Slovenia, here we come! + things I learn daily.

It's almost time for our 10-day outreaches and I’m super duper excited we’re coming to Slovenia! We’ll be mostly around Celje and that area BUT we’re also coming to Ljubljana for a day, yay!

I have no idea about the schedule yet but I know we’ll be busy. We prepared the “Set me free” skit and we had our Simply Jesus workshop today, reviewing how to share the gospel on the streets and with the kids.

We’ll be arriving on April 15^th, Friday evening, and leaving on Monday, April 25^th. It’s 11 of us on the team, mostly Americans; our leader Jemma is from Australia and we have a girl from Finland as well. And me :)

God started opening so many doors with Nick Vujicic coming (even though I was reading articles about him now that he left and I’m not very pleased how people view the events…) and we get a change to continue talking to people about God!

We’re right before our finals so we have work before we leave and we’ll have some finals when we come back from a 10-day. Otherwise it’s only 1 good month left of school and then I’ll be coming home!!! I’m excited for that as well, and for the summer!

I’m hoping God will open doors for me to get a job so I can help with English Camps and summer activities but for now, I’m just waiting on Him and trying to be patient and trusting. He has always been so faithful and has given me everything in abundance so I can’t complain or whine about anything!

I’ve been learning so much through the class of Romans and Joshua about Him and my relationship with Him and I’ve been learning about His existence and world views about Him in class of Apologetics. It’s been an amazing semester, full of ups and downs and even though it sometimes seems to be more downs, I know I’m growing. 

 

I’m at the “learning how to walk” stage, an advanced one, and it’s hard. Imagine a baby learning how to walk and his parent has to let him go for a bit… and a bit more… and a bit more… and it’s hard because the baby falls a lot of times and cries... well, it’s the same with me. But it will strengthen me and this time here is preparing me for something in the future, something that God has for me.

I’m learning how efficient prayer is and what it means to spend a quality time with God daily. I’ve never done it before but He’s been stretching me so much that if I don’t spend time with Him daily, I see the difference in my attitude, my lifestyle, my reactions… It was different before because He was giving me a chance to get used to Him, to my new life in Him; you know, He was “spoiling me”, but in a good way. It’s time to slowly grow up and I feel like I’m not ready but I think He knows that better than me.

And whenever I get scared, He reminds me of His promise He gave me when He saved me from death to Life – “Do not fear because I’m with you; don’t be discouraged for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you, I will lift you up with my righteous right hand.” – Isaiah 41:10

I love His promises even though they come with a command.

He’s awesome like that :)

Lot's wife looked back... and so did I.

I’ve been a Christian for 1 year and almost 3 months now. My life has radically changed and I love it! It’s still a constant everyday battle but I prefer having the battles and being under the authority of God and free in Him than being “free” in the world, under authority of the devil and sin and be depressed all the time.

Even though I love my life now, I still sometimes look back.

A story of Lot and his wife comes to mind. She looked back when they were leaving Sodom because she was sorry they had to leave. God was saving them from that place because He then destroyed it but she looked back because she loved it – the city of sin and wickedness.

What happened to Lot’s wife? She became a pillar of salt (it’s kind of hard to believe that she actually became a pillar of salt; it does sound just like a random story to me but it’s in the Bible so it’s true, she really became a pillar of salt).

I looked back today. Not a lot; I just went to read some blogs of the people who were in my life before I became a Christian.

I shouldn’t have done it because it made me doubt the goodness of my life in Christ.

Satan used my weakness right away and my thoughts changed. “Why did I ever leave my life that I lived before? It wasn’t that bad…” but then another thought came to my mind, a thought of the Spirit and it reminded me of who I am in Christ today.

 I’m sure glad I didn’t become a pillar of salt for looking back but God did convict me for stop looking back. I have so many things ahead of me, so many open doors and God wants to use me for His glory! And I shouldn't even be looking at those open doors yet; I am where He wants me to be and I'm (supposed to) living in the present. It's hard but that makes life more interesting :)

I’m so thankful He chose me to be one of His people!

