So today is our last day. I definitely do not want to wake up this morning. I want to stay here for another week, or more. Of course, Haiti had a nice going-away gift for me. Rather than waking up naturally that morning, I was awoken rather abruptly. There was a cockroach crawling on my face. Just wonderful… I attempted to swat it off my face, and in doing so, I almost fell of the bed. I got it off my face and thought the coast was clear. I hopped back into bed to try and catch a couple more minutes of sleeping. As I close my eyes, I feel the same roach crawling on my torso. This time I was sure to knock it to the floor. And although I wanted more sleep, my heart was already racing and there was no chance I would fall back asleep. So, I finished my packing and began preparing myself for the trip back home.

I thought back to a devotional I had the first day of our trip. I read Isaiah 58 and came across these verses:

Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

⁸ Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

⁹ Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

¹⁰ and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.

¹¹ The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.

¹² Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

I thought it was such an approprite promise for our time in Haiti. I was a bit skeptical when I first read it. But after seeing the Lord’s Hand in everything we did and seeing how faithful He was for absolutely everything, I couldn’t help be feel such peace before God. And I am sure if someone wanted to be critical, you could make an argument that this passage is taken out of context and whatnot. However, I think the Lord chose this passage to deliver a promise to our team. The Lord will guide us always. Our light will shine in the darkness and be like noonday. The part about the well-watered garden reminded me of the passage in Psalm 1, about the tree planted by streams of water.

All in all, reading this passage again on my final day in Haiti helped to reassure me that our work was not in vain. Because that is something Satan uses to discourage you… or least that is what he did with me. I found myself questioning the impact I really made:

Sure, we fed many kids, but they will just wake up hungry again tomorrow.

Yes, you  did distribute a bunch of shoes, but they’ll be broken again in a couple of months.

Of course you made a strong connections to the kids in the orphanage, but they are still young, in a couple months they’ll forget all about you.

The devil used all these things to discourage. And I’m not going to lie, it did work some. But the Lord, in His soveriegnty, reminded me of this passage and His wonderful promises. The work we did down there was not in vain. (… and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.) At the very least we were messengers of His love and that is sufficient. People were once in darkness but will now be rejoicing in light as a result of this missions trip.

We ate breakfast that morning but I didn’t have much of an appetite. Once I was ready to go, I headed downstairs to spend the last couple minutes with Kevin. He was still sleeping when I went, but woke up right before we left. I carried him for maybe five minutes. We didn’t say a word to each other. Then Christa said it was time to leave. I thought I would make it without crying. But as I put him down and said goodbye, I could help but cry a little. I told him I would miss him. Then I gave him my nametag and wrote his name on it. I hope that could become something small to remember me by. One more quick hug and I was in the truck, ready to go.

Thank God arriving back in the US was not a problem. The flight was delayed by a couple hours, but we made it back home and everyone was picked up promptly.

One night, during our devotional, someone made that comment that you always leave Haiti empty-handed. Without fail, you leave a small piece of your heart behind. When I first heard it, I couldn’t help but chuckle. I thought it was funny and I definitely think it was true. But after making it back home and reflecting over the entire week, I must confess that I was wrong. That statement is undoubtedly true. There is a piece of my heart in Haiti. And now that will force me to go back…

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Kevin and me on the way back from the beach

This is our last full day at the orphanage. The only plans we have are to take the kids to a local beach and enjoy their company. I am certainly looking forward to that. But first… I’ve got cooking duty for the morning.

Sonia and Marsha helped me out with the preparations, but I was able to do the bulk of the cooking. The team wanted some French Toast for breakfast, so that is what I made! And I’m not gonna lie, it came out delicious. We topped them with cinnamon, walnuts and maple syrup. Oh so good!

After breakfast, we were able to spend the morning hanging out the kids. The first kid I saw was Kevin. He actually sent some other kids upstairs to bring me down to hang out with him.The first thing he did was fold over part of his shorts and showed me his underwear with a huge smile. He was so happy, so I gave him a big hi-five. Later, I played some basketball with the kids, I pushed some others on the swings, I threw some of them up and down, I spun others, I roughhoused with some and of course, I carried some of them on my shoulders. By lunchtime I was ready for a nap lol. But I couldn’t because I had to prepare lunch for the crew. Thankfully, since it was our last day, that required me heating up some of our leftovers. But I also made some extravagant macaroni and cheese which tasted superb, might I add!

