Find You on my Knees

I heard this song today by Kari Jobe called "Find You on my Knees" and I was once again reminded of how faithful God is to speak to me through music and lyrics of songs. The lyrics are posted below but a part of the song that really stuck out was the bridge where the words say "When my hope is gone, when the fear is strong. When the pain is real, when it's hard to heal. When my faith is shaken and my heart is broken and my joy is stolen, God I know that You lift me up, You never leave me searching..." 

This week has been a crazy one (already... its only Tuesday!) and though there is A LOT to look forward to (Pentatonix Concert tonight, Iron Man 3 on Thursday!) the troubles of life, car problems, work problems, financial problems, all seem to pile up...  And instead of looking at the good I tend to focus on the bad... 

Today, in the midst of all my "problems", God reminded me that He is faithful, that when fear is strong, when pain and hurt are real, He is there lifting me up. He will never leave me. "So what if sorrow shakes my faith, What if heartache still remains, I'll trust you, my God I'll trust you. 'Cause You are faithful" That is my prayer today... not only for myself but for all of you (whoever happens to read this blog). That you would trust in Him, trust Him to bring you through whatever may be weighing you down or filling your mind today. He is Faithful!

Remind yourself today of all the ways He has been faithful, of all the times He came through. Reflect on those things and rest in Him!

Find You on my Knees

by Kari Jobe

Troubles chasing me again,

Breaking down my best defense,

I'm looking, God, I'm looking for you

Weary just won't let me rest and fear is filling up my head.

I'm longing, God I'm longing for you

But I will find you in the place I'm in, find you when I'm at my end,

Find you when there's nothing left of me to offer you except for brokenness.

You lift me up, you'll never leave me thirsty,

When I am weak, when I am lost and searching

I'll find you on my knees.

So what if sorrow shakes my faith,

What if heartache still remains,

I'll trust you, my God I'll trust you.

'Cause You are faithful and

I will find you in the place I'm in, find you when I'm at my end,

Find you when there's nothing left of me to offer you except for brokenness.

You lift me up, you'll never leave me thirsty,

When I am weak, when I am lost and searching

I'll find you on my knees, my knees.

When my hope is gone, when the fear is strong

When the pain is real, when it's hard to heal

When my faith is shaken and my heart is broken and my joy is stolen, God I know that

You lift me up, you'll never leave me searching,

Find you in the place I'm in, find you when I'm at my end,

Find you when there's nothing left of me to offer you except for brokenness.

You lift me up, you'll never leave me thirsty,

When I am weak, when I am lost and searching

I'll find you on my knees."

A Gentle Whisper

“The LORD said [to Elijah], "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?”

1 Kings 19:11-13

This story has always been one of my favorites… It reminds me of how God talks to His people. I know that we, as Christians, sometimes think that God will talk to us with this booming voice saying exactly what we need to do or where to go. (Which He sometimes does!) The thing is though, generally God talks to us in different ways like through a gentle whisper, or through the words of a song or the words of a friend. 

I was reminded of this recently when I was answering a friend’s text message. I was telling him that I've been busy lately, not overly busy, but that the drama of work and personal life can sometimes make life seem busier. I told him that I’m trying to remember to take life one day at a time... His response really hit home and was exactly what I needed to hear. He said, “We have to seek contentment and peace in any situation God places you in life… Sometimes that means just taking things one day at a time! But you can always take heart knowing that God is for you and with you even if you don’t know what tomorrow will bring.” Without even knowing it my friend spoke God’s promises and truths to me about what I have been seeking Him about. What a great reminder that God knows my every need, hears every heart cry and knows how to speak to me.

What are some areas you've been seeking God?  Rest assured that He does hear you, He is listening and He is speaking to you! It just might not be exactly how you’d expect it!

The Battle Belongs to the Lord

"It is better to fight the battle within yourself than starting a war."

A wise friend of mine said this phrase and it has stuck with me. I've been mulling it over in my head and thinking about how it relates to the spiritual realm. A verse that popped into my head was Ephesians 6:12 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." There is a daily battle that we as Christians face. Not physically among others in the world but against the spiritual darkness. 

Every day we struggle with things internally, sometimes we shrug it off as "Oh, that's just life," but really it’s Satan attacking us from within. If we don't fight against it (not in our own strength but with GOD's help) then it eats us inside and we turn it outward, to others, affecting our work places, our friendships, and our relationships. In this daily struggle with the powers of darkness within yourself remember that the battle belongs to the LORD.  

1 Samuel 17:47 "The Lord doesn't save by using sword or a spear... The battle belongs to the Lord." Surrender it to Him, let Him fight for you!

The battle belongs to the Lord and he graciously fights for you. What in your life do you need to give over to GOD to fight for you?

What's Holding You Back?

John 11:43-44, "Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go." "

Lazarus was dead... Not just kind of dead he was DEAD. He had been in the grave for 4 days. When Jesus came to him He had a different idea. Jesus called Lazarus out of the grave and miraculously he was given his life back.
Thats just like us. We are dead in our sins, even the little sins can hold you back. But Jesus is saying to you, "Take off the grace clothes..." (Verse 44) Imagine the freedom that Lazarus must have felt taking off those smelly rotten grave clothes! YOU can have that same freedom through Christ!
Reflect on this verse and ask yourself "What's holding me back?" and "What's binding me?" Then allow Him to put new garments on you, as it says in Isaiah 61:10, "For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness..."
AMEN!

