Psalm 105:1-2
"Oh give thanks to the LORD; Call upon His name; Make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing praises to Him, Sing praises to Him tell of ALL his wondrous works!
Guatemala was an amazing experience teaching many things about myself, where I thought I went to learn and teach a culture of the LORD, they taught me much much more then i may have ever left there...
The people of guatemala taught me THANKFULNESS; as i watch the people in Guat. they have hearts full of thankfulness and joy. In the little or next to nothing they have they are thankful to God. And they may not have all the knowledge or doctrine of the LORD that i claim to know, they aren't "fancy" about the LORD. Their hearts are overflowing with joy. When I say they have nothing: they sleep/live with dirt floors. their homes are no bigger than my whole bedroom, i have an indoor bathroom, most of them have an outhouse? Coming home I have a mansion where they have a shack (...and yet i still want more....) They eat out of bowls that I wouldn't serve an animal out of. It breaks your heart, it brought me to tears the first time i saw their poverty, but then to see their hearts filled, AMAZING! - Oh LORD how I pray my heart can dwell on such things...
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13
The Second thing I took away from Guatemala is a heart for Orphans; Lord I know in you there are no orphans for you ADOPTED us as sons and daughters, there are n o strangers but friends, and no outcast but those brought close who were once far off, we are Your Children, your love can reach us all. This challeneged my theology, I struggled not to let the circumstances I was seeing change my theology, the truths I knew that I knew were chanlleged in seeing the depravity and effects of sin on the world. they were destitute without hope. To be destitute is to be without the basic necessitates of life. There were people without running water, shoes, clean clothes, showers, food, food for themselves but to feed their families. I was trying to wrap my mind around how this could be? Why God allowed His love to be shown in that? Why their needs weren't more met but my God. but then i remembered - its Sin, sin the fall of man , we all deserve death, we all deserve to be without the basics. In that I had to go back to my theology and let that define the circumstances and pray that the little bowl of hot soup and tortillas would in some way show the HOPE that they could have in CHRIST, and pray my actions would aid in the ministry's (Hope of Life) overall purpose to provide HOPE in CHRIST for the people. Christ is the answer He is the only HOPE that can SAVE them.
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time..."
"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ..." 1 Peter 1:3-7
"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." Romans 5:1-5
Thirdly I learned about ADOPTION ; this trip solidified my desire to adopt. I fell in love this week with the children of this place. LORD oh how my heart aches for the doors of Guatemala to be open Father. I desire so badly for Christian families to would open their hearts and homes and live out their HOPE in YOU! Lord may families be stirred to show the greatest portrait of the Gospel. The one we can live out and display...
QUOTE:
" I was adopted when i was 18 years old. I wasn't an orphan, the way most people think of that term. I wasn't an abandoned child. But I was in a condition far more serious: I was a stranger to the family of God, a slave to sin, and an object of the justified wrath of God" - C.J. Mahaney "Adopted For Life" Foreward
When we trusted in Christ we were adopted. Galatians 4:4-7 "4But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" 7So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God."
We have been made CHILDREN in God's family - HOW AMAZING !!! That HE loved us that much ... or we can look at Ephesians 1: 1-14 What an amazing passage of scripture with so much truth for our lives. (@ some-point I will blog through my thoughts on adoption)
The fourth thing I took away from Guatemala was PASSION; before this trip I thought I understood passion. Passion given by the LORD for the things of Him, that brought Him glory. But in leaving Guatemala I learned my passion, I learned why I was created and knit in my mothers womb (whoever she is) the way I was, I understood myself more in leaving than coming.. I knew I was different given a different background, given different desires and i knew i didn't fit the fundamental or typical Southern Christian girl mold. I don't follow the mold! At times I have hated this and cried over this but in leaving I saw that I am tough, fearless, and bold for the Gospel. An even when i feel alone, you are walking next to me using me to live out the Gospel. When I think about you LORD, I think of all your abundant blessings. I guess my passion is adoption - speaking about it... overflowing with it and thinking of how beautiful it is. I would love to one day complete the circle of adoption in my life and adopt. But beyond that I would love to meet with girls and families going through adoption but especially adopted Children to help them cope with all the emotions and feeling that adoption can bring.. How amazing to know that one day I could look back over my life and see how you used a history you fashioned before the foundations of the world to your Glory - if you used me in the lives of other adopted children, that thought that you could use me alone blows my mind! LORD take me wherever you want me to go that I may be used for your glory!
Fifthly, LOVE. Love is POWERFUL! This is the hardest concept for me LORD- I struggle so often and fail much when it comes to LOVE. Often with the matters of my own heart...I dont always know how to let people in. In guatemala they do and give to one another and have alove for one another I struggle with. Lord my name Amanda means " worthy of love" Why is that so hard... Why is it easier for some of us to love or display love ? God your love is so great it is greater it is deep and wide...
The last thing Servanthood, I love missions LORD...Where will we go next? Where will you take me? Lord send me whenever you want ... an orphanage in China? Bangladesh to teach? ... Oh where... or maybe somewhere in the states... Place me where I can shine Jesus, all the days of my life ...
How BEAUTIFUL are the feet of those who bring good news....
LORD give me dirty feet for your name .... even if it means im never understood till i leave this life behind...my days are numbered for your GLORY!
You are good! Thank you for this trip LORD- Even though i didn't fully understand it until now. My heart and hands are yours...
