memories made in mexico (uno)

wow! i have been in mexico for less than one week and yet i feel like i have been here forever. maybe it's because each day is filled with many things including entertaining a 4 year old and a 2 year old!

the other day, while we were playing in the sandbox, i was thinking to myself as we were making mud bread; "what is the purpose of me baking mud bread? why am i here? am i really just going to be playing with my adorable cousins each day for the next 20 days? this seems kinda pointless..."

(don't get me wrong, i absolutely love playing with my cousins, but sometimes it feels mundane and the days seem to drag)

but encouragement comes in many different shapes and sizes! i am so in awe of God, my Father and in the way that He draws us to Himself even if it's hard (and in a different language...) first God used Oswald Chambers to open my heart and prepare me:

"Maintain God's perspective and remember that it must be done every day...we are here only for ONE purpose...to be captives marching in...Christ's triumphs..."

Maintain God's perspective EVERYDAY! even when it's hard. even when life is mundane. even when it seems pointless. even when you can't seem to put one foot in front of the other. remember, we are living in Christ's triumphs!

And so, after God touched my heart and told me to fix my eyes on Him, i started helping my Aunt prepare supper and during that time she just said thanks. thanks for devoting your time to my children. thanks for playing with them. thanks for loving them. thank you! (sometimes that means SO much!)

and then, i went with her to bible study. we started out time together by praying adoration to God. i had never done this before. yeah sure, i had said " God you're great." but i had never devoted 10+ minutes just praising God through prayer for His faithfulness. (try it sometime, you will be blessed!)

but God had more to teach me. on saturday, i went to a seminary class (in spanish) i sorta, kinda understood but what really stood out to me was the true and deep devotion that the 7 other attendees had. they were focused. they were interested. they were hungry. they wanted to learn. they were willing to devote their saturday morning to go to class and learn about God.

i want devotion like that.

i want to be that hungry.

i want GOD ALONE to fill me.

i want to remember to maintain God's perspective.

the next day, sunday, i went to church (also in spanish. i'm learning though.) and i fell in love with this church! why? because the people there were in love with Jesus Christ. you could tell by the way they greeted each other. by the way they worship. by the way they prayed. by the way the Word was preached. the part of the sermon that i did understand was that the preacher kept repeating that God is our Father. He is our pappito. our daddy.


that evening, i went to my Uncle and Aunt's church (english fellowship. in english!) i fell in love with this church also. i met God's children from all over the world (literally) and worshipped alongside of them. it was a glimpse into what it's going to be like in heaven.




now, after learning so much, tomorrow is another day. a day where my little cousins will say "can you play in the sandbox with me? can you read to me? let's color! let's play with blocks!" yes, it's easy to say, while they are in bed, that i am going to have Christ's perspective and live with purpose and love them with His love but it's hard. sometimes life does just seem pointless and meaningless. so then what?

each day we have to choose. each day we have to ask God to give us His perspective. each day we have ot remember that we are captives marching in HIS triumphs. we don't have to be perfect but we do have to try. tomorrow morning, when you wake up, say:

"Good Morning, Daddy! Today is YOUR day! Please give me your perspective. And help me to love like You."

royalty.

"...but YOU are chosen people, a ROYAL priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light."
                                                                                                                          ~ 1 Peter 2:9

you. me.

you are part of God's royal priesthood. i am part of His royal priesthood.

we are a people that BELONG to God.

He cares for you. He cares for me.

He loves you. He loves me.

He wants you to be His royal child. He adores you. He knows all about you. He would do anything for you, all you have to do is ask in faith. He gave His all for you so you could be His child.

Imagine yourself behind closed doors. and behind those doors, the King of Kings is waiting for you to come and talk to Him and present Him with your requests...you are very nervous and you don't know what you are going to say or what is going to happen...suddenly the doors swing open and someone tells you the King is ready to see you. you walk in and stare at the floor. He calls you, by name, to come close to Him. you stumble closer. He reaches out and pulls you into His strong and caring arms. you sit in His lap and He asks you your request. you look up in His face and see His love for you. He asks you your request again. you look again into His eyes, and ask Him your request...

......this is what happens every time you pray. the King of Kings is listening to you in love. He waits for YOU to talk to Him. He loves to listen to you.

this video summarizes the gospel in a powerful way. please, please take a few moments to watch it. it has really inspired me ...  Eric Ludy - The Gospel 






...and you know, just to drive this point home, pretend, if you want, that you are all dressed up - just like a princess!


(...this is me, dressed up like Ariel for a parade the other day. i was just reminded to live like a princess everyday because the King of Kings is my loving Father!)