Commit You Ways to the Lord

Photo Credit: OM Ireland

Impact Ireland ended on Monday and I apologize for not writing sooner. I think I avoided it because I didn’t know where to start. The two weeks cannot be captured in a few words, but thankfully, they don’t have to be. Each of the 40 plus participants along with each OM staff and church member has a story, if not many stories of how they witnessed God working and moving. After being separated into four teams, it was incredible to come back together and share all of the experiences. What I would like to share with you today follows our theme verse for Impact this year Psalm 37:5. “Commit your ways to the Lord; trust in him and he will act.”

Monday July 8. It was day three on the road for the Big Red Bus Team and we were with the Shannon Team. Although early on in the week, we were already feeling tired as we had used a lot of energy training many of the sessions the week prior. It didn’t help that being in the sun made everyone want to sleep and without an air conditioner (yet) the upstairs on the bus was easily 85 deg. There were definitely some spiritual attacks that day and with less kids at the kids club than anticipated, some were feeling discouraged. That evening however, we all met together before the youth rally and since we were waiting on a few people, we decided to pray. For 45 minutes we lifted our petitions to the Lord, read from scripture, and even sang together. There were moments of silence, but never emptiness. The room was filled with the Lord’s presence and He gave us a newfound excitement for the night ahead.

We went out into the square and ran through our program, singing songs of worship, presenting dramas, and sharing testimonies. All the while groups of young people listened and watched or pretended not to, but stayed anyway. Conversations began and soon they were at every turn. Joanna and I spoke with two girls who we thought would only listen for a few minutes, but ended up discussing God, the gospel, and salvation with us for an hour and a half. And we weren’t the only ones who had a story to share when the evening was over. When the team returned at 12, 12:30, everyone was buzzing like a hive of excited bees. There were stories of people opening up for the first time ever after years of rejecting talk of God. People laughed and cried together. The name of Jesus was proclaimed and glorified.

On our own we would be nothing, but when we put our trust in the Lord, He exceeds our expectations. This is only a brief example of how God did amazing things in Ireland this last week and how He is working here. This was just one night in one place from the perspective of one girl. I love what Joanna wrote about on her blog. It's quite well written so it'll be worth your time and it probably captures the experience much more eloquently than I do. 

I would also like to briefly add that I was incredibly honored and privileged to have had all the opportunities I did during these two weeks alone. I loved worshipping with the "Lacken House Band" and I couldn't have asked for a better team on the bus. The Lord brought us together at just the right time and I will always remember this time fondly. 

Photo Credit: OM Ireland

Photo Credit: OM Ireland

Other stories:
Katie : Boom!

OM Ireland Facebook: Video stories!

Taste of Ireland: Sunscreen is known as sun cream and a 99 cone is an ice cream that was, you guessed it! 99 cents!... only now they are usually 1.20... lame.

The Colors of Fall

As the leaves change colors and fall to the ground, I cannot help but enjoy the beauty of it all. Where there were once endless shades of green, there are now warm reds and yellows. The trees over the roads make canopies of autumn bliss that gently let their leaves be carried away with the wind. The leaves float and dance as they fall to the covered ground where they crunch under toe and heel. The hills still teem with green grass and wooly sheep, but now the landscape is kissed by the season’s change. Even the vines that crawl up the stone walls have left summer behind.

I feel like a child watching a magician. I am in awe of the wonders around me and astounded by their Creator. I cannot fathom how so many colors are produced out of nowhere or how a single tree can purposefully lose its own leaves to prepare itself for winter. Nature is magnificent, but it is our Creator who is worthy of praise. With each season He gives and takes away life and with each day He displays His beauty and wonder. Have you ever looked up at the sky and thought about the hand that painted it? I often do and I smile every time. He doesn’t just paint a new picture everyday, He paints a new one every minute and His canvas is so large, we cannot even see it all.

Sometimes it is hard to see beauty in life, in this world even because it is broken in so many ways. Even so, God is good and His love endures forever. 

Taste of Ireland: If you want to play football while you're here, be sure to be specific! You can play soccer, Gaelic football, or rugby! 

Psalm 148

This literally gave me chills. I nearly cried actually. 

Psalm 148 

Praise the Lord.^[a]

Praise the Lord from the heavens;
    praise him in the heights above.
² Praise him, all his angels;
    praise him, all his heavenly hosts.
³ Praise him, sun and moon;
    praise him, all you shining stars.
⁴ Praise him, you highest heavens
    and you waters above the skies.

⁵ Let them praise the name of the Lord,
    for at his command they were created,
⁶ and he established them for ever and ever—
    he issued a decree that will never pass away.

⁷ Praise the Lord from the earth,
    you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,
⁸ lightning and hail, snow and clouds,
    stormy winds that do his bidding,
⁹ you mountains and all hills,
    fruit trees and all cedars,
¹⁰ wild animals and all cattle,
    small creatures and flying birds,
¹¹ kings of the earth and all nations,
    you princes and all rulers on earth,
¹² young men and women,
    old men and children.

¹³ Let them praise the name of the Lord,
    for his name alone is exalted;
    his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.
¹⁴ And he has raised up for his people a horn,^[b]
    the praise of all his faithful servants,
    of Israel, the people close to his heart.

Praise the Lord.

We are the only creations that are too self-absorbed to praise Him constantly. Our songs do not even compare to the songs of His symphony. We are finite beings, minuscule compared to all of creation, and yet, He loves us and longs for deep relationships with each one of us... I cannot begin to fathom it. 

If you have not seen any of Louie Giglio's talks, you should definitely check some out. 

P.S. Thanks to Tim for sharing this with us in devotions this morning.