls Jesus the "exact representation of the divine nature." In other words, He is everything that God is.
As the Father gazed eternally on His Son and enjoyed Hi, He beheld in Him all those would come from Him; generations of children conceived by God in Christ for His own pleasure. Even as the Father delighted in His Son, so He delighted in these children who were seen and chosen and was well-pleased, for His is confident in His own ability to being all things into conformity with His will. He has loved you forever, and your destiny is settled in His love. Consider this and give thanks today, asking the Holy Spirit to open your heart and mind to this amazing truth.
Prayer: Father, the thought that I have existed in Your heart from before creation is staggering to me. Help me to set my mind and heart in agreement with the truth that You know me and love me more than I can imagine, and that You have planned my life for Your own enjoyment. Thank You, Lord.
Day 10 devotional "Forerunner Meditations: Discovering the Father's heart" by Gary Wiens

Day 11

2010-10-24T17:48:00.001-07:00

Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will. Ephesians 1:5
As you meditate on this verse today, keep in mind where this is going; the end of the story is the wedding feast of the Lamb, and you are the Bride! This amazing plan of God from before creation was to bring created people into the eternal family that is called "the Godhead." He purposed in His own heart that you and I would be included in this family, giving His own Son as the one who would accomplish this task by the sacrifice of His own life.
Here's what I want you to focus on today: this was motivated by the good pleasure of His will. The motivating factor in God's decision to include you is good pleasure, or simply, joy. He chose you because your presence in His family gives Him pleasure and joy. The eternal Father has known from eternity that you would be a perfect partner for His Son, and that as He brought you to Himself, His power and love would provide everything you need to fulfill all His desires for you. Your real Father is God, and He is a good Father. He will accomplish all that is needed to present you as a flawless partner for Jesus on the day of His great gladness- the day we all together become His Bride forever!
Prayer: Oh Lord, my heart is overflowing as I consider the astonishing things that You have for me as part of the Bride of Christ. Please help me understand this, and settle my heart in the wondrous truth of Your affections and purpose for my life. I love You, Lord, and I want to know You more.
Day 11 devotional "Forerunner Meditations: Discovering the Father's heart" by Gary Wiens

Day 12

2010-10-24T17:36:00.000-07:00

To the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:6
Today the focus of our attention is that the ultimate purpose of our existence is for all creation to praise the glory of God's grace. In the book of Esther, there was a point in which the king desired to display the beauty of his wife, Queen Vashti, so that the nobles of the kingdom would see the greatness of the king's glory. The apostle Paul tells the Corinthian Believers that even as a man's wife is his glory, so human beings are the glory of God, or in other words, the ultimate revelation of the beauty of God made visible.
So, God's purpose for you is to make you beautiful, to pour out upon you every blessing from heavenly places, to perfectly father you, to present you to His precious Son, Jesus, so that in the perfect revelation of His beauty in you, His Name will be praised by all creation forever. It's as though the Lord is asking the created order, "Do you want to see how majestic I am, how wonderful My grace is? Look at this!" Then He shows you off as His beloved son or daughter, the perfected partner for the one Son, Jesus Christ.
As you pray today, ask the Holy Spirit to settle your mind and heart in this reality, that God has created you for His pleasure, to perfectly reveal His beauty to all creation.
Prayer: Lord, help me to get this truth deep into my heart and mind, that I might enjoy You as You enjoy me. Heal the broken places of my heart, so that I might understand and comprehend Your love, which is beyond measure. Thank You, Lord.
Day 12 devotional "Forerunner Meditations: Discovering the Father's heart" by Gary Wiens

Day 13

2010-10-24T17:24:00.000-07:00

Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman; and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him, rejoicing in His inhabited world, and My delight was with the sons of men. Proverbs 8:30-31
These two little verse are the climax of a section of poetic Scripture that speaks about the emotions int he heart of the Godhead as They made the worlds ready for the introduction of human beings onto the scene. Today we want to focus on the delightful, joyous relationship between the Father and the Son as They made preparations for the creation of people for Their own pleasure.
The Person speaking in this passage is identified as "Wisdom," but it becomes clear that the speaker is really the second Person of the Trinity, namely, the Son who would come to Earth as Jesus Christ. He was the "master craftsman," the designer of the creation, and the text says that He was daily the delight of God. The Father's full pleasure is int eh Son; everything about Him pleases the Father, for He is the exact image of the divine nature (see Hebrews 1:3).
The Son is pictured as "rejoicing always" in the Father's presence; this is a delightful term that is best translated "to be at play." The creation of the universe, in preparation for the creation of human beings, was the product of a delighted Father and a playful Son who had a wonderful plan for Their own enjoyment. Let your heart consider the reality of an eternally glad God whose pleasure is fully focused on His Son, and on Their mutual plan of having an eternal relationship with you and me!
Prayer: Holy Spirit, I ask You to reveal the Father's heart to me today. Grant me just a small sense of the Father's pleasure in His Son, and in the work They have done together to create a people for Themselves. I long to know the joy that burns in God's heart, and so I ask for Your help. Thank You.
Day 13 devotional "Forerunner Meditations: Discovering the Father's heart" by Gary Wiens

Day 14

2010-10-24T17:12:00.000-07:00

Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman; and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him, rejoicing in His inhabited world, and My delight was with the sons of men. Proverbs 8:30-31
Today, I want to draw your attention to what was exploding in the heart of Jesus during the process of creating the human race. The Son knew the incredible pleasure of being the Father's delight, and His response was to play in the Father's presence. This is a wonderful insight into the nature of work; God has established work as the creative expression of a playful heart between the Father and the Son.
The Son was rejoicing before the Father; He was spinning, laughing, dancing and creating. Verse 31 tells us that the focus of His rejoicing was the people that inhabited the newly-created world. The next phrase makes it even more clear- His delight was with the sons of men! This is a marvelous statement because we get an insight into the very emotions of Jesus as He looks at you and me, awaiting the time when by His own power we will be made ready for Him as the perfect bridal partner.
As you pray today, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to your heart the truth of how the Lord feels about you. Jesus had no false illusions about your life; He understood that it was going to cost Him His life to have us with Him, and the Scripture says that "for the joy set before Him" He gladly paid the price. You were worth it to Him, and as He considered your life, He was filled with joy from the very beginning of time.
Prayer: Lord, my heart needs to know this at very basic levels. As I meditate on these truths today, cause me to understand and to come to a place of experiential belief that what You say is true. It's too good not to be true, and I want to know more! thank You, Lord!
Day 14 devotional "Forerunner Meditations: Discovering the Father's heart" by Gary Wiens

Day 15

2010-10-24T17:04:00.000-07:00

[I pray] that the God of out Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints. Ephesians 1:17-18
In this passage, the apostle Paul is seeking teh release of the Holy Spirit's power on all Believers so that they might know the fullness of God's plan for their lives. Notice the name that he gives to God, "the Father of glory." One of the main definitions of glory in the Scripture is the revealed beauty of God, made visible so that people might enjoy and worship Him. Our Father, who planned this whole thing from the beginning, is the Father of all beauty, and He desires to send us to the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that we might know Him better.
Our hearts have a desperate need to know the Lord better, to understand the kind of God He is, to know His goodness and kindness to us, and that His eternal purpose is for our blessing and fulfillment as the beloved Bride of His Son. In order for this to happen, the ministry of the Holy Spirit is required in out lives. Pray this prayer over your own heart today, that the Father would release the Spirit of wisdom and revelation to you, so that you might come to know God as He really is.
Prayer: Father, send this Spirit of wisdom and revelation to me today. My heart longs to know You more, to see more clearly the kind of God You are and how You love me. Awaken my heart to Your truth and to the desire that You have for me to understand Your love. Thank You, Lord.
Day 15 devotional "Forerunner Meditations: Discovering the Father's heart" by Gary Wiens

