Fight the good fight of faith...

In my devos I am kinda reading about Joshua and all the battles of the Israelites as they come into the Promised Land. No wonder the Lord told Joshua in the very first chapter not to be afraid nor dismayed because there were a lot of armys and cities to fight. It always amazes me how many times the Israelites in history have been way outnumbered by their enemies but they (almost) always gained victory. It is so easy to just read through it and think, "it was so easy for them" or to think "they werent afraid, this isnt as real as the things that are happening in my life" but the truth is there battles were crazy, they really were facing, living breathing men that wanted to kill them. They really had to be brave and courageous, and place all of their confidence in the Lord because their lives were at stake. I wonder if we take our battles as serious? Paul tells the Ephesians, "we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers..." Our battle is just as real and maybe the stakes are even higher for us than they were for Joshua and the Israelites. How much more should be place our confidence in the Lord, to not be afraid and walk as soldiers. Be encouraged, the command to not be afraid is always accompanied with the promise of the Lord's presence. We are assured victory because He fights our battles and not us.

One other thing I want to point out about Joshua that I absolutely love (!!!) is before he was even made a commander or a leader he was continually in the Lord's presence. During Moses time when they set up the tent of meeting, Exodus 33:11 says that Joshua never departed from the tent. I love that about Him and I desire that same heart, no wonder God called him to be a leader of His people! True faith and courage comes from knowing whom you serve and that HE is able and will do what He has said.

Picture is my tough fighting face, haha...I really do have too much free time...but I am going to Cologne tomorrow..THAnk you JESUS!!!

Say unto my soul...fix your eyes on Jesus.

"But hold fast what you have till I come." Revelation 2:25

Some of the girls God has put in my life so far, they are a huge blessing...they make my heart full.

Homesickness....could it be that I long for something deeper than just the houses I grew up in or the family I am so close to? Could it be that I am longing for the home that I have never actually been to, the home that is awaiting me? My heart longs for the cozy arms of my heavenly father, the comfort of completely being myself, of knowing where I am, who I am, and that I belong. When will you come for me dear Lord?

John 14:1-3"Let not your heart be troubled...I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am there you may be also."

"Beloved, I beg you as sojourers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul..." 1 Peter 2:11

"By faith he (Abraham) dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob...for he waited for the city which has foundations whose builder and maker is God." Hebrews 11

"For our citizenship is in Heaven from which we also eagerly wait fot the savior, the Lord Jesus Christ." Philippians 3:20

There is a river that runs through Siegen, called the Sieg. One morning I had an hour before I had to go to work and the Lord led me to go down a little trail across from my apartment and there is a cute little bridge with the Sieg flowing under it, so romantic :) it reminds me of when Anne Shirley tells Gil Blythe that she only wants to be friends...always makes me cry...anyways. I decided to take a pic there today after my bike ride. When I was in Siegen I met a couple from Peru, how amazing! They live 20 minutes from Cologne, it was nice to speak Spanish again...

Oh why are you so good to me? Today is a beautiful summer's day, a perfect day for a bike ride into Siegen. Saturdays really are wonderful, no wonder the Lord commanded the Jews to keep the Sabbath.

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." James 1:17

Thank you Lord Jesus for this day!

This morning I woke up after a crazy dream about people running in fear hiding from what looked like Roman soldiers, I was amongst them trying to hide from all the killing. When I woke up I had the passage from Luke on my heart where Jesus weeps over the city of Jerusalem because they didnt recongize their messiah and He weeps because of all the devestation that was going to come upon them. I asked the Lord if the dream meant something or if there was something He wanted to show me. He showed me that a lot of times His people miss Him even now...We should recognize that our Messiah is right in our midst, He promised to never leave us or forsake us, He promised us every spiritual blessing, yet we miss out becuase we dont seek Him out, becuase we are too busy to make time for Him, because there is too much distracting us. I think sometimes the Lord weeps over us when we fail to recognize and acknowledge Him in everything. DO you realize what you have???? I know I have written posts like this before but like Paul for me to write to you the same thing is not tedious (Philippians 3:1) it is good to be reminded the abundance we have in a relationship with Him. He is so amazing that He would even want to have a relationship with us, to spend a little time with us, let alone every second of every day.

"How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!" Matthew 23:37

I only write this with the desire that we all draw nearer to God, He is so amazing. He is so good to those who wait upon Him and those who seek Him. There is something so much deeper that I know He wants us all to step into, that abundant life He talked so much about. I havent figured it all out and I think there is so much we will never fully obtain it but I know He desires that we experience every second so much more of Himself! Be blessed my beloved brothers and sisters...

on a personal note, I am doing good.. the Lord is blessing so much here in Germany. I dont think I have ever been so happy anywhere. The more I am here the more I dont ever want to leave. I am learning a lot more german and I am getting to know a lot of people, they feel like family now. God is good thank you all for your prayers!

Oh, how good the Lord is!

"Happy are the people who are in such a state; happy are the people whose God is the Lord!" Psalm 144:15

"who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our woks, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began." 2 Timothy 1:9

"who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works!" Titus 2:14

Finally we had a sunny day in the Siegerland so I went to this lake/pond with the youth Pastor Tobi Sanger and his wife Lucy, Janos from Hungary, and a few other friends. The guys played in the fridged water while us girls got some sun...

I miss you friend!

"As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend." Proverbs 27:17

Let's have more adventures...Love, Misheru

One of the ministries of CC Siegen is their thrift store aka The Halle, it is an enourmous warehouse. The vision for the Halle is to reach out to the community by providing a Christ centered atmosphere. We have an average of prolly 100-2oo people that come everyday. Most of the people that come are not from the church but from the Siegerland. This is where I am working for the summer, cleaning, organizing, pretty much doing whatever needs to be done. It is a huge blessing from the Lord, I get to meet lots of cool people and I get to practice my German.

This is my new friend, Lisa. Her mom works at the Halle with me. Lisa wanted to learn better English so she decided to come with her mom one day so she could meet me. I got to hang out with her in Siegen on Saturday we went shopping at H&M...good times! The Lord continues to bless me so much beyond my imagination especially through the friendships He is placing in my life. I am grateful and honored by all of them!

Do you have Eternal or Abundant Life?

The trip from Egypt to the Promise Land was an 11 day trip but because of unbelief and failure to obey the Lord the Israelites wandered in the Wilderness needlessly 40 years! Do not let disobedience and disbelief rob you, Do not be merely content with having escaped from Egypt step into the Promised Land, the abundance God has for you!

"...all ate the same spiritual food and drank from the same spiritual drink...these things became our example...all these things happened to them as examples and were written for OUR admonition upon whom the end of the ages have come." 1 Corinthians 10:3-4,6,11