24 dias!!

It is crazy! 24 days, God willing, until I leave for beautiful, magical, Honduras. It is so crazy to me that I am going. That its almost here! Do you ever feel that sort of excitement? For Christmas? For the presents, the family, the good food, peace? For your birthday? For one more year to pass, for the ability to drive, or to drink, or to get married? To see your loved one again? To see someone long gone due to death, army service, or simply one week's separation? Do you ever get that way when you think about Jesus' second coming? Does it fill you with awe, with expectation, or with dread? Do you feel 'ready'? Are you satisfied with your life now? How can you change how you live in order to better spend your time given here? How can you better prepare yourself for that day? What things really won't matter then, that you are spending a lot of time on now? Should you be spending less time, or no time, on those things? Can you imagine that day? Jesus coming in all of His glory. It's unimaginable. It's beyond our mental capacity to foresee the greatness that will present itself to us on that day. Can you imagine how we will feel, complete? Total peace, joy, fullness. We will lack nothing. We will be in the presence of the Only One who knows us better than we know ourselves. I'm pretty excited about that. It's mind blowing, it absolutely floors me. My small, human, brain is not nearly complex enough to even imagine a small percentage of that day. The God who has planned the life of each, unique individual on this earth, from Adam to the humans living on the earth at the end, He will gather us to Him, and make us finally whole. Close your eyes and imagine that wholeness. Are you excited now?? Having gone through anxiety disorders and depression, imagining it all washed away is mind blowing! It's relieving. And yes, there are many things that I want to still do here. I want to get married. I want to touch many people for Christ I want to have kids and watch them grow. I want to go to villages where people have never heard the name of my Savior, to be a voice in great darkness. But God knows my dreams, and He also knows which of them will best fit in His plan and give Him glory. He wants me to have good things, but He also knows what I really need and what will be best for His kingdom in the end. So, whether I am single or spend the rest of my life in the states, God loves me, and He can't wait to make me whole one day. And He has some pretty incredible plans for my life. So, I will wait excitedly for the day when I meet my beautiful Savior, and for 24 days to end so that I can board a plane and be off to a beautiful country that I have missed with my whole being for over a year. I'M SO EXCITED!! :)

Missionaries are like postal workers

You may be saying "WHAT???" Let me explain 1. We both work rain, snow, sleet, or shine. 2. We meet lots of different people, and go to many peoples' houses. 3. We might deliver news from someone special. 4. Many times we don't receive a thank you for our work. 5. Some people don't like us. They might be mean to us. 6. We drive on the wrong side of the car. Literally for postal workers, more metaphorically for missionaries. We don't follow the status quo, we walk to the beat of the drum of our Lord and Savior. 7. Our work is tiring, and usually lasts for much of the day. 8. Usually we aren't rich. 9. We form relationships with the people we interact with. 10. (this applies for central american missionaries) We meet a lot of dogs. Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

He's not finished with me yet

I'm impatient. I would have been in Honduras a year ago if I could've. I searched and searched for a way back to Honduras, and I started feeling defeated. I thought, 'I'm doing all the right things, I'm reading my Bible, I'm praying, I'm waiting, (though very badly), what is wrong God?' I feel ashamed to think back on my thinking (ha!) during that time period. I wasn't asking God what HE really wanted, I was asking Him for what I wanted. I wanted Him to do His will through me in MY time, which really wouldn't be His will after all. I didn't want to wait, I didn't want to be still, I just wanted to GO. Do you ever feel like I do? Impatient, tired of waiting, asking God why? Why would He make us wait for good things, even for good things that He wanted to do through us? God knew that I wasn't READY yet. Sure, I had passion, fire, love. But my heart was unruly as a young colt. Deuteronomy 8:2 Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. The Israelites had to wait in the desert before they could see the promised land, and God used that time to test and see into their hearts. I truly believe that that is what God has been doing in me. He has been testing me, refining my heart, mind, and soul to better match His purpose for me. He has been humbling me, teaching me that anything good that I do will be because HE did it through me. That my position as a missionary should not be to gain honor or credit for myself, but simply to be the hands and feet of Jesus, giving all the glory, honor and credit right up to Him. It's been hard. But, it has been so worth it! Even now that I have a tentative leaving date for Honduras, I am still being prepared for what God has in store for me. Why is Nate Saint remembered as a missionary? It certainly isn't because He was prideful and showed off. I doubt that he went in with the mindset of getting glory for himself. He was killed for the sake of Christ. He went to a people who had deep darkness in their hearts. The Waodoni didn't know the truth, and they were slaves to this darkness. Nate Saint and his team didn't know what would happen when they went to make contact with the Waodoni, but they knew that these people would live in eternal darkness if someone didn't tell them the truth. Nate was willing to risk his life for the sake of the gospel. Because his life was not about him. And you know what? His work was not in vain. Because of his life and death, and the work of his son later on, the Waodoni came to know Jesus. A isolated, murdering, lost, people came to know Christ as their personal Savior. And they will join us in Heaven one day. How cool is that??!! Here is a quote by Nate Saint: "And people who do not know the Lord ask why in the world we waste our lives as missionaries. They forget that they too are expending their lives... and when the bubble has burst they will have nothing of eternal significance to show for the years they have wasted." How am I expending my life? How are you? Are we like unbelievers, unconsciously (or perhaps even consciously for some of us Christians) wasting our lives, not living out the true purpose God has for us? God has something extraordinary to do with our lives. We need to be open to asking God what HE want us to do, and WAITING for His right time, LETTING Him mold us, even when it hurts. I pray that we all will let God work His unique purpose for each one us, through us. Dear God, please give your children today open ears to hear what You want to tell each one us. Help us to wait for Your timing, and to do right now what we can, and later, what we cannot now. Help our lives to not be about us or our comfort, but about Your will and purposes for us. There are probably millions of people who do not know you, but You know each one of them by name, and You desire so greatly for a relationship with them. Help us to humbly be Your hands and feet in this world, never being ashamed of You or the Gospel of truth. Because in the end, all that matters is You. You set us free indeed! We love You, and I thank You for all that You have provided for me and my family. Please prepare me for Your will for me in Honduras. Amen! May God bless you all, today and always. Dee

Continue Thanksgving

Thanksgiving makes me sad. Well, not all of it, but one thing in particular. Why one day? One day of thanksgiving? Why do we often times forget to thank God and wait until thanksgiving to praise Him as much as we should? Why can't we make a habit of praising and thanking God for all the blessings we receive, daily, or even multiple times daily? The truth is that we can. David was shepherd, a psalmist, and a king from the Old Testament. He gave God a lot of thanks. The Book of Psalms is filled with David's praise to the Lord: Psalm 124:1-3 1 If the Lord had not been on our side— let Israel say— 2 if the Lord had not been on our side when people attacked us, 3 they would have swallowed us alive when their anger flared against us; Psalm 144:1 Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. Psalm 145:1 I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. Psalm 65:1 Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled. Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. David didn't shy away from publicly declaring his love for his Creator 2 Samuel 6:14-16, 21-22: 14 Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, 15 while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets. 16 As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart... 21 David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the Lord. 22 I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.” (caps and italics added in by me; verses from the NIV Bible) How often do we shy away from praising God in public? Now I'm not talking about praising God in order to gain the approval of men, I'm talking about our acknowledgement of Him. Do you feel embarrassed praying in public, do you worry about how you appear to others? Are you ready to share your beliefs with others, or do you compromise them to fit in? Are you constantly on 'good behavior' when you're with other believers, but change your habits when you are with your non-believing friends? I stumble in this too at times, and I hate it. It's something I will have to work on and keep in check everyday of my life. And I will gladly do it for Him! GOD DESERVES OUR PRAISE! In fact, God is the ONLY one in this universe who deserves anything. So check out the planets and stars tonight, take a hike, or simply settle your mind down, and praise God for the beauty all around you, and for the gifts God has given you. Don't be ashamed of the One who saves, loves, lives, and died for us! 2 Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 1 Peter 4:16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. Luke 9:26 Whoever is ashamed of me [Jesus] and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. God bless you all today and always! Delaney

