My Quote and Verse for this Summer...

"When we are foolish, we want to conquer the world. When we are wise, we want to conquer ourselves."

In devotions this morning at World Vision, we talked about how the biggest enemy in this world is ourselves, and how we should strive to be continual learners and refiners of our character. We are students for life! This takes discipline. This takes accountability. This takes humility as we strive for feedback and advice from those around us. Before I know my place in this world, I must seek the Lord to understand myself- my strengths and weaknesses- and work through those weaknesses daily. We must start today on this process and keep our hearts open to what the Lord wants to teach us about ourselves. Only then will the Lord open our eyes to how He wants to use me in my community.

My friend David I've talked about before ALWAYS has a notepad with him. If he has a conversation with someone and feels compelled by what he or she has said, he writes it down. He is always listening to those around him and open to how the Lord can use people in his life.

I pray that you seek the Lord to continually give you a student's heart, and ask the Lord to continue to mold you into who He wants you to be!

"Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets, that the one who reads it may run. For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it hastens toward the goal and it will Not fail. Though it tarries, Wait for it; For it certainly will come, it will Not delay." Habakkuk 2:2-3.

As I seek the Lord's vision for my life, I begin to think of all that burdens my heart: the youth, the church, raising up leaders for our future generations, America's role in the developing world, orphans and widows, encouraging local leaders, communicating and facilitating the needs of the world to those who want to hear- I could go on. I have seen and experienced so much, and my heart feels heavy. I continually ask God, "What is my vision? What is my purpose?" As I turned 25 this month, I have done a lot of reflection and written down what I want to see in my life in the next 25 years.

However, as overwhelming as the world is, I LEAN and TRUST in this promise in Habakkuk. I am in the process of waiting for the appointed time when the Lord will reveal my vision. And knowing Him, He will show me step by step, inch by inch- and I am content in that. Actually, I'd rather it be that way than to know the Whole picture! I wouldn't need Faith if I knew what was going to happen! And knowing ME, once I knew the big picture I would work out how to accomplish that plan- not relying on the Lord. SO, God has driven the spirit of anxiety and fear out of my life and I simply trust that my day to day experiences, conversations, and lessons all contribute to His great plan.

If I can pinpoint my purpose for this trip to Africa right now, it is simply to Listen with open ears to those around me and learn from them--Whether it is dying laughing over discussions with mothers about how HORRIBLE labor pains are (Yeah, after that illustrative description I'm adopting!), or whether it is sitting across the table from a woman who lost her husband to the LRA rebels in Northern Uganda- and she herself was taken captive three years later and STILL manages to forgive-- my role is to simply listen. And it's amazing what God can teach you.

So this verse allows me to see great joy in the small things- as I sit here editing reports for World Vision, I am joyful. As I sit across from the dinner table with Faith Mlay, the strongest prayer warrior I have ever met, I feel joy. As I worship with children from Kibera slums on my birthday, I feel great joy. I pray that you too can lean on this verse and trust in his Great plans for you...even if it is revealed one day at a time.