The Word of God is Alive and Active

"For the Word of  God is alive and powerful. It is sharpest than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermonst thoughts and desires." Hebrews 4:12 NLT

I have read over and over again but I was challenged to study it this week and God brought something to my attention, an observation. The verse says that the Word of God is alive and active. Good, but how. As I thought of it another verse came to mind, John 1:1

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

There it is, "the Word was God," the Word is God who made everything in the beginning and is alive today piercing thru every thought of evil and fleshly motive I have. Jesus, is the Word, He is is alive and active. He conquered the grave and is piercing through the darkness I face everyday.

Another thought, came to me as I was meditating in this passage. You know how, every time we are low, at least for me, I usually go to the Word. I either read a passage in Psalms or Isaiah, without fail, my countenance changes. Why? Because the Word is alive and active! 

Anytime, my children need discipline, I have a Wise Words for Moms booklet and app that helps me bring them back on track. All it is is scripture that helps them see God as the boss and not me. It always helps, why? Because the Word is alive, Jesus is alive and active. He cuts through the sin that besets us.

Every time I pick up my Bible, I am in essence "picking up" Jesus. Now, that is something! It brings my Bible reading to a whole new level! I will no longer be reading to fulfill some Bible reading plan. I will now be reading because it is my devotion to my God. I will be embracing Jesus, beholding Jesus. What an amazing thought! What a wonderful Savior! He really thought of everything! I am so challenged and provoked.  I pray you are too.

So much to say, so little time!

So much has happened since we joined Family Legacy this past August. I will do my best to catch you guys up. It will take a few posts so keep checking the blog.  

Family Legacy is a ministry that reaches to the vulnerable and orphaned children in Lusaka. There are many facets to the ministry such as CAMP life, Father's Heart which includes the Lifeway Christian Academies and Father's Family. Warren is the Father's Family program manager,  which is the residential program, Tree of Life Children's Village is the biggest of these facility. There are over 400 children in this program. We are so excited and humbled that God would see fit to have us serve His dearly beloved children. One of the things the Family Legacy team does for these children is run a week long camp called DREAM Camp. During this time, the children at Tree of Life are able to identify their non-conventional skills.  Since August, we've been able to see the faces of so many of these children dream of what they will become because of the opportunity that God has granted them in taking them out of their vulnerable places.

 My mom and sister were visiting this past December and were able to enjoy the children as we visited them during DREAM Camp.

Here is my sister with her new friend, George. He is one of the many that God has redeemed and is changing his future. 

Talking about a new future, one of the aspects of the ministry is that people get together and raise funds to build these little ones a new home. There are 35 homes each housing 12 boys or girls at the village right now. So many are able to put together their few loaves and fish and watch as God multiplies it. It just takes an obedient heart and an able Father in heaven.

Here is the President of Family Legacy, Greer Kendall praying over the new girls who were joining the village at the opening of "Rapha House". I love the names picked for these homes, names such as Hallelujah House and Freedom House and Glory House. Names that speak of a new beginning. Names that never speak of the past and the failures.  A new home signifying a new beginning is built where these beautiful children can DREAM...

MORE TO COME...

Gratitude changes Attitude

The bible tells us to “…enter His gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise.  Be grateful to him and praise his name…” Psalms 100

Many times I have forced myself to do this very thing on Sundays when my attitude is not right or I’ve had a bad week.  And to my amazement it always works. It never fails, when I come face to face with my King and my God, everything else fades. 

Sometimes, it is not a church day and I have nowhere to go.  I am learning that just because I have nowhere to go does not mean I cannot enter His gates with thanksgiving.  Wherever I am, I can welcome the Holy Spirit and I am there in His courts. Change comes when praise is lifted. In the presence of God, everything fades.

Little things have been happening over the past weeks to steal my joy. No electricity, no car, losing things, once a day, once a week.  Little foxes that want to destroy the vine.  I have decided to come into his presence with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise and my attitude changes. In prayer, God showed that my focus had shifted like Peter. When Peter came to Jesus by walking on the sea, everything was fine until Peter’s focus shifted from the master to the wind. Peter cried out and Jesus with stretched out hands saved him. I like the fact that it doesn’t say that the winds stop, instead Jesus reached out and took him out of the water. The wind was still there.  Many times, the circumstances in our lives will not change, the answers will not come yet He will still reach out His hand and draw us close to Him. Intimacy sometimes is all we will need.  In His presence there is fullness of joy and when we enter His courts with praise, that’s His place of intimacy. 

