Turbulence: An Analogy

Turbulence: An Analogy

She dozed off to sleep sitting on the plane, the sounds of Grace Williams playing in her ears. She was awakened by a jolt that felt like they were hitting road bumps in the air. She heard the flight attendant's voice over the monitor. 

"Fasten your seatbelts, as we see turbulence ahead."

She didn't have to because she was already in her seat belt. She became more alert for a few moments but then she drifted back off to sleep.

After riding a plane for the first time, I came to understand the word turbulence in a new way. I had heard the word many times before the trip, but when I experienced it on the plane I understood what it meant from firsthand experience. The word turbulence means violent or unsteady movement of air or water, or of some other fluid. Now I would like to compare it to the christian walk. When we accept Christ into our lives, our spirit takes flight as we pass from death to life. We begin to fly high so to speak. But along the way we can meet turbulence or violent movement. This can come in the form of trials or tests. How should we respond to such turbulence in our lives. Should we get frantic and begin to worry if we will make it out alive? No, Jesus was asleep on the boat during the storm (Mark 4:37-38). Should we get on guard and become paranoid of culminating doom. No, we should already be on guard. (1 Peter 5:8) Or should we sit back and let God take us through, as we soar on wings like eagles (Isaiah 40:31)? Yes,we should rest in God and allow Him to bring us through. We should ask Him to give us the grace to carry us through.

 "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31

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Under His Wings

Under His Wings

When I was on my mission trip to Togo, Africa, I noticed a recurring theme. On each flight, my seat was either on the wing of the plane or close to it. When I looked out of the window could see the wing of the plane. At one point, I stopped and asked God was there something he was trying to show me. As I read the following verse in Psalm 91:4 which reads, "He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust..." on the plane, I felt like God was trying to tell me that I was well protected under his wings, and that I could completely trust and rely on Him.We can see this phenomena when we look at God's creation to get a better idea of this concept. Mama Birds carry their babies under their wings in order to protect them from harm or to carry them around daily as a mother does. God protects us under his wings and carries us on a daily basis through our lives. When I accepted this truth, the sense of uneasiness left on the remaining flights and my doubts were constantly cast down. When I looked out of the window and I saw the wing of His plane, I knew that I was safe under His wings.

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Desert Seasons of Life: Discontentment

Desert Seasons of Life: Discontentment

Desert Series

Are you in a desert season of your life? Do you feel like you're a target of the enemy? Do you feel like your cup is half empty? God wants us to be joyful during every season of our life and in this post I will present ways to keep the right perspective during a desert season and not allow discontent to sweep in.

I'd like to start by saying don't be shocked when God leads you into a desert season. I was lead to the job that I'm currently working at and sometimes I wonder why God led me here because of various hardships, but over this past week I've been reminded that God led many people into a desert season in the bible. He led the children of Israel and Jesus into the desert literally. God has a purpose and a reason of leading us into the desert. In some cases He is preparing us, testing us, strengthening us, or causing us to completely rely on Him. Whatever the reason, we can completely trust that we are in this desert season for a reason. But if we don't see the purpose of our desert, if we're not careful we can question if we're supposed to be here, seek to escape before the right time, or grow discontent and allow ourselves to murmur and complain or try to obtain desires before the right time. 

In Numbers chapter 11, the children of Israel started desiring to return to Egypt for verses 4-6 says, "And the mixed multitude that was among them fell a lusting; and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick: But now our soul is dried way; there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes." Here the Israelites started wondering why they left Egypt. Sometimes when we are in a desert season we become nostalgic about our past and want to relive a time, which we consider to be the glory days, but God wants us to live for the here and now and desires for us to continue to grow and forget those things that are behind and move forward (Phil 3:12). In the past, we are not who we are today. In the past, we didn't know what we know today in God.  We can't grow in the grace of God if we don't move forward. God seeks to do a new thing in you now! If you want to continue to grow in the grace of God, then you can't live in the past, you must live in the here and now. You can't be effective for God in the here and now if you live in the past or the future. Verse 6 of Numbers 11 says that they fell a lusting while they were in the desert. In your desert season have you began to desire a change? Have you desired to leave a job when it wasn't time to leave? I have to admit that I've desired things that are good. But if you desire a good thing before the right time then you've become discontent with your current lot in life. You've taken your eyes off of your current state in life and placed them on something that you've yet to attain or something that you want to relive in the past. This can create a sense of discontent which can lead to murmuring and complaining. 