Day 16

2010-10-24T17:03:00.001-07:00

Day 17

2010-10-22T17:12:00.000-07:00

[I pray] that the God of out Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints. Ephesians 1:17-18
I want to draw your focus today to the knowledge of the hope of His calling. Remember, the whole point of the creation of human beings is for the pleasure of God in relationship with us, and in order for that to happen we must come into His likeness and character. In Paul's letter to the Colossian Believers, he makes a marvelous statement that settles in us the issue of hope that God's purpose will in fact be accomplished. He reminds the readers that the Holy Spirit has revealed the "glorious mystery" of God's plan, namely, "Christ [is] in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27)."
This sentence is packed with power, for we are being told that Jesus Christ Himself has come to live within our hearts by the Holy Spirit, and therefore the completion of His purpose is a certain thing. Redemption is far more than just being rescued from Hell; it is the release into our hearts of the power of God to accomplish His will and destiny for us.
Today let your heart be filled with the good truth that Jesus lives within you and is working night and day to make you a suitable partner for Himself. He will accomplish it, for you are all that He desires!
Prayer: Lord, my heart is stunned that You would come and live in me by Your Spirit, that You would ensure by You own power the fulfillment of my destiny as Your partner. The thought is more than I can bear, but I ask You again to help me get it! I love You, Lord, and my heart aches to be a worthy partner of this Man, Christ Jesus.
Day 17 devotional "Forerunner Meditations: Discovering the Father's heart" by Gary Wiens

Day 18

2010-10-22T15:23:00.000-07:00

[I pray] that the God of out Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints. Ephesians 1:17-18
One final glance at this passage, focusing today on the very last phrase, "what are this riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints." This is a segment that is filled with wonder, and is worthy of much meditation and prayerful consideration. Several thoughts; first, it is a staggering thought that God would have an inheritance in human beings. We usually consider an inheritance as something that comes from beyond us, that makes us more wealthy, or gives us something that makes our lives more enjoyable. And the truth of this phrase is that God, the Creator of all things, has decided that an eternal relationship with you and me is going to make His perfect existence even better! What a mind-boggling idea! Toss that one around in your mind and heart for a few thousand years and see what happens!
Secondly, let's consider what this inheritance is to Him. Remember, the whole point of creating us was to have intimate relationship with Himself, namely as the Bride of His Son Jesus. In genesis 1:18, God speaks to Adam as he first man, and promises him a "helper comparable" to him. We know from Ephesians five that the Genesis passage is a picture of Christ and the Church, so what God is setting in place here is a picture of Christ and the Church, so what God is setting in place here is a picture of what we are to Him- a helper comparable to His Son, the perfect counterpart, the partner in ministry that will walk alongside the Son as co-heirs of the Kingdom of God. Let your heart be expanded with the truth of this, asking the Holy Spirit to empower you to receive and understand what He has in mind as His glorious inheritance in the saints.
Prayer: Jesus, my little mind is too small to comprehend the reality of this, beyond just saying the words. Send Your Spirit to open my understanding, so that I may know Your thoughts and sense the joy of Your heart as You look forward to my becoming all You have created me to be.
Day 18 devotional "Forerunner Meditations: Discovering the Father's heart" by Gary Wiens

Day 19

2010-10-22T14:56:00.000-07:00

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in Heaven and Earth is named, that He would grant you, according tot he riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:14-19
As we consider this passage over the next few days, there are several points of focus that will draw to your attention. There is a wonderful and natural progression of revelation that is put forward here, beginning with the loving Father who sends Hid Spirit for the purpose of strengthening our hearts. The reason that our hearts need strength is to empower us to receive the presence of Jesus inside, establishing us in the love of the Father. In the context of this seedbed of unconditional love, we grow up into the ability to know the full love of Christ, a love that is incomprehensible apart from the power of God.
The end result of this process is beyond imagination- the knowledge of the love of Christ that fills us with all the fullness of God. This is an unbelievable statement, one of those things that, were it not in the Bible, would sound like heresy. The fact is that God has some things in store for us that will boggle our minds. Fix your heart on these things and ask the Holy Spirit to prepare you to consider them over the next few days.
Prayer: Jesus, my heart is overwhelmed at who You are and who You say that I am. send me Your Holy Spirit and open my heart to understanding, for I deeply desire to know the things You have for me, together with all the saints. Thank You, Jesus.
Day 19 devotional "Forerunner Meditations: Discovering the Father's heart" by: Gary Wiens

Day 20

2010-10-22T13:18:00.000-07:00

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in Heaven and Earth is named, that He would grant you, according tot he riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:14-19
Paul begins here with an appeal tot eh Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the source of all fatherhood in Heaven and on Earth. This is a power-packed phrase, because it settles for us the reality that our true Father is God Himself, and that we were not brought forth out of mere human process or desire, but by the will of God. In understanding this, we echo what John states in his gospel that we are those "who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:13).
This is a most important understanding for us to focus on in prayer. You exist because of the desire of God, not because there was a human interaction between a man and a woman. Regardless of your life history, whether you have had the most horrible or the most wonderful background, the reason you are alive is because God desired you and has caused you to come into relationship with Him for His express pleasure and purpose. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your understanding to this reality, that He desires and loves you in the perfection of His fatherly heart.
Prayer: Father of glory, send You Spirit to me today and help me. I long to know the kind of love that You have for me, a love that is beyond my comprehension without the help of Your Spirit. Thank You for loving me more than I can understand, and strengthen me to understand. Thank You, Lord
Day 20 devotional "Forerunner Meditations: Discovering the Father's heart" by Gary Wiens

Day 21

2010-10-21T16:50:00.000-07:00

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in Heaven and Earth is named, that He would grant you, according tot he riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:14-19
The first focal point of Paul's prayer for the Ephesians is found in verse 16, namely that God Himself would grant each person the strengthening power of His Spirit so we can realize His purposes in our lives. A couple of ideas for your consideration: first, remember that it is the Holy Spirit inspiring Paul to pray this prayer over Christians. God has designed reality so that His power is loosed upon the Earth human beings who agree with His character and His purposes on the Earth. It is the will for God to empower you to believe and receive His love, and His way is to find human intercessors (us) who will agree with His agenda so that He can release this power to mankind.
Isaiah 59 tells us that God Himself provided this intercessor (Jesus, of course!) when He couldn't find another willing human, and now Paul is standing in that role. The Father's purpose is to give you His very strength, the Spirit of the Father, to empower you to receive His love and believe what He has in store for you. Bring your heart and mind into agreement with that today, concerning your own life and the lives of those you love, and ask for the Spirit of the Father to be released with the power into your heart.
Prayer: Father of glory, I agree with You that Your purpose is to reveal Your love to my weak heart. Send Your Spirit today; establish me in the truth of who You are and of who You say that I am. Thank You for loving me, and for helping me to know Your love in the deep places of my heart.
Day 21 devotional "Forerunner Meditations: Discovering the Father's heart" by Gary Wiens

Day 22

2010-10-21T16:33:00.000-07:00

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in Heaven and Earth is named, that He would grant you, according tot he riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:14-19
There is a powerful reality communicated in these verses that can be understood when we remember that God's whole point in creating human beings was to present us as the Bride of Christ, the perfect counterpart to His Son, Jesus. In Ephesians 3:17-19, we are shown an incredible plan for the perfecting process given to us by the mercy of God. By the ministry of the Spirit of the Father, Christ Himself takes up residence in our hearts by faith, and His initial role is to establish a groundwork of confidence in the Father's love. Like a flowerbed prepared of confidence in the Father's water, the heart of the Believer is prepared to receive the seeds of God's love as our Father, so that we may grow up with the capacity to receive the love of Jesus as out Bridegroom. A bride must be well-father before she can be well-married, and this passage shows us how God intends to prepare us for this.
As you pray today, ask the Holy Spirit to ground you in the knowledge of the Father's love, so that the revelation of the love of Jesus as your Bridegroom can be released to you in the perfect timing of your Father.
Prayer: Jesus, I long to be established and unshakable in the knowledge of the Father's love just as You are. I believe this is what You want for me, so today I agree with You and ask that as I need Your Word, sing Your songs and talk with You, the roots of Your love will go deep.
Day 22 devotional "Forerunner Meditations: Discovering the Father's heart" by Gary Wiens

