Having A Heart Like Jesus [[Saturday, November 26]]

"Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, 'Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.'"

-Revelation 19:6

God really has a way of taking our insecurities and equipping us with His courage to BE and to HAVE the heart of Jesus.

By the end of this week, I knew that I wanted to be a teacher with a special education endorsement. God gave me His vision, the vision to see children not for their disabilities, but as children that have many abilities.

They're God's children 

            &

 the fingerprints of God all over them...

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It is my prayer that maybe through this blog, some of you would come to realize what this life is all about; that it is all about Jesus, his birth, his death, and his resurrection, that He came to save us from our sin, and when we put our trust in Him....then we have the hope of eternal life with Him.

Yes... it's not about us. It never has been about any of us;

IT'S ALL ABOUT JESUS

<3 kaycia

Our God is an AWESOME God! [[Friday, November 25]]

"'Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts; the whole earth is filled with his glory!' And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of Him who called and the house was filled with smoke." -Is. 6:3-4

I cried; my heart was breaking to see these precious children go. I don't know what God's will is for me next year, but I will follow where ever He leads me. We loaded up the kids and said our goodbyes. They're in God's hands...and He will always take care of them.

Our adventure for today: climbing to an altitude of 8, 350 feet on Volcan Pacaya. :) ohh yeah, that was something I got to cross off my bucket list. Seriously, it was thee hardest climb in my life. After fifteen minutes I felt like I was going to die. It was completely straight up the entire way to the top. Once we got closer to the top, we were hiking in volcanic sand, and it was so slippery that I had to crawl a couple times. All I kept thinking was that I wanted to get to the top, and I did! After an intense 3 hour hike, I made it, looked inside the crater as steam was rising from it. Across from me was Volcan Agua, and I could see so far beyond that the mountainous terrain of Guatemala. I was at a loss for words, worshipping my awesome God.

Our God is an awesome God
 He reigns from heaven above with wisdom, power, and love
Our God is an awesome God

peaks beyond peaks, and green fields of different shades reminded me of a patchwork quilt. The sun warmed my skin and I lifted my hands and sang, "I'll stand with arms high and heart abandoned in awe of the One who gave it all. I'll stand, my soul, Lord, to You surrendered. All I am is Yours!"

All I am is Yours...

Whether it is at home in Minnesota
Whether it is at Northwestern College in my studies
Whether it is on the mission field
Whether it is in an Elementary school
Whether it is in my church
Whether I return to Guatemala
Whether it is going somewhere that I don't know where the Lord is taking me

All I am is Yours...

<3 Kaycia

 Praise be to God for everything He has done in my life

God is so good!

God is good [[Thursday, November 24]]

"And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the LORD, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." -Colossians 1:9-13

Se Libre...
Today was bittersweet, knowing that it was the last full day that I had with the children. It was pretty much routine: breakfast, chapel, crafts, chapel, and then for the last day there would be a talent show and then an award ceremony.

In chapel, the speaker had some of the leaders acting out "se murio chicho" (Chicho died) while crying and then laughing. Kim and I were relieved that he had picked a couple of the other girls to do it, but as soon as they were done we had to act this out too. It was quite funny.

There was a talent show at the end of the day. God has gifted these kids in some pretty amazing ways. Some danced in their wheelchairs and others sang. One boy imparticular, got up and sang Open the Eyes of my Heart in Spanish. That was a blessing to hear. In one of my classes, I heard a man that was blind say that God has granted him the ability to understand what living by faith and not sight truly means. There's more to life than what the eyes see, and that's Jesus.

At the reward ceremony that night, a slide show of the week played and along with those pictures the song I Can Only Imagine played. "I can only imagine what it will be like when I walk by Your side...will I dance for You, Jesus? Or to my knees will I fall? Will I sing hallelujah? Will I be able to speak at all? <= This week was one of the most rewarding experiences I've ever experience. Those children showed me what it really means to DEPEND on Jesus and to live for a greater day, the day when I will see Jesus.

