Thursday, April 26, 2012

the body of Jesus

i feel as though i am a observer... watching Him move through hundreds of obedient souls showing His great love to precious women in India, to the nations, and to my sister.

Holly has been receiving so many encouraging letters, surprising gifts, and yummy meals. I know of over 50 people that I believe are genuinely praying for her and her family daily. It is like watching Him at work... putting His thoughts in one persons heart to do a meal, on another's heart to send a gift card..another's heart an encouraging letter..... all of the people being obedient to God and Him working through them to show her and her family HIS great love and hope! IT is just beautiful.

This India Sewing Training has been the same way... from before the team even went i watched as hundreds of people obeyed their heavenly Daddy and gave finically, helped put together gifts and training materials....gave of their time and talents... so many people involved in so many different ways... and hearing the daily testimonies about the people who went and trained the ladies ....seeing GOD work HIS will as only He can.  It is beautiful!!!!

Like a tapestry, like a dancing body... all the parts being used to produce something spectacular... and all though the dance isn't complete...nor the tapestry finished.... i know He is the one making it and i know it will be beyond anything we can imagine. For the nations knowing His great love and for Holly's life.

Pics from this past trip to India: 


Ladies from second week of sewing training! What a joy!


Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Purging

the opposite of hoarding.... and a freeing activity that can change the world.

Every year I ask myself the question.."what can i live without so that someone else can live?" Which results in the answer...pretty much everything....I know i am not seeing stuff as God sees stuff yet but this helps me to let go of some more material stuff that doesn't matter... it is so freeing!!!

Where does all the stuff go? We give all the clothes to TUGA (a local clothes give away) and the rest of the loot goes to Proceeds for Poverty. Last year i had a goal and we built a water well in India...helping bring hope to over 4,000 people.

This year i just want to simplify, let go, and change lives while i am doing it. Even a $1 worth of stuff can feed and care for an orphaned child for a day. $200 can give a family a buisness that will feed and care for them for lifetime.

My sister is doing it to... it is like therapy for us... i ended up with a her retro DC TALK cd... which i think i last heard on cassette...so all day yesterday i pumped up the jam in my mini van.. and rocked out... surprisingly i remembered every word....


not to sure about the theology on this one but.. check out that hair... they were soo cool. 


Take a day, rock out to some ol' DCtalk, and change lives with me... go through your stuff and donate it to Proceeds for Poverty where 100% of the money made from it goes to help people living in utter poverty around the world. They will even come and pick up your old furniture/etc... just call 765-4300.

Matthew 6:19-20
Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal.  Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.

Saturday, April 14, 2012

little girl

all my life i have felt like a little girl... like i am playing "mommy" or "grown up" but deep down i know i am just a child... i don't know what makes the difference between a woman and a little girl. When i am at my sisters house i really feel that way... like we are playing together ....even though we are posing as grown ups... deep down we are still just little girls...we giggle....we share secrets... we share deep thoughts... real passions... things only sisters share...we play...it is an innocence my sister and i grew up with....though we have had some trials.. we have mostly been unscathed by the pain and heartache that "grown ups" have.


As i told my sister the other day, I have this weird feeling that i am about to grow up.

I am not ready... I don't really want to yet...

hardest moment this week: looking through Puddle's organized little box of keepsakes from Toot's travels.

God give my sister many many many many more years!!! Please beg Him for a miracle with me...please stand with me. They need her and I want her.



Wednesday, April 11, 2012

mustard seed faith

i was watching the Mary Magdalene Jesus Film movie with some friends this past weekend. The part where Jesus talked about the faith of a mustard seed moving mountains/trees stood out to me.


Luke 17:1-6 Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come.  It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble.  So watch yourselves. “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them.   Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.


...i have read that many times before and thought i must have pretty pathetic faith because i can't even move a piece of grass sometimes with my faith... but this time it hit me differently. Jesus was saying that though we have weak, small, or minuscule faith... He is big and He can take our mustard seed size faith and move mountains with it. That HE is the big part of the equation not our faith... we just say we believe and help our unbelief and He does His big thing.

i can't describe the war that is going on with my understanding of scripture, of promises, of faith in my heart right now... i know it is being tested. Pray that i may understand what HE wants from me and walk in it without wavering.

Holly is feel good overall ....considering. More treatments to come next week. Please continue to pray for a miracle! He hears our mustard seed faith prayers!

Also for all of you who are wondering...the India Trip is going forward as we speak.... it is so neat to see all God is doing through and in the team... i am talking with Jonathan daily and thanks to face time i have seen the progress.. for more pictures and info about the trip go to facebook and "like" the Global Partners in Peace and Development page.