IV fall conference 2011 (October 14-16)

Yet again, God showed up. While attending IV’s fall conference this weekend I went into it thinking “this is going to be the same stuff I have already been through and it’s all going to be a repeat and not affect me” but, I was 100% wrong. The first night during track was needed. We had time to just be and not do anything and we talked about or rather read as someone typed about how we are always doing things “for God” and we don’t take the time to “be with” God. I find myself doing this a lot since I am always doing things and trying to add more to what I am already doing so I am constantly busy and don’t find the time to just be with God. I find myself trying to “do” things for God but He wants a relationship with us and He wants to talk to us since we are His friends. It hurts to think that I have been ignoring Him everyday for the most part. I find myself having 1 quiet time a week since I am a small group leader so my quiet time is based on preparing and getting ready for my study and going through the passage the group would be going through for the week.

            I need to start “BEING” rather than “DOING” since God says “come to me all of you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.”

            The last day we were at conference we went through John 4 and talked about the woman at the well. Now, this is a passage I just went over with my small group and I felt like I knew it very well. The truth was that I do know it but I was not being receptive to it at all. I thought that I was getting filled and quenching my thirst by having a relationship with Jesus but He revealed to me that my relationship needs improvement and that there is someone else that I have been going to for fulfillment and to quench my thirst. I mentioned it in the first part… always doing… I chase after always being busy to fulfill my thirst and I never realized it until this weekend. Jesus is the water I want but there is a lot that’s going to have to change for that to fully happen.

            Even after attending a leadership conference for the summer and being a Christian for my entire life and truly dedicating my life to Jesus 3 years ago… I still need to reminder that Jesus is the answer and that He wants to fulfill my thirst and fill me up.

Hardships

Do you ever feel like you are in a valley and no matter what you try to do, you only get lower and lower even when you thought it was impossible to get any lower? Do you wonder where is God and wonder "am I ever going to get to the peak of the mountain and out of this valley?" Have you ever been tempted over and over again and you just don't understand why and feel like you are alone with nobody around to understand what you're going through?

If you answered yes to any of these questions then I have great news for you and hope!!!

"First of all I just want to say that even Jesus was tempted for 40 days and 40 nights in the desert. He was tempted left and right by the enemy. The thoughts you are having are not your own. They are from the enemy, you have been growing so much in the Lord and you are becoming a threat to Satan and that scares him because he knows that God is more powerful and that God wins. Satan is going to try everything he can to get ahold of you but I ask that you fight this battle and look to God. I know it is hard, I went through it for too long. I lost sight of God and I won captive to Satan. It is no fun and God is fighting for you right now. He loves you and cling to that, don't add the burdens of others to yourself.

Matthew 11:28-30 "“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”"

Mark 1:13 "and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him."

1 Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it."

Those are the words that I gave to a friend that was in need of Gods peace and did not know where to turn. This friend had felt like they were in the deepest part of the valley and when things started to get batter then they found themselves back in the velley with nowhere to go. This is not only my friends story but I am able to speak these words because this is also my story. I am the one that feel captive to the lies of Satan and allowed him to take control of me. I am the one that lost sight of God when I thought that things could't get any worse and they would never get better either. This is my story.

God has placed us all on a journey but He never promised for the journey to be easy or fun. If this was the case then there would be no need for Christ and all that He did since there would be no hardships and life would be "easy." One of my favorite poems is "footprints in the sand" I always remember that when I feel like there is only one set of footprints in the sand then that is an amazing thing since yes, thigns may be hard at that time and I may want to give up but that is when I am closest to God since He is carrying me!!!

I want to encourahe you that even in the midst of hardships and when you feel that Satan is after you and you can't get away. You may want to leave and give up all hope but I am here to tell you that there is another option that is better. I encourage you to cling to God and not give up. God is with you ever step of the way and He will be there with you in the hard times and the good times and things will get better. I am a living testimony and story to this since this is my story and I fell captive to Satans control and lies but God saved me and I am His!!!

