Original Camp Songs (Sneak Peak songs for camp)

This year we have the opportunity to present 4 new songs written by the Vida en Fuego Youth team! We will be singing them for the first time at camp! (A sneak preview this Saturday at the concert).
I love the lyrics in each of these songs. Each song is a passionate cry to God, we are excited to sing them with you. So COME TO CAMP! REGISTER THIS WEEKEND! Let's praise the Lord together.  Here are a few of the words in the songs...

COME ALIVE:
It's like a burst of life in your Presence...
Your light breaking through my darkness...
I'm alive in the power of your glory...

                    NO SHAME:
                 I will praise you with no shame...
                 Your joy is my escape...
                 I'm gonna keep on dancing cuz I don't care who's watching...

                                     RADICAL LOVE:
                                      My sin was cast away in your sea of endless love...
                                      You died on the cross and bore every sin...
                                      My life starts now cause you made me new...

                                     
                                                           RESPONSE:
                                            You reached out from high and took hold of me...
                                            This is my response to the love that you give...
                                            Because your love is better than life...

Totally Flawed and Perfectly Forgiven

Man oh man I've made a lot of mistakes. I have said things I shouldn't have said and done things I shouldn't have done. I am totally flawed. But thank God that I'm not only totally flawed, I am also perfectly forgiven.

For anyone who has ever felt overwhelmed by their mistakes, remember that You are not the sum of your mistakes, you are the sum of the mercies of God. Your mistakes will not disqualify you from who God has designed you to be. Despite how you may feel, you are still a child of God, whom He loves with an unfailing love. Your "doing" will not change your "being." It's crazy to think this may be true, but God is a loving God. Remember the story of the prodigal son. He had fallen so low, yet when he went back to his father's house, his father had been waiting for him. His father embraced him and kissed him BECAUSE he was still his son. You are still God's son, you are still God's daughter, no matter what.

Also, ALWAYS remember to lean on God's grace. Believe that God wants to forgive you.  The second we turn to Him he is there. He's always been there. Sometimes we think God will act like a human being. That we have tired him out and have exhausted our chances to start again. But remember God is not man! Hallelujah! God is God! He is God!

So you have fallen, you have made a mistake, you have sinned; well remember it's not over. Your life can begin again. It is difficult to comprehend but that's why we need faith! Come back to the Lord. Come back to Him for:

He does not deal with us according to our sins,

Nor repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;

as far as the east is from the west,

so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

As a father shows compassion to his children,

so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.

Psalm 103:10-13 

CAMP AWAKENING SONGS

Music is powerful. It doesn't take too long for people to hum or tap their foot the moment a song comes on. Music moves a person. Why? Because God created it. He is the author of music. Unfortunately nowadays the world has taken something God created and has twisted it. In one of the skits during College camp we saw how this was true...

"pop pop shoot the cop"..."if it ain't nasty it ain't right"...Say what?!

That's all crazy stuff and it is what our generation is singing, maybe not exactly in those words, but our songs nowadays provoke sin: hatred, emotional instability, and other things that are detrimental to our true happiness. And songs are like seeds that after they are planted, they will bear fruit. People listening to these songs will lead them to not care about values, about truth, about real love. 

So the question is, what are we listening to, what are we sowing in our hearts? The songs from awakening contained lyrics of hope and salvation...I hope you're able to add them to your playlist and let them sow seeds of praise, joy, hope, and love! 

1. Always Will...(Artist: Hillsong, Album: Glorious Ruins)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hqc4J2XCj8E  

2. Endless Praise... (Artist: Planetshakers, Album: Endless Praise)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHPht8UrPWM

3. Dance... (Artist: Planetshakers, Album: Endless Praise)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0VBFSIK2Cs

4. Oh Your Love... (Artist: Planetshakers, Album: Endless Praise)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmKdxX6KgHA

5. Rush... (Artist: The Vous Live, Album: Into the Night)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRYMwDIsnic

6. Wake... (Artist: Hillsong Young and Free, Album: Hillsong Young and Free)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e33zCUm1ZnY+

7. Awakening... (Artist: Hillsong, Album: God is Able)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AmvyGu1WeA

8. Thank You Jesus... (Artist: Hillsong, Album: No Other Name)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHaQDS1_uvA

9. Shalom... (Artist: The Vous Live, Album: Into the Night)
No youtube clip available

In my failings, He is there

Being a pastor I find that there is a high demand for my perfect behavior. And there should be. Jesus himself said,

You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 5:48

Perfection is my goal and it's a great goal. I want to say like Paul said,

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ

1 Corinthians 11:1

I can't ask people to imitate me if I am not striving to be perfect like my heavenly Father is perfect. But in my strive for perfection I still make mistakes. I fail. I say things that I shouldn't; things that I find myself later regretting. At times, during the night I repeat situations in my mind asking God to help me be better. And He is always there. In my failings He is there. I have to admit it has been during my times of failure that I have seen people who rise to love and forgive, but I have also seen that some people rise to do the opposite. David talks about these people,

He rescued me from my strong enemy

and from those who hated me,

for they were too mighty for me.

