Alpha Weekend and Metamorphosis

Last weekend was so amazing! I attended a weekend conference at my church for the Youth Group Alpha Course. It was life changing. I and every one else there were given so many words and empowered to break free from chains holding them down for so long! I was one of those people.

I have struggled with addiction for so long, and last Wednesday at Youth Group was the beginning of the end of my addiction; I got prayer from the youth pastor for my addiction. I am on day 7 out of 21 to try and break bad habits and even though I am struggling, God is with me every step of the way!

On the weekend away I received a vision in a prayer session intended to pray and hopefully bring on spiritual gifts through praying for anointing from God. This vision was of a dying tree in the desert, with a black Raven perched on it and a dried-up well at its base. At the well was a woman in tattered black clothing crying and lying on the ground. Ahead of her, a man was walking away from her into a cloud of dust.

I didn't know what the image meant or why God had given it to me, but I wrote it down in the journal the Alpha leaders had given to all the students. I then prayed to God and asked him to explain the image or give me the spiritual gift of interpretation. He didn't do either of those things, but he told me to continue on my Bible reading plan through the book of John.

I came to the story about Jesus, when he speaks with the Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob. Jesus talks about how the woman will be thirsty if she keeps drinking from that well, but if she drinks from God's well, she will never thirst again and will have everlasting life!

The vision I had received suddenly made sense and actually had such an impact on my life. I wrote this down in my journal along with my observation and application of the scripture I had read. I then got prayer from the leaders of Alpha who were running the show. I got many words from them, one from Veronica, which was "The Richness is in the Water". This had an impact on me as well ( I will explain how these things impacted me soon) and Steve, Veronica's husband, also was given a word that I was to be a mighty Spiritual Warrior.

When I returned to my seat, I started to cry because I realized just how good God was; I have been having such hardship with my addiction that I had been going to the world's well to try and fill a void that could only be filled by God. I was so happy about the word and it has been constantly in my life as I try to break my addiction with God's help.

"The Richness is in the Water" applied to me because in the past, when faced with temptation, I have been told by God to run to him, but I would weigh the idea that God's ways were truly what I needed. I would question God as to if there were some other thing I could do, when all I needed to do was rely on his word and prayer. The richness is in the water means to me that everything in this world is empty and will not give me what I truly want, only God can do that.

Steve's word also had a profound effect on me because I often struggle with being who I am called to be in Christ because I am worried others will look down on me. I have had the spiritual gifts of tongues since I was four years old, and I have driven three demons out of people that I have encountered in my life. I in no way mean this to sound high and mighty, I am just saying that this was an accurate word in my opinion. Since the weekend ended, I have had confidence to pray over so many more people and I feel that I am more ready to defend myself with God's armor.

I have been reading the Bible every single day since last Wednesday, and I feel so much more free. Thanks for reading and please, if God tells you something even if you think it unimportant, act on it. I did, and it has made all the difference in the last 7 days. 7, a number of completion, times 3 (the trinity) equals 21, the amount of days it takes to break a habit. God bless you all.

Growing Pains

Recently, the missionaries from my church (Holly & Teni Niu) came to visit from their home in Taiwan to share about all the wonderful things they do for people there. They inspire me so much! They live with so little, praying to God every day that the money for basic needs will come to them, while moving all across the island of Taiwan to mission to those who have lost their way or have never heard the great name of Jesus.

They inspire me when they come to visit not only because I would love to be involved in missions at some point in my life, but because they inspire me to reach out and mission to the people around me, here in my home. I don't have to go to Taiwan or Africa to be a missionary, because reaching out to the person I sit next to and eat lunch with every day is just as big!

While listening to them speak at our Youth Group, we were given a great display of how they combine culture from so many different places and present God in an understandable way. Teni practices a Maori Warrior Dance, he bends metal bars, tears phone books, and uses these incredible feats of strength to show us and the people of Taiwan the Lord's love for us.

I WANNA DO THAT! And I realized that I can! I look around me today and I see so many people who are lost, alone, afraid, struggling, and unhappy, because they have a bunch of stuff clogging up the waterway to God. I am one of those people, but I realized, that if I do mission to the people around me, then I have made a difference. A difference that impacts not only that person, but it has brought me closer to God and taken me out of my comfort zone.

I like comfort, I like a plan that gives me some reassurance, and I don't like doing things that take me out of my comfort zone. I, however, have realized that sooner or later, God is gonna get me out of the comfort zone so I can do what is truly right for my life.

I recently started a group on the crafting website called Ravelry. A group for Christians to talk with one another, share their crafts, and to pray for one another. I was horribly nervous about doing it, afraid no one would join, but we have a ton of members now! I realized that I felt my efforts would be useless, but I prayed and said, "God, let your will happen" and did it anyway because I felt that it was what Jesus wanted me to do and that it was what Jesus would have done.

One person makes all the difference, I know it doesn't seem that way. But if you are kind, loving, or share your faith in friendship with someone, then they may do that to someone too, and then the cycle may just continue until there is a huge crowd of those who have been awoken by Jesus!

I am considering starting a little bible study within my youth group, to further step out of my comfort zone and to spread Jesus as far as I can and to strengthen the faith of myself and my friends. I hope that everyone who reads this will ask God what they can do to do the same, God bless you and thanks for reading!

enjoy my latest project, on my brand-spankin'-new spinning wheel! hand spun yarn is so purtty!

