SUMMER 2011!

Hello Friends!

Wow! It's been awhile since I've updated my blog. A lot has happened during these past weeks. I'm currently an intern at Sunshine Gospel Ministries on the south side of Chicago. When I was eleven years old, I knew that I God wanted me working in the inner city with youth and families. I have wanted to serve with Sunshine Gospel since then as well. This summer myself with several other interns and staff are running a day camp (and other high school ministries) to many children (2nd-5^th). I am coming up with a drama/acting station. Through this I am seeking to show how we can express Christ through acting and imagination! I am excited to see what the Lord will do, and how He will make Himself real to these children.

I am living in an apartment above SGM with two other wonderful girls. I have learned a lot through these ladies and value their friendship and sisterhood in Christ. The staff and other interns here are becoming more and more like family as the days go on. I love the community God has intended within the vast Body of Christ!

This summer has been a call for change and truly trusting God with things and circumstances I cannot handle. Daily I learn how God is in control of everything and I am not. This lesson has been a humbling one to grasp.

I have enjoyed living on the south side. I have been down here a lot, but not to live for more than a week at a time. It is different in many ways than living downtown at Moody Bible. Through living down here, God has shown me how self-righteous I am with certain situations, and how that needs to be broken – which is happening.

I pray that I will be used of God to impact the children and families in this community. So many have very hard situations they have and are going through daily. I cannot understand most of these situations from my own life, but I know they need Christ and the hope He provides! God is hope, perfect love, and cares for all aspects of who each person is!

We learned about holistic ministry. This means ministry that ministers to all aspects of a person. (Physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and other practical aspects of life) Ministry is not just aiding to the spiritual condition, but all aspects. Some people may only be open to spiritual things once they see that disciples of Christ care genuinely for their specific day to day needs right in front of them. I'm very glad that this has been made clear to the people here.

Thank you for your prayers for everything! God bless you all!

Love in Christ,

Natalie

Lessons from Sanders' Spirtual Discipleship book

Love: There is NO selfishness in love. Can others discern progress in love in my life?

Joy: There is no depression in love, for joy is the natural outcome of love. Christian joy is independent of circumstances and can cohabit with sorrow. Do others see me as a joyous person?

Peace: There is no anxiety in love. Am I making progress in the conquest of worry?

Patience: There is no impatience or irritability in love. "The strength of our love can be measured by the length of our patience." Am I more patient than I was three months ago?

Kindness: There is no abrasiveness in love for "love is kind." Am I developing a more kindly disposition?

Goodness: There is no depravity in love. Goodness is active benevolence. Am I visibly a better person than I was?

Faithfulness: There is no fickleness in love. Faithfulness has been described as the reliability that never gives up and never lets down. Am I making strides in dependability?

Meekness: There is no retaliation in love. Meekness is the antihesis of self-assertion. The meek person does not fight for his rights unless it involves interests of the kingdom's sake. Do I increasingly manifest a meek spirit?

Discipline: There is no laxness in love. "discipline is a virtue which consists in mastery of the appetites and passions, especially the sensual ones." Discipline is not the control of self by self - it is control by the Holy Spirit. Do others see me as a graciously disciplined person?

Spiritual Discipleship Principles of Following Christ for Every Believer

by: J. Oswald Sanders

My Cross to bear today::thoughts::

I'm finding it very interesting that when we ask God to move, grow, and strengthen us, He usually brings difficult or confusing circumstances into the path. Have you ever noticed this? I feel like everytime I realize that, I learn, and almost FORGET that fact!

Why does He do that? He wants good and not harm for us right? So why does God bring crazy things? I honestly, am seeing that is where we aka. I (lol) need to remember to PREACH to my soul this truth! The LORD knows more, and has a divine plan! HE IS GOD AND I AM NOT! He WILL accomplish HIS will and He WILL get his reasons across to me in any way HE SEEMS fit.

It just involves God humbling me, making me get on my hands and knees and crawling to the cross and to His saving grace and TRUSTING in His will.

I find it even crazier how HARD that is. I mean why is trusting God sometimes, so difficult?! I mean, HE IS GOD! He could choose for one atom to go crazy or some molecule in the world to shift and everything would be *POOF*! Ya know? I'm seeing that although we are friends of God, He is STILL sovereign and Holy. Therefore, I cannot..again..I CANNOT put the GOD into MY box, MY schedule, and MY will. Nope! I MUST BE IN HIS and HIS alone. No matter WHAT THAT COSTS me.

THIS IS MY CROSS (calling) TO BEAR TODAY. Lord, help me to remember that.

Evening Renewal: Valley of Vision Prayer

Evening Renewal

My Father, if Thy mercy had bounds, where would be my refuge from just wrath? But thy love in Christ is without measure. Thus, I present myself to Thee with sins of comission and omission, against Thee, my Father, against Thee, adorable redeemer, against Thee and Thy strivings, O Holy Spirit, against the dictates of my conscience, against the precepts of Thy Word, against my neighbours and myself. Enter not into judgment with me, for I plead no righteousness of my own, and have no cloak for iniquity. Pardon my day dark with evil.

This night I renew my penitence. Every morning I vow to love Thee more fervently, to serve Thee more sincerely, to be more devoted in my life, to be wholly Thine; Yet I soon stumble, backslide, and have to confess my weakness, misery and sin. But I bless Thee that the finished work of Jesus needs no addition from my doings, that His oblation is sufficient satisfaction for my sins.

