Beauty.

This week I have been amazed at the glory of creation.

The stars on a cool desert night are so clear and bright. There are stars in between stars. I sat in awe as shooting stars darted across the black sky. It is intoxicating.

The mountains with snow capped peaks soar into the heavens. The rolling hills turn into flat desert lands at the exact moment they need to.

The sun falling behind the dark silhouettes of mountains brings a bold watercolor display across the sky. It is truly breathtaking.

In all of this beauty of creation, my heart falls more in love with the Creator. What a wonderful God to create such unexplainable beauty.

He is the God who made mountains, causes the sun to set in a beautiful display of colors, and still cares deeply about me.

I am in awe.

He who forms the mountains, who creates the wind, and who reveals his thoughts to mankind, who turns dawn to darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth-- the LORD God Almighty is his name. Amos 4:13

Have a lovely Monday.

-M

Beauty For Ashes

This is a repost from the new website I am writing for, http://graceeveryday.org/ I wanted to share it, because this is one of my favorite verses, and I believe in the importance of it's message.

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.

Isaiah 61:1-3a

As Christians, we have been given a specific 'to do' list in Isaiah 61. We are told to proclaim the good news to the poor, bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim freedom for the captives, release prisoners from darkness, proclaim God's favor, comfort those who mourn, and provide for those who grieve.

When I first read these verses, honestly, I was overwhelmed. How can I do this? I don't know what this looks like. Is this even possible?

And then, I remembered, Jesus did all of this for me. He gave me the ultimate good news, the Gospel. He bound up heartaches buried so deep no else even knew they were there. He set me free from sin, death, my flesh, the grave, and Hell. He released me from the darkness of this world. He has poured out so much favor on me, it doesn't even make sense. He has comforted me in times when life fell apart. He was always there. He gave me grace and mercy when I didn't deserve it, and could never have earned it.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

The only way to accomplish this seemingly insurmountable task is to remember what Jesus did for us, and realize we have everything we need to pour it back out unto others. He has given us the perfect example, and the power to complete this 'to do' list.

So, what does this look like practically? I don't believe we have all been called to move to a third world country and start an orphanage, to walk the streets of Detroit and feed the homeless, or even to be a shoulder to cry on for every broken heart. God has placed you and me in this exact time and place for a purpose. There are broken people in every corner of this world, in offices, schools, homes, streets, hospitals, funeral homes, and even in churches. We are commanded to love them as Jesus loves them, care for them, and share the good news.

How can we do this?

-Preach the good news to the poor. How can you share Jesus with someone who doesn't know Him? Where may it be uncomfortable to share the Good News? Who are the poor, oppressed, and afflicted in your life, and in the world?

-Bind up the brokenhearted. How can you use your past heartaches and pain to help heal another? Will this help you realize your brokenness has value?

-Proclaim freedom for the captives. How can you be a voice for those who are enslaved, captive, and carried away? What can you do to raise awareness for the captives in our world?

-Release prisoners from darkness. How can you bring light to addicts of all sorts: body image, alcohol, drugs, eating disorders, pornography, gambling, etc.? How can you help someone break free from the darkness of depression, anxiety, bitterness, cynicism, insecurity, worry, self hate, and the lies from Satan?

-Proclaim God's favor. How does your life show that you have God's favor? Do you recognize it yourself? Do you share what He has done for you with others?

-Comfort all who mourn. How can you be available to listen when someone's life falls apart? In what ways can you be a comfort to someone?

-Provide for those who grieve. What can you do to be a help to someone who is grieving? How can you make thier life easier in a time of pain? How can you cultivate joy, beauty, and praise in their lives?

What does this look like today for you?

Have a great day. Love, Michelle

Two Words

I recently spent a week out of town. One of my high school friends got married, and I went to help with the wedding, and be a bridesmaid.

I spent a lot of time pondering. Because that's what I do in airports and on airplanes. I ponder life. I ponder people. I ponder myself.

I spent 10 days in an unfamiliar city, with people I had just met, and may never see again. I had nothing and no one familiar around.

If you know me, you know I'll talk to just about anyone, anywhere, about anything. I love people. I love to talk.

Two words kept rising to the top of any conversation. Whether I was standing in line for coffee, waiting for a plane, doing wedding crafts, meeting the bride's family, wherever I was, my conversation included these two words.

I never thought much about it before. Back home, I talk about these two words daily. Almost everyone I converse with has heard me talk about these two words. I do it so regularly and with people so familiar, it never caused me to stop and ponder.

But, delayed planes really make me ponder.

Every single day I was gone, I shared these two words with complete strangers. Every day for the past few months of my life, back home I talk about these two words. I can't go a day without saying these two words.

Jesus.

Bolivia.

Sitting on the plane I began to think, what was so special about these two words that 24 hours couldn't go by without me uttering them to anyone?

Then it hit me. They both changed my life. Completely changed. They both give me purpose in my life.

I am literally not the girl I was before.

I just want to be like Jesus. I want to love people.

