Rustle the Waters

The newness in the air cannot be denied. There is a freshness of Spring. A turning of the times towards greater revelation, deeper roots, and undeniable transformation.

We’ve AWAKENED.

I’ve seen multiple people step into the freshness of Spring with a new direction and a new revelation of where God is leading them. I was directed to this article by a dear friend called, “How to Walk in the Faith of God in this Season.”¹ She prophesied that many people would be moving into new positions and spaces specifically before the time of Passover. Passover begins on April 19, 2019 of this year.

We may not follow the Hebraic calendar in the United States, but there is beauty sometimes in reflecting on the markers of God’s time. Hebrew calendars mark Passover a couple days into the Jewish new year: the first month is the month of Nissan. Chuck Pierce (Glory of Zion Ministries) writes, “It’s the month of redemption, the month of the beginning of miracles, and the month that sets the course for your future” (emphasis my own). I would encourage you to dive a little deeper into the study of the Jewish New Year, Passover, etc. It’s all fascinating, and I have only taken a microscopic chip off the iceberg in my studies but it always leads me closer to the restorative heart of Father God.

These new things in our lives are not coincidences. 

For those who don’t know, I moved back to my hometown roughly 3 months ago. It’s been a whirlwind of a transformation, but sometimes God has to bring us back to our roots and purpose. Once again, a great friend led me to this article and prophetic revelation. This piece by Danny Steyne² talks about original intent. He uses a ship as his illustration and points to the uses of a ship. He discusses the use of a ship as a mode of transportation and discusses that we aren’t meant to live on ships.

Are you living on a ship? Are you not moving forward or progressing on what you felt God was leading you to do?

I think we’ve all been there, are currently there, or trying to get ourselves out of there. How many of us have stepped out on to sea [in faith] believing Jesus was going to do a miraculous thing in our lives, we have a destiny to fulfill, and a promise made to us that we know HE will be faithful to keep?

I would say all.

We are not a people filled with fear, and I say that prophetically as a declaration that we will not be a people filled with fear. If you are reading this and filled with fear, take courage to heart that Jesus has commanded us to be strong and courageous (Joshua 1:9).

You’ve stepped out on the sea, but what I see is that we are trying to maneuver the waters in a kayak. Growing up around water, I have a pretty good understanding of the waters’ flow from sources to oceans, or in my case the gulf. In some areas it is safe to maneuver by kayak: the river, the bayou, maybe even the bay, but when you get out on the gulf you don’t want to go too far in a kayak. You won’t last long.

Unfortunately, our spirits have been hindered in the tools we have been using to maneuver the waters of our walk with Christ. We’ve signed on to follow Jesus and have taken the big step of faith and said yes, but I believe our identity and the fullness of who we are cannot be fulfilled in the kayak. You can’t handle the storm in the kayak, you surely can’t handle the open sea in a kayak, and it is only going to get you so far. That is why I believe God is calling us to jump kayak.

It’s not about the fact we can’t control a kayak, we can as we’ve been doing a pretty darn good job of it over the last couple seasons of our walk with Jesus. However, the greater authority, greater vision, and greater submission to Jesus is going to require a larger vessel.  What I am trying to point to is that it is time to stop dreaming small, stop believing for the minuscule harvest, and stop assuming that your dream and vision will only stay within the means of a kayak.

The plans God has for you, the call on your life, and the burning passion inside of you cannot be contained within a 8 foot x 4 foot kayak.

You were made for more. 

I encourage you today to stop believing for less, stop chasing after mediocrity, and start believing the God sized dreams that have been placed in your life. One of the greatest threats to darkness is movement. Darkness craves stagnation as it can cut off life sources. When darkness gets to settle, it can multiply.

Think of a stagnant body of water festering with mosquitos, mosquito larvae, and lots of moss. The moss covers the top of the water so nothing underneath grows. The moss keeps the light from shining through to reach the vegetation below.

For many of you reading, there are seeds at the bottom of your heart and spirit that have been planted in hopes of you producing fruit, fruit that someone needs, a nation needs, a people group needs, etc. They are there for time and purpose. Don’t let the darkness cover you up. Don’t stay stagnant.

Father, I pray you come and rustle the waters. Send the cool refreshing waters of your Spirit to your people that they may be refreshed and renewed in your Spirit Lord God. “Driven by Love” (thank you Lindy Conant-Coffer) to the place you have them. Rustle the waters Father and invite them to move with your Holy Spirit.

Waves will roll over us no more in a way that demolishes us because we are jumping kayak and taking on the identity of a person who is transported by ship with purpose, focus, destination, and understanding of our call. I see Jesus rescuing us the from the kayak and taking us into His ship of restoration, healing, power, and authority. This is where the true disciple will be made. We can catch bigger fish in a bigger boat- the ultimate goal of a disciple: to be a fisher of men.

We will rise.

Allow him to welcome you on board and watch as you envelop the identity He has invited you into. Take on the battle ahead knowing He has prepared a place for you.

May the Lion of the Tribe of Judah roar over you today with gladness in His heart and purpose and destiny in mind. He loves you.

With Love,

Hannah

 

Resources:

1. “How to Walk in the Faith of God in this Season” by Candice Smithyman
2. “We’ve Entered a Fullness of Time!” by Danny Steyne

Resurgence of Dreams

Your first initial reaction when you are called to do something is shock. I think for most of us we understand the deeper purpose that lives inside of us, but unfortunately society has suppressed us in ways to think that our inner callings don’t matter. Outward success and inward depletion of our inner most desires are quelled by the voices outside and inside our head telling us those dreams will never come true.

We face defeat at its truest form, self-depletion.