Emotions

approx, 70 days hasta Honduras I have so many emotions right now. Some are good, and some are bringing me down. I feel the need to take a million deep breaths right now. Ok, that was one. It's hard to be different. It's hard to have relatives who are non-believers, who don't understand your passion for God's will in your life. It's hard to be 17, and when people ask you if you're going to college, you say, "I don't know." It's hard to be in your senior year of high school, and not have a best friend. It's hard to keep answering people who question your motives and misunderstand your intentions. It's hard. And yet, I have no reason to complain. I have a loving mother and father who support me and what I feel God has called me to do. I have an opportunity to show the love of God to young Honduran students. I have a chance to invest in young people, to be a role model. I have a warm bed, I have lots of food in my belly, I have a perfect God who looks down on me and says, "she's Mine. And I have some pretty great plans for her." That's pretty incredible. I went on a weekend retreat with my youth group this weekend. And I learned something. If I want to influence the world and live out God's will for my life, I need to stop letting satan win over my emotions. People are going to be mean. People are going to misunderstand me. And people may not want to be my best friend or confidant. BUT. I have an everlasting, loving, Creator who wants me to look outside myself and to peer into the hurts and hearts of others. He wants me to focus on their needs, their wants, instead of focusing on my own being fulfilled. It should be pretty obvious to the average Christian. But sometimes, we need a little push, a little kick in the rear end to get us going, to open our eyes to things outside of us. I say I want to help others, I say I want to be a changing force in peoples' lives, but I have to act. Talking does no good if it doesn't produce fruit. And fruit is the real mark of a Christian. It shows that you are living out your faith.

1 Samuel 2:3 “Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the LORD is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed."

James 3:13 [ Two Kinds of Wisdom ] Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

1 Peter 2:12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

James 2:25-26 Faith and Deeds 14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. 20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless[d]? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”[e] and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. 25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. dead.

LORD, I pray that You will make me humble today and always. I pray that I will look outwards to others' hurt instead of inside to my own hurt. I pray that my faith will not be dead, but will be expressed through the deeds that you have predestined for me to do. I pray that I will be a source of encouragement and wisdom to others, I pray that I will shine a light so bright for You that those around me cannot fail to see it. I love you, and I am so grateful for all the opportunities that You have given me to serve and impact the lives of those around me. I pray that You will empty me of myself and any evil inside of me, and I pray that You will fill me up with Your love and truth and Your desire and will for me. Amen.

Writing time

So I'm writing a book. About my experiences in missions (which are few right now), my experience with depression and anxiety which helped to shape my view of God and missions, and my love for a righteous God and a country that I'm absolutely in love with, Honduras. Sounds kinda cheesy, and truthfully, I think the book will be. But, even if it never is published and if nobody but I reads it, that'll be ok. To God be the glory. My life, and my 'book', are not about me. It's about miracles that happen everyday when we let God work in our lives. It was a good time earlier too when I was putting in the story some of my journal entries from when I was in Honduras. I cracked myself up. Oh boy,,, It's funny how your previous sentiments look when you are a little farther down the path of life. I can't wait till I'm eighty, and how this coming year will look to me then. God is continually shaping us and recreating us for His purposes. It's pretty mind-blowing. All the praise up to HIM!! Love, Delaney

80 dias y contando

80 days and counting!!! Approx. eighty days until I leave for Honduras. That is less than three months!! So crazy to me how God has worked everything out for this to happen. It is so incredible. I'm 17 years old. I'm going to a country that I am absolutely in love with for around 10 months. I am graduating by the end of 2012. It doesn't even feel real. It so radically blows my mind. I don't deserve any of this, yet it is freely given. Where I couldn't see a path or a way, God paved the road. A way that seemed untravelable became a straight path. It's still hard, but it's possible. No matter what criticism or doubts people throw at me, I know that God is still rooting for me. You know who else thought that they were in hopeless situation? Job, watching members of his family drop like flies. The Israelites, burdened under the tasks of the Egyptians. The Israelites again, in the desert waiting for God to relieve them of their punishment, The Jews, waiting for their Messiah in a part of the world controlled by the Romans. These people were waiting, praying, hoping, even some were mourning. Many of them didn't see a light at the end of the tunnel. Many of them didn't see any hope on the other side of the equation. But God did. James 5:11 As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. Job 42:1-6 Then Job replied to the Lord: 2 “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 3 You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. 4 “You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.’ 5 My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. 6 Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” Exodus 2:25 So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them. Exodus 3:7-9 New International Version (NIV) 7 The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. Deuteronomy 31:23 The LORD gave this command to Joshua son of Nun: “Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land I promised them on oath, and I myself will be with you.” 14 [Joshua] “Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed. Matthew 4:13-17 13 Leaving Nazareth, [Jesus] went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— 14 to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: 15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— 16 the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”[a] 17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” "Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God." Psalm 42:5

Blown Away by a Righteous Redeemer!!

So I had another call with the directora de la school in Honduras. I found out that I probably will be teaching Kindergarten (eEeEeEe!!!) in the mornings, which I am beyond, and I mean BEYOND excited about. In the afternoons, I will probably be assisting a teacher with elementary or 6/7th grade math. Which is definitely exciting as well. Can I just take a moment to be blown away by God's goodness and faithfulness to me? Thank You Jehovah, that You protect me always. Thank You for going beyond the basics, and helping me to go down paths that I never thought I could. In seriousness, I couldn't do ANYTHING without Him. I am weak, He is strong. I was lost, in Him I am found. I am broken, He is the Healer. I am foolish, He is wisdom. I am apathy, He is love. I am tired, He is the energy that I need to make it through each and every day. Amen! This journey has definitely been hard. I have had people question my motives for going back, people have looked at me like I must be out of my mind to want to pay to go somewhere to help others, because I'm not going to college right away, because I might not ever go, because I trust in a Divine Being who knows more about me than I do. On the other hand, I have been extremely blessed by this journey. God has put so many people in my path that have built me up in the faith, who have prayed with me, who have helped to sooth my fears by looking Above and Beyond me, into the creators eyes. People who have challenged me to seek God relentlessly for His plan and not make hasty decisions on my own. People who have encouraged me to read books that will grow me in His wisdom. And God. Wow. He is so good. I could say the most articulate, beautiful, exquisite words to describe Him, and they would not even be .000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001% of what He is. IT'S CRAZY!!. I doubt Him, I struggle against Him, and He still wraps me in His arms and gives me ultimate comfort when I come back to Him, broken in spirit. Thank Lord, Thank YOU. Help me to do each and every thing that you wish me to do. Help me to stay on the straight and narrow, to give you all the glory, respect, honor and credit that YOU ALONE deserve. I am not worthy to be called Your child, yet still You do so. I'm sorry for disobeying You, I'm sorry for doubting You, I'm sorry from running from You in times when I have needed You the most. And I thank You for encouraging me to do better next time, to challenge myself to run to You for everything that I need. AMEN! LET ALL THE EARTH PRAISE OUR GOD! Exodus 15:2 “The LORD is my strength and my defense ; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. 2 Samuel 22:4 “I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and have been saved from my enemies. 2 Samuel 22:47 “The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be my God, the Rock, my Savior! 1 Kings 8:56 “Praise be to the LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses. 1 Chronicles 16:36 Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Then all the people said “Amen” and “Praise the LORD.” Job 1:21 ....“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.” Psalm 66:20 Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!

Rejoicing

Today is a day that I want to take to rejoice in my Lord God and the people that support me, pray for me, and completely love on me. I don't deserve any of this love, yet it's given so freely. 1 year and 3 months ago, I went to La Villa de San Antonio near Comayagua, Honduras. I fell in love with a country in a little over a week, and have struggled and wrestled with wanting to go back. I didn't understand why my heart had been so broken for a country that I couldn't be in at the moment. I probably have talked with God more this year than I have ever before. People encouraged me to read scripture, to read books on leadership and God, to really seek what God wanted from me, not just what I wanted. God grew my patience and taught me to love myself for who I am because He has transformed me and is still transforming me to do His will and to have true beauty because of Him. This coming January, I will be returning to Honduras to teach at a wonderful school called Ruach in Comayagua. I am beyond thrilled and I just want to extend an enormous thanks to all my friends, mentors, and family who have given me their time, wisdom, and support towards the desire that I believe God has given me. God put you specifically in my life to help me defeat the discouragement of Satan. I love you all and I praise God for you!! God is so good.

