The NYGO Team will be meeting here at the church in less than one hour. Thirty-one NMC Students + 2 Student Leaders + 7 NLF Students + 11 incredible Leaders = one God-sized adventure!
Students will not only have an opportunity to be poured into by some incredible teachers, but they will also be challenged to take Jesus to the streets of New York, going out & simply loving others. But this trip is only going to be a trip if they go at it alone. They have to expect God to move & they have to be willing to join Him. And we have to expect God to move in their lives & it's our responsibility to cover them each individually & as a team, in prayer.
Let's pray that God will move in miraculous ways both in their lives & in the lives of those they come into contact with.
Let's pray for God's Spirit to pour out all over New York City, & let's pray that these students & leaders would sense the move of God & have the boldness to join in the work that He is already doing there.
Let's pray that the leaders would have strength & discernment in leading this team. Let's pray that they will stay rested & be encouraged daily.
Let's pray that this team would be filled with boldness as they take God's love out into the streets. Let's pray that seeds would be planted in the hearts of the people they share with & love on.
Let's pray that this trip would not just be another trip but that it would be a life-changing experience. Let's pray that as this team comes back home next week that they would continue to wrestle through what God is teaching them & what God is wanting to do in each one of their lives.
Let's pray that God would give this team a vision of what He has in store for them over this next year. Let's pray that God would give each student a renewed passion for reaching out to their families, their friends, & in their schools.
Let's come behind this team every day in prayer!
To find out more ways to be praying for the NYGO Team or to read updates on their trip, check out Derry's blog.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Praise & Prayer Request
So yesterday afternoon I got a call from my mom that was definitely a bit of a scare. My cousin, Heidi, is pregnant & isn't due for another 5 weeks. Yesterday she was struggling with extremely high blood pressure & was rushed to the hospital. They were worried that if her blood pressure kept rising she would go into shock & begin to have seizures. Not something you want to hear when you're 5 weeks away from giving birth.
Well today I got another call saying that Heidi delivered a beautiful baby girl, Ellyanna Ruth, early this morning, weighing 4 lbs. 8 oz. So, the baby is still not out of the woods yet. This is my cousins second pregnancy & second set of complications...her first little girl was also 5 weeks early. Both are healthy, although Ellyanna will have to be kept in an incubator until she develops a little more. So for now, Heidi is only allowed to hold her for short periods of time. She's emotionally drained from the experience but very grateful the baby is doing well.
So, if you could, please remember Heidi & her husband Brian & their new little girl, Ellyanna, in your prayers! (Picture coming soon...hopefully!!!)
Well today I got another call saying that Heidi delivered a beautiful baby girl, Ellyanna Ruth, early this morning, weighing 4 lbs. 8 oz. So, the baby is still not out of the woods yet. This is my cousins second pregnancy & second set of complications...her first little girl was also 5 weeks early. Both are healthy, although Ellyanna will have to be kept in an incubator until she develops a little more. So for now, Heidi is only allowed to hold her for short periods of time. She's emotionally drained from the experience but very grateful the baby is doing well.
So, if you could, please remember Heidi & her husband Brian & their new little girl, Ellyanna, in your prayers! (Picture coming soon...hopefully!!!)
Monday, June 25, 2007
IMPACT Update
The IMPACT Team has safely touched down in Indy & will soon be preparing to make the rest of the journey home. They're in good spirits & have tons to share!
Here's some ways we can continue to pray for them:
1. Pray that they will continue to process all that has happened over this short span of 12 days, and that they would take their experiences on this trip and allow them to be life-changing.
2. Continue to pray for the people the team was able to connect with in the Riveras, El Millon, & Jesus Coranza.
3. Continue to pray specifically for Estella (the little girl who gave her heart to Christ on the final night) & that God would use her to impact the greater Juarez area in a mighty way.
Just because the team comes home doesn't mean that the battle for Juarez is over. God is still at work & there is still darkness and spiritual warfare that the people are faced with everyday. Let's continue to pray for this area & trust that God's not done yet!
