Overflowing Grace

Throughout my adult Christian life, I have found myself praying "Lord, please help me to not be like an Israelite!".   It has always amazed me how after God rescued them out of Egypt, after sending the plagues and parting the Red Sea, feeding them manna and quail, they still grumbled and complained, made idols, and worshipped them.  After all of the miracles they saw and experienced, they still doubted and forgot God.  They even wanted to go back to Egypt, where they had been so mistreated as slaves.  It is easy for us to look at them and think, "how could you forget all that God did for you?!", but then when I look at my own life, I can see some of my own tendencies to be just like the Israelites.  These last months, I feel God has taken me into the wilderness.  Even though Houston was nothing like an Egypt, I knew that God was leading me out of that place toward my own calling/promise land. I am wandering in the wilderness with nothing but God to coun...

A little update on what I have been doing at YWAM: Since coming to Hawaii in January, God has been teaching me and stretching me so much.  I can see the favor He has given me by making me a Mission Builder (volunteer on campus with free housing and food) for my first three months here.  I have had the privilege of serving the School of Performing Arts (SOPA) by teaching their dance classes and by helping to choreograph for various things.  There are only two students in this particular school, but because Kona is the only YWAM base that offers this course, they didn't want to cancel the course because these girls have been waiting for this class in order to finish their degree with the University of the Nations.  Both girls have been in YWAM for years and have hearts for performing arts ministry.  One student, from Malaysia, has had a lot of dance training and has worked with HeartBridge Performing Arts Discipleship Training School (DTS) in Kona for a coupl...

There is something so beautiful about pure and honest worship.  It doesn't matter if it is "good" according to the world's standards, whether singing, playing an instrument or dancing.  When worship comes from a genuine place in a person's heart, it softens the hearts of those who witness it. Like when you see children dancing and singing freely. Even if it is terrible, we love the freedom and innocence children have as they sincerely put their heart and soul into what they are doing, untainted by the fear of what others may think.  Their pureness of heart speaks so much that it outweighs the quality of what they are doing. But, what if we could combine pure, genuine worship together with excellent skill.  " But  the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father  in spirit and  truth, for the Father  is seeking such people to worship him.   God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit a...