Challenged

Just thought I would share two quick things that I have been challenged with recently....

1. Recently, God has been reminding me how much I care about what other people think of me. I care too much, and I know it. I tend to be such a people pleaser. Although God has been refining me in this area, I still have a long way to go. As I prepare to come home, I began to get concerned about what others will say - the opinions they may have about my length of stay or the ministry here. Then, at church, we had a time for corporate confession of sin. I love how God is so personal! This is the prayer we prayed (italics added by me):

Gracious and generous God, we are a fearful people who are held captive by what we really believe is true. Some of us are afraid that life really is a competition, so we focus on getting what we want or need to survive. Some of us are afraid of facing life and taking responsibility for our actions, so we find ways to escape. Some of us are afraid of disappointing or offending others, so we let others determine how we use our time. Forgive us, we pray. Overwhelm us again with your grace and cast out our fear. Transform us into trustworthy slaves who love deeply and courageously invest all we are in the service of others. For it is in Jesus' name that we pray. Amen.

I truly want God to be BIG in my life!

2. I was also challenged by this youtube video that I heard about through a friend. Maybe you've already seen it. Just seemed to put things in perspective for me. If you want more info, visit www.adventconspiracy.org.