"Amazing love how can it be that a king would die for me? Amazing love I know it's true, it's my joy to follow you." These are the words of an older praise and worship song that carries such a reminder of how great God's love is for us. He is amazing and full of love. Why am I so surprised then when He delivers a special blessing? He does love me after all, and so He will show Himself to us in sometimes the most unusual ways. But these little gifts speak to our hearts so personally that we know it must be God.
Luke tells us this in chapter 11 verses 9-12:
9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
As our Father in Heaven knows us well, the best anyone could ever know us, He also knows just what is best for us. Luke tells us that Jesus said, "how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" When we come to Jesus in prayer, what can we expect? He is not a wishing well that we can toss our requests to him and will grant us three wishes. We don't always get what we ask for specifically or in the timing that we ask for it to come. Why not? Isn't this what Luke is telling us that Jesus taught? No. We can ask Jesus for the desires of our hearts, yes. We can share our passions, interests and requests with Him, but then we must trust that He in turn will give us what He ultimately knows is best for us. And what better gift for us to have while we reside here on earth than the gift of the Holy Spirit as our counselor and guide?
"Jesus does not promise that we will receive whatever we might think we need. He promises us direction and insight through the work of the Holy Spirit. As the Holy Spirit directs our hearts, we will desire those things that will benefit us spiritually. We can have faith to see those things accomplished as the fulfillment of His promise." - Bible Commentary Quest Study Bible
In seeking what God would have for us and in our lives now, the Lord has blessed me with an opportunity I thought would be a far fetched dream. A few weeks after our bummer of a phone call from the adoption agency that adoptions in Ethiopia were going oh so slow, a friend messaged me saying that her church was taking a missions trip to Haiti. Would anyone like to go?? ME!! Not to mention that the specific place that the team would be serving is the very orphanage that first stirred our hearts for adoption!
Long story short....(but for the long version go here to read), after a Summer of our church sponsoring Alex's House orphanage, the Lord really started tugging at my heart asking me what I will do for His children. We prayed, learned more and more about the world wide orphan crisis, and God's heart for the orphans. Deciding to adopt, we first looked to Haiti since that where are hearts were stirred. But, at the time Haiti was closed to families who already had biological children making it very difficult, if not impossible, to move forward in the adoption process there. Our agency then suggested Ethiopia to us and affirmation after affirmation, we know that is where the children are waiting for us.
So, Lord willing, I'm taking hugs to Haiti this early June for one week of ministry there! It is planned that a team of us will be teaching, performing skits, sharing the love of Jesus, and helping however we can at Alex's House and the surrounding community.
Only God knows me that well, that He knows how special of an opportunity this is and what it means to me to go to Haiti to serve there. And even more specifically at Alex's House. Can I hear a "Praise the Lord!?" Whoot. That's exciting!
This is part of living in the wait time (click to read). Waiting for what? God has plans for us each and every day. Everyday we come to Him and ask, "what is it that I can do THIS DAY to show your love to the people you love?"
Loving this song! Do Something, by Matthew West
"If not now then when? Will we send and end to all this pain? It's time for us to do something. So tired talkin' about how we are God's hands and feet....somebody else will do something....sick and tired of life with no desire. I want to be the one who stands up and says, 'I'm going to do something!"
Please keep this trip, Alex's House, the team, the hearts that will be touched, the people who serve and those who will be presented with Christ's love - please keep this all in your prayers! THANK YOU!!
Visit Alex's House blog page at: http://alexshouse-haiti.blogspot.com/
Luke tells us this in chapter 11 verses 9-12:
9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
As our Father in Heaven knows us well, the best anyone could ever know us, He also knows just what is best for us. Luke tells us that Jesus said, "how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" When we come to Jesus in prayer, what can we expect? He is not a wishing well that we can toss our requests to him and will grant us three wishes. We don't always get what we ask for specifically or in the timing that we ask for it to come. Why not? Isn't this what Luke is telling us that Jesus taught? No. We can ask Jesus for the desires of our hearts, yes. We can share our passions, interests and requests with Him, but then we must trust that He in turn will give us what He ultimately knows is best for us. And what better gift for us to have while we reside here on earth than the gift of the Holy Spirit as our counselor and guide?
"Jesus does not promise that we will receive whatever we might think we need. He promises us direction and insight through the work of the Holy Spirit. As the Holy Spirit directs our hearts, we will desire those things that will benefit us spiritually. We can have faith to see those things accomplished as the fulfillment of His promise." - Bible Commentary Quest Study Bible
In seeking what God would have for us and in our lives now, the Lord has blessed me with an opportunity I thought would be a far fetched dream. A few weeks after our bummer of a phone call from the adoption agency that adoptions in Ethiopia were going oh so slow, a friend messaged me saying that her church was taking a missions trip to Haiti. Would anyone like to go?? ME!! Not to mention that the specific place that the team would be serving is the very orphanage that first stirred our hearts for adoption!
Long story short....(but for the long version go here to read), after a Summer of our church sponsoring Alex's House orphanage, the Lord really started tugging at my heart asking me what I will do for His children. We prayed, learned more and more about the world wide orphan crisis, and God's heart for the orphans. Deciding to adopt, we first looked to Haiti since that where are hearts were stirred. But, at the time Haiti was closed to families who already had biological children making it very difficult, if not impossible, to move forward in the adoption process there. Our agency then suggested Ethiopia to us and affirmation after affirmation, we know that is where the children are waiting for us.
So, Lord willing, I'm taking hugs to Haiti this early June for one week of ministry there! It is planned that a team of us will be teaching, performing skits, sharing the love of Jesus, and helping however we can at Alex's House and the surrounding community.
Only God knows me that well, that He knows how special of an opportunity this is and what it means to me to go to Haiti to serve there. And even more specifically at Alex's House. Can I hear a "Praise the Lord!?" Whoot. That's exciting!
This is part of living in the wait time (click to read). Waiting for what? God has plans for us each and every day. Everyday we come to Him and ask, "what is it that I can do THIS DAY to show your love to the people you love?"
Loving this song! Do Something, by Matthew West
"If not now then when? Will we send and end to all this pain? It's time for us to do something. So tired talkin' about how we are God's hands and feet....somebody else will do something....sick and tired of life with no desire. I want to be the one who stands up and says, 'I'm going to do something!"
Please keep this trip, Alex's House, the team, the hearts that will be touched, the people who serve and those who will be presented with Christ's love - please keep this all in your prayers! THANK YOU!!
Visit Alex's House blog page at: http://alexshouse-haiti.blogspot.com/
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