Sunday, July 19, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Oh ME of little faith.....PART 2
My dad and I have been driving to and from work together every day. Well, last week I decided to bring along our radio drama CD's of the Chronicles of Narnia. I love the stories and I find it so interesting and wonderful that C.S. Lewis wove the stories, pictures, and concepts of Scripture into his books. As I'm sure you all know, God is represented in Narnia by the great lion Aslan. We were listening to "The Magician's Nephew" the other day when something really stood out to me. At one point, 2 children are making a great journey for Aslan along with a horse (that speaks...I totally want a talking horse.) When they stop for the night, the children declare that they are hungry and wonder why Aslan didn't give them food. The horse inquires if they asked him for food. The young boy says "I should think that He would know our needs without us having to ask." The horse replies "It is true that he already knows our needs, but I've a sovereign idea that he likes to be asked."
How often do we use the "he already knows our needs" line as a substitution for actually bringing our requests before Him? Of course He already knows, but He still likes to be asked. He still wants us to talk to Him about it. This is definitely something that God is showing me in my life on a daily basis.
So as I've continued to pray that God would provide for my upcoming school semester, I continue to be astonished at His faithfulness. I don't know why that astonishes me...He is God. I guess I'm just a doubter...didn't know it until now. That knowledge is very humbling, as you can probibly imagine.
So after the $100 I received in my last post, that same lovely family gave me another $100 the next sunday. I was completely speechless. I didn't even know how to thank them, but they said that God is blessing them right now and they wanted to share that blessing with me as well. Wow Grace, keep praying!
Then I just received a letter in the mail from a young couple who are very near and dear to my heart and in it was $150. Every time I see God answering my prayer, tears fill my eyes as I see my faithlessness compared to God's unending faithfulness! He continues to provide, even when I doubt.
Then as the cherry on top, I found out today that I got a $2.00 raise. I was at the point where I was certain that God would bring all the money I would need for tuition, and then immediately began to worry about getting enough money to buy my books. I'm so ready to just take care of things myself instead of taking them to God. After almost an entire summer of self reliance and worry, I've seen the amazing blessings that God is just waiting to lavish on us if we would just ask Him. What a good God we serve!!
Thanks for your prayers and support! I love you guys so much!
How often do we use the "he already knows our needs" line as a substitution for actually bringing our requests before Him? Of course He already knows, but He still likes to be asked. He still wants us to talk to Him about it. This is definitely something that God is showing me in my life on a daily basis.
So as I've continued to pray that God would provide for my upcoming school semester, I continue to be astonished at His faithfulness. I don't know why that astonishes me...He is God. I guess I'm just a doubter...didn't know it until now. That knowledge is very humbling, as you can probibly imagine.
So after the $100 I received in my last post, that same lovely family gave me another $100 the next sunday. I was completely speechless. I didn't even know how to thank them, but they said that God is blessing them right now and they wanted to share that blessing with me as well. Wow Grace, keep praying!
Then I just received a letter in the mail from a young couple who are very near and dear to my heart and in it was $150. Every time I see God answering my prayer, tears fill my eyes as I see my faithlessness compared to God's unending faithfulness! He continues to provide, even when I doubt.
Then as the cherry on top, I found out today that I got a $2.00 raise. I was at the point where I was certain that God would bring all the money I would need for tuition, and then immediately began to worry about getting enough money to buy my books. I'm so ready to just take care of things myself instead of taking them to God. After almost an entire summer of self reliance and worry, I've seen the amazing blessings that God is just waiting to lavish on us if we would just ask Him. What a good God we serve!!
Thanks for your prayers and support! I love you guys so much!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Oh ME of little faith.....
Today in Sunday School, we were in the book of Genesis where Abraham sends his servant to go find a wife for Isaac. As the servant approached his destination, he prayed that God would give him specific signs in showing him the exact young lady that He wanted Isaac to marry. Instantly, he saw Rebekah. He spoke to her and God answered his prayers precisely down to the smallest detail. Wow! not only did God give a perfect answer, He delivered it instantly!