I want to be able to look back over the past years and without doubt know that He has transformed me, and is continuing to do so. I want to point others to Jesus. I want to know His love, compassion, patience, peace, faithfulness, favor, joy, and goodness. I want them to be my life's song. I want bitterness, gossip, lust, vanity, and sarcasm to fall off me as I cling to Him and to His word. I want to be not important, and for Jesus to be everything.

Ah, Bolivia. 2 months, and I was in love.

I left part of my heart there. Bolivia may not be where I end up, but its where this girl experienced God is such an overwhelming and real way. It is where I fell in love with the least of these. It is where my purpose really took root and passion and dreams started to grow. It was my first huge solo adventure. It was where I decided wherever He sends me, I'll go.

How can I not go a day without saying those two words? When something seriously changes your life, you want to tell everyone.

So thank you. You listen when I ramble. You encourage me. You believe in me. You are patient when I share my dreams again and again and again and again. Thank you.

M.

kindness challenge again

I have a small group of high school girls I see on a weekly basis at church. Recently I encouraged my small group girls to be kind. The think I'm kinda crazy, and told me it is hard to be kind. I remeinded them that I wasn't asking for huge acts of kindness. Just small, consistent, intentional acts of kindness. They grumbled about my challenge, so I am not sure if they will do it. But it got me thinking.

I was reminded how easy it is to slip into my own life, where all that matters is me. Kindness is not something that is expected. It is not glamorous. No one gives out gold stars for being kind. It is is easy to get caught up in life and just making that work. Kindness is often inconvient and uncomfortable. Sometimes it can cost money or time. When we don't receive thank you's, and our feelings get hurt. It can be hard.

So, get over it.

Be kind. You are not too busy, money is not too tight, and you have enough people around you to be kind.

So, I challenge you and I once again. Spend the next week doing daily acts of kindness. Don't just do them for people you know. Be kind to strangers. Even if it is uncomfortable.

Pray specifically for people and how you can be kind in a way that makes a difference to them. Then do it.

I challenge you to involve other people. Challenge your kids, students, co workers, whoever to also be kind this week.

I would love to hear of fun and creative ways you shared kindness this week!

Seven days. Seven ways. Be kind.

Love, M

Update on Nestor

This is the latest I have received from my friend Kathryn. She is back in Bolivia, serving fulltime. I hope to Skype with her soon to get more information. But for now, this is enough.

Nestor, a baby who was extremely malnourished due to a hole in his heart, is now strong and growing! The first picture is him a 16 months weighing 11 pounds and the second is him now, 2 years 3 months weighing 22 pounds! Praise God!

And The Winner Is.....

 

Thank you for joining me of a week full of Being Content While Single! I loved sharing what God is teaching me. And I really enjoyed reading your feedback. It was so encouraging!

 

If you are interested in following my blog, you can subscribe by email. I write about a variety of topics. (What God is teaching me, His faithfulness, challenges to be more thankful, mission work, having a heart for the broken, being single, etc.) You can always click on the words under the "what am I talking about" section on the right for certain topics.

 

I loved doing this giveaway contest! I have never done one before, and it was fun to buy for it. I had 32 entries! That was more than I had thought I would have, so thank you!

 

So, without any more nonsense....

 

The winner is....

 

Kim B. from Mt. Pleasant, NC

 

WooooHoo!

 

Congrats Kim!

 

Please send your address to me an email at michelletobolivia@gmail.com

 

Your fun pack of prizes will be in the mail ASAP!

 

Thanks for a fun week everyone!

 

Have a great weekend!

 

Love, Michelle

 

 

 

Being Content While Single : Adventure

 

 

Today is my last official post for this series. I am saddened to see it come to a close. I have enjoyed reading your comments. They have blessed me more than you could know. It boggles my mind that I don't know most of you, and yet God is allowing me to speak to you. I feel so under qualified and inadequate to share on being content while single, because a lot of days, I'm not. Thank you for letting me share my honest, not always glamorous life with you all. It brings my heart comfort to know I am not alone. You are wonderful. Keep those comments coming! I will draw a name tomorrow morning for one lucky reader to win some of my favorite things!

 

Adventure. I love adventure. Or at least I love the idea of it.

 

Last Valentine's Day I got on a plane all by myself, and flew down to Cochabamba, Bolivia. I didn't know anyone there. I went to work in orphanages for six weeks. Six weeks may not seem like a long time, but because it was the farthest away from home I had ever been, the longest time away I have ever been, and the first time truly alone, I was freaking out a little bit. I set out on my journey full of ideas of adventure and knowing my Jesus was going with me.

 

I had been told by people growing up that I would never really go anywhere. I would always be here, just stuck because I was too scared to go and do. They had their reasons to believe it. I was a very shy girl growing up. I didn't get my driver's license until I was a freshmen in college. I never went away to college. And then I never ended up finishing. I love being around my family, and just being home. I never wanted to move out of my parents' house, even after I was married. My plan was always to graduate high school, meet a nice man, and have babies. All of course by 23, because that is how every woman in my family has done it.

