Powerful Words.

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
O'er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,
Now come the wisemen from out of the Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friends.
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!

Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
His power and glory ever more proclaim!

Woman Up.

I'm going to keep this short and sweet.

We hear men all the time telling other men to "man up"...to grow up and do the things that they need to do...to get off the couch and get a job to support the woman that they have committed themselves to...to give up their selfish pride and do what is right for once. There is all this talk of becoming the men that God created them to be...to be the husband that God wants them to be to their wife...to be the daddy that their kids need. Amen!

But what about the women? Can women ever set aside their emotions for long enough to listen when other women tell them what they need to hear? It's ridiculous. There are certain taboo topics that women don't think they are allowed to talk about with each other because they are afraid of offending them or making them mad. Who cares? If God lays some wisdom on your heart, you would be sinning to ignore His urging to share it! We need to become the women that God created us to be...not the women that we see on TV or in magazines or read about in books...if we are going to model ourselves after someone (besides, Christ, of course), it needs to be Ruth! Or Esther! Or Elizabeth! Or Sarah! I mean, goodness gracious...God gave us all of these women as examples and we are just ignoring it...even Christian women seek approval and security and pleasure more than holiness! Ahhh! We need to be the wives that God needs us to be to our husbands! If girls spent half as much time in the Word trying to become Godly women and wives as they do worrying if they'll ever meet the "right one," I can only imagine that the world would be a much better place. Calm down, God is taking care of you...you aren't responsible for finding a husband anyway! Be the Godly woman that a Godly man can't pass up...be the one that fits perfectly into God's plan for a Godly marriage. Then God can make you into the mommy that your kids need...He is much better at that than you will ever dream of being!

Just as men need to man up, women need to woman up. So...go for it!

Suspend Your Disbelief.

Suspend: to set aside or make temporarily inoperative.

Unbelief: incredulity or skepticism especially in matters of religious faith.

Suspend Unbelief: to set aside skepticism in matters of faith.

Why is it easier to doubt than to believe? To be skeptical than to have faith? What happens as we mature to make it harder for us to believe?

"I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” --Mark 10:15.

We all remember what it was like to be little...to think the best of everyone...to trust so easily...to make friends and never even think of being mean to them...to understand that God loves us. What changed? Or maybe the better question is: why did we allow ourselves to be corrupted by the world? God never changes, just as His love for us never changes. That is what we can believe in. Faith is stable...hope is certain.

"Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see." --Hebrews 11:1.

God is the ONLY thing we can believe in. We have been so hurt by the lies of the world that we have trouble believing in anything at all, forgetting that God created us...He humbled Himself by coming to earth to sacrifice Himself to cleanse us from our sins...He is there for us through everything...He forgives our sins...He is worthy...He reigns!

"Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things He does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle's!" --Psalm 103:2-5.

"'I will be faithful to you and make you Mine and you will finally know Me as the LORD.'" --Hosea 3:20.

Romans 3 tells us that even when we are unfaithful, God remains faithful. Believe it! Trust Him! He is our Only Hope! Suspend your unbelief! It should not be easier to doubt than to believe...because God continually proves Himself and pours out His love on us!

Full Salvation.

All too often, we doubt the power of that momentous decision we made at one time in our lives to accept Jesus Christ as our personal LORD and Savior. The enemy makes us think that nothing comes that easy, that there must be a catch, that we didn't really mean the words that we said. Lies. When we make the decision to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ, it's all over for sin and the enemy.

"God is light, and there is no darkness in Him at all." --1 John 1:5b.

"For darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining." --1 John 2:8b.

This decision completely changes the course of our lives. We go from living solely for the flesh and what feels good and right to us (humanism and relativism) to living for Christ!

"Dear friends, we are already God's children, but He has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He really is. And all who have this eager expectation [hope] will keep themselves pure [holy], just as He is pure [holy]." --1 John 3:2-3.

"Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God's grace." --Romans 6:14.

Full salvation means justification and sanctification. The point of decision when we put our faith in Christ and God declared us righteous as well as the continual process of striving to be more holy and more like Christ. Understanding this, the implications of that one decision lead to increasingly greater and more noble results as we die to ourselves and live only for Christ. The way we become holy is through our faith in the Son of God. He is the Way.

"Holiness appears to me to have a sweet, calm, pleasant, charming, and serene nature, all of which brings an inexpressible purity, radiance, peacefulness, and overwhelming joy to the soul." --Jonathan Edwards.

"Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him." --Philippians 2:12b-13.

(white) (yellow) (yellow) (white).

That is what I saw as I spent a few hours with God tonight. Those were the lines on the road that led me and my parents from freezing cold Charlotte to freezing cold and windy Boone this evening. Over the years, that road has been the location of some of the best times I have spent with my Savior.

Even before I knew what a quiet time was or understood the importance of time in the Word, I remember looking up at the sky and adoring the Creator. There's something with me and the night sky...I just can't get enough. Even if it's frigid or rainy or windy, I could look up at the stars for hours! So when I'm sitting in the backseat and looking out the window on that northbound highway 321, I just get caught up. I remember listening to old Michael W. Smith and Steven Curtis Chapman CDs on my CD player and breathing in the cool night air and just thanking Jesus for allowing me to be alive and experience such a peace in knowing Him.

I had that again tonight as I listened to my Hymns playlist and worshiped my LORD for who He is. And this morning when I wasn't ready to get out of bed...I just made myself think about everything that is going on now, everything that God has brought me through, the ways that He is working in my life, and all of the times when He has proved Himself faithful. Do you ever just stop and think?

The love of the LORD endures.

Unafraid.

What makes us settle for anything less than the sacrifice of our very lives for the Kingdom of God? What in this world could possibly be more important than accomplishing the work we were created to do? What is attractive enough to make us take our eyes off the ultimate goal to which we have been called in Christ Jesus? What in this world are we clinging to so hard that we would have to think twice about surrendering it to the LORD before we follow Him?

Nothing. No. Thing. Nothing.

No amount of success, no measure of affection, no degree of recognition, no dollar amount, no relationship, no possession...no thing can ever compare to the cruciality of the Kingdom. Those of us who are believers have something that the world can never offer, something that seems foolish to those who don't believe, something that is more valuable than anything else. We have been granted the responsibility of taking that Good News to the rest of the world and explaining to them this Savior whom they have always felt in their hearts (Romans 1), but have never known.

