Hey there! I am alive and well, though you haven't heard from me for a bit! It's hard to believe, but it has been a week since I left the beautiful lands of Asia. Upon arriving back, I have been adjusting to 13 hour time differences, a drastic weather drop, and slowly getting back into the swing of things. I also lead in our local ICC conference at my church this past weekend - which made three 4:12 conferences back to back in three different countries.
This past month has been incredible. When people ask me how the trip was, I reply with a wide smile and exclaim, "it was amazing!" And when people ask me how the conferences went, I reply with a wide smile again and exclaim, "it went very well!" then I pause and usually follow with "according to God's plan, that is!" I am still processing everything that happened and all that God taught me though this trip, because I know there is a ton. I feel it - and it's a remarkable feeling. I hope to share more stories, media, and tidbits as I have time. Or better yet, I'd love to catch up about life with you sometime!
The Sunday before we left Singapore, Dr. Teresa Moon, the president and CEO of the Institute, asked us to reflect on the trip experience - specifically what were we going to take away and what were we going to leave behind. So today I thought I'd share a little bit about what God has been showing me this past month. I hope to share more in detail about these things in the near future. :)
A takeaway is a new way I’m going to think, live, act, not forget, something that’s a part of me now. A leave-behind is an action, attitude, thing I don’t need, something that shouldn’t be a part of me anymore.
My takeaway(s) - when things fall out of control, use those times to pray, rely on God, and just be with people. Embrace every moment that I'm given - in the place I am in and with the people I'm around. Seasons don't last forever. Embrace even the things that go "wrong" in each season and trade them up with the attitude that this is what makes memories, lessons well learned, and ultimately develop you as a person in Christ. Living with an "open hands" mindset allows us to encounter the God of all joy, hope, grace, and peace.
My leave-behinds(s) - I denounce fear in the name of Jesus. Fear of failure and disappointment have no place in my life. I proclaim victory that I am imperfectly perfect in Christ Jesus, and I leave behind feelings of inadequacy. I bind up failure, disappointment, and inadequacy and I loosen the promises that I am deeply loved, fully pleasing to God, and totally accepted -- no matter what.