After lunch, I was able to sneak a nap in, but that was sort of unexpected. One of the kids upstairs was getting fussy and wanted to catch some quick shut-eye. I picked him and he fell asleep on my shoulders. I then sat down in a chair and fell asleep myself. It wasn’t exactly the most comfortable of positions, but it did the job.

Shortly after, we made our way to the beach. I had to beg them to let Kevin go to the beach. Apparently he was too young or something. But I pleaded with Austin (the man in charge) and he let Kevin slide in as long as I promised I would keep an eye on him at all times. And because Kevin pretty much only wanted to be with me, that was a breeze!

On our way over, I had to sit in the back of the 15-passenger van, while Kevin sat in the last row. I remember placing my hand on the arm rest of the bench he was on and he quickly grabbed it. Although I couldn’t see him or sit next to him, he still held my hand while we were separated. That was a very special moment for me, one that I will never forget.

We finally arrived at the beach after an uncomfortable ride in the back of the van. But the view made up for it. The beach was breathtaking. You could look out into the horizon and see the ocean with mountains in the backdrop. Such a magnificent sight. We also had the opportunity to go snorkeling. Although I got a little seasick and hurt my foot by accidentally kicking some coral rock, it was still a pretty neat experience. I am glad it only cost five bucks though lol.

The beach was excellent, but if I had one critical flaw… there was no sand! Replace the sand with rocks. Everywhere sand should have been, there was rocks. It was brutal. It was impossible for me to walk on it without cringing and wincing with every step. I was able to manage by wearing my flip-flops, but even then it hurt. It gave me a very interesting perspective, however. Those kids were able to walk on the rocks like nothing. It seemingly didn’t even phase them. Their feet were already accustomed to the rough terrain. They had to walk in conditions similar to those every day. And I was dying after just a couple hours. My feet were killing me. I would not have been able to stand had I not had my flip-flops. And yet these kids dealt with it as if it were a non-issue. What a humbling experience…

We spent the rest of the evening just hanging out with the orphans. Christa told Kevin that I was leaving tomorrow. He just jumped in my arms and wanted me to hold him. He didn’t say a word to me. I just held him for what felt like a couple hours. When the nanny said it was too late, I took him to his bed and wished him good night. Again, he didn’t say a word to me. That was such a hard moment for me, and I am sure tomorrow will be much harder.

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Taking a nap with Fritzson

We can sense that our trip is nearing its end, and that is depressing. I would have never guessed this trip would have such an impact on me. Of course, I knew it would be a special experience. But nothing like this…

Today was the last day of our community projects. Our team split up today: the girls painted one more house in a nearby community while the guys went the same neighborhood as before to lay another concrete floor for the house next door. Good Lord, I thought I worked hard yesterday? Oh no, I was wrong! Today, by far, was the most strenuous. We worked nonstop, for nearly 3 hours. We had a quick lunch break, then worked for another couple hours. We did the same thing as before. Shovel dirt into a pile, mix it with water, rocks and the cement. Then we laid it into the framework under the direction of the mason.

Honestly, at first I felt we were actual hindrances to the workers. I felt we slowed them down, which, in turn, annoyed them. Of course, I couldn’t verify this because of the language. And either way, I wanted to be a good example with my work ethic, so I just ignored it and pressed on.

Things changed as lunchtime approached. We all took our break at the same time. Carlos, Muppet and I had the option to eat lunch secluded from the rest of the workers, but we decided to join them there on the floor. And although we still couldn’t communicate with them, there was something about just being one with them. By eating on their level, we fostered a spirit of camaraderie. We are not better than them, nor do we portend to be. And if that wasn’t apparent before, we definitely made it noticeable now. We are united with them, helping them rebuild their community.

The last half of the construction project flew by. We were able to finish the entire floor by the afternoon and we were dying to just go home and veg. And although we were given that option by our teammates, we would have felt wrong taking the rest of the afternoon off. So we got changed, freshened up and kept plugging away! For the last time, we gathered the kids for arts & crafts. It was nice to help them learn a simple truth from God’s Word.

Later on in the afternoon, we organized all of our donated shoes and prepared for the distribution. We set up in a pavilion in the neighborhood and the people came out. We sorted them in lines by both age and gender. Before passing them out, the Gospel was shared and there was a moment of prayer, where many people raised there hands to receive the Lord. As the prayer was said, the pavilion echoed with many people repeating those precious words. Only God can judge hearts, but I am confident that I’ll be seeing some of those people stand in the pearly gates when all is said and done.