However, today I believe the thing Lord wanted me to share with you a few of you is that this is a season for not giving up on your dreams, not giving up your passions, and never letting go of the fire that the Lord has put on the inside of you. I am a true believer that complacency leads to compromise, and compromise to demise. When we start compromising on the things the Lord has told us not to do or ventured far away from what we were called to do out of fear, lack of resources, and the unknown we journey down a road that leads us far away from our destiny.

I can’t tell you how many people I meet of the millennial generation that have so much fire in their heart and passion in their bellies to change the world. Coupled with the gospel and the ultimate ignitor, Holy Spirit, they truly are UNSTOPPABLE.

I believe the enemy has squashed the dreams that the Lord has put on your heart in previous seasons. I know this to be true because I’ve experienced this. Of course, he didn’t want to see us succeed or accomplish the goals the Lord set before us.

This is a different time and season. This is 2019 and not that a calendar date matters too much in certain situations, but God uses markers. Starting points for new beginnings. The places where you say the table stops spinning here.

You have sought the Lord with all your heart, you have followed through with the ways of the world out of fear, but now the Lord says:

“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord…” Isaiah 1:18

I want to point out one very important word in this scripture above: together. For those of us who have been lead into wrong interpretations and impressions of who our Heavenly Father is, may you be freed in the mighty name of Jesus that He is not a demeaning God but rather a loving Father who wants to reason with you together. He is not a dictator, but a God who so desperately wants what is best for you. In the words of Barbara Wentroble, “God’s plan for you and your life happened in His Council Room…They discussed the vision and goal to have you as part of the family. Words were spoken over you. Those words concerned God’s plan and purpose for your life.” (Accessing the Power of God, Barbara Wentroble p.16)

This is a season for you to step back into abandoned callings, flushed dreams, and quelled visions. This is a season for you to remember that the promises of God are yes and amen (2 Corinthians 1:20), He is for you not against you (Romans 8:31), and He knows the plans He has for you (Jeremiah 29:11)

Don’t step into 2019 in fear of the same failures you walked through in 2018. For I am the queen of making mistakes, but mistakes don’t define my future and my failures can’t either if I don’t let them.

Step in with boldness, a posture of prayer, and continued guidance from the Holy Spirit and don’t forget all you’ve walked through in 2018 and how God’s faithfulness was in and through every situation.

Don’t step back, do not conform (Romans 12:2), do not let go of the desires God has put in your heart. It’s a season of rebirth, dreams coming back to life, and vision abounding more than ever.

Once again my trusted spiritual mentor Mrs. Barbara writes, “However, something is happening in this season. We are starting to remember! We are starting to remember those words that were spoken so long ago. Suddenly, these words may bubble up like a fountain inside of us. Sometimes we call these words vision…” (Accessing the Power of God, Barbara Wentroble p.16-17).

I pray today that your heart bubbles over, that you get the goosebumps you once had, and a resurgence of dreams and visions floods your mind and keeps your heart in Christ Jesus. You are His, and He is yours.

Go forth with me in His name! We are stepping back in, coming back into alignment! In the words of Optimus Prime, “Let’s Roll.”

Love,

Hannah

P.S. The reason why there is a picture of me skiing here is because well I had given up on ever being able to ski, but God did a new thing in me and helped me to learn how to do it after a terrible first experience. Don’t Give Up! Dream Accomplished. 2019 I’m ready for ya! Also, I just love my dad, so enjoy this lovely picture of us!

 

Partnership with the Prince of Peace

Peace.

I believe that Peace can be a contentious word because it has so many meanings: are we referencing Miss Congeniality and World Peace, the 2 finger Peace sign, or the peace of the 60s with the retro hippies.

Well in my case not really any of those.

I am talking about the Prince of Peace, Jesus. The reason I am talking about this is because Peace amongst much turmoil has been what I am and have been seeking most.

I’ve debated my feelings and emotions in my head, heart, and spirit so many times during the past month and have asked the Lord to do everything He can to help me understand where all my frustrations, anger, disappointment, and even hurt have come from.

I’m asking Lord, “if there is a root, I want to know the root, and I want you to pluck it out. I don’t want any left over pain, hurt, or feelings of frustration. I want freedom.”

I feel freedom is something we crave. Slaves craved freedom for years, and I am sure that Mosul, Iraq craved freedom for many years before Isis was liberated from that territory. We want to be free; to live, love, and breath in the manner we believe God has called us to live.

However, that freedom doesn’t always come at the push of a button. I was reading this article the other day in an online Christian forum of some sort and the lady wrote something about waking up and becoming the woman that God had called her to be.

I wanted to raise my hand and say me over here please. I would like that.

Even if you are not a woman, I am sure that you want to become the person God intended you to be and fulfill the plans and purposes that He has for your life.

We are not mass produced minions that come out of a machine though; we are humans and we fail. Me, everyday.

I find that my prayer at this time of the year was “Prince of Peace truly overwhelm me with the peace that surpasses all understanding, allow me to love people when it’s so difficult, and all I want to do is be on my hands and knees crying out to you, allow me to minister to the people you have me ministering to here without getting so worn, and most of all allow me to step into the things you have for me”

As so much of my prayers are asking for comfort, understanding, and knowledge, I find there that truly is no better comforter than the Lord Jesus Christ who sits at the right hand of the Father and prays for you literally every day (Romans 8:34). His intercession is beyond anything we can compare to on earth. However, the greatest thing is because of His sacrifice, blood, and atonement we are now adopted into this same sonship or daughtership and obtain all rights to the kingdom. Our inheritance is not of this earth, our citizenship is not of this earth, but rather in Heaven (Romans 8:17). We rejoice at the resounding songs of angels as they stream peace down from Heaven above. The angel warned the shepherds to not be frightened, and I think when we are not frightened but instead trusting of the Lord and His voice, we will find rest in the Prince of Peace.

