The Desert

Jarrell and I have been going through a lot of different things lately and we really needed to get away. One of our professors from college recently moved to Phoenix, which isn't too far from where we live, so we decided to go visit him and his family. We didn't do too much, but it was exactly what we needed. Highlights from the trip are below (they are in no particular order):

#1-Moses loved being around other kids, even though they were all older then him. He became most attached to Colan. He followed him around everywhere and climbed right up it the chair to sit with him. Colan did so well with him and even took him to the park.

#2-Raena loved Emery. She asked to hold her. After she sat down and I placed her in her arms, she decided she was too heavy, so she wanted her on the chair next to her. It was so cute! Raena had a little toy stroller for her stuffed animals that she wanted to push Emery in. It broke my heart to tell her she couldn't.

#3-Just spending time with Mike, Dezi, and Ashley. It was great to hear about how God was working in their lives and to share about how he was working in ours. God never ceases to amaze me with how he works things out, even in the worst of situations. I left feeling encouraged about the situations that we are facing and was reassured that God will take care of them.

#4-Streetlight Phoenix. This is a ministry that Christ's Church of the Valley started and it is amazing. It is dealing with the issues of Child Sex Slavery here in America. We were able to tour the facilities (there aren't any girls there yet) and it is an experience that I won't forget. What they are doing there is amazing and I pray that God uses it in mighty ways. Check out the link I provided, it has so much information.

I left feeling refreshed and semi-ready to tackle the rest of the month. We are going to Family Camp next week, my dad is coming to visit, and we have to pack up our apartment and be moved out by the end of the month. Needless to say, my posts may be few and far between until things settle down.

Service

The other evening was very interesting to me. I never go out alone anymore simply because I have two children. The other night Jarrell stayed out home with the kids so that I could have some time to myself. I decided to take the book I am reading, Sacred Marriage, my Bible, and my journal and sit at a fountain park bench with some Fro-Yo. (I live such a thrilling life, I know) As I was sitting there, I couldn't help but over hear the family sitting next to me since they were yelling at each other. You could hear the hate in the daughters voice towards her father and you could see the sadness that surrounded him. You could tell the mother was worn out being caught in between the two of them. I couldn't help but wonder what brought them to this point. Since I couldn't concentrate on my reading or journaling due to the noise, I decided to do a little window shopping. Once again, I witnessed another sad situation. A mother was picking up her children from their father and stepmother. They were yelling at each other and cursing and the kids were so embarrassed that they walked away, and their parents didn't even notice. The security guard for the plaza came out and intervened. These things just reminded me what a broken world we live in. I have been doing a study over Phillipians and these verses have really stuck with me:

"Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;

do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also the interests of others

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,

who although he existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped." Phillipians 2:3-6

I feel like both of the situations I described above could be prevented if more people lived these verses out. Can you imagine what the world would look like if people took these seriously? Can you imagine how satisfying your relationships would be? Jesus did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped. That is such a powerful concept. The most powerful person to walk this earth never tapped into that power for his own gain, only for that of others. I am not sure about you, but there are many times that if I were Jesus, I would definitely pull out the God card. However, Jesus knew serving others was the higher road. I leave you with this quote, "The path to genuine greatness lies in serving others." -unknown

Worry

Worry by definition means a state of anxiety and uncertainty over actual or potential problems. Worry is so pointless that it doesn't even have to be over something that is real. Unfortunately, one of my biggest weakness is worry. I have worried over the same problem for almost a year now. Can I tell you what is has accomplished for me... absolutely NOTHING. In fact, the situation has only got worse. Looking back I can't believe how much time, energy, tears, and sadness I have given this situation. I have let it rob me of so much precious time and for what? Thankfully, a lot of good has come out of this situation. That is how gracious that our God is.

Even though my situation hasn't changed, my perspective has. Saying you trust God and actually trusting Him are two completely different things. I can honestly say that right now I am at a point where I trust God completely. I have read these verses a million times before, but they mean so much to me right now:

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, that surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hears and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6,7

God knows my needs. Once I have made them known to Him (not because He doesn't know them, but because I need to show my dependence to Him) I need to trust that He will take care of them. That is it. I don't need to worry about it anymore. I need to accept the peace that comes with knowing Christ and having a relationship with Him.

The biggest lesson that I have taken away from this situation is that I spend far too much time worrying about temporal things. All the time and energy that I spent dedicated to my worry could have been spent for something eternal---->The salvation of the people I care about that don't know Christ. I have learned (and trust me this isn't a one time lesson) that I need to live more for eternity. Just like it says in Colossians 3:1,2 "Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth."