God's overcoming power

Wow I would never thought that the first week of school would be as difficult and draining as it was. God has been working at our school in ways that we could never have imagine especially in our staff. I thank God for a mission who will stand up for what is right and not just give into evil and who will encourage its staff to do the right thing even when there is wrong going all around.

As of last Sunday the people that I have come to know and trust in running our school betrayed me. It was such a hostile atmosphere and I never thought I would see myself in the situation i was in alongside my wonderful co workers. Taken by shock, fear, anger, and sadness I walked out of school not knowing what my future held. I had so many questions but knew that my life would change in many ways over the next couple of days. As I reflect on last week and the material that I have read in my devotions about the Lord bringing the Israelites out of Egypt it became very clear to me Sunday why he was showing me and reminding me that He was the LORD.  Throughout Sunday and Monday I clung to the fact that He is the Lord.

All i can say is I am so thankful God is in Control and He knows what He is doing. I also love that He has put people in our lives to remind us how faithful he is and people to encourage just at the right time. This week was an emotional roller coaster of laughter and joy that my students provided, to hurt and tears from what I had experienced. I have grown so much it what it means to stand up for what was right. I know many of you don't know the full extent of my situation here and all that has happened and are confused when you couldn't get to my blog but I felt like closing my blog for the time being was the best thing to keep me safe from people who would try to use prayer request and phrases for their own personal use and not as a testimony of who God is. God is working and I encourage you to pray for our school as it is working through some very serious issues. Our school has now been declared a NICS school and NICS will be running it. Our leadership that was fired by this hostile group has been reinstated and will run the school and the administration and the leadership that was a part of the hostile group has been told they may not come back to campus. Our hurdle is not over and it will be a long process but I am excited to see the miracles God does in this time.

Please pray for the people in administration at our school that were apart of planning this hostile take over because they will have a lot to answer for not only here in Ghana but also in the states and more importantly to God. As my emotions of anger towards these people has changed to sadness as i have already seen the toll it is taken and the effect it has on all the people involved including the teachers, staff, parents, and more importantly the students. Pray for us as a staff as we deal with hurt and anxiety from what we have experienced this past week.

One of my close friends who left this past year to teach at another school reminded our staff of Psalm 37 and I want to write it here as a reminder to me but also to remind you Who the Lord is.

Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass and wither as the green herb. TRUST IN THE LORD, AND DO GOOD, SO SHALT THOU DWELL IN THE LAND AND VERILY THOU SHALT BE FED. DELIGHT THYSELF IN THE LORD AND HE SHALL GIVE THEE THE DESIRES OF THY HEART COMMIT THY WAY UNTO THE LORD TRUST ALSO IN HIM AND HE SHALL BRING IT TO PASS. AND HE SHALL BRING FORTH THY RIGHTEOUSNESS AS THE LIGHT AND THY JUDGMENT AS THE NOONDAY. REST IN THE LORD AND WAIT PATIENTLY FOR HIM FRET NOT THYSELF BECAUSE OF HIM WHO PRPOPERETH IN HIS WAY BECAUSE OF THE MAN WHO BRINGETH WICKED DEVICES TO PASS CEASE FROM ANGER AND FORSAKE WRATH FRET NOT THYSELF IN ANY WISE TO DO EVIL for evildoers shall be cut off but those that wait upon the lord they shall inherit the earth. for yet a little while and the wicked shall not be yea thou shalt diligently consider his place and it shall not be but the meek shall inherit the earth and shall delight themselves int he abundance of peace the wicked plotteth against the just and gnasheth upon him with his teeth. the lord shall laugh at him for he seeth that his day is coming. The wicked have drawn out the sword and have bent their bow to cast down the poor and needy and to slay such as be of upright conversation. their sword shall enter into their own heart and their bows shall be broken. a little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked, for the arms of the wicked shall be broken but the lord upholdeth the righteous the lord knoweth the days of the upright and their inheritance shall be for ever they shall not be ashamed in the evil time and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs they shall consume into smoke shall they consume away the wicked borroweth and payeth not again but the righteous showeth mercy and giveth. for such as be blessed of him shal inherit the earth and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off. the steps of a good man are orderd by the lord and he delighteth in his way though he fall he shall not be utterly cast down for the lord upholdeth him with his hand. i have been young and now am old yet have i not seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread.  He is ever merciful and lendeth and his seed is blessed. depart from evil and do good and dwell for evermore for the lord loveth judgment and forsaketh no his saints they are preserved for ever but the see of the wicked shall be cut off. the righteous shall inherit the land and dwell their in forever the mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom and his tongue talketh of judgmetn the law of his god is in his heart none  of his steps shall slide. the wicked watcheth the righteous and seeketh to slay him the lord will not leave him in his hand nor condemn him when he is judged wait on the Lord and keep his way and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land when the wicked are cut off , thous shalt see it i have seen the wicked in great power and spreading himself like a green bay tree yet he passed away and lo he was not yea i sought him  but he could not be found mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end o that man is peace but the transgressors shall be destroyed together the end of the wicked shall be cut off but the salvation of the righteous is of the lord he is their strength in the time of trouble and hte lord shall help them and deliver them he shall deliver them form the wicked, and save them because they trust in him.

