Is God at work in the Mundane, the Small, the Insignificant?

You guys, I can relate so well with this article. Striving after something 'big'... never did I see myself staying in my small town after living in a big city, then overseas... but God is at work here just like He is everywhere. http://www.relevantmagazine.com/life/secret-doing-something-big-your-life

There was silence, and I heard a still voice...

"There was silence, and I heard a still voice" (Job 4:16, margin). A score of years ago, a friend placed in my hand a book called True Peace. It was an old mediaeval message, and it had but one thought--that God was waiting in the depths of my being to talk to me if I would only get still enough to hear His voice. I thought this would be a very easy matter, and so began to get still. But I had no sooner commenced than a perfect pandemonium of voices reached my ears, a thousand clamoring notes from without and within, until I could hear nothing but their noise and din. Some were my own voices, my own questions, some my very prayers. Others were suggestions of the tempter and the voices from the world's turmoil. In every direction I was pulled and pushed and greeted with noisy acclamations and unspeakable unrest. It seemed necessary for me to listen to some of them and to answer some of them; but God said, "Be still, and know that I am God." Then came the conflict of thoughts for tomorrow, and its duties and cares; but God said, "Be still." And as I listened, and slowly learned to obey, and shut my ears to every sound, I found after a while that when the other voices ceased, or I ceased to hear them, there was a still small voice in the depths of my being that began to speak with an inexpressible tenderness, power and comfort. As I listened, it became to me the voice of prayer, the voice of wisdom, the voice of duty, and I did not need to think so hard, or pray so hard, or trust so hard; but that "still small voice" of the Holy Spirit in my heart was God's prayer in my secret soul, was God's answer to all my questions, was God's life and strength for soul and body, and became the substance of all knowledge, and all prayer and all blessing: for it was the living GOD Himself as my life, my all. It is thus that our spirit drinks in the life of our risen Lord, and we go forth to life's conflicts and duties like a flower that has drunk in, through the shades of night, the cool and crystal drops of dew. But as dew never falls on a stormy night, go the dews of His grace never come to the restless soul. --A. B. Simpson Copied from :http://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/desert/

Chasing You: Jen Johnson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCGJUcor30M You hide, I want to find You, go And I will follow You I want to be where You are As you move, I'm right beside You, oh I'm running after You I want to be where You are I'm chasing You I'm so in love Captivated, I just can't get enough I'll spend my days Running after Your heart Your heart, Your heart, Whoa I'm chasing You With all my love Captivated, I just can't get enough I'll spend my days Running after Your heart Your heart, Your heart, Whoa Heart, You've won me heart and soul And where You lead I'll go I want to be where You are From the moment I rise, to the moment I sleep My affection is for You, and even as I dream I want to know you, I'm after Your heart This life, this love, was always meant to be A wild, crazy adventure, discovering The thrill, the rush, the more of You I see The more it leaves me wanting You're everything, You're everything Written by Jenn Johnson, Gabriel Wilson, Ian McIntosh, Jeremy Riddle, Dan MacKenzie © 2013 Bethel Music Publishing (ASCAP). All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.

Some of my Favorite Words

I will always remember the comment my friend's brother made about me after traveling 16 hours on the ocean and living (sleeping, eating, traveling, buying supplies, etc) with them for 5 days. Keep in mind the boat-trip was 8-hours (one way) and we usually left around 2 or 3 in the morning. The house held about 10 people at night. There are so many other memories around this trip, but I will have to save them for another time. "Miss Mary can do it. She can eat with us, sleep with us, travel on a boat with us, she was funny with the kids! Wherever we were, she could do it." Yay for not being high- maintenance!

Reminiscing: "What are we living for?"

Today, while reading over my journal written last year in the Philippines, I came across these words that really stood out to me. At the time, I wasn't ready to publicize these words. I was more of venting my frustration about American's to the world, but I think now is the time: Dated 4/2012: "Tonight as I got on face book, I realized just how many people live for random, lame things! I felt like asking, “What are you living for? Seriously? Shoes? Dude, I’ve been living with people that don’t even have shoes… probably never even owned a pair.” When’s the last time someone posted, “I’m thankful for medical coverage today, or I realize that I’m in the top 10% of wealthy people in the world because I own a car.. OWN a CAR… wow. Where have we gone wrong? Get out of your own bubble, and see the world. I know, because I have been right where you are at. And you probably think I’m judging you, if you are American. If you are from a third world country, than maybe you are posting about your new shoes because you actually can afford a nice pair. I don’t know. I won’t post this on face book, because it may not be the right time or place, but maybe someday." The sad thing is, even though it hasn't even been a year yet, I am on the reverse side now. I can hardly remember what is WAS like to live with people WITHOUT shoes. There are SO many things I've re-adjusted to - which has been good in some ways but others, not good. I've jumped back on the crazy-busy American bandwagon and am zipping around life like before... BUT I've started to forget. It makes me sad. Reading simple statements from my journal - like this one - bring some of the memories back.