As we discussed the story, the teacher asked us how often God has answered our prayers right after we prayed. We all looked around, kinda laughed.....not too often, right? I sat there thinking "I'm sure it happens for some people! It's so neat to hear their stories! Not sure it'll ever happen to me..." I'm ashamed at my lack of faith and trust in the God of the universe!!
Before the class started, we went around the group taking prayer requests. I've been realizing over the last few days that even though I've been working hard, I'm probably going to come up short a few hundred dollars on my school tuition this next semester. I've been trying to think of ways to raise more money, work more hours...I HAVE TO DO SOMETHING!!! As kind of an afterthought, I mentioned my financial situation as a prayer request. I know now that my heart still wasn't believing in the provision of God. I went through the motions, but my heart still doubted. Then we had a wonderful class about a loving God who hears and answers prayers...instantly?
About 5 minutes after class, a lovely friend from church came up to me and pressed $100 into my hand. That's 25% of what I've calculated that I'll be in need of. This family that blessed me with this gift has been struggling financially themselves. We've been praying for a while now that God would provide work for them. Yet, they chose to look past that and give freely.
I'm ashamed to think that I doubted God's provision when I wouldn't even take the time to ask Him to provide. But I'm overwhelmed with gratitude to Him and to my lovely friends who have shown me such love and support, even before today. What a good God we serve!
As we discussed the story, the teacher asked us how often God has answered our prayers right after we prayed. We all looked around, kinda laughed.....not too often, right? I sat there thinking "I'm sure it happens for some people! It's so neat to hear their stories! Not sure it'll ever happen to me..." I'm ashamed at my lack of faith and trust in the God of the universe!!
Before the class started, we went around the group taking prayer requests. I've been realizing over the last few days that even though I've been working hard, I'm probably going to come up short a few hundred dollars on my school tuition this next semester. I've been trying to think of ways to raise more money, work more hours...I HAVE TO DO SOMETHING!!! As kind of an afterthought, I mentioned my financial situation as a prayer request. I know now that my heart still wasn't believing in the provision of God. I went through the motions, but my heart still doubted. Then we had a wonderful class about a loving God who hears and answers prayers...instantly?
About 5 minutes after class, a lovely friend from church came up to me and pressed $100 into my hand. That's 25% of what I've calculated that I'll be in need of. This family that blessed me with this gift has been struggling financially themselves. We've been praying for a while now that God would provide work for them. Yet, they chose to look past that and give freely.
I'm ashamed to think that I doubted God's provision when I wouldn't even take the time to ask Him to provide. But I'm overwhelmed with gratitude to Him and to my lovely friends who have shown me such love and support, even before today. What a good God we serve!
Monday, May 25, 2009
Let me introduce you to my dear friend Steve.
Steve is a student with me at NTBI in Jackson, MI. I am seriously blessed to have him as a friend! He is always an amazing encouragement to me and God has used him in so many ways to be a phenomenal blessing in my life and in the lives of so many other people that I know. I'm writing this post to ask you all to be in prayer for our brother in Christ as he heads of to serve at a camp in Allegan, MI this summer. This is a little bit of the email that he recently sent out describing his ministry and how we can pray for him.
"I will be a cabin leader for the summer over there. The camp part of Chicago Child Evangelism Fellowship and is focused on evangelizing kids (8-14 years old) that come out of low-income, urban type backrounds. This camp is going to stretch me in ways I've never been stretched. I am looking forward to the challeges ahead of me for this summer. I certainly can not do any of this on my own strength. I need to continue to be renewed by His word daily and find strength in Him. I also am in need of your prayers. I ask that you would please pray for me daily as I interact and share the gospel with these children and that I would allow Christs' life to be lived out through me and I would not seek my own desires. "
I know I can count on you guys to take part in Steve's ministry by continually lifting him up in prayer!
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Wedding Bells are ringing.....
Everyone and their grandma are getting married here at New Tribes Bridal Institute, so I decided to go on a hunt to find them all their perfect dresses. Here's what I came up with....plus a few other wedding-ish things. I rock.