They confronted me in the day of my calamity,

but the Lord was my support.

He brought me out into a broad place;

he rescued me, because he delighted in me. 

Psalms 18:17-19

In the day of David's calamity, of his troublesome season, instead of people rising to comfort him, they rose to hate him; so much so that they were too strong for him. They rose in his moment of weakness, and instead of instilling hope and patience, they pushed him down. If you have people like this in your life, love them and forgive them, and decide not to be those kinds of people, so when they fail, you rise to love and help them.

But also know that the Lord will rescue you from people like that, He will be your support, He will bring you into a broad place, where you can breathe despite your failings and know that God will lift you up because he delights in you.

So if in your strive for perfection you make a mistake that people see. Do not be surprised if people judge you for it, rather get closer to God. He is the perfect friend. That is why David also said in that same chapter of his calamity,

I love you, O Lord, my strength.

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,

my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,

my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,

and I am saved from my enemies

Psalm 18:1-3

Take heart in His promise. And remember,

Though a righteous man falls seven times,

he will get up

Proverbs 24:16

SONGS OF CAMP PURSUIT 2013

For the first time in the history of Youth Unity we had two camps this month! God moved powerfully in both camps! I'm so grateful for our pastors, who have paved the way for this to happen. I am so grateful for my sister and youth pastor Christi who decided to follow God's unprecedented idea without questioning it and being willing to launch people to pastoral work with such love and wisdom. Thank you God for our pastors! Whenever you can, approach these amazing people and let them know how their YES to God has led you to say YES to a camp full of the Presence of God! I also want to thank the amazing Vida en Fuego Youth Team! These people know how to praise and worship God. Not just because they can sing, dance, or play an instrument (and they do it with excellence), but because to them worship is a lifestyle! I love these people and I love the amazing work of the Lord in their lives!

I loved seeing our generation worship the Lord this year in Camp Pursuit. Whether they were 28 or 12 years old, the passion was one of PURSUING God! I wanted to share the song list of Camp Pursuit with you guys so you can continue on your journey of pursuing God with all your heart! Keep searching for more songs like these. Songs that will lead you to PURSUE GOD.  As human beings we are always pursuing something. If we don't pursue God we will end up pursuing the wrong things; things that will bring suffering and pain to our lives.

So let us press on and PURSUE God as His Word tells us, "with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind" (Matthew 22:37). And music is a powerful instrument that God created for us to pursue Him. Some people use it the wrong way and the lyrics lead us away from God! So beware of those songs and nourish your spirit with songs that will please God and will lead you to pursue Him.

Here is the list. The youtube clips is only for reference. It's better if you download these songs from itunes or if you buy the whole CD :) (Numbers 1 and 8 we sang only at the Junior High/High Camp, we could sing more cause we had more days!) :)

1. Praise Him - Artist: Hillsong Live - Album: Cornerstone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdV2o-dwtpc

2. Put Your Hands Up - Artist: Planetshakers - Album: Limitless
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWSKDaJOtdg

3. Let Praise Awaken - Artist: Planetshakers - Album: Limitless
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPRWqv-ALqM

4. Freedon in Your Name - Artist: Vida en Fuego Youth - Album: Chapel Project
Album in the works!

5. Alive - Artist: Hillsong Young and Free - Album: Alive
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2EjYnjKkMw

6. We Lift You Higher - Artist: Hillsong Live - Album: Glorious Ruins
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cb9USYLf3rE

7. Pursue - Artist: Jesus Culture - Album: Jesus Culture Live from New York
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=in0Ipf-2ssM (the version we sang was Vida en Fuego Youth verson but this version from Jesus Culture is awesome too!)

8. Scandal of Grace - Artist: Hillsong United - Album: Zion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cka7fYhWj2E (English)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYoHOMJX3BI (Spanish)

9. I Just Want You More - Artist: William Matthews - Album: Not Available (it was a song from a service they had)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCKdxCbNIpE

And remember you don't have to wait for next camp to come for you to get crazy for Jesus! We have youth unity and Sunday services every weekend. There we can express our praise and worship with fellow believers! It's awesome! You can also sing in your room or car etc! So dance! Jump! Raise Your Hands! Get cray cray for Jesus!! :)

And if you're interested in being part of Vida en Fuego Youth, let me know!

