Fire

I woke up this morning to a song I had never heard before. After listening to it, I couldn't stop smiling. This is the prayer of my heart!


*Britt Nicole* {Set the World on Fire}
I wanna set the world on fire
Until it's burning bright for You
It's everything that I desire
Can I be the one You use?

I am small but
You are big enough
I am weak but
You are strong enough to
Take my dreams
Come and give them wings
Lord with You
Nothing I can not do

I wanna feed the hungry children
And reach across the farthest land
And tell the broken there is healing
And mercy in the Father's hands

Take my dreams
Come and give them wings
Lord with You
Nothing I cannot do

My hands my feet
My everything
My life, my love Lord, use me

I wanna set the world on fire
Take my dreams
Come and give them wings
Lord with You
Nothing I cannot do

I'm gonna set the world on fire

May it be said of me that He used me to set the world on fire. Love, Kel

White Picket Fences...

Hewwo! :) I'm back! The past few weeks have been slightly crazy, but definitely awesome! 10 days ago I left for the gorgeousness of Southern Cal. It was great to see my brother and spend time with the rest of my fam. We made some great memories and had some awesome conversations... but enough with the small details already!

Every year, since I was little, my family has vacationed at a place called Hume Lake. Hume is my happy place. It is most definitely my favorite spot in the whole wide world (I'm not even kidding!). For the past 4 years, I've had the privilege of attending a leadership camp at the top of Hume called Wildwood. Year after year, Wildwood has acted as a catalyst in my relationship with Jesus. This year has been no exception! A few weeks before Wildwood, I felt the spirit of God impress on my heart that I am called to so much more. For the past few weeks, I kept asking the question "God what do you mean?" I'm called to so much more than what? This week, He answered me! I'm still not exactly sure what he has called me to, but I know what he hasn't called me to... Let me explain :)

During my time at Wildwood, I met a guy by the name of Gerhard. Gerhard is from South Africa, and loves Jesus. He is a man that has devoted His entire life to Jesus, and his life depicts servant leadership. Gerhard started an organization called Jabulani Africa Ministries (also known as JAM), a ministry that is devoted to sharing the love of Jesus with those who don't yet know Him. It is a ministry that strives to see the African Nation rise up and worship our Savior and Redeemer. This ministry goes out into local villages and shows compassion and generosity to less fortunate people. Gerhard and his team tenderly care for the broken and hurting people of his nation. After hearing Gerhard talk with such passion about what God is doing through him in Africa, and after having the opportunity to talk and pray with Gerhard, I realized that I am called to so much more than this. I am called to so much more than the "American Dream".

As a follower of Jesus, I believe that I am called to more than financial security, and my dream house -- white picket fence included. I believe that I am called to more than my dream job, with my dream salary -- called to more than a luxurious life filled with frivolous things. I don't wish to live life for myself. Sure, God isn't calling everyone to go to a different continent and do His work there, but as Americans, I really believe that we are so caught up in our own personal comfort that we overlook the needs of our brother and sisters in different countries.

In Matthew 22, A lawyer and Pharisee asks Jesus "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" Jesus said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Speaking from my own life, I live in abundance, and in doing so, I'm not really a living testimony of loving my less-fortunate neighbor as myself. So, I'm not exactly sure what God is calling me to do, but I truly feel like he's calling me to more than a white picket fence existence. I so desire to give up my own complacency and to truly pick up my cross and follow Jesus -- to sacrifice my physical body, my socioeconomic status, my comfort and security to see the love of Jesus spread to those who have yet to be effected by it. My challenge to you would be this: Are you confusing the "American Dream" with God's best for your life?

Father,
I adore you. I offer you my life. Here am I, Lord send me! Would I not be content with living for myself, may you stretch me and use me to bring you glory. Father, may I do hard things for you, and may I love others as much as I love myself. May I be generous with what I have, and even more generous with the joy and compassion you have placed in me. May I be wholly surrendered to You, and may you use me in powerful ways. May I be a mighty woman full of You, defined by You, and dependant on You.
I adore You.
Amen

Ha life :)

I should be doing other things right about now... like freezing grapes, picking up Sydney, and prepping to see Kevin. But first, I think I should blog. Sorry Syd! I'll be a few mins late... Shocking I know :)

3 Quick things:

1) I have made a new friend this week. Meeting new people, and starting new friendships is the thing I find the most joy in. I so adore hearing peoples' stories, and learning new life lessons. This week, I made a new friend that is worth mentioning. Her name is Marion, and she is 93 years old (although she wouldn't tell me... her neighbor ratted her out :). I have spent two lovely lunch dates with Marion this week. Marion is a sugary sweet woman from New York, with definite East Coast spice. She is passionate about cross word puzzles, crocheting, folding her pizza, playing bingo, and telling jokes. She offers valuable wisdom and enjoys instructing me on how to learn from her mistakes. Twice in the past week, she has taken me to lunch -- rather, I have taken her, and she has generously paid. We laugh frequently and talk about her bunions :) ha! Marion is well read, up to date on newly released movies (she frequents the theaters once a week), cognitively sharp, witty, and rather quick on her feet -- for her age that is. I adore Marion, and someday I'll have to make a blog out of the wisdom she has offered me. What a blessing she has been to my life! I look forward to learning more lessons from her over lunch.

2) My dad and I had a conversation this weekend that inspired me. He said to me on Saturday "Kelly, I hope that someday you will find a man with a plan." His reason for saying that was this... "A man with a plan is going somewhere. It might be the wrong plan, but at least you'll be moving. A man without a plan for his life is standing still. Stagnant. Really, he's just a boy who doesn't know what he wants to be when he grows up." I laughed, and then asked dad what his "plan" was/is for life. Burrrn! I struck a cord in him to say the least. :D Oh well, he'll have to make his own blog for that answer... But his question made me think about my own plan for life -- granted my plan will hopefully change someday -- that is if I meet a guy -- and Lord willing I will adjust to and adhere to his plan. But for now, I think my plan looks something like this (in no particular order):

a) Nursing School
b) Love on and care for those who have been placed in my life for a reason
c) Graduate (Okay perhaps this needs to come after "a" :p)
d) Find a church to call home and invest in the body
e) Find a job and get a place of my own
f) Have the kind of home that is open -- where others can come, to seek encouragement and refuge
g) Find a guy who adores Jesus above all else and thinks that I'd make a decent #2

All of the above plans are mere ideas... In reality, I just want the Spirit that was in Jesus to be active in my life. I do not limit Him to these plans, rather I wish to wholly dwell in Him. May He make something beautiful with me. I guess these plans are more like loosely held guidelines. Oh well, so much for that exercise! Isn't the future exciting? What a grand adventure it is to follow Jesus!

3) My last random babble is this: I wish to be like a cloud. I was walking this week, and for quite sometime now, I have had a fascination with clouds. Not the ugly, thin, wispy ones, but the thick, large, puffy ones. My prayer as I was walking was God may I be like the big clouds. May I be beautiful and strong, may I not be spread thin (like the ugly ones) and may I provide shade and protection from those who are burning. May I be bold in the vast blue sky of life and may I go where you would call me. Yeah, Lord may I be a cloud that is at your mercy. May I be surrendered, and may you do something beautiful with me.

Okaay I'm done... Wait no. May you also be like a cloud. :) For a time, may we congregate together, may our clouds meet, but may we all gain courage to follow where He leads us! I hope you have a wonderful week and I hope you know that you are adored. You are something so special. You are a child of the King.