Every week here in Costa has brought a new understanding of freedom, and greater peace in my heart and mind. The more I grow closer to the Lord, the more I am blown away by the simplicity of the truth about the gospel, and the extravagance of God's love for me.
I was speaking with someone this past week, and our conversation regarded striving to earn favor with God, or having the mindset that one day God is pleased with me and another He is angry with me. As I sit and think about this conversation, I cannot help but wonder, "How many people are there in the world that live and operate this way in their lives?" I know that I have spent majority of my life thinking this way, until the past few years. My eyes have been opened to the reality of grace, and the understanding that God cannot be any more pleased with me then He already is. The times that I catch myself not walking in this understanding, I realize that I am not clinging to the truth and really believing that God is the greatest satisfaction of my heart, everything that I truly desire. He paid the full price for my sins, and is continually wooing me with the love and joy that He has for me. As I am in this process of growing in my understanding of grace, I see the chains and strongholds in my life naturally breakingoff. I cannot operate under guilt and condemnation, if I want to walk in the power of grace.
I love the truth that Paul speaks about walking in freedom. He says in Phil. 3:12, "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. 15 All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained." My friends, embrace the truth that God loves you. Repent of your sins, and remember them no more. God loves you and has fully forgiven you. Just like in the garden, after Adam and Eve directly disobeyed God, He still sought after them, and provided for them, and loved them. You are dearly loved by God, and His love for you is constant and without waver. All we are called to do in life is believe this truth. Believe that because Jesus died for your sins, he took away all of your guilt and shame. You are a new creation that God wants to have constant fellowship with.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Blessed are the curious....for they shall have adventures!
Yesterday, I was walking back to my room and I realized that I went the entire day without wearing shoes. That is a sign of a good day! I think if I had to choose between shoes or barefeet, I would always go with barefeet. This reminds me of the guy, Tony I believe is his name, whom I never once saw with a pair or shoes at UNCW. I see where he is coming from.
It is nearing the end of three weeks here in Costa, and I am still falling in love with this beautiful land. There are daily treasures I am discovering about this place, and I feel like i'm a little kid learning the ways of life all over again. Sarah and Jason are two missionaries here in Costa Rica, and they have a little baby named Luka. It is so entertaining to watch Luka explore, question, and investigate the world around him. I connect with Luka in this way, because everything about life here fascinates me and I just want to absorb it all. The serenity on the mountain is incredible. I am continuously overwhelmed by the peace, and joy I experience just looking out at the beauty before me. The clouds make Refugio Solte feel like monestary, with their mystical essence. The trees are lush with thousands of varieties of leaves and designs. Vines hang from the trees, and the forest is so lush that even if it is raining you won't feel it because of the ceiling of branches that cover you.Thank you Jesus for the blessing of waking up everyday in a rain forest. Haha it's pretty funny, that is how I wake up. Typically, I am awakened by the sound of howling monkeys. This begins around 5:30...then the toucans will join in the chorus and together they are an alarm clock for me. Do not be fooled though, the monkeys do not have a cute monkey call; they carry a sound similar to what I would imagine a dinosaur to sound like.
This past week has been chocked full of adventures. The girls and I have been going to waterfalls, ziplining through the forest, swimming in rivers, swinging of ropes like Tarzan, making record timing in our rental car on the mountain, and treasure hunting. All of my girls are hardcore, and their heart for adventure and embracing life is wonderful. We had one of the happiest days the other day when we went and spent the afternoon at a waterfall. It cost 50 colones to enter the property, which equates to roughly one American dollar. I would have to say, this is the best dollar I have ever spent in my entire life. I am so proud of Hannah and Rachel who braved to jump the cliffs next to the waterfall with me. The other girls though were all very brave, and decided to go down the waterfall like a waterslide. It is amazing how perfectly smooth this waterfall is for a waterslide. This was the first time I have ever gone off of a waterfall, and I sit here proud to now cross be able to cross this off of my bucket list.
