Microwave for Growth

Thank you for praying for us! Going overseas on this kind of trip is like God popping you into the microwave for some quick growth, and sometimes healing. This is something I wrote in my journal last Wednesday while sitting in a park in E.Asia, reflecting over the past week.
April 8, 2009

I Have Felt…
So in-tune with my Heavenly Father
So out-of-touch with reality
So carried by Him
So disciplined in love by Him
So grateful for Jesus, for His mercy, love, and grace
So lifted up above the filth and evil that exists in this world
So brought low by my own pride and selfishness that is that same sin
Totally broken
Totally healed
Extremely exhausted
Exponentially energized
Thankful for friends and sisters I have through Him who loves and adopts us
Ashamed of my own inability & unwillingness to love with humility
Waves of guilt
Waves of conviction
Tsunamis of grace and acceptance
The Holy Spirit fill and move in me with love and power
The vacancy of that same love and power due to my own pride and selfishness
My brain on fire with thoughts of Him and His word
My brain turned to mush that engulfs all my thoughts and leaves confusion
Anger that I cannot have my own way
Anger that I cannot control what others believe or feel
Sadness that people don’t know Him and don’t seem to care
Grieved that we live in a fallen, nasty place that will choose death over life
Joy that our God is the Biggest
Joy that He reigns, and it is never too late
Joy that nothing is too big for Him to forgive
Peace that He is with me. Even if no one ‘gets’ me, He does
Peace that we stand victorious in Him
Overwhelmed that He loves all people and He’s in every place and every time
Humility because I do nothing good on my own and without Him I am just dust
So glad that He holds the universe and I hold nothing

Grateful that because He loves me and adopted me, I am not alone, not misunderstood, do not need to worry, do not need to explain, do not need anything but what He can and does freely give me!

Shala

The Same Moon

The round moon I see tonight from my bedroom window is the same moon I gazed at yesterday from the 11th floor picture window overlooking a busy East Asia city. Hard to believe I have traveled so far around the globe in a few hours time. Just two days ago I fell asleep to the sounds of noisy traffic. Tonight I entered a quiet house at 2am to see sweet faces, hear familiar rhythmic breathing as I kiss each sleeping member of my family. Oh, I loved the adventure from which I have just returned. My heart is so full, I must unpack each experience with care. How happy I am to be at home as I sort through all I have seen and heard. It was a fascinating trip. God is alive and active in East Asia. In the days to come, we all will be sharing more of our experiences with you.

4 more days!!

Guys, we leave and board the big bird for the other side of the world in just 4 days!! Crazy. We are all sooooooo excited! Please pray along with us and for us on this amazing journey. If you want to receive prayer requests during our time there, please email me at shala.nolan@gmail.com, because we will not be posting specific requests on this site.
thanks so much for joining with us on this trip!
With His love for the nations,
Shala

Trippin'

Trippin’

Oh, I love to travel, to trip it, to live it!
Amazing places, inspiring people, and life-changing experiences
He loves every individual, family, and nation
And in them He’s moving to bring them to the author of all creation
Whether home or abroad, we take His Word and love with us
He allows us to be a part of His plan and His purpose

Going out where my control cannot be feigned
It’s a painful, yet healing surgery on my heart and my brain
I only pray it’s affect does not wane.

I enjoy the food, smells, sights, and sounds
Everything different, all around
When I sit down of food to partake
Sometimes I don’t recognize what’s on the plate
So, to God I pray, “I know you’re there.
My mind, mouth, and stomach please prepare.”
“It’s not wrong, it’s just different,” I often repeat
When astonished by scenes I wish to change or delete.



I want so badly not to waste the time I’m given
To listen to people, and soak up every minute
But, oh the jet lag - - in the day, I’m dizzily tired
Yet, in wee morning hours, dizzily wired.

Time and my body are not in harmony
Here the stage is set, for God to live and breathe in me
Through a sacrifice of continual praise and abandon
Surrendering my rights, my power, my strength to the great I Am.

