As I continue to rack up the months overseas, I continue to abandon comforts from home. Some as a willing act of sacrifice, some not.
Here are the things I’ve learned so far.
-Community matters.
It pushes you to respect others beyond what’s expected and beyond what’s naturally easy.
Community gives us endless opportunities to walk in humility and value others above ourselves.
-There is value in refinement.
(Although sometimes we joke about how this feels like an eleven month refining boot camp..)
But much like boot camp, there is personal reward at the end.
-Words magnify what we feel.
There’s a lot I could say about this one, but I won’t go there.
In the bible it says “let no corrupt word come out of your mouth”
The Lord gave us the gift of speech and within that we have so much power.
Good thoughts, good words, good vibes.
-My purpose for living is to praise God and edify others.
My ability to see, hear and speak are all gifts so I can walk out that purpose each day.
-Gratitude changes your heart.
Sometimes we have to be thankful for the things we hate or we’ll never be released from them.
Remember the power of your words- use it for yourself not against yourself.
-Praying for you enemies and intentionally recognizing their good qualities does something and changes your heart for them. I’ve seen it happen in my own life, and it’s amazing.
Side note, today I was able to have a lunch date with my girl Faye. Although the past four months have been a wonderful experience with my original team Pursiut, the Lord has called us all into a new season with new people. I’m having a great time being apart of team Ignite. I hope to honor them well each day and learn how to best edify them.
I pray for boldness, accountability and love.
Also, I have uploaded a variety of photos from ministry over the last few months! You can check them out by clickig on the “view my photos” button on the left hand side.
