Are You All In?

Faith. God. Life. Are you all in?

This past year, 2013, has been a huge journey of faith for me beginning with a huge revelation I received when faced with quite a large issue: I spilled Pepsi all over Alex's MacBook. Now, if you ask my dad, this is no surprise. I spill. EVERYTHING. If it's in a cup or can, you can definitely expect to see it dribbled down my shirt and face or all over the table. Thankfully my husband thinks its cute or it would be really irritating. It has become a funny thing like, "Oh, Jessica spilled...ha ha ha that's just her...". But this was different. Because I actually killed something REALLY expensive this time in my clumsiness with liquids. There was no "ha ha silly Jessica..." this time. We now have a house rule that no computers will be left on the coffee table because of what had happened.

I was devastated, and I was so embarrassed. Alex was sweet about it, but I knew this was a huge deal with big consequences. All of his school notes were on that computer, and he needed it for the rest of the year as well. So we did what we could to dry it out, but it was obvious that it wasn't going to turn back on any time soon.

At this time in my devotional/prayer/Bible time I had been stuck on the verse in the New International version that, "Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see" (Hebrews 11:1) I also like the version that says, "Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen." (NLT) That word in the first part of the verse was sticking out to me like I'd never read it before. Confidence. CONFIDENCE! Confidence. I had been pondering faith and confidence for about a week before the great spill happened. In that time God was telling me that this season is a time for battle-warrior confidence in my faith. Strong, no backing down confidence. I just needed something to try it out on. I had no idea that this MacBook story would be my chance.

Up until the Pepsi incident, I had struggled to really believe 100% that God would do something I was praying for. I was learning to pray in faith and strongly believe for Him to do mighty things (because HELLO He's a BIG GOD who is ALL POWERFUL!) but still always had in the back of my mind the, "but what if..." that we ALL think. I think most of us as Christians have one foot in faith and one foot in the "but what if..." of the world. We don't think about being fully CONFIDENT in our God. Mostly because He works things out differently than we think He will or should a lot of the time. But I think as well it has a lot to do with how much faith (confidence) we have in him.

I decided the day the MacBook died that this time I would actually fully 100% commit to believing that God will restore the computer without letting myself think about the "but what if He doesn't?" I took a stand in CONFIDENCE that my God would come through for us. Alex and I prayed over the computer and agreed that it was just a computer and that it isn't the end of the world, but also that our God is a restorer and a good Father who loves His kids and we would really like it back please!

We took the Mac to the Apple store to see what could be done to fix it before we'd have to possibly buy a new one. (Who has the money for that, right??) God knew we couldn't afford that. We told the people at the Apple store the truth, because we knew that trying to lie and get away with liquid damage wasn't right. We also knew that by telling them what happened the warranty wouldn't cover any of the damage. We told the truth in FAITH, and God totally honours honesty. Just saying. The guy helping us had a sparkle in his eye and said, "well, we will open it up and take a look, but if we can't find any physical signs of liquid damage we can replace the motherboard for free since its under warranty." What? We just told you it DEFINITELY has liquid damage. It died when it tasted the sweet, sweet, sticky Pepsi. But he was insistent that they would just see what it looked like in there. Well we left it in the capable hands of the Apple people and went home praying.

A friend and I were recently discussing faith and prayer and believing for supernatural things. She asked me, "what if you are believing for something fully in faith and it just doesn't happen?" I know that she has had people at work asking her about Christians who die of cancer and people who believe for things that never happen in their lifetime. And my answer is always the same; Your faith has to have a big enough revelation of the foundational, unchanging character of God that you can trust that whatever happens He is sovereign and good. He knows every single prayer and every single situation. There are no "but what ifs" if you truly KNOW who God is. I had chronic shoulder nerve pain for MANY years and was prayed for many times before my supernatural healing came. All I did was have faith that God IS healer even if I don't FEEL it yet.

All-in faith says I'm believing that God WILL do something with this situation, no but what ifs. It means that you shoosh the voice in your head that comes out when you are praying to tell you it might not happen. You just choose to believe it will. I know, it's hard. You will feel like you look like a fool or afraid of the unknown answer. But I PROMISE you, you will never lose anything by believing for something. There is no "I'm not going to get my hopes up so I won't be disappointed" in FAITH. Meaning either your faith will be encouraged by seeing your prayer come to pass or you will continue to get the honour of proving that your faith and confidence in God are bigger than the circumstances you see, and that you know He is soverign and good despite what things may look like. Seriously, your faith will grow SO MUCH either way!

We got the call from the Apple store two days later. They didn't see any signs of water damage on the internal electronics of the computer so they decided to just replace the motherboard (a $850 replacement) for FREE under the warranty that was on this Mac. WHAT??? Okay, if you say so! We were so excited and praising God for this miracle. I'd never heard of this happening before, especially when we TOLD them that it had water damage. We got our computer back!

