30 days of Thanksgiving - #1

Thankful for a few small, yet significant things.

 

First thankful that I live in a country where I have the right and freedom to vote for those in government, and a chance to make a difference in this nation.

 

Next, I'm thankful for the fun little times that I have with my siblings, and the fun little jokes that we have. Right now, until Thanksgiving, we are trying our best to go "sugar free". So the kids keep asking if we can get ice cream, and I have to keep saying "no", and that we can wait until Thanksgiving. Yesterday, one of my sister's (who shall remain nameless *ahem* *Harmony*) gave me a shopping list to take to the grocery store. And at the bottom she wrote "ice cream (he he he) (non-optional)". Haha...I love my family!

 

Last, but not least, I'm thankful for the opportunity to watch the next generation come, and see the interaction between three different generations. My older sister, Melody, and her family came over for dinner last night. 

This is Christiana (7) and Danielle (2) reading together. Christiana is my little sister, and Danielle is my niece. Different generations, yet they are going to be so close, being so close in age. It was just so sweet watching them sit on the couch and read together! (Christiana was reading, and Danielle was "reading". She likes to pretend she's reading by saying random words. It's so cute!)

 

Then later the same evening, I walked into my Dad's office to see this sight, and immediately ran upstairs to grab my phone, so I could snap this picture.

Daddy, aka Granddaddy, reading to his daughter (Christiana) and granddaughter (Danielle). Such a sweet sight!

So these are just a few small things that happened yesterday (since I'm posting yesterday's post today) that I am thankful for. Just small ordinary things that make a difference in my life, and bring a smile to my face. What are you thankful for?

Stay strong in Jesus! He's got you! His death covers everything!!

Because of His blood,
Faith Christine
Galatians 2:20; 1 Corinthians 15:10

Updated info on my Taiwan trip

Howdy, y'all!! I just thought I'd give a brief update on my upcoming Taiwan trip (which I am so excited about!......Did I mention how excited I am?!)

Preparations are starting to come together. I have started learning some new Chinese phrases such as "Is that fun?" "Excuse me, let me ask, do you speak English?" "Slow down a little. I don't speak Chinese well." And other useful phrases such as "I don't want any pig's blood." I am so grateful to have both my mom, who is very fluent in Mandarin Chinese, and my Dad here to teach me new phrases, and work with me. Also thankful for my Grandparents who have taught me a few phrases as well. I just called my Chinese teacher, who taught me Mandarin my last two years of high school, and she will be coming over to help write out the Chinese phonics (which is what I learned by) on some children's songs (because I just can't seem to get the pinyin down). She told me I can feel free to ask her as many questions as I want. I am so thankful to God for all the people that He has put in my life who are helping me along my journey.

Speaking of my journey, the mission trip has now been extended, which I am absolutely thrilled about!! Our trip will be from January 15th-February 11th! 27 days!! I am SUPER excited! Also, I will get to experience Chinese New Years in Taiwan, which my grandparents and mother tell me is madness, but I will just love the fact that I get to experience Chinese New Years at least once in Taiwan.

It also looks now like I will possibly be taking a trip up to Verity the week before we leave for Taiwan, so I can do some training with the rest of the Taiwan team.

So all this to say, I am super excited about the opportunities that God has brought, and that lie before me! Also though, I crave your prayers as I make some decisions, and also as I raise money. This is not a task that I can do on my own. And if anyone feels compelled to, all donations are very much appreciated. Just contact me if you would like to know how you can donate funds to send me to Taiwan to share the gospel of Jesus.

I am grateful to God my Father, who is faithful in all that He does. Two verses I am clinging to right now. 1 Thessalonians 5:24 "Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it." And Philippians 4:19 "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

I know that the Lord wants me to go on the missions trip, so I know that He is able to provide, and that He will provide, because He is faithful to make happen whatever it is that He calls us to, if we step forward and faith, and trust Him.

Well, I will try my best to give any further updates as they come along! Stay strong in Jesus! He's got you! His death covers everything!!

Because of Jesus' blood,
Faith Christine
Galatians 2:20; 1 Corinthians 15:10

A New Door In My Journey -- Taiwan

Hello all! I know it has been over three months since I have posted anything on my blog. That is not to say that life has become dull and boring, and thus leaving me without anything to post. No, the exact opposite has been true for me. My summer has been so full of many activities, and many lessons that the Lord has taught me. I would have to go back and look through my journals to see everything that God has shown me, and everything that has happened this summer. Wow, God has been incredibly amazing, and I find myself more in love with Him each day, and trusting in His power, and His love for me even more. I know more now than I did at the beginning of the summer that God only has the absolute best in mind for me. He has a perfect plan for me.

