In the past week I have come to realize how much hurt there is in this world. Someone told me, “Stephanie, you realize that every week.” And I guess that true…but I need to learn it every single day. May I can make a difference and help the hurting and the broken find Hope & Love.
Last night’s message was awesome. God was TOTALLY there & I was excited. I remember David saying, we need to make sure He has top priority in our lives. I remember I came to that exact point 2 weeks ago…I had come to the point where God was taking second priority in my life and therefore NOTHING was lining up, as soon as I surrendered 1st place to Him…everything fell into place. One of my passions is to share God’s love with teenagers. I recently told a friend, “When I talk to people when they leave, I don’t want them to see me I want them to see God’s love shine through me.”
Each Wednesday night we do small groups and I LOVE them I can’t wait to get there each week. Its exciting to me to see what happens in those small groups but its never the conversations in small group that mean the most its always the conversations I have AFTER small groups. Like last night when I didn’t let small group out til 8:20pm (I apologize) but the students who come in know I’m long winded and they still come but what I love most is when I have two students stay and talk to me til 8:40pm (by their choice) about their concern for a friend. && Then later when I get home and get an txt from a girl in my small group (I had told them to txt me or find me on FB or myspace if they needed to talk to me) she txt me saying that the words I said tonight had made sense to her and wanted to thank me. Yet, I DO NOT deserve to be thanked…those were not my words,,,those were the words of my heavenly Father…Not me. So I began thanking Him for the opportunities to love others. I had SO many great conversations over the past few weeks…not because they were necessarily under good circumstances but because I was able to share God’s Love with them. So after I’m on like cloud nine because of what God is doing in our student ministries the following is the Air 1 verse of the day, “Habakkuk 1:5 ~For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.”
For these are words straight from God’s book. He doesn’t give up! & He is not finished with us yet. What HOPE that we have a God that loves us that much!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Prayers Answered
Tomorrow is the end of my 1st week along my journey and i've loved every moment of it! God has taught me a lot about patience this week & has continued to remind me that He does things in His will. Its a daily choice for me to wake up and allow HIM to be my guide that day. I have had some amazing prayer warriors throughout this entire struggle and many friends who have been praying as well. I am forever grateful for the Brothers and Sisters God has blessed me with as I journey with Him.
This week as been a struggle, but in a good way. Wednesday night we had a big kick off at the church where over 200 youth showed up for hotdogs, hamburger, boiled peanuts, bands, mud, mud, and more mud! It was a great time had by everyone. I was genuinely happy on this night for i knew God has been doing amazing things and He continues to do amazing things. Thursday David, my youth minister, Matt Harper and I met for lunch. Matt and I will be starting a new Sunday School class for new believers starting tomorrow. We met and talked about how God has been working in lives this summer and how He continues to work. A revival is breaking out amongst the young people of our nation and there is nothing we can do to stop it. How exciting?!
So this week has been a challenge as I have changed some of the ways I encourage people. My prayers have increased, my time with God has increased as my direct encouragement has decreased. Wow, has that been hard, yet so rewarding! God continues to show me that He is in control as I had a prayer answered today as I recieved a txt from an old friend. She asked How I was and then said 'I just wanted to thank you for your prayers' that was the most profound thing anyone could have said. I was overjoyed not only that we were talking but that God was showing me that HIS timing is perfect, NOT mine. So Prayers have been answered this week as I have continued to realize that my passions are changing. I was talking with a dear mentor in my life today and i was saying how God had been changing my heart to work with unchurched youth instead of the churched youth in recent weeks. She said yes, but it was the church youth that God used you to help mentor first before He led you to the unchurched youth...God is doing some pretty incredible things as He opens up paths for me to help others reach their friends! What an exciting Journey that He has led me upon & I couldn't be happier that this journey is with Him.
Lord, Thank you for who you are. Thank you for being my Savior, Lord, Father, Reedemer, Friend, Healer and so much more. Thank you for dying upon the cross for my sins and for accepting me. Thank you for choosing to use me as a vessel in your kingdom. Lord, Thank you for never leaving my side & thank you for sending Brothers and Sisters in Christ to intercede for me and lift me in prayer. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to pray for Brothers and Sisters in Christ daily across the world as their share your message of Hope! Thank you for leading me on this journey and giving me strength and perseverence. Thank you for who you are. Thank you for loving me. I love you. ~ Amen.
This week as been a struggle, but in a good way. Wednesday night we had a big kick off at the church where over 200 youth showed up for hotdogs, hamburger, boiled peanuts, bands, mud, mud, and more mud! It was a great time had by everyone. I was genuinely happy on this night for i knew God has been doing amazing things and He continues to do amazing things. Thursday David, my youth minister, Matt Harper and I met for lunch. Matt and I will be starting a new Sunday School class for new believers starting tomorrow. We met and talked about how God has been working in lives this summer and how He continues to work. A revival is breaking out amongst the young people of our nation and there is nothing we can do to stop it. How exciting?!
