Border Run

This past weekend I had the great opportunity to go to Mexico with my church, Bethany Church. The trip was called Border Run, which it in deed was a border run. We left for Mexico on Friday morning and returned Sunday afternoon. A very quick trip, hence the run part. We worked with a ministry called Genesis Diaz, which has been a ministry that Bethany has been helping out with for years. The whole group of people consisted for 81 people. We brought construction workers, a doctor/dental team and people to help run a carnival.

The construction workers worked on a house that was bought in the city of Ensenada, to use for children with disabilities that had all the things to help them in there everyday life. A few days before the trip we found out that Genesis Diaz still had not closed on the sale for the house that we had a whole team of construction workers ready to get started on fixing the house. Thankfully we got a call on Thursday informing us that they had closed on the house and that it would be ready for work right when we go there. Praise the Lord! The men worked on the house right when we got there Friday and all day Saturday. We were able to see the house before we left on Sunday and they had done a lot.

The doctor/dental team worked in the clinic that Genesis Diaz had started in Ensenada. The nurses did check ups and prescribed medicine. The dentists were able to check teeth and fix whatever needed to be fixed. They were able to see a lot of people. Some of the ladies were also able to paint some women's hands and really pamper them while they waited. Something that very rarely happens to these women.

The rest of the people which consisted of a lot of Junior Highers, Junior High staff and some other people in the bethany church family, put on a carnival for some of the locals that lived near the Ranch where we stayed. In the morning the Junior Highers were paired off with a Mexican kid which we referred to as ninos and they were told to stay with them all day. No matter where they went or wanted to go there job was to love on there nino. They did a great job. The rest of the people were in charge of running the games and passing out candy. In the afternoon we had lunch then some people acted out a story. Then they kids were able to do crafts or play games like soccer or basketball. They had a ton of fun making things. After all the crafts and games we had a pinata which was a good idea until the first girl who hit it, hit it down causing a little bit of chaos. But after all was said and done it was a good day and the ninos went home with candy, crafts and memories from the day.

Later that night we were able to break up into to groups and go visit the homes of the ninos and bring them food. It was so interesting to see where they lived and how they lived a little. It definitely cause to to yet again be shown how blessed I am. It's funny that just a few days ago I was crying on the phone to my dad saying, "I don't know what I'm going to do next." I remember his reply. He asked, "do you have a roof over your head?, Do you have enough food?, Do you have gas in your car? You are blessed" This really just showed me again that I am VERY BLESSED!

As I look back over the last couple of days that I was in Mexico I think about the things that have happened and the things that I have been reminded of, because there were a few. First was the realization that Satan will do whatever he can to get you to go against God. Before we left I was not really feeling the trip. I didn't really want to go to Mexico because I felt I had other things to do that were more important. God for sure changed that right when I arrived. The other things in my life weren't important right then. But sharing HIS love was. Not only to the people in Mexico but the people on my team. Another thing the happened on this trip was that I got to meet all new kinds of people that are part of the Bethany Family. It was a lot of fun and they are going to be people that I can share the memories of Mexico with and also now we are friends and you can never have too many friends. While in Mexico I was reminded that life's not easy BUT it is a lot easier knowing that God is on your side and he has a plan for me. It's funny I say that a lot and yet I learn the lesson once again. And yet again I say Praise The Lord for that!

Whatever God did through this trip was for sure awesome. Things in my life have definitely changed a bit and I am glad for that. I pray that God will always keep me falling to my knees because it's where I find that HE is the one who can pick me up. Praise the Lord for that!

Great Words from Papa Krake

I was reading in Ephesians 4 this morning. Paul writes in 4:22-23 that we,
believers, have already "put off your old self" and already have "put on the
new self". It appears that both of these actions are commands and are in the
past tense.

The dilema for me is that I look at my own life through my eyes and I see
the "old self" staring back at me in the mirror of my mind. But God's Word
says that I AM the new self that was created by God. What does this all mean
to us today?

Well first we must chose whether or not we are going to believe God's Word
or my view of my life as seen through my eyes.

Second, since I chose to believe God's Word I do not see the events and my
actions today, or yesterday for that matter, as anything more than God at
work doing that which is best for me.

Remember that Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote that "for those who
love God ALL things work together for good."

So my encouragement for you today is to keep looking for God's activity. You
can depend on our Almighty God.

-Dad

My Identity

Tonight I took some time for me. I decided that I was going to walk down to 2nd street and go to starbucks and read my new Lauren Conrad novel. (Don't hate, She's a good writer) I walked the long way down there to find the first starbucks to be closed. I really was looking forward to my short toffee nut latte so I proceeded to continue down 2nd street to see if the other one was open. To my relief it was. And it was a nice one. I walked in and ordered my drink and took a seat by a the window facing the street. All the comfy chairs were taken so I had to suck it up and sit at the stools by the window. Ordinarily this wouldn't be a problem but tonight I wanted to read my book and enjoy my coffee not really worry or watch people. But inevitably we all know what happened. I put my book down after about 10 pages and did one of the things I do best. I watched people and analyzed.

It's one of my favorite things to do. People watching. I love to look at people and based off of what they look like and what they are doing I try to figure out there life. It's quite entertaining if you ask me. People watching is an art that is only done well in certain places. This starbucks in the midst of 2nd street was prime people watching territory. These are some of the people I came across.