Paint With All The Colors of the Wind

I have been listening to the soundtrack of Disney's Pocahontas; okay I have been listening obsessively for the last few days. But it has really gotten me thinking... As I listened to Pocahontas' signature song "Paint With All The Colors of the Wind" I began to really take in and memorize the lyrics, realizing how much they were correct. In case you haven't heard it in a while or don't know the lyrics, I will post them and mean no copyright infringement by this.

 You think I'm an ignorant savage
And you've been so many places
I guess it must be so
But still I cannot see
If the savage one is me
How can there be so much that you don't know?
You don't know ...

You think you own whatever land you land on
The Earth is just a dead thing you can claim
But I know every rock and tree and creature
Has a life, has a spirit, has a name

You think the only people who are people
Are the people who look and think like you
But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger
You'll learn things you never knew you never knew

Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon
Or asked the grinning bobcat why he grinned?
Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains?
Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?
Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?

Come run the hidden pine trails of the forest
Come taste the sun-sweet berries of the Earth
Come roll in all the riches all around you
And for once, never wonder what they're worth

The rainstorm and the river are my brothers
The heron and the otter are my friends
And we are all connected to each other
In a circle, in a hoop that never ends

How high will the sycamore grow?
If you cut it down, then you'll never know
And you'll never hear the wolf cry to the blue corn moon

For whether we are white or copper skinned
We need to sing with all the voices of the mountains
We need to paint with all the colors of the wind

You can own the Earth and still
All you'll own is Earth until
You can paint with all the colors of the wind

They are very beautiful and enlightening, and I can't help but notice how alike these words are to what God teaches us. He told us in Genesis to be proper stewards of the earth and care for it. He taught us to live with each other in peace and unison under him. He taught us to love all despite color of skin, beliefs, or their sins. As Pocahontas talks about John Smith's "savage behavior" she states "you think the only people who are people, are the ones who look and think like you. But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger, you will learn things you never knew you never knew". 

I feel like society, myself included, can often cast judgement from our standpoint. Many times I have looked at a homeless person and just seen them as a hopeless person that was on drugs or addicted to alcohol or some other thing like that. However if we walk in their footsteps, we will often see that they may be addicted to alcohol because they lost someone they loved and didn't know how to handle it and so became an alcoholic. Maybe they weren't a worthless worker, maybe they worked hard in life and they still got laid off because of budget problems at their work.

She also says "We are all connected to each other in a circle, in a hoop that never ends". Sometimes it is hard to realize that all humans are connected and are part of one world of humans under the influence of God, though we live as if we are divided. Which in many ways we are, like religion and politics. But God teaches us to love and share with each other and to be kind to all. After listening to this song and realizing that I have been told to do this by Jesus, I am going to try and do everything I can to be a good steward, to be kind to everyone I meet. I am going to share the riches of the earth with everyone who wants them. 

Painting with all the colors of the wind can be hard, but if we do all the things listed above and keep to them, we will be doing just that! Painting with all the colors means to not leave anything out, don't exclude and turn some away while accepting others we are more comfortable with. If we love all, embrace all, are kind to all, and share with all, we will paint with all the colors of the wind.

Dorothy Had It Right

Many times I have wondered, "what is on the other side of the rainbow?" but I never got a real answer. I fear that we, as humans, will never understand just what is on the other side. All we can do is follow in Dorothy's example and dream of the wonders that await us. For her, there lies a paradise where she escapes all the sadness and problems of the world. For some, it may be a place where there is no pain. For some, it is a place where there is peace and safety from harm.

As a Christian, I can only imagine the wonders that await me on the other side. I imagine it is a place where there is no pain, no suffering, no tears, no death, and above all, no sin. I believe that God has promised this to me, and I can't wait.

recently, I began feeding the birds by scattering bird seed around my yard and I also placed little groups of peanuts around for the squirrel that lives in the forest around our house. A few hours later, I glanced outside the window and saw a large flock of pale gray winter birds hopping around the yard pecking at the ground and the squirrel was running around finding the peanuts I had put out for him.

As I watched, a group of Robins flew in and began scaring off the little winter birds and eating all the food. The winter birds flew up into the trees to await a few pieces of seeds in order to sate their appetite once the robins were finished. After a while though, it seemed as though karma caught up with the Robins and a flock of Blue Jays came in and scared them off to begin feeding.

As the blue birds chirped happily, a lone winter bird glided down to the ground and began eating. The blue birds did nothing and let him eat. Soon enough, a few more winter birds came down and began eating, and a few more, until nearly all the winter birds were feeding along side the large and intimidating Blue Jays.

Now you are probably wondering why the heck I am talking about birds eating, but I feel like this is a great analogy of what God does for us through his son Jesus. Satan and other people around us are constantly putting us down through stealing, murdering, bullying, and many other methods. Many times we feel as if there is now hope and we run away to where we feel safest; our homes, a quiet or secret place, your church, or anywhere you feel protected from the outside world.

However, it is to my understanding that we as Christians do not need to run away from challenges and threats that surround us. All we need to do is realize that God will fight away evil from our path and will stay with us and protect us, just like the Blue Jays did for the small winter birds. We can also seek guidance from God to help prevent evil from hurting others through showing love, kindness, and gentleness. Jesus taught us to do all of this things in the Sermon of the Mount, and I believe that on the other side of the rainbow, all will behave this way and we will constantly be kept under the gentle wing of our father.

I think that in 'The Wizard of Oz' Dorothy, a poor farm girl from Kansas who is oppressed by a witch of a woman and sometimes her own Auntie M, had it right when she began to dream about what might be over the rainbow. She may not have had the best attitude at times (no one ever does) but I believe we should always follow in her footsteps and dream about the better place that awaits us somewhere over the rainbow.