I Am Awesome

Grace Amazing

This Monday night at women's bible study rocked my world. It is incredible how much you learn about the Lord as you lead people into a deeper understanding of His Word. No matter how much I try to plan and take control, God is always reminding me that He is the true Shepherd.

I wrestled for a while with the passage (John 4:43-54) that I was suppose to teach that week. There were just so many other verses that I wanted to share with the girls and however terrible this sounds, I just didn't have a passion for the story of the royal official and the healing of his son. I know, I know, that is awful of me to say, but I really just wasn't connecting with it.

HOWEVER, I decided be faithful and go ahead with the teaching of that passage. I felt as if even though I couldn't picture it right now, the Lord was going to really speak through it...

That morning while I was in class, I listened to a voicemail from my dad saying my grandmother was taken to ICU.

She had broken three sections of her lower abdomen and her organs were beginning to shut down on her at a rapid rate. 

I rushed back to the hospital in Temecula after class and spent the whole day praying over my dad and praying over her. Never had I seen a person more fragile. 

I began planning the bible study while sitting by her bedside as she slept. 

I started rereading the passage about how the royal official literally begged Jesus to come and heal his son. I could not help but connect with the desperation that the father was feeling. It was the same posture that I had minutes earlier as I begged for the healing of my grandmother. 

In this moment, I knew that the Lord had spoken to my heart. 

I then drove back to San Marcos to give the lesson on healing. As we prayed together at the end of the night and as I continued to pray as I drove back again to Temecula, I knew that everything was going to be okay. 

The next day I found out that although she was still in a critical condition, she was to be moved out of ICU and will soon be on her way to recovery. At 92 years old, any type of progress after the state she was previously in can definitely be considered a miracle!

This week taught me that I should never doubt how transforming His Word can be. No matter what, God will find a way to speak to your heart. It is AMAZING that what has been written thousands of years ago is still very much ALIVE and APPLICABLE to ALL of us today. 

How beautiful is that? 

You Got Served

A while ago I started to find new ways to serve God's sons and daughters. One of the things I began to do was pay for the people that were behind me in the Starbucks drive-thru line. I am sure you have all heard about people doing this, it is such an easy thing to do and really is pretty rewarding. 

So yesterday I decided to do it for the first time in a while. I know this is not a good excuse, but money has been kind of tight and I have been trying to save as much as possible. 

But this time, I had a gift card. My wonderful mother puts money on this card every time it runs out, so I knew I would be totally safe to pay for the people behind me. 

After I had told the barista to put the couple's order behind me on my tab, it turned out that there wasn't any money left on the gift card. 

Therefore the three drinks and two lunches that were to be purchased came straight out of kendal's broke account. 

I think this was God's way of saying there is no such thing as superficially serving His people. Although it was such a small thing, the Lord humbled my heart in that moment. I think that trip to Starbucks did more for me then it did for the couple behind me. 

So often we think that we can do the bare minimum, but God calls us to do more. Serving is good, but it is GREATER when it involves sacrifice. 

Let's just say, lesson learned. 

Dream A Little Bigger

This week I prayed for one divine appointment ...

The Lord provided me with TWO

This week I prayed for three new faces at women's study...

The Lord provided FOUR

This week God reminded me:

if you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you -John 15:7

The way that He has been working this week is incredible. Every time I sent up a prayer, He responded with just a little bit more. It is as if he is beckoning me to dream a little bit bigger. 

The Lord calls us to stop pretending that He isn't BIG. We have to stop living like He isn't going to come through. He IS going to come through and He is going to do so BIGGER & BETTER than we could ever imagine. God is going to blow us away. 

I want to have faith in the fact that the Lord is going to continuously take my breath away. 

He loves to show us that He has what it takes...so why don't we let Him? All we have to do is be prayerful and be willing. If we can do that...then we are going to see BIG things happen. 