To catch up on more of what took place, check out Jason's blog.
Here's some ways we can continue to pray for them:
1. Pray that they will continue to process all that has happened over this short span of 12 days, and that they would take their experiences on this trip and allow them to be life-changing.
2. Continue to pray for the people the team was able to connect with in the Riveras, El Millon, & Jesus Coranza.
3. Continue to pray specifically for Estella (the little girl who gave her heart to Christ on the final night) & that God would use her to impact the greater Juarez area in a mighty way.
Just because the team comes home doesn't mean that the battle for Juarez is over. God is still at work & there is still darkness and spiritual warfare that the people are faced with everyday. Let's continue to pray for this area & trust that God's not done yet!
To catch up on more of what took place, check out Jason's blog.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
What if God's people prayed?
If you haven't read the updates from the IMPACT Team down in Mexico...you need to! There's been some incredible stuff happening that's worth getting excited about! You can check it out here.
As I read through the updates yesterday and was thinking about the team and their experiences this morning, one question just kept burning on my heart...Why don't we live each day with expectancy? We can say we do, but how many of us really start out our day or go through our day expecting God to move?
Why don't we expect great things from God? We pray safe & reasonable prayers - why not dangerous prayers calling for the miraculous? Don't we believe that God can do it? Don't we expect that God would want to work in miraculous ways in our everyday life?
Why is seeing God work in miraculous ways something that seems so foreign to us? Do we truly believe that the only place we can experience that kind of power is out on the foreign mission field?
I think it was about three years ago now that Terry Bley shared at summer camp that "a surrendered life is an empowered life, and an empowered life expects the miraculous." As that Fall kicked off, we were challenged to think through what our "I SEE" statements were - what were we expecting from God? What were we going to commit to praying for, commit to seeing happen?
How many of us are still praying those "I SEE" statements? Or have we simply forgotten about them or given up on them, thinking of them as a thing of the past- a moment? What if expecting things from God - expecting Him to work in miraculous ways became a movement among the Body of Christ? What if we quit putting limitations on God & trusted that He wants to work everyday miracles? What if we relied on the power of the God who created the universe instead of allowing our faith to be snuffed out by our own limitations, doubts, & weaknesses? What if we prayed with the same belief and power that we had up in the mountains of Huallanca, Peru or in the Amazon Jungle, or down in the Dominican, or across the border in Mexico, or at the final night session at summer camp? What if we prayed with that kind of expectancy all the time?
Or maybe the question should be- what if we prayed?
Have we forgotten just what prayer is? It's not simply throwing up words in the air - it's a way to talk with and hear from our Creator! Prayer is not a chore, it's a privilege- another chance to partner with God. So why do we make it so hard?
What would happen if we would become people of prayer?
As I read through the updates yesterday and was thinking about the team and their experiences this morning, one question just kept burning on my heart...Why don't we live each day with expectancy? We can say we do, but how many of us really start out our day or go through our day expecting God to move?
Why don't we expect great things from God? We pray safe & reasonable prayers - why not dangerous prayers calling for the miraculous? Don't we believe that God can do it? Don't we expect that God would want to work in miraculous ways in our everyday life?
Why is seeing God work in miraculous ways something that seems so foreign to us? Do we truly believe that the only place we can experience that kind of power is out on the foreign mission field?
I think it was about three years ago now that Terry Bley shared at summer camp that "a surrendered life is an empowered life, and an empowered life expects the miraculous." As that Fall kicked off, we were challenged to think through what our "I SEE" statements were - what were we expecting from God? What were we going to commit to praying for, commit to seeing happen?
How many of us are still praying those "I SEE" statements? Or have we simply forgotten about them or given up on them, thinking of them as a thing of the past- a moment? What if expecting things from God - expecting Him to work in miraculous ways became a movement among the Body of Christ? What if we quit putting limitations on God & trusted that He wants to work everyday miracles? What if we relied on the power of the God who created the universe instead of allowing our faith to be snuffed out by our own limitations, doubts, & weaknesses? What if we prayed with the same belief and power that we had up in the mountains of Huallanca, Peru or in the Amazon Jungle, or down in the Dominican, or across the border in Mexico, or at the final night session at summer camp? What if we prayed with that kind of expectancy all the time?
