Emmanuel

Hey friends! As most of you know, this has by far been the hardest, most stressful semester of my life. Balancing student teaching, pageant practices, pageant, lesson plans, going to bed "early" (like midnight) and waking up at 6, applying and fundraising for a trip to Haiti, and still maintaining life as a college younglife leader, an exec cab member, a friend, and a girlfriend, was very hard.

I think I added a lot of the difficulty myself when I decided to rely on my own strength to get me through each day, each fundraising attempt, each practice. Often times, I would think about spending time with God and praying for strength and provision, and often times, I would neglect those thoughts and pretend they never crossed my mind. Why?, you might ask.. the answer is, I really don't know. Maybe it's my hard-headed stubbornness in telling myself that I could do it on my own. Maybe it was relying on my roommates, friends, and Coley, to provide the encouragement and strength for me, (let's be real, Coley is great, but he's nowhere near as GREAT as God is.) Maybe I just really didn't think God could handle my life, as crazy, as it was.. Either way, I didn't want God's help, plain and simple.

Regardless, I made it. Pageant was a huge success, I got great reviews all through student teaching, I raised all my funds for Haiti, and I still have strong relationships. However... that wasn't on my own strength. No human has enough strength physically, mentally, or emotionally, to deal with the kind of semester I had. (I feel like a lot of nursing majors get me on that one.) Thus leading me to where I am now... God is faithful. God is strong. God is able to do exceedingly abundantly more than we could ask or imagine. (Eph. 3:20) And He is capable of doing all of these things, while we remain completely faithless. Pretty neat, right?

So, continuing on this notion of faith, tomorrow, I leave the country. For the first time ever in my life. I'm going to Haiti on God's call to love some precious orphan boys, and give them an amazing Christmas gift, a room to stay in. I'm completely fearful of the unknown, and of the culture shock, but completely overjoyed that God has chosen me, who had no faith in Him all semester long, to put my trust in Him now and go. It's a really neat thing God has done. I'm thankful for promises in His word, such as Joshua 1:9: "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid. For the Lord, your God is with you, wherever you go. " He is faithful.

On Saturday, I spent time at FBC Allen's Christmas Celebration, where Pastor Chad meditated on one word: Emmanuel, and just with one name, Emmanuel, translated "God with us," I am reminded that God is always with me. He was with me all semester, when I was faithless, He will be with me on the airplanes tomorrow, when I am afraid, He will be with me the ENTIRE week in Haiti, and He will be with me when I return. You see, that's the really cool thing about God, "surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:20. It was neat for me, getting to hear that Saturday, being in the midst of nerves and fear about this trip, and I say, yet again, God is faithful.

So, as I prepare for this trip, and as I am on the mission field, I ask that you just pray a few simple prayers throughout the week. Prayers for safety, prayers for strength, and prayers for God to remind me that no matter where I am, He is with me.

2 Thessalonians 3:16 says, "Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you."

My prayer for you today, is that you are reminded that He is always with you.