some inspiring thoughts.

God inspired me to read some blogs from the Adventures in Missions site today and they were super encouraging.  There are several college age groups out in the world telling people about the love of Jesus and it seriously gets my blood pumping to hear of people my age, passionate about Christ, and passionate about reaching the nations.  The link to Adventures in Missions site is 

http://www.adventures.org/blogs/?sitetag=rl 

check out some of the blogs...they will really challenge you!

After reading some blogs I pulled tidbits that really encouraged me and challenged me.  One girl in Africa stated in her blog, " Because when I set God free, than I will be free!" I thought that was really interesting....we so often put God in our box of what he can and cannot do...and usually we derive those thoughts from our encounters with God, how great or how small.  Lately for me, I've been really seeking personal freedom from the bondage of insecurity and fear.  I realized that I've been living with these lies for so long- that I am not intelligent, that I am not athletic, that I have no value, that I will not flourish because I am not good enough....and the list goes on.  I think that if we all really try to be transparent, we can see sin patterns in our lives that lead to the lies we've been living with for some time...

God is so much bigger then our sin, he's so much more powerful then our anxiety, fear, anger, and disappointment.  I thought it was really inspiring that this girl stated in her blog, "Because when I set God free [from the box I put him in] I will be free [because I'm allowing Christ to free me].

Also I felt extremely convicted when I read a girl's blog who is serving in Thailand.  I encourage you to read the whole blog:

http://thailand.adventures.org/?filename=the-moments-in-between-ministry 

But I realized this disconnect in Bolivia last summer when our team would have days of ministry and then days of rest and on the ministry days it was like a separate life then the days we had off and I realized that was not right...everyday should be a ministry day.  At first when I think about this, I get really stressed because I think... "Oh crap, I have to do....I should do...blah blah blah" but I think the switch is when you open yourself to the Spirit.  Be willing for Christ to open up organic relationships or conversations and real breakthrough and life change can come through them!

Finally, today when I was enjoying the 80 degree weather I was reading Romans and I was struck by this verse: Romans 4:18-22 "Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be."  WITHOUT weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead- since he was about a hundred years old- and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did NOT waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.  This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness." 

Wow, its crazy when you open yourself to Christ and say, "I trust you, I believe you, I have faith that you are who you say you are" We're opening the door to Christ to heal our wounds, and for breakthrough and freedom to happen.