An unfriendly visitor

I live in a big room this semester, and my bed is in the corner of the room so I can have more privacy, I can go to bed earlier without anyone bugging me…

2 days ago I noticed some kind of little dots on my left arm and they started to itch. I talked to a few people and one of them said it might have been from the heat if I slept on that arm. It was a good enough answer so I stopped thinking about it.

Next day, I found a couple more dots/spots on my arm (only on my left arm) and, oh man, they itched so bad! I still didn’t know what was it from but I had an idea it was probably from a fly or some kind of a bug.

I was working in a coffee shop before and I started talking to Rachel, one of my schoolmates, and I started scratching my arm again. She noticed and asked me what I have there and I told her… and then she said IT’S PROBABLY FROM A SPIDER!

I laughed at her, thinking she’s crazy (I’m terribly scared of spiders!) and then she said she studied about bugs (bees, spiders, butterflies…) and that she knows how a spider bite looks like and that my dots look like spider bites. She calmed me down (not!) by saying it’s probably a small spider because my bites are small but that it’s probably there.

I freaked out and she said she’ll go and search for it because she knows where to find it and she said she’ll clean and vacuum all around the bed and the wardrobes.

I stayed in the coffee shop while she was in my room and she got back 30min later, saying “I got it!” My face went white when I asked how big it was and she said it wasn’t that big, he didn’t have big legs… but it was there, on the wall, closer to my feet than to my pillow! She looked everywhere else and she cleaned around the bed.

I’m so thankful she did that but I’m still moving to the top bunk bed, it’s less chance he’ll get me there!

Creepy little monsters, they just come and bite!

P.s. - I have 19 bites on my left arm! How scary is that?!?

P.s. 2 - can you tell I’m freaked out?!?  

March update

I haven’t really updated my blog in a month… crazy. I’m always “angry” with people who do that and now I’m one of them :)

It’s been a weird month, actually. A lot of things happened at home and it was a struggle for me, but step in faith and a test of my trust in the Lord. I’m thankful I’m where I am, in a beautiful Christian bubble, surrounded by God’s wisdom, discernment, encouragement and love, and I’m so thankful He brought people to me that know exactly what to say and how to help.

 I went on 2 weekend outreaches; 
first one was to Pecs 
(where I went on a 10-day outreach last semester); 
this time only Jamie and I went  
with a purpose of painting the kids’ room 
in their new church. 
We drew a tree, sun, clouds, butterflies… it looks really cute!

The second outreach was a weekend outreach to Eger, a northern town of Hungary (30min from Slovakian border – you can see the mountains in Slovakia :) ). It was 7 girls who went and our theme for the outreach was the end times. Fun! It was a 4 hour drive in one way so we used it for talks like that. It was good to discuss, hear different opinions and it actually made me curious so I went and read Revelation for the first time. (I always avoided Revelation because I never got it and it was scary for me to read about scary creatures…). Because we talked a lot about it, I had an idea about it, about what’s going to happen, and when I read Revelation, it actually made sense! It made me a bit scared but not for me but for people who aren’t saved yet and who aren’t going to be. It made me pray more for my family (my roommate and I pray for them every evening) and God even gave me some visions… I love how personal He is! 

Anyway, Eger outreach was amazing. It felt more like a vacation even though we were really tired. When we got back, I felt like my soul was rested and my body was weak but that’s what missions trips are all about, right? You go to encourage people and you’re encouraged by them yourself, even though your body is tired from helping. God works for all of us!

We had Speakers’ week in the middle of these 2 outreaches and it was pretty intense. We talked about false teachers, the end times, the enemy (how he attacks, how to recognize it and how to defend ourselves), how to see what God’s will for us is and some tools to recognize it… it was good but intense, hard, because listening to 3 sermons per day is not easy, there’s no time for putting things together in your head because when you’re about to do that, another sermon comes.

