Birthday Surprise! It's Denise.

Happy Wednesday and Thanksgiving Eve! Today's post is from my cousin Denise. She is no newbie here, you can read her 2012 Birthday Surprise HERE. Praying that the promises of God that Denise shares, may be engraved in your heart and and ever present help in time of need. God bless YOU! 

photo credit

You are not alone 

Have you ever been in a crowd of people and felt completely isolated? It's that feeling where you are physically present but no one notices.  I have been hearing this topic from a several people lately. They tell me how they feel lonely, like they don't have any friends, like no one cares but they are constantly surrounded by people. My normal response is, "I know exactly how you feel." 

I spent most of my life feeling this way.  I dealt with a lot of anxiety and depression as a teenager.  I became a Christian once I was in college and Jesus changed my life forever. Most of my fear went away but even as a Christian, there are still those moments where the devil tries to take hold.

I go into these random moments of depression where I feel lost, like I'm in a deep pit and I'm sinking and I can't ever get out again. I have traveled across the country, to the other side of the world even, but nothing is as sad, scary and dark as this place.  

As a Christian, I recognize that there is no reason to stay there. I have a mighty God who loves me unconditionally and will never leave me. Sometimes I wonder why God allows me to go back there again and now I know that it's because, when I get out of it, I love Him even more and cling to Him desperately. 

I was reading Isaiah 60:20 the other night and this verse really encouraged me.  "Your sun will never set; your moon will not go down. For the Lord will be your everlasting light. Your days of mourning will come to an end."

There are times when I feel like I don't even want to be on this earth. Before Christ, these thoughts were filled with despair, they were suicidal because I didn't understand what the point of my existence was. Now when I have these thoughts it's more of a longing and a hope that one day I will be in my real home with Jesus. 

"For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come." Hebrews 13:14 

So now as I wait for that glorious moment when Jesus rescues me from this cruel world, I have to make the best of it and live my life by honoring and worshiping him.  I don't feel so lost in the crowd anymore, because I know that my satisfaction does not come from humans, it comes from the Lord. 

Though I might still feel lonely at times deep down I know that I have someone who loves me unconditionally and is always by my side. 

"But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me." Micah 7:7 

"Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you." Psalms 9:10

So if you are feeling lonely or like you don't belong, instead of turning to people to fill that void, turn to Jesus, the only one who can satisfy you.   

"Because I am righteous, I will see you. When I awake, I will see you face to face and be satisfied. Psalms 17:15 

Birthday Surprise! It's Monica part 1

Today's post comes from the lovely Monica. I've had the privilege of being Monica's youth leader and now friend. With great joy I asked her to share her heart and pour out what God has done in her life the past few months. I am confident that you will be blessed by her. Tune in Friday for part 2.

photo credit 

Happy Birthday Blog!

I was so honored when Raquel asked me to post on the blog for its fourth birthday.

As some of you may know this past year the Lord had me go through a program called Ignite with Potter’s Field Ministries. It’s a program designed to have students give a year of their lives completely to the Lord. I spent three months in Montana, training to be sent out along with 2 other girls to the beautiful country of Guatemala.

   I spent 6 months in Guatemala, doing afterschool work with the kids in the local community, tutoring, bible lessons, skits, puppet shows, you name it! During the last three months the training portion of the Ignite school was moved down to Guatemala and my team and I were able to come alongside the then training interns ( who are now on the field) and help encourage them during their time there.

   The Lord has used the past 10  months of my life to reveal Himself to me in such a powerful way. For so long I bought into the lie that I was unlovable, that there was something defective in me that unqualified me to be loved, even by God. While I learned multiple lessons this year, none has gone deeper that the realization I had during my 3^rd month on the field.

    God loves me. As silly and basic as that might sound , after all it’s a phrase that any three year old in Sunday school can utter, it was a truth that had not sunk in very deep in my life. For so many years I thought God loved me, but it was only because I could fit under the classification of “human” which automatically made me eligible to receive His Love, but He would never really hand pick me to love, there are so many better people out there to pour out love and favor on, so many that are worth loving He definitely wouldn’t chose me if He had the choice. 

   This sadly is the lie that I had allowed to embed itself in the depths of my heart, and it was so successfully embedded that I believed it to be true, and was completely blind to the fact that I believed it about myself and my relationship with the Lord.

