A Blog from Kayla: Every Journey attaches you to relationships..encouraging you to RUN.

I'm Kayla. A year and a half ago, I met Jamie at AVBS. Little did I know that appointment was Spirit made.  

 In September of 2009, my soul began to bend for Haiti. To ache for a people I looked nothing like or had never met made little sense to most, but then God began to show me He was birthing the same heart in others. When I found out Jamie had a heart for Haiti AND was going with a couple of girls to "spend themselves" (Isaiah 58:10) at an orphanage for a while, it was confirmed; THIS friendship was made for such a time as this. 

It wasn't long before hair appointments weren't enough to quench this fire that Jesus was igniting between hearts. Coffee dates at Hebrews and Starbucks, (church, we call it), happen frequently. And Jesus started to teach us; so graciously teach us together. About Him. His love for us, His love for His kids, and His desire for His love to be spread across this world. 

I love to dream. He gives me no bounds. I dream physically while I sleep, I dream when I'm awake. And through these dreams, He gives me promises. Promises of healing, of raising life from death, of joining myself to another in marriage, of being a mommy, of being a part of training and mobilizing an army of Kingdom warriors... I dream, and He teaches me the art of patiently waiting. He teaches me what it means to let the dream He has given me, die to myself, so that He can birth it through the Holy Spirit. So that it is nothing of me but everything of Him. He teaches me gratitude and to give thanks in all things in all seasons. He teaches me to live boldly and risky in the eyes of this world. He teaches me that Faith is believing in what I don't see in front of me, and praising Him already for the promises He's given me. 

I'm not sure what it looks like, but for the first time in my life, I'm entering IN to where I AM right now. Fully into the depths of this current. To give as much of myself in Jesus to those around me so that they may know life. To surrounding myself with kids, (today AND tomorrow's church), so that they KNOW they are valued and loved. Fully entering into the reckless pursuit of His dream, minus me. Resting in knowledge He holds it and carries it much better than I. Choosing to march in step with Him in it, despite the view it has from the outside looking in.

I prayed several days ago, "I pray I only enter fully in, and watch as time is slowed and waiting feels like running." 

 ...And running I am! 

 "Dreaming is a form of praying, and praying is a form of dreaming. The more you pray the bigger your dreams will become. And the bigger your dreams become the more you will have to pray." -Mark Batterson, The Circle Maker 

Jesus has magnificently blessed and appointed Jamie and her family in my life for THIS time. A deep underground root firm in mutual encouragement, challenges, and love. Excited doesn't begin to describe what I feel as the Lord unfolds another sheet of His master blueprint and shows us where to next, and where at now. 

 Be blessed, 

      Kayla

Dream - a wish your heart makes, that God wants to make reality.

Dream. Dreaming. Dreams. This week I only think of it in this adjective form: 'most desired; ideal'.  Dreaming - its the season where you aren't limited - where all things are possible. Where your mind is free to expand and venture what you wouldn't dare to share in public....however what's to use you to show Himself off to the public. I think about Cinderella - her first opportunity to debut her vocals.


"A dream is a wish your heart makes
When you're fast asleep
In dreams you lose your heartaches
Whatever you wish for, you keep
Have faith in your dreams and someday
Your rainbow will come smiling thru
No matter how your heart is grieving
If you keep on believing
the dream that you wish will come true..."

It's all I've been singing today. 

My intial intention was to get on here today and give God some mad props. I was a little distracted in a holy way by the few young women in my life. God is incredible about relationships. He's exact and timely. I'm amazed by Him through them. Expect to see these incredibly beautiful women on here this week and next...all because of Him. It's incredible when you live exactly how He's knits you to live...like a scarf for your neck in the winter and a bathing suit for a hot summer day at the pool - 'we were made for this' moments - they keep your heart racing and your mind active. You go to bed eager for the next day and jump out expectant. LIFE - through your veins. At the days end you sleep well at night knowing you did ALL God intended... feeling totally satisfied. 

