Jesus is our GREAT Shepherd

Think of an animal...OK now think of how they defend themselves...Kangaroos are fast and can kick, sloths have huge sharp nails, wolfs have teeth and are fast ect. Now what do sheep have to defend themselves? Hmm...weird nothing comes to mind. Did you know that Sheep have the smallest brain of any animal of its size? It's true! There is a story of these sheep coming down into a huge canyon of grass....HUGE...and the Shepherd led them into this canyon to eat. Well within this huge grassy canyon there was this tiny dried up spot where a stream once was...but now it was only dirt and rocks. Within this huge group of sheep about five sheep headed strait toward the tiny dried up spot. Immediately they started looking for the grass, when they didn't see it below them they started frantically looking all around that tiny spot. They looked as if they were scared for there life, as if they couldn't find grass at that moment, then they would die! The Shepherd seeing this ran down to the stupid sheep grabbed there wool and moved them five feet away, and they were happy again.

I tell you this because we are the stupid sheep! We get into theses dirty and rocky places in our lives and because we haven't been glancing at our Shepherd we freak out! Jesus wants us to follow him because he is our great provider and our lover and our Shepherd! When we lean on ourselves or things of this world we end up in a dirty and rocky mess. Jesus calls us to glance at him and him only, he longs for us, he knows us better then we know ourselves, he is committed to our life more then we are ourselves are! Psalms 23: God my Shepherd! I don't need a thing. You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from. True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction. Even when I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me: your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You serve me a six-course meal right in front of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Your beauty and love chase after me everyday of my life. I'm back home in the house of God for the rest of my life.

Jesus the GREAT initiator

These past couple of weeks some things have stood out to me such as: the simple fact that Christianity isn't about Loving God but it is about How he loves us! So many times we get caught up in making sure that we show God how much we love him, we try and preform works and we try to initiate things to please the father! What we do not realize is that Jesus is the great initiator! It all started when Adam was in the garden and Jesus created the tree of knowledge and evil. Alot of people ask why would God put something in the garden if he didn't want Adam to sin in the first place? From that Question alot of people have had hard feelings against God because they cannot believe that a God of Love would do something like that. This is so totally wrong!!!! Jesus put the tree in the middle of the garden so when Adam looked at it and said to him self " man that tree looks so good I just want some, it looks so amazing and beautiful I wonder what the fruit tastes like"...Oh but God YOU are better Lord you are better then any fruit I might eat and you told me not to so I wont! But Adam chose to eat of the tree later instead of choosing God. The point is is that Jesus puts desires in our hearts so HE can fill them! and when we turn to him and look at him instead of the things of this world or our desires it ravishes his heart! Song of Solomon 6:5 Jesus says "turn your eyes from me they overwhelm me." One Glance from us ravishes his heart! So many times we are under the impression that if we don't do our quiet time or we forget to pray before we eat Jesus is Mad at us and that is why bad things happen to us! NO! Jesus wants a relationship, He LONGS for our voice, he longs for us! Jesus Initiates and ALL we are called to do is respond. When we try and do things we end up in failure. All Jesus wants us to do is RESPOND. The thief on the cross next to Jesus did NOTHING for Jesus Except respond to Jesus's love, and Jesus said "today you will be with me in paradise." Something That I highly encourage everyone to do is read the song of Solomon thinking about you as the bride and Jesus as the bridegroom, at first alot of things may seem akward but when you really figure out what certain verses mean...you will be so overwhelmed with how much the father loves his children and How much Jesus loves us....Jesus Knows us he knows what were going to do before we do it in yet one glance from us ravishes his heart...he already knows were going to look at him but yet when we do, it RAVISHES him to where he cant even look! Jesus is truly Amazing and he loves us the same on the days we sin the most and have the worst thoughts to the days where we feel the most holy and do Amazing works ect. Wow THAT IS MY GOD! .....Just to clear things up though, what I'm not saying is to not do anything for Christ, but when we respond to him and look at him Good works come out of it and we don't feel pressured to do them or feel like were striving. :)

Things change when you follow after Jesus' heart

Wow I really never thought that I would be one to have a blog, I guess things change huh? :) I'm going to start off by telling you what I have been doing, where I plan on going and wherever else I decide to take this blog. :) First and for most I am attending University of the nations In Kona, Hawaii :) I LOVE it here! From the very first nervous day here, I was welcomed by some very sweet YWAMers...and some very odd ones too. :P Right away I began to make lots of friends from so many different places I cant even keep track!!! Right away I knew that this was where I was supposed to be. Within the first week I was Proficided over by Andy byrd, He basically said that I would have healing powers flow from my hands, the gift of prophecy, I would see angels and I would become like Mary in the bible. Wow that was so encouraging to hear, Right away When I would pray for peoples physical needs they would say they felt intense heat when i put my hands on there problem areas. That was extremely Encouraging! On Tuesday nights we go downtown and have a "treasure hunt" Now for those of you who don't know what that it let me explain: A treasure hunt is when you ask God for a name of people, some colors something that they are wearing and something odd that would help you out to find them. My very first try I got the name Jon and some colors, When we went I was very unsuccessful! I didn't even get to go to the place I thought he was at! I was so disappointed I told my leader Jeff I wasn't able to talk to the person I though I was supposed to! He said not to worry its just a game, and If Jesus wants you to talk to that person he will bring him to your mind Again. I still felt very unsatisfied. The next day my roommate and I Went on a special date out out to eat at the yummiest place here Bongo Ben's! After we were finished we decided to go to get shaved ice across the street. Once we got there the man kept giving us samples because we were unsure what we wanted ;P I looked on the side of his small shaved ice stand and I saw a little brochure for a energy saving method that he had come up with, knowing a little from Henry and school about this stuff I asked him some Questions about it. Before I knew it we were sharing our opinions about the economy and then for some reason it switched to Religion, He was telling me what he believed (which pretty much was a little of all religions, and contradicted itself) And I told him my opinion and we went back and forth. I attempted to smile and give him eye contact the entire time making sure I wasn't coming off as to shove it down his throat. After going back and forth and him getting upset with me and having to reassure him that I wasn't trying to force him into anything just simply sharing what I believe just as he was sharing what he believed, Finally a break through. He opened up just a tiny bit to tell me about his wife's death and how he lives in his truck and about his family and his house getting ruined. I finally understood this mans cold heart and his hurts and why he had attacked me, he had been so hurt and blamed Jesus because of it. Well at that point there were people behind me in line listening to me tell him that Jesus loves him and If he needed anything To let me know. With alot of pressuring from my end he finally took my number and I received his. Then I asked his name and he said Jon Barlow and I looked at him and almost cryed. I said Jesus loves you and if you need anything to call me at anytime! I went to the sea wall just about fourty feet from his stand and cryed. I was so shocked that It was him! Jon the name I received in the treasure hunt, just a day later! After finally finding my roommate We walked home together and I told her all about it, I was so happy cause I know Jesus is going to work in his life like he has never seen before! :) In closing I want to just remind you that if you get a word for someone or you are sent to pray for someone and you miss your opportunity or forget, don't forget that our God is a GREAT God and If he wants you to do something He will have you do it in ways you would never expect! Just don't worry about it though If you miss it the first time and he really wants it to happen, he will bring it around again. Jesus is love ~Kylee P.s. I am going to Cape Town South Africa for three months For an outreach! I'll write about that later :)