They LOOOOOVE Me!!!

FEASTING... (Warning: Gross Photos Ahead)
Have you heard that expression "new blood" used about someone new?  Like, someone might say about a new co-worker, "It's good to have some new blood around here."  Well, apparently I am the new blood in Oaxaca & the bugs appear to be feasting on me! 

I don't know if they're all mosquito bites, or if some are spider bites?  I don't even know WHEN they're biting me, as I usually don't feel msyelf getting bitten.  Maybe they're biting me in my sleep?  Yesterday, I woke up with more than 25 bites on my upper thigh!  
On Sunday, a friend slapped a mosquito off of me & showed me the dead bug & smear of blood on her hand saying, "That's your blood he just took." 

Today, at school, when....uh-hum...flushing...I noticed a sign on the wall that said something to the effect of, "Please close lid when leaving, to keep the mosquitos away."  Guess what, there WAS NO LID! 

To try to combat the mosquitos, we have 2 fans constantly turned on in our little classroom... 

It's times like these that make me wonder why those pesky little guys were created anyway!  They appear to have no purpose, right?  It also makes my brain wander to questions like ~ Do you think there were mosquitos in the Garden of Eden?  Well, at least we know for sure they won't be in Heaven & can look forward to that!!!  :) 

In the grand scheme of things ~ I realize there are DEFINITELY worse things that could be happening! 
So, I am in NO WAY complaining here about pesky mosquitos!  Hold on a minute...ITCH...ITCH...I just gotta try to reach one on the back of my arm...ITCH...ITCH...  Ok, I'm fine now, for another 30 seconds!   
No, seriously, not complaining ~ I'm just sharing what I look like after a week in Oaxaca. 

Praise Report & Prayer Request

NEWS from my first 2 days & 2 nights here in Oaxaca, Mexico
I come from the northeast suburbs of Philadelphia, where we are only 15 feet above sea level. But, Oaxaca, Mexico is a mile in the sky at 5,000-something feet elevation!
When I came to Oaxaca, this past Spring, I had symptoms of altitude sickness that lasted about 4 days. I was light-headed, nauseous, had bad headaches, was really thirsty, & felt overly tired. Those things were yucky & took several days to get over!
But, the worst things in my first few days in Oaxaca were my swollen hands & swollen feet! They were uncomfortable, unattractive, painful, & a bit scary…

So, since I found out I was returning to Oaxaca, it’s been one of the things on my prayer list ~ that God would spare me from experiencing altitude sickness & the swollen hands/feet this time. Well, I have been here 2 days & 2 nights now & I am SO HAPPY to report that I haven’t had any of those symptoms of altitude sickness! Praise God!

PRAYER REQUEST = Mary Ellen (friend, art teacher at OCS, & parent to one of my students) & others are helping me find a place to rent. Yesterday, we looked at 5 different housing possibilities, 2 in Oaxaca & 3 in Mitla. There are “Pros & Cons” for each place & SO MUCH to consider (like the distance from school, walking vs. public transportation vs. carpool, the distance to a grocery store, choosing to live totally alone or in a neighborhood where other missionaries already live, etc…) We’re waiting to hear back from a few other places, to make appointments to see them.

Meanwhile, this “living out of suitcases” thing has been quite interesting ~ it took me 35 minutes on my first morning here just to find what I needed to be able to get dressed & get my teeth brushed. Then, today I spent about 20 minutes just looking for my vitamins, my pens, my journal, & socks.

I am planning to begin at the school on Monday, so I’m really itching to find a place to settle into! Please pray for guidance, wisdom, & God’s provision for me, as I choose a place to live for this school year.

One Home to Another…

Favor in Leaving Levittown, Pennsylvania & Flying to Oaxaca, Mexico

Because of the events of my life in the past 2 days, I was looking up verses this afternoon about God’s favor. This one in particular, I think really applies to my current situation.
     “On Him we have set our hope that He will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.”
     2 Corinthians 1:10b & 11

In June, I was invited back to Oaxaca, Mexico to help teach the children of missionaries. The ONLY way I was going to be able to accept that invitation, was IF God raised up a team of His people that would support me. It was going to take a miracle, to accomplish that goal in such a short period of time. I spent much of my summer prayerfully building a Prayer Support Team & a Financial Support Team. But, God was faithful & His people were obedient in listening to His still, small voice telling them to get involved.

