Africa. . .FINALLY!

So, I know I've been back from Africa for 2 months, but I finally set down a few weeks ago to put my thoughts on paper. The following post is what I shared with our church family when we shared about our trip. . .

In training for this and previous trips to Senegal, I have shared with teammates and other teams this verse: "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe." --Ephesians 1:18-19. My prayer for the Sereer people has always been that. That their eyes would be opened to the truth. Preparing for this trip was completely different than any other mission trip I'd ever been on. I was preparing to bring the Gospel to people I knew, people I had grown to love and had a growing burden for since my previous trip last summer, people like my namesake, Wolimata, people like the very old Chief Samba of the Thies Noon village, people like Jason's very good friend Citi, who was very close to death this year after contracting malaria. These were people who were so hospitable, who loved me unconditionally, people who are literally dying and spending eternity separated from God because they don't have a relationship with Christ. Before leaving for this trip, I was so overwhelmed with a sense of urgency that they have to hear the Gospel and that nothing else matters but that we go and tell, regardless of our safety, comfort, convenience, or financial means; because all of those things are meaningless and don't impact eternity. God's command is clear and His promise remains true: we GO and He is with us. That's all we need to know. My prayer for out entire church family is that we are so overwhelmed by the "lostness" of the people who we are ministering to in Africa that nothing will stop us from doing what God has called us to do. On my first day in Senegal, I wrote this in my journal: "My heart breaks for these people. I want to tell them and for them to understand. As I am here, I am overwhelmed by the task at hand. The conversion of these people is a slow process, but the Lord is definitely at work. I can't wait until the day when we see the people here come to know Christ!" Not only was I completely overwhelmed by the spiritual well being of the Sereer people, I think it finally hit me that our church has to be in this for the long haul. While I know God is big enough to have many people come to know Him on the next trip we take, the reality is that the people in Senegal are very slow to convert. This is mainly because doing so means being completely outcast in a society that is all about relationships with others. This reality really sank in as I held a 20-day-old infant in a village one day. Philip, Kyle, and John (an IMB missionary) were sharing with the men in the village and I was with the women. I was unable to communicate with them, so as I sat and held this tiny baby, I began to pray silently and boldly over him. I prayed that God would place a hedge of protection around this baby, and that through that specific child, change would come to that village. As I prayed, I was overwhelmed with the thought of two things: 1. It is quiet possible that this child could be the first person in that village to accept Christ, and that could be many years from now; 2. This child could quite possibly die before the next trip we take. That was certainly eye-opening for me! I wrote this in my journal that night: "I look forward to watching him grow up and hopefully one day seeing him accept Christ!" The task at hand seems impossible. It won't happen overnight. It might not happen in the next year, or even the next five years, but we are seeing an openness to the Gospel that we MUST take advantage of. God has called our church to this place with these people for such a time as this. We have the awesome privilege and responsibility to bring the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Let us now grow weary in doing what God has called us to!

As some of you know, our flight was delayed overnight in Washington, DC. We rented a car and drove to see some of the monuments. While we were all very disappointed that we would miss our entire first day in Africa, God used the time in our nation's capital to remind me of something He taught me on my last trip to Senegal. As I stood and looked at the Lincoln Memorial, I was reminded of the Emancipation Proclamation that Lincoln penned, and I immediately thought about this journal entry that I wrote last year after my first trip: "I saw an island on the reality show The Amazing Race where all the slaves in Africa were held prior to being shipped off to other countries to be enslaved to someone. That was several years ago and I remember being moved to tears as a young African American girl wept while standing at the "door of no return" where the Africans would walk through on their way into a lifetime of slavery. On our last day in Senegal, before catching our flight, we were able to go to this exact spot! Again, I was struck by the harsh living conditions these slaves were forced into, as they were treated as property, not humans. As our tour guide explained the history of it all in broken English that I could only catch about every third word of, God reminded me of the slavery He saved me from when He sent His Son to die on the cross! I was bound by a yoke of slavery far greater than any that a human could impose. . . the yoke of sin. He willingly sent Jesus to die for my sins so that I could be free! What a glorious day when the slaves in America heard the news (though very delayed) of the Emancipation Proclamation and were free! What a glorious day when Jesus overcame death on the cross to proclaim emancipation for the captives! It is our job to proclaim that freedom today! "The Spirit of the sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners." Isaiah 61:1
That is why He has called me to Highlands and the ministry He has here for me. That is why He called me to Mexico in 2002, to Haiti in 2005, and to Senegal this year for what is the beginning of a long relationship with the people groups there. That is why He'll continue to call all of us as Christians to step our of our comfort zones and serve people! Not so I can go on another cool mission trip, but so I can proclaim freedom to the captives! "SO IF THE SON SETS YOU FREE, YOU WILL BE FREE INDEED!" John 8:36"