After the ceremony I helped get the girls ready for bed. Some of the girls began to cry, knowing that they had to go back to the orphanage the next day. This is what it means to love the orphaned. Seeing their tears was breaking my heart and all I could do was hold them. To love like Jesus means to care for children like these.

After tucking the girls in, I was walking outside and met up with a few of my new Guatemalan friends. I was able to practice my Spanish because the one knew English and Spanish, so he helped me when I did not know the word. I was surprised at how much Spanish came back to me after all the years of studying. I even got to practice my commands which I currently am studying at NWC :) I told my friends that I was going to bed and began to pack up. I think my heart strings are attached to this place and these beautiful people who teach me that the love of Christ has no limits.

gracias, Señor por todo

"Confía en Jehová con todo tu corazón y no te apoyes en tu propia prudencia." -Prov. 3:5

<3 Kay

Be Still & Know That I AM... [[Wednesday, November 23]]

"Behold the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall their be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away...BEHOLD, [THE LAMB OF GOD] IS MAKING ALL THINGS NEW."
                                                                                                  -Revelation 21:3-5

Donde fluye adoración/ Y las calles de oro son/Levantamos alabanza a ti Señor/No hay llanto/No hay más dolor/No hay muerte/Conmigo estás/Conmigo estás/No hay noche/No hay aflicción/No hay culpa/
 Conmigo estás/Conmigo estás...

Por la eternidad, Mi alma ofrecerá Toda gloria a ti Señor

Where the streets are made of gold/In Your presence healed and whole/Let the songs of heaven rise to you alone/No weeping, no hurt or pain/No suffering/ You hold me now/You hold me now/No darkness no sick or lame/No hiding/You hold me now/You hold me now

For eternity, my heart will give all the glory to Your name, Jesus

This is one of my favorite songs by Hillsong, because it reminds me what I am living for. Each one of us was put on earth for a purpose=>to glorify God with our bodies and to extend His kingdom, yet knowing that earth is not our home. This song reminds me that one day, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Phil. 2:10-11), and on that day Jesus will make eveything new. There won't be any pain or suffering, but only the sounds of the children of God rejoicing in their Savior. In Christ there is FREEDOM. Se Libre...

Today I woke up at 5am, just as the sun was beginning to rise over the many volcanoes. The air was crisp and the blue sky gave me hope that today was going to be beautiful. I helped get the girls dressed into their swimsuits for a day away at la playa (the beach!). It was hard work getting those girls dressed, lifting their twisted bodies, and gently putting their swimsuits on. After an early breakfast we loaded the kids up in a bus. I sat by Lusbin and his sister.

School buses are not good for kids who have no muscle control to hold themselves up. I ended up holding Lusbin up because I was afraid that he would hit his head on something. He ended up falling asleep in my arms. Honestly, I started to think that I would love to have an adopted child someday from here, but I don't know what God's plan is for my life.

We arrived to the beach where it was at least 90-100 degrees. Yeah, sunscreen was a must...especially when I stood next to the Guatemalans and I looked sickly white. First we went swimming in a pool at a place that was along the beach. I carried Sonia and Lusbin for awhile. And after lunch we went to the ocean. The beautiful black volcanic sand stretched for miles and the waves of the ocean swept over it. It was so refreshing to hear the sound of the waves. I ran into the waves, letting the salty water wash over me, and all I could think of was that this is the way God's grace is...it washes over us like the waves of the ocean, refreshing us and cleansing us. "Hallelujah, Your grace like rain, washes over me." And in those moments I praise God for being a God of great order, majesty, protection, and everything that I cannot be.