These combinations of everything in my world being changed
Give Him astounding freedom to Reign
Such small things that at home, I can do, if I choose
Have now become hills and mountains, unfit for my shoes
It’s both necessary and convenient to let Him carry me
After all that’s one major reason this trip came to be

Seeing and speaking with people who have so little we can see
Less resources, less freedom, and less opportunity
Being sure of what is hoped for and certain of what is not seen
They believe, and they pray with a faith that is keen
I’m left to examine my trust in God and His Word
Dared not to just hear but to do what I’ve heard


His Word becomes solid under my feet
When I walk in faith with each challenge I meet
Some trials spring forth from unexpected places
From people I love who join me in these faith races
In the battle that rages, we’re sometimes caught unaware
And other times, we choose the flesh we can wear
It’s essential to remember that this side of heaven
Perfection is absent, we’re all saints who still sin
Keeping our eyes on Jesus and looking through His
All feelings, our doubts, and insecurities vanish
With brothers and sisters, whatever occurs, one thing can be certain
If we let Him, He’ll weave us together and grow us in Him
It’s His love in us that triumphs and reveals
To all those around us, how His love really feels.

While here in a land whose King is not the Lord
It’s paramount that we fight with the shield and the sword
Often I see more clearly the war that is raging
I’m compelled to kneel down and do battle through praying
Here God’s most powerful work is done
And here we see that the battle is won.
I know and love Him so much more
When I am forced to bow down to the floor
Understanding of Him and of His mysteries is received
Compelled by love to face the nasty residue of flesh to which I cling
I get to see Him up close as I am emptied
And He fills me to use me as His hands, mouth, and feet

Why do I love trips God calls me to travel?
He seems to accomplish 10 times the sanctifying in the battle
He brings Himself glory that blinds me with brightness
And when I come out I’m more conformed to His likeness
As for my affection and friendship with my Father, and Savior
It flourishes and it’s transformed forever
Because of all this, in the dark times that will most definitely come
There’s a bounty of standing stones to which I hold on.

Reality of Heaven

I was innocently driving down the road yesterday morning, when a song came on the radio.  I was immediately struck by the 'Reality of Heaven'.  Does that ever happen to you?  When you are taken to a place almost outside of yourself and your circumstances.  I was overwhelmed with great joy and huge sadness all at the same time.  The song that was playing was 'There Will Be A Day' by Jeremy Camp and the lyrics were 'We will see Jesus face to face'.  And I began to cry thinking about the reality that we WILL get to see Jesus - My Face to His beautiful Face.  This is our reality as Christians.  One day there will be 'no more tears, no more pain, and no more fear'.  And that He, Jesus, will wipe away all our tears and bring us everlasting joy and comfort.  I cried also because in this Life we will have trouble and uncertainty, but we do have hope.  We can HAVE JOY.  Real joy and peace that nothing this world brings us can take away. 

 

And one day we will get to sit with Jesus the lover of our souls.  The Reality is,  Heaven is REAL and through Jesus we do have hope and joy. 

 

Rest with me today in the 'REALITY OF HEAVEN'!  

Prayer for Unity

As we have asked God what we need to be praying about as we prepare for this trip, one of the things that has come up the most is the unity of our team. This sounds a little crazy to all of us, because you would be hard-pressed to find another group of women who love each other so much, warts and all! I mean, if I could hand-pick who I would want to be trapped on a desert island with, I would choose Phil first and then these friends! And we all know each other- really well. It's not like we're just in the "honeymoon" stage of friendship.

So, why is God continually pointing us to diligently pray about the unity of our team? Why has He spent most of His time prior to this trip lovingly-but painfully-pointing out and pulling out of our character things like pride, self-sufficiency, selfishness, insecurity, and laziness?

