Miraculous Provisions!

Has there ever been a time in your life when you were in desperate need for God's provision and even though you KNOW He ALWAYS provides EXACTLY what we need, you still doubt He is going to come through with this one situation? DON'T DO IT! Because when the time comes and He COMPLETELY provides for you, you WILL feel guilty for not trusting Him because all a long you KNEW He would be faithful in the end and it's a slap in your face that you needed. One thing I learned this week that changed my thought process a LOT was the fact that God wants to know what it is YOU want to do. It is great to go before God ans ask Him where He wants you to go, but sometimes when you ask Him that, He is asking YOU where YOU want to go. When I got this revelation this week, ya know what I did? I SAID OUT LOUD TO GOD: "I honestly don't think You are going to give me money for Malaysia and I don't think you want me there for whatever reason because if You did, I would have that money. BUT God, I WANT TO GO TO MALAYSIA!" Even just looking back on this and remembering the doubt I physically said out loud to God makes me so ashamed and disgusted with myself. I was being an inconsiderate selfish slob! And regardless of that fact, ya know what God did? Yeah. God gave me $5000 dollars in one. stinking. day. $5000!!!!!!!! And all I can do is repent and ask for forgiveness for my horrible selfishness and disbelief AND constantly praise and worship our PREFECT and AMAZING and Providing and FAITHFUL glorious GOD! NOW! I am excited because I am going to give you the full and detailed story! If you don't want to hear it, stop reading now because I actually have a few miracles to tell you all about! God is SO good! So on Wednesday of this week in our outreach meeting, my leader Paige told us all we needed to have all our money in before January 15th. One week away. And I had $0 to even finish paying for tuition. I owed over $2000 for tuition and over $2000 for outreach. I almost broke down crying but I knew I just needed to stay calm because God would do what He needed. It got harder to keep that mindset as the week went on however. But I really did keep trying. Then everyday after that, my team would individually come up to me randomly, lay hands on me, and pray for God's provision in this area. I am so thankful for my surrounding of believers. Anyway, on Thursday night we had an extra class of lectures in order to prepare us for the following day which was called "ministry day". And so we walked through the process of what the whole following day would be. But even with the preparation we had NO idea the things God was going to do. One of the things our speaker, Mark Parker, told us would be happening was a time of blessing. And during this time we would be exchanging gifts to each other. Our job was to then take that night to talk to God and figure out what was supposed to be given and to whom. Well almost immediately I knew that I was meant to give a gift to my friend, Jenni. But I had NO idea what it was I was supposed to give her. So I prayed about it and got nothin. And more of nothin. So it was a little frustrating but then I decided not to freak out about it because even if I just give a gift, it has the power to bless someone. So! With that, the next morning I decided to give one of my dresses away to my friends, Margarita. So then after our VERY powerful introduction to our day the next morning, and after we spent a long time giving thanks, worshiping, and praising God, it was time for blessing one another. So everyone got in one giant circle around the room and one by one people started giving gifts and blessing one another. And it was the most beautiful and prophetic thing I have ever witnessed! It was crazy because you would constantly watch one person give something SUPER important to them away, and immediately the situation would turn around and they would receive that same blessing BACK from someone else! People gave away their brand new iPads and iPhones and computers. People gave away long boards, and clothing and art work! People gave away iPods and EXPENSIVE cameras! People were just GIVING! And when we all got into the circle I immediately knew exactly what it was I was supposed to give to my friend Jenni. God told me so clearly to give her my purity ring. I know some people may not understand but that ring is very significant to me and I have not even taken it off my body for 8 years. It holds beauty in part of my identity that I love the world to know. I love showing physically the promises I have between God and I and so it was actually rather difficult for me to agree with God about giving it away. But considering the fact that C.J. gave me a promise ring before I came to Australia and I traded my purity ring over to the other hand at that time, I realized that it would honestly just be an even bigger blessing to be able to share that beautiful promise with someone else. And once I actually took the ring off, I felt a bit of freedom because it was also a growing up sensation for me too. SO! After watching tons of people give I finally gave away the dress and then I went up to Jenni and told her God wanted her to have my purity ring as a symbol of her love for and promises to God. And she literally fell to the ground and started sobbing harder than I have ever seen anyone cry before. I did not understand the impact the ring would have on her and I still didn't even after this. So i got down on my knees and held her in my arms and just hugged her for a while. Then I got up and went back to my place in the circle. THEN while in the circle 3 people in a row turned and handed me a piece of paper telling me specific amounts of money they were giving me for outreach!!! Then! 3 OTHER people randomly throughout the time of blessing did the same! By the end of the time of blessing I had over $2000! I was just weeping and I could not believe the things that were happening! God was truly performing miracles ALL around the room. THEN! After we had a few more hours of the ministry day, my friend Jenni pulled me aside and said she needed to talk to me about something. So I went with her and she began tell me an AMAZING story. Apparently about one week ago while we were in Airlie Beach, she had been talking with God and she had been asking for forgiveness for her past and she had been making promises to God to love Him and only Him for ever and she promised one full year of being single just so she could spend that time with God. Then she continued on to tell me how God's response to all of this was the He loved her, forgave her, and He told her He was going to give her a purity ring that He wanted her to wear always. So after getting that response she wrote down hers and God's conversation, she DREW the ring and she dated it at the top so she would know exactly when the promises were made. SO then that next week in her small group she had apparently told everyone her story. So all of her small group knew about it too so when I gave her my old purity ring yesterday, they were ALL freaking out and I had no idea why! But THAT is why she broke down! God really DID give her the ring He promised her!!! I was literally speechless. I have never witnessed anything like it! Let alone get the blessing of being a part of it! So my entire day was already insane! THEN to top it ALL off, later on my friend Lisanne pulled me aside and asked about all the money I had been given and in the end she looked me directly in the eyes and said, "once you have been physically given all the money everyone has promised you, tell me the final amount of what else you need and it is yours. Your outreach is paid for. All of it." DEFINITELY MY TURN TO BREAK DOWN! I could NOT believe what I was hearing!!!! DON'T EVER DOUBT GOD! Please!!! He is worthy of SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much MORE!!!!!!!!! And in one day just like that, $5000!!!! ALL OF MY OUTREACH IS NOW PAID FOR! BEFORE THE DUE DATE!!! I am light headed just thinking about it! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!!!!!!!! So, I am SO excited to announce that I officially WILL be going to Malaysia AND NO one has a right to say God does not provide or is not Faithful. God has done so much and He is so miraculous. My life since being here has completely changed (for the better) and it continues to do so the more I learn about God and love Him and spend time with Him. He is so amazing. And SO worthy! Goodness. 2014 is going to be an AMAZING year everyone! I hope you allow yours to be worth wile as well! Thank you to EVERYONE who has supported me and who prays for me! I ask that you continue to do that and please share these stories and miracles with everyone around you so people can know God's unlimited power and love. All glory to God! He is SOOO WORTHY! I love you all so much and I am SO excited to share all this with you! HAVE A BLESSED WEEK! -With love from Australia, Christianna!!!