I tell you this long story to encourage your faith. God is good. We didn't need our computer. We could've lived without it, and life would still be great. But you can bet that anytime there is something someone needs prayer for or anything in our lives that needs an answer that I am 100% up for speaking out my faith and confidence in God over the situation! I don't think about that what-ifs. I only praise God for being GOOD and LOVING us so greatly. And knowing every single person and situation and how his plan fits together more than I can even try to or else my head would explode. Because He's God, and He's good.

I'm not a theologian nor do I claim to know a lot about God or the Bible or how he works. All I know is my experience of Him when I get out of my comfortable faith and step into scary, 100% relying on God faith. It's so worth it. And I can tell you that before the computer being fixed I really didn't see a lot of cool things happen because of my faith. No miracles, not really big prayers answered in crazy miraculous ways. And I can tell you it's because the amount and quality of the miracles and blessings you see in your life are directly correlated to the faith you have in believing for them. Now I know that isn't always true and that's a theological thing you can study about more (like I said, I'm no theologian). My husband would say that obedience is also a huge part of that statement, but that's another blog for another time.

 If you love God, you trust Him, and you believe for Him to work, I promise you He will. He wants to do some crazy amazing things in your life, and you need to do your part and have CONFIDECE to see them happen. It opens doors for Him to be able to move in crazy ways in your life!

So I ask you, are you ready to be all-in for God? Are you still letting the what-ifs keep you at the safe, comfortable faith level? Try being all-in. It will change your faith forever and you will get to see God work in ways you've never seen.

Love, Jess

Our Amazing Adventure!

Ahh! I haven't posted in a while, but I have a good reason! I was off enjoying the beautiful sights of northern New South Wales beaches and countryside (or 'bush' as they refer to it here). Alex and I, along with our good friends and house-mates Bryon and Shelby, ventured up the coast on a four hour drive to a small suburb called North Haven. Now, I wouldn't recommend going there unless you want to stay in a quiet ghost-town like place, but we got an AMAZING Groupon deal for this beautiful waterside apartment so it was worth it. Here are a few pictures from our road trip up which included a stop to see some wild kangaroos in a field!

 How cute are they!!!!??? Amazing. Experience of a lifetime!

Our apartment had a private dock on it where heaps of giant pelicans hung out during the day and where we could watch the wild dolphins that came in from the ocean play and feed. It was amazing! And we drove up to the top of a mountain to see the amazing view! We also drove up the coast to the popular Port Macquarie and sampled the many amazing beaches dotting the coastline. The weather was perfect and we loved it!

 

 

We have enjoyed our week off on vacation and are now excited to be getting ready to fly home to visit Spokane for six weeks in December!!



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recipe of the Week: A Pinterest Special

 

I came across this recipe on pinterest for Grilled Pork Chops with Citrus Vinegarette. I just happened to have bought some pork chops from the store this week because they were reduced to sell quickly and cheap as! Since I'd never cooked pork chops before, I had just chucked them in the freezer for a rainy day. (I don't even think that phrase is relevant but I through it in there)

 

It was such a simple recipe, I found that I had every ingredient already in my kitchen with on exception - I had to go to the store and grab a lime. The vinegarette recipe called for:

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

2 Tbsp fresh orange juice

2 Tbsp honey

1 clove garlic finely minced

1/2 Tsp salt

1/2 Tsp Hot pepper flakes (I used Chili flakes)

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (I used dried parsley)

 

Mix everything together, leaving the olive oil for last. Whisk that in until all the ingredients combine.



 



 

 

Next, rub your pork chops with salt and pepper. I did both sides, and then I spooned some of the vinegarette over the pork (the recipe didn't say to do this but I figured a little marinating couldn't hurt!) I then chucked them covered into the fridge for about an hour (I went for a run...I wanted to earn my dinner!) but you don't have to do that, they can be cooked straight away!

 

 

 

 

 I put my potatoes on to boil (to make a basic mashed potato using milk butter and salt) and put the chops in a pan on low-medium heat. I am so good at burning steaks by trying to cook them on too high of a heat so I made sure this time I would cook them slow. And I did! And they turned out sooo delicious! And husband approved.

 

Well there you go! Yum-o! Let me know if you try it and how it turns out!

 

 

First Day of Spring

 

 

 

 

 

It was the first warm day of the season (got into to 80s!) on Monday and Alex and I had the day off together. So, we went to our favourite coffee shop (The Baron) and had breakfast before running a few errands. In the afternoon we ended up at the beach with our housemates! It was a wonderful way to celebrate the new season change and warm weather with a road trip and fun in the sun!

 

Summer is coming swiftly here, and I know that back in America s its getting into Autumn. Make sure you spend some time to celebrate the new season and enjoy the beauty of nature in whatever season you are in!