This great treasure can solve all of the world's problems, if people would drop their pride long enough to let it. It can bring peace to the restless, hope to those with no hope, love to the abandoned, and stability to the madness. It is the answer to all of life's questions. It is all we ever need to talk about, because it contains the greatest mysteries of the universe that we are never to understand...we are not meant to, we are not capable of it, we could not comprehend it.

It is...He is...the Truth.

Those who think they are ready to tackle this Truth are the farthest from it. The only way someone can get closer to the Truth is to realize that they cannot. In fact, the only way that any progress or success can be attained is through the realization that we are called to do things that we, in ourselves, cannot possibly do.

But, we know Who can.

These tasks that the LORD calls us to are the most important tasks that are done on this earth. They are, in fact, the very tasks that allow us to prepare those coming after us to do the next set of tasks in this depraved and fallen world. This world that is desperately crying out and searching for this Savior that we have put our faith and trust in...the Savior that we once had felt but never knew. This One and Only Savior is the only reason we are still alive, having being pardoned from our sins by the shedding of His precious blood...He is above all and in all and through all...and He is the means by which we can accomplish anything of value for the Kingdom...He is always within us, encouraging us to press on through His Holy Spirit.

Therefore, let us not be distracted by the trivial things that the world thrusts upon us. Let us be all the more eager to spread the Truth to all the ends of the earth...whether that means right down the street or halfway across the world. Let our minds be filled with thoughts of the Kingdom, rather than thoughts about what will happen tomorrow, next week, next year, or 15 years from now...God has all of that taken care of.

And to be honest, those things aren't even worthy of our thoughts. What is the point of thinking to the point of frustration about some silly guy who could never fulfill your needs anyway? Why should we spend so much time worrying about what color we are going to paint the living room? Shouldn't we just be thankful for the house that God provided that contains that living room? Why should we seek after things that can never meet our needs when the King of Glory is standing right in front of us, holding out His arms to adopt us into His royal family? Don't we trust that He is enough? Don't we believe that what He has to offer is far more important than anything this world can offer? Honestly, think about it...why is it that we would much rather talk about other people behind their backs than shout the Truth from the rooftops for everyone to hear?

Because we have been deceived. This began long ago, at the fall of Satan, in fact. Do not lose heart and allow him a foothold in your life. Stand strong in the LORD and in His mighty power...unafraid.

Allegory.

Yes, I am going to be an English nerd for a minute. Sometimes in literature, authors write a story that could be interpreted on two different levels: an elementary level and a complex level. This is considered allegory. This is also evidenced in Disney movies, as my family and I discussed at Thanksgiving dinner. There is the playful and simple story that appeals to children in Disney movies, as well as the deeper and more mature level that hits adults right where they are.

The more I read Paul's letters, the more I begin to realize that they are allegorical. There is the level that makes sense to the immature Christian, which is why most young Christians would say that one of those letters is their favorite book of the Bible; but there is also the level that is as deep as the ocean, that even the most mature Christian finds edifying. It is remarkable to me that when I think I know one of the letters (say...Philippians) inside and out, the Holy Spirit points out all sorts of new things to me the next time I read it. It's almost like He makes our eyes skip over the things that we cannot comprehend until we are capable of handling the truths encapsulated in the verses. This should encourage us to seek the understanding that comes from Him more and more. When we commit to dig in to the Word more, the LORD will allow us to get more out of it. How gracious is He!

"Therefore, I, a prisoner for serving the LORD, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God." --Ephesians 4:1.

"Serve the LORD with reverent fear, and rejoice with trembling." --Psalm 2:11.

"If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it." --Matthew 10:39.

Through the Storm.

The wisdom of God is always contrary to the wisdom of the world. Therefore, I suggest that the only way to understand God's ways is to seek His face. The world tells us to hold on to our lives as tightly as we can...it tells us that we can be happy if we can just get enough money and "stuff"...it tells us that recognition and fame is the ultimate goal of our lives. But God tells us that if we give up our lives for Him, we will find the abundant life that He created us for.

"If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for Me, you will find it." --Matthew 10:39.

"The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life." --John 10:10.

Even though we think of "giving our lives up for God" as meaning we must be martyred, only some of us will have this honor. What God is calling us to is surrendering all that we are to His power and sovereignty...and, in turn, we will die...to sin. As described all throughout Romans, but especially chapters 3-6, when we are justified by faith and begin the process of sanctification, sin loses all power over us. Do you get that? When we get to this point, it means that we realize and appreciate Christ's sacrifice in our place...it means that we comprehend the fact that this world is not all there is...it means that we truly are living in the world, but we are not of it.

Ok, enough of that little tangent...but the second I typed "Romans," I knew all hope of staying on topic was lost. When we truly apply Isaiah 55:8-9, we understand that it is for our good that we endure hardship as discipline, because if we are not being molded, then we are not sprinting towards our Savior as we should be. Something that I heard today that I had never really connected with this passage had to do with Psalm 18 (also 2 Samuel 22).

"But in my distress I cried out to the LORD; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from His sanctuary; my cry to Him reached His ears. Then the earth quaked and trembled. The foundations of the mountains shook; they quaked because of His anger. Smoke poured from His nostrils; fierce flames leaped from His mouth. Glowing coals blazed forth from Him. He opened the heavens and came down; dark storm clouds were beneath His feet...The LORD thundered from Heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded amid the hail and burning coals." --Psalm 18:6-13.

God's deliverance came in the form of a storm. We probably all picture God's deliverance in a way that involves Him removing the obstacles and enemies from our lives...but this is not what David describes. God uses ways higher than we can imagine to accomplish what He wants in our lives. Sometimes, His answer to us when we plead for deliverance from all of our circumstances is that He has to take us through more first. We have no idea the ways He is maturing us through all of our problems and trials, but we just need to stick it out and find God's peace in every situation. We are not supposed to be comfortable in this world...we do not belong here! How could life on earth possibly be easy and carefree when this is where we are doing Kingdom work before we get to the Kingdom? (Not to say that good works contribute to our salvation, but the reason we are here is to be God's messengers and servants.)

Even though it hurts...REALLY hurts...to be in this dark and fallen world, we have to be tough. Endurance. Character. Hope.

Hymns.

I had forgotten how much I appreciated hymns until I randomly started looking at them on iTunes tonight. I don't know if it is because I remember singing hymns in church as a kid, or because the Campus Praise Band plays them sometimes (to more contemporary beats), or just because the lyrics are straight from the Word of God, rather than being watered down like some other Christian music...regardless of the reasoning, I am very thankful right now for the blessing of hymns.