So speaking of God's perfect plan for me, that brings me to an exciting announcement. The Lord Jesus has opened a door for me to go to Taiwan on a mission trip!! I am going to Taiwan! My lifelong dream, to see the place where my grandparents were missionaries for 40 years, and where my mother grew up! God's timing is so amazing, and I know that His hand has worked out every single detail to make this possible, even when I do not see every detail worked out yet.

(Above) He said to me "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."

"Where Lord? Where do you want me to go?" "Wherever I send you, Faith. Walk with me, and I will lead you."

(Below) John 3:16 in Mandarin Chinese. This is where He is sending me for now. To share the message of John 3:16 to the lost people in Taiwan.

 

I have always had a love for the Chinese people, since I was raised with hints of Chinese cultural influence, my mom having grown up in Taiwan. I grew up eating Chinese food, and since we were young, my mom has tried on many occasions to teach us her first language --- Mandarin Chinese. I have had certain words engrafted into my English, one word, which until I was 18-years-old, I did not know was a Chinese word. It had been so engrafted into my vocabulary, that I used it just like an English word. Aside from this, I have two adopted Chinese aunts/cousins (aunts by adoption to my grandparents, cousins being the children of my grandparents foster son) who have been in my life, and have made me quite accustomed to the Chinese.

 

So for the last several years, I have had a longing to go to Taiwan, to serve there, just as my grandparents had served. At one time, I considered taking TESOL and going to Taiwan for a year to teach English. But that door just seemed to close when God showed me I was supposed to do college. I had dreamed of maybe this next summer going with my grandparents to Taiwan, if they revisited. I had also thought of the possibilities of going with the ATI program to teach Children's Institute.

 

This summer, the Lord did a lot in my life, working in my heart, and causing me to gradually surrender each area of my life to Him. One of the things that I had surrendered to Him was my ministry. I did not know what God wanted me to do, but I told Him that if He wanted me to be involved in ministry, then He was going to have to open the doors for me. After I surrendered to God in some major areas of my life, I finally saw God start to open up some doors for me.

 

The newest door that has been opened is one that fulfills a longing that has been in my heart for years. A couple of weeks ago, I was checking on facebook, and saw that one of my friends from Verity Institute, who is in my graduating class, posted on her facebook wall that she was going to Taiwan. I immediately felt jealousy...I too had that longing in my heart to go. I commented asking what how this opportunity came for her. In a reply, she said that she was going on the Senior Mission trip with Verity. I thought "No way! That is way too awesome!" Verity takes their seniors on a mission trip every year. I will be enrolling in Verity come January to (Lord willing) finish up the last semester of my schooling. So supposedly, I would also be in the "graduating class of 2013". I had a passing thought "How cool would that be if I could go too?" This desire haunted my heart. I wanted so much for this trip to be a possibility for me. Could this desire come true for me?

 

After a few days, I mentioned to my parents this desire. "Guess where Verity is taking my "graduating class" for their senior mission trip! Taiwan! I really wish I could go...." I kind of left it at that for a while. The more I casually mentioned it to my parents, the more they seemed to like the idea. When I first chose Verity as my school of choice, my dad said that he would love me to go there so I could go on the senior mission trip.

 

Last Friday, I called Verity, just to see if there was even a possibility that I could go, since I am not officially enrolled yet. I received very encouraging news. Yes, there was a possibility. The very sweet lady on the phone told me to email the president of Verity, who is coordinating the trip and the team, and to present my request to him. That evening, I was ecstatic. The only thing that I could see as a possibility of hindering me from going......was the money. Later that day, I prayed that if it was God's will for me to go, that He would give me full confirmation from my parents.

 

Last Saturday, our family went out on some errands. The more I talked to my parents, the more in favor they sounded. Especially my mom. I kept saying "if I go to Taiwan..." and then would talk about something with my mother about Taiwan. The more and more I talked about it, the more my desire grew. That night, I could not sleep at all, because that is all I could think about.

 

Earlier this week, I received confirmation from the Verity team that I was accepted onto the Taiwan team. This made me all the more ecstatic! Yesterday, my dad told me that I was going, and that we would trust that God would provide all the money I need for the trip!! I have had nothing else on my mind, and am so amazed and humbled by the way that God has opened doors for me!!

 

I have had a longing to go to Taiwan + my "graduating class" is going to Taiwan for their mission trip + my parents being open and excited for me to go = Coincidence? No. This is the very hand of God at work in my life.