God in ALL His love chose us - messed up - to die - for us AND give us a hope AND do all we dream - encoraging us to dream bigger and bigger. What! WHY!?

Thankful! Especially as day two has rolled around - day 2 of Pax falling asleep on me as I blog. God's promise to me - napping on my lap.


today...

yesterday...

                                                                 

"But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth." 2 Thessalonians 2:13

God is uniquely good to us. Unlike anyone. No one can give the way He does. He is Creator. Goodness flows from Him. Perfection - the word solely belongs to Him. Lord because of you we have life. Those who love you and those who can't stand the thought of you - we ALL have life because of YOU. We are alive because of your GRACE and your PATIENCE.  Wow! Intense! You, God are ALL Mighty! 

I will never be able to honor You for what YOU ARE WORTH... And you know that...and you still continue to GIVE. Your LOVE is ridiculous. 

Confidence

  Keep me safe, O God,
      for I have come to you for refuge.

  I said to the Lord, “You are my Master!
      Every good thing I have comes from you.”
  The godly people in the land
      are my true heroes!
      I take pleasure in them!
  Troubles multiply for those who chase after other gods.
      I will not take part in their sacrifices of blood
      or even speak the names of their gods.

  Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing.
      You guard all that is mine.
  The land you have given me is a pleasant land.
      What a wonderful inheritance!

  I will bless the Lord who guides me;
      even at night my heart instructs me.
  I know the Lord is always with me.
      I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

  No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice.
      My body rests in safety.
  For you will not leave my soul among the dead
      or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.
  You will show me the way of life,
      granting me the joy of your presence
      and the pleasures of living with you forever. - Psalm 16:1-11

I'm so in love with Paxton. He's napping on me as I blog. The Lord reminding He can do anything - and is Faithful - AND His timing is PERFECT - AND He is just awesome. 

I dont have much to comfort the questions about our safety while over-seas or to ease your mind about taking a small - sweet little baby out of most peoples reach. 

But I have FACTS. MIRACULOUS PROOF - that the LORD has us. 

And to be honest - We feel safer in Him than where people and family would prefer us - their preference of safe. 

We are confident in this: "But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence." Jeremiah 17:7

His side of the story...

I let my wife know Sunday night that I would like to write in her blog to start off this week. You may see me once and awhile on here. It was important, however to be on here today because I wanted - as the head of this family - to proudly write in more detail where God is leading us, all three of us. To a place all three of us, we believe, will thrive and be in the center of where God desires us. 

Decisions. Deciphering. Really knowing where God desires you to be is very important and vital. It depends how much God is able to use you and how much of you can be used. Our family has made many decisions. In high school, both Jamie and I made the decision to love Jesus. At 21 we made the decision to marry each other. At 22 we made the decision to begin trying to have children. At 23 we made the decision to buy a home in Republic and serve as youth pastors at DWO (now Destiny Church). At 26 we made the decision to say yes to what God had for us - a son. Decisions we’ve made together - all because of our initial, faithful decision to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  Being the logical one of the two us - I call them decisions - Jamie calls them trust acts. Saying decision means resolving in my mind what God has already resolved in the spiritual and physical for us to do. 

We now come to another decision, another faith mark. And what a decision it is. How timely, unique, interesting, terrifying, awesome, rare yet so perfect of a decision it is. 

Jamie can go anywhere - live in a tent and not bathe for days and totally be thriving and in her element the entire time. She can hear about something cool happening and want to go to it and make it happen. This woman got our home ready for a baby in 3 1/2 weeks. Don’t limit this woman. She can make things happen with nothing at all. She could open a business and do well. She says yes to everything - even when we don’t have the resources to get it or do it. And somehow it always works. I shower daily. I have a routine and I’m orderly. I think everything through and hate risk taking - unless its in the form of cliff jumping or one day jumping out of a plane. I’m uneasy about change. I appreciate clear goals and directions. I must say I love adventure - but I’m most comfortable when I know its coming. I like peace - and you won’t find me stirring the pot and going crazy. I’m a husband and a father. I’m a protector and I want what we do with our lives and our family to be right. 

