Beautiful Things Out of Dust....

"Then the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man's nostrils, and the man became a living person."  Genesis 2:7

It's been a while... Something that's been a theme in my life the past few months is God's redeeming work... It's hard to imagine that He can turn ashes to something beautiful.... But He surely does!

This season of life I have encountered by far been the most difficult and challenging times in my life  and I won't go into all the details, but I need you to know that I've experienced a great deal of brokenness over the past year or so for the rest of this to make sense.  Although it has been tough at times, I am more and more thankful everyday for this season of life.  I have come to know deep within my soul my need for the Lord's redeeming touch.  

Please press play and listen while you continue reading 

This summer I read the book, "Shattered Dreams" by Larrry Crabb, and what great truth.  The basic idea is that God "shatters our dreams" in order to draw us to Himself, so that we will experience true joy and salvation.  In these shattered dreams, God continues to be present and use them for His good.  It's so amazing to look back on this year and how many relationships and situations in my life were truly broken and how God's fully redeemed and restored many of those places.  He really does make "Beautiful Things."  I have clung to this song throughout the year as a reminder of how great our God is and how He is bigger than any circumstance we will ever encounter and can always turn it for His glory and good plans.  God wastes nothing... He makes everything work out according to His plan.  He is sovereign and in control.  

Just to list a few areas God's redeemed just this year... 

Beginning of school year 2011, my YL team had closed school gates in our faces and were not allowed on campus.... 

Then we were given a time during the day to teach a Bible study and I was allowed in the art room to meet new kids.... It gets better!! Then beginning of school year 2012, I was given a Cross Country coaching position that's allowed my teammate Sarah and I to be in kids lives on school grounds every week and put me in many meetings with the same administration that kicked us off campus just a year before!!!  

"You make beautiful things...."

Last year in YL we faced some low numbers at club and had some kids stop coming to YL all together... This semester those kids have randomly reached out and said they want to not only be part of YL again are interested in going on our Service Project in March!! They are returning and bringing friends with them as well!! 

"You make beautiful things out of dust...." 

So whatever your broken places are, I want to encourage you to keep seeking the Lord because He will heal you!! He will redeem those places... relationships... hurts... wounds.... situations... and make them for His good!  Remember He doesn't waste anything! 

He let's us come to these dark places so we come to know how much we truly need Him and His redeeming touch... 

His ways are far beyond all we can think or imagine...  He will turn our thorns and nettles into strong tall trees of LIFE!!! 

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.

    'And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.

 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways

    and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. “The rain and snow come down from the heavens

    and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word.

    I send it out, and it always produces fruit.

It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands!

Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow.

    Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up.

These events will bring great honor to the Lord’s name;

    they will be an everlasting sign of his power and love.”  -Isaiah 55:9-13 

He turns them into His creative beauty.... 

"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." -Romans 8:28

And out sprouts a beautiful creation... Flying living in Freedom! 

"This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!"  -2 Corinthians 5:17

This is what we are praying for you and for our kids!  Please join us in praying that kids in Costa Rica would come out of the darkness they are living in and be drawn to the Light of Life.  Pray that God would breakthrough their harden hearts, Exodus 3, and draw them to new life- freedom in Him!! We are praying that 40 kids would come to know what New Life is during our Service Project March 23-28th where they will hear the Greatest Love Story the Earth's ever heard!!