Mountains are going to move this semester on my campus

Water Into Wine

"Like a rushing wind, Jesus breathe within. Lord have Your way. Lord have Your way in me. Like a mighty storm, stir within my soul. Lord have Your way, Lord have Your way in me" -I Surrender by Hillsong

Today at Intervarsity we went over John 2, the miracle where Jesus turns water into wine. It is incredible how you can read a story a million times, but still the Bible speaks to you as if it was the first time your eyes read those words. 

I was amazed by the servants' obedience to Jesus despite not knowing that He was capable of miracles. They had absolutely NO idea what they were getting themselves into. Still, they continued to listen to His commands. 

This just goes to show that sometimes listening to the Lord does. not. make. sense. But, that's okay. Francis Chan says that, "something is wrong when our lives make sense to unbelievers". The way we interact, speak, and live our life should  not  make sense, but we should do it anyway.

If we are obedient, God is faithful. 

Jesus did not ask the servants to perform a miracle, He just called them to complete a small task and He was going to take care of the rest. We shouldn't fear the act of stepping out in faith. If we are faithful with the little things, God will come through with the miracle. 

I don't know why we get so hesitant to talk about our faith with people when we know that if we just do it, then God will speak in those moments. 

I hope you are all encouraged by the servants' ability to trust without being able to see what is going to happen next. They are the perfect example of what it looks like when we walk by faith and not by sight. 

Create a space for God to show you a miracle this week! 

Ignite L.A. 2013

Today....God showed up. 

You better believe that the Lord is moving and working and starting something NEW on the campuses across California and in Las Vegas. And better yet, He has called the Intervarsity students to be His hands and feet to make it happen. In fact, He has called all college Christians to be the light their campus so desperately needs. 

Tonight over 300 college students gathered together to be anointed with the authority they need to minister to their campuses. He spoke to us through healing, words of confirmation, visions, testimonies, worship, speakers, community, workshops and His word. We received it all today. I can almost guarantee that not a single soul in that church left without feeling completely satisfied in the Spirit. His grace and mercy and love absolutely CONSUMED that room. It was a beautiful sight.

 I just hope that you all can continue to be praying for the young adults whose heart's break for the people on their campuses, both students and faculty. It is NOT okay that so many students can come and go without knowing the love of Jesus. We should be spiritually UNSATISFIED that students go a day without being shown the character of Christ. It is our duty to see to it that NO ONE misses the grace of God. 

We are called to love. We are called to do away with judgement. We should remember that it is Jesus who LOVES to use the broken. In Bethany Dillon's song "You Are On Our Side", she brings to light the fact that Jesus laughs with the wounded and the poor and he sits at the table with the thief and the whore. It is OUR responsibility to be Jesus to those who don't know him. We shouldn't be afraid to go to those places that are seemingly unreachable. If you think that someone is too far removed from God to ever be saved, then that is EXACTLY who you need to begin a new relationship with. 

I just pray that the fire that was set in our hearts will continue to burn throughout the rest of the year. 

It is pretty simple: Experience God. Change the world......why not, right?

P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHOUT OUT TO KELSEY TRUE! woot woot! What a wonderful way to celebrate! :) 

Eden Rose Craig

I recently started working in the children's ministry at my church Temecula Hills Christian Fellowship  and I have to say, it has been THE biggest blessing. There is something so genuine about having a child-like faith and those kids are a daily inspiration to remember God as my loving Father.

Now, this little lady (my niece) is my constant reminder that God DEARLY loves us. There is absolutely NO denying that God exists when you look at this child, or any child for that matter. She is the epitome of purity and innocence and she just radiates the love and beauty of the Lord. How can you possibly look at that face and think "oh she was just an accident, a product of science, she was not divinely created?" 

OF COURSE she is a creation of the divine, we ALL are. 

Although I rarely get to see her, Eden Rose has drawn me and so many others closer to Him without her even knowing. She is another precious child of God and I cannot wait to see her grow up to know that she is LOVED. 

Who/What in YOUR life reminds you of God's unfailing, infinite love?