Day 23

2010-10-21T13:45:00.000-07:00

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in Heaven and Earth is named, that He would grant you, according tot he riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:14-19
Here is the point of the whole process of being established in the love of the Father- to know the love of Jesus, which is beyond comprehension, and to be filled with all the fullness of God. This is an astonishing verse, one that would be impossible to believe if it were not in Scripture. Paul gets so caught up in his excitement over the love of Christ being revealed that before he realizes it, he's talking about four dimensions of Christ's love! It's incomprehensible, and yet God intends to reveal it to us by the power of His own Spirit!
We might ask how a human can be filled with all the fullness of God. I don't know the answer, but I do know that it has already happened once-in the person of Jesus Christ. He was a man completely filled with the presence and power of God. And because He lived as a man in that way, so too will you and I as we are conformed to His image and identity as Hi Bride. As you meditate on this overwhelming truth today, give thanks and ask the Lord of glory to reveal these things to your heart.
Prayer: Jesus, just the thought of these things makes my head spin and wonder and delight. Could it be that You really love me like this, and that You will show me the fullness of Your own identity as the Lord of the universe? Oh, my God, increase my faith! Thank You for loving me.
Day 23 of devotional "Forerunner Meditations: Discovering the Father's heart" by Gary Wiens

Day 24

2010-10-21T11:29:00.000-07:00

Husbands, love you wives, just as Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot of wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loved his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the Church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the Church. Ephesians 5:25-32
This passage has long been seen as one of the primary passages about marriage, and is often used as a basis of exhortation at weddings and occasions of similar emphasis. What seems increasingly clear, however, is that far too little energy has been expended coming to a place of experimental understanding of the romantic love of Jesus for the Church, which is the real focus of the passage.
Consider the statements made concerning the purpose of Jesus' self-sacrifice on behalf of His bride: He loved her, He gave Himself for her, to wash and cleanse her, to present her to Himself as glorious, fully perfect and without fault. He loves us as He loves Himself, and He nourishes and cherishes us with the singular goal of becoming one flesh! What a mystery!
Over the next several days, we're going to focus on specific phrases in this passage, but today let your prayer be one of preparation, that the Holy Spirit will make your heart ready to receive these things.
Prayer: Jesus, this is such a familiar passage, but I ask You today to give me a new ability to comprehend what is being said here, and to experience what it is to be loved by You in this way. I long to know this love, Lord! Help me, for Your own sake.
Day 24 devotional "Forerunner Meditations: Discovering the Father's heart" by Gary Wiens

Day 25

2010-10-21T11:03:00.000-07:00

Husbands, love you wives, just as Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot of wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loved his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the Church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the Church. Ephesians 5:25-32
Our focus today is on the cleansing and sanctifying properties of the Word of God that prepare us for being presented to Jesus as His Bride on that day. In the second chapter of the book of Esther, we are told how Esther, as one of the candidates to become the Queen of King Xerxes, was taken through a 12-month process of baths and perfume applications so that she would be ready for the day of her presentation to the king. When that day came, she was radiant and totally pleasing to him, and was declared to be the king's new bride!
This is what happens to us when we take the Word of God into our hearts on a frequent and consistent basis through meditation and through devotional prayer. The Spirit of Jesus uses the Word to cleanse and prepare us in the beauty of holiness so that we will be like Him on that day. Notice how our interaction with the Word is not to be a dutiful thing, but something that is driven by romance and by the anticipation of His great pleasure in us. As you meditate on the Word today and in the coming days, let your heart be settled in the truth of His love, and that you are being made ready to meet Him on that day!
Prayer: Jesus, come wash me with Your Word! Make me ready for Your own pleasure,and cause me to desire the preparations that You have set in place with me in mind. Thank You for loving me enough to prepare me for Your good pleasure."
Day 25 of devotional "Forerunner Meditations: Discovering the Father's heart: by Gary Wiens

Day 26

2010-10-21T09:40:00.000-07:00

Husbands, love you wives, just as Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot of wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loved his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the Church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the Church. Ephesians 5:25-32
In verse 27 we are given a clear insight into the ultimate purpose that Jesus has in His mind for you as part of His corporate Bride. The entire goal of His plan of salvation, indeed of the whole history of His interaction with human being, is to have a Bride ready to present to Himself on that day. The text says that He will present a "glorious Church" without any fault, or blemish, or wrinkle- in other words, flawless even as He is flawless!
The term "glory" is used in the Bible to speak of the revealed beauty of God, the manifestation of His ultimate beauty that is called the "holiness of God." The Spirit of God is going to make you and me beautiful, that is, fully conformed to His character and nature, perfectly finished as the suitable partner for His incomparable Son. All of the Father's energy throughout history has been focused on this reality, and everything He has done in relationship with His people as a whole, and with us as individuals, is to get us ready for that day.
This past June I had the privilege of performing the wedding ceremony for my son and his bride. As I stood on the platform watching the bridesmaids enter, I wondered what the Lord was going to speak to my heart in the following moments. When Stephanie entered the sanctuary on the arm of her father, the power of the Holy Spirit hit my heart, and I heard the Lord speak to my heart, "Behold the glory of a bride made ready for a Son who is worthy!" My heart was stunned by this statement, and by the realization that this is my destiny, along with all those who claim His name as their own.
Prayer: Jesus, open my heart to this amazing truth, that You are going to make me beautiful for Your won pleasure, and on that day, together with all the saints, I will be just what You desire. I long to comprehend this more and more. Instruct my heart, oh Lord, that I might wait with joy for the revelation of Your love.
Day 26 devotional "Forerunner Meditations: Discovering the Father's heart" by Gary Wiens

Day 27

2010-10-21T09:09:00.000-07:00

Husbands, love you wives, just as Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot of wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loved his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the Church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the Church. Ephesians 5:25-32
It is essential as we consider this matter of being fully pleasing to the Lord that we understand it is the power of His Word that accomplishes this in our lives. It is the Lord who is the one at work here, the one who does the sanctifying and cleansing work through the speaking of His Word to our hearts. The only thing that is required of us is that we come before Him with an open heart so that we might receive the word that is spoken over us.
The quickest way to accomplish this is to take the Word of God, the Bible, and find the passages that speak of His faithfulness, His goodness, His holiness, and love, and pray those passages over our own hearts in a devotional way. Doing this in a context of worship and of occasional fasting from food speeds up the process by opening our spirit to His presence and work. The best passages include the Psalms and the "Apostolic Prayers" of the New Testament. As you do this, set your heart and mind in agreement with what God says about Himself and about you. As the Word of God enters your spirit, you are cleansed from the inside out as the power of the Word has its effect. Establishing a regular pattern of devotional prayer straight from the Word of God is the quickest way to experience the joy of His sanctifying work in your heart.
Prayer: Jesus, come to me and do Your work of preparation, for I desire nothing more than to be made ready for when You return fro me. I long to be like You, and I believe that You love me enough to do what is necessary in my life. Thank You Lord!
Day 27 devotional from "Forerunner Meditations: Discovering the Father's heart" by Gary Wiens

Day 28

2010-10-20T16:36:00.000-07:00

"Husbands, love you wives, just as Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot of wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loved his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the Church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the Church." Ephesians 5:25-32
Verse 29 of Ephesians five tells us that Jesus loves the Church just like He loves His own flesh, and because of that love, He is focused on nurturing and cherishing His Body, which is His Bride. This truth touches a very deep place in our hearts, because inside every one of us burns this longing to be loved in the ultimate and perfect way. There is something inside that tells us that we should be the focus of someone's perfect love. We were made to be cherished and nourished by someone whose love is perfect and never-ending.
The good news is that we have a Bridegroom whose love is like that! Gos has decided that it is in His best interest to love us as He loves Himself, and because He is worthy of perfect love, His love for Himself is flawless and perfect. So, because God can only love in a perfect way, His love for you is that same king of love. Jesus prayed in John 17:23 that we would come to know that the Father loves us even as He loves the Son. That is the staggering prayer, and one that is worthy of our meditation. I am loved by the Father in the same way that He loves the Son, and loves by the Son with the same perfect love; I will certainly be made ready for my eternal destiny as His partner, His Bride. Fix your thoughts on these things day by day, regardless of circumstances of feelings, and watch the Holy Spirit change you from the inside out!
Prayer: Lord, Your Word is so amazing to me, and it causes me to face the fact that You have made provision for every one of my desires. Help me comprehend Your love; open my heart and mind to know and to understand, and to love You in return for what You have done. Thank You, Lord.
Day 28 devotional "Forerunner Meditations: Discovering the Father's heart" by Gery Wiens