Pastors that spoke were all from America and it made my heart hurt hearing everything that’s going on there… I knew about a lot of things but what they shared was just awful. There are churches on every corner but they’re mostly dead, people see Christianity as a fun fellowship that you do on weekends and… they see it wrong! There are more things that are wrong but that’s a subject for another blog post.

I’ve been thinking about what my plans for the summer might be and God is opening some doors, some possibilities… but He’s not telling me what to do yet.

He spoke to me about a 10-day outreach to Slovenia at the end of the last semester, in Dec 2010, and I went to talk to a CC Celje pastor in Jan to see if a 10-day outreach would be a possibility, and he said yes. When I got back in Hungary, I spoke to people here and we decided there’s going to be a 10-day outreach to Slovenia! YAY!

They asked me if I’d like to lead it and I said no because it’s such a big responsibility and I’m not ready for it, so our intern Jemma (she’s Australian) is leading it (and I’ll be helping a bit). We’re coming in less than 3 weeks, on Apr 15^th and will be in Slovenia until April 25^th. We’re planning on coming to our little church in Ljubljana as well, probably on April 17^th and I’m SO EXCITED! I’m so thankful that you guys will be able to see a part of our College body and spirit and that they will be able to meet “my people” and talk to you… it’s such a huge blessing for me and it will be for all of us when it happens!

As I said earlier, God is opening some doors for the summer but He’s not speaking clearly which doors to choose yet.

We were finishing the 4^th chapter of book of Joshua 2 weeks ago. At the end of the 3^rd chapter, the Israelites came into the promised land and then God spoke to Joshua. He told him to tell people to choose one man from each tribe (there were 12 tribes) to go into the Jordan, find memorial stones and bring them back (4^th chapter).

When they were done with what God told them to do, God spoke to them again, and that was a promise to me.

God put Slovenia on my heart for a 10-day and I obeyed. I could go to Finland, to Split (Croatia), to Pecs, to Ukraine… but God said Slovenia, and I’m going to Slovenia.

It’s been really hard for me to wait on Him and His answers but I do know He’s faithful. I’m expecting Him to speak to me when I’ll be on a 10-day in Slovenia and I’m sure many questions will be answered and many things resolved. I’m excited :)

This semester is different; it’s harder in a way. I’ve been a Christian for a good year now and the last year was like a honeymoon with Jesus. He was with me in a very close way, He was holding my hand and took me to places… I’m not saying He’s not with me anymore and that He’s not holding my hand anymore but I’m saying I’m growing up and it’s stretchy. He’s teaching me how to walk and how to listen to Him even if He doesn’t speak to me directly.

He’s teaching me a lot about prayer and how effective it is, He’s teaching me about Him so much…

Romans class is a hard class. I was thinking of dropping it after 2 weeks but God clearly spoke to me that He’d like me to be in this class. I didn’t know why but I do now.

I’ve been struggling a lot with the first few chapters… Satan used it and condemned me but God showed there’s no need for condemnation because of the following chapters in Romans where… in chapter 6, Paul speaks about sin and how we need to give our bodies as instruments to Jesus and not sin, how we need to yield to Jesus and grow in Him! In chapter 7, Paul speaks about struggles we have as Christians, how we condemn ourselves sometimes BUT the first verse in Romans 8 says “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Jesus Christ!” I know I’m in Jesus Christ and so… I’m not condemned!! I get convicted which I’m thankful for but I’m not condemned, not by Jesus!

But then it gets to chapter 9 where… I just got really confused. Our homework every week is to do an outline of a chapter and when I was doing an outline for chapter 9, I had no idea what to think about it.

God loves everyone, more than we can imagine. He created us! So, He loves believers and non-believers, and we’re all sinners, not worthy of His love.

He chose us, believers, to be His children. But then, God doesn’t choose everyone.

How can that be? If He loves us all, why doesn’t He choose us all? Or does He, and it’s just up to us to respond to His call?

My teacher of Romans answered on my question of “How do you know you are called from God?” with “You know you’re called if you accept Jesus as your Savior!”.