CREAM PUFFS!
DENIM!! YEAH BABY!
FAIRY!!
THE LONGEST STINKIN' TRAIN IN THE UNIVERSE
PATRIOTIC! GOD BLESS AMERICA.
CREAM PUFFS!
DENIM!! YEAH BABY!
FLAMES!
FAIRY!!
THE LONGEST STINKIN' TRAIN IN THE UNIVERSE
PATRIOTIC! GOD BLESS AMERICA.
AND NOW I'D LIKE YOU TO CLICK ON THIS LINK TO THE WEBSITE "ETIQUETTE HELL" FOR A VIEWING OF THEIR UGLIEST BRIDESMAID DRESS CONTEST. IT ROCKED MY WORLD.
http://www.etiquettehell.com/content/eh_misc/misc/dressincinerator.shtml
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST.......THE MOST......INDESCRIBABLE WEDDING VIDEO EVER.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST.......THE MOST......INDESCRIBABLE WEDDING VIDEO EVER.
Monday, May 11, 2009
It's official....I'm in love.
This is my Owen! I think I'm gonna keep him forever. :) The greatest sound in the world is when he sees me down the hall and shouts my name. I just want to eat him up! ....in a good way. haha
Monday, May 4, 2009
So, It's been a while.....
I know I haven't been very good about updating this blog thingy, but as the semester comes to a close, each day gets more and more busy! Seriously, in the last month I've been to Grand Rapids once, Port Huron twice, took a road trip through Indiana and Illinois to Waukesha, Wisconsin, went to Ohio..............and still learning a TON as we continue to study the Word of God! We're tackling our first Pauline Epistle...1 Corinthians! It's truly truly amazing! I love getting spiritually beat to a bloody pulp on a daily basis. Feels great. No really....it does. I know that growth doesn't exist without pain, so I'm welcoming this daily spanking with open arms. As odd as it sounds, it's great to be reminded as often as possible of our great need for Christ, and in this, I'm also reminded of the gifts I receive from Him as well. A growing awareness of my struggle with sin makes me forever grateful for the knowledge that when God looks at me, He only see's the perfection of Jesus Christ. "Because a sinless Savior died my sinful soul is counted free, for God, The Just, is satisfied to look on Him and pardon me!" What a joy it is to rest in Christ!
This concept has been going around in my mind for the last few days and blowing me away...pretty much every 5 minutes. I read this story about the ministry of one of our missionaries Chad Mankins in Papua New Guinea and thought I'd share it with ya'll. It's amazing how God provides wonderfully creative ways to express the joys of Salvation and all that it entails to people from all cultures and languages all over the world!!!
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Grandmother Alowe giving testimony using bamboo joints and some dirty sticks.
Missionary Chad Mankins used bamboo and sticks to illustrate the concept of justification to the Tobo people of Papua New Guinea.
Chad is teaching through the book of Romans and since the Tobos do not have a word for justification in their language he demonstrated the meaning with two bamboo joints and some dirty sticks.
"At the end of chapter 3," Chad wrote, "we discussed the fact that our faith in Christ does not mean that we stop sinning and become perfect people in our daily lives on this earth. But it does mean that God says of us, or declares of us, that we are straight and righteous people now. …
"But the righteousness we have is that of our Lord Jesus Christ. When God sees us, He no longer sees our sinfulness, since Christ took care of the penalty for that when He died on the cross. Instead, He sees us as covered with the righteousness of His Son and our Savior."
Bamboo joints are hollow tubes with segments between the hollow spaces at top and bottom. Chad took two joints that were cut open at the top, and the bottoms were left on, so they formed two long cylinders like large cups that a small child could reach their arm into.
One bamboo joint was old, brown and caked with mud while the other was freshly cut and green. Chad had placed several dirty sticks in the dirty tube and pulled one out to show the believers what was inside. Then he took the dirty stick out of the dirty bamboo tube and put it into the clean one.
He asked, "Is the stick clean now?" The believers replied "No, the stick is still dirty."
