Friday, December 28, 2012

My "end of the year" post

This year has completely flown by. When the year began I had just started a new job and was a little skeptical of this "career" path The Lord had placed me on. I survived my first tax season and settled into a summer of busyness.

Summer flew by and I somehow ended up in a country that if you had told me back in January I was going to visit I would have laughed at you.

Now here am at the end of the year and all can think about it returning to that beautiful country full of amazing people who yearn to know God more.

I have no clue what this year will bring. The older I get the more I realize that what I think will happen most likely will not. After all I am not in the driver seat and I can't tell you how happy I am about that.

I do know that as of today I am planning a trip back to Africa.... Hopefully this time for several months and to a couple of different countries. The Lord may never have me move there but let me tell you that it is what I want to do and if He does call I will be ready.

The teens that I am working with at my church want to go and I will do whatever It takes to get them there. I cant begin to describe to you just how much a trip to this country will change you, it shows you a side of our Father that you can't possibly see here in America. We have several HUGE fundraisers in the works and I have no clue how they will happen as tax season is about to descend upon me and I will have no time but I do know that this is what I am supposed to be doing so somehow The Lord will give me the strength and the people to make it l happen.

I am amazed at what The Lord has done to my heart in the last few months. I am also amazed at how quickly He can change the desires of my heart. As I look over the path my life has taken in the last few years I can so see the Masters hand in every bit of it. The turns I took that at the time made no sense make sense now, or at least of few of them do:) what an awesome example and reminder that The Lord truly does work for good the plans of those that love Him.

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Broken to make us whole

Brokenness... not really something that anyone can honesty say that the enjoy.

I usually love this time of the year, but honestly this year its been hard.

My heart is broken... broken because of the things that I have seen, broken because of the lessons that I have learned.

He broke me on that short trip I recently took to a country far, far away. He broke me when I came home and He broke me last week while driving home and He keeps on chipping away.

He pokes and prods at my heart and refuses to let my heart forget what my eyes have seen.

I gather with believers and sing beautiful words and break the bread in humble thanksgiving to the One who does the the breaking of hearts.

I struggle with the brokenness but as I sing and as I break the bread how can I run from this?

He came knowing that in the end He would be broken..... a humble little baby entered this world for one purpose..... to be broken.... to be broken so that we may be whole.

Without the breaking... without the blood..... there is no need for a manger.

 And oh how thankful I am for the manger. For the little baby born so that He might grow up strong to die broken on a bloody cross so that I could be made whole.