Day 29

2010-10-20T15:40:00.000-07:00

Husbands, love you wives, just as Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot of wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loved his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the Church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the Church. Ephesians 5:25-32
"One final thought from this amazing passage. Verse 31 informs us that the standard of marriage is that a man leaves his father and mother to be joined to his wife, and the two of them become one flesh. This idea is first presented way back in the beginning of creation when God speaks it to Adam in Genesis 2:24. Most people assume that God is instructing Adam about what his commitment should be like, but God is not speaking to Adam about himself. This becomes clear when we realize that Adam didn't leave anyone; he had no mother and father to leave! God made him out of the dust, and so that phrase could not be applicable to him in a primary way.
The fact is, God the Father was already giving us an insight into His own commitment to send His Son Jesus to become a human being. Jesus is the one who would leave the Father's home and cling to His Bride by becoming one flesh with her. The fact that the Son of God became a human being forever is the ultimate expression of this commitment, and it is astonishing affirmation of His determination to love us forever. The reason He is so committed to our perfection and fulfillment is that He can't go back! He is a man forever, and will for His own sake finish the work He has begun with you and me.
Set your heart and mind on these things, and meditate on God's eternal commitment to you as the Bride of His precious Son."
Prayer: Oh Lord, You have given me just the smallest understanding of these things, and yet my heart is full to overflowing at the enormity of Your love for me! It is astounding that You would become a human being, with all the implications of opening Your heart to weakness and pain, simply for the love of Your Bride! Help me see, oh Lord, that I may be strengthened in Your love this day. Thank You.
Day 29 devotional "Forerunner Meditations: Discovering the Father's heart" by Gery Wiens

Day 30

2010-10-20T15:24:00.001-07:00

"And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 'Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying. 'This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel.' Say to them: 'The Lord bless yo and keep; the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift us His countenance upon you, and give you peace.' So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them." Numbers 6:22-27
I want to finish this 31-day devotional guide with two meditations on one of the great passages of blessing in Scripture. The priestly blessing of Numbers six is such a wonderful window into the heart of the Father as He prepared His people to be the Bride of His Son, and my prayer is that you will make a habit of meditating on this blessing, and of speaking it over your own life frequently, if not daily.
The blessing itself, found in verses 24-26, help us to know that one of the basic longings of a child's heart is satisfied by the Father, which is the longing to be seen and notices by Him. The power of this verse is in the knowledge that Hos has set His eyes upon you, and that His gaze is not the disapproving glare of an angry parent, but the tender, gracious and peace-imparting gaze of a Father of infinite love.His gaze gives to us the pace of approval, of delight and of peace.
When my children were small, one of their constant requests was. "Daddy, watch me!" It's a longing in every child's heart to be notices, approved and loved in such a way that it is communicated through the loving gaze of the Father's eyes. The greatest blessing we can have is to know that the God of the universe is our Father, and that He looks upon us every day with delight, joy, approval and grace. I pray that you are strengthened in this knowledge today."
Prayer: Oh Father, thank You that Your eyes are fixed upon me, and that in Your gaze is my life. Thank You that you see me and that You notice my feeble attempts to please You, even if I'm clumsy or foolish in my immaturity. I love you, Lord, and long to live in the pleasure of Your gaze forever.
Day 30 devotional "Forerunner Meditations: Discovering the Father's heart" by Gary Wiens

Day 31

2010-10-20T14:50:00.000-07:00

"And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 'Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying. 'This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel.' Say to them: 'The Lord bless yo and keep; the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift us His countenance upon you, and give you peace.' So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them." Numbers 6:22-27
One final focus: the reason that God gave this blessing to the priests to speak over the people is found in verse 27. "Sp they shall put my name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them." What I want to point out that is so powerful here is the language of covenant relationships. God's desire is that His name would be put upon His children! This is marriage language, the language of permanence and inclusion, and it awakens us to the fact that God has always desired that we become part of His family.
I love how the apostle Peter speaks of this in his first letter, chapter two, verse ten: "...[you] who once were not a people, but are now the people of God..." In our natural state, before we received the grace of God through the initiative of the Holy Spirit, we were "not a people": in other words, we had no identity, no name. But now, God has given us His name, He has included us in His family, and we are now the people of blessing, the recipients of God's covenant of mercy and blessing.
God has set His heart to bless you. You are loved beyond your capacity to comprehend it. My prayer for you is that you would fix your eyes upon Him, and invite the Holy Spirit to teach you and lead you into the wonderful knowledge of the love of Christ for you as His bride.
Prayer: Thank You for loving me, Lord. My heart is stirred with longing and wonder as I meditate on Your love. Send Your Holy Spirit to me that I may know more and more of your love. And Lord, please come quickly, for I long to be with you forever. Amen
Day 31 devotional "Forerunner Meditations: Discovering the Father's heart" by Gary Wiens

Pator's wives retreat

2010-10-16T13:26:00.000-07:00

Last week we had a retreat at the Bible College for the Pastor's wives! I got to see Joanna, Pastor Tommy's wife, from my second semester in Japan and catch up with her. My friend Fukiko from my 4th semester in Israel is now interning in Japan and she sent gifts with Joanna to bring to the conference. Thank you Kiko and thank you Joanna for bringing them! It's been such a cool thing that the Lord has blessed me with so many spiritual moms and families throughout my life. Joanna has been one of them. I remember my semester in Japan it impacting me so much to see biblically what it looks like to be a dad, pastor, teacher, husband and missionary from Tommy and a mom, wife, teacher and missionary from Joanna. I have learned so much from them and am so encouraged that two times a year I get to see them! It's always so an encouragement to see her and her family! And then to top it off.. Yubista and Kiya were there as well! It was a reunion of my first semester in Peru getting to see these girls and see where the Lord has taken them. Kiya is now married and living in New Mexico, and Yubista is now living in Costa Mesa working with blueletterbible translating into Spanish. Love you girls!! So great getting to see you all! :)

Christy and Anthony came to visit!

2010-10-16T13:10:00.000-07:00

Christy and Anthony are on their 2nd year of marriage and just moved into their new place in Pasadena. I remember when Christy and I were in 8th in 9th grade and we use to daydream about living near each other as adults and one day having our kids live near each other.. and yes of course we planned that they would fall in love with each other and marry so that we could be ever closer! My friend Lili in Peru and I have the same plan with her kids as well! ;) It's such a blessing that Christy and Anthony live so close, and so fun that they came to visit the other weekend! We got to just sit and catch up and go to the park and hang out.. soon it's our turn to go visit them!

Morning Devotional: "Knowledge Puffeth up, Charity Edifyth"

2010-10-15T10:14:00.000-07:00

Don't get thrown off by the "eth" that makes this devotional sound like super 1800's.. it is however a super encouraging letter from the author referring to the verse from 1 Corinthians 8 "Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up." Every Friday morning we have a woman's prayer and we read from a devotional to start. This morning we read from a book called "Let Go" by Fenelon an accumulation of letters answering people's questions. I hope you are blessed by it too:
"It is not at all surprising that you have a strong ambition to move ahead in spiritual things, and to be closely acquainted with well-known Christians. It is very flattering to self when it can gain some esteem by being very religious, and it eagerly seeks such esteem. Oh, how careful we need to be about our motives! The progress we are making in the Christian life and the celebrated Christian friends we are making may be all wrongly motivated if we are simply gratifying self. Our aim should be to die to the flattering delights of self-love. Our aim should be, not greatness, but humility. We must learn to love personal obscurity and contempt, so that our only concern is to glorify God.
We can listen to endless sermons about Christian growth, and become perfectly familiar with the language, and yet be as far from its attainment as ever. Our great aim should be deaf to self, to listen quietly to God, to renounce every bit of pride and to devote ourselves to living. Let's learn to talk less and do more without caring whether anyone sees us or not.
God can teach more than ever the most experienced Christians know. He can teach you better than all the books that the world has ever seen. But be careful about your motives in this eager chase after knowledge. You are aware, aren't you, that all we need is to be poor in spirit, and to know nothing but Christ and Him crucified. Although being a know-it-all makes us feel important, what is really needed to strengthen Christian character is love. So don't be satisfied with anything less than love. You certainly don't think it possible that the love of God and the dethroning of self can only be reached through the acquisition of knowledge. You already have more knowledge that you can use. You would do better to put into practice what you already know. Oh how we deceive ourselves when we suppose that we are growing in grace because our vain curiosity is being gratified by the enlightenment of our intellect! We need to be humble, and understand that we cannot receive God's gifts from man. The love of God comes to us only from Jesus.

