Breaking the Silence

Its time to stop stalling and time to report on whats going on with me.

The mission trip to Africa was life changing, and its still a struggle to process and integrate what I learned through that experience but I am making progress and I think I am about ready to start posting some things here on the blog.

One reason I have neglected writing here is that I have been feverishly working on a video that captures the highlights of our mission.  I have a pretty solid draft, but I have some edits to make.  This will be the initial video.  My plan is to produce a series of videos that tell the story of the ministries we worked with and the needs but I need to get this highlight video put to bed first.

As an update, I think I will start with what God is doing RIGHT NOW.  Prayer has been a theme in my life on and since the trip.  I have heard people say this before and I never really got it until now.  In the past week, I have been choosing different things and spending much more time with God than I have in a long time.  I have made a commitment to spend significant alone time with God in order to get wisdom, discipline and understanding in the words of the Proverbs 1:1-7:

These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel. Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise. Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair. These proverbs will give insight to the simple, knowledge and discernment to the young. Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. Let those with understanding receive guidance by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables, the words of the wise and their riddles.

Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

2008 was my year of healing.  2009 will be my year of restoration.  God has already begun to show me things about myself and is leading me down a new path.  He is changing me and giving me new desires.  Its an exciting and bittersweet struggle to allow myself to be clay in the potter’s hands.  But I have faith that in the end it will be worth it.

A friend shared something with me yesterday that led me to Romans 5:3-4

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.

I am looking at my problems and trials and temptations and an opportunity to apply God’s truths to my life and learn endurance.  I am looking forward to the development of my strength of character.  Its a process that has only just begun and I don’t expect it to happen overnight.  But I know that God is faithful to finish what HE starts, even if I am not, the Lord who calls me is faithful and HE WILL DO IT.