The Gift of Servitude

 "...know the God of your father and serve Him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought..." 1 Chronicles 28:9

I cannot believe I have already been in Colorado 3 weeks now; you know the age old adage, "time flies when you're having fun", well go ahead and insert that here! This week has been awesome, not only for serving but for some intense personal growth. I started out the week grilling burgers/hot dogs with my partner Gabby for over 130 people for The Pursuit Church's Sunday service in the park. Sounds easy right? Think again! To my future husband: I will never take you, nor you're grilling skills for granted!

Gabby did the math and between buying all the bbq stuff, getting all of it to the park, and then actually cooking we spent over 9 and 1/2 hours on this project. At first I found myself getting very frustrated. It was hot, the smoke was stinky, and we miscalculated on some of the food items. Grumpy Kali started to make an appearance, and here I'm suppose to be a summer missionary - I should be exuding rainbows and sunshine! But about half way through cooking all of the food people started coming up and thanking us, and expressing how grateful they were and how good the food was. People were genuinely touched at the time and effort we put in, and it was in that moment I was able to see that servanthood comes in many different shapes and sizes.

It is not always as tangible as we like it to be, or as grand. The smallest acts are just as important as the big ones. For me, I had this preconceived notion of what living missionally entailed. It's pretty silly when I actually think about it. Who am I to tell God where and how I will serve?! How naive and entitled of me. The reality is that I personally am not going to change hearts, Jesus is - and there is more to give then pretty words and grand gestures. The size of the immediate impact is not relevant, even the smallest acts are SO important.

I love those moments of revelation, because I know that they are God given. Sometimes He’s subtle in  His encouragement and guidance. Sometimes He's uncomfortable and abrupt in His will. With my stubborn spirit it would not be a typical day if I didn’t question my faith and obedience to the Lord or try to push bouandaries at least a dozen times.  I feel like those are natural thoughts for anyone striving to know Christ more, love Christ more and trust Christ more.  There's this huge, common misconception that Christians have some supernatural grasp on their faith and their walk with Jesus. But the reality is, the more you think you have figured out, the less you probably know. Christianity isn't meant to be comfortable and “figured out”. It's a faith of overwhelming humility and neediness; it reminds us how little we have figured out, and it reminds us how desperately we need Him.

We, as believers, are called to be the body of Christ. His hands. His feet. His love to a lifeless world. People don't need to simply hear about that love, they need to see it and feel it and know it's real. I can finally see and recognize that one of the coolest ways to show this love is in the simple, menial, and every day tasks. Servitude is gift, that not only glorifies Christ but also refines our hearts to be more like Him. So thankful for what God has revealed to me! His grace and understanding never cease to amaze me.

The biggest prayer request I have is for Gabby and I to be very sensitive to the Holy Spirit and what He is trying to show and grow in us daily. Whoo, God is GOOD. Love you all!

Summit of 11,428 ft at the top of Twin Sisters Peak

Sunday service in the park!

Gabby and I playing monoply with some new friends!

"I'll Play The Background"

Here we are, ending another week in Colorado! I started officially working with The Pursuit Church (TPC) on Monday; it has been such a privilege to get to see exactly what goes in to making church plants a reality. Every person involved invests so much physically, mentally and spiritually. The first day with them was spent hanging up flyers around town for a kid's sports camp that TPC is putting on, and for those of you who have never done that...IT IS HARD!  When people would see that it was being sponsored by a church, the reactions were almost always extremely wary, and I would have to spend the next 5 to 10 minutes laying on the charm a.k.a begging!  So that was a learning experience! The rest of the week was spent in the office mostly just figuring out the ropes and the behind the scenes stuff. My partner Gabby and I got this weekend off to go out and explore the town. We both feel a huge call to be relational while we are here, and to find people to love on! We have been searching and searching with no luck, but finally when we were able to step back and surrender to God and His will, and He led us to TWO people in one night.

That leads me to the biggest thing that has been laid on my heart this week, God's sovereignty. Even though I like to think that my plans and my ideas are pretty spectacular, His are always better. When it boils down to it, I don't know why I even think my ideas have any worth. 2 Corinthians 3:3-5 says "Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God.  Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God." So basically even the good stuff that comes from me is worthless without Jesus, and life works so much better when we are able step back and let God take the leading role.

The importance of "being still" and letting God guide our lives is unequivocal. I think many of us live our lives with ourselves at the forefront of our motivation.  Many of us approach our days with the idea that we are the masters of our own universe, the captains of our own ship.  And while we say we trust His power, we still consciously and subconsciously clench tight to the steering wheel and base our decisions around our own understanding and our own perceptions of life. The reality though, is that we are less in control in those times than ever. When we surrender to Jesus, He takes us in the palm of His hand and says, "let Me guide you." Without Him, yes, we may be the ones driving, but we are driving blindly. How is that control? We are at our best when we are able to depend fully and confidently in Him. We are at our best, when He is in the leading role and we are in the background.

