God's Chisel

My sister sent me this video and I thought it was so powerful. My prayer now is...God chisel away the parts of me that do not reflect You and make me in to who You want me to be... enjoy!

Riding the Wave

I just spent the last week at the wave conference. It was awesome. I have never been to the wave church before, but I love it. If I ever have to relocate there, I will call that church home.

Here are some points I got from the messages I heard there:

At Boshoff (from South Africa)

• God is not a style or a method
• You can't be standing on the fence [when it comes to your relationship with God], because God is going to shake the fence and you are going to fall to one side.
• When you bump into Jesus,you bump into your destiny
• When you lose focus of Jesus, the relationship becomes religion.
  
• The highest purpose in life is to be a soul winner.
• Win the lost at any cost.

Jentezen Franklin (pastor of Free Chapel Worship Center)
Friday Morning

• Church should be so life altering hat people don't go back to what they intended to do [outside of God's will].
• God's church has the power to interrupt people's intentions.
• We should never come into God's presence and leave unchanged.
• People should be able to tell that you are spiritually living.
• The supreme law of worship: Ezekiel 46:9 "But when the people come in through the north gateway to worship the LORD during the religious festivals, they must leave by the south gateway. And those who entered through the south gateway must leave by the north gateway. They must never leave by the same gateway they came in; they must always use the opposite gateway." (you cant leave the same way that you came).
• The first mark of the beast was the "?" - the first ? in the bible with when the serpent talked eve in to eating the forbidden fruit helping her to doubt what God had said/promised.
• Satan wants us to question what God is doing or going to do.
• a "?" is just an out of shape "!". We should be declaring, not questioning.
• Faith places no limitations on God and God places no limitations on faith.

Friday Night

• It's so easy to talk ourself out of victory.
• The power of death and life are in our tongue.
• Joshua watched a generation that was supposed to go into the promise land talk themselves out of their victory.
• Joshua 6: no one said anything going around the wall.
• Naturally, our tendancy is to complain, talk, etc when we look at what's happening in the natural.
• There is a victory in progress if we would just keep silent.
• Psalm 46:10 "Be Still and Know that I am God."
• Adversity = Add-A-Verse-To-Me .... when adversity comes, it's time to pray
• Even in the stress of the situation, it's not the time to talk bad about it....we need to quit talking about what is against us. Keep quiet except for praise.
• Sometimes God's word for us is just wait. What if God is saying it's not time yet, just trust Me.

All of these messages (including Ed Young's which I will post about later), I believe, were spoken just because I was there. It was exactly what I needed to hear. There are so many promises that God has spoken to me that I am believing for. I am choosing to keep quiet except for praising, to not ? but ! the goodness of God and to remember that He can do anything... far more than I could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. (Eph 3:20).

I am excited about this new season in my life...

Italy trip part 3

We are having so much fun...making new friends from all over the world. Jess and Gab got here Wednesday and we didnt do much that day because they were worn out. We hung out at the Palaghiacco where the conference will be. and we got to talk to Jorge Suarez for a while. He is one of the funniest people I have ever met. He used to be the music director of a church that I didnt live to far from in Maryland and knew some of the people I did from High School. What a small world.

Thursday is when the fun began. I got up early to go help get some of the guest speakers from the airport. It was fun to meet so many new people. I took a couple trips back and forth and now I feel like I could drive that route with my eyes close. Actually, I wouldn't drive, but I could guide some one how to get there. I am still too scared to drive around here. They have some amazing brakes in all these cars. I dont know how they do it.

Jess and Gab also helped out as well and spent the day with Martin Smith (from Delirious) and his family. He has 6 beautiful children and one HOT wife, who doesn't look like she birthed 6 kids. They are very sweet. (One thing that I really like about all the guest speakers and musicians is that they are so down to earth and very friendly).

The conference started Thursday night, with Parachute Band and then Aline Barros sang. She is so beautiful and has an amazing voice that just brings in God's presence so readily. Pastor Marco Peixoto spoke and it was amazing. He is one of my favorite speakers. I can't wait for him to come to DC.

Yesterday, Friday, we all went to tour the city. There were over 20 of us ... definitely too many people to try navagate the city together. We ended up splitting up during part of the day and just doing whatever. We went through the colosseum and then ended up just getting lunch right near there. I love the food here...Italian food in the US doesnt compare at all. I know I'm going to have to go on a diet when I get back. Its way too good to give up. Any way we took lots of goofy pictures and had a blast. These people are so funny!