How do I know if my family’s being called? Well, God gave me a vision for my mom and dad and their salvation, but there was no vision (yet) for my sister. How do I know she’s being called?

There’s just a lot of questions popping up in Romans class and I pray for God’s wisdom because some of them are really confusing.

I love that it’s Spring and that we get to eat outside and our days get to be more joyful because of the weather.

I’m thankful I’m here and I’m thankful God wants me to come back here next semester. I see His love for me and it’s amazing.

I could write so much more what’s happening here, with all the classes (Apologetics is really interesting as well!) but I could write for days :)

Thank you for following my blog and my life, I’m thankful for all of your support.

Please, continue to pray for my family to get saved, that’s my only prayer request; I don’t need anything, I have Jesus :)

Lift up the Light!

I first heard of Shane and Shane from Anna, she lent me their CD when I was 15, I think. I fell in love with them right away and even though I became a Christian 7 years later, Shane and Shane and their “Upstairs” album have been my favorite since then.

Now, Shane and Shane have just released a new album with worship team from their church, The Oaks Fellowship! It’s called “Lift up the Light” and it’s amazing! The lyrics are so deep and touchy, they describe our Lord in such a loving way and what I love the most about it is that when I listen to it, I can hear them smile while singing. One of the worst things for me is to see/hear a worship team worshipping God with a face without emotion OR with a face that’s expressing suffering (sometimes that’s appropriate)… but even though I can’t see them, I can only hear them, I can hear they worship with a smile on their face, with joyful attitude!

One of my favorite songs is Lift up the Light and before they sang it, they shared these verses from Revelation 21:21-24: “The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass. I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.“

And then they sang the song… it’s amazing. 

“You are the light of the world

Light of our darkness

Nations will walk by the light of the glory of the Holy God.”

I really recommend the album. It’s one of the best live worship albums I’ve ever heard.

Waiting on God

Waiting for a Husband?

By Candace Davidson

Have you ever thought of waiting as a gift from the Lord? I have not always known that, but I'm glad He has opened my eyes! It does not have to be a "trial" or a "struggle." If we are willing, it can be one of the sweetest times of our lives with our Savior.

I am waiting on God for a somewhat unusual gift - a husband! Not just any husband. I could have probably obtained that years ago by giving in to all the "match making" my friends and family have tried to do, or better yet, picked someone out for myself. But, I don't trust my own judgment in these vital areas of life. I figure it would be terribly easy for me to make a bad choice on something so important and lasting.
One day, when I was around 18 years old, and had just left the halls of a public high school for good, I decided that I needed to give God control over every area of my life. I asked Him to choose a mate for me - the one He had actually designed from before the foundation of the world, the one that I could never be capable of finding by myself, apart from God's sovereign wisdom.

Marriage is such a holy thing, something that perfectly demonstrates Christ's love for us, His bride. When it comes time for me to walk down the aisle, I want to make sure the man I'm gazing lovingly at is the one God chose for me! For this reason, I have made the choice to not date - a radical decision, many tell me, but one that God has lead me to nevertheless. As Eric and Leslie Ludy put it so beautifully "I have given God the 'pen' and the freedom to write my love story, taking my error-full hands off."

However, I have learned that with the beautiful idea comes learning how to be patient. This is the most difficult part. It's hard to believe in what we cannot see. Through the years, the Lord has taught me several things about waiting and contentment and my once hasty heart has finally learned to "sleep" in God's will until He wakes my "Adam" up. If He, in His sovereignty chooses to never give me a husband, then in true God-given contentment I can say, "That's okay, because Jesus is more than enough, and my life is full and overflowing because of Him. I need nothing more to complete me."

God's holy, faultless word tells us in Isaiah 49:23, "They shall not be ashamed who wait for me." I believe this means that though our patience on the Lord's timing may seem foolish to those around us, and even to ourselves at times, God has assured us that we will not be put to shame by waiting on Him. What a relief! His Word also tells that those who "wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles." (Isaiah 40:31) I have often tried to imagine how it must feel as an eagle to soar effortlessly among the clouds. The only word I can think of to describe the experience is freedom. When we wait upon the Lord, we find freedom as well as strength!

