True North Missionaries Journal

It sometimes seems so hard these days to stay focused. We get bombarded with so many distractions that our mind and hearts wander to worldly things, desires wants, feelings, wants, which end up resulting doing what we want to do and not the Will of God. There are times when we pray and hear our cellphones get a message, tweet, an instagram notification, a phone call and we itch to see who or what it is. Or how about when we work? For Example, we are assigned a certain task but we notice someone doing something absurd, different, “off”, which makes us quick to judge and we end up forgetting our own task. Or what about when we get distracted by our own personal struggles and feelings of unworthiness? Sometimes we dwell on them for so long that we fail to seek for advice, help, the strength to overcome our crosses.

 

Distractions. They help us loose focus on the reason why we live each and every single second of the day and experience the things we experience.

This weekend was Big Sky’s firs Executive Readiness Training for Campus Based. Praise God for He is always good and provides. Yes, there is always a  battle, no doubt. But the Lord was simply telling me this weekend,

“Focus on me and everything will be on alright. Do what is of my Will and you will find, peace, joy which the spirit will provide. Do what is expected of you and I will do what is expected of me. Don’t worry, for I do not deny who I am.”

When we focus on the Lord, we focus on love, peace, charity, thanksgiving, joy, patience, humility, trust and so many things we cannot explain since our God is so great. When we focus on the Lord, we do not need to worry for He will never forsake those whom He loves and strives to be righteous.

“For the Lord will not forsake His people; for justice will return to the righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it.” PSALMS 94:14-15

When we focus on the Lord, we see the blessings he abundantly and continuously showers upon us.

Lastly, Like sister Evony Evangelista had told me last night with a chuckle right after, “There is no more need to worry anymore, hehehe.”

Just Focus.

Deo Gloria.

 

 

 

 

Picture Created by: Robeson Arlegue and Jennifer Rose Garcia (Big Sky YCOM HEADS)

It’s been a little over 4 months since returning from the Philippines and really starting life as a FTPW.  It’s sometimes hard to believe just how much has happened, just how much has been accomplished in such a short period of time.  This journey, thus far, has been filled with heartache, with laughter, with victory and with delays.  But the one thing that’s very clear in all of that, is that He’s got me.

This profound, yet oh-so simple reality, is something that can easily be missed.  In the daily grind of life, in the craziness in our heads, in the messiness of our emotions… we can easily forget that our Lord has us and is in control.  But it can be the other way.  If we choose, we can hold on to that fact and walk boldly into this loud and busy world knowing that Christ is with us and within us.

You worry less, you handle things better, you serve with joy and you live in true harmony with those around you.  Sure things might not go according to plan, events might not happen on time and people might let you down… but in the end of it all, God has you.

He always has, He does, and always will.

Throughout years and years of being in the CFC Youth Community, I have often heard the term, “Carry your cross”. But when the busy seasons start to come, the cross becomes heavier and heavier, and sometimes unbearable. Now for some people, “unbearable” might lead to a feeling of wanting to give up, and for others, it might feel like a feeling of being desensitized to everyone and everything around us. “Unbearable” holds a different meaning for every person, but what I know is that what is unbearable starts to feel like a burden, getting heavier and heavier as we go. But if I am created in the image and likeness of God, then as cliché as it sounds, the simple question goes back to the basics… What would Jesus do?

As he carried his cross on his way to Calvary, there is no doubt his cross weighed heavier and heavier by the minute. He carried his cross and fell 3 times because of how heavy it became.. and encountered blessings 3 times, as well as giving 3 blessings in return:

1. Jesus meets his mother. Although he is the Son of God, Jesus was also human. He also had a mother. What child, in the midst of his suffering, would not want to see his mother? In the midst of the crowds, they met each other, and Mother Mary, once again, is the greatest idol of humilty and love, being able to sacrifice her son to bring salvation to the world.
2. Simon of Cyrene comes to help him carry his cross. In this act, Simon became a blessing to Jesus because he helped lighten the cross for him, and in return, Simon learned how to truly serve; how to put someone else before himself. More-so… how to put the Lord above all else…
3. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus. Jesus felt the blessing of love of another who truly cared for him. To Veronica (a name in legend, derived from “vera” and “icon” – greek words, meaning “true image”), it was a blessing at that time, personally, because she was able to touch the face of Jesus in the midst of his suffering as an act of love. It might also be seen as a blessing to us because we are in the midst of verifying the very cloth his face left an imprint on, which might even belong to her.

