I'm Thankful for my Plateful!!

"We are God's masterpiece.  He has created us anew with Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."  Ephesians 2:10

There are so many things to be thankful for.  But, sometimes we don't always see them clearly or appreciate them.  Lately, there have been some challenges that I have struggled to see the good in.   My heart was challenging God's goodness and faithfulness.  There were moments of doubt when I was reminded of His promises.  Through relentless prayer, God's patience and love have overcome these doubts and I am truly grateful for certain aspects of God's character that have new and deeper meaning to me.  Celebrating Thanksgiving here in Colombia has been warmth to my heart.  Time with an new ECA family for Thanksgiving brunch, a delicious dinner with ECA teachers later that day, and playing fun Pilgrims and Indians Games with my students were just a great way to celebrate all we have to be thankful for in Christ Jesus.  Here are just a few things I am grateful for lately along with some picture of our Thanksgiving festivities :-0

1. Solid Preaching of God's Word

When I was home visiting my family for my grandma's funeral, I had the opportunity to attend the Orchard Network - my Pastor's preaching ministry with seminary students.  Being able to preach God's Word and make the Bible come alive is a GIFT and I so grateful for Pastor Colin's willingness to share this gift from God with other young men and women who have the same desire for people to know and love God's Word.  

With my 3rd Graders here at El Camino, I want to make God's Word come alive to them.  How to do this at a level they will understand is tricky.  Sometimes, I fall into the trap of not knowing what they will and will not understand (especially reading some deep Bible passages in their Second Language!!) Pastor Colin reminded me that what he was talking about with seminary students and other preachers were not only applicable to preaching on Sunday morning, but also when I teach Bible lessons in Colombia.  Here is one important truth that I will keep with me as I continue to open the eyes and hearts of my students to the gospel:

"God's voice is heard when His Word is preached, related to life, lifted off the page, press it home through the mind and into the heart and life.  The great paradox of ministry is that if we preach what the unbeliever can see, he won't see.  We must preach what the unbeliever can't see, so that he will see."

-  Pastor Colin Smith

2. Blessing of God's Timing

One challenge I have been facing lately is wanting certain things to happen on my own timing.  Or, not understanding why my timing for certain things is not lining up with God's timing :-0  This has caused me to question and push my own desires in relationships, take certain circumstances and make them personal, or be completely blinded to God's blessings that are right in front of me because it's not the right timing.  What I am learning through studying the book of James is that God's timing is ALWAYS the best, whether we can see his greater purpose or not.  

Really, what I want to say is this: you can't rush God.  You can't push Him.  You can't pull Him.  You can't tug Him or taunt Him.  If He has a mind to linger right where He is, you can't budge Him one inch.  You can, however, try to go without Him; but, chances are you'll come back because, if you really have a heart for God, you'll be miserable beyond His blessing.         - Beth Moore

My eyes had been focused down on my circumstances (grandma's passing away while I am off on the mission field) that I needed them to be lifted up to my Heavenly Savior.  Her funeral service was an amazing time to do this.  My friend, Tom Olson, gave the message at the service and helped lift our eyes off my wonderful grandma and onto her Savior, which is the reason she was such a loving and patient person in the first place!  There is a letter she left behind to her family that says how much she loves us and how much she wants everyone in her family to know and love Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  God's Timing??  I think so :-0  These reminders helped me realize that maybe reasons why I might have felt miserable is that I was beyond God's blessing and timing.  So glad that my heart is submitting to his sovereignty and timing once again - able to see his incredible goodness to all of life's circumstances.

3. Purpose in Suffering

Through these challenges, I have sought the Lord in prayer many times being met with what felt like silence.  It took me a while to realize that the act of coming to the Lord in prayer was enough to bring me into closer intimacy with Jesus.  He was speaking and working in the silence - teaching me to trust him and him alone.  This stage of my life has seen many things I have depended on being taken away in some form or another.  I have clung to them, cried, and wept over them, pleaded with God to let me keep them,  While that has been the case with a few things, I have learned that I have survived without them.  My fears of these things being taken away have been faced (though not always gracefully) and my faith is stronger because of these trials.  God has shown up and proven he is enough :-)

"Our sufferings etch engraved invitations to intimate places with God.  A pair of hands clasped in earnest prayer is the best means we have this side of Heaven to hang onto Jesus for dear life.  Even our groanings before Him are echoes of intimate prayer.  Fellowshipping with Christ in our suffering guards it from purposelessness.  While in James in no way suggests that we can't call others for prayer when we're in anguish, we need not wait on another soul to seek prescription from God in our urgent need.  