Exciting news

I am in the process of applying at a school in Honduras, and it sounds really positive!! I am so excited :) I haven't been on in a while, so i'll update you on new stuff: I had a garage sale over one weekend, running myself almost ragged with little sleep. But it went so amazing!! I was able to raise about $300 over a three day sale. I had a few small donations too, which are not small at all in my mind. Everything God gives to me to further His purpose for me is crazy good. The school is located in Comayagua, Honduras, and it serves low income to higher income children. I may teach 6-7th grade math, but everything is still pretty much in the beginning process, so i don't know for sure yet. The directors are super nice, and I cannot wait to meet them. They are a married couple, they met in Honduras but are both (I believe) originally from the U.S. They have a really cute son, and you can tell that their hearts are on fire and full with passion for God. One of the pastors in La Villa and his new wife work at the school, and I hope to get to know them better in the future. God willing, I will be at the school teaching from feb-november!!!! ITS INCREDIBLE~~ I CANNOT THANK GOD ENOUGH. NEVER! THANK YOU YESHUA WHO ALWAYS, ALWAYS ANSWERS PRAYERS!

Worship Him

Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go? Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow? Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light, Yet, conceals it to bring us the coolness of night? None can fathom... Indescribable, uncontainable You placed the stars in the sky And You know them by name You are amazing, God Laura Story and Jesse Reeves What a mind blowing message this song contains!! Who tells each and every lightning bolt to go here, or go there? Who filled heavenly storehouses with snow? Who thought up the sun and how it would heat the earth and bring us warmth and light? Who then takes it away to give us a refreshing, cooler restful time? Let us thank our Great Heavenly Father today and always and just bask in His love and blessings, giving back to Him in praise and acts of service that He has planned in foresight for us!! "THE MOON AND THE STARS DECLARE WHO YOU ARE. IM SO UNWORTHY BUT STILL YOU LOVE ME!..ALL GLORY AND THE POWER IS YOURS AMEN!!."

God is always working

Time doesn't heal wounds; God heals wounds. Let Him take your hurt, your fear, and watch Him transform your most profound pain into your life's purpose. I have been in a lot of pain lately, emotional pain. I never would have imagined my life to be like this even five years ago. It is the most fulfilling and yet heart-wrenching part of my life so far. God put on my heart to love the people of Honduras, and I miss them so much. Photos from there, messages from people there, just tug at my heart strings. It is hard though, to help people see your heart for missions when you are so young. It is difficult to explain to your non-believing relatives the joy and the promise that comes from God working in your life. I met an incredible young man who is now my boyfriend. He lives in a different country from me. I just want to give him a hug when he is feeling down, to encourage him face to face, but I can't right now. He is a wonderful example of God and I see him fighting to be the best he can be every single day of his life.. And truly I am amazed. God is going to do wonderful, miraculous things through him. My life is a testimony. I have been in the lonely place of depression and anxiety, battling my fears and worries through each and every day. I have been low, and high, and I am finally seeing the other side. The part where God took a hold of my heart and threw away my worries into the abyss of the past. He used my past to help those struggling in the present, to help change their perspective on the future. I am in the teaching place. God is stretching me, changing me, transforming me. He is showing me how to have His peace in my heart even when my life feels totally out of control. He is showing me the power of patience, and of waiting for God to act when He wants to. I am learning that even when I feel called to a part of the world, I still need to keep an open heart to going wherever and whenever God wants me to go. It's a hard journey. It's never been easy. But I wouldn't change it. Not for the world. GOD IS SO GOOD ALL THE TIME!! GRACIAS YESHUA!

God works in miraculous ways.

God is SO incredible!! He knows JUST what I need, when I need it. I was just crying out to Him last night, telling Him how I feel that no one understands me, how frustrated I was, and He came through for me. I just want to say, it was NOT God's job to 'fix' my situation. I truly believe that part of my problems of frustration are from living in an imperfect world, and the other half is that I am human. I have a really hard time being patient and having a heart of peace because I am constantly struggling against my sinful self. That is not God's problem, yet because He LOVES us so much, He promises to help us. Anyways, last night I went to hang out with friends, and I got to talk with one of them about how I have been feeling lately. Her dream for a career is also very 'different' from what most people her age would be going for. But it is something that she has a heart for, and she enjoys it! Some of her relatives don't always understand her point of view for how she is approaching life. It was very refreshing to hear from someone who got what I was going through. She is her own person, and she has a specific gift from God, to use as He sees fit. Not how the world sees fit, but how He sees fit. It doesn't matter if you are going for a domestic or international career, a career out of the norm, or a career not so out of the 'norm', as long as you are following what God wants for you and you don't let others dissuade you from fulfilling your purpose because it isn't the norm in your family, in your culture, or your country. Unfortunately, I woke up feeling down and frustrated again. Trust me, I need a lot of practice on changing my mode of thinking! I was feeling homesick for Honduras. I logged onto my facebook, and I received a very encouraging note from someone in Honduras that I look up to a lot. It wasn't long or fancy, but it got straight to my heart and refreshed my soul. God knew that I was having a tough day, and He used one of my Sisters in the Lord to change my perspective. I can talk my friends' ears off about how to live and how I try to see things, but if I am not practicing it in my own life, I am like a man who 'looks in a mirror, leaves, and forgets what he looks like'. (This is a verse in the Bible, I just paraphrased it.)It serves no use. You can know the right thing, you can preach it until you are blue in the face, but it won't change anything in your life unless you actually put it into practice. You have the information, now you have to put it to good use, don't waste it. So, my next lesson to practice is finding things that I am thankful for, and writing them down where I can see them. To write down ways that I can be an encouraging and useful force for the Kingdom that is coming. and then, to put those objectives into practice, keep them on my mind, and memorize scripture that encourages me. One step at a time, one day at a time, One purpose, to serve God and to do what He wants me to do now, not just want I want to do.

Spiritual differences in gifts.

I am Honduras crazy. Sometimes, I even feel a little crazy because I just want to be there so bad. This type of desire isn't quote "normal" for my stage of life. Most people my age are about to begin their senior year, and are exciting for the next stage, college. Which is totally great. The only problem is when I want to talk to people about my dream. I get questions about "so are you going to college?," or "Why would you want to do that?" I just get bogged down sometimes. But I have to remember, that God wired all His children in different ways. People who aren't Christians definitely won't get why I want to do what I want to do. And other Christians may not have all the insight or feelings that I do. And that's ok. God gave a specific job to all of His children, and even for people in the same field, their specific purpose is different from their teammate's/coworker's specific purpose in that field. 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 (Bold type added by me) 4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. 7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues.[b] 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. Well, some more praying and reading of the Bible for me. :) Even if no one else understands completely, my brothers in Christ have wisdom to share. And God knows my feelings exactly :)... In the meantime, if you read this, will you pray for me? I could really use it. Patience and Peace are top on my list, and I'm trying my best to have them. It's hard, but it's a journey that can be completed with the help of the LORD. Thank You Yeshua for never giving up on me!! :)

Humility -- Humilidad

I am learning to forgive and look over offenses. It is really hard for me to forgive when people hurt me in deep ways. I'm not proud of that fact, and God is teaching me every day to see things from His point of view instead of my own. God forgives me multiple times every single day, every single week, every single year. And He's GOD. I'm not just sinning against fellow man, I'm sinning against a divine being!! Luke 6:37 [ Judging Others ] “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Matthew 6:15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 18:21-22 21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[a] We are to continually forgive our brothers, because God continually forgives us, imperfect beings. When someone hurts me, it can be like a knife in the heart. When I forgive someone, I feel sometimes like I'm pulling that knife out really fast. It stings. But just like a bandage, sometimes taking it all off at once is the best thing. Because if I leave that knife in, it will get infected and grow up bitterness inside myself. God is able to heal my open wound. But I have to let Him take that knife out if He is to heal me and work in me. It's hard, it hurts, and it feels like the other person gets away scratch-free, ready to hurt me again. But God has a plan for their heart, as well as mine. But I CANNOT change their heart. Only God can. And in reality, at the end of the day me and that other person are equal. Equal in our sinfulness, that is. God doesn't keep track of our sins, but He recognizes that each of us are sinful creatures. He wants to heal us, but He can't if we won't first look at the problem inside ourselves instead of trying to fix the problem of our brother. Matthew 7:4-6 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. It's humbling, but if you ask God for humility, then He will do just that. :) God is such an amazing God!! Thank YOU FATHER, for ALWAYS, without FAIL, forgiving us all. "If you, LORD, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand?" [Psalm 130:3] May I be an instrument in making Your Kingdom come Lord, please. Amen

