14 miles

(picture above are kids with their bike in Uganda)

last friday i decided to ride my bike into town to mail a letter. i wanted to get some exercise and so i did it. i got my water, my ipod, and hopped on the bike. i knew from driving to town, it was only 10 mins. but when riding a bike...it's a whole different story.

i made it through the hilly roads, drove by the lake, through some neighborhoods, crossed traffic. and 7.5 miles later...i made it to the post office. i dropped the letter off, had a water break and then began my ride back...

as i was riding back and feeling the burn in my legs i couldn't help but think about the people in africa and even those all over the world who may only have a bike for transportation. the majority of people around the world do not have a vehicle to take them places. they have to use either buses, bikes, or even just their own feet to take them somewhere. and for a moment, i got to experience just that.

my journey round trip took me roughly 90 mins to do 14 miles. it was difficult, but i am so glad i chose to do this. it gave me a small glimpse of what so many people go through. the pain. the long travel. the contentment. the journey of it all.

i love when God uses moments like these to give me a better understanding and perspective of those living in 3rd world countries and especially those in Africa. 

not my words

lately i have recognized the weight of my own words versus the weight of God's word. whether it is through giving encouragement to someone or even praying for someone... 

my words are weak, failing, and unstable. God's words are strong, never failing, and unchanging.

my words are here today, gone tomorrow. God's words are the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. 

my words can not change a person. God's word can change a person from the inside out. 

i have realized that when i try to encourage people by using my own ideas, opinions, or words there is no weight to them because they are my words. BUT...when i allow God to use me as HIS voice to speak, only HIS words come out. HIS very word was written for me and for you. so when i open and share God's words with those who may need it. the encouragement is greater. the comfort is stronger. the joy is more abundant. the strength to press on rises within. and the transformation of a heart begins to take place. it is HIS word that penetrates deeply (Heb 4:12) and for that reason, it is not my words but HIS alone.

here is some recent scripture i have shared with a dear friend of mine. and in sharing what God says, i am also lifted and strengthen by the TRUTH of it all! 

"Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance 

of the Lord will bring you today. 

The Lord will fight for you, you need only to be still." 

Exodus 14:13-14

"The Lord is my strength and my song. 

He has become my salvation, 

He is my God and I will praise Him...

The Lord is a warrior, the Lord is His Name." 

Exodus 15:2-3

"So do not fear, for I am with you; 

do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

 I will strengthen you and help you; 

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand...

For I am the Lord, your God, 

who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, 

'Do not fear; I will help you..." 

Isaiah 41:10, 13

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. 

See I am doing a new thing! 

Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

 I am making a way in the desert

 and streams in the wasteland."

 Isaiah 43:18

thankful for my God's word and how i can claim HIS truth over my life and in my circumstances right now! 

to the One who is worthy to be praised...(Ps 18:3)

joy

waiting...yet still pursuing

i have realized how crucial it is to be steadfast. to keep stepping forward. to go forward in the dreams that God has graciously put in me. to not give up even when it may take a little bit longer for them to come to fruition. 

the culture we live in continues to push us to believe that we have to have it right now. it's what i call a "microwave culture". we want whatever it is in a matter of seconds. we don't want to wait. we have become impatient in every sense. 

but to the contrary, there is a beauty behind waiting. we have to trust that what we are waiting on, will come. and even though we may have to wait, we must not give up on what we hope for. we must not give up on our dreams. visions. hopes. passions. those have to be in the very center of our waiting. they are the backbone of why we wait. 

sometimes when we have to wait on things, we tend to forget why in the world we are waiting in the first place. we then tend to gradually lose our vision. our passion. our purpose. our reason why we are where we are.

i'll be honest and tell you that the past few weeks for me have been extremely busy. and even though the things i have been a part of are all good, in the midst of it, i asked myself these quesitons: am i still pursuing my dreams? or did i get tired of waiting and give up? am i too distracted with what i am presently doing? and why am i not still actively stepping forward? where am i in the process? 

i have found that i am in the waiting process of God fulfilling the dreams He's put in me. they are clearly still a part of me. and so even though i am ready to walk through every open door, i must wait. the waiting process prepares you for things you don't know yet. it's a refining process. it's a beautiful way the Lord ask me (asks you) to trust Him even more. trust Him with every dream. every vision. every desire. every hope. every step. every moment i (or you) wait on Him to prepare me (you) for the next season of life. and as we trust Him, we must confidently take a step in that direction.

"But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out it's roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." 

Jeremiah 17:7-8

i have found that writing out my hopes & dreams show that they are still present & active...

• i hope to spend a significant amount time in africa this year and in the years to come. serving with others, but also loving on the precious children of God and serving the people of another culture.  (i am hoping/planning on doing exposure trips with 2 different organizations at the end of this summer!! :) )

• i hope to live among those of a 3rd world country. to immerse myself with their lives. to do life together. to learn from each other.  

• i hope to be married someday and become a mother. to raise up children to passionately follow Christ.

• i hope to be voice that God uses to encourage others. to challenge. to build up. to speak truth over.

• i hope to write a book someday. even though i don't know what all that entails, i hope to write it out and share God's story in my life, as well as be a voice for those on the other side of the world.  

pictures

"mom to 5 kids and the family farm i live on"

1 of 4 baby goats at our house

the chicken coup...right outside my bathroom window

anna working on her picture to send to the kids in africa

the entire art class i taught

2 of the little rascals i got to hang out with...joshua and anna

the crazy crew...we had a fun week together! 

hustle and bustle

last weekend was my first free weekend since christmas. crazy as that sounds, i've loved doing different things each weekend. whether it's coaching at tournaments (majority of my weekends), going on road trips, or leading a disciple now. i have loved every opportunity.

i actually got to do something really special last saturday night. it may seem small to some of you. but to me, it's the greatest thrill and brings joy to my heart when i get to do this. to make a long story short, i went to help my friend jenn babysit 2 kiddos satruday night. the oldest boy, alex, is 3 1/2 years old and the baby is hattie beth and she is just 1 month old. i couldn't wait to snuggle her! anyways, when i saw her swaddled up in her basinet, my heart was full. you see the last time i snuggled babies and they fell asleep on me was when i was in uganda 6 months ago. i held this little one as much as i could that night. i realized how i love to love children and babies.

i not only have gotten to love on babies, but also 5 incredible kids. i have been playing the "mom" role as my sister and her husband have been out of town this week. i had always wondered how it would be to have a child and even several at that. sooo...i finally got the opportunity to know what it would be like. it has been all but calm around here, but juggling the schedule has been so good for me.

i can't tell you how much i have learned from this experience. i have been challenged in so many ways and God continues to use EVERY opportunity for His purposes and greater good. i wore many different "hats" this week in doing multiple activities, but through all the craziness i have loved every minute of it! i will cherish this week with my nephew and nieces. my respect for moms, and all they do for their children, has gone out the roof!

much love to my beloved mom..and with that, i can't wait to love my own children one day...