Trying To Close The Gap. . .

"Sell your possessions and give to the poor"-Luke 12:33

"How else can I walk out of a mud shack

 and back into my two-thousand-square-foot house

 without doing anything?

 The concept of downsizing 

so that others might upgrade is biblical, beautiful. . . 

and nearly unheard of. 

We either close the gap 

or don't take the words of the Bible literally."

-Crazy Love

Just Some Thoughts and Stories :)

Currently in sitting in week six going into week seven of my discipleship training school.

It so awesome to have this opportunity to learn more about the God i serve and to be able to walk through things and understand why I am the way I am. Lately I have been reading Katie Davis blog and I am completely inspired to live life like God has called her to. Her obedience is inspiring and it makes me giddy thinking of all that God has in store for Jesse and I in these next few years!! So here are a couple of amazing stories that God allowed me to be part of. . .

Ipod Touch:

Last weekend i was going down to the beach for a little process time and reading time. I just finished A Whole In Our Gospel, if you haven't read it i highly recommend it. Anyway so as I'm walking back up i have to cross Alii Drive, which is one of the busier streets here so as I see a break in traffic I bolt it across with Carly. We continue on our journey back up and as we get closer to school i start ranting on about how my mom bought me and ipod touch and i never really liked it until i got here and how i love how good of pictures it takes, then all of a sudden i get this thought that i don't have my ipod. So i reach in my purse and start digging around and realize its gone. So i start hustling back down toward the beach and start praying allowed, "Jesus, please show me where my ipod is, I'm sorry i like it so much, if its in the road please protect it, I surrender it to you if you want it." By this time wherever my ipod is it has been there for at least 15 minutes. So as i get back down to Alii drive, which is still busy with cars i see my ipod within inches of where cars are driving. So i wait for a break in the traffic and run out to get it, thank you Jesus NOTHING was wrong with it!! It just sat for almost twenty minutes in the middle of a busy road inches away from the tire tracks of cars!!! WOW!! 

One Dollar:

Sunday night i was exhausted and was getting ready for bed and like seven o'clock, I was laying in bed reading Job and really trying to focus. My thoughts keep reverting back to this guy Mina in our DTS who was in the hospital the night before. I kept feeling like i was suppose to do something for him. So then I'm thinking what do you want me to do God. I felt like he was saying give him something of yours, so i looked around the room and i was like what should i give him? All i have are girl things. So i start looking around my room. Just then i thought what about a dollar for a coke but i then thought i don't have a dollar. Weeks ago God told Mina to give away all of his spending money and right after he did that, someone gave him ALL of HIS OUTREACH money and said God told them to give it :) talk about obedience!! So anyway that day he told this story i felt like i was suppose to give him a dollar for a coke. Because in his story he said, "now i have no money, for a coke or something." Side note Mina is from Egypt so you got to add in a bit of an accent with that. So anyway here i am laying on my top bunk bed and feeling like I'm suppose to give Mina a dollar that i don't actually have!! So i get this feeling like I'm suppose to get out of bed and go look for this dollar. So i turn and hop down from my top bunk and there sitting between my feet as i land is a folded up dollar bill, JUST ONE!!! And just so you are aware we had just cleaned and vacuumed our room and NOTHING was on the floor when i got into bed. So God called me to do the possible, GET OUT AND LOOK and He did the impossible, GAVE ME A DOLLAR FOR A COKE. 

Moral of the stories is that you have to be willing to jump into an empty pool and trust that God is going to fill it with water. HE can't fill it if you aren't willing to jump!! So am I ready to be used by God today?? I hope so.

Recap Week Three

I decided this weekend that I’m going to do my best to recap my weeks lessons so that I will have more thoughts to reread later and understand a bit better where I was at in this crazy BEAUTIFUL journey :) Plus anything in different colors is my thoughts! Enjoy all eight of you :)

Week Three-John Bills-Hearing the voice of God/Father heart of God

To start my speaker this week was John Bills, son in-law of Joy Dawson. He has been in ministry for 37 years and at a young age he prayed the prayer, “I want to commit my life to the destitute of the world” little did he know that he would be walking with people that have or are going through traumatic experiences.

1979- Laos, Thailand

John was staffing a YWAM crossroads DTS and got an application from a young man who was HIV+ instantly he wanted to write him a “nice” rejection letter and be done with it but then he was stop by the holy spirit inside him saying that Christ died for him also. So John made a phone call and asked the young man if it was okay if he disclosed his medical condition to other students in the DTS so they could pray about this young man coming to their DTS. The young mans name was Michael. Michael said that it was fine so John hung up with him and gave the others a call. Almost immediately all the students agreed that Michael was meant to be there and that he should accept him. When John called Michael and told him he was accepted all he heard was silence the slowly he started to hear sobs. John asked Michael if everything was alright and he said, “I’m just so used to rejection that I planned for rejection”

As this story was told tears welled up in the corners of my eyes. Someone is so used to being rejected that they plan for it, it breaks my heart. How did we get so lost along the way that we stopped or never started walking like Christ.

Notes:

Compassion; not feeling sorry for a person, but love beyond what we can love, through the power of Christ. 

We want so badly to be in control of our lives that we only give God parts or pieces of it but not all of it.

Seek God first.

Desperate need to know his character.

Although I have ALL of this,

I have struggled with this.

Giving up MY rights.

When things are good God is good, but when something bad happens to us we feel like God is distant. Following this we made Life time line by drawing a ruler on the paper and every millimeter was small things and every inch mark was traumatic events that if they aren’t dealt with then they become buried and later on down the road when something else occurs it triggers those emotions from something that wasn’t dealt with from before causing  the current event to seem even more traumatic  than it might actually be.

