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| I am very excited about this new series that we will be going through. I think it is important that we as Christ followers see ourselves as just that, the idea that we are to follow Christ is so different than having Him follow on my endeavors. I pray we all learn more about our passions and see them as gifts from God!
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There’s nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people wont feel insecure around you. We are born to make manifest the Glory of God that is within us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
-Marianne Williamson | | |
| stuff in my head over the last month or so.................
Some weeks ago I was in Nashville for the Youth Specialties conference. It was overwhelming........I was saddened by the sub-culture that we have created and how much money was spent on it.....but God is good and he can use all of us.....even those who spend thousands of dollars on a conference booth. While there I was able to sit in on a small think tank (4 of us) it was led by the gentleman who wrote the curriculum for IJM’s justice lessons. The reason for the discussion was to figure out how to get youth workers more informed and involved with justice issues so that they could pass it on to their students. The groups seeking this information were IJM, World Vision, and Compassion International......the three are trying to work closer together for the sake of justice! It was very informative and gave me a lot of hope!
A few days after I got back I left for Ensenada........this was a great trip. First off...the Holy Spirit is fresh! I do not know how else to describe it....but the spirit of the Lord rested on us like a cloud....spirit stuff is crazy but cool!!!!
So then I got the opportunity to go into the men’s prison, where I was able to discover far more than I wanted to know about the city of Ensenada. I think it helped that I have my own extensive drug past...and this gave me some sort of credibility (praise God)...but the inmates shared with me some horrors about their city. Children are starting to use meth at the age of 12 (PS...I watched a documentary that said only 12% OF PEOPLE WHO TRY METH WILL EVER KICK IT FOR LIFE (AND I AM ONE OF THEM!)...anyways.....kids all over Ensenada are getting ensnared in this lifestyle, which leads to even more horrific stories. While in this prison I was told about sex trafficking in the city........young girls are snatched up and whored out to tourists (Americans mostly) and other more affluent locals. One of our teams that was in the city working also came across some similar information and even captured some stuff on video....I will be talking with her tomorrow ( I hope!) WOW.....what the hell is happening? Anyways...I ask for your prayers for the city of Ensenada, for the girls facing these horrors and for the people to rise up in outrage against such atrocities. I am praying that the Lord will use me in some way to bring freedom to those involved!
Another crazy situation was at a place called the Gabriel House. This is a place where unwanted children are taken care of, mostly kids with disabilities. When I walked down the hall a little girl looked up at me and held out here hand for me to grab...she then told me to go with her to the living room, where she asked me to pick her up. Her name was Carla and she was only 2 or 3 years old...she was possibly the prettiest little girl I had ever seen. I could not understand how anyone would abandon her and I could not see any visible disability with her. When I inquired about her situation I found out the Carla had AIDS. I could not understand how this beautiful child of the Lord that I was holding was going to die soon! I wanted so badly to bring her home with me. Please pray for Carla and all the children at the Gabriel House and for the people working with them!
You guys.....I don’t know how much longer I can find out about this stuff and go on with my normal consumer driven life. I want so badly to be His hands of love and mercy....but I am so frickin scared of what that means. I do not want to put my wife in a situation that she may regret me for, and of course I do want to expose her to any kind of danger.....but the Lord asks us to do His work here on earth.....and He told us to speak bold in the name of Jesus!
Please pray for Denise and I as we sort out what the heck is going on...and where and how the Lord wants to use the two of us!!!!!
I pray that all of you are growing more and more uncomfortable with the things that we are learning, that the Spirit of the Lord is stirring something big inside you as well! | | |
| I love my church
I love my community
thank you Lord for the gift of freedom........
I had a wonderful time today watching the narnia film with all my friends from Mosaic. I caught myself wishing for such a tangible battle. I want to be a hero for Christ! I only want to meet my heavenly father! | | |
| Well here I am....another soul spilling his/her guts out into the wonderful world of 1's and 0's. Don't expect much.........at least don't expect to see daily peaks into my brain......that's not me.....but I do anticipate weakly leakage!
A CHUNK O' BOOK I AM READING--------The Good News About Injustice
"If you think about it, two truths apply to everything that God wants accomplished on earth: (1) he could accomplish it on his own through supernatural power; but instead, (2) he chooses for the most part to limit himself to accomplishing that which he can acheive through the obedience of his people."
So we are to be his hands of love and mercy? Wow what a resonsibility......what a gift! Today I will remember that I have no ownership of my life, that my desire to live for me does not come from my perfect Lord but from that which loves death, I will remember to love ALL and bring life to all who cross my path! (easier said than done!) (if you pray for me I will pray for you........lol) | | |
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