Saturday, September 29, 2012

HE IS SUFFICIENT


In the past week I have been so grateful at the way God has graciously confirmed the things He is doing in my life. He doesn't owe me anything and yet in spite of my weakness He puts up with me and proves Himself over and over.



I shared how a very generous donor provided my plane ticket to Ghana for my upcoming trip. When I got the call all I could do was sit and cry. It is hard to explain the emotions that I felt. Tears of joy flowed uncontrollably as I thought to myself, God you did it again! Again! After posting in Face Book about the 1200 dollars I would need to raise, I got a response from a good friend with a precious heart. She told me to check the mail, she was sending something. I assumed she would give a little something but I never dreamed it would be for the full amount needed for my trip in January. I just don't have words. All I know is that God is confirming every step of the way that this is Him. He is calling and He is providing.



From my devotional:

That same Christ, with all His attributes and mighty power, belongs to us. We are members of His body, His flesh, and His bones, and if we will only believe this and receive it, we may actually draw our life from the very life of the Son of God. I Cor. 6:13 "The body is... for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body"

This is crucifying the flesh and walking in the spirit. This is allowing Jesus in us to operate fully and have complete control. I want to be yielded to THE POWER SOURCE. Everything is from Him and through Him and by Him. It is so exhilarating to think that we can have this type of access to Jesus. I want to walk in the fullness of my Lord and Savior and I am determined to do so.

Some days I start to loose focus and look at my circumstances: my finances, my vehicle in much need of repairs, etc. and I start to feel desperate. Then I think, why am I worrying? It is only the Creator of heaven and earth, my Creator who has my back! I recently read 2 Cor. 10:5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. When negative thoughts that are contrary to what God has told me come, I quote this scripture. God has a plan for my life and He has confirmed it over and over. He has told me to trust Him and to walk in obedience by faith to do the things He has put on my heart to do.

                                                         From my devotional:

There is a vast difference between pleasure and blessedness. Paul experienced imprisonment, pain, sacrifice, and suffering to their very limits, yet through it all he was blessed. All the beatitudes became real in his heart and life, in the midst of difficult circumstances.

I use to think that everything should be a bed of roses for anyone who is walking the walk for God. As I grow in Him I understand that the difficult things are the things that cause me to grow in Him. I appreciate the rest He gives but I know if I want to continue to grow in Him it is only temporary.

Everything we do here should be about Him. It should be about seeking the prize that He has set before us. If the things we are seeking are the rewards we can obtain here we are cheating ourselves out of the biggest reward of them all. Standing before Him and hearing Him say... well done.

Please pray for me that I will raise my standards daily to His standards and that I will walk in love and patience for everyone that I meet. Pray that I will be dedicated to the things that He has called me to do and not be tossed to and fro but stand firmly planted in His truth. Pray that I will accomplish everything that He has for me to do here and in Africa when i go in January. Thank you for your prayers. They are truly coveted.

Monday, September 24, 2012

This Is Why


Why I do what I do.
 
PSALM 68: 4-6
Sing to God, sing in praise of his name,
extol him who rides on the clouds;
rejoice before him—his name is the Lord.
5 A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
is God in his holy dwelling.
6 God sets the lonely in families,
I have been home nearly 3 months and after being separated from family and friends for so long, I really appreciate the time I have with everyone.  After getting settled into my new home that God provided through a very giving family, I spent some time catching up with my grandchildren.  It was wonderful being able to share with them about my experiences and about the children in Ghana.  I started my new position with Feeding The Orphans doing books.  It didn’t take long to see all of the ways that I would be able to assist in the work that they are doing for the Kingdom.  It is very satisfying, after being in Ghana for 9 months, to be involved in the day to day ministry and to see all the ways that God is providing for His children. 

Something that I am very thankful for are the new friends that God has brought into my life through this experience.  I met so many people in Ghana that I keep in touch with via Face Book and I love hearing from them.  I have made new friends right here at home.  It is beautiful how God brings people together through ministry.  There is a bond you feel with people who are like minded and have hearts for the same things that you do. I have found that people who love God and want to obey His Word by taking care of widows and orphans are some of the most loving people I have ever been around.  They love deep.

I have been looking for a part time job so that I can be available to assist  Feeding The Orphans.  There are many tasks that need to be done on a weekly or monthly basis and new ones that pop up from day-to-day.  There are also events that take place such as the teen rally in Kingston, the Ghana Re-union, the Adoption Convention in Atlanta and this week the debut of the adoption video that the O’leary family took part in.  Working to complete tasks and events, to see that they are successful, can be very time consuming but always …always, very rewarding.    To know that what you have worked hard for will change the life of a child is precious.  To see the many ways that God is using people, their finances, their abilities and talents to fulfill His plans is amazing.

My personal testimony is something that just overwhelms me about the goodness of God when I stop and think about it.  Since coming home I used the funds that I have saved to get settled in and take care of loose ends.  I began looking for a part time job realizing that when I tell employers that I will be traveling to Ghana a couple times a year and be gone anywhere from 2  to 12 weeks, a job will not be so easy to secure.  I have prayed about this a lot.  I want  more than anything to obey the will of God for my life.  I have prayed numerous times nearing the point of being penniless and asked God to help me to know what to do, besides trusting Him.  I am fully aware that faith without works is dead and that I need to be pro-active about my financial situation.  I have sent out letters asking for support and to date have nothing to report.  Sounds bad huh?  Not at all.  God has over and over  again used someone with a very generous heart to provide at just the right time and in answer to my prayers. 

This past weekend while I was in Atlanta working the conference I was reminding God that my fuel tank (bank account) was just about on E again.  The family that we stayed with, who were absolutely wonderful, asked if we would spend another night and attend church with them.  Ready to go home, but also wanting to spend more time with them we agreed.  During Sunday School their class prayed for myself and another volunteer who is leaving in October.  After prayer some people asked questions about Ghana and what we are doing now.  After sharing with them a very generous couple sponsored the volunteer for a portion of her trip and blessed me with a gift of $500.00.  When I opened the check all I could do was cry at the goodness of My Father and the generosity of my brothers and sisters. As if that wasn’t enough, another very generous couple blessed me with a ticket, fully paid for and booked.  I will be leaving January 25th for Ghana and Togo .  You just cannot do justice to the works of a loving God with words.

What I have seen since I have been home is that the promises of God are truly yeah and amen! Living from God thing to God thing is building my faith.  I know that I need to stop worrying about how I am going to walk this call He has placed on my life and walk in obedience no matter what my circumstances look like.  He has it all under control and I just need to be busy doing the things I know to do and trusting Him to do the rest.  I cannot say thank you enough to those of you who have partnered with me whether it is providing a home, monthly financial support, one time gifts, prayers, phone calls, an enjoyable lunch, etc. 

I need to raise $1,200.00 for this trip to Ghana in January.  I am asking you to consider  partnering with me for this trip and I am also seeking  monthly financial support so that I can continue to minister  with and through Feeding The Orphans. 

 

Followers