Shiny, Sparkling And Reflective

Merry Christmas Friends!

I am super excited because Janell's Christmas Countdown starts tomorrow! I am SO EXCITED (wait i think I said that already?) Anywho! 

Shiny, Sparkly and Reflective

See this beautifully shiny, sparkling and reflective ornament? These are my favorite because of how they shine, sparkle and reflect. We have the very same opportunity to reflect the light of Jesus. It's really a wonderful opportunity! When ever you see the beautiful shiny, sparkly and reflective ornaments this Christmas remember you can be that too! Represent Jesus, reflect His light.

I'll see you tomorrow!

#janellschristmascountdown

It's A Christmas TAKE OVER!

This year I am turning my blog into Christmas Central! SO right now I am slowly turning my blog "Mission Bound"  into "Janells Christmas Countdown" If you are viewing my blog for the 1st time welcome! I will start posting Christmas stuff on November 29th! Hope to see you then!

-Janell

When Disability Becomes Your God

One of my favorite things to see is the look on a person face right after Jesus has healed them. It’s so beautiful and I fall in love with Jesus all over again.  Jesus is a great healer and nothing is too hard for Him. From a simple headache to an incurable disease; it’s all underneath His feet! So when people ask for prayer I’m ready to lay hands on them and watch my Jesus heal again.

But there are a lot of people that won’t ask for healing…they will ask for disability. Now I know I’m wadding deep into water here… but before you get all offensive hear me out.

Here is sample a conversation that I have had with a lot of people:

“Hi Ann! Is there anything I can pray about for you today?”
“Hi Janell! Oh yes! I need prayer! I really need my disability to come through. Please pray that God will give me disability.”
“Oh, ok. Lord I pray that your will would be done in Ann’s life.”

These types of conversations really bug me. Because I know that my God heals and he has been in that business for a very long time. He has never seen anything that worries Him or that can stump Him. So when people ask me to pray that they get put on disability (worse when they say they want God to put them on disability) my heart hurts for them. I would rather pray that they are totally whole in their bodies and never have to think about being disabled.

Over the past few years I have seen a lot of people make disability their God. They rely on disability to take care of them, to pay the bills and so on. Did you know that every month 14 million Americans get a disability check in the mail from the government. (Just to put it out there I think God can take care of you way better than our government can…just saying).  That is a crazy number! I get it, some people are hurt and really can’t work a job and have been deemed medically disable. But it’s when they would rather rely on their disability to care for them rather than God.

 I know these people. I’ve even had one person tell me that they didn’t want God to heal them. They would rather get the check. Wow…These are Bible believing Christians. That makes me so so sad. They really let their disability rule their life. They can’t live the life they were created for because they are severing their disability check (or the lack thereof and live off other people). They actually live in fear because if that check doesn’t come they are doomed. Their whole life is dependent on a check from the government….If we put our dependence in anything but God we will eventually be doomed and disappointed.

So when I someone asks for me to pray for disability, I pray God’s will.  I’m actually praying that Gods will would be done in their lives, that they would be whole in every part of their lives with nothing lacking (if you don’t know what that it is you need to look it up, especially all the people who use “if it’s Gods will” to pray for everything. Like “Lord if it’s your will heal this person”. Um of course it is! Sorry, yeah go look in your bible what the will of god is).

Here in America…the home of the free and the proud….we are all sick, in pain and depressed…the list is too embarrassing and depressing to go on.  I see nothing free or something to be proud of there.

I ask that you take an honest look at your life (remember God sees it all anyway) and see if you have made disability your provider, your caretaker, your god.

I so want people to be free. Really free! That is why I’m breaking the silence. I was afraid of telling people this. But I love you, and so if that means I lose friends over this, ok. My love for you won’t stop if you get upset with me or think that I have no place to talk because I’m not in your shoes. Love is and has always been more powerful than fear.

Maybe you aren’t on disability, but there is something controlling your live and has made itself king over you. You can be free. Invite King Jesus to sit on the place of Lordship. He will break down the walls and let freedom, displace fear and let the light of truth in.

So in closing, do you need healing in your body? Are there things in your life that keep you from really living life? I would so love to pray for you and see you set free. Comment below and I’ll pray with you (God loves working through the Internet!).

With love, as always,

Whatsoever Think.

Reference: www.apps.npr.org/unfit-for-work/

I Have Nothing To Give...Except A Massage

Teaching how to massage the neck  

Right now I am in the Dominican Republic teaching the nationals how to massage. Being able to help provide jobs for the people of the Dominican Republic has been an honor so far (day one of five). Some of these woman don't have any skills, so the only other option isn't favorable and for some even unrespectable. To provide them with a way out of bad situations is humbling.

Learning how to effleuarge

When I decided to go to massage school 3 years ago I had no idea that my education could be used like this. At best I only saw it as a way to make money so that I could go on the mission field. Ha! Oh how we limit God.

Yesterday I taught that we all have something to give. That we all have something. In the Bible a widow had nothing… but a small cup of oil (2 Kings 4:1-7).  She didn’t see what she had as significant. But the prophet told her to use what she had. And when she used what she had in her hand God touched it and a miracle happened (do yourself a favor and go read the story).

They are doing so well learning the techniques.

I kind of saw my massage education like this. I didn’t think that this could be something God could use. It's silly I know…to think that God can't use something! But we do it all the time. For some reason we have been taught that God only operates when we are going something "spiritual". But that is not the case.

I told the people here that if all they can do is just make the best banana soup then that is something God can use. It's doesn’t matter how small. God can make it great.

