From circumstances to call to commission to children

Recently, there have been some set of circumstances that are outside of my control. Some things I just cannot change. I'm not sure about you, but when things don't go my way I am not a happy camper. I only realized this after finding out things that I couldn't change- I used to pride myself on always saying "Lord willing" or "All in God's timing". Sure I said those things and they are true, but the Lord knew where my heart was and is now teaching me about those things. One of my previous roommates and I talk about this a lot. She's probably laughing at me right now... ;)

So circumstances can be uncomfortable, or exciting, or unexpected, but I'm pretty sure that that is one of the main ways the LORD chooses to mold us into the person that we were created to be. It's crazy to think that 4 years ago I was a completely different person and how much the Lord has taught me since then. I look back and think about the circumstances that the Lord used to draw me closer to Him, to serve Him and to love Him. I would say that most of those circumstances I was not okay with. I didn't like them at all- even the dorm I lived in! But looking back that is just one example of how the Lord brought me closer to Him!

In addition to my dorm being one way that the Lord drew me in, was my involvement with Campus Crusade for Christ (Cru). Looking back, I see close friends (now) that were warm and welcoming and cared about me, even though they barely knew me. I see the truth of God's Word come alive in Bible Studies on Tuesday nights at Starbucks. I see amazing community of truth and grace at our weekly meetings and of course, loads of fun.

I trust that the Lord will continue to use similar circumstances in other people's lives, but the Lord has placed a call on my life to be a part of this for His lost sheep. It's crazy to imagine the Lord's plan- none of us can fathom!- but to think that the LORD literally holds everything in His palm! While our calling or our blessings are nice for us- they are really meant for other people to receive and benefit from, and they probably don't know about it! Oswald Chambers depicts this in amazing ways, so I will just conclude with that...







The Commission of the Call by Oswald Chambers


We make calls out of our own spiritual consecration, but when we get right with God He brushes all these aside, and rivets us with a pain that is terrific to one thing we never dreamed of, and for one radiant flashing moment we see what He is after, and we say - "Here am I, send me."

This call has nothing to do with personal sanctification, but with being made broken bread and poured-out wine. God can never make us wine if we object to the fingers He uses to crush us with. If God would only use His own fingers, and make me broken bread and poured-out wine in a special way! But when He uses someone whom we dislike, or some set of circumstances to which we said we would never submit, and makes those the crushers, we object. We must never choose the scene of our own martyrdom. If ever we are going to be made into wine, we will have to be crushed; you cannot drink grapes. Grapes become wine only when they have been squeezed.

I wonder what kind of finger and thumb God has been using to squeeze you, and you have been like a marble and escaped? You are not ripe yet, and if God had squeezed you, the wine would have been remarkably bitter. To be a sacramental personality means that the elements of the natural life are presenced by God as they are broken providentially in His service. We have to be adjusted into God before we can be broken bread in His hands. Keep right with God and let Him do what He likes, and you will find that He is producing the kind of bread and wine that will benefit His other children.

...I want the Lord to use me as poured out wine- to serve others, to help reach His lost sheep. Please help do this for the Lord by joining my Ministry Partner Team! You can do that by clicking here and giving any amount that the Lord leads you to give.

~Until the whole world hears,
E

Sweet Serenity

This is what showed up in my mailbox today

On the inside- notes from my staff team and the message "I'm not comin' out till you come back!" Adorable. I totes miss my being with staff team and not being able to plan for this upcoming school year.

I've had a pit in my stomach for most of the day knowing that my staff team and other student leaders started a retreat today, and I made the (hopefully wise) decision to stay back and work on making phone calls. It makes me sick to know that after 5 months, I have yet to see my goal reached.

With a deadline in just under 4 days and 57% left to go I am desperate and confused and barely holding on. With a tiny glimpse of hope, 4 days, and lots of prayer, by this time next week I will be fully supported and probably sleeping after an exhausting day on campus meeting thousands of incoming students at UCI!

