Life....to the Fullest

I've been pondering the life of Abraham. A man whom God calls to leave everything, yet he brings along his "plan-b's". God promises the impossible...And as we often do in our hearts, he laughs at God seeing only through the lens of a man. Over and over he takes the situations into his own hands and often listens to the advice of his closet relationships above God's. Yet God continues to remind Abram of his promise and blessing. He even changes his name to Abraham, meaning the father of nations, before He had fulfilled the promise of one! Finally, after a decade of waiting yet not waiting and suffering the consequences of his "plan-b's", Abraham is given his promise. Had he deserved it? No, but God wanted to show Abraham who He was. Fast forward several years...Isaac now a grown man. God tells Abraham to offer his one-and-only son, who he loved so dearly, as a sacrifice of worship to the Lord. For the first time we see Abraham surrenders his will an...

                  Kimberly first came to Aljaba when she was only 11. She and her mother were living alone in the jungle on the edge of the city of Leticia. She was malnourished, very shy and an insecure little girl. Under the constant care of Lucy Palma and her dedicated team the last 8 years, Kimberly has grown into a dynamic, joyful, responsible, and creative leader at Aljaba and at her school. Recently, she graduated high school FIRST in her class. Her Principle said during the ceremony that she is an excellent student, very responsible and a good woman. In 2009 at camp with her Aljaba friends, Kimberly gave her heart to Jesus. Since then she has shown a lot of spiritual fruit in her life: love, obedience, diligence, and service in the church. In fact, she has learned to play guitar and drums and serves on the worship team! She's hoping to go to college in Leticia and obtain a degree in social work so she can help others as she has b...

It’s late.  Middle of the night in fact.  I’m hunting a critter and at the moment a little bored.  OK, good time to write the blog for this month.  Isn’t that what everyone does when they’re hunting Armadillos; write a blog? Let me back up for a minute and explain why I am hunting an Armadillo.  Not just any Armadillo.  No, a specific one.  The little dude that’s been trashing my yard every night for the last two weeks.  You DO remember from my last blog how I feel about my well groomed lawn, right?  Well you would be amazed at how much damage this small little animal can inflict on a yard in the middle of the night.  It’s like a pack of wild hogs went through my grass digging up every grub worm on the planet.  OK, that’s an exaggeration, but only a small one.  This Armadillo is doing serious damage and it’s either going to be me or him.  “This yard ain’t big enough for the two of us!”  The all night hunt is...

I have been given a gift. It may be momentarily as it is for many. It may be for life as it was for some of His saints. This I do not know... 'charisma'(Greek for gift)- "A God-given gift which He will day by day enable you to use to edify other." To some I have been given a curse, and to others still a license of freedom. But Isaiah 54:5 says, " For your husband is your Maker, whose name is the Lord of hosts..." I am not my own. I belong to Him and my body is where His in holiness indwells( 1 Corinthians 6:19-20). He has given me a gift. Today I am single; "I don't know what tomorrow holds, so what would You, Lord, have me do today?" I see the answer to this question in three different people... ~Paul. I wish to do what he did with his gift. He became a bond-servant( a slave who has chosen to serve his master) of God and discipled others. He was always with someone. As I read all the names of the people he lists at the end of his books, I...

Hebrews 10:23 says, "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful." He is faithful. Has He not proven it over and over again? Despite Sarah’s frailties, little faith, and self-reliance, God accomplished His purpose-and Sarah was filled with joy. Will God not honor a willing and obedient heart? Something happens when we make ourselves available to God: He starts moving in ways none of us could have imagined. Look at Katie. She  didn't  arrive in Uganda with a degree in education; she  wasn't  a nurse; she  didn't  know how to cook beans; she  didn't  go to language school; and she says she  had no idea what was involved in running a ministry and  didn't  posses the business knowledge or organizational skills required to do so. She just made herself available to God.  Will it be easy? No, but He  hasn't  called us to coast life making it easy. ...