Landing in Honduras

My Friends,
I cannot entirely express the amazing beauty of this country. Yesterday we flew from the United States to San Pedro Sulu. It took a connecting flight to arrive, but after land, ocean and amazing clouds.. we arrived. We got tickets for a local air plane and spent our 3 hour layover on the floor of a foreign airport chillin and visiting.

We boarded a small plane by walking out to it and going up the stairs like you see on tv J And twenty amazing mins later (which was a three hour bus trip if we hadn’t opted to fly) we arrived in La Ceiba. Right after we landed and our luggage was unloaded it began to storm ferociously! It was amazingly beautiful! Rain and storming against plush green mountains!

After picking up our luggage we walked out and hugged the neck of our dear friend Heather Stewart! We jumped into a truck and started our one hour trek up the mountain. It slowly turned from light to dark as we climbed a few thousand feet. All I can say… It was amazing!

Empowering moments....

Empowering moment numero dos...

Seeing pictures and stories of other people praying and worshiping God. Gosh it makes my heart weep and hunger at the same time!

Just scanning other missionaries photos and trips and praying and worshipping in public... oh man... just tears come to my eyes. Strangers who know the same truth.... why is that so powerful?

I dont know but it is... and its empowering...risky...beautiful!

Oh God, give me the boldness to love, praise and pray big!

Empowering moments...

Empowering moment numero uno...

Dont you just love overhearing people talking about God? Like in a grocery store and someone is standing talking to a friend or on the phone. Or in a restaurant and the table beside you is talking about His goodness?

It amazes me how encouraging it is to me, or what a smile it puts on my face and yet sometimes when I talk about God in public I find myself being over courteous by being quiet about it.

Satan is such a liar! Here my faith and day is strengthened and brighter by hearing a fellow believer who is a stranger give God glory.... wont I offer the same thing and stop worrying about the people who wont approve?!

God make me bolder that I would be unashamed!

The FruFru Female vs. The Emo Girl

Okay crazy title right? Here is the inspiration,

I was talking to a friend who shared about her unability to connect with women who love fluff, feathers, and glitter. (I personally love these things however I often find a disconnect myself)
We discussed how there is a genre of women who are gentle, meek and so well put together that it seems effortless. In some groups, there is visiting, praying, laughing and a light hearted spirit all around.

Now as this may not be an introspective view of these wonderful women's personalities... something hit me about faces I saw in my head......... they mostly all had two parent homes, a middle class lifestyle as children and maybe their emotional blows where encased in a strong family structure. <--this strong family structure being paramount on future development.

Now.. I picture the people who don't connect with the above mentioned. The more emotional or artistically expressive female. I can personally use myself as an example, although I do not sport tattoos or enjoy death metal (which is an extreme stereotype) I am akward, often uncomfortable and struggle with emotional fullfillment. I grew up in a single parent home, latch key kid at 7 years old and although I did not have siblings to help raise, I knew responsibility early. And although I had a fabulous parent that raised me in church, I knew extremely deep sorrow and emotion before I was 10 years old. Perhaps if my upbringing had been tougher I would have been into death metal, because I was seeped in depression and had suicidal thoughts all throughout my teens. ( I feel like there could be a whole study behind this :)

So.. the point... your family structure and the support system you had or didnt have shaped you in a way you may not have noticed.

To all the bueatiful women who have a deep sense of security and your drawn toward gentle (and sparkly) bueaty, God shaped you to soften the world when it gets to hard.

To all the women who knew responsibility young, struggled through your adolecence and now pause before a hug.... God shaped you to be strong when the world gets to soft.

We were intended to embrace each other and together we are the strongest expressions of Gods Beauty and Love!

Following His Plan is Exciting not Depressing!

This sounds like a statement that should be followed by the words... 'duh.' But I just wanted to take a quick moment to examine something I think many have experienced.

I just received an email from our pastors update on our Kingdom Builders building fund. It was reflective of the last weekends message and Gods excitement for our future. Then that one profound statement... "If you listen closely you can almost hear the excitement in His voice as He tells us about His dream for us." - Pastor Dino Rizzo, after quoting Jeremiah 29:11

Wow... excitement... I never thought of God as excited for me. Have you? I mean really, Have you pictured the almighty as being on the edge of His seat thinking about the plans He has for you? I honestly can say that I did not. And now... I have food to eat.. not just for thought.

My God isnt just telling me that He has good plans for me but He's anticipating them, excited for the amazing things He has for me. And here I am on earth going... "we'll these are my dreams.. but..... Ill do whatever God asks of me," like its a chore and Im hoping that its something I want to do. (knowing that I will love it, but the very challenge and growth does not make me anticipate the journey) All the while my creator, my savior, my inventor, my very own personal dreamer... IS. HE is anticipating my future with excitement.

Wow... just wow.

Do I consider His opinion or am I asking for Direction?

Here's a thought...Am I walking through life asking God his opinion and considering His answer?

Or...

Am I walking In God asking him about life and asking for my directions?

I am afraid my answer is more reflective of the first question. I am asking God what He things instead of what I am suppose to do. It seems easier to ask His opinion than be dependant on waiting... for His answer.

Waiting... Walking not just considering.

Total of 40 lbs!!!

Just an FYI months after I have started medifast... I have lost 40 lbs in 3 1/2 months. yayaya.. thats it :LOL