Love,
Karina

For Worship Leaders

Every time I talk to a worship leader in our church I mention to them to never forget two very important things (1) To minister to the heart of God, and (2) To minister to the people so they can worship God.  As worship leaders the first is the most important thing, and the second is the product of the first one.

1) Ministering to the heart of God - the Most Important!
I remember when I started leading worship. I used to be worried all the time. I wanted everything to go well. I already had some insecurities that didn't really help. So I would struggle with trying to have everything go right and not mess up. But I realized that I was focusing so much on myself and on others that I was missing out on worshiping God. I then learned that I needed to treasure the heart of God before all things. I pushed myself aside and decided that I would not make it about my fears or insecurities. I decided that every time I would make it about God, because it IS ALL ABOUT HIM. 

I decided to give him an "Abel" offering, the best dance, the best smile, the best clap, the best voice, the best I could give Him. My passion, my shouts of joy, my everything...for HIM! Because of who God is, what He has done, what He is doing, what He will do. We as worship leaders must treasure the heart of God. When we get up to lead, our main desire must be to make our God smile. To lift His holy name. To really desire Him and to give Him all the glory, without holding anything back. To treasure Him more than treasuring the outcome of the service.  To praise and worship Him with NO FEAR, NO SHAME, NO INSECURITY.  

2) Ministering to the people so they can worship God 
When we are passionate for God and we realize it's all about Him it automatically moves us to lead the people to that place where they can also worship God with everything they have. We have many people that come with different backgrounds, different challenges and needs. So our task must be to lead them to Praise and Worship. We lead them with our example of passionate worship and we also lead them by communicating with them and pointing them towards God. For example, when we say "Let's give shouts of praise!" or when we prompt them for what is coming in the next lines of the song. Or when we ask them if they could please join us in raising their hands or closing their eyes. These are all means to an end. The end is in glorifying God with everything that we have. 

So let's always use these two things. The first and most important one, to praise and worship God with everything that we have. So much so that it's contagious! They'll see us delighting ourselves in the Lord and that passion will move us to lead people to want to "taste and see that the Lord is good" (Psalm 34:8).

The Story You May Not Have Heard

A lot of people know my mom. They have heard her jokes and her wise advice or perhaps seen her serving here, there, and everywhere! She has such a beautiful heart of service. But I don't know how much they know about her past. Specifically, a painful story that became an instrument of healing for many people's lives. Isn't it awesome to know that we have a God who turns our ashes into beauty? :)

My mother was sexually abused by a close relative when she was very young. The diabolical plan was devised because a man had decided to divorce his wife. He asked for my mother, in exchange, only then would he not divorce her. So in order to save her marriage, she locked my mother in a room and gave the keys to her husband. My mom was only 11 years old.

Elsita was betrayed by someone she trusted, someone she loved. And she grew up in fear in this house where all she ever heard, saw, and experienced was abuse, betrayal, and pain. She finally escaped at age sixteen, determined never to have a marriage that was so full of unfaithfulness and abuse. When she met the Lord she fell in love. She finally met someone who didn't want to use her, or abuse her, or mistreat her or deceive her. But He loved her with an unfailing love.

Not too long after she fell in love again and married a man named Roberto Tejada. :) A man who heard her story and promised her to treat her like a fragile vase. He was greatly used by God to lead her to her complete healing. As God's healing touch began his work in her life, Elsita decided to forgive those who had hurt her so much. Later God used her to lead them to Jesus. On one occasion the very man who had abused her, begged her to forgive him. To this she answered, "I have already forgiven you."

Today, God uses her story to bring healing to many people's lives. The statistics are shocking, "1 out of 3 women will be sexually abused during their lifetime." (woar.org, nsvrc.org). And many women find it difficult and some nearly impossible to recover after such a traumatizing event. But I see my mom. I see how God uses her to speak hope and love into people's lives. And I see how she was able to overcome this to the extent of forgiving those who had so deeply hurt her. God's Word is true, "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds" - Psalm 147:3. My mom is a testimony of this. That no matter the pain that is inflicted upon us, there will never be a wound that is too deep for God's healing touch! His love is powerful enough to restore and heal! And He makes all things new! Yes He does indeed :)

Love you mom! :)

Lesson #2 The End of Vicious Cycles

Vicious cycles! We all have them. This year I saw these cycles more clearly. I would ask God, "WHY OH WHY (yes that dramatically!) do I come back to the same place?" And God would say, "Because you haven't changed." Ouch! But oh so true! Reminds me of a song by Donna Lasit that says, "I don't want to live for my own selfish gain, in endless cycles of my sin..."