I took Cece and held her in my lap so that when the waves came in from sea, they would wash over her legs. Everytime a wave came in she would giggle. She has the greatest giggle and I couldn't help but laugh along with her. She also enjoyed burrying me in the sand. As I sat there for an hour, letting the warm sun fall on us, and the cool ocean waves wash over us, and hearing Cece giggle, I couldn't help but think of Cece in heaven...completely healed. I know that God has a purpose for her on earth and I know He has plans for her even in her condition...God uses us in our weakness, and it's in our weaknesses when we are strongest. God's going to use her in ways to bring glory to his name, and I think it is children like her that show me more of the heart of Jesus...life isn't about looks or anything that this world can offer=>our lives are meant to be all about Jesus!

The best part of this is that here there are palm trees and the weather is warm. Back in Iowa it's freezing cold and snowing. I'm so glad I am not there!

The bus ride back felt long. I was ready to crash. We had an interesting dish for supper. It was corn and beef boiled inside of some type of leaf. It was actually pretty good. After dinner we got the girls ready for bed and then had a team meeting. It wasn't long because we all were so tired.

"I love you, O Lord, my strength." -Psalm 18:1

God is good, so very good

<3 Kay

loving like Jesus [[Tuesday, November 22]]

"Entonces dijo:
—Les aseguro que a menos que ustedes cambien y se vuelvan como niños, no entrarán en el reino de los cielos. Por tanto, el que se humilla como este niño será el más grande en el reino de los cielos.
Y el que recibe en mi nombre a un niño como éste, me recibe a mí." -Mateo 18:3-5

"Then Jesus said, 'truly I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.'" -Matthew 18:3-5


Today I thought would never end. Trying to care for children with special needs is exhausting, and I couldn't wait for the week to end...and it was only Tuesday. I began to wonder why I even chose to come, it was hard labor lifting those children and getting them changed and fed...I felt like I was not good at this kind of work at all. So, why Lord, why am I here? That's when I began to feel peace that God would change my mindset and that He would give me more of a heart like His.

I had one camper in particular that I fed quite a bit. Julio. His face lit up everytime I talked to him, and he always needed a hug in the morning. He has the greatest smile too. After our morning breakfast of eggs, tortillas, beans, and fried bananas, we went to the chapel for a Bible story. I'm hearing so much Spanish that I'm beginning to think in it. Not that I'm complaining :) I love the language. We played games with the kids in the gym and it was fun being able to be legs for these children who couldn't walk. I opted out of one of the games because we had to run sucking on a funnel to keep a balloon attached to the funnel; however, everyone had to suck on the funnel and pass it on to the next person. I was a little grossed out by that. At lunch time I fed David. The poor boy is in so much pain from his condition that he always holds his legs up to his chest. I began to feel like a mom probably does...I wish I could take away the pain. But many of these children can testify to God's faithfulness in their lives.

We had craft time and I helped Julio put stickers on his wheelchair bag. It's funny the things these children are happy to receive--wheelchair bags. hmm, it really made me think of all the things that I have that I'm not even thankful for. How many times have I thanked God that I had a bed to sleep in?

After crafts we went back to the chapel for another message and then had free time. Andrea, a girl with autism and down syndrome, came and sat in my lap with a pair of scissors and some paper and began cutting the paper into millions of tiny pieces. She was happy doing that for 45 mintues until we had game stations.

At dinner we had coffee (it's Guatemala's specialty and I don't think that there could be any better coffee than this). We had a bonfire that night as well and the sky above looked like someone had spilled diamonds across the sky. I couldn't ask for anything better. :) After, I took one of the girls back to the girls' room and helped some of the other women get the girls ready for bed. After today, I just kept asking God for strength to get me through the week.