Last night, Martin Smith led worship with the MXG band. It was so cool to see my brothers (Andre, Fabio and David-the pastors son's at this church) leading worship along with him. Then Darlene from Hillsong preached an awesome message on prayer and the importance of it...and that even when we dont see results we thought we were supposed to ... God's word still says to pray. Because it will all work out in HIS timing.

Everynight after the meetings we have been in the guest speaker tent just chatting with everyone, laughing and having a good time. I realized again last night that I laugh really loud, because it got silent after this one point when I laughed and the whole tent full of people looked over. haha.. I need to work on my volume... honestly, they should realize Im italian and that we dont do anything quietly.

It's been an honor to be with everyone and to help out and to just be apart of what God is doing here in Italy. I am looking forward to the rest of the conference. Lisa and John Bevere both today....can't wait.. and i just found out it's her birthday today.. so Happy Birthday Lisa!

2nd day in Italy

Yesterday was an amazing day! I woke up early, had breakfast and then took a stroll to find some place quite to sit. The pool isnt open yet, but the lounge area around it is. So i went there to spend time with God reading and praying. I think having an amazing view of the mountains and surrounding cities completely adds to that time with God, you know thinking of his awesomeness and what he created. I was seriously looking at one of the paintings he created. It was absolutely beautiful. I had the best couple of hours there just praying/singing/reading and no one was around.

I have also found myself completely emmersed in the book "Redeeming Love". I know many of you have told me to read it because of how good it was but seriously I can hardly put it down.

Around lunch time, Caroline, one of my favorite people here, came to get me to take me to lunch. We went to the Palaghiacco (Rome's ice hockey stadium where the conference will be), where one of the AMAZING ladies in the cook prepared pasta for all the volunteers that were there working. I forgot how much I love those cooks in the church. Normally, after every service, one of the women will prepare a meal for people to purchase for 3 or 4 dollars. I desire to cook like them...i think it really is a gift and i am praying for God to give me....you know to cook with creativity and without a recipe. Anyway, so I ended up staying and helping them around the stadium the rest of the day. i am so glad i did too. I was able to practice speaking in italian and it helped me become more confident. I am still not 100% to where I want to be, but I am alot closer to that point than were I was when i first arrived. Now thinking back to Monday, I dont think I said much that was correct italian. Oh well.... at least David got a good laugh out of it.

I am always amazed at the heart of the people at this church. They always serve the church with their whole heart. I never, even when I lived here, heard any one complaining that they were over worked or that it was too much.... but most of them, though tired, kept working and laughing and enjoying themselves. I am so happy I was able to help them plus I was able to hang out with Caroline and Claudia. I love those girls so much and want them to visit DC so you all can meet them. Caroline just got married (in March) to the Pastor's son (Fabio). They are so cute together. Fabio is the Praise and Worship Pastor at this church and has an incredible ability to lead worship and God's presence be so real. i am really looking forward to the worship this week from the MXG band and also Hillsong.

After having dinner with everyone, which they brought to the stadium, some one took me back to the hotel. I was so tired at this point and was in bed at around 10am. I started to read a little of Redeeming Love so I could fall asleep, but the book was too good so i kept reading for an hour. I put the book down and 11 and tried to fall asleep...it wasnt working...my eyes were open wide. My mind was racing thinking of phrases I could say in Italian, thinking about the days to come filling my mind with excitement. Finally, I started to pray for everything I could think of. When i was younger my mom used to tell me to pray until I fell asleep and usually it worked, but not this time. Then at around 2am, i remembered that during the day I had 1 cup of cappucino, 2 cups of italian coffee (like straight shots of expresso) and a small cup of coke (there was no water left). That could very well be the reason my eyes wouldnt even close. I never thought the coffee here had that effect on my, but I guess caffeine is caffeine. Finally some time around 4am, I put my headphones on and listened to Paul's cd. That always soothes me...and I fell asleep sometime after that.

Lesson learned...No coffee for me today...or maybe just one cup and no more and definitely not after 2 or 3 in the afternoon.

Today jessica and gabby arrive. I am so excited I can hardly contain myself. They are going to love it. i am especially excited that Gabby gets to be here. This is her first time in Italy and she is the last one in my family to come. Evan came last year with my dad when he preached at the church in Rome and loved it. She is going to fit in so well with these girls and I know they will love her as much as i do. They already love Jessica and think she is hilarious and have been asking about her and where she is and when she is coming.

