Launch Pad Assemblies

Heavenly Father
You always amaze me
Let Your kingdom come
In my world and in my life

Your Love Is Strong, Jon Foreman

Jace encouraged us early this week with a verse from Isaiah:

I will go before you
and will level mountains;
I will break down gates of bronze
and cut through bars of iron. [Isaiah 45:2]

I have spent two weeks captivated by the book of Ephesians:

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. [Ephesians 2:10]

God is SO faithful. We visited two schools in Intabazwe today. When we arrived at the second school the headmaster did not want us to perform our assembly because he did not want to interrupt the learning that had already began. He invited us to speak to each class about Launch Pad and to pass out information. He asked us to wait in the office while he made arrangements with the teachers. We were then lead by the headmaster to the gymnasium where the students were lining rows of chairs. Without explanation, he left us to the students who are filing into their seats. God does level mountains. We performed for the students and Jace took to the stage to introduce our village discipleship class. Jace asked the students if they felt their lives had purpose: they agreed. Jace asked the students if they knew what their purpose was: the room fell silent. Responding boldly to God’s voice, Jace pressed further and asked if the students knew God: overwhelming silence. Jace then invited the students to meet God, shared with them the love of Jesus, and encouraged them to come to the front to be prayed over. We were hesitant and uncomfortable but came down from the stage and waited. The room was motionless. I was embarrassed. 50 students then flooded to the front of the gymnasium. They asked us to pray over them: to pray that their lives would be changed, to pray that they would come to know God, to pray for their exams, to pray for their dreams. They intimately shared their passions with us, their hearts with us. The Spirit filled me and I began to lay hands on each student. I prayed with a sincere and joyful heart: prayed that they would be blessed by God, that they would seek God, that they would know the love God has for them, that they would know how special and smart and beautiful they are. I felt God speak through me, I felt God move in my hands. I hugged the students and with conviction invited them to attend our classes which would be a place of safety where they could encounter God and build healthy relationships with other students, a place they could be prayed for and loved. Three students prayed the salvation prayer with other interns; others renewed their commitment to God. God is so good. Today was a beautiful reward for our efforts this week.

Turbulence

I have arrived safely in Los Angeles and on to Washington and wait now 11 hours to board my flight to Johannesburg. Both flights were very rough and turbulent as we flew in and out of clouds but there was something beautiful and calm in this. I found God in this. I sat in the dark airplane, with the engine noise powerfully outside my window, praising God while listening to Jon Foreman loudly on my iPod. The lyrics echoed the prayers and truth in my heart.

Two things you told me
That you are strong
And You love me
Yes You love me

Your love is
Your love is
Your love is
Strong

Jon Foreman, Your Love Is Strong

Yes it is. I found peace in my loneliness on the plane; peace resting in God's strong and loving arms. After a tearful and heartbreaking goodbye with my family and Ryan, I was exhausted and the sleep was glorious. Though I am excited for the work God will do in and through me in my time in South Africa, so much of me can't wait to be home. I am afriad but will worship God and trust Him in this turbulence.

So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

Gratitude

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity. It turns a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."

Melody Beattie

Lesson

Humility encourages generosity.

Yes! Yes! Yes!

I was rolling pennies today in the lunch room at work, $13.00 of pennies donated by a co-worker. Another co-worker threw in $20.00 of encouragement. Then another offered to bring her pennies too, excited to unload. Praise God.

God cares for us too. I was exhausted from such a busy weekend. A friend invited me for pedicures and though I know I need to be responsible with my money and am usually busy on Monday nights, I agreed to go, knowing that this would be the pampering and relaxation I desperately needed. Generously my friend insisted on giving this to me as a gift, a gift to support my mission. Provision is such a weighty word and I think I am beginning to understand.

Amen.

Prayer

Reaching always reaching
Never reaching solid ground
Seeking always seeking
Never seeking what I've found

Hey, baptize my mind
Hey, baptize my mind
Hey, baptize my mind
For these seeds to give birth to life
First it must die

Both my hands are filled with guilt
Be my absolution
Both my eyes are blind with filth
Be my absolution

Jon Foreman, Baptize My Mind

Lies

Uncertainty is killing me
And I'm certainly not asleep

The Fray, Uncertainty

dfklsdjfkasdfk;ldjf;jkasdjfk!!

Listening

Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

"Happiness damn near destroys you, breaks your faith to pieces on the floor." The Fray, Happiness

"Maybe we're not supposed to be happy. Maybe gratitude has nothing to do with joy. Maybe being grateful means recognizing what you have for what it is. Appreciating small victories. Admiring the struggle it takes simply to be human. Maybe we're thankful for the familiar things we know. And maybe we're thankful for the things we'll never know. At the end of the day, the fact that we have the courage to still be standing is reason enough to celebrate." Meredith, Grey's Anatomy, Season 2: Episode 9

I hear You.