Breaking the 400 Year Silence

Have you ever read a story that you've read thousands of times and notice something completely new? God has done that for me this year with the Christmas story. It started as we were rehearsing for Praise Team. We have been practicing to sing "Emmanuel," which was recorded by Chris Tomlin. One verse of that song says, "What fear we felt in the silent age, 400 years, can He be found?; but broken by a baby's cry, rejoice in the hallowed manger ground." I have been mulling that over in my mind, then we went to the Chris Tomlin Christmas concert last night and Louie Giglio spoke on that very thing. Do you ever stop and think about what transpired in that time represented by the single blank page in your Bible between the Old and New Testaments? It was 400 years of silence from God. God's people didn't hear His voice for 4 centuries! Now, I know I feel all out of sorts if I go days or weeks where I feel distant from God. I can't fathom a 400 year silence. The most amazing thing about the story? (this gives me chills!). How did He break the silence? It wasn't a loud trumpet or from a mighty king on an earthly throne, or even a deep voice from heaven. It was the precious cry of a baby. Whoa! I have attended thousands of deliveries in my job as a nurse, and there is nothing like the anticipation of a baby's first cry. The world had been waiting 400 years to hear the cry of Emmanuel, God with us, the Word made flesh, the one person who ever chose to be born. With the cry of a precious newborn infant, God set a plan into motion that no power could stop. A plan of redemption and mercy and grace. A plan that saved me out of the pit of sin and allowed me to live in Christ's freedom. A plan that is for every person. A plan that God has called each of us to proclaim to the nations! I'll close this post with the lyrics to a song I'm hoping to sing next Sunday morning (as long as my voice cooperates!)

A seed, it grows;
and somehow becomes a life.
It moves, she knows
that her baby has arrived.
She's so scared, but she's so blessed.
She lays down her fear
for the hope at her breast.

For she knows,. . .
One million chains could never hold back this moment in time
One thousand dreams could never dream what this moment truly means.
Heaven and Earth, they cradle the infinite Joy born on this night.
For it only takes One Child to forever change the world.

He stands beside her,
He share her pain if he only knew how
He whispers, "I love you."
As he gently strokes her brow
He's so scare, but he's so blessed.
There's a thundering pride pounding deep in his chest.

For he knows,. . .
One million chains could never hold back this moment in time
One thousand dreams could never dream what this moment truly means.
Heaven and Earth, they cradle the infinite Joy born on this night.
For it only takes One Child to forever change the world.

Christ is born!
We are blessed!
Every knee's gonna bow and every tongue shall confess
That we know, . . .
One million chains could never hold back this moment in time
One thousand dreams could never dream what this moment truly means.
Heaven and Earth, they cradle the infinite Joy born on this night.
For it only takes One Child . . .

This baby cries,
And for the first time, the world hears the voice of God weep.
Mary sings a lullaby as the Hope of the Nations gently falls asleep
She knows this is that One Child to forever change the world.

It's been way too long. . .

Oh my goodness!! I have been horrible at posting to my blog. It has been an absolute whirlwind since I returned from Africa. I posted a few pics while I was there, and I'll post another blog specifically regarding that trip, but I just wanted to catch everyone up on what's been going on. My first evening home from Africa was spent in the Emergency Room. I pretty much knew by my last day and half in Africa that I needed some serious medical attention, but tried to ignore it and hoped it would go away (they say nurses are the worst patients!). Starting on the third or fourth day of our trip, I had an irritation in my esophagus. The only thing I could really trace it back to was taking one of my malaria pills without water. By the day we left to come home, I couldn't even drink water without being in tremendous pain, so I headed to the ER. They diagnosed me with severe esophagitis, which is pretty much an ulceration of my esophagus. After one night of medicine and a day or two to eat and get my energy back, I was as good as new! Which was good, because I had exactly 1 week to move out of my house.
I sold my house and bought a new one (well, new to me) on October 30th. I had to move out of my house and move in with my parents. Getting the house ready has taken much longer than I expected, but I hope to move in this weekend. . .we shall see!
The last 3 weeks have been so busy! I have been working alot at the hospital as well as working on my house. As if I didn't have enough to do, I helped plan a huge benefit for 3 of my co-workers who are battling breast cancer. We decided to do this event with only 3 weeks to plan! What a crazy time! But it was well worth it. . . we raised around $13,000!!! We were totally overwhelmed by everyone's generosity!
I will spend tomorrow helping to renovate our student ministry area at church. Saturday morning, my little cousin, April is graduating law school, so I'm going to her graduation to celebrate! Saturday night, I am looking forward to the Chris Tomlin Christmas concert. Maybe I'll slow down just in time to celebrate Christmas! Thanking the Lord that I am healthy and happy and have the energy to do all of the things He's called me to!! I am truly blessed! Merry Christmas to all!