It is possible that this all started a few months ago...in a far away land called Bolivia. On our long bus rides across the plains and mountains, we became our own radios. The 20 of us literally sang for hours on end...praising our Savior without the distractions of commercialization or civilization. There is no worship purer than singing the words of Christ right back to Him...no background music, no producers, no recording studios...just our voices bursting out to the open sky. I gained a new comprehension of the song "In Christ Alone" while on that trip...maybe it was the fact that we were so far away from our normal environments and all we could do was count on Christ and acknowledge His sovereignty.

Hymns preach the Gospel. All the time. Without watering it down. Living Water will not quench us if it's watered down.

Just a few suggestions:

• How Deep the Father's Love For Us.
• In Christ Alone.
• It Is Well.
• There is a Fountain.
• Before the Throne.
• Give Me Jesus.
• Agnus Dei.
• Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.
• Hallelujah, What a Savior.

"So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up." --Galatians 6:9.

Remember.

There are a few different forms of "remembering" things: (1) we can cram for two hours before a huge test so that we will remember the answers when we need to know them and forget the next day (2) we can think about something so much that we can't help but remember (3) or we can know something so well that it's always in our brains, but never makes it to our conscious memory. I'm not going to deal with the first one right now, because it is not as big of a deal as the others...I mean, study and know your stuff. The end.

The second type of remembering is the best kind to have...as long as the things we are thinking about are the right things. "And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." --Philippians 4:8. Those are the things we should be focusing on. When I wrote out the definition of (2), all I could think of was the things that we are focused on...so much so that they are almost an obsession. We usually think of obsession as a bad thing...because we have known people who were obsessed with other people, or sports teams, or the way they look, or worrying. But the ultimate obsession is not like this. We should be so obsessed with the story of our Maker that we think about it without ceasing...we should always have His promises on our minds and His commands permeating our hearts...we should never be satisfied with the amount that we talk about our Savior. One thing I've noticed while attending Liberty: the more I and the people around me grow closer to the LORD, the more we talk about Him...it gets to the point that every conversation somehow comes back to the focus of our lives, our Mighty God...that's one of the results of sharpening each other, as Proverbs 27:17 speaks of. Another thing that came up recently in a conversation with my "sharpener": the more we study the Bible, the more we spout out Scripture without even thinking about it. I mean, I really could find something in Romans about most any situation that I'm confronted with.

The third form of remembering, I believe, is the most detrimental. I am ashamed to say that sometimes when I read stories in the Bible, particularly in the Gospels, I think "oh, I remember this...I know what happens next" and a switch turns off in my brain...I think that since I already know the story, I don't need to read and comprehend it again. False. I am amazed that every time I read the Bible, the Holy Spirit highlights different portions of the Scripture, different themes, and different main ideas. If, for instance, we read the story of the crucifixion as if it was the first time every time, I think we would be a lot more impacted by the truths of the words we are reading. It is certainly possible to become so familiar with something that we almost become numb or lukewarm towards it. This only opens us up to the attacks of the enemy...which can lead down the deep, dark paths of sin.

"But don't just listen to God's Word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in the mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like." --James 1:22-24.

Fight the good fight. Care. Comprehend. Remember.

Standing on Grace.

It's a lonely place when you're standing on the Rock, but you're still in this world. The company is few...but the company is committed. The enemy likes to deceive us...he is a liar and an accuser...he likes to discourage us...because when we let one ounce of doubt enter into our hearts, he runs with it. When we allow that to happen, we open ourselves up to distraction...and we lose sight of our rightful place, standing on the grace of Christ. This is dangerous...and not in the exhilarating sense...it is detrimental.

"'But the time is coming--indeed it's here now--when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.'" --John 16:32-33.

This, of course, is Christ speaking to His disciples before He was led to His crucifixion...but if we are truly seeking Christlikeness and sanctification as we should be, these words will be true of us. God has placed us on this earth, but He has not left us without the things we need in order to stand strong and to accomplish the work that He has created us to do here.

"I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ's return. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation--the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ--for this will bring much glory and praise to God." --Philippians 1:9-10.

Being honest with people and approaching them when something that they are doing is contrary to what God calls us to is a rough thing to do. It is often self-condeming as well...because sometimes the things that stick out to we most in other people are precisely the things that we struggle with most. Nevertheless, it is sometimes painful...but adversity builds character...woo hoo!

"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment, for we know how much God loves us because He has sent us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love." --Romans 5:3-5. (yes, Romans.)

May we never forget that we are never alone.

Trees.

For one reason or another, I've been thinking about trees a lot lately. Before you think I'm strange, just let me explain. The leaves on the trees are changing and falling off...I've been faced with different "trees" I can climb in the decisions for my future (which really isn't mine...but the LORD's)...usually if a tree is mentioned in the Scripture I read on a particular day, that's the part that sticks out to me the most...they are just a perfect demonstration of God's sovereignty in Creation.

"To all who mourn in Israel, He will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for His own glory." --Isaiah 61:3.

One thing you have to realize about oak trees: how often have you seen someone just push one over? How many times have you seen them crushed by the pouring rain in a thunderstorm? How many times have you seen them just get tired of standing up and instead choose to fall over? Never. We should be more like the mighty oaks that God created. When people persecute us, we should not give in. When the storms of life beat down, we should stand strong in the LORD. When we are exhausted and overwhelmed, we should realize that God is our strength.

"Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do." --Psalm 1:1-3.

When we follow the decrees of the LORD, we should be confident in the fact that He will bless us and make our labor for him effective. Our roots will grow down deep into Him and the promises of His Word. (Ephesians 3:17).

"He cuts down cedars; he selects the cypress and the oak; he plants the pine in the forest to be nourished by the rain. Then he uses part of the wood to make a fire. With it he warms himself and bakes his bread. Then--yes, it is true--he takes the rest of it and makes himself a god to worship! He makes an idol and bows down in front of it! He burns part of the tree to roast his meat and to keep himself warm. He says, "Ah, that fire feels good." ... Such stupidity and ignorance! Their eyes are closed, and they cannot see. Their minds are shut and they cannot think." --Isaiah 44:14-18.

How utterly despicable. How many times in the Old Testament does this happen with the Israelites...I think of the golden calves the people had built when Moses came down from Mount Sinai...and Gomer's delusion that her "lovers" had given her everything that she had. And how ironic that the man in this passage takes care of his own needs before he makes himself an idol to worship. It is (or should be) the opposite with us...we should praise God, the Only Creator of All, before all else, trusting that He will provide for our needs.