I also recently learned that obedience sometimes does not guarantee a specific outcome.  Sometimes all God wants is our obedience.  He says do this and we do it period.  Even when things seem to blow up in your face and doubt wants to creep in, we have to be certain obeying is better than sacrifice.  When we have that certainty, thanksgiving will be a lot easier.

Like the song says, “No matter what you’re going thru, God is only using you for His glory.” Be encouraged, God is with you and will never leave you.

Fun Times

Salome and Simeon

Amber Leigh

Genesis

Warren and Vicky

So Faithful, So Constant

Think of a number from one to ten. Add seven. Multiply by two. Subtract four. Divide by two. Subtract the number first thought of. 

Is your answer five?

It doesn’t matter what number you choose, you will realize that your answer will always be five. Go ahead, try it.  God spoke to me as I was doing this exercise with my family the other day.  He said, “I am always faithful, no matter what happens, what trials come your way.”  So it doesn’t matter how I feel certain days, He is there for me.  It does not matter whether I feel him or not; whether I see Him or not.  He is for me and for my family.  Just like the answer to the problem above will always be five, the number for grace, His grace will be sufficient for me to see me and see you thru each day.

Luke 18:1 says, “And He told them a parable to the effect that they should always pray and not lose heart.”  Jesus told them the parable of the persistent widow and how she kept going to the judge and every time she would plead for her release, the answer was NO. It never stopped her though, she kept going back until one day, she got on his nerves and he gave her what she needed. 

I was encouraged because although I have been praying for things and it seems as if nothing is happening, I must never lose heart and stop praying.  One day, God will answer and deliver and save!  I have to continue and persevere and never give up!

The answer is always five, the number for grace.  He will give me grace to pray one more day… Every day, one day at a time.

CampLife

It is night-time and everyone is asleep.  The compound is quiet.  A few dogs are barking and some music is still playing at the nearby bar.  Some folks are drinking and partying although it’s the middle of the week. A small girl is in bed, she tosses and turns as once again, her father appears in her dream.  He comes and she stirs but does not wake, he gives her instructions and then disappears but not without warning her not to ever speak of his visits to anyone. Some nights it’s not her father who appears but her grandmother who lives on the other side of town. She does not give her instructions but takes her to a faraway village.  A place where there is a meeting going on.  It is at that meeting where the elders take her blood. She wakes every morning dazed.  There is no joy in her eyes, she goes outside and sees them.  The men sent to watch her.  She notices one day though that she is the only one able to see them.  This is no ordinary story; it is the life of a little girl I met at camp.   

Our family participated in CampLife the second week in June and it was an amazing experience! After being in Zambia for more than 5 years, working with children that have been abused, forsaken and forgotten, I felt like I had this under control. We have seen so much, what’s one more story, one more child?  Every life story is unbelievably painful to hear and without the grace of God, we would not have made it one day, let alone the entire week. 

It is very common for children to have nightmares due to witchcraft, either in their immediate family or a neighbor who lives nearby.  This has been so shocking to me, that every single one of the ten girls in my group had nightmares due to witchcraft.  I have done what I know to do best, pray.  I’ve prayed for the girls to be delivered from the spirit of deception and divination.  Conversely, the worship experience left me speechless every time.  To see 800+ children worship and dance was more than my heart could take, many times all I could do was cry.  The Bible says “…at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that He is Lord…”  That is exactly what happens at camp and in three weeks when it ends more than 7000 children will have come for a weeklong time away with God.

The children who come are from all around Lusaka, some are orphans who are unwanted by even their relatives.  Others have been physically, emotionally and verbally abused.  They come not really knowing what to expect but when they encounter their creator, all the pain and hurt disappears for just those few moments and they are free.  For the first time in a long time, they are free to dance, free to run, free to sing, and all of it they do with a joy that comes from their “Papa God O”.  Their Father holds those things that have hurt them for so long at bay so that His children can receive the hope that was meant for them since the beginning of time. 