The shoe distribution was another eye-opener. It’s amazing how each day is equally as shocking and humbling as the previous. I am so incredibly blessed to be living in the US, typing on this laptop, not worrying about how much water I shower with, not worrying about where (or when) my next meal will come. These people had no shoes. And I saw some of them literally jump for joy because they were given a pair of $0.99 flip-flops from the dollar store. How incredible. Somebody in the US probably bought those shoes because they were cheap and didn’t think much of it. I mean, c’mon, it’s 99 cents. But that seemingly insignificant purchase has been a tremendous blessing to someone in dire need. This provides some interesting perspective to everyday life. Something so small and unimportant to me can mean the world to someone else. I need to keep this in mind and stop thinking so selfishly. It’s not only how I see things that is important.

Then, before dinner that night, something happened that I will never forget (why do I find myself saying this all the time?).  While we were upstairs preparing the meal, some of the kids pull down Kevin’s shorts. He was not wearing any underwear and so he was temporarily naked in front of everyone. Obviously, he was very embarrassed and driven to tears. He ran off to a far corner and was inconsolable. Some of the older kids told me they tried to go over to him but he wouldn’t let them near him. Christa and some of the other missionaries also tried to comfort him. Although he let them next to him, he would not let them touch me. Shortly after, I came downstairs to hang out with the kids. I quickly learned about what happened and naturally I went to Kevin’s side. He let me pick him up, and the poor kid just cried on my shoulder for about 30 minutes. He was ashamed and utterly embarrassed. I thank the Lord that I was able to be there. We didn’t have to say anything to each other. He knew what I feeling and he knew I cared deeply for him. After he literally couldn’t cry anymore, he jumped down and resumed playing with the kids. I then went upstairs and ate some delicious goat!

The rest of the evening continued on uneventfully. We were able to spend the rest of the night hanging out with the kids in the orphanage. We played with them or just held them, whatever they felt like doing. Before going to sleep, they closed the night with some dynamic and passionate prayer for the kids. And I know I say this a lot, but even though I couldn’t understand them, I felt united to these people and such love for them. This is certainly the work of the Spirit and not of my own volition.

And I can tell you one more thing about that night… I slept like a baby!

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Sure, it was a long day of work. But hey, it's still all about the U

It is such a great feeling to wake up in the morning and know that you will be doing God’s work throughout the entire day. If that’s not motivation enough to get out of bed, I don’t know what is. I want this feeling every morning!

Today, we were able to visit another nearby community. The guys were needed to help lay a floor, while the girls painted yet another house. And because we had so many people, some of the remaining girls took the neighborhood kids aside to play soccer.

The service projects were completed smoothly, which seems to be a trend so far. Those Haitians worked us hard though! We had to mix cement with dirt, rocks and water. Then we carried it in buckets into the house while a mason directed us to the proper place to pour the cement. It sounds easy enough, but my oh my… that was difficult work. Maybe it is just because I am a wussy American though.

Earlier this morning, we prepared 5 loaves of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches along with a gallon of Kool-aid to distribute to this neighborhood. And after we finished all the projects, we had everyone in the community line up. The gospel was shared and the food was prayed for, then we handed it out to all the children of that community. What a humbling experience. We were able to make their day with a slice of peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It’s just not right. I would be complaining if that were my lunch, yet these kids were rejoicing. It frustrates me that the children will become hungry again soon. But what could we do? At least we were able to satisfy a temporary need, and that is somewhat comforting.

Once everyone had eaten, we headed back to the orphanage so we can eat lunch and then prepare for another arts & crafts time with the kids. They go so excited to hear the story and color the worksheet. They display their creations with pride and gigantic smiles.

Afterward, we prepared even more PB&J sandwiches to distribute later in the afternoon. This time we went into Abraham’s (our translator) home town. He had a desire to reach out to his community and we thought it was a great opportunity. He showed us house and then walked us around his neighborhood. As we toured the location, we handed our sandwiches to anyone in need. Right before we ran out of sandwiches, we gather everyone together so that we could share the gospel. Marsha shared our purpose as missionaries with the people and then asked me to pray for their salvation. What an incredible experience! I prayed for these 100 people and was overwhelmed with such love for them. People I probably will never see again. But that is ok, because we were able to plant a seed, and I pray that one day I will rejoice with these men and women in heaven.