Chad explained that the dirty sticks represented all people. Then he put some sticks into the clean joint, and left the rest in the dirty one.
As he explained the concept, the believers began to smile as understanding dawned. Christ's death made them clean and God sees their sin through the blood of Christ.
"We still sin even now, " declared one of the believers, "but God still took us out of Satan's joint and put us into Jesus' joint because of what He did for us!"
Pray for Chad as he explains righteousness and justification to the Tobos. Pray also that the Tobo believers will clearly understand their position in Christ.
What a good God we serve! Out of the 6,500 people groups in the world, there are still 2,500 that have never been reached with the Gospel. If only there were enough people willing to take the Word to them! Please please please pray for more laborors for the Harvest! I'm part of a small group of students, under the supervision of the school's President, who meets weekly specifically to pray for the laborors of the Harvest, those at work on the field now, those who are in training, and for more people to be burdened to carry the Gospel of Christ across the world. God is so wonderful! May we never cease to share His love and pray for those who are giving their lives in His service!
2 weeks left and I'm coming home!!! I can't wait to see everyone! Thanks for your calls, texts, emails, and letters! It's always so nice to know that I'm remembered back at home. I love you guys!
This concept has been going around in my mind for the last few days and blowing me away...pretty much every 5 minutes. I read this story about the ministry of one of our missionaries Chad Mankins in Papua New Guinea and thought I'd share it with ya'll. It's amazing how God provides wonderfully creative ways to express the joys of Salvation and all that it entails to people from all cultures and languages all over the world!!!
_img.jpg)
Grandmother Alowe giving testimony using bamboo joints and some dirty sticks.
Missionary Chad Mankins used bamboo and sticks to illustrate the concept of justification to the Tobo people of Papua New Guinea.
Chad is teaching through the book of Romans and since the Tobos do not have a word for justification in their language he demonstrated the meaning with two bamboo joints and some dirty sticks.
"At the end of chapter 3," Chad wrote, "we discussed the fact that our faith in Christ does not mean that we stop sinning and become perfect people in our daily lives on this earth. But it does mean that God says of us, or declares of us, that we are straight and righteous people now. …
"But the righteousness we have is that of our Lord Jesus Christ. When God sees us, He no longer sees our sinfulness, since Christ took care of the penalty for that when He died on the cross. Instead, He sees us as covered with the righteousness of His Son and our Savior."
Bamboo joints are hollow tubes with segments between the hollow spaces at top and bottom. Chad took two joints that were cut open at the top, and the bottoms were left on, so they formed two long cylinders like large cups that a small child could reach their arm into.
One bamboo joint was old, brown and caked with mud while the other was freshly cut and green. Chad had placed several dirty sticks in the dirty tube and pulled one out to show the believers what was inside. Then he took the dirty stick out of the dirty bamboo tube and put it into the clean one.
He asked, "Is the stick clean now?" The believers replied "No, the stick is still dirty."
Chad explained that the dirty sticks represented all people. Then he put some sticks into the clean joint, and left the rest in the dirty one.
As he explained the concept, the believers began to smile as understanding dawned. Christ's death made them clean and God sees their sin through the blood of Christ.
"We still sin even now, " declared one of the believers, "but God still took us out of Satan's joint and put us into Jesus' joint because of what He did for us!"
Pray for Chad as he explains righteousness and justification to the Tobos. Pray also that the Tobo believers will clearly understand their position in Christ.
What a good God we serve! Out of the 6,500 people groups in the world, there are still 2,500 that have never been reached with the Gospel. If only there were enough people willing to take the Word to them! Please please please pray for more laborors for the Harvest! I'm part of a small group of students, under the supervision of the school's President, who meets weekly specifically to pray for the laborors of the Harvest, those at work on the field now, those who are in training, and for more people to be burdened to carry the Gospel of Christ across the world. God is so wonderful! May we never cease to share His love and pray for those who are giving their lives in His service!
2 weeks left and I'm coming home!!! I can't wait to see everyone! Thanks for your calls, texts, emails, and letters! It's always so nice to know that I'm remembered back at home. I love you guys!
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