The week of camp was life changing for us as a family.  Words cannot describe the impact it has had on us, especially the children.

 

 

Is Your Trial Your Friend?

I know you may be asking where I’m going with this, but just stick with me for a moment.  We have made some life changing decisions lately that were preceded by some very hard trials. God has allowed these circumstances in our life that I believe have been designed to take us into a deeper level with him. They have been fashioned to take us places we would never think of going on our own.  I was listening to myself pray the other day and I had to stop right in the middle of it because, it was beginning sound like a broken record.  I was saying again, “Oh Lord please help my mind to be at peace.  Help my heart to settle and believe you are doing something in this situation.” It was as if God was sitting next to me staring me in the face saying, “Really Vicky, I have been with you so long and you still don’t get me?” I was like, “Huh?” He said, “Didn’t I give you a word already? Are you going to live by it or are you going to let it sit next to you and not grab it for what it’s worth?” I was stunned because I remembered exactly what he had spoken to me before. He had said, “Let there be light” Period. And here I was, on this rollercoaster ride of emotions just because things didn’t turn out the way I expected them to. I was going to believe the word was for me only when things went well, as soon as things started to turn sour then no. Why? Simply because in my finite thinking only good can come to me and I was forgetting that rain falls on both the just and the unjust alike.  I was forgetting that when (my interpretation) the three Hebrew boys were confronted for their disrespectful behavior toward the King, they chose the word God spoke to them above all else.  They told the king, Hey listen, I know you’re the king and all, but we are not going to hold back and do what you want us to do above the instruction that was given to us by our God and King. Sorry, but even if we die, WE WILL NOT BOW.

I have to segue here for a moment because if you’re like me you’ve read this and I’m not sure you get the picture.   I am Spanish and elders and people in authority have to be respected and honored no matter what.  I also live in a society where youngsters are taught the same, honor and respect your elders and those in authority. No questions asked. The “because I said so” motto.  Well, these three Hebrew boys were in the same situation.  They were going against what had been taught to them since they were born.  Honor your elders and those in authority; not to mention they were slaves, they had no choice, no opinion.  Their lives were going to be on the line regardless, they knew that. It didn’t matter to them one bit though, because they had also been taught something else from their infancy, to honor God and not bow before none other but Him. 

So, we’re back in Babylon… Here is king Nebuchadnezzar in front of these little people who dared not only disobey him but also had the audacity to talk so liberally to him and say, “We don’t care what you do to us, we’re not bowing.” My goodness, he got so mad his face turned different colors and contorted into different forms.  He was furious! (I don’t think anyone had ever spoken so to him before) How dare these good for nothing slaves talk to me like that? Who do they think they are?  I’ll show them! He made the flame in that pit so hot it killed the guards who were putting the boys in.  Sometimes when we barbequed, the flame gets too close to the food and it burns your fingers a bit, it’s time to do something otherwise the food will burn. Well, the flames were a million ti mes hotter than that, it was meant to kill and kill it did, just not the boys. They trusted the spoken word of God over the threat and were blessed for it.

You know every day it is as if threats are spoken to me.  Sadly though, some days I give in and heaviness hangs over me like a blanket. Other days, it’s gone. The next day it comes back.  It’s as if this thing has become my friend and has free access to me whenever it feels like.  Yesterday, when I was praying, God stopped me and asked if I was done. I was stunned. He had given me a word and I had just taken it for that day and brought back my friend “despair” the next day instead.  How foolish of me!  Here is the universe maker and star breather giving me light instead of darkness and I put it to the side. God forgive me!  I have decided to hold on to my word like those three Hebrew boys.  When I get a threat to bow to despair, discouragement, loneliness, depression, anything other than my Jesus, I will just have to say, “NO.” Sorry but I don’t really care what you say devil, “I’m not budging.” In Jesus’ name! This darkness is no longer my friend since I do have a friend who sticks closer than a brother, Jesus is His name.  Some trials are meant to be our friend because they are meant to teach us things that otherwise we would not learn, but I believe when they have done their duty, they have to go packing.