Home Again!

Sunrise at Ellerslie

Hello again, friends! How have you all been over the past three months?

It feels strange to be posting on my blog, after such a long time away. I'm excited to begin writing on a regular basis again, and look forward to what the Lord has planned for this little blog. He is so worthy!

Ah, my dear reader, how do I begin to explain my time at Ellerslie? I've been home for nearly a month now (which is incredibly hard to believe!) and still find it difficult to answer people who ask about it.

The hardest question of all is probably, "So, what did you learn?" What did I learn in nine weeks? How am I supposed to answer that in a couple sentences? I'm still trying to figure that out...  =)

But, for now, this would be my answer.

I am absolutely overwhelmed by everything the Lord convicted me of, uncovered, and taught me during my nine weeks at Ellerslie. Like Ephesians 3:20 talks about, my precious Savior did so much more than I had asked or imagined. Being surrounded by men and women seeking hard after Jesus Christ and immersed in the Truth of His Word day in and day out were both such incredible blessings! It was truly a piece of heaven on earth.

But, the thing that was the most precious of all was time spent alone with my Savior. Being able to bask in His presence without interruption. Learning to wait upon Him and walk with Him throughout the day. Understanding that my life is nothing, but His is everything. Beginning to grasp the reality of what it means to be "in Christ". Sitting at His feet and gazing on my Beloved's face! Oh, words cannot describe what a remarkable blessing those nine weeks were...what a remarkable blessing they were because of the One who was there. Words simply fall short.

Though there were many truths the Lord implanted into my heart, the main, over-arching theme of those nine weeks was His All-Sufficiency. It seems simple, doesn't it? But do you understand how inclusive the word all is? I didn't until the Lord began opening my eyes to this. Even though the Lord had given 2 Corinthians 12:9 as my theme verse for the year, He truly impressed those four powerful words upon my soul, as He started teaching me what it means to depend upon Him for everything.

"My grace is sufficient.."

Do you see Him, friends? Do you realize that at every moment of the day, in every temptation, every difficult moment, every trial, He is sufficient? It's easy to say, but it's another thing to live by.

We live in a culture with a cure for everything. Are you tired? Try caffeine. Weighed down with the cares of life? Go relax with a movie. Struggling to get out of bed in the morning? Take anti-depressants.

Is this the way we've been called to live, as followers of Jesus Christ? Are we to look to Jesus just during devotions in the morning, but then depend upon something else for everything you need during the rest of the day? If He is the Sufficient One, shouldn't He be the One we lean on for...everything?

Now, I'm not saying that caffeine, movies, or medicine is bad in itself. But, what is your first turn? Is it to the natural, earthly realm or the All-Sufficient One?

Friends, this is something that I am learning and struggling through daily. The Lord is constantly opening my eyes to different areas of my life where I haven't been depending on Him fully.

A question that was posed at Ellerslie was this: If Jesus Christ were removed, how much of your life would stay the same? Are you so dependent upon Him that your life would completely fall apart...or...would your life look exactly the same?

You see, the fully dependent life is the life of Christ. In John 5:19, Jesus says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner." And again, several verses later, "I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me." (John 5:30)

Jesus did nothing of Himself; He was completely dependent upon His Father. And if that's the case, why do we (as sinful human beings) think that we can spiritually survive by spending 15 minutes with Him in the morning? Oh my friends, may He teach us to walk in a state of utter dependence upon Him! He is our only source of life; without Him, we perish. And remember, we know that when we trust in Him, He will not fail us. He has promised and cannot lie. Therefore, have complete confidence in your God, knowing that the One you depend upon is the Faithful, All-Powerful Creator and Sustainer of the Universe! What a precious Savior we have!

“Are you resting and trusting in the sufficiency of Christ? Is Christ everything to you? If so, thank Him for his fullness. If not, perhaps you’ve been trusting in failing, deceptive, inept human wisdom; meaningless religious rituals; or some kind of mystical experience formed in your own mind and unrelated to reality. Maybe you’ve been thinking that your own self-denial or self-imposed pain will somehow gain favor with God. If that’s the case, put it all aside and in simple childlike faith embrace the risen Christ as your Lord and Savior. He will give you complete salvation, complete forgiveness, and complete victory. All you need in the spiritual dimension for time and eternity is found in Him. Repent of your sin and submit your life to Him.”

- John MacArthur

Our Patient Father

May this be an encouragement to your soul today...

"In some sense, the path to heaven is very safe, but in other respects there is no road so dangerous. In the best roads we soon falter, in the smoothest paths we quickly stumble. These feeble knees of ours can scarcely support our tottering weight. A straw may throw us and a pebble may wound us; we are mere children tremblingly taking our first steps in the walk of faith. Our Heavenly Father holds us by the arms or we should soon be down. Oh, if we are kept from falling, how must we bless the patient power which watches over us day by day! Think, how prone we are to sin, how apt to choose danger, how strong our tendency to cast ourselves down, and these reflections will make us sing more sweetly than we've ever done, 'Glory be to Him, who is able to keep us from falling!'"

