Switchfoot has this amazing song called "Twenty Four". I have no idea if Jon Foreman wrote it when he was 24 or if he was referring more to the hours in a day, and I don't really care. I have taken a lot from this song and on this eve of my 24th birthday, I am drawing from it once again.
There is this line in the song that says: "You're raising the dead in me, oh oh I am this second man now." Here I am, once again thanking God for the "second man" (well...woman) that I am. I am another year older and another year wiser. Another year closer to Christ and farther away from the person I was before I knew him. And I still have a long way to go!
This has been a tough but rewarding year. So many friends have moved away, I got a full-time job, left that job for a part time job, struggled with health issues, went to Thailand, moved apartments, and did plenty more that is too much to tell. I have also been really missing my family. If i am honest, I have been thinking a little too much about my regrets and dwelling on things that I should. Sometimes I just want to stop this train (and get off and go home again). I want to go back to my house on Los Rogues in Saugus and walk in the door to find my family there. I want to snuggle up on my mom's lap and not worry about a thing. I think this is the first year of my life that I have wanted to just go back in time. It's strange.
But, I move forward. I know where my home is. I know who I am and where I belong. I know that even though I sometimes miss what was familiar and comfortable, I am 5 minutes away from bring 24...and I would not trade being right here and right now for anything. And praise God! He is raising the dead in me and making me more like Him.
If you want to listen the Twenty Four song you can do so HERE.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
ZOE means "Life"
Thailand was AMAZING! I will never be the same. I don't think anyone can ever be the same after looking into the smile of a bright and beautiful orphan who has been rescued from sex slavery and adopted into the Lord's family. My heart was completely moved. I am not even sure where it resides in my body anymore but I know it is beating wildly!
For those of you who don't know, David and I had the extreme honor of being a part of a donor trip to Thailand with Children's Hunger Fund where my husband works. If you don't know about CHF you can learn more here: We were there for a number of reasons but the highlight for me was that we were able to spend time with ZOE international . They are an organization that desires to further the gospel in the 10/40 window and they care for orphans in Thailand, many of whom have been abused. This is what Yale Global has to say about Thailand:
"Trafficking and prostitution is grave concern in Thailand. Girls usually between the ages of ten and twenty are tricked , kidnapped or otherwise hired from their homes by "brokers" representing a brothel or prostitution network and brought to urban areas to serve as prostitutes, receiving little or no wages for their work. New girls are beaten, raped and forced serve a chain of clients from morning till night until they finally bow to submission and stop objecting or attempting to escape. Estimates on the number of women in prostitution range from 300,000 to 2.8 million, of which a third are minors."
It was so heartbreaking to face the reality that things like this really happen in the world. At the same time, it was so encouraging to see an organization that is stepping out in total faith and fighting for these kids as well as caring for their spiritual and physical needs. The children and staff at Zoe are one big, happy, family that the Lord has set apart for great things. Praise our God! He does so many great things!
Here are a few things that the Lord really laid on m heart in Thailand. I carry them back and ask that you would hold me accountable to applying them to my life:
1. I have the power of the Holy Spirit and there is no excuse for me to be weak and complacent. ZOE has a bible school program and the students wake up every morning at 5am and spend an hour in prayer and an hour reading the bible. The fruit of their labor is SO evident. They are truly some of the most godly men and women I have ever met. One of them, a Burmese beauty named Grace, left such a sweet taste in the mouth of all who she interacted with. She was praying and fasting for the election in Burma, she was so broken over the injustice and the safety of her family. I could go on and on about these students but the point is that the Lord was saying "You have every opportunity to be just like them as they try to be just like me.". They sacrifice their sleep and time to be nearer to the Lord and He is making them more and more holy every day. I want that in my life. I NEED that in my life. Operation "Pray More Read More" has commenced. Want to join me? I need some partners to strive with me!
2. I love my husband and need to love him better. He is such a blessing to me. David Quinn is the most honest man I know and it is such a gift that i can completely trust the heart of my husband. I know that he loves God so much and that he wants to see the Kingdom grow. I need to be nicer to him. I need to clean my house more because that is one way I can love him better. I need to try harder and do the sweet things that I did when we were dating. He is so worthy of my time and sacrifice and I need to stop being a selfish brat.
3. I need to fight for those who can't fight for themselves. I cannot think of a more worthy thing to do with my life. I know what true religion is, and I know that they are so many ways that I can be caring for widows and orphans IN THEIR DISTRESS. I know, and have learned more, about the great distress many of these orphans are in. If i had my way, I would move to Thailand next week and start working for Zoe. I really would. We are praying about the idea of moving to Thailand very seriously and we would love your prayers! I also just want to challenge you all and say that you can't just do nothing about the sex slavery that is going on in the world. I don't know how the Lord will lead you to make a contribution and what that will look like. But we are all too informed and priviledged to do nothing. Please please please get more informed and figure out how you are going to fight for them!
I love you all so much and I am so excited to be writing again and sharing my heart with you. Hope you enjoy the pictures! Oh, and if you want to know more about Thailand and Zoe please contact me!
David and I at the Elephant Camp:
Visiting the hill tribe pastors, Grace is on the right:
Our evangelism team in the hill tribe. We got to give out CHF food paks and talk to the villagers. The maturity of these students blew me away!
Inside a villager's home:
This kid took a picture of me with his cell phone. Yes, there is cell phone reception way up in the mountains of Thailand : )
The ZOE worhsip team. We sang "Mighty to Save" and I believed it like I never have before.