I rested today which is a rare occasion for me, and something I believe God just asked me to do today.  I got this super cool sweatshirt for Christmas from my dad that says “your brokenness is welcome here.” I like for this to be the anthem in my life and the people that I surround. However, I sat upstairs wearing this sweatshirt and seeking the Lord on something that He placed in my devotional this morning knowing there was something more that He had for me to understand.

I read, contemplated, and even prayed Lord help me understand how you loved the Pharisees who literally disagreed with you on everything and didn’t understand what you were trying to show them which is light, love, and eternal peace. How did you do this God? God how do I love the people in my life who don’t understand what I am trying to say and don’t even want to hear my heart because they may be on a different page about something then I am?

How do I do that Father?

Well, John 8 starts with the woman caught in adultery. Jesus asks the Pharisees surrounding her with condemnation that anyone who is without sin to cast the first stone.

Jaw dropper in that temple, let me tell you, you could probably hear the crickets chirping, if they had crickets in Jerusalem.

Of course, no one can throw a stone at her because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Jesus asks this woman where are your accusers. She states there are none, and he tells her to go and sin no more.

I thought to myself, Lord how you loved that woman was that you made everyone else realize that they were just as much broken as she was. Her sin didn’t outweigh theirs and vice versa. There was equality when it came to the brokenness.

Our brokenness doesn’t outweigh anyone else’s, it’s simply different, and for me that was something I needed to hear this morning. My aching heart for the things of this world at times is no different than someone else’s hurt.  That person’s hurt is the same as mine, it just manifests itself in different ways.

The raw reality of this whole conundrum of brokenness is that Jesus sits down with me every moment of every day, when I am willing to Listen and says, “Come Hannah your brokenness is welcome here, I will give you rest.”

AND HE DOES, EVERY SINGLE TIME.

There is not a moment where God goes unfaithful. His faithfulness endures forever and outstretches far more than anything we can see in this present moment. Even though I don’t understand all things, I am in love with the person who does. Jesus. I am in love with the way He meets me, comforts me, guides me, and truly mends my heart every day.

Much has changed in my life over the past couple of months, but I am not dealing with the same wounds, hurt, frustration and things I was dealing with earlier this year and season. I am not that woman anymore, but instead a healed woman in many areas where I wasn’t before. I have been restored and redeemed by the ultimate redeemer.

I have meditating on Kari Job’s song “The Garden” lately and one of it’s lyrics reads, “now I see redemption stirring in the trees.”

Nature really resonates with me, and I believe redemption is stirring in the trees. It’s building up and WILL fall on you. Redemption will come and you will be reconciled, not to you were before the season of hardship but redeemed to the person God wants you to be post hardship. He is not looking for the better you because He has already made the better you when you were made a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).

2017 is coming to a close and 2018 is right around the corner. There are still 6 more days of this year, the year of the Breakthrough according to the prophets. Press into that last 6 days, I see redemption stirring in the trees for you. The Prince of Peace will comfort you as a Holy Father and usher you into the newness, the fresh breath of 2018.

I’m not saying don’t waste your time with New Year’s Resolutions but instead sit down with the Father and ask Him, “okay God what does 2018 look like for me and you? are you taking me somewhere? are there certain things I am to study? books I am to read? places to go? people to see?”

He will show you because He is FAITHFUL. May the Prince of Peace comfort you as you step into redemption, reconciliation, and freedom. Whom the Son sets free, Oh is free indeed.

Love and Prayers,

Hannah

 

Perplexity of Extravagance

Aspen leaves in Santa Fe, NM

I really don’t know where to start on this blog post, and so I am just going to let the Holy Spirit lead me on this one. However, a couple of weeks ago my God challenged me to write on His extravagance. I can’t exactly explain why I’ve had an obsession with the extravagance of God lately, but my mind has been perplexed by the extremity of God and all that He encompasses.

In my new place of residence, I am constantly surrounded by mountains. I can’t turn my head without seeing another mountain range, which is such a starkly different landscape than what my Florida lifestyle has had me accustomed to over the years. I am challenged by the verse in Matthew 17:20 where Jesus says, ” Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

I see mountains all the time, and I constantly imagine myself saying to them jump, and then they jump. I see Jesus standing upon them telling them to crumble at the works of His hands and stomp of His feet. The same hands and feet that endured the cross for my sin and shame to be erased.

I fear as a body of Christ, we forget the works of the hands and feet of Jesus and therefore, we forget the works assigned to our hands and feet. My Jesus did great things while He walked this earth. He truly lived Luke 4:18-19.

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

The favor of the Lord was upon this man, but through the extravagance of my God, the favor of the Lord is upon you and me to. God delights in his children and rejoices when they come to know Him because He longs to give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4). Our alignment with God is not based on circumstances. He has aligned himself with us even before the beginning of time. He placed innumerable amounts of hairs on our head and counted them (Luke 12:7).  Then sent his son Jesus to die on the cross so our lives may be full (John 10:10).

Life to the full, what a complexing thought.

Our lives are full, but what are they full of?

Are they full of doubt fear, insecurity, troubles, worry, anxiety, fret, disappointment, oppression, sickness?

If so, are we living according to the way Jesus called us to live? In HIS extravagance and HIS fullness, we can have fullness of Joy. Because of the cross our redemption is no longer a question but rather the answer. Jesus came to redeem, and redeem He does. “In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace (Ephesians 1:7). I want to talk about this redemption a little further and expound on the fact that forgiveness and redemption is only the first step to walking in the fullness and glory that God has for us. We walk in the extravagance of Jesus when we continue to allow him to change us everyday and to mold us into the man or woman of God that desires us to be. Our redemption is just the beginning, baptism or salvation is just a fresh start towards a life in the Spirit, a life of total freedom and a life of steadfast pursuit of God and all of his glory.

Jesus asked Peter a simple question just to follow Him. Later, Jesus handed Peter the keys to the kingdom of God (which we now have as well) and said you are the rock on which I will build my church. The extravagance of God is not to leave us where we are at, but to anoint us and give us opportunities to glorify Him through healing, deliverance, joy, strength, and peace that can only come from Him.  Peter was not perfect by any means throughout his time in ministry, but his eyes were ever on Jesus the author and finisher of His faith who the joy set before him endured the cross, despised shame, and is now sitting at the right hand of God interceding for us (Hebrews 12:2). Our race isn’t done. The extravagance of God is not finished in your life, and I believe that God wants to ignite His extravagance inside of us for kingdom purposes.

Our hearts cry according to how Jesus taught us to pray:

“Our Father in Heaven, hallowed by your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”

Matthew 6:9-10

Oh Lord my heart’s cry is to contend with the cry your son Jesus had to bring your kingdom down here on earth. In order for that to happen, I am asking that you raise up men and women of God, who the joy set before them will run the race with endurance the same you did. May your kingdom come on earth as it is heaven.

Will you join me in praying for the extravagance of God to manifest in your life, that your spirit may be filled to the brim with the everlasting water which is Jesus Christ. May He be your fuel on which you run the race He has set before you. He has a wonderful race set before everyone of you, He says that even though the world may have trouble, He has overcome the world (John 16:33). We have victory over sin and death, let that be the stamina at which we rely on to finish strong. The extravagance of God is not done in your life, but rather is just the beginning.

Many have been saying over the past few months and years that God is taking people into a new season. I believe this so strongly in my heart because never in a million years, would I have believed if someone told me that I would be living in NM working for a ministry,  nannying for a wonderful family, and partnering with global anti-human trafficking and women’s empowerment television networks in Southeast Asia at my age. God is desiring to bring you into the new.

But the old is falling away, just like those leaves that were falling on the ground that I was trying to pick up and take a cute little leave throwing picture. Epic fail by the way, but the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said why are you trying to pick up the old when I want to give you the new. Why are you picking up old leaves, when new is coming? The old can be beautiful, but the new is even greater!

We are in the new, and I believe that God is transitioning us for the winter. A time of preparedness for what is next. Take the time during this season to ask the Lord what is supposed to be NEW in your life, and how you are so supposed to prepare for this NEW. I am doing this and allowing God to take things away and give me new things as they come. As I pray, I see the old identity of the last season being stripped away for newness. How many are ready for God to do a great new thing?

In the words of Bethel Music, “our God exchanges old for new.” – Hannah McClure, Bethel Music “Old for New”

Only through His extravagance do we see this. Let the extravagance of God fill your heart today with such peace and joy, let the love of Jesus rule in your hearts, and may you be encouraged  and touched by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Much love and prayers,

Hannah

 

My Cheesy Pizza Life

When the list of things the Lord has taught me can be as long as that cheese trail coming off your pizza that is when you know you are in a good season.

You know that pizza is good when the cheese trail is a task.

Can I get an Amen?

Besides comparing my life to a cheesy pizza, a lot has happened to me in the last three months, and I really have been hungering to write about it but just haven’t had the right heart and place until now.

I lived in Greece for six weeks, hung out with some great people in Thessaloniki (shout out to all my wonderful Greek family), spent time in a refugee camp, advocated with the A21 campaign (shoutout to Christine Cain), became single, quit a job, moved out of my apartment that I’ve had for the last two years, left my beloved city of Gainesville and Greenhouse Church, and moved back home to where I am now currently sitting in my high school bedroom reflecting on my life over the past three months of summer. But ya’ll its so good.

Life has been one of those pizzas with a lot of toppings, (I think it’s called supreme) but still so much cheese underneath that the cheese doesn’t lose it’s flavor. The cheese is in my life as a pizza is Jesus. As much has been thrown on top, the foundation has stayed the same and the flavor of the gospel hasn’t escaped itself

However, my life is no longer the Supreme Pizza. It is currently just a cheese pizza and to be honest this is the most free and burden-less that I have felt in quite some time. So much breakthrough in three months, so much heart healing, vision seeing, truth finding, and much more. All praise to Jesus.

For the past few years my life pizza has been cheese with just about everything else on top of it:

• Meat-Student at the University of Florida
• Veggies-Employee at Gainesville Health and Fitness and Volunteer/Member of Greenhouse Church
• Sweet Pineapple- Someone’s Girlfriend

All wonderful and flavorful additions, at least in my opinion, to someone’s pizza, but now I am just cheese because I am not a student, currently not employed by any taxable organization, and single (but very happily I might add).

I’m learning to love this cheese though, because cheese is simple. Jesus is simple. The Gospel is simple. I’ve been hung up on a phrase lately from Elevation Worship’s new album. The song is “Fullness” and the singer writes,

“Let our hearts continue burning, for our KING is soon returning. Let us hold to this assurance, Spirit Come.”

The magnitude of this line has done nothing but bring me to overwhelming emotion and called me to question my own yearning for the King. Does my heart burn for the King to return? Do I hold fast to the assurance of Jesus Christ?

Am I content with just my cheese pizza?

For the longest time, the answer to all of these questions would have been “no.”

However, the Lord has used this time to teach me the yearning for His kingdom, the assurance of His hope, and the hunger for His Spirit. The cheese is good y’all, it’s good.