~Charles Spurgeon

The Thanks-Giving Challenge - Out of the Ashes

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving to you all! I hope each one of you had a beautiful day, reflecting on and giving praise to the Lord for all that He has done in your life!

If you haven't visited Out of the Ashes Mission recently, I'm hosting a special challenge this weekend (the 22nd to the 25th) for Thanksgiving. I know, it's already late Friday...but don't worry, there are still 2 more days for you to get involved!

Stop on over and check out The Thanks-Giving Chain Challenge here.

"Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed. For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God."

2 Corinthians 9:6-12

Thank you so much and have a blessed weekend in Him!

IDOP for the Persecuted Church

Did any of you know that tomorrow, November 4th, is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church? Our brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world are constantly beaten, imprisoned, tortured, and killed for their faith. It's so easy to forget about them, while in the comfort and safety of our own lives. Yet, Christ has called us to remember those who are suffering, as if we ourselves were suffering with them.

So tomorrow, as other Christians around the world lift up the persecuted Church before the Throne of our Father, let's join with them and do the same! 

Below is a video from Gospel for Asia, highlighting the needs of our suffering brothers and sisters. Please watch and then be encouraged to pray (and not just tomorrow, but every day). 

Any Guesses???

Well, it's officially the beginning of fall. I can't believe that it's already here, but school buses are again being seen in the neighborhood, leaves are starting to appear on the ground, and my calendar insists that it's September.

Time sure is flying by...

And with this new season, comes an announcement.

No, I'm not engaged, going to college, or leaving on a missions trip.

But, can you guess what I might be announcing?

See below for riddle. (Answer will be published on Monday.)

I'd love to hear your guesses! :)

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True Encouragement

Friendship. It is one of the Lord's greatest gifts, isn't it?

But let me ask you...

• What type of a friend are you? 

• What do you enjoy doing most with your friend? 

• What is the highlight and foundation of your friendship? 

• What draws the two of you together?

These are usually pretty eye-opening, and sometimes gut-wrenching, questions to ask yourself. What are your answers to them?

Alright, now hold onto those thoughts, and let's transfer over to another point I want to make.

A couple days ago, I was reading through 1 Samuel 23 and was impacted by something I found in verse 16. (For context purposes, both verses 15 and 16 are posted below.)

"Now David became aware that Saul had come out to seek his life while David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh. ¹⁶ And Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David at Horesh, and encouraged him in God." (1 Samuel 23:15-16 NASB)

"Encouraged him in God." I had never heard that phrase before in the Bible and it begged for me to stop and ponder its full meaning. 

Well, what do other translations say? I wondered.

So, I started by looking up the same verse in a couple other translations, to see if I could unbury some treasure there. Here's what I found:

New International Version (NIV) - "...And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God."

English Standard Version (ESV) - "And Jonathan, Saul's son, rose and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God."

Looking at all three translations together paints a beautiful picture, doesn't it?

Saul, the king of Israel, pursuing David for his life, even though (and I think especially since) he had been anointed by Samuel as the future king. Jonathan, the king's son, betraying his own father and risking his neck to visit his best friend in need. 

But why did he visit David? Was Jonathan lonely? Did he just need some "man time" with his friend? What was his reason for going on such a dangerous mission?

"And Jonathan...encouraged him in God...strengthened his hand in God....helped him find strength in God."

That was his mission. Those were his reasons.  

What a beautiful example of a Christ-centered friendship! And oh, what a convicting message!

How do I react when I know my friend is in need? When she is hurting? Or doubting? Or fearful? Or discouraged? Am I an encouragement or a further discouragement? 

And if I am seeking to encourage, what type of encouragement am I giving? Just typing in "Christian encouragement quotes" into Google proved to be quite an eye-opener. The below quotes are supposed to encourage the struggling Christian. Here they are:

"You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face." ~Eleanor Roosevelt

"We shall draw from the heart of suffering itself the means of inspiration and survival." ~Winston Churchill

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Do any of you distinguish a problem here? The first thing to be noticed: Why is there no mention of Jesus Christ at all?

Yes, those statements might be true to a certain degree, but where is the strengthening encouragement in looking at what "lies within us"? According to the Bible, my heart is "more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick." (Jeremiah 17:9) And how do we find inspiration from suffering itself? Suffering alone does not bring inspiration.

As a follower of Jesus Christ, I know that strength lies in Him and not me. I know that my friend doesn't have the strength to overcome fear, doubt, or depression on her own, so why would I point her to anything or anyone other than the only One who promises to be her strength, shield, and help in trouble? 

