I don't got a name, lady!

And it finally happened. I never thought it would. What, you may ask? Take a look at this video, then read on:

I just finished my first bike ride - and I was at the trail's water fountain getting a drink. My friend had went back to help our other friend catch up. So, I was waiting at the end of the trail alone. My drink was one of refreshing to me savoring the few gulps I took after a hike up the last hill. Just as I finished, I glanced up aspiring my next destination, home. Just on the other side of the street, there he was, the man with no name. He was approaching the water fountain. So, I watched him take his soda bottle and fill it with water. I was a little confused thinking, "Why would he want a half bottle of pop and a half bottle of water?" Then, I decided to ask the question...
"Are you hungry?," I asked.
"No..." he said.
"Oh, you sure?" I asked.
"Yeah," he said.
SILENCE...
"What's your name?" I asked. As I asked, Micah's line wrapped through the crevices of my mind, and with a nanosecond of warning, I knew what words were coming.
"I got no name, lady." he remarked.
I had no response for a good 20 seconds, and by that time he was walking away. Thoughts were running through my head, and I grasped onto one. I remembered that Heidi Baker gave someone a name that had no name. So, I shouted out to him, your name is beloved. I don't know if he heard me, but I know that he was loved by God, and that's all that mattered. As I went home, I needed to watch Micah's poem again. Was the man afraid what I would think if he told me his name? Did he have some regrets? Who was this man without a name? Beloved.

Isaiah 54:10 (MSG)

For even if the mountains walk away and the hills fall to pieces, My love won't walk away from you, my covenant commitment of peace won't fall apart." The God who has compassion on you says so.

Maybe, just maybe, everyone walked away, and there was no use for a name anymore.

Iron Man 3 | Robert Downey Jr.

I was recently looking back at a project from 10th grade.
I was so happy to find Robert Downey Jr.'s face in this setting:
This is what I wrote while I was attending Lake Central High School, Spring of 2007...
Under "Famous People I want to meet"

5. ROBERT DOWNEY JR.- Just give the man an Oscar already. I think he is a great actor and a down-to-earth person. He has actually went through rehabilitation for drugs and I think he has changed dramatically after that. He is also really handsome. 

I wanted to meet him! I still do. This time to tell him about Christ, the hope of glory. I saw Iron Man 3 with my cousin, Omar, this past Friday. It was full of action. My favorite scene was when Iron Man goes into Air Force 1 situation. People are falling towards the earth towards death at an unstoppable speed, but Iron Man comes in and has each one hold another's hand, creating momentum. This reminded me of God's love... he is constantly pursuing us with momentum. 

Another scene that reminded me God loved me was at the end when Iron Man wins the game and fireworks (of all the other Marks versions) go off. I love fireworks!

Go see this movie, and pray I meet Mr. Downey...soon.

We win, Gracie!

We have all heard the saying, 'Stop and smell the roses.' Do you remember a time you said this to someone you cared about? Do you remember a time this was said to you? If you don't, that's okay.

The phrase's systematic use is to change a persons' perspective on his day/life, not necessarily to offend the party.

On Tuesday, I had the privilege to sit-in on a 2nd year BSSM (Bethel Supernatural School of Ministry) class with Kris Vallotton. After the class, I met with the hero (friend) of my story.

In a good story, when the character gets confused, the writer brings in a friend or mentor. Heroes rarely figure out the path alone.
— Donald Miller (@donaldmiller) April 27, 2013

Her name is Olga. After Kris spoke, I met her in the parking lot. She shared with the pain of my unchanging circumstance. She encouraged me that we are not supposed to make life harder, it is already hard enough. During this time in the car, I recollected memories of where I thought I would be in life... and what these memories of the heart surprisingly brought in was JOY in the midst of my pain. 

A scene-by-scene lifespan ran through my head:

One of me smelling roses, one of me running through a wide-open field of grass (Psalm 23), and finally, a scene of Grace (Liz Taylor) in Armageddon hoping against hope. 

For example, if my friend was in a difficult unchanging circumstance, I would say (at some point in the conversation) have you stopped to smell the roses? There is always good to be found despite circumstances. 