This incite blessed me so much to meditate on being that vessel for God's glory. John 3:30 "He must increase, but I must decrease."

dad and Justin in Murrieta!

2010-09-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

Last weekend for Labor Day weekend my dad and brother drove down to come visit. Andrew and I felt so loved that they took time away and came to hang out on campus with us. It went so quick but it also makes San Jose and Murrieta feel so close when we know they are a drive away. It's out turn next to go up and visit them! (maybe Thanksgiving?)
Since Andrew and I are both carless, my dad wanted to bless me with a bike for an early Christmas present, so we went to Walmart to pick one out. The last bike experience I had was in Peru when I ran into a tree because I forgot the breaks were on the handlebars and not by backpedaling. It was an eventful day trying to re-remember how to ride a bike after we got it, and a day full of laughter in facing my fears again. Just last night I finally rode my bike on campus and am starting to get the hang of it again. :) Now my prayer is to get a job soon since I have some transportation!

Fall 2010 Semester begins!

2010-09-03T09:50:00.001-07:00

Students are here, the campus is filled and classes are in full motion. It has been so sweet getting to see friends from previous semesters and see a fresh variety of returning students and first semester students. Michelle, a dear friend from our first semester together in Peru is attending her last semester here for graduation! So sweet that we have been able to start together in Peru and finish together in Murrieta. I'm on my fifth ( or.. forth and a quarter) semester taking Acts, History of Redemption/Theology, and Intern class, finishing up on the classes I couldn't take while in Israel while beginning an internship under the dean of women. It has been such a blessing to be back on campus and be able to experience another semester here at Murrieta. I will miss Israel this semester, but such a blessing to be near Andrew's and my family to be able to see them often. This weekend my dad and brother will be driving down to visit and be able to have time away to relax. I'm so excited to see them and to have them get to experience the Murrieta Bible College experience! :)

knock knock.. Housekeeping

2010-07-28T20:53:00.000-07:00

Time for a catchup. Today I sat down and started looking at pictures from Israel. Pictures have become almost like a photo journal in remembering what I was thinking at certain moments and what season I was in.. smells and songs seem to have the same effect. It was a cool reminder to look at where the Lord has moved in my life over the last few years, let alone the last few months. Every time I sit and remember His faithfulness I am blessed, and tonight was just that.
Summer is coming to an end and students are coming soon. :) Summer is flying on by! After leaving Israel, I had a quick few hour stop in San Jose before moving to southern California where I began my job at the conference center at the Bible College. I get to work in housekeeping, where our highlight of the day consists of driving the golf carts around campus and a daily competition of who could find the most fallen change on the floor by the end of each retreat. There are the occasional pillow fights and games we can sneak in, but the biggest blessing of all has been this last retreat from "Joni and Friends," a week long retreat for handicap and special needs friends. My heart melted as one morning we were doing our daily activity of cleaning and one of the boys from the retreat found joy in borrowing our vacuum to vacuum the floor himself. It was one of those contagious joyful moments where I think of how our heavenly Father would be thrilled to see the joy of his son. I think that's what the Lord has been teaching me this summer... what brings joy to Him. It's such a beautiful thing that the Lord enables us to be able to serve Him, but the most beautiful thing to Him is not our service but our heart behind it. I know the Lord was pleased in seeing this retreater's service because He saw right through to his heart.
"Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams." 1 Samuel 15:22
God delights in seeing the motivation in our heart. It was another reminder that as a Father His first priority isn't for us to serve, but that we would have relationship with Him and enjoy intimacy with Him. What a sweet thing that we can bring a smile to the face of God by delighting ourselves in Him!

Blessed with the surprise lilies to Israel:)

2010-05-12T08:55:00.000-07:00

Meet Andrew, this amazing blessing in my life! Such a gift! A man whose shown me more about the Lord through His vibrant passion for worship and sharing the love of Christ with others, his character has grown me, and his friendship has pointed me back to Christ in a deeper intimate way. We met last semester at Murrieta at a conference and started hanging out after a missions trip together to Mexico. At the end of the semester during the break I went to Peru and he blessed me by pursuing a friendship and starting a prayer group for the trip there. His story might be a little different.. but continuing to pursue in friendship, months later after getting the 'yes' from my dad to pursue a relationship, he then asked me to pursue a relationship. I've gotten to see this whole thing unfold and so blessed to be able to work with him this summer at the Bible College conference center in Murrieta, and then even more excited about recent news that we both got offered the opportunity to intern next semester at the Bible College! So excited!

Galilee round 2, Jordan round 2, Nazareth round 1

2010-05-12T07:31:00.000-07:00

The last weekend Dave was here at the end of the Joshua class, we went as a group up to Nazareth for a tour, to the Jordan to swim-covering every body of water in Israel, and back to the Sea of Galilee. Fukiko and Hondo got baptized by Dave in the Jordan where Jesus got baptized, and all four of Ernest's kids got baptized by him. In the morning we took a boat at sunrise out on the galilee and read the account where Jesus walked out on water. This story has been a key verse in my testimony.. it says that when Peter told Jesus to call him out on the water and Jesus told him to come, Peter began to walk toward his Lord, "But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, 'Lord save me'" Matthew 14:30. When Peter's eyes got off of Jesus and saw the 'wind' (something that can't even be seen) he became fearful and sank. It produced a cry in him and a realization that Jesus was the only one who could save him. I think of this story and think of the 'winds' in my life that got my eyes off the Lord and brought me to that cry. He is faithful! How great that our trials can bring us to that point where we can cry out in revelation, "Lord you are faithful!" They get us not focusing on our own strength and own dependency and they turn our eyes back to the One who can save. I encourage you to remember your salvation, what the Lord has saved you from! Today is a day to celebrate His salvation!
"In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From His temple He heard my voice, and my cry to Him reached His ears" Psalm 18:6 In the midst of angels crying out Holy Holy Holy, He hears your voice, He knows your cry like a mother knows the cry of her child, and He responds!

Life of David class

2010-05-12T06:10:00.000-07:00

For our last class, Ryan flew out here and took us to the Valley of Elah to study 1 Samuel 17 where David fought Goliath, and to En Gedi to see the caves and waterfalls where David hid from Saul. This class was such a blessing because as we studied through 1 and 2 Samuel in the mornings, the afternoons we would break off individually and study some of the Psalms David wrote and come back together and discuss it.
For our last paper of the semester, we did a study on Psalm 139. It was such a blessing to study the Psalms and to understand more of why David was called a man after God's own heart... He was a man not after his own glory or fame, but a man whose passion was to bring glory to the Lord. Even after hiding out from Saul who wanted to kill him, waiting years to be king, standing face to face with a giant, seeing the depth of the separation of his own sin, and seeing the effect of sin in his family, David's heart was shown to be a man who intimately knew the Lord and knew the ways He thought of him. He knew was it meant to be forgiven and what it meant to stand int he victory that was declared to him. It has been a theme this semester... when I know how much God loves me and how He thinks of me, I too desire to bring Him glory because He is Holy! In His word is where we find that victory that He as promised. He promises to never leave or forsake us. Stand on the promises of His word... seek them out and make them your own!
"How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God! How vast the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you." Psalm 139: 17,18
God's crazy about you.. and He doesn't ever stop thinking good thoughts about you! Oh wow!

From South to North!

2010-04-19T09:12:00.000-07:00

Since Hollie won't be here when we go as a class to the Sea of Galilee, Justin and I got to go with Dave and Hollie and tour as much of Israel as we could in a 3 day span. We went from the tip of the Read Sea in Eilat and traveled up to go swim in the Dead Sea (Sooo fun!.. it feels like you are flying when you lay on your belly and float), to Masada, En Ghedi to the waterfalls where David hid from Saul, and then up to the Sea of Galilee. We got to Galilee and stayed in Tiberius and went to Capernaum to see the Synagogue where Jesus first started His ministry, Peter's house, the place where Jesus cast the demons into the swine at the steepest part of the mountain, the mount of Beattitudes, the Jordan River, where Peter proclaimed Jesus the Christ and saw the mount of where we think is the mount of transfiguration from Matthew 17! Wow so much! It was such a blessing.. and to think that Jesus walked on that water.. the thing that stood out to me the most is that the Galilee is 3 miles by 11 miles and as we drove all the way around it, anywhere that you stood on the side you could have been able to witness a man walking across the water! How cool would it have been to be out one early morning around the lake and to look up seeing a man walking on water to a boat!! Ca-razy!