Or maybe the question should be- what if we prayed?
Have we forgotten just what prayer is? It's not simply throwing up words in the air - it's a way to talk with and hear from our Creator! Prayer is not a chore, it's a privilege- another chance to partner with God. So why do we make it so hard?
What would happen if we would become people of prayer?
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Good Reads
So, over the years, I'm proud to say that I've become more & more of a reader. This didn't use to be the case. I would read but not often. Now, there are so many good reads, that it's getting harder & harder to keep up!I realize I'm about 4 years behind the curve here since this book came out in '03, but Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller has been well worth the time spent reading! Now grant it I'm only about half way through...like I said, I'm behind...but this paragraph really jumped out at me today:
"If you believe something, passionately, people will follow you. People hardly care what you believe, as long as you believe something. If you are passionate about something, people will follow you because they think you know something they don't, some clue to the meaning of the universe."
Interesting statement, but it's the next statement that puts a spin on the whole thing.
"Passion is tricky, though, because it can point to nothing as easily as it points to something."
If I'm passionate about just living life, having fun and making the most of every opportunity, that doesn't really seem like a bad thing. But if I'm doing all that just for me, for my own enjoyment, then it's all for nothing. What if we were to really live passionately for Christ? What if when people looked at how we live our lives they would believe that we know something they don't...that we're connected to something that they want to be a part of?
Passion involves some risks...no...living passionately involves a lot of risks, especially living passionately for Christ. The funny thing is, is that it's a lot easier to read about it or hear about it & get excited about the idea than it is to actually live it out.
Just some thoughts.
Like I said, I'm only about half way through the book, but I recommend it to anyone who has not yet wrestled through its pages.
Monday, June 18, 2007
New Series: A Picture is Worth...
I've been inspired to start a new "series" on here, and I'm calling it "A Picture is Worth." I love pictures. They say a lot, they mean a lot, & each one tells a story.
Picture #1
: Edwardo
: EdwardoThis is the picture that inspired this series. It was taken just last summer on our IMPACT trip to the Dominican Republic.
If you've never believed that kids can IMPACT this world...you need to meet this now 7 year old boy, Edwardo.
Our paths crossed over the course of 10 days while our team was doing ministry in the Dominican, and I believe that if you asked every single person on the team about Edwardo, they'd tell you that he rocked their world, challenged them, & preached like no kid we've ever heard before! This is a picture of a future pastor/missionary that's gonna continue to have an incredible impact in the Dominican Republic! He prayed for & over our team, he shared fearlessly at the church services & during VBS about God & His love, & he's got to be the cutest Dominican boy I've ever seen!
Saturday, June 16, 2007
IMPACT Update
Just got off the phone with Jason...
The team is doing great! Today was probably the hottest it has been for them...over 100 degrees! Wow...and I thought I was hot today!
Be praying for them as tonight the head back to the Riveras (an unreached area) to do drama ministry & share their testimonies. Pray for energy for the students and leaders as they have been putting in long days of ministry. During the day they do VBS which is geared more toward the kids...but tonight & tomorrow morning are geared more toward the adults.
Tomorrow morning the team will head back to the Riveras to lead a service there. There's not really a church in that area, so this is a great opportunity for the team to really introduce who God is & show them His love! What a great responsibility & an incredible opportunity to partner with God in this unreached area!
To find out more about what's happening with the IMPACT Team & how you can continue to pray, go here.
The team is doing great! Today was probably the hottest it has been for them...over 100 degrees! Wow...and I thought I was hot today!
Be praying for them as tonight the head back to the Riveras (an unreached area) to do drama ministry & share their testimonies. Pray for energy for the students and leaders as they have been putting in long days of ministry. During the day they do VBS which is geared more toward the kids...but tonight & tomorrow morning are geared more toward the adults.