   During my time on the field, I literally had nothing else to cling to but Him, no familiar background, no home church, no people that I had known forever, my robotic and semi-automatic “christianese” responses wouldn’t cut in on the field. I was forced to get raw and get real with God and allow Him to strip away all the routines that I had allowed myself to hide behind, and come face to face with the ugly truth ( that was really a lie) that had been shaping my view of God and His Love for me all this time.

    I learned what it is to be Loved by the Lord, but better yet what it is to accept His love. What it is to bask in the Steadfast Love that the Lord has for me, and in that I found a confidence in being His Daughter that I was convinced I’d never be able to have.

   I’m still learning just what it is to walk in the freedom His Love brings, His individual love for the person, not for humanity in general but I’m taking it one step at a time.

   Being back home now after such a tremendous experience is a bit disorientating, but I have the Love of my Heavenly Father to ground me. I am beyond thankful for the journey He’s guided me through and the one that’s yet to come.

   Thank you to all who have been praying for me during my trip, your prayers where definitely heard and felt. May you too bask in the Steadfast Love of the Father. 

Monica in Montana with the Ignite program

Monica's view in Montana (jealous)

Monica in Guatemala

God's Little Girl

Hi Lovelies!
For more than a year now, I have been carrying a letter in my wallet. I'm not sure if I carry it with me to share with someone who may need the encouragement or if its more to remind me that I am loved. What makes this letter so valuable is not who wrote it but the truth behind the words written.

At the time it was written, I was preparing for a teaching on guarding our (valuable) feminine hearts. I asked a good friend of mine (whom we shall call Mr. Man), "If you could talk with my girls, what would you say to them about their value and worth?" He shared with me amazing things but in the matter of five minutes I had forgotten every point He made. So I prayed, "God, if it is your will for Mr. Man's words to be shared with my girls, place it in His heart to write it on paper." Lo and Behold, God had began that work in his heart and a few days later he asked if e he could write them a letter. I know that this letter comes not from my friend but from God's very heart. It's not only for my youth girls, or just for me, but for all of us! Be blessed dear sister by knowing and accepting your value and worth in Christ!
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Thank You Myleen for this pic of Emma! 

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To God's little girls, 
You are God's little girl. Never forget. See yourself the way God sees you, for His thoughts are what matter. No man, no boy, no one can ever take that away from you. You are worth more that your weight in gold, but even gold has no value in the mouth of a pig. Don't ever lose respect for yourself. No man can conquer you, except for He who has conquered death. He alone should reign in your heart's throne room. 
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"For your Maker is your Husband, the Lord of Hosts is His name. And your Redeemer is the Holy one of Israel; He is called God of the whole earth." (Isaiah 54:5) Guard your hearts. Men are pigs, foolish and putrid. May you be so lost in God, that in order for a man to find you, he must first be close to God. 
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You are His little girl. It is not your fault you are hurting. Rise Up! Though now you may be bleeding, never forget His Words: 

"Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction." (Mark 5:34)  "I have blotted our your transgressions, like a thick cloud, return to Me, for I HAVE REDEEMED YOU." (Isaiah 44:22) 

Never forget your first love. Never look down on yourself. You are and will forever be beautiful jewels, the apple of your heavenly Father's eyes. 
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I love you ALL, 
Mr. Man 
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Lyrical Friday- How He Loves

Hola!

I have to say that ever since Lyrical Friday became to be, God has faithfully placed a song in my path throughout the week. This weeks song is How He Loves by John Mark McMillan. This song is so contagious. I spend all day singing the chorus and at times I just stop and stand in awe of His amazing love. How could He, in all His perfection love me. I am so filthy, unfaithful, wavering and rebellious- BUT GOD LOVES ME. It is that love, that pure and undefiled love that draws me near to Him and transforms me. May you be blessed by the words of this song.

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Marvelous are Your works,

And that my soul knows very well.
Psalm 139:14

The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying:

Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.
Jeremiah 31:3

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 
John 3:16

 (please turn off the music player on the sidebar)


How He Loves

How He Loves, John Mark McMillan

He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realise just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us so,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

Yeah, He loves us,
Oh! how He loves us,
Oh! how He loves us,
Oh! how He loves.

We are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
And Heaven meets earth like an unforseen kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way…