Why do we fall in the same place? Why do we sin in the same way? The reason is because we are still the same people. I love what John Piper says, "We must remove the false understanding that says that a person can be saved without being changed."  We continue living in these vicious cycles because we haven't changed. But let's remember that everyone who comes to Christ becomes "a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" (2 Cor. 5:17). That "new life" means we are no longer the same people we used to be. We have moved! When the vicious cycle comes, it will no longer find us, because we have a new address! We no longer live in the address of sin, we live in the address of forgiven, redeemed, and changed! (Can I hear an amen!?)

God taught me this specifically one time when I was feeling like going back to a vicious cycle. "You need to change," my beautiful God whispered. "Ahhhhhh!!!" I said with desperation. "You can do it," he said. "Okay my God I will change."   I remember telling my family, "I'm battling with something right now, but I will overcome it."  And God strengthened me through it all. He lifted up my head. He was with me. And He gave me victory.

Get ready for this...Are you ready?! God's powerful Word says, "For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him" (Phil. 2:13). So it IS possible. God won't only give us the desire to change but he will give us the power to change! To change to do what pleases him! So for 2013, let's remember this always. When the vicious cycle wants to come back, let's remember that we can break it by changing our minds and our hearts.

:)

KT

Lessons Learned in 2012 - Lesson #1

Wow, can you believe 2012 is almost over???!! My goodness! I was meditating on the things that God has really been pressing in my heart this year and I wanted to share it with you. Here goes the first one:

#1. Pray for Realzzzz....

Beginning this year I was unsatisfied with my prayer life. So I decided at the beginning of the year that I would NOT go to sleep unless I entered into God's awesome courts and we spent some time together. But my flesh was not used to this! So I decided to do a 100-Day Challenge. This challenge consisted of me praying to God every night for 100 days straight (to create the habit). And I had decided that I would not pray in my bed or by my bed or sitting because the temptation of falling asleep was always there, so I decided to walk around my room as I prayed. This challenge was quite interesting when I was on vacation. I would go to the bathroom at nights since I shared the hotel room with my sister to pray. I wonder if my sister ever asked why I always took so long in there!!

The thing is that God is always with us, but He asks us to seek, knock, and ask, or as the NLT states, "keep on asking...keep on seeking...keep on knocking" (Matthew 7:7-8). And the promise is that we will receive, we will find, and the door will be opened! And Oh has God been faithful! Some nights it was harder than others, but seeking Him every night has changed the way I see God and I know that there is still a sea of things God has yet to show me. So I must keep seeking, knocking, and asking. And God has a SEA of things to show you.  But we must pray for realzzzz! In other words, we must speak to God on a daily basis. As it says in Scripture, we must "never stop praying" (1 Thes. 5:17).   Make 2013 a year where your seeking God is a priority and you will see God manifest Himself in your life in a new way.

Blessings,

Karina

True Friendship

This whole month I have been evaluating my friendships. But don't get me wrong! I have not been evaluating my friends, I have been evaluating how I do "Friendships."  I have been asking myself, "Am I the kind of friend people long to have?"  This reminds me of one of my favoritest quotes from one of my favoritest people! That's right! Favoritest! Cause that's a word! lol... here it is:

"Let no one ever come near to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile." - Mother Teresa

Wow! Now that's the friend I want to be! Are people leaving better and happier after they come near me? And Jesus paints an even bigger and deeper picture of friendship when he says, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:1). Whoa there! So friendship has to do with love!

Sadly, there's a lot of confusion about what true friendship is.  I'm sorry to break it to you but true friendship is NOT "Friends with benefits," it is NOT keeping secrets that can cause harm, it is NOT insulting people because "that's how we treat each other."  A true friend loves in times of adversity, gives heartfelt and godly counsel, true friends help each other become better people (Proverbs 17:17, 29:9, 17).

So what kind of friendship am I offering to those around me? Can they honestly say they leave better and happier after they come near me? Well I don't know about you, but I know I have a lot to learn. Well, the best place to start is right here, and the best time to start is now. True friendship...here we come :)

"Act Like You Have a God" or "Breakfast Glory" or... :)

I was minding my own business when God interrupted. I love it when he does that. I had been praying the night before, that God would take away all the baggage that we as people tend to carry. For some reason we forget that God said that his yoke is easy and his burden is light. And that night was one of those forgetful nights, and my yoke was hard and my burden was heavy and I asked God to help me. 

The following day I was making coffee for my family and putting the bread in the toaster. Still with the heaviness in my heart, saddened and chained to those worries and fears. And then I heard a voice, firm yet gentle. I knew it was God because I was not thinking about anything spiritual! And he said, "Act like you have a God." 