 

I recently read "The Prayer of Jabez" by Bruce Wilkinson. That was life changing for me. I have since prayed Jabez's prayer: "And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested." God has indeed enlarged my coast, and His hand is indeed with me. I cannot wait to see what God is going to do through me and the rest of the Taiwan team when we go to Taiwan!!

 

We are going to Taiwan to conduct Children's Institutes, and reach out to the needy youth in Taiwan. I cannot wait to get there and love on all those little Chinese children, and tell them of Jesus' love for them!! The trip is from January 15th - February 8th. 24 days in Taiwan!!

 

So for those of you have taken the time to read this very lengthy blog post, I would like to ask you to pray for:

 

1. The children in Taiwan that the Lord is going to bring into our lives, that God would open their hearts to receiving the Gospel message.

2. The Taiwan team, that God would bless us, enlarge our coast, place His hand upon us, and keep us from evil.



3. That God would prepare our hearts to reach out to those in need.

Personally, I would also appreciate prayer as I study my Mandarin. I took lessons for two years, so I know the basics of pronunciations, and tones. Now it is just a matter of building up my vocabulary. I am hoping to memorize some verses in Chinese, and have already memorized John 3:16 in Chinese. If nothing else though, I hope to be able to tell each child that I come across "Jesus loves you, and I love you." I would also appreciate prayers as I am trying to raise money for my trip. I know God will provide, because He is always faithful in providing for my needs.

All of this reminds me of the verse: "Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." Psalm 37:4. I have chosen to delight myself in Him, and He has changed the desires of my heart to be His desires for me, and He is now giving me those desires. Praise God from whom all blessing flow!! Have a blessed week!

Because of Jesus' blood,
Faith Christine
Galatians 2:20; 1 Corinthians 15:10

Reflections on 2011

I wrote this post on December 30, 2011. These are my reflections for last year.

