Out of the Ashes

Maybe you have been reading my blogs for sometime. You might recall some posts entitled  Lessons from the Lounge Chair that I wrote back when my heart condition started in 2016. In every season of hardship or discomfort there are lessons to be learned, and I often find for me I can only seem to learn lessons in those seasons. I wish it was in the simple classroom of “other’s experience and listening” that I could learn, but God knows best. He knows my temperament and my need. He knows what I need to really learn His truth and the lessons of life.  This past week Hadessah was admitted to the local hospital for a bacteria infection. Of course the fact that my 4 month old was sick with blood in her stool and in an Indian hospital was scary. The hospital we admitted her to has an amazing doctor who is a believer and gives amazing care, yet it’s backwards infrastructure still exists where the nurses don’t wear gloves and there is no soap in the bathrooms. Fighting fear seems to be

An interesting thing about Indians is that often when they become believers, they give their whole lives to follow Jesus, and often become radical followers for His namesake. Too often, they give up their families, their culture, their rights, their name, their reputation, and more. They become victims of persecution; yet have such deep faith to pursue their walk with the Lord despite all costs. It’s truly convicting as an American who very rarely faces any sort of persecution. Indian believers’ lives become about the fame of Jesus not about their own lives or wellbeing.  The famous song, “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus” originated out of India, and the story of a man’s surrender of his life and family to the Lord.  The short but very powerful testimony can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mLC2XAXKac It takes a courageous and strong person to choose to decide to follow Jesus here. The city we live in is known for where the Baptism of the Holy Spirit fir

You may have noticed there haven’t been many blogs in the last year. I had, for all intents and purposes, stopped writing. Even this post I debated how to word and if I should post it at all. The last year has been hard.  All of us have experienced highs and lows in life. The mountain tops of bliss and joy, and the desert valleys of hardship and pain. There isn’t one of us that is immune to these terrains of life.  The physical terrain of the mountains and valleys in India often remind me of our journey in life. Climbing long trails for hours at steep elevations can feel exhausting and impossible at times. I have been on treks where I wondered if I could keep going or if I could make it home. I have also experienced the breathtaking wonder of God’s creation at the top of the mountain and the taste of victory of having “pressed through”. The valleys actually have a beauty all their own and are often worth the trek both down and up the mountain, though it can be a hard fact