God's name

Signature of the Divine by NeedToBreathe Cathedrals have tried in vain To show the image of Your face. But we are, by Your design, The signature of divine. We'll always sing Your name. Forever and today. Yahweh, Yahweh... Great is Your glory when You go before me Oh, we sing... Holy, Holy... Your ways are lovely. So high above me. Yahweh (Bold type by me ;) ) I love this song. Yahweh is one of the many, many names of God. So, I have decided to research some of the names of God. I used bibletopics.com as my resource. YAHWEH -- also spelled YHWH.. YHWH is a tetragram that was changed to YAHWEH in the 16th Century. Means "Lord" or "The Eternal God". ADONAI -- comes from the Hebrew "adon", meaning Lord, Adonia is translated in two ways: "Lord" or "My Lord" EHYEH -- best translation is -- "I AM" EL -- "God".. Not the same as most names of God, this one could apply to "gods (idols)" EL ELYON -- "The most high God" or "God Most High" EL SHADDAI -- "God Almighty" ELOHê YISRA’EL -- "The God of Israel" YAHWEH TSEVA'OT -- "Lord of Hosts" YAHWEH ELOHIM -- "Creator and God of Israel" Pretty breathtaking huh? I love the names of GOD. They hold so much power. They create a connection for us to talk with our Creator. We can call Abba, Father!, Lord GOD!, Jesus! and He WILL hear us. We must call on Him fully believing Him to hear us though, or we will be "like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind." -- James 1:6b LET US BRING GLORY TO YOUR NAME GOD, NOW AND FOREVER!

His sanctuary

"Lord prepare me to be a sanctuary pure and holy, tried and true with thanksgiving I'll be a living sanctuary for YOU!!" < What a great song to take to heart. Wherever God takes me, let Him prepare me to be a sanctuary for Him, a witness for Him, a light for Him! THANK YOU JESUS FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO TO PREPARE ME AND WORK FOR ME!! AMEN John 8:12 [ Dispute Over Jesus’ Testimony ] When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Luke 8:16-17(NIV) A Lamp on a Stand 16 “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. 17 For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.

Thanks Yahweh, Thank YOU MARVILLOSO DIOS

I want to give my life to You I want to love You all my mind With all my strength with all my soul Please enter me, please come close to me please pick me up when I fall help me to follow even when I don't understand I need Your strength, I need Your love You never hold back Your love from me You're all I need My strength seeps, my tears fall but You are with me through it all I want to say thank YOU I don't say it enough Yahweh, Yahweh May it be YOUR WAY ALWAYS LORD, LORD, May I always call with a heart full of hope, of faith, not of doubt Please forgive me for my doubts I'm never perfect, yet You never leave me Thank You Thank You I'll never be enough But You have a plan for me, with Your strength I'll never give up Help me to love Yours as I love myself Help me to love myself even when I mess up Help me to love You every day of my life It doesn't mean that there will never be strife Help me to be pure, true, and loyal selfless, sacrificing, never lazy never impure, hating, or lonely I know You are there, I'm never alone I'm sorry for my sins, One day I'll be Home. Heaven's a dream now, then a reality Honduras, I love, what a beautiful country Thank You for those people, their hearts are bellos Thank You, for a chance to help them Thank You, for their love towards You, so passionate and daring Their love toward me, their selfless sharing I pray I may return this love to them, and share the good news among them again whether in deed or by word, even when its absurd never taking credit for myself, but giving Glory to You oh Blessed Yahweh, Yeshua, El Elohim, Adonai, Abba, Father, Lord, Savior, God, Dios, Senor!!! Thank YOU THANK YOU !!!!!! Delaney, Your daughter

God's wisdom

Today I read a little bit of Isaiah. I am constantly amazed at the wisdom that I am able to find there. You don't have to hear God's voice literally to gain wisdom from Him and to receive His touch in your life. God can speak to you through other believers, through His Word, and yes sometimes He reveals Himself in visions and in clear, audible, words. I believe that God still talks and reveals Himself to His children in crazy amazing ways. God has so, SO much to tell you if you ask Him. God initiated the saving grace process, you accept Him and then you have to search for Him. He can reach out to you, press things on your heart, but relationships only go so far when they are one-way. Did you ever have a relationship where you tried again and again to connect with someone, and no matter what, they ignored you? This relationship probably didn't go far. It's the same with God. You want to know about Him? You want to know about His perfect plan for Your life? He wants to tell you about these things. But He can't force them on you. You have to ask, to search for these things. Here are some verses about wisdom from God. I know it's a lot, but try to stay with me and read at least some of them.(all of these are NIV version; parentheses added by me) Jeremiah 33:2-3 2 “This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it—the Lord is his name: 3 ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’(*FINDING WISDOM*) Exodus 31:2-5 2 “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills (*PURPOSE*)— 4 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 5 to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts. (For making the tent of meeting for God) 1 Kings 3:5,7,9-13 5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”...7 “Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties... 9 So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” 10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11 So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, 12 I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. 13 Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor —so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. Job 28:18,28 Coral and jasper are not worthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies... And he said to the human race, “The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.” Psalm 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise. Proverbs 2:1-5 Moral Benefits of Wisdom 2 My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, 2 turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding — 3 indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, 4 and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, 5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18-21 Christ Crucified Is God’s Power and Wisdom 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”[c] 20 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. (God's wisdom is different than the worlds' and ours') Isaiah 55:8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. What a mind-blowing bunch of verses... seriously, I had to pick only a few. THERE ARE SO MANY VERSES ABOUT WISDOM IN THE BIBLE!!! Though different sources say different things, My best source says that wisdom is used 149 times ONLY in the Old Testament!!! Another source tells me that it is used 51 times only in PROVERBS. One book of the Old Testament! This should point something out to us: God DESIRES US to have wisdom! He doesn't want us to be aimlessly fumbling around in our world, because He has an amazing plan for our lives! His wisdom reveals this plan to us, and teaches how to live according to His will. So don't stop searching! Keep on digging for God's wisdom :) He can't wait to share more with you!!!! Blessings in Christ, Delaney <3

A little more encouragement :) and a bit of humility for me

His hope always comes. Things may seem to be at their worst, there may seem like no way out, but His hope comes. He paves us a way through the desert, through the storm, through the forests, through the lush green meadows. His love abounds unfailingly, unconditionally, and without measure. He seeks to make us the best we can be, He plans our lives and brings purpose to them, He comforts us when we fail, when we are tired, when we are on our last grain of energy. When the tears well up inside, He is there. He is a good God. He is powerful, we can never hope to understand His ways or His thoughts. He could take us out in the flash of a second, and He can restore us from our darkest moments. We can never pay Him back. But we can accept His grace and His call to discipleship. He payed a great price to bring us grace. He loved us while we were still far from Him. Trust Him, be still, and talk to Him. He will guide you and give you wisdom when you ask, believing that He can do miracles and change your life. Sometimes I need to write this sort of thing out. I know God's promises but sometimes I get so caught up in what I THINK should happen now, or what I'M FEELING. I need to express myself and remind myself what a GREAT God I serve. For Christians who come from middle class families in the U.S., including ME, it is so easy to fall into the feeling of entitlement of God's good gifts. I feel so ashamed to admit it. We think, I go to church, I read my Bible, I, I, I,..... UGH!! NOTHING I AM ABLE TO DO IS BY MY POWER. Can I repeat that again?? NOTHING I AM ABLE TO DO IS BY MY POWER. I KNOW that I am NOT entitled to anything, mentally I realize it, but I slip into having thoughts like, "Why am I not doing this right now? Aren't I doing everything that I am SUPPOSED to do, God?" There we go again .. I.. Aren't I doing everything... God doesn't OWE me anything. He has blessed me way beyond my desert. You know why?? I DON'T DESERVE ANYTHING!! ZIP. ZILCH. NADA. NOTHING! Why does God even think about me? In the Bible there is a verse that says Psalm 8:4 KJV 4 What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that Thou visitest him? and.... James 4:13-14 (NIV) Boasting About Tomorrow 13 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. It is a bit of a reality check for me. I have always been amazed at how God has a purpose FOR EVERY HUMAN BEING. There are BILLIONS of people alive on this planet, not to mention those in centuries past. Man is a MIST to God, and yet He has a plan for each and everyone, He cares for each and everyone. Can we please give Him some credit? How about ALL of the credit and glory, and HONOR!!! All is due to Him, nothing to us. It certainly helps you to have some humility and gain patience, knowing that God is going to take care of you. I hope that this helps someone, someday, as a witness of Christ and not me. I want humility, not fame.

