My True Gold Medal Moment (My Testimony)

As a little girl, I wasn’t interested in watching the Olympics. Even though my Mom told my sister and me that it only took place every four years, I wanted to play with my dolls instead.

As a teen, I became enthralled with the beauty and pageantry and the excitement of elite figure skating and gymnastics competitions.

I was hooked on the Olympics!

I inhaled every skating or gymnastics competition on TV. I’d record the competitions or exhibitions and watch them over and over again.

I was mesmerized.

I was sooo enamored with the Olympics that I started taking figure skating AND gymnastics lessons.

I’m so grateful to my parents for spending hours shuttling me to or from skating or gymnastics lessons (I actually got good driving practice with my Dad on the way to the gym.)

My parents also enjoyed taking me to watch skating shows and buying me skating and gymnastics magazines and memorabilia.

I didn’t just want to be in the gym or rink, I wanted to meet all my favorite Olympians.

Amazingly, I got to meet many of them during a prestigious gymnastics summer camp I went to.

That wasn’t enough.

My Dear Dad also took us to watch our very first Gymnastics Olympic Trials. I think I went to watch two more Olympic Trials live after that.

That still wasn’t enough.

I dreamed of traveling to all the Olympic stadiums around the world.

I was amazed that I got to visit the Olympic stadium in Athens Greece as a teen when my parents sent my sister and me on a trip to Europe through my high school.

I still wanted more.

My obsession with the world’s biggest sporting event would compel me to study journalism. Although there were several reasons why I majored in journalism, my ultimate dream was to go to an Olympics as a reporter.

Where did I get that audacious dream?

I’m not sure, but I’d go on to meet and interview or photograph many of my favorite Olympians.

You can see a few pics from what I call my “Olympiac Daze” in this short video.

And amazingly, my dream of going to an Olympics as a reporter and spectator came true very early on in my journalism career.

I went to the Summer Olympics to chase elite athletes.

God had a divine plot twist for me.

God chased me down at the Olympics.

My life has never been the same.

I still write and speak about that moment because God met me in such a special way that day in Olympic Park.

MY TRUE GOLD MEDAL MOMENT

It was my last day at the Olympics. I had had a wonderful week attending some events, meeting some athletes, and soaking in all the sights and sounds.

I loved seeing the world come together in PEACE for this global sporting event. I loved hearing the different languages being spoken and seeing the fans and athletes wearing their flags with pride and cheering for their home countries. I reveled in all the festivities I could.

Making it to an Olympics was my gold medal moment.

Or so I thought.

I had been captivated by making it to the Games for so many years. But on my final day there, I still felt empty.

I had gotten myself to the other side of the world and it still wasn’t enough.

I realized it would never be enough.

On my last day there, I was at Olympic Park crying.

I think all of my Mom’s and sister’s prayers finally kicked in.

God had finally gotten my attention.

I realized I didn’t deserve all these blessings and wonderful experiences.

I had been running away from God.

As I pursued my journalism career and my passion for sports, I had drifted further and further from God.

I loved God, but I had tried to put Him on a shelf.

I was making my plans and asking God to bless them.

I had my own dreams and desires and vision for my life.

I had gotten myself pretty far.

Notice, all the “I’s” in my recent statements?

I had been rebelling against God and not asking Him for guidance and direction.

Big mistake.

There at Olympic Park, I was overwhelmed by God’s grace and love and mercy.

Without a pastor or evangelist near me, I surrendered my life to God.

Looking back, that was my ultimate Gold Medal Moment.

OUR DREAMS VS. GOD’S DREAMS FOR US

There’s nothing wrong with enjoying sports or exceling in your career.

But if your identity, worth, and value are wrapped up in your interests, hobbies, career, title, or relationships, watch out.

Does God have first place in your heart?

God wants to be at the center of our life.

God wanted to be at the center of my heart.

At the Olympics and soon afterward, God graciously showed me that I had made idols out of sports and my career.

That was a defining and sacred moment when God called me at the Olympics. He later called me to lay down my journalism career. (Please note He doesn’t ask everyone to do that.)

I’ve been on a faith adventure ever since.

That journey has been long and winding, but has included many adventures including going to Israel (years ago) as well as going on five short-term missions trips to five countries.

It’s also included serving as a prayer counselor at a Billy Graham Crusade and a Luis Palau Festival and training as a volunteer chaplain.

I’m now using my writing and speaking gifts to encourage people as they walk by abounding faith, hope, and love and dare to live their God-given dreams. You can learn more at AboundingFaith.com.