1. two men who seemed to be a little off. they sat on the benches right in front of me. It was a little weird because when I say right in front of me that's really what I mean. If the window between us wasn't there it would seem that we were disturbing each others personal space. One of the men looked like a had been a little roughed up in his like. He wore thick rimmed glasses, a trucker hat that he pulled down to right above his eyes and he had a long silver beard. He was rather short but slender. The other man man was a larger man who was wearing shorts and a hawaiian button-up shirt. He was drinking a grande green tea latte frap. They seemed to be friends.

2. A man pulled up right in front of the starbucks with a large truck. When I saw large I mean that I would have to heave myself with a little jump to get into this thing, or at least have a decent size stepping stool. The truck barely fit into the parking space. The man looked like he was a business man with a good amount of money but me wore shorts, collared shirt and a hoodie. I'm guessing this was his afterwork hang out clothes. After he parked, very carefully I might add, he walked around the car so he was on the side walk in front of where I was sitting and he seemed to be talking to the two other men. He open one of the doors of the truck and pulled out a big box and brought it over to the men and set it down in between the two men. It seemed like they all knew each other or they were all very friendly guys. The man started going through the stuff with them and throwing some stuff away and giving them others. This man seemed like one of those people who had a family and a busy life and but this was part of his way of giving back and loving the people of Long Beach. Not that he was trying to change the whole world but just get to know some of the people in his city. I would love to say that this man was a Christian and he was just trying to love on these guys but i'm not sure if this was the case. I hope and pray that it was though. The best way of sharing Jesus is by showing his love.

3. Next to add to our group of friends we had the officers. One was a short asian man and the other was a tall african american man. Both of them were wearing what looked like normal officer gear on top but I noticed that the asian officer was wearing JEANS! Light washed jeans. I was amazed and confused. Then I noticed that the other officer was wearing jeans too but just a dark wash. I was giggling so hard in my head and trying to keep it from coming out. I also noticed that just under where the pin that said the officers names it said GANG ENFORCEMENT. I giggled at that as well. Have you even seen that? Then I started to think I wonder if the reason that they were wearing jeans was because they were just in undercover stuff and they didn't want to change there pants so they kept them on. What if they just took down the largest gang in Long Beach and now they were on a break for the night. You never know.

What I found funny about these men was that although they didn't know each other that didn't stop them from talking for about 45 minutes or more. I don't know what they were talking about but I can imagine it was just on life stuff. These men were all from very different walks of life but it didn't matter. They had there coffee and and were just chatting away.

4. Two ladies walked by and they looked like they just got back from a club. My guess is that they were at one of the many bars along the 2nd street strip. When they walked by the guys they talked to the african american officer like he was famous or something. They shook his hand and were flirting it up. I was so confused. Then after about a minute they walked away. It was the strangest thing.

5. The last pair of people I would like to share with you were they two dudes. They were both african american but one was short like my height of shorter and the other one was a least 7 foot. He was a huge brotha. What I found interesting was the shorter on was wearing baby phat clothes that fit him super huge and the larger guy wore nicely fitting clothes. I came tothis conclusion. The shorter guy was trying to make up for his size by trying to be all ghetto and wearing cloths that were obviously too big for him. He was sort of saying, "Come try and touch me, I'll take you out." As oppose to the taller guy who could say the same thing but he doesn't even need to because we all know you are an idiot if you tried. He would murder you with like one hand.

The thing that stood out for me tonight as I was watching people and analyzing or judging them was that everyone puts there identity in something. Weather it's there clothes, belongings, there job, friends or home. For me I find that I but my belonging, my identity in helping others. In what I can do for them. And I don't say this to make make myself sound better than anybody but I say it that that is what is hurting me. I identify myself with helping others when i should be identifying myself as a daughter of the king, as God's girl and as a follower of Jesus Christ. My identity should be found in Him. This is something that it took my roommate, Misty, who let me cry my problems to her to say that I need to find my identity in Christ. She told me to go on a walk, do something that gave me alone time with God.

At the time the first thing I thought to do was go over to my piano and play. And I did. Then I picked up my guitar. It was so awesome to feel God through music. After a time of my being alone with God I decided to talk a walk and get some coffee. I took the most relaxing and fun walk down to the 2nd street Starbucks. I listened to my worship on the way down the street at I looked out onto the ocean. I made it to Starbucks and this is where I met these interesting people. So in short I say that I know my identity is in Christ and it took me trying to figure out other people's identity's to truly figure out what mine is. I am God's girl. He's got my back. It's good to know!

Music.

For me, Music has always been a way to express myself. I find when I'm doing my music it's when I'm the most vulnerable. It's the place where I'm not fully confident to share with the world. But that's not why I think God gave me the ability to play music just to express myself. I think he also gave it to me as a way to take with him and to worship him. Like I said I'm vulnerable with my music and that exactly where God wants me when I come to Him. I need to give everything to Him. He wants my hopes, my fears, and my dreams. He wants to be my everything.

So like I said music is my way to express myself and also my way to come before an Almighty God. This song was written by Tim Hughes who has written many great songs. It is my prayer today.

Everything

God in my living
There in my breathing
God in my waking
God in my sleeping

God in my resting
There in my working
God in my thinking
God in my speaking

Be my everything
Be my everything
Be my everything
Be my everything

God in my hoping
There in my dreaming
God in my watching
God in my waiting

God in my laughing
There in my weeping
God in my hurting
God in my healing

Christ in me
Christ in me
Christ in me the hope of glory
You are everything

Christ in me
Christ in me
Christ in me the hope of glory
Be my everything.