There is always rest to be found in the midst difficult circumstances. "Oh Great God, Give us Rest," by David Crowder  Band is a beautiful worship song to bless you. Psalm 23 is my place in God's story, running in open fields, where time and space seem trivial compared to God's vastness and beauty. (Thank you, Larena for this)

In the 1998 movie Armageddon, Harry (Bruce Willis) sacrifices himself for the sake of his daughter's future with A.J. Frost (Ben Affleck) and for the future of the world. In the final scene, A.J. Frost states, "Harry doesn't know how to fail." A.J. demonstrates faith in Harry. Of course, this is like God. The God of the Bible doesn't know how to fail. He never fails us, he is unfailing love (read the Book). Before Harry preses the button to detonate the asteroid that is about to destroy the earth, he states, "We win, Gracie!" Love knows no sacrifice that is "too big." It does not stop at "woah, that hurts way too much to give that part of me away." Love gladly gives the deepest part of it away, without stopping. Scenes of Grace's life pass before her eyes, and the mystery of God is revealed in this scene (2 Corinthians 4). Love always wins. 

God's goodness is ultimately shown when he sacrifices Jesus for the sins of the world to be removed, and for the world to know truly who God is: Our Father. Let his sons and daughters rise. (John 3:16; Romans 8; John 1)

Today, I want to ask you have you stopped to smell the roses? 

What have you done for someone else today? (John 15:13)

That's Something Else!

Last November, I was at Calvary Church in Naperville, IL. My friend Marie Fe (a Spanish Professor at Trinity Christian College) told me a pastor was going to minister to los Zetas, a people group, in Mexico. I didn't know who they were, yet alone what they are known for. (At first, I thought they were a "people group," but then I realized they were a drug cartel, who are still a people group)
She just told me this pastor was risking his life for the sake of the gospel. So, my first thought was, 'man, this guy is crazy!'
Then, I realized, dangerous people groups are important to God. Woah. [this has nothing to do with the recent terrorist attacks in Boston, Jahar is a different story]
I was sitting in lifegroup thinking, man, 'I know how these things work, but then I heard about this radical man of God going to risk his life for the sake of the gospel.'  Literally, he was saying I am ready to die for this, thinking to himself it has been a good race, if I die, I die.
***
I found myself back n Aurora about 4 months later.
So, she updated me last March (2013). It was amazing!
She said he went down there. When he went down there (Mexico), he was doing the work of Jesus. I asked her how did it go, is he alive? Then she went into the story...
He went down there, and los Zetas wanted a good story. They told him it better be a good story, or we are going to kill him. So, they put him in a van, and he was thinking that's it...I'm gonna die- this is crazy.
But, then a blind lady who got healed started looking for the evangelist. She came up to the window of the van and knocked on the window, los Zetas opened up. And she was testifying my eye is better! I can see. They decided what he was sharing was worth listening to!

At this point, I responded, "That's Something Else." Anyway, I realized that was Jesus! So worthy to be praised!

Really great! Until next time, do what you do.

The Grace of Obedience and Faith

Small indication of what Grace truly means:
I was at Family Christian Bookstore, and I had bought some journals for my disciplees. When I bought the journals, the cashier accidentally rung me up for 3 of the "Grace Journals." I understood then, instead of getting my money back- I could have counted the mistake as "loss" for the sake gracing 2 other people with a "Grace Journal."
But, did I do it? NO! I walked out of the store with $8.65 back in my account. Grace is having a new idea because of a mistake (new ideas=kingdom mindset), and after seeing the grace (in this case, seeing that two girls could have gotten a journal);
Don't expect the world to conform to Jesus, they cannot read your kingdom-mind. Obedience takes every compromise or distraction that will keep you from doing God's will. Lies of the enemy usually come in if a decision has been made in faith, but then the Lord puts in the mind of the Christ in you, and says if I already did this in faith; whatever comes against me, I know that I will have the promise. It does not matter how much you are troubling the other person. If I really wanted those other two journals and obey God, THEN I would have troubled no matter who (NO MATTER WHAT THEY THOUGHT) to get God's will done.

Guess who is going back to Family Christian Bookstore or maybe Mardel's?
The church needs to be a place where people will not find any place else like it (Presence of God, power of the Holy Spirt cannot be BOUGHT) When someone runs into you, they need to be running into the power and presence of God's love. No fear, no sorrow, no pain, no worries; just the powerful place of prayer in abiding in his Presence (Psalm 91).