We all have something to give. It might seem small. It might even seem non-spiritual. Just give God what you have and he will cause increase. He will make things happen that you would have never dreamed! I used to say that I just did massage to get overseas. That I didn’t really love it like I love to minister. Now I see that they are one. Massage doesn’t have to be a separate thing. It's all apart of what I can give God. And it's a beautiful thing.

I'm so excited to use my gift...clearly! 

I'm so excited to see what else God is going to do with what I have in my hand. As I read this back to myself tears start to flow. The goodness of god is so great. Even when I believed that what I did for a living wasn't that special (a lie) God never doubted (truth). He Is a master at taking the things we thing aren't great and making them grand!

What do you have in your hand to give? It's really a easy question. What are you good at? What do you like to do? Whatever It is give it to God. The outcome might be quite hilarious!

Whatsoever Think.

I had 34 students at the night class! this is only half the room!

Is God Good or Not?

Last night a car slipped off the jack and hit my dad on the head (very bad stuff). I was at work when it happened. Once I read the text I drove to the ER, my mind racing in different directions…I didn't know how bad it was. But as I drove, up out of my spirit came the words "God is good".  So I started saying out it loud.  And the peace of God just washed over me. Now a day later, my dad is doing great (16 stitches) and is without  a headache. That my friends is amazing!

Here is the moral of the story folks:

When things go bad….the seconds right after that are most important! Why? Because your beliefs become clear and you either choose to  believe that God is Good or that he isn't. And that will shape how you handle your trail. 

In our lives trials are going to come. There's no doubt about it, but we can walk in victory all the way through if we choose to. If I had let fear and worry take over my heart my emotional state would have been WAY different.

God is good all the time. "But how could he let this happen?" You know, I have come to the conclusion (and so should you) that God is way bigger, way smarter and so much more capable than me. That Is where trust can comes into play.

When we choose to believe He is good and that He loves us then we can remain under that umbrella of love and peace (that totally bypasses our understanding). When we choose worry and fear we step out from under it….and we get wet with the worries of life.

Stay underneath His umbrella of peace. Even when it looks bad God is still good.

Whatsoever Think

Are you going through something right now and having a hard time seeing that God is good even what's happening around you isn't? It's not too late to change. Just start saying that He is good in the face of what your situation is. The love of God never fails…Never!

If you would like prayer please comment below. I would love to pray for you.

Love vs. Hate: A Powerful Outcome

Can you imagine being taken from your family and country then becoming a servant to the commander of the army that took you? This happened in 2 Kings 5. A young girl was taken and was given to be a maid.  It ends up being a great story of healing but I want to focus on the impact of this nameless girl.

For most people if they were in this situation the last thing on their mind would to love the people who took you from everything you knew. But this girl sees that her master has leprosy and instead of hating him or talking behind his back, she tells him that there is hope for his leprosy. She tells him that there is a prophet in Samaria that could heal him.

This is crazy! She is literally helping and having compassion on the enemy! What a crazy radical love she displayed. Because she did love, her master was totally healed of leprosy, experienced the power of God so much that he would never serve another God again. What an impact her love and compassion had! He was the commander of an army and friends with the king! I can image her master told everyone what God did for him. Those who knew him before could not help but notice his healing. He was a walking, talking testimony! Generations were impacted…A because of a girl who didn’t let hate blind her. That is powerful!

Do we love those who have hurt us? Are we willing to look past those things and just love? In our

world today we could care less about helping our enemies. Why on earth would we help those people?

Well it could change everything, it could impact generations. When people experience God, change will happen. So we have to be willing to lay down our pride, bite the bullet and love. Our enemies might laugh in your face, totally ignore you or even kill you. With love, nothing is wasted.

We are to love because God first loved us. We love people because God loves them. How dare we not love those who are precious to God?

Whatsoever Think

Have you ever loved your enemy? What happened? How did you feel? Comment below!

P.S Happy International Woman's Day!

Put Off The Robe & Grab Those Nikes

Ah the weekend! I’m drinking coffee with the windows open, eating my sisters’ wonderful homemade granola and I’m wearing my red snowflake robe. It’s a good morning! Once my coffee is gone I realize the rest of the day waits…or not.

Here is a little tidbit about myself: If I am in my robe I could win an award for most lazy (ok maybe not an award for 1st but maybe a close 3^rd?). I mean I will get like nothing done, then at the end of the day I’m like “Wow a whole day and I’ve done nothing.”

While nothing days are great and well needed everyday cannot be. So knowing myself, if I want to get anything done I have to go put on my Nikes. It’s a proven fact; there will be more productivity if I simply get out of my robe!

So as Christians sometimes we are be in our “robes” too long. We get comfortable and lazy (note I’m not talking about resting in the Lord, our work in the Lord should be done from rest) sit back in our armchair with our coffee and wait for the Lord to do something. When really the Lord is always doing something and has already given us a list of things to already do. It’s like we want a personal invitation from God, to get up and do something. I am preaching to the choir! I can get the mindset of waiting, but doing nothing in the process. He calls us to:

• Pray for the sick
• Cast out demons (there are demons in America FYI)
• Care for orphans and widows
• Love all people with your time, money and energy
• Encounter Him daily

And that is the short list! We don’t do these things to earn favor or love. We do them because of love. He loves us, we love him and then we love people. No matter if you are stuck at home or traveling the world you can do something for God. It doesn’t have to be in front of thousands. Love the one in front of you. Get on Facebook and look for people who aren’t feeling well and pray for them! I love praying for people over social media! When you’re at games or at the store be aware of Love! God is big inside of you…let Him be big on the outside of you too!

So metaphorically speaking…get out of your robe and put on your Nike’s and see what God will do through you!

Whatsoever Think

What are your favorite ways to love people? Comment below!