And if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.
I remember reading the words of Isaiah 58 while sitting at the back table in a coffee shop in Prescott a number of years ago on a cold November day. Snow on the ground and a warm cup of coffee in that busy shop near the town square, I had chosen to make my way out of town to spend a day just seeking God's will for the next step in my life. Away from the distractions and normalcy of that season of my life, I asked God to give me wisdom, to help me understand his heart and his direction.
As I read through some familiar verses that day, somehow I ended up on a chapter I don't think I had read before -Isaiah 58... It took me some time at first, but as I read it, I began to understand that God was telling me 'spend myself' on the things that have his heart. To help those in need -to do what I can to bring JUSTICE into the social injustices of our world. That chapter became a defining group of verses and challenge for me over the years to come. -How can I impact student and adults lives that are in need -spiritually or physically? How can I bring the light of HOPE where there seems to be no hope?
Now faced with the challenge of unfolding God's plan for my life in this next season, I'm learning more and more to Trust in God and make sure that He is my constant and have been asking Him what steps he would have me follow in life.
Last year, when the Ride Well Tour made a stop at Desert Springs, something hit a string in my heart. Their cooperation with Blood Water Mission to promote clean blood and clean water efforts in Africa, tangibly reducing the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic while addressing the underlying issues of poverty, injustice and oppression grabbed ahold of my heart. As my time on staff at DSC came to a close, I felt like the great opportunity for me to be a part of the Ride Well Tour was arising.
Through many gifts from dear friends, unbelievable support from Desert Springs Church and the board and an incredible discount from South Mountain Cycles, I'll be able to be a part of this great tour! It all goes back to the challenge that God has stirred in me since that day he led me to Isaiah 58. How can I make a difference in peoples lives -physically and spiritually?
I can't say thank you enough to every individual and dsc who has played a role in helping pay for this amazing cause. Also, the continued training and help that the crew at South Mountain Cycles has given me is helping me prepare more and more for this great adventure.
I've been training -running & taking classes at the gym since I knew that I would be a part of the tour and this Monday Morning my Bike was finished and I started training on it!
Then, this June, I will begin to ride across the country with about 17 other individuals to raise funds to help build wells in Africa -literally changing lives of the individuals that live in those villages! I will also be filming during the tour to help with a project that Ride Well is putting together to help raise awareness for this cause.
Will you pray with me that God would use this trip to raise awareness in the churches we visit, people we come in contact with and lives we reach into -so that we can bring hope to people in need?
I'll keep this blog updated as we get closer to the tour and then I'll be posting updates and pictures throughout the tour! So check back soon!
I remember reading the words of Isaiah 58 while sitting at the back table in a coffee shop in Prescott a number of years ago on a cold November day. Snow on the ground and a warm cup of coffee in that busy shop near the town square, I had chosen to make my way out of town to spend a day just seeking God's will for the next step in my life. Away from the distractions and normalcy of that season of my life, I asked God to give me wisdom, to help me understand his heart and his direction.
As I read through some familiar verses that day, somehow I ended up on a chapter I don't think I had read before -Isaiah 58... It took me some time at first, but as I read it, I began to understand that God was telling me 'spend myself' on the things that have his heart. To help those in need -to do what I can to bring JUSTICE into the social injustices of our world. That chapter became a defining group of verses and challenge for me over the years to come. -How can I impact student and adults lives that are in need -spiritually or physically? How can I bring the light of HOPE where there seems to be no hope?
Now faced with the challenge of unfolding God's plan for my life in this next season, I'm learning more and more to Trust in God and make sure that He is my constant and have been asking Him what steps he would have me follow in life.
Last year, when the Ride Well Tour
Through many gifts from dear friends, unbelievable support from Desert Springs Church and the board and an incredible discount from South Mountain Cycles, I'll be able to be a part of this great tour! It all goes back to the challenge that God has stirred in me since that day he led me to Isaiah 58. How can I make a difference in peoples lives -physically and spiritually?
I can't say thank you enough to every individual and dsc who has played a role in helping pay for this amazing cause. Also, the continued training and help that the crew at South Mountain Cycles has given me is helping me prepare more and more for this great adventure.
I've been training -running & taking classes at the gym since I knew that I would be a part of the tour and this Monday Morning my Bike was finished and I started training on it!
Then, this June, I will begin to ride across the country with about 17 other individuals to raise funds to help build wells in Africa -literally changing lives of the individuals that live in those villages! I will also be filming during the tour to help with a project that Ride Well is putting together to help raise awareness for this cause.
Will you pray with me that God would use this trip to raise awareness in the churches we visit, people we come in contact with and lives we reach into -so that we can bring hope to people in need?
I'll keep this blog updated as we get closer to the tour and then I'll be posting updates and pictures throughout the tour! So check back soon!
