Be Still and Know

I've been MIA for a little while and I'm truly sorry.

With being in school full-time and working full-time, my 24 hours seem to go by kinda quickly.
I decided to do a toss-up between a blog post or some more homework. Then I decided to just do homework. However, the server is down temporarily, so BLOG post it is :)



Sometimes it feels like a hamster wheel. I wake up, go to work, come home, do schoolwork, eat, do schoolwork, shower, go to bed. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. {Psst, can I tell you a secret? I hate the hamster wheel.}

I am learning that there is a season and a reason for just about everything. Planting means growing and growing means pain.

And in the quiet moments, when it's just me and Him, I cry out with my questions and heart-aches and my longing for fullness. In that quiet moment, one little phrase came to mind:


Be still and know.


That's it. Just four little words. And they are powerful words, fairly well-known, and (I'll admit) a little frustrating. See, there's a lot of things I don't know and for some reason, I dwell on those.

It's like, we're wired that way. We see the things we don't know- and that's all we see.
But I think I'm done with that.
I want to just be still and know.

Know what?

Know that God is good. Always.
Know that God is all-knowing (try saying that ten times fast). I need not worry.
Know that God is everywhere, all at the same time, so I can focus on simply being present.
Know that God is all-powerful, so I can rely on muscles that are bigger than mine.
Know that God loves and cares for all of the people in this great big world.

Know that He has something crazy beautiful in store for me even when I can't see it. And even though I'm following Him blindfolded, I know that He is the God who sees. Sure, I'd love to see the future, but I want to see Jesus more.

Know that my God works in His own way and on His own time. I'm thankful for that because when my own plans and timetable aren't lining up quite right, He's working on something else, something better.

Know that my life will reflect His goodness...


For my story will be His story for His glory.

Christmas Cards: Special Delivery {Where the Second Donation Is Headed!}

So I have been promising to tell you guys where the rest of the Christmas Cards money is going, but I couldn’t because you were still buying them even after Christmas had passed.

First, I want to say:

Thank you.

Rebekah, I know I told you a billion times already, but I can’t stop saying thank you because you took the idea from my head and made it a complete reality. Your photography is amazing and you are too. I am honored to call you my friend and I look forward to the inspiring things that God will do in your life.

To all of you who helped me get this started, especially my parents and Julia, who listened to me babble when this was just a crazy idea in my head. Thank you.

To all of you who prayed and offered your advice, I believe you made the difference. Thank you. 

To all of you who purchased cards or donated, whether it was 50 cards or just one, you made a difference. Thank you.  Rebekah and I, we didn’t keep anything for ourselves. We just gave. You gave.

I think this is what is the coolest: We use our gifts (that are God-given) to create, you bought cards to give as gifts, and the money from the cards was used as a gift to those who are truly in need. It’s just this twisted and beautiful little web of giving gifts.

Okay, so the remaining proceeds, which totaled over $550, were donated to a wonderful organization called Rehema Home.

I first heard about this home in a Facebook group (shout out to all the #DreamBuilders!) and I was touched by the work that they are doing in Kenya. 

Caring for orphans, meeting needs, 

letting God’s mercy change the lives of all those beautiful children.

A team from the States is going to Kenya this Spring and the proceeds from the Christmas Cards will go to help fund a project for the team to complete while they are there. They will give us an update after it’s completed so you can all know what project it accomplished, so you’ll just have to stay tuned! :)

It’s hard to believe that this round of Christmas Cards has come to a close. It’s hard to believe that over $800 has gone to bless orphans in Haiti and Kenya. It’s hard to believe that God chooses to use us to accomplish this stuff, but He does.

I just have one last thing to tell you guys: Give. Please do it. I’m not doing anything crazy. I just am trying to do what Jesus says and He says GIVE. It may cost you- time, money, sleep, tears- but give. 

God set the ultimate example for us, by giving His Son for us. 

Now let’s be givers too.

To read more about Rehema Home and the beautiful work they are doing in Kenya, click here.

To make a donation, click here.

“Live creatively, friends. 

If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, 

saving your critical comments for yourself. 

You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out. 

Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. 

Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law. 

If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.” 

~Galatians 6:1-3, The Message

Christmas Cards: Special Delivery {Where the First Donation is Headed!}

When I saw Tom’s post in a facebook group that I am a part of, I knew this was one of needs that the Christmas cards would help meet.

His post is below:

Let me tell you about Margareth - she was one of the nannies at the orphanage, at God's Littlest Angels. Her 5 kids range in ages from 13 down to 6. Her husband was killed in the earthquake in 2010, so she's been a single parent of five since then. Oh and her younger brother (in his twenties and still in high school) has been living with them as well.

This past weekend, Margareth passed away. Did she die of some deep dark incurable disease that not even Mayo Clinic could cure? No, she did not.