Check it out!

Hi all! Please check out this blog we have set up for a benefit for my co-workers who are battling breast cancer! If you don't mind, please post a link on your blogs as well! Thanks!!

www.forthegirls2009.blogspot.com

Kristi

Africa

My mind is really still processing all that is going on here in West Africa, and I know I will have many stories to tell, but I wanted to quickly post some pics now and let everyone know that God is at work!! It's exciting to see the difference even from 16 months ago! Continue to pray for hearts to be open and ready to receive the truth!

Selling Shirts

**********UPDATE---PICS POSTED BELOW!***********************

Hello all! Just wanted to let you know that we are selling shirts to raise money for our upcoming Africa Mission Trip. The shirts are available in dark pink/green, black/white, and red/white. The front of the shirt has an outline of Africa and says "Pray for Africa" and the back has Habakkuk 1:5 "Look at the nations and watch— and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told." (I'll post pics tomorrow) They are $12 each for adults and $10 each for kids. Let me know if you want one or some! Also, if you would like to help us out, please post this on your blogs! Thanks!

The layout on the shirt:

The scripture on the back of the shirt:



The image on the front of shirt:

It's been a while. . .

I keep telling myself I'm going to make a renewed commitment to blogging, not because I have fascinated readers out there just dying to hear about my life, but because as I look back over the blog, I am constantly reminded of God's faithfulness.

I was just thinking this week over the last year. A year ago this weekend, I was in San Francisco having a blast with some friends, then we came home to a wonderful church family retreat that was literally the calm before the storm (AKA Hurricane Ike). I have been in a such a reflective mood the last few days just thinking about all that has changed since last year and all that God has done. He continues to prove Himself faithful. And the best thing?. . .He isn't faithful to what I want, or think I need, at the moment. He is faithful to bring glory and honor to His name. One of the verses I memorized this year is Isaiah 55:8-9:"'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,'declares the LORD. 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.'" I had no idea how much God would use that verse in my life this year, but it has really become the theme of this past year. If you had asked me a year ago where I would be right now (physically, emotionally, relationally, spiritually), let me just say, it wouldn't be where I am. But praise God that His ways are higher than mine! His faithfulness knows no end! He knows me better than I know myself. He has stretched me in ways over the last 12 months that I would've never believed. There have been joys, trials, sadness, gladness, hurt, and triumph, but through it all He remains the same!

On a much lighter note, let me fill you in on what's been going on with me. I have made an offer on a house in Highlands Woods (less than a mile from where I live now). I had to put a contingency in the contract to sell my house before we close. So, now the time crunch. . . I need to sell my house NOW! It's a great house, and I've even cried a time or two in the last month thinking about leaving it. But, the new house is exactly what I need. It is a perfect place to do ministry to teenagers here in Highlands, because it's on more land and has a swimming pool! It also has a garage, which I don't have here, so that will be nice. The best perk?...it has a separate building for my business. This past year has been so hectic that the business has been pushed to the back burner. I have recently changed the name (Little Squirt Boutique), and will be selling new gift items (mostly for babies). I have a website, but there isn't merchandise on it right now. I'm hoping to have it up and fully functioning by the end of the year, if not sooner. The website is: www.littlesquirtboutique.com. I know this business is a great way for me to minister to people and have another touch in the community. I know God will provide a way for me to have time for it. My job is to be a good steward of the time and resources He has given! I'm excited about the future! One other thing that's coming up is another mission trip to Africa. We'll be leaving October 15 and returning October 24. I'll be posting more about some fundraisers we'll be doing before the trip!

Sorry this is so long. . ..I'll try to update more frequently

New Pics

Here are the pictures of Isabella that my friend Shari took for her 3rd Birthday! These are just a few of 150+! We had so much fun!

Whew. . .a busy summer

Since my last post, I have been on our church's annual mission trip, tried to buy a new house, worked a ton of overtime, made a quick trip to Dallas for July 4th, spent a week a youth camp, and celebrated my niece's 3rd birthday! That made me tired just typing it! And, to think there was a trip to California planned in there that got cancelled! Man, I'm crazy! I'll give you a quick run-down and let you in on lessons learned along the way, even in the midst of this crazy-busy summer!

Mission Trip: We spent the week in Jamaica Beach on Galveston Island at a little church. The men were helping this church rebuild after Hurricane Ike. Many of the women and teenagers held Vacation Bible School for the children in the mornings. I was so blessed to be a part of the Beach Reach each afternoon as well as the Teen Hoopla in the evenings. It was such a blessing to see our students boldly proclaim Christ to the people on the beach and to lead out in worship as we ministered to the teenagers in this community. God is certainly at work in Jamaica Beach!

