Little Moments

There are certain moments in life where you are exactly in the will of God.

You know at that exact moment, that you are exactly where you are supposed to be, at that exact time.

When I am in India I feel this way, and this photo captures one of those moments.

We were in India this past December for our Christmas in India campaign with Angel House. This day we were spending at an orphanage we were opening for 25 kids in Andhra Pradesh. We had such a special day moving the kids into their new home, showering them with gifts, and showing them love like they have never known before. This little boy's name is Benjamin and I knew about him long before we arrived in India. He is a 6 year old orphan who had literally been raising himself on the streets. We get a 'photo sheet' of each of the kids who will be adopted into our homes, and amongst the nearly 200 children we got to rescue on this particular trip, Benjamin caught my eye. First of all, he is adorable, but more than that, it hit me all over again that his life is so precious. I am so thankful to be able to make a difference in the lives of these kids through Angel House.

As we were leaving the home that day, our team was headed to the bus to leave. As we were saying our goodbyes, I heard a voice yell "wait! wait!" I looked down to see Benjamin, who insisted on giving me a kiss before I left. Melt my heart.

The kids in India have absolutely stolen my heart. I think back on the times when I cried out to God to break my heart for the nations. I had no particular nation in mind, I just felt called to the world. In those moments, he was softening me for things that were completely unexpected. A destiny I knew nothing about. But a destiny so sweet it can hardly be described.

When is the last time that you felt this way? How can you capitalize on those moments and make them have a lasting impact? I pray that as you read this, you will begin to ask God to break your heart for the nations and to awaken your heart to His purposes for you!

For more info on Angel House, visit www.AngelHouse.me

be brave

the other day i was pinterest-ing (for those of you who don't know, 'pinterest-ing' is the art of searching aimlessly on pinterest.com for extended periods of time) and i came across this quote:

"you have to be brave with your life so that others can be brave with theirs"

wow. that hit me. isn't this so true? sometimes the greatest risks we take have absolutely nothing to do with us at all, and everything to do with the person, or people that it will affect.

a couple of days ago was Human Trafficking Awareness Day. on this day, we took the opportunity to launch a new initiative that Angel House has started, and that's the Angel House Freedom Home. we are essentially raising money ($40k) to build a home for 50 women and young girls who are currently trapped in forced prostitution. definition: sex slavery. with the help of many people across the US, we will complete this project and these women and girls will be rescued from the horrific and unthinkable act of this slavery happening right now, today, in the 21st century.

FACT: MORE THAN 200,000 WOMEN AND YOUNG GIRLS ARE TRAFFICKED IN INDIA EACH YEAR.

it's time to open our eyes to what's really going on. i wish human trafficking was a thing of the past. i wish, actually, that it had never existed. but it has, and it does. i have met with women personally who have lived in this slavery for years of their life. i have seen the children that have hidden under the beds while their mothers were abused.

is it comfortable to talk about this? no. is it comfortable to read about this? you tell me, you're doing it right now. but my guess is no. would we rather think about something else on this sunny Sunday afternoon? probably. but if we, you and me, turn our eyes away, each minute, hour and day that passes is another minute, hour and day that this will go on.

sometimes talking about things such as this isn't popular. that's why its brave.

because if you can do something brave with your life, someone else (a woman, a child, a teenager, and even those not born yet) will be able to do something brave with theirs.

for more information, visit our website at AngelHouse.me

what can you do now, today, or this year in 2012 to allow someone else to be brave with their life?

are you spiritually fat?

*originally published april 18, 2011

So, the other night we decided to have our first “cookout” of the summer due to the fact that it was almost warm (meaning it was almost not freezing.) Although the guest list totaled 4, we were quick to cook up 5 hamburgers, 4 hotdogs and a chicken breast for the picky eaters. We opened 5 bags of chips, ate corn on the cobb, cheese dip prepared especially by yours truly, and topped it off with Root Beer floats. What’s a cookout without a Root Beer float?

After the gorging we waddled over to the couch (God forbid we go and play the game of tennis we had planned on playing after dinner – that would have required movement and quick reflexes, all to which were now impaired by carbohydrates in our bloodflow.) As we flipped on the TV we came across the Discovery Health channel which was playing something that we could simply not ignore. Show title? “600 Pound Mom”. Before you tune me out, keep reading.

