As many of you know I leave for New York City in less than 2 weeks. I get more excited with every day. My parents have always taught me the importance of reaching out to people, and this is exactly what I will have the opportunity to do! I will be in New York City for 8 weeks working with The Journey Church, living in Manhattan, and serving Lord in leading missions teams in servant evangelism projects through out the city.
Part of this opportunity includes raising the money needed for housing, transportation, and other living expenses. The total that is needed is $4000, and the first installment of $2500 is due on May 28th. I am saying all of this because I need your help. If my friends and family who have not had the opportunity to give would be willing to give 1-5 dollars then I know that I could raise all of the money I need to make this trip a reality. It is difficult to convey in words the excitement and urgency I feel in going to NYC. I ask that you know my heart for the Lord and my heart for service! Thank you all so much for your support and love!
In order to donate, all you have to do click on the "Donate Link" on my blog profile and donate, through Pay Pal, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 dollars! If you do not have a Pay Pal account, it only takes a couple of minutes to do so (trust me, I just made one!)
I love you all and am so blown away by all of your support! I will keep posting updates through facebook and my blog!
Monday, May 17, 2010
Friday, May 7, 2010
Where I feel safe...
Lately I have been coming to terms with the idea of community and truly learning from other believers and reconciling the fact of Paul's letters as teachings to the early church to the way in which we as believers should be attempting to teach each other. This has led me on a search to find sermons, lessons, and thoughts that are being taught in the Christian community. In doing so, with the internet being the monster it is, it is easy to stumble upon half truths (aka LIES) or new thoughts that are running through out the "Christian" culture that must be diciphered and filtered through God. Now, couple all of this with the mind of a skeptical, cynical person and this situation can become very burdensome! By this, I mean that I begin to feel the weight of all of the ideas that suffocate the church --ideas that are not biblically based.
But this weight is casted aside when I come back to the Word of God. In His words to us, recorded into the Holy Scriptures, I feel safe. It is where I know that 100% of what I am hearing is the Truth! I do not have to fear half truths, or ideas filtered through personal experiences, or human agendas. Please, do not misunderstand, I hear truth through godly men and women everyday --God has been good to provide them. My warning, in love, here is to not seek complete truth and safety outside of the Word of God. His word can be trusted. In digging through it, we can be assured that it FULLY reveals the heart of God, not simply the thoughts of man. As I open His word, I breathe a sigh of relief as I know I am entering into honesty and love. God's word is good. Let Him be the guiding force of Truth in your life, and relax into a good Book-His!
Ramble on, because He is worthy.
But this weight is casted aside when I come back to the Word of God. In His words to us, recorded into the Holy Scriptures, I feel safe. It is where I know that 100% of what I am hearing is the Truth! I do not have to fear half truths, or ideas filtered through personal experiences, or human agendas. Please, do not misunderstand, I hear truth through godly men and women everyday --God has been good to provide them. My warning, in love, here is to not seek complete truth and safety outside of the Word of God. His word can be trusted. In digging through it, we can be assured that it FULLY reveals the heart of God, not simply the thoughts of man. As I open His word, I breathe a sigh of relief as I know I am entering into honesty and love. God's word is good. Let Him be the guiding force of Truth in your life, and relax into a good Book-His!
Ramble on, because He is worthy.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
What I learned about God from my Dad
I was watching a video my father put on facebook today, and I realized (for the millionth time) how blessed I am to have a father that has accurately taught me the truths of God. My dad was by my side as I trusted Jesus as my Savior, was there as I made public my decision through baptism, and has been fiercely speaking truth into my life at just the right moments since then. Now, understand, I have thousands of beautiful memories from my childhood with my father, but when I really consider the ones that have been etched into my heart, there are half a dozen that still live in my mind vividly.
When I was very young, I suppose I had been going through a bout with fear at nighttime, I remember sitting across from my dad at out kitchen table. As I was feeling very anxious and afraid, I remember my father pointing at the door that led from our kitchen to our yard. With his "because I'm your daddy" face on he said, "Krystal, do you really think I would let anyone hurt you?" My father continued to describe to me the lengths to which he would go to protect me. As I look back at that evening, I am assured that my father modeled for me the strength and protection I find in God. It wasn't hard for me to understand and believe the Truth behind God protecting Israel, God protecting the apostles, and God protecting me!
