Everyday Blessings // 7

I have two more Saturdays to prove to you that I can actually post these blessing posts ON Saturday...
Please forgive me for missing the 10th.

I am thankful...

Day #4: ...for lots of blankets on my bed and a woodstove that we can build cozy fires in to keep us warm.  

Day #5: ...that the LORD allowed me to being my ministry, First Night of Freedom, and for all the doors He has opened up for it to grow.

Day #6: ...that know matter who is President, Jesus is - and always will be - The King.

Day #7: ...for the friends God has blessed me with.  The true friends who ask me if I need prayer...who stay up till 1 in the morning listening to me vent about my day...who text me all throughout the day and let me know that they're thinking of me. 

Day #8: ...for people who take me up on my offer to be a sister in Christ to them and to pray and encourage them if they need it.

Day #9: ...for little sisters who leave notes and give me massages.  And still enjoy snuggling for nap time.

Day #10: ...for being free and able to worship God in any and everything I'm doing, whether it's cleaning the house, tidying up my room, scrubbing a sink, folding laundry.  He is always with me.  And deserves me praise all the time.

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What are some things you were thankful for this week?

The Fight Against Injustice - What is Your Calling?

Each of us is called to fight for a certain cause.  To fight against a certain injustice.  

For some, that calling is to minister to the homeless...to fight for the lives of unborn humans...to shelter orphans...to raise awareness about AIDS...

For a while, I thought my calling was to support the Pregnancy Resource Center.  I tried raising funds for my local one - organized a concert, raised money at a dance I hosted, etc.  I did raise funds to help them out a little.  But I was always hitting roadblocks along the way.  The concert was basically a failure (under 100 people showed up).  The dance raised only about $100.  I felt as if I should just keep pushing forward, but didn’t know what else to try doing.  And let me tell you something, readers.  When the LORD is wanting you to focus on something other than what you’re aiming for, He WILL put up roadblocks in your road, until you realize that you’re on the wrong path.  Even if what you’re attempting to do is to glorify Him...if it’s not what He has planned for you, He will gently pull you back.

So after feeling stumped and depressed (like I couldn’t figure out what to use my talents for, how to glorify God through my abilities, WHAT exactly He wanted to make me a warrioress against), He tossed something across my path that led me to start fighting against one of the biggest injustices of this world.  Human trafficking.

I began my ministry, First Night of Freedom, in August of 2011.  (Read the whole story HERE)  Little by little, the LORD opened more and more doors for me to be able to further my ministry.  And most recently, I was able to become part of the Volviendo team.  It’s been an incredible journey.  And the LORD has taught me much about faith...trust...perseverance...passion...and desire to glorify Him through it all.  

Also...there’s nothing quite like the feeling of having the support of family and friends, and having people whom you don’t even know, stand behind you in your efforts.  It’s an incredible feeling when you receive a ‘thank you’ card from a rescue shelter across the ocean, letting you know that your package of items for the girls was received with joy and gladness.  These all prove as confirmations to me (and others) that this is, indeed, my calling in life at the moment.  And through it, I have been able to meet so many fellow fighters and together, with the LORD’s help, I know that we can make the odds lessen in our favor.  And He will bless our efforts to fight for the freedom of slaves.  

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What do you sense is YOUR calling from the LORD?  What has He placed in your lap that you feel an urging to fight against?  I would encourage you to pray about it.  Talk to your parents, close friends, maybe even your pastor.  Explore ideas of what you’re best at and how your talents can help in serving a certain kind of ministry.  May God bless your endeavors!

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'The King will answer and say to them 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me'.'

- Matthew 25:40

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Fully Satisfied in the LORD

I know I refer to myself as 'one of the most romantic girls you'll ever meet' (and that hasn’t really changed at all) but the LORD has been revealing Himself to me in new ways.  Ways I didn’t know existed.  I’ve been falling in love with my Jesus and growing in my relationship SO much with Him.  I’m at a point where I am awestruck by the wonders that I’m constantly discovering about Him.  I didn’t know a love like this could exist between me (a sin-filled creature) and God (the Creator of the Universe).

