Adventures WorldRace SethBarnes Sponsorship Giving

| by archiveworldraceblogs

It’s crazy. 
              I’ve always been the writer. 
                                        I’ve always been the talker. 
                                                                 I’ve always been the one people can count on to do anything. 
 
LOOK.  Don’t get me wrong here.  I am in no way trying to boast by any means.  
 
           I’m just saying
 
      I’ve always said YES!  
 
So, why haven’t I written in two months? 
                                    Why haven’t I talked as much lately? 
                                                      
Why haven’t people been able to count on me to do what they ask? 
 

 I’m learning to say No…not only to others but to myself. 
                             I really can’t do everything. 
                                                                                            I’m really not the best at everything.
Recently after designing a video presentation for our church’s 165th Anniversary I was approached by my biggest encourager, “You know, Casondra, I haven’t found not one thing you aren’t good at.”
               Singing
                      Photography
                              Teaching
                                       Writing
                                               Acting
                                                       Directing
                                                                 Poetry
                                                                           Spoken Word
                                                                                      Editing Videos
 
I didn’t quite know how to respond to that and then it donned on me.  I’ve always had what has seemed like to me a problem:
 
I have so many things I’m great at that it’s been tough focusing on one area.  
More and more I am truly understanding my purpose in life.  Despite the knots I feel in my stomach due to the naysayers-
 
                                                                                                                  “She’s just using the church’s money to go on vacations.”
                                                                     “You know she’s just going over there to meet some guy and shack up.”
                                                   “She needs to  get a job to pay for these mission trips herself.”
                                    “I’m sick of her taking all these trips.  She needs to settle down.”
             “While she’s trying to go all over the world there’s people right here in Jessamine County that she needs to help.”
– I know without a shadow of a doubt that I am not only called to serve those in this county, I’m called to serve those in this country as well as other countries.  I don’t take God’s word lightly when it says to take the gospel to the ends of the world.  
 
 
 I’ve been making myself sick trying to please the ones who gossip about me and ask everyone else but me questions about the mission God has called me to. It’s already difficult enough for me to do something that no one in my family has ever done and even harder because no one in my Missionary Baptist Church has ever done this.  I’m embarking on a journey that will pave the road for the little children in my Sunday school class, their children and their children’s children.  God is using me to give a meaning and definition to the name MISSIONARY in our church.
 
There’s no way I can go to Las Vegas and not think of the prostitutes I built relationships with in Thailand. 
There’s no way I can just go to Florida Beach and not think of the Ticos I taught the love of God to in Costa Rica. 
 
There’s no way I can just go to a Women’s conference and not think of the women I shared my testimony with in Ukraine. 
There’s no way I can lead worship at my church and not think of the many people I came across in Czech Republic who don’t even proclaim to believe in anything or my hearts in Kisumu, Kenya who are orphaned due to HIV/AIDS. 
 
There’s no way I can sit in my classrooms at Asbury Seminary and not think of my first students I shared the gospel with in China or the many internationals in Oneida, Kentucky. 
 
Everywhere I go
 
              I am a missionary. 
 
 
I can’t take that hat off just because I’m at work, in the classroom, at church, in the grocery store, doctors office, museum.  It doesn’t matter.  My purpose in life is to teach the love of God to people all over the world.  It’s amazing I’m beginning to see that the reason I am so good at so many things is not at all for my benefit or to even gloat but so that I can minister to people for the sake of Christ.  All those gifts are from God and they are all being used for his purpose. 
 
I’m learning to say NO in a way I never have before. 
I say NO!
I refuse to settle! 
 
I refuse to become what others think I should be. 
 
I refuse to do anything that compromises the truth or that prevents me from becoming all that God intends for me to be. 
 
I refuse to lay in bed at night crying myself to sleep from the number of people who try their best to discourage me by rallying others together to be against me. 
 
I refuse to be silent about what God is doing in
 
my life just because those around me aren’t
 
joyful. 
 
 
I refuse to say Yes to
 
ignorance 
 
 

 
I refuse to say No

 
to God and his calling on my
 

life!