Wow. God shows up big time! I just want to first off say thank you to everyone who has donated to my two teammates to keep them on the mission field! I believe so much in their lives and God has put them on this race for a reason only He knows, but its going to be powerful enough to change the world! I truly believe that!
So with that said, I just wanted to let you all know, with this fundraiser, just over $1000 was raised!!!! How incredible is that?!
I must say, it was a good game. Both teams played hard, but in the end, there was too much money raised for us to stand a chance. The girls won 21-8…Not even close. Im a little ashamed, but it was more than worth it. Here are some photos:
And the end result:
Not sure how to transition from there, so im just going to say this is the transition. This last week, we have been in the capitol city of Romania doing debrief with the World Race staff. Its basically a time when staff comes in and encourages us and asks us to really seek out the Lord for what He wants in the next part of the Race.
God showed up big time! Chains were broken, we were encouraged, and God showed me a word as to what is next.
So all throughout debrief, God kept telling me that this is the season for refocus. I kept praying for what this meant, and God brought the verse Mark 8:34 to my mind:
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
So I asked God what this meant in the context I am in, and this is what He showed me.
We have been on the race 4 months now. We have gotten used to the World Race culture, the lifestyle of traveling and getting used to new environments often. We havent grown stagnant, but we have grown comfortable, so now is a time to refocus and grow beyond where we have ever experience so far.
And God lead me to think about what bearing a cross meant, and what God was thinking carrying His cross, and know that is what we are to focus on. I think when Christ was carrying that cross on His shoulders, He wasnt thinking anything other than the implications of what it meant in life. Carrying something that heavy, I dont think He was thinking about the weather, what this meant for His life, but what it meant for people around Him and how it would change their lives. He was denying His entire self for the sake of the message of the cross. Deny his personality, his feelings, everything about himself to honor and prefer the people around him.
I often find myself using the excuses that certain things are mine, or well thats just how my personality is to get in the way of fully honoring and prefering people in my life. Which, looking at this verse that says to deny yourself, every part of yourself to honor and love people in your life.
And love is the greatest of all miracles. Yeah, I have seen some healings, spoken in tongues, and expect God to show up in miracles, but love is still greater than all of those. Often times we think way too little of love and its miraculous power in peoples lives. Its time we dont do that any more! Its time that love, honor and preference are the miracles we choose to work in our lives. We can expect God to show up in so many other miraculous ways, but love is a constant miracle that never ceases to impact peoples lives! Choose it, and bear it!
