LIVING LARGE.

I am so thankful for my crazy life! I am always on the move it seems, living out of suitcases and my car. Im so thankful for all the people I meet in different states and different denominations all serving Jesus in one way or another!

This year I was blessed to have a short sabattical time to pray and seek the face of God, eat, sleep, and listen to the sounds of the ocean. I was tucked away on an island just me and Jesus. It was heavenly...

But I am so thankful to be back at what I love! :)

During my time here, I have been enjoying talking to my kids in Africa on the phone, hearing their sweet voices, rushing to get a birthday present across the ocean in time, listening to their struggles and their laughter and joy! I have heard them sing songs and tell me that "you are a princess of God". :) They are such dear precious treasures in my life!

I have loved watching people's faces light up as they sign up to sponsor a child or get a new picture of their sponsored child or even shed tears listening to a story or telling me their heart to serve in Africa or some other nation.

I love hearing stories of ministries and individuals who are changing lives in their own hometowns and even around the world.

I love when someone else comes on board and gets as fired up as I am about getting our children sponsored and in schools! About creating relationships with children...

And these people.... they are doing something for someone. They are giving! But even more than that, their lives are enriched! They are richer fuller happier. There world is enlarged and their lives are enlarged and energized with Kingdom purpose!

2 Corinthians 6:11 from the message says it like this:
Your lives aren't small, but you're living them in a small way. I'm speaking as plainly as I can and with great affection. Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively!

Wherever you are in this world, there is always someone and something that needs you! Find a way to carve out some time, or drink a few less lattes this month and use that money to bless someone. It might be an elderly person who is alone and lonely and in need of a friend. It might be someone in your own family who needs you! It might be that you feel led to sponsor a child in need. Or paint a picture for someone who needs healing or encouragement. Or write a song. Cook a meal. Open up your home to someone. Share your food. Give away some clothes. Fill up someone's gas tank.

For heaven's sake though, do something! Serve someone. Show God's LOVE to someone! Freely you have received, now freely give! When you make it a lifestyle, oh your life is so enriched and so much FUN!

We need to get out of our boxes, our small comfortable predictable and controlled fenced in lives. Let's sacrifice. Let's love someone. Let's do something we never thought we would do.

One of my favorite days in Uganda was when I found myself alone in the city. I have so many memories of God doing amazing things there, but this day I had no plan to do ministry. I just found myself alone in the city and hungry for lunch time. I got off the boda bike I was driven on and as soon as I stepped off, there were two little street kids covered in dirt, bugs crawling on them, and holes all through their "clothes" with no shoes asking me for money and holding their hands up to their mouths to tell me they were hungry. Most days I would have given them a snack if I had it in my purse or maybe a coin, but this day was different. Suddenly a picture of me eating with them flashed before my mind. So...I took them into the restaurant and bought them some chicken and fries and coke. Everyone around looked at me like I was crazy and kept asking if they were really with me. It took them around 20 minutes just to get the dirt off their hands in the bathroom where we were followed by security who thought they had just wondered in off the streets.

I didn't speak a word of their language and they didn't know any Luganda or English. But OH we had so much fun! WE laughed and played and filled our bellies. I know they were blessed.

BUT I WAS SO BLESSED. What a joy it was for me to be able to bless them. They were like a little prince and princess to me and I was in awe and SO privileged to be eating lunch WITH THEM!

If you are not giving, going, sharing, serving, I PROMISE you, you are missing out!!!!! You are missing out on one of heaven's greatest most fulfilling blessings! The joy of serving Jesus! You see when we reach out like that, God's Spirit is so there. We see Jesus in them because what we do to the least of these, we do to Jesus.

I always say the cure for depression is to go and love on someone! Go serve someone! Because it brings us SO MUCH JOY!!!

God commands us in His word to love the poor, to care for orphans, to help widows, to befriend the outcast, the prostitute, to visit the prisoner, feed the hungry, heal the sick and it's because He wants them to know His love and He wants us to be HIs vessels, His hands and feet. When anyone is doing what they were created for, they feel good, they feel fulfilled, they feel joyful!


Go Love Someone Today. Live Large. :)