Tomorrow the conference starts and I have the pleasure of helping out and going to the airport with a driver to pick up some of the speakers. I know God is planning great things for this conference and I am so happy that I get to be a part of it.

ciao!

First Day in Italy

Sunday, May 31st I left for Italy... the day started off great. I was bumped to first class on the first leg of my trip. Totally a God thing. The second leg, wasnt as pleasant. We all boarded the plane at the normal time, in order to depart at 5pm. But then as we backed out of the gate, the pilot let everyone know that we were having issues with the landing gear. Though I was bummed that we wouldnt leave on time...I was very happy that they found this out while we were still on the ground rather than up in the air. Later they told us it was leaking hydrolic fluid (sp?). They determined that the problem wouldnt be able to be fixed right away, so they had us all get off the plane. They had to quickly find another airplane to take us to Rome. Thankfully, there was another plane already in Chicago that could take us, but it seemed that they only had one person working on it to get it ready. The flight crew were just as frustrated as all the passengers. I called my mom at around 8:30 chicago time to have her pray with me because they said at that point it could be another hour before we even board. And literally 10 minutes later, they said....the plane is almost ready and we will be boarding soon. They had recalled what they had said 10 minutes earlier. I definitely should've called her a couple hours sooner to pray with me. They decided to give us all meal vouchers...but at a partially inconvenient time....right before they decided to board us on the plane. I thankfully was able to get a salad and then ran back to plane to board. We finally left the gate at 9pm. and arrived in Rome 4 and half hours after we were supposed to originally get there. So we are on the plane at the gate, and one of the flight attendants lets us know it will be a couple more minutes because there was a problem with door or something like that...so we wait to wait a little longer. I prayed and then they were able to get us off.

I was then picked up by one of the guys who is a part of the network of churches working on this Conference, David. He was very nice and only speaks Italian, so I was immediately tested on my skills. My prayer for today is that God will very quickly enable me to speak fluently and that it will all come back. We ended up laughing alot at my mistakes, but thankfully he was very patient and encouraged me to keep trying until he could understand what I was saying. We first went and saw the place (palaghiacco) where the conference will be. I saw some of the guys from the church there putting up the massive screen that will go behind the stage. I loved seeing Pr. Fernando a part of the process. And it was so cool to see all the guys working together to get things done.

After we went there, David took me to the hotel. This hotel has an amazing view of the country/mountain side...especially from my hotel room. I got to the hotel around 5pm and tried my hardest to stay up until 8:30pm when I crashed. I literally had to sit on my window sill and let the cold air hit me to keep me awake. I tried to walk around the hotel, but there is a wedding going on yesterday and today, so some of the place is closed off.

This has been my trip so far. I am still in awe that I am actually here. I think i am going to read and pray and stuff today....but we will see what else is in store.

I am so excited to be here and expecting God to do amazing things! Jessica and Gabby get here tomorrow. I can't wait to see them and spend time with them. I know we are going to have a blast.

fino alla prossima volta!

He Chose Us

As I was reading my Bible this morning, I came across the following scripture:

"You did not choose me, but I chose you so that you might go and bear fruit-fruit that will last -and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other." John 15:16

He chose me and he chose you (no matter our past) to bear fruit. What does that mean to bear fruit. I feel there are many ways to explain producing fruit...but the one I'd like to focus on are the fruits of the spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. I believe this is what God is telling us to produce in our every day life. I know I definitely need some work on this...especially self-control (when it comes to food) :). But the most important of these that is mentioned in previous books of the Bible is love. Jesus even mentions that at the end of the above scripture. "This is my command: Love each other."

John 13:34 says "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."

Unconditional love, no matter what another person does. I know I have screwed up so many times, yet like a loving Father God, has not withheld HIS love from me. There have been many times where I have known the truth, but have willingly walked away thinking I could do it better on my own. That's like a slap in the face, but God still loves me even in the midst of it. That is the kind of love that God wants us to produce daily. It's so easy to get offended and bitter towards someone who has done us wrong (believe me I know this as fact in my own life) but in the long run we are only hurting ourselves. If we take the higher road and love rather than letting it get to us, God can use us even more.

Now if God chose US to produce that fruit, that means He has equipped us and given us the grace to do so. "It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God's mercy." (Romans 9:16) So in this case, we know that we can't do it in our own strength, but God can in His strength and can empower us to do it. So, ask Him today to help you produce all those fruits of the spirit in your own life and He will.

