“…Fix
your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.
Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise…Then the God of
peace will be with you” –Philippians 4:8-9
your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.
Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise…Then the God of
peace will be with you” –Philippians 4:8-9
Three precious little girls that came to visit us at the house we are working on….
This past week my team has had the privilege of having
our squad leaders, Tara Stephenson and Robby Riggs, live with us! They have
been such a blessing and breath of fresh air. I really feel like God has been
working on my heart these past two weeks in Mareeba. If nothing else, I’ve had
a lot of time to think while scrapping layers and layers of paint. In this
time, all kinds of thoughts were running through my head like, “What the heck
am I doing here?,” “My Nana and Grandfather must have a million tools that
would do this in about an hour instead of two weeks,” “Is this why God called
me to the mission field, to scrape paint??” …and if it wasn’t those thoughts,
it was the thoughts of a million other things I’d rather be doing… While
spending time with the Lord it became clear to me that He wants me to give my
thoughts to Him. I needed a mind attitude adjustment. To give Him praise, NO
MATTER WHAT. It’s easy to rejoice in
Him when life looks perfect, but the true test is rejoicing Him through the
storm! Granted, this was no huge storm, but dwelling on the negative was
bringing everyone down. That is not showing love, and Jesus has called me to
love.
our squad leaders, Tara Stephenson and Robby Riggs, live with us! They have
been such a blessing and breath of fresh air. I really feel like God has been
working on my heart these past two weeks in Mareeba. If nothing else, I’ve had
a lot of time to think while scrapping layers and layers of paint. In this
time, all kinds of thoughts were running through my head like, “What the heck
am I doing here?,” “My Nana and Grandfather must have a million tools that
would do this in about an hour instead of two weeks,” “Is this why God called
me to the mission field, to scrape paint??” …and if it wasn’t those thoughts,
it was the thoughts of a million other things I’d rather be doing… While
spending time with the Lord it became clear to me that He wants me to give my
thoughts to Him. I needed a mind attitude adjustment. To give Him praise, NO
MATTER WHAT. It’s easy to rejoice in
Him when life looks perfect, but the true test is rejoicing Him through the
storm! Granted, this was no huge storm, but dwelling on the negative was
bringing everyone down. That is not showing love, and Jesus has called me to
love.
He is really softening my heart to what ministry looks like in different
places and learning to love and live in community. Meeting 5 new people that
you are thrown into a living situation with, where you share EVERYTHING, is a
totally new concept for me! We are getting to the point where we are becoming
“family,” and have to be raw and transparent with each other in order to
survive and grow. In that is a special kind of freedom, but letting go and
completely trusting these 5 has been a process. I feel like the Lord wants me
to embrace who He made me to be, but not be so uptight and set in my ways that
He can’t mold me and shape me into His image. If I had all the answers, I
wouldn’t be here right now! I know that these 5 will play an important part in
that process, and I love them for loving me when I’m sometimes unlovable! So
now when I step into that house I want to praise Him and pray bold prayers for
the haven that house will become for fellow missionaries. That it will be a
place of rest and relaxation where the presence of God it so strong that no man
can walk in without feeling the love of God. I want my thoughts to constantly
be filled with joy and praise! We are what we think and our actions are
determined by our thoughts! So I desire to think thoughts that lift up my
brothers and sisters!
places and learning to love and live in community. Meeting 5 new people that
you are thrown into a living situation with, where you share EVERYTHING, is a
totally new concept for me! We are getting to the point where we are becoming
“family,” and have to be raw and transparent with each other in order to
survive and grow. In that is a special kind of freedom, but letting go and
completely trusting these 5 has been a process. I feel like the Lord wants me
to embrace who He made me to be, but not be so uptight and set in my ways that
He can’t mold me and shape me into His image. If I had all the answers, I
wouldn’t be here right now! I know that these 5 will play an important part in
that process, and I love them for loving me when I’m sometimes unlovable! So
now when I step into that house I want to praise Him and pray bold prayers for
the haven that house will become for fellow missionaries. That it will be a
place of rest and relaxation where the presence of God it so strong that no man
can walk in without feeling the love of God. I want my thoughts to constantly
be filled with joy and praise! We are what we think and our actions are
determined by our thoughts! So I desire to think thoughts that lift up my
brothers and sisters!
My team at a giant fig tree
“Do
not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed
by the renewing of your mind. Then
you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and
perfect” – Romans 12:2
not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed
by the renewing of your mind. Then
you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and
perfect” – Romans 12:2
Me with some of the dance crew and our contact, Sarah