"They are like trees in autumn that are doubly dead, for they bear no fruit and have been pulled up by the roots." --Jude 12b.

This is probably the roughest condemnation ever to be achieved in this world. If one were to come to this place, they would have no hope other than turning back to the LORD. Jude is talking about false prophets through this letter and encouraging Christians to use discernment to know what and who to believe. These false prophets have been cut off from the Source and therefore cannot create the fruits that He created them to. May we never sink to this point.

Stay strong. And connected to the Source.

Psalm 118.

"Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever. Let all Israel repeat: 'His faithful love endures forever.' Let all Aaron's descendants, the priests, repeat: 'His faithful love endures forever.' Let all who fear the LORD repeat: 'His faithful love endures forever.'" --verses 1-4.

Did you catch that? It wasn't exactly subtle. Paul says many times in his letters that we are to give thanks in all circumstances. ALL circumstances. That means when you are exhausted, or burnt out, or aggravated, or upset, or stressed out. God never ever fails...and since God is love, love never fails either. 1 Corinthians 13 tells us that. 1 John 4 says that perfect love drives out fear, so we should never doubt the depth of God's love for us...even in the toughest times. We should, instead, give thanks and proclaim that His faithful love endures forever.

"In my distress I prayed to the LORD, and the LORD answered me and set me free. The LORD is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? Yes, the LORD is for me; He will help me. I will look in triumph at those who hate me. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in people. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes." --verses 5-9.

Can I just "amen" that?! All of it. God is faithful to answer when His children cry out to Him for help. He is their help. And He is the only hope we have for overcoming the sin that so easily entangles, as mentioned in Hebrews 12. We are only temporary citizens of this world, so the world has no power over us...therefore, nothing in or of the world can ever touch us. When we look in triumph over those who hate us, I think it means in the past, present, and future...we look back at the battles that the LORD has already fought for us, we endure persecution in the present because we know that our help comes from the LORD, and we look to the future knowing that He will conquer all those who profane His glory and His name. People fail. It's a proven fact. So put all of your trust in the LORD...He will never leave you...He will provide you with people whom you can trust in this world, once you realize that He is the source of all.

"Though hostile nations surrounded me, I destroyed them all with the authority of the LORD. Yes, they surrounded and attacked me, but I destroyed them all with the authority of the LORD. They swarmed around me like bees; they blazed against me like a crackling fire. But I destroyed them all with the authority of the LORD. My enemies did their best to kill me, but the LORD rescued me." --verses 10-13.

I see a recurring theme here: "with the authority of the LORD." The New King James says: "in the name of the LORD, I will destroy them." This just goes back to the fact that when the LORD is on our side, we can defeat any army. And these enemies that the psalmist is talking about have all received their ultimate animosity from the Enemy...you know, the angel who thought that he should have just as much authority as God...and we already know that he will be demolished in the end.

"The LORD is my strength and my song; He has given me victory. Songs of joy and victory are sung in the camp of the godly. The strong right arm of the LORD has done glorious things! The strong right arm of the LORD is raised in triumph. The strong right arm of the LORD has done glorious things! I will not die; instead, I will live to tell what the LORD has done. The LORD has punished me severely, but He did not let me die." --verses 14-18.

And yet another recurring phrase...have you ever noticed how things are repeated three times for emphasis? Point proven...the strong right arm of the LORD has done glorious things! And living to tell what the LORD has done is essentially what we are called to do every moment of every day of our lives.

"Open for me the gates where the righteous enter, and I will go in and thank the LORD. These gates lead to the presence of the LORD, and the godly enter there. I thank you for answering my prayer and giving me victory!" --verses 19-21.

In the Old Testament, God was only accessible to the Israelites through an intermediary, or priest...but now, because of the New Covenant in Christ's blood, He has become the Great High Priest and given us open communication channels to God. He is both the atoner and the atonement.

"The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. This is the LORD's doing, and it is wonderful to see. This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Please, LORD, please save us. Please, LORD, please give us success. Bless the one who comes in the name of the LORD. We bless you from the house of the LORD. The LORD is God, shining upon us. Take the sacrifice and bind it with cords to the altar. You are my God, and I will praise you! You are my God, and I will exalt you! Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever." --verses 22-29.

I've almost run out of things to say and different ways to communicate the fact that God is good and His love is unfailing. So...listen. God knew you before you were thought of, created you, cares for you, is concerned with every detail of your life, and will never ever leave you. End of story. But, that's not really the end.

Go Hard.

I use the phrase "go hard" frequently, and it is basically self-explanatory, but I want to define how it is manifested in my opinion. I think that going hard means being completely sold out to Christ and to the work of the Kingdom without regard for the ways of the world. As Christians who are going hard for the LORD, it shouldn't matter in the slightest what society thinks of us, other than the fact that they can see our reverence and love for the LORD as superseding all else. All too often in the Christian life, we compromise our beliefs and convictions because we are comparing ourselves with the world and the people in it. That is an immense problem.

We are in this world, but not of it....so why would we base the way we live our lives on other people? The thing is: we don't deserve this gracious gift of life. In fact, we only ever deserve death. Literally, every single breath we are allowed to take is another gift from our Creator...how often do we thank Him for that? It is absolutely remarkable that we are not all dying an eternal death in Hell right now. God created us for a purpose and He gave us the unfathomable opportunity of life through His Son...and we are called to live life abundantly...and live it eternally through our faith. Understanding that this life is not our own, why would we live it selfishly as if we deserve anything? God blesses us with every new morning, so we should live for Him entirely.

We can accomplish so much more for Him when we rely on His strength. That means that when we are going hard for Him every day, we can succeed (in the Kingdom sense of the word) in things so much bigger than ourselves. That is the true life of faith...and we should strive for nothing less.

"We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves." --2 Corinthians 4:7.

"Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the LORD enthusiastically." --Romans 12:9-11.

This will have to be another post sometime, but another thing that Christians have compromised on is the true meaning of love. I think that we have fallen back to believe that love is merely what the world tells us it is. This could not be farther from the truth. It was out of love that God created the universe, He forgave the rebellion of the Israelites every time they turned away, He sent His Son as the once-and-for-all Savior, and Christ gave up His life to save all of mankind who believes in Him. Is that what you think of when you think of love?