In a moment with the Lord I was given a direction. I had to make a decision. You know the kind, where it seemed to be the most difficult one, but at the same time the easiest one you have ever made? Where, in the physical world the choice that is made - the direction that is given - is very hard to make because of the fear, the unknown and the hurt that it will cause. At the same time in the spiritual world that same choice is very easy to make because you know that God is behind it 100 percent. You know that kind?

Jamie and I have recently been given one of those directions and have come to one of those decisions. 

It was a difficult decision because of what I mentioned above, but so easy because in actuality when Jamie and I gave our lives fully to Christ we knew that we would do whatever it was He called us to do. Whatever He tells us, is the decision that will be made.

Over the course of the past few months, we have diligently prayed and fasted for what it is that God wanted us to do - where He wanted us to be - how He wanted to use us. So that He could be glorified the most!

So without going on and on we would like to tell you all that God is calling us to over-seas missions. When we said yes to this we were given 3 different opportunities, only further confirming God was calling us to this. The place and time frame will be determined in the coming months and we ask that you pray for clarity and no confusion for us in all of this.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

Yours Truly

"But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong." (1 Corinthians 1:27 NIV)

These words have been making visits in my head the last month. It's capitalized in moments like talking about uprooting and moving - doing crazy things for Jesus, or when I read garbage about Tim Tebow getting slammed for his beliefs. Well for all you haters out there - I want to tell you you're right - we are freaking crazy! Us "Christians" are strange - making no human sense at all! We're weird and illogical AND we're fools! Every last one of us. I don't dress to impress you - but rather the Lord. I don't wake up in morning and walk through my day concerned I've won you over with my wit and awesomeness. You will not find me justifying my faith or selling my beliefs to you.

"But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong." (1 Corinthians 1:27 NIV).

My encouragement.. I will be used to shame the 'wise' and the 'strong'

Ladies and gentlemen I'm proud to introduce you to a foolish weakling... Lovely to meet you.

Let's Do This!

"The Message is accessible and welcoming to everyone, across the board. This is my life work: helping people understand and respond to this Message. It came as a sheer gift to me, a real surprise, God handling all the details. When it came to presenting the Message to people who had no background in God's way, I was the least qualified of any of the available Christians. God saw to it that I was equipped, but you can be sure that it had nothing to do with my natural abilities." Ephesians 3:6-8a

I think of this scripture as I dream about the upcoming days and months...

I can confidently say God is refining me...with what seems like a chisel...hurting (my pride) every time...

Today I had a beautiful friend come to the salon for me to do her hair. I'm always amazed how getting your hair done can be a time of refreshing and incredible fellowship. This impecable young woman and I began to share about high school & the days when Jesus wasn't a priority. It was a moment. It hit me...the scripture:"Scripture reassures us, "No one who trusts God like this—heart and soul—will ever regret it." Romans 10:11


Anytime I have looked back at my life and process through the times I acted on my own behalf....more times than none...well lets be honest.... everytime - I've felt regret...compromising in my mind a "do-over" will need to be necessary. But anytime I've recalled a moment 'I know for sure I acted in obedience to the Lord' or when I walked in Him, righteously - I NEVER have regretted and actually begin to feel proud and honored about the life I live...and remember to give it right back to him. 


No one ever regrets living in the love of the Lord and walking in His ways. The outcome of a life lived in obedience is that you are honored to live it, people are served and blessed by you and your life AND most importantly God is honored and GLORIFIED...