"Act like you have a God." This made me stop and smile. And I stopped and heard it again, "Act like you have a God." My mom had already come down to the kitchen, making her famous "healthy liquados," and I literally wanted to cry my heart out right there and then. The Holy Spirit was speaking to me, reassuring me that I had someone supernatural in my life who loved me.  I held back the tears from my eyes, but not the tears from heart. They were tears of joy. "That's right!" I thought, "I have a God! I'm not alone!" His amazing joy entered my heart and the heaviness was lifted. I was free.

I asked myself, "How many times have I walked through life as if I didn't have Almighty God with me? How many times have I forgotten that I am not alone? That God is with me?" I felt a bittersweet taste in my spirit. Bitter because I had forgotten the power and love of my God, and sweet because I was gently reminded of it. I have a God, a Father, a Savior, a Friend! He is my Lord and King, my Fortress, my Strength, my Shield, my Love!  I have a God! 

So that's my word for you! "Act like you have a God!" :) Because you do. Remember what he said, "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10).

We have a God! Praise the Lord! We have a God! The One and Only! :) Let that be the song of your heart today and forever!

Love,

Karina

Girls in the Elevator

Yesterday after intercession, as I was on my way to discipleship, I got to ride the elevator with a group of young ladies who had just finished their dance practice. What a beautiful bunch! They were all smiles! All full of life and purpose! I have to say I was doing good, but after that elevator ride I was doing great! I was so encouraged by their life! And then I was reminded why I love this church so much!

I am so thankful for this church! A church with vision and purpose...get this...all in one day, we rehearsed for both Sunday services, also for our Youth Unity service, the dance team also practiced for conference, the drama team prepared for the Encounter, a group of intercessors passionately prayed for the church, and disciples gathered together to strengthen their leadership and better lead the church, and let me not forget the board meeting that also took place, a group of people committed to serving the church!

Thank you Jesus for Centro de Vida! 

A church so full of life. We are not "busy," we are purposeful. We don't do things just to do them, we do things to better reach the lost and better serve the families in our communities. We do this for Jesus, the only one who can give us a never ending smile, like the smiles in the beautiful faces of my friends in the elevator :)

And to all the beautiful girls in the elevator: I love you and I am so proud of you! Keep serving God like crazy! No matter what! Seek Him passionately and wholeheartedly. And to all the amazing people who serve God and His church as if it was their last day on earth, God sees you! He sees you! He will say to you: "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness" (Mat. 25:21).

Yes! Yes! Yes!

Love,

Kari

Freedom Songs

Wow! Amazing what God did at Camp FREEDOM! Not only were hands raised in worship but HEARTS were raised in sincere surrender to Jesus. My “Freedom” friends, your lives will never be the same! Continue living in the Freedom that Jesus has given you!

Music is so important to our generation, but there’s so much out there that although it’s catchy it’s lacking the most important thing: a meaningful message that will help us love Jesus more. So I encourage you, in this new time in your life, to fill your heart with songs that will lead you to live in the freedom that Jesus Christ has given you!

So I wanted to help you get started :) Here are the title of the songs we sang at camp, along with the group that sings it and the name of the album.  Also, youtube links with the lyrics (except for a few that I couldn’t find).  These songs are all on itunes :)

1. Dance – Group: Jesus Culture – Album: Awakening: Live from Chicago

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iucnAgrvA4

2. Freedom is Here – Group: Hillsong United – Album: Tear Down the Walls or Aftermath Live in Miami

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifC88SSQvBU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh58EzK6KCE&feature=fvwrel

3.  Do it Again – Group: Planetshakers – Album: Heal Our Land

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGDnmwN_Mu8

4. Not Ashamed – Group: Passion – Album: White Flag

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSWBDnLPpcM

5. Running – Group: Hillsong – Album: Cornerstone

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCsOZ8KwDV0

6. New Day – Group: Worship Central – Album: Spirit Break Out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45XjwOAefHw

7. Nothing Better – Group: Vida en Fuego – Album: Coming Soon!! :)

8. Break Every Chain – Group: Jesus Culture – Album: Awakening: Live from Chicago

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkR33OsvJSs

9. Spirit Break Out – Group: Worship Central – Album: Spirit Break Out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLR_1NFvFv4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTDAfVRdSTM (lyrics are in the info)

10. I surrender – Group: Hillsong – Album: Cornerstone

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcnfT4arZtI

11. Jesus at the Center – Group: Israel Houghton – Album: Echo Free Chapel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5KyYqagy60

I...Will...