I’ve spoken to a group of Christians working at the United Nations, students at a Christian college, given my brief testimony at an evening service at Times Square Church, and more. I’ve also hosted a few of my own events and am now a contributing writer for Our Daily Bread Ministries.

I’m also a Bible school instructor. Surprisingly enough, one of my recent students was a two-time Olympian. Only God could orchestrate that!

None of these were my idea.

I’ve just continued to try to follow as the Lord leads.

I’m honored to be the author of six Christian living books and devotionals.

I write about how God called me to follow Him in my new book God-Given Dreams: 6 Ways to Live Your Divine Purpose (NavPress, available wherever books are sold) and in By Faith: Adventures and Reflections on Walking With God Here and Abroad (available on Amazon).

After God met me at a Summer Olympics, He allowed me to go to a Winter Olympics as a reporter and spectator. That was another incredible experience, but by then God was Lord of my life.

I’m so grateful that I can now enjoy the Olympics like a regular fan at home.

I still get excited and cheer for the athletes to do their best. I admire their hard work and dedication.

But my identity isn’t wrapped around who I’m meeting or interviewing.

I’m sharing parts of my story to inspire you and as a cautionary tale.

We can have dreams for our life, but have we checked in with God?

That’s why my latest book is titled God-Given Dreams.

God has even better dreams for us than we could ever hope or imagine (Ephesians 2:20-21 NIV).

God has given us gifts, talents, and abilities.

God has good works ordained for us to do (Ephesians 2:10 NIV).

Have you asked God how He wants you to use those gifts, talents, and abilities to honor Him?

I love when athletes thank God right when they win their competition.

RUN YOUR RACE WELL

We may not be athletes, but did you know that we’re all in a race?

We’re not competing against each other though.

In the following Bible verses, the apostle Paul compared a Christian’s journey to being in a race:

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27 NIV)

Earthly crowns and medals and wealth will fade one day. The apostle Paul encouraged the believers in Corinth, and us, to be disciplined as we live for Christ. He is our true and lasting treasure.

Everything else pales in comparison to the hope we have of heaven through Jesus.

The writer of Hebrews encouraged readers, and us, to run the race marked for us with perseverance. Life is a marathon, not a sprint:

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV)

As we keep our eyes on Jesus and consider all that He endured on the Cross for us, we won’t grow weary or lose heart along our journey.

If you’ve been running away from God like I was, I encourage you to run toward Him.

God loves you!

We can’t outrun God’s love for us!

May these Bible verses inspire you as you run your race:

“Do you not know? Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31 NIV)

NOTE ABOUT PICS

I’m so grateful that God has allowed me to experience many of my Olympic dreams over the years. The above pics are from FOUR Olympic sites (I’ve also driven past the stadium in Los Angeles.)

Why do I still get excited about the Olympics? I love it when the world comes together in PEACE. It’s still a thrill to watch the world’s best athletes come together in friendly (but fierce) competition. When the elite athletes are at their best, they’re amazing.

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Happy Roctober!

Happy Roctober! Let the birthday celebrations begin.

Guess I’ve always been fascinated with crowns lol … 

I’m loving this verse:

“You will be a crown of splendor in the LORD’s hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God.” (Isaiah 62:3 NIV)

A future author was born this month … yup, here’s yours truly already hard at work.

Actually, I didn’t grow up dreaming about writing books. That seemed so far out of reach and wasn’t even on my radar during my journalism days.

But God!

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5 NIV)

If you’d like to read more of my story and how I’ve seen God’s fingerprints on 6 continents, check out By Faith: Adventures and Reflections on Walking With God Here and Abroad.

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Did this post encourage you? Get access to the FREE Feisty Faith: Trusting God Day by Day 5-Day Sampler PDF as a gift when you sign up for Abounding Faith’s email list. Get updates on Abounding Faith’s books, blog, podcast, life coaching and more by clicking here or the image below.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Finding My Roots – Hispanic Heritage Month Edition

“You’re not Spanish, you just look it.”

That’s what fellow Hispanic acquaintances would say to me half in jest and half with distain during my high schools days …

“Sally Sombrero” was the nickname I was given during my college internship. I was the only Latina in our newsroom., I cringed inside every time I was singled out like that ..

I guess I’ve never been your typical Latina, whatever that even means. And I’m not a fan of labels. They don’t usually fit.

The more I learn about my culture and roots and mi gente, I realize there isn’t one typical Hispanic.

We’re all different, but related.