You are a missionary

I feel like many people think that they are not are missionary if they are not ACTUALLY on a mission trip, or if they don't 'feel' the calling to be a missionary. I know that I have fallen for the first one. I have been thinking about it lately, and I've come to the conclusion that all of God's children are missionaries. What IS a missionary exactly? Psalm 96:1-3(NIV) 1 Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. 2 Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. 3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. (bold type added by myself) Matthew 28:18-20(NIV) 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” When people read this second set of verses, what do they hear? GO, ALL NATIONS. But this doesn't mean you have to leave YOUR nation to be a missionary. Yes, God DOES call missionaries to go to other nations, but you can be a missionary RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE.Your nation is included in ALL NATIONS. Go, get off of your couch and MAKE DISCIPLES, TEACH PEOPLE, GET DOWN ON YOUR KNEES AND PRAY FOR THEM, PROCLAIM HIS SALVATION DAY AFTER DAY, RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE!! Just because I believe that God has called me to a different country doesn't mean that while I'm waiting to go there I should just sit around. God calls us to be ACTIVE. To GO. There are people here that are hurting. I tend to get sad about being far from Honduras and I just sit. Yes I read my Bible, yes I go to church, but a lot of times I just sit, stagnant. I believe that there is nothing worse than a stagnant Christian. Revelation 3:14-16 (NIV) To the Church in Laodicea 14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. Yesterday I went to a Food Pantry and served bagging cucumbers, preparing hot dogs, and passing them out to cars as they collected their free groceries. I was dripping with sweat, and the people who came to get food weren't always the cleanest. But they are GOD'S CREATION! Their Father in Heaven cares about them and wants them to know HIM. I am a witness, caring for God's people who need food. I was able to give them a hot (lol) hot dog that could fill their hungry bellies. To tell you the truth, I LOVE THAT SORT OF WORK. Where you drip sweat and you help people in Jesus' name. I get to go there a second time next week! So please don't sit around like I have done. Get up with me, and serve God's people right where you are. If you feel called to a different nation, that is AWESOME!! Pray to God for Him reveal to you if that is really God's plan for you. Then wait patiently for His answer, but GO. Work right where God has you NOW, in the ways He provides for you. and His answer WILL COME. But not in your time, but in His time, which is always the BEST! May God bless you always!

I AM

Sometimes I feel so bipolar. I wonder if other missionaries do. You try to be upbeat, smile for the people around you, and live life to the fullest while you are at home. Yet, you never lose the aching in your heart, the sharp pains that come every once and again. The longing to be with the people you fell in love with, impacting their lives by God's grace and wisdom. Your heart has been doubled. Half of its here at home, and the other, furiously beating half, is back in, well in my case, Honduras. It seems to go from a trusting God all the way to a "What is going on Lord? I know You have me in Your hands, but I'm worried." WELL, there's my mistake. Three letters, b-u-t. BUT Lord, I think I know better than You. BUT Lord, I think this time is better than Yours. BUT Lord, I think I'd better try to do it on my own than depend solely on You. I can just imagine Him replying, "BUT WHAT DELANEY? WHO formed your body out of trillions of tiny cells that all contain your DNA? WHO created the entire world and the millions of people in it? WHO brought you to Honduras and eased your anxiety about leaving home? WHO designed you for your specific unique life? WHO knows you better than you even know YOURSELF?? WHO DELANEY, WHO IS THIS? .... I AM .... Not I WAS A GREAT GOD IN THE PAST TOO LATE NOW, NOT I WILL BE A GREAT GOD LATER WHEN I FEEL LIKE IT, I AM. I WAS, I WILL BE, BUT I AM RIGHT NOW!! I FORMED THE EARTH, I KEEP THE HEAVENS, THE PLANETS, EVEN THE TINY MOLECULES IN YOUR BODY, ALL RUNNING THE RIGHT WAY THEY SHOULD FOR THEM TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE. I SET THE WHOLE WORLD IN A CERTAIN BALANCE THAT IF ALTERED WOULD COLLAPSE ALTOGETHER. I AM" Can we just step back and listen to Him whisper that? Genesis 28:13-15 New International Version (NIV) 13 There above it[a] stood the Lord, and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.[b] 15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you. ”

Thankfulness in a year's timing

Today is a special day. It is the one year anniversary since God changed my life dramatically! I got to meet my best friend, and boyfriend now. I fell in love with a culture that is so full of hope, joy, and love, even in the midst of some pretty hard circumstances. Honduras is built up with the love of God. They've had problems with their government leaders in the past. They have problems with troubled youths, they suffered a fire that killed hundreds of troubled, yet God-created people with souls. Yet I have watched a church and a community stand up with the power of God and take charge of their lives in a sense. They don't have control over everything, but they have been given certain abilities to help raise up a generation who loves God and is seeking the best for their nation. It is incredible. The perseverance of two people has astounded me. Peter Hearne jr. and his new wife Katherine. Wow. If you want an example of two young people throwing their lives entirely into God's hands and towards His will, look at Kathy and Peter. Their lives are not about them. Their lives make me want to get up and do something. Something that God has uniquely planned for me. God took a depressed, anxiety stricken person and He raised her up fearless. Me. He gave me courage to do what I had never done before. He gave me wisdom to learn to wait patiently for His timing. He gave me unconditional love to share with those around me. He gave me so many gifts I didn't deserve. And He gave me one of the most beautiful people I have EVER met, for a best friend. Jonathan. He is modest, not prideful, he is wise beyond many guys his age. He loves me even when I am tired, sweaty, and pitiful. He sees the good in me even when I don't. He pours himself into schoolwork and working to get an education and provide for himself. He listens to God speaking into his heart. and Jonathan acts. Jonathan is not perfect. But he is special. A very special gift that I can never take for granted. I pray I NEVER will. I hope that I know him for much longer than 1 year. But this year has been an amazing gift. Thank YOU YESHUA!!! I LOVE YOU AND I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT YOU DO NEXT

Weakness and His strength

Feeling sad missing a very special people... But I had a very good Sabbath time with God this afternoon listening to the Bible aloud and resting. :)I finished Acts and went on to Romans. I love to hear God speaking through His Word to me, especially in my weakness. I feel so weak right now, so easily worried, and so easily persuaded to doubt. At times I feel so confident in God, so sure of his presence and His will in my life. And then I get into a mood like now. I hate it. I KNOW GOD has a plan for ME. I KNOW that He LOVES me. I KNOW that in the end, HIS will WILL be done. I just need to sit back and relax. Lately, I have been feeling more confident in God and all He has for me, but its easy to slip into the kind of mood I have right now. I don't have the answers I want right now. But that doesn't mean God isn't moving and working in my life. Everything is by and to God's glory!! Thank YOU YESHUA for always knowing what is BEST for me, even when I can't see what YOU see. Amen Romans 8:26-30 26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, becaus...e the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[i] have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

Worship to my King

Every day is a new struggle. Every day is a new victory. To You God I sing. To You God I bring myself, my offerings. The world is trying to take my soul. Please hold on to my soul. You are the Only One who matters. I'm waiting, but I'm still impatient. I'm trying, I'm crying, I'm descending, I'm gaining. Time keeps going forward. I can't stop it even if I try There's nothing to be gained if I could control the world. My soul would be in turmoil, a constant battle. YOU ALONE are worthy, YOU ALONE are mighty, Oh GOD.

