What is a New Beginning?
January 3rd, 2017
This question truly makes me think. What is a new beginning? I mean really, truly think about it. Do you know what it is? Is it the start of a new day? A new year? Is it the beginning of a journey? A new mindset or way of thinking? Is it a life change? What is a new beginning?
There are so many ways to define a new beginning because indeed it is all of these things. A new beginning is stepping into a new journey with God. It is a life change such as getting married or having a family. A new beginning is God’s mercies that fall fresh on us each and every day. And new beginnings are also the start of each year. It is all of those things because we go through many new beginnings throughout our life.
At the end of each year many of us write out our New Year’s resolutions. From budgeting and dieting, there are so many resolutions that we put on this list. I know that I have done this, and one of those cheesy resolutions is to not drink soda for the whole of 2017. This year is a new beginning for me in walking that journey of saying no to the temptations of soda and I can tell you already that I have experienced many a temptation and it’s only been 3 days. I am also in the midst of a new beginning in a deeper level as well. I am taking steps with God to learn to constantly live in the confidence He has given me and in pursuing Him each and every day.
Pursuing God has become something so incredibly important to me. Whether it means staying up till 1 am or waking up at 5 am, I have made it a priority for each day that I am in God’s Word and spending time with Him. I do this because I know that my relationship with Him will not grow outside of that. I know that though God is always pursuing me, if I take a day off of pursuing Him and growing the intimacy in our relationship, then each day that follows will be harder for me to get back in step in that pursuit. Through my pursuit of God my desire for Him has grown and that in turn has led to the confidence that I am now walking in and want to continue to do so daily. Already this year that has looked like doing new and bold things like talking on a radio show in the Philippines to teaching a first grade class to sharing my testimony to tenth graders. God never ceases to amaze me with the opportunities He places before me. It’s only a matter of if I choose to take His hand, step out in faith and walk into those opportunities.
My question for you is this: What are you starting? What is your new beginning? Where does God want to take you today?
Till Next Time,
Kara Faber
Team Anchor Depths
Dreams
January 6th, 2017
Dreams are a beautiful thing. They can be easy to come up with and write down, but many of them are hard to implement. They take hard work, some take years of preparation. They rely on so many different elements. But, they are a beautiful thing.
Part of my team’s ministry this month is going around to different schools and sharing the Gospel in the classrooms. Today my team got to go to Maranatha Christian College for grades 7th through 11th. Here we separated into pairs and went into the classroom by twos. While in a 7th grade class, my partner Caleb Pauls and I shared about dreams and through our talk about dreams shared the Gospel. We talked about how dreams are important and how we also have to surrender them to God. Through this conversation, I saw God work in an amazing way. I saw the kids truly listening to what was said. I saw their eyes light up with hope. I saw their faces express joy as their dreams were encouraged.
Near the end of our thirty minutes as some of the children shared their dreams, one boy stood up and shared his. “I want to be a missionary like you” he said. “I want to bring the Gospel and God’s love to those who haven’t heard. I want to travel the world telling them about God.” His dream brought me so much hope and joy. Not only because I have the faith that God will grant that dream, but because it was so evident of the Holy Spirit working in his life.
This is the first month of the World Race where I have been able to share the Gospel and my faith so freely. That I have been able to witness to people both young and old. Seeing God work through only the few hours of evangelism we have done so far has been such a blessing and given so much joy, and it brings hope for what is to come for this month.
Till Next Time,
Kara Faber
Team Anchor Depths
Battling Lies
January 7th, 2017
There are so many lies in my head. How do I find the truth in the whirlwind of lies flying and spinning in my mind? How can I defeat the lies and bring light and freedom?
There are many lies we battle. That we’re not worthy, not lovable, not good enough. That we don’t measure up or are lacking in so many areas. The lies I’m battling are ones that tell me it is my fault. That I caused doubt, fear, comparison and depression to come into a person’s life. That people would be better off without me around.
To battle these lies there are different ways to do it, but in each way the first steps are always to bring the lie(s) before God, to lay them at His feet and to ask Him to show truth. Whether the next step is seeking advice and discernment from others, finding the logic in uncertainty, or looking to God’s Word and what He says (and sometimes it is a combination of all three), God will always bring light to the darkness if we ask Him too.
God doesn’t desire for us to live a life of lies. He desires to set us free. Even now as I sit and write this I am handing the lies racing through my brain over to Him. I am seeking His wisdom and His words. It is not an easy thing, it’s really quite hard. However, it’s necessary in order to find freedom from the lies we are facing.
What are the lies you are facing? What do you need to bring before God and surrender at His feet? What do you need God to bring His truth and light to?
Till Next Time,
Kara Faber
Team Anchor Depths
