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Saturday, 04 July 2009
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Echoes of God's Heartbeat
Looking through an earlier blog, I found this and realized it's still a learning process - this 'school of life':
"God has been working on my heart a lot these last few days.
I hadn’t wanted to realize you can’t hide from God’s love forever.
You can choose to reject it but it will find you.
What you do with it will change your life one way or another.
“For the Lord your God is living among you.
He is a mighty savior.
He will take delight in you with gladness.
With His love, He will calm ALL your fears.
He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”
Zephaniah 3:17
My prayer has been to hear the heartbeat of God here for the people.
Now I know personally more of the love that overcomes even death itself.
God’s grace is undeserved and yet always desired.
If only we reach out and accept it.
Lay down our pride and self-sufficiency (which is a lie anyway) and find out at the end of our rope our Heavenly Father is there waiting to catch us.
Our Lord longs to have us rest in the powerful hands which created us and allow our ‘spoiled’ hearts to be healed.
Christ knows about pain – the suffering He endured on the cross is proof of that.
Jesus knows about real love too – and He has never stopped loving you and me.
Incredible isn’t it?
“God showed how much He loved us by sending His one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him.
This is real love – not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.”
1 John 4:9-10
Another notepad journal entry I found from November 22, 2008:
“Are you ready My child?”
“No, I don’t think I am. I am not prepared.”
“It’s okay, I believe you are.
Trust Me, hold on to my hand, I will lead you.
You be.
I’ll do.
For My glory.
Rely on Me.
I love you.
Draw near to Me – like a fountain or stream, the closer you are, the more you will flourish.
Sit at My feet. Listen to My voice, hear and feel My heart.
Butterflies are so fragile.
I’ll be your breath, your beauty, your nourishment.
Alight on My petals, drink the sweet nectar, don’t hold back.
You may not understand, but I am true. Believe in Me.”
“Lord, I want to know when and understand how!”
“Why do you want to know? What will do with that knowledge? How are you using the knowledge that you already have?”
The most beautiful sound is God’s heartbeat. Everything else beautiful and lovely is an echo of His love.
Found in grace, mercy, forgiveness, justice, love, peace, comfort, faithfulness, holiness, joy.
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July 4, 2008
As the dusk darkens the explosive booms and pops become more frequent. July 4th has arrived.
Just a year ago I was a world away, where the sounds were the rooster crowing at all hours of the night, the crickets chirping, the wind dancing through the trees and an occasional roll of thunder in the distance.
Hollie and I were the only Americans in Amakom as the Jernigan family had traveled to Accra.
So... Last year on July 4, 2009 we celebrated Independence Day in Ghana, West Africa!
Although, looking through my blog, I found that I hadn't written much about last year's celebration!
This is an excerpt from a blog my 'sister Abena' (Louise) wrote:
Hollie arranged to buy lunch of gari (shredded cassava) with beans, bread and ‘minerals’ (sodas) for all the workers who were working on the new medical clinic building. There were approximately 30 guys and they were so appreciative.
Hollie asked Michael to explain that it was a national holiday back in the States and it was traditional to go on a picnic or do something together. This was met with a great round of applause – they can understand the idea of Independence Day as it was actually Ghana’s national holiday on Monday 1st July.
So they all sat under the huge mango tree and Ebenezer (the clinic chaplain) offered a prayer.
It was an awesome time of fellowship, laughter, celebration and gratefulness.
Saturday, 06 June 2009
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continual questions and faithful answers
“Dear God, I feel like the promise You had made me has failed.
I had hoped for something and was/am disappointed.
Can you help me with that?
So regardless of the circumstances can I still put my hope in You,
trust in Your timing and rely on Your love?" - me
Over a year ago this was written out of much pain and tears...
and I continue to ask, and God faithfully replies:
“Yes, My precious child, you can.
You know in your head, and I will show you how in your heart as well.
Don’t try on your own.
You need Me.
I made you that way.
Be dependent on Me.
That’s the only way to live.
I love you very much and have a certain plan for you and others too.
Now is only a short time.
There still is eternity with Me.
It doesn’t matter if you fail.
I still love you.
My love is not based on works or points.
That’s what you need to show to others through your life.
Don’t worry about how, when, where, why, what.
I’ll let you know when you need to know.
What I tell you, bring back to Me to ask what you should do with it.
I’ll let you know.
Open up your heart to My love and I will heal your pain.
I will mend your brokenness and others’ as well.
If not that day – one day.
Don’t worry.
Trust.
Please.
I love you.
You are priceless.
You are you.
I love you.
-God
Sunday, 31 May 2009
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one year ago...
Today is May 31, 2009.
One year ago I landed in Ghana and saw 'Akwaaba' (welcome) sign at the airport for the first time.
It was an exhausting journey so I was so grateful to meet the Sims (a missionary family in Ghana) and load up their van to go to a guest house to find a bed that was flat (after less than 5 min. of sleep on the airplane). Could hardly believe I was finally in AFRICA!!!!