It’s something I experienced while on staff at Latina magazine years ago …

Why do I get so excited about Hispanic Heritage Month now?

Because I now better understand that Positive Representation Matters!

Over the years, I’ve learned to embrace my culture and celebrate being Latina. I enjoy seeing Latinas/os being represented in a positive light and enjoy seeing their accomplishments recognized in various fields.

I’m the godly proud daughter of two super loving parents who came here as hardworking immigrants from their respective countries. I saw them struggle and succeed. That has had a profound impact on me. I so appreciate how supportive my parents have been of my writing endeavors from the start.

While I’ve always had a diverse set of friends, I was usually one of the only Latinas in my field .. starting way back during my time as the reluctant editor in chief of my high school’s newspaper, to my journalism classes in college and grad school, to my newsroom days and my days writing about sports. Even now, I don’t know of many other Christian Latina Authors and Speakers (in English) … I was also usually one of the only Latinas on the five short-term missions trips I went on.

My journey has been a unique one. I’m grateful for how the Lord has wired me and blessed me.

It’s sad when mostly negative stories are presented about mi gente.

While I’m still fascinated by different cultures (um, there’s a reason I was so drawn to the Olympics), this month I’m sending extra hugs to mi gente …

And I’m grateful to the diverse group of people over the years who have helped open doors for this Latina and have come alongside of me to pray me through and cheer me on! And I LOVE that my Readers and those who have attended my events are a diverse group of women and men, young and older and of different backgrounds and in different life stages.

I may share more about culture and roots, etc.. another time. That’s all for now…

You can read a little more about my faith journey and even my struggles with Spanish in By Faith: Adventures and Reflections on Walking With God Here and Abroad, which is available on Amazon.

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Did this post encourage you? Get access to the FREE Feisty Faith: Trusting God Day by Day 5-Day Sampler PDF as a gift when you sign up for Abounding Faith’s email list. Get updates on Abounding Faith’s books, blog, podcast, life coaching and more by clicking here or the image below.

Reflections on My Year to SOAR!

As 2017 is winding down, I’m reflecting on some of the highlights that God allowed me to experience. My “one word” for this year was SOAR! What a year it’s been!

It started out with launching my third book Crossing Your Jordan River: How to Possess and Prosper in Your Promised Land in March. What a blessing it was to release that book!

The following month, I got to host my very first women’s conference. Glory! I’m so grateful to all the women who came to Abounding Faith’s SOAR Women’s Conference.

In the fall, I got to host my very first Abounding Faith Book Social where we had a group discussion about how to wait on God well.

I also had the pleasure of leading the service for my friends at Central Delaware Trinity Covenant for the third straight year.

The Lord allowed me to speak at Nyack College’s Chapel service. What an honor! I had felt drawn to Nyack for about two years.

This was also the year that my books started being sold at Pipe and Thimble bookstore in Lomita, California, and I was even part of a small group that studied Crossing Your Jordan River.

Some of my designs were featured in a Christian women’s magazine in France.

I got to celebrate my birthday in a castle for the third straight year. And I got to visit Carnegie Hall and the offices of Simon and Schuster twice and connected with more of my Times Square Church family throughout the year.

God is Good!

It wasn’t a perfect year, but God did allow me to SOAR! And the year isn’t over just yet!

I’m already praying and preparing for what’s ahead in 2018. I’m getting ready to share a draft of Book 4 with my early readers to start getting feedback. I hope to release Book 4 and to host a few more events next year.  Let’s see how the Lord leads.

I appreciate your prayers, and I’m grateful that you’re on this faith journey with me! I invite you to stay connected with Abounding Faith on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. I look forward to continuing to encourage you to live your God-Given Dreams!

Here’s another look at some of my lovely readers from this year:

I pray you have a blessed Christmas and that you enjoy God’s presence more than all the presents. All the best to you and yours!

“Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” (Luke 1:45).

Did this post encourage you? Get my weekly blog posts emailed to you for free by clicking here or the image below. When you sign up, you’ll also get access to the new “7 Journal Writing Prompts to Help You Wait on God Well” PDF as a free gift.

