Our God Reigns

How beautiful on the mountains
      are the feet of the messenger who brings good news,
   the good news of peace and salvation,
      the news that the God of Israel reigns!

-Isaiah 52:7

This weekend I traveled back to Rochester, NY to spend some time with family and friends.  It was a great time.  This morning we sang a song in church that comes from Isaiah 52:7 while a "Love Offering" was taken to help send me to Ethiopia a month from now.  I shared a little bit during the service about why I feel called to go and what I will be doing there, but the offering was truly a blessing I did not expect.  Pastor Brad announced that I needed about $800 to meet my goal of $2300.  Honestly I was not even expecting an offering, I was just looking forward to the added prayerful support of this journey.  Well, I was given a check for $800 from the kind hearts of the people at Orchard Community Church where my family and I attend in Rochester.  What a blessed surprise!  God is amazing and never ceases to remind me that He is FAITHFUL and ABLE to do way more than we allow our minds to imagine.

I have been so blessed by many people offering prayers and financial support and I have to say "thank you" to everyone who has partnered with me in this cause and this mission.  I feel so thankful and don't really have the words to express the extent to which I feel that.  While my team is made up of about 20 people we do not go alone.  First of all, God is obviously with us, but each person brings with them tons of people supporting them in prayer and through financial giving.  I would much rather go somewhere with an army of thousands than an army of 20 and through the generosity of people's hearts an army of thousands will be ministering to the needs of the people in Ethiopia!  

I have been learning lately to truly trust God in EVERYTHING! Of course I become impatient or worried at times, but His faithfulness is constant and I KNOW that each of my days have been planned before I was even born.  I know that today was not a surprise for God although it was to me...He has been waiting for me to experience this day since I was born! He loves me so much to allow me to experience this in my own time.  When someone reveals the plans for a surprise party to the guest of honor it ruins the experience, but if we are able to keep that a secret the person feels loved and special.  God loves us so much that although He knows ALL the great things that will happen to us He does not reveal the plans until we are ready to experience the blessing so as not to ruin it.  

Thank you everyone and thank You God for continuing to prove to me that You are faithful and Your ways are higher than mine.  Once again I am overwhelmed and feel like I'm living in a dream! God is good...