The "new" house: So, I spotted this house in Highlands that was in foreclosure and decided I wanted to take on the challenge! It would mean taking on a second mortgage, at least until I could sell my house, as well as, spending a lot of time and money on renovations. I was very excited and decided to make an offer right about the same time it went under contract with another buyer. So, here we are a month or so later, and I'm just waiting to see if that deal falls through so that I get another shot at the house. I know that God has a plan and if it's supposed to work out, it will. I now, however, have a new hobby of searching for good deals on real estate in Highlands!

My trip to Dallas: I realized at the last minute I had a few days off around July 4th and no plans, so I called Wanissa. When we got our calendars out and realized it would be September before we could see each other again, I loaded up the car, and headed to Dallas for a very quick trip. I had a blast shopping with Wanissa, and watching fireworks with Trey, Wanissa, Cooper, Ashley and KC! I miss my Dallas friends so much (just not enough to move up north)!

Youth Camp: I think Youth Camp has by far been the highlight of the summer. We went back to Journey Youth Camp in Spicewood, Texas. We took about 50 students and 8 adults. God moved in a BIG way and it's hard to even put it into words. We have been praying for several of our students who haven't yet trusted Jesus as their Savior. We continued to pray each morning and evening of camp, along with the camp leadership. We prayed by name for many of our students who we knew didn't have a personal relationship with Jesus. On Wednesday night of camp we were sitting in the evening worship service and there were so many distractions I couldn't even concentrate. I so knew that God was up to something big and Satan was doing everything in his power to distract students from hearing from Him. At one point, one of the students even lost his contact! My initial thought was "Seriously?!?" But, immediately I started praying that we would find it and that Satan would not win. I said out loud that Satan had no business there and he needed to leave us alone! As soon as I uttered the words, the impossible happened. . . they found the contact! I mean, we were in a completely dark room! At that point I knew we needed people to be praying with us for salvation. I stepped out of the worship center and texted about 20 people at home to pray. That night, I was so reminded of God's faithfulness to answer prayer! At the close of the service, we were given the opportunity to pray over each of our students. I was also able to witness a student that we've been praying for for at least 5 years finally give his life to Christ! More than ever, I was reminded of God's faithfulness even when things don't happen on the timetable that we would like! He is so good!!

Isabella's Birthday: I can't even believe Isabella is 3 years old! I made her 4 tutu's and matching shirts for her birthday and she loves them! I also surprised my sister with amazing pics of Bella (courtesy of our friend Shari). Isabella is truly turning into a little lady and she's such a joy! At her party, she hugged each person and told them thank you after she opened their gifts! So cute!

Still more to come: So, even though it's been a crazy summer thus far, I have even more planned. We have Summer Xtreme (youth VBS) going on at church this week, then Shahla and I are taking a few of the high-schoolers to Schlitterbahn in New Braunfels this weekend. On Wednesday, Janell and I are heading to meet Alecia, Kyle, Bella, and the Kees in Orlando at Disney World! I'm so excited, since this is my first trip there in 23 years! The summer will then be topped off by Choir retreat and a couple of showers for Lacey. Then things might get back to "normal" (whatever that means!).

The one thing that has God has really shown me this summer is that I am exactly where He's called me! There is such peace in that even in the midst of chaos. I was overwhelmed by this fact one day at camp when the worship band was playing a video about orphans all over the world. I was weeping for these children, and more broadly for the lost nations that these children represent. I have to admit, my heart is for the nations. I want to be there. I want God to call me there. As I sat there and my heart ached wanting to be in a foreign land sharing His love, that still small voice said, "Kristi, I have called you to Highlands, Texas to minister to students, and I want to use you there. Use your heart for the nations to make a difference right where you are!" WOW! That was exactly what I needed to hear! God doesn't always call us where we "want" to be, but honestly, I can't imagine being anywhere else right now. He has called me to do life with students and my church family in Highlands, and to minister in my job. What an awesome responsibility and privilege!

Karen's Wedding

Last weekend brought a much-needed getaway to Colorado. Several months ago, when my friend Karen told me she was getting married in June in Colorado, I said, "I'll be there!" I love to travel, and this seemed like a great excuse to do so, not to mention I couldn't imagine missing Karen's wedding. So, I asked Rachel if she wanted to come along, and she, who is also always up for a trip, said, "Sure!" We were only able to go for the weekend, but it was so nice. I had only been to Colorado during the winter, and I have to say, I LOVE it in the summer! I already told my parents and sisters we have to go back for vacation soon!

