Being Sifted

"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." - Luke 22:31-32

Being sifted? What was that all about? You sift wheat by putting the wheat and the chaff onto a thrashing floor which shakes them violently. The wheat falls though the floor and is separated from the chaff. Simon (Peter) was about to be sifted. His faith was about to be violently shaken. After he was sifted, he was ready to be used to strengthen others.

A few points of interest -
1. Satan had to ask permission to mess with one of God's people.
2. Jesus prayed for Simon to not fail the test. NOTICE He didn't pray for the testing to go away!
3. That after it was over, Peter would be stronger.

I have been through some of these sifting moments lately. Satan has been trying my faith in God and others. But he didn't win.

Here is what I've gained from the event -
God uses all things for the good (even the bad ones).
With God all things are possible.
What doesn't kill us makes us stronger.
The way that you respond to the testing makes all the difference.
People are always watching at how we respond under difficult circumstances.
God will never leave us or forsake us.
Above all else love.

I hope that by what I've went through I can be used to strengthen someone else.

Hey lets do something BIG!

You ever get tiered of smallville? Not the show but the mentality that we take concerning life? Everybody is thinking so small, so human, so limited! What if we could do anything with out failing? What if money was no issue? What if we had a Big God in our corner? Some people think big for humans but - but! The but is the problem. The bible says that with God all things are possible. All things, big things, supernatural things. I look at the aids epidemic and see all that Bono is trying to do and think wow he is trying to do something big - trying! But is he making a difference? A small difference but people are still getting AIDS and dying from them. People are still starving and dying from unclean water. I want to make a BIG and LASTING difference. "With God all things are possible" - "What is impossible for man is possible for GOD!"
My prayer is that God would unleash His Greatness, His Mercy, His Creative Nature and that I would dare to trust in His abilities! Anyways - Go Big or Go Home!

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Graziele

Who is Graziele? I'm glad that you asked. She is a 5 year old little girl that we met in an orphanage in Brazil. She is such a ham, every time that you pull out the camera she strikes a pose. She owned us from the first moment we saw her. She was either around Sarah's, Tracy's or my neck the whole time that we we there. We feel in love. Her smile is so real. When we started to leave she was so sad. We were so sad. We talked to the people that ran the orphanage about adoption and they said that it wasn't had because nobody wants them. That was exactly the opposite of what we thought. How could someone not want her. We want her! So we prayed about her and started asking them about some questions about adopting her and they told us that she had been removed from her home for some reason and would never be able to go back home and would never be able to be adopted. Not what we wanted to hear! I'm still praying over her everyday and I know that God has a special plan for her life and the rest of the little kids like her all around the world. She is just one out of millions that need a family. What to do? What can you do? Graziele Richard?

Back from Brazil

Hey Guys,
We're back! Wow what a wonderful time that we had in Brazil. We took a team of 35 into Sao Palo and worked in the project Vila Andrade with Pastor Marcelo. We worked in the schools, orphanage, with Compassion International, ran a VBS for the kids in the community, spoke in the churches, worked in basketball clinics, spoke at some community work shops, played soccer, gave food to 60 families to feed them for a month and ate a lot of food.
Thank you for all of your prayers and support. We saw God move in so many ways. We were able to be Gods hands extended to so many people that really needed it. Everyday we were able to hug between 300 – 700 kids neck. We also communicated through drams, crafts and translators.
On Friday night, we went to people’s homes, took them food, prayed for them, and later prayed for people in the center of the community. I have a few stories that impacted me from that night. The first, my team (my family plus 1) went to this one home that was about 10 feet by 14 feet in size with 9 people living there, 1 queen size mattress and a bunk bed and stove. They were so thankful. Then we went to this house about the same size with a family living there and gave them the food and prayed over them. Afterwards, the lady of the house followed me outside and asked how she could find this peace that we had told her about – she gave her life to Christ and was in church on Sunday morning and night. The last story, I was talking to this on lady who begged for a living and asked her what her greatest goal in life was. Her response, “I want a job!” That was her biggest goal in her life. I’m so spoiled!
We have been changed and impacted forever by the people of Brazil. I never want to be comfortable with normal ever again!