Three's Company

Last night, Amara and Kenyai came to the Hearth (where Amara and I live) after worship practice. And they started, yes you got it, worshipping. After a while, I felt a familiar presence. Kenyai started worshipping, "I'm in my quiet place.....(~10sec later)....wait, wait, this is not MY quiet place, whose quiet place is this....(Holy Spirt: Amy)...Amy, this is your quiet place?" Phenomenal how Kenyai tapped in to my quiet place! But, yes my quiet place... {Psalm23}.

I was pondering on this thought a litte, and I thought to myself this is where you are ministering out of, your quiet place. When you worship, pray, or minister to someone you are inviting them in to your secret place. So, three is definitely company in my quiet place; that other person is Kenyai. (joke, goes with title of blog)

Amen.

Zealous without knowledge

So, I got a word from my friend, Alice, during a Rick Pino Concert at Acts Church that I was like a Lion going so hard after God with power and strength and zeal, but it is God moving me forward so fast; then, I hit the Presence, I was filled with JOY. (Rick Pino is having a 50-hour worship night from March 2-4 in Austin, TX) I got to talking to my Sociology professor, and he reminded me of a quote in The Chronicles of Narnia that describes Aslan as not safe, but good. I knew everything in the presence of God would be good. So, yes, I can trust God!

This also reminded me of being a trumpet for the Lord. Calling out the wicked to come into the light, as Ephesians 5:11 says, "not to have anything to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather exposing them." Elijah was very zealous for the Lord. I want to be zealous, but with knowledge. Zeal with a good purpose, not just when certain people are around, but because God is around. My friend Austin Murray said that lack of love for God is the root of the fear of man. The fear of man can be overcome by power evangelism. Today, when I was at Carino's the Lord touched a woman with the Father's Love. It was beautiful. If you are a Christian you are a soul winner because you trusted and asked God for wisdom.

This is how it (abiding, doing) should be everyday. Everyday, allow yourself to actually "do" something, instead of the rushing and hurrying and the plowing through the day. Take one moment and REJOICE in what the Lord has done. Those who preach the word of God out of love need to be CONTINUALLY abiding; there is no other way to preach the gospel out of love. Wait for refreshing before preaching the gospel; my discipler and good friend once told me that she needs to repent before she tells someone about Jesus (acts 3:19).When preaching the gospel out of love, the Holy Spirit becomes your Comforter shield and protector. His faithfulness is never ending, and his mercies are never ceasing, new every second. Also, you are in a continuous overflow of prayer or commune with the Father.
 Ignorant zeal is worthless; 
   haste makes waste. 
Proverbs 19:2

This verse came to me after I cut a chunk of skin of my ankle when I was shaving. I decided to shave my legs even though I was running late. Since I made the decision at the last second, I proceeded to shave my legs quickly. And, of course, I felt the sting. Then, the blood started running. All over. I literally take a pad to step on so that my foot would not get blood all over the bathroom rug and tile. Finally, I bandaged my wound. Do not go up to people without a good purpose to share Jesus. It's worthless. So, now I told God that I would share Jesus with anyone he told me to, and not in a hasty manner. I ONLY have one agenda, and that's God's: to love. God's love can come in so many ways, and who am I to limit His love and mercy? His compassions are never failing. 

Acts 17:11 talks about how the Bereans tested everything that Paul preached to them about Jesus. They studied it for themselves. I hear the Spirit asking, Who do you say Jesus is? I know that he is I AM! Also, when I preached to this one guy. He said he knew Jesus, but said he was not a Christian after I preached the gospel. But, in this moments, you can always pray for the person.

God is moving on Baylor's campus! :)

The Lord Loves Revealing Himself, Ways, Plans, and all he has prepared for us.

He loves it. He says if we seek Him, we will find Him, if we seek Him with all of our hearts. He also talks about fear of the Lord is the beginning of understanding. Also, He said to boast in this: but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.” So, I  think it's great. We get to search and understand matters of the Lord. I LOVE THAT. 