The LORD has brought me through many trials this past year.  Many of them were lessons which, in the end, showed me how I had not been focusing on God at all.  How He had taken a back-seat in my mind.  That I had placed other things  as my focus, instead of keeping Him the center of my life.  Many of these lessons I learned the hard way.  Very hard.  They were very painful to experience.  It took a lot of healing (which I am still going through).  But in the end, I came out a victorious daughter of the King.  And looking back now...I wouldn’t trade all that pain for anything in the world if it meant that I would be as close to my God as I am now.

One of the main and biggest things I learned is how I had been prioritizing my dream to be a wife and mother, above my calling to serve my Creator.  It was a very humbling process when I realized, and had to admit to myself, that my sweet, romantic dream of marrying the ‘perfect man’ and having lots of little ones, wasn’t what should be at the forefront of my mind.

The LORD convicted me in this and struck a chord deep in me.  My ultimate goal right now, as a single young lady, should be to please and honor my heavenly Husband.  My dream in life should be to work towards being all that I can be for my King.

Since coming to this realization, I confessed my sin (of not keeping my Jesus first in my life) and committed myself to striving towards being a better daughter to Him, a better woman for His glory.  And let me tell you...I have never felt so satisfied, so in love, so at peace with my LORD and Savior.  I never thought I’d be saying this, but...if God chose for me not to get married and serve Him as a wife and mother under my husband’s authority, I would be perfectly content being single and doing everything I could to further His kingdom as an unmarried woman.  That’s not to say that I don’t want to get married anymore.  Far from it!  But I am waiting on Him more fully, more completely (and yes, I am still very romantic;).

Let me close with this verse from 1 Corinthians...

'The woman who is unmarried, and a virgin, is concerned about the things of the LORD, that she may be holy both in body and spirit...'

Dear single sisters, take heart in knowing that all you need, you already have. A man won't make your life any better. Be content with being fully satisfied in the LORD. He is the only One Who can fulfill all your desires. Your single years is the opportunity for you to focus on Him and advance His kingdom in ways you won't be able to if you (LORD-willing) marry one day. Take advantage of the time you have now to 'concern [yourself] about the things of the LORD.  And also, even though this may be hard to imagine, once you DO get married, the person you marry can not ever be that perfect person you always dreamed of.  Only Christ can be the unchanging, perfect Husband.  Learn to cherish Christ NOW, so that when your future husband disappoints you, you can know how to love him through your relationship with Christ which has been founded solidly through your single years, and in turn, you will grow in your marital relationship together - with Christ at the center!

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'Delight yourself in the LORD and He shall give you the desires of your heart.'

- Psalm 37:4

Everyday Blessings // 6

I can't believe it's November already.  In some ways, I'm sad that 2012 has passed so quickly.  And then another part of me can't wait till the New Year.  God has taught me so, so much this year that I can't seem to wait to start afresh and start a new year with all the lessons that I learned spurring me on to walking a better life for Him.

A lot of people I know have been doing a day-to-day thing (which began on the 1st), posting 'what I'm thankful for' each day of the month.  I thought I'd just consolidate my thankful list into my Everyday Blessings post...and I promise, I will post these every Saturday of this month.  I know I've been absolutely horrid at keeping up with y'all, but life has been excruciatingly busy.  And yes - before you ask;) - I will be updating y'all on it.  Keep an eye out for a post either Monday or Tuesday!;)

So here are the things I am thankful for...

Day #1: ...a family who loves me.  Who is always beside me in my journeys and adventures.  My greatest team of supporters.  And I sometimes wish we could always stay together forever.

Day #2: ...cold mornings outside, but warm on the inside.  A home.  A place where God dwells in, with my family and me.

Day #3: ...music.  It's such a part of my life.  I would be blind any day instead of being deaf.

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What are three things that you are thankful for??