Growth

God is always wanting us to go to new levels. He wants us to go to new experiences in the supernatural. He wants our relationship with Him to go deeper. He wants our passion to go higher. We often hear about "newbie" Christians that are so on FIRE for the Lord....but then, with time...that fire tends to settle into a warm glow that isn't even enough to cook a marshmallow. HOW do we remain on FIRE? I think one of the keys is CHANGE and CHALLENGE. I have found that the times my faith has waivered the most has been times where I failed to do anything new in my walk with Christ. We need to constantly challenge ourself to do new things in our faith. The book of Galatians emphasizes that we reap what we sow.

NEWSFLASH: We can't keep doing the same thing in our walk with God, and expect the results to be different.

Each year, each day...God wants to take us to a new place.... we can't get to the new place by doing what we did to get tot he old place. There is a new cost to get to the new place...it means making ourselves uncomfortable a little bit. We need to challenge ourselves, it is the only way we can grow. Same thing goes with anything in our life! If we want to get "buff" we can't just repeat the same workout over and over again. If you want to build muscle, you have to change your workout so that you give new challenges to your muscles, so that they grow more.

Truth be told...if we don't challenge ourselves we put ourselves in neutral. And what happens when a trial or "hill" comes along and we are in neutral? We roll backwards. This faith walk thing... it is time for us to kick it up a notch. Instead of thinking, "what is the least I can do to get by in my walk with God..." we need to be asking,,, "God, how abandoned to you will you let me be? How far will you let me go in your presence? How many "risks" can I take for your kingdom."

Stagnant in your faith? Do something you have never done before..

Pray for longer, DO a Fast that you have never done, Witness to more people, Do an overnight Prayer meeting, Go share Jesus with random people you meet, Give something you have never given, Volunteer to do somthing for Jesus that is out of your comfort zone, Mentor someone, Throw away trashy movies/music, Get an accountability partner, Go on a mission trip, make up your own summer "mission trip"


.... lets challenge ourselves....

Jesus wants the Rose!

Watch the video below by Matt Chandler... I would write a long post, but I do not think this really needs to many more words. Wow.... God's grace is so good! Lets never get too proud to remember his grace!

Don't Choose to be Exhausted!

Job is a man who had to endure many trials. A couple of chapter’s into the book of Job, we hear a slight hint of discouragement and exhaustion in Job’s voice. Job’s friend, Eliphaz, speaks to him and says, “Look, you have instructed many and have strengthen weak hands. Your words have steadied the one who was stumbling, and braced the knees that were buckling. But now that this has happened to you, you have become exhausted.”[1] Never have I realized the power of these verses until working the phone prayer lines at Joy Ministries.
As I answer incoming calls for prayer, I often find that each person I talk to bears a resemblance to myself or the person that I once was.

For example, this week I received a call from a man who did not want prayer. The man simply began to question me regarding God’s sovereignty over his mortgage and finances. The man expressed doubt concerning God’s provision for his life. I could almost hear the question, “If God is so good…then why?” Ouch. This arrow hit at the core of my doubts.

I admit, I have doubts at times concerning why God does the things that He does.

Now, I did not tell the man about my faith struggles.

Instead, I encouraged him. I prayed for His provision… As I got off of the phone, a deep realization hit me. I was a bit saddened at the man’s discouraged tone but I realized that I was talking to a man who was an image of me at times. A self that tends to doubt, be a skeptic, and miss the provision that is already in front of my face that God wants to bless me with. And suddenly, I was reminded of the advice of Eliphaz. I can give such good encouragement and believe with other people… but could I be so wise as to digest that advice that God was giving me for myself? Or, alternatively… would I choose to be exhausted?

