Woman

The creation: woman, is displaying a kind of power and beauty that moves people into the heart of God.

Have you ever had a moment when you’ve just been struck with beauty? (Just smacked in the middle of your soul with it?)

Once, in the flattest land in America (the plains of South Dakota), I stood out in a field before going into bed, and a thunderstorm sprawled out against the dark horizon. One by one, lightening cracked in the distance, and the sound rolled towards us. It was a panoramic view, and although I didn’t care to count, there must have been thirty various lightning bolts sparkling across the entire horizon. I think it’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.

When Jesus spoke the world into being, he made it to reflect his own beauty. In the book of Revelation, in the throne room, God reveals himself as astoundingly beautiful. “And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne.” (Rev 4:3)

However, if you were to type the one word “beauty” into Google Images, you wouldn’t see lightning or God. You would see women, hundreds of them. It’s common knowledge that part of a women’s purpose is to be beautiful. It’s like we can’t even help thinking about it. (For now, I’ll avoid all the negative aspects of this. I’ll admit, our obsession over beauty doesn’t always go well.)

I personally love being a woman. It’s like we have special access to the beauty of God when we seek him. When our hearts belong to Jesus, he replaces our hearts of stone for something unearthly. When spiritual beauty captures your eyes, there is nothing like it. It’s mysterious and deeper then what I’m able to testify…but I do know that God has set it inside of us.

It is the force that shuts down cynicism and quiets people’s souls into peace. Beauty invites people into God’s presence without even trying hard.

My favorite quotes this month: “God is telling a love story and the setting is war.” –John Eldridge

As you read the next few sentences receive them as a prayer over you:

Jesus, I pray over the women of Waters Edge, that you would replace the hard and numb places of their heart for a heart of flesh. I pray that your Spirit would come and meet them where they are, and quiet their souls into peace. You are taking care of them Lord. I pray that you would create in their own spirit a deep spiritual beauty that compels other people towards you- Jesus. I pray that you would allow us to be a group of women that embody the spiritual beauty and power of lightning storms, and the splendor of precious gems. All to glorify your name, and to become who you created us to be.

Jesus, I pray over the hearts of men in our ministry. I pray that you would use us to minister to them. I pray that as we women become fully spiritually beautiful in the way that you created us to be, that it would cause them to be full of joy in front of you Jesus—full of worship to you whenever they see it. Smack them in the middle of their soul with it. I pray that you would teach them about your mystery and who you are.

College

5 am. The stupid “Get Happy” ringtone that comes on my cell phone goes off, and I rush across my room tripping over some clothes that I haven’t put away yet just to turn off my phone alarm before it gets to the part where it shows off its “upper register”. I don’t know why I torture myself… I really need to get a new ringtone.

I stepped out the door at 5:45am, the black clouds covered my chance of seeing the stars before getting in my car.

On Tuesday I had walked into the Waters Edge lobby about 5 minutes late because I had to discuss something with my teacher after class. (I go to UGA, and the class gets out at 6:15) Apparently… I had messed up… again. As bright as I am sometimes, school just seems to always be stretching my capacities. He explained to me, the syllabus, and I walked out of the classroom feeling like a failure. (Not quite an actual failure yet…but too close)

Now for some people, school is really easy. I hear you talk. You take 20 credit hours, and hang out with people every night. I don’t understand you, but I appreciate you. The rest of us people in Waters Edge in college need help from God to succeed.

From the beginning of my schooling experience at UGA, God gave me a very clear conviction that I’m suppose to major in International Affairs, but some days it honestly feels beyond me. I pulled in the Water’s Edge parking lot (still feeling heavy), and repeated a familiar prayer to God, “Will you give me someone that I can minister to tonight?”; and I could feel him tell my spirit, “No, tonight, I’m going to minister to you.”

And he did.

Even on this Sunday morning, I stood in the back of the sanctuary during worship, and just tried to give all my thoughts and anxieties to God. I was trying to worship, but I was struggling because my heart felt cold towards him. I stood there quiet and subdued trying to focus on Him, and Jesus sent an usher like messenger and he whispered words straight from Jesus, “You have a beautiful spirit.” He walked away, and I melted. Tears filled my eyes, as I could feel my heart fill with life again. Jesus is always so faithful, and always near. Again I’m reminded that, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3)

He will meet you.

(PS: My favorite word of the month is TRIUMPH)

Liberia

So today I have come back from Liberia for a second time. 2 years ago I would have never guessed it, but what can I say? My life has become kinda ridiculous in a good way. I went to Africa this time with some of my favorite people in the whole world. It was an excellent trip. Today, I have just taken as much time as possible to rest before school starts up again on Tuesday. We all definately poured ourselves out and came back exhausted, but I like it that way. It will take me at least a few days to get acclimated to this time zone, this culture, and my "real life". Right now though, I've been home less then 24 hours. I've slept almost half that time, and I'm still partly in Africa. Give me a couple more days and I'll really be back.

Here's a story. God has grown my view of intercession.

I have had the incredible experience of going to Liberia two years in a row now. Last year Belynn, Stacey, Emily and I went with Orphan Relief and Rescue to one of the worst ophanages in Liberia. It really was horrendous. There was just an old woman taking care of nearly 60 kids. They slept side by side on dirty moldy mattresses. There was not a toy,or even a color in sight other then the bright green trees and the old charished American clothes that each child wore. They were children with parasites in their toes and almost no loving discipline or schooling. A child without an education has extremely limited potential in any place in the world. Liberia is no exception. We spent just a couple hours there giving them "new" clothes and playing and singing with them. After a brutal civil war, and being labeled one of the poorest counties in the world there are certain people that have no voice-- the orphans.

They had no voice and no hope. All we had done for them is give them new T-Shirts, and what does that really do? We did also pray for them, and that is what this story is about--the power of prayer. God communicates and moves mightily through prayer. He brings hope to the hopeless. I remember praying that God would be their Father, and their provider, and that he would give them an education.

Here we are in 2009 praying over the kids at this orphanage.

THIS IS MY GOD

"But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless... You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more." Psalm 10:14,17-18

This year, while we were once again driving the streets outside of Monrovia, I kept my eyes open for the orphanage that we had gone to the year before. We drove past it a couple of times before I recognized it. The dingy grey cement walls had been painted bright white and red. There was a large logo painted on the front wall, and a new swing set was out in the front. Later when I talked with Andrew from Orphan Relief and Rescue, he told me that now a woman has come in there and started a school for the children. I hardly recognized it when I saw it because it had changed so much. God brought them hope.

It took me until the car ride back to the house to put two and two together, and realize what had happened. God answered my prayers! Last year that orphanage was so hopeless and so far gone that all we knew how to do was pray, and God responded. God gave me the gift of seeing that answered prayers with my own eyes.

While in Liberia, we ministered to the abused, the orphan and the poor, and we found that Jesus was there greeting us into his home with them.

Here's some video's from this year's trip: Enjoy!

Too many hours spent in the Airport... from Danielle Williams on Vimeo.

Layover in Chicago from Danielle Williams on Vimeo.

Avatar in Chicago from Danielle Williams on Vimeo.

Brussel's Airplane Food from Danielle Williams on Vimeo.

Spider Hunting "The Kracken" from Danielle Williams on Vimeo.