Holy are You, God
Holy is Your name
With everything I've got
My heart will sing
How I love You

                                                                                                                           
Santo eres Dios
Tu nombre santo es
Con todo lo que soy
Te cantaré
Cuánto te amo


<3 Kay

You Make Everything Glorious [[Monday, November 21]]

"Moses said, 'Oh, my LORD, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.' Then the LORD said to him, 'Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute , or deaf or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.'" -Ex. 4:10-12

At 6:30 this morning, I awoke to the sound of exotic birds singing outside my window. It is a cloudy, misty morning. We began our morning by praying over each other. At 8, the camp leaders arrived. They were a group of Guatemalans who are in charge of running the camp and the lessons. Our job as volunteers is to provide care for the orphans that are attending the camp. The kids began arriving for the camp, some with cerebral palsy and some had Down Syndrome, and a few had autism. The day was going slowly because of being registration day. So I just played with a few of the kids. I met the beautiful orphan kids for the first time. Some girls and I put the kids in a circle and we tossed a beach ball around.

When I see these children, precious children, and I look into their eyes and I see their smiles, I no longer see them as children with disabilities, but as a child of God. Loving these children is exactly what Jesus called us to do.

I met a teenage girl who had come to the camp with her brother Lusbin. Lusbin was the sweetest little boy ever. I practiced my Spanish with them :) I love the Spanish language so much! All I can say is that it really pays off knowing Spanish and if you wan to know the entire story behind this just ask me =)

"De este modo todos sabrán que son mis discípulos, si se aman los unos a los otros." -Juan 13:35

We took the children to la capilla (the chapel) for a Bible story and songs which the Guatemalan team led. The theme for the camp was Se Libre (be free) about "where the Spirit of the LORD is there is freedom!" -2 Cor. 3:17
After we split into teams. I was on team Verde (green). We had to make a team name, a team song, team mascot, and a team cheer. We decided on being los conejos (the rabbits) and we made up a song, cheer, and mascot. We played games and sang songs, and everytime the smile of the kids brightened my day. I had a child to feed at supper. His name was Julio. I got to know Julio pretty well. He was known as the kid who loved to hug. And I love hugs. =) We brought the kids to the rooms for the night. A lot of these children got up very early to travel to camp. It made me realize and ask myself what are things that I prioritize that I could actually live without.

Some of these kids chose a long day of travelling so that they could come to a Christian camp. Just think about it....

"Ahora bien, el Señor es el Espíritu; y donde está el Espíritu del Señor, allí hay libertad." -2 Cor. 3:17

<3Kay

The love of Christ has no boundaries [[Sunday, November 20, 2011]]

Romans 8:38-39

I awoke to the sound of voices outside my window. It was early, the sun just beginning to rise. Life here in Guatemala begins very early. The time was 5:30am. A rooster crowed beckoning for me to crawl out of my warm bed. The sun began to bask the room in a golden glow as I stepped out of my warm bed into the chilly air. I was once again aware of the different culture when I went to use the bathroom (don't throw the toilet paper in the toilet, put it in the trash can!). Breakfast was at 8, and we were going to walk to Pollo Campero. I began the day with God, and this is what I read: "This Book of Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord you God is with you wherever you go." -Josh. 1:8 This week will hold adventure, fears, and joys, but God's promise is that He will be with me ALWAYS. I just have to stay faithful to Him, meditate on His words, and do as He has commanded me.

I walked outside, the air was still cool, but it smelled like spring. The sky was a rosy color and the volcano loomed in the background. I was at a loss for words, all I could say was, "God you're awesome! I am filled with awe of You, and am simply at a loss for words." So this is what Moses must have felt like, rising early in the morning to meet with God, to experience the glory and wonder of God, and falling to his knees in utter amazement. I can only imagine... and someday i will see God face to face.

My group attended a Guatemalan church service. I loved hearing the Word of God being spoken in a different language. It made me realize that whether we speak English and they speak Spanish, we are together glorifying and worshipping our risen Savior. What a beautiful picture! This is what the love of Christ does, it unifies two different cultures...and we are all one in the body of Christ. :) It gave me a little glimpse of what heaven will be like. From experiencing this church service, I began to wish that church in America was more like this: people unafraid to completely worship their God. Hello, people, God saved you from death! please dance, raise your hands, shout hallelujah! you have eternal life! Greet one another with hugs and kisses, and stay for hours because you're thankful for this gift. The church down there, people came when they felt like it and stayed at late as they wanted. Just remember, that we should not be governed so much by time, but should love to be in the presence of Jesus.

