No Such Thing as MINOR Victories

There is no such thing as only a MINOR victory. Every victory should be called just what it is…a VICTORY. No matter the depth or weight in which it may appear to carry. It is still a victory and not to be dethroned by adding the word minor as a prefix. Stop hiding your quests in a corner or shoving them in the shadows of other seeming “larger” quests and celebrate each and every one!

Ran for a full 7.4 minutes today. Raised a wild turkey, if only for 3 days. Having a needed conversation I didn’t want to have and it went well. A friend giving just the words at just the right time. Found inspiration for a blog. Developed friendships all over the world. Washed dishes. Survived sand fly bytes. Still looking for any reason God created sand flies. Found the perfect stand-in teddy bear until I get home to my beloved Space (Yes, his name is Space, I was like 5). Moved to another country and fit in quite well. Discovered how good Swiss chocolate is especially when received from a Swiss friend :) Talked to friends and family all day long. Own a motor cycle and know how to drive it!!!! Reminded that every day starts new. Got off my bed and exercised. Learning how to focus on the good. I fit back into my pants, if only for 3 days. Discovered it is possible to fit back into my pants. Learned how to drive manual on the left side of the road with a 11 passenger van on gravel roads. Concord feeding 40 people everyday for 3 months. Ran around in a rain storm and got drenched. Spun in circles with arms out and head back in the middle of Christchurch square. Read a book in 3 days. And then another. Continually finding children at the door looking for me. My computer works! Having a well needed cry. Friends cooking for me. Overcoming myself and pushing through the hard lessons to grow. Being inspired by a T.V. show…

What are your victories?

DTS 2009

Reaching a point in life were it seemed my faith had hit a plateau, a big leap needed to be taken for any change to happen. Hearing about the adventure program at Oakridge I knew that was my leap. I threw myself into everything from the get go wanting to get as much out of every moment as possible. The more I let go the more gifts God gave, for example writing poetry for the first time in my life. If there was one word to describe my DTS it would be FREEDOM.

Shadrach, Meshach, & Abed-Nego

One night while sleeping in a hut in Vanuatu (an island country next to Figi) I shook myself awake from a horrible dream. Normally my slumber is nightmare free, but not this night. The fear was so paralyzing just leaving bed was out of the question so I grabbed a bible and read. The word “furnace” kept coming to mind which lead to the story of Shadrach, Meshach, & Abed-Nego. Just finishing the story one of the girls in my room woke up which helped dissipate the fear. We both went back to sleep nightmare free. Waking in the morning I thought the night was all a bit strange but glad the fear was gone. Not knowing why any of this happened continued with my day.

A few days latter I found myself amidst a group of children gathering to pray. The Mama leading the children asked a few minutes before the meeting if I could share a story with the children. Ahh ha! I had just the story to tell! After sharing about Shadrach, Meshack, & Benny to these children I continued to tell the story all over Vanuatu. It showed how God really can use bad situations for His good.

Chief

Out of our team of 7, yours truly was the oldest at age 28 and the youngest was 19. We stayed in many different villages while on the islands of Vanuatu. It seemed like the entire village came to greet us as we walked into each new place. Everyone lined up to shake our hands and say hello. The first place we stayed I heard a faint “Christina, Christina”. I looked at the girls in the room, “is someone calling me?” I went outside to find Mama looking for me to say dinner was ready and please tell the others. This seems like a very natural situation but the odd thing was she walked past half our team to tell me. The next morning while we were all still in our beds I hear the same faint call “Christina, Christina breakfast is ready. I look at the other girls and we all start laughing that she called me again seeing I am not even a leader. Why does she keep calling to me?

This continued to happen in every other village we stayed. We continued to crack up ever time. Our leader asked me “why do they keep calling to you?” I laughed and told her they must all know that I am the chief of our group. From then on she referred to me as chief. One of the villages the mama guest straight away who was the oldest and youngest. Instinct of a mother I guess. We may never know the true reason I became the chief.

Not a Foreigner!

The Lord has a way of bringing encouragement just when we need. Reading the bible one evening a verse just about jumped off the page. I found myself reading it again, then again, and again. It read “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.” Ephesians 2:19-20. Reading this scripture realizing that as an American coming from New Zealand and staying in Vanuatu I was living out this scripture. The Ni-vans took us in as their family and I was definitely not a foreigner in a foreign land!! Scripture became alive at this point and I realized the magnitude of my family. All of my families have blessed me so much! I am beginning to realize how Paul felt when he wrote to his friends telling them he wished he could be with them but he had to remain. My family is now spread all over the world from the U.S. to Germany to Canada to Ireland to Switzerland to Singapore to Vanuatu and beyond! I love you all!

Alone

Alone
11 May 2009

Who of us does not feel alone in a crowded room?
All by ourselves though surrounded by love?
Clouded by the lies that flood our heads.
Crying out in silence and no one hears.
The lies come louder…
You are alone!
No one cares!
You have no friends!
YOU ARE ALONE!!!

What can silence lies but truth?
The truth that not one of us is alone.
That when we reach out to one another in our hurt,
A wound can heal a wound.
The truth that none of us are alone!
Open your eyes and look around.
See with new eyes that no one reaches out to you
Because they are hurting too!
In your loneliness and pain reach out to the ones you once despised
For not reaching out to you.
Love in your pain and see what happens.

Love

Love
1 May 2009

The world says love lifts us up where we belong.
It says love is a many splendid things.
They constantly tell us about love,
But what do they show us about love?

Is love a one night stand?
Is love someone who sings outside your window in the rain?
Is love something that burns bright for a bit and then fizzles away?

What is it?
Does it have to be fought for?
Is it given freely?
Does someone out there really “complete me”?

We have been shown that love can fade.
Love can be found in a bottle.
It is a feeling.
It has little value and is easily replaced.
Love is a man or a woman.
Love is sex.
Love is physical.
Somewhere along the way someone got it wrong!

What is the truth?
What is Love?

The truth is without love we are nothing.
Love suffers and does not give up.
Love does not envy.
Love does not parade itself.

Love is not puffed up.
Love does not behave rudely.
It does not seek its own.
It is not provoked.

Love thinks no evil.
Love does not rejoice in iniquities, but in the truth.
Love bears all things,
Believes all things,
Hopes all things,
Endures all things!

Love never fails.