His name is God and He is Faithful.

This week in lectures we are learning about Lordship. Our speaker's name is Mark Parker and at the beginning of the week I was skeptical and throughout the entire first day I had a horrible attitude about this week, not realizing that even in those moments the things Mark was saying was sticking with me and hitting me harder than a lot of the other teachings i have had so far. And I have had a LOT and have learned a LOT!!! Now slowly coming into the end of the week I am seeing how much God has been speaking to me just this week, I am seeing where He has been speaking to me in the last few weeks, I am being challenged in many different ways to trust Him FULLY, AND I am starting to have some of biggest questions and prayers answered! How about an example for each? Sure why not!!! But first things first. The reason why I am updating my blog AGAIN within the same week is not by my choice but by my obedience to God. I really felt earlier this afternoon and again in small groups tonight that God wanted me to give y'all and even more recent update on everything just from this week since in this one week alone SO much of my life has changed...and I know that before the end of the week, a ton MORE is going to change. So, if two blogs in one week is too much...sorry. Anyway! So God has been speaking to me a lot this week...me writing this blog right now is a physical response from me to something God has been speaking. So that is example one. Example two: God has been speaking to me in the last few weeks. SUCH AS!!!! A while back I got a tug on my heart to write and encouraging note to a very specific person, however i don't know this particular person very well and I am almost certain this person use to think I did not like them. So for me it was awkward to feel the need to write them a note and I was uncomfortable with it, so i ignored the "feeling" and just "put it off" until later. (Meaning I never wanted to do it.) Well since then this person has been growing a lot and they are becoming a strong leader a little everyday and they are starting to trust God more and that encourages me and inspires me just by watching them so my "feeling" to write them a note kept getting stronger. Then today in lectures, i couldn't deny it anymore. I was just sitting in class, listening intently, when all of a sudden I had a HUGE thump in my heart telling me to write this person that note of encouragement right in that moment. I realized and recognized and accepted at that point that it had been God telling me to do it all along and I was just being a scared, prideful, arrogant jerk beforehand pretending it wasn't coming from the Holy Spirit. So, I finally wrote the note, gave it to them and afterwards I felt a huge feeling of relaxation come over me. Shocker I know...listening to God and obeying?? How is THAT relaxing?! <-- That is a joke obviously...anyway I get frustrated when I know God has been speaking to me and I push it aside out of fear for long periods of time. The THIRD example: Trusting Him FULLY!!! This one for some reason has been my ultimate struggle for this entire DTS so far and I am SO done with it. There is NO reason why I shouldn't be trusting Him. He has done NOTHING to deserve my doubt. And even though I need $4000 within the next week, I am done doubting God because He is faithful, He has called me to this DTS AND to Malaysia and He WILL provide the funds for me before January 15th. I don't know how or where it will come from but I know I will receive it because He is faithful and He IS our provider. Fourth example is about Him answering my questions and prayers. Long story short, He has answered MANY MANY MANY prayers but the one I am thinking of specifically is very personal and I don't want to give every detail but I will tell you that it has to do with the fact that He is starting to clearly reveal to me some of the reasons why He has me here in Australia and not home in Arizona for this period of time. And I am very grateful for it and relieved to know the purposes. SO! As of right now I am in a place of complete vulnerability and I am surrendering myself and everyone and everything I have completely to God and giving Him all my trust. And this is something I need to do ALWAYS...not just in my times of need. God is good and He is SO faithful and He deserves ALL of our trust ALL of the time. What is the point of worrying about the things around you you can't change? And even if you COULD change them, why would you want that burden???!!!??!! God is our provider and He takes care of us and the ones we love and it is a BLESSING that we don't need to worry about anything BECAUSE GOD IS GOOD AND HE IS FAITHFUL! I hope you all find my blogs somewhat interesting and maybe helpful in some ways. I love writing them but even more so I love sharing my heart with everyone and being able to share the things I am learning with everyone. I hope to continue doing so...even after my DTS is over. Thank you all for your prayers. I ask that you continue to pray and please pray specifically for the $4000 to be given within the next week. God can do anything. Just pray in faith and trust. Thank you all! I love you all and I miss all you Arizonans!!! <3

