Honduras Mission Trip 2013

I just got back from a mission trip with Landmark and Frontline Missions to Honduras. I can't even begin to tell you how blessed I feel to have been given an opportunity like this. People have asked me what my favorite part is, but I didn't have a favorite part. I can't pin point just one moment that I enjoyed the most. God gave me so many amazing experiences and opportunities while I was there. I can tell you the biggest take away I had though. The Tolepan and Honduran people have close to nothing. They are lucky if they have shoes on their feet and more than 1 pair of clothes. These people are really the least of them. “And the King will say, "‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’" (Matthew 25:40 NLT) Before I went to Honduras I struggled with the idea of loving on people who are so dirty and unclean. But as soon as I got there, The Lord lifted that burden from me. Christ's love for me put a love in me for the unclean and helpless. Seeing their precious smiles as we embraced them was priceless. It's amazing to me how the Tolepan people have nothing, but are still so grateful and happy. I realized while I was there that we don't need all the extra stuff. Why waste our time with things we don't need, when we could be using that time and money to help people who have nothing? It's what we were called to do anyways. Before the trip, I knew about the poverty and suffering, but it was a distant knowledge. It became real to me as soon as we arrived in La Ceibeta. Being surrounded by starving people while you eat dinner is so disturbing. You hurt for them, and it is hard to eat. Every night we have our left overs to them. They were so grateful for anything they got. My eyes were opened in so many ways. I really feel like God is calling me to mission work. I also got play guitar and teach songs while I was there. I loved gearing the children's voices singing together. I miss it so much already. Going on this trip greatly strengthened my trust in God. So many things could have gone wrong, but because everyone on the team really depended on God, he delivered us from everything that could have gone wrong. Honduras is home to me. I can't wait to go back. I am determined to do everything I can to help the people while I'm not there too. If you would like to donate money, we are trying to get money to buy shoes and tooth brushes for the people. Also, please keep the Tolepan people in your prayers!

From the Dark Shadows to the Light

"So there is no justice among us, and we know nothing about right living. We look for light but find only darkness. We look for bright skies but walk in gloom. We grope like the blind along a wall, feeling our way like people without eyes. Even at brightest noontime, we stumble as though it were dark. Among the living, we are like the dead." (Isaiah 59:9, 10 NLT) God knows when we are covered in sin and darkness. He sees us suffering. It even says in that verse that we will search for light and freedom but we will have yet to find it. Is that you? Are you searching for something more? Something to take your guilt and shame? Do you feel trapped in darkness and alone in the shadows? God sees you. He knows your pain, and he wants it to end. He is waiting to embrace you with outstretched loving, merciful arms that can reach however far away you may think you are. You can change who you are at the foot of the cross. Run into God's loving arms and find the light. It's worth whatever it takes.

Its the Little Things

I've started to see how the little things work out for the better even when I think its nothing. That might not make sense, but its kind of amazing once you start being able to see how God works through little things in our lives. I've learned to look for the blessing in what seems to be a negative situation. So next time something that looks bad happens to you, wait a while and see if any good comes from it.

Give Your Worries Away

I've struggled with anxiety for about 6 years now, probably more. I used to become very upset and make myself sick over small things. I was put on medicine, and now I have learned to cope with anxiety a lot better. Now, as a ninth grader, I have a lot more things to worry about, because I am faced with many more choices. I don't become ill over little things anymore, but sometimes I still have small anxiety attacks. The attacks aren't near as severe.

Lately, I've been under some stress, and I've been thinking a lot. I have a lot of things going on with Honduras, softball, my music, school, and most importantly, my relationship with God. I am realizing that my priorities are not in order, meaning I'm worrying way too much over things that I shouldn't. Then I started to think back to what I learned in January. God wants us to live an abundant life filled with joy. In that statement alone, I think we should all be able to find peace, knowing that he will take our worries. I have also found peace in knowing that if we let God be in control of everything, he will take care of us. Whatever happens, his will will be done. Remember the song, "Whom Shall I Fear". The lyrics are so encouraging. God goes before us, and stands beside us. He is always by our side. When I am stressed, and filled with anxiety and worries, I give it all to God.

Amazing Grace

You've probably sang or heard the song "Amazing Grace" before, but have you ever really put thought into what it means? I never did until recently. 

God loves us more than we can ever imagine. Just like many of us, he has a "love language". We may be lost in a storm that seems like it will never pass, or we may be in the midst of just slightly difficult times. No matter where we are, God is ready to intervene. His "love language" is his Amazing Grace. His grace leads us to intimacy with Him.

His grace is extended to us at all times. We don't ever have to go looking for it, because it is looking for us. In fact, grace will find you whenever God sees fit. You may not be ready to embrace it, but it will always be there, waiting for you. But what does -Grace- really mean? Grace is an unmerited, divine, gift given to us by God to renew our lives. We can do nothing to earn his grace, and since we can't earn it, we can't do anything to not deserve his grace. Some may think that they can become unworthy of God's love and grace, But when were we ever worthy? We weren't. We could never be worthy of all the blessings God gives to us. But that's what is amazing about God. He loves us unconditionally. He knows what we have done in our past and he knows what's to come. He loved us then, he loves us now, and he will love us in the future. 

Embracing God's grace is the key to transforming ourselves to become like minded with Christ, and becoming who God wants us to be. To embrace it, we have to experience it, much like Paul, who experienced God's grace as he was on his way to persecute Christians, when God appeared to him and changed his life. The story of Paul, to me, is the greatest example of God's grace in the Bible. Paul, who wrote most of the New Testament in the Bible, wasn't always the great man of God that he came to be. He was once known as Saul, a man who persecuted Christians. If Paul was able to be transformed and saved by God's amazing grace, then so can we. We must always remember that we must be willing to repent before we receive grace. 

UpStream

Life is a river. A river with rocks that get in the way, and we are all swimming in the same river. The river has a current. The current travels down stream. Wouldn't it be easier to just ride the current downstream? Yes. But as Christians, we are called to swim UpStream. Against the current.

The world is swimming downstream. Where does that lead to? *Destruction.  Focus on            Philippians 3:17-19 "Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those living according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I often told you before and now say again, even with tears, many live as enemies of the Cross of Christ. *Their destiny is Destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is their shame. Their mind is on earthly things." In this verse, Christ is telling us to follow the example of other Christians. Follow them UpStream. He says the world, (the lost), are headed for destruction. God promises many times in the Bible that if we press on, and stay on the path He has for us, there is a goal at the end. The goal or prize is above all greater than anything, Everlasting life with Him.

This is where you make the choice. Are you willing to be willing to lose everything by swimming UpStream towards the goal? Or are you just gonna sit back and ride the easy way downstream to destruction?

Humility

Learning humility may be one of the most important keys to our relationship with God. In EVERYTHING we do, we need to be humble, and make sure we are doing it for the right reasons. Humble yourself before the Lord and let all the glory go to Him. Thats hard. 

Thats just something I've been thinking about a lot lately, along with leading by example. I think that leading by example also takes humility.