As a post grad, I’ve been trying to add pizza toppings ever since I got back from Greece. I thought I was gonna add a graduate school acceptance to start my Masters in International Community Development, Lord told me to withdraw my application. Applied to numerous jobs with Samaritan’s Purse, you know to start being a big girl and pay my bills. Was almost about to settle, when the the Lord asked me “Hannah, why are you only giving me an inch, when I want to give you a mile, why do you not trust me to provide a job with all your passions not some?” Okay Jesus, let me wait with my dwindling bank account.

But then the Lord provided a chance for me to honestly take a nice ole cheese bath, and so that is what I am doing. Starting August 21st my new place of residence will be Santa Fe, NM working as a part time admin for my grandma’s ministry Joyful Ministries. There I will partner with what God is doing within her ministry around the Santa Fe and New Mexico area. My heart is content because this was simply a topping that the Lord placed in my life at this moment. Peace and reassurance is something I have received.

It was not my original post grad plans, as I thought I was moving to Spain to teach English and gonna post an awesome pic on all social media and be like “oh my goodness, Spain, it’s crazy, ahh.” And honestly, it brings me joy knowing that so many are moving into this season. I delight in the jobs offers, marriages, proposals, babies, and everything in between that I see all the time because God works in and through all things. That’s just not my type of pizza right now, and I am super content with the cheese. Cheese is good and cheese is the most assured foundation. I can always count on my Jesus to be there and for the goodness of His gospel to never lose its taste. I can’t wait to see what the Lord continues to make out of my pizza life. May it be filled with an abundance of cheese and only the toppings the Lord requests. May there be an overflow of Jesus on all sides, and may that be the foundation on which I choose to live my life for all eternity.

We all know what Forrest Gump said about life being like a box of chocolates. However, to me life is much more like a pizza with my favorite Jesus as the pizza master. Lord, give me only the toppings that you need for me to have in order that people may taste and see that the Lord is good. I want them to taste the cheesy bread of life, Jesus Christ.

Love and Prayers,

Hannah

Why Matthew 28:19 Matters

Picture: Thessaloniki, Greece –> Pray for this city!

Each day here in Greece, I pass by about 5 churches and each one of them is beautiful, grandeur, and a supposed place to worship the Lord. The Bible says Jesus is Lord, but I do not see Him being worshipped here. I DO NOT see people tasting and seeing that the Lord is good. I do not hear shouts of rejoicing from the bellows of a church a hall or sanctuary. However, what I do see is people taking the life of Jesus as a historical figure and worshipping saints and kissing statues, and building small churches on the side of the road because they want to pay patronage to some thing that supposedly saved them from harms way.

This is what I see.

Beggars, refugees, college students looking for something to bring them pure joy and contentment when the world around them constantly crumbles and never brings them pure joy. Searching for something.

This is not just a Greece thing, and this is why this matters. I’ve seen it many parts of the world. In Chile I spoke with people who knew ONE Christian their whole time or none in the case of my other friend. NONE, one more time NONE. I see people in the states stuck in life’s conditions that can be overcome by the blood of Jesus.

Our world is broken and in need of a Savior, so many are unreached. Yes time is short an there is a real hell, but more than that think of what Jesus means in your life if you know Him. What he does for you everyday, He brings you joy, peace, contentment, calm in the midst of storm, blessing upon blessing, supernatural healing and of course eternal life. But stop and think how your life is radically different because of Jesus, and if it’s not then you need to ask Him to show you?

The gospel and what Jesus did matters, it matters so much. Why do we take it so lightly?

Why do myself and many others sit around each day talking about “oh Jesus is so good”, “I’m blessed and highly favored”, “oh I know Jesus has something waiting for me up in my heavenly home.”

Why do we say these things but yet have no confidence to show or even talk about the love of Jesus to anyone in our lives?

A couple weeks ago, I was challenged by one of the pastors at my church who literally asks himself these questions everyday: Did I have a gospel conversation today? Did I make a disciple today?

Are you asking yourself these questions? I am challenged to do so, and I hope you are to because I sitting here in Greece and just see so many people who know what Jesus did and how many people he fed with five loaves of bread and two fish, but can’t tell you that their life even matters because well they think they were put on this earth to just live and die.

Stop letting this be the norm! I’m telling this to myself to. My heart hurts for the people who don’t know my Savior, don’t have the comfort and peace I have in the Holy Spirit, and don’t get to partake of heaven here on Earth because they don’t know it exists.

Matthew 28:19 is not just for missionaries, but it’s for you and me to. It’s for all disciples of Jesus. Stop being a fan of Jesus and be a follower of Jesus and ask other people to follow Jesus with you.

You don’t have to invite them to church, it’s not the church’s responsibility to share the gospel with them, it’s yours. The gospel is inside of you, share the gospel, live the gospel, and most of all explain to them why the gospel means so much to you.

Before I met Jesus, my life was hypocritical, self-righteous, worrisome, and prideful, now I have peace that surpasses all understanding and a desire to see all people changed by Jesus the way I was.

What’s your story?

Share your story because the Greeks, the Europeans, the WORLD needs to hear a Savior and not just bells chiming on Sunday. Let us be challenged to make disciples every day, let our hearts be troubled by our friends that don’t know Jesus. Let us be burdened for the sake of the gospel for there is where eternal glory lies.

Hamburgers without Fries

Hamburgers, fries, co-laboring with Christ.

This is phrase that has been batting around in my mind lately.

Not the hamburgers and fries, but “co-laboring with Christ” and what that really looks like.

