Living in a world that seems to be falling apart can be scary. Sicknesses are taking lives, families are separating, friendships are ending, and people are losing their jobs. There are many things that make it seem like we are in world-wide upheaval.
Last year Jesus gave me a vision. In it I was in a packed van, full of friend's voices when I suddenly heard no more noise, and saw nothing but a wide-open field.
In the middle stood an oak tree that was magnificent, massive, strong! I felt total peace and I knew that this was a vision from God. I asked again and again what it meant, It took an entire year for Him to tell me.
This was a bad idea. Clutching a $20 bill in my hand as the answer to the pain I was in didn't give me any peace. I didn't want to be in this place. As a kid I didn't dream about committing suicide, but now I was quickly losing the urge to live. I needed out! I needed a change! In the darkest time of my life God reached out to me, and saved me from the demons tormenting my mind.
This is my story...
It all began when I was tossed into middle school. My older brother wasn't around like he had been during homeschool. Now, I had to make new friends.
In the early days of GPS, there are at least a handful of stories of some poor souls who opted to trust their Global Positioning System over what their eyes and senses were telling them. Most of the stories have decently happy endings (meaning no serious injuries).
Stepping from fear to faith is never easy. Students and staff members at YWAM Tyler have had to do this often as they've followed Jesus to the ends of the earth. Honestly, every step involves a tremendous amount of trust, but God is worthy of our trust! He is faithful!
The Chapel at YWAM Tyler started as a 12' by 15' well house which was converted to a small place to pray. Years later, volunteers came and built a space for many to gather. Whether it's in groups coming together for focused prayer or a single person kneeling at the cross, countless of people have encountered the Lord in this space. Here are a few stories of such moments...
Imagine gathering around an empty table with a slew of orphans to thank the Lord for food that wasn't there. Hard to even believe, honestly; yet, it's true. George Mueller trusted God to the point he was willing to sit at a barren table and offer thanks to God for the food that He was going to supply. God had promised to provide all Mueller needed in caring for those children, so in that moment of need, Mueller banked on God's promise, and sure enough God did it! The doorbell rang, and fresh bread was placed before them all to enjoy for breakfast.
On a recent Discipleship Training School (DTS) outreach to Mexico, Kelsey overcame fear by obeying God's leading. Her story is an encouragement to us all to not give in to fear but instead to step out in faith.
In all the talk today of measuring success by numbers, based on how many “hits,” “clicks,” or “likes” we get on our social media, I am often taken back to the memory of my very first Youth With a Mission trip in 1984. We were traveling through the Atlantic Coast of Canada, performing an evangelistic drama known as Toymaker and Son. It was a 52 minute long drama performed in full costume to a soundtrack recorded by a professional orchestra. It was all mime and dance, a real workout for us young people to perform in the hot summer sun, and we performed it anywhere we could. One performance stands out above the rest to me because we performed it on an empty grass lawn, to no audience at all.
Ever wonder if the thought forming in your brain was from the Lord? I know I have many times. Eleven years ago, I did my DTS and read this inspirational book by the founder of YWAM. He addressed the very quesions I had about hearing from God through stories that left me wide-eyed and wonder-filled. I honestly couldn't put it down. I hope the poetic synopsis below, which I wrote during my DTS, will wet your appetite to want to read it for yourself!
Outreach stories always offer the best memories for faith and fun. No two stories are the same, and for good reason. In the journey, we all need to laugh a little and be encouraged with the fact that God cares about the little things and deeply loves us all.
“Are you insane?” is what you may be thinking, and I do have to confess that we’ve felt that ourselves as we look to the future. To give a little background, our last three years have been some of the most challenging and rewarding times of our lives. We’ve walked through joy, grief, hopelessness, and anticipation. After serving two years in Jordan, we returned to America in May 2015