We made our way to the city of Antigua. The beautiful ancient city with the volcano looming above. The city for a picture perfect picture...punny ;) We ate at the most delicious restaurant. We ate on a balcony overlooking the city. Again I was in awe of God's majesty. He created such a beautiful volcano, thousands of feet above us, but God is so much bigger than that, and so much more majestic.

We made our way to an orphanage for the disabled.

It was a solemn sight walking through the halls. The stench was horrible, and smelled like urine. Cribs were lined up along the wall, and inside each one there was a child. The children I walked past were lying on their backs, their big brown eyes gazing longingly at me, and their bodies a twisted wreck. I walked past, tears coming to my eyes. I was unable to accept that those children had to live in these cribs like animals because of limited medical treatments available. I walked over to one of the cribs, and gently picked up little Brenda. She was eight years, old but was the size of a five or six year old. She had cerebral palsy and had to spend her days lying in the crib. I took her out, held her and talked to her. When I talked to her, she looked into my eyes and smiled. I wondered why God would allow people to be born this way, but then I wondered if it was me who really had the disadvantage. Maybe because of their disabilities they understand the heart of Jesus more and understand what it means to trust in the Lord. This place was so far out of my comfort zone. I always hated being in hospitals or nursing home where the stench was overpowering and the crippled scared me. I never knew how to act, because even in they understood me, they would not be able to speak back. I knew that I was truly being Christ’s servant and loving those who may not always be the most lovable according to society’s standards. This is what it meant to humble myself and carry the cross.

We did some shopping and bargaining in the market place. I love all the colors!

Our meeting in the evening frightened me. We would be working with children with disabilities, but not just working, providing care for them. What will I do? "Lord, give me strength!" Was all I could say.














"Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we he opportunity, let us do good to all." -Gal. 6:9-10



<3kaycia

A New Adventure [[Saturday, November 19, 2011]]

"Be wise in the way you act...; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." -Col. 4:5-6

The day finally arrived! I was ready for my adventure to Guatemala. The air was crisp when I left Orange City, the wind blowing through the barren trees; winter was on its way. I was smiling, because I knew that I was going back to the place I had fallen in love with two years ago. This time, however, I would be working at a camp for children with disabilities. It's so exciting to see God at work in my life and to see his purpose unfolding in my life. Today, I am ready for this adventure and to follow God into the homes of the broken. My fellow NWC students and I set out for Omaha at 9:00am. Our flight was supposed to leave at 2:05pm that day, and it was a two hour drive to Omaha where we would fly out of. The roads were ice rinks, and we were sliding around curves. It was a good thing we left earlier. We had to pick up a suitcase in Sioux City from a Dordt girl who could no longer go. It took us a long time to find her, which put us back some. We arrived at the interstate where there was an accident and a line up of cars. great. We waited in this line of cars for an hour, and we didn't move once. I watched as the clock ticked by. 11:00am. We were supposed to be at the airport in an hour and we weren't even half way to Omaha. We found out that the Dordt girls who were coming with us, were two cars behind. That was God watching over us. One of the Dordt girl's called a friend who lived in Omaha to get directions. We all were ready to call our families and tell them we would be coming home for Thanksgiving. All I did was pray. God's will would be done no matter what, but if we are going out to do the Lord's work, He will be faithful in getting us there. We pulled into the airport 20 minutes before our flight took off. Thankfully, a Northwestern students parents came along to the airport so they parked our vehicles while we got ready to hop on our flight. We made it....barely. God is good! We boarded that plane that would take us to Guatemala. And....the story only gets better. We were in a small three seat plane. And me and a Dordt girl ended up sitting next to a drunk guy. He wasn't very old, but he kept asking us where we were going and why. He kept telling us to make a difference, one starfish at a time. And then telling us jokes in an Irish accent that ended with "F-ing sheep" He ended up passing out due to the 3 additional beers he ordered on our flight. All I could do was pray for him, and that's how I could make a difference one starfish at a time.

