Lessons from Children

How is it that children are so naive, innocent and vulnerable but can teach you so much? My kids at work have taught me an unbelievable amount if wisdom. They have taught me how to live in the moment and to be happy in the moment I'm in. They have taught me not to make judgments. They have taught me that if you fall, cry for a little bit and then get up and run. They have taught me to check my attitude. If i come into work and my attitude isn't the best it can be I am always comforted by a precious smile of a little child and i am easily convinced to step out of my world and into theirs. They have taught me to believe, because they believe, they imagine, and in a child's world, nothing is impossible. The ability to believe develops faith.

"What a great gift-- to be able to hold on to this childlike quality, for the ability to believe is a characteristic shared by many artists. Many adults lose the ability to believe; they only see things as they are, not as they could be. It is a great gift to be able to imagine and dream. The ability to believe also leads to the development of faith. Without believing in something you cannot have faith in anything. Without faith there is no hope. Children remind us about the importance of believing.Every day we teach our children something or other. Take time to observe children; what can we learn from them?" -Julie A. Johnson

Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

These are just a few precious precious gifts i have received from the children in my life. I am truly blessed.

“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish."—Matthew 18:1-6, 10-14

Sync.

I had the privilege to spend last weekend studying the word of the Lord with a group of 9th grade girls and work alongside some AMAZING leaders! This weekend was all about Sync--about what has to happen for us to sync with God. I learned that Godliness is not just the absence of sin but the fullness of God. Colossians 2:9--"For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily." The speaker talked about how we often times don't understand that we have the fullness of God in us and that is why we are not synced. Simple to gain, but difficult to live.

The speaker also spoke on righteousness. Matthew 5:6-" Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." We need to let the righteousness that lives in us live through us.

"We have all become like one who is unclean,

and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.

We all fade like a leaf,

and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away."

Isaiah 64:6

My prayer was that these girls could begin to see that we don't have everything altogether. That each of us are hurting and we can't do this alone. The girls started off shy and hesitant but as each girl became more and more vulnerable they began to bond. They began to see that the friend that they thought had it altogether was struggling in the same areas they were.

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness"- 2 Corinthians 2:9.

These girls let their hurt and insecurities show. They grew as one. I was amazed by the amount of maturity that took place over the weekend.

Psalms 40:1

Yesterday i went an had an upper GI endoscopy and biopsy of my small intestine. Results from the endoscopy came back normal, but will not have the results of the biopsy for a few days to a few weeks. Taylor brought me these beautiful flowers went i got home from my procedure :)

When going into the procedure i couldn't help but think how blessed i am that during all the pain and darkness around the world, here i am, healthy, at an amazing hospital where the people in Haiti should be getting treated. Doctors are treating me for a little inconvenience when there are children needing so much more.

I love John Pipers book, "When the Darkness Will Not Lift". Piper writes about how waiting in darkness doesn't mean we are lost or alone. He quotes Psalms 40:1-- "i waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry." David was not afraid to cry. It is a beautiful thing when a broken man cries out to God. One of my favorite lines of his book is, "after the cry, you wait". I love that. We wait. How hard it is to be patient in the hour of darkness. "We don't make peace with darkness, we fight for JOY. Never forget that your security rests on Christ's faithfulness first."

Haiti

Today a catastrophe happened to the Western Hemisphere's poorest nation. Haiti was struck by the worst earthquake in 200 years. Wow.

Our job is to pray and give what we can to those in need.

Pray for the chaos and destruction in Haiti. Pray for those hurting. Pray for protections against further storms. Pray for the strength of the nation as a whole.

If Not For The Storms by: Larnelle Harris

If not for the storms

I couldn't say that You're my shelter

If not for the storms

I would have never known Your strength


I found You so faithful


Through all that You allowed


If not for the storms


There's no way I'd know You


As I know You now.

My Life Now.

These last few years have been unlike i have ever expected. The Lord's plan was totally different than mine. I started off college exactly like i expected-- i went to Auburn, got involved in a church and other ministries, and joined a sorority-all of which i loved, i wouldn't have had it any other way. My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in April of my freshman year and although it was very tough on me i knew i was supposed to still be in Auburn. A few days after the end of my freshman year at Auburn i went with a group of college students from Auburn to Uganda, Africa to serve in an orphanage, and love on and share the gospel with the adults and children there. I absolutely loved it-- i was totally in my element when it came to loving on children. A few days before leaving Africa i got sick, assuming i was sick from traveling and maybe eating something i shouldn't have. After getting back to the states, and being very sick i found out i had intestinal parasites. The summer consisted of being in and out of the doctor and spending most of the time at home. I started feeling a little better but felt very hesitant about going back to Auburn. I couldn't figure out why i felt hesitant about going back because my experience the first year had been the best i could have possibly imagined. I went back to Auburn in time to start rush, but i really felt uneasy and still very weak and sick. I called my mom the first night in tears and very confused-- i knew something wasn't right. She came and picked me up the next day and i went back to the ER to confirm that i had a infection called CDiff which was another infection in my colon. My parents and i decided it would probably be best to wait and get my health steady and then i could go back to Auburn my spring semester. I finally started feeling better but it was the middle of September and i still had a few months before i started school again. Knowing my love for children and preschoolers i got asked to be a intern and two-year-old coordinator at my home church. That was like a dream come true! I started work and absolutely loved it. My moms fight with cancer was still continuing and i was getting to be with her and my family, i was also getting to love on and share the love of Christ with children and i was never more sure that this is where the Lord wanted me to be. It was tough at first because it wasn't the average college lifestyle. I missed my friends and my boyfriend but i was confident that i was making more of an impact on God's Kingdom in Birmingham than in Auburn. I understood that it seemed Crazy-because honestly a year before i would have thought someone was insane for moving home--but i have never felt so confident in the will of the Lord for my life. Please continue to pray for me and my ministry that I clearly share the love of Jesus with them.

Overwhelmed by a Relentless God

I decided to get into the blogging world after i realized how much i NEED to write my thoughts out. I am in such a wonderful but unique point in my life right now and am so excited about the work the Lord is doing in my life. I want to share with you what i am learning and how i am growing in hopes that we can grow together.