Spring Break

2010-04-19T09:01:00.001-07:00

We had Spring Break 2 weeks ago from classes and a group of us took a bus trip to Tel Aviv to go to the Mediterranean Sea and then the next day we took a bus trip down to Eilat by the Red Sea to hang out by the beach. We stayed at some fun hippie hostel and went to the beach during the day and went snorkeling and to an aquarium. It was such an adventure as we got a little lost trying to find where we were staying and did a square walk around the city! :) Dave and Hollie (from Murrieta to teach the next block class) flew to Tel Aviv and from there drove to meet us in Eilat to hang out. So fun to have them here! It was so relaxing to be able to hang out at the beach with everyone and to see the Red Sea!

Living in Israel

2010-03-28T03:33:00.000-07:00

Since all 13 of us are living in a hotel, we have 3 rooms to divide between us with one common room that is multi-purposeful in being our classroom when teachers come, our study/hang out room, and even our kitchen and eating area! Right before the Sabbath hits (Shabbat) and everything closes up, we usually head to the shuk (open market) and buy groceries for the week. It's fun to bargain between stands and then come back to the hotel and experiment in how to mix up some concoction. Yup... I'm learning how to cook!! (dad, did you hear that? I think he might have fainted) But it's been a cool experience as we share recipes with each other and have dinner nights together Tuesday afternoon after our cleaning day, and then also Tuesday night when we have our fellowship and a time to be in the Word.

Joe is here!

2010-03-27T13:17:00.000-07:00

We have now started our 3rd block with only 2 more after this class! So far we have studied the books of Ezra and Nehemiah (with Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi), the life of Elijah and Elisha through 1 and 2 Kings, and now we are studying Archaeology through the gospel of John with our teacher Joe from Murrieta. With Joe, we have been in the classroom very little but out at excavation sites digging through the mounds of dirt taken from under the A la Masque 11 years ago we as get to find artifacts that date back to the first Temple that King Solomon built. One of the guys found a coin, and others bones from the sacrifices, and some tile pieces and pottery. We also got to go to Megiddo to see where the battle will take place in Revelation when Jesus will come back after the tribulation and all nations will come against the nation of Israel to battle. Yesterday we went to Qumran to the place where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found and then to the Holocaust Museum.. oh wow I could write a ton on all that my eyes were opened up to, but I'll leave with this. We have a choice to sew into two things: either the flesh or the Spirit. Jesus says that the Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.. my thought on it has been this this last week: this life can bring God so much glory, but how much am I holding back from Him? He has given all of Himself and revealed to us His character through His Son, but I can hinder my relationship with Him by deciding how much of Him I want. Someone once told me that as a believer, when we get to heaven we will stand before God and we will be amazed of how little we trusted Him while on earth with our limited knowledge of Him. I want that testimony to change as I press into the Spirit of God and know more of Him while on earth so that when I see Him face to face and He says "well done my good and faithful servant" I will be blessed to know my God as I am fully known, and to have known Him more and more while living in the World.
"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do." Galatians 5:16,17

Victory!

2010-03-27T12:56:00.000-07:00

Last semester I remember the Lord spoke to my heart about the victory that was displayed on the cross and the proof of it through the resurrection that I may come freely and boldly to God. Even though I've heard it before, there was something God did that night that pierced my heart to know how He looks at His children as a loving, compassionate Father.. our Abba. Since being in Israel, the Lord spoke to me again on that same area but declaring to me to no longer ask for victory over areas in my life, but to proclaim the victory that has already been won! There's a bondage that sin creates that God is in the business of breaking, and it breaks my heart that as believers we can continue walking in this bondage that God has already declared Himself victorious over through His Son!
Tonight I got to go to a Messianic Service (Jews that recognize Jesus as their Messiah) and was so blessed to witness freedom and joy in the lives of these people. My heart danced in seeing young kids dance to songs of redemption through Jesus the perfect sacrifice, and to see elders dance around. You see.. I'm not sure what thoughts I had before coming, but I can tell you that there is a different in the lives of those I see at the Western Wall each day praying and bowing, to those whose eyes have been opened to Yeshua the Christ who fulfills scripture of the Old Testament. I pray this freedom over those who 'know' God, because beyond just the acknowledgement that there is a creator, there is an acknowledgement of a Savior that is the only way to the creator, and in Him there is more than everyday life, there is victory!

Blessed by the boys

2010-03-10T10:13:00.001-08:00

Since the guys are right across the hall, the ladies were at the expense of their ding-dong-ditch game, but one night we got a knock and opened the door to find a basket of fruit and goodies with each of our names on it. We were all so excited and felt so loved as we read their encouraging letters. At the bottom of the basket we found each of us a scarf with our name on it with the color that they asked earlier in the day as our favorite!! SO sweet! :)

3 weeks here and some catch up!

2010-03-10T03:03:00.000-08:00

Phew! I can't believe we finished our first block class studying Ezra and Nehemiah and got to cover 5 books through this study! I was super blessed in learning about the building of the temple and the walls and then being able to go and see the remains of them as we took our class outdoors. Now first, I have to admit that my first four days here were an overwhelming confusion of looking at the maps in my Bible and then where we were and not understanding where exactly I was at. I was discouraged and felt I knew so little, but the Lord blessed it and gave me a deeper hunger for His Word and a bolder stance in asking as many questions as everyone would let me! So blessed by the group of students we have this semester and everyone's desire to grow more in their knowledge of their Savior and the character of God. So a basic day: we have classes 4 days out of the week for majority for majority of the day with snack breaks in between. Our classes are about a 10 feet walk from our rooms as we go down the hall in the hotel to a cozy room we multi use for our kitchen and study area. The other days we get to serve in the hotel by helping with the reconstruction, and then attend Messianic Jewish services and find fun places to do our homework! I found this amazing park the other day that over looks the wall sound the Old City where we are staying and shows the elevation of it up on the hills. The Lord has me reading in 1 Samuel in my devotions and I'm just watching it come alive as these locations start to make sense and the history begins to fit together!

Mike explains what going on in the church

2010-02-21T12:14:00.000-08:00

As we walked into the church where some believe to be where Jesus was laid after he was taken off the cross, it was kind of a shock to see how people responded to the location. I don't know if it has hit me yet that we are in Israel.. nope probably not yet.. but I was still amazed to see this. Check it out. One of the guys here put it so well... we would see people weep over the rock and then stand up with a complete different attitude and then walk away. He related it to how we sometimes worship or attend church and walk away right after with a complete different heart. It made me think of the things in my life that I still do as 'religion' where my eyes could shift off Jesus to go to a work or a heartless praise out of routine.

First full day

2010-02-21T11:57:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we woke up and went to some Arabic restaurant to grab breakfast and then met up with Ernest to go to the church of Cepulchre, the oldest standing church and walked around looking at one of the three places people think Jesus was taken before being put on the cross and then laid after taken off the cross. After we went to go meet a few of Ernest's friends from the shops and they treated us to coffee and tea. One of the shops the man, Zach, had coins that he showed us that Judas Iscariot used to betray Jesus from Matthew 26:14-16 (costing $1,200) and then also mites that the Bible talks about when Jesus saw a poor widow put two mites into the offering box from Matthew 21:1-4. Zach actually gave us each a mite to have!! :) Then we were on our way to more sight-seeing to the Shuk where there is an open market, and a down town area where people all go to hang out. It was still the Sabbath for the Jews as we were walking around so the streets were pretty dead. The weirdest thing to me was as we walked we read Psalm 120-134 over Jerusalem and asked one of the Jews when they would have read these Hallel Psalms and they didn't know. I guess I had imagined that the Jewish people would know the scriptures front to back and was shocked to find out later from Ernest that most don't and those that do don't study the books of Moses but read commentaries of commentaries. I still am doing a lot of people watching and trying to learn how women interact and what to do and not do while I'm here!

CCBC Israel!!