• What does it look like to co-labor with Christ?
• What does it look like to be an ambassador for the Kingdom of God?
• What does total reckless abandon of our will look like during co-laboring

The Word Co-laboring means a partnership, a partnership with whomever. In this case it’s Christ. We are called to be co-laborers with Christ. Now this first started dawning on me when I received prayer from one of our prayer people at church. I was 2 weeks out before  embarking to Greece didn’t have a passport and lacked $1500 of my total budget needed for support.

I was questioning, God is this really the thing you have called me to co-labor with you on?

I knew God was my provider, but co-laboring is rarely all on our own efforts. I had to let go and just trust that if this was my task to co-labor that Jesus was laboring right beside me.

The man that prayed over me told me, “you are doing this with Christ, not for Christ.”

Long Story Short:

• Lost in the Mail Passport- Appeared
• $1500 came in just the nick of time

Struck by this thought of doing something with Christ rather than for Christ was astonishing to me. I had lived most of my life and especially the last part of this year saying “I live for Christ.”

I live for Christ, no. I live with Christ because Christ resides inside of me. He has chosen, adopted, predestined, redeemed, blessed me, and has given me an inheritance in himself where I get to partake of the blessings of heaven on this earth (Ephesians 1), I get to co-labor with Christ here on this earth so the power of His resurrection and heaven may become known. To live with Christ is to know him.

I work for my boss, but I don’t work with him/her. When I work for Jesus, I think that I must earn his satisfaction or his stamp of approval. I need his “well done Hannah.”

When I work for Jesus, I try to earn his grace. However, when I work with Jesus I already know his grace, I already know his character it pushes me to work with Him. I follow His footsteps because I see that he doesn’t trod of shaking ground, but rather upholds me with His righteous right hand. When I co-labor with Christ I see things I don’t normally  see. I turn off my eyes and ask Jesus to teach me what He sees. He takes me on a journey where I use the Spirit rather than the flesh to guide me.

I start to Dream with God.

Thanks to Bill Johnson and his wonderful spirit-filled insight on co-laboring and dreaming with God, I learn that God does want to know the desires of my heart. He asks me to sacrifice my will so his may be done, but not so that he may take away all the things I desire. However, to create a partnership that is more effective.

“But God Has Elevated us from servants to friends. He invites us into relationship that goes beyond employer-employee interactions. He is willing for us to engage Him….to change His mind, to direct His ideas, to share in His unfolding creative work. He doesn’t lack for ideas. He just enjoys our participation. When you become a friend of God, you don’t lose the humility and obedience of a servant, but your relational perspective shifts. There is a point in our relationship with God where obedience is no longer the primary issue. That may also sound blasphemous, but it’s a deep truth God wants to reveal more widely in the Church. There are levels of relationship with God that many of us have not conceived or experienced, and until we do, our co-laboring with Him will be more limited than it needs to be”

(p.132-133, The Supernatural Power of a Transformed Mind by Bill Johnson).

 

Fish is no good without chips, hamburgers aren’t good without French fries, and I’m starting to learn that Hannah is not as good when there is no Jesus in her efforts. There may be great and fruitful things done on my own power, but how much greater is my fruit or my efforts when they are touched by the hands that saved the world. The ultimate gardener.

Jesus partner with me in life, let me walk in the light of your salvation, uphold me with your righteous right hand. Let me co-labor with you as I journey to Greece.

Love and Prayers,

Hannah

 

Heavy Branches

It’s Tuesday, and I don’t have class so you think that I would be enjoying my time here at this coffee shop. However, I am sitting here at this coffee shop trying to watch a documentary in Spanish about how many Cubans fled from the island in order to escape refuge in the United States. Sounds interesting right? It truly is, but when your heart and mind are in two different places you sort of feel like well bluh.

Ten days after I arrived back from Chile, I started my senior year in college. Fifteen credits, nine credits of Spanish, and six credits of classes in English. The languages alternate throughout my long days of Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, so by the weekend I am very exhausted. Coming back from Chile where I was pushed to the limits in all areas of my life, and now being back here in Gainesville where I am challenged constantly by school, life has been a little hectic lately. I have a duty to finish school, but my heart is with people. School has become more of a checklist item for me. I go to class, but my heart isn’t in class. I sit there thinking and looking on the faces of my classmates. If you have ever walked on a college campus, it’s almost like stepping into a room filled with broken people. You can see the words plastered on people’s foreheads, “lonely,” “shattered,” “broken,” “unloved,” and “searching.” There are so many of these words painted on people’s foreheads for us to see. But what do we as Christians do, we stay engaged with our campus ministry. We seek comfort and safety among the safe, among the people who might not ask us bend over backwards in order to show them the love of Christ because they already know it exists.

I heard this phrase the other day at church when our guest speaker was talking about fear. This man and his wife reach out to Muslims in a predominantly Muslim middle east, his church was bombed after 9/11 leaving members of his congregation dismantled on the ceiling with blood stains covering their tattered pews. I don’t know about you but the most discrimination I’ve experience as a Christian comes every now and then when I ask people and if they go to church and say, “I don’t like church.” Hmm I wonder why people don’t like church. If we as Christians are supposed to be the most loving and our God is so loving why don’t people like us? I really don’t know the answer…but I think it’s time for us to stop this. Stop the non-loving, stop the ridicule, and see people. Something I learned when I was in Chile was just how much Jesus looked at people. He didn’t just glance at them, He looked into their eyes and felt their pain. I myself am so guilty of this. It is so much easier for me to look past someone that is hurting rather to engage and fight alongside of them. Jesus didn’t abandon me in my brokenness and weakness. He picked me up crowned me with a jeweled crown and brought me to redemption. We are all in need of redemption. The missionary said this, and it really stuck out to me: “we as Christians should be spending more time with non-Christians rather than Christians.” Yes our Christian community is great, I live with four awesome girls who love Jesus, my boyfriend loves Jesus, I have Bible study with believers…but I can’t stay there. I can’t stay safe. We’ve taken that bad company corrupts good character verse (1 Corinthians 15:33) and we have isolated ourselves in bubbles to which we grow our tree of Christianity really tall. It produces leaves, it produces fruit, but we never allow the fruit to fall and be eaten by others. We are learning all this great knowledge of redemption, grace, and truth, but what are we doing with it. Chewing on it during our devotional time and leaving it at that?