Fathers day... Some verses

Verses about Fathers.... HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!!! Psalm 68:5 Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. (ESV) Psalm 10:14 But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless. Psalm 27:10 Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me. Psalm 103:13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; Proverbs 1:8 [ Prologue: Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom ] [ Warning Against the Invitation of Sinful Men ] Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. Proverbs 3:11-12 11 My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, 12 because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.[a]

Blessed by God

I'm so ridiculously blessed. There is no way I could ever pay back God for what He has done for me... Wow... Thank YOU JEHOVAH!! I still have many mountains to face but I need to stop and remember all of my blessings that I have been given that I could never deserve. Remember that God has a plan for you. Even when the mountains are looming, don't turn back. God has promised us that if we have the faith of a small mustard seed, mountains can move. God bless you all :) Psalm 86:11-13(NIV) 11 Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. 12 I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. 13 For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths, from the realm of the dead

Psalm 37 -- My Prayer

Psalm 37 New International Version (NIV) Psalm 37[a] Of David. 1 Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; 2 for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. 3 Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. 4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: 6 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. 7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. 8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret —it leads only to evil. 9 For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land. 10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. 11 But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity. 12 The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; 13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming. 14 The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright. 15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken. 16 Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; 17 for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous. 18 The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care, and their inheritance will endure forever. 19 In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty. 20 But the wicked will perish: Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field, they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke. 21 The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously; 22 those the Lord blesses will inherit the land, but those he curses will be destroyed. 23 The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; 24 though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand. 25 I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. 26 They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be a blessing.[b] 27 Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever. 28 For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed[c]; the offspring of the wicked will perish. 29 The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever. 30 The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom, and their tongues speak what is just. 31 The law of their God is in their hearts; their feet do not slip. 32 The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, intent on putting them to death; 33 but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wicked or let them be condemned when brought to trial. 34 Hope in the Lord and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it. 35 I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a luxuriant native tree, 36 but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found. 37 Consider the blameless, observe the upright; a future awaits those who seek peace.[d] 38 But all sinners will be destroyed; there will be no future[e] for the wicked. 39 The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. 40 The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.

God has a calling on our lives!

Jeremiah 1:4-10(NIV) The Call of Jeremiah 4 The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew[a] you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. ” 6 “Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.” 7 But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord. 9 Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”

Waiting for God's time and a little bit of excitement :)

So I found my 'dream' place to serve at in Honduras -- It is called Ruach academy, and it is a school DIRECTLY located in Comayagua, HONDURAS!! ahh I would be super excited if I got to work there for a semester or... longer! Always, this is God's decision, not mine. Because, I need to comply with and listen to God and His plans for my life, or my life will take a downward spiral. God isn't 'forcing' me to go down a certain path. I have a choice. Some people look at it and say, "well God is forcing me to go this way or He will strike me down." Well, I don't know about striking you down, but He sees the WHOLE PICTURE. It's like a parent telling their teen not to have sex before marriage. The teens don't always want to believe that waiting is the best. They see something good and want it now. Why wouldn't their parents want something good for them?? Because the timing is wrong. And the good thing will become extraordinarily good if you WAIT. Maybe God wants you to wait to do something, or He sees a BETTER way for you. He isn't forcing you to go one way, but He wants it for you out of LOVE!!! LOVE!! The struggles you may have to go through to move toward something, the waiting that you have to endure to get to something, is out of LOVE. God knows all the pain that you would go through if you chose to do something now, when He has a better time for it, or if you choose something that He doesn't will for you, when He has a better plan for your life. LISTEN TO GOD. WAIT. ACCEPT HIS LOVE AND HIS WAY! THANK YOU YESHUA FOR ALWAYS WANTING WHAT IS BEST FOR ME AND YOUR KINGDOM! MAY YOUR KINGDOM COME AND YOUR WILL BE DONE!!

A little encouragement

Have you ever felt the nudge or call to do something? What pains you right down to the bone? What gnaws at you until you have to do something because it just won't leave you alone? Did you ever fell that maybe God was calling you? Do you feel too young, too old, too weak, too unable, too busy, to do something about these nudges? Do you pray "God, is this something You want me to involve myself in? Do You want me to further Your Kingdom in this way?" Are you ready to throw yourself so deep into God's call on your life so that you can feel God holding you and watch Him show up in magnificent ways? I am. Can you truly say that: "I am", to God, truly? I'm ready. With God's strength, I'm ready. Can you say, "God use me here, use me anywhere You want me to be? Not what I will, but YOUR WILL BE DONE."? YOUR WAY, NOT my way. WHERE YOU WANT, NOT where I want. YOUR TIME, NOT my time. YOUR PEOPLE, NOT who I want to be with. Yes, God has drilled into you desires and dreams that can be used to further His kingdom, but it is because GOD PUT THEM THERE! Are you willing to say "Take out of me any desire that is not Your own!"? To young people: The call of Jeremiah Jeremiah 1:4-10 4 The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. ” 6 “Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.” 7 But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord. 9 Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” To everyone: Acts 2:1-4,13-17 The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost 2 When the day of Pentecost came, they [the disciples] were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them. 13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.” 14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.God has a purpose for each one of us! DON'T waste your life chasing temporal things when God's kingdom is COMING SOON! No one knows the day or the hour, but we know that His kingdom could come at ANY unsuspecting moment! Do you want to fulfill your life's purpose that God uniquely ordained for YOUR life BEFORE you were born?? 2 Timothy 4:1-8 4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage —with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. 6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day —and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. Fighting the Good Fight is NOT, and will NEVER be, impossible! It WILL, without a doubt, be very hard. You may have family members, and friends turn against you. But this happened to Jesus too. His own home town didn't accept Him and His ministry. The people in the area where He grew up would not listen to him. He had to talk with people He didn't know, go into situations that wouldn't be comfortable to us. He died an excruciating death that we will probably NEVER have to experience! For us, a group of sinners, who have the choice to turn away from Him and to refuse His free gift if we choose so. So, if you experience defeat, ridicule, hardship, remember Who fought the good fight to save all Humanity. Pray, and ask God to make it clear where He wants you. I'm going to be praying hard. I'm going to struggle, I'm going to fail. But, with the mercy and grace of God, I'm going to get back up again and try it over. And if you ask, I'll pray for you too. I'm not perfect and the Lord knows I need a lot of help. I'd appreciate your prayers too. DON'T QUIT! FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT, wait PATIENTLY through hardships, GLORIFY your FATHER, and RECEIVE GRATEFULLY the CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS at the end. I know that it's going to be WORTH IT! "The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you." -- 2 Timothy 4:22

9 months

9 months. That's how long it takes for a baby to grow, form, and become ready for this world they have not a single clue about. Funny, I've never been pregnant before, but I've been going on my own 9 month journey. 9 months of struggling against God, and with God towards what HE WANTS, and what I WANT for my life. Babies sometimes want to come out of the womb too early, or later than when they are expected. Sometimes I want to do things before its time, or put them off to a later date when I don't feel ready, or just don't want to do them. But God has plan a lot different than mine at times.. He has His own schedule, His own appointments, that I could never fully comprehend until we are face to face. If He says go, it MEANS go!! And if He says no, or not yet, it means WAIT, or I have something BETTER in mind. If you look at it on the other side, if a baby doesn't want to come out, it won't be forced (unless you have a c-section). If it wants to come out early, you usually can't stop it. That's like God too. If He is going to do something, He will do it, even if you think that you aren't ready. If He decides that you aren't ready, you won't get anywhere by trying to force the issue. Things happen in GOD'S time. If God wants me to return to Honduras and teach kids math, or help orphans and widows, or construct new churches and houses, IT WILL HAPPEN. BUT, in GOD'S TIME, NOT MINE!!! Thank You Yeshua, for holding on to me even when I try to fight against You. Help me to wait for Your PERFECT timing, and not try to do anything in my own time. AMEN

One day

It's just one of those days when I need Your strength so much more Father God. You have blessed me so much that I can NEVER repay You, EVER. If I lived for all eternity working for You it wouldn't be sufficient for what You have done ALREADY in my life!! Thank You for my family, my boyfriend and his family, Your church in La Villa, in Chicago, in Nicaragua, in Haiti, in Canton, MI, and so many other places. I pray that You will lead and guide Your churches wherever they are and protect Your children. You always have been, and will be FAITHFUL. You know that I struggle with patience, with trust, with my doubts. You know that my spirit is willing, but that it is not time yet for me to return for Honduras. I don't know all the reasons, I don't know all Your plans, but I DO KNOW that You are in control of all of Your children's lives! HALLELUJAH!! Praise the Father. Father, I feel sometimes that because I mess up or I am not good enough now, that that is the reason why I am not in Honduras yet. But I know now that that is a lie. I could never be 'good enough' to receive any good gift from You. It is impossible. Yet I know that You bless me even when I fail because You LOVE ME!! 'YOUR LOVE NEVER FAILS!!!' I hope to sing that out in Honduras and around the world one day, but for now God, and each day of my life, I will try my best to learn patience and wisdom from You, and give You the glory no matter my situations. I LOVE YOU YESHUA