James 1:22.

"But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves." --James 1:22.

It is very aggravating to me to encounter people who know exactly what they need to do, but they are too stubborn and comfortable to actually do it. There are way too many girls and guys who are in unhealthy relationships, and they know it...they just don't understand how badly they really do need to end it...I think that after a certain point, they like the stress and drama of it all because they think that it means they have someone who cares for them. Newsflash: God always has and always will care for you...more than any person ever could. Comprehend that! It will change your life.

Another thing that I heard today (as well as many times last year) occurred during a prayer group. When we were talking about our prayer requests, one of the girls said that she needs to spend more time reading her Bible...she said that she had been slacking lately. Well...you have a Bible...you have eyes and a brain...you have 24 entire hours every day...what's the problem? In my opinion, that is just an example of selfishness...what do we put in our schedules before our time with God every day? Who would we rather hang out with for a few hours here and there than have a good quiet time? What tv show or movie would we rather watch than learn about the faith of Abraham or the steadfastness of Daniel? If you know that you need to spend more time with the LORD, then do it!

If the LORD is putting someone or something on your heart, don't ignore it just because it is inconvenient to do what He wants you to. Chances are, He will bless you twofold as a reward for your obedience. But the reward should not be the motivation for good works...everything we do should be an act of love towards the LORD. 1 Corinthians 10:31. Colossians 3:23.

What would this world be like if we truly loved those God places around us as much as we love ourselves? I'd like to see a world like that.

Ready Now.

Well, this is the first free moment I have had in weeks...or so it seems. It's odd to just sit...but oh so necessary. Being busy all the time just comes naturally to me, so it is nearly impossible for me to be ok when I'm not...in fact, my leg is bouncing right now so that I can still be productive. To be honest, even though this semester has been much more busy than I anticipated, I've been "sitting" in a different form for weeks.

This sitting involves waiting on the LORD's timing...patience is hard. I would leave on a plane, train, or automobile (no, I haven't seen the movie) in an instant if He opened a door. But for now, I'm here...where He has sovereignly placed me...to do His work in a place where I am so uncomfortable. Even though this is rough, it is most certainly building my holy discontent deep within me...so it's bittersweet. And I am joyful. Despite the fact that I have no idea where the LORD wants me to be after I graduate, or what He wants me to do, or how He wants me to do it....I know that He will take care of it. And I don't need to know yet.

Now for some verses that have been sticking out to me lately:

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it." --John 1:5.
(Well, that one always sticks out to me.)

"I will bless the LORD who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me. I know the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for He is right beside me." --Psalm 16:8.

"'Friends, I realize that what you and your leaders did to Jesus was done in ignorance. But God was fulfulling what all the prophets had foretold about the Messiah--that He must suffer these things." --Acts 3:17-18.

"When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right." --Romans 6:20.

"For the LORD of Heaven's Armies has not abandoned Israel and Judah. He is still their God, even though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel." --Jeremiah 51:5.

Impatience.

I always thought that I was a patient person, which is precisely why God has been throwing things at me to test and strengthen my patience. This patience involves several different levels, just as the word has various meanings. Let me start by describing the two forms of impatience that I have been enduring lately: impatience meaning that I'm so ready to be wherever I can serve the LORD the best (and out of school); impatience with the immaturity that surrounds me in this stage of life.

To be honest, I get tired of singing the song "Everlasting God" in church so much...in my opinion, when songs are played too often, they begin to lose their meaning. It's like we have the words memorized so well that we don't even think about what we are saying enough to mean them with our whole hearts. And those are words that we really should mean...especially in times like this. "Strength will rise as we wait upon the LORD." Do we really believe that? Or do we try to take control of things on our own because we don't like to feel weak? God's power is made perfect in weakness...when we are weak, then we are strong. I believe that without any reservations...my whole heart cries it out to the only One who can do anything about it. Sometimes, I just wish that I could fast forward a few years...then I could be where God wants me to be...with who God wants me to be with...away from the people who hold me back...ministering to the people that God has placed in front of me. Oh wait! I'm at that place now...well, not the same place that it will be a few years from now, but I am in God's will even if I don't like it very much. I have no idea what He could use me for right here, but I need to trust that He's got me by the hand and He will take my willing heart wherever it needs to go.

Empty pockets. Open hands.

"I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe Him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms. Now He is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else--not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made Him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is the body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with Himself." --Ephesians 1:19-23.

Did you catch that?! Christ is everywhere. He is in everything. Not just where God ultimately has us serving for the majority of our lives...but right where we are too! He is in us! We are His church.

Christ in me, Christ in me, Christ in me, the Hope of Glory. You are Everything.

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1.02.28

Realize.

Beautiful daughters of the King,

When will you realize that The LORD God Almighty is pursuing a relationship with you?

How much heartache will it take for you to understand that no fallen human being can ever fulfill you as your Father can?

Why are you so obsessed with guys (the creation) that you are blinded to the fact that God (the Creator) loves you with an unconditional love that can never be equaled?

What will it take for you to see the Lover of your soul standing with outstreched arms just waiting for you to lose yourself in Him?

Why do you thrust your heart at just any boy that you find attractive?

How can you be so surprised when this boy fails you and leaves you feeling all alone?

When will you decide to surrender your whole heart to the LORD and trust Him to do with it what is best for you?

Be encouraged by this: God honors those who surrender to Him. Commit your way to the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart. Just think of the ways He could use you if the desires of your heart were totally wrapped up in His will for you...if you trusted Him as you say you do and believed that He can do all that He claims He can. Take heart: He can! Nothing is impossible for God! So believe that He will show you love when you have come to understand what His unfailing love looks like when it is displayed in your life and the lives of others. Calm down. Breathe deeply. Cast away all of your idols and other "lovers" as Gomer/Israel was told to do in Hosea. The Creator of Everything is actively pursuing you. Yes, that kind of pursuing...the kind that you are seeking so heavily from those incapable of it altogether...the only way a man will ever be able to pursue you is if you have given your heart to the LORD and he seeks Him first...every single relationship must be based on the pursuit of God above all else. No exceptions.

Fall in love with Him.

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1.02.28

Not My Own.

Just as a warning...there is no telling what my fingers are going to type in this post. It quite possibly could be the worst organized writing you have ever read. Just so you're aware...you're not crazy if you have no idea what I'm talking about...God knows.

