I can’t believe that it’s already
the end of January. I feel like I was just at Passion2013 yesterday! God did
some amazing things in my life during passion. As I have shared in my previous blog
entry’s last year was an incredibly hard year for me. I had so many burdens and
chains holding me down. I was dealing with a lot anxiety and depression. A lot
of it came from losing my meme in July, but also it was caused by different
situations and trials I encountered. My biggest prayer for 2013 was that God
would free me from the anxiety and depression and the chains that were holding
me down. I was weighted down in a pit and it didn’t matter what I did, I
couldn’t get out. I was stuck. Over the four days of Passion God gave me
freedom. We will experience troubles in this life, but God has overcome this
world already. We should take pride in that and cling to Jesus when they come.
John 16:33 says “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have
peace. In this world you will have troubles. But take heart! I have overcome
the world.” Though I have been given
freedom in Christ, it is still a daily struggle for me. It is not going to be
gone over night. It’s a gradual process. As I draw closer to God and cling to
Him I will experience the freedom that God has given me. The Holy Spirit is giving
me a peace each day about life. I have learned a lot in the past year about
life and living it abundantly in Christ.
As I shared in my last blog post I
will be returning to Honduras this summer! I am so excited and couldn’t be
happier. I will be staying from early May to the end of June. I would like for
you all to please join with me in prayer over my trip. I will be working with
another missionary at the Good Shepherd Children’s home with tutoring the
children and helping them with their English. This is going to be HUGE for me.
It will really give me a lot of experience in my field of study before I enter
into block 1 in the fall. It will also open up my eyes a little bit into
teaching internationally. I am so excited about this opportunity that God has
given me. I will also be able spend a lot of quality time with the children, including
my precious little girl, Lupe. When you
are praying for my trip I would really appreciate your prayers about the
financial part of the trip. I must raise $3000-$3300. This is obviously a huge
burden I have on my plate. I know that God will provide and I believe and have
faith in Him 100% that he will do it, but that doesn’t mean I am not a little
bit nervous about getting the funds in. It is such a short time and if you know
me in the slightest bit you know I am the worst
person when it comes to saving money or managing it. This is a big flaw I have,
but I am taking steps to change that. I have done some research and have come
up with a few ways to raise the money. I am going to be doing a Boston Butt
sale and I will be taking any babysitting jobs or house sitting jobs or even
pet sitting jobs. PLEASE PLASE PELASE let me know if you would like to buy a
Boston Butt or need me to baby sit or house sit. Also, if you would like to
tell a friend then please fill free to do so. The past two trips to Honduras I
have sent out support letters and asked people to support me. I am so grateful
for everyone who has helped me that way, but I fill that God wants me to work
for the money. It also gives me the opportunity to learn to make sacrifices.
This semester in my college
ministry we are going through the book “Multiply”. It is written by David Platt
and Francis Chan. We will discuss this book in our weekly small group meetings
and then on Tuesday nights Tim, our college minister, will speak from the book.
I am very excited about this study. I am also very anxious and nervous. This is
a huge burden I feel God has laid on my heart this year. This is an area I
really struggle in my walk with Christ. Making disciples is something God has
called each and every believer to do. I am a lazy Christian. I have failed at
doing this. I am excited to step out of the “Christian bubble” I am in. With
all of that being said I would like for you all to please lift me up in your
prayers. God has specifically put on my heart the international students at UA.
We have so many different nations that are represented on our campus and this
is a HUGE opportunity for me to make relationships with these students and
share the Gospel with them. Please pray that the Lord would take away any fear
or nerves I might have. Ask the Lord to give me a peace and comfort about
getting out of my comfort zone and reaching out to the internationals on our
campus. Also pray for my college ministry to see what God has revealed to me.
Pray that the Lord would soften their hearts towards the nations and
international students we have at UA.
Thank you for all the support and prayers each of you give to me. I hope that in some way my walk with Christ can encourage you to dig deep in your walk with Christ. I am so thankful to be where I am in my walk with Christ, but I am far from where I would like to be. I would like to share a song with you all. This is a song we sung at Passion 2013 and it is also on Chris Tomlin’s new cd. It is called “Whom Shall I fear”. Here are the lyrics. I pray you would read these carefully and pray them over your life and your heart. Go look up the song on YouTube or ITunes. I pray the Holy Spirit would reveal himself to you. I love you all! Have a blessed week! & of course, Roll Tide!
Thank you for all the support and prayers each of you give to me. I hope that in some way my walk with Christ can encourage you to dig deep in your walk with Christ. I am so thankful to be where I am in my walk with Christ, but I am far from where I would like to be. I would like to share a song with you all. This is a song we sung at Passion 2013 and it is also on Chris Tomlin’s new cd. It is called “Whom Shall I fear”. Here are the lyrics. I pray you would read these carefully and pray them over your life and your heart. Go look up the song on YouTube or ITunes. I pray the Holy Spirit would reveal himself to you. I love you all! Have a blessed week! & of course, Roll Tide!
"You hear me when I call
You are my morning song
Though darkness fills the night
It cannot hide the light
Whom shall I fear
You crush the enemy
Underneath my feet
You are my sword and shield
Though troubles linger still
Whom shall I fear
I know who goes before me
I know who stands behind me
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side
The one who reigns forever
He is a friend of mine
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side
My strength is in Your name
For You alone can save
You will deliver me
Yours is the victory
Whom shall I fear
Whom shall I fear
I know who goes before me
I know who stands behind me
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side
The one who reigns forever
He is a friend of mine
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side
And nothing formed against me shall stand
You hold the whole world in Your hands
I'm holding on to Your promises
You are faithful
You are faithful
You are faithful
I know who goes before me
I know who stands behind me
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side
The one who reigns forever
He is a friend of mine
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side
The God of angel armies
is always by my side"