As it is in Heaven Yeshua Please

"In the name of Jesus we pray"... I love the song As It is in Heaven by Matt Maher.. Wow... Yes Jesus!! Let Your Kingdom come, let YOUR WILL BE DONE. So many days I feel like putting down the fight to get into mission work and say God "I can't do it. I GIVE UP!!" But wait a minute. Who is REALLY fighting for me?? Can I really accomplish anything by myself? Am I acting like everything rests on me and my back? I CANNOT DO ANYTHING WITHOUT GOD WHO PROVIDES. I need to be rescued, to be directed, to be loved by an amazing God who knows me so much better than I know myself. He knows my heart for missions, I believe He put it there in my heart. He is going to carry to completion whatever good work He has started in me! The Bible PROMISES that. GOD PROMISES THAT TO ME. and I don't deserve it. I can never work off the debt I have accrued against my Father God. Yet He chooses me for HIS purpose. Not mine. So how am I going to accomplish a purpose I DIDN'T PLAN?? I'm Not.... I need the blueprint, the map from God. And Patience. A whole lot of that. And it will come. It will, God will bring strength to His weary if they will give in, humble themselves and KNOW that they are NOT in control!! GRACIAS JEHOVAH!!

Forgiveness

I forgive you

I forgive you for saying that I'm just a copy cat by wanting to go into missions

I forgive you for saying that I have the wrong reasons

I forgive you for all the hurtful words you have brought against me

I ask you to forgive me for all the wrong I have wrought against you

Forgiveness -- What do you think of when you see this word?
I guess I try to forgive others, but sometimes really hurtful things don't slip past the 'forgiveness gate'. They stay in the gate. Wedged, waiting. Like all the times people have misunderstood me because they can't see my heart or they don't know Christ. How could I ever want to go into a field where I will never make good money? How could I 'waste' my skills by not going into engineering or even college right away, if ever? What if serving for religious reasons seems so crazy to my relatives who don't know YOU, Lord?
Thank You for helping me to forgive at last and to see that Your hand is always at work in my life. Please guide me and direct me for YOUR plans, not mine, not any one elses.
Amen

Middle class christians?

I'm a middle class american. My dad works a good job, but we will never be rich with the amount of kids we have. I've never been without food, there's always been presents underneath the Christmas tree each year. I have a bed, a roof over my head, and two loving parents. For the most part, my life has been pretty normal. I've had my struggles. I have battled depression and anxiety for the past three years. It has improved, but it's a lifetime thing. But you know what? I don't want to end my life as just a 'middle class citizen' or a 'good person'. I don't want to be a 'middle class christian' either. I want my life to scream who my Creator and Savior is. I am nothing without him, and everything that has been provided for me is from him. I struggle to walk the path He has laid for me. Sometimes I lie down and say "God, i'm really struggling. I want to do what's right, but I don't know where to go from here." I struggle with being criticized, judged, and dealing with my failures. But you know what? I am NEVER ALONE. Do you know what Jesus says about 'middle class christians'? That he wants to spit them out! Have you ever eaten anything or tasted a new drink, and it was the worst thing imaginable? You wanted to spit it RIGHT out of your mouth. That is how luke-warm christians 'taste' to our Savior. If our faith is just a label, our faith is USELESS! Absolutely useless. In Luke, Christ refers to us and our faith as salt, able to 'season' the world we are in. But if we are just empty salt without flavor, we are not even able to be thrown into the manure pile! Now I have to say something. I am not trying to hit anyone over the head. I am no better than any other person, and I fail daily. What I DO want us all to think about is HOW MUCH time are we dedicating to God in our lives? Do we work with God, instead of trying to have God work alongside US? Are we faint to tell others about Him and His love, or to even let others know that He is a part of our lives? God out of His great love purposed each and EVERY one of us to change some part of the world. Are you ready to follow and work for the God who you can never repay? He made the world, the plants we use to make our food, He destined us for a purpose, He chooses our spouses and our families, He COMFORTS US. DON'T lose your saltiness. Help to change the world with HIS POWER.

Revelation 3:15-16 (NIV)

15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.



Luke 14:34-35 34 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? 35 It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.

“Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

Continue Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving makes me sad. Well, not all of it, but one thing in particular. Why one day? One day of thanksgiving? Why do we often times forget to thank God and wait until thanksgiving to praise Him as much as we should? Why can't we make a habit of praising and thanking God for all the blessings we receive, daily, or even multiple times daily? The truth is that we can. David was shepherd, a psalmist, and a king from the Old Testament. He gave God a lot of thanks. The Book of Psalms is filled with David's praise to the Lord: Psalm 124:1-3 1 If the Lord had not been on our side— let Israel say— 2 if the Lord had not been on our side when people attacked us, 3 they would have swallowed us alive when their anger flared against us; Psalm 144:1 Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. Psalm 145:1 I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. Psalm 65:1 Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled. Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. David didn't shy away from publicly declaring his love for his Creator 2 Samuel 6:14-16, 21-22: 14 Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, 15 while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets. 16 As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart... 21 David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the Lord. 22 I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.” (caps and italics added in by me; verses from the NIV Bible) How often do we shy away from praising God in public? Now I'm not talking about praising God in order to gain the approval of men, I'm talking about our acknowledgement of Him. Do you feel embarrassed praying in public, do you worry about how you appear to others? Are you ready to share your beliefs with others, or do you compromise them to fit in? Are you constantly on 'good behavior' when you're with other believers, but change your habits when you are with your non-believing friends? I stumble in this too at times, and I hate it. It's something I will have to work on and keep in check everyday of my life. And I will gladly do it for Him! GOD DESERVES OUR PRAISE! In fact, God is the ONLY one in this universe who deserves anything. So check out the planets and stars tonight, take a hike, or simply settle your mind down, and praise God for the beauty all around you, and for the gifts God has given you. Don't be ashamed of the One who saves, loves, lives, and died for us! 2 Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 1 Peter 4:16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. Luke 9:26 Whoever is ashamed of me [Jesus] and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. God bless you all today and always! Delaney

A small rejoicing

Empty me of myself Father, Fill me with Your purpose. I'm wholly Yours, Standing with my hands held high. I'm nothing without you, I cannot deny. I read Your word, and find the hope I need. I'm nothing without You Jesus, You fill my every need. Thank You for Your goodness, it's more than I deserve. I cannot describe You fully, in any certain word. I do not regret You, that I never will. Thank You for Your gracious love, and forgiveness without deserve.
Amen

Faith is not doubting

I'm exhausted. I'm not sleeping well. I'm worried. I'm stressed. I'm longing. But all this stress has gotten me no where. *SIGH* OK. That's admitted. I guess I'm just looking for more confirmation that this is where I'm supposed to be heading toward. Maybe I imagine some big sign at the side of the road saying "KEEP GOING DELANEY.", or "HEAD LEFT, THEN TAKE THE AIRPLANE ON THE RIGHT." Ok, seriously, that is probably NOT how it is going to happen. True, God works in mysterious ways, WAIT. Those ways actually aren't mysterious at all. Scratch that. Basically what I am saying is that God needs me to learn patience and trust. I'm not going to do that if in a split second I see a sign outside my door saying that I'm ready to go. Unfortunately, my human nature just doesn't like to be patient. I struggle, I fight, I worry and I doubt God's goodness at times. I feel like screaming I NEED A SIGN GOD. I imagine God looking down lovingly at me, saying No you don't. You just need to wait a little longer. And if God can be patient with me every single day of my life as I sin like every other human being, I can be patient too. Isn't that the goal? Becoming like your Heavenly Father? I can't really teach others to be like my King if I'm not being the correct example because I'm having so much trouble in my own faith walk with patience. I want to give a HUGE THANKS to JEHOVAH MY FATHER, for ALL He has done with me and WILL do with me, and I pray that I will stop being like a shifting sea and will cling to my life saver, my Padre en el cielo. I'm nothing without YOU!! AMEN

James 5:10-11
10 Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

James 1:5-7
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

I'M BLESSED!