God calls us to go 2 by 2

Luke 10:1-4; 17-24.... Well, this is a passage that I read this weekend and was impactful as well as the other passages that I had read. When reading this passage you realize that the Lord had sent the 72 people out in pairs of TWO, NOT alone. "He sent them two by two" and if you continue reading then you see that they were sent ahead of Him to every town and place where he was about to go...

He sent them ahead of Him (we are sent out to plant the seeds in people's lives and be there to start the process of people getting to know Christ and then the Lord will come behind us and take care of the rest) Now that takes off a lot of pressure of trying to get pople to say yes to enter into the kingdom of God!!! I know that I have struggled with this in the past where I knew that there was someone that was not a believer and I thought if I do something wrong then it's all downhill and that if they say no to the invitation of allowing God into their lives then I must have failed and did something wrong. BUT, NO... We are called ahead of God, we are called to plant the seeds, and then the rest is up to God and that person. As leaders, we need to take risks and go ahead of God and start planting those seeds in people's lives and that brings me to the next point.

"The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send you out into the harvest field."..... harvest is PLENTIFUL, but workers are FEW. Being on the college campus, I have realized this to be true. There are many out there who do not know Christ, more so than there are those who do, or at least that's how it is on this campus. We as Christians and leaders need to be willing to get out and "work" as the Lord has called us to do... We just need to ask Him to send ud out and he will and He will be with us... Again, we are called to plant the seeds and God will do the rest!!!!

"I am sending you out like lambs among wolves"... well, first of all God is our shephard so He is going to watching over us since we are his sheep. This "lambs among wolves" is telling us straight out that the job is not easy and WE can't do it. But, God can but He needs us to help Him out. We as leaders need to get out of our comfort zones and step out into faith and trust what God is doing and follow his command to GO!!!

This is just a passage that I could talk about for a while since there is so much in it but the main thing to get out of it is that we are called to go 2 by 2 not alone, God sent the 72 out in pairs and that's what we should do. We should evangelize 2 by 2, we should lead a Bible study 2 by 2, we should have an investigative Bible study 2 by 2 . You get the point, we should do things 2 by 2 and NEVER be alone. Now, this can look differnt to people but still never go into the battle field alone but always go 2 by 2!!!!

Another main poin that I did not go into detail about is that We have been rewarded for knowing Christ (John 10:23-24) "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it." We as Christians have been given the oppertunity to see things that others wish they could see and we are able to see the work of the Lord in and around us. As it is said in scripture (Matthew 7:7) "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you"

Just consider what has been said and NEVER go alone, no matter what it is that you are doing!!!

Heaven gained an amazing Angel

"It was getting late & I was scared & alone
Then a kind old man took my hand & led me home
Mama couldn't see him, but he was standing there
But I knew in my heart, he was the answer to my prayers

Oh I believe there are angels among us
Sent down to us from somewhere up above
They come to you & me in our darkest hours
To show us how to live
To teach us how to give
To guide us with a light of love"


On Wednesday February 2, 2011 a very special person and devoted child of Christ went home to be with the Lord. Her name was Kelsey Koch and she was fighting a rare disease and was the oldest living person of the illness. It's hard to believe that this is real. I only knew her for a little over a year but it's a year that won't be forgotten. She impacted everybody that she came into contact with and there is no doubt in my mind that she is now dancing her heart out on the Golden streets of Heaven. God has just gained a beautiful angel that will never be forgotten. There are tears on Earth but much rejoycing in Heaven and now she is in no more pain and has a new body and able to worship her maker for eternity. One day we shall all be reunited once again, till then she will not be forgotten and her presence will always be felt on Earth and her story will be continued on and continue to impact the lives of others. 


