Prayer

The theme at all of our sites today was prayer. Today was exam day again for the Costa Rican kids. So our numbers were fairly low. However, the day was still amazing. We made the most of the kids that we had and there are strong relationships being built. Friday is going to be really tough for us all. It's always hard to leave the kids. Everyone already has kids that they are attached too and believe me when I tell you, we are making fools out of ourselves for Christ. I have had numerous opportunities to talk a lot of the kids individually and God is really doing some amazing things in their hearts. Even when they are tired they persevere and the love of Christ is shinning through them in numerous ways. We went to a waterfall today during lunch and the kids had a great time. Please pray for us the next two days. We really want to finish strong. They are still doing great. Be warned, I think the Pura Vida staff might be recruiting them to come back as interns once they graduate. :)

Love

Today was even better than yesterday. The theme was love and the kids really got into it. The staff at Pura Vida got to see us in action today and they were extremely impressed with the way our kids handled themselves. Last night I was told that our morning sight would be extremely tough, the staff said the previous group that had gone to this sight almost had to leave early because the kids were so bad. He asked if I still wanted to go because we had such a young We knew that all we had to do was love the kids despite their behavior and God would use. When the Pura Vida staff came to check on us they were completely amazed and impressed. Kids who had previously been out of control were loving and enjoying us. Even more important they were attentive when we were sharing the word. Kelden, Kayla, Halle and Tommy gave their testimonies to the kids today. The kids also performed a skit orchestrated by Kelden that was amazing. Johnny and Natey also have a reoccurring skit they do everyday to teach the kids a verse. Everyone is loving it. One of the interns were on the verge of tears. The camp director said to me "Roshad you have a group of freshman but spiritually they act like seniors." God is doing amazing things keep praying.

Faith

Here I am, my 2nd time in Costa Rica this month. I'm always amazed at the things I get to do. This trip has already been worth it. Didn't know what to expect taking 12 freshman (well now sophomores) out of the country. They've already grown. Tommy and Halle finally got their luggage late last night, so all is well with them. They had amazing attitudes the whole time, I was so proud. Today we went to two different sites to do VBS (vacation bible school). The first site was called Managua. The kids didn't know at all what to expect but they did a great job. They've learned a few spanish songs, and they're doing a great job of fumbling through the language. Everyone is already building relationships with the Costa Rican kids and I can already tell it's going to be rough when we have to leave them on Friday. Our second sight went a lot smoother than the first. It is called Calle Zimmora. The kids were like pro's this afternoon. Four kids (David, Cassidy, Cody, and Christa) have already had the opportunity to share their testimony using a translator. I can't wait to see what else is in store. Apparently this is exam week for the kids so we haven't had as many as expected but we are taking advantage of the ones that god sends us. Tonight we went into downtown San Ramon and hung out for a while. We are about to start the night session that consist of praise worship and a speaker. Keep praying for us. I'll keep you posted, everyone is healthy and doing great!

PROBLEMS WITH NO SOLUTIONS

Melt down in 5,4,3,2...

It's official, Christians will divide over anything. Somehow the death of Osama or Usama (whatever his name is now) has succeeded in creating a debate among Christians. Don't get me wrong, I'm not disagreeing with scripture that says God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. But I'm also not going to wag my finger at people who are acting in very natural way to the death of a brutal killer. What's sad to me is that it just seems like the same ole same ole. Christians are becoming so good at telling people what they shouldn't be doing but not telling us why or even more important how. And if you are going to be so bold as to tell people that God said they shouldn't rejoice in the death of a cruel mass murderer at least follow through and tell them why and how, as to not make God look like an out of touch figment of our imagination. My favorites are the Christians who are saying "this makes me sad to see all these people reacting this way". Let us know when it makes you sad enough to do something besides tweet and post about it.

*Breath* My point is this, we should never talk about the wrath of God without talking about the grace of God. We should never speak of the things that we can't/shouldn't do as Christians without talking about all the many blessing and freedoms we have because we do follow Christ.

If you are one who is saying " I just don't understand how people can rejoice in this" Stop it!! Yes you can. And if you can't it's time reconnect with normal people Oh Super Spiritual One. And if you are one who is overly excited by death be careful and don't forget we all deserve the same fate.

Now can we please get back on the same page and start reaching out to the lost again.

Gosh we complicate things. I'd so be an atheist if it wasn't so obvious that God was real.

Godly Peace or Fleshly Relief?