As I look back on this last year, I see that a lot has happened. A lot of big things for me. So much has happened to me, but I will just name a few highlights.
First off, I graduated from high school in May. That was a big hurdle jumped in my life.
Second, I got my driver's license, and turned 18 this summer. Which that meant a lot of extra responsibility. Now I can go anywhere I need to go, and if I have any personal trips to take, that means paying for the gas for the trip. It's been awesome "having my wings" (as my sister-in-law puts it). I've been able to do a lot of things since this summer that I wouldn't have been able to do, if I had no license. My sister and I took a trip to Tyler Texas in July by OURSELVES. I've also taken trips to the other side of Dallas, and then the other side of Fort Worth, by myself. So, that has been a major change for me. I think it has also been a huge help to my mom though. There have been many times when we needed something from the grocery store, and she was not available to go get it, so I ran the errand myself. Me having my driver's license has definitely been a help in the family.
Third, I got my first real job this past summer. I worked three months for iX3 technology, which a father in our church graciously gave me that job. I learned a lot in that job, both mentally, and spiritually. I had the opportunity of working with some people who were very gracious and patient with me, and took plenty of time to explain things to me. God taught me patience through this job, both what it looks like, and how to practice it.
Fourth, I started college. I am working through Thomas Edison State College, to get my Bachelor's degree in Music. God has used this time to teach me to trust Him more, and to trust Him completely for the finances, and I am happy to say that this whole next semester is provided for. So far, I have been able to pay for my schooling on my own, which is partly due to my job this summer. This past semester was a little stressful trying to map out my college plan, and there were some tears shed over it, but my parents were very patient with me, especially my mom, who sat with me when I was crying from being stressed over this. But, after giving it all to God's most capable hands, and trusting Him to lead me, that removed a tremendous amount of stress from my life. I have had a lot of worry about where the money would come from, but God told me to stop worrying, and to start trusting. I did, and I have not been lacking for funds yet. Praise the Lord for His goodness to me! This last semester went a little bit slower than I wanted it to, but I'm still on track. I have finished 18 hours of schooling, and by the beginning of summer, I hope to have finished the rest of my 60 hours of basics.
My spiritual life has changed dramatically this last year. And I don't say that to be prideful, but to give thanks to God and show how amazing He is. There are a couple of things that have really worked in my spiritual life changing to what it is now.
First, I started journaling. Back in March, I started journaling my devotional times, and I was inspired to do so by my sister Grace. That changed my devotional life dramatically, because it seemed like God was waiting for me to sit down with a pen and paper before He started revealing things to me from His Word. I am at the end of my third journal, and plan on finishing that journal tomorrow, and starting a new one at the beginning of the new year. I definitely encourage everyone who reads this to consider journaling their devotionals. I also started journaling different prayers, and it has been amazing to go back and look at my journals, and see the way that God has answered those prayers.
Second, God moved on my heart back in May to share something with my father, and he helped me to clear this problem up in my life, and once this thing was removed, I felt a heavy burden lifted from my life. It was after that that my spiritual life started to really grow.
Third, God brought some people into my life this past summer who really showed me what it is like to love Jesus. I felt so small by their love for the Lord, and wondered why my love for the Lord was not greater. Some of these people had not known Jesus as long as I had, but their love for Jesus far surpassed my love for Jesus. After seeing their love, it made me strive to love Jesus greater. I also saw their great love for reading God's Word, and their desire to learn more and more about Jesus. This made me feel so small, and start to wonder why I did not have this same desire. I prayed and asked God to give me this desire for His Word. Ever since this summer, my devotional time has become more and more precious to me, like I can't get enough. My prayer time has been tremendous, and I can really talk to God, and hear Him speak to me through His Word. If I go a day without praying or seeking God's Word, I feel like I have starved myself. I know my love for Jesus, and God's Word is not near where it should be, nor do I ever think it will reach what it should be, but I pray every day that God will make my love for Him to abound more and more.
Fourth, back in April, I asked God to put some young ladies into my life that I could mentor, and influence for Him. God put two young ladies into my life this summer, who have been a great encouragement to me, and have shown me where my heart lies, and where I believe God is calling me.
Fifth, I went to family camp back in October, and heard Mark Cahill speak, and he gave me a new passion for winning souls for Christ. I have sinced ordered his books, and tracts, and have had opportunities to witness to some people. I have found myself striking up conversations with complete strangers, which is not something I normally do. A week ago, I ran to the grocery store to get something, and struck up a conversation with the check out lady. I asked her what she was doing for Christmas, and she told me that she had to work. I told her that I was sorry that she had to work on such a wonderful day, but that I hoped she had a very Merry Christmas. After she finished checking me out, I handed her a tract, and said "This is for you. Merry Christmas." She had a look of delight on her face that some stranger would give her a Christmas gift. I felt so incredibly happy after handing her the tract, that I practically skipped out of the store. Jesus commands us to "Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." I pray that I will be better at fulfilling this command this next year than I was this past year. I don't come across many unsaved people, living at home, and doing school from home, but I pray that God will bring lost people across my path this next year who are looking for the truth.
Again, I don't say any of this to make y'all say, "Look at Faith, she's some great spiritual person." Because I'm not. I want this to be an encouragement to everyone who reads this to live their lives for Christ, and to win souls like we are commanded to do. Remove the things from your life that may be hindering you from having that wonderful and sweet fellowship with Jesus. If something has become more important to you than Jesus, you should remove it from your life. We can even allow good things to become idols in my life. I also encourage you all to get Mark Cahill's book "One thing you can't do in heaven", read it, and start winning souls for the kingdom.
If you are reading this, and you are not a follower of Jesus Christ, I plead with you now to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. "For God so loved the World, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16. All you have to do is accept the gift that God offers so freely, the gift of eternal life. "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." All you have to do is repent and turn away from your sins, and accept the free gift that God has given. If you would like to know more, please comment below, or order Mark Cahill's book "One Heartbeat Away". It goes into great detail explaining that there is a God, and that the Bible is true, and why we need to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We are not going to get to heaven by our good works. The Bible says so multiple times. So if you are trying to get there by your works, you are only going to fail. So I plead with you to believe on Jesus, who shed His own blood for us, who payed the penalty for our sins, that we might have eternal life, and spend an eternity glorifying God.
Well, this has been a rather lengthy blog post, but this was a good year! I'm looking forward to seeing what God is going to do in the next year of my life! Go with God in this new year, and may God make your love for Him more abundant with each passing day.

Because of Jesus' Blood,
Faith Christine
Galatians 2:20; 1 Corinthians 15:10

Counting Blessings: #2

Blessing #2:
Family reading time. Occasionally my father will read to us from books, while we sit around and crochet, or draw. Sometimes it will be an old book. Like one written in the 1800's, called "Uncle Ben". It was my great-grandfather's book that my mother inherited when he died. My father also reads books to us on soul-winning, or other good Christian living book. It is somethign that I will always remember as a special time, and something that I plan to do with my children when I have them. It's so special for a Dad to read aloud to his kids, and for any Dads out there, I would definitely encourage you to take the time to do that for your kids! Anyway, it is such a blessing to me when our family gathers together to read, and that my father takes that time out of his busy life to do that with us. I'd rather us read together any day, than watch a movie.
So, there is another blessing in my life. Have a blessed day! Stay strong in Jesus!

Because of Jesus' Blood,
Faith Christine
Galatians 2:20; 1 Corinthians 15:10