drop the net.

"The one who asks us to drop our nets is also the one who shows us how to take them up again. And he is also the one that fills them with fish." {taken from Revol}

The Lord is faithful. Whatever He calls us to, or takes us through - He will restore. IN HIS TIMING & IN HIS WAY. We, being so limited, in our mindset think something "good" for us should look a certain way, but that is not how the Lord God works. He is faithful and He intends good and perfect things for us. If he asks us to drop our nets, He knows He has something better, more fulfilling for us and ultimately to Him. He has already equipped us to "pick it back up" again (whatever that may be- a different path, a different direction, etc), and has prepared for us blessing in doing so.

However, the enemy wants to come quickly in right when we are asked to drop the net and make us doubt the Lord's integrity; his goodness. And the sad reality is many of us do buy into this lie, even if for a little while. How heartbreaking this must be for the Lord. The enemy knows what great potential the Lord has for our lives, and he wants nothing more than to derail & sabotage as quickly as possible.

Author John Eldridge (of Wild at Heart, if you haven't read it - PLEASE do!) puts this another way... “The story of your life is the story of the long and brutal assault on your heart by one who knows what you could be, and fears it.”

We must stand on His promise and nothing else - putting our hope in Him alone. It is the only place we will not be shaken. We must dive into the character and presence of the Lord, understanding WHO He is to know what He desires for us. He wants so badly for our lives to be filled with wild and abundant freedom in Him!

Trust in His Word, His asking you to drop the net, because you have NO idea what He is calling you to pick up next...

and His promise is... IT IS GOOD.

a broken people.

A friend of mine Emily had this exerpt on her blog, and my goodness is it true. So interesting...

"We must remember that, before we are a light to our neighbors and to the world, we are first a light to the home. Unless we are a light to one another -- to our families and to the body of believers to which we belong -- we will not shine at all. The light that is in us will turn to darkness. If we are to avoid the futility which comes when the blind lead the blind, if we are truly to walk in the with one another, we must first be broken.

There is a popular expression among the Revival Fellowship that describes this disposition in the life of an individual. The Ugandan word is Okumenyeka. There is no word just like it in English. It is a "broken" individual. To be broken is to have no pride, for where there is pride, there is no confession and no forgiveness. To heal a broken relationship , one must be broken; one must be willing to "give in;" one must not find his or her identity in always being in the right.

When Jesus fed the five thousand, he took five loaves of bread, blessed them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to give away (Matthew 14:19). One brother of the Revival read this verse and then looked at me. "Until God breaks your will, he will never use you," he said. "You will only remain a nice loaf of bread." What Jesus did in feeding the multitude was very symbolic of what was going to happen to his body. To his own disciples he said, "This is my body which is broken for you.'

Unless we are broken, we are of no use to God. And unless we are broken, we are of no use to the community of believers of which we are a part. Hardly any of us can go to his own Christian community and say, "This is my body which is broken for you. I am laying all my professional skills, abilities, and economic resources at your disposal. Take them and use them as you see fit." We cannot say this, because we are not broken. We are too proud to give our lives to people who are not perfect. We want to find the perfect person and the perfect community, but we never find them. So, like Judas, we make only a partial commitment to the body of believers to which we belong , and we find our identity in our rebellion from them." "Walking in the Light" by F. Kefa Sempangi

The Lord is definitely teaching me a ton about being broken before the throne of Grace. Being broken isn't something we think we should resist, but embrace. 

"But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." {2 Corinthians 12:9}

The end of self brings so much room for the Lord to have His way. That is where real strength comes from, understanding we are weak before Him and that it is only through Him we are able to accomplish anything of worth. It is such a beautiful thing the Lord calls us to. Easy? Absolutely not. But Beautiful? Oh my goodness, yes. How sweet the Lord is!

mis bebés

A year ago today I was in what I consider my second home, Honduras. Though the month long stay wasn't all glamorous, it was one of the biggest blessings in my life. It stretched and grew me in ways I couldn't have imagined. There is something beautiful about being completely stripped of all comfort zones. What I took away from there could never ever be replaced. I am beyond grateful for the experience. Today I missin' my sweet little babies. Some days they'll be etched on my mind all day. They are apart of me now. After all, it's where I realized my call of ministry. They are my family; my brothers and sisters, just a little ways away that's all.

Jalisa, just a pure JOY. I mean look at her...

the older girls kitchen- it was where I worked the whole time I was there. They come off super tough, but they have so much love to give. The 10 "big" girls I was around; I truly consider my sisters. so much love for them.

the pequenos ninas house- it's where I went every morning for devotion and singing. How cute are they?

Albertina - oh my sister. I would be willing to bet she is one of the closest things to grace, mercy, and compassion walked out. She is so beautiful inside and out. 

Isaias - If I could claim him as my own, I would. I did physical therapy with him every morning, and he is my pride and joy. Though he cannot speak, he spoke more to me in that month than anyone. I love him so very much. 

so thankful for all of them today, praying for them miles away, but loving them as if I was right there!

diggin' it

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life: fully alive

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was greater than the risk it took to bloom." Anais Nin

There is always great risk in becoming honest with yourself and the people around you. It's almost like this self-preservation thing we have as people, that we want to make sure that everything around us is okay all the time, or at least appear that way. However, the Lord desires us to be far more than that. Staying in the bud is not what He wants; He wants to see us grow into the women and men He has called us to be. He wants us to live a life FULLY ALIVE.

"The thief comes to steal and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10

We can so easily be bound by our lack of honesty & realness with ourselves and others that we limit the freedom the Lord desires for us. The enemy wants us to not fully experience things, and learn and grow from them. He wants to steal our joy. He wants us to patch over the "not-so-fun parts" and move on, not learn, and thus lean in to the Lord. Last night at church for First Wednesday we talked about something very similar. "When our character is right our destiny will find us."...

In Genesis 39, Joseph was imprisoned based upon a lie. However, the Lord knew the potential for Joseph, the great call for his life. He knew this time of trial would be worked for good, for His glory. The Lord was WITH  Joseph the entire time; the Lord never lifted His blessing from him. Joseph very well could have "wasted" this time in prison, not pressing in and seeking the Lord, which often we do. But the Lord so desperately wants us to know that there is so much more than our circumstances reveal.

We went on to Romans 5:3..."glory in tribulation". Rejoicing in our trials because of what it will develop. The Lord desires for us to grow in character more than move us from our circumstances. Tribulation produces perseverance, which often requires a "waiting period" for us. Like Pastor Brandon said last night, patience is not just bearing, and probably still being frustrated, but patience is waiting with contentment, keeping your heart right. That doesn't mean our circumstances will cease, we will still have to fight through (with the Lord's strength), that's the perseverance. Much like we do in this process, Joseph got selfish while he was in prison. He tried to manipulate his way to get out, to "get free" of the process before the Lord had him too (we all try this, right?!). The Lord's timing, however, is perfect. Joseph's character at that moment could not have supported the destiny the Lord was calling him too. Wow.  

Trials and the "not now's" are not holding us back. They are preparing us. Equipping us for our call, for the life he designed specifically, tailored to each of us. Intentionally assessing ourselves, evaluating & comparing it to the cross will only benefit us; it will make us more like Him!! How great is that? I rejoice that the Lord knows more and best. We don't want to cheat ourselves from the FULL blessing and FULL life He has for us by being out of step with His will, His timing. The peace that comes with being right where He wants, trials or not, is indispensable.

Learning to take in every single thing right where I am, and thanking the Lord for what He has dealt me in the process. Whew.