Later that evening, we took an impromptu hike up a mountain. Yet another memorable evening! Of course, I took Kevin as my special buddy on this trek. It was about 45 minutes all the way to the top. I carried Kevin from the orphanage to the base of the mountain. Then, I carried another kid, Mackinson, on my shoulders from the base all the way to the top. We hung out atop the mountain for a couple minutes, took some pictures, and then made our way back down. This time, I carried Kevin the entire way. Needless to say, I was pooped and drenched in sweat. Lovely sight, huh?

This time was so special for me. Obviously, the language barrier is quite frustrating. In fact, it took me nearly 20 minutes to figure out that Kevin was 6 years old. However, we share a unifying factor: God. And even though we couldn’t communicate, we could still worship together. He knew the song “Jesus Loves Me.” So, we literally spent the entire time singing that song. Such a precious moment of worship which I will be sure to never forget. Two different people, different nations and tongues. But the same God and the same need to worship Him. And with that, nothing else matters, because we have what really matters in common.

We spent the rest of the evening just hanging out with the kids at the orphanage.  A long and satisfying day because God is good, even though there was no rain.

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Kevin atop the mountain

A well needed rest

So today marked our first full day of actual ministry…

We began by taking a tour of a tent city nearby the orphanage. My word, what a somber sight. These “houses” are literally smaller than my room. 4 sticks in the ground covered with sheets and other thin materials to make up the “walls.” And once again I notice my selfishness. I remember being frustrated and upset by the fact that I need to share my room with my 16 year old step-brother. “No, no, I am the oldest,” I would say, “I deserve my own room.” These people squish entire families into this confined space, and they are some of the most joyful and giving people I have met.

Wow, another reality-check. We are so fortunate in the US, and that makes me feel spoiled. And spoiled people annoy me. So right now, I annoy me.

As we worked our way through that tiny community we arrived at a recently constructed house (once again, smaller than my room). This house had 4 wood walls and a tin roof. Only the bare necessities. As a service to that family, we painted their house. The purpose of a coat of paint is to help preserve the wood and keep it from rotting. As some people from our team painted the house, others played soccer with some of the neighborhood kids.

We eventually walked back to the orphanage around lunchtime. As we entered the compound, Kevin spotted me and came running towards me. He yelled my named with this huge smile. It’s hard to believe that something seemingly insignificant would have such a grand impact. But then again, allowing him to sleep in my arms impacted me tremendously, so why wouldn’t it have impacted him as well? I suppose I was just shocked. I barely said any words to this kid and yet what I did meant the world to him. He gave me such a big hug and then held my hand until I had to go upstairs.

After lunch, we prepared to have a Bible lesson with an arts & crafts time across the street from the orphanage with kids from the community. The gospel was shared, which is always a blessing, and 4 people came to accept Christ! I was also able to enjoy hanging out with Kevin during that time and for the rest of the night.

What is incredible about this trip is that something memorable happens everyday! Of course, I will remember all the hard work, but tonight I will cherish something more. We played the The Worldcup Waka Waka song by Shakira on the iPod and many of the kids came upstairs and started dancing to it in our room. That was so much fun. Each kid has their own unique personality. And wow, they can dance too! It was so spontaneous and so much fun.

What’s more, it started to pour! I have never been so happy for rain in my life. It is amazing how something which usually irritates me brought me so much joy. We took all the kids in the orphanage and ran outside. We started running and playing the rain. It brought out the kid in me, who was hiding somewhere deep inside. We also took some shampoo and took some well-needed “showers.” How refreshing! A time I will certainly never forget.

Overall, a long day. More of the same tomorrow!

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Sheets for walls. Unfortunately, this is the norm.

Dancing to Waka Waka

It’s really hard to sleep here. Bugs are everywhere. It’s not that bad when the lights are off, but just knowing that hundreds of moths are on the ceiling in a little unsettling. Oh… and there is always the occasional flying roach to fight off. Also, the sun rises incredibly early here in Haiti. I could have sworn it was close to 10 AM when I woke up, but it was just before 7 AM.