When I endeavored to intern at Joy Ministries the main cry of my heart was to serve God and be an ambassador of God's healing to those who are in need. And somehow, God has been gracious enough to challenge me and teach me in the process. After I hang up the phone, after each prayer call, I feel the Lord gently tapping on my shoulder. He says, “Krystle, the words I gave you for that person…I want you to digest for yourself. The feeling of hope you have for them…. I want you to have for yourself.” I cannot help but smile. I am walking this journey with the people that I am ministering to. Some things they have struggled with are a part of my past. Some things they struggle with are my current situations. But the joy in all of this is that the same capable God leads us all.

How good are you at digesting for yourself the wisdom and belief that you give and have for others? Don't be exhausted......

[1] Job:4:4-5

Expectations.

Expectations. God has really been dealing with me a lot lately about expectations. I don't know about you, but I tend to set up expectations for my life, for the people in my life, and even for God. While expectations can be good, they can sometimes rob us of joy and even confidence. For example, we should expect God to work in our lives... however, these expectations can hinder our faith and joy when we expect God to work in the way and timing that WE want. Similarly, expectations can really hinder a relationship. Too many of us ladies see the romantic and perfected male portrayed in movies and expect our significant other to live up to that! Perhaps this is one reason why so many marriages fail (lets save this for another post;)). But it doesn't stop here... we set expectations up for everything in our lives and when those expectations are not met a deep discouragement sets in.

The Lord has really been dealing with me on this lately. Instead of EXPECTING God to do things on my time and in the ways I want them.... it would be better to just be GRATEFUL for His presence and just REST knowing that He knows how to handle things. Same thing goes in my relationships.... instead of EXPECTING people to act a certain way I should just be GREATFUL for the relationship I have with them. Now this doesn't mean that we shouldn't set goals, desire the best out of people or believe that God can do great things in our lives.... It just means that we approach God with a spirit of gratitude instead of a spirit of entitlement. Jesus has already done so much for us by providing salvation.... everything else should be seen as a bonus in itself. But somehow in the midst of expectation... we can forget that God has already done SO MUCH. We just want more, more, more. I am reminded of the woman who tells Jesus "even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." May our attitude be that humble and that grateful when we approach God. Lord... even if we just just touch the outskirts of your goodness...if you just look our way a little bit... if you show us an ounce of your kindness.. we would be greatful.

Do your current expectations carry a spirit of gratefulness?

Grace in a Bathtub.

This week was surreal. I started a new Internship at Joy Ministries in Virginia Beach... and every day I was colliding with the grace of God in a new way. Joy Ministries is an evangelistic outreach ministry that focuses on outreach to Single Moms, Low-Income Youth, and just anyone who is in need of healing.

I encountered God's grace as I interacted with people that made me reminesce about my childhood. How can I reflect upon how greatful I am for God's grace. Cold memories of my mom and I sleeping together in our bathtub in our bathroom with a heater to stay warm, brought me back to a feeling of thankfulness. We could not afford to keep the whole house warm... so we did what we had to. As I interacted on the prayer lines and in the office with some single moms who were fighting or had fought the battle of bills, loneliness, and overtime... I was taken back to my memories of my mom working as much as she could to provide for us. It was not always easy, but I am forever closer to my mom because of the battles we fought together. Now I am in disbelief, as God is allowing me to be somewhere where I can be the reminder of His arms of grace to women and children who sleep in their own bathtubs to stay warm. Thank you Jesus.

One of the most amazing things about my childhood was this: even if things became difficult.... I did not usually see them as such. Those nights that I had to sleep in a bathtub did not bother me much, as long as I could curl up in my moms arms... all was okay by me. I knew my mom loved me. I could rest.

I have been realizing more and more that it is kinda like that with Jesus. I have my moments where I get a little stressed about where the money is coming from for something. I stress; am I being a good enough wife, friend, daughter, Youth Director? But... He is reminding me more and more that He is going to take care of me. As long as I can curl up in my Heavenly Father's arms... all is okay by me. I can rest.

The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. (Psalm 9:9-10)

As for my Internship....tooo much to share in one post! Stay TUNED!