I’m so grateful for these precious brothers & sisters in Christ, who have chosen to stand up & get involved in my ministry.  So, I believe that now, just as that verse says, I am being granted God’s gracious favor, in answer to the prayers of many!

Here are just a couple of examples of God’s favor from Wednesday, the day I left Levittown & flew to Oaxaca, Mexico:
1. When I was packing last minute things the night before, God planted the idea in my brain to put an empty backpack in my carry-on luggage. In the morning, my parents drove me to the Philadelphia international airport. When the ticket agent weighed my suitcases, 2 were overweight. FORTUNATELY, I had that empty backpack!! So, my mom filled my backpack with 10 pounds of clothes. Then, they re-weighed all 4 suitcases & every single one said exactly 50.5 pounds! Anyone who remembers learning about decimal points knows you’re supposed to round up…but, they accepted them!

2. Before I got to the TSA security screening line, I bent down to untie my sneaks. A security agent came up to me & said, “Let me just stop you right there, hon. You’re allowed 2 carry-ons & you’ve got 4.” I straighted up & calmly said, “The lady who checked me in downstairs said for me to tell you that I bought 2 tickets.” She looked at them, nodded, & walked with me up to the security line. She got the attention of the agent there & said, “This young lady is fine with all her luggage, I checked her paperwork.” I stood in line, marveling at what God had just done! You see, the ladies at the ticket counter had read to me from their computer screen the official policy, that even when a person buys 2 tickets, their carry on allowance does not double. They told me that IF I could get through security, that I’d be fine. They said, “Just show them your 2 tickets and see what they do.”

3. Before boarding the plane in Philadelphia, there was an announcement that I’ve heard before when flying. They said that it was a full plane today & they were looking for people who would “gate check” their larger carry-ons. I considered it, because I knew it would be challenging for me to lift my 40 pound bag into the overhead compartment, while holding my other 3 bags. BUT, I didn’t want to pay another $30 to check another bag or maybe even the $150 fee for checking a 3rd bag on a ticket. Here, it turns out that there is no fee for checking bags at the gate! So, I had them check mine. What a blessing it was ~ #1 = I didn’t have to pay & #2 = I also didn’t have to carry that bag through the Houston airport, as here they checked it all the way through to Oaxaca!

4. On my 2nd flight (the one from Houston to Oaxaca) I was concerned & confused for quite awhile about the immigration form & the customs declaration form. I kept reading the forms, looking at my Mexican FM3, looking at my US Passport, & asking the flight attendant questions that she didn’t know the answers to! Finally, I got up the nerve to walk several rows up & introduce myself to a couple that I thought MIGHT be the missionaries I was told would be on the same flight as me. It WAS them & although they weren’t sure of the right answers for me to put on the form either, they were very friendly & helpful & it put me at peace, just chatting with them!

5. When I walked up to the Spanish-speaking immigration agent at the Oaxaca airport, I stumbled over saying “Buenos noches”, smiled, & handed him my documents. For several minutes, he looked at his computer screen & typed things & looked back at my documents…I just stood there, praying. Finally, he handed me back my stamped documents! I got through!

6. It took me a few minutes to gather all my luggage & put it in front of the conveyor belt to be screened at Customs. The Customs agent helped me to load it onto the belt. Then, he had me push the button & it turned green! (IF it turns red, you need to have your luggage hand-checked.) So, I made it through Customs too!

So, to my Prayer Support Team = THANK YOU!!  There were so many things that could have possibly gone wrong during that long day of travel.  But, the prayers of many resulted in God’s favor being poured out on me, all day long! 

Please, keep praying!
“…the prayer of a godly person is powerful. It makes things happen.” James 5:16b

I'm Leavin' On A Jet Plane...

"You're Still Here?" and "Oh, what are you still doing here?" are questions I've heard a dozen times this month!

Yes, it's true...I am still here in Pennsylvania ~ NOT YET in Oaxaca, Mexico!!!  My original date for departure was August 21st.  But, the first week of August, I was told that I was being delayed to go to Mexico because I didn't have enough monthly support raised. 

