Nicaragua 2010 (10th trip!!) Day #1 update! ;) Woop!

It's the morning of my second day here in the beautiful land of Nicaragua.
I decided that for this trip I would blog day by day as to what God is doing :)

Yesterday was an absolutely crazy travel day! We were supposed to leave the Reagan Airport at around 6:30, but we were left sitting on the plane before being told the oil filter light was on and we had to de-board the plane, go to baggage claim, get our bags, then go through check-in all over again. Once, we got back to the check-in area there were tons of people, plus a whole plane having to re-book flights. It was so crazy, but we had amazing grace to get through it and we had such favor the whole trip!

I think God uses the things that Satan wants to discourage us with for His Kingdom when we submit to Him thankfulness. It would have been so easy for the whole team to be upset, annoyed, but instead we kept a joyful heart and just kept going. Through being delayed until 3:30 to leave D.C. we had a lot of time to waste...obviously. So, we went to a little eatery in the airport, and of course there was those divine Jesus moments. This lady sitting near by us overheard my Dad on the phone, and asked, "so, why are you guys going to Nicaragua?" It was an opportunity to share the very heart of Jesus...and it was brilliant. Finally, when we were about to board the plane I ran down to Dunkin Donuts, due to being completely exhausted and got my iced coffee fix ;) haha I got to talk to the lady and ask her how her day was going, how she liked her job etc.

In those moments I feel Jesus so alive and brilliant. Man, he cares so much about people, about their days, about how they are doing. It amazes me His brilliant love for every single person on this planet even if people don't even recognize Him being a real being. IN those moments, I see the love of God displayed in such a way, through the simplest act comes this brilliant, heart throbbing aspect of love that no man could ever truly explain. Outrageous.

Today, we are off to Karla's orphanage; so excited! Then we will be going to a church service tonight, which we all have to share at, so be praying for us; that the very heart of God for this beautiful people would manifest brilliantly. :)

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On the way here yesterday God really began to deal with me on pride, it's amazing how the littlest things we never notice can be so prideful. I began to just cry out to God for a humility that goes into the very depth and fiber of my being. This morning I was reminded of the verse, "humility comes before honor." Sheeesh, that is powerful. I want to be so very humble before Him, my Abba. I truly believe that from that place of humility people see Jesus in a whole new light in our lives, because it's no longer about us, AT ALL, but it's all about HIM! Ahhh so beautiful!

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I'll be updating this daily so check back, I hope our testimonies build your faith and empower you to step out and bring the Kingdom of Heaven down to earth.

Your prayers are so appreciated! I pray that we access the very heart of God on this trip, that we don't just change other lives, but that we go back to America, literally changed ourselves!

Peace. Love. Joy.

Truth.

I had this thought run through my mind the other day as I was thinking about someone; I journaled this:

"It's easy to bring truth where there is none, but Abba, how do you bring truth where there is distorted truth?"

I had this on my heart so deeply, because I want this person to know truth. But, you know what? I started thinking, if the Bible says "the truth shall set you free", then the answer is just that; truth.

Truth is truth. Even when it becomes distorted, truth stands and brings conviction and freedom. So if I bring that person just that, truth, then there whole mindset of truth distorted is gone and freedom comes. Woah. Jesus' freedom is phenomenal. I don't have to try to figure out the best answer, I just need to walk in truth, and my Abba will bring that answer and the heart change to people's distorted truth.

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I was at a youth conference this past weekend where Todd White spoke, here are some awesome, profound, freedom giving quotes:

"The gospel sets you free, so then you're set free from everyone else."

"If you walk in fear of man, the love of God hasn't been perfected in you."

"I don't live for God, I live from God."

"The only closed Heaven is between our ears."

"If you don't start walking out the kingdom, the world will seem attractive to you."

"Be so Heavenly minded, that you're earthly incredible!"

"Seek righteousness with everything you are or your identity is for sale."

"Thankfulness disarms hell and being thankful is the breading ground for miracles."





Peace. Love. Joy.

John M. Perkins

I know, I know.
I've mentioned John Perkins only like two days ago.
BUT! Jon Foreman (who is rather brilliant) just wrote an article for the Huffington Post on the one and only Mr. Perkins. It was so genius I thought I would share :)

Some quotes:

"His (Perkins) story is living proof that love is louder than violence, louder than hatred, and louder than racism."

"Love looks into the future and sees possibilities that do not currently exist. Love is larger than the moment; love is larger than the present tense. Maybe it has to start with a dream, a dream of a better world."

