11 months.

I was just realizing today that I've been officially a "full-time missionary" for 11 months now!

That means 11 months living by faith, leaning on my brothers and sisters all around the world, walking in boldness, seeing God move in many ways.

Here are some of the things I'm thankful for!!!

1. A beautiful new home and family here in Kona! I am seriously SOOOOOO blessed to live with these amazing individuals who love Jesus so much!! I can't wait to do life with them and see all of the wild things God does in all of us these coming years!

2. The people who I have had the privilege of leading to Jesus since being here. Two wonderful individuals who I will never forget. They were so ready to receive Jesus and I am so honored I got to be a part of them meeting their Savior!

3. All 25+ airplanes I've gotten to ride on to various places all over the world this year. Each flight has been a MIRACLE of financial provision and God setting up extra-cheap tickets for me! Each trip has
blown me away, seeing God's faithfulness and goodness even to provide me with food and connections everywhere I go. He has never let me down even one time!

4. Seeing the power of prayer in action. Release of millions of dollars to help missionaries and ministries all over the world. Captives set free. Miracles and healing. Deliverance. Release of joy and
hope and freedom! Breaking of strongholds. I can't even count up how much has happened through times in prayer with the Lord, joining with Him in His eternal plan of redemption!!

5. Discipleship. Receiving wisdom, truth, and encouragement from some of the most amazing Christian leaders and mentors IN THE WORLD. I can't believe the people I've gotten to know over the past year, and who have poured into me and called out my
identity/potential. It is crazy. Also, the honor of getting to pour these same revelations into other world-changers through joining DTS staff! This is perhaps even greater than receiving. Getting to watch God nurture and grow the seeds of His truth in other peoples' lives, and being a part of that!

6. Personal breakthrough. I feel more whole than ever before, the Lord is teaching me how to take care of myself physically, emotionally, relationally, spiritually. I can feel Him strengthening me and calling me higher, to step fully into my calling.

7. Month by month, having enough finances to pay for everything I
need, some being big costs like a computer or rent or a plane ticket or a moped! And still having enough--somehow--to give to others in need. It amazes me how finances work in the Kingdom. Seems like the more we give, the more we have!

8. Teaching children and adults all sorts of things I'm passionate about, from hearing God's voice to preaching the Gospel, to identity and purpose, to dance, to art...etc. Again, amazing the doors that have opened up for someone like me with little experience to be able to share the things on my heart and impart to others on this wild journey of faith.

9. Friendship. Enough said. I'm blown away by the people who want to be my friends here. They're all incredible.

10. Increased intimacy with Jesus, which is the greatest gift of all!

11. I'm thankful that this is JUST THE BEGINNING OF A LIFE POURED OUT IN FAITH, THROUGH LOVE, BECAUSE OF JESUS, FOR HIS GLORY!

Choosing the Light

"This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." 1 John 1:5-7.

"I will proclaim the name of the Lord. Oh, praise the greatness of our God! He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he." Deuteronomy 32:4.

This is going to sound like a bunch of ramblings. Basically, I've been realizing two major truths from these verses.

First, God is light. He is perfection. There is NO darkness in Him. There is NO injustice in Him. There is NO sin or wrong in Him.

So voices of compromise, shame, accusation, or injustice are not from God. Neither is lust, bitterness, rage, or mockery. We try to excuse these kinds of voices by pointing to different Scriptures, but it just doesn't work. There is not even a shifting shadow in God. He is fully light.

If we want to be close to Him, we must allow His light to shine into every area of our lives. This may sound scary, but it's actually a joyful thing. You can see how the enemy has deceived you for so long, and you can walk away from that deception. You can walk into life.

We can't have fullness of life until we let God root out every stronghold of death and darkness in our hearts.

The second thing is fellowship. One of the enemy's main tactics against us as Christians is isolation. Just like 1 John talks about, when we walk in the light of Christ we have fellowship with one another. We help keep each other grounded, solid, and built up. God created fellowship so we can encourage and edify each other.

Again, accusation, deception, suspicion, and isolation are not from God.

God enjoys perfect fellowship in the Trinity--Father, Son, Holy Spirit. He also desires deep fellowship with us. He desires for us to have that fellowship with each other as well.

I think that God answered Jesus' prayers. So I have to believe that God answered Jesus when in John 17 He prayed that we as believers would be ONE just like He and the Father are one.

I know it's a bunch of jumbled ramblings, but the two main points are here:
--God is light.
--When we walk in the light, we have FELLOWSHIP and UNITY with each other.

I want that!!!