I was sitting by the piano with a heavy heart. You probably know the feeling. When you are overwhelmed because of something that is happening in your life and you are helpless to do anything about it. And that's how I felt. There were many things I really wanted to say to God at that moment but His Spirit led me to Psalm 145. In this psalm the psalmist writes "I will exalt you...I will praise you...I will proclaim your greatness..." And then the psalmist goes on to talk about the beauty of God: His mercy, His unfailing love, and how good He is to us.  I was convinced right there and then that God was leading me to praise Him.  To praise Him despite what I was feeling.  And as I began to praise God the heaviness resting on my shoulders was not as heavy as the testimony that lifted my spirit to worship the Lord.

Right after I finished reading this psalm I just started praising God there on that piano.  "Oh God you are so good, you are my rock, you are my Redeemer, Oh Lord there is no one like you." As I continued praising the Lord, tears began to flow from my eyes, but they were no longer tears of a heavy heart, they were tears of a grateful heart. Peace rushed in. I could breathe in the Presence of God. That is when I discovered that the more overwhelmed I feel, the more I need to praise God. And it is a decision. The psalmist said, "I WILL praise you every day."  He was determined to praise. He made the choise to praise. Because praising God is a choice.  In other words, we don't have to be bound by our circumstance or our feelings. It is in our power to decide. Not even satan himself can take that away from us. No matter what he puts our way, we can still CHOOSE to say "I WILL praise the Lord." And when we choose to praise God despite our circumstance, miracles happen.

I actually wrote a song that day titled "Psalm 145".  And I love to sing it at the top of my lungs, especially the part that says "Great is the Lord!" Indeed He is great! There is so much to praise God for. I encourage you to praise Him, no matter what your eyes see or even what your heart feels and you will see heaven's gates opening and flooding your heart with His love and strength.

:)

PS: I totally recommend you read Psalm 145! :)

Don't Wait A Second Longer!

There are things that we need to wait for in life and they are indeed worth waiting for. But there are some things that God never asks us to wait on.  May the waiting be over when it comes to:

1) Receiving God's forgiveness - let the sulking stop! God's mercies are new every morning. His crazy and overflowing love we will never understand, but all we have to do it is believe it and receive it.  Pray to Him, He is waiting with open arms when his children come running back to him. Remember the story of the Prodigal son? What happened when the son returned? "And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him" (Luke 15:20). The Father was WAITING for his son, so is our Heavenly father waiting for us to return to him.

2) Getting back up - why wait one more day to get back up? Who in their right mind, after falling embarrassingly on their face, and is still able to get back up, stays down on the floor?? Imagine it... "Hmm...I think I'm just gonna chill here...can somebody get me a pillow!" Uh...No! God has designed us so that when we fall our natural response is to get back up. One time I remember I was looking at a university that I was interested in attending. They took us around the whole campus, and a friend of mine stepped on a piece of string at the bottom of my cool jeans...yes...you can imagine what happened next...I fell...on my face...and I indeed froze for a few seconds on that pavement floor, but yes I got back up. I'm not writing this blog from that place where I fell! Can you imagine if I was?? If you have fallen, sinned, made a mistake, failed in your attempt to do the things of God, don't wait anymore, get back up, brush the dust off and keep running.

3) Forgiving others - let me ask you this, what if God waited to pour out his forgiveness upon us? We would all be doomed! Doomed I tell you! Doomed!  Praise the Lord that God is a forgiving God. And His Spirit lives inside of us so we can also forgive with the same divine "promptness" as our wonderful Father.  The person we hurt the most when we don't forgive is ourselves. A lack of forgiveness is poison to the soul; the product is bitterness, resentment, anger, even hatred. So let's forgive, let's not wait to forgive as our Father does not wait to forgive us.

So don't wait any longer! Come to God, ask Him to forgive you and He will! Have you fallen? You can get back up! Nothing is impossible for God. And forgive! Forgive as Jesus forgave you. The Spirit of God will help you to do all of these things if you surrender to Him.  

Love,

KT

The Blog I Will Finish Writing When I'm Married

I wanted to get a head start on this blog that I’m thinking about writing when I am married. It’s just burning in my heart so I will get a head start on it; plus I want to help all my single ladies out there on the subject of singlehood and waiting.  As you probably have concluded, I am not married yet. I am a single woman and happy about it.  But it wasn't always this way. I used to say to God, “Lord, where in the world is he?!” I remember being so frustrated because the clock was ticking and my train was leaving (whatever that means!).  So big was my frustration that I even went as far as thinking that God didn't love me or had forgotten about me. I was overwhelmed at the thought that God wasn't listening to me, that He didn't care enough to give me what I wanted, plus the frustration I felt for even feeling I needed something when God should have been more than enough.  But on this journey, which I am still on, God has spoken to me about certain things that have steadied my heart and have brought so much peace to my soul.