When people ask me how school is going, I usually want to say "Do you really want to know?" As the days pass by, being here becomes more and more stressful and burdensome...if I'm just being honest. The LORD is making me so aware of the things that He thinks and feels about different situations that it's more than overwhelming. This begs the question "What is my true purpose for being here right now?" The answer has many, many parts. First, I am where I am in order to serve: God first, and then others. Second, I am where I am so that God can teach me all of the things that I need to learn right now and apply throughout the rest of my life. Third, I am where I am to be in a community of believers who push me and inspire me to want to know the LORD more deeply every day. Fourth, I'm here to be uncomfortable...every moment that I am here increases the burning within me to go...like Isaiah 6:8.

But you know what? All that matters is bringing glory to our Father, the LORD Jesus Christ. That is what I am ultimately here (and wherever He sends me) for. So above all, I have to keep my eyes on the prize...the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who, for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now He is sitting at the Right Hand of the Father. Praise His Holy Name! His is the Name by which we are saved. There is no one else for me...none but Jesus. The second I lose sight of that, this life becomes all about me. May it never be! That is the absolute worst thing that can happen. Because everything would fall apart...literally. That is when it seems like life is spinning out of control: when pride takes over. He is my hope in the day of disaster. He even comes to my rescue when I have rebelled and tried to follow my own path. Amazing Love. Oh to Grace how great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be...

You are good.
You are good.
And Your love endures.

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1.02.28

Jesus and 1 John.

As I read through 1 John this morning, I couldn't help but recognize how frequently Jesus is used as an example...His love, His sacrifice, His life on this earth, His eternal reign. We all know that Christ is our ultimate example and we are to strive to follow His pattern of life...not to the best of our abilities, because that would mean nothing. We are to surrender constantly to the power and authority of our Heavenly Father...this we know. Every day of our lives, our sinful nature proves to us that we are powerless on our own...God is the true Source of our power. Since we cannot do anything of value anyway, why don't we allow the Lord to fill our hearts with dreams and goals so gigantic that only He can accomplish them. Never endeavor upon something that you are able to do...there is no room for growth in that. Walk through the doors that God opens for you...no matter if the door is 400 feet tall and 12,000 pounds or if it is 6 inches tall...no challenge is too big for our God.

Ok, well that is not at all what I set out to write. I read a book recently called "In His Steps." It was essentially about a minister challenging his congregation to commit to live the next year asking the question "What would Jesus do?" before anything and everything they did. That question may have become somewhat cliche because of the materialization of the phrase, but it is one of the most powerful questions we can ask ourselves.

"Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did." --1 John 2:6.

Can you imagine what the world would be like if we all lived that way? We would be so sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. More people would come to know who Jesus really is. More needs would be fulfilled. There would be more joy and love than we have ever experienced. True service that Jesus demonstrated to us is the most impactful thing we can do. But we must die to ourselves and take up our crosses every single day. That can only be done through the strength of our Lord...and the joy of the Lord is our strength.

"Dear children, let's not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and He knows everything." --1 John 3:18-20.

"God showed how much He loved us by sending His one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him. This is real love--not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins." --1 John 4:9-10.

Next time you tell someone that you love them, think about this real love...the unfathomable and unfailing love that God shows to us every time He allows us to take a breath, or watch the sun rise, or hear the ocean waves breaking on the shore. Every day is a gift we've been given...make the most of the time, every minute you're living.

Sin by Omission.

I've been realizing lately that I went through a few years of my life being deceived. Through high school and into freshman year of college, I thought that if I was just living my life the right way, everyone would see it and want to know what was different about me. This held up, to a point, but there is another level of being a Christian that I seem to have overlooked or disregarded.

I know now that God placed me in that public high school and in a room with those worldly roommates for a reason. At the time, I thought that I was just supposed to shine the Light and hope that they would realize that they needed to follow the straight and narrow like I was. But there is another responsibility that goes along with reflecting the Son: lovingly sharing with those dark people around us the error of their ways.

"Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it." -- James 4:17.

I knew that I needed to be more bold about my faith and the implications of living a Christian life. Not only was I responsible for pursuing the Lord, but God had given me people who needed encouragement to do the very same.

"When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right." --Romans 6:20.

The LORD has been pounding that into my head this morning. I was living in sin and I didn't even know it. I felt absolutely no pull towards having those difficult conversations with the people around me. If I couldn't be bold in my witness to others, then how could I possibly boldly come before the Throne of Grace with confidence (Hebrews 4:16)? How selfish of me. This world is not our home, so why do we treat it like it is all about us?

It is all about Him!

Waiting on the World to Change?

I've never really liked the concept of that John Mayer song. If we are truly going around this life just waiting for the world to change, we will be utterly disappointed...and I'll venture to say that we will waste our lives. I don't want to waste my life. The Lord has called me (and us) to something bigger and higher than just blending in with society and hoping that its practices will change.

At this point in my life, I am waiting to change the world. And I know that the Lord can do that through me. I'd always kind of closed off my thoughts to the fact that I could indeed impact the whole world...but if I truly believe that nothing is impossible for God, I've got to believe that His power through me is more than sufficient for this weighty task. To me, changing the world comes in the form of taking the Light to every corner of the earth...the places that think they are already illuminated enough, as well as the places who have been blinded by the darkness so long that they wouldn't recognize light if it was right in front of them.

As believers, we have all been called to turn the world upside-down like the early church did in Acts 17:6. The things of this world are absolutely worthless. Yes, I said worthless. Nothing else matters except for knowing our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Paul talked about this so many times in his letters (Colossians 3:2-4; Philippians 3:7-8; Galatians 6:14; Romans 8:18-24). He got it. I am striving to get it. But I do know that this world has nothing to offer me...I have everything to offer the world. Well, not me...God can use me as a vessel to proclaim His message to the dark and fallen world around me (2 Corinthians 4:7).

The Invasion.

Don't worry...it's just a song title. By Trip Lee. Mmm.

We need a hero to go in, cause our solutions don't win

Education can't fix it, more dough just leads to more sin

Medicine is temporary, government seems so thin

With all these weighty problems, that ain't shrinking they just growing

Who's adequate to save us, how about He knew no sin?