By 10pm we were descending into Guatemala City. It was too dark to see anything, but the city lights sparkled like a sea of diamonds. This is the place I had fallen in love with, and I was back. :) Everything was filled with, "Bienvenidos!" Welcome to the land of color, the heart of the Mayan culture. I couldn't believe I was actually here!

So many things were going through my mind: what if I didn’t know how to act or be myself around these children? How bad were their disabilities? I thought that I would be inadequate for this week, but I quickly learned that God used my inadequacies and fears for His glory and He equipped me to do the work for His Kingdom. The week spent in Guatemala was one of the most rewarding experiences for me.

Guatemala was just as I had remembered it: the sounds of cars weaving in and out of lanes, the sound of whistles, the strong scent of gasoline, horns, the sound of the beautiful Spanish language. I prayed that God would give me the heart of Jesus for these people and that I would have the hands and feet of Jesus. What does the Lord require of me, but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with my God? (Mi. 6:8). We were on our way, piled in a van (that was not made for as many people as we fit into it), to Chimaltanago where the camp would take place. It was too dark to know exactly what it looked like, but we entered a courtyard through a gate that had to be unlocked. The NWC girls stayed in a room on the bottom floor (very similar to dorm rooms). I fell asleep to the sounds of people shouting in Spanish, engines revving, wild dogs barking, and occasionally roosters crowing. I am excited for what this week holds.

I pray that the Lord makes Himself more beautiful to me, that my heart would be steadfast in
his word, that it would penetrate my being so that I am the imitation of Christ. [[Josh. 1:8]]

<3 kaycia

Where You Lead, I Will Follow

"For you are my rock and my fortress;and for your name's sake you lead me and guide me;" -Ps. 31:3

As I am packing up my bags for yet a new and exciting adventure that God has planned for me (aka College), I came across so many old things. I like to save and keep a lot of beautiful papers and trinkets that bring back so many lovely memories. It is a bittersweet process of unpacking my life and packing it up for something new. I pulled out old cards, journals, and pictures that told so many stories of beautiful people and times where God used them or those experiences to bring me closer to him. God is SO GOOD! "Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord REJOICE!" -1 Ch. 16:10
 {{REJOICE!}}  Life will always bring changes. When Jesus said "follow me" he never guaranteed it would be easy. In fact, in my 18 years of life, I know without a doubt how evil, and hard this life is and that is why I must live under the influence of the Spirit. College will bring challenges, but I'm ready to follow the Lord wherever He takes me. I've learned that I can plan my way--but it always leads to being humbled--or I could follow the Lord, knowing that his plan is always best even if it means waiting. Even when life gets challenging I am called to REJOICE!
Honestly, going away is very hard for me. I've never enjoyed change. I've always been content to have my groups of friends, my family, and a comfortable home....and my little plans; however, I know that's not how God works. He breaks us from routine to bring us to our knees and to recognize how good He is. I grew up in a neighborhood where the kids were almost all the same age and the majority of us were home schooled. I was very blessed that I had four "moms" and eleven "siblings" to grow up with. Summer days were spent morning to evening with each other. We'd play games and make forts, and take trips to the zoo. All of us (except one family) have stayed on the block for our whole lives. It's something that I will miss greatly.  Though I often wish I could rewind the clocks of time and go back to those days, I know I am called to look ahead, to look to my unfading, beautifully glorious treasure Jesus. For His glory, that is why I am called to walk this earth and called to walk in His ways. Things have happened in my life--I have seen pain. Although it may seem minor sufferings, I see how good God was through it all. If it wasn't for His shaping and molding me through sufferings, I wouldn't have become best friends with my BFF or at least not as good of friends. I wouldn't have learned the meaning of putting my hope in Jesus or what it means to trust Him and I certainly wouldn't be attending the college I am today. God is good! so very good! I have so much yet to learn and though being away from those I love so dearly is hard, God is faithful. He created the makers of facebook, twitter, skype and all those other forms of communication, right? :) I'm excited to see how God's will and plans unfold in my life and I am ready to go wherever He calls me. It's all about having an open heart, loving the Lord with a steadfast love like He first loved me, serving and loving others well, seeking forgiveness, forgiving others no matter how hard, humbling walking hand in hand with my Savior, and living day by day on His life giving words. I have been blessed to know so many beautiful God-Fearing friends and mentors who have walked with, prayed for, and fed me Scripture (sometimes even forced it down my throat when it was difficult to understand God's ways). It is wonderful to have such blessings in my life. I thank God everyday for you. And don't worry, I'm only going to Iowa... it just hit me though that God is good, so good. And it's so exciting to see bits and pieces of His story unfolding in my life.