Tomorrow morning the team will head back to the Riveras to lead a service there. There's not really a church in that area, so this is a great opportunity for the team to really introduce who God is & show them His love! What a great responsibility & an incredible opportunity to partner with God in this unreached area!
To find out more about what's happening with the IMPACT Team & how you can continue to pray, go here.
Apartment Living
So, for those of you who may not know, I got an apartment back in February. Yep...I'm finally living on my own. The are some definite pros to having my own space...for example, having my own space! But it also comes with it's share of cons.
When I walk out of my apartment in the morning, I'm no longer welcomed by soft green grass beneath my feet & a view of the open corn field...instead, my view consists of hard pavement & a vacant store. To the left, I no longer see the lane leading up to my Grandma's & the fields and meadows with horses & cows wandering aimlessly. Now, to my left is a great view of the Barber Shop & Pugly's Mug (a pub). To my right, I can no longer see the sunrise and view out across my neighbor's open field. Instead, my view is of a feed mill & the railroad tracks.
Now don't get me wrong, I love the idea of having my own space, having peace and quiet when I need it, having small town roads that I can actually go out & run or bike ride on without the fear of being hit, and so many other things...I just forgot how much I missed being out in the country.
Today I spent nearly all of my late morning and afternoon at my parent's house (which is conveniently 5 minutes away). I loved every minute of it...walking up the lane & out in the meadow, working with my mom in the garden, reading my book (Blue Like Jazz) out on the deck in the hot sun...really hot!
I miss those nights at home where I could just walk up the lane & sit out on the swingset under the stars watching the fireflies across the field, feeling the cool evening breeze on my face, and simply enjoying the silence & simplicity of it all. There's something about silence & simplicity that makes me feel so much more connected to my Creator.
It's so easy for me to get cooped up in my apartment & just resort to watching movies or reality tv instead of turning it all of & just enjoying God in the silence. It doesn't really matter where you live, people always manage to make life so busy & hectic & loud that there's no time & no possible way to just connect with & hear from God.
Silence isn't bad & simplicity isn't boring. Try it out...you might just find that you like it!
When I walk out of my apartment in the morning, I'm no longer welcomed by soft green grass beneath my feet & a view of the open corn field...instead, my view consists of hard pavement & a vacant store. To the left, I no longer see the lane leading up to my Grandma's & the fields and meadows with horses & cows wandering aimlessly. Now, to my left is a great view of the Barber Shop & Pugly's Mug (a pub). To my right, I can no longer see the sunrise and view out across my neighbor's open field. Instead, my view is of a feed mill & the railroad tracks.
Now don't get me wrong, I love the idea of having my own space, having peace and quiet when I need it, having small town roads that I can actually go out & run or bike ride on without the fear of being hit, and so many other things...I just forgot how much I missed being out in the country.
Today I spent nearly all of my late morning and afternoon at my parent's house (which is conveniently 5 minutes away). I loved every minute of it...walking up the lane & out in the meadow, working with my mom in the garden, reading my book (Blue Like Jazz) out on the deck in the hot sun...really hot!
I miss those nights at home where I could just walk up the lane & sit out on the swingset under the stars watching the fireflies across the field, feeling the cool evening breeze on my face, and simply enjoying the silence & simplicity of it all. There's something about silence & simplicity that makes me feel so much more connected to my Creator.
It's so easy for me to get cooped up in my apartment & just resort to watching movies or reality tv instead of turning it all of & just enjoying God in the silence. It doesn't really matter where you live, people always manage to make life so busy & hectic & loud that there's no time & no possible way to just connect with & hear from God.
Silence isn't bad & simplicity isn't boring. Try it out...you might just find that you like it!
Thursday, June 14, 2007
1 Hour and 30 People to Changed Lives
In one hour, the IMPACT Team consisting of 24 students and 6 adults will be filling the church parking lot along with parents as they get ready to head out to Juarez, Mexico. One hour...30 teammates...and incredible stories of changed lives to come!