In verse 5 they became discontent with manna (from heaven) and started thinking about cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlick. God wanted to bless them with milk and honey and many other delicacies in the promised land but they desired a good thing before the time. They desired things from Egypt so much that they begin to despise the manna that came from the very heavens. In a desert season of our life we can sometimes ignore the things that God has blessed us with. We can overlook the special people in our life, the favor we have with God and man, and the fact that all of our needs are met. Discontent can cause us to overlook all the good in our lives and focus on the one thing that we don't have. In Phillipians 4:11-12 it reads, "Not that I speak in respect of want; for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need." In this christian walk, we must learn to be content during times of plenty and in times of drought. We ought to be content when our desires are fulfilled and also when our desires haven't been fulfilled and when we are hungry for them to become a reality in our life. We will experience times of abundance and times of need but we are instructed to always be content by being content with what we DO have and getting our joy and fulfillment in Christ. 

Furthermore, in verse 6 of Numbers 11 it says "But now our soul is dried away; there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes." When it seems like we are in a dry place, that is when we experience the most fulfillment because sometimes it is during these times that we realize that our complete fulfillment comes from Christ. We lean on God like no one else. We realize that true, abiding joy comes from God and God alone. In 1 Corinthians 10 Paul provides admonishment for verse 1-7a reads "Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink; for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them; and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters as were some of them." 

As the body of Christ, we have all been baptized and accepted Jesus Christ into our hearts, but is God well pleased with us? Verse 6 denotes that we should use the children of Israel in the desert as our example so that we will not lust after evil things. And verse 7 commands us not to be idolaters. If we feel like we have to have something outside of God's timing, then we may be idolizing that desire in our life. But if we keep the right perspective and find our fulfillment in Christ alone then we won't idolize our desires. Verse 10 of 1 Corinthians reads, " Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer." They murmured because they were discontent. 

A few days ago, I realized that I had grown discontent and had taken my eyes off God's blessings in my life, and had taken the devil's bait, and focused on only the things that I didn't have. And as I looked back over my life I've realized how in each season I've looked ahead at what I didn't have and wasn't always completely thankful for the current season in my life. And I asked God to forgive me. May we all focus on God's blessing in our lives and constantly thank Him regardless of the season of life we are currently experiencing.

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Photography by: Dennis Behm

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Women in The Spotlight Coming Soon!

 Women in the Spotlight Series
Coming Soon....................
Please stayed tuned for great testimonies of faith,hope and power!
















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Reflections of Africa

A Reflection of my Mission's Trip  to Africa

May 4, 2015

She breathed in the cold air, bracing herself as she walked down the terminal, about to board the plane. She felt excited and exhilarated at the same time ready to experience a plane ride for the first time. She shifted her bag on her shoulder, a bit shocked by the small exterior of the plane and denied thoughts of claustrophobia that tried to plague her mind. She could do this by God's grace...

May 5, 2015 Lome, Togo West Africa

The blistering hot air clung to her skin as she stepped off the plane onto African soil in Lome, Togo West Africa. The glistening sunlight shone bright. She looked around, she had finally arrived to her destination. Her homeland, Africa. She didn't have much time to take in the sights as she shuffled onto the bus that would carry them to their destination.

May 6, 2015 Lome, Togo West Africa

She entered the church and looked around at the exposed wooden beams and the cement floor, staring up at the tin roof that was arched high above.  The members immediately started placing the benches in systematic rows. She immediately spotted a dark, chubby small baby boy with curly black hair and she pinched his cheek and held her arms out. The little girl who was holding him handed him to her. He was so soft. She squeezed him towards herself. A lady asked in French if she spoke French. She said "English." And she said, "Oh English," as she moved on.

She took a seat on a bench as a little boy of 11 came over to sit with her and his buddy. He helped her follow the song the leader sang in French from the darkened pulpit sliding his finger underneath each word. As the sunlight faded leaving florescent lights flickering, the ceiling fans ushered in a breeze. The young boy explained each part of the service, his French accent thick. He showed her lyrics to a song that he and his friends had written. She marveled that a boy so young had such a passion for serving the Lord and had such spiritual insight that she longed to see in the youth in America. When the preacher preached she sat compelled by his message although he spoke in French. Her spirit resonated with his words as she nodded and said amen with the congregation. As the children huddled around her, smiling up at her, the young boy lending her his big bible, she felt like she was home.

