el salvador – #LivinLaVidaRamirez

Monthly Update • February 2019

February 9, 2019February 10, 2019 Ashley RamírezLeave a comment

**• there are *so many* beautiful reasons to be happy •**

Thank you for your patience and grace while I have been busy here in El Salvador with a thousand things, except, apparently – email updates! Life has been a whirlwind of teaching, coaching and of course – loving on my handsome husband (it still tickles my heart to say that – “my husband”)!

I will try to be brief (oh but how I love the details!) in my update of the past few months!

*Celebrating my birthday with Mario and some of our most beloved friends!*

—

Back in August, I began teaching at Colegio Salvadoreño Inglés (CSI), a private school in San Salvador. I teach Environmental Management to 10th graders (basically how to save the planet), literature and writing to 11th and 12th graders, and English as a Second Language to those same 12th graders. The school is bilingual, so I teach all my classes in English!

When I stepped out of Walnut Ridge High School for the last time in May 2015, I swore to the Good Lord and anyone who’d listen that I was DONE teaching.

“NEVER AGAIN!” I vowed.

“Teaching just ISN’T for me!” I declared.

Well, turns out I was wrong. I would return to teaching and I would finally fall in love with the job. Sure, it’s stressful and overwhelming at times, but it is also fulfilling and fun. Everyday, I find some moment of calling. When Gabriel smiles at me in the hallway, I know I’m where I’m supposed to be. When Rebeca looks at me with a trust few other teachers have from her, I know I’m where I’m supposed to be. When Alejandra stays after school every Monday for our Sisterhood group that hasn’t quite caught on yet, I know I’m where I’m supposed to be.

ahhh…Sisterhood…

Sisterhood is what happened after God jolted me from my sleep one November night. To read more about the vision and how you can pray for this group, click here! We continue to meet each week, but most weeks it’s only Alejandra and me, sometimes only me. Who knows…maybe Alejandra is my starfish. Maybe it’s enough that they know every Monday, from 3-4pm, Miss Ashley will be sitting in the 12th grade classroom, ready to be a safe place when they have nowