A Little Update

  Well I wanted to update you with my current status. As I write this I have 5 hours until I meet with the team to head to the airport. Since I wrote my previous post I have been saving my tip money on a daily basis. It's been adding up. Sometimes a lot and sometimes a little. Sometimes none.    I shared in a previous post that I would be going to Mexico this Christmas to help deliver gifts to families at a church that we partner with. I am going because I prayed a crazy prayer and asked God to provide me with the funds for a plane ticket through my tips at work if He wanted me to go to Mexico. Then I would know for sure that I was supposed to go. The day after I prayed that prayer I got a $60 tip. Totally God. I was going to Mexico!

  A friend gave me a good suggestion to make a little sign to put up by the tip jar to say I was saving money for a missions trip. I liked the idea buuuut I didn't feel like it was the God plan for me. I really wanted God to just show me how great of a provider He is. So I said nothing. I simply waited on God. As always, He was faithful to provide. Yesterday I added my money up and I was 50 cents short of my plane ticket price. I told my sister and she reminded me that I had actually overpaid her the first time by about 50 cents. So right now I am here to tell you that God has provided!! The entire cost of my plane ticket was provided for me without me asking anyone but Him. Incredible!  

Jehovah Jireh - the Lord will provide - this is the TRUTH that I stand upon.

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God:

that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

And if we know that he hears us 

- whatever we ask -

we know that we have what we asked of him."

1 John 5:14-15

  I would appreciate your prayers as we fly to Mexico and deliver these gifts. Pray for protection over us. Pray that we accurately display Christ's love to these families. Pray that they know they are loved and feel blessed. Pray that we speak when God is speaking to us and that He gives us words for these families!

  I sincerely pray that this story is an inspiration to you. Don't be afraid to pray a crazy prayer and give God room to move. I think He kind of likes it that way. ;) Let Him show you what He can do!!!

*This story was inspired by the story of George Mueller and his ministry.

The Betrayal

  "A radiant bride greeted her guests with a brilliant smile as she entered the reception hall after the wedding ceremony. She gracefully moved and milled about the room, the train of her stunning white gown flowing along the floor behind her, her veil cascading down her button-adorned back.
    She conversed with each guest one by one, taking the time to mingle and soak up the compliments. 'You look absolutely lovely.' 'Your dress is divine.' 'I've never seen a more beautiful bride.' 'What a stunning ceremony.' The lavish praises rang on and on. The bride couldn't be more proud or appreciative of the crowd's adoration. She could have listened to them swoon over her all evening. As a matter of fact, she did.
    But where was the groom? All the attention focused on the bride and never once did she call anyone's attention to her husband. She didn't even notice his absence at her side. Scanning the room, I searched for him, wondering, 'Where could be he?'
   I finally found him, but not where I expected him to be. The groom stood alone over in the corner of the room with his head down. As he stared at his ring, twisting the gold band that had just been placed on his finger by his bride, tears trickled down his cheeks and onto his hands. That is when I noticed the nail scars. The groom was Jesus.
   He waited, but the bride never once turned her face toward her groom. She never held His hand. She never introduced the guests to Him. She operated independently of Him."

   This excerpt comes from Every Woman's Battle by Shannon Ethridge. Shannon talks about how we are that bride when we begin to look for love, attention, and affection in every place except for the right one. We take on the name of Christ as a Christian but then we tend to walk away from Him. We don't give Him the attention He deserves. We seek out other people to satisfy our longings. People who will fail us. Affirmations that will leave us feeling empty after long. In essence, we are betraying our groom. He has asked us to come away with Him, to be His bride and yet we begin to believe the lie that He is not enough. The truth is He IS Enough. No one else will do. No one else will satisfy. We are imperfect beings. We will fail one another at times. He will NEVER fail us. His love remains. Above all else.
   My challenge to you AND myself is this: get away with Him. Get to know Him more intimately than you do right now. Give Him consistent time. Talk to Him. Daily. No marriage can remain healthy without communication. So why do we think our relationship with God can remain healthy if we aren't communicating with Him? Sometimes, we just need to get away from everything else and tune into His voice. He has some incredible things He wants to say to us, if only we'll listen. So, let's do it! He is worth it. SO WORTH IT! ;)