Sunday nights

Growing up in a pastor's home, there were very few moments where we had uninterupted family time. We tried our very hardest to not schedule anything on the weekends, but inevitably there would be a special service/meeting/event or my parents would be meeting with people in the church (especially in the beginning years of the church). Even when we didn't have things going on with church, some one from the church would call with a problem that would take up at least one parents time (this was the time when everyone in the church had our house number).

I am proud of my parents though for making sure that the weekends (over the past few years) are set aside for the family. Friday Nights and Sunday afternoon's are scheduled family time and rarely will they schedule anything else during those times. Even though Jessica and I don't live there any more, we still try to make it to my parents house on a Sunday night to hang out with them. I cherish these moments where we don't talk about work (or try not to) but just enjoy being in each other's presence.

Tonight all of us were at my parents house to watch a movie (Taken is an amazing movie by the way). I loved it. I haven't been over there in a while on a Sunday night because I have been busy, but am going to try to do it more often....because I am understanding more and more the importance of making time for my family even in the rush of life's busyness because they are who matter most to me.

Traveling is on my mind

In thinking about my upcoming Italy trip... I realized that I love to travel. I love every aspect of it: the plane ride, the culture, the food etc.
Here is where I have been:

1. Israel
2. Jordan
3. Venezuela
4. Australia
5. Brazil
6. Argentina
7. Italy
8. Spain
9. Canada

Here is my extended lis of places I want to go to:

Europe:

1. Greece
2. London
3. Portugal
4. Spain
5. Austria
6. Germany
7. Switzerland

Americas/Caribbean:

1. Brazil (I have already been here, but it was a quick trip)
2. Barbados
3. St. Thomas
4. Honduras
5. Jamaica
6. Costa Rica
7. Dominican Republic
8. Chile
9. Hawaii (not a country but a place i want to go to)

Africa:

1. South Africa
2. Morocco
3. Egypt
4. Madagascar

Asia/Middle East:

1. China
2. India
3. Japan
4. Philippians
5. Thailand
6. Israel

Australia and Oceania:

1. New Zealand
2. Australia (Sydney)

i know there are plenty more place i would love to travel to....

Where do you want to go??

2 quotes I just read:

I am reading this book called: Mad Church Disease. It's by a pastor's daughter who is talking about how easy it is to burn out....but is talking about ways to avoid it and how important it is to keep God in the mix. I will probably write about this later on. In the mean time, here are 2 quotes that I really like from this book:


"Difficulty is the very atmosphere of miracle-it is miracle in its first stage. If it's to be a great miracle, the condition is not difficulty, but impossibility."

-Lettie B. Cowman

"If you want to be of use to God, maintain the proper relationship with Jesus Christ by staying focused on him, and he will make use of you every minute you live-yet you will be unaware, on the conscious level of your life, that you are being used of him."

-Oswald Chambers

Exciting events in the near future...

Our recent sermon series at church is called Anatomy of a Miracle. The first Sunday, Pastor Donna (aka Mom) spoke, she said, What is the one big thing you are believing God for? Well I want to share a couple things that I believe are miracles in my life that I have been believing God for over the past few months.

1.) Moving to a new apartment: I can't wait!!! Hannah (my room mate) and I have been praying for a new place to live over the past year with several specific items I wanted in the apartment or in the surrounding area as well. So we have been casually looking for some place else to live with in that time, but never really felt released to do much of anything else but look. FINALLY, in March, we heard about this new apartment building in the city. When we looked on the website, Hannah and I didn't really think we could afford it. But we both prayed and looked at our budget and realized that not only could we afford it, but felt released to look at it and sign the lease. I went and looked at it on a Thursday, the following Sunday Hannah went and looked at it and we signed the application to move in that same day. It was so God. This place has everything that Hannah and I have been desiring in an apartment building: A pool, a gym, zone 6 residency, 2 blocks from the metro, It's brand new, has 2 bathrooms, a DISHWASHER (You don't realize how much you love those things until you don't have one for 3 years.)...I mean the list goes on... We move Memorial Day weekend..YAY!!

2.) Rome, Italy: Over the past 3 months, I have been praying and asking God whether I am supposed to go to Italy for the MXG Conference in June. I wanted to go, but also wanted to use that money towards my own vacation; just me and God. I also didn't want to spend more than $600 on a plane ticket over there. To buy a ticket at that price would need a miracle in itself. So then Monday night I had a dinner with a friend and while I was talking to him about my dilemma, I had an epiphany/word from God... I can do both vacation and conference. So I searched for tickets where I could go on a mini vacation before the conference and I found one for $550, and completely felt it was God so I bought it. So I am going to be gone May 31-June 9. I get to Rome a couple days early so I can enjoy the country by myself, then I join my 2 sisters in Rome that Wednesday. I am so excited. I never would've imaged this to be possible, and God made a way. Now, I am just believing God that He will do something supernatural when I have to speak Italian. I feel so rusty. hehe

New Favorite Song

The other day I was looking at our worship team blog and they posted this video. I absolutely love it. I listened to it over and over again. As this woman was singing, I really could feel God's love.