Oh, also, READ 1 CORINTHIANS 2!!! Wisdom through the Spirit!! You know I'm reading this book, How Then Should We Choose?, and it talks about three views on God's Will and Decision Making! We are under the LOVE, GRACE, the NEW COVENANT. So, now, we have wisdom through the Spirit, which I think is the "Relationship" view of making decisions according to  God's will. He said that he would reveal Himself, we want to have more. It's great that he tells us we can have as much as we want! That's great. We can know and understand his will as much as we want! I LOVE THAT. dang. 

Decisions

James 1:2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds...


Decisions have become my "trials of various kinds." That's crazy! I know God is producing faith purer than gold, and I'm thankful! Lord, please continue to guide and give me clarity and peace during these times. I thank you and rejoice in you! You are amazing, and teach me everything. YOU ARE SO FFUNNNYYYY!

Teacher, Rabbi

Lord, teach us how to pray. This required them unlearning ways. I am ready to unlearn ways that I have been stubburnly stuck in to learn His perfect way. The realization that your way of giving grace isn't perfect is fearing the Lord. That HIS way of grace is perfect. Jesus said HE was the way, the truth, and the life; and that no one comes to the Father, but by HIM. I'm sorry for making Christianiy something where I defined the rules of my obedience, trust, and compassion. That's enough for today. We need teachers to rise up in my church. (Hebrews 6) I can teach, and I'm willing. So, I'm willing to go, and like Paul, to beat my body into subjection of the teaching, that I myself may not be disqualified. Self-gratification is not a biblical teaching. WHERE ARE THE CRIES FOR ANGUISH? Who will go?
Let the world say of Christians, how do they teach with such authority? It doesn't start in you, it starts with a broken, contrite spirit.

Time

It's inevitable I can't control time. There is a time for everything, and I have to let the Holy Spirit take control with my time issues.
There's not enough time is a lie that many are following bait to. This is ABSOLUTELY not true, there is a time FOR EVERYTHING is what Ecclesiastes says. I will allow a time for laughing and a time for crying. Time is inevitable. We can't escape these times. I've tried to run out of the moment. It will come, just trust Him and his Spirit. Funny my love language is quality time. 

Bondage of Fear/Spirit of Fear

So, I realized this morning that fear had a huge impression on my life. I had a fear of sinning; and unfortunately, I measured up to my own religious standards. This put me in a horrible place, where I did nothing. My heart grieved the Holy Spirit, quenched it....told Holy Spirit... I can't feel you, so let me be my self-sufficient self to please God. The thing is without faith working through love, life is nothing. You can't please God, nor be in friendship with Him. I would be in this place, of what does this person think of me? Am I causing this person to sin? Am I being perfect? The trouble with this thought process is you can't get anything done! You spend your time thinking about things that need to be done to better yourself, but the Spirit of love, power, and sound mind has completely left in the sight of the Spirit of Fear.

Tuesday, I went to Christ for the Nations, and I met this prophet, let's just say he pointed people out in a crowd and prophesied over them. Anyway, I went up to him after service and he prayed over me. He prayed that the bondage of fear would leave, and that the Lord is not calling me to a comfortable life, but I life of adventure, but I had to take a leap of faith. He said it was like jumping out of an airplane. The sermon had been about going into deep, deep waters.

Saturday, I went to First Assembly of God Huntsville, and saw evangelist Sean Smith. His first sermon was about the spirit of fear and how it controlled us. I definitely struggled with the fear of man and fear of failure. Not good things. He told us that discouragement was the number one thing that steals dreams away from us. He talked about taking RISKS since that's the new way FAITH is spelled. God works when you take RISK. He doesn't when you are not acting because of fear. He reemphasized that it matters the way you live your life. Funny, he used the jumping out of the airplane analogy with God being your parachute.

He's whispering to me, Amy work with me, I'll give you the grace. I was telling God work with me, but God opposed me. I was taking upon my own yoke of selfish indifference or apathy and pride when I couldn't feel the authority and mindset of Christ. When you don't know who you are in Christ, you can't make eye contact with people, because you are under the law of sin and death, which is condemnation. If you try to back it up with a spirit of performance, or faking it, you will end up in a rut of a spiritual life.

