Not by accident

You ever wonder if an event was a coincidence or if it all came together because God made it happen, I mean are there really moments in our lives which have been divinely put together by God? I've been thinking about that lately and how God knows even the smallest details of our lives and what we need each day. We came to Ukraine do work in a few ministries and it seems that our youth camp would have been an amazing ministry opportunity and it was cancelled due to the weather.

If God sent us here, then is a day sitting in a house waiting for the power to come on and water to be delivered a day truly planned by God? I have to believe it is, if coming on this trip was what each of us feel was His will for us, then a day of not doing a whole lot for Him has to be a day planned by Him as well. I wonder how often I think of work that I can do for Him without asking Him what it is He wants me to do?

If we are to show Christ's love then sometimes sitting with a friend and just listening to their problems is all God requires of us. Maybe we don't feel like we did much, but to God it was, because we showed love. I truly believe God places good and bad events in our lives, as well as change our plans so that we can do what is His plan for the day.

It's not for me to figure out what God's reasons are for why things change, it's only for me to accept the change and go about showing Christ's love in hope of winning another soul to His Kingdom. Sometimes we make it more difficult than we need too, sometimes we need to sit back, grab a cup of tea and just have an open ear and an open heart!

From the village to the mountains

I've had a lot of time to reflect about my life the past few weeks and the one thing that I've come to understand is how amazing God is! Looking back over the last few years I see how He has taken a little girl from the village of New Miami and used her in the mountains of Ukraine. Although I may never get to see the outcome of this experience here on Earth, one day I'll get to know how this trip has affected those we have ministered to.

I'm pretty sure growing up in the village I didn't even know places such as this existed, let alone that I would be working for the Lord in the country. Giving my life to God has helped me to not only see the world, but to see it through His eyes.

I'm sure I have a long way to go and many things I need to work on and get right. Walking with him one day at a time brings my life and what's important into perspective. What I have in the Lord no man, job or material thing will ever replace. Peace that passes all understanding and a heavenly home that awaits when my earthly duties are done.

Blessings,
Monica

God provides

It's hard to believe in less than 3 days I'll be starting on my mission trip. I'm looking forward to going to Ukraine to work with the children there. We will be doing a Vacation Bible School in one part of the country and then traveling to the other side of the country and doing a Youth Camp. Apparently, the Youth Camp is where my military training will come in handy. We will truly be camping sleeping in tents, bathing in the river and yes even digging our own bathrooms :)

Life is an adventure for sure, I was making one of my many drives moving my things this week and had a lot of alone time to think. While I was preparing to move to Belize I remember testifying in church that I was not afraid to move and I would do whatever God wanted me to, even dig ditches if that's what He wanted. Who knew that He would hold me to that statement years later:) I need to remember never to say something I don't mean because God might test me on it down the road.

A friend asked me the other day if I was afraid. I'm looking at it as God's will and if He is in it He will take care of all of us, so that being said, I'm not afraid in the least. He has given me peace about the trip from the beginning and has provided in every way for me to go.

I was short $350 for the final balance of the trip (plane ticket). I had been praying about it and told the Lord I was not asking anyone for the money. If the trip was of Him, He alone would provide it. I also know I had friends and family praying about it for me as well. I received a call a couple days later from my aunt she said, "I have the rest of your money, someone dropped it off this morning." She told me the person didn't want to be acknowledged for giving but felt God laid it on their heart to give it. What a blessing and answer to prayers! So if that person who gave the money happens to be reading this, "Thank You" and know you are an answer to prayer. Thanks to everyone who gave towards my trip....it's amazing how God uses people in all ways to increase His Kingdom!

Now that Montessa's wedding is over, I've moved my things from my apartment to storage and the plane ticket is bought.....another chapter is about to begin. I have no idea what is ahead of us, however I know who goes before us and will prepare the way!! May we glorify Him and help to build His Kingdom!!

If you remember please pray for my team as we are away. I'll try to update my blog, but not sure how much time or internet access I'll have.

Blessings!

Excited!

I was driving back to Cincinnati today after spending the weekend away and it came to me I hadn't updated my blog in a while. A lot is happening and I don't always have the time or take the time to update my blog. My daughters wedding plans are moving right along and I have one more quiz in my college courses to take and I'll be finished with that for the semester. Still no luck with housing, but at least I have a short term solution until I return from my trip to Ukraine.

Ahh, my mission trip to the Ukraine, it's amazing to me how God opens doors and moves things right along. After feeling like He had changed my plans from Israel to Ukraine He very clearly opened all the doors. I've met via Facebook the group I'll be going with. I've also spoken with the missionaries we'll be staying with and gotten some ideas of what types of things we'll be working on. It looks like Vacation Bible Schools and other children ministries. It's amazing to see God is working it all out. He's been faithful in supplying the funds for the trip and I'm halfway there with all that I'll need. I've not even been worrying about it, because I know He will supply. The one thing I'm not looking forward to however is the Tetnus shot they require us to get before we can go, but I'll get through that fear as well.

It's exciting to know I'm going to a country where Christianity is not the main religion and actually low on the totem pole, but God is trusting me to go spread the gospel. What an awesome responsibility!

I know I've used this verse before but Jeremiah 29:11,"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." This is a verse that helps me keep my head up when I'm feeling low and knowing that I'm trusting God with everything in my life, including traveling half way around the world.

Superwoman, I'm not!!

