My Stress Reliever

I have a new hobby.

I don't get the time to do it often, but I REALLY enjoy it.

What is it?

PAINTING!

It all started when I visited my friend Susanna's apartment. She paints all the time and her room is full of paintings. But not just any paintings. Paintings that mean something to her. Paintings that the Lord has spoken to her. It is so neat. So....one night we decided to paint together. I took time first to pray a little bit and see what the Lord would say. We lit some candles(cause that makes everything better!) and turned on some worship music. It really is a form of worship for me. Who knew? So I am going to share with you some of my paintings. Are they Picasso? NO. Is that important? NO.

This is my first painting. There is a song by Rick Pino that goes like this; "There's a mighty river flowing, there's a mighty river flowing through this place, and it's full of power, full of passion, full of glory, it's full of grace." So here we have a rushing river and in the water are the words passion, power, glory, and grace. 

This is a fun one that I did to remind me how blessed I am. It is an ongoing painting. Every time that I read a scripture that reminds me of how blessed I am I put the reference in one of the boxes. 

This isn't a painting that I did but I love it! They are Scrabble Tiles of my initials. Susanna made them for my birthday! So creative! I love playing Scrabble and Susanna and I ALWAYS play on my ipod app. Cool present.

This was also a birthday present from Susanna. That is my name in Hebrew!

John 15:1-8 says, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit b itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."

Get it?

"As it was in the days of Noah, so it will at the coming of the Son of man." Matthew 24:37

This signifies that when the rain starts falling it is too late to make the decision. When Jesus comes back it is too late. You must decide now, you must follow now, you must change now. Verse 38 says, "For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage,up to the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of man." "People get ready, Jesus is coming, and when the rain starts falling it's too late, it's too late." -Misty Edwards "As in the Days of Noah"

So....these are a few. I will do a part 2 later when I get some more painted.  But my challenge today is to paint. Maybe it isn't your style. But it would be fun to just try. I paint on old cardboard that I find in the dumpsters. Free and fun. It makes it unique. Give it a try!

WORD OF THE DAY: PINTAR

LITERAL MEANING: TO PAINT

HOW I SEE IT: MY ESCAPE

Saving Lives......Literally.

On Thursdays I have the privilege of teach Swim Class.

Funny right?

I know......I laughed too!

But I love it! I teach it to the first year students. I do an hour with the girls and an hour with boys. Not only do we learn how to swim, but it is a time to close the books and spend some quality time with each other. We play games and do all kinds of fun exercises. They think we are just killing time, but they don't realize that they are learning teamwork, leadership abilities, and pool skills! It is so much fun. Well I started running out of ideas fast and then I heard that one of the Missionaries here in El Salvador(Stephanie Stewart) is credentialed in giving CPR lessons. (insert light bulb) I called her and we set up some times for her to bring her dummies(ya know like the dolls...not like real people) and we are learning to save lives not only spiritually here at King's Castle. The students always allow for a good time when learning mouth to mouth recusitation! 

This is Priscilla

She is from Ecuador.

This is Mariela from El Salvador

This is Karen from El Salvador.

Julia from the good ole US of A

CHALLENGE: I challenge you to learn CPR. Nothing deep today, but may come in handy throughout your journey in life. I hope to never have to use is, but, if I need to I will!