Let's cover this team in prayer. Let's cover the people of Juarez that they will interact with in prayer. God's already there and at work...what an incredible opportunity for this team of 30 to go down & join Him in reaching the greater Juarez area with His love!
To keep updated on the team & how you can specifically be praying...go here.
Friday, June 08, 2007
Well...I actually did it.
I actually made my entire body mad at me! I guess it was bound to happen, a person can only live on an average of 5 1/2 hours of sleep per night for so long. And it finally caught up to me...when??? On my day off!
Okay, not entirely off, since I worked a half day this morning, but nevertheless, I'm feeling it today! You know, the stuffy head, runny nose, achy all over, kinda loopy, floating on air feeling? Yep, that's what I've got!
Today is just another reminder to me that I am not superwoman (I know, I was shocked too)! Seriously though, sometimes I need to be reminded that I can't do it all & it's okay. It's a dangerous place to be to think that we can handle anything that gets thrown at us on our own.
So...for today, I'm so wiped out, exhausted, & loopy that I will likely spend the rest of it not doing much of anything but blowing my nose & making it all red. (I know that you really wanted to know that)!
Okay, not entirely off, since I worked a half day this morning, but nevertheless, I'm feeling it today! You know, the stuffy head, runny nose, achy all over, kinda loopy, floating on air feeling? Yep, that's what I've got!
Today is just another reminder to me that I am not superwoman (I know, I was shocked too)! Seriously though, sometimes I need to be reminded that I can't do it all & it's okay. It's a dangerous place to be to think that we can handle anything that gets thrown at us on our own.
So...for today, I'm so wiped out, exhausted, & loopy that I will likely spend the rest of it not doing much of anything but blowing my nose & making it all red. (I know that you really wanted to know that)!
Monday, June 04, 2007
IMPACT Mexico
Last night I found myself at the YMC here at the church joining 24 students & 6 top-notch leaders in one of their final IMPACT Team meetings. Mainly just there to answer questions, I got to observe firsthand how things are coming together for this trip.
I've never been down to the greater Juarez area, but the stories that I've heard come out of it are incredible! God is up to something in the lives of the people down there! And the amazing part is, that these 24 students & 6 leaders get to go and be a part of that!
As I watched the students "rehearse" their stories, songs, & crafts for VBS, I pictured that room filled with kids from 4-14 engaged & listening to the stories of Jesus...straight from God's Word! For many of them, this could be their first encounter with the living God! These students & leaders may very well be the first picture of Jesus they have ever seen! Wow...pressure's on team!!!
What an incredible thing to be a part of! This is the kind of stuff that gets me really pumped up...to see students stepping out into a world completely different than their own & having the opportunity to just love & serve others through simply loving & serving God.
But you know, you don't have to go to the greater Juarez area down in Mexico to really begin living your faith out in a radical way. It starts when you hop, roll, or fall out of bed in the morning. It starts as you're getting ready for school, for work, or for a day off. It starts when you walk out your front door. This radical lifestyle that we've been called to isn't something we attain by going to the foreign mission field...it isn't something set aside for those "special" people who've been called to be pastors, youth leaders, small group leaders, worship leaders, or missionaries.
See...there's this question that has been burning on my mind this morning (inspired out of a message I heard from Louie Giglio, great speaker & author). "How can I glorify God & live this thing out in a massive way today?" How do you, how do I, how do we do it? How does the IMPACT Team do it not just from June 14-25, but today, tomorrow, Friday, Saturday, next Tuesday? How do we do it?
Paul has something to say about that in Colossians 1:24-27...
"Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. 27To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."
English translation?
Paul is telling the Colossians about something incredible. There's this great mystery that has been kept hidden for ages. There's this mystery that the prophets, teachers, kings, & everyone in between back in the Old Testament never knew about. Moses didn't know it, David didn't know it, Abraham didn't know it, Joshua didn't know it, Isaac didn't know it, Rahab didn't know it, Gideon didn't know it. And Paul is saying to the people of Colosse, you get to know what this great mystery is! They didn't get to, but I'm telling you right now! He's getting ready to share with them the Word of God in its fullness!