We serve a God that is so much bigger, grander, and mightier than we will EVER be able to comprehend. We serve a God that cannot be boxed in. We serve a God that has no boundaries, no limits, and no chains We serve a God that cannot be exaggerated. And we serve a God whose love and mercy for us is so great, that He offers us the ability to host the Spirit of grandeur within ourselves through His son, Jesus Christ. It is overwhelming, and it is hard to comprehend, but we don't have to comprehend it, we just have to rest and abide in it!

I have a few prayer requests this week: First for those of you who don't know there is a huge wildfire (3rd largest in history) that has been about 10 miles from us for about a week. Please be praying for all the families and businesses that have been affected! Also please pray for the two people I mentioned earlier, and the friendships we are starting to build. And lastly please pray for our awesome church planters, pray for strength and energy because they give 150 percent everyday. Thank you for ALL the love and support!

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” –James 4:8

My partner Gabby and I!

The view from our backyard of the High Park fire. Scary stuff!

Waiting to help out with the TPC Youth Group. 

Got Altitude?!

I LOVE COLORADO. There is a 98% chance I am going to stay here forever. Just kidding, but really.......

I have only been here 4 days and already my love for this place runs deep. It's crazy how when God calls you to a country/state/city/people group the connection is immediate. My heart and passion for these people and this place is unlike anything I have ever experienced before. I am more confident then ever that God brought me here with a divine purpose, and that every single circumstance and every single phase we find ourselves in, throughout our lives, is perfectly constructed by God to be used for His glory.

One of the coolest things is being able to see God in every direction you turn, from the snowcapped mountains to the glistening lakes to the tall pines. His craftsmanship is evident. I have never felt more in the palm of my Creator's hand then I have this week, He is sharpening and preparing me in way I could never of imagined. The people placed in my life since getting here have been the biggest blessings. I have been loved on, encouraged, and uplifted since day one and I am LOVING it. I feel as though I have been here forever, not just 4 days.

 We will be working with an awesome new church here called The Pursuit Church for the next month, and tomorrow we finally get to go out and start serving. We will be distributing food to the homeless children of Ft. Collins. There are over 900 homeless children in this area; the number is heart-wrenching and I cannot wait to serve and love on them in any way I can. One of the hardest things is picturing a child without a home, the injustice of it burns down to my core. If there is any way to alleviate any of their hurt or discomfort it will truly be an honor for me. Pray, pray, pray for these precious little ones, that not only they find the homes they deserve but that they will find a love that is never failing through Jesus - a love that makes broken things whole again, and brings peace where there was none. It's going to be a great weekend. Thanks again for all of y'all's support.


                        This is a picture I took my first night here. I get to look at this all summer :)

"Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there." Matthew 19:13-15

And so it begins...

Tomorrow my summer journey begins. I leave for the great state of Colorado for the next 2 months, goodbye Texas heat, I won't miss you!!!! I have the opportunity to serve through Go Now Missions as a summer missionary in Ft. Collins/Loveland Colorado, where I will be working with several different church planters.

 I  have been fervently trying to spiritually prepare for this journey, and needless to say there were still some points in the last few weeks where I had moments of feeling inadequate. But I was immediately comforted in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 where it says “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. ” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." It doesn't matter how prepared I feel or not, God will use me despite of my failings, He will still be glorified if I can't remember a certain verse reference or if I flub something up in my testimony. He is not dependent on me, I will be used to His glory regardless of my imperfections. Whoo! That definitely takes some of the pressure off :) However, That is not an excuse for me to be stagnant in my spiritual growth, but rather it is a reason for me to feel adequate THROUGH Christ.

Following Jesus isn't about trying harder, it's about resting harder. If we're honest though, the latter is the more difficult one. Fortunately, I can confidently say that I am resting in my Jesus as I take this step this summer. I'm striving for my reliance on God’s guidance to be radical and selfless and bold. I want to redefine what this world says is possible and rewrite the books of possibility in His name. I want to wake up every morning and say to God, “USE ME! Use me however You need. Use me in whatever capacity, with whatever challenges, and under whatever scrutiny You know that I can handle. Fill me with Your limitless strength and energy and use me as Your tool!”

Be praying for the preparation of hearts, and the willingness of minds as I enter into this special time of ministry this summer. Be praying for my own heart as I grow and depend more heavily on Jesus. Pray for boldness. Pray for humility. I can't wait to see how God moves this summer, I will be updating weekly with stories and prayer requests. Love y'all.