Rest in Peace precious Kelsey, you are now home and the battle has been won. Well done my friend, you fought a good fight and victory is now yours!!!! 


kjkdancingthroughtherain,blogspot.com "The storm is finally over"

Everything Impossible

I was taught to be practical in everything I do
Holding on to what is tangible, and then came You
That's when I found myself so far away, from everything I knew
I took a leap of faith

Even though You're difficult for me to explain
I know I'll never be the same

You're everything I cannot see
You're everything I cannot say
I know it all seems so illogical
But that's okay
You're the love You give to me
You're the love I give away
You are everything impossible
And that's okay

That's okay!

All the things that make no sense to me, draw me to You
Like finding freedom by surrendering, can it be true
With everything I can and cannot know
This mystery is bringing life to me

And all this love I have for You I can't contain
I know I'll never be the same

You're everything I cannot see
You're everything I cannot say
I know it all seems so illogical
But that's okay
You're the love You give to me
You're the love I give away
You are everything impossible
And that's okay

That's okay

What's so hard to understand
What I cannot comprehend
Is that You love me the way I am

You're everything I cannot see
You're everything I cannot say
I know it all seems so illogical
But that's okay
You're the love You give to me
You're the love I give away
You are everything impossible
And that's okay

You're everything I cannot see
You're everything I cannot say
I know it all seems so illogical
But that's okay
You're the love You give to me
You're the love I give away
You are everything impossible
And that's okay

And that's okay

I would die for you

And I know that I can find You here
'Cause You promised me You'll always be there
Times like these, it's hard to see
But somehow I have a peace, You're near
And I pray that You will use my life
In whatever way Your name is glorified
Even if surrendering
Means leaving everything behind

My life has never been this clear
Now I know the reason why I'm here
You never know why You're alive
Until you know what you would die for
I would die for You

And I know I don't have much to give
But I promise You I will give You all there is
Can I possibly do less
When through Your own death I live?

No greater love is found
Than of those who lay their own lives down
As sure as I live and breathe
Now I know what it means to be free

Rhetorical question: No's and Yes's

Have you ever felt like God was telling you No in regards to everything and that no matter what it was or where you looked you always heard, ran into, and saw a NO?!? But then when you least expected it then a YES showed up in the least expected place and in regards to something that you had been waiting for a yes to?!?

God has been telling me NO left and right and no matter what it may be that I was going to do or ask then the answer always showed up to be NO. I couldn't get away from NO's and it has been frustrating. It seemed like God had me drop everything that I had been doing and give it over to someone else and I have not understood the reason behind that until now. After hearing a NO time after time for 2 years in regards to doing God's work He has finally shown up and decided to tell me it's time. 

I have waited 2 years for this and NOW after being half way done with college God has decided to tell me YES?!? I don't understand. he had placed me here on the campus and now after all the waiting and thinking that I was ready 2 years ago to leave all behind and go He tells me yes??? As much as I wish I could do missions for Him, it is becoming reality that I am scared to death and am not ready to give everything up for Him. I want to do it but why now, why after 2 years has He decided to tell me Yes to this question?!? 

I don't know what's going to happen but I am going to be honest and tell you that I am fighting God on this since I am scared to death about what He is calling me to do. I don't know where He wants me to go or what exactly He wants me to do but it's a definite and strong YES that I can't ignore. I don't understand His timing and even if He is saying that it's time and the "training" is done for me to go. I am not sure. I want to trust Him and I do but why a YES now after all that I have been through and hoped to do. Everything is lining up and pointing to it being time but the question is "Am I ready?" and the answer seems to be NO. He has told me NO time and time again and Now a yes shows up. I knew I would fight Him when he would finally say yes but I was not expecting the yes to be directed in this direction and to do this.

So, have you ever been in a similar situation where no matter where you looked and no matter what you asked, God was always telling you No and had you drop everything you had been doing and then out of nowhere you finally get a Yes that you did not expect and then fought God on that decision?? I don't know where God's leading me but the yes is there but I am not sure I am able to go and leave everything when I don't even know where God is leading me to and what He wants me to do.