What is this mystery?
"God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."
So...How can I glorify God & live this thing out in a massive way today? How do you, how do I, how do we do it? How does the IMPACT Team do it not just from June 14-25, but today, tomorrow, Friday, Saturday, next Tuesday? How do we do it? By recognizing Christ in us. This thing is not about Christ AND us, it's not my strength + God's strength = victory & success. It's Christ in you, Christ as the victory already won IN you & IN me.
You want to change this world, impact the people around you, and live to give God the glory? Start by recognizing Christ in you...not Christ and you. We are not, but He is. We cannot, but He can. We will always fail, but He has already won.
I can't wait for this IMPACT Team to head down to Mexico & have the opporutnity to serve and love others & share with them God's love. But if it doesn't start until June 14th & then ends on June 25th, or 26th, or 30th...then I think we've missed it.
IMPACT Team and anyone else who might read this...Christ IN you...start there.
I've never been down to the greater Juarez area, but the stories that I've heard come out of it are incredible! God is up to something in the lives of the people down there! And the amazing part is, that these 24 students & 6 leaders get to go and be a part of that!
As I watched the students "rehearse" their stories, songs, & crafts for VBS, I pictured that room filled with kids from 4-14 engaged & listening to the stories of Jesus...straight from God's Word! For many of them, this could be their first encounter with the living God! These students & leaders may very well be the first picture of Jesus they have ever seen! Wow...pressure's on team!!!
What an incredible thing to be a part of! This is the kind of stuff that gets me really pumped up...to see students stepping out into a world completely different than their own & having the opportunity to just love & serve others through simply loving & serving God.
But you know, you don't have to go to the greater Juarez area down in Mexico to really begin living your faith out in a radical way. It starts when you hop, roll, or fall out of bed in the morning. It starts as you're getting ready for school, for work, or for a day off. It starts when you walk out your front door. This radical lifestyle that we've been called to isn't something we attain by going to the foreign mission field...it isn't something set aside for those "special" people who've been called to be pastors, youth leaders, small group leaders, worship leaders, or missionaries.
See...there's this question that has been burning on my mind this morning (inspired out of a message I heard from Louie Giglio, great speaker & author). "How can I glorify God & live this thing out in a massive way today?" How do you, how do I, how do we do it? How does the IMPACT Team do it not just from June 14-25, but today, tomorrow, Friday, Saturday, next Tuesday? How do we do it?
Paul has something to say about that in Colossians 1:24-27...
"Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. 27To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."
English translation?
Paul is telling the Colossians about something incredible. There's this great mystery that has been kept hidden for ages. There's this mystery that the prophets, teachers, kings, & everyone in between back in the Old Testament never knew about. Moses didn't know it, David didn't know it, Abraham didn't know it, Joshua didn't know it, Isaac didn't know it, Rahab didn't know it, Gideon didn't know it. And Paul is saying to the people of Colosse, you get to know what this great mystery is! They didn't get to, but I'm telling you right now! He's getting ready to share with them the Word of God in its fullness!
What is this mystery?
"God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."
So...How can I glorify God & live this thing out in a massive way today? How do you, how do I, how do we do it? How does the IMPACT Team do it not just from June 14-25, but today, tomorrow, Friday, Saturday, next Tuesday? How do we do it? By recognizing Christ in us. This thing is not about Christ AND us, it's not my strength + God's strength = victory & success. It's Christ in you, Christ as the victory already won IN you & IN me.
You want to change this world, impact the people around you, and live to give God the glory? Start by recognizing Christ in you...not Christ and you. We are not, but He is. We cannot, but He can. We will always fail, but He has already won.
I can't wait for this IMPACT Team to head down to Mexico & have the opporutnity to serve and love others & share with them God's love. But if it doesn't start until June 14th & then ends on June 25th, or 26th, or 30th...then I think we've missed it.
IMPACT Team and anyone else who might read this...Christ IN you...start there.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)