Getting Ready for Africa--Come Together

Yesterday, as I was getting ready to do my quiet time, I wasn't sure where to start reading. I had finished my book in the new testament and was still reading through Isaiah. I wanted to find the verse where it said that the world will know you're mine because of how you treat each other. I sat down and looked in the concordance to find the exact place. John13: 34,35--"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." Jesus spoke this to his disciples right after he had just told Judas to go do what he needed to do (betray him) and right before he told Peter that he would deny him 3 times before the next morning. He wants us to love one another just like he loves us, even when 2 of his closest friends were going to betray him and deny him. It made me think of how others can do something so small to us, and yet we take it as a horrible grievance against us. Jesus was betrayed which led to his cruxifiction and he still wants us to love all just like he loves us.
I was reading through this, God kept giving me verses and some revelations. We've all heard how love isn't a feeling, but a choice or a decision we make. I don't have to agree with everyone, I don't have to like how they treat me or others, but I have to decide to love them. God started helping me with leaving Randy for the 2 weeks. I have worried about being away from him for so long because I don't like being away from him at all. I even miss him during the day during work and I'm going to a third world country for 2 weeks WITHOUT him?!? God helped me to see, that yes, I'll be sad, I'll miss him, BUT I can choose and decide to cry, sob, weep, and make myself miserable or I can decide that Randy loves me, he misses me too, but yet God has so much that he can show me, and use me for His Kingdom. He can be my comfort, my best friend, my husband. "I AM ____________________." Isn't God incredible how he gives you little things at just the right time and when you look back and see the whole picture and how it worked out you just knew it had to be from God? It's like how the church body works too. He gives me little bits of revelation when I need it to work for my good, just like he relates different people of the body of Christ to work together. Each gives and contributes to the body so that it can work correctly. Each member is needed. Just like each team member of Africa is needed. What affects one member of our team, will affect us all whether good or bad. We will be depending on each other. If we can just remember the verses in John to love each other, think how incredible our ministry will be!!! Shellie Kindy, another team member found these verses in Romans, and knew it was for our team too. Romans 15:5-7 "Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jessus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God. Man, if we as a team, could take hold of that and live that out think of the power we could have. If we will only receive each other, not change, modify, or do what we can to make others fit our idea of who they should be, we could show Jesus to so many. Jesus received us when we were still sinners. This man, Our God, who hates sin, received us as sinners!! He didn't try to change us before he received us, he simply received us. Father God, help me right now to begin seeing others as you do. Give me your love, help me to receive others. Help me to not want to change them to be what I think they should be, but to simply love them and receive them. Help my mouth to only say words of others that glorify You and Your body. Be with our team as we prepare this last week. Help us to be encouragers of each other, lifting each other up not tearing each other down. I love you and desire your will for my life and for the life of each of our team members. Be with us this week. Put into place everything that needs to happen. Let us show the world that we are yours. In your sweet, precious name I pray. Amen.

Here I Go...

I have known that I wanted to begin writing a blog for my upcoming mission trip to Africa. It's been very hard for me to get started because of people reading what I write. I have no confidence in my writing ability. And there is the problem. That word, I. It seems a lot of my sentences begin that way. If I am going to fully increase the Lord in my life, I need to put self away. It's simply a pride issue. Luckily, Jesus said to become as little children, so if my blogs sound simple and childlike, it's ok. To fully Increase Him in my life, I have to put away any plans that I may have for my life. I'm either for Him, or against Him. When I put my agenda, wants, needs into play, I'm automatically against Him. Another pride issue. Anything that I do on my own closes God out. Even his name, "I AM" shows this. He is everything I need Him to be. I can just fill in the blank for Him. "I AM ____________." Whatever I may need at any given time, He is that for me. My identity needs to be in Him. I am a child of God and that is all I need to be.