If future days be mine, help me to amend my life, to hate and abhor evil, to flee the sins I confess. Make me more resolute, more watchful, more prayerful. Let no evil fruit spring from evil seeds my hands have sown; Let no neighbour be hardened in vanity and folly by my want of circumspection. If this day I have been ashamed of Christ and His Word, or have shown unkindness, malice, envy, lack of love, unadvised speech, hasty temper, let it be no stumbling block to others, or dishonour to Thy name. O help me to set an upright example that will ever rebuke vice, allure to goodness, and evidence that lovely are the ways of Christ.

http://www.oldlandmarks.com/puritan.htm

JESUS IS LORD!

Hello Everyone!

So, today was an amazing day that God gave me and friends @ Moody Bible! Today was the Chicago Freeze (Bean) @ Grand Central Station. Basically people who know of this go to the bean, acting like nothing is going on...totally acting like everyday tourists. Well, at 1pm for 5 minutes, they freeze! It's quite interesting b/c obviously not EVERYONE knows of this, so there are all these people freezing, but then people who aren't are still walking around wondering what is going on!

Well, last night at a Chicago Beloved meeting, (homeless outreach ministry where colleges, high schools, and anyone can minister to the Homeless for 6 hours!) one of the leaders mentioned that he has these jumbo scrabble wooden pieces that spell out "Jesus is Lord" and he also had the CB logo as well. Well, of course we wanted to hop on that train! What an amazing testimony this could be!

Today, God let us be pretty much in the middle of the Bean, and when we got the pieces out, it was such an interesting experience to see and hear the comments and looks of people. When we froze, it was crazy to see and hear again what people would say. They seemed to actually really like it, and a couple young people were running around "grading" the other people who were frozen...and they got to us and drew something on our banner, and on a bored. I knew that Rob would stop us if something dorogatory was written, but it wasn't. We got an "A+" and they wrote "Peace" and "Love" on the banner. It was amazing! GOD IS SO GOOD to have us be able to be there, and have media coverage and declare the Lord, even in a crazy way! :)

Acts 4:12

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved

Moody Update

Hey!

Hello! Wow, life is has been some adventure already here @ Moody Bible in Chicago! I have been continually blown away by God's workings, and the life that I am in here. I love being challenged in so many areas, it is NOT always easy, but I'm continually being reminded to TRUST FULLY in my Savior!

When I think about how I've wanted to attend MBI since I was 11 and be involved in the inner city, specifically at Sunshine Gospel Ministries & study Bible and Urban Ministries -- and NOW at 20, I AM HERE -- IT AMAZES me! I am falling more in love with God, in ways that I never expected.

Academically, it's crazy! I've never had to do so much reading, and reading that is for a "grade" but it challenges the SOUL. (That is the HUGE part!) I am so thankful for the Professors/Dr.s and leaders here. I'm so thankful for the girls on my floor and everyone whom I've encountered. I have been blown away time and time again, with the life paths that people have traveled in getting to Moody as well. Our God is truly an amazing Father! Through thick and thin, He brings good out of everything for His children who seek and love Him.

So there is a little update, I know it's not really super specific on areas, but that's okay! :) I'm so blessed and thankful to be here. God has def. shown His blessing through true sacrifice and surrendering.

Delighting in the Lord,

Nat :)

Do not worry....but we still are, right?

1. vision w/o optimism
2. fear seems reasonable to us, even when irrational.
3. Fear is about:
-not getting what we want
-getting what we want and losing it
-getting what we don't want.
4. Fear reveals our values, loves, priorities, and longings.
5. Fear increases with more freedom
6. Fear turns into false prophets
7. Fear is not always sinful, but is always an opportunity. (either run to or away from God..that is OUR choice)


Hey Everyone! So, I was looking at sermon clips from Mark Driscoll, a couple seconds ago. I ran across "7 Truths about Fear". I thought of how appropriate this was, b/c I'm getting fears creeping up, as I leave tomorrow for Moody. (#5 was obvious and almost made me chuckle)

Fear and worrying is sin, essessively dealing w/ this is a pain. I step back and yell at myself almost, "GOD IS GOD AND I AM NOT! HE KNOWS ALL, WHY THE HECK DO I WORRY AND FEAR THINGS?" Answer: I'm a sinner SAVED by grace, but still a sinner who struggles in life. Those words screaming in my heart and head bring comfort, yes, but it also reminds me of what the father in the Bible said (Mark 9:34) Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" And how I need to be in the Word...bathing in the Word consistanly, b/c God KNOWS and has HIS divine reasoning for His divine plan. IT IS NOT MY PLAN OR MY WILL, BUT HIS ALONE. THAT..is AWESOME!

After looking over this list of 7 fears, the words of my high school youth pastor came to mind. He has taught me/us oodles :) of lessons, but one that has stuck and God has really ingrained this in my heart, has been "PREACH TO YOURSELF" Preaching the TRUTH to myself, when I fall into these moments of wondering, questioning, worrying, and fearing. (All those negative "ing" things..)

Isaiah 55:8-9:
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the LORD.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.


Joshua 1:9:
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Psalm 119:105:
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

So, I just thought I'd share these morning thoughts w/ you all today!