She died of high blood pressure.

Yes, if she had the medical care that those of us in the first world have, she would still be alive.

Her five children wouldn't be orphans.

And her 22 year old brother wouldn't be left trying to not only finish school but grieve the loss of his sister and care for 5 kids, ages 13, 11, 10, 8 and 6.

And the kids wouldn't have to go through the trauma of first losing their dad in the earthquake and then losing Mom.

Tragic on so many levels.

And they can't even do a proper funeral because they don't have $1,000 to cover the burial costs.

Would you consider a gift to help the family out? We'd like to raise $2,500 by tomorrow to cover both the $1,000 for Margareth's funeral and also $1,500 to cover the rest of the 2013-2014 school year's expenses so at least they don't have to worry about that.

~~~

When I read that, I just cried. I cried at the tragedy of it all. I cried for that brother, now care-taker of those children. And I cried for those children, who have lost not one, but both parents.

A few short hours after reading his post, I knew in my heart that $300 of the total card profit was going to help this hurting family.

And do you want to know what happened?

The next day, my friend Tom posted again and told the group that through their generosity (and the giving of others outside of the group) they were able to cover the funeral costs, the remaining school fees, AND some of next year’s fees as well.

See a need, meet it. Hear about a need, meet it. All of it. Some of it. Whatever you can- no, whatever God says. (Because sometimes it’s more than you think you can possibly do!)

This, this, is really living out the faith we claim we have.

Be on the lookout for another post about where the remainder of the Christmas Card profit is going because, yes, you are STILL scooping up the last few cards!

"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means 

caring for orphans and widows in their distress and 

refusing to let the world corrupt you." 

~James 1:27

To read more about God’s Littlest Angels and the beautiful work they are doing in Haiti, click here.

To make a donation to God's Littlest Angels,  click here.

{The Post that Never Really Ends?}

So many thoughts running through my head. So many tears lately. Tears for children with no parents or pajamas to wear to bed. Tears and an aching for fullness. 

Tears and a very clear sense of purpose, the creed by which I will live: I was put on this earth to fill bellies with food, voices with laughter, faces with smiles, and souls with Jesus- the LIVING water.

The motto is great, but actually living it is another thing entirely. See, I’m a detail person. I really can’t control it. So immediately I think: When? Where? How long? With who? What can I do right this second?

I am learning this though: God rarely gives a roadmap. Most times, it’s a blindfold. He takes my hand and says, Will you just trust Me? 

I don’t know when.

I don’t know where.

I don’t know who.

I don’t know how.

But I will take a deep breath and let Him tie the blindfold. I know that I can walk unafraid because He is not only with me, but my hand is in His and He leads. 

I follow Jesus.

Of this I am certain: There is work to be done. I saw it. I saw the clan of kids walking by the dirt pit, going to the bathroom on the side of the road because they have no toilet. I met the girl who saw her mother die in a ditch that was their home, father long gone. Orphan. I saw kids with no shoes and no hope. I met the cutest little kiddies who are six, but look three because they have been malnourished all their lives. 

I wish I was making this up, but I’m not. And maybe you’ve heard this all before or even seen it yourself, but maybe you’ve forgotten. Maybe you’ve forgotten that in all of our reaching for the coolest stuff and waiting for the newest gadgets- we’ve missed it. Maybe you’ve forgotten that these are real people. Can we really afford to ignore their cries? 

It makes me literally sick to stomach when I think of our complaining, gossiping, greed. . . and our total apathy for the cries of the alone, hurting, hungry, and broken. 

I sat down to write about something completely different, but I can’t. 

I just can’t shake this. 

Someone’s gotta speak up about the selfishness.

The cost of that coat at that store would provide a child with clothing, food, clean water, shelter, and schooling for almost 60 days...?

There’s no nice, clear way to end this post.

And that bothers me.

So I hope it bothers you too. 

I hope you keep thinking about this over and over.

And to be honest, I kind of hope the words on this screen eat at you, like they eat at me. 

I hope they expose some things that maybe you’ve pushed away or ignored. 

Then, I hope you do something. 

Your Paycheck {Why You Might Not Want This One}

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life

 in Christ Jesus our Lord."

~Romans 6:23

Powerful and humbling. Think of this: We all sin. 
Sin's paycheck is death. 
(This isn't looking so good..) 
If the payment for sin is death, and we've all sinned, then the only thing that we all deserve is death. But, that word "but" changes everything. The gift, the GIFT, of God is eternal life. He gives the gift of salvation freely to anyone who will open hands and heart and humbly give thanks for the precious gift we obviously do not deserve.

I wonder to myself, Can it really be that simple? Is God that good that He would really just give eternal life to anyone? And I know that the answer is YES! YES! YES! 