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For more encouragement, read my books Crossing Your Jordan River: How to Possess and Prosper in Your Promised Land, Waiting on God Well: How to Prevent Breaking Down on Your Way to Your Breakthrough and Abounding Faith: 30 Bible Heroes Who Will Inspire You to Believe God for the Impossible! To learn how I can come alongside of you as your Life Coach or to invite me to speak at your event, visit my website www.aboundingfaith.com. Check out Abounding Faith’s online store here. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Reflections and Lessons Learned From my Late Senior Pastor

A Loving Tribute to Rev. Dr. Robert Johansson

My senior pastor of more than a decade is now in Heaven with Jesus after a long hard battle with cancer. I will miss Pastor Johansson dearly, but I am grateful that I got to see him earlier this year as he celebrated his 80th birthday and I am rejoicing knowing that he is smiling with Jesus now.

Pastor J had a great impact on me during my years at Evangel Church. He was a loving, kind shepherd. He was also one of the bravest and godliest men I have ever known! He was a beautiful blend of strength and grace.

I will miss his wise counsel and his bear hugs!

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But Pastor J is not the kind of person that just fades away from your memories. Many of his powerful sermons are etched in my heart and mind.

His Bible-based preaching helped draw me to keep going back to service week after week. I went into his church a guarded skeptic who was seeking to reconcile with God. Over the years, through solid teaching and many opportunities to serve, I matured into the minister I am today. Praise God!

I still remember how happy Pastor was when he saw me walk into the informational meeting to learn about the trip to the Amazon jungle in Brazil that the church was organizing. He lovingly sent the team off on our trip and gave us a hero’s welcome upon our return. That’s when Pastor and I discovered that we both could identify with Joshua from the Bible. We also both felt called to be missionaries in New York City.

Right before my other short-term missions trips, I’d make sure to find Pastor and ask him to pray for me and he would pray that God would cover me with His wings.

Pastor graciously spent time with me and prayed for me especially in 2011 when I was discerning God’s call on my life. Pastor supported my writing and at the end of our last meeting that year he declared, “God will write your story and you will tell it!” Amen! I love these pictures of Pastor holding my hand and proudly standing by my side at the release of my first book last spring!

He gave Waiting on God Well his seal of approval and said that everyone should keep a copy of it by where they keep their Bible as a reference because it has so many Bible verses in it. Amazing!

Over the years, I have taken lots of notes during Pastor’s sermons. Here’s just a glimpse of some of them! I guess I really was paying attention and soaking in a wealth of wisdom!

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In honor of Pastor Johansson, I’d like to share a few lessons I learned over the years. This is in no way an exhaustive list. It’s just some of his words that will remain with me probably the rest of my life. I’m sharing them in no particular order. I am writing this from memory, so if I get something wrong or if you feel like I have misrepresented something he said, please kindly let me know! (If you don’t agree with these teachings, please don’t try to enter into a debate with me about them. That is not the goal of this post. Thanks!)

I pray that these words will bless you! I’ve included some of my thoughts as well:

“If you know how much God loves you, you can trust Him! And if you can trust Him, you can obey Him. And if you obey Him, you will have joy!”  Pastor J preached this for a whole year. It may seem like a simple concept, but it is so profound!

“You can’t judge a whole pizza pie by just one slice. Don’t judge God by your current circumstances.” Pastor J liked using the image of a pizza because it’s so New York. He wanted to remind us that while we can’t see the whole picture, God can and He is working behind the scenes!

“Don’t bow down to the culture!” This is something I remember Pastor J preaching from my early days at Evangel until his last days! Pastor J reminded us that we are in this world, but not of it! He urged us to live for Christ and to not give in to the pressures of this world. He would always remind us that God is establishing His Kingdom on earth!

“The mystery has been revealed, it is Christ in us. The hope of Glory.” Pastor J referred to Colossians 1:27 often. He wanted us to know that we didn’t serve a distant God. Jesus lives inside of us.

“Salvation happens in a moment. Sanctification happens over a lifetime.” Pastor J would make sure that we understood that once we believed and received Jesus as our Lord and Savior, our salvation was secure praise God! However, we still need to walk in obedience to God. When we sin, we don’t lose our salvation but we lose fellowship with God and we need to ask for forgiveness.

“Can God trust you with suffering?” That was such a challenge to my thinking. Yes, God allows certain trials in our lives not to punish us but because He can trust us. And those trials help to conform us into the image of Christ!

“It’s not so much about how much you love God, but about how much God loves you!” Pastor J reminded us that God is love and that He delights in lavishing His unconditional love on us. As it says in Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Pastor J liked to refer to this as “The Great Uneven Exchange” where Jesus takes our sins, filthiness, and baggage, etc. and we get His righteousness.

“You can negotiate the timing with God, but not the vision.” Our timing is different than God’s timing. If we don’t see God’s promises coming through, Pastor J said we could ask God about the timing, but we shouldn’t compromise or give up on the vision God gave us.

