Staring at the blank screen.  The only noise is the tuh-tuh of my fingers tapping the keyboard. I have a lot on my mind as I sit here and write this... whatever this will end up to be. A compilation of thoughts perhaps. This past year has been quite the journey for my family and I,  and tomorrow is the beginning of a rocky road.  (no ice-cream related pun intended). My Dad, a man of strength he is, starts radiation tomorrow.  Everyday. 6 weeks. 2+ hours driving. still working.  You should know by know that he is one of my hero's.  His story is where a big part of my faith stems from, because God has been so faithful to us as a family Reading Psalm 150 today the last verse resided in my heart "... Let everything that has breath Praise the Lord"  There has been many a times this year where praising God was the last thing on my agenda.  One year and a half ago, when finding out my Dad's diagnoses, I was given two options,  I could either throw myself as far away from God as possible and let bitterness overtake my heart, or I could praise Him and Thank Him for who He is.  He is faithful.  I have come to learn a very simple but revolutionary characteristic about my God the Father, which is a midst trial, hardship, darkness, corruption, destruction, injustice, God is still God and God is still Good.  You see we have this idea, where because the world is bad, that makes God bad too, which makes what the bible says about His loving kindness false.  But let me let you in on a little secret.  When I found out my dad had cancer, I knew with every fiber of my being that God was not sitting their laughing saying "sucks for you, deal with it" , He was actually kneeling beside me holding my hand as God my Heavenly Father, whispering to me "I love you, trust in me, have faith in me."  It is there that I came to the conclusion that He is faithful til the end, and He will finish what He started.  I have also come to realize that when the bible says "God works all things together for good for those who love Him" the statement is not wrong.  I believe that it was not Gods perfect will for my dad to be diagnosed with cancer, but because of the sin and evil of this world, it happened, just like other misfortunes.  It was not Gods will. BUT, wait for it. God took the circumstance we as a family had been put in and is making the best out of it, He is working it together for good.  These past years have been hard, just ask my parents but I have seen the faith of my mother and father grow into something so beautiful, so strong, a faith that is unshakable in even the roughest of storms.  This faith has inspired me, to trust in God to care for my family while I am over 4,000 miles away.  The peace that Jesus has given my Dad, is a peace that passes all understanding, a gift that I hope to receive.  The joy of the Lord is their Strength,  I have never seen my parents so alive, taking painting classes, going on hunting trips, fishing, camping, scuba diving.  The list goes on and on.  Every time I talk to them I am amazed at how they are giving their lives fully into Gods hands, letting Him take the wheel, and watching them be filled up with contentment and belief that everything will ok.  I don't know who will read this, or what you are going through but I challenge you to run into the open arms of God, He will give you the strength for each new day. And no matter the circumstance you are in Praise the Lord, Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His love endures forever.  I know, it is easier said than done, but God loves you so much. He loves you. He loves you. He loves you. He loves you. He loves you.  He wants you to walk in freedom, He wants you to be embraced by His love,  He wants to give you the strength to fight every battle.  He will never leave your or forsake you. He has never left your side nor will He ever.

Waking up this morning, my routine started as normal, but as I walked to breakfast I skipped one important step.  Instead of putting on my wool socks, snuggling my feet into the warmth of my boots, I walked right out the door, bare feet onto the rain washed stones.  The cold seeped into my feet creating a needle prick reaction.  The only difference, which is a big one, is that at the end of today I have shoes, more than one pair, that I can wear to protect my feet against potentially deadly diseases and infections.  

This month of October is the Steps of Justice Prayer Guide month.   Every day we will pray against the injustices of the world from poverty t

o child exploitation.  Every Monday we will take action to get an ever so tiny glimpse of what life is like outside the safety and security of a first world country. 

Today it's about shoes.  Or lack there of.  "On this Action Day we are asking that you would go throughout the day, or a portion of the day, without shoes. You may not be allowed into some 
places, but that is part of the injustice of not owning shoes. See what it is like to be restricted in where you can walk and where you can go. As you go through this day, let each step remind you to pray for the children who are walking around today without shoes, not by choice, but because 
of where they were born. "

• “Many children in developing countries grow up barefoot. Whether at 
play, doing chores or going to school, these children are at risk.”

• “ A leading cause of disease in developing countries is soil-transmitted 
diseases, which can penetrate the skin through bare feet. Wearing shoes 
can help prevent these diseases, and the long-term physical and cognitive 
harm they cause.”

• “ Wearing shoes also prevents feet from getting cuts and sores. Not only 
are these injuries painful, they also are dangerous when wounds become 
infected.”

• “Many times children can’t attend school barefoot because shoes are 
a required part of their uniform. If they don’t have shoes, they don’t go to 
school. If they don’t receive an education, they don’t have the opportunity 
to realize their potential.”

“For I the Lord love Justice...” Isaiah 61:8

• for more ways of how you can get involed and download th prayer guide go to... www.stepsofjustice.org

some information taken from www.toms.com

Dreaming. Wondering. Praying. Seeking.  Something I do everyday.  The future.  It is so daunting, but so intriguing.  It lies in tomorrow, waiting to be discovered after each day dawns.  It is a thing that I have contemplated time and time again.  It is a topic of conversation that arises, what do you want to do with your life?  What are you going to do after you are finished with what you are doing now?  What is your two year, five year, ten year plan?  But who says I have to have a plan.  I was recently inspired which lead me to the revelation that is this...

I want to be free. Not in the American, you can't take my rights away I can do whatever I want kind of free, but the free as in the only thing I am living for is God.  Where the only one telling me what to do with my life is God.  The only thing that is bounding me to this place or that job is nothing, unless it is God speaking into what He is calling me toward.  Everyday I want to wake up and ask "God where do you want me, Here I am, Chose me, Send me, Use me, for Your Glory Jesus. I want to spend my whole life reliant on what God is speaking into me, what He is placing on my heart.  When missionaries ask for more people to join their ministry, I want to be able to raise my hand, to have the freedom to say "If God calls me, I am there." I get so excited to think how wonderful it is to live in this way, to know that whatever you are doing, wherever you are, you are living in the fullness of the plans God has for you.  So for me it is not a question of what I will do with my future, but where God will lead me. For now, I will wait upon the Lord, and be present in every new day, because my life is in the hands of the maker of heaven.

"I give it all to you God trusting that You'll make 

something beautiful out of me"