2010-02-21T11:43:00.000-08:00

We're here!! I have so much to catch you all up on!! After getting off the flight from SF to Philly, our group met up to go through security and get onto our flight to Tel Aviv. It was a 10 and 1/2 hour flight and so cool to hear the Hebrew people use the word 'Abba' to get their father's attention. This is the intimacy Jesus introduced us to have with our heavenly Father (Mark 14:36)! When I was waiting in SF airport, I was people watching dad and their kids and trying to imagine myself in those terms with the God.. it was such a blessing that the next plane followed with the visual picture of what that looks like hearing those words of endearment. That was just the flight! Then we got to Tel Aviv where Ernest, the missionary here who will be teaching our first class, picked us up and took us pack to the hotel to meet up with the rest of our crew and then over to his house for dinner to meet his family. Such a crazy day and all of us were a little jet-lagged and thrown off for sleep... 3 days later and we still are! :)

Family Photo!

2010-02-17T20:40:00.000-08:00

It has probably been 5 years since we had our last family photo taken.. but so cool that Justin moved out to San Jose this last Thanksgiving and we are all in one state! He is now working in San Francisco and my dad is one busy bee as well! Even though I am only in San Jose for 2 weeks this time before leaving again for 3 months, it has been a blessing seeing my two guys and hang out with them!

New Song book!

2010-02-17T20:32:00.000-08:00

Last night I got to meet up in San Jose with the Peru team from WestGate church who just got back to the states last week! It was such a blessing to see them and hear their stories about the rest of their time. Lizzy and Sean, a married couple on the team, surprised me with a new song book to bring with me to Israel! I felt so blessed, and the funny thing is, I was planning on going home that night to make a new one just before they beat me to it!! :)

Bible College Video!

2010-02-10T11:27:00.000-08:00

In one week I will be leaving for my 4th semester in Israel!! What whaaat! I have to admit though, that my friends have been the ones getting me pumped or this as they share their excitement for me. The Bible College in Murrieta (where I attended last semester) has already began, and wow I have been missing it, but as I went on the website this morning to check out the Israel campus I have started getting excited as well! Let the countdown begin!!

I hope this works, but I wanted to share with you guys just a small idea of my experience these last few years in going to Bible College. I will attach a link that has a short 4ish minute video!! I hope you are encouraged!

http://www.calvarychapelbiblecollege.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=61&Itemid=1

2010!!

2010-01-13T10:50:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!! 2010 is still so weird on paper. Lili and I celebrated the New Year in the south. On the 30th Lili and I with a bunch of friends took a sailboat through the night to a beach house where a friend lived. After lots of swaying and some sick on the boat we arrived to meet the rest of the group at the beach house there. With lots of Uno, cards, charades, and games we hung out until midnight and celebrated on the roof with fireworks, a BBQ and dancing until the wee hours of the morning. The next day we took the sailboat around to the beaches nearby and had a fun adventure of camping at the house as the whole island ran out of running water. We found creative ways to shower, brush our teeth and wash dishes as it became a new game! The whole trip was so much fun!

Sushi!!! yum!

2010-01-13T10:37:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago I got to go along with Lili to one of her advisory meetings. Her friend Rossana taught us how to make sushi and we both got the opportunity to make our own rolls and experiment! She is so sweet! In a few weeks a group from MUN (Students from the University here in Lima going to Boston to debate for Harvard Model United Nations this February). Rossana is researching Violence against Women and the Feminization of Poverty. Over a sushi lunch we got to brainstorm ideas for her debate. I've gotten to meet a lot of Lili's friends through MUN and they are all so sweet and such a blessing to me! Please pray for them as they travel to the states and get to have this awesome opportunity and time together!

Christmas shopping!

2010-01-13T10:26:00.000-08:00

It was Christmas eve and lili and I went to the mall with her cousin but made a game out of it as we were surrounded by a crowd of people running around. It felt like we were in a movie as we danced and people around us ran in a hurry. On Christmas Eve we stay up until Midnight when we celebrate with family through food and fire works. A friend of Lili's family blessed us with a turkey and this year I actually was able to stay up until midnight to eat! haha two years ago I passed out on the couch waiting as Lili's aunts and uncles danced around for the countdown.

Visit to the Bible College in Lima!

2009-12-16T12:11:00.000-08:00

I was blessed my first semester of Bible College to live with 3 latin girls: Karina, Belen and Sandra from Honduras, Ecuador and Peru! We use to wake up at 5 every morning as a room and pray together, and I got to practice Spanish with them! SO fun! When I was here before Lili used to live far but she just moved houses a few months ago and now lives a few blocks away from the Bible College. Yesterday we walked over to the college to visit Karina and Belen who were still there taking finals before flying back home! They both just graduated and Sandra just got married! It was so great to see them and to see other friends at the Bible College! :) From left to right (Lili, Belen, Jess, Karina)

Here in Peru!! :)

2009-12-16T12:04:00.001-08:00

I'm here!! Lili and her mom and sister came to pick me up at the airport on Monday early early in the morning! After being on the flight and trying to communicate with two Peruvian women and failing, I was afraid that I forgot a lot of my Spanish and that these next few weeks would be all about practicing. What a blessing though that when with my Peruvian family here it becomes so natural! It's so good to be here again! After a year and a half, it feels like there has been no time in between and catch-up time with Lili and family has been such a blessing! Keep Lili's family in prayer, they are such a gift to me!! (mommy- Julia, sister- Lorena)

Last day in SoCal

2009-12-13T13:27:00.000-08:00

Okay so let me be honest... I was kinda bummed with myself for buying the wrong ticket and flying home a day later, lessening my time to pack and get ready before going to Peru. There was nothing I could do about it and I knew there had to be a bigger reason why it happen, and let me just tell ya, It was one of the best days of my life!! Thursday night after graduation I went to my friend Suzie's house and got to relax and hang out. The next morning, Andrew and Aaron from the Bible College came to pick us up from her house for an adventured-filled-day in LA. First stop was to Andrew's church where he shared with us from Acts chapter 2 and speaking prophecy over each other by reading scripture to one another and praying for however the spirit would lead. I was so blessed as we got to pray for each other before departing, and also blessed that they laid hands and prayed for me for the trip to Peru. From there we drove through the city with minor stops for some good grubbin' and made our way to Andrew's mom's restaurant. We got to put aprons on and go into the kitchen and make our own food! I felt like we were on a TV show.. it was good practice in learning how to cook for me! :) From there Japan, China and Korea town with lots more samples and stuffed bellies! WIth fun conversations, a day covered in prayer and lots and lots of laughter, time flew by so quickly before it was time they dropped me off at LAX and headed back home! To me it was such an example of God's faithfulness that He shows through the love of friends. Imagine this.. think of someone who loves you and encourages you so much... now get this... how much more does God love you! My friends just give me a larger view of who God is and how much He loves and is involved in our lives!

Mexico Missions trip

2009-12-05T10:55:00.000-08:00

I have been attending a church in southern California called Calvary Chapel Canyon Hills. Through this church I heard of a missions trip going down to Mexico for a weekend to work at Jon Courson from Applegate church’s orphanage. There was a group of four of us Bible College students that joined the team as we headed over the border Friday. We got to serve at this ranch along side 30 students studying the Word and loving on the orphans there. The orphanage was started years back by Jon with the purpose of caring for children with disabilities. Each year students go for 9 months and study the Word of God and intern serving the orphans there. They live with them, help them get ready each morning, and get them to bed at night. The Saturday night we were there was Halloween and as we were having a bonfire and worship under the stars, little children from the town nearby came in their costumes saying to the Americans “tricky tricky Halloween!” The Spanish version in Mexico of “trick-o-treat.” So cute! After a day of getting to serve along side the students there, we sat around a bonfire under the stars worshipping an sharing what the Lord revealed to us that day. The day was such a blessing and so humbling in being able to help the orphans get dressed and ready for the day, going on walks and helping them brush their teeth and do their hair. As someone well put it during the worship; serving the orphans is a perfect example of our relationship with God. They are completely dependent on us to take care of them and care for their needs as we are to be dependent on the Lord to take of us and care for our needs. It was such a great weekend!

A visit!

2009-11-07T16:56:00.000-08:00

Emily and Leslie came up for a day to the campus to hang out and catch up! It was such a blessing to be able to see them and hear what all has been going on in their lives. Emily got married almost 2 years ago and is now living in Alabama with her husband... soon moving to Tennessee for the military, and Leslie is in her senior year at Point Loma for nursing. What an encouragement they are! Leslie and I were accountability partners 3 years ago and Emily and I were in a summer Bible Study together. After spending the day chatting we decided to add a little adventure in and go ice-blocking; the adventure mainly being trying to drive around and find an ice block. New to ice-blocking? No worries, I was a rookie. It's pretty simple... you buy a block of ice (Albertsons if you were wondering), find a grassy hill, grab a towel to cushion the block, and sit down for a ride! Wa-la! It's kinda of like summer sledding! Please keep these girls in your prayers and the ways the Lord is going to use them!