Philippians 4:6-7

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God; and the PEACE of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your minds and hearts through Jesus Christ.

During a conversation with a friend, God said something that without a doubt I needed to hear. It was related to the peace of God. I think so many times it’s easy to interpret fleshly relief as Godly peace. A friend of mind was telling me how she was struggling with the decision to buy a house. She prayed about it for weeks but still felt anxious. After a few days she decided, “although it’s a great deal, I’m just not going to do it.” She felt such a “peace” with her decision. When she told this to another friend, he said something very insightful. Of course you feel “peace”. You just took your self out of a stressful situation.” It wasn’t’ peace it was relief. Sometimes God purposefully allows us to be in stressful situation because he wants us to find peace while we are IN it. Taking yourself out of situation that brings you stress is always going to bring you relief, that’s not proof that you are in Gods will. Sometimes God wants you to find Him in the storm not take you out of it. When an addict goes a number of days without using their substance of choice, they get extemely anxious their thoughts minds and actions become consumed. During that time if they use again, they are overwhelmed with a since of peace and relief. We wouldn’t dare say "it must have been Gods plan for them the use again, look at the peace they feeling right now". We know that this only made the problem worse. They are relieved because they are no longer struggling and fighting the battle that God has them in. Coming back in contact with something you were addicted to always makes you happy. (Temporarily)

Sometimes that perceived peace is really just fleshy relief, that shows you that you are no longer fighting the battle that God wants you to fight. Be careful! If you read the verse you’ll see that the peace of God is one the “surpasses all understanding”. It’s not one that’s necessarily logical. It’s one you feel even while you are in the midst of the storm.

Some of you may or may not know this but, this past summer I was without a job. During that time I was actually offered a job as a guidance counselor. My initial reaction was one of relief because, obviously, now I was able to pay my bills. But I didn’t take it. I wish I could say that I felt extreme peace about this decision but I didn’t at first. I just somehow knew it was what I should do. But the cool thing is that God actually eventually gave me a peace about NOT having a job. That made no sense. And I thought, man I’m so stupid. I’m about to turn down job in this economy where people would give anything to find work. I was anxious, but as I waited on the Lord, and honestly it wasn’t easy. It was extremely scary at times but eventually He gave me a peace that surpassed all understanding. It made no sense but I trusted HIM. Now I have the job of my dreams. So glad that God gave me the strength to stay the course and I didn’t just seek relief, I sought His Peace!

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. ( The message)

Better Man

Proverbs 18:22 He who finds a wife, finds a good thing. And obtains favor for the Lord.

"There’s a light that cannot shine until, you come into my life and love reveals. You will be the one, the one for me. And I'll give you all I have to give, all the love, all the joy, my heart can give. Hoping you will share the same with me." Miki Howard

A year ago today, I had the privilege of being the best man in the wedding of my best friend. Gosh time flies. I remember my tweet that morning was “ Today I get to be the best man for a better man”. It has taken me a year to see what God was actually trying to show me through that statement. One of the things that Jul has definitely done is make William a better man. As close as him and i were, there was still a side of him that I had never seen until he married her. I realize that as bright as I attempt to shine my light now, there’s a light in me that’s going to shine even brighter when I find my wife. When I find the woman that God has for me, those of you who love me now, will love me even more, because you will finally get to see a better side of me that right now only she has the key to. After all these years of searching, I just realized what I was looking for. The one who is going to help me shine brighter and I will help her shine brighter. A godly woman who loves God more than she loves me. I’ll be a better man and you all will finally get to see a part of me that you don’t even know is there. Thanks William and Jul for the things you taught me. Happy Anniversary and I love you both very much. I’m counting down the days until I can tell my best man that I'm about to become a better man.

Real Men Reject Isolation

Proverbs 18:1 A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire. He rages against all wise judgement.

Again Solomon warns us of the dangers of trying to do things on our own. I know for myself there are areas where I desire to isolate myself. If I'm honest, the reason that I don't want advice, is the same reason mentioned in the proverb, I want to seek my "own desires". I don't want to be told I'm wrong, or be challenged in my thinking. In the second part of the verse, Solomon makes a point that I had never thought of. In essence, Isolation is the enemy of "wise judgement". When we isolate ourselves to seek our own desires, we're pretty much guaranteeing we're not using wise judgement. In other words, if you have a situation that you are hiding/keeping away from others because you don't want to be wrong, there's a greater chance that you are wrong. Think about it!!