We arrived in Denver late Friday night after my flight was delayed (sorry Rachel that you had to wait on me), had dinner and crashed at the hotel. When we got up Saturday morning we walked around Boulder, which is a nice town with a great little square with shopping and dining! We had lunch (where we confirmed the rule that you should never order Mexican food in a state besides Texas!), then headed up to the mountains to enjoy the great outdoors! I couldn't tell you how many times we said, "Look at that!" or "Wow!" or "That's amazing!" As I looked at the mountains, I was completely amazed at God's handiwork! And to think, the God that created all of that beauty desires an intimate relationship with me! Now, that's something to make me say, "Wow!"

The wedding was on Sunday, which also happened to be the groom's birthday! We packed up our things Sunday morning and made the 1 1/2 hour drive to Estes Park in the Rocky Mountain National Forest. The wedding was at the Historic Stanley Hotel and it was beautiful! I've only been to a handful of weddings that when you leave, you are thinking more about God than the the bride and groom. This was definitely one of those! I met Karen almost 15 years ago when she was my youth minister. She was a young college student and I was in high school. God definitely used Karen as a major part of my spiritual growth during my teenage years, and I now consider her a very dear friend. As I watched Karen walk down the aisle to her waiting groom, I was overwhelmed by God's faithfulness. His plans for her were greater than she could have ever imagined! He is so good! I'm so glad I was able to be there to celebrate this special day.

We had to rush away from the wedding because we had late evening flights back to Houston for me and Dallas for Rachel. Little did we know, we could have stayed at the wedding reception as long as we wanted because neither of us left the Denver airport till after 9:00 p.m. I arrived home at about 2:00 a.m. and got a few hours of sleep before heading to Galveston for our Summer Mission Trip. More details coming soon to the blog about that trip. . .

Where to start?. . .crazy trip to the airport :)

The last couple of weeks have been insanely busy! I always say that when summer comes around and all the students at church and my friends who are teachers are excited about the much needed down-time, my schedule really kicks into high gear. There are more activities, and I still have to somehow figure out how to get my hours in at work!

So, I would say the official summer "kick-off" was a late night(actually early morning) trip to the airport to see Lin off to China. Our church was so blessed to have several foreign exchange students from all over the world be apart of our church family this last school year. Lin stayed with my good friends, the Lamberts. Some of the teenagers decided we should surprise Lin at the airport the morning she left to go back to China. This required us getting up and heading that way at 2:30 a.m.!!!

So, we had our end of the year LIFEGroup parties and then about 10:00 p.m., ten students came over to our house to crash until we left. We watched TV, played games, acted silly and some of us tried to sleep. I have to mention that some people got a little rambunctious and my cell phone somehow landed in a cup of watered-down tea. It is working right now, but not quite as well as it used to, so if you can't get ahold of me, that is why! There are many theories as to who is to blame for this incident, but we'll just chalk it up to bad luck!

I had to borrow my sister's Suburban, and Shahla drove my car, and we loaded up with balloons and signs. I hadn't been to Bush Airport in a while, but there is definitely some serious construction going on, not to mention there are not many people working at 3:00 a.m.! We couldn't park at the international departure terminal because that garage wasn't open. So, we walked and rode the train through the airport for over an hour trying to locate the Lamberts and Lin. Keep in mind the lack of airport personnel, which meant we were on our own to figure out where Lin was. Also keep in mind that when hanging out with teenagers, there are at least as many opinions as there are people! Let's just say I was beyond frustrated at some points and thought, "There is probably some security people in a room watching us traipse through the airport and laughing their heads off!" At one point I look down this long corridor that has a definite down-slope, and a teenager who will remain nameless was log-rolling down it! That prompted me to say, "The next person who does something stupid will be sitting in the car until we are finished!", at which point the aforementioned teenager said with definite pride, "Did you just see me roll down that ramp?" I thought Shahla was going to fall down laughing when she told him, "That's why she just made the comment about doing something stupid!" At another point, as many opinions were flying around, I stopped everyone and asked, "How many of you have even stepped foot in this airport?" When only about 6 of them raised their hands, I said, "Good! That eliminates 4 opinions!" We had many laughs, and even more tears as we people-watched and bid farewell to our friend. It was certainly one last opportunity for us to show Christ's love to Lin!

Continue to pray for Lin as she gets settled in back at home in China. Over the last 10 months, we were able to share the Gospel with her, and see a definite struggle going on in her heart. She knows the decision she's faced with, but at this point, has not put her trust in Jesus. Satan is using lies to keep her from believing that there are Christians in China. Pray that strongholds will be broken and she will understand her desperate need for a Redeemer!



