Expedia lady gets roasted by God.

Sept 27th

Oh my God! Literally! He has done so much and been so faithful to me and I am just sooo encouraged and I HAVE to share it with you. Where to begin!??

Well for starters, I will begin where I promised I would. With yesterday's day :)

So, Tiffany and I on saturday nights like to go online, and check different churches out to see where we will be going the next morning. It's always interesting because we never know what to expect and just kind of go with the flow. Well, I stumbled upon a church called "Life" church and the website was really appealing and it sounded like something we would enjoy. So after sharing it with her and her agreeing that it sounds good, we headed there the next morning.

It was a big church and as soon as I enterered, I was filled with joy. You know the type of joy you know comes from Up there. Where you know you are surrounded by people from all sorts of backgrounds and points in their lives but through it all decided to seek the living God for whatever reason. Yup. That's the feeling of unity and fellowship. Entering the actual sanctuary however, filled me with an additional set of emotions. Sadness, reminiscence, and "homesickness." The sanctuary looked exactly like the auditorium we had in HUntington. The stage, the seats, the cross hanging on the right wall, everything...It was creepy how similar this sanctuary looked like Huntington's auditiorium, in which I was at least twice a week (and more usually). I immediately got super sad and starting missing Huntington. Missing praising God in the MCA auditorum, missing good times with friends, missing the usual seats my friends and I would sit in, starting from freshman year sitting with my sister to senior year sitting with a comlpetely different group of friends. So many memories just flushed through, and I was filled with sadness. Yup Huntington folks, I miss chapel!

So as we sat down and began worship, I prayed to God and just said, Lord, I believe you have a message for me this morning and I just pray that these emotions may be taken away so I am not distracted by them but can instead just focus on what you have in store for me.
So here's a little bit from my jounral that I jotted down.
ps This sermon wasn't any life turning sermon or anything like that, just a simple reminder that I know we all need every now and then.
We started out in Luke 19. It talks about the good ol' sotry of Zaccheus. The wealthy tax collector who was to short to see/hear jesus until he climbed on the fig tree and was able to have a better view of CHrist and received His salvation after that. The pastor had a couple different points and I wrote down a bit here and there, but spent a lot more time listening and thinking than writing, so pardon  me if some of my journal notes don't make to much sense or don't connect.

We have to decide whether God is really worth finidng or not. (that was his first point). I say God is the absolute most valuable treasure any one could ever find! (the pastor had used the illustration of a treasure map  and how fun treasure hunts are).
( I wrote this in french in my journal): I believe God is more pure than silver, more beautiful than diamonds, and more precious than gold! Literally 5 minutes after writing this, the pastor used this song as an example of how valuable of a treasure God is!!!!
Lord thank you for keeping my head in the game...one step ahead thanks to the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Nothing can be compared to you oh God.

We need to wake up every day thinking we are going on a treasure hunt. we wake up thinking...I need to find God in everything I do, see, think, and speak. How much better and more fun can our life be if we are on a daily treasure hunt for the absolute most valuable treasure ever found to mankind!?? :)

Then the pastor talked about how a lot of times people don't find God, this amazing treasure, because they are simply not seeking. Even though this treasure is trying to make it as easy as possible for us to find, we sometimes don't find it simply because we are not looking for it. In Ez 12:2, Ezekiel says "Son of man, you live among rebels who have eyes but refuse to see. They have ears but refuse to hear." This verse also reminded of about how Paul says in Romans  1: 19-20 "They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and the sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities-his eternal power and divinse nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God." So when we are not finding/hearing God, maybe we just aren't truly looking for Him. It's one thing to say a quick prayer, but God knows our hearts and He knows if our prayer has value through faith or is blocked by unbelief, lack of faith, doubt, and uncertainty sometimes. If we don't believe in even being answered or heard for that matter, how can we hear Him? A lot of times it is so simple, all we have to do is ask, and believe what we are asking and believe in the power of the Spirit. In 1 John 14-15, it is said " And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hearts us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for." Or sometimes when don't find God, maybe we just aren't utilizing the tools he provides us with daily in order to find Him. The beauty of God  (well one of the many) is that his being is so gentle, that he doesn't need to shout at us and yell in order for us to hear Him, but it's all in a whisper, in something unexpected, through a sermon, a word from a person, a book, something simple like that, through His word, or in Zachheus' case, through a fig tree.

