Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Keep On Keeping On

Since coming back from Africa, it has been a constant struggle for me in my spiritual life. I have been drawing ever so close to God....and as a result Satan ha been hitting me harder then ever before. I was given such an incredible opportunity to experience the love of God. I saw life and love from a whole new perspective!
I developed a hunger to get a hold of Jesus and reflect Him. I wish that my relationship with God could become so contagious that every one around me can see and feel the holy spirit. I want to be used for the glory of God!  Satan hates that and he uses strategy to plan attacks against me. I am asking God to strengthen me and to guard me from the destructive path of the devil.  I am a son of God and Satan has NO power over  me! 
                     James 4:7 
       "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

                  1 Peter 5:8-9
            "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about,  seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions  are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world."

I know that God is shaping me, molding me through my present situation. No matter how hard it gets, I will  trust, God has plans for me! I will continue to immerse myself in God. It is the only way!

Blessings <3


Reflection

God gave me an amazing taste of  what real fellowship looks like. We spent the majority of our time  with 19 young men who  live totally by faith, are self sacrificing, have a passion for there relationship with God and showed me what unconditional love looks like. They loved us before we even landed in Uganda. Before they even met us, they loved us. And from the moment I met them at the air port I knew they loved me. They didn’t know me…..they new nothing about me, but they loved me.  The love I felt from them never decreased……I never felt un-loved by them. I could literally see love radiating off of them. But it wasn’t a humanly love…it was the love of God. It was a heavenly love.


There were 4 other girls that I lived with in Momm and Papa Hunters house; all older than me. Hannah, Sarah, Blair and Robyn. We learned to live together, totally bare and transparent before each other. And because of this I experienced a deeper fellowship then I new was possible. These girls were my journal, I told them absolutely everything and I trust them with my life. As a result, my heart and my eyes were opened to the wealth of riches that God has in-store for us when we live the way that He intended. 
It was also reveled to me that I have a propensity to allow my fear of man to inhibit me using my spiritual gift of evangelism. I have always been afraid to get up and talk in font of people or share my relationship with God with others because I was afraid I would say something stupid or “the people” or person would think badly of me. And so, basically, I have been ignoring God’s calling for me.  I have not had faith in God to give the right words to say.
Some of the young men prayed for me one night and almost instantly my fear was gone. You have to know that it wasn’t a “normal” prayer…..we had all gathered in the Living room for worship and they brought me to the center of the room, told me to kneel, they prophesied into my life and as they prayed over me I felt the holy spirit in me and I was left with just this very palpable sense of peace. You see when Africans pray they just pray, everybody, all at once, because they are not interested in impressing others with what they have to say. When they pray it’s only them and God --I really came to appreciate that!

Have you ever tasted a Cyrus O’Leary chocolate cream pie?  It good right? The best thing you’ve ever tasted…and you just think that there couldn’t be one other thing under heaven so good!    But then you taste a Home Made Chocolate cream pie and all of the sudden that Cyrus O’Leary pie taste like dirt! You realize how you were fooled into thinking that something was great when really it wasn’t all that great. The home made Chocolate Cream pie is SO MUCH BETTER! 
That’s pretty much how I was introduced to my relationship with God.
Before I left for Africa…I really thought I had a great relationship with God. I really believed deep down in my heart that I had an intimate relationship with God.  Well, while I was in Africa God changed me. He did a work in my heart…opened up my eye’s. I was given a taste…a glimpse of what my relationship with God should be! I experienced real intimacy with God…and I realize how wrong I was! I look back and see how pathetic I was and how much God was after my heart but I was completely a totally hard hearted. Arrogant. Prideful. Stubborn. and most of all…..selfish. But God gave me that home made Chocolate cream pie…for myself…it is mine! He gave me a new passion for Him…one that was my own! By my own choosing I’m following after God!

Blessings <3