Remembering Bulgaria

Today I was looking through my old photo albums and came upon pictures from a Missions trip I took to Bulgaria. I'm reminded of words of a friend of mine when I came back from that trip, "I went to Thailand where there is real danger when the Gospel is preached. You went on a vacation." It may not have been a roughing it Missions trip but what I saw there were people in need. I saw children who had very little but who wore such gigantic smiles when they saw a group of Americans who were interested in telling them about Jesus. I saw women who felt worth because we asked them to stand along side us as we taught the children about the wordless bracelet. I saw an elderly woman who wept as I spent several minutes praying with her as I held her in my arms. I saw people in need. And we had what they needed. I saw an opportunity to show love and acceptance to a people who otherwise are discriminated against and put down because of their bad habits. What some of them needed were just to feel like they were worth more - and that there was a future for them that wasn't pick pocketing and robbing

or mothering by the age of 12 and spending their teen years trying to feed their little ones. I saw the opportunity to show Jesus in every village we ministered in. "The sacrifices of God are a borken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." Psalm 51:17

He's a better driver

I'm learning that I have to let go of some things in order for God to have complete control of my life. Should be a no brainer right? Not for me. I'm always trying to figure things out; asking questions like what if, how, why or when? Jesus is in control. No matter what the future holds I don't have to be afraid and I don't have to figure out how I'm going to get there. I only have to trust that God knows best and that doesn't mean He is going to subtract from my life...it means He's going to add to my life. It means that He has good plans for my life and the only way for those plans to be fulfilled is for me to let go of the steering wheel, get out of the driver's seat and let Him drive. He knows my desires...even before I speak them. He fashioned me and formed me. He knows my thoughts even before they are in my head. He's out for MY good not to harm me. He's not going to drive me down a dead end road and He's not going to steer me off course. He's going to take me where His plans will unfold. I may not understand why He's turning left when I think He ought to turn right. I may not understand why the light is not turning green after it's been on red forever and a day. All I know is that I'm safe in the hands of Jesus. He's got my life under control...as long as I let go and let Him take me where He wants me to go. I don't need to know how I'll get there. I just need to trust the man in the driver's seat. TRUST...that is the key. It doesn't mean subtraction...it's addition and multiplication. He may not take me down the same path everyone else is traveling down (not that their road is any better or worse than my own) but He may take me down the scenic route. I don't want to have control anymore...it's too much of a weight on my shoulder. Several years ago I wrote a song. The chorus was simple and went like this: It's in your hands Lord (3 times) to do what you will (2 times) with it. There truly is freedom in handing over the keys of our life to Jesus. He's a much better driver.

Beyond Feelings

Feelings come and go. Emotional roller coasters shifting to and fro, up and down. Feelings come and go but the facts remain. What is fact lasts. What is feeling is fleeting. Who said if it feels good do it? Not everything we feel is real and not everything real we feel. Let's hold on to the facts and what we know to be truth. Feelings are good when nurtured and grown by truthful facts. Understand the facts and lead your feelings, change your perspective. Feelings come and go but the facts remain. Go with the facts and lead your feelings.

Trust in God

Mark 11:22-24

Jesus: Trust in God. If you do, honestly, you can say to this mountain, "Mountain, uproot yourself and throw yourself into the sea." If you don't doubt, but trust that what you say will take place, then it will happen. SO listen to what I'm saying: Whatever you pray for or ask from God, believe that you'll receive it and you will. (The Voice)

Rainy Day

It's another rainy day in Belfast, Maine. I love sunny weather but every once and awhile I love rainy days just as much. It's like God is giving nature and everything in it a bath. I'm thankful that I don't live in a place where months and months can go by without seeing any rain. Rain brings a feeling of comfort...though it is accompanied by dark clouds it also brings a sense of hope that clear skies and sunlight are on the other side of those dark clouds.

Ligers, Zonkeys and Zorses...oh my!

I'm familiar with the mule hybrid of a female horse and a male donkey but recently learned about another popular hybrid, the Liger. The Liger is a mixture of a male lion and a female tiger. The largest known Liger in the world is called Hercules and can be found at Jungle Island, an interactive animal theme park in Miami. Checking out pictures of Hercules I was amazed by his enormity.

In the process of learning about Ligers I also learned about two other hybrids that exist: Zonkeys and Zorses.

By their names you can guess what mixtures they are. A Zonkey is the mixture of a Donkey and a Zebra. The Zorse, a Horse and a Zebra. There are ranches across the US that breed Zonkeys and Zorses and train them to perform what any Horse can do like, riding, jumping and racing.

Chasing luggage and catching buses

It's 1:36pm and I'm still trying to calm down from the recent adrenaline rush that ran through my body as I rushed through the South Station trying to buy my bus ticket.

As I mentioned earlier my flight to Augusta this morning was canceled so I was left to wait for the flight scheduled for 1:30. By 12 I hadn't heard anything so I patiently went up to the desk and inquired about the flight. It was several minutes before I was given a more clear answer...that was at about 12:15. The pilot, who was due to fly to Augusta today at 1:30, suggested that I take the bus because the weather didn't seem to be letting up. They sent my luggage to baggage claim but when I got down the stairs I didn't know where to go. It seemed like I ran all over that baggage claim area to try and find my luggage and finally someone directed me to the right place.

By the time I retrieved my luggage I was afraid that I had missed the bus because it was just turning 12:30. The guy who brought down my luggage pointed me in the direction I needed to go and I hurried over to the bus stop where several other people were waiting. I talked to one lady who works for an airline in Colorado and she said that if I pushed enough I might be able to get a refund on my plane ticket. She said she was in Maine to see family for thanksgiving and to attend her niece's baptism.

The bus was actually a few minutes late...but I was relieved to catch it. When I couldn't find my luggage earlier I was so confused, not really sure what I was going to do if I did miss the bus. To finally sit down in my seat after waiting so long for a flight to Maine was assuring.

Because we hadn't purchased our tickets yet we were supposed to get off at South Station, purchase them inside quickly and then come right back to the bus. Once we arrived I left my lap top and lap top bag on my seat and my luggage was safely stored under the bus. I followed the other passengers inside to the Concord ticket booth and we made it to the front of the line. When I reached the counter I turned over my only form of payment, my Discover card, and the guy says that they only accept VISA or Mastercard. I had to think really fast because if I can't pay for my ticket I'm stuck. All kinds of scenarios run through my head until I remember that I set my card up so that I could withdraw money. I ran over to the atm and when I return to the ticket booth the line is outrageously long.

By now I am restlessly frantic. What if the bus leaves without me? All of my stuff is on the bus...my luggage and my lap top. My heart was racing in my chest a million miles a minute. The wait through the line seemed like an eternity but really it didn't take that long. I grabbed my ticket and made a run for it to the bus. Passengers aren't permitted outside the station unless directed by staff and there was a HUGE line waiting to get on the bus. By God's grace one guy came around the corner and asked if anyone was going to Portland, Maine. I slipped through the door with a couple who was waiting to go to Portland. Everything was fine. I made it. The bus didn't leave without me. They didn't leave with all my belongings. I was safe.

This day has been one crazy one but I can rest assured that God has been with me...leading me every difficult step at a time. It's like Psalm 139:7-10 that says, "Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast."

Though everything around me is going crazy...God is going steady with me!! He's along side me as I'm chasing luggage and catching buses!