~Picture to the Stories~

For years I had heard about poverty. For years I have hugged the necks of people who live or have lived in poverty. I have tried to release children from poverty in JESUS name. I had heard the stories. I hadn't seen it. . .

My youth group had the chance to go to Atlanta and work with 7Bridges ministries to hand out lunches to the homeless under the bridges.

I LOVE these people!! Gracepointe Church Students. 

 We walked the street and saw people with all they had within five feet around them. I saw them lying on the rock covered ground with only a thin blanket between them and the cold earth. Do you know what else I saw?

I saw smiles! I saw joy that only Jesus can give. I went expecting to spread the love of Jesus, but in more than one case I found myself listening to people sitting on the ground, under a bridge, where they LIVE tell me how good God is and how I should stay strong in Him! It has broke me.

One of the ladies I went with said "I could describe it to you all day, but it will never be what you expect". That is the truth. I knew there were homeless. I knew there was poverty but when I saw it, when I saw the homeless, it was different then I ever expected. By the end of the day I found myself telling people I hardly even knew that I loved them, because I did. It was JESUS; NOT me! A spark was lit in side me to do more! I realize that I could be those people! I could be on the street! Jesus saved me in EVERY since of that word so why would I not want to show his love?

For the last few months I had felt my longing to help the the needy kind of die down. I LOVE Jesus but my excitement to spread His word had leveled out. I was strong in Jesus and that was all that mattered. God has called us to more than that. God's plan is to reconcile the whole world to Himself and calls us to a spirit of reconciliation. He reconciles to reconcile.

 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 1 Cor. 5:18-19

When we do not spread the love of Christ and share God's message of reconciliation we do not experience the full JOY of the gospel. This is what we were made to do. We were made to SHINE for His glory! We were made to experienced His glory. It was all messed up in the fall but has been REDEEMED through the finished work of JESUS! Christ has payed and the world will be made right! It will all be made right! That is the gospel! We can be made right! 
By HIS GRACE and through our faith in Christ and His finished work we will be made perfect. We ARE made perfect! ALL JESUS!! 

Happy Easter!!!! Jesus is alive!!!!! 

All for Him,

~My African Sisters~

I have put this blog post off for a long time now. Part of it was because I was lazy, but for the most part it is just hard for me to put into words all that has happened since the beginning of the year. . .

     A very sassy African that I call my sister was able to fly to the states, and I was finally able to meet her face-to-face! Meeting Maureen was more amazing than I could have ever imagine! The love and Joy she has in Jesus is contagious! 

            We drove up from our home in Georgia to meet her in South Carolina. She came to the states to speak on behalf of the Mercy House, the maternity home in Kenya. She is the executive director. We met her at the house she was staying at in South Carolina. She was SO happy! I was SO happy! She hugged my mom and said "I can't believe I am hugging you!" We were all SO thankful God allowed us to meet! It felt so good to finally hug her and hold her hand! She means so much to our family! 

                            We were able to hear her speak at church on Sunday morning. She was so real and eye opening about poverty. . the poverty she lived in before Compassion International stepped in. One of the things that she said was " I am thankful for my poverty, because if it was not for my poverty I might not have come to know Jesus". Wow, right!? She is a living example of How the GRACE of God can save! We are all living examples of how the GRACE of God can save! If you are in Christ, He has saved you, cleansed you, and freed you from you chains! I serve and AWESOME God, you guys! 

                            It was SO hard to say goodbye! We cried and hugged again and again! That would not be the last time I would say goodbye to an African this year. . .

My mom and I were sitting in a place to eat in town when Compassion called. .  My heart dropped. Compassion has never called us and I knew when Compassion calls it is most of the time not good news. Sometimes they call and say your child has moved to an area without a project. Sometimes they call to tell you the tragic news your child has past away. Fortunately this has never happened to us. Compassion was calling to tell me Aster's sponsor has decided to stop supporting Aster. If I could not sponsor her I would not be able to write her anymore. We asked if they could hold her and not put her up for sponsorship yet. We wanted a chance to find her a sponsor that we could know. 

We put her picture on Facebook. We explained the situation and one of our long time friends has decided to sponsor this beautiful girl! Isn't God GREAT! I am sad I will not be able to write her anymore, but I know God loves sweet Aster more than I ever could! I am so excited for her and our friends and can't wait to see what God will do. 

All for Him,