Devotions are great, and I love my time with the Lord. I genuinely wish and challenge myself to have more. However, I don’t believe God has called us to keep our devotion and that fruit inside of us. He has called us to extend a hand, give the fruit to someone else and allow the juices to stream down the face of someone who says, “I have tasted and seen that the Lord is good.” Our branches our heavy with fruit, it’s time to let it fall. I just see this image of us as Christians with our branches heavy, we have fruit, and it’s people who are hungry are right below us looking for something to eat and that something to eat that is going to satisfy for eternity. People hungry for love, affection, grace, redemption, healing, and truth. We have that all harvested in our fruit, if we are allowing God to be our vine. We can bear much fruit. Therefore, let it fall. Tell people of the good news of the grace of God. And the great news is once that fruit is given away, it leaves room for more fruit to grow. Don’t let your fruit shrivel up just because you want people to see your successful spiritual growth. How much knowledge of the gospel you have acquired, give it away! Let others taste and see the Lord is good!

I am writing this because my heart has been heavy laden this semester as I see people walking on campus hurting. I think to myself I’m just like them broken and tattered, but the great news is Jesus is mending me and He is near to all the broken hearted, ALL.

I want my branches to bear much fruit, and my father vine to be my everlasting Father, Jesus Christ. I want him to be pruning, harvesting, and growing much within me. This is my prayer, my hearts cry, and what I pray us as believers are moving into. Let’s be trees rooted in the word of God, who are not only producing fruit, but allowing God to use our fruit to bless someone else. Step away from fear, walk forth, and make disciples, the call of every Christian. Love God and Love People.

Love and Prayers,

Hannah

Capturing Chile

 

What I Learned:

Sitting here in my Chilean bedroom one last morning, drinking the “wonderful” instant coffee of Chile (it really isn’t that bad after two months), I can’t help but reflect upon this summer with gratitude or agredecida in Spanish. Thanksgiving is just around the corner, so I might as well begin being thankful right now.

Grace and gratitude are really going hand in hand as I am about to head home. Gratitude for the grace is my anthem as I speak about what God taught me this summer. If I could sum it up in six words it would be: i am nothing, CHRIST IS EVERYTHING. Growing up in church for such a long time, I forgot who the person of Jesus was, I forgot how magnificent His love was for me, and how vast His grace is compared to how little I deserve that grace. I was okay at giving others grace and loving others, but I had a hard time believing that Jesus loved me. I was living an older brother mentality (in reference to the Prodigal Son story). I thought I had earned my salvation and needed to continue to earn it; however, this is not the case it is freely given without any demands from Jesus in return. I read this quote this summer in one of our readings for discipleship. It reads,

“If like the elder brother, you believe that God ought to bless you and help you because you have worked so hard to obey Him and be a good person, then Jesus may be your helper, your example, even your inspiration, BUT he is not your Savior. You are serving as your own Savior.” – The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller

Talk about the Lord smacking you in the face, little did I know I was in such need of a savior before coming to Chile. I thought I was doing pretty good on the path towards being a righteous person in heaven. Was I ever so wrong. During my time here in Chile, the biggest thing God taught me was that I am in so much desperate need of Christ to be changing me, redeeming me from my sin, and forming me into the disciple He has called me to be. I wasn’t humble, not that I am now but…God took me this summer and said, “Hannah I’m going to show you just how much you are in need of Grace, how undeserving of it you are, but I love you so much more than you can imagine, and because I love you I choose to give you grace, give you the desires of your heart, and bless you with life and love.” And this my friends is why yo soy agredecida (I am thankful).

What I did:

People that have been keeping up with me on social media are probably wondering why I don’t have too many “ministry” pictures posted. I am really sorry that I don’t have a visual representation of what we did here in Chile, but my teammates and I were talking a couple days ago about our purposes being here and the ministry we did. It is a little different than I think all of us expected, but in retrospect we all did exactly what God called us to do this summer. Jesus told me to feed His sheep this summer, or in my case the Chilean folk. Now when Jesus revealed that to me, I wasn’t really sure exactly how that would play out. I thought that meant hang with some kids at the school, do some construction work, maybe pray for some people on the street. Those are what came to mind when he told me that. Yes we did do all of those things…but our ministry here goes much further than that.

The “music of the gospel” (as our team leader likes to say) or the story of grace, redemption, and love for all those who believe is quite new in Chile. Chile has been plagued by religiosity, people inside the church don’t know how to have community, people outside the church aren’t welcome inside the church unless you have your life together, and many other typical Pharisee characteristics. This is why my team leader and his wife are here, and as you can see there is a lot of work to be done. Their goal is to create a community of believers in the church who are going out and showing the compelling of Christ to Chile in order so they may make disciples. The people here in Chile don’t understand that Jesus loves them and accepts them exactly the way they are. They don’t see grace when they gaze upon the cross. In a Catholic nation, many see Jesus still upon that cross agonizing in pain. However, the truth is He is no longer on that cross, He is RISEN, we are REDEEMED, and there is FREEDOM from the sin that should have held us down. None can say it better than John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only son so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” I used this verse too many times without understanding it’s true meaning, but Wow what love is this?