Yes, He is and yes, He does. Since He is the Author and the Finisher of our faith, He can cancel sin's paycheck, our paycheck, of death- and give us gifts!

The best gift of all? 
The One and Only God gave 
His One and Only Son, the most valuable of all gifts. 

I open hands and heart and utter a quiet "Yes." 
Yes, I am a sinner, dirty, deserving of only one thing. But, there's that word again, BUT, He gives His Son on that cross- the one I deserve to die on- and He takes my place. He gets thorns into his scalp and whips on his back and nails hammered through his hands and feet. He gets spit in his face and mocked and beaten and betrayed and killed- death- for me. In my place. And I'll never be able to earn eternal life, but I can open these hands and heart, not to be pierced with the nails and betrayal, but to receive this gift of salvation. His love- the deepest, widest, highest, wildest, most wonderful love of all.

I'm the one who should be locked in prison, burning forever, but His great gift saves me and cancels that paycheck. He offers me freedom. I'm so thankful for that gift and all gifts that my Father gives. I will not just give thanks, but live thanks. I will live thanks to God who didn't "withhold His own Son" from me (Romans 8:32).

How could I ever tire of this thanksliving...


Feel free to comment below and express your thanks to Him, who gave His very Son.. for you!

Compassion... Christmas?

I don’t remember the day, but it came, the day I stopped dreaming. It just sorta happened. Before I even realized it, I was content with putting God in a box. He can only do so much, you know.

I know the stories- Abraham, Moses, David, Esther- people who did amazing things with God. The problem is though, that my focus was always on what the people did. So I thought, Not me God. I’m not quite right for this.

Turns out, my eyes have been on the wrong person all along. See, it’s not about what they did really. It’s about God. Isaac was spared by God’s mercy, the waves parted by His hand, the giant went down by God’s power, and a people group were blessed because of His favor. Without God, these awesome things wouldn’t have even happened.

I don’t remember the day, but it came, the day I started dreaming again. It just sorta happened. Before I even realized it, God was standing on the box. He can do whatever He wants, you know. So He does. He does some crazyawesomeinspiring things. Suddenly, I’m asking Rebekah for her photos and putting them on Christmas cards. I was clicking and confirming and a couple hundred cards were arriving.

See, I know it’s easy to forget, but God commands us to live our lives with compassion. Painful, messy, lovely compassion.

This Christmas I am practicing this living compassion. I’ve chosen not to accept gifts this year. An unconventional sacrifice. Instead of giving me a gift, just give something, anything, to someone who really needs it. I'm not doing this because I want a pity party, a pat on the back, or my name in the paper- but because the only thing I need and want cannot be bought. 

Because when everyone is opening their gifts, hearts feeling full, 
I want mine to feel full knowing that someone truly in need, received.

There are hungry children- dying hungry- right now.

There are thirsty children-dying thirsty- right now.

There are orphaned children-dying orphans- right now.

And I don’t think they're praying for a wii or an $80 coat… 

they just want some love. 

They just want someone to wrap their arms around them and tell them that they are a gift, infinitely more valuable than any possession.

Christ spoke and this Christmas it’s all about compassion.

To find out how you can get in on this compassion movement, click here.

Compassion... Cards?

First off, thank you thank you for your interest in this adventure of mine. When I came back from India in July, my heart was so broken by what I saw and I was so anxious to do something.

With a little work and the help of a friend and amazing photographer, Rebekah Yeretzian, this idea of selling cards to spread compassion came to life.

That’s what it’s all about for me. Compassion. So together, Rebekah and I have created Christmas cards to sell this year, all the proceeds to go to missions projects around the world. We are still deciding where these proceeds will go specifically so keep an eye out for that :) 

My thing is this:

There are hungry children-dying hungry- right now.

There are thirsty children-dying thirsty- right now.

There are orphaned children-dying orphans- right now.

I may not be able to go to each of them, hug and love each of them in person, but I can do something. And you can too.

It’s simple. Buy a card, a couple cards, whatever you can- and find that you are living compassion this Christmas. To find out how I’m trying to radically live compassion this Christmas, click here.

There’s no guilt trip. No begging. No company name, logo, and statement of faith. 

You buy them, you give them, and together- we live compassion as Christ commands.

Who knows what crazyawesomeinspiring things God will do?!

Want to purchase some cards and spread the compassion?

Single card: $2

10 pack (candle design): $20

10 pack (winter scene): $20

10 pack (blue ribbon): $20

20 pack (assorted): $40

Details:

Envelopes included.

Deliver locally- free.

Other- shipping & handling fees may apply.

Cash or check only.

Message me on facebook or e-mail nessabarnes0041@gmail.com (with subject line “Christmas Cards”) if you’re interested!



Here's a peek at the covers of each of the three designs!

"Winter Scene"

"Blue Ribbon"







"Candle Design"