Posted in General Posts by Josi Presley on 4/27/2012
Hello Family : )
So I'm quickly approaching my first financial dead line for the World Race.
I have never been so stressed about ANYTHING in my whole life. My first payment is for $3,500 and as of right now I have $2,700. That means within the next eight days I have to come up with $800.
My initial thought was to lay in bed for days crying and feeling sorry for myself because clearly there was no way I could continue to go on this trip because that last $800 was just not there. Then I thought I could run around frantically for the next week and beg every single person I've ever met for money or put together a last minute fund raiser. Then God showed me the final solution. CHILL OUT!
God audibly spoke to me and told me it was time for me to go on this trip. I truly believe with all my heart and soul that it is written in God's plan for me to leave on this trip, with this squad, at this time. I've never been so sure about anything in my life.
As He usually does, God punched me in the face with His love. I'm reading a daily devotional right now called Jesus Calling and lately all of them have been about how fear and mistrust usually manifest in excessive planning. At one point it says in worrying about things, you're questioning God's ability to take care of you. Then today was the breaking point. The first line of today's devotional says "Come to me with empty hands and an open heart, ready to receive abundant blessings."
UMMMM HELLO!!!!! God here, I'm aware you're in need, I've got your back, CHILL OUT!!!!!
So then I came home for the weekend to cry to my mom. When I got home my parents sat me down and told me they've decided to sell my car right before I leave to pay for the rest of my trip!!!!!! WOOHOO!!!!!
so in case you guys are wondering about the title of this blog, zapata means shoe in spanish. It's a common thing in Texas to say you're using your zapatamobiles to walk somewhere instead of driving. I can honestly say y'all I would rather walk than drive the rest of my life if it means I get to go on this trip.
God is continuing to blow my mind everyday and I know it's because of His unconditional love for me and the many prayers y'all are sending up for me : )
I love you guys and thank you for your support.
Josi
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Posted in General Posts by Josi Presley on 2/2/2012
I go to what might be one of the most amazing churches ever. We meet in a skating rink that is rented out to us on Sundays. Our motto is "no perfect people allowed". Everything about it is so real and genuine and I absolutely love it.
Last week our pastor talked about how God is constantly trying to talk to us we just usually aren't paying enough attention to hear him. He said one of the ways we hear from God is through scripture. I thought "Yeah, okay, that's like a thousand years old. A preacher can apply it to my life but I can't if I just read it." After thinking that to myself I was just like wow, I call myself a christian yet I don't see the point in reading my Bible? At that time I realized it's time to stop being such a hypocrite and give this "quiet time" every one talks about a try.
So after that I decided I would wake up 30 minutes earlier to read one chapter out of my Bible. The first day I read through the book of Matthew and came home and read more that night. It was like God spoke to me through every passage. It was so amazing.
This morning I was doing my daily reading and opened the Bible to Genesis 12:
"The Lord said to Abram, 'Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father's family and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.'"
As I read this I just began weeping uncontrollably. How dare I think it takes a pastor to make the Bible apply to me. Even the very first book in the Old Testament directly applies to me. Granted, maybe not all of it, but definitely the call to leave your relatives and go to a foreign land. As I was crying, words of praise just began spewing out of my mouth. It is so amazing to me that I continuously make mistake after mistake and God continuously show me his love and tells me it's ok. His downpour of grace is so underserved but he does it anyway. That will never cease to amaze me.
The God I serve is such a loving God. No matter how filthy and disgusting and disobedient I've been, he sees me as a beautiful child of his and loves me unconditionally. That's the point I feel he wants me to get across to people on this mission. No matter the sin, God forgives. No matter how incomplete you feel, God makes you whole. No matter how far you stray, God is waiting with open arms.
I love you all and pray everyday that the downpour of love and grace God has given all of us, you will open your hearts and minds and see how amazing a gift it is as soon as your willing to receive it.
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Posted in General Posts by Josi Presley on 11/25/2011
So lately I've been really focused on music. Music has always been a huge part of my life and a way for me to cope with every day struggles. I used to listen to the usual angry teen or sappy love song music but now I'm finding that every coping skill we need can be found in the lyrics of christian music.
People keep asking me why I feel like I need to go on this trip. They're like "Just what are you trying to prove?" At first, when I was asked this question it made me furious. What am I trying to prove? Really? Then I listened to that song If We Are The Body by the Casting Crowns and it has really helped me cope with people's questions that I just flat don't understand. If you haven't heard it in a while the main lyric I'm talking about is:
But if we are the body
Why aren't His arms reaching?
Why aren't His hands healing?
Why aren't His words teaching?
And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them there is a way?
There is a way
I was asked this question again over the Thanksgiving holiday (which was awesome) and my new response is "what are you trying to prove by staying here?"
We aren't supposed to be comfortable in this world. It's not home. In John 17:16 John says "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." The world is crazy y'all and nothing like I expect heaven to be, so as Christians we aren't supposed to be comfortable here. What takes us out of our comfort zone more than picking up our lives and leaving our families to teach others about the one true God whose unfailing love has saved us from eternal damnation?
So my question to those that wanna know why I think I "have" to go on this trip is, Why do you feel you have to stay here? If we are the body His hands should be healing, arms reaching, and feet going!
I'm not saying God calls everyone over seas, but think about it honestly, what is holding you back from just dropping everything and giving you're time up to God? When I asked myself that question I found most of the things that were hindering my relationship with him.
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Posted in General Posts by Josi Presley on 11/16/2011
OK, so I pretty much explained in my "about me portion" all about me and why I feel like God has really given me a heart for mission work and the nations. So I thought as a follow up blog I would let you know how stinking excited I am!
I just sent out my support letter yesterday and I won't lie I wasn't really expecting much feedback on it. But so far people are already calling me and e-mailing me about the trip. It's been so encouraging to know that people are interested in what God's doing in my life and how he's working through me to reach others : ) It's just gotten me even more fired up then I already was!
Furthermore, the people going on the race with me have a facebook group that we've all been communicating through. It's so cool to get to facebook creep and see how much I have in common with so many of them! Most importantly though, all of them are so absolutely on fire for God and I can't wait to spend 11 months with a group of people just as passionate about spreading the Word of God as I am!
My main problem so far has just been stress : / I've been stressing about the ammount of money I have to raise along with how I'm going to do it. This is the first mission trip I've ever been on and I've never really been one to fundraise. When I was in elementary my parents would usually buy the minumum of stuff I had to sell for fundraisers and that was the end of it. So right now I'm really just gonna ask y'all to be praying for me to just chill out! Obviously God wants me on this trip and he will provide no matter mow much or less I worry. Anywho I have like 5 tests coming up this week that I should be studying for so I' better get to studying! Just wanted to let you guys know how excited I am and how much I really do appreciate the support : )
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