When I was 14 years old, my father reminded me of the importance of faith. The moment was simple, the words were straight forward, and the application was immediate! This moment still brings me to tears and I remember it often in moments of fear and doubt, and though it might not seem so to some, it is one of the greatest moments with my Dad. I was 40 feet in the air, strapped into a harness, waiting for my youth group to let go of the cord that was going to swing me through the air like some female spiderman...On the verge of tears and sickness, I didnt think that I could go through with this. My dad looked up at me, and knowing I was only 14 years old, he kept the lesson simple.....he said, "Krystal, do you know Jesus?" To which I shakingly replied, "Yes!" And I can still hear him saying it today, "Then what are you afraid of?" The Psalms of David and the words of Paul come to my mind as I think of this moment. "If God is for us, who can be against us?" "The Lord is my light and my salvation, of whom shall I be afraid?"
My dad also gave me my first taste (if you will) of church ministry, and taught me the importance in the spiritual gift of service. Through out middle school, Dad would sometimes pick me up early on Wednesdays. Being a youth minister meant lots of preparations on Wednesday nights. Dad always tried to create an atmosphere where we could all feel safe and open to worship and receive scripture and teaching. He let me be a part of this. I would help organize chairs, help copy down words to songs, or whatever else he would let me do. Not only was this our time together, but it also let me see all that God had called my dad to do.
My dad is a great man and this is because he serves a Great God! The things I have learned about God, and about serving Him, from my Dad will never leave me. Just like Paul thanked God for the testimonies and faith of the early churches, I thank God for who He has made my father to be, because he has had the biggest impact in God's molding of me!
Ladies, thank the Lord for your fathers if you have one like mine. If you do not (and even if you do), purpose in your heart to marry a man whom your future children can say these things about.
...More ramblings in a desire to be more like Him. Be a woman who rambles for Jesus!
When I was very young, I suppose I had been going through a bout with fear at nighttime, I remember sitting across from my dad at out kitchen table. As I was feeling very anxious and afraid, I remember my father pointing at the door that led from our kitchen to our yard. With his "because I'm your daddy" face on he said, "Krystal, do you really think I would let anyone hurt you?" My father continued to describe to me the lengths to which he would go to protect me. As I look back at that evening, I am assured that my father modeled for me the strength and protection I find in God. It wasn't hard for me to understand and believe the Truth behind God protecting Israel, God protecting the apostles, and God protecting me!
When I was 14 years old, my father reminded me of the importance of faith. The moment was simple, the words were straight forward, and the application was immediate! This moment still brings me to tears and I remember it often in moments of fear and doubt, and though it might not seem so to some, it is one of the greatest moments with my Dad. I was 40 feet in the air, strapped into a harness, waiting for my youth group to let go of the cord that was going to swing me through the air like some female spiderman...On the verge of tears and sickness, I didnt think that I could go through with this. My dad looked up at me, and knowing I was only 14 years old, he kept the lesson simple.....he said, "Krystal, do you know Jesus?" To which I shakingly replied, "Yes!" And I can still hear him saying it today, "Then what are you afraid of?" The Psalms of David and the words of Paul come to my mind as I think of this moment. "If God is for us, who can be against us?" "The Lord is my light and my salvation, of whom shall I be afraid?"
My dad also gave me my first taste (if you will) of church ministry, and taught me the importance in the spiritual gift of service. Through out middle school, Dad would sometimes pick me up early on Wednesdays. Being a youth minister meant lots of preparations on Wednesday nights. Dad always tried to create an atmosphere where we could all feel safe and open to worship and receive scripture and teaching. He let me be a part of this. I would help organize chairs, help copy down words to songs, or whatever else he would let me do. Not only was this our time together, but it also let me see all that God had called my dad to do.
My dad is a great man and this is because he serves a Great God! The things I have learned about God, and about serving Him, from my Dad will never leave me. Just like Paul thanked God for the testimonies and faith of the early churches, I thank God for who He has made my father to be, because he has had the biggest impact in God's molding of me!
Ladies, thank the Lord for your fathers if you have one like mine. If you do not (and even if you do), purpose in your heart to marry a man whom your future children can say these things about.
...More ramblings in a desire to be more like Him. Be a woman who rambles for Jesus!
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