It was a big disappointment to read that news ~ but, I tearfully & prayerfully wrote an email to all of my friends & family to ask for their prayers about specifically this.  Here is a quote from that email:  
"I believe that His plans are perfect, I believe that His timing is perfect, & I believe that He WILL make a way for me! Please, pray for the emotions of my heart to catch up with what I know to be true!"

At the time I wrote that email, my financial support was at 80% of the monthly faith promises needed & 43% of the one-time gifts needed.

God heard my prayers & the prayers of my brothers & sisters in Christ...and He answered, "YES!"  Just a week later, by August 11th, I had 100% of the monthly promises needed & had permission to book a flight for early September!!!  
   
I was going to buy a ticket for 2nd week of September.  But, I found a ticket $180 cheaper for the following week.  So, now, my flight is scheduled for September 15th.  


I sent out an email announcement.  I announced it several times on Facebook.  I'm telling everyone I know.  BUT ~ people are surprised that I'm still here. 
So, will you do me a favor?  Spread the word!  :) 
I'm Leavin' On A Jet Plane...Wednesday, September 15th! 

I'll leave the house at about 9:30am & get on an airplane just like this one, leaving Philadelphia at 12:29pm (EST) & arriving in Houston at 4:00 (EST).

Then, I'll get on a much smaller airplane, that looks just like this one at 7:15 (EST) & get into Oaxaca at 9:43 (EST).

**  (Would you please cover that whole day of travel in prayer for me?)  **     
 

God IS Moving!!

It's A God-Thing!!!
I got back home on June 5th from 7 weeks volunteering in Oaxaca, Mexico.  In the 12 weeks since then, I have been moving closer & closer towards returning to Oaxaca to teach the children of missionaries for 10 months.
During this process, it has been SO clear to me (& others) that God IS Moving!!!  Sometimes, there is NO OTHER explanation for something other than "It's A God-Thing!" 

There have been many times that I've been updating someone about how the planning for this trip is going & I've ended up saying, "All I can say is ~ It's A God-Thing!"

*  For example ~ I was told that raising enough financial support to cover the expenses of a 10-month mission trip to Mexico could take about a year.  I was also told that it was a REALLY aggressive goal to raise that amount of support during just the 10 weeks of summer!  But, GOD IS MOVING folks!  As of August 11, I had 100% of my monthly support raised to cover the ministry expenses of my trip!!!  I still need some one-time gifts to come in, but I'm not worried, because I know that what has already been accomplished is A God Thing!!!  

*  For example ~ I was overwhelmed & putting off making some big financial decisions about my cell phone, my health insurance, & my car insurance...(I needed to decide whether to drop them or keep them, since I was going to be away for 10 months!)  There were so MANY concerns I had, questions I needed answered, & things that could possibly go wrong when I called these places.  BUT, God IS MOVING folks!  This past week, all 3 of these issues were figured out!  I walked in God's favor with every customer service person I spoke with & ended up getting deals that were even better than what I had hoped for!  It was most definitely A God Thing!!!

So...how about you? 
*  Can you look at your life & see that God Is Moving? 
*  Are there situations that you look at & realize It's A God Thing? 
If so ~ tell someone about it!  Encourage someone by testifying of God's goodnes!  (feel free to post your comments here!)  :)      

Emails & Phone Calls & Paperwork Galore...OH MY!!!

This Summer, I've Received Over 200 Emails About This Upcoming Trip!!!
You probably think I'm exaggerating ~ but, NO, it's TRUE! 

Just this Summer, I have received more than 200 emails from my contacts at the mission organization & at Oaxaca Christian School!  I took the time to reply to most...
*  I am SO grateful to have a working laptop & wireless internet access, to be able to receive & respond to those emails!

I also have made & received dozens of phone calls to my contacts at these places...
*  I am SO grateful to have a working & dependable cell phone, to be able to get those important phone calls, no matter where I am!

And, WITH the emails came dozens of attached forms that I needed to carefully read, fill out, & return...
*  I am SO grateful that I was able to use my family's printers & fax machines to help with this!

I had no idea that being a short-term, volunteer missionary could be so complicated!!! 

*  If it was up to ME, I'd just buy the ticket & hop on the plane...BUT ~ I certainly don't know what's best! 

*  I trust the people in the organizations that I'm working with & know that they have my best interest in mind.  

*  I believe that even in midst of the tedious paperwork, God has been leading me & guiding me & preparing me for this coming school year!