>

Acknowledging God's Faithfulness

I have really been enjoying the last week or so of my "Believing God" homework, because it has involved writing down my spiritual journey. One of the things that I've seen is as I can look back on events in my life, I can see how God was at work even when I didn't realize it at the time. At first when I saw that we were going to write down our journeys, I didn't think much about it, but it has really had a profound impact on me, and I've only gotten to age 18! After that is when I really started to let God have control of my life. I am amazed at the provision and protection that He provided during those years when I wasn't allowing Him to have complete control. I would encourage each of you to write down your story. Take it in bite-size portions (I'm doing 1/5 of my life at a time), and make note of your family situation, major events, spiritual events, and any "God-stops" (instances & seasons where you know God was at work). After I get through this homework, I think I'll actually compile my thoughts in a journal to keep. Part of truly believing God is knowing that He has been at work all along and that His ways are so much higher than mine. His track record speaks for itself. . .HE CAN BE TRUSTED!!

Someone who I have grown to care deeply about who doesn't have a relationship with Christ recently posed the question, "How can you pray to a God that lets bad things into your life?" While I can completely understand this concern from someone who doesn't have a personal relationship with Christ, my answer has to be "How can I not?" When this broken world we live in leaves me at rock bottom, I have no where to turn but to the One Who I know has always been faithful. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever! (Hebrews 13:8)

Have a great week trusting the One Who can always be trusted!

"When the Saints"

I blogged a while back about my new favorite song, "When the Saints," by Sara Groves. I've been listening to it a lot because I'm going to sing it at church in a couple of weeks. As I was listening to it on the way to work tonight, I was overcome with emotion as the song really drove home some of the things God has been teaching me in the last few weeks. The first verse says: "Lord I have a heavy burden of all I've seen and know; It's more than I can handle; But Your Word is burning like a fire shut up in my bones; and I cannot let it go." My mind has been focused on the utter poverty and injustice that occurs in our world today. I've been thinking about Africa and our upcoming trip; and India as I followed the Compassion bloggers; and the sickening reality of human trafficking that even occurs in America. You can't be aware of those things and not be compelled to do something about it, but at the same time, it can be so overwhelming, you don't know where to start. What is so amazing, and the point Sara Groves makes in this song, is that God has always used broken down, ordinary people who don't have it all together and who are completely overwhelmed by their circumstances to completely change the world around them. The second verse of the song says, "Lord it's all that I can't carry and cannot leave behind; it all can overwhelm me; but when I think of all who've gone before and lived the faithful life their courage compels me." As we look at others who have served God in their lives, we are encouraged. This Scripture verse has really stood out to me this week: "He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.'" (2 Corinthians 12:9). God is able to do things in and through us that we never imagined were possible. The song goes on to list heroes of the faith from biblical times to the present. I'm working on a video that goes with the song, and in talking with several people about it, we thought it would be good to put pictures of people that have gone on to heaven who have touched our lives and our spiritual journeys; people who simply allowed God to use them. So many people have come to mind, and I'd like to share a few of them. . .

Billy Snell Bennett: Mr. Bennett and his wife Aleta (who I still get to see twice a week at church), served faithfully in the 2 year old Sunday School class for 30+ years. Some of my very first memories of church were in the nursery in their class. I also cherish memories of working alongside them on numerous mission trips throughout the years.

Doug Adams (my Paw Paw): He was my "adopted" grandfather and served the Lord faithfully throughout the years. He loved unconditionally, and I loved that about Him.

Hannah Harpster: Hannah was a little girl who entered our lives when she had cancer and as a church, we prayed fervently for God's healing. He decided to go ahead with her ultimate healing and took her home to heaven. She always said she wanted to be a missionary when she grew up, and she was! She spent her time in and out of the hospital and told people about Jesus everywhere she went!

Mr. & Mrs. Salters: The thing I remember most about both of them was their hearts for missions. Glen actually died of a heart attack suffered while on a mission trip. Their lives truly exemplified utter faith and dependence on the Lord.

This list could go on and on. But, my point is, these people, along with Abraham, Moses, David, the disciples, Paul, and many others were ordinary people who simply submitted their lives to Christ and His will for them. God wants to use each of us to move mountains. We must first set aside all our "rights" and cling to the One who can do amazing things in and through us. We need to get over our insecurities and thinking we're not good enough, because the fact of the matter is, we're not good enough, but He is!!! And we can boast in the fact that His power is made perfect in our weakness!

Check this out!

Check out Beth Moore's daughter, Meilssa's blog about her Compassion International Mission trip to Calcutta, India. I was especially moved by her commentary on the scripture from Isaiah.

And, this blog brought me to tears! It's from Angie Smith, who is also on the trip with Melissa. Her story of unbelievable sorrow has captured me as I've followed her blog the past year.

