Faith, Hope, and Love

One of my favorite times of year is Easter. It wasn't always like this. As a kid, Christmas took the cake. Decorating the tree, presents, Christmas carols and pageants. It's all joy and gladness. And Easter? It just felt a little more doom and gloom--especially on Good Friday. I mean, what's happy about The Cross? And while I learned and understood that the Sunday was coming, and the tomb would be empty... it just never felt as exciting. But, as I've grown older, I've spent time in Lenten devotionals that have really brought Easter alive for me. Spending 40 days reflecting on my sin and depravity, and truly grasping me need for Christ and His sacrifice has made Easter so special. This year, IF: Gathering, which hosts one of my favorite devotional resources, launched a study on the Nicene Creed at the beginning of Holy Week. Initially, I felt it was ill-timed. Every other study was going through a real-time journey to the Cross and Resurrection, and they wan...

I've started to think about them often-- Beatrice and Scovia . They are the two Esther Home Girls that are sponsored through IF: Gathering and who I'll get to meet when I'm in Rwanda in July . I don't remember if I gave to the campaign that allowed their dreams to go to college possible, and so I've browsed through the small profiles/update we've been given , hoping to come up with gifts that can bring with me. Maybe a scarf? Or a set of my favorite colored pens? Maybe those things would be too small, too trivial? I don't know. And then I hear insecurity whisper: Maybe everything you have to offer will be too small, too trivial. Not just to the girls, but on the whole trip. And I tremble with fear. By nature, I am a pretty cautious person. I don't like to take risks, and any adventures I embark on are generally strongly vetted (or are only adventures because I finally decided to actually step outside  my home). But God has been nudging me...

Dear Family and Friends, In February, I participated in a women’s conference called IF: Gathering. The theme this year was all about faith—if God is real, then what? If I believe in His word, then what? If I trust that He is good, how do I respond? At the end of the week, we were asked to think about our “next step of faith” and offered different ways for us to actively live out our faith. One of those ways was through a mission trip to work alongside Africa New Life Ministries in Rwanda. Rwanda is a small but densely populated country nestled in East Africa. During the 20th century, Rwanda reached a height of violence in the 1994 Genocide. Now, over 20 years since the Genocide, Rwanda has and continues to demonstrate to the world the power of reconciliation and forgiveness. Africa New Life Ministries is a child sponsorship organization that provides a comprehensive level of care to the students, ministering to both physical and spiritual needs as well as focusing on the comm...

As I mentioned in an earlier post , I'm totally playing catch-up on a lot of the resources the IF:Gathering has on their website (I bought their conference webcast stuff and still haven't sat down to watch any of it yet). While doing this, I fell upon this spoken word piece by Amena Brown Owen and Ann Voskamp .   Can I just say, "Window to my soul?" Fear that I'll never move past my past... That I'll never be perfect, that I'll never be worth it, that I'll never be enough... Tug of war between my fear and my calling... Fear is my chain... He is second chances... His love never runs out... His love is looking for me. So who would I be, if I wasn't afraid? Where ever He takes me, He is always the Comforter. To take the weight on my backs and offer it back to the Savior... that my life may be chiseled by his pen. Who would I be? And what would I do?

So I've been doing a great job keeping up with the IF:Gathering's devotional through Acts. It's been great being able to read through other women's comments and see what God is revealing through them in the Scriptures. Today's passage really got be thinking as I prepare for India . No one is too far gone to be redeemed by Christ. And not that these girls have done anything that makes them unworthy of redemption, but I think about their moms, the people who work and build the Red Light District, the families that shun and push them out... even they are capable of being redeemed. I think about a brothel owner who turns to Christ, shuts down her brothel and makes it a house a prayer to welcome and serve the women in The District. I think about pastors with tattoos and piercings, women who have been in prison... Their story doesn't discount them. In fact, perhaps their history and their past makes them an even stronger witness of the gospel. Anyway... just so...

Over the course of fifty-five days, the IF:Gathering lead women through the book of John with their IF:Equip initiative. We read a passage from the Bible and then ask/answer these three questions: If this is true, then what does it say about God? About you? About the world? They end each reading with a video of some awesome ladies sharing their own thoughts about that particular passage. I did a horrible job keeping up with the readings. In general, I do a horrible job about having a consistent, meaningful time meditating on His word. Something I'm working on--I get e-mail devotions, I'm part of a Bible study group, I carry my Bible in my purse at all times--but I still suck at consistency. With that being said, IF:Equip has wrapped up the book of John and is now moving on to the book of Acts (which my church just finished walking through over the last two years. Might be interested to read through it again and listen to insight from a different perspectives). So, I d...