"Oh give thanks to the LORD; Call upon His name; Make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing praises to Him, Sing praises to Him tell of ALL his wondrous works!
Guatemala was an amazing experience teaching many things about myself, where I thought I went to learn and teach a culture of the LORD, they taught me much much more then i may have ever left there...
The people of guatemala taught me THANKFULNESS; as i watch the people in Guat. they have hearts full of thankfulness and joy. In the little or next to nothing they have they are thankful to God. And they may not have all the knowledge or doctrine of the LORD that i claim to know, they aren't "fancy" about the LORD. Their hearts are overflowing with joy. When I say they have nothing: they sleep/live with dirt floors. their homes are no bigger than my whole bedroom, i have an indoor bathroom, most of them have an outhouse? Coming home I have a mansion where they have a shack (...and yet i still want more....) They eat out of bowls that I wouldn't serve an animal out of. It breaks your heart, it brought me to tears the first time i saw their poverty, but then to see their hearts filled, AMAZING! - Oh LORD how I pray my heart can dwell on such things...
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13
The Second thing I took away from Guatemala is a heart for Orphans; Lord I know in you there are no orphans for you ADOPTED us as sons and daughters, there are n o strangers but friends, and no outcast but those brought close who were once far off, we are Your Children, your love can reach us all. This challeneged my theology, I struggled not to let the circumstances I was seeing change my theology, the truths I knew that I knew were chanlleged in seeing the depravity and effects of sin on the world. they were destitute without hope. To be destitute is to be without the basic necessitates of life. There were people without running water, shoes, clean clothes, showers, food, food for themselves but to feed their families. I was trying to wrap my mind around how this could be? Why God allowed His love to be shown in that? Why their needs weren't more met but my God. but then i remembered - its Sin, sin the fall of man , we all deserve death, we all deserve to be without the basics. In that I had to go back to my theology and let that define the circumstances and pray that the little bowl of hot soup and tortillas would in some way show the HOPE that they could have in CHRIST, and pray my actions would aid in the ministry's (Hope of Life) overall purpose to provide HOPE in CHRIST for the people. Christ is the answer He is the only HOPE that can SAVE them.
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time..."
"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ..." 1 Peter 1:3-7
"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." Romans 5:1-5
Thirdly I learned about ADOPTION ; this trip solidified my desire to adopt. I fell in love this week with the children of this place. LORD oh how my heart aches for the doors of Guatemala to be open Father. I desire so badly for Christian families to would open their hearts and homes and live out their HOPE in YOU! Lord may families be stirred to show the greatest portrait of the Gospel. The one we can live out and display...
QUOTE:
" I was adopted when i was 18 years old. I wasn't an orphan, the way most people think of that term. I wasn't an abandoned child. But I was in a condition far more serious: I was a stranger to the family of God, a slave to sin, and an object of the justified wrath of God" - C.J. Mahaney "Adopted For Life" Foreward
When we trusted in Christ we were adopted. Galatians 4:4-7 "4But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" 7So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God."
We have been made CHILDREN in God's family - HOW AMAZING !!! That HE loved us that much ... or we can look at Ephesians 1: 1-14 What an amazing passage of scripture with so much truth for our lives. (@ some-point I will blog through my thoughts on adoption)
The fourth thing I took away from Guatemala was PASSION; before this trip I thought I understood passion. Passion given by the LORD for the things of Him, that brought Him glory. But in leaving Guatemala I learned my passion, I learned why I was created and knit in my mothers womb (whoever she is) the way I was, I understood myself more in leaving than coming.. I knew I was different given a different background, given different desires and i knew i didn't fit the fundamental or typical Southern Christian girl mold. I don't follow the mold! At times I have hated this and cried over this but in leaving I saw that I am tough, fearless, and bold for the Gospel. An even when i feel alone, you are walking next to me using me to live out the Gospel. When I think about you LORD, I think of all your abundant blessings. I guess my passion is adoption - speaking about it... overflowing with it and thinking of how beautiful it is. I would love to one day complete the circle of adoption in my life and adopt. But beyond that I would love to meet with girls and families going through adoption but especially adopted Children to help them cope with all the emotions and feeling that adoption can bring.. How amazing to know that one day I could look back over my life and see how you used a history you fashioned before the foundations of the world to your Glory - if you used me in the lives of other adopted children, that thought that you could use me alone blows my mind! LORD take me wherever you want me to go that I may be used for your glory!
Fifthly, LOVE. Love is POWERFUL! This is the hardest concept for me LORD- I struggle so often and fail much when it comes to LOVE. Often with the matters of my own heart...I dont always know how to let people in. In guatemala they do and give to one another and have alove for one another I struggle with. Lord my name Amanda means " worthy of love" Why is that so hard... Why is it easier for some of us to love or display love ? God your love is so great it is greater it is deep and wide...
The last thing Servanthood, I love missions LORD...Where will we go next? Where will you take me? Lord send me whenever you want ... an orphanage in China? Bangladesh to teach? ... Oh where... or maybe somewhere in the states... Place me where I can shine Jesus, all the days of my life ...
How BEAUTIFUL are the feet of those who bring good news....
LORD give me dirty feet for your name .... even if it means im never understood till i leave this life behind...my days are numbered for your GLORY!
You are good! Thank you for this trip LORD- Even though i didn't fully understand it until now. My heart and hands are yours...
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