The God who sees Me

It has been rather fun and interesting adjusting to living in the Hampton Roads area... compared to Farmville, Virginia- this place is packed with people. I was so comfortable with going in taco bell and having a whole corner of the restaurant to myself.... not so much in Virginia Beach. If feels like there are people everywhere. Let's not even talk about the Wal-Mart:) I usually like to scan my surroundings and make eye contact with the people around me. If I were to make eye contact with everyone I see here- I think I would need some visine. So, this has given me such a desire to minister and love on people in the Virginia Beach area; however, it has also put me on an overload. Then.... this morning, I read th story of Hagar in Genesis 16. Hagar was used by Sarai to produce an heir and then Hagar is mistreated once she gets pregnant. She runs away from Sarai (her mistress), and then an angel of the Lord appears to her. This is what Hagar tells God in vs. 13:

"You are the God who sees me." for she said, "I have now seen the One who sees me."

In the midst of a hundred thousand people or in the midst of 3, God sees us. God sees our pain, our hardships, and our frustrations. When Hagar thought she was utterly alone and abandoned, God came to her. God saw her. God sees us when we are going through financial difficulty, when we are emotionally distraught, and when we are being mistreated in a relationship. He sees us and He desires to go with us into all situations. Hagar ran away from her mistress, but the Lord told her to go back to that difficult relationship and to submit. The Lord wanted to bless her, even while she stayed in the difficult relationship.

God doesnt't just see us... He sees everyone around us. And while I can't make eye-contact with everyone I see- without needing a bottle of visine, God sees into the hearts and minds of everyone and He desires to bless them and love them.

You are the God who sees me.

Hello God! Are You There?

I have been thinking alot lately about this one story in Matthew 15:21-28 regarding a woman who calls out to Jesus because her daughter is demon-possessed. The reason I have been thinking about this story so much, is that the response Jesus gives blows my mind and puzzles me. It is one of those segments of scripture... that make you think..... "God, do I really know who you are?" Of course the Jesus I know (the one who looks like a CA Surfer dude and hangs on the Sunday school room wall) would NEVER respond this way!

So what is it about this story? Let me break it down....

A chick comes to Jesus in vs. 22.... and cries out that her daughter has been demon possessed. She says, "LORD, Son of DAVID, Have mercy on me."

BUT Jesus does not look at the woman with compassion or anything great like that.... The Bible just says that Jesus remains silent. "Jesus did not answer a word." NOT A WORD! This doesnt sound like my Jesus! Jesus Doesn't ignore the cry of the oppressed!

then it gets worse..... this chick gets straight up rejected by Jesus. After the chick continues to cry after Jesus, Jesus says... "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." WHAT? C'MON JESUS! FOR REAL? I mean this chick is crying for you and you respond with something like that? This was a smack in the face, because this chick was from Canaana and not Israel.

But this chick does not give up, after Jesus gives her silence.... and she is told that the blessing is not for her... she kneels before Jesus. SHE KNEELS! She humbles herself. Jesus then seemingly rejects her again as he says "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs."
The chick does not get mad, she gets even more humbled and she says.... "But even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their Master's table." In other words she says, "Lord... if you could just give me the leftovers of your great power.... if you could just give me the crumbs of your blessings..... I would be happy with that."

Finally Jesus says, "Woman... you have great faith, your request is granted."

But why silence, God? Why did you seemingly reject a woman who loved you? Why did you wait until she was humbeled and humiliated before you blessed her? I have been there before... Havn't you? You ask God, "why do I hear only silence when I speak to you?" But this passage is not about how inconsiderate our God is.... for the mere fact is this:

God's Silence..... Taught us Perseverence
The Humiliation... Taught us to be Humble
The Rejection... Taught us to Appreciate the Smallest of Blessings

Jesus loves the Canaanite chick... but He could see beyond her need for a miracle, and into the growth that could be created in her. Jesus did not just give miracles so that lives could be easier... His aim was to transform lives.

He wants to transform our lives.