We are confident - so confident that we are selling everything to go where God is calling us. I must be honest with you though - as I want to give an accurate account - and prove that God uses flawed, sometimes hesitant people...The truth: I.... well we, sometimes get a bit worried. Stress about giving away our stuff. Distrust that God is going to act appropriately. Doubt His calling on our lives. And freak out that were giving up things that really do mean a lot to us...they have memories. But then I have those moments, where God - in all His mercy - meets me where I'm at and comforts me with the Truth of His Goodness...His Presence fills the gaps I've created with my doubt...and His sheer encounters make me confident that we're gaining so much more than we are losing...Him...all we need. All we were ever created to need.

To my family it is foolish. I expected it. And in their love have still shown some grace by not full fledge calling me an idiot...but no doubt voicing their concerns and opinions. Still some nodded their heads not really sure what to say (the kind of response I'd rather prefer). And just like the motto "There's an app for that.." I remember "There's a scripture for that.."

"This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength." 1 Corinthians 1:25


We stay confident in this truth and I leave you with this.


"Then Peter chimed in, "We left everything and followed you. What do we get out of it?"

Jesus replied, "Yes, you have followed me. In the re-creation of the world, when the Son of Man will rule gloriously, you who have followed me will also rule, starting with the twelve tribes of Israel. And not only you, but anyone who sacrifices home, family, fields—whatever—because of me will get it all back a hundred times over, not to mention the considerable bonus of eternal life. This is the Great Reversal: many of the first ending up last, and the last first." Matthew 19:27-30

Get On With It Already

"We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It's a wonder God didn't lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah.

  Now God has us where he wants us, with all the timein this world and the next to shower graceand kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It's God's gift from start to finish! We don't play the major role. If we did, we'd probably go around bragging that we'd done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing." Ephesians 2:1-10 - Message version

The New Year is coming. 2012. It's INSANE! This year was fast and furious. With the New Year comes a sense of a fresh start. I read the above verse this morning and thought it very appropriate for this time...a few days before the brand new year. To recognize where were at - where all of us are at AND then recognize where God is taking us...if we let him. 


"We neither make or save ourselves." What a verse! And if looked at the way it is intended - WHAT A FREEING VERSE. It's not up to me. The goals and dreams God has placed in me to accomplish - are totally up to Him to accomplish - I simply --- (it still baffles me) have to believe He will perform...staying FAITHFUL and FRUITFUL. Faithful = Obedience which produces FRUIT.

"He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing."


Love that. God has qualified us. Once we're mature enough to stop whallering in our past mistakes..and acknowledge (to admit to be real or true, recognized the validity and authority of) we are heirs (a person who inherits or has a right of inheritance in the property, rights and ruling of anothers) with Jesus Christ. 


And because Jesus is a pretty important guy - like any important person - He has stuff that needs to get done. And because He's so important He has a LOT of stuff to get done. And similiar (but not really) to Donald Trump - He has people working for Him - doing their specific jobs and called to execute specific jobs/talents/giftings/work...."work we had better be doing." Unlike Donald Trump, God can do it all by Himself - but rather wants us to be fulfilled and flourishing in our special and unique giftings. 


A few things to ponder..We are Jesus heirs...if we accept Him as our Lord and believe He died a sinner's death for us - beaten and nailed to a cross. What I love about being Heir to Jesus is that I didn't and couldn't do anything to deserve it ..."a gift".."God does both the creating and saving." I also love that I'm His Heir is...unlike being a natural heir to a human...Jesus left no debt unpaid. Often as an earthly heir we can be left with a spouse's or family member's debts. How refreshing. 


Second thing to ponder.. is the "work we had better be doing"...what a statement. A command. Now that we are aware - we are responsible to act. Our responsibility is to know the Lord, to know our giftings, to do the work we were given breathe for. 


What is the work that you had better be doing? It's the kind of work - we're accustomed to..the kind we dread. This kind of work that we are uniquely shaped for. The kind you LOVE doing. What you dream about..what would use EVERY part of your being. 


What is the work that you had better be doing?