Hola España

Hello Spain,

It's good to finally meet you. Your cities are beautiful and your people kind. You welcome with big hearts, but I wonder who has your heart. Is your heart set on God above or earth below?

As I sit and ponder you, I am amazed at the surrounding beauty, but my heart aches for you. You have a rich history in Christianity, but is it just history or is it now? Your churches stand over the centuries, yet it is just a building. How has the heart of Christianity stood? On top of the houses are crosses to mark where past Christians have lived, but has that legacy lived on? 

My heart does not ache just for you, but for those around the world. Those who are lost because they don´t know Jesus. How are they supposed to know when we look at the past? People need to see Jesus living now inside of us...inside of you now. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16) 

Spain, you are one of the most historic and beautiful countries that I have ever been too. Know that I am praying for you and love telling you about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. God is working here. Open your hearts and minds to listen to what He has to tell you. His plans are much greater than ours.

Love in Christ,

Tabitha

God's Great Grace!

The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.

-Psalm 23-

How great is it to know that the Lord, who is the Creator, Sustainer, Provider, is our Shepherd. He loves us so much! What a comfort to me this is! The God of eternity cares enough for me! 

He cares enough to allow me, a simple-minded human being, share His love with others. While in Trinidad this past year, God gave me and a dear friend the opportunity to lead a young woman to Christ. If you have ever seen the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, it is a powerful thing! Her life and mine are forever changed. My heart rejoices at the thought of seeing her again someday in heaven!

Tired and Discouraged

A few weeks ago, I took a break from my usual work routine and went to the mountains for the day. I needed a break away from the stresses of teaching and coaching. It was a time for me to reflect on what the Lord has been doing in my life. As I sat down, the scripture that came to mind was 

Psalm 121 which says,

"I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
From whence comes my help? 

 My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.

He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.

Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade at your right hand.

The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.

 The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.

The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore."

On that day, I was so discouraged and tired. Tired of fighting for the right thing, tired of teaching and coaching, tired of not knowing the next step, tired of applying for jobs and not hearing anything back, just tired. Why didn't God care about all of those things? Why did I feel like He was being silent? Reflecting on it now, I know that God was not silent, that He did care and does care. He was asking me to be patient, to wait on Him, to release those chains weighing me down and to lay them at His feet. Once I finally let those chains go, God gave me a peace that everything would be ok. God's plan was much better than my plans ever were. If you are struggling today, know that God does care. He is taking care of every little detail and all you have to do is trust. Have faith that He knows what is best!