Homesick

I'm homesick—longing for your salvation;
   I'm waiting for your word of hope.
My eyes grow heavy watching for some sign of your promise;
   how long must I wait for your comfort?
There's smoke in my eyes—they burn and water,
   but I keep a steady gaze on the instructions you post.
How long do I have to put up with all this?
   How long till you haul my tourmentors into court?
The arrogant godless try to throw me off track,
   ignorant as they are of God and his ways.
Everything you command is a sure thing,
   but they harass me with lies. Help!
They've pushed and pushed—they never let up—
   but I haven't relaxed my grip on your counsel.
In your great love revive me
   so I can alertly obey your every word.

Psalm 119: 81-88 The Message

Overcome

Send me a sign
A hint, oh whisper
Fill me with life
'Cause I am listening

Come break the quiet
Breath Your awakening
Bring me the light
'Cause I'm fading

Surround me with the rush of angels' wings

Shine Your light so I can see You
Pull me up, I need to be near You
Hold me, I need to feel loved
Can You overcome this heart that's overcome?

You sent a sign
The hint, oh whisper
Human divine
Everyone is listening

Death laid low
Quiet in the night is stirring

All around the rush of angels

Oh the wonder of the greatest love has come

Shine Your light so all can see it
Lifted up, 'cause the whole world needs it
Love has come, what joy to hear it
He has overcome, He has overcome

David Crowder Band, SMS (Shine)

Rumours of His Glory

I recieved $1,100 over the weekend from five supporters, some I didn't expect. Praise God. I also found out that my flight to see Diarry will cost only $120. God is so good. He really provides.

Defeated

I am tired. My strength is found in Him alone. I am sure of that, only that.

You know for yourselves that we're not much to look at. We've been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we're not demoralized; we're not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we've been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn't left our side; we've been thrown down, but we haven't broken. What they did to Jesus, they do to us—trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us—he lives! Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus' sake, which makes Jesus' life all the more evident in us. While we're going through the worst, you're getting in on the best!

2 Corinthians 4:8-12 The Message

He Will Come and Save You

Say to those who are fearful hearted
Do not be afriad
The Lord your God is strong
With His mighty arm
When you call on His name
He will come and save

He will come and save you
He will come and save you
Say to the weary one
Your God will surely come
He will come and save you

He will come and save you
He will come and save you
Lift up your eyes to Him
You will arise again
He will come and save you

Say to those who are broken hearted
Do not lose your faith
The Lord your God will come
With His loving hand
When you call on His name
He will surely come

He is our refuge in the day of trouble
He is our shelter in the time of the storm
He is our tower in the time of sorrow
Our fortress in the time of war

Bob Fitts

Answered Prayers

God loves me! And He hears me. Praise God!

I will fill in this note a little later..

Grace

"Yes, I hate sin but I love you MORE."

Great sermon, listen. Naked & No Longer Ashamed.

Everything

God in my living
There in my breathing
God in my walking
God in my sleeping

God in my resting
There in my working
God in my thinking
God in my speaking

Be my everything
Be my everything
Be my everything
Be my everything

God in my hoping
There in my dreaming
God in my watching
God in my waiting

God in my laughing
There in my weeping
God in my hurting
God in my healing

Christ in me
Christ in me
Christ in me the hope of glory
You are everything

Tim Hughes

Farming

.. for cans and bottles and recyclable drink containers. Four heaping wheel barrels full! Praise God. Bethany and I used trick-or-treating as an opportunity to travel door to door collecting cans for Africa. So many people were so generous and loving. It was such an affirming night and so fruitful. We had to treck back home to unload twice. We returned our bountiful crop for $63.34! He provides! We also recieved a $15.00 donation and a handful of chocolate.

Round Three

Ryan and I returned another load of Recylcing today. $32.25. He provides! I love our recycling dates.

"Grace reclaims what the world disowns."

Starfield

You Never Let Go

Oh, my soul
Overflows
Oh, what love, oh, what love
Oh, my soul
Fills with hope
Perfect love that never lets go

Oh, what love, oh, what love
Oh, what love, oh, what love
In joy and pain
In sun and rain
You're the same
Oh, You never let go

David Crowder Band

Goodmorning

I love waking up with God in my thoughts and on my heart.

Warm tea is so soothing after coming in from the cold outside. I like the darkness, it's calm, as though everyone is asleep but me.

I am so tired this morning, but I love falling asleep delighting in You. Ryan and I talked late into the night, rejoycing in Your goodness. Love that! You are SO good.

I laughed aloud on the bus to work this morning reading A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller. Donald Miller is a gem. He wrote Blue Like Jazz too, which was, just amazing. Bethany gave it to me as a gift. I love Beth and I loved that book! Bethany and I attended the book tour for this new book, it was so great. I feel like I know Donald Miller, haha. I really don't. You should be a fan.