“You can’t lose with the stuff I use!” Pastor J knew and he wanted us to know that we have the victory with God!

“The LORD is my light and my salvation– whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life– of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1) Pastor J mentioned that he would say this verse daily. No wonder he was so fearless! He would encourage us to mediate on God’s Word and to appropriate it, or apply it, to our situations.

“When you hear that I’ve died, don’t cry for me Argentina.” Pastor J said this many times over the years. He knew that Heaven is our true home. This quote helps me to remember that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord as it says in 2 Corinthians 5:8. We’re just passing through here. Pastor is more alive now than he ever was here on earth!

I’m grateful for my years of sitting under Pastor Johansson’s teaching. Pastor J may be gone, but he is not forgotten! He poured out his life in the service of others. It’s our turn to make sure his godly legacy lives on!

If you’d like to share a favorite Pastor Johansson memory or quote, please feel free to do so in the comments section. Blessings!

Did this encourage you? Don’t forget to sign up below to have my weekly encouraging blog posts emailed straight to you for free. When you subscribe below, you’ll also receive the free “12 Journal Writing Prompts” PDF I created to help inspire you as you write/journal.

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For more encouragement, read my books Waiting on God Well: How to Prevent Breaking Down on Your Way to Your Breakthrough and Abounding Faith: 30 Bible Heroes Who Will Inspire You to Believe God for the Impossible! To learn how I can come alongside of you as your Life Coach or to invite me to speak at your event, visit my website www.aboundingfaith.com. Check out Abounding Faith’s online store here. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Crossing My Jordan

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The beauty of Waiting on God Well is knowing that at the right time God will step in and move in your situation.

I’m excited to announce that after much waiting, praying, dreaming, and believing, the Lord has given me the green light to move into the next chapter of my work and ministry life. I have left my fulltime job to actively pursue writing, speaking, life coaching, and hopefully more missions trips! You can learn more about it on my website www.AboundingFaith.com.

Launching out into this fulltime ministry isn’t something I take lightly. I don’t advise you to do so unless the Lord has made it clear to you that that is His next step for you at this time.

I’m thrilled because this is one of the breakthroughs I have been waiting for. And if you’ve already read my book Waiting on God Well, you know how trying this past season has been. But it was so worth it to wait on God’s timing. I have such peace about it. I can see how the Lord has used these past years at my job to help me gain skills that I could not have gotten in the newsroom or in the classroom as a teacher.

So what does this mean for you, my lovely readers? Hopefully, all good things!

It means I’ll have more time to keep encouraging you through my writing, blogging, and videos. It means I’ll be more available to speak at your events and small groups and to hopefully hold more books signings. It means I will have more time to be a Life Coach to dreamers, visionaries, and creative entreprenuers like YOU! You can learn more here.

We can also connect on Facebook and finally on Twitter.

I’m looking forward to this new chapter of my life. I’m so thankful to God and grateful that you’re on this journey with me! I hope my journey will inspire you to TRUST God no matter what!

I also hope my story will encourage you that waiting on God is worth it!

Don’t quit in the middle of your story! Persevere in prayer. Stand firm in your faith. Do what the Lord asks of you. Then wait and see how the Lord shows up and shows off in your life!

The best is yet to come, my friends!  God is Faithful. He will do everything He has promised you and more!

To God be the Glory!

“Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” (Luke 1:45) 

Did this encourage you? Please hit “like” and don’t forget to sign up below to have my weekly encouraging blog posts e-mailed straight to you for free. When you subscribe below, you’ll also receive the free “12 Journal Writing Prompts” PDF I created to help inspire you as you write/journal.

button (24)For more encouragement, read my new book Waiting on God Well: How to Prevent Breaking Down on Your Way to Your Breakthrough! To learn how I can come alongside of you as your Life Coach or to invite me to speak at your event, visit my website www.aboundingfaith.com. You can also find me on YouTube and Pinterest.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Remove the Limits From God

The above video is very special to me because it’s the final video I shot on the last day of my Epic European Adventure! That day I woke up in Amsterdam, had lunch in Bruge, Belgium, and then crossed the English Channel on a ferry from France to London. It was an extraordinary and fitting way to end the trip.

There are so many reasons why I call this trip Epic. For starters, it was a tour of many of the major European cities including Paris, Venice, Florence, Amsterdam, parts of Switzerland, and Munich. It even included lunch in Austria one day. And on my way to and from the meeting city of London I even had layovers in Ireland. So that alone is Amazing! God blessed me and protected me in all those countries.