Wheat Sifting

As I was listening to one of the segments in the Believing God series this morning, there were some things that really struck me. She referenced Luke 22:31-31.

::"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to have all of you, to sift you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen and build up your brothers."

It seems that God let the sifting happen with Simon, because God knew that the end product with in Simon would be greater than if he hadn't gone through the tough time.And once he repented and turned back to Christ, he would be able to strengthen and build up other people.

One thing that Beth Moore said was "God will never give the enemey permission to sift us like wheat unless we have something that needs sifting."

If we go through that sifting period then there is something that God wants to deal with inside of us so that He can move us on to greater things. He wants us to let go of certain things that would hold us back (ie. pride, victim mentality, bitterness, offense, sexual imorality etc), so that He can move us in the amazing purpose He has for us.

The word sift in the greek is siniazo which means to sift, shake in a sieve, fig. by inward agitation to try one's faith to the verge of overthrow

WOW.... If this meaning of sift doesn't describe what I have been going through in the past few months I dont know what does. It has been hard time in my life but I am encouraged, because that means that God is bringing things to the surface that need to be dealt with so He can bring me into His awesome purpose for my life. This makes me so thankful that God loves me so much that He doesn't want me life my whole life struggling with all this, but he wants me to shed all of that. I would rather live free and in God's purpose than to carry all that extra baggage HE wants me to let go of.

Another way to look at it....is to look at an open wound...you know the kind from when you scraped your knee when you were a kid. Remember how your mom or dad would put hydrogen peroxide on it and all the impurities would bubble to the top. So the process of cleaning all that out was painful but necessary for the wound to heal. That is what God does with us. He wants to use us, but wants to clean some stuff out first that would hinder us moving forward later. He doesn't want us to live in pain, but to live free and whole.

The best part about that scripture is that Jesus said, "I will plead in prayer for you, that your faith will not fail." so that means that while we go through that uncomfortable but necessary process, that Jesus is praying for us that our faith will not fail. That also means that he hasn't left us hanging and He knows EXACTLY what is going on, even though in those times it feels like it.

So if you are going through something like that now, know that God hasn't left you, but is there praying for you. AND most importantly don't fight the process, submit everything to God. There is no way you can do it in your own strength (believe me, I've tried), but trusting God and declaring scripture will get you through it. :)

Looking Forward

Recently, I have been doing a Bible Study by Beth Moore called Believing God. Some stuff in this past week's entry really stuck out to me:


Philippians 3:12-14
::I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back. (MSG)

::12I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. (NLT)

I like these two versions. I know I am not perfect, though there are plenty of times that I like to say I am. I know there are plenty of times when I get distracted and start to worry about the things going on around me. There are plenty of things to stress and worry about, but I have to remember the present-active participle in this verse that says: I press on/I'm off and running. That doesn't mean that I just do it one day, but it's something that is a continual action. I have to continually remind myself to look forward and to focus on God.

I want the one-thing in life to be that I am forgetting the past (not letting it weigh me down, but releasing it) and pressing towards the goal/the prize/all that God has. My focus needs to be what lies ahead.

THEN in the study we go in to this verse:

Matthew 6:33
::30-33"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. (MSG)

::Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need. (NLT)

::But more than anything else, put God's work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well. (CEV)

So what all this means is that as we press on towards reaching the goal, as we run the race that God has set before us, as we stay in our specific lane, as we stay on course in doing God's will, as we put God's work first, as we forget the past and move forward... God will be there to meet ALL of our needs. He will be there to give us more than enough. He will be there to meet our everyday human concerns. He will be there for us in every up and down, in every situation and circumstance. He will never leave you or me hanging.

Thank You Lord that you are my God, My Father, My Provider, The God who sees me, The God of peace. Thank you for never leaving me nor forsaking me. I know with you I need not worry about anything. As long as I seek you first, I know that all my needs will be met. I know that even though the situation I may be in is trying to weigh me down, that ALL things will work together for good, because I love you and I know that I am called according to your promises. I pray all this in Jesus Name, Amen!