It's so inspiring to see regular, vulnerable people allowing God to use them!

Catching up on "Believing God"

I have been so behind on my homework for the "Believing God" study, so I brought my book to work Thursday night and last night to try to catch up if I had some free time. Thursday proved to be a busy night in the unit, but tonight has been fairly calm. So, I just finished the last week of homework and I'm officially caught up. I love how God's timing is perfect! Everything I read tonight was exactly what I needed to hear, and I've been beating myself up over slacking off on the homework. Anyways. . .Just wanted to share a couple of things that stuck out to me. All of this week's homework continued to look at the "Hall of Faith" listed in Hebrews. We can learn so much from these ordinary, flawed individuals who God used simply because they believed Him and were obedient!

Beth pointed out that some of the people mentioned were called to action in their obedience, while some were called to do nothing at all and let God's plan unfold. Oh, how messy things can get when we get ahead of God and start trying to take matters into our own hands (like Rebekah did in regard to Isaac's blessing on his sons). God might have already revealed to us what His plan is, but we sometimes run ahead of Him and try to "help Him out." In relating this story, Beth points out that at this point in our study we have seen God calling people to action, but in some cases "we see a different and oftentimes harder dimension of faith: when faith requires us to do nothing at all, while our human nature screams to interfere. In these cases we believe; therefore, we do not act. Wisdom is knowing the difference between the two." This point couldn't have been more timely for me. This is my journal entry: "Over the last several months, God has asked me to do alot of waiting instead of acting. It is so hard for me to sit on my hands and not take matters into my own hands. He has continued to prove Himself faithful, and just when I think He's done using a situation to teach me, He says, 'Think again!' While it can be scary, it's actually kind of fun and adventurous to completely trust His plan!"

In one of the day's studies, we looked at the faith of Jacob. Hebrews 11:21 says, "By faith, Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff." The interesting thing was that, like his father, he blessed the younger grandson with the blessing of the firstborn. This time, however, deceit wasn't involved. He openly did exactly what he knew God had told him to do. This caused his son to be displeased. This is Beth's commentary: "Misunderstandings can initially result as we exercise enough faith to do what we're convinced is God's will. Sometimes, those misunderstandings can involve people whose opinions are very important to us. If we are convinced that God has willed the action, let's go the extra faith mile and believe that God will handle the consequences. . . Though his son was displeased and his grandsons were sure to experience friction, Jacob knew his God was faithful. Time would tell." Most of the time, truly believing God and being obedient requires us to step into uncomfortable situations. Remember that God knows exactly what He's doing, and if we are living in the Spirit and doing as He has called, we can leave the results up to Him! He's always faithful and can always be trusted!!!

The last person we looked at in the homework for this week was Rahab, the prostitute. I've always loved that God included her in "Hall of Faith." She not only was commended for her faith in hiding the spies, she was included in the lineage of Christ. While I knew all of this, this was the first time I'd really looked at the fact that Scripture indicates that Rahab lived among the Israelites after the fall of Jericho. She even married an Israelite and gave birth to Boaz, the man who became Ruth's kinsman redeemer. What a beautiful story. Beth's commentary is: "She didn't just have the faith to be delivered. She had the faith to be redeemed. Then accepted. Then made a bride. Then she exercised the faith to rear one of the finest men captured in the annals of Bible history. Generations later, drops of her spiritual blood could be found in the veins of the holy Son of God. Oh, the infinite implications of believing God!" God is in the business of using broken-down, messed-up people who are in the midst of sin. We just have to believe He is Who He says He is and allow Him to use us and transform us!

Our family might need counseling :)! Ha ha ha!

Don't mean to alarm anyone by that title, but my mom literally sat and taught Isabella "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" line by line until she could sing it on her own! Of course all of the Simmons clan(and our extended, Astros-loving family) is absolutely excited and thinks it's precious, but it just totally proves the point that we're a bit obsessed with baseball! I'm taking Isabella to the game tonight, so hopefully she'll do a great rendition of the song during the 7th inning stretch for her Aunt Kristi. This is a link to my sister's blog with a video of her singing it (minus a line or two) yesterday!

His Blood Speaks a Better Word!

So, I'm trying to catch up on my "Believing God" homework, and I am on the day that is talking about the faith chapter in Hebrews. We are looking at several men in the Bible who truly believed God. Today was the story of Cain and Abel, and how Abel's offering was acceptable to God, but Cain's wasn't. When Cain became jealous of Abel, he killed him and God came to Cain and said "your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground." In the Bible study today, Beth asked what Abel's blood was crying out for. She said that it was probably crying out for justice and vengeance. She went on to point out the following scripture in Hebrews, "to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel." (12:24). Wow! Aren't you glad that Christ's blood speaks a better word? I'm so thankful that His blood doesn't cry out for justice or vengeance. I don't want justice or fairness, because that would mean eternity separated from my Creator! Thank you, Jesus, that Your blood cries out forgiveness and grace and mercy and redemption! Thank You for bearing the cross that meant taking on my sin (along with the sin of the entire world). Thank you that it didn't end with the cross. Thank you that on that Easter Sunday morning 2000 years ago, You overcame death and the grave when You rose from the dead! Now, that's a better Word! That's something to get excited about!