How do I get out?? Im stuck.

Pslams 23:3-4

He renews my strength.

He guides me along right paths,

Bringing honor to his name.

Even when I walk

Through the darkest valley,

I will not be afraid,

For you are close beside me.

Your rod and your staff

Protect and comfort me.

Ways to hear the voice of God:

·      Though others

·      Spend time alone, with God!

Check your life for hindrances if you aren’t hearing the voice of God

(idolatry, unbelief, love, independence, doubt, pride, substances, fear, comfort, reputation)

·      Don’t justify or think you deserve anything.

·      Freedom from things by releasing them to God.

1 Samuel 3:1-14, goodness I couldn’t imagine being directly spoken to from God!! Hearing his audible voice!!! Wow I would probably pee my pants!!! So this is all for tonight but ill continue tomorrow :)

YWAM, Hawaii, Gods Moving :)

(sneak peak at my home for the next three months)

Okay so i do recognize that i haven't blogged

 in days. . . 

okay weeks. . . 

okay months. . .

So i guess i have some life catching up to do :) 

 God has been teaching me a lot lately 

that he is never late, 

never early, 

ALWAYS on time!!

Currently I'm in YWAM 

at University Of The Nations

In Hawaii.

I know what your thinking

i have a rough life :) 

Just so you know I'm 

surviving just fine :) 

Someones gotta suffer 

might as well be me. . . hehehe 

Some Sweet Updates. . . 

Okays so first i have seven roommates!! 

Two from Canada,

One from China,

One from Netherlands,  

One from Finland, 

One from Germany, 

And one from America.

We are so blessed 

that are God speaks 

multiple languages!!!

My sweet roommate from China 

Sings worship songs

in the shower

what a BEAUTIFUL 

way to start and/or finish the day :) 

the best part is 

i know the songs but 

she sings in chinese 

there is something moving about hearing

songs i love

in another language!! 

Sleep, Who Needs Sleep??

About one week ago i was sitting down

ready to do a bible study

enjoying my sweet sweet summer 

of doing nothing with 

 a yummy cup of coffee 

next to me 

and the summer breeze 

coming in through my door. . . 

When my phone rang

 it was one of my mamas.

Her little one has MRSA on her leg 

and cant be a daycare

 for the rest of the 

week. 

So i didn't what any kingdom worker would. . . 

Bring her over ill watch her!!

I have a new found compassion 

for these moms 

because getting off work at 12-1 am 

and being up at 7am 

takes strength

and coffee. 

So here is an update on miss haylie

she is better but had to have emergency 

surgery on friday night to remove the infection.

Today is her first day back to daycare,

hints having time to blog. 

Power to you mamas out there that can do both!!

Cause i sure couldn't.

Since last wednesday i got the opportunity 

to laugh, clean up a few blow outs, 

and catch that little trouble maker 

scattering 100+ cards around my house!! 

I have had some intelligent conversations 

revolving around babies, horses, and 

toy toy (also known as toy story) 

One thing i have learned is that though

this ministry that God laid on 

my heart 

to start i got the privilege of easing 

the burden for one mom for four 

days and i couldn't be more filled with joy. 

P.s.

 it takes a two year old one hour to walk ten blocks :) 

if you cut the top of a leak resistant cup it begins to leak 

sticking things in the couch is always funny :) 

and hiding medicine in oatmeal 

doesn't work.

"I can do all things through christ who strengthens me" 

Philippians 4:13

Rule 7: Humility

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. 

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. 

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. 

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. (KJV, Matthew 5:5-9)

Humility; lowliness, meekness, submissiveness.

 I got a phone call last night from one of my mamas in need 

she called to ask a simple favor 

that i personally often take for granite, laundry! 

She asked if there is anyway i could let her wash her clothes at my house?? 

I was OVERLY thrilled and told her anything she needed washed to bring it over! 

Loved that smile getting out of her truck as she say, "I've got a few bags." 

Getting to wash those little pants and skirts that miss haylie wears 

and getting to be a light to her was the biggest joy of my week!! 

So please pray for strength for her and for her little one. 

I give you a bit of a picture of this little joy that i got to meet just two days ago. . . 

Tight bleach blonde curls cover her head 

and she has the sea blue eyes 

that almost disappear when she gets laughing hard enough!!

 Gosh she is adorable!!

So now here i am washing laundry 

a simple task at best,

that lightens the load of a mama near me!!

I dont know if i could lay down my pride

and have someone i just met 

clean my dirty clothes.

Dear God, 

Pray you would give Ashley strength

to see your will for her life

and that she is a princess 

in your eyes.

Allow the men who come into her life to 

see her only as a sister in 

christ and as your daughter who 

you treasure so much.

Please teach me humility 

so that i can be used to further your

kingdom. So i can lay down 

my pride to be used for 

your glory.

Amen.

This is one of Haylie shirts
 that i feel in love with when Lacey 
held it up to show me :) 

New Mama!! Second Mama!!

So lately I have been hoping that God would place another Mama in my life that i could help make ends meet for her, and he is so good and he did just that! Meet Ashley. . . she is twenty-four and has a little one who name is Haylie. Haylie is two yrs and three months she has bright blue eyes and curly blonde hair. Right now she is behind on a couple bills so financial help is her biggest need! We are working on ways to lower her bills in order to help make ends meet! If anyone has any tips i would love some advice!! SO our current fund raiser is for her electric bill which is about $150 a month and she is currently late on. If anyone wants to donate towards that checks can be made to La Plata Electric with her name in the memo box!! If financial is not something you can help with she also needs lots of prayer so just add her to your prayer list!! As i receive updates ill let you know!!