The first thing I have learned is to know that God loves me and to never question it. The moment we begin to think God doesn't care about that area in our lives is the moment we've forgotten who He is. It is a diabolical strategy; its main purpose is to get us away from our beloved Savior.  God loves you, no matter what. Let not what you do not have determine how you see God. God knows, He knows! He hasn't forgotten! He never forgets! He's just too good to forget! :)

Secondly, I learned that all the desire we have to meet that special person is normal and the perfect thing to do with those desires is give them to God. Elisabeth Elliot said, "If the yearnings went away, what would we have to offer up to the Lord? [...] How would we learn to submit to the authority of Christ if we had nothing to submit?" What we do with those feelings is we surrender them to the Lord.  When our desires are in the hands of God, they are under the control of the Spirit, where He can lead us to do His beautiful and perfect will.

I also learned not to initiate anything but to wait upon the Lord.  I think there is a hopeless romantic in each one of us. We want to meet our Prince Charming and have the perfect fairy tale. And because we are so eager to have this story start in our lives we begin to DO things so we can start our own story. Since God is taking His time, we assume He needs a little help from us. So we begin to do things. We begin texting someone that has caught our eye, or we approach them, or we "accidentally" bump into them, but the problem is that we try to "help" the guy notice us! But wait a minute, if this was the guy for you, shouldn't he be noticing you from the get go or approaching you without any help from you!? If you have to "help" the guy, the reality is that he doesn't really like you.  And that's just fine! You deserve a guy who will make the effort to approach you. :D Yes! Yes you do! And when he does, feel free to respond and choose as the Lord leads you.

Lastly, I learned to be careful with creating false hopes.  Our minds can create unreasonable expectations and imagine what is not there. A guy may approach us just for friendship, but because we are so eager to see our fairy tale come true, our minds are already imagining the guy at the altar! Unbeknownst to the guy, we are already seeing ourselves in our wedding gown, with our hand wrapped around his arm! Unfortunately we end up disappointed when we see that it didn't work out. Of course it didn't work out! All this time we had been expecting something that our minds created when we should have based our expectations on reality. As Elisabeth Elliot puts it, "Don't expect anything until the declaration is clear and forthright." In other words, do not have any expectations until he has expressed and shown his commitment to you. And if you are a guy and you're reading this, if you don't like a girl, don't give her false hopes! If a girl is starting to fall for you, and you don't like her like that, make sure you don't feed her false expectations! Come on guys!!!! Don't be cruel! (And all the ladies said AMEN!).

I will finish writing this blog when I have met my Prince Charming (It will be part 2!) :)  But I didn't want to wait until then to show you the things I am learning now as a single woman. The same points I have mentioned also apply to all the single guys out there. So to all my single friends, (1) God loves you and cares about that area of your life, never doubt it!, (2) Surrender your feelings to Him, (3) Know your role as the one who makes the first move (men) or the one who responds (women), and (4) Be careful with false and unreasonable expectations.

With love,

KT

To All Pastors' Kids Out There

A beloved pastor has passed on to be with the Lord: Ps. Fulton Buntain, an incredible man of God who committed his life to building God's kingdom on earth. It was hard not to smile when you saw him! The anointing of God surrounded him and it was noticeable. Today, our church staff welcomed his family into the church offices with hugs and love. My sister and I hugged Michelle Cox, one of his beautiful daughters. We couldn't contain our tears as we heard her say, "We love our dads." Yes, indeed we do :)

Being a Pastor's Kid is not easy, but it is wonderful. There was never a moment in my life when I wished I wasn't a Pastor's Kid. It was who I was. It is who I am. As a pastor's kid we get to see the good, the bad, and the ugly in ministry. We hear things, we know things, yet we cannot act upon our knowledge; instead, with love and patience, we must wait for the Lord to bring wisdom and direction, all in His time. And as we struggle waiting for something to happen, or for the "ugly" things to subside, our dads who are also our pastors help us see beyond them.  Our dads show us that not only is there "good" in ministry, there is also "glorious."

We pastor's kids get to see this "glorious" every day...people receiving Jesus, the sick finding healing, families coming back together, young people leaving their addictions, disciples committing themselves to the work of the Lord, radical men and women who choose to open their houses to start a small group, and the list goes on.

So if you are a pastor's kid, don't let the "ugly" things overshadow the "glorious" things. No matter what satan says, no matter what you see around you, no matter how you feel, there is always more GLORY than ugly.  Lately I have been thinking about buying a hybrid car, and no joke...all I see out on the road now are hybrid cars!!!! What I'm trying to get at, is that the more you want to see something, the more you will see it. So my dear PK's, if you are longing to see the glory of God, that is ALL YOU WILL SEE, and the ugly things will be in the distant, where God's wisdom and direction will turn them beautiful.