I am blessed to have spent the past three weeks with incredible girls. There are seven girls attending GOP, and they all have such a heart to know and love God. We've talked a ton about identity, the Kingdom of Heaven, spiritual warfare, and abiding in the Presence of the Lord. It's been beautiful to see the chains of religion breaking, and a greater understanding of truth awakened in the hearts of these precious daughters. I feel honored to know these girls, and am sad to see them leave in two days. The other staff and I prophesied over all of them last week, and I love how the Lord really touched their hearts and encouraged them through our time. Please keep the GOP girls in prayer as they head back to their familiar environments this weekend. Pray that they will be propelled even further into a life of freedom and deeper intimacy with the Father. Now, there are a group of guys here for GOP and I can see the Lord beginning to stir some things in the hearts of these young men. While I won't be closely connected to them the way that I was with the girls, pray that the Lord would accomplish everything He desires to fullfill in the lives of these guys.
A super random incident happened this week with my debit card. Apparently someone in California got a hold of my debit card number and began withdrawing a lot of money from my account. Praise the Lord I was able to get everything sorted, but believe me, trying to deal with bank issues is complicated enough in the States...but it is even more difficult trying to sort these issues out of the country. I think the whole situation is ironic and funny because of all accounts to try to steal from, mine would definitely not be a top choice.
I have been brainstorming and planning a lot for the school in the fall, and the Lord has been downloading some really great ideas. Planning, creating, and dreaming the ideas for this school is one of the most incredible ventures I have ever taken on. Please keep Laurie and I in your prayers as we continue to plan and prepare for the fall. Our school will be an incredible opportunity to raise up a generation of students who walk intimately with the Lord, and have a solid foundation of their value and worth in Him. The resources are all falling into place and it is quite amazing to see how the building, supplies, staff are all coming together. Prayer is definitely need though!
I pray that the Lord is overwhelming you with the goodness of His heart. You are so loved.
It is nearing the end of three weeks here in Costa, and I am still falling in love with this beautiful land. There are daily treasures I am discovering about this place, and I feel like i'm a little kid learning the ways of life all over again. Sarah and Jason are two missionaries here in Costa Rica, and they have a little baby named Luka. It is so entertaining to watch Luka explore, question, and investigate the world around him. I connect with Luka in this way, because everything about life here fascinates me and I just want to absorb it all. The serenity on the mountain is incredible. I am continuously overwhelmed by the peace, and joy I experience just looking out at the beauty before me. The clouds make Refugio Solte feel like monestary, with their mystical essence. The trees are lush with thousands of varieties of leaves and designs. Vines hang from the trees, and the forest is so lush that even if it is raining you won't feel it because of the ceiling of branches that cover you.Thank you Jesus for the blessing of waking up everyday in a rain forest. Haha it's pretty funny, that is how I wake up. Typically, I am awakened by the sound of howling monkeys. This begins around 5:30...then the toucans will join in the chorus and together they are an alarm clock for me. Do not be fooled though, the monkeys do not have a cute monkey call; they carry a sound similar to what I would imagine a dinosaur to sound like.
This past week has been chocked full of adventures. The girls and I have been going to waterfalls, ziplining through the forest, swimming in rivers, swinging of ropes like Tarzan, making record timing in our rental car on the mountain, and treasure hunting. All of my girls are hardcore, and their heart for adventure and embracing life is wonderful. We had one of the happiest days the other day when we went and spent the afternoon at a waterfall. It cost 50 colones to enter the property, which equates to roughly one American dollar. I would have to say, this is the best dollar I have ever spent in my entire life. I am so proud of Hannah and Rachel who braved to jump the cliffs next to the waterfall with me. The other girls though were all very brave, and decided to go down the waterfall like a waterslide. It is amazing how perfectly smooth this waterfall is for a waterslide. This was the first time I have ever gone off of a waterfall, and I sit here proud to now cross be able to cross this off of my bucket list.
I am blessed to have spent the past three weeks with incredible girls. There are seven girls attending GOP, and they all have such a heart to know and love God. We've talked a ton about identity, the Kingdom of Heaven, spiritual warfare, and abiding in the Presence of the Lord. It's been beautiful to see the chains of religion breaking, and a greater understanding of truth awakened in the hearts of these precious daughters. I feel honored to know these girls, and am sad to see them leave in two days. The other staff and I prophesied over all of them last week, and I love how the Lord really touched their hearts and encouraged them through our time. Please keep the GOP girls in prayer as they head back to their familiar environments this weekend. Pray that they will be propelled even further into a life of freedom and deeper intimacy with the Father. Now, there are a group of guys here for GOP and I can see the Lord beginning to stir some things in the hearts of these young men. While I won't be closely connected to them the way that I was with the girls, pray that the Lord would accomplish everything He desires to fullfill in the lives of these guys.