Today, I was actually on campus and it was literally a ghost town. I had to stop in the park and take in the silence of the soft breeze and the stillness of late morning. Its been hard to find quite in such a busy, moving world. I may be losing my mind because of it. Maybe its a combination of the crazy weather, staring at the computer screen for most the day, or maybe its just because I'm in over my head. Whatever it is, the quietness of the park this morning was peaceful and serene and just what I needed in this go-go-go pace of support raising and phone-calling.

In light of this peace, there is the still the reality of 57%... Join me in praying for my support to be done by Friday. Join me in helping taking the Gospel to UCI students. (click here) Join me in seeing lives changed. Join me in trusting that there is more than to come. Join me in believing that there is still so much to be done in this city. Join me in faith that the LORD is surely sovereign over everything! Join me in hoping in the One that surrendered it all so that we could live. Will you join me?

The LORD's promise that there is more to come: Haggai 2:1-9

some call me crazy

This summer has been a whirlwind, to say the very least- between taking 3 summer school classes, working around 20 hours a week, raising financial support for an internship and looking for a new place to live, I have managed to save some of my sanity. Praise the Lord. It was all (almost) done by His grace, and His grace, alone.

I received an email from a friend about a week ago asking me to pray for him and his sister who is starting college this year. I was so encouraged by his caring heart for his sister, but it also got me thinking about other freshmen students that are entering into college this fall. Gosh, I remember being a freshmen and I don't think I fully understood what I was getting myself into, honestly, I think I was just excited to get away (sorry Mom and Dad). In thinking about my friend's sister and all the other freshmen coming to college, I was thinking about how many of them know Christ, how many don't know Him, how many may have heard of Him, how many may have heard lies about Him, how many are working and striving to do well in school instead of living in the freedom that only He gives. It kind of tears me up to think about some of those things, but I think it mostly gets me excited!

Freshmen are some of the most open people that I know. They are at such a vulnerable place, to make decisions that will effect them for the rest of their lives. Really scary, but what if it didn't have to be? What if the decisions that freshmen made allowed them to experience freedom instead of pressure, faith instead of fear and love instead of self? What if making a decision for Christ changed their lives for eternity?

For the past 2 years I have had the blessing to lead freshmen women Bible studies at UCI. Each of the women that I have the privilege to know and love during these past 2 years has created a special place in my heart for themselves. Their love for each other and for others and their fun personalities and honesty and desire to grow as a women and in their relationship with the Lord has been so encouraging. If you are one of them and you're reading this, I hope you know how much I love you! :)

But this brings me back to the freshmen that are entering UCI this fall... I am SO incredibly excited to meet them, to help them, to laugh with them, to show them where the beach is, to see them adjust to becoming adults- SO excited. But here's the catch, in order for me to be fully invested in doing all of this, I have to be at 100% of my financial goal. My internship with Campus Crusade for Christ, is giving me an amazing opportunity to invest in these students- and change their lives (hopefully) for eternity. Well I won't, but Christ will! I have just 9 days- that's all- to find people that are passionate about what I am doing and to give prayerfully and financially so that I can do this full time! I am trusting that the Lord will provide 10 people to join my team at $100/month and another 8 people join at $50/month!

This is crazy- believe me, I know it! But isn't it crazy to think that a Holy God would completely humble himself and become man to die for people that are not holy, sinful and selfish? Yeah, I would call that crazy too. But crazy good! And how crazy is it that the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is in those that believe in His name?!?! The same Spirit that was able to do the impossible, made it possible. I'm trusting that the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, is the same Spirit that will bring in all of my financial support so that I can invest in these students! Will you be crazy and trust with me? Will you be crazy and be one of the people to join my team at $100 or $50 a month?

Speaking of all this crazy, I am reminded of Francis Chan's book "Crazy Love". Its a must read. If you so choose to decide to give, you can do that here:

Or if you wish to contact me for more information or questions about that, you can get me at erinpfarley@gmail.com