Once we do find Him. Let's let go and obey. Leave the fears behind and just listen and GO. He knows what is best or us so let us let go of our misconceived perceptions of what is right for us. I mean how many times have each of us seeked God and His will, and finally heard it and said "hmm ok God, I'll pass on  this one, maybe next time," or "well God do you have a better idea cus I'm not to sure about this one" or better yet, "um God, thanks but no thanks, I'm gonna go ahead with what I think is best in this situation." How can creation know better than its creator what is good for it???
Finding God  results in a changed LIFE!

When we find Him, we fall more and more in love with Him and His personality and are attracted to it and want to get to know it more and then it "magically" rubs off on us. I mean I'm not married, but I've seen this time and time again in couples so I can valitade this fact. They find each other, hang out, get to know each other, fall head over heals as they keep getting to know each other, get married, and then they spend so much time with each other that they start acting like each other! For those of you who are married, I'm sure yo could vouch for that. Well the same thing happens with God ( I know this isn't news to you, like I said earlier all of this is just a good reminder God brought me and I want to share the same reminder with you). SO yes after seeking this treasure daily and finding it, we become more like Christ!
How much wealthier can we be if we are continually seeking this great treasure every day?? We know we've found Him through that peace and joy we feel deep on the inside. Not just happines but pure joy and contetment through whatever circumstance we are in.
The way you know you have Christ's love flowing in your veins is when you feel peace joy, order in your life, love for others AND yourself, contentment, and accept grace. However you know something's off, and maybe you haven't fully taped in on that treasure when your life is filled with fear, restlessnes, hurry/hussle, shame, worry, and feel like your whole life is out of control.
These aren't from God. This teasure we find in Him takes care of all of that! Praise His name for that!
This treasure hunt is so much fun because the treasure wants to be found :) IN Chronicles 16:9 we re reminded of that. " The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengten those whose hearts are fully commited to Him."

God reminds me of that very single day because I daily have to face my fear of public speaking. I conclude the shows by thanking everyone for coming, encouraging them to talk about the video with each other or parents or teachers , and I also share a bit about how we have this job for many reasons but one of the main resons is that we truly care for these kids and hope that they can be motivated to make better decisions in their lives not only for themselves but for those around them. It's usually a pretty short conclusion, I mean I'll add a little more to it but no big deal. But I have a terrible fear of speaking in public.
In fact, for public speaking in college, I got an F on a speech because even though it was good and I had prepared it, and researched it, and rehearsed it, I got up in front of the class (ony like 20 of us) and couldn't say a word. After trying a couple times, I just looked at my professor, and said "I can't do this." He took me aside later and even though he was known as one of the most severe professors on campus who RARELY gave As, he gave me a second chance warning me that he would take a grade down for my second try. Praise God, I got a B when I tried a second time (meaning I originally woulda gotten an A hehehe).
So I redeemed myself but all of this to say I am deathly afraid of speeches, but every day right before stepping up to the mic when it's about that time, i just pray and ask Him to take it away from. This fear just goes away, God slows my heart pace, calms my nerves, and better yet gives me words and confidence.That's what He does when we seek Him.

I guess on the same note about God benig a treasure proving Himself in every way and everything in life, I just want to share one more thing from Max Lucado. He talked about being in Brazil and meeting an old man who asked him what he did for a living... When Max explained what a missionary was, the old man said "What you do must be easy." When Max asked him why he thought that, the old brazilian farmer repsonded: "I have no trouble believing in God. After what I see what He has done on my little farm, year after year, it is so easy to believe."
Max then goes on talking about Senhor Jose and his amazing faith brought my such a simple life. The simple miracles that he witnessed everyday. Such as "a small seed becoming a towering tree. A thin stalk pushing back to the earth.  A rainbow arching in the midst of the thundercloud."
"It was easy for him to believe. I can see why. Someone who witnesses God's daily display of majesty doens't find the secret of Easter absurd. Someone who depends upon the mysteries of nature for his livelihood doesn't find it difficult to depend on an unseen God for his salvation.
"Nature," wrote[...], "is God's greatest evangelist." "Faith," wrote Paul, "doesn't rest in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." The old brazilian farmer gave me a time-tested principle to take home. He reminded me that there is a certain understanding of God on the cross that comes only with witnessing his daily testimony. There comes a time when we should lay down our pens and commentaries and step out of our offices and libraries. To really understand and believe in the miracle on the cross, we'd do well to witness God's miracles every day."
Max Lucado

Ok...soo...this ended up being much longer than  expected. I guess I'll share with you how God proved Himself once again me to me yesterday (in a way I was aware of at least, I'm sure He did many more times but I probably wasn't paying attention).

