It’s hard for me to sit down right now and write out exactly what God is doing in my heart, while here in Ireland…because I don’t really know how to put it into words, or what to even say. A part of me feels like if I try to put what’s going on inside my heart into words, most of it will get lost in translation…but i’ll try my best… This blog will be a lil dif, more of a ramble than a direct point, and hopefully something written will be of use to your life (btw, thanks for taking time out of your life to even read this right now <3)
So.. to start this all off here are some VERY important questions I want you to answer (don’t scroll down until you do please, write down the answers…):
1. What is your favourite (european spelling) color and why?
2. What is your favourite animal and why?
3. What is your favourite thing about nature and why?
Did you answer yet??
Ok.. here’s the insight your answers give….
1. What you think about yourself
2. What you look for in a spouse
3. How you view God
I’m curious to know if you feel it worked! Did it?!?! Comment back. I wanna hear from you!!
O.k. so now that those three SUPER important questions are answered, I will continue on with my rambling.
I’ve been staying at Cathy and Jim Moriarty’s house since the beginning of the month and alternating co-laboring with two other world race teams. Genesis, and Crash… both teams are so great to work with, and brings a dif dynamic to my life this month. Team Crash introduced the “asking questions” game and that’s why I started this blog with questions. I really like doing things like that, plus it helps you get to know a person better. And it’s been really fun to live in a house that has anywhere between 13-20 people in it at a time..
Jim is a walking proverb. He is so full of wisdom and loves pouring into us simple truths, but that are so powerful like :
“We all get the same payment of time, 24 hours, what are you doing with it that is God valuable”
“Christ either paid for all of our sins or none of our sins.There are no works we can do to “pay” for our sins.”
And other proverbial nuggets of gold
But it’s also been such a blessing to get to stay at Ovoca Manor with one other squadmate, Kyle, and help lead kids weekend camps and day camps. I’m actually in the manor at the moment in one of the 20 bedrooms typing this blog and in rapture of the silence. I havn’t heard wind blow in quite some time….and it is brilliant! (Irish word for awesome).
Oh.. which reminds me.. here are some Irish words (though Irish is an actual language,that to me, sounds like a mix of Asian and Native American languages) So these are English Irish words.
brilliant= awesome
toilet/loo- bathrooms
chips= french fries
crisps= chips
biscuits= cookies
grand= great
tuck shop= small shop in a school
sweets= candy
rubbish= garbage
petro= gas
get in que= get on line
Being at Ovoca manor this past weekend brought a bit more confirmation about what God wants me to do in the future. Well the part of my dream that deals with orphans. There were six words that God gave me when I attended a workshop at the Awakening conference a couple weeks ago, called Kingdom Dreams. and they were
human trafficking
orphanage
products
music
education
inner-city
Not sure how all those words will connect, but God knows.. and I’m trusting Him to lead me and confirm things in my heart as this year rolls on..
The challenging thing about this month is that I have very few pictures to show of the serving I’m doing here.. because taking pictures has an “exploitation” connotation here in Ireland. You have to build trust with the travelers, because they are such an outcasted society, and so you can’t lug around a camera snapping shots, and I would feel weird doing that anyways. I couldn’t take pictures, and post them, of the kids camps because of privacy laws, and also running around doing stuff doesn’t really give time to take many pics either. Guiness is a god here in Ireland, a slave master..but it’s difficult to capture that in pictures as well. It’s much easier to capture physical need in a picture than a spiritual need. But Ireland is in great spiritual need, much like America.
I also think too.. why am I taking the pics for? To “show” my service or to share it? To impress people or to involve people? I pray you feel a part of this journey, because you are. And I want to share this journey and what God is doing with you so that you can be encouraged, convicted, challenged, motivated, and enjoy God’s work.
I know this is getting a bit long (i just sounded Irish), but I have one other thing to share…
 My amazing brother in law told me many years ago that I was a “people pleaser.” When he said it I immediately got defensive and was like “Why do you say that?!?” And he said ” Because you say yes to everyone and never say no. Jesus only did what the Father told Him to do.”
He saw that I was running myself ragged saying yes to every ministry at church and being involved in way too many things in life. I didn’t realize then, but i was being a people pleaser. I was saying “yes” to everything because I didn’t want anyone to think less of me, or that I’m not a servant, if I told them “no” when they asked me to do something. I wanted them to be happy with me, and not think I was lazy.
Some of this started to resurface at Jim and Cathy’s house because there is always SO much work to get done there. And for some reason I started to feel like I needed to “impress” Jim, and show that I’m not “lazy”.
But God convicted me again with “Are you doing this to please man or to please me?” And God reminded me that He loves me and delights in me whether or not I ever lift up another finger again. I’m His daughter because I am.. not because of anything I do. It won’t impress Him. It won’t make Him love me more or less.
So I choose the Mary way.. just to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to Him. Be in tune with my Father and do what He tells me to do, and how much work He tells me to do. Martha’s way (working at tasks) is good at times..but Mary’s way is better.. Jesus said so Himself.
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things,but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” -Luke 10:41-42
Thank you for taking the time to listen to my written rambles.. My heart feels a bit lightened and more settled in being able to get some of those things out. <3
Agenda: Love,
Bethsaida