Like a G5 yeah you rushed to rescue me

Took a cross in exchange for a throne to save me

You began the work and I know you'll finish

And make all things right when you come back

Cause you're my hero, you already saved the day

Cause you're my hero, and I know you're coming back for me

You see Him healing, feeding folks, and telling them the standard

Our most basic need is to be ransomed by Jesus

It's so major, that's the reason that we need a Savior

Cause the root of needs is separation from Creator

Jesus came humbly to restore us to our maker

And later He'll restore all that He made bruh, He's Jesus

He already saved the day. Listen! He saved us before we were born. He knew us...really knew us...and knows us. So many people walk around this life with no hope. Why? Don't they know? Romans 10:13-15.

We do not need to search for a way to "get through"...God is our hero. He is everything.

The Wisdom of Paul.

Over the summer, Romans was clearly my most frequented book...because it's Romans! But another passage that really resonated with me was 2 Corinthians chapters 4-6.

"Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don't understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God." --4:4.

Mmm...how very true! Once they have been blind for so long, they can't even recognize when the lights are on! They begin to love the darkness and think that that is the way it is meant to be. That makes me think of "Inception." That should scare everyone to no end...that is true fear of the Lord.

"You see, we don't go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said 'Let there be light in the darkness,' has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ." --4:5-6.

I've not yet decided if it is possible to talk about the contrast between light and darkness too much, but if it is, then I plan to abolish any such rule. There is nothing more apparent to me right now than the distinct difference between those who are walking in and shining the Light and those who are living blind in this dark world. I love in these verses how Paul equates the light created in Genesis 1 with the light created in us when we are saved. Both accomplish the same purpose: to demonstrate to the fallen world who the Creator and Only Hope is. Jesus Christ...our Father...our King...our Lord...the Spirit...our Hero.

"That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever." --4:16-18.

Living as a light in this dark world is not easy. If it were, everyone would want to do it. In fact, we can only be successful (in the truest sense of the word) if we rely entirely on our Lord. So, we must be of good faith and courage...confident that He will provide for us everything we need to serve Him effectively. We cannot give up or surrender. We have Christ in us, the hope of glory. We have hope...which means "help is on the way."

Ok, well that was only chapter 4...but I think I'll save 5 and 6 for a little later. Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power!

SPY Trip to Bolivia: Day Nine [7.25]

Well, our flight left La Paz at 8:45am. I can't believe it's over, but I'm so content all at the same time...God did more things than could ever be listed...and I know that that knowledge and the deepening of my relationship with Him will always affect me. Now it's just looking back and attempting to share the things that happened with everyone who wants and needs to know. God provides.

When we got on our connection flight from Santa Cruz to Miami, the same flight attendant from the trip down was on the plane...today was supposed to be her day off, so it is just by chance that she is on this eight-hour flight with us. Chance? Nah...sovereignty...55:8. I hope that our presence on this plane today serves as an encouragement and confirmation to her. May she grow ever stronger. And He made me fall asleep for about an hour, even though I was too stubborn to realize that it was necessary...and when I woke up, He had provided a much-needed lunch for my sustenance. He is good.

We got to Miami and a few people had connecting flights home that night. But most of us had one more night together at the hotel. We got in late, had a pizza dinner at 11:30, and just hung out for a while. The next morning, people were leaving in shifts to go to the airport to catch their flights. It was so bittersweet to have to say goodbye to the people who had become our family for the week. But these friendships are not over...they are just beginning. The Lord Almighty is sovereign.

SPY Trip to Bolivia: Day Eight [7.24]

Today, we got to have a later start than we have been...which was wonderful. I got up at 8:30, got a nosebleed in the shower, had a little breakfast, and then we left at 10. We drove downtown and went to the street where the market is set up. We had about an hour and a half to shop for everyone we wanted to get things for...and barter the prices down. I ended up getting a lot of good stuff for about ten people for less than $30. We left the market a little late, so we had to go to Burger King for lunch instead of the place we had planned to go. Let's just say it was more than a little bit interesting.

We came back to the hotel and had about an hour before our last group session. Olivia, Stephanie, and I packed a bit, but mostly we just talked. In the last session, we talked about ways to tell people about how the trip was...there were so many things that happened that it would become a 6-hour monologue if we told people about it all. John 21:25. Most of us ended up staying in that room for a while to sign shirts and such, but we still had about an hour before we left for dinner. Surprisingly, Steph, Liv, and I talked during that time.

We went back downtown to go to dinner at an interesting restaurant. We ordered our food and then the show started shortly after...it was authentic Bolivian music and dancing. Everything started out well...then the masks came out and the costumes became less and less appropriate. The food came...cold and hard...but I got a huge glass of strawberry/apple/grape blended juice that was delicious. I spent most of the time staring at a spot on the tablecloth and saying "He that is in you is greater than he that is in the world" to myself over and over. Whew...but it's over now.

When we got back, most everyone went to the same room to sign notebooks and shirts and exchange numbers and addresses. I'm ready to leave. Not that I'm miserable or getting tired of the people or of what the Lord is doing...it's just time to leave. One cool thing about the restaurant was the fact that there were people from Australia, France, Holland, and of course the US.

SPY Trip to Bolivia: Day Seven [7.23]

This morning, we woke up at 6 to leave at 7. Breakfast was perfect: I made a PB&J on pita bread. :) A small group of 7 (me, April, Barb, Ian, Hannah, Melanie, Abby, and Andres) got in the Land Cruiser (which ended up with a flat tire later in the day) for a 45 minute drive to this small community. Our objective: chasing and catching 40 alpacas. Yes, we are just awesome like that. The alpacas needed to have oral and injection medications, so we had to corner them, grab them around the neck, hold on to their tails, and wait for the medicine people to come over to us. I actually ended up catching 2 adults and 2 babies…not the ones that wrangled out of my intense grip (exaggeration). To add to the excitement, we got lost on the way back to the camp…Andrew lost the road (using the term “road” very loosely)…we caught some good air and bottomed out several times…how many people can say that they’ve been off-roading in Bolivia after wrestling alpacas? We got back a little bit before the bigger group (who were taking care of alpacas and llamas), so I got to write for a while…it was refreshing.

We all loaded up in the bus for the hour ride back to the church we went to yesterday…we had our (now) traditional sound-off…my number is 2…I am second. (And yes, I did fight with someone else to have that number…which doesn’t exactly obey Philippians 2:3-4…grrr.) Since we had more people today, the clearing was much faster and more efficient. I would say that we finished about half of what needed to be done…which I think is very good, considering the amount of clay and the altitude at which we are working. We worked until lunch time…llama and potatoes again…so I stealthily transferred my plate to someone who hadn’t gotten one yet and then had some peanut butter crackers and a granola bar on the bus.

