Paris, France
It’s been quite a long time since I’ve blogged, but I’m ready to get back into it. This summer I had the opportunity to go to Paris, France on a mission trip. I know what you’re thinking, “Paris? Mission trip? Yeah right.” But I would encourage you to change your views on that. Paris is a lost, broken city that is in desperate need of the Lord. Its diversity is astounding, which makes it a great place to effectively share the gospel. Many Muslim people as well as West and North Africans make up most of the population. I was assigned to a trek group, and we were stationed in an area called Drancy, about an hour outside of Paris by metro, in a park. When you think of mission trips, generally you equate them will building a school, or working a VBS, or doing some other type of labor, but that was not the case for this trip. We spent the majority of our time prayer walking. Two or three hours everyday we would walk around our park and pray for the people, the families, plowing the ground in preparation for sowing. The ground is hard over there. Without all the prayer, we would not have been able to share the gospel with anyone. Prayer is not part of the work, it IS the work. That was impressed into us constantly on the trip. Prayer changes things. It is not something we should do half heartedly. I have never experienced the power of prayer like I did in France. There is nothing like being totally in tune with the Spirit at all times. We were able to share the gospel with many people, and most were receptive and open. When you come back from a mission trip, the main thing people want to know is how many got saved. That’s great and all, but we did not focus on this. Rather we focused on the seeds we were able to plant. We were able, through God, to place the idea of Jesus Christ in these people’s minds. That in itself is a true blessing. We can do nothing other than plant the seed and water it; God makes it grow. Everything we do is for His glory. He will be glorified no matter what. We are not needed to do His work. He is God, after all. He invites us to be a part of it. He invites us to take joy in helping Him spread His gospel to the nations. He is working in France. He was there long before we were, and He will be there always, even as we have left. This trip has changed my life. Father has changed my life, and I pray I will be going back very soon.
"No relationship is perfect, ever. There are always some ways you have to bend, to compromise, to give something up in order to gain something greater. The love we have for each other is bigger than these small differences. And that’s the key. It’s like a big pie chart, and the love in a relationship has to be the biggest piece. Love can make up for a lot."
Sarah Dessen (via internal-acceptance-movement)
(via ijustwannabeokaytoday)
I’d recommend watching this. We all need to take a step back and really look at the way we treat people.
hi there.: David. A man of inspiration.
On Saturday I was doing some street ministry as usual. David, one of our regulars whom I’ve blogged about before, was especially hammered. From what I’ve come to understand, he’s only been a drinker since he witnessed his wife’s death a few years back. He drinks when he feels like the pain is too…
(Source: photosetcxo, via ijustwannabeokaytoday)
I’m so thankful for my beautiful, lovely best friends. I just adore them so much. We really like to do photoshoots and take pictures. Here are some of them. :)
Happy Thanksgiving my fellow tumblers! Remember to give thanks to the One who is the very reason for thankfulness. God bless!
We all have a lot to be thankful for, regardless of our situation. Count your blessings before you count your struggles. God gives us so much, and we take most of it for granted. You own a pair of shoes. You have a place for shelter. We have the opportunity to get an education. We have much more than we actually need to survive. Give thanks to the One who has given all of it to us.
Letting go.
It’s a hard thing to do, giving things up. You might feel like you’ll be empty without it. Maybe a little lost. There might be a sin that you just don’t want to quit, a relationship you don’t want to break off, or maybe past regrets and pains that you can’t seem to stop thinking about. This isn’t the way it’s supposed to be. God took care of all that already. On the cross. Where Jesus shed His blood, so WE can experience true joy and peace in Him. He didn’t intend for us to live with burdens and baggage, but to be set free by the truth. I dare you to let go. To take that step out in faith and jump. He won’t let you fall.
God taught me a huge lesson this week. People come and go, but He will never leave. Even the ones you think will stay forever, don’t. Everyone will let you down at some point. That’s not something that’s easy to hear, but it’s the truth. The ones you’re the closest to will hurt you. He will get you through the pain. He is the Comforter, the Rock and the One we can always cling to. Don’t forget that. The hard times will come, and He’ll be there, waiting for us to fall into Him.