Sometimes God answers prayer by alleviating suffering.  Other times He eases the suffering.  Still, other times He shows His sufficiency in the suffering, but make no mistake.  He never abandons us in our suffering.  Prayer can prime the well of our souls to a bath in His beautiful presence.  It is often the most determining factor in whether, in our anguish, we sink or swim.."      

 - Beth Moore

I see this as a season of pruning and I am choosing to walk by faith trusting God’s grace to help me hold loosely to the things of the world in order to hold more firmly to Him. In what ways is Christ asking you to submit to His pruning work in your life? Be encouraged, though it seems painful at the time, pruning is only for a season, and a great and fruitful harvest will be the result. He will be faithful.  

Prayers/Praises
My trip home for my grandma's funeral was such a good time.  Thank you for all who prayed and attended the funeral while I was home.  Seeds have been planted and I can't wait to see what the Lord has planned.

Pray for the marriages of the families at ECA.  May God strengthen them, guard them, and let them shine for God's glory.

I will be home for Christmas and I look forward to getting to see some of you while I am home.  Please pray for a safe flight on December 20th and a safe return in January.  Hoping to see snow while I am home.

Grateful for your partnership,
Carrie

Spiritual Fruit

Journal with Jesus
We are doing Journal w/ Jesus again this year: time where they can be with Jesus with their Bible, and a journal.  I love this reflection time and my desire is that they learn to sit and BE with their Savior.  Reading over some of their journals, I am filled with compassion and empathy for precious concerns that are on my students' hearts.  I am grateful that they trust me and how open they are to telling God what is on their heart.  Many speak of family situations or hard times that they have had to really trust in God for.  Some have expressed doubts and questions that they have regarding Jesus and their faith.  This definitely helps me guide them as they start making their faith their own.  It's very easy for a kiddo that has been raised in a Christian home or has gone to El Camino Academy to automatically give the "correct" answer.  They know the answer they are expected to give, whether or not they actually believe it themselves.  Praising God for the opportunity I have to help them discover what they REALLY believe.


Chapel Responses and Application:
In Elementary Chapel, we have been talking about responsibility.  One major area of discussion has been when we play the Blame Game.  Students have been taking this to heart and trying to apply certain strategies in their own lives.  Strategies like:

Is this little problem or a big problem?

Am I part of the problem?

Is it the truth or a lie?

Is anyone hurt?

Here are some pictures of situations where my students have used these strategies in school and with their friends.  Enjoy learning from ECA's 3rd Grade about taking responsibility for our actions.  We are choosing NOT to play the Blame Game!  Will you join us?

Knowing their Hearts
Time with students outside of school has always been my favorite part of ministry here at El Camino.  Recently, I have had the opportunity to watch one of my students perform her ballet recital to the Nutcracker.  Spending the afternoon with her family watching her perform as a sugarplum fairy and then celebrating her dancing with having pizza back at her house was just a perfect way to bond with her.  We played Twister and a new twist/version of Rock, Paper, Scissors. You stand on a line and the looser keeps having to move their feet until they are doing the splits.  Lets just say - she won!

Celebrating my students birthdays is also a highlight.  I was blessed to attend a birthday party for a student and his brother (who is my ex-alumni - werid!!!)  What a cultural experience it was.  There were many friends and family there to celebrate with them.  They even had a pinata for the adults!!  One man laid on top of all of the candy when it broke.  The other adults decided to pull him out of the pile.  Then, using his belt loops, they lifted his stomach up off the floor and swept ALL of the candy out from underneath him.  The poor guy was left with nothing :-)  When my student noticed that my bag was empty since I was just a bystander of all of this craziness, he gave me a sad look and took 3 pieces of his own candy to give to me!!  Super sweet :-)  Loved celebrating with these adorable boys!

Prayers/Praises:

Thank you to all who attended my Cute Gran's funeral this past Saturday!  It was a wonderful celebration of her life.  Pray for my family during this time - that they would be open to any questions they have concerning faith :-)

Pray that my mind would relax and that I would allow God's peace to fill me.  There has been extra stress on my mind lately.

Blessings,
Carrie