A super random incident happened this week with my debit card. Apparently someone in California got a hold of my debit card number and began withdrawing a lot of money from my account. Praise the Lord I was able to get everything sorted, but believe me, trying to deal with bank issues is complicated enough in the States...but it is even more difficult trying to sort these issues out of the country. I think the whole situation is ironic and funny because of all accounts to try to steal from, mine would definitely not be a top choice.
I have been brainstorming and planning a lot for the school in the fall, and the Lord has been downloading some really great ideas. Planning, creating, and dreaming the ideas for this school is one of the most incredible ventures I have ever taken on. Please keep Laurie and I in your prayers as we continue to plan and prepare for the fall. Our school will be an incredible opportunity to raise up a generation of students who walk intimately with the Lord, and have a solid foundation of their value and worth in Him. The resources are all falling into place and it is quite amazing to see how the building, supplies, staff are all coming together. Prayer is definitely need though!
I pray that the Lord is overwhelming you with the goodness of His heart. You are so loved.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Me enconto Costa
The week has flown bye! It's easy to do when your time is spent with the Lord in a beautiful rain forest. What a blessing it is just to enjoy life, and not be bound by grueling schedules. I am realizing quickly just how hectic I had been allowing my life to be back in the States. There is such a joy in rest, and I feel like the Lord is teaching me to really rest while I am here.
Yesterday was a fun day. The girls and I went to the beach in the morning because the weather was gorgeous. The beaches here are way different then Wrightsville Beach. The sand is black and the jungle basically come right up to the sand. It looks incredible to be in the ocean and have a lush tropical forest right behind the beach. We walked from the place where we were dropped off about thirty minutes to the Whales Tale. This is a famous landmark in Uvita where the land (a peninsula) jets out in the shape of a whale's tale. As we began walking out on the peninsula, a mass of red began moving across the sand. At first I couldn't tell what it was, but when I looked closely I could see that it was a herd of crabs scurrying across the sand. These crabs were beautiful, and the brightest red I have ever seen on a crab.
Hannah one of my GOP girls was stung by a jellyfish and has a huge rung around her thigh and down the back of her leg! Honestly, for anyone of us to get stung, Hannah is by far the toughest...so we praise Jesus for that. There is an abundance of wildlife here in Costa Rica, and everyday is full of surprises as the Lord blesses us with cool new animals. This morning I discovered a tree full of 5 toucans. They were stunning with bright yellow and black feathers. I just am praying against the discovery of snakes and tarantulas though. Every night I hear howling monkeys but I yet to see them.
I drove the car up the mountain the other day for the first time! If you could see this mountain then you would really appreciate my accomplishment. Driving in San Francisco was amazing practice though and definitely helped me yesterday. The mountain roads here are like driving the streets of San Fran...if they were muddy, covered in with huge rocks, and surrounded by deep jungle! My girls were great encouragers for me and I am thankful for their cheers and rejoicing as we made it up the steep hills. As I was driving through the forest it felt like I was in Jurassic Park...minus the T-rex : )
Everyday the weather's had this horrible habit of starting to rain around noon and continuing into the evening. This has been baffling us the past few days, and low and behold we found out this morning that we are in the midst of a tropical storm. This is great news because it means that it shouldn't be like this too much longer. Be praying, right now our water is out because the rainfall was so heavy it busted one of our pipes, and so we are currently out of running water. Diego is up on the mountain trying to find out where the pipe is broken, so proclaim safety and divine direction as he looks for the pipe.
Ok...there is much more to share, but I think this will be all for now. I pray for you my friends, that you find great rest and peace in the Lord today. He is such a wonderful God. All glory to the name of Jesus. Hasta luego!