Saying all of that, my team and I tried to stomp religiosity out of our little towns as much as we could. We met with people encouraged them in their walk with Christ, shared our sin and struggles, and asked that they join us as we pray for the nation of Chile and it’s movement towards creating the beautiful song of the gospel here. There was one church that my team and I were very involved with here, and I remember sitting at our small little worship night in the Pastor’s house listening to our friend play his guitar as we all sang in unison to our Creator and King. I couldn’t help but think about the first missionaries in Acts. They were given an incredible task of preaching the gospel after Jesus had departed from earth. They shared in life with each other, prayed for each other, ate with each other etc. As I looked around that room I saw those Acts missionaries. The Chileans we were with were the ones that were going to be here after we left (not that we are Jesus or anything), but our friends were going to be making disciples here in Chile and to me that was so beautiful.

I know the music of the gospel is going to continue to play here in Chile, and I can’t wait to hear stories about what God is doing: how Jesus is transforming people’s lives, humbling them like He did me, and telling them “I love you, you are in need of me, come to my well and drink.” Although I don’t have much proof to show exactly what I did here, I know in my heart I accomplished the goal the Lord set before me. He asked me to feed his sheep, and that is what I did. None say it better than Paul, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.”-1 Corinthians 3:6. I prayed a lot for this country as well and asked the Lord to just come and infiltrate this place. I ask you do the same. Seeds were planted here, the oppression of darkness was stomped on, and my life was changed as I realized how much I am in need of Christ and how thankful I am for His GRACE and LOVE. Truthfully, it is all loss to compared to knowing Christ. What a wonderful God we serve. Ciao Chile, thanks for making me hungry for more.

Love and Prayers,

Hannah

Barbed Wire to Branch

I know what you may be thinking as you read this title, what the heck is this Chica  trying to say? Barbed wire to Branch…#what?

Well as you all know, I have been here in Chile since June 15th and it is now June 26th, so approximately 11 days. I would love to tell you that the first 11 days of my time here in Chile have been the grandest upon grandest of times. Usually people experience the mission trip high upon arrival, well since life has just seemed a little backwards for me lately I figured eh might as well experience the mission trip low first. Not that the low has been so extreme as to make me want to go home (okay maybe so for about 10 minutes), but the low has been well low.

Upon arrival to Chile, as you read in my last blog things were a little rough. In turn, I came to Chile with some scars and really frustrating things. I did not really understand why so much anxiety, attack, and everything in between was happening to me and I may never understand it. However, I do know that Romans 8:28 says, “and we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Later in that chapter v. 37 says, “in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Taking these two verses into account, this is what has been pushing me through knowing that because my Savior shed blood on the cross that I am able to come out of tough times victorious. No weapon formed against us is able to prosper!

During my time here, the Lord has begun revealing a lot of where my struggle has come from recently. He has done this by means of other people, prayer, speaking to my heart, and a walk through the country roads where I took that picture of the barbed wire. As I came up on this barbed wire, God was saying to me “Hannah you are that barbed wire, but I am making you into a branch.” It sounds really weird, but I think we all are barbed wire in a way. For me, my barbed wire came from insecurities, desire to be loved but not understanding what love truly was, comparison, hurt, and of course pride. All of these added up to a lump sum of me, barbed wire Hannah, walking around with her life together, so spiritual, Christ-filled, you know the whole idea of what a godly-woman should be. However, the facade can only last so long before you are brought down low and truly realize okay God I have so far to come before I can even compare to how great and magnificent you are. The Church nowadays really encourages us to build our faith, be strong, you are so much more than this. Yes all those things are true, but those phrases have a lot to do with the idol of “me.” The Bible says, put your faith in me, your strength comes from me, and yes you are so much more than this, but you are so much more than this because I (Jesus) have made you so much more.

This Jesus, Jesus of Nazareth, the Savior of the World who died on the cross to save my sins, needs me to come to Him in need of savior not in want of one. I for so many years, wanted a savior, wanted someone to help me through life, wanted someone to be my guide, but when things were easier to do on my own I was like “hey I can do this.” This is not the case anymore, everything I have experienced up to this point I could handle on my own or with the encouragement of another person that buttered me up, put me back on the horse, and ready  to grab life by the reigns and take it on again. Nope, not this time, there was no getting back up on that horse by myself. In the case of Peter and walking on water, I needed Jesus to reach down and pick me up. He never let me drown because he doesn’t let his disciples drown, but I was in NEED of a Savior. That strong barbed wire that thought she didn’t need anything else to protect her, was brought low stripped of her pride, her insecurities, and started the process of becoming a branch.

As I have shared before, God told me that during my time here in Chile he would teach me a lot about love. Oh how true that already is, just really understanding the captivating and compelling love of Christ and how much He truly loves and delights in us. He is always with us and guiding us through life even we don’t think we are doing the right thing, or don’t think we deserve this love. He loves us so much, and that is what He is teaching me here so far in Chile. He loves me and wants the best for me, is always fighting for me, and is the only thing in this life that I can lean on. Jesus is enough and everything else in life is blessing. How thankful I am for those blessings, but even more thankful I am for the BLESSER!

Becoming a branch, well it is not always the easiest. Branches are smooth, barbed wire is rough. Therefore, sometimes God has to rub away our pride, expose our hurt, our struggles and our need for Him. Jesus said in John 15, “I am the vine, you are the branch, apart from me you can do nothing.” This is so true, I can do nothing apart from Christ. He gives me the ability to love, the ability to live, and the air to breath. Even though the rubbing away is painful, I am thankful that God is refining me and making me into a branch that bears much fruit. I want to bear much fruit and prove to be his disciple (v.8). From barbed wire to branch may be a process, but restoration and healing is always to be happened!

Love and Prayers,

Hannah