In His Love,

kay

Beauty from Ashes

Beauty For Ashes

Isaiah 61:3

When life's pathway grows uncertain,
And the winds of doubt blow strong;
When no one seems to understand,
And the night is growing long;
God remembers that I'm human,
He knows my flesh is weak;
When I claim His Spirit's presence,
He gives the comfort that I seek.

He'll give you beauty for ashes,
Joy for your mourning
He will clothe your heavy spirit with His praise
He's the healer of the broken heart,
He sets the captive free;
He plants us in His righteousness,
That, through our suffering, God might be glorified.

When your hopes have turned to ashes,
And your dreams have turned to dust,
When your life is scarred by a painful past
Your think your usefulness is lost;
Bring your ashes to the Saviour
Lay them at His nail-pierced feet,
He'll pick up the shattered ruins,
He will make your life complete.

He'll give you beauty for ashes,
Joy for your mourning
He will clothe your heavy spirit with His praise
He's the healer of the broken heart,
He sets the captive free;
He plants us in His righteousness,
That, through our suffering, God might be glorified.

--Joe Merhalski
1970-2001

 

I've been reading through the book of Isaiah again, and I am amazed at how much God can teach you.  No matter how many times a verse has been read, it always has new meaning. I am in awe of how good my God is. The theme throughout Isaiah is talking about Israel's fall, Israel's captivity in sin. The amazing thing is that Israel is God's people. God chose them, set them apart to be His. He fed them, clothed them, and redeemed them as His children. He redeemed them as His bride, and yet Israel chose to worship the idols of pagans. We wonder why a Just God could allow "innocent" people to go to hell or horrible things to happen in the world. The thing is, God is holy. He is above everything and is to be glorified. He is perfect. Because God is righteous, he demands His people to be righteous. But because of sin, His people go in search of something to eat and something to drink, but do not find anything to satisfy them because they are not running to God who satisfies every need. What I love about Isaiah is that God's people fall terribly into sin, and God lets them be taken into captivity to teach them that He really is the only thing they need in this world. What I most love though, is that God, being gracious and full of steadfast love and mercy, takes his people back, washes them and gives them the hope of a coming Savior. How good God is!

 

I think of my own life and how often I can fall into sin and fall down. But it's in those times that I need God most. It's those times where I see how good and gracious God is, how loving and forgiving. His gift of grace gave me unending joy in Jesus. and through Jesus my ashes have been traded for beauty.

 

When I fall, I must rise again and run the race with endurance because in the end, Jesus is my crown of glory and only His name will be praise. To Christ be the glory forever and ever!

It is Jesus that makes all things BEAUTIFUL

"Welcome to the Wonderful World of Blogging"

haha "welcome to the 21rst Century" where Blogging, Facebooking, Twittering, and texting are all apart of our everyday communication techniques. maybe I did prefer my life as a carefree child when all I knew about was talking face to face with someone and creating my own fun. But the more into this technology stuff I become, the more I realize that it is a gift. It's a gift that we are supposed to use for the glory of God. We can easily tear someone down just by one "status update" and just as easily we can encourage and build one another up. Through this-- through my joy of writing-- I pray with all my heart that God would use me in a pwerful way. That He would speak through me to correct, encourage, and further His kingdom. To God alone be the glory!