We were able to go to church with the Haitians at the orphanage. Wow, they have some dynamic worship. I wish we were this passionate back home. I wish I could lead worship with the same intensity that this man leads with. I suppose you can attribute some of the differences in the worship to culture. But not everything. These people are sold out for God. I love seeing that. But I hate seeing that. Can you imagine the impact these people could make if they had the resources? It puts me to shame! It puts my church to shame. We have thousands upon thousands of dollars worth of equipment and instruments to help facilitate our worship experience. Yet we still find excuses to wholeheartedly worship our Creator. Quite honestly, it is hard not to feel disgusted.

As Muppet, Carlos and I were walking to church, it felt like we were some A-list celebrities. All the kids came running toward us. (Not to mention that one kids was sporting a UMiami shirt… I’m just sayin’…) They were literally fighting to grab our hands. Here we are going on a mission trips with the purpose of us showing them love. However, it definitely felt as if they were the ones showing us the love. I felt incredibly honored. Incredibly humbled.

Aren’t I supposed to be the one pitying them? Why does it feel like they should be pitying me? We are the ones with so many distractions. We are the ones who hesitate to serve God. We are the ones care about what other people think. These kids are orphans, but they seem to be more socially adjusted than some of the “normal” kids back home. Everything about this place seems backwards, yet I can’t help but feel like we are the weird ones. This is reality. This is how it is supposed to be. We are the oddballs. It is interesting because all the technological advances and everything invented with the purpose of making our society function more efficiently is another distraction and another excuse we use to not serve God.

After church, we organized all the shoes to prepare for the distribution later in the week. We have over 230 pairs of donated shoes! We were then able to spend the rest of the day playing with the kids. I actually thought this would be the hardest part for me, because I am not a “kid-person.” But, it’s actually pretty easy. Whether God has granted me grace, or whether the kids are so loving that is really easy… I don’t know. Regardless, I am definitely glad!

Tonight was an especially emotional night for me as well. I don’t remember how, but this kid, Kevin, asked me to carry him. As I held him, he fell asleep in my arms. My first thought was “My, oh my, he is heavy!” lol. But I felt such a desire to hold him, hug him and love him. I secluded myself from the rest of the children and went to a dark hallway so he can sleep better. I began pacing back and forth so that I didn’t notice the weight to much on my arms. I began to pray and cry over this little kid. When is the next time he is going to have someone love him? Sure, there are nanny’s to run the orphanage and take care of the kids. But to them, it is a job. They don’t connect with the kids on this level.

Who am I to have ever pitied myself for growing up with divorced parents? How could have I been so self-absorbed? I grew up with 2 parents who I know loved and cared for me. If I woke up from a nightmare in the middle of the night, I know I had a place to go to feel safe and protected. I could crawl into my parent’s bed and everything would be all right. Who does Kevin go to? Who is going to love him unconditionally? Of course, the answer is God. But, how can a 6 year-old understand that concept? I couldn’t help but cry for him. I was going to hold him as long as I possibly could. As long as my arms held out. As long as the nanny’s let me. He may not know about God’s unconditional love, but I pray that God uses me to show it to him. So that when he is older, he can think back to this time and have some picture. Oh God, use me in that form, please.

This trip is an eye-opener and it’s only the second day… Reality-check.

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Kevin on my shoulders

Our team of just under 20 people landed safely in Port-au-Prince early this morning. After getting all of our luggage, we headed out to the orphanage. Immediately, we could tell that the country is in absolute disarray. Trash littered the streets. Rubble from destroyed buildings could be seen practically everywhere. The rivers were polluted and undrinkable. People were just milling about with nothing to do. Frankly, it felt like anarchy without the bloodly rebellions. There was a strong United Nations presence to keep the peace, but it seemed like there was no one in charge and that people could do as they pleased.

After traveling for about half an hour (maybe longer, perhaps) and picking up a member of our team from Mission of Hope (a small missionary hospital) we finally arrived at the orphanage. My word, the kids welcomed us with open arms. We couldn’t get out all our luggage out of the car without all the kids wanting to help or come hug us. We were finally able to get settled and place everything upstairs. I remember walking downstairs right after finishing so that I could start getting to know the kids. Right there, waiting for me at the bottom of the steps was Tobo! He lifted his arms to me and said “carry.” So I did.

After a couple minutes of interacting with the kids, we had to head out to the supermarket to stock up on food for the week. We went to a nicer store in the capital so that we could also take a tour of the city. And as mentioned before, the city was completely disheveled. Perhaps the most shocking sight was seeing the Presidential Palace completely destroyed still - a whole 7 months after the earthquake.