As we began to watch this woman who had allowed documentary cameras into her home, we learned a little bit about her personality. Being of Haitian descent (I love Haitians!) she had grown to love all of that marvelous Haitian food. She was the mother of 4 beautiful daughters and reminisced on the life she used to have before being bedridden in her Miami home, never to see the light of day. Day after day, routine after routine, she had slowly lost touch with the things that didn’t matter to her and slowly began to hold onto things that made her feel comfortable. She stopped walking outside because her children were grown and no longer required play dates at the park. She no longer had to work to care for her children as they were grown and now taking care of her. She had everything she needed and everything she loved right there in the comfort of her own home. And after a while, she ended up in her current state of immobility without even noticing the danger signs. In fact, on several occasions, she said “I have no idea how I got to be this way.”

To be honest, I just could not get a few things off of my mind after watching that program.

Is there anything that I am doing that is causing me harm without me even knowing it?

Is there something I am blind to in my own life that everyone else sees but me?

Am I fighting for my life mission or am I laying back and “cheating” to make my life easier?

So many times as Christians I think we lose sight of the big picture, to put it plainly. We become so comfortable with our day-to-day routines that we often forget why God gives us life and breath to start a new day. Are we here to wake up, make coffee, go to the office, come home, watch American Idol, check Facebook and go to bed?

I have been stirred to the core lately about why I am here. Why was I born? And am I working towards that assignment every single day of my life? How many people around the world am I supposed to be helping that I am not? Whose lives am I supposed to be impacting that I am not?

I am vividly aware more than ever before that there is a cry coming from all 4 corners of the earth. For some of you it may sound like a lost and dying American nation. For others it may sound like your own family members who are caught in a downward spiral of abuse or addictions. For me, it is the sound of 25 millions of orphans in India who are living without a home and 600,000 baby girls who are being “rid of” by their families, simply because they are girls. I believe that cry is the reason that I was born.

I would hate for myself or anyone else to wake up one day and realize that they’re stuck. To realize that what they’ve been doing the last however many years have gotten them absolutely nowhere other than a few more miles on the car and a little deeper in debt.

Hillsong Australia pastor Bobbie Houston recently said “It is not good enough to be awake…we have to GET OUT OF BED!”

How perfect is that? Not only do we have to be conscious of the world around us, but we have to DO something about it.It’s not enough to think about it, to care, or to shed a tear. It’s time to work our spiritual muscles, get out of bed, and start to change our world so we don’t wake up one day having won no one to the Kingdom of God, having never shared the love of Christ with anyone, and consumed with a fruitless life saying “I have no idea how I got to be this way.”

“Don’t waste your time on useless work, mere busywork, the barren pursuits. … It’s a scandal when people waste their lives on things they must do in the darkness where no one will see… Wake up from your sleep, Climb out of bed and Christ will show you the light. Make the most of every chance you get!

Ephesians 5:11-16 The Message

Lindsay

in disguise

*originally published december 18, 2009

Last Tuesday, Dominic and I decided to go to a late lunch down the street at Max & Erma's. While we were driving, it started to blizzard. It was terrible out! As we sat at our table and ate our meal, I noticed a man sitting in the booth across the aisle from us who was probably in his late 70's. This man had shiny white hair that was neatly combed, and his turtleneck was tucked into his nicely pressed pants. He was so cute, all dressed up like that. It broke my heart because I took note that he wasn't all dressed up to meet one of his kids, a friend, or even his wife. He sat alone.

As I ate my meal, I couldn't help but to keep glancing over at him. He ordered a coffee and a cup of soup and just stared out the window at the falling snow. My mind started to race as I was consumed with figuring out his situation. I don't know any details for sure, but something in my heart was stirring. He looked like a man who wasn't used to sitting alone, and it made me wonder if he had just lost a loved one, or even his wife.

I looked at Dominic and he was thinking the same thing. We decided to buy his dinner in some small effort to give back to someone who had braved the storm to just get out of the house. We paid anonymously, and although we didn't wait to see his reaction, we didn't have to. Our waitress had a tear in her eye - she had also been thinking the same thing.

I say all that to say this -- what can you give? Coffee and soup is such a small cost, yet can have such a great impact. You never know who around you is going through a rough time or needing a blessing. Maybe that man was just hungry and wanted soup and his wife didn't wanna get out in the snow -- who knows! The point is this: listen to the leading of the Holy Spirit and BLESS SOMEONE this Christmas season! God gave his LIFE, the LEAST we can do is give back to mankind in some small way.

1 John 3:1617

"We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or a sister in need butshows no compassion -- how can God's love be in that person?"

More than half of the earth wouldn't be able to pay for someone's soup. More than half of the earth lives for only $1 a day. Out of a shear miracle, you were born here, now, and with wealth that is far above the standards of the rest of the world. When I speak of wealth, I'm not talking about a lot of money. I am talking about any amount of money. Use what God has blessed you with for someone in need.

Matthew 25:37-40

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

Jesus gave his LIFE for you. Do your part to show the love of God in this Christmas season!

