At His Feet

Since the beginning of 2019, my church here in Georgia has been intentional on slowing down, waiting at the feet of Jesus in prayer and worship, and ridding your heart of the "Martha Spirit" --- the spirit of busyness.

I am sure most of you are familiar with the story in Luke 10, where Jesus visited Martha and Mary. While Martha was busy preparing and serving the meal to guests, Mary sat at Jesus' feet, "listening to what he taught" (Luke 10:39). Martha goes on to complain that Mary is not helping, but Jesus gently tells her, "Martha, my beloved Martha. Why are you upset and troubled, pulled away by all these many distractions? Are they that important? Mary has discovered the one thing most important by choosing to sit at my feet. She is undistracted, and I won't take this privilege from her" (Luke 10:41-42).

I have been convicted many times in my spirit of being like Martha---always on the go, multi-tasking, and putting everyone else's needs above mine. But, as we can see from scripture, it is not the posture we should follow.

As an American, being a "Martha" is very typical because of our culture. We live in a fast-paced, microwave society. So being too busy is "normal." I genuinely appreciate other cultures because many of them are slower-paced, which, in turn, causes the majority of the people not to be so rushed.

What has resonated with me is prayer--more specifically, how we pray while waiting and sitting at His feet. Sometimes, when we find ourselves in this posture, we throw out these prayers to God, but instead of genuinely sitting at His feet waiting for His answer, we carry on and either act like nothing has happened or we start taking action ourselves. I, for one, am guilty of this. I cannot tell you how often I have prayed fervently for something and then started making plans on my own accord.

I believe the Father distinctively started to highlight prayer because He wanted me to continue to wait at His feet for some particular things I have been praying for. Instead of being tempted to "get up" and take action, He desired for me to get "caught up" in His presence--- not to be hasty--to be a Mary instead of a Martha. Little did I know, these "petitions" were also connected to my move to Ecuador. But, at the same time, it truly did not matter.

There is a song by Cody Carnes---Nothing Else---it is powerful! Every time I listen to it, it moves me. It stirs something inside of me, and I find myself asking, "When was the last time I did this? When was the last time I honestly sat at His feet?

If you cannot recall the last time you slowed down to take the time to be with Him, I highly encourage you to carve out some time to do so. Call a friend and ask them to watch your kids for a few hours. Order take-out for dinner so you won't have to cook. Turn your phone off so you're not distracted. Maybe you need to close your bedroom door, sit in your closet and turn up the worship music for a few hours. Or perhaps it involves going for a drive, taking a hike, or sitting down on a remote beach...whatever it is, do it. As Benjamin Franklin said, "never leave that till tomorrow, which you can do today."

Praises, Blessings & Updates:

• ​​Y'all have probably heard my exciting news: my move to Ecuador this fall! A lot is involved in this, and even though September seems like it's months away, it is just around the corner.

• I will be in California all of June and most of July visiting as many people as I can :)

• ​Two women's ministries—Golden Hands & Pathway for Hope—in Manila just graduated another group of women from their livelihood sewing programs! These women live in extreme conditions (some do live on the street), but they have been given an opportunity to make an income for themselves and their families through this program. I have seen their work in person, and it is beautiful! They make anything from oven mitts to aprons, to school uniforms and dresses to table runners.

• A group of kids, who are part of a partner project ministry in the Philippines, desire to bring the Gospel to their people. It is genuinely doesn't matter the conditions you live in or where you're from, and these kids are proof of that.

Women of Golden Hands

Kids on a Mission

Things to Pray For:

• I am in the process of raising the rest of my monthly support. I am praying and asking for:​​​​ 8 people at $100 a month / 20 people at $50 / 18 people at $ 25.

This would cover day-to-day living expenses and my increase in rent, public transportation, funds to buy a ticket to come back stateside for furlough, taxes, etc. Even if I continued in Georgia, I would be asked to raise this amount. (It has been something I have slowly been working on.) My basement apartment has been the biggest blessing as I do not have the funds to pay the "normal" rent price, even here in Georgia. If you would like to know more about journeying with me, click here.

• To make this move, I also have some one-time expenses. We have estimated that I need to raise $10,000 for these one-time expenses. This amount covers:

• "Pre-field training." This is something all ER staff is required to go to. The course runs for four (4) weeks and includes housing.

• My ticket to Ecuador and any luggage fees that I may accrue.

• The ability to furnish my apartment as they come pretty bare. This means buying major appliances and a bed, dining room table & chairs, sofa, etc.

• And, last but not least, a visa. Like our other staff who live in Ecuador, I will need to apply for a visa. This is time-consuming and also involves a lot of paperwork and fees.

If you would like to help with these expenses, please click here.