Hodge Podge

Well, I haven't blogged in a while, so I thought I'd post a blog today. It might be kind of random because I'm not sure what to blog about!

First, if you haven't read Rebecca's blog this week, you should! It cracked me up!

I guess I'll just fill you in on what's been going on since the last blog.

Shahla and I went to the Youth Ministry Lab at Southwestern Seminary this past weekend, and it was really good! David Platt was the main speaker, and his messages were challenging to say the least! Aaron Ivey led worship. He is now the worship leader at Austin Stone since Chris moved to Atlanta. There were also several breakout sessions that were both challenging and encouraging. I realized how old I was when one of the conference leaders asked how many years we had been doing student ministry and I had to keep my hand raised a little too long!! Shahla mentioned after the conference that all of the speakers really had the same underlying message: "We can do all the events we want with these kids, but if we're not showing them how to have an intimate relationship with Jesus by just walking alongside them through this crazy life, then we have failed." AMEN! I'm so grateful that God has given me the privilege to hang out and minister to students!

Sunday, we had our annual Easter Egg Hunt/Picnic at church, and that was fun watching all the kids (young and old) hunt eggs and enjoy fellowship. I got my first sunburn of the year, that will hopefully turn into a tan! We had hot dogs and Kathie James even brought her famous cookies! Yummy!

Monday and Tuesday I spent time at Barbers Hill High School watching Amy and Kaitlyn play in the District Tennis Tournament. I got a little more sun! I love Springtime!

Oh, and we can't forget the big event that took place Monday night. . . Opening Day!! Baseball season is finally here! I think everyone in Houston must've been there, because the only time I've had to park this far away from the stadium was during the World Series! So, we finally got to our seats in the 3rd inning and enjoyed the game with about 20 friends! Too bad the Astros didn't pull off a win, but at least Isabella was there to entertain us! She was cheering everytime someone got a hit or caught a ball! It was hilarious!

Hope everyone is having a good week! It's back to work for me tonight after 6 nights off. Here are some pics from Monday night:



Singing "Deep in the Heart of Texas" with Philip and Lacey




Eating Laurie's (actually Michelle's) popcorn!



Isabella and Aunt Kristi

One week till Opening Day. . .and ER finale. . .

Less than a week till Opening Day! Everyone at work has been giving me a hard time about my Astros' horrible Spring Training. Let's just say I'm glad we ended on a good note with several wins. I'm excited to see what this season has in store. And, I heard that in years when the Astros have a bad Spring, they have a good regular season! Hopefully they'll win when it counts :)!! All I know is, I'm glad it's baseball season and I'll be out there every Friday home game (plus a few more I'm sure) to root for the "good guys!" I've enjoyed reading Alyson Footer's blog this Spring. She's the Astros' beat reporter, and she put some great pics on her blog recently. You should check it out: http://footer.mlblogs.com/

On another note, the E.R. series finale is Thursday. I seriously almost took the night off (I know, that's pathetic)! Thank goodness for DVR's! I'm not one to get terribly hooked on TV. E.R. is the only show I follow every week and I don't even have cable. I could actually probably do without the TV altogether except when I can't sleep, I lay on the couch and watch it until I get sleepy. Anyway, I think I've actually watched every single E.R. episode. It's going to be weird for it to end this week after 15 seasons! It has been a fun season as all the old cast members have made appearances. So, farewell to Drs. Carter, Ross, Benton, Morris, Rasgotra, Kovac, Lockhart, Lewis, Corday, Weaver, Pratt, Gallant, Gates and Greene; and to nurses Hilay, Sam, Junie, and Carol. And, of course I can't forget the craziest unit clerks, Jerry and Frank. I'm going to miss my Thursday night hour of E.R.!

Bluebonnets!

So, Isabella and I made the trek to the Brenham area today to take bluebonnet pictures. It was supposed to rain today, so we went early in the morning. Unfortunately, it was still pretty cold. I felt bad because Isabella was shivering the whole time! She kept saying, "Aunt Kristi, I'm cold!" But, we got some good pictures, and she got over me making her take pictures in the cold when I let her get a Dr. Pepper with her Happy Meal on the way home!


So we haven't learned the part about not picking the bluebonnets yet!