To all the daddies who are also pastors: THANK YOU for helping us see the GLORY in ministry. And to all the PK's out there, may the longing to see God's glory be ever growing in your hearts :)

Love,

A proud PK

One of the most important lessons I learned in Ministry

If you are serving or will serve in any ministry at church, this blog was written specifically for you. I wanted to share with you one of the most important lessons I learned in ministry, and in this way, spare you the painful seasons I had to go through!  What I have learned is as simple as this: GOD IS THE ONE WHO PROMOTES US.   There are many people who serve in the ministry and have great dreams for the ministry, but until they understand this principle, they will be forever miserable.  People who don’t understand this important lesson expect people to give them a position or something that is aligned with their dreams; however, in doing so, they depend on people to promote them. But people are not perfect.  People make mistakes. When we depend on people for our dreams to come true, we will be disappointed. We will live frustrated because what we desire to see in our ministry isn’t happening. And that is the worst place to be in!

But let me tell you this, if God has given you a dream, and you are living in obedience to Him, there is NOTHING and NO ONE that will stop that dream from coming true.  God does not depend on people to do His Will; He uses people, but does not depend on them. He is not sitting on his throne waiting for people to finally get a clue. He makes his move so clearly. And when he wants something, he will do it, because He is God.  When God wants something for you, believe me, it will happen.  Looking at the example of Joseph in the bible we realize that it was because of God that Joseph ended up as the second most important man on the planet.  If the fulfillment of Joseph's dreams would have depended on people, Joseph would have died a slave.  If the realization of David's calling had depended on people, the bad reputation his father gave him would have stopped his ministry as king of Israel.

So let me spare you the frustration that comes from expecting promotion from people  If it is INDEED a God given dream, and he has placed that desire in you, HE WILL make it happen. HE WILL promote you. HE WILL “bestow glory on [you] and lift up [your] head” (Psalm 3:3). And you will give him all the glory, because you will see that it was GOD, it was GOD WHO DID IT! :)

The Hulk Within

Ever been at a point in your life when you feel like you are the worst person on the planet? When you realize that the person at fault is not those around you, it is not the circumstances you're in, it is not even the devil! It's just you! And there you sit, baffled at the conclusion that the problem here lies within you. What do you do then? What do you do when you realize that there is a hulk inside of you? A green monster that has forgotten to love, to forgive, to have faith, to believe in God's promises!

If you have ever felt this way, you're on your way, because the first thing to do is to ADMIT YOU'RE WRONG. This takes guts. The easy road takes us to blame others, to blame the world, to even blame God; but the courageous way, the bravest thing to do is to admit that the problem is us. Yes, it's my fault. Yes, it was me. Yes, I knew and I still did it. Yes. Yes. Yes. And after admitting comes confessing. We can run to Jesus, we can tell him everything we've done, and ask him to forgive us. Jesus died for that moment. What can wash away our sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus! It says in Romans 5:20

But sin didn't, and doesn't, have a chance in competition with the aggressive forgiveness we call grace. When it's sin versus grace, grace wins hands down.

You see? We don't have to stay hulk-like.  We can run to Jesus, and because of His grace, He forgives us and makes us new.  And it is only through an intimate relationship with Him, that His Spirit gives us the strength to walk hulk-free.  We can walk in freedom. No more hiding. No more fighting. No more fear. No more doubt. No more, no more! His truth sets us free.  And it is in this relationship with Jesus and the Spirit's work in us that we can finally live the life that we were meant to live.

Welcome to hulklessness. Welcome to freedom! Only through Jesus Christ.

All I Want for My Birthday...is You!

Every year when the day of my birth arrives I like to ask my beautiful Heavenly Father for one special present :) He has already given me so much, but I use my birthday as an excuse to ask Him for more! Gasp! The audacity! But I'm grateful that He wants me to ask! For He says, "Ask, Seek, Knock!"  I especially like what He says on Psalm 116, 

"I love the Lord  because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!" 

Two or three years ago I asked Him to give me a song for His beautiful church to sing, and He gave me "Heme Aqui." But today I have one special request...The one thing I want the most with all my heart is to love Him.  Nothing more and nothing less. To love Him like never before. When God is all I love, everything in my life falls right into place. I am able to love those around me more, I am able to love the lost more passionately, I am able to love in my service and in my ministry. When I love God, when He is all I desire, He adds on everything else. I am complete. I am whole. So that is my petition to my God. That His gift to me will be beautifully wrapped up in His mercy, and that inside the perfect little box, I'll find gallons of love for Him :)