With love and blessings, Christianna!

Happy New Years anyone? :)

Hello friends! It has been quite some time! I am seeing this as a bad pattern. I take too long to update but sometimes, I just have no other choice. Life is CRAZY busy! First things first, HAPPY NEW YEARS TO EVERYONE! I cannot even believe it is officially 2014! This is going to be one amazing year! God has a LOT in store and I am excited to see what all that is!!! Last week I was able to spend the week in Airlie Beach (sounds just like it is spelled)!!! We went there for one of our local outreaches and all I can say is God did some amazing things. He broke people's hearts for what breaks His. He broke down the pride of a LOT of us. He reminded us all how blessed our lives really are. He saved lives. He performed miracles...Yeah. God did AMAZING things. And He continues to do so!!! Just in case you were unaware, God is a lot of things and one thing He is that He constantly is reminding me of is Faithful and Provider. I am need of around $4000 within the next month. And the DAY before I left for Airlie Beach, God provided me with $450 out of no where. It was so insane and all I could do was praise Him, worship Him and thank Him. Material things in this world hold no value in comparison to almighty glory of our God and that is something that has truly taken me FAR too long to realize and understand. And it is also something that I will never 100% understand no matter how hard I try. Our God is mysterious and He is so intricate. But all at the same time, He is intimate. And so the fact that people can go about their everyday lives content with the little knowledge they have of God baffles me. Why is our world so apathetic?! How can you possible learn something new and interesting about God and just stop there?? There is and ALWAYS will be something new and even better to learn about God and yet we spend our days instead trying to learn the new and "interesting" things on our temporary and materialistic items we own such as iPhones. That is sad. God is worthy of SO much more than that. And I am sorry that it has taken me so many years to have this realization. I hope it didn't take any of you that long. Anyway, I will end that rant now and move on. As a whole, my life here in Australia is amazing. I love it here and it is safe to say that it is going to be hard for me to leave here when the time comes. Nevertheless, for now I am soaking up every second of this crazy adventure!!! My family is going through some hard times right now and I often get frustrated that I cannot be there to help anyone but one thing that God has been pressing on me a LOT lately is the fact that no matter where I am, even if I were there, there is absolutely NOTHING I can do. Only God can take care of my family but even more so than that, He already IS taking care of them. And I have no right to try and hold onto and control the things which I have no power over. Yes, I wish I could help. But THANK GOD I don't have the power to do so because if I did, i would be far to stressed out. I am so blessed that I have a God that I can just go to and give my problems to and He will take care of them. AND i can be assured that the results will be for His ultimate glory. There truly is no better way to live life. I am praying for His provision to continue with my family and with my final finances and while I get worried sometimes, I know He is going to provide. As outreach gets closer and I am really looking forward to keeping you all more updated on everything that is going on. I hope you are all doing well and I won't wait too long for my next blog. I promise!!!

With lots of love and many blessings, Christianna :)