 

In his suffering, out of His devoted love, God gave Jesus small little blessings to tell him, “My Son, you are not alone.” And in these blessings, Christ’s suffering became a blessing to share… to Mother Mary, to Simon, to Veronica, and even to us all today. The “burden” of his cross brought him blessings, and blessings to everyone around him because of love. Because of God.

Being human, there will always be a cross to bear. I will always have a cross to carry and YES, at times, like Christ, it will feel unbearable. But it is only through God that like the impossible, the unbearable becomes bearable. It is only through God that the burden of my cross will become a blessing. It is only through God that the burden of my cross becomes a blessing I desire.

…Strength, Healing, Humility, Wholesomenes, House vs Home…These are just a couple of words that have been buzzing around in my mind over the last week.  This latest introspection comes at a significant point in my life: It’s been two years serving in my first Mission Area (GTA), which coincides with my Dad’s 10 year death anniversary. Making sense of all Community Base meetings (“It’s time to build Communities!”), Mission Core Group Gatherings (“It’s all about Love!”), and One-on-Ones this week, some thoughts that come to mind:

• I cannot Build without a Foundation.
• I cannot Go Out in Mission without Hearing the words of my Sender. 
• I cannot Respond “Yes” to this sender, the Father, without saying “Yes” to Love Him first. 

A Foundation of Love. It started with Love, He loved me first. I mission out of Love. The next two years will require me to build more arduously, love more purely, be even more faithful, transform more (and be transformed).  But it always begins with Love, the call to Mission primarily a “Yes” from the Heart and not the Mind-I cannot forget this. “God [who is Love] is the strength of my Heart.”

“Humility isn’t just being able to be quiet, but to also appreciate your blessings and where they come from.”
I’ve never really associated humility and appreciation together. Kinda feels like two opposite worlds sometimes. When you think about it though, they definitely both complement each other.

I mentioned in my last reflection, that I haven’t really been going out, and haven’t caught up with the people and friends that I usually see about 5 times a week. Don’t get me wrong though, I’ve been trying every now and then to just try and catch up with them or get myself out of my room.

It got to the point where a lot of questions once again start to cloud my mind, and just really question myself in how I handle my friendships or what really defines the word or being that is a “friend”. It got bad (the self over thinking me), and it got to the point of asking God, “Why?”
(What better way to really shut me up then to let me have time alone anyways? Funny, but I’m not laughing)

But anyways, fast forward to now. Humility was something I was ALWAYS trying to gain and to put into my everyday actions/decisions. Upon discovering the quote above, it hit me.

“Humility isn’t just being able to be quiet, but to also appreciate your blessings and where they come from.”

God was definitely helping me deny myself in order to really appreciate my friendships. No matter how long or short, who it is, I think this time alone really let me reflect on the positivity my friends have, or how much each of them have impacted my life and how much they are apart of getting me to be a mission volunteer for the community. Heck, the quiet time alone from everything else let me spend that time I’ve been needing with my family and even let me get to my mission areas.  Once again, I was quick to assume.

But God is so good. Though sometimes my mind says otherwise, at heart, I know God’s plans are God’s plans for me getting closer to Him. Thanks God.

I honestly feel like I’m growing more maturely to the faith. Praise God. Well, I got a lot of catching up to do. Friends, MV homework, work…etc etc.

Desiderio Domini

Random, but I often think that maybe this time alone is definitely more prep of whats to come…hmm…interesting. & Happy Birthday Mama Mary!