Be Thou My Vision

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best thought by day or by night
Waking or sleeping Thy presence my light
Be thou my wisdom and Thou my true word
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord
Thou my great Father, I , Thy true son
Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee one
Riches I heed not nor man’s emptly praise
Thou mine inheritance now and always
Thou and thou only first in my heart
High King of heaven my treasure Thou are
High King of heaven my victory won
May I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s Sun
Heart of my own heart whatever befall
Still be my vision O Ruler of all

Romans 6:11-14

In the same way count yourselves DEAD to sin, but ALIVE in Christ. Therefore,do not let sin enter your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness, but rather OFFER YOURSELVES to God, as those who have been brought from death to life, and offer the parts of your bodyto him as instruments of RIGHTEOUSNESS. FOR SIN SHALL NOT BE YOUR MASTER, because you are not under law, but under GRACE.

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? BY NO MEANS!!

Mark 10:14-16

“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. ¹⁵I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” ¹⁶And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.

“Children may be 20 percent of our population, but they are 100 percent of our future.” -Senator Ben Nelson

Pastor Darren Whitehead mentioned this quote in one of his recent messages.. and I completely agree with this quote. With this, I have learned to be very careful around my kids and really take my role as a small group leader seriously. They ARE the future …. and what a privilege it is to help pave their life paths. 
Of the 7 days a week offers — I can assure you that I spend maybe 80% of my time with children. I can’t help my urge to pour out love to them in a way that is reflecting Christ’s love. As much as I try to teach them the ways of the world and of God — 60% of the time, I’m learning myself. These children humble me through their curiosity to learn more and their ability to take in what we teach them and apply it immediately afterwards. 

As much as I love them, I do admit that I get incredibly stretched and broken on Saturdays when I lead my small group at Willowcreek. So often, I try to rely on my own strengths to get them to pay attention and really think about the lessons from the Bible — but in the end, God lovingly humbles me and helps me guide them. I really admire the other sg leaders I work with as they tend to their “sheep” I never realized how important it was to really act in a Christ-like manner until working at Promiseland because these kids are SPONGES .. whatever you do or say — they imitate like adorable little monkeys. 

I thank God for the gift/opportunities to love&teach&care for children. 

I can’t wait to see God’s story unfold in each of their little lives. 

and I thank EACH and EVERY one of them for helping me come back to a childlike faith. <3

Psalm 23 | Desert Song Hillsongs

This is my prayer in the desert
And all that’s within me feels dry
This is my prayer in the hunger in me
My God is a God who provides

And this is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved
Of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flames

And I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon forged against me shall remain

I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

And this is my prayer in the battle
And triumph is still on it’s way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I’ll stand

All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship

This is my prayer in the harvest
When favor and providence flow
I know I’m filled to be emptied again
The seed I’ve recieved I will sow

Jeremiah 29:11

alot has happened and changed since the last time i posted –

declined to continue pursuing a job in korea due to some shadiness  — which was a good sign and a sign I needed.

 

 

while I could rant on about what was happened and every single blessing God has graciously given me each day – - I won’t.

all I need to know and remember is Jeremiah 29:11

Psalm 19:14

 

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, [3]
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the Lord is clean,
enduring forever;
the rules [4] of the Lord are true,
and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.

12 Who can discern his errors?
Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;
let them not have dominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless,
and innocent of great transgression.

14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

i’m Alive.

Like the rest, we were BY NATURE objects of wrath, BUT because of His GREAT LOVE for us, God who is RICH in mercy …

made us alive with Christ.

ephesians 2:3

He Chose US.

To this day, I still can’t fathom that of the 6.791 billion people alive, he chose me.

Ephesians 1:3-23

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us [2] for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known [3] to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee [4] of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, [5] to the praise of his glory.

15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love [6] toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Remember…

After praising God for providing, I often into slip periods of being ungrateful because He quenched my initial thirst. I forget…that He has DONE MORE THAN I COULD EVER HAVE ASKED FOR. A sense of guilt overcomes me, but I think it’s more of a necessary nudge from the Holy Spirit to come back to Him and remember.

Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years,

to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart,whether or not you would keep his commands.

He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known,

to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

Deuteronomy 8:2-3

Great is Thy faithfulness…

” we feel very confident in offering you one of our upcoming positions in the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education.”

jaw. drops.

It was only a couple days ago that I interviewed with them. God offers you everything you need (not want) when you least expect it the most.

2 Timothy 2:13 — when we are faithless — He REMAINS faithful.

To this day — I am still in awe of how unconditional his love for us is. I don’t think I’ll ever get over it.

While I have until November to confirm this next step to Korea — I hope to prayerfully make wise decisions for the next couple of months.

Prayer Request — to keep my hands lifted up to him at all times & fight my hardest to stay faithful in offering my all to him.

Bebo Norman – I Have Nothing

Take these hands and lift them up. For I have not the strength to praise You near enough. For I have nothing, I have nothing without You

Take my voice and pour it out. Let it sing the songs of mercy I have found. For I have nothing, I have nothing without You

All my soul needs is all Your love to cover me. So all the world will see that I have nothing without You

Take my body and build it up. May it be broken as an offering of love. For I have nothing, I have nothing without You

With all my heart
With all my soul
With all my mind
With all the strength that I can find

Take my time here on this earth. And let it glorify all that You are worth. For I am nothing, I am nothing without You