God Knows the Tea

So, if you're alive and paying attention to the news or pop culture, you know that people are always hungry for the tea.



The past few weeks have been full of news about celebrities fighting, and YouTube beauty guru drama. People have been spilling tea all over the place.



Now I'm sure some of you are wondering what the heck I'm talking about. Who are these people that can't keep hold of their tea cups! Urban Dictionary defines "Spilling the Tea" as telling the details of something especially scandalous. The tea is the gossip. For some of us, the "Tea" about our lives is the stuff we don't want people to know.

 But we can't hide anything from God. Truth is no "Tea" can hide from him!

Side Note: At this point I'm wondering how long it would take me to translate my own version of the bible using urban dictionary...(hmmmmm)

One of the things we pray a lot in the prayer room is that God would help us to get straight to people's hearts when we chat with them out on the streets. I can't tell you how many conversations I've had in the west end that start with hello, and then withing a few minutes someone is spilling our there life story to me. Mistakes, flaws and all. I love it, not because I want to hear the juicy details, but because it gives me the opportunity to speak God's truth into their lives. I get to be a reflection of God's love and forgiveness to them. I get to break that stereotype that says God can't love me because I've done  THIS ---> _____________  (fill in the blank)

Romans 8:1 tells us that there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ.

The truth is God sees all of me. The good, and the broken, and he still loves me. There's no putting on for God. He sees past the mask, straight to the heart of who I am. And he still loves me. Still chooses me.

So, God knows your "Tea" and he still wants relationship with you. That's good news!

Do it Again

A few weeks ago I was in the prayer room at 2AM when someone put this song on:

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I love a simple worship song with powerful lyrics. Here's my favorite bit from this song:

I've seen you move, You move the mountains
And I believe, I'll see you do it again
You made a way, where there was no way
And I believe, I'll see you do it again

As soon as I hear the first notes of the song ringing out in our small prayer space, I start to smile. This was a song I sang a lot when I was in Las Vegas, working on trying to get my Spanish Visa. You guys know it took me several attempts and many years to finally see that happen. If you read back through this blog you'll see there have been many times along my Ibiza journey where God stepped in and made the impossible happen.

It happened with my very first trip to Ibiza in 2009. I felt God call me to come on a short term missions team that year. At the time a plane ticket to Ibiza from California in April was going to cost me almost $700. On top of that I needed to pay for accommodations and food for the five days I would be in Ibiza. When I felt it was impossible God stepped in and provided the money for me to go.

In 2014 I wanted to come back for another summer season, but didn't have the money to cover my housing and expenses for three months. Just as I was getting ready to reach out to the team leaders Abby and Charlie to let them know I wasn't going to be able to make it that summer, they emailed to inform me that someone had anonymously donated the money for me to come that season.

I though often of both of those stories as I waited for my Spanish visa results last year. As we sang "Do it Again" in the prayer room I was reminded of God's faithfulness during my visa journey. But I was also challenged to hold on to that same faithfulness for my future!  My Spanish visa renewal is coming soon, and I'm reminded that I serve a God who makes mountains move. A God who can step into my life and make the impossible happen.

I hope you know the same is true for you! God wants to move the mountains in your life, and I bet if you stop to look back you can recall the times from your past when he's done that. The good news is that God is the same yesterday today and forever! (Hebrews 13:8) The same God who moved those mountains in your past is ready to DO IT AGAIN for you today. (see what I did there?)