Recently I've been thinking that most of my dreams and plans for this year, after I came back from DTS, didn't come true. Things didn't turn out the way I expected it to be. Plans and dreams that I had just didn't come true... And.... I'm very grateful for that.
A lot had changed. The political situation in the country that also brought a division. Even personally a lot of things had changed: friends changed. And so did I. But with many we grew apart.
But... this is not the main point of this message :) The main point is that through all this, God has taught me to completely rely on Him and seek His ways, not mine. More of Him and less of me.
I don't think that my faith would grow stronger if I wouldn't have to give up on dreams and plans, if I was always surrounded by many people and focusing on them and in the end, limiting the time for Him.
I am thankful for the struggles and the pain I had to go through. Because this was an amazing opportunity for my faith to grow.
I am very thankful that even in the times when I could just drown in the pitty party and strengthen my stubborness and pride, God reminded me about His presence.
Having no well set plan for the future (I said plans, not goals) gives room to the Lord.
John 13:7
Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."
This is more than enough to know.
For now ;)
четвер, 18 грудня 2014 р.
субота, 19 липня 2014 р.
Isaiah 46:4
Even to your old age and gray hairs
I am he, I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
I will sustain you and I will rescue you.
Isaiah 46:4
Dexter Britain - Auld Lang Syne
I am he, I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
I will sustain you and I will rescue you.
Isaiah 46:4
Dexter Britain - Auld Lang Syne
понеділок, 26 травня 2014 р.
Nose Ring
Just wanted to share a short story (actually 2 stories in one)...
Nose Ring...
This story happened to me when I was in Nepal with my team doing a mission trip.
One morning I wake up and see that the nose ring I used to have is now broken. It is missing the stone. So basically the "main thing". Maybe it seems like not a big deal, but you can't NOT SEE the ugly look of the thing, that is suppose to be a decoration, everytime you look in the mirror. You can't pretend you don't see that it's broken! So after few days I gave up and went to the master with only 80 rupees I had (which is $0.8, and it's nonsense to spend your last money on such things during a mission trip!!). Anyways, I came there and the master said he will fix it, but didn't tell the price. SoI left the stud there and went home... The next day I come back and this master says he couldn't fix my nosering but insted he made a new one which is much MUCH better than the one I had. And when I asked how much does his work cost, he said it is a gift for me... Seriously, a silver nosering with semi-precious stone?!
(this also reminded me of a story of my dear friend about her necklase)
That day I was reminded of what God did to me... The same story. When I came to Him, broken and ugly, the only thing He asked me to do is to only let Him do the work and to surrender...without asking anything back. And He didn't say that He will "fix me", but instead He gave me a new life, He made me a new creation.
So powerful, yet so simple...
Ezekiel 36:26-27
This what happens when you come back to "your world" after you've been gone for a while. It's just painful to fit in.
It is well, with me... :)
Nose Ring...
This story happened to me when I was in Nepal with my team doing a mission trip.
One morning I wake up and see that the nose ring I used to have is now broken. It is missing the stone. So basically the "main thing". Maybe it seems like not a big deal, but you can't NOT SEE the ugly look of the thing, that is suppose to be a decoration, everytime you look in the mirror. You can't pretend you don't see that it's broken! So after few days I gave up and went to the master with only 80 rupees I had (which is $0.8, and it's nonsense to spend your last money on such things during a mission trip!!). Anyways, I came there and the master said he will fix it, but didn't tell the price. SoI left the stud there and went home... The next day I come back and this master says he couldn't fix my nosering but insted he made a new one which is much MUCH better than the one I had. And when I asked how much does his work cost, he said it is a gift for me... Seriously, a silver nosering with semi-precious stone?!
(this also reminded me of a story of my dear friend about her necklase)
That day I was reminded of what God did to me... The same story. When I came to Him, broken and ugly, the only thing He asked me to do is to only let Him do the work and to surrender...without asking anything back. And He didn't say that He will "fix me", but instead He gave me a new life, He made me a new creation.
So powerful, yet so simple...
Ezekiel 36:26-27
However, it's not the end of the story...
When you take out the nose ring for a while, it is hard to put it back.... The hole becomes smaller with time and may soon close. It is a painful process to put the ring back.
This what happens when you come back to "your world" after you've been gone for a while. It's just painful to fit in.
Oh, how thankful to Him I am! I know it was He who told me "go" and Who was with me all the time. And I know that He would NEVER leave me. So...
It is well, with me... :)
середа, 26 лютого 2014 р.
God LOVES people in Tikapur
Oh wow... It's been almost 2 months since I posted something here. Of course, a lot of things have happened during this time, but I will tell about it later. (hopefully) :)
Today I want to share what our Father has put on my heart. It is about Tikapur.
Tikapur is a small town in Nepal. People are awesome and their hospitality is crazy! When we first came to the village these people made a path from flowers for us, swept the dust from our shoes with their hats and kissed our hands. However, people are really poor here, especially in the close villages. I mean REALLY poor. Mud houses, dirty and torn clothes, no money to send children to school etc. And as it usually happens, in such poor places there is a HUGE issue of alcohol addiction. Along with it, women are half of the value of men. So men don't respect women AT ALL! To be honest there vere several times I just wanted to cry or beat up someone when I saw how men treat these poor women and children here. And the worst thing is when you know what they do is wrong but you can't change a thing...
Though it doesn't mean there's no hope.
What hit me recently is that God's love really has no limits!! Despite the past of these people: alcohol addictions, worshiping millions of gods, disrespect and the worst thing - selling their children... God still loves them all!!!!! And they are so precious to the Lord!
Psalm 139
1 You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.
Only Father could send some random people from Ukraine, Russia, the US, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Canada to show His love and pray for them. I'm soooooo happy to be part of it! 4 people got saved in one day! God keeps revealing Himself to them. And I hope there would be some who can be true Christian leaders for them.
Today I want to share what our Father has put on my heart. It is about Tikapur.
Tikapur is a small town in Nepal. People are awesome and their hospitality is crazy! When we first came to the village these people made a path from flowers for us, swept the dust from our shoes with their hats and kissed our hands. However, people are really poor here, especially in the close villages. I mean REALLY poor. Mud houses, dirty and torn clothes, no money to send children to school etc. And as it usually happens, in such poor places there is a HUGE issue of alcohol addiction. Along with it, women are half of the value of men. So men don't respect women AT ALL! To be honest there vere several times I just wanted to cry or beat up someone when I saw how men treat these poor women and children here. And the worst thing is when you know what they do is wrong but you can't change a thing...
Though it doesn't mean there's no hope.
What hit me recently is that God's love really has no limits!! Despite the past of these people: alcohol addictions, worshiping millions of gods, disrespect and the worst thing - selling their children... God still loves them all!!!!! And they are so precious to the Lord!
Psalm 139
1 You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.
Only Father could send some random people from Ukraine, Russia, the US, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Canada to show His love and pray for them. I'm soooooo happy to be part of it! 4 people got saved in one day! God keeps revealing Himself to them. And I hope there would be some who can be true Christian leaders for them.
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