Crossing Over

Every time the New Years comes around it's super easy to go into reflection mode.  This past year was so not what I was expecting.  In many ways it was better than what I ever could have planned for.  And then in other ways it was a ton more painful than what I had planned for.  There were so many twists and turns in events that I almost felt like I stumbled out of 2013 in a dizzy stupor.

I knew that 2013 was going to be a year that would mark me forever.  Well that's for sure!  I guess when I thought of "being marked" I didn't picture the searing pain of my flesh being burned from being branded.  That'll most definitely leave some scar tissue.

But I find that those marks have come to make who I am.  Even though I experienced disappointment of the acutest kind, I was able to walk away with a hope filled mindset.  Even though I experienced such deep trauma while holding little girls who had been raped everyday for years, I walked away with a burning passion for God's justice.  Even though I was struck down by the fear of stepping into an unknown, unstable life of full-time ministry, I am walking into a deeper trust in my Savior than I have ever known.

So 2014...  What on earth are you going to bring?

There have been many words that have been stirring in my spirit but the one resounding theme that rings clear as a bell is... It's time to possess the land!

I love the promises of the Lord.  They are what keeps me going.  In those times that I was so tempted to throw in the towel and forget pursuing any of my life's dreams, the promises He has given me have pulled me back into the race.  But when are we going to move past the Jordan River of dream-boards and prophetic words and actually take hold of the promises?

For some reason I always pictured the Promised Land as this magical place that once you got there, all of the promises come true and you kind of live happily ever after.  Unfortunately that's not biblical.

Right before Joshua led the children of Israel across the Jordan and into the Promised Land, the Lord commanded Joshua to "be strong and courageous."  Why would they need to be strong or courageous if they were about to step into all the promises that they had been waiting for for hundreds of years?  Wasn't it going to be handed over to them in a nice envelope with "don't spend it all at once" printed neatly on top?

That picture doesn't take into account the hostile giants that live in the land, or the vicious beasts that roam around, or the fortified cities that stand in the way.  Why on earth would God allow those things to still be living in the Promised Land once His people have crossed over?

The waiting in the wilderness wasn't just God punishing the children of Israel for unbelief.  He saw that the people weren't ready to possess the land.  So for 40 years He put them through intense training, training that strengthened them.  So on the day that the Jordan River loomed in front of them, they knew that they had been in preparation not just for a dip in a rushing river; they had been prepared for a massive war that would require strength, courage and complete dependency on the Spirit's leading.

For lack of a better way to put it, I don't think God wants a bunch of brats who just get what that want. That being said, I know that He is not wanting a bunch of over-achieving, performance driven kids.  Therein lies the tension.  Sometimes all we can do is receive as sons and daughters, without doing a single thing.  And other times we need to actually fight for what we are going to receive.

For me, I have been in this perpetual waiting season - praying for the promises, waiting, resting in God's goodness, waiting, dreaming with God, waiting...

But now I am starting to hear a different tune.  The time is NOW!  Leave the wilderness behind in all it's pain and glory.  You've given your absolute yes as you crossed the great divide of fear and unbelief.  Now it's time to slay some giants and capture some fortified cities.  It's time to possess the great inheritance He has stored up for you!



Highlights from this past year:
- Going to Spanish immersion school for 2 months and getting to witness to a different "profesora" every week.
- Visiting the Waorani tribe in the Amazon (where Jim Elliot gave his life to see the gospel preached) and getting to trek through the rain forrest, do tribal dances and enjoy getting to know the beautiful Waorani people.  The Indigenous Sound of the Amazon
- Spending Valentine's Day passing out roses to prostitutes and drug dealers in Quito, Ecuador, giving love to those who don't know real love.  What is Behind Their Eyes?
- Seeing revival break out in the girl's prison in Ecuador!  Let the Caged Bird Fly & Jesus loves hanging out in prisons...
- Helping lead the Bethel missions trip in Ecuador and seeing signs and wonders break out.
- Running my first half marathon in Steamboat Springs, CO!
-  Driving cross country with my sister Grace from California to Colorado.
- Spending 2 weeks on the beach in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico with my family.  If being beach bums wasn't enough, we got to go on a sailing tour, swim with dolphins, snorkel on deserted islands, etc...
- Going to Hillside Worship Intensive in Harrisburg, PA and playing on a worship team for the first time.
- Moving to the East Coast and becoming a part of the Burn 24-7 family.
- Doing outreach in Salem, MA during the Halloween witch festival.  If you're ever in Salem during Halloween...
- Spending Christmas with my entire family.  We came in from all corners of the country!