I saw mountains including the Swiss Alps! I took river cruises along the Seine River in Paris and the Rhine River in Germany and took a gondola ride in Venice! I saw castles in Germany and windmills in Amsterdam. I saw the Mona Lisa up close and personal and went inside the famed Notre Dame Cathedral. If that wasn’t enough, the Lord even allowed me to start my trip by visiting the London Olympic stadium!

I’ve come back with stories, videos, and memories galore! The butterfly in me is still glowing and rejoicing. The reporter in me had her iPhone in one pocket and her camera in the other pocket. I was ready to record and document all the sights and sounds at a moment’s notice so that I could report back to my friends and family about how wonderful the trip was.

God’s favor was upon me so much so that members from the tour group noticed and remarked that I was “lucky”. I had to say, “I’m blessed!”

I could go on and on about how Amazing the trip was, but I’d like to share part of the reason why I went in the first place.

Back when I was 15, my parents gave my sister and me the incredible gift of a trip to Italy and Greece with my high school. It was a beautiful trip (and that’s when I got to go to the Olympic stadium in Athens) but it left me longing to go back to Italy. As I grew up, I dreamed of going back and just wandering around the quaint and narrow streets of Italy much like Belle does in France in “Beauty and the Beast”.

But the timing was never right. I went on to travel all around the world through work, vacation, and missions but Italy was still on my mind.

A few years ago, I was at a sleepover with a few church friends and they asked the question, “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?” The only thing I could think to say was, “I’d go to Italy by myself.”

To think that I mustered up the courage to GO to Italy and all throughout Europe just a few weeks ago, is simply awe-inspiring for me. I faced down one of my fears and went. And God honored me, protected me, and allowed me to see more of His beauty and splendor than I could have ever imagined.

Which brings me back to the video above. You’re looking at one very satisfied woman of God in that video! (I’m also freezing because it was windy out on the deck, and I also had to shoot it with my regular camera so I didn’t have the benefit of using my front-facing camera to see where I was aiming, but I digress).

There is something so special and empowering about facing down your fears and letting God walk you through them. I pray that you will all experience that in your lives.

Please remove the limits off of God! Let Him be God in your life! Just watch what He will do. Let Him Amaze you!

And yes, it took me lots of years to finally get back to Italy, but it was worth the wait!

Many blessings to you and many happy adventures even in your own neck of the woods!

“Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).

Did this encourage you? Please hit “like” and don’t forget to sign up below to have my weekly encouraging blog posts e-mailed straight to you for free. When you subscribe below, you’ll also receive the free “12 Journal Writing Prompts” PDF I created to help inspire you as you write/journal.

button (24)For more encouragement, read my new book Waiting on God Well: How to Prevent Breaking Down on Your Way to Your Breakthrough! To learn how I can come alongside of you as your Life Coach or to invite me to speak at your event, visit my website www.aboundingfaith.com. You can also find me on YouTube and Pinterest.

 

An Ode to My Short-term Missionary Teammates!

basheertome / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

 

I’ve met some incredibly brave souls during my various short-term missions trips. I’d like to take a moment to share some of the obstacles they faced and overcame, with the help of Jesus. My prayer is that if you are on the fence about going on a short-term missions trip, you will be encouraged by hearing about some of the giants they faced down in order to answer the call to “Go Ye”. Blessings!

What does a short-term missionary look like? So glad you asked! Take a look in the mirror. You might just be looking at one.

There’s nothing super special about short-term missionaries in and of themselves. They are ordinary folks just like you. They have jobs and families, are students and professionals, and many have to trust God to provide the finances for their trips. Lots and lots of prayer is involved before they ever get on the plane!

My teammates over the years have inspired me. It’s been an honor serving with them! Here’s a glimpse of what a few of them had to contend with during our trips:

Age is Really Just a Number – I’ve had teammates as young as 12 (accompanied by a parent) and some going on their first trip in their 60s! If you’re worried that you’re too young or too old to go, rest assured that God is well aware of your age and He isn’t fazed by it!

Not Always What the Doctor Ordered – One of my brave teammates went on a trip while being on chemo for a certain condition she had. Another went while battling mononucleosis. Still others have gone despite being allergic to bees or having extreme allergies. Of course, always check with your doctor first, but know that when God calls He also protects you!

There’s No Distance Between Family – Some of my teammates have temporarily left behind spouses and teens. Others have left behind their kids as young as 2 years old with caring family members. It’s never easy to leave your loved ones behind, but we go knowing that God is protecting our families while we’re away!

