This Girl's Heartbeat

New year, new blog design, new challenge! When I got back from Uganda, God really put a whoopin on me. For those of you who have no idea what I mean, it's when He begins to show you things about yourself that can really hurt to see.  But the bible says that he loves those he corrects so the whoopin ends up being something you are thankful for because it helps you get to that next level of knowing him. It helps you become a better person, even though the process can be a little painful. Kenny Chessor preached about the process at this years youth conference and he said some amazing things. 1. The process protects - You shouldn't venture into something before you're ready.  You wouldn't give a 13 year old the keys to your car no matter how much they beg and plead.  Sometimes God doesn't give us what we want because he's protecting us from ourselves.  The timing isn't right.  Unprocessed ministries are dangerous. 2.  The process produces - The process p...

This year I began reading Draw the Circle; The 40 Day Prayer Challenge.  It's a great book/devotional and I recommend it to everyone.  Here's a few things that God put in my spirit.  Let's just call this an open letter to myself because Lord knows I'm a hot mess and need to remember this stuff on a daily, sometimes hourly, basis. There are a few things in my life that have been a continuous prayer for sometime.  I've often wondered if I'm like a broken record to God and he's up there thinking "Goodness Lacey! I heard you the first time!"  When I have this thought, I tend to back off a bit and just let Him be Him.  Part of it is because I lose faith and say I trust Him but really don't because it's not happening in the time I want it to happen in.  But by reading this book, I've changed.  The Bible says we are to go BOLDLY before our God.  It also says we have not because we ask not.  So basically, stop being shy or timid or scared or ...

I've been back in the states since Saturday...well physically back.  But my mind and my spirit is still in Uganda.  I'm going to try to attempt to put into words what it feels like to come back here after spending so much time in another world.  Many of my friends who have gone on the trip with me have experienced similar feelings when they return.  I don't speak for them.  But I can try to help you understand. This doesn't feel REAL. It feels REAL there. I've been walking around in another world for the last few days.  I go about my day with my thoughts on Uganda.  My mind is in another place and the trivial things of this place just don't matter to me.  When I'm in Uganda, I feel free.  I feel that what I do matters. The things I'm thinking about or praying about or talking about has meaning.  My focus is on the people, the children, God, and how I can be used.  Trivial things like do my shoes match my outfit, or how d...

After the first day at the orphanage, I heard a story of a little boy who was about 9 or 10 years old who Dr. Sydney believed was in liver failure and needed immediate medical intervention or wouldn't live very long.  The next day, the group gathered around this little boy to pray for him.  When I finally saw him, I understood the concern.  He was so swollen.  His face and his feet were so very swollen and he was so lethargic.  He just sat there near his mother.   As I looked into his eyes, I couldn't help but think about my sister.  To know how much pain he was in and yet he didn't have anything to soothe him.  I remember my sister being in so much pain and miserable and feeling horrible, and we were able to give her something to give her some relief.  But this child had nothing to ease his pain.  But he had faith.  As the group prayed, I prayed.  Lord if it be your will, heal him. One of my friends said that his mother believ...

I'm sitting on the plane to leave Uganda and it is bitter sweet. I am ready to get home but still will miss everyone here. This trip was so different. For me it was less emotional and more spiritual. God moved in a great way and He spoke to me about a few different things. It was also different because I was here to work. We were able to do so much for projects for refuge. A few of us spent the day at the new orphanage and were able to get one of our projects done. We also were able to deworm over 500 of the children and do more projects with them at the existing orphanage.  When we drove up to the orphanage the first day, the first little boy I saw was Benardo or Bennett. He was Ronnie's little pal last year. We all went into the church and when I sat down and looked out the door, there was Bennett. Looking around. I think he was looking for Ronnie.  Later I asked him if he remembered Ronnie and he said yes. He is something!  He sat with us and every now and then, someon...

The past two days have been great!  We left Kampala yesterday and went to Mbale straight to the orphanage. It was a very different experience this time for me. My excitement was seeing in watching the newbies faces as we turned down the orphanage road. The ride to the orphanage is as Much as an experience as driving up to the orphanage. Little villages of grass huts line the very bumpy dirt road. As we ride by, people run out to wave and the children run to the road to catch the candy we throw out of the window. These children then run and follow the bus to the orphanage about ten minutes away. And can these kids run!  Barefoot!   When we drove up, we were ushered into the church. The children were in the church already which had been going on long before we arrived. Bishop was elected king of his district this year. This is a huge honor and responsibility and he is really honored by the people. They call him your highness and you're eminence. There are about six armed gu...

Change of plans So you have to go with the flow when you are on a trip to Africa. Our plane was delayed one hour in Ethiopia and when we finally got on the plan we were exhausted. Thankfully it was not a full flight so I grabbed a middle row and fell asleep. I was woken up to the news that we were not taking off: mechanical problems. So we got off and waited. Most of us tried to sleep and when I finally fell into a deep sleep we were woken up to eat lunch. All together, we left 6 or so hours later. When we finally got in the plane we were so exhausted and I crashed. I had no problem sleeping on this flight. We touched down in Entebbe and it was the best feeling - almost like being home. Everyone met us at the airport and it was so good seeing them. They too had been waiting for us to arrive since 11am-- it was now about 6pm. We hugged and introduced everyone. So many on our trip are newbies. There's only a handful of us who have been before. Still haven't gotten to kno...