Recipe of the Week: Chilli con Carne!

Arriba! Arriba! I was feeling spicy this week (and I also had meat and beans that needed using up) so I thought "Hey, let's make some chilli!" Also this week has been a bit rainy and cold so it just felt like chilli weather!

I didn't have a specific recipe to go off of, (although I wish I had my dad's recipe from back in the states, his chilli is seriously the best) but I used good 'ol Google and found a recipe that worked with the ingredients I had in my cupboard. This is what it ended up looking like:

Yum-o!!!! It was a pretty simple recipe, and since I didn't have any chilli seasoning I had to make due with the herbs and spices recommended in the recipe. I use just plain old beef mince (the lean stuff is expensive!!) and the recipe doesn't tell you to drain the fat from the meat once you've cooked it but I definitely did because my husband will not eat mince with the fat oils taste still there, plus its a way to make the meal a bit healthier!

I used quite a bit more paprika and cumin than was in the recipe, mostly to compensate for the fact that I didn't have any chilli powder on hand (oops!) and I also added a bit of plain old taco seasoning to try to give it that Mexican edge. After simmering until half of the liquids had steamed off, I was left with an amazing pot of chilli that filled both me and my happy, meat-loving husband with plenty of leftovers for lunches the next day!

I definitely recommend it topped with heaps of shredded cheese and sourcream! YUM!!!

For the full recipe, click here. This website actually has a lot of great recipes to do with chilli and different dishes and ways of making it. Enjoy! Let me know how yours turned out!



Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)

As some of you may know, Oceans is a song from Hillsong United's newest album, ZION. The song has had an amazing, unexpected response as one of the most popular songs from the album, as well as a church-proclaimed "God song". The lyrics tell a story of a similar account of Peter walking on water in the Bible. But it is portrayed poetically to relate to the listener and demand a response from the soul. Our church loves this song, and I know it has moved many people. I want to take a minute to expand on how God has used this song to speak to me personally.

Last May at Colour Conference here at Hillsong (the annual women's conference) the song Oceans was unveiled for the first time at Hillsong in congregational worship. I was at a point of complete surrender to God and what He is doing in and through our lives here. I wanted so much to hear from Him at this conference about a few different things and to break more barriers in my heart that were keeping me from fully trusting Him. This point in the worship service was such a beautiful moment, singing to God and letting these new words sink into our hearts as we sing them almost as an anthem

Those words are from the pre-chorus of the song and so powerful. When the storms of life roll in, we keep our eyes above them and fixed onto Jesus. He is ours, our saving grace ad our hope. This was the first night of the conference and I was already crying, this was so powerful as I raised my hands proclaiming this level of trust in my God.

But it is in the bridge of the song where God chose to speak to me that night.

 

At this point in the worship, the lights went dim and the instruments dropped down quietly. The vocalist sang out this refrain over and over and the entire room filled with people singing, declaring this over ourselves and inviting the Holy Spirit to come do a work in us. To myself I was thinking about trusting God in the hard times and keeping my eyes on Jesus and stepping out in faith (which we had done to come to Australia).

 

But in one moment, those words struck me so hard in a new way; "Where my trust is without borders" had a new meaning all of a sudden. An image of the whole world came into my head and I felt God asking me, "Will you trust me outside the borders of America? Will you trust me that if you don't go back there, I am still leading you and I am trustworthy?" And I realized that I had this mindset that was keeping me so focused on our stability, our comfort, and our destiny being locked up tight in us living America that I hadn't opened my heart to trust that God will lead us and care for us no matter where in this earth we go.

 

It was at that point I sung out that refrain with a new heart, answering God's question by asking the Holy Spirit to help me to live without limiting God's dream for us or His sovereignty to one geographical area, but allowing the whole world to be open for God to call us and use us. Now, I honestly believe we will be in Australia for a while and I hope to end up in America again to settle for good, but I am no longer limiting my trust of God's will to a certain place. This decision, this declaration has led me to so much peace ad joy in my life here, and even getting to the point that I can now honestly say that I love living in Australia! I had to let go of the part of my heart that was not fully surrendered to living here before I could fully enjoy this beautiful country.

 

Every time I hear this song now, it is a beautiful reminder of the decision I made to trust God no matter where we go. And to trust Him no matter what circumstances we are in.

 

That's all from me for now! I hope you were encouraged and check out the full version of the song below!:

 



Whale Watching Fun!

I haven't posted in so long! Sorry about that, readers. This post will be an exciting one though!

About a month ago, our dear friends Bryon and Shelby booked us a whale watching tour out of Sydney Harbour as a birthday gift to both of us! Needless to say, we were SO excited! And good timing, because winter is peak whale watching season :)

Here are some photos from the trip! Enjoy :)

 

 

We had a blast! Until next time!