The Apostle Paul urges us to be content in every circumstance. This cannot be done except by the power of God at work in our lives. In our natural, carnal state, we are simply not capable of having peace and serenity when things in our life seem so uncertain. However, through Christ, we are able to have incomprehendable peace, peace that our human brains are not able to understand.

There are many things God wants to teach us during our "waiting period," no matter what it is we may be waiting on Him for. I know that I have a whole lot of things yet to learn. I can only pray I'll remain open and teachable. He wants our time in the "waiting room" to be a joyful experience. He wants us to "enjoy the scenery" and not dwell on the destination only. When we really understand that His way and timing is absolutely perfect, then we are able to solely, with no reserve, trust Him. And when we trust Him, even when we cannot see, we will be able to receive the true contentment that only Christ Jesus can offer us.
God has shown me four basic ways that I can embrace the gift of waiting and make the most of this season in my life.

1. Savor Every Moment
More than likely, once the object of our waiting has been brought to pass, changes will take place and life as we know it will be different. Anytime there is a change, we will lose privileges, even if they are replaced with new ones. Take this time that God has given you and enjoy it! Be well aware that you will not have these exact moments of your life back - ever again. This season will more than likely not last forever, so remember, no matter what you may be waiting on God for, the present days are only yours once. Do not be in such a hurry that you miss out on all the present blessings God is showering you with.

2. Do Not Wait Idly
Keep yourself busy for the Lord and your family. Ask Him to bring opportunities your way to minister, witness and bring glory to His name. Do things that will help prepare you for what you may be waiting on. Honor your father and mother and others in your life by doing special things for them. Practice submission and self-dying by putting others' needs before your own. Offer child care while mommies and daddies go on a much needed "date." I have to say that I have been blessed by doing this! I have learned so much. Every time I walk into a godly home, full of laughter and the pitter-patter of precious little feet, I take mental note on tips that I will use with my own children someday. I leave feeling so rewarded by God. Refuse to look at your time of waiting as a "pity party," but serve others and receive the joy that comes with obedience! Stay busy for the glory of the Lord. Nothing you do for Him will ever be in vain!

3. Be a Broken Vessel
Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up. Share your heart's deepest desires with Him. Cry unto Him, uncensored. Pour yourself out in prayer and worship. Become a piece of soft, pliable clay in your Maker's hands. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you in a way that you have not yet known. Be willing to allow your wishes to die, taking Christ as your All in All. Ask Him to reassure you that He is more than enough for you. He will. When we say, "Not my will, but Thine be done.", that is usually when He truly moves in our lives. He desires to have our utterly surrendered heart.

4. Work Double Time for the Lord
I feel that singleness is a wonderful time to give all our strength to the Lord through missions. Remember that missions do not have to be across the world's oceans. They can be across the street or even inside your home! This is such an ideal time to become a hard-working laborer in His plentiful vineyard of ripe souls.
Maybe you are waiting on a healing to take place in your body, an adoption to go through, a loved one to come to Jesus, or God to fill your womb with life - or maybe, like me, you are waiting for a husband, having placed it into the hands of the Master Match-Maker. I challenge you to walk by me in faith and watch God move in His perfect, beautiful time. This way, He gets all the glory. He is orchestrating it all. All we have to do is listen, trust, and obey.

Candace Davidson, 27, still lives at home with her parents in the Appalachian Mountains of VA as she waits for God to reveal His choice for a husband in His time and way.
_______________________________
 

God has been teaching me a whole lot this semester and I’m loving it. I see how He’s strengthening me, I catch myself doing things or thinking what I’d never do before. He’s letting me know who He is and what all He can do. He’s showing me how much He actually loves me and I gotta tell you – it’s a lot more than I could ever imagine!!

Right now I think He’s really teaching me how to be patient; first of all with Him and even with other people. God is so patient with us and because of that we can be patient with others.

