A Friend Is A Beautiful Thing

Shalyn - A Child of God

A true friend is a gift from God and rare to find. In the short time I have gotten to know this girl and watch her grow I have seen a girl with a beautiful heart, a love deep down that cares about others, someone who is always there to help. She is quick to lift others up and give an encouraging word. I am very blessed to have met her and to be able to do life together with her. Thinking of her puts a smile on my face and I am so excited for all the new life experiences that I will get to go through with her. I have to say I'm really proud of this girl for the direction in life she is taking and for her steps in following Christ Jesus. I love you Shay and you are a very beautiful young woman from the inside out. I couldn't be more proud of you if you were my own sister. God connects hearts together and wherever our lives take us whether near or far apart, you will always have a place in mine. Thank you for your friendship, thank you for being you. Never let anybody convince you to be anything less
then the special, unique, amazing person God created you to be! You rock!
                                                                                             
                                                          Your sister in Jesus Christ ~ Kriss

Should Safety be an Issue?

So within my recent declaration of the fact that I feel God is leading me to go to Uganda next summer and spend some time serving and ministering to and alongside an orphanage down there I have already had many people asking me questions. Please feel free to ask them. Here is my answer and thoughts to one of the most popular questions I receive. The question goes something along the lines of this.

 

Uganda? Is it safe?

Africa is where the Ebola virus is. It's not safe.

Why go to Africa? Why not a safer place?

Do you really want to risk exposing yourself to an Ebola epidemic?

Ebola is a deadly disease. What if you brought it back to America?

 

Here is my answer. First of all... I'm not sure that Uganda is any less safe than anywhere else. It's all in what you believe to be danger. I look at it this way. I am a daughter of the One True King. I am a servant following my Master's calling. He is telling me to go to Uganda. The issue of whether or not it it "safe" has nothing to do with it. The question is am I going to obey the calling of God. And my answer is yes. Will I pray for protection. Sure I will and I will ask others to pray with me. Let me make a couple points here which is why I think safety should never be an issue of whether or not to follow God's leading.

Let's take Jesus for example, when he came to do the Father's will here on earth did he inquire about whether it was safe or not? When he was faced with the ones who beat him, who tortured him and put him on the cross... did he back out? No. He carried through with the Father's plan so we could be redeemed from our sin. It's his blood and life that he gave so we could be bought back from the path of destruction and adopted into the family of God. He took upon our sin so we could be covered in his righteousness. He never considered if it was safe. Can I or we do any less for him? I think not. 

 

I questioned myself about this when I left for Peru. Even if I knew at this point that I would leave for another country, to follow God's calling, and run into some unforeseen circumstance and die before returning home would I still go? It's a kind of scary thought sometimes but one I believe we must think upon. After some thought and soul searching my answer was "Yes. and I pray to God that in any circumstance that my answer would not waver" To die doing God's work, serving him would be an honor. 

 

I know many ask this or have concerns because they love me and I fully understand that. I have yet for one of my near, and dear ones to travel out of the country into some foreign land and pray when the time comes nothing I do or say will hold them back and that I will leave their lives in God's capable hands. I trust my life in His hands, whether I live or die, I will be with Christ Jesus, and wherever I may be I pray I will always serve him to the depths of my being. So there is my thought on the safety of Uganda. God would not send me where he did not want me to go. I shall not question his judgement or plan on where he sends me. ~Kriss

Serving God: A Bruden or a Blessing?

Do you consider it a burden or a blessing? During my devotion time over the past few days I have been humbled about the thought of how grateful we should be to be honored to serve God. Here in this world we would consider it a privilege to be able to work and serve someone with such authority, love, power and greatness. Do we feel the same about the one true King? I think about this as we are going to be continuing what has hopefully been our own personal worship with God by gathering together with other believers this evening. Some will be preaching, others will be leading singing, running sound and lyric slides, setting up tables, preparing food, transporting people to the building we meet at, putting out signs, getting ready for children's church, greeting people, caring for the kids in nursery.... the list goes on. Why do you serve? I will leave that between you and God.

But if we do not realize to the full extent how much we should be grateful and honored that our Father in heaven allows us to serve him and be included in his plan.. until we really get this we do not receive the entire blessing. No matter what you do serving God, with your church or in daily life, we should feel it a great honor to be allowed to serve and do it with joy and passion for the One we are doing it for. So as you serve today remember, serving is a blessing, not a burden. We all need to remember this sometimes. Have a blessed Sunday! Glory to the Father in the highest! ~Kriss #PrayerDevotion #ServingGod