I am the Lord

Wow! I can’t believe I have been back for three weeks! It has been a good three weeks and I am encouraged to see how God is going to work this year. My days have been long and busy preparing my classroom and setting up my house.

I have loved getting my house up and running and I have put in a lot of personal touches and I am almost finished putting my house together. The only thing left I have to do is put up a couple of my paintings and get my bed frame. I will have pictures up soon so that you can see my new place. It has been very relaxing to come home to a place of my very own and really feel like I am living in Ghana and not just a visitor. So that is a huge answer to prayer that I now have all my things set up and all my stuff made it through the move. I have a new little blessing at my new house also a generator that I have used twice since I have been here. Its amazing that when "lights off" I still can do work. 

I have been learning so much the last couple weeks. I have been reading in the old testament and I was in Leviticus and I was really struggling with how it relates to me now and I prayed to just ask God to show me how this would effect me and how I can learn through what I was reading.  One phrase that continually stuck out to me was that it keep saying and reminding the Israelites that "I am the Lord".  "I am the Lord" and many times it would say who brought you out of Egypt or that sanctify you. It reminds me that I can't do anything on my own. " I am the Lord" He is the one that brought the Israelites out of Egypt they had nothing to do with it all they had to do was accept and follow. Now I didn't have to come out of Egypt but when I look at this and all he has done I realized He has brought me out of some trying times and He has brought me out of little problems and there is no way I could of done it and I had to depend on the Lord and trust in the phrase " I am the Lord".  So i encourage you as I encourage myself to trust in the one who said "I am the Lord" in every situation because He is the only one who can get us from point a to point z. 

I am so encouraged to see how God is going to work in my classroom. I have met a couple of my students and they are so much fun and I can't wait to  see the rest of them on Monday. Our class verse this year is Proverbs 3:7 Be not wise in thine own eyes fear the Lord and depart from evil. I love that this verse flows into what I have been learning. This verse comes right after the verses that say Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not into your own understanding. in all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy path.  WOw and then it says "Be not wise own eyes", you can't do it, "Fear the Lord" , but not only fear Him you have to make the choice to "depart from evil." Wow, I can't wait to see how this effects my class this year.  Pray for my class as we start school on Monday!

I have really been inspired this year to share what God is doing in my life and share Christ with others. I found this song by Alicia Keys on my computer and it is called Tell You Something.  Its amazes me how many times I have not been urgent in telling people what they mean to me and more importantly about who Christ is to me. Read the Lyrics and make it an urgent point to share with someone who and what Christ has done for you! 

Get so caught up everydayTryna Keep it all togetherWhile the time just slips awaySee, I know nothing last forever
Imagine there was no tomorrowImagine that I couldn't see your faceThere'd be no limit to my sorrowSo all I can say
I wanna tell you somethingGive you somethingShow you in so many ways‘Cause it would all mean nothingIf I don't say somethingBefore it all blows away
Don't wanna wait to bring you flowersWait another hourLet alone another dayI wanna tell you somethingShow you somethingWon't wait till it’s to late
I can't waitI won't waitI don't wanna wait
I can't waitI won't waitI don't wanna wait
Just a simple conversationJust a moment is all it takesI wanna be here just to listen(I wanna be here)And I don’t wanna hesitate
Imagine there was no tomorrowImagine that I couldn’t see your faceThere'd be no limit to my sorrow‘Cause there is nothing that could fill that spaceOhh, did I put it off for to long?I didn't say all that I have to sayI wanna take the time to write the wrongBefore we get to that place
Just lean onMy shoulderIt's not over till its overDon’t worry bout itCause I'm gonnaMake sure our bond gets stronger yeahI, don’t wanna wait until the stormWhen something’s wrong and now you’re goneAnd I can't find you
Read more: ALICIA KEYS - TELL YOU SOMETHING LYRICS http://www.metrolyrics.com/tell-you-something-lyrics-alicia-keys.html#ixzz239NeOmgp
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