-Christine-
Yesterday was a fun day. The girls and I went to the beach in the morning because the weather was gorgeous. The beaches here are way different then Wrightsville Beach. The sand is black and the jungle basically come right up to the sand. It looks incredible to be in the ocean and have a lush tropical forest right behind the beach. We walked from the place where we were dropped off about thirty minutes to the Whales Tale. This is a famous landmark in Uvita where the land (a peninsula) jets out in the shape of a whale's tale. As we began walking out on the peninsula, a mass of red began moving across the sand. At first I couldn't tell what it was, but when I looked closely I could see that it was a herd of crabs scurrying across the sand. These crabs were beautiful, and the brightest red I have ever seen on a crab.
Hannah one of my GOP girls was stung by a jellyfish and has a huge rung around her thigh and down the back of her leg! Honestly, for anyone of us to get stung, Hannah is by far the toughest...so we praise Jesus for that. There is an abundance of wildlife here in Costa Rica, and everyday is full of surprises as the Lord blesses us with cool new animals. This morning I discovered a tree full of 5 toucans. They were stunning with bright yellow and black feathers. I just am praying against the discovery of snakes and tarantulas though. Every night I hear howling monkeys but I yet to see them.
I drove the car up the mountain the other day for the first time! If you could see this mountain then you would really appreciate my accomplishment. Driving in San Francisco was amazing practice though and definitely helped me yesterday. The mountain roads here are like driving the streets of San Fran...if they were muddy, covered in with huge rocks, and surrounded by deep jungle! My girls were great encouragers for me and I am thankful for their cheers and rejoicing as we made it up the steep hills. As I was driving through the forest it felt like I was in Jurassic Park...minus the T-rex : )
Everyday the weather's had this horrible habit of starting to rain around noon and continuing into the evening. This has been baffling us the past few days, and low and behold we found out this morning that we are in the midst of a tropical storm. This is great news because it means that it shouldn't be like this too much longer. Be praying, right now our water is out because the rainfall was so heavy it busted one of our pipes, and so we are currently out of running water. Diego is up on the mountain trying to find out where the pipe is broken, so proclaim safety and divine direction as he looks for the pipe.
Ok...there is much more to share, but I think this will be all for now. I pray for you my friends, that you find great rest and peace in the Lord today. He is such a wonderful God. All glory to the name of Jesus. Hasta luego!
-Christine-
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
La Vida Bonita
Hola Amigos! Que tal??
Wow, am I a blessed woman! It is amazing to be in Costa Rica! Thank you Jesus
Right now I am sitting in a cute internet cafe here in Uvita, C.R. The weather is a little misty, but it feels amazing. My skin and hair are soaking in the moisture of this tropical climate. What an incredible adventure it has been already! My heart is overflowing with joy, and peace. I was told before I came to Refugio Solte that there was incredible peace here, but I never thought that it could be this wonderful. Everyday I wake up in a beautiful rust colored room, with hispanic tile floors, white linens, and a breeze blowing through the windows. The reality of the Lord's goodness is insane. Everything is open, and free, and relaxed here.
My journey to get here was quite interesting. I had a 12 hour layover in the Miami airport. As I mentioned earlier, I was able to have some great conversations with people. It was a gift from the Lord to be able to have that time to rest and prepare my heart as I transitioned from life in NC to life in Costa. When I got to Costa Rica the reality that I was alone in another country hit me. When I got through customs I immediately had to leave the airport. As soon as I walked outside, I was bombarded by Ticos asking me if they could help me with my luggage or if I needed a taxi. At first it was quite overwhelming, but then I just repeated the verse in my head, "the Lord has not given me a Spirit of fear," and immediately intense peace came on me. Then I found a nice seat in midst of all of the chaos, where I sat guarding my luggage and belongings while I waited for the others to arrive. I sat there and the Lord brought another girl who was coming to Costa Rica from Mayrland to do study abraod. She was an angel, and sat with me, and we both helped each other look for our parties amongst all of the people.
Then once we met up with everyone, we drove almost four hours from the airport in San Jose to Uvita. We ate at Subway (surprisingly) along the way, and it was so much fun ordering in Spanish. The Lord is graciously unlocking a wealth of vocabulary in my mind that I did not know was tucked away. There is a beautiful young woman named Fannie who lives on the mountain, and she and I have started to become really good friends. She helps me with my Spanish, and she loves having someone to talk to. We are able to communicate enough to have whole conversations in Spanish, which is awesome.