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Top 7 Travel Tips for Mission Trips

 Top 7 Travel Tips for Mission Trips

So I’ll be going on my first mission trip to Africa in about 5 days! And I am super excited and still unable to grasp the concept that I will actually be another continent in just a few more days. But at the moment, I’m really excited about sharing all of the things that I’ve learned while preparing for my mission trip. So along the way, I have generated a list of tips that I’d like to share with any budding missionaries who are going on their first mission trip. So let’s get started!

Tip #1 Passport

Get your passport! I actually got my passport about a year ago because I was planning to go on a mission trip sooner. It can take up to 3 months to receive your passport so apply for it early. To start, you can call your local post office and set up an appointment, and they will assist you with getting your passport. You will need your birth certificate, among other things, and they will actually ship it along with your passport application. So don’t be alarmed when they take it from you. Personally, I felt like they were taking a piece of me and sending it cross country, but they sent it back as promised. It can take up to three months to receive your passport, but I received mine in about a month or so. So try putting ‘getting a passport’ at the top of your list so you can have it in plenty of time for the trip!

Tip #2 Visa

Find out if you need a visa for your trip. I’m going to Togo, Africa, so I needed to get a visa in order to be admitted into the country. I printed off a copy of the application online and filled it out. There was a $140 application fee. And for Togo, the website stated that it can take up to 90 days for them to process the application. Once again, I had to mail off something that I felt like has become a part of me, which in this case was my passport, so that they could include the visa on a blank page in my passport. I had to mail it along with a yellow fever certificate (I’ll get to that step next!) and a return self-addressed envelope so that they can send my passport back. Please send a copy of any required immunization certificates, as they do not send back the immunization shot certificate. My requirements may be different from yours for the visa, depending on the country you’re going to, so be sure to check out the website!

Tip #3 Shots

Find out if there are any required shots that you need to take for the trip. The yellow fever shot was required for my trip to Africa. The first tip I can suggest for any type of immunization shot is to build up your immune system before you get the shot. You can do so by eating fruit with antioxidants in it such as raspberries, blackberries, and blue berries. It’s also important to eat fruits that are high in citrus and Vitamin C such as oranges and grapefruits. You can also make Olive leaf tea from olive leaves that you can find on Amazon or ebay. Olive leaf tea is a powerful tea that give a boost to your immune system which helps you not to experience the side effects of an immunization shot. Another important food that can build up your immune system are leafy greens such as kale and raw seasonings such as basil and rosemary. Make sure you take your shot before sending your visa because you may be required to send a copy of it with your visa application. If you drink Olive Leaf Tea, don’t drink it after you get the shot for about two weeks. After two weeks or so, continue to build up your immune system by drinking olive leaf tea right before bed and you can even pack some to take with you to drink on your mission trip! In terms of the day of the shot, all I can say is that you should rely on God’s strength and claim II Tim 1:7. And when you go in for the shot the doctor recommended other shots and gave me various helpful tips that were enlightening. In order to get a shot, you can inquire and set up an appointment with your local Health Department or an Urgent Care Center.

Tip #4 List

Plan, plan, and plan some more! Creating a list makes planning for a mission trip really easy. If you don’t want to forget any pertinent items you should make a list. Personally, I consulted with my mom, my Sunday school teacher who is going on the mission trip with me and another lady who is attending, and I looked at how-to videos on youtube in order to generate a Master list that I have referred to several times while planning for this trip. It has made my various shopping trips easier and I have a list that I can add things to.

Tip #5 Fast

Designate some time (allow the Holy Spirit to lead you) to fast and pray about the mission trip. I have asked God to use everyone involved in a mighty way. To give us wisdom and protection during our travels. It’s important to build up your Spirit man before going on a mission trip so that you can be ready to be an effective witness for Christ. Seek to draw closer to God, during this time and focus your attention on the purposes of the mission trip. Also mediating on Psalm 91 is great way to draw closer to God and claim His promises for your life. You want your mind to be on the purpose of any Christian mission trip which is to do the work of the Lord that will bring glory and honor to the name of God.

Tip #6 International Calling (No pun intended!)