Today is Sunday I am blessed. Yesterday was Saturday I was blessed. Tomorrow is Monday I will be blessed. This is a blessed assurance... haha 'blessed'... Jesus will bless me, protect me, guide me, and make His will done in my life if I ask and follow. He knows me better than I will ever know myself. He knew me before I was, and who I was going to be before my fingernails were even formed. He saw me unformed, hidden, in the secret place. HE IS MY YAHWEH, MY YESHUA, MY SAVIOR. Thank YOU Jesus for directing my paths and sticking with me even when I doubt. You know my future, I will trust in You. I will put my confidence in Your Almighty Hands.

Psalm 139:14-16
New International Version (NIV)
14 I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from You
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in Your book
before one of them came to be.

Your First Love

God is good. I really need sometimes to just take a deep breath and say that. GOD IS GOOD. Some days are really tough. No joke. But God is shaping His plan for me and I just need to let go. Those two words 'let go' is one of the hardest things I have learned this year. Patience also. You know those sticky notes that you jot notes down on? I feel like I need one plastered to my face saying PATIENCE!... It's absolutely true. Everytime I start to worry I just try to say have patience, knowing that God is totally in control. *SIGH* That wasn't so hard was it? I admitted where my problem lies. Impatience, doubt. I just can't easily sit still and wait for God's best. And I'm going to mess myself up if I keep doing that. Like my title says -- This is a journey that doesn't end soon. Even when I provided with my purpose as an adult christian in this world, the struggles won't end. They never do. But you know what NEVER ends or goes away? GOD'S LOVE. My purpose right now is to listen to God, remain pure, remain loyal to MY First Love. GOD. For some reason I kept getting the phrase "remember your first love" stuck in my head. I couldn't figure out why... But then it all made sense. I need to stop getting stuck in the idols of worry, doubt, obsessing about romantic relationships, and much more. I need to just stop and remember my First Love. JESUS. The One who always looks out for me, never judges me by my outside, who sees the TRUE me and LOVES me UNCONDITIONALLY and COMPLETELY. What about you? Do you remember your First Love?

THERE'S NO ONE LIKE YOU GOD

Water that turned into wine, opened the eyes of the blind. Theres no one like you, none like You, none like You!

Thank You oh Lord God that theres no one like You... You are the one who keeps me going always even when I think I'm done. Please lead me in accordance with Your time. Help me to be where You want me to be when You want me to be. My life is in Your hands. Thank You for all the blessings You have placed in my life...
Amen

Early morning pondering... God is so good

Here I am sitting at 630 in the morning. Thinking. I really couldn't sleep well last night, wondering how I am going to make it through class today. Please give me strength Father, thank You for waking me up again. Today is such a beautiful day.
I'm constantly reminded how good God is too me. How I was able to put money in the bank for missions. How I have both parents and I am allowed to be a young person. I don't have a sick father and a dead mother, and at age nine have to be caretaker for my younger siblings. I have a wonderful family with supportive parents. I have a comfortable bed where I am able to feel safe from the elements and a lock on the door that makes me able to feel safe from danger. I read about a girl named Elizabeth in a compassion international magazine, and the sad story above that I don't have is hers. But guess what? That story is changing. Elizabeth isn't stuck in her sadness, even when she has probably excruciating pain and complete exhaustion at times. She still has to go to school, watch over her younger siblings, and she probably worries a lot about her father. Yet she has a heavenly father looking over her, and I do too. MUCHAS GRACIAS YESHUA. POR FAVOR ESTAR CON TU HIJOS HOY Y SIEMPRE Y DA NOSOTROS TU FUERZA... TE AMO!!!

I'm so thankful

Maybe I have a dream. A beautiful dream that I myself can't fully comprehend. Maybe I'm different from everyone my age. Maybe I'm not so concerned about my hair, makeup, or clothes, or getting a really nice tan at the beach. What if I just want to serve God with all my heart, soul and mind and rid me of myself, belonging to my Creator?
I want to throw myself recklessly into missions, serving the people who live in dumps, communicating with them in their own language. Help the special needs children who just want and need so desperately to be loved? What if I'm not ready?
What if I am?
What if I've been given a beautiful gift of love, and I want to nurture it in the best way I can? What if I want to show that you can be romantically in love and keep yourself pure? I want to love someone for their wisdom, their brain, their FAITH and LOVE for GOD first, and stay away from physical impurity?
I just want to love as many people as I can, and show them the Almighty's love. I don't know how it will happen, but I know God my Father has a plan. I don't want to do this life for myself, I just want to do it for You Father! Please Lead me in Your Love that ever abounds. I want to delve into Your love and purpose for me. Help me to never be in a relationship or do anything that is outside of Your purpose for me. Thank You for my family, Your purpose and love, Haille and her team, my brothers and sisters in Christ, for my love and his family, for Your children everywhere. Please bless them all, give us words to speak for You, let us shine like stars in the blackest night. Please help me to be WHERE You want me WHEN You want me.
AMEN

Learning to walk in Jesus' example

Matthew 9:35-38

New International Version (NIV)
The Workers Are Few
35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Dear God, please prepare me to be a worker of Your harvest, WHERE and WHEN You will it. Let Your way be done in my life!! Thank You for all the joy and precious gifts You have bestowed on my life and for directing my paths always. You know everything that I will do before I do it. Thank You for Your protection. Please be with all Your children today, keep them safe and healthy, heal their sickness, and brokenness. Please bring Your lost ones to You for Your glory. Let everything Your children do be for Your glory, not ours please. I love YOU!!!
Delaney

When confused, get down on your knees

I'm not sure where to step next. It feels like I know what to do right then, and then I lose the way. But I never lose Jesus, and He never forgets which way to lead me. I just have to listen. Sometimes I feel so ashamed to doubt the All-Powerful, All-Knowing, All-Present Savior of my life. But when I feel like hitting my head against a wall is when I fall to my knees and give up. It really makes you realize how human and mortal you are.

"I'm falling on my knees offering all of me. Jesus You're all this heart is living for."

Contentment

Contentment -- “An internal satisfaction which does not demand changes in external circumstances”—Holman Bible Dictionary.

*Sigh* I am not doing good with my contentedness and patience right now. I feel this sense of urgency to be in Honduras and working for the Lord. But what if He is saying no right now? What if He is saying just wait a little longer? Or a lot longer? Things could change tomorrow, or they could change in 10 years. Maybe I'm not supposed to go at all.

But. You know what? I can still be content wherever God has me and be a light that shines for His amazing glory. That is my hearts desire and my life's purpose, to glorify my beloved Savior. I have "An internal satisfaction" no matter WHERE I am as long as I am searching for and living out God's purpose for me RIGHT now.

Philippians 4:11b-13 "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength."

Wow. I'm hungry for this truth. I want to know the secret of being content in any and every situation. Yet it's right under my nose. I CAN do all this THROUGH HIM WHO GIVES ME STRENGTH.

Dear Father God,

You are all powerful Jehovah. Nothing, NOTHING in my life is too hard, too confusing for You. You know the minds and hearts of my parents, my authorities, and of ME. You know my passion for Your work and the mission field. You have my whole life planned out. You know the number of sand grains on the seashore just as You know the very hairs on my head. Nothing will happen to me before You have known it. This is blessed assurance to me. You have given me a passion to serve You, and I hope to carry this out one day in central America, but that is up to You. I'm feeling really confused, impatient, and not content. I believe though that You have placed the sense of urgency to serve in my heart, but also that I need to trust You and be content where I am at now. I put my whole life into YOUR hands. Let Your way be done within me. Please help me and my parents come into unity about the decision of my serving and where, please give us peace in Your holy name. Nothing else matters but doing Your will. Thank You for all the beautiful gifts You have placed in my life, including my family, my boyfriend, my church, my friends, my shelter, clothes, and food. You have NEVER failed to provide a way for me and all Your children. Please lead us Your children today, let us be a light for You. Please heal the strife and brokenness in our families by Your amazing love. Please provide for us, and let Your lost ones be found. Let everything happen in Your time, please oh Lord. Please protect us all from the evil one. I am Your servant, do what You want with my life to glorify You and Your Son. Please lead me with Your Holy Spirit. I love YOU!!!!!! Amen. Your daughter, Dee