Faith Trumps Fear – Some of my teammates have pushed past extreme fears of insects or of being on long flights. Others have gone despite not getting the emotional support from their family, friends, or church. It’s not always easy to say, “Yes!” to missions, but oh what joy it is to be in the center of God’s will for your life!

What is God saying to you about your possible future in missions? To read more about how to decide what kind of trip to go on, feel free to read Short-term Missions Trips 101.

“Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (Matthew 9:35-38)

Did this encourage you? Please hit “like” and be sure to sign up below to have my weekly encouraging blog posts e-mailed straight to you for free. When you subscribe below, you’ll also receive the free “12 Journal Writing Prompts” PDF I created to help inspire you as you write/journal.

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For more encouragement and to learn how I can come alongside of you as your Life Coach or to invite me to speak at your event, visit my website www.aboundingfaith.com. You can also find me on YouTube and Pinterest.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Foreign Friends – Part 3

One of the best parts of going on short-term missions trips is meeting so many wonderful people and having some truly divine connections. I’d like to share just a few stories of some of the people who impacted me during our outreaches in Lima, Peru. In two of the cases, I didn’t even know the people’s names and I only spoke to them for a brief moment but those memories were some of the highlights for me on this trip.

The Guy in the Crowd

It was Day 2 of the trip and we were ministering at a marketplace. A crowd had gathered to see what all the commotion was about. My team was there dancing with folks from the crowd, performing skits and dramas, and preaching the Gospel. I noticed a young guy had cut into our team’s circle. He must have wanted to get closer to all the action, but he also looked like he might be drunk or might be a pickpocket. Whatever the case, he was too close for my comfort. I kept an eye on him from a short distance.

At the end of our presentation, the team split up into groups to pray for people. Immediately, the guy came up and asked me for money. We’re always instructed not to give out money, so I wasn’t sure what to say. But I was reminded of the story of when Peter and John were approached by the lame beggar on their way to the temple. Peter replied, “…Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” (Acts 3:6).

So I told this guy that I couldn’t give him money, but I could give him Jesus! So in my broken Spanish I started to talk to him about God’s love for him, but he soon got defensive. I don’t even remember why, but he blurted out that he was an orphan. So I shared that God wanted to be His Father. That God had not forgotten him. God was with him and He had a plan for him.

Before I knew it, tears started welling up in his eyes. I was surprised at first, but I knew it must be the Holy Spirit touching him. In that moment, I knew that he was one of the reasons why I had been sent to Lima, Peru. This lost sheep needed to hear about God’s love. I love being the bearer of this Good News! I was thrilled to be able to connect him with a member of our host church so they could follow up with him and get him the help he needed.

The Last-Minute Girl  

That same day we went to visit two schools. At the second school, I was asked to hold one of the sides of the “Dream Wall,” which was a long sheet of paper where students could write their dreams with markers.

Honestly, when the team was out praying for the kids it was hard for me to just stand at my post holding the paper. I wanted to be out mingling with the kids and praying for them. ThankfulIy, I did get to chat with a girl. She said she was already a Christian, which was nice. She was extremely shy about writing her dream or even saying it out loud. She finally shared that she wanted to be a chemical engineer! I happily prayed for her and encouraged her.

I was content that I got to at least speak with and pray for one student. Soon it was time for us to go to our next site. As we were leaving the school, out of nowhere a girl came up to me and said she needed to share something with me that she couldn’t tell her friends. Huh? Now? Me? We had been at her school for a good 30 – 40 minutes. We were on a tight schedule so I asked her to keep walking and talking with me, but she couldn’t leave the area. Now what?

I asked her what she needed prayer for and she shared that she was battling feeling fat. This slim girl was having issues with her weight and food. Oh my! I quickly prayed that God would help her and show her how much He loves her. Really, it was a very simple prayer. But when I was done, the girl was beaming. You would have thought that I had prayed for her for hours. She helped to remind me that it really isn’t about the length of our prayers. Even a short prayer in questionable Spanish can make a difference!

I marvel that she had the courage to stop me right before I left and had the guts to share something so personal. Looking back, she kind of reminds me of the woman with the issue of blood who pressed past the crowd to reach Jesus and to get the help she needed. (Mark 5:24-32)

I’m touched that she chose me, out of all my teammates, to share her private struggle. I wonder if she knew that I was one of the few who spoke Spanish and wouldn’t have to waste precious time (that we didn’t have) trying to grab a translator to help out. I’m so glad that I had time to squeeze in a prayer for her. I’m so blessed that when I couldn’t go out into the crowd to find someone to pray for, the Lord sent someone to come find me!