My busyness and all consuming "To Do List" have turned into Kryptonite! I was speaking to someone earlier this evening about the schedule I have over the next few months, college courses to complete, my daughters wedding the same week as the last week of the school year, leaving for a mission trip for a month to the Ukraine a week later and to top it all off I have to move out of my apartment by mid June. Which will technically be nearly impossible since I'll be in the Ukraine at that time and I'm not sure when exactly I can go find a new place to live! So among the reminders to take out the garbage, I also need to apartment hunt.

The thought of it all just makes me want to throw my hands in the air and say forget it, but feeling like my life is ordained by God and I'm doing what He wants me to be doing, all I can do is ask Him for grace and strength. I've found at the end of each day I can find many blessings throughout the busy day I've had. Even when things happen and my schedule gets thrown off God still shows me what He's accomplished that day in my life.

Last week my niece had to go to the hospital for pneumonia and issues with her kidneys. I was concerned for her health and for my sister and brother in-law, how they were handling the situation. After them being told that the diagnosis would be life long treatments for my niece, I asked my sister how she was doing, she said, "I'm doing fine, the Lord loves her more than we do and He'll take care of her and can even heal her." What a wonderful outlook on a not so great situation and it made me think about how God loves us more than we even love ourselves and He will take care of us if we will just let Him.

My prayer this evening was, "Lord, help me to do your will and draw closer to you.....whatever that might take." If it means leaning on Him for strength to get through my daily tasks then so be it, but also help me to recognize the daily blessings He's given me, even amongst the busyness of life!

Bucket list

I was talking to a friend the other day and he said he didn't have a "bucket list", had never really given any thought to what he would want to do before he died. Is it just me or is that odd, don't worry I'm not talking about him behind his back, I told him I thought it was strange. The older I get the more I think about all of the amazing experiences I've all ready been allowed to have. God has blessed me beyond belief and allowed me to travel the world and do things I never thought I would or could do.

However, when I think of the things I still would like to do or accomplish the list is still pretty long. Some I have to admit might be a bit frivolous and others not so much, either way it's my list. The Lord says in John 10:10,I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I believe He wants us to enjoy life and enjoy it in Him. When we put Him first in our life He then gives us our hearts desires according to Psalm 37:4. That means those things that we want and are pleasing to Him.

One of the things on my bucket list is to go back to Israel to visit. My first trip there was truly a spiritual journey and an experience with the Lord, you can feel His presence in the land. To walk the places Christ walked made the Bible real to me. God has perfect timing and if it be His will and pleasing to Him I'll get to go back.

There are some things I would like to do that some might think would be a little dangerous, like take a hot air balloon ride or drive a Nascar around a track at a high rate of speed. He may allow me to do those as well, but I always remember the scripture my aunt quotes when I tell her I want to do something not so safe or maybe a little crazy. Matthew 4:7,Jesus said unto him, "It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. It makes me laugh every time she says it, but I remember it even when stepping onto a roller coaster and think to myself, "Hmmm.....am I tempting the Lord right now?"

Have you thought about what you want to do before you leave this world? Is the dash between your date of birth and date of death going to be filled with a lot of experiences or just a few? I'm not saying you have to come up with some crazy list, unless of course you want to, but have a dream. Give some thought about that list and what experiences God wants you to have, give your list to Him and let Him help you fill it out and complete it. You never know the adventure you can have when God is in control!

Friends for all reasons!

It's been a few weeks since I've been able to blog and had a lot of topics running through my head, unfortunately they come in the middle of the night when I'm just too lazy to get up and write them down, so I'm playing catch up:)

Change is difficult and unexpected change is even harder, but do you ever notice that during those times certain people are around to help you through it. I have been thinking about all the people who have came in and out of my life over the last six years. Some due to hard feelings but most because they were there for God's purpose at that time and now life has seemed to move them or me on. It doesn't mean I don't think about them and wonder how they are doing and with Facebook I can always check in on them. However, there are those people who you just seem to drift away from whom at one point and time that were an integral part of your life. You spent time with them, you shared with them, maybe worshipped with them and cried with them.

I don't always understand why people come in to my life for a short period of time and then leave, but I do know that God has always brought people I needed for a specific reason. When I moved to the job I'm at now, I didn't really care for it the first few months. I was away from my family and friends from back home and I really didn't feel like I fit in. Low and behold, someone on the campus who had been here for years just saw her best friend get married and move ten hours away. She was devastated at the loss. While she was praying for God to send her another friend, I was praying that He would send me someone. Within just a few short months we ended up becoming best of friends.

The people in our life are not randomly placed there, down the road you'll be able to look back and see their purpose in yours and your purpose in their life. Sometimes, our purpose is to be an example of a good friend and to help them. Sometimes, it might be for them to help us through a difficult time or situation. Sometimes, they never leave and sometimes they're only around for a short time. Whatever the reason, there's always a reason. Unfortunately, some people stick around longer than God would like us to allow them to, and others leave sooner than we wish they would, but nothing is by accident and in everything a lesson can be learned. Even those times when it hurts seeing them go or choosing to let them go, knowing God is in control helps get through the pain.

Thank God for those people in your life, even those whom your unsure why they're there. If there are those around who consistently bring you down and are negative, pray and ask God to help the situation or help you or them to move on. For those who are encouraging and positive, thank Him for them each day (they are usually few and far between)!