Heaven Song

Every once in awhile, when I'm unsure of how to express what's on my heart, I'll hear a song that like perfectly mirrors my heart. Today, its Phil Wickhim's "Heaven Song." I can remember this song being played at church SO many times after my mom's Heaven-going. (Oh and side-note: if Phil Wickhim or Chris Tomlin were still single, I'd marry them in a heart-beat! Even though they're both probably shorter and skinnier than me...): "HEAVEN SONG" You wrote a letter and You signed Your name I read ever word Read it page by page You said that You’d be coming Coming for me soon Oh my God I’ll be ready for You I want to run on greener pastures I want to dance on higher hills I want to drink from sweeter waters In the misty morning chill And my soul is getting restless For the place where I belong I can’t wait to join the angels and sing my heaven song I hear Your voice and I catch my breath Well done my child enter in, in rest As tears of joy roll down my cheek It’s beautiful beyond my wildest dreams I want to run on greener pastures I want to dance on higher hills I want to drink from sweeter waters In the misty morning chill And my soul is getting restless For the place where I belong I can’t wait to join the angels and sing I want to run on greener pastures I want to dance on higher hills I want to drink from sweeter waters In the misty morning chill And my soul is getting restless For the place where I belong I can’t wait to join the angels and sing Oh I can't wait to join the angels and sing my heaven song

Thoughts on Reversing Cultures...

Its been almost 2 months since I've been home in the US. Although I started back more busy than I would have preferred, mostly staffing summer camps, it has also been a big blessing to be able to pour into kids and teens lives. Along the way, I've unexpectedly met missionary kids. No doubt living with missionaries has heightened my senses to be more aware of those around me, especially those from similar places. Those MK's has definitely been an encouragement from the Lord. The other day I was really missing something about living overseas. I didn't know how to describe it in words until a certain situation occurred. I was driving to town on a very low tank of gas. I stretched this tank even more by doing a few errands before hitting the gas station. It was while driving up a hill that my car began to chug and sputter... was I going to make it? PANIC... And that was when I realized that FAMILIAR feeling! Yes, a feeling all too familiar from living overseas. This time, instead of pure panic and fear, my mind kicked into SURVIVAL mode... what was I going to do about this situation? I would have to find some people to help push the car off the road... or go buy gas. Maybe I could coast down the hill into the nearest station... I don't know, maybe some of you already think like that. But not me.. at least not until now. Unexpected happenings were not peacefully dealt with before. In fact, I FEARED the unexpected and did NOT like it. That's why I did all I could to plan, prepare, and plan some more! But while sputtering up that hill, praying that I would make it to the station, I realized this felt WONDERFULLY comforting! Why? Because I was finally at a place I had to stop relying on myself and trust GOD alone all over again. Such a wonderful, ADVENTUROUS feeling:) You see, since arriving back in the US, I've realized how much our lives revolve around COMFORT (Myself included). Actually, almost EVERYTHING we do involves looking out for our COMFORT, from eating, to driving,... and even living and working. And the sad fact is, we are terribly missing out. Missing out on the hard nose realities of how life was meant to be and the relationships you make when you HAVE to RELY on others to help you make it through. I can honestly say that while its been wonderful to be back on home-soil, its been hard too. Its HARD to go on a 1 year mission trip and return SOLO... who can I talk to ... that truly UNDERSTANDS? No one in my town went to the Philippines to teach the Major children in our Village. One of the hardest things to realize has been that I CANNOT talk to my village friends. They don't have phones or internet way out there. I pray for them and think about them just about every day! Maybe it helps to be honest with ourselves about where we are, so we can face the facts and embrace not what we CAN'T do about it, but what we CAN do about it! I CAN send a package to missionaries and my village friends. I CAN Skype the Major girls! I CAN pray for my fellow Filipino friends. I CAN keep in contact with dear missionary friends through the internet. And maybe SOMEDAY I CAN and WILL return to the Philippines. Who knows? :) Even though part of this season is DIFFICULT, part of it is also BEAUTIFUL. To reflect on what GOD has been teaching me, to laugh about the fun times we've had, to cry over the things missed, and look forward to what a beautiful mess God can make of it all.