We returned to the orphanage to eat dinner. Afterward, we were able to hang out with all the kids downstairs. Their love and generosity is overwhelming. Everything about this trip so far is overwhelming. It is a completely different way of life. Culture shock… Reality.

Before going to bed, the kids gave us a taste of their typical nights. They ended the evening with a time of prayer and worship. What an edifying time, even though I don’t understand their language. This should be an exciting week!

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7 months after the earthquake, the Haitian equivalent of the White House is still in ruins.

I haven’t written one of these in a while. And rather than give you excuses as to why I haven’t been able to, I figure I’ll just jump right into it…

One of my favorite verses in the Bible (and yes, I know, I have many!) is found in Psalm 46, verse 10:

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

I like the fact that God proclaims His grandeur and His supremacy over all of creation. But what always confused me a bit was that first part; “Be still, and know that I am God.” What exactly did that mean? I know many people use this to say that we ought to have quiet times of meditation before God, allowing His supremacy to reign over us. And certainly I believe that is a critical implication in this verse, especially given the context.

I recall that one of my most intimate moments before God was when I vowed not to speak for 24 hours. The imposed silence allowed me to be still before Him, and I do believe He honored that surrender and blessed me for it by teaching me things that I apply in my life to this day.

However, I think we can squeeze some more meaning out of this verse by looking at another instance where the phrase “be still” was used, Mark 4:

“Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace, be still!’ And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.” (verse 39)

Jesus used the command “be still” in order to rebuke the wind and order the sea to be calm amid the “great windstorm” (verse 37). Again, this command is used in the context of God exerting His dominance over His creation. But, in regards to a personal and practical application, I think it is important to highlight that this instruction is given when there is chaos and pandemonium.

It is all too easy to be still before God when everything is hunky-dory: a carefree librarian living in a stress-free world with no annoying kids to hush. But that never happens…

Our lives are hectic. We have to go here and go there and go everywhere. There are kids to yell at, houses to clean, and responsibilities to fulfill. We have this test to study for, an assignment to finish and, of course, there is always that ominous group project to complete (and because no one ever pulls their own weight, you are forced to do that whole thing yourself).

So with this simple, yet powerful, two words, God is demanding our attention. Be still. Stop. Relax.

He knows we are overwhelmed. He understands we are stressed and worried. But, we need to remember that He is God. Surrounded by the turmoil of everyday life, He is still God. And as much as those two words are a command to us, they are also a promise. A promise that God is still in control. A promise that God is bigger than our problems.

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PS – If you have the time, check out this great song by Rush of Fools, entitled Peace, Be Still

Good morning!

Romans 12 commands us to “not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (verse 2). For me, FaithWalkers epitomized this verse. I left that conference extremely refreshed. It was inspiring for me to hear the Word of God.

There are many instances in the Christian walk where we are faced head-on with the truth claims of God. God shows us our lives; then he shows us His word, which is in contrast to that lifestyle. It then becomes our choice: Are we going to conform to the Word? Or are we going to continue stubbornly in our ways?

This conference was God showing me what He says and then giving me the choice to change my life, or continue stubbornly in my ways. One biggie was where God urged me to renew my mind with respect to walking in the Spirit. Galatians 5:16 tells us to walk in the Spirit so that we do not satisfy the desires of the flesh. So often, I had been living life by trying to avoid doing bad things. I would focus on the sin or temptation and constantly repeat in mind: “I shouln’t do it, I can’t do it.”

Instead, I was prodded to change my perspective. Don’t focus on not doing it; focus on walking in the Spirit. By walking in the Spirit, my actions will automatically manifest the fruits of the Spirit and the sin/temptation would fall by the wayside.

Another concept God reminded me of was the importance of the choice… how practically everything boils down to a choice. Are you going to choose to walk in the Spirit? Are you going to choose to have a devotional? It’s all a choice. What are you going to choose?

Ok, and at the risk of writing too much (too late, huh?), I wanted to quickly share a quote from Freddy last night. He said: “The easy part is having God fill you up. The hard part is emptying you of yourself.” Wow!

I encourage you all, renew your mind. Allow God’s truth enter your heart and transform your life. I want to write more, but I think I will save that for tomorrow or a little later, perhaps.
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