Peru, ya vengo!! :)

2009-10-12T15:54:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we had a guest speaker come. A strange thought passed through my mind that it would be cool to one day have the opportunity to be able to teach. I acknowledged that thought and my fear of being in front of people pushed it aside. It was weird though because this thought kept coming up. During the IHOP I was meditating on this verse as we all decided to do a food fast to seek the Lord during our time at the conference:
“May you be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.” Colossians 1:11,12
It was then that I noticed that the Lord kept giving me verses in Colossians as in previous weeks He put on my heart to start memorizing scripture. I decided to keep reading through the book over and over and as I did, the Lord gave me the desire to start a Bible Study through this book in Spanish as if I was going to Peru. The thing is, I have been praying for clarity in whether or not to go to Peru for break. My next semester will be my last for Bible College and with the Israel campus opening back up again (side note for Israel campus in another blog), I wanted to make sure it was of the Lord that I go to Peru and not my own desire that I stamped His name on. So my prayer has been if you have talked to me lately, that the Lord would make it known to me and that me going would bring Him glory. On Friday I stepped forward telling the Lord in my journal that I was going to prepare a Bible Study in Spanish in case ticket prices went down, writing in my journal a certain price, after tickets I had been seeing were a much bigger number than what I wrote (I had been checking almost every day prices and they kept going up and our internet kept going out before I could buy). Friday afternoon after writing this, I was in the Library doing research for this book and saw that the internet was back. When I went to go check prices, they were less than what I wrote in my journal, and lower than any other ticket I had purchased in previous trips to Peru! So I’m going!!! December 13th to February 4th… Christmas, New Years and my birthday! I’m so excited but my prayer still is that me going would bring glory to the Lord and that I could be a blessing to the people there. Please pray for me for this study, that my eyes would be opened more to God’s strength in me and not my own as I see Him move, and for boldness to share with people about Jesus! ;)
(first photo is Lili and I Christmas in San Francisco 2006, and the photo after is a friend Jen, Julia (Lili's mom) (lili's sister), and myself July 2006.. oh yes and Simon the dog)

IHOP

2009-10-11T16:54:00.000-07:00

This last week our dorm steward, Jenni, wanted our dorm room to take a week fast from something that would give us the opportunity to bring us closer to the Lord and teach us spiritual discipline. Some girls fasted from internet, spending money, others gave one hour of their day for silence with the Lord, and then some of us did the Daniel fast (from the first chapter of Daniel, eating only veggies, fruits and nuts). It was definitely a difficult week with the flesh and I saw the areas where I am weak and where I needed to reply upon on the Lord. I am so blessed by so many things, but when I discipline my body and take away my everyday items I see the things I take for granted (meant, flavor, and BROWNIES). I never saw myself as a complainer but when eliminating things that I never take a second thought about having, I saw myself as a complainer in my thoughts and in my words. At the end of that week a group of us from the Bible College went to an event called IHOP... International House of Prayer. It was a conference with amazing worship and workshops about intimacy with Jesus. The Lord spoke to me and put so many new things on my heart... I will update you in the next blog! :)

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me." Psalm 51:10

Open Mic night!

2009-10-11T15:14:00.000-07:00

Each semester there is an open mic night where people get an opportunity to share their talents, songs they wrote, poetry they have written, and share stories. I took a picture of each person, but I will add those on facebook and try to upload a 4 minute video of a group that did an amazing rap! (couldn't get it to work but maybe I will try to add this to facebook as well). Lots of talent from each person!! :) SO awesome to see how many gifted people there are on this campus!

Hi dad!

2009-10-11T15:10:00.000-07:00

I have been lagging on updating blogs, but a few weekends ago my dad was taking a motorcycle training class in southern California and came the rest of the way down to come visit me!! It was so good to see him! When I first got to Murrieta, he drove me all the way down here only to turn around and drive the trip back to get back to work in time! I got to show hi the campus and have lunch with him! I love my dad! Look how handsome he is!!

Icecream Social... "T" Party!

2009-10-11T14:51:00.000-07:00

Every semester the Bible College has an icecream social where we get together and hang out and, well... basically.. eat icecream! There is a theme each semester and this time was representing the letter "T." I have more pictures on my facebook to show how creatice people got... but just to name a few: Tattortot, toilet paper, thing 1 and thing 2, tuff guys, truckers, tella tubbies, togas couple, tela evangelists, toddlers, a table, tiger tamer, TV, tumble weed, twins... and us... we were a tribe of Indians. Icecream was good, pictures were fun, and people were creative! :)

9/20 Baptisms!

2009-09-22T11:05:00.000-07:00

This last Sunday night we had baptisms at the pool. When I heard about it the previous week, I was so excited and had an excitement in the thought of getting baptized. I got saved when I was 11 and got baptized then, but throughout High School I fell away from the Lord. Even during this time, I felt the Lord's nearness but I was acting out in rebellion and resisting Him. He called me back to Him and changed my heart and its desires. He gave me a heart for ministry and serving Him, and a desire to know Him more through His Word. After going to Peru on a mission's trip in 2005, my Peruvian friend, Lili, told me about Bible College when I was seeking guidance in how to prepare myself for ministry. To be honest, I never hearing of such a thing before, but I started to pray about it that maybe this was what the Lord wanted. I can look back and see the hand of God in how He orchestrated events and what He called me out of/into, and sin He redeemed me from.
This verse kept coming to my heart after hearing about the baptism the coming week:
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witness, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." Hebrews 12:1

I am reminded over and over again how blessed I am to be here studying God's Word, being set apart to be equipped to do God's work. I am so grateful for such a great cloud of witnesses I have around me each day as we all seek to be more like Christ as we die to our flesh. Even last night in my Revelation class in speaking of the seven churches John wrote to, I was so encouraged with the renewed passions to serve as a missionary and sharing my faith!

Night at Suzie's

2009-09-22T10:12:00.000-07:00

This last Thursday night, Suzie and I went to her house back in Norco to change environments and get some work done. Well.. we didn't get too much homework done... but we did get to have amazing food and hang out with her family! It's always so fun to be there, laughing and feeling like you are in a TV show! :) We ended up spending the night since it was getting late and her mom made us this amazing gormet breackfast!! Yum!
Check out some pictures from the night and a video of Regina's (from Okinawa) 3 month old baby, Jeremiah, doing a little dance!

Free Chick Fill-A!

2009-09-08T14:24:00.000-07:00

I know up north we don't have these, but down south there's this place called Chick Fill-A! Yum! j/k some of you have probably heard of it before, but as for people like me, this was a whole new experience. It is a Christian fast food place (kind of like In & Out), but with all chicken and no burgers. So yesterday during morning devotionals, someone made an announcement that Chick Fill-A was giving out free food to anyone that came in wearing a jersey. The girls and I were so thankful for guys that like sports and who were willing to lend out their clothes! FREE FOOD. I'm not trying to say the food here is terrible, but I now appreciate anything off campus!
(The bottom picture in blue is my gangsta door steward, Jenni)

Meet my roomies!

2009-09-08T14:18:00.000-07:00

There's 6 of us girls in our dorm room this semester! Mary went home for the weekend to celebrate her parent's 25th anniversary and brought us back cookies that she made! (click on the picture to see a large view of these flower shaped treats... yum!) It is so fun to share a room with a bunch of girls! We have some fun times each night with the giggles and staying up late talking and playing games. Such a blessing to be able to spend a semester growing with them! Here's a picture so you can be praying for them by name and face!
top starting from the left: Mary, Haley, Jenni, Becca (from Okinawa semester)
bottom starting from the left: Me, Kathleen

cheap tickets.. whaaatt?

2009-09-08T14:13:00.001-07:00

So there's this thing called cheap seats... it's basically a movie theatre where they show old movies for $4. With our student ID cards at the Bible College we get even more of a discount! What what!!! So on Saturday night a group of us students went and saw the movie 'Up!' I never heard of such a deal! It was so fun to get off campus and be able to hang out with other people on our study break!