Pray!

Meet Gugu

Meet Nomfundo

I hold these two girls in my heart and in my arms.  They make my heart happy and I love getting to see them on Fridays at Hope House.  But, there’s a slight problem…they don’t like each other.  They’re in that lovely later elementary school girl age where they fight and seek attention.  Not to mention that Nomfundo recently came to Hope House a few weeks ago so she is still adjusting to the new environment.  My prayer is that the love of Christ would completely overwhelm them and transform their lives, which in turn dramatically changes their relationship.

Anything I can be praying for you about on this Friday night?

Come Alive

A little over a year ago, God laid on my heart a desire to serve, to go, to experience, to put into practice all my “book smarts.”  Passion rose up in me when I talked about going and the things that I would do here.  Everything was new.  I had never been here.  I didn’t know the people.  But my heart was already full of passion, excitement, and determination to see change.

Last night, I talked with my roommate for hours about that same passion.  I articulated my heart in ways that I hadn’t spoken out loud before.  Except this time, I see the faces.  I see the bare feet.  I see the laughter.  I see the hurt.  I see the potential.  I know the people.  I have my own stories.  I work with people who share stories and passion for these people.  I have them in my heart.  I come alive when I talk about my passion for South Africa, for the kids here, for discipleship, and for the amazing ways God shows up, how He relentlessly pursues us,  and how big He is.

Thunderstorm!!

You probably can’t tell in this picture…but lightning and thunder and lots of rain are happening right through that window.  The power flickered for a bit and I got completely drenched walking down to dinner!  I love a good storm.  Mostly because of the change, the awe, the power, the sound, and the gorgeous new green grass.  I’m feeling this in my life lately too.  I see now the newness that comes after the storm and after light has been shed on dark areas.  Storms in life and being starkly exposed can bring such great intimacy and new life in Christ if we choose to respond positively.   So, how are you responding to His pursuit of intimacy with you today?

Good-bye’s the Saddest Word

We started the year as a group of 8 interns with Thrive Africa.  Today marks the first day that we will be 7 interns.  Due to surgery and a prognosis of a long recovery time, Sam headed home with her parents who thankfully were here throughout the time for Family Days.  Already, we feel the gaping hole within our group and the difference the last two months will be with only 7.  We’re definitely missing you, Sam!  And we’re praying for you and for a speedy recovery.

Decisions

More often than we care to admit, inconsequential decisions change our lives.

-Rhett Butler’s People

Quotable

Life is not a color-within-the-lines project;

life is a work of art.

You have to keep mixing the colors,

creating new blends,

and seeing things in fresh ways.

You must be willing

to get paint

all over you.

Life is about growth. Growth

demands change. Change

requires humility.

ht: Wide Awake

Trombone Player Wanted!

Session 1: So What’s Stopping You?

Myth: As you grow you change

Truth: As you grow you become more and more of who you are

Myth: You will grow the most and learn the most where you are the worst

Truth: You will grow the most in areas of strength

Myth: What the team needs is to put aside your strengths

Truth: The team needs you to strengthen your strengths–the team is well-rounded because the members are not, there is not an i in team, but there is an i in win

What are you focusing on? Strengths or weaknesses?

ht: Marcus Buckingham

iLike

Questions: Am I living life to the fullest? What’s next? Am I missing something?  Where am I on this journey?

Thoughts from Beth Moore: Extraordinary things happen around us continually.  We just don’t always recognize them.  The thought occurs to me afresh that great lives don’t always seem great while we’re living them.  They may seem embarrassingly regular.  Seeking to be extraordinary isn’t the answer because great lives are never achieved by making greatness the goal.

Everyone of us who embraces the glory of God as our purpose will end up doing great things precisely because we do God-things. His holy hand resting on the least act renders the ordinary extraordinary.  Spooning soup into the mouth of the weak or manning the nursery so a tired mom can go to church are acts of high worship when offered in the name of Christ.  He beholds the sight like a breathtaking work of art, tilting His head to study each subtle detail.

ht: Brandi

Soul Cravings, Part 3

“I am not who I want to be, but I am on the journey there, and thankfully I am not whom I used to be.”

“Let him change you at your core, then let your passions fuel your life.”

I am so thankful for the changes that God has worked in my life already and wait in expectation for Him to continue to work in my life.  I have a LONG way to go.  But, more than anything, I want to become the best that I can.  I want to give everything.  Give it all to Him.  I pray that as I prepare to leave, leave, and arrive in South Africa that I would continue to let Him change me, mold me, and form me into a better person for all of the things to come.

“The reason your heart leaps when you see greatness is that your spirit is drawn to it.  The reason we can experience the vicarious exhilaration of a great victory or an amazing accomplishment is that the human spirit resonates with greatness.”

This resonates so deeply in my soul.  I am reminded of Ayn Rand’s books and her gift in masterfully portraying the need, the desire for greatness.  For as with above, God wants greatness.  He wants us spur us on toward living and excelling within our gifts, abilities and strengths.  ”Only God can take you where you were born to go.”

So Many Thoughts

Wow, I feel like my head has been turned upside down and is ready to burst with all the thoughts I have running through it.  Thank-you Carrie.  Yikes.  I have so many blog topics that I want to run with and embrace but now I’m overwhelmed to the point where I don’t know how to pick!  So, I’m going to give you a snapshot and then decide later (aka tomorrow or later this week) which topics I want to pursue further with the written word

Me: “How do I live a life with purpose, with meaning, with passion?  Does this mean that I have to change jobs? What if I have to move? Will I give up the comforts I’ve embraced to chase after Jesus?  Wait a minute…do I even know how to follow Him, yet alone where He’s leading me!?”

“Big ideas…am I thinking too small?”

“Am I an F or a T? Who knows…but personality types sure are interesting”

“I love the deep, searching talks yet so often I leave wondering where to begin and what I need to do.  I want to change so many things and figure out things, but…”

“Alright, life…what are we waiting for?  I don’t want to live in a ‘when this happens’ life begins kind of state.  I want to live life now and embrace my current situation-the good, the bad, all of it.  Help me let go of the ‘when I get married or when I have money’ ideas.”

“I’m waiting for someone with passion.  I’m not settling.”

“I screwed up. I’m sorry.  I sinned and now what am I going to do about it?”

“I got hurt. So what? Jesus was betrayed–he didn’t throw a pity party so neither should I.”