I must point my friend to Christ.*

And that is exactly what Jonathan did. He pointed David to the Lord. He encouraged and helped him find strength...not in himself, not in the strength of his men, or in reminding David of his incredible victories. Those two little words at the end of verse 16 make the difference between true Christian encouragement and its worldly counterpart: "encouraged him in God."

So, my dear reader, may we seek the Lord and ask Him to make us into people who are striving towards Christ-centered friendships. And may He give us His heart to love our friends with His love and His wisdom to point our friends to Him and the glories of His precious promises.  



*One word of warning though. When I say here that you're supposed to point your friend to Christ, I'm not referring to your unbelieving friends. Yes, we should point them to Christ with the Gospel, but not encouraging them with His promises. The promises of God do not pertain to unbelievers. 

Stepping Out

(This picture was taken before the meeting. Can you sense my hesitation?)

Tonight, I did something that was completely outside of my comfort zone, something I would never have dreamed of doing. I attended an Indian church group.

A little over a month ago, I was online, searching the web for a Christian group of Indians, who would welcome an Indian wanna-be. :) Ever since the Lord began burdening my heart for India, I have longed to be there, meeting the people and learning about the culture firsthand. But after praying for clear direction, the Lord showed me that it was His will for me to be at home, enjoying the family He has blessed me with and receiving important homemaking training for the future.

It was about that time that the Lord began opening my eyes to the incredible amount of Indians living all around me. Even though He didn't have me living in India, my Lord had blessed me with living in a state filled with people from the country I love. Aren't His ways so incredible!

So, back to looking online. By the Lord's grace, He led me to the website of a group of people who love India and its culture. Many have recently immigrated from India. I was so excited and began corresponding with them, asking questions about the details. Since they only meet once a month, I put the date on my calendar and waited. I had previously found a shalwar kameez (an Indian outfit) at a store near our house, and looked forward to wearing that to the meeting. I had no nervousness whatsoever.

Then, the day of the meeting came.....and I finally hit the wall of "reality". What was I thinking? Me. Introverted, inhibited, reserved little me?! And now I had committed to attending a meeting with a group of Indians I didn't know, at a church I didn't know, AND I was planning on wearing an authentic Indian outfit to match with a culture I didn't know?!

As we were driving to the meeting, I voiced my nervousness. "Well," my mom answered, "when I saw you getting so excited about this group and fearlessly moving ahead with things that were so against your nature, I figured that it had to be from the Lord. You would have never done this on your own."

And it's true. I can't explain the overwhelming wave of anxiety and fear that washed over me as we pulled up to the church, observing Indians walking in, and knowing that I was about to enter in, not only to a new situation, but a whole new culture....by myself. This fear was my old self, the old anxieties and selfishness crowding my thoughts. Only with the Lord's help had I ever come to this point, and only with the Lord's help would I make it through the night. :)

So with the Lord's strength and the prayers of my family, I exited the car and plunged into a night I will never forget.

Oh, how to describe it? Being surrounded by an accent you love, with people you love (who were so warm and welcoming), and a simple and beautiful love for the Lord. It felt like I was transported to India for a night....and it was incredible! Yes, there were still slightly uncomfortable situations, but there was such an overwhelming joy and contentment that flooded my soul in the midst of this multi-cultural band of believers.

The Lord has definitely placed in my heart a passion and desire for missions. I don't know what that looks like regarding my future, but I am praying and beseeching the Lord to bless this unworthy tool by sending me wherever He desires. Oh, how I need His direction, but I know that He is faithful and will lead in His perfect timing!

When I got back in the car, Dad asked, "So, has the flame been fanned?"

"Yes," I beamed, "it most certainly has."

Join Us in Prayer!

Tomorrow, November 13, is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.

Please consider joining fellow believers all around the world in prayer, as we lift up our brothers and sisters in Christ who are being harassed, beaten, and killed for the name of Christ.

Here is a short video from Gospel for Asia, explaining some of their prayer requests and hearing from a brother who has experienced persecution firsthand.

http://www.gfa.org/pray/international-day-of-prayer/

In Romans 15:30, Paul entreats the Roman believers to pray for him in his struggle. "I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me."

If one of our siblings or close family members had been beaten for his faith or lived in an area of the world that was hostile to Christianity, how many minutes or hours would we spend in prayer for them? Would we have to be reminded to bring them before the Lord? Yet, how much time do we spend praying for our family members in Christ, who are suffering everyday? May we not just spend tomorrow praying and lifting up the Persecuted Church, but everyday hereafter!

O Lord, give us hearts to love our brothers and sisters around the world with Your love and may our eyes see them, not as strangers, but as our beloved siblings.