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Wednesday, July 17, 2013

I Hate it Honestly

I hate blogging...
scratch that.

I hate blogging honestly.
You know that feeling, where something is nagging at you? Something is pulling at your heart and won't leave you alone until you obey it's command?
It's that burning bush you try to get away from, but everywhere you turn it's in your path.
That's God with my blog.

He wants me to blog...but He wants me to blog honestly.
And honestly,
I hate it.
It's hard. It's scary. Some of the messages I recieve from people are mean and hurtful.
And it's hard to put all of yo bidness out there for everyone to see.
I mean honestly.

*ok rant done, commence to actualy post now*


I've been trying to draw close to the heart of God. I feel far from Him. I don't think He's far from me, but I feel far from Him. When I spend time alone with Him now there's something different about it, it's not like it used to be. There's something missing. And I think that something is me.

But what's even worse than that is the guilt.
I hate it.
I abhor it.
I wish it would die a slow, painful, torturous death.
Guilt is my enemy.

I'll feel it for no reason at all.
Getting dressed EVERY. MORNING. is a damned struggle. Why? Because I feel guilty! No matter what I wear I feel like it's the wrong choice. I feel guilty for wanting to look pretty, I feel guilty for feeling guilty, I feel gulity for wishing I had more clothes, I feel guilty for buying clothes. On and on it goes.
And all day long, guilt runs like an undercurrent in my life. I swim as hard as I can against the stream, but eventually I'm too tired to fight anymore.

Tonight I tried to spend time with God.
When I first came to Christ I would spend  h o u r s  worshipping. I'd put on music and candles and dance/sing for my Jesus (sorry Mom...that probably got annoying). But I couldn't get enough of Him. I wanted more. I had to have more. And I felt so free in His presence.
I was desperate tonight so I thought I'd try that.

BOOM.
Instantly felt the presence of God..so strongly I kept peeking my eyes open to see if He was standing in the room. I felt it so strongly I was scared and had to keep sitting down!!
And then I felt Him say in my spirit "Read your devotional". and I did! And it was all about feeling small in His presence, and how overwhelming it is, but how sitting in His presence is an act of worship. AWESOME! God was here and was talking to me weeehooo!!!

But it didn't change that undercurrent...
the one that kept us on opposite sides of the river. I could feel Him all around me, but it was different. I didnt feel free. I tried to look at Jesus but I couldn't see His face...He wouldn't come to me. It was confusing and hurtful.

I just laid down in defeat and cried.
G U I L T.


I started journaling and all I kept writing was...
"Who are you?"
"Who am I?"
"What is happening to me Jesus?"
"Why do I feel like this?"
"Who am I?"


There isn't a happily ever after to this post.
I don't have an answer...
All I know is I'm so frustrated I want to scream.
Why do I feel like this?
Why can't I escape it?

Who are you Jesus?
Who am I?

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

"You're Not Going To Get There On Peanuts My Dear" : I'M FULLY FUNDED

"You're not going to get there on peanuts my dear."
It's true, I couldn't fly to Micronesia on peanuts alone...but would God provide what I needed? The deadline was days away, and I still had over $1000 to raise to cover things like insurance and vaccinations. God is almighty, I knew that.
God wanted me in Micronesia, I knew that too.
God provides, I maybe knew that.

But did I believe He would do it for me? As the days grew closer I started to fear, to panic...would I get this close only to have it torn away from me at the last second?
One thing I've learned about God's timing is that He waits and waits and waits and waits, until it seems impossible so that when it does happen, it glorifies and magnifies His name...not mine.

And it DID HAPPEN! In one day I recieved over $1000!!
Which means that I now stand at being completley 100% fully funded!

The LORD is GOOD!

And now I feel like I've got Micronesian ants in my pants, and I'm doing a happy jig.
I can't WAIT to see how God completley breaks me during this trip. I hope I wrecked and ruined after it!



THINGS I'M EXPECTING TO HAPPEN ON THIS TRIP

  • I'm expecting to overcome my overwhelming fear of the ocean. It's on an island, I'll be out of options.
  • I'm expecting to overcome my fear of bugs. But I'm bringing a spacesuit... just in case.
  • I'm expecting to be overwhelmed with God's love and love for others. I hope to come back understanding love in a way I never have before.
  • I'm expecting to make deep lasting friendships.
  • I'm expecting to be an amazing spear fisher. I hope.
  • I'm expecting to be broken.
  • I'm expecting to see and hear God in CRAY CRAY kinds of ways.
  • I'm expecting to be totally suprised when God surpasses all my expectations.


Thank you to all of you who supported me, financially, in prayer, or by reading my blog.        
I couldn't have done this without you and your love. I hope that you'll continue to follow with me and read about all the freaking amazing things that happen while I'm there!
And thank you Jesus, without you I'd still just be walking dead...you gave me life and life in abundance.

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throught all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
-Ephesians 3:20