After driving for 5 hours  and singing praises to God...We reached our hotel, one which I had booked the night bfore. Well we walk in, and the sweet little old lady tells us we aren't registered in their systems. So I say well that's alright, we can give you our confirmation number and have
 you see that we did indeed book. The thing is, Ihad booked it through expedia.com so it could be cheaper, and so Tiffany reads the confirmation email, and smile and says "well it seems that we are indded booked her for not sept 26th, but DEC 26th." GO FIGURE!!! Iwould do something like that. For those of you who know me well, this may not come in as a surprise. Gosh I frustrate myself sometimes! SO the sweet little old lady says " well if it were up to me, i would change the dates but since you went though  expedia , you need to call them to have them change it for you."

So we go ahead and cal them, and the lady  I speak to tells me that the reservations are non refundable and non changebale. I ask her why, sternly, and she responds that they are the terms and policies. So confused I ask her if  what other options I have...she responds "Well, well, if you have any friends who would like to in that hotel mam', they could pay you back." I say "I'm sorry, but I honestly cannot think of any of my friends who would want to stay in ALMA, AR the day after Christmas!!!" uggggh I was so frustrated! So she apologizes and asks if there is anything else she can do for me. " I say well, not really, but thanks for teaching me never to use expedia.com again. Thank you, have a good day and goodbye." Yeah, not the nicest but I was frustrated. haha. totally not a good excuse but hey i'll take it.
So we go back in the hotel and book for one night, and at this point I'm just thinking, no big deal, Ijust owe my boss money that I don't have, but whatever it's my responsiblity and I will suck it up.
Well, sweet little Mary tells us that we shold try calling again and  just ask for their supervisor. So we thank her and tell her we'll do just that.

I go in our room and get online to get more details about  all of this before calling them again, and  I jus get  frustrated because  I feel like calling them again is jut going to be pointelss and  I'm going to get the  exact same answers and I just lose patience before even trying. Right then, God reminds of the sermon and how he cares about  the absolutel small detail of our lives as much as the big issues All we have to do is seek and ask and He is right there. So  Ithank Him for the reminder and ask Him to just lead me to the right people and believe that He will fix the issue. Now that's faith cus moments ago, I was just ready to give up, before even trying. It's amazing how easiy the ennemy can discourage us! So after praying, (which I later on find out that Tiffany was praying the exact same thing during all of this.) I call exedia again using a different number hoping I can talk to someone different Another lady responds and after expalinging everything, she tells me the exact same thing the other lady had already told me.  After insisting on her expalinging exactly what rules and policies she was talking about, she says "well these are just the hotel's rules, and we cannoth chage them." AHA!!! BUSTED! She was lying straight to my face (well through the phone) because sweet lil' Mary had just told me earlier that if it were up to her, she would do thing something. So I tell this  deceitful lady that Iam actually at the hotel and would love to have her talk to the desk lady because I believe she can "chage these policies and rules she is talking about." Aftet fumbling on her words becase she hadn't realized I was actually at the hotel, and against her own will she  spoke to sweet Mary!

Mary was so firm with this lady, it was unbelievable. I loved it! She totally solved the problem and we got our full reimbursement. HALLELUIJAH! BAM in your face expedia! haha I was sooo happy, GOd provided me(I'm at starbucks and a lady just gave me two bags of bright pink delicious looking cotton candy...score!) with patience, perseverance, and faith. All I had to do was  ask Him, and He was right there, took care of it.

So  that was my sunday. I also had a phenomenal day today, and would love to share it with you, but I think  you got ear ear/eye full and got your share of encouragement haha.  Sorry I am blabber! But how can I keep such testimonies to myself??  I'll save my monday for tomorrow.

Sorry for the mispelled words, Starbucks is closing and I don't have time to go through this blog and re edit everything. :/

Hope you got what you enjoyed nonetheless...

Blessings brohters and sisters in Christ, and great friends :)

LOOOOVE, DO