So here my journey begins....

Here I will honestly pour out my thoughts, my questions, my story (or rather, God's Story), and things that God places on my heart. God has been unfolding His beautiful plan in my life and He has faithfully been with me through valleys and on the mountain tops. His Story, our story, must be heard and I must faithfully proclaim what the Lord has done in my life and how He made BeAuTy.from.AsHeS

Freedom through a risen Savior

As i was reading my Bible about the different kings who fell because of their their idolatry, I realized how idolatry hold each one of us in chains. It is something we all struggle with and how in our walk with the Lord it is something we have to daily ask Jesus Christ to set us free. As sinful human beings, we like to idolaize things that do not satisfy us.
Anything that we put in place of God is an idol and it hinders us from finding complete satisfaction and joy in our precious Savior.
In Isaiah 55:1-9 God grievously says to his people, "Come to the waters everyone who thirsts because i satisfy. Why do you spend money on things that don't satisfy you? Come to me that your soul might live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you. My love is steadfast; I will glorrify you. seek me while I am near. Forsake your wicked ways and your unrighteous thoughts. Return to me that I may have compassion on you. I will ubundantely pardon. My thoughts and ways are not like yours. As high as the heavens are, so are my ways and thoughts higher than yours." here God points out key things to breaking free from idolatry and the key to finding complete satisfaction in him.
1. God says we need to come to Him. We need to seek after him. And by doing that, we also have to forsake our wicked ways and forsake unrighteousness. This also includes seeking after righteousness. (Hos. 10:12; Mt. 6:33; Pr. 11:19; Pr. 15:9; 2 Tim. 2:20-26)
2. We constantly want to run to things that don't last. Sin looks attractive at first, but leads to destruction. We must take every thought and action captive to obey Christ so we do not fall into the temptation to love things that take the place of God. (2 Cor. 10:3-5; Eph. 6:10-18; Mt. 26:41; 1 Cor. 10:13)
3. God's covenants and promises are always kept. God is faithful, he is Creator, Redeemer, merciful, gracious, kind, compassionate, Judge, Prince of Peace, Immanuel, Healer and everything that an idol cannot fullfill. (Jos. 21:45; Dt. 7:9)
In Is. 44:6-8
"Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: 'I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. Who is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and set it before me, since I appointed an ancient people. Let him declare what is to come, and what will happen. Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! is there a God besides me? There is no Rock, I know not any.'"
Here God reminds his people of who he is. That He is first and last and there is no one like Him.
Is. 44:9-20
" All who fashion idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit. Their witnesses neither see nor know, that they may be put to shame. Who fashions a god or casts an idol that is profitable for nothing? Behold, all his companions shall be put to shame, and the craftsmen are only human...they know not, nor do they discern, for he has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their heart, so that they cannot understand...they feed on ashes; a deluded heart has led them astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, 'is there not a lie in my right hand?'"
Here God warns the people against idolatry and that it won't bring them satisfaction. People who love idols feed on ashes and their deluded hearts have led them astray.
Is. 44:21-22
"Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are my servant; I formed you; you are my servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me. I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like a midst; return to me, for I have redeemed you."
The Lord reminds his people whose we are! We are his children and we have been redeemed by him! God begs us to return to him because we are his. He begs us to find everything we need IN HIM and in him ALONE.
How many times have we feasted on ashes or been led astray by our deluded hearts? Or how many times have we given up the satisfaction of our Savior for a lie?
"Therefore, beloved, flee from idolatry." -1 Cor. 10:14 because Jesus said, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst." -Jn. 6:35
We were created to find satisfaction in Jesus Christ.