The "Emails, Phone Calls, & Paperwork Galore" WILL continue throughout my entire trip ~ demanding me to spend hours a week on the computer. 

So, PLEASE PRAY for me to manage my time well, for clarity of thought, for my laptop to continue working well, & for clear communication!   

Creating A Facebook Group:

I Spent The Whole Day, July 29th, Prayerfully Creating a Facebook Group called Joining Jenn's Journey! 
Currently, that group has 68 members, who I am able to message all at once with updates!  

Being able to share news with everyone at once really simplifies things for me!  But, of course, you need to be ON Facebook join that group & get those updates! 

The Joining Jenn’s Journey group is for anyone thinking about supporting my ministry through Prayer Support, through Spreading the News, or through Financial Support.   

This group will provide a place for me to connect with people; so that I can share updates, praise reports, & prayer requests.
Also, the group members can post words of encouragement, prayer requests, or questions there for discussion.  

It also has a link to this blog.  :)  

I am excited to see the group growing, encouraged by the comments people post, & uplifted by the prayers of my brothers & sisters in Christ! 
IT IS SO AMAZING TO SEE HOW GOD IS WORKING THROUGH THIS FACEBOOK GROUP!!!!!!!!!!!

My Prayer Card:

I Created This Prayer Card (using Flickr), Had 80 Printed, & Handed Them Out to Friends & Family in July...

An Official Letter About Me:

This beautifully written letter, about me, was mailed out in mid-July...
This was mailed out directly from the mission organization to my list of 65 family & friends.  It explains (from the mission organization's view) my ministry at OCS this past spring & my new opportunity to return for this school year.  Just let me know if you'd like a copy emailed to you!

 

Will God Miraculously Provide?

This is the Letter I Sent Out to Family & Friends in Early July...
God had clearly opened the door for me to return to Oaxaca Christian School.  So, in obedience, I tentatively planned on returning to Mexico for this school year.  But, I knew I could ONLY do this if God would miraculously provide for me a team of prayer & financial supporters.  THIS is the letter that I sent out to family & friends, letting them know about this new opportunity & giving them the opportunity to join my team. 

My Trip Summary Letter

I Sent This Letter (about my Spring Trip) to My Partnership Team in Early June:
(You can click on each of the 3 pages to make them larger, so you can read them.  Or, you can right-click & then click "Save Picture As" to save the picture file & enlarge it.)

The Princess Party with Sisters In Christ!

I was Honored to Attend The Princess Warriors' Retreat, April 30 - May 2, in Beautiful Oaxaca, Mexico

I was blessed beyond words by this retreat! 

IF you are looking at this post, I strongly encourage you to read the 4 or 5 posts below this as well. 

Included in those posts are the notes I wrote in my journal as the speakers ministered to us through the Word of God & shared their life experiences. 

Those posts include an explanation of what it means to be a Princess Warrior. 

Also included in those posts are stories about my experiences during that weekend and pictures of the beautiful scenery of Oaxaca, Mexico!  

So, go ahead ~ take 10 minutes & read on!  :) 

The decorating of our meeting room was VERY secretive!  The Retreat Committee wouldn't let us upstairs at all until they "said so!"  Boy, oh boy, what a surprise the transformation was!  The tables were so beautifully decorated!  There were these hand-made shields & swords all over!   There were hand-made princess crowns for each of us!

 

 They had created enough SCRUMPTIOUS tiramisu for each of us to have a gigantic piece! (I think it was Sandy who made it?) WOW, that was amazing = rich, dense, goodness!

 These pretty bags were lit with candles & lined the pathway...

Donna used her photography skills to take this picture of the group, at the end of the night.  BUT, she is not in it...  :(

Ok, yes, I'll admit it ~ I FELT LIKE A PRINCESS!  :)

 

Notable Quotes from the “Contemplative Prayer” Session

Saturday, May 1, 2010 ~ at the Ladies’ Retreat
* Habakkuk 2:20 ~ “The LORD is in his holy Temple. Let all the earth be silent before Him.”

* Contemplative Prayer means Listening Prayer (or Meditative Prayer) ~ it’s not just a prayer of thanks or a prayer of asking God for help with our requests…
* Contemplative Prayer is where we actually spend time allowing God to speak to our hearts through prayer & His Word.
* Meditation follows hearing (or reading) the Word. Meditation leads to prayer. To pray without meditation is not allowing God to speak to us.