After we ate, the pastor of the church and a few of the members sang us two songs. We sang the Animal Song and Amazing Grace to them and then laid hands on them to pray for the church and community. One of the most humbling moments of the day was seeing people who were at least 80 years old kneel down on the ground when we told them we were going to pray. What a picture of sheer reverence to the Creator of all…the Ruling Sustainer. Then we loaded the bus again (with a sound-off) and embarked on the 4 hour drive back to La Paz.

No matter how long I’ve been here, it still scares me to no end when the cars, buses, and trucks drive so recklessly close together. That was one of the best bus rides I’ve had this trip…it was just me and God. About 15 people were sitting in the back of the bus playing mafia, the others were dozing on and off, and I was able to just be still and read and think and listen and know that He is God! When we got to the hotel, it was time for dinner…we checked in, dropped our stuff off, and then left to walk to the place we were eating. Pollos Copacabana. What an experience. They had burgers and fried chicken. Let’s just say I can’t wait to be able to go to Chick-fil-a…I’m also having sweet tea withdrawals.

After dinner, we were finally able to take showers…praise the Lord for the gracious gift of running water! At 9, we met for devotions. April talked about fear…and mentioned 2 of my favorite verses: 2 Timothy 1:7 and 1 John 4:18. In our small group time after that, we talked about how we had seen God work this week, what He has taught us, and who we need to tell specific things about the trip. It was very good. This week has flown by and seemed like an entire month all at the same time. I’m very ready to be back at home and then go to school, but I wouldn’t trade this time here for anything (or nearly anything) in the world. I have a feeling that I will be talking about this trip to anyone who will listen for a very long time to come. God is good…so very good! His faithful love endures forever.

SPY Trip to Bolivia: Day Six [7.22]

We got up at 6:30 for breakfast at 7: kiwi, English muffin, potato cakes, and lots of water. We left the hotel at 8 in two different groups. The small group of seven got in the Land Cruiser to go build a barn. The larger group of 18 that I was in got on the bus to travel to a church to do various things. We drove about 3.5 hours before we stopped for lunch in a billage where a large SP field office is. After lunch, we walked around a bit, went up to the plaza, and got to go into a 500 year old Catholic church…it was very eerie and cold…it made my spirit very uncomfortable to be in there.

We had about an hour drive from there to the church and then we got right to work…some people sanding the walls to prepare them for paint, some helping lay bricks in the classrooms, and eight of us were clearing dirt out of this one area beside the church. The girls in the sanctuary were singing lots of wonderful songs, so the clearing crew joined in. We had a break at about 3:30 when we all came in the church and started singing some more…mostly “In Christ Alone,” “Amazing Grace,” and “Sanctuary.” We worked for an hour more and then had a bit of food that one of the families in the village prepared for us: llama meat and three kinds of potatoes. It would have been better if it was warm…the meat was very tough and chewy, but didn’t taste terrible. That will probably be the first and last time I’ll eat llama.

We came to the other SP field office in the area, where we stayed for the night, and unloaded our stuff. Let me just note that we did not bring any changes of clothes because there was no reason to get two sets of clothes terribly dirty. I currently smell like clay, campfire smoke, and alpaca. We did a human knot with about 14 people and then played a game of mafia before dinner. Stephanie and I shared a mounded plate of spaghetti noodles with no sauce and some vegetables…and pita bread!

After dinner, we had a campfire made out of evergreen branches…it continually smelled like Christmas. The stars were so clear here…and they look like they are blinking all the time…it was beautiful…praise the Creator of all! Around the fire, we started singing once again…we also sang all the way from the church to where we stayed…it was so amazing to just praise our Savior with all of these people who are committed to the Lord. Stephanie, Olivia, and I started getting tired, so we came in and went to bed after we got warm. Being here really makes you realize how much Americans take for granted…like heat and running water.

SPY Trip to Bolivia: Day Five [7.21]

We got up at 6am, got ready, and saw God's fingerpainting of the sky...it was like an upside-down rainbow. But, I forgot to take a picture. Breakfast was the same as yesterday...and I had some trimate tea...mmm.

After breakfast, we got on boats and went to the Isla de Sol...the place where the Incas started out...for our last distribution. I think that was the best one...there were probably 30 kids, but they were not nearly as reserved as the others...it was much more personal. The three boys I was sitting with really enjoyed all of their gifts and they let me take their pictures. God has been so faithful these past few days (and every single moment of every single day He gives me)...I had been wanting a picture with some of the kids, and Joey came by with his BlackBerry and took a picture when I was giving the youngest boys silly bands...I had been wondering what was in the far section of the hotel, and Fernanda took us there without explanation today.My favorite kid was being really quiet but smiling when we went through his box. The mothers were much more interested in the message than at the other distributions.

We came back to the hotel and packed up all of our stuff. Then we went to that room that Fernanda had showed us and had an amazing time of worship. We were there for almost an hour and a half...there's no way I could even describe it. We had lunch: vegetable soup, fish (fresh from the lake), french fries, vegetables, and flan. Then we loaded up the bus to head back to La Paz. About 15 minutes into the trip, we stopped in the middle of the road where we saw several kids. We gave them shoeboxes and booklets...what a joy. We stopped again a few minutes later when we went through a town to give away a few more boxes. If that doesn't demonstrate the love of Christ, I don't know what does.

Oh, and there was a young mother with her four or five small children who walked for two hours to get to the distribution today. They lived on the other side of the mountain. It just blows my mind that God provided 108 extra boxes yesterday and then we had enough to leave some at the hotel and stop at least five times to give boxes to kids. Jehovah Jireh.

We got back to La Paz and into the hotel at 6:15pm and had a bit of down time before dinner...that's something that I am not used to these past few days. What a blessing. We had dinner at a restaurant around the corner from the hotel that served American food. I watched a bit of the Nationals/Reds game while we were waiting on the food. I did find it a bit odd to be at a burger joint watching ESPN while I'm in Bolivia, but oh well.

We came back to the hotel and had a quick group meeting before small group time (which was absolutely amazing.) I cannot comprehend how the Lord can draw people so close together in a foreign country in 5 days. Everyone in my group trusts the others enough to spill their hearts. Tonight, the Lord gave me the role of listening to what everyone shared and then reading the passages of His Word that He flipped my Bible to. Every single one was a verse that I had read and underlined in the brand new Bible I brought on this trip for that very purpose. Mmm...God is above all and in all and through all. Alleluia!