And what an adventurous lot! Just this past week, Micah and I found a waterfall we hadn't been aware of, and the day after Jed, Nick and I went to check it out and see if we could climb it. We ended up having to go back and scale the bank, thick with trees and other plants. Holding on to the branches and roots while digging our bare toes into the dirt, we made it to the top and walked through the grass until we could climb down the hill at the top of the waterfall, at which point we realized it might be hard to get back the way we came. With determined hearts we kept on going upriver and the guys (because I have no sense of direction) guessed where the base would be, and picked a hill to climb. So we left the "safety" of the river to climb this hill, and lo and behold we could see our base from the top. I can just imagine myself living in a jungle someday, foraging through until we found food and shelter.
This is a picture of all the hills from the road...the river isn't visible because it's so small from that far away! What a beautiful place I live in.
Tonight we went out to a night with the other YWAM base in Tauranga...Bethlehem. We had an AMAZING night of worship, and then Andy Byrd spoke on sacrificial love. It was probably one of the best messages I've ever heard. Some of his points:
*Why do we have so much controversy over different denominations? We all worship the same God, so let's all just jump in the Jesus river.
*It's not that impressive to love a perfect God...it's a far greater feat to love imperfect people.
*Jesus loved us sacrificially, so we need to "pay it forward" by loving everybody around us.
(And this is my favorite)*We need to stop worrying so much about our future and what God is going to do. Let's just love the people that God has placed in front of us, where we are, right now. We fret so much about hearing to get a word, which is important, but it shouldn't be a hindrance from simply loving and serving those RIGHT HERE.
Here is a picture from tonight. Reckless abandoned worship is our thing.
Everything is new here. My relationship with God. It's like I wake up to a new understanding of Him every day, and each day I think I understand less because He keeps on getting bigger and bigger and sometimes it makes my brain hurt, but my heart soar. How I relate to people is new... how I can let these people I just met hold my hand through these months of renewal. How I see the world. How I think. My necessity for a personal relationship with The Creator of the universe... how it grates on my bones to not get quiet time alone with the God that is from everlasting to everlasting. The God who can do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine, The God who sent His Son to spill His blood to cover our sins and make us righteous to be with God. I don't know why God did it the way He did... But I am trusting Him that it's in His hands and He has a perfect plan for His children!!
God keeps on speaking to me that I am His child, His precious daughter whom He loves.
Our God is a God who's love is so abundant that it could save someone like me.
Whoa.
Awesome! =)
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