* Life is not going to stop to give us time to pray. We need to stop life for prayer!
* It is a CHOICE and I am in charge of finding a time and a place to be still before God!
* We need to make it a regular routine. Others around us need to know not to disturb us during this time. (This would be family, if you’re praying at home, or co-workers if you are praying on a break at work…)

* Isaiah 32:18 ~ “My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, they will enjoy peace & quiet in undisturbed places of rest.” (mix of NIV & NIrV)

* Matthew 17:5 ~ But even as he spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to Him.”

* I need to enter into His presence, close my mouth, & just allow Him to speak…
* Intimacy through silence brings revelation and revelation brings changes in our lives.
* It is really difficult for us to just sit & be silent! Silence leaves us vulnerable.  But, when we allow ourselves to be vulnerable, before our Loving Creator, He will show us areas that need change & He'll affirm what we're doing right...  It's worth the risk of being vulnerable to develop that intimacy!

* IF you are stuck ~ sometimes the best place to start is with what you’re struggling with! (Forgiveness? Contentment? Gratefulness? God’s Provision?) Just look up verses on the topic you’re dealing with. Read a verse or two or three…then, think about those verses. Ask God what He wants you to learn from those verses. Ask specifically. He IS the author of the Book, after all!

* Question to reflect on ~ “How would I pray differently if God was sitting across a table from me?” Do my prayers sound like a conversation ~ or they all one sided?
* Question to reflect on ~ “How would I respond to His Word differently if God was standing in my kitchen?” Would I be so quick to close the Bible after reading it? Or, would I ask the author questions about what I just read? Would I ask Him how to apply it to situations in my life?

* God doesn’t want perfection! He does not ask me to be perfect! He just wants us to walk faithfully, to have a growing spiritual walk, to reflect His love to others! Contemplative Prayer is a tool that enables us to do this!

Notable Quotes from “The Elephant In The Room” Session

Saturday, May 1, 2010 ~ at the Ladies’ Retreat
The session called "The Elephant In The Room" was about getting us to honestly look at our lives, to recognize the strongholds in our lives, & to choose to put God first to eliminate the strongholds that rule our lives.

* “Strongholds” are:
     ...anything that exalts itself in our minds
     ...anything that we allow to be bigger and more powerful than our God.
     ...the idols of my heart.
* If something is an idol in my life, that means I have put it above God in my life.
* If something is an idol in my life, that means I have given it more importance than it deserves!

* I know it is a stronghold when it is demanded in my life.
     For example: I must be shown respect!
     For example: Saul’s ambition against David
     For example: Annanias & Sappharia wanted to look good in the Christian community

* We can identify idols in our lives by examining these statements:
     “I would be completely happy if only….”
     “I don’t care how ________ feels about it, I will….”
     “Please, don’t ask me to give up my __________.”
     “You need to give me _(respect, etc…)_______ or I’ll be upset with you (or become angry with you, or act cold towards you).
     “If only ____________ would change, I would be happy, content, joyful, or satisfied.”

* When I find myself having a huge negative emotion that wells up inside of me, then, that is a STRONG indicator that whatever caused that emotional reaction is an idol in my life!

* The ONLY way that we can be at PEACE and experience FREEDOM, is to lay down our idols!

For anyone who is reading THIS ~ I also wanted to share with you a friend's post that I just read TODAY about this very same issue ~ the idols of our lives.  She is a missionary to Mexico, who is currently on "furlough" (home service).  She's a great writer!  So, go ahead & click HERE to read her honest thoughts about idols.

Some of My Favorite Quotes from Saturday’s 2nd Session

More Quotes from Saturday, May 1st, at the Ladies’ Retreat
* a question for reflection: “Which one of these describes me right now? Am I glowing brightly? Am I shining softly? Am I burning dimly? Or, am I flickering faintly?”

* “When we are in great trials, God has a specific Word for us! God gave a personal Word to: David, Elizabeth, Abraham, Samuel, Daniel, Mary, Joseph (husband of Mary), Joseph (who was sold by his brothers), Hosea, Moses, Paul…the list goes on. Ask yourself, ‘Are these people more special than me?’ Ask yourself, ‘Is God still speaking to His children today?’ Then, ask God specific questions about your situation. Get into the Bible, be still, and listen for His Word directly to you! The word REMA is God’s specific Word, a personal Word for you.”