I don't know the specific answer to that, but I know I can trust Him. Completely. And I know His ways are higher than mine and His Word is flawless: "For the Word of the LORD is right and true; He is faithful in all He does" Psalm 33:4. He knows what is coming, and I don't.

As I have to often remind myself, "God's way, Good. Kirsten's way, Bad." :)

And, we all know the spiritual battle there will be fierce. We will be pushed and challenged. We will need to depend first on God, and we will need each other. We need each other here too, in the everyday, but we can get by without really leaning on one another too deeply.

But when we get over there, we will need each other in a way we have not experienced here in the States. And I think that even though we all know that, it might still be a shock to the system once we are in it.

But more than anything else, I know that the Almighty, Sovereign God is clearing the way through our prayers and yours! So let us continue being, like Paul says, devoted to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

Below is Colossians 3:1-17 from the Message (a version of the Bible written in very updated language for ease of understanding). I included it here, and italicized specific things we need prayer for. Would you join us in praying for this mighty work God is preparing to do in East Asia, and the beautiful work He is already doing in all of our hearts? I look so forward to sharing with you all the times we thanked God for preparing us in this particular way!

Colossians 3:1-17 (The Message)
1-2 So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that's where the action is. See things from his perspective.
3-4Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you'll show up, too—the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ.
5-8And that means killing off everything connected with that way of death: sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy. That's a life shaped by things and feelings instead of by God. It's because of this kind of thing that God is about to explode in anger. It wasn't long ago that you were doing all that stuff and not knowing any better. But you know better now, so make sure it's all gone for good: bad temper, irritability, meanness, profanity, dirty talk.
9-11Don't lie to one another. You're done with that old life. It's like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you've stripped off and put in the fire. Now you're dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete. Words like Jewish and non-Jewish, religious and irreligious, insider and outsider, uncivilized and uncouth, slave and free, mean nothing. From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ.
12-14So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.
15-17Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.

To God be the Gloryn now and forever!
Love-Kirsten

Survival Mode

For a long time, I have been in survival mode. It wasn't that I planned to live this way, but it happened. And I wasn't really aware of it, until God let me see something new about myself.

 

If we let Him, God will not leave us the way we are.

 

As some of you know we were fasting last week until Friday. It has been a few days now and He is still pruning - leaving me feeling like "Will there be anything left of me when He is done?". I have fasted before but this time was different. First, I didn't really want to do the fast. In previous fasts that I have done, God gave me a real desire to do it. Previously, I really wanted to fast. This time though, I knew God was asking me to fast, but I didn't really want to.

 

I don't know about you, but when I don't want to do something I can have a bad attitude about it and make sure that everyone knows - because I complain and whine about it. But I had a friend pray that my attitude would change before we started (Thanks Kristin), and now looking back, God is showing me that is what the enemy does, he takes something that God intends for our good and makes it all about us. "How is this 'thing' going to make me feel?" "Will I even like it?" God tells us not to rely on our feelings, but to have faith and walk in obedience; no matter what the situation or how WE feel about it. I am learning that this is a heart issue of what is still in my heart for my own self-preservation. Thankfully, my attitude did change before we started our fast. This was a fast for God to do some much needed pruning so He will get the most glory during our trip and going forward.

 

The second lesson that I learned was furthering my reliance on Him and others. God continues to draw me closer and is teaching me that I have to CHOOSE to rely on Him and others instead of self-reliance. This fast was harder than the ones I have previously done. I was hungry more and had to rely on others to pray for me when I didn't think I could go on. Also, I had to rely on God to focus my attention on Him and what He wanted. Again, God is pruning out self-centeredness, dying to my own agenda and my own happiness. There are things we are called to do that we might not want to do and might not bring us happiness, but they are things God desires us to walk through. To bring us closer to him, the perfector of our faith.

 

So I am praying 'Father, please give me the desire to be obedient no matter what the circumstance and to have the right attitude as I walk through it. Not to just survive, but to let God do the work to prune me to become all that He wants me to be.'

 

Because, after all, it's not about me anyway!