(The first time down the road to Lake Bosumtwi)
The following day (Sunday) after an interesting breakfast of rice-water and eggs, we were again picked up by the Sims to go to a church in the 'bush'. You may remember the story of what happened that day! On the way were experienced an all-too-common experience of traveling in the raining season - getting STUCK in the mud! Through prayer and kindness of strangers who were also going on that road (amazingly) who helped push, we were on our way again...
Bug-eyed and extremely tired, hot and overwhelmed by everything that day was very memorable.
So now, a year later, looking back I am in awe how God remained faithful time and again!
(Saying our goodbyes at the Lake Clinic)
God provided over and over exactly what was needed. God never left me, gave me strength each day, and is still with me! I am honored to have met, worked with and made friends and family with so many wonderful people there.
(Gifty, Hollie and I)
(Nicole and I)
(Lucas, Luiza and I)
(Louise, Anastasia, James and Michael at the Lake)
(McKenzie, Carly and Christiana at the Prampram Orphanage Sunday Service)
(Juliana and I, the last time I saw her)
(Our friends from Germany, Suzie and Nadine, and Louise)
(The Engage group visiting the Northern village of Lawra at the Orphanage, Nutrition Center and AIDS Hospice House)
I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity with your help to have gone to Ghana!
(At the Adullam Obuasi Orphanage)
Through it all - the culture,
(Greeting the chiefs for the first time at the Lake)
the dancing,
(First service at the Lake)
the climate,
(The humidity)
(The dry and dusty heat)
the language,
(Ebenezer was our language teacher at the Lake)
the food,
(Grasscutter and fufu with groundnut stew)
(my first bite of fufu and groundnut stew)
(fresh fish from the Lake fried)
(fish and snail soup)
the hardships,
(first time visiting the Adullam orphanage)
(the needs were great everywhere)
the storms,
(amazing)
the beauty,
(breathtaking)
the bugs,
(not so nice)
the travels,
(the roads which became impassable if not for 4x4 and if it was not raining)
(our first bus ride up to the Lake)
(this is the time that the boat stopped for no apparent reason in the middle of the lake. Poor Louise does not like boats!)
the adventures,
(the last time to visit that village on the day we had an outdoor service for all the churches in that village)
(singing with the children all the way home!)
the prayers,
(which made this all possible!)
the joys,
(Joy Irene)
and the growing experiences,
(Speaking at the first church I visited in the Ga District)
I have tasted and seen that the Lord is GOOD!
Psalm 34:8 Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see—
how good God is.
Blessed are you who run to God.
Friday, 15 May 2009
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Grace forgets
"God does not keep a record of our sins in order to use them against us.Rather, He forgives and loves us even as we suffer through the consequences of our sins.
.. ..
I was thanking the Father today for his mercy.
I began listing the sins He’d forgiven. (when was the last time – if ever – I’ve done that?)
One by one I thanked God for forgiving my stumbles and tumbles.
My motives were pure and my heart was thankful, but my understanding of God was wrong.
It was when I used the word “remember” that it hit me…
God doesn’t just forgive, He forgets.
He erases the board.
He destroys the evidence.
He burns the microfilm.
He clears the computer…
No, He doesn’t remember.
But I do, you do.
You still remember.
You’re like me.
You still remember what you did before you changed.
In the cellar of your heart lurk the ghosts of yesterday’s sins.
Sins you’ve confessed; errors of which you’ve repented; damage you’ve done your best to repair.
And though you’re a different person, the ghosts still linger. Though you’ve locked the basement door, they still haunt you. They float to meet you, spooking your soul and robbing your joy. With wordless whispers they remind you of moments when you forgot whose child you were…
Poltergeists from yesterday’s pitfalls. Spiteful specters that slyly suggest, “Are you really forgiven? Sure God forgets most of our mistakes, but do you think He could actually forget the time you…”
Was [God] exaggerating when He said He would cast our sins as far as the east is from the west? Do you actually believe He would make a statement like “I will not hold their iniquities against them” and then rub our noses in them whenever we ask for help?...
You see, God is either the God of perfect grace, or He is not God.
Grace forgets.
Period.
He who is perfect love cannot hold grudges.
If He does, then He isn’t perfect love.
And if He isn’t perfect love, you might as well put this book down and go fishing, because both of us are chasing fairy tales.
.. ..
But I believe in His loving forgetfulness. And I believe He has a graciously terrible memory.”
From ‘GOD CAME NEAR’ by Max Lucado
RebeccaHillman
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- Name: Rebecca
- Gender: Female
- Member Since: 6/19/2008
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amazed by grace
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enjoying the last few days together before Hollie leaves to go back to the States. Hoping to have at least a couple more adventures!
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enjoying this rainy day, the last one with the team from Ireland here...
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