open doors

Dear Jesus,

today bob taught from acts 16 and paul's 2nd missionary journey. something i had never thought of before. when paul left, he tried to go to two places and each time, god closed the door. then he had a vision to go to macedonia. but he didn't have the vision until he hit the end of the road. literally because the city he was in was a coastal city and where was he going to go from there? it was a good message.

the nugget that i walked away with had to do with starting to move forward when god says go and letting god direct your steps, trusting that he will open and close doors as you go forward. none of us like to have doors closed on us, but it is better than never trying.

as bob started teaching, i asked god to speak to me directly about our situation with adoption. we had started to move forward and then i lost my job and it seemed to be a roadblock for sure. but as bob continued to share from your word, i started to wonder what you were going to show us. we had just talked about going through the county at this point because going with a private agency is so expensive. after service, i was working the married's table and osmel was waiting for me. we started to talk to steve and i thought it the perfect opportunity for osmel to hear first hand someone's experience with adoption.... funny thing- he and jill adopted through the county which as i already stated was looking like it was going to be our next step.

i really love the way you guide and direct our steps. as we talked to steve, i could see osmel's heart melting- as if it was the perfect conversation for us to have.

lord, i am overwhelmed with the possibility that you have a perfect situation for our family, that you may have a child with whom we will be a perfect match and that you will make it come about in your timing!!

jesus i love you and i look forward to you leading us to our next destination.

July 21, 2010

Exodus 4:29 Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders of the Israelites, 30 and Aaron told them everything the LORD had said to Moses. He also performed the signs before the people, 31 and they believed. And when they heard that the LORD was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.

Dear Jesus,

How like Israel I am, yesterday I was feeling hopeful, I might end up with a job. I have an inside man- God, He is the one that turns the heart of the king. He is the one that will get me a job. I know that, I believe that, and yesterday I was thankful. Today, not so much. Today, I’m feeling frustrated and discouraged. Today I am wondering if it will happen again for me. God I have no reason to believe that You will give me a position. How many brothers and sisters are there right now that are out of work and struggling to make ends meet, or losing their homes and many of them are much more faithful to You and Your work than we have been. God, I realize that this isn’t about rewarding your children, but that is the way I see it, and I am afraid.

Exodus 5:22 Moses returned to the LORD and said, "O LORD, why have you brought trouble upon this people? Is this why you sent me? 23 Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and you have not rescued your people at all."

Exodus 6:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country." 2 God also said to Moses, "I am the LORD. 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them. 4 I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they lived as aliens. 5 Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant. 6 "Therefore, say to the Israelites: 'I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. 7 I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. 8 And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD.' "

Dear Jesus,

Tonight as I was reading in Exodus, I started feeling You speaking to me through these passages. Exodus is how You confirmed to me that You wanted me to go to Cuba. Exodus was how You revealed to me that I was facing the hardening of a heart against me- not finding favor in the sight of my boss- And now once again, I am feeling comforted by the words in Exodus.

God is telling Moses, I will use your situation to deliver my people. I will use your situation to bring glory to myself. Others will look upon you and they will see me at work… Lord that is what I want for my life. My prayer is that I would be a witness. That my faith would be strengthened, but even more importantly, that You would show yourself strong through my weaknesses and failings.