* “God promises in Psalm 149 that He will beautify the humble. “

* “We ARE Princess Warriors, but we don’t recognize it or believe it! We have a whole arsenal of weapons against the enemy! Our weapons include the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of Truth, taking our thoughts captive, the Holy Spirit, perfect love that casts out fear, forgiveness, perseverance through difficulties, the choice to praise no matter what, the authority of the name of Jesus, the Word of our testimony, fasting, fellowship, carrying each others’ burdens, & truth that sets us free!”

* “We need to choose to praise God, even in the midst of our difficulties. Our enemy can’t function well in an atmosphere saturated with praise! So, we CAN beat him!”

* We need to agree with these verses, even when we’re not feeling it, because they are a promise! Philippians 4:4-9 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

* “Be a vessel, pouring out & giving of all that you have received!”

* “The command to ‘be fruitful and multiply’ isn’t just about having kids. It is also about making disciples. How do we today ‘be fruitful & multiply?’ We need to be constantly growing to produce fruit. We need to be worshipping. We are ambassadors for God, sharing His life with others. Those who believe in the Word because of our testimony is the fulfillment of ‘be fruitful and multiply’.”

Some of My Favorite Quotes (Saturday Morning Session)

Quotes from Saturday Morning, May 1st, at the Ladies’ Retreat
* This session began with the statement and question: “When we know who we are in Christ, we are encouraged and built up! It is much easier to recognize beauty in others than in ourselves.  Am I beautiful?  Let's look in Scripture & see, How Does God Describe Us?” Here are just a few of the answers I was able to catch and write down in my journal as the speaker was speaking:
I am qualified, made fit, delivered, rescued from the kingdom of darkness, a new creation, invigorated, strengthened with all power, forgiven, brought back for Himself, chosen, renewed into a new woman, constantly being remolded into His likeness, freely forgiven, have power to endure all that comes, all my days are foreordained, I am adopted, I was planned, I am redeemed, He has lavished upon me wisdom and understanding, He has destined and appointed me to live for His glory, He is making known to me His plan, He gives me His portion, He extends gracious favor to me, He gives me hope in Christ, I have confidence through Him, He has made me alive, I am loved with intense love, I have been brought into fellowship & union with Christ, I am saved by grace, I am God’s own handiwork!!!!

* Next, I have written in my journal a few of the lines to the song, “Word Of God, Speak” ~ this song has been recorded by several groups, Kutless & Mercy Me are two of my favorites. I guess we sang this song & that’s probably why I wrote it in my journal? MOST of the songs that they sang during this weekend, I was familiar with. Some, were brand new. It was a good mix, to be comforted by the familiar songs & encouraged by the new ones.
I have copied and pasted the lyrics for you here…read them carefully…& let the Word of God Speak to YOU! (OR, to hear the song & see the lyrics at the same time, click here.)
I'm finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is, it's okay
The last thing I need is to be heard
But to hear what You would say
Word of God, speak
Would you pour down like rain?
Washing my eyes to see Your majesty
To be still and know You're in this place
Please let me stay and rest in Your holiness
Word of God, speak
I'm finding myself in the midst of You
Beyond the music, beyond the noise
All that I need is to be with You
And in the quiet, hear Your voice
Word of God, speak

* The next thing in my journal is a quote from the speaker of this session: “I have had a long journey with Jesus of learning to be still, and I am still learning!”

* She asked us to consider this question: “Am I so busy that I am multi-tasking during my daily quite time with God? He says to be STILL before Him! We need to just STOP! REST! LISTEN!” She said, “It is tough, because as soon as we are still, we remember things that need to be done, we are so easily distracted. But, Psalm 46 verse 10 says “Be still, and know that I am God!” But, the rest of the verse tells us WHY we need to be still: “I will be exalted in every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.”

* Another quote that really spoke to me was: “If we’re distracted and frazzled during our quiet times with God, then we’ll end up frantic and frustrated all day!”

* She challenged us to not let “the white noise of our lives, cause us to become deaf to God’s voice whispering to us.”