He’s teaching me how to wait on Him. Not for a husband, I’m not in a stage where I’d want one because I agree with the article – I can do so much right now when I’m single and I’m loving it! I’m growing on my own, God is preparing me for the future plans He has for me and probably even for my husband! But I’m good with where I am right now, learning, growing, stretching.

I’m waiting on God to save my family. It’s hard to wait on Him for anything but every day I have to give Him my worries, I have to surrender to Him, die to my flesh and accept + confess that I have no power nor control over situation at home but He does. And I believe He will save them.

My dormroom decided to pray for my family every night from 10-10.30pm. It’s 3 of us for now but I’m sure others will join us. Even if not, that’s ok. We’ll be lifting my family up to God, waiting for them to surrender to Him.

I don’t have hope in my family, I know they can’t do it. I have hope in Him because He can do it. He is my hope. He is my strength. He is my God. And every day He’s reminding me of His faithfulness and He pours showers of grace on me. That’s the God we have and we should be thankful for His love and everything He does for us.

Even in hard times, He’s in control. He promised to be with my family and He’s keeping His promise. My job is to believe, to remain in faith and to look up to Him in every given situation.

2 songs come to my head:

“Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other, God you are healer, you’re awesome in power, our God, our God.” (Chris Tomlin – Our God)

“You are able, more than able, you are willing, more than willing, you hear and answer cries for mercy, you are … (I don’t remember the rest of the song)

We sing these 2 songs during worship time here at College and God just reminded me of them, reminded me of Him, of who He is.

He won’t let me down, He never fails. We’re learning this in my Apologetics class how the Bible is inerrant and infallible – without errors! If the Bible is without errors, then the Bible is the truth which means God is without errors; He is the truth, the perfection! He doesn’t fail. He doesn’t make a mistake. And everything is good for something.

I’m so thankful for our God!!

John 17:9

“I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.” ~ John 17:9

Jesus gives the prayer in John 17 specifically for His disciples and for a specific reason. It was not the time to pray for any other than His disciples. However, this does not mean that Jesus never prayed for anyone but a disciple!
If we are supposed to pray only for converted brethren but not for our unconverted countrymen, how can we follow Jesus' many other examples and commands about this topic? For example, Matthew 5:44-45, 48:
»But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. . . . Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.«
What a statement! He says praying for people outside the church is part of what defines us as children of our Father in heaven! Those who hate us and spitefully use us are certainly not fellow church members or converted believers, yet our Savior commands us to pray for them! There is perhaps no clearer passage on this topic!
In fact, how many of those whom Jesus prayed for and healed were "in the church" or had God's Spirit? Probably none of them! How many were worldly sinners? Certainly most of them, maybe even all of them!
Later, while hanging on a stake, Jesus practices perfectly what He preaches, once more praying for people of the world: "Father forgive them, for they do not know what they do" ~ Luke 23:34
What clearer example could we have?
In fact, though Jesus did not participate at all in any of the world's evils, He lived His life among the people. As the son of a carpenter, He interacted with the public constantly. He never shied away from the people of the world. He enjoyed people, weddings, and parties enough to be accused—falsely, of course—of being "a glutton and a winebibber." He felt comfortable accepting an invitation to dinner at the house of a Pharisee—He was even bold enough to invite Himself to dinner at the home of Zacchaeus, an ill-reputed tax collector.
How do we fare among the world? Are we comfortable with our "unconverted" neighbors? Would we accept dinner invitations and attend social occasions? Jesus, our Elder Brother, did. Jesus was not like the Pharisees—the very name means "the separated ones"—who acted "holier than thou." Yes, we should separate ourselves from the ways of the world. Yes, we should live a holy life (1 Peter 1:15-16). After all, we have the Holy Spirit. But we should not be like those "who say, 'Keep to yourself, do not come near me, for I am holier than you!'" (Isaiah 65:5).
God says of them, "These are smoke in My nostrils."

by Berean, daily verse and comments.