Thursday, April 29, 2010

Singleness....

These past two years have been incredible, I have been working on my relationship with the man that truly matters.....God. God has laid upon my heart to take this time of being single for a purpose. This time in my life is to focus on Him without the distractions of a husband or children. And God had a purpose for my singleness that I didn't even know! It was in August when I remember praying out of frustration. I asked God why I was still living at home (couldn't afford to move out), still at the same job (tired of people yelling at me), and still single! I knew when I was praying that God must have a reason for all of this. I knew it somehow fit into His plan but I was tired of it all and tired of waiting. But wait is all I could do. It was about five months later, in January, when I learned of Extreme.

If one of those things were different, if I was living in my own apartment, if I had a different job, if I was in a relationship, I'm not sure I would have said yes to this opportunity. As my dad put it, "God kept your strings to a minimum." Also, a 40/40 position with Extreme, which is what I am, is specifically open only to single people. So now I am thanking God for my singleness! Ha, how many twenty-something girls do you hear say that?!

Paul speaks to the Corinthians in a letter about singleness and these verses have meant something special to me the past few months.

I want you to live as free of complications as possible. When you're unmarried, you're free to concentrate on simply pleasing the Master. Marriage involves you in all the nuts and blots of domestic life and in wanting to please your spouse, leading to so many more demands on your attention. The time and energy that married people spend on caring for and nurturing each other, the unmarried can spend in becoming whole and holy instruments of God. I'm trying to be helpful and make it as easy as possible for you, not make things harder. All I want is for you to be able to develop a way of life in which you can spend plenty of time together with the Master without a lot of distractions.
1 Corinthians 7:32-35 MSG

An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit.
1 Corinthians 7:34b NIV

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Auction.....

Thanks to everyone who came to the auction and thanks to everyone who helped make the auction possible. I am blessed to have such an awesome family, church family and friends! You guys helped me raise $1700!!! Wow! God is still fitting all the pieces together and providing for me in ways I could not have imagined, such as $1700 from the auction!

I'm about 40% funded at this point through one time donations, monthly commitments, and the auction. This experience of raising funds and receiving money from others is a strange and humbling experience. While in New Orleans I was talking to my friend Katie who is also in ministry and raises her own funds. We were discussing our past mistakes and history and how amazing that God has chosen us!

Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things - and the things that are not - to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus who has become for us wisdom from God - that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts, boast for the Lord."
1 Corinthians 1:26 - 31

I don't feel worthy, because I'm NOT worthy of this adventure or the funds you all are providing. God is worthy and He is working through me. I am an idiot (my nickname is idiot-K), without influence, definitely not of noble birth, weak and foolish. I'm a girl with a history of turning my back on God. But God has shown me great mercy and taken me back. Not only has He forgiven me, but He has called me to Peru for Him. God is equipping me to do this work for Him as He works through me. This is all God...He is the one! He is the one making this happen, the one providing, the one giving me strength, the one equipping me, and THE ONE I am going for!

So enough serious stuff.....here are pictures from the auction! Priceless! More pictures are on facebook.