* She reminded us that “His desire is for us to sit at His feet so that we can filter the rest of our day through that time of refreshment. But, to listen to God’s voice requires us first to be silent! He wants to fill us, but first we need to let go of worry & frustration, & just be still! It is a CHOICE! We must choose to and determine to be still!”

Day 14 ~ Some of My Favorite Quotes & Pictures

Quotes from Friday, April 30th, at the Ladies’ Retreat, & Pictures of the Beauty Surrounding Us There
It was a team of 4 missionary ladies who came to speak to us at the weekend retreat. They had been missionaries for decades, in various parts of the world. All 4 of them are now based in the United States, working for Wycliffe Bible Translators. They spoke encouragement to us, they taught us from the Word what God has taught to them through experiences, they spoke to us not as superiors but as sisters in Christ, they prayed for each one of us, they taught us new songs, they weren’t afraid to be silly just to make us laugh, they brought us hand-made gifts from the states, they gave each lady a giftbag filled with treasures not easily obtained here, etc… The point is ~ they blessed us in SO many ways!

While they were speaking, I was taking notes like crazy ~ wanting to soak in all the rich goodness! There were hours and hours of teachings, sharing, & workshops… So, I’ll share here JUST A FEW of my favorite quotes from Friday. It is my prayerful hope that whoever is reading this would be tremendously blessed by these words of truth, as I was! (Since I was really amazed by the beauty of this place, I am also going to insert a picture after each of my favorite quotes ~ praise God for the beauty of His creation & for the creativity He has given some of His kids to create such beautiful things!)

* They sang a song to us, then taught it to us.  It included “we can do together what we cannot do apart, we can change the way things are, if we have a change of heart, just like Nehemiah, who needed everyone to rebuild the walls, we can do together what we cannot do apart” ~ We are the Family of God & we need our Sisters in Christ!

* she “was praying for healing for 12 years, but God chose to wait 12 years to heal her” ~ Sometimes, we might not understand God’s way of thinking, why He would allow certain things. But, if we say we trust Him, we NEED to trust Him!

* “when we live with a fear of rejection, we so much want to be seen as perfectly perfect that we are actually approval addicts. Then, when we FEEL rejected, there’s a hole in us with a vacancy sign that the enemy can “enter in” ~ the reality is that life is full of rejections!”

* “it’s about learning to rest, to abide, to sit at His feet & sometimes, to sit on His shoulders, just to get a different perspective” ~ I just LOVE this word picture! I can picture my 3-year old twin niece & nephew insisting that their Daddy (my nearly 6-foot tall brother) carry them on his shoulders. I can imagine that part of the reason they love being up there is because it is special time with their Daddy. But, I can also imagine that they love seeing more of the world around them from that point of view, instead of being their little 3-foot tall selves!

* “living by faith, without feelings isn’t real – the soldiers, David, Hannah, Job, Rachael, Elisha, Peter, Jesus = they all wept!” It’s okay to cry!!! It is okay to be real! It is okay to be honest with our feelings!

* “there’s no container known to man that can contain bitterness – it leaks out to those around us!” WOW! How true is this?

* One speaker shared a personal experience of how she was very upset with someone who had wronged her. She said that “we become chained to those that we allow to bother us.” She read 1 John 4 & said that she “had held onto it, but God said to her that she needed to change the tapes in her brain, God told her to pray blessings over this person, to give the unforgiveness she felt up to God, then to write this person & ask for forgiveness because she was refusing to drag it around with her for the rest of her life”

* “Amazing Grace isn’t just for when we get saved, it’s for now, for everyday!” Boy, oh boy, we DO need grace every single day, don’t we? In speaking with the OCS principal yesterday, he asked me if I would be willing to do something. I confidently told him, “I believe that God provides sufficient grace for whatever He has called us to & for the period of time He has called us to it!” Amazing Grace!!!

* We were all challenged to “LISTEN to the voice of God on the behalf of others. When a thought comes to mind, or when you sense a verse…TELL them, share that with them, because that is God wanting to speak through you to bless others!”

* We were reminded that even in the midst of troubles, “He is STILL the Prince of Peace!”

* These are the lyrics to a song they sang, that I absolutely loved: “When nothing but a miracle can do, there’s nothing He cannot do, He is more than faithful & He will bring you through! There’s nothing the hand of God can’t do, He is more than able to bring you through!”