study break

I should be studying.  But I cannot help but just mention a little about what's been going on.  This morning my pastor spoke about the Holy Spirit.  I've been reading a little of the book Forgotten God  by Francis Chan so I was excited to hear of a similar topic.  He read Acts 2.  Read it.  Call me crazy but I just want to know what that "sound like a mighty rushing wind" sounded like.  Granted, I am terribly  afraid of any type of bad weather, but here it is just a sound.  I have also been dwelling on the first beatitude, "blessed are the poor in spirit" How blessed we are when we realize our every moment need for the Spirit!

Here are just some notes from this morning:

Every believer receives the Holy Spirit, but not every believer is filled with the Spirit.
Not a big fan on formulas, but what does it look like to be filled with the Spirit?

Submitting yourself completely to God
Confess and renounce known sin
Realize His full forgiveness
Let Him take back lost territory in life (healing what sin damaged)
Be filled with the Holy Spirit by faith (the same faith as when you first believed)

My pastor pulled up a chair and sat down.  And with complete silence he held open his hands and led the church in prayer to receive the Holy Spirit.

the calm before the storm

While I am here, between seasons, I can see that it is the calm before the storm.  It has been a long journey to get here.  Last year was the hardest year of my life.  In January 2011, God shifted my desire from wanting to be a doctor to becoming a nurse.  To be honest, I was a little upset that He waited till my junior year at Mississippi State to show me this.  I could have easily taken two years at State and then two years at Nursing School and received the degree I need to become a nurse.  But I trusted that He knew best, and I remembered 1 Corinthians 15:58 saying nothing done for the Lord is vain. 

            It was not until that fall that I saw a glimpse of something God had for me, short term missions.  I already had a heart for South America after taking 4 years of Spanish in high school, so I started looking into different organizations.  And then the doors started closing, one after the other.  This confused me more than ever.  I knew I was supposed to go, but nothing was working out for me.  Without a clear answer I took a job as a nanny.  Someone wise told me that you cannot be guided unless you are moving, so I knew I should not just sit at home all semester.  Peru was on my mind and I was restless.  I remember lying in bed one night and I boldly asked God, “show me what to do about Peru tomorrow!”  The next day, I went to Starkville and had dinner with one of my friends.  She causally mentioned that her church was going to Peru at the end of May.  My heart jumped and I accidentally interrupted her and asked if I could go!  There it was, my answer! 

            Tomorrow, I will begin my last week as a nanny to the most precious newborn baby ever.  I will be ending a season of my life, and begin on a heart wrenching, sleep deprived year at nursing school! (That is what they tell me).  But I am ready.  And I will be starting this journey the best way possible, sharing the gospel in Peru. 

“Sing to the Lord, all the Earth; proclaim his salvation day after day.  Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.”

1 Chronicles 16:23,24