Broken

My trip to Cambodia has come to an end and I don't really know how to put into words the way I feel. The people the experiences all are in my heart and mind... but how do I say it?? I can't answer that but I know that God brought me here for a reason. He had (and has) big things in store for me. And the awesome thing is that I can know He has awesome things in store for the people that I've met and built relationships with here.

"When you are in the final days of your life, what will you want?...
Will you hug that college degree in the walnut frame? Will you ask to be carried to the garage so you can sit in your car? Will you find comfort in rereading your financial statement? Of course not. What will matter then will be people. If relationships will matter most then, shouldn't they matter most now?" -Max Lucado

To the students I taught at AHIS I know that each one of them is special and though some of them may not be Christians they are at a Christian school with amazing teachers. They are learning about the bible and singing songs about Him. I can only pray that some day I will see them in Heaven.
To my Teaching Assistants.. I could not have done it this summer without them. Having no clue what exactly to expect they rolled with the punches! I thought I would have about 12 kids at the beginning and ended up with 19. My two TA's were so great. Both of them are moms and I pray that they will continue following God and living for Him. I know that they are great teachers and have amazing abilities with kids. I love them very much and will miss them dearly!






To the kids at the Afternoon Outreach I know that they did not understand a lot of what I said but I loved on them. They are coming to this outreach week after week hearing about the love of a Savior and Father. I hope and pray that the words they hear sink in and that their lives are changed for Him!









To the beautiful children at Haley's House... I was so humbled by their love for God and people. I will never forget them. God has put aside a little piece of my heart for them. I pray that they continue to follow God and be bold! Cambodia needs them! These kids will be LIFE CHANGERS!
I pray that they continue to grow in Him!






To my team... (Katelyn, Justin, Maddie, Mandy, Janelle, Jen and Beki) I wouldn't have made it without each and every one of you. Each of you has impacted me in ways you will never know! I know that good-byes will be hard but they are not good byes just "See you later's" I know that our lives will go different ways once we get to the states but God will keep us connected! I pray that you all will continue to let Him work in you and through you. Remember everything God taught you here and apply it to every situation you are put in. I will be praying for each of you!







I could go on and name countless others who impacted my life on this trip, but you know who you are, and God knows. So I pray that God continues to work through you in this beautiful country I have fallen in love with. Keep seeking God for His direction and will for the people of Cambodia. I hope to come back some day but if I never get to do that I know I will see you all in Heaven! What a great day that will be!



"Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God." - Bob Pierce

What is Love...

Lately, I have been thinking about the true meaning of love. For many people and even myself I would say that love is a word, you show love through giving it, through gifts, words, etc. While I have been in Cambodia though I have found that love is so much more. There is a language barrier here that helps me to see what true love is. It could be as simple as someone I have never met saying "hello" and smiling. The people at the markets and on the streets purposefully stopping to talk to me and "practice" their English. The children who cling to me, kiss me on the cheek but don't speak a word of English... WOW! That to me says so much more than words, it means more to me then gold, and makes love mean a lot more then just a word. The crazy thing is that is what God does. He loves me so deeply that He helps me see His love through these little things. I want to be the kind of person that can show love in these ways whether I speak the same language or not. Love is simple... but the challenge is this "to LOVE Him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to LOVE your neighbor as yourself." Mark 12:33. I mean, think about it, in ONE statement Jesus commanded us to love Him and love our neighbors... I don't think that is a coincidence...

Daddy, Father, Dad

I am so amazed with the children at Haley's House and just their love for the people of Cambodia. On Saturday morning we were able to go with them to a little village just outside of Phnom Penh. We gathered some kids from the area and told them about God and sang songs. Then we went and passed out little tracks and shared the gospel with people in the area. I was reminded of the verses in the bible that talk about childlike faith. Mark 10:15 says "Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." We must have childlike faith to enter the kingdom of God. These children had no fear, they were not worried about what people would say or if they would be rejected they just know, truly know, who Jesus is! To these children God IS their Father. There earthly parents are not a part of their lives either due to death or illness or lack of resources to care for them. The care givers at the orphanage do their best to be mothers and fathers but the children can only feel the true fatherly love from God. As we were riding in the van (packed with 24 children... true Cambodian style) they sang songs and some of them were singing at the top of their lungs. They are so in love with Jesus that nothing holds them back nothing can stop them from giving their all to HIM!
Do I do that?... What a challenge! Do I look at God as an amazing Daddy? Though I am not in the same situation as these children (I have very loving parents, Love you mom and dad!) I still need to know that God is the ultimate, in control Father of my life!
This weekend, Sunday the 24th, was my birthday and I had the best birthday! It was so much fun to be able to celebrate with my friends here in Cambodia. My teammates decided to throw a surprise party for me. They had banners and balloons, pizza and cake.
I realized how blessed I am to have a loving family and loving friends who care so deeply for me. So I pray that, to the children I have been working with here, they sense the depth of my love, care and concern for them. That through me they can sense the love of Jesus and their Heavenly Father! What a challenge, what a joy!