Being Tested

Wow, has God tested me today. If you recall my entry on March 1, 2007, I wrote about needing to have plans, but remembering that it is still all about God.

Well, that is easy to say about the Mission Trip, however, in my classroom that seems like a different story. And I realized that today. I know it is the week before a break and the end of the quarter........so I don't want to end in the middle of a subject.....so I attempted to get it all in. And when it seemed like things weren't going 'my' way......well, I began to laugh and remembered my words and knew the Lord was testing me.

Funny thing of course is the way He confirmed, as HE ALWAYS does, to me. I was reading Our Daily Bread for tomorrow, tonight, and it took me to Psalm 66: 1-10.

Hmmm, verse 10: For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver. Of course, I took the 'us' and changed it to 'me'. He could not have spoken more clearly to my thoughts of the day.

God continued to bless through the words written in ODB: Sometimes our plans break down and our efforts fall short. When things happen that we can't control, we must "keep on travelin'" and remember where the real power for godly living and true praise comes from. When our efforts falter, we need to keep praising and lifting up Jesus. It's all about Him anyway. --Dave Branon.

Psalm 66: 4- All the earth shall worship You and sing praises to You.

A student even shared Psalm 24: 1 with me today: The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.

Thus, He reminded me again that everything is all about HIM.

"Country Roads....."

This was the opening page of our new Social Studies chapter today:

"Almost Heaven, West Virginia
Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River.
Life is old there, older than the trees,
Younger than the mountains, growing like a breeze."

from the song "Take Me Home, Country Roads," written by John Denver and Bill & Taffy Danoff.

Wait a minute, I just heard that song recently and wouldn't it be cool to have my students listen to it. There arose the problem.......how do I find it here in Korea. I recently heard it when my friend, John, was sharing about our friend, Eric, during Eric's homegoing service. Since it was recorded, I thought I would share their (Eric & John's) singing along with the song.

My kids, loved it and were touched. So John and Eric, thank you! You were used by God to move in my students' hearts. It was a God Moment for us.

Provision

Today at Church, someone shared about their adoption of a little girl from Russia. His wife had shared her testimony at an earlier women's event. He shared how it has been God's Provision throughout the whole process, that God had put a call into their lives and also said that HE would provide, so that the Glory could be HIS.

Genesis 22:14: So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided."

I wanted to write about this because it was a reminder that God always does provide. We just need to trust Him with and for everything. I needed this after the week I just had.

By hearing both of them share at different times was a blessing from God to me and a reminder that if God has called me to or spoken something to me, HE WILL PROVIDE all that I need for HIS PURPOSE in it to be complete. He is true to HIS PROMISES, though they all don't come in my timing..........It is ALWAYS HIS TIMING and HIS WAY!!!!

This was just a confirmation after spending time with the Lord yesterday and reading this in "God Calling" tonight: 'Listen, listen, I am your Lord. Before Me there is none other. Just trust Me in everything. Help is here all the time. The difficult way is nearly over, but you have learnt in it lessons you could learn in no other way......Such wonderful things are coming to you, Joy--Peace--Assurance--Security--Health--Happiness--Laughter. Claim big, really big, things now. Remember, nothing is too big. Satisfy the longing of My Heart to give. Blessing, abundant blessing, on you now and always. Peace.'

I'll end there though I would also love to write about my time with my roommate Saturday morning and our discussion about me still being single. She had asked a question about it and it turned into a talk about 'Being' instead of 'Doing'. That is all I think I'll say about it. It was just an awesome time spent meeting the Risen Christ with her, and a good reminder of God's provision for me. Praise Jesus!!

Needing God

Tonight I am needing God so much......I am soooo alone in this place. Just when I was calling out to HIM so desperately and seeking HIM with the only part of me I have left, HE did what He has done so often since I came to this place. HE spoke directly to my heart with just the words I needed to hear.

I started to read my Bible and then of course, my two devotionals. It was as if HE was sitting right here next to me speaking the words I needed to hear. What a comfort, a reminder of how great HIS love is.

I'd love to write out both devotionals, but I will only share this little part of "God Calling" for March 14, titled 'God's Touch':

You do not know all that this time of converse with Me will mean to you. Did not My servant Isaiah say, "They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint."

Interesting , that was a verse shared at our mission meeting today after school by one of the students.

CCS Mission Team

Please Pray as we prepare to GO!

Thailand, March 23 to March 30.


back to front: Mr. Jon Nuefeld, Alec, and Philip
Miss Gretchen Cashion, Claire, and Jk
Miss Kimie Morton, Yurie, Jisoo, and Miss Glauce
Miso, YeJin, and Charlie
Missing: Min Young, Joesph, and Abby

1 John 4:19 We LOVE because HE first LOVED us.

We will be in Phang Nga, Thailand working with Burmese refugees. If you want to learn a little more about the ministry you can click on this:
CALVARY CHAPEL BAN NAAM KHEM.

All that I can.....

David Crowder sings a song that says: This is all that I can say right now. And I know it's not much, but it is all that I can give. And that's my everything.

So why during morning devotions do others say it is hard to get the kids to give their everything, or to motivate them to? Is it because they have not given HIM their everything? Friday, I just wanted to cry out during devotions, to say as teachers it is our jobs to motivate them; to show, lead, guide them into giving their everything!! However, if we can't model it for them, then how can we expect it from them.

It reminds me when I worked with the youth group, we always said that you could never take someone farther than you had already been in your own walk.

Speaking of youth, I think God is speaking to my heart. I don't know what this is going to look like, but I believe working with youth is in my future. See I know how God speaks to me though it is different at times, I still know.

First, being flooded with memories of my time at Christ Church with the youth group. Then, spending a weekend with my friend's cheer squad. Plus, preparing to take some of our students on a mission trip to Thailand. And most recent, receiving an email from a girl who was at Teen Impact the summer of 2002 when I was a camp counselor. Not to mention, how worked up I get when the staff continues to put down instead of build up our kids.

I know HE is speaking and preparing my heart. I just don't know what it will look like or how it will come to be. It will be interesting to see how all this fits into HIS bigger plan for my journey.

Until then, I will continue to give HIM my EVERYTHING!!!! After all it really is all I have to say or give right now in this 'present' moment.

Sharing a Message

Today was our first meeting with the students going on the mission trip and I was asked to share. Sharing a message is something I have NOT done in a really long time. Sure I teach lessons and my students (both now and past) will say I preach every day, but this kind of sharing I haven't done in a long time.

I chose to speak on Matthew 9:37-38 The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore to send out workers into his harvest field.

I also found this and read it to them:

Go in the Power the Lord will provide you,
Led by the Spirit each day,
You can not fail on the mission He sends you
GO then, no longer delay
--Peterson 1962

The two students that were asked to share a devotion too, shared from Matthew 28: 19-20 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
GO!

Mission Trip

I am excited about this opportunity that God has placed before me to take 10 of the students on a mission trip to Thailand. Today, the three other teachers and myself met for 5 hours discussing and planning things for before and during the trip.

I know that we need to have plans, but I kept trying to remind the others that it has to be all about God. That He is the one whom has a plan in all of this. He is the one who has called the four of us and the students. He knew before any of us existed that we would be going on this trip (Psalm 139). He knows. Can it be possible to have too much Faith or Trust in HIM?

I remember Summer Jubilee '98, we had everything planned out. However, God took us in a totally different direction. If we were not open to hear Him direct us, we would have missed out on His bigger plan. It wasn't about what we wanted, it had to be about what He wanted.

Again, I know we need to have a direction. I just hope we can step aside and seize each moment for what God makes and wants it to be.