Jetlagged, weary-eyed, utterly exhausted, yet fulfilled. This past week I, along with several others returned from a two-week mission trip to Thailand. Two weeks filled with culture, new found friendships, sleepless nights, fatigue, joy, and much more. Although the exotic foods may have unsettled our stomachs or we had strained emotions due to lack of sleep, I cannot wait to return. I have found that when it comes to mission trips there are a few things to take into consideration. Things never go as planned – no matter how much you painstakingly plan the agenda. It will change and that is okay, more than okay usually. Intend to serve, be prepared to be humbled – no matter how you plan to serve others, God shows up and meets you in the faces of those you serve. Allow your heart to break – broken hearts are God’s pottery. He breaks you, only to mold you into His very own remade masterpiece. Open yourself up to be vulnerable – every trip had revealed part of my own story. When we allow ourselves to be prayerfully vulnerable, God will show us our story and true mission. Mission trips are not for everyone – even those that go ‘on a mission’ are not always ready. They focus more on themselves than those they are there to help. Some missionaries are better off taking a vacation. Allow God’s love to shine – You may be a bitter pill at home. Yet travel to a place where no one knows you. […]

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I was raised in a family in which appearances mattered. Not the tummy-tuck, plastic-face type, but the status and what “people might think” kind. More vanity and less humility.   Granted this was not how I was born, but it was how I was raised. Unknowingly I became blindly judgemental, arrogant, and condescending. I spent much of my young adult life trying to not be like I was raised. Yet turned out just as was planned. Over last few years I have been searching for my true north. Was it my identity I sought? Did I even know who I really was? A couple of years ago, my crown came crashing down. I met Jesus face to face in a hospital in Port au Prince, Haiti. It was there that I felt His pain, a pain I caused him, by the life I had been living. I had been angry for so long because of what others had done to me. Never taking the time or caring enough to see what I did to others in return. It was not until I came to grips with who I am in Christ, that I began to recognize my true calling. Humbled onto my knees the weight of my past crumbled off my shoulders. Jesus was there with me wiping away the pieces, comforting my tears. A sinner undeserving of His love or forgiveness, He ignored my transgressions as only He could. My past became a message, my journey was not in vain, as one day He would […]

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In my last post, I talked about the 5 Reasons Why You Should go to Conferences and the ways attending can improve your life. Little did I know that the most unconference conference, Launch Out, would be much more about community than a conference. This past weekend we traveled to Atlanta GA to attend our second Launch Out conference. Having attended last year’s Launch Out in Nashville, I thought I knew what to expect. I went into the conference knowing there would be hugs, great stories from some incredible speakers and even possibly some tears. Knowing all that still did not prepare me for the community that awaited. Unlike most conferences, including last year’s, this time, I felt I knew many of the attendees. Rather than hiding wanting to curl up in the fetal position I decided to embrace the crazy. Instead of going as an attendee to absorb everyone else’s dreams. This time, I had applied to be a speaker. Why not join the Dreamers and share my thoughts right? After some discussion with the organizers, they felt a panel would best fit my topic of interest. Initially, I was a bit put off. I applied to speak! Not share the spotlight with others, I thought. Powers greater than me and a message bigger than anything I could prepare was in the works if I would just listen. I don’t care why you go, just meet me on the mountain. Click To Tweet After sharing and hearing from many other great speakers, it was […]

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