growth.

As of this week, we are about half way through the DTS, it's hard to believe. I feel like so much has happened during my time here, so much growth.

Growth is such an odd thing. When you're growing, it's so difficult to see the changes on a day to day basis, especially inside yourself. Sometimes it's easy to point out growth in others, but when it comes to ourselves, we are blinded. In order to see growth, we usually need someone else to point it out or we can look way down the line at our old self and compare it to the self we see today. I love that only God has the power to make things grow. 1 Corinthians 3:7, "so neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow." Growth seems to happen when we feel stuck, when we think we aren't learning anything or that God just forgot about us. Normally, those are the times we seem to grow most...funny how life works like that:)

So today, as I look back on the garden that was planted 3 months ago, I'm presently surprised by the growth of the plants. In the beginning, it was only a bed of dirt, waiting to be cultivated and planted, now there is so much fruit, so much goodness coming from it. As I look back on my own journey over the last 3 months, I see growth, even though it was difficult to spot on a daily basis, people have helped point it out to me. I am beginning to see the fruit of what God was doing, even when I didn't feel like anything was happening and He had forgotten that I still needed to grow. Paul says in Philippians 1:6 "...being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." I celebrate the growth today, but I'm also confident there is more to come and Jesus is not finished with me or you:)

Do you see growth in your own life? Is there someone you have seen grow recently who you can encourage and point it out to them?

it's not about me.

It's been so good to be on base for the past 3 weeks, I feel like I've been able to get into some sort of routine, if that's even possible in YWAM:) God continues to teach and grow us in some amazing ways, I love that He just wants us to know Him and that He will continue to reveal more and more of Himself. It exciting to me that God's character will never disappoint. We will never be able to get to the end of God and think 'that's it?' God is full of mysteries and surprises and I love that about Him. Who wants to serve a god that we could understand and wrap our minds around? No me:)

Last week, we had teaching on Lordship. The week was pretty intense to say the least, but so good. Our team was so hungry for God, so hungry for more of Him. We spent the week discussing what it looks like to make God Lord of your life. 2 Corinthians 5:14 says, "..those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died for them and was raised again."

On Friday, we had a ministry day and worshiped God from 8:30am-11:30pm. We spent the day going through the Tabernacle, declaring who God is, confessing, giving, praying, anointing, and sharing communion together. The day was not about receiving, but about giving of ourselves for each other and ultimately, for the sake of the nations. In our western way of thinking, it's easy to get wrapped up in the mentality that God is a God for individuals. He does care about individuals, be His concern is for the masses, His perspective is for the nations, not just me.

This past week was about relationships. I loved the quote by C.S. Lewis:

"Love is not an affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person's ultimate good."

There are so many broken marriages in society today. People think they can fall in and out of love, but love is not a feeling, it's a choice. It's a choice we must make at every moment of every day, not only in romantic relationships, but in every interaction.

"Every act toward other human beings is either a sacred or profane act. It either treats them with dignity or it dehumanizes them. We have no other choice."-Duane Elmer

The picture is of a Bottle Tree, probably one of the coolest species of trees in the country:) Thanks for your continued love and support, I appreciate each of you!