One of my favorite girls. She was a fire-cracker. reminded me of my sister Allison:
This little boy was hiding in the mats so he did not have to clean up. I caught him! : )
Saying goodbye to our ZOE family:
For those of you who don't know, David and I had the extreme honor of being a part of a donor trip to Thailand with Children's Hunger Fund where my husband works. If you don't know about CHF you can learn more here: We were there for a number of reasons but the highlight for me was that we were able to spend time with ZOE international . They are an organization that desires to further the gospel in the 10/40 window and they care for orphans in Thailand, many of whom have been abused. This is what Yale Global has to say about Thailand:
"Trafficking and prostitution is grave concern in Thailand. Girls usually between the ages of ten and twenty are tricked , kidnapped or otherwise hired from their homes by "brokers" representing a brothel or prostitution network and brought to urban areas to serve as prostitutes, receiving little or no wages for their work. New girls are beaten, raped and forced serve a chain of clients from morning till night until they finally bow to submission and stop objecting or attempting to escape. Estimates on the number of women in prostitution range from 300,000 to 2.8 million, of which a third are minors."
It was so heartbreaking to face the reality that things like this really happen in the world. At the same time, it was so encouraging to see an organization that is stepping out in total faith and fighting for these kids as well as caring for their spiritual and physical needs. The children and staff at Zoe are one big, happy, family that the Lord has set apart for great things. Praise our God! He does so many great things!
Here are a few things that the Lord really laid on m heart in Thailand. I carry them back and ask that you would hold me accountable to applying them to my life:
1. I have the power of the Holy Spirit and there is no excuse for me to be weak and complacent. ZOE has a bible school program and the students wake up every morning at 5am and spend an hour in prayer and an hour reading the bible. The fruit of their labor is SO evident. They are truly some of the most godly men and women I have ever met. One of them, a Burmese beauty named Grace, left such a sweet taste in the mouth of all who she interacted with. She was praying and fasting for the election in Burma, she was so broken over the injustice and the safety of her family. I could go on and on about these students but the point is that the Lord was saying "You have every opportunity to be just like them as they try to be just like me.". They sacrifice their sleep and time to be nearer to the Lord and He is making them more and more holy every day. I want that in my life. I NEED that in my life. Operation "Pray More Read More" has commenced. Want to join me? I need some partners to strive with me!
2. I love my husband and need to love him better. He is such a blessing to me. David Quinn is the most honest man I know and it is such a gift that i can completely trust the heart of my husband. I know that he loves God so much and that he wants to see the Kingdom grow. I need to be nicer to him. I need to clean my house more because that is one way I can love him better. I need to try harder and do the sweet things that I did when we were dating. He is so worthy of my time and sacrifice and I need to stop being a selfish brat.
3. I need to fight for those who can't fight for themselves. I cannot think of a more worthy thing to do with my life. I know what true religion is, and I know that they are so many ways that I can be caring for widows and orphans IN THEIR DISTRESS. I know, and have learned more, about the great distress many of these orphans are in. If i had my way, I would move to Thailand next week and start working for Zoe. I really would. We are praying about the idea of moving to Thailand very seriously and we would love your prayers! I also just want to challenge you all and say that you can't just do nothing about the sex slavery that is going on in the world. I don't know how the Lord will lead you to make a contribution and what that will look like. But we are all too informed and priviledged to do nothing. Please please please get more informed and figure out how you are going to fight for them!
I love you all so much and I am so excited to be writing again and sharing my heart with you. Hope you enjoy the pictures! Oh, and if you want to know more about Thailand and Zoe please contact me!
David and I at the Elephant Camp:
Visiting the hill tribe pastors, Grace is on the right:
Our evangelism team in the hill tribe. We got to give out CHF food paks and talk to the villagers. The maturity of these students blew me away!
Inside a villager's home:
This kid took a picture of me with his cell phone. Yes, there is cell phone reception way up in the mountains of Thailand : )
The ZOE worhsip team. We sang "Mighty to Save" and I believed it like I never have before.
One of my favorite girls. She was a fire-cracker. reminded me of my sister Allison:
This little boy was hiding in the mats so he did not have to clean up. I caught him! : )
Saying goodbye to our ZOE family:
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Ella-Bella
I can be so cynical. I really can.
For the most part I tend to be an optimist. But when it comes to my predictions about the future and the direction humanity is heading...it seems a little dark. The media, politics, relational standards, and the big push for "tolerance" only appears to be pushing the human race farther and farther away from the way God desires for us to live.
Still, there is HOPE. And hope does not disappoint. Ella Stepan is 4 1/2 years old and brighter than a thousand roman candles exploding across the sky. She has a "heart of gold", a heart that I truly believe Jesus Christ resides in. She is creatively and intellectually brilliant, she has plenty of spunk and passion to go around, and she loves others with such power.
I babysat her the other night and she sang me all the songs that she has been learning at church. "I like to sing Jesus songs the most, they are just the best!" she explains to me. When I grabbed her dad's guitar and started playing a worship song she asked me to wait and ran upstairs to get her guitar to. She couldn't play a chord, but the kid could strum in perfect rhythm and no joke, she could stay in key. We played and sang together and I have to admit, I got a little teary eyed. It was as if the Lord way saying to me "Chin up kiddo, this is the future I am building. I still have things under control."
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