Our GOP group is amazing. Every girl is a ton of fun, and just so hungry to grow closer to the Lord. Its only been a few days and already there has been a lot of breakthrough. There is already a great sense of community and connectedness among the girls. Meals are wonderful too because we just sit and fellowship with one another. Life on the mountain is so simple, and so glorious. Please keep Joy and I in your prayers as we continually seek Holy Spirit for guidance and wisdom on how to lead and teach these girls.
We built a trail yesterday that leads to a waterfall. The girls actually loved getting their hands dirty, and it brought such a sense of accomplishment to see the transformation of the trail after we worked on it. We plan on doing other projects around Refugio. This weekend we plan on going to the beach, and exploring the city a little bit.
I really love this land. The people are all so kind and the more I experience life here, the more I see how overly stressed out and overwhelmed most Americans are. I am thankful for the incredible rest I am receiving, and the exposure to a life that is all about community and taking the time to enjoy and embrace life. I know the Lord will really use this time to give me important tools and lifestyle habits that will impact the rest of my life.
I miss everyone at home! Know that you are incredibly loved, and passionately pursued by the creator of the universe. I am praying for you.
Many many blessings,
Christine
Wow, am I a blessed woman! It is amazing to be in Costa Rica! Thank you Jesus
Right now I am sitting in a cute internet cafe here in Uvita, C.R. The weather is a little misty, but it feels amazing. My skin and hair are soaking in the moisture of this tropical climate. What an incredible adventure it has been already! My heart is overflowing with joy, and peace. I was told before I came to Refugio Solte that there was incredible peace here, but I never thought that it could be this wonderful. Everyday I wake up in a beautiful rust colored room, with hispanic tile floors, white linens, and a breeze blowing through the windows. The reality of the Lord's goodness is insane. Everything is open, and free, and relaxed here.
My journey to get here was quite interesting. I had a 12 hour layover in the Miami airport. As I mentioned earlier, I was able to have some great conversations with people. It was a gift from the Lord to be able to have that time to rest and prepare my heart as I transitioned from life in NC to life in Costa. When I got to Costa Rica the reality that I was alone in another country hit me. When I got through customs I immediately had to leave the airport. As soon as I walked outside, I was bombarded by Ticos asking me if they could help me with my luggage or if I needed a taxi. At first it was quite overwhelming, but then I just repeated the verse in my head, "the Lord has not given me a Spirit of fear," and immediately intense peace came on me. Then I found a nice seat in midst of all of the chaos, where I sat guarding my luggage and belongings while I waited for the others to arrive. I sat there and the Lord brought another girl who was coming to Costa Rica from Mayrland to do study abraod. She was an angel, and sat with me, and we both helped each other look for our parties amongst all of the people.
Then once we met up with everyone, we drove almost four hours from the airport in San Jose to Uvita. We ate at Subway (surprisingly) along the way, and it was so much fun ordering in Spanish. The Lord is graciously unlocking a wealth of vocabulary in my mind that I did not know was tucked away. There is a beautiful young woman named Fannie who lives on the mountain, and she and I have started to become really good friends. She helps me with my Spanish, and she loves having someone to talk to. We are able to communicate enough to have whole conversations in Spanish, which is awesome.
Our GOP group is amazing. Every girl is a ton of fun, and just so hungry to grow closer to the Lord. Its only been a few days and already there has been a lot of breakthrough. There is already a great sense of community and connectedness among the girls. Meals are wonderful too because we just sit and fellowship with one another. Life on the mountain is so simple, and so glorious. Please keep Joy and I in your prayers as we continually seek Holy Spirit for guidance and wisdom on how to lead and teach these girls.
We built a trail yesterday that leads to a waterfall. The girls actually loved getting their hands dirty, and it brought such a sense of accomplishment to see the transformation of the trail after we worked on it. We plan on doing other projects around Refugio. This weekend we plan on going to the beach, and exploring the city a little bit.
I really love this land. The people are all so kind and the more I experience life here, the more I see how overly stressed out and overwhelmed most Americans are. I am thankful for the incredible rest I am receiving, and the exposure to a life that is all about community and taking the time to enjoy and embrace life. I know the Lord will really use this time to give me important tools and lifestyle habits that will impact the rest of my life.
I miss everyone at home! Know that you are incredibly loved, and passionately pursued by the creator of the universe. I am praying for you.
Many many blessings,
Christine
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