So this week has been a challenge as I have changed some of the ways I encourage people. My prayers have increased, my time with God has increased as my direct encouragement has decreased. Wow, has that been hard, yet so rewarding! God continues to show me that He is in control as I had a prayer answered today as I recieved a txt from an old friend. She asked How I was and then said 'I just wanted to thank you for your prayers' that was the most profound thing anyone could have said. I was overjoyed not only that we were talking but that God was showing me that HIS timing is perfect, NOT mine. So Prayers have been answered this week as I have continued to realize that my passions are changing. I was talking with a dear mentor in my life today and i was saying how God had been changing my heart to work with unchurched youth instead of the churched youth in recent weeks. She said yes, but it was the church youth that God used you to help mentor first before He led you to the unchurched youth...God is doing some pretty incredible things as He opens up paths for me to help others reach their friends! What an exciting Journey that He has led me upon & I couldn't be happier that this journey is with Him.
Lord, Thank you for who you are. Thank you for being my Savior, Lord, Father, Reedemer, Friend, Healer and so much more. Thank you for dying upon the cross for my sins and for accepting me. Thank you for choosing to use me as a vessel in your kingdom. Lord, Thank you for never leaving my side & thank you for sending Brothers and Sisters in Christ to intercede for me and lift me in prayer. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to pray for Brothers and Sisters in Christ daily across the world as their share your message of Hope! Thank you for leading me on this journey and giving me strength and perseverence. Thank you for who you are. Thank you for loving me. I love you. ~ Amen.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
My 40 day Journey
So i'm taking on a new challenge, a 40 day challenge to be exact. Its called 'A Call to Die'...over the next 40 days i will be digging into God's word and letting Him challenge me like never before.
After recent events of being far too pushy to others and bugging them...i'm going on a fast of txting people. No more 'How are yous?' or "Hows life been going?" etc. for the next 40 days. Yes, I still Care about people and want to know whats going on in their lives but for once...i don't want to be the one that initiates those conversations. I want others to genuinely want to be my friend back. So i'm fasting from those questions. I will still txt. So Thats my 40 day fast. I'm excited and know that God will bring me joy like never before as i stand in awe of Him once again and fall in Love with my Savior again and again.
THe first day of my journey this story is told, "Years ago, a young, uneducated man in Chicago named Dwight Moody heard a preacher challenge his audience, "The world has yet to see what God will do through one man (woman) whose heart is completely his." Moody responded instantly, "Lord, I want to be that man!" Over the course of the next few decades, God used Moody to lead throusands of people to Christ, to begin a Bible college, and to launch a missions movement that eventually sent over 30,000 young men and women to parts of the globe that had never heard of Jesus or had even seen a foreigner. Moody was committed to his heart being sole and complete property of Jesus Christ. God poured out his Spirit to him."
So for the next 40 days I'm asking God to mold me and make me, so at the end of these 40 days i pray my heart and soul is complete property of Jesus Christ, My Lord, and Savior.
I, Stephanie Deal, want to be a different person. I want to be there for others like never before, i want to be bold in my faith, sharing the gospel and when others see me i want them to see the hands and feet of Christ! I want them to know MY SAVIOR b/c i'm so in love with Him!
So for the next 40 days please commit to praying for me & Keeping me accountable on what the Lord wants to do in my life and in my heart. May the next 40 days be life changing and indescribable as i take on 'the call to daily die to myself and live for Him!'
After recent events of being far too pushy to others and bugging them...i'm going on a fast of txting people. No more 'How are yous?' or "Hows life been going?" etc. for the next 40 days. Yes, I still Care about people and want to know whats going on in their lives but for once...i don't want to be the one that initiates those conversations. I want others to genuinely want to be my friend back. So i'm fasting from those questions. I will still txt. So Thats my 40 day fast. I'm excited and know that God will bring me joy like never before as i stand in awe of Him once again and fall in Love with my Savior again and again.
THe first day of my journey this story is told, "Years ago, a young, uneducated man in Chicago named Dwight Moody heard a preacher challenge his audience, "The world has yet to see what God will do through one man (woman) whose heart is completely his." Moody responded instantly, "Lord, I want to be that man!" Over the course of the next few decades, God used Moody to lead throusands of people to Christ, to begin a Bible college, and to launch a missions movement that eventually sent over 30,000 young men and women to parts of the globe that had never heard of Jesus or had even seen a foreigner. Moody was committed to his heart being sole and complete property of Jesus Christ. God poured out his Spirit to him."
So for the next 40 days I'm asking God to mold me and make me, so at the end of these 40 days i pray my heart and soul is complete property of Jesus Christ, My Lord, and Savior.
I, Stephanie Deal, want to be a different person. I want to be there for others like never before, i want to be bold in my faith, sharing the gospel and when others see me i want them to see the hands and feet of Christ! I want them to know MY SAVIOR b/c i'm so in love with Him!
So for the next 40 days please commit to praying for me & Keeping me accountable on what the Lord wants to do in my life and in my heart. May the next 40 days be life changing and indescribable as i take on 'the call to daily die to myself and live for Him!'
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