AGAIN!!

The first time was in middle school. A 36-hour bus trip across the US, just over the border into Mexico. It was duck, duck, goose on the basketball court of an orphanage, VBS at a local church. It was choreography to Jaci Velasquez's "On My Knees".

Again... after my freshman year of college. This time, a couple of plane rides with my college teammates into the heart of the Dominican Republic. It was playing hoops against the national club teams, sharing testimonies at half-time, visiting an orphanage to play soccer and have my hair styled by 5 and 6 year-olds. It was an ever-sobering trip to another orphanage - the home of children who were physically and mentally handicapped, abandoned by their families.

Then again...the summer of 2011 during one of the darkest times of my life. Again, a couple of flights and a bus ride for a week in the DR. A week where God enabled and allowed me to let go and leave everything behind and once again experience the life-giving joy of serving.

I've had a lot of "agains" in my life. Some terribly painful; others exceedingly joyous. 

Now again...the fall of 2014. October 4th - 11th to be exact. This time with a group I don't know yet personally, but who are part of a larger community that I call home - Cross Point. This time, Haiti. It could be construction, it could be hanging with kids, it could be sharing a meal with a family. Whatever it might be, whatever it might look like, I am excited about this "again"!!

How you can help:

• Financial Support: I know. I should put "Prayer" first, because that is the "Christian" thing to do. But if I'm honest, I really need financial support. Yes, I need prayer, and my team needs prayer. But we also need funds.
• What's the cost? 
• $1450.00
• When's it due?
• September 4th - that's a MONTH AWAY!! 
• How can you give? 
• Right now you can make checks payable to Cross Point Church, with "Alysha's Haiti Trip" in the memo line. Checks can be mailed to Cross Point Church, PO Box 60468, Nashville, TN 37206, or dropped in the offering bucket at church. 
• Hopefully by week's end I will have a Razoo profile set up in case you'd like to give online. I'll keep you updated.
• If you have any questions, feel free to email me at acook@wswcpas.com. Or you can message me on FB.
• And don't forget, all donations are tax-deductible!!
• Prayer: Don't misunderstand me - prayer is super important and I believe in it's power! Here are some ways you can pray:
• For me: For the weeks and days leading up to the trip. That all funds come in. That God begins working in me now, preparing me for what is to come - what I will see, do, experience, and learn. And for the days after I return, as I process everything, and begin to unpack and process all that I experience.
• For my team: I ask you pray the same for them. Each one of them are equally important as me and will be on this trip for a specific reason, for a specific purpose.
• For the leadership: As they prepare for the trip as individuals and as our leaders. For clarity, wisdom, strength, and discernment.
• For the people of Haiti: That God will allow them to accept us as conduits of his love. Nothing more and nothing less. That they will fear no agenda, but experience only hope and love.

Here's to again!!

Great is Thy Faithfulness

I awoke this morning with the words of a Sanctus Real song rolling through my mind:

So hold onto the promises. Hold onto the promises.

Jesus is alive, so hold tight. Hold onto the promises.

It’s often that I wake up to the unconscious playing of music and lyrics. A lot of times I just sing along, shake it off, and move on throughout my morning without a second thought. But this morning, I took a timeout and paid a little extra attention. I stopped, listened, let it sink it, and made it my prayer…my armor for the day.

A little later, with coffee in hand, I sat down to read Jesus Today. I know – it’s Sunday. Growing up I didn’t think a little one-on-one time with Jesus was all that necessary on “the Lord’s day”, but I have since learned that it’s always necessary. (A little disclaimer: Don’t think me super spiritual or anything like that! I don’t always have one-on-one time with Jesus. I don’t always make it priority, though I know it’s best for me. My relationship with Him has been a journey and a process, and it just so happens that I chose to make it a priority today.)

So what was it about? In essence, for me: seasons and God’s faithfulness.

On point, that’s what it was.

See yesterday, I set out to tackle the project of financial forecasting/planning and making myself a budget.  I got part of the way through, put some pen to paper on expenses/spenditures, and then got a little overwhelmed and cut the planning session short. As I went about my day, I noticed a gnawing anxiousness. Thoughts of disappointment and frustration, fear and doubt played on the record of my mind.  By the end of the day, I was mentally exhausted and, honestly, a little down in the dumps.

This morning, my plan was to again set out to tackle the budget planning.  But thankfully, today, I chose to make time with Jesus a priority. It’s so cool when He speaks directly into your situation…straight to the fear and doubt of your heart. God is faithful, and He knows the season of my life, and what I need. He has so awesomely provided for me in the past few weeks!! It’s petty of me to let that fear and doubt cloud my vision of His blessings and faithfulness. But that’s exactly how the devil works…cause he’s petty like that.

So today, right now, I’m holding onto the promise of His faithfulness. Thanks, God, for the reminder. You always know what I need :).

Lamentations 3:21 – 24

But this I call to mind, and therefore have hope:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end;

They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness

“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.

_______________________________________________________________

Jesus brought this old hymn to my mind as I read today. So rich and such a great, and much needed, reminder! (Check out Selah's version here.)

Great is Thy Faithfulness

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God, My Father

There is no shadow of turning with Thee

Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me

Summer and winter, and spring-time and harvest

Sun, moon and stars in their courses above

Join with all nature in manifold witness

To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth

Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow

Blessings all mine and ten thousand beside

CHORUS

Great is Thy faithfulness, great is Thy faithfulness

Morning by morning, new mercies I see

All I have needed, Thy hand hath provided

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me

1 Year. 52 Weeks. 365 Days.

This time one year ago, I had just crashed into my new bed, in my new room, at my new house. New to me, that is.

It was on this day last year that I walked into the doors of Mercy Ministries in Lincoln, California, as a very numb individual—broken on the inside, but desperately trying to keep it together for those on the outside. I was hopeless and miserable. But it was then that I walked into a literal and tangible example of God’s grace and love and mercy.

As I think about then now, I’m completely overwhelmed with emotion. My heart is humbled as I am reminded just how relentless His pursuit of me has been.  Over and over again He has proven Himself to me. Even in my worst moments, He has shown Himself faithful, and He has done nothing but demonstrate His love for me.

His love that is patient. His love that is kind. That is neither arrogant nor rude, irritable nor resentful. His love that does not rejoice in my wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. His love that bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.

So tonight—1 year; 52 weeks; 365 days later—I am nothing but thankful. Thankful for the heart of my Father. Thankful for a place like MercyMinistries where the broken can find healing. Thankful for my family and my friends who have faithfully walked beside me and  seen me through, and who continue to do so. And thankful for this life He has allowed me to live, and for the future He has planned.

May the journey this next year be filled with growth and Love just the same.