We all like to have a way to communicate with our family and friends from the states when we’re on a mission trip. If you’re like me, you’d like to give them updates and let them know how everything is going. I have a prepaid phone plan with Verizon, so I am unable to add international minutes to my phone, but if you have a contract phone you can add international minutes to your phone. It is something that you may have to qualify for, so check into having international minutes added to your phone prior to going on your trip. If you have a prepaid phone with Verizon, than your other option, like mine, (which I learned from the nice Verizon Customer Service Representative on the phone) is to buy a Sim card with an inexpensive phone from the airport once you’ve landed in the country of the mission trip.

Tip #7 Have fun!

Lastly, have fun! Planning doesn’t have to be stressful. Enjoy every step, and if you feel yourself getting stressed out, ask God to give you grace to enjoy the experience and help you to complete all of the preparations in a timely fashion. 

If you’re going on a mission trip this summer, I wish you God speed and I invite you to share any of your questions or comments in the comments section! I would love to hear about your trips/upcoming trips.

“Declare his glory among the heathen; his marvellous works among all nations.” 1 Chronicles 16:24

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 Photograpy by: Gopal Vijayaraghavan 

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How To Turn around A Bad Day

The Bad day

You woke up with positive ambitions. The sun is shining the birds are chirping, what a wonderful day! Then Mozart Moonlight Sonata starts to drift in, and you awaken to the fact that you’ve actually woke up late! So   you gather your wits and do battle with the unrelenting clock. Finally you’ve made it to work. Yes! Handel’s Messiah enters triumphantly. But minutes after your  arrival you ‘re  distracted by a spider right outside your door. So you end up spending 30 minutes doing battle fearlessly,trying to kill it,only for it to escape into a crack.

Then you proceed to  run a mail errand for work, which happens to be a fail, because you find a clock saying will return in thirty minutes in the window. You arrive back at the office and your boss thinks you’re late. You assure him you’re not after all you don’t have a bag or a lunchbox in hand. This is evidence your statement is true, it’s very unlike the lunch packer and purse carrier to arrive empty handed.  Still the situation doesn’t look good when you try to explain that you went to get the mail and there’s nothing in your hand.

Time has passed quickly it’s almost noon and you haven’t had time to stuff in any breakfast. So you try and calm your raging stomach and reeling mind with bible verses, meanwhile trying to keep your eyes off the crack the spider escaped in. You focus on work and try to do your job accordingly, while your feet hurt from the vigorous morning. Your boss has had you running back and forth all morning.  


A thought arises why’d I wear these heels today?So you’ve been pushing hard, only to find that you’re not doing a good job, but it’s not your fault,really it's not!  However, that doesn’t matter because it looks like it is. Now you have to adjust your attitude suck it up and smile saying” Sure I’ll fix that right way. So now your competence is being brought into question. Your stomach is growling, and your eyes keep diverting to the crack the home of the spider. I need to get it before it gets me.My,My will it reemerge? Then you remember I'm fearless,I will defeat it!

How do you fix a good day that’s heading speedily towards bad?  Really it’s not going to be a bad day, it’s a trick.  All these things are happening so that later in the day when things have cooled your attitude has heated. If you follow these three keys you’ll keep your day from getting any worse.

1.Catch it early.

 You say but it’s barely noon and I’ve already tried to avoid this by praying several times, but the day is still doing a downward spiral. You still have plenty of time, it’s not even 12:00 yet. The later the day the harder it is to fix the direction. (but not impossible by far) So catch it early.

2. Check your attitude.

You may not be able to fix the events that simultaneously take place. But you can fix your attitude in the place. Attitude is primary when days arrive such as these. If you truly determine and believe that greater is he(God) is in us than the adversary in the world, then you’ll be confident you have power. The power of a spiraling day lies in our hands, not the circumstances, but the power of an awesome attitude and outcome.

3. Fix your eyes on God.

Fix your eyes on God and his promises for times like these. Know that despite everything going on you can still behave like a true Christian should, because God is with you. Let’s do a comparison look at the problems, now look at the sky and think about God ,who is bigger than the sky and entire universe. Your problems are no match at all. So what do you have to worry about? If you trust God and stay positive your bad day can transform into a good day, despite the circumstances. Happy Good day!

When a spiraling day arises hear God’s voice in your ear saying: “Don’t be afraid. I am here!” John 6:19-20 

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