They Caught Us Dancing

Ah! Ok, well, there have been a lot of response from my blog and I just need to say again THANK YOU to everyone who is supporting me and so behind me. I've sort of been torn on how to explain what God is doing in me in a way that everyone can understand, and then I realized that's really stupid to do, so I'm not going to worry if this is understandable or not, I'm just going to share my heart. God is moving in me, and whether you believe in Him or not, I can't explain what's happening in my life or what I'm thinking of/feeling without bringing God into the equation, actually a better way to describe that is there IS no equation without God. So I don't really even apologize if this offends you, this is my heart, and if you know me, (which I have no clue why you would be reading this if you don't, but if you don't then hello! My name is Brooke), you know that my heart is to love people, and I love you! I really do, I may not like everyone that much, but I do love everyone. Because Christ loved me. The End. That's it! There's no other reason, and there doesn't need to be another reason.

First of all, church was AMAZING today. Wow, I could seriously barely contain myself. I just felt as if God was moving so powerfully through the message, through His Word. I would encourage everyone to go listen to the beginning of the study of James, all about WISDOM in tough situations...

http://www.southlakechurch.com/content.cfm?id=213


It's so incredible how a book or story we may have read a million times becomes so new and alive depending on what season of life we are going through! There have been some questions as to what exactly I'll be doing in Nicaragua, and the honest answer is that I don't exactly know yet. That's a little scary to admit because I will need to be raising support soon :) And I want people to feel all moved and excited, and you still can be! What I mean by "I don't exactly know" isn't that I have no plan, it's just that God has a plan that I am waiting to hear details about it. i want to be open though, open so He can form what's going to take place. I know that my heart is to mentor those girls living at the Villa who have been moved out of horribly abusive situations in the dump, and that my heart is to facilitate teams coming through and help lead them through a life changing experience. AH! That is so my heart! First when I get down there I want to start at an immersion program where I will really just be dedicated to learning Spanish. I have been working on Rosetta Stone here, but I know I will need more and I want to be able to build a respect from the people down there and I want to be able to minister relationally and to do so I will need to speak their language.

You know what's funny though? I was sort of convicted today driving through Portland, because I want to learn the language of the people who I want to minister to in Nicaragua, and yet I'm passing a lot of people everyday that I am an expert in their language! And I seem to pass up a lot of opportunities to talk to them and build relationships. So I really am trying to be better at that. I think it's easy sometimes to forget we live IN a mission field.

But I just feel so free today! Why else are we here than to live FREE because Christ died for us? It's amazing how we live in so much guilt. I have a tattoo on my wrist that says "It Is Finished" in Greek, the last words of Jesus. HE CAME SO WE COULD BE FREE! It's not condemning, it's not guilt driven, it is absolute freedom. When He calls me to patience and to have wisdom and to seek after Him I know it's not a weak life to live, it is powerful patience, it is powerful, life-changing wisdom. I get to be best friends with the King of the world. And He has a purpose for me here, and so with this next venture in my life down to a very different country, I KNOW that I am covered. I know that this is going to be hard but it is going to be life changing because I am in the center of God's will for me. I know that it's me and God. And that truly is becoming ALL I need. I am GOING to have fun in this! I am going to bring all of who He has created me to be to this next challenge. Because the only reason to live is to fulfill God's calling on my life, and that is simply to Love Him and Love Others. Nicaragua is the form it's taking in two months. But it will take many different forms throughout my life and it already has. Some I've stepped up to the challenge, some I've let slip by, but I know in all of that God's calling hasn't changed. This a powerful thing! If you are reading this and you are not saved, then God just wants to love you! He wants to be able to show you why you were created and for you to experience and ENJOY all there is to this life. True joy comes from fulfillment, not from comfort. And if you are saved, join with me in stepping up to our responsibility that we now have to join HIM in this crazy adventure!!! :)

Sam Martin played at our church today and I bought one of his CD's. (Hi Sam if you're reading this! Thanks for letting me steal some of your creative thoughts). :) I was listening to it in the car ride to the coffee shop I'm sitting at right now, and there's a song called "They Caught Us Dancing", or at least it says it in the song, I'm not sure of the title. But I just think it's SO COOL! Let's dance and sing and enjoy our lives to the FULLEST! Not letting scary decisions or circumstances, or cynicism or especially religion hold us back from being who we were created to be! Let's DANCE! Who cares who's watching? Let them catch us! I hope they do! Let's live the lives that God has called us to that defy what the world thinks of God and faith. He is dancing! So let's join! I will forever dance and be FREE in this calling no matter what He asks of me. Why else are we here? We will have eternity to be free of these challenges, let's step up once again today and say Yes to God, and then ask Him what we just agreed to :) (Nicaragua team two folks, you should remember that!)

The title of my blog has a lot more to do with who I am as a person being combined to my new calling than it does actual jewelry, but I will be bringing jewelry to Nicaragua. I have been created by my God, and He is the only one I need to answer to, and He has created me with desires ranging from my love of shopping to my love of seeing Christ move in lives. And I will bring everything I have with no expectations except to expect God's greatness in the littlest things. That's when we're used, and that's when the greatest purpose of this life is fulfilled, when we're in motion! When we're dancing.