"These audacious dreams of equality and liberty pull us forward. These hopes drive our lives with purpose and vision; our actions become us, and we become our actions. The only way to become a runner is by running. A disciple of love must begin by loving those around her. Every dream has to start somewhere."

"Love lays herself down for others. Love is willing to trade kindness for hate, acceptance for fear, and compassion for rage. Love refuses to recognize the walls between us, and chooses instead to find the commonalities. Love permits damage rather than damaging the other."
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You can read the whole article here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jon-foreman/the-living-blues-john-m-p_b_613733.html

Peace. Love. Joy.

Mademoiselle Chanel

Yes, you've got it, I already finished "The Gospel According to Chanel". I just could not for the life of me put it down. So much information on her life. Very interesting.

I am not going to give you some big essay about the book, I will say if you like fashion it's a good read. It takes her life; the things she went through and gives you tips on life.

There were so many amazing quotes throughout the whole book, I'll just leave you with a few to save you the time ;) haha

"The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud. (Chanel)"

"Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn" (Gore Vidal)

Excerpt from one of her last interviews before dying, presented in the New Yorker:

"I must tell you something of significance. Fashion is always of the time in which you live. It is not something standing alone. But the grand problem, the most important problem. is to rejuvenate women. To make women look young. Then their outlook on life changes. They feel more joyous. Women have always been the strong ones of the world. The men are always seeking from women a little pillow to put their heads down on. They are always longing for the mother who held them as infants. Women must tell men always that they are the strong ones. They are the big, the strong, the wonderful. In truth, women are the strong ones. It is just my opinion. I am not a professor. I speak my opinions gently. It is the truth for me. I am not young, but I feel young. The day I feel old, I will go to bed and stay there. J'aime la vie! I feel that to live is a wonderful thing."

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I got contacts the other day for the first time.
And, trust me my friends, I needed them.
My eyesight is not too hott at all.

When I got them in,(finally!), it was like a whole new world was opened up to me.
It was such a contradiction from what I had been seeing.
I could now see things so vivid and clear; things came to life for me.
It was crazy!

It got me thinking, that is how we should view the world through the eyes of our souls; with clarity! I think it comes from walking in purity and righteousness before our Abba! I feel like when we know Him on such a deep level that nothing compares, that literally the world is seen through new eyes and completely opens up to us in a way we never experienced before.

Anywho, just a random illustration.

Love y'all.

Peace. Love. Joy.

"Love is the final fight"

"Love is the final fight."

These are the words from a hero of mine, John M. Perkins.
A few months ago I finished his book, "Let Justice Roll Down."
It was so immensely powerful and insane at the same time.
I recommend it to anymore who is a lover of social justice and equality.

Here is a music video/song Switchfoot dedicated to this man. Enjoy!




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"Love helps to make us generous and courageous, it opens our eyes not only to the beauty of the beloved but to all beauty." C.S. Lewis
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In other news, today Caitlin and I went on a 5 mile walk.. it was intensely amazing. It started pouring down rain like half way through it. It was amazing! :)

Then, we came home and drank Wheat Grass Shots. Wheat Grass is like the whole earth combined in one. haha. Seriously, though, google it. It's intense stuff.

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Wheat Grass Shots. Mmmmm :)

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After a 5 mile, rain pouring, walk!

Peace. Love. Joy.

Chanellll :)

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Thought:

What happens when you've seen so much defilement, that it no longer has an affect on you anymore?

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So, I went to the bookstore yesterday because I got these gift cards for graduation...and I came upon, "The Gospel According to Chanel". I am so excited to start reading it...Coco Chanel amazes me. Her whole concept wasn't about having the latest fad, but knowing who you are and what style you like and embracing it. Although, she is all about being classy for sure! lol :-)

Peace. Love. Joy.

Hollywood.

I have such a heart for Hollywood,
I probably couldn't even explain to you the depths of my love for those people.
They have influence not just in the U.S. but literally all over the world.
When they encounter their Abba it's totally going to change everything.
I truly believe that.

Lately though I have been really asking God, "how do you influence such a lost, influential people?" As I was thinking this through a couple of days, I came to the conclusion that what I was praying for them, I needed to be living myself. I want them to be completely abandoned to the King, but if I am not my prayers mean nothing. I want them to be of the utmost purity and righteousness, but if I am not living that way myself, heck it's simply words.

Literally a day after journaling this very thought Bill Johnson tweeted:
"We aren't culturally relevant when we become like the world around us. We are relevant when we model what they long to become."

I want to be so desperate for Jesus, that from that place; extremely lost, influential people come to know who their Daddy is.

Peace. Love. Joy.