Twice in One Day

The morning of the big crusade, all 136 of us went to Lima’s main plaza and did a combined presentation and invited folks to that afternoon’s event. During the prayer time, a guy, who I’ll call Bernardo, came up to us and started sharing in Spanish that he was a Christian. He had lived in the United States for some time, he was intrigued to hear our team speaking in English, and he was interested in coming to the crusade. He was so happy to meet our team that he gave a few of us stickers with Bible verses on them. So sweet. We prayed for him, encouraged him, and told him where the event was going to be held. Then we went on praying for other folks.

A few hours later, we were at the stadium. The worship teams were on stage warming up. The locals were entering the stadium and getting seated. Suddenly, a familiar face appeared. It was Bernardo, our friend from the plaza! He had to ask three people how to get to the stadium! He was determined to attend the crusade!

It was such a great feeling to know that at least one person that I helped to invite to the crusade actually came! And one of the main reasons why he was able to find me was because he spotted my teammate Aaron who is a whopping 6”8′ tall!

We again got to chat with Bernardo and he surprised us by breaking out in perfect English!

It was such a blessing to run into him again and to take a photo with him. It was so cool that out of some 50,000 people at the crusade that night I knew at least one of the guests by name!

As you can imagine, there are tons of stories from each site. Perhaps I’ll do a post just on the park that we went to on our last ministry day. That was a blessing in itself!

For now, I hope these stories have encouraged you to once again stop for that One! Yes, it’s great to want to touch the lives of many people all at once, but sometimes the best moments are when you get the chance to speak life into an individual. It can make all the difference to them. It can bless you in unexpected ways as well!

So, who is that One that God is placing in your path? I pray God will give you the courage to reach out to that One! And then another, and another, and another….

To read about some of my Foreign Friends in other countries, click here.

Did this encourage you? Please hit “like” and be sure to sign up below to have my weekly encouraging blog posts e-mailed straight to you for free. When you subscribe below, you’ll also receive the free “12 Journal Writing Prompts” PDF I created to help inspire you as you write/journal.

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For more encouragement and to learn how I can come alongside of you as your Life Coach or to invite me to speak at your event, visit my website www.aboundingfaith.com. You can also find me on YouTube and Pinterest.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Loving on Lima, Peru

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A snapshot of the crowd at the Crusade on July 26, 2014

God did it again! He showed up and showed off. This time it was in Lima, Peru.

This July I had the honor of being one of 136 people who answered the call to go on a short-term missions trip to Lima with Missions.Me.

I had traveled with Missions.Me last year to Honduras, but this year I was the only New Yorker on the team. I didn’t know anyone, but no matter. God once again connected me with a super team and wonderful roommates!

Every day my team of 33 (Go Dream Team 3!) would travel to schools, marketplaces, and parks to perform skits, dramas, preach the Gospel, and pray for young and old. The people were so warm and friendly. And they were hungry to receive Jesus!

A combined total of 1,000 people came to the Lord each day! Every day, all six teams were coming back with testimonies of how God was saving people, setting the captives free, and healing the sick.

I was personally blessed to be able to minister to people in Spanish, which is usually like asking a righty to do everything with her left hand.

I’ll share more about some of the people I met in another post. For now, I’d like to rejoice that some 50,000 people came to the Crusade we held and that 13,001 people made decisions for Christ that day!

I’m so grateful that we got to preach Christ freely and openly! I pray that the seeds we sowed will be watered for years to come!

A special thanks to Agua Viva church for making us feel so welcome! God is doing an amazing thing in their church, which has 80,000 members!

Whenever I see God do miraculous things in foreign countries, I come back hoping and praying that He’ll do the same here in the United States! Jesus is Alive and Active my friends! May you see His Miraculous hand working in your daily life as well! And may you never tire of sharing the Good News about Jesus with others!

“As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:20)

To read about the other missions trips I’ve been on, click here.

Did this encourage you? Please hit “like” and be sure to sign up below to have my weekly encouraging blog posts e-mailed straight to you for free. When you subscribe below, you’ll also receive the free “12 Journal Writing Prompts” PDF I created to help inspire you as you write/journal.

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For more encouragement and to learn how I can come alongside of you as your Life Coach or to invite me to speak at your event, visit my website www.aboundingfaith.com. You can also find me on YouTube and Pinterest.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.