Lindsay

just wait

*originally published october 13, 2009

Romans 8:28 (The Message)

"...The moment we get tired in the waiting, God's spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than ourselves...that's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good."

Today I have such a burden in my heart for those who are facing extremely difficult situations. Maybe its God preparing my heart for the women of Haiti, or maybe it's for one of you. I want to break down this verse into the specific things God is weighing on my mind.

Getting tired in the waiting:

Wow. Haven't we all been there? When you're at the point of actual desperation when you don't think you can make it another second. I know I've been there. I love what the verse says that "God's Spirit is right alongside us helping us along." Today, let God carry you in the midst of tragedy or confusion. Remember that you are never alone, because God will never leave you or forsake you. (Deut. 31:6) He cannot leave you empty handed, because He promised to be all that you need, and more than enough.

Don't know how or what to pray:

"He does our praying in and for us." Sometimes, words just don't seem adequate. I urge you to let God do the praying for you. It's okay to sit in silence and let him speak to you and it's okay to be emotional. He understands because he knows every thought and feeling you're experiencing. Turn on worship or open your Bible and don't say a word, just let Him speak to you.

He knows your pain:

"He knows us far better than we know ourselves" It's hard to imagine, but its true. God created us, and put us together exactly how he wanted. He made us this way! Because of that, as I said before, he knows exactly what you're going through. Not because he hears your prayers, but because he knows your heart. Never feel guilty for the way that you are or because of the circumstances you face. They're not your fault! We know that God doesn't want anything tragic or bad to happen to us, but I do know that God won't bring us into a situation that we can't handle. Of course, we can't handle it on our own, and that's why we have to cry out to him to walk us through it.

Every detail is for something good:

The reason I chose to present this verse in the Message version is because of this ending, "We can be sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good." This is definitely a loaded statement. It does not say "every detail of our lives is good" or "everything that happens to us is meant for something good." When we are out of the will of God, He doesn't promise that its part of his plan! Sometimes, when we do what we want, we get ourselves into situations that were never meant to happen. So what does that mean for us? That we have to just expect the worst without His help? Absolutely not. The verse says "every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good." I know you've heard this before, but how you handle situations determines how you exit them. Lean into God. Let him handle your situations for you and He will work it into something good. Even if you take a 'detour', God can use absolutely every situation to lead you to your next promotion. Don't get bitter and don't blame God, because that is not out of love for God. Let him help you and let Him carry you, because he promised to work it into something good, even if you can't see what that is right now.

My prayer is that you will completely hand your situation over to God. Whether it be in prayer or in silence, let him know you can't do it alone and you need his guidance! I promise things will start to look up and you will have a peace from Him that you cannot even understand. Let him make himself real to you!

-Lindsay

be still

*originally published october 7, 2009

Time for a new post! It's fall and since it's getting colder I'll be writing a lot more due to the feet and feet of snow that will soon pile on my doorstep.

Tonight, I don't have anything profound or amazing to say, I just want to give a quick *thanks* to my Jesus who has brought us through the storm. It's interesting how sometimes in your life you'll endure things with great pain, but other times you'll endure with great joy. It doesn't mean the 'endure' part is any less hard, but it does mean that God's grace is sufficient for absolutely any situation. God does not will that anything bad should happen to his children, however, if we seek Him in the valleys, we will see His face even when it hurts to even open our eyes.

I urge you to remember these verses:

"The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." Exodus 14:14

and

"The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he willquiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17

Sometimes words cannot explain what's going on inside. Let God quiet your mind and your anxiety, and let Him fight for you. In Ephesians 6 it says that since we do not struggle against flesh and blood (other people), we cannot fight our own battles. We have to let God fight for us. In the meantime, we have to remember that God will 'quiet us with his love' -- I just love that!

There's a Kari Jobe song that I have probably listened to 1,000 times. I urge you to learn the lyrics and let God speak to your heart when you're feeling anxious or worried.

Sometimes, you just have to tell yourself to be still...

(Listen here)

"He is here for the broken and life to the one who is undone

He is peace to the wounded and hope for the helpless one

He is here, He is here

Be still my soul, be still
Be still my soul, be still
Wait patiently upon the Lord
Be still my soul, be still

When the waves rise against me and the wind tries to draw me away
I will stand on the mountain, safe in Your arms I will sing I will sing
Be still my soul, be still
Be still my soul, be still
Wait patiently upon the Lord
Be still my soul, be still

Be still I know He is God
He is here, He is here
Be still I know He is God
He is here, He is here

So be still my soul, be still
Be still my soul, be still
Wait patiently upon the Lord
Be still my soul, be still
Wait patiently upon the Lord
Be still my soul, be still"

Lindsay

is this working?