My dear friend, Erica, spoke this over my life...unlocking this morning a new season in my life:
You are a woman of Excellence...you were born to be Great. You have such a charismatic/fun spirit about you. I see the Lord revealing the endurance you have always carried, and breathing life over areas of uncertainty in your heart. You are a carrier of wisdom, health, and power. I see you letting go of the need to manage how things happen or when, because I see you trusting your Father. 


god is good.

Wait, Wait, Wait... are you sure that the song goes...

"You make all things work together for my good" from Jesus' Culture's "Your Love Never Fails."

Yes, when I first  became a Christian, I must admit I didn't believe this. The song was so good until I got to that part. This was in like Fall of 2007. Anyway, so what ran through my mind was the lie that NO.. why would God do that? Why would he do that for me? Why would make things work out for MY good, not HIS good?

If you look at where this verse is in the Bible, it is smashed in the revelation of Paul's Romans 8... Man, talk about Oneness with Christ. Our Spirit groans inwardly and says hey I'll pray in the will of God, and guess what? It's for your good... since I know what's best for you, my son. And us sons, have to have faith in our adoption.

I didn't have faith in my adoption, I said to myself, that I am still separate from Christ because of my evilness. But  then, I remembered, I have been crucified. So, the creation will see the sons of God be revealed in this time. They will see the life and the light, and ultimately, how we walk in freedom and authority in our faith. Faith that we are so one with him, that we want what he wants. That we go where he leads. I'm saying I'm  ready for whatever you choose to do Lord.

Because you make all things work together for OUR good.
Thank you Jesus.

The War for Your Soul

Wow, just amazing how warfare can manifest itself into daily decisions. I am glad that I made a decision for myself today. I made the decision to stay. No one made it for me, including my emotions. But it's quite funny because when I wanted to go home, the people at home told me I can come home. All of a sudden I didn't want to. When the people at Baylor, THANK YOU BLAKE BURELSON, said I can withdraw, I suddenly wanted to. Just weird.

This is crazy. Life is crazy. Struggles are joyful. God is great.

losing my life daily

Then die today to all your own ways and means of saving yourself and commit the keeping of your life wholly to God’s care. He’s your good, loving Shepherd—and he is faithful to see you through all!

Fix your eyes on Jesus. He alone is our hope//from: GET INTO THE ARK

Abidence=Obedience

If we want to abide in Jesus, we must obey him. We can't have one without the other. We can't gain life if we stay where we are at, whether it be in our sin or in our mindsets of disbelief. Trusting in him means nothing is impossible for Him to accomplish what he has promised you. Better said than done. Also, we can't do  anything without abiding or obeying in Him.

Publish Post

a poem my 7 year old sister wrote to my dad

When I love you, you are gone. You are a lovable man. I love you when you are gone. 

insecurity lies where complacency hides

Inside my mind, I hear many cries.

One cry for justice.

One cry for the future.

One cry for my dad.

But, inside my soul I hear one cry.

For his presence. God's perfect love to...

ENWRAP, ENGULF, ENGAGE

________________________________

For counselors of peace there is a future.

I don't want pride to steal my future. 

I don't want lies to steal my future.

_________________________________

I am looking forward to this new, but crazy turn in my life.

And I know God will take care of me; he loves it.

Words

(steal can be replaced with destroy or kill)

(pride and lies can be replaced with sin, satan)

Behold the Man

John 19 ⁷ The Jewish leaders insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.”

The Bible is truly the greatest story ever written; it's great with English majors. So, here you can see that according to the Jewish law men had to die for blasphemy of God. We're under a new law; love. So if you want to claim yourself as a Son of God, as a daughter of the King, as a royal priesthood, as a holy nation, as a Christian.... you must die. Yes, die. But not physically, spiritually. Die to yourself and live under the new law, not the Jewish law. 

We have a new law. Because we claim to be Christians, according to the spirit, we must die to ourselves. This means we follow the spirit to grow in love. (2 Cor 5:17)

taste and see that the Lord is good

هو البابا للغير معروف.

My God will carry me just as a father carries His child. Even though this is a the end of a chapter in my life, it's the beginning of a new chapter. I'm excited to see what the Lord has planned for my family. Let us draw near to the Lord, not ask why the Lord did this to me..... took my dad away from me.WE WILL OVERCOME... let this be a testimony to everyone about jesus..

Living Room Worship with United Pursuit Band - Oct. 6th