WORD OF THE DAY: RESPIRAR
LITERAL MEANING: TO BREATHE
HOW I SEE IT: BREATHE IN......BREATHE OUT

Social Network

No.
I'm not talking about the movie.
No.
I'm not talking about facebook.
Or Twitter.
Or MySpace.
Or Skype.
Or all those other things we use to communicate and make friends.
Don't get me wrong.
PLEASE don't get me wrong. I love all those things. It is a great day to be a missionary. I am so thankful to be able see how my family and friends are doing via facebook. I think it is totally cool to follow famous people, see the news headlines from Memphis, and keep up with sports via Twitter, and I totally love seeing my house, my dog and my family via Skype. Very thankful.
But, as part of my responsibility here in El Salvador, it is very important for me to network and build relationships. It is not an easy thing for me to do. Believe it or not, I am shy. At first. I don't like to be the first person to initiate conversations and if I don't really know you I will be very quiet around you. Why? Who knows? Throw in a little Spanish language barrier and a different culture it is even tougher.
    As you may already know one of my main jobs is to call National Pastors and Evangelists to set up services for the students in Master's Commission that aren't from El Salvador. We have students from Nicaragua, the USA, Ecuador, and Guatemala. It is difficult when I don't know the Pastors that I am calling and they have no idea who I am and probably can't even understand me. So I try hard to meet new people. Which is a stretch for me.
   The other day I had an opportunity to drive to Santa Ana to be a part of an Evangelist Meeting. We had dinner and devotions. It was nice to meet them and try and get to know them. We had a great time of prayer with them. They were all going to stay the night in the church we were at and I thought, "You know what.......they can come pile in my house." (the girls!) So we piled all 11 of us up and headed to my casa! (house) It was super late, and I was super tired and had a long weekend coming up, but, I knew it was important. We stayed up till around 2 talking and hanging out. We ate kiwi and bananas....(slim pickings in my house!) We got up the next morning and cooked a heaping mountain of pancakes and all headed out around 7. Totally worth it to put a face with the names. They are awesome young people doing the Lord's work.
   Don't get caught up in all the technology. Sometimes it is good to actually have some real time with people.

CHALLENGE: I challenge you this week to go meet some new people...make a new friend or two.

WORD OF  THE DAY: GRITAR
LITERAL MEANING: TO SHOUT
HOW I SEE IT: STRESS RELIEVER

Recharge.

You know sometimes when you feel:
empty
  tired
   weak
    dry
     etc.
 
   In these times there is nothing that I love more than to sit and worship and just be in His presence. The other day we (we being Master's Commission) had a time of worship. It was super chill. Just loving on the Lord.

  I encourage you to take some time out of your busy schedule, it doesn't have to be long. It doesn't have to be fancy, and it doesn't have to sound good. Light some candles grab a guitar, or a piano, or an ipod, or cassette player(ha) whatever. Just turn on some music and sing. Sing to the Lord. Worship Him. But be careful. Realize what you are saying to Him. Do you mean it? Is that really how you feel? Do you really understand when you are saying that His love is like the ocean? Do you really mean it when you say He is ALL you need? I think sometimes we lie and don't even know it.
So....take some time so that you can be:

FULL
 ALERT
  STRONG
   ON FIRE
     ETC.

WORD OF THE DAY: ADORAR
LITERAL MEANING: TO WORSHIP
HOW I SEE IT: LOSING YOURSELF IN HIS PRESENCE

Winds of Change

    The winds are blowing here.....and I mean blowing. No friends....that is not sunburn...it is windburn! I love it! Because when the winds of change happen here, it means NO MORE RAIN! We are leaving the rainy season behind and heading into a time of sunshine....wind....and cool temperatures. I miss fall and the changing of leaves and college football and all those sorts of things but I love me some sunshine. I moved "office" outside today. Been making phone calls and preparing for classes in the sunshine today. So much more refreshing then sitting in that dingy office!


    But.....that's not the only change. I'm getting ready to have a birthday. I don't know why this one feels so weird or why I really don't want to have a birthday. Maybe it's because I'm getting OLD. 24. Wow. I remember growing up thinking, "ahh...I'm going to be married to Prince Charming by 22 and have my first kid by 24....a little boy of course, to protect my little princess that will come at 26." I'm a little late! Can't say that I always enjoy the single life out here in El Salvador, but I do trust God and I am learning more and more every day just exactly what that means. Maybe it is weird because I'm not at home with the fam and friends. Hmm...o well....the day will come...the day will go.
    Well.....I never really know what to say in these things, and I will use that as my excuse as to why I never blog! So if you are interested in me writing about something or have any ideas please tell me. I would really like to blog more. So help a sister out.

WORD OF THE DAY: calabaza
LITERAL MEANING: pumpkin
HOW I SEE IT: I wanna carve one....eat one....and smash one.