 

But that isn't me, anymore. My family lost our house my junior year of college, and I moved out and into my own place. It was frightening. But, God began to teach me to rely on Him, to trust that He will provide, and that He is always faithful. He taught me to dream. It was there in the quiet walls of that little apartment that He began to transform my heart. He became my best friend.

 

My dream to become a missionary began when I was four years old. My dad went on a building mission trip, and when he came home he told me stories. I was shocked that people around this world didn't know about Jesus, little babies didn't have parents, and churches didn't have buildings. I knew that this was what I wanted to do when I was older.

 

In high school, I went to Jamaica three times and served in orphanages. In college, I went to Guatemala, Honduras, and a reservation in Arizona to serve. But it wasn't until I went to Bolivia, alone, for six weeks, that I suddenly believed in my dreams and adventure. I really began to believe in myself, and that God could use me, even without a man beside me.

 

God has taught me so much when I am alone, and adventuring with Him.

 

I know that not everyone can relate to wanting to live in a developing country to work with orphans. And I have to remember that isn't my life currently. My heart may be beating for South America, but the rest of me needs to live here, in the now. I need to believe that God can use me wherever I am, I can choose to be content wherever I am, and I can dream and have adventures wherever I am.

 

So, I may not be getting on a plane today to fly somewhere crazy and new, but a sense of adventure is a good thing to have everyday.

 

God has been revealing a lot to me, about me lately. I have found myself holding out on doing things, just in case "he" shows up. Okay, I am now realizing that is not healthy, but before, I didn't even realize I was doing it.

 

I am learning adventure isn't just plane rides and trips. Adventure can be doing something you have always wanted to do, but for some reason haven't. Adventure can be small or huge. It is up to you to decide what it means to you.

 

My hair adventure:

My hair has always been brown and curly. But, I have always secretly wanted to have blonde straight hair. I never would change it, because honestly I wanted my hair to be long, brown, and curly for my wedding. I felt like I couldn't change it because my man may show up, and want to get married, and my hair was the wrong color. I hope you're laughing, because as I am writing this, I am. Who thinks like this?!? I was so caught up in worrying about plans that were not happening, I couldn't focus on living in the now. I am proud to say that now, I am a blondie. I don't know how long I will keep it this color, but I am loving it. And I am so thankful that I finally let myself make my own decision.

 

My kitchen adventure:

I love to bake. Put me in the kitchen, and I am a happy woman. Since I moved out unexpectedly, I didn't have all of the wonderful kitchen gadgets I wanted, I didn't even have the basics. So over the past three years, I gathered the basic essentials for my kitchen. I always avoided buying the things I really wanted because I thought that I could just register for what I wanted when I got engaged. (Once again, what was I thinking?!) I wasn't allowing myself to live in the now because I was so concerned about the future. So, on New Year's Eve, I went to the mall with my best friend from Japan, and used all of my Christmas money on kitchen things. The night before I had made a wish list, after reading hundreds of product reviews. It was one of the best feelings to do what I wanted, and not wait on a man. I loved my best friend chasing down a man who was working to help him find a specific zester I had on my wish list. He didn't even know what a zester was, but he found it. When I checked out, the lady working asked me what I was buying everything for. When I told it was all for me, she gave me a weird look, but I didn't care. I was living for me. I had always wanted a stand up Kitchen Aid mixer, and God blessed me with one! (Read the story here!) So now my kitchen is stocked with the good stuff, and I can bake to my little heart's content, knowing I'm not waiting on a man to buy a pie pan.

 

My serving adventures:

I live near Pontiac, Michigan. Pontiac is a rough city. It is located in between Flint and Detroit, two of the most dangerous cities in the country. But for some odd reason, I love Pontiac. I know my friends and family do not always love my love for the city. I have served by walking the streets early in the morning handing breakfast to the homeless. (Read the story here!) I have gathered coats, mittens, and hats for the homeless in Flint. I have served at community bbqs for low income neighborhoods. Every time I drive down there, it is an adventure. So much uncertainty surrounds me. Who will I meet? How can I meet their needs? How can I point someone to Jesus today? I love it.

Social media is perfect breeding grounds for boredom and discontentment. I challenge you to log off, and find adventure this week. There are people everywhere that need to be loved.

Friday's question: What is stopping you from living the life you want? What are you going to do about it?

 

 

 

 

GiveAWay Info: I will be giving a way a prize pack with some of my favorite goodies at the end of this series! Today is the last day to enter!! There is only one prize. You can enter every day of the week by answering the question at the end of each daily blog. You can go back to previous days blogs for additional entries. Leave a comment with your name, city and state, and your answer to my question to be entered in this week's prize pack! I will announce the winner in a post on Saturday, April 13th, 2013. The winner will have to contact me via email at michelletobolivia@gmail.com with their mailing address to receive their prize. Good luck! Prize Pack includes: The book Praying for Your Future Husband: Preparing Your Heart for His, Measuring cups and spoons, Nivea lip balm, Revlon nail polish, and a Bath and Body Work's lemon candle.

 

The Complete Series:

 

Intro

Day One: Identity
Day Two: Love

Day Three: Prayer

Day Four: Truth Day Five: Adventure