Hello everyone!
Wow I haven’t been able to write in so long! Right now I am a student in the first Biblical Core Course at YWAM San Jose, Costa Rica. This is a 3 month intensive Bible study course I have looked forward since last fall. My last update finished with the DTS graduation – a couple weeks after that I was SO blessed with a visit from my family. I knew my mom, dad and sister Meagan were coming, but I was SOOOO surprised to see Amanda and David!! It was such a cool time, getting to show them where I am and a little bit of what I’m doing. We spent most of the time at the beach – 1 week in Puerto Viejo with Amanda and David (they had to go home after that), and 1 week in Montezuma at a beautiful beach house. Lito came with us for that week and we had a fun time relaxing and eating yummy food. It was such a treat to be able to have that time to rest before starting the intensive bible course I am now doing. It’s been nearly 3 months now of the school, and it’s been incredibly fast and completely full. I didn’t know how much homework I could get done in a week! But it really leaves time for nothing else other than sleeping, eating, and showering! And barely enough for those! Sometimes I take naps instead of eating! We’ve almost read the whole Bible now: from Genesis to Job + Jeremiah, and all of Psalms and Proverbs, as well as the whole New Testament. We started with Acts and then went through Philemon, John, Hebrews, 1 Peter, Romans, Revelation, Genesis, 1&2 Kings, and Esther, and now we are moving on to Jeremiah and then lastly Amos. As well we’ve had teachings on teaching, preaching and small group Bible study – where we actually practiced doing these in front of our class. (That was a big challenge for me but God was so faithful as I relied on Him and I actually discovered that I like teaching!) Last night we also did the drama of Esther – (part of our school is learning how to take bible stories and teach them creatively). I had the honour of playing Queen Esther!
God has been incredibly gracious during this time with the school – he has been speaking to me so much about me trusting him with everything – especially my future. I am so thankful to have been able to study His word during these 3 months – to have Him begin to lay a stronger foundation and confidence in knowing what I believe about who He is and how He reveals Himself through the Bible. These past 3 months God has given me so much more confidence in Him and in walking in who I know He has made me to be. I’m just going to share a couple things He has been teaching me through the school…
This is some of what God was teaching me during the book of Philemon:
I know God has called me to love and is trying to renew my mind on what it means to love in more wholeness. I need to know His perfect love and gain understanding of his love to be able to apply it to my life, and Paul exhibits this example of selfless love over and over in the book of Philemon. I have been challenged to look at my own life and see my own lack of understanding or refusal to walk this out in my own life in greater capacity. Giving of myself, my time, my energy, my resources, regardless the cost… out of LOVE is not something I see in my life. I feel that I lack that love in my actions, when I do things out of obligation, without joy or with a focus on what I am losing. I am not counting all things a loss for the sake of knowing my God – in fact I am counting what I am losing as greater value than knowing my God and making His love known. My eyes are on myself rather than Jesus and His desire to love others, and use me to love others. This is horrible and I don’t want to have that focus. What joy I have experienced when I allow Him to fill me with His love and desire to see others experience the same love and joy. This behaviour does not come into agreement with the principle of loving others based on my freewill… I want that I would know him and count all things a loss… for the sake of knowing him more… I want to know the riches of his glorious inheritance and the inexpressible joy of being in his presence… but I first must forsake my flesh and all that I put before him… sacrifice myself, my needs, my desires and fix my eyes on Jesus. On knowing him simply because He IS worthy of me… I am not saying that loving out of obedience is not right… but still that obedience must flow out of love for the one I am being obedient to. I hold on to His promise that it hasn’t even entered my heart what he has prepared for those who love him and count all that is before me… this life a loss for the sake of knowing him. For this I neeeeed His help. I need Him to renew my mind and remind me of his character and goodness and the joy it is to love Him as I love others. Recognizing when the opportunity come to love my neighbour as myself and before myself. I want to practically do this by giving of what He has blessed me with, including my time, energy and of my own heart. This to me lookslike taking my eyes off myself and not worrying about how to provide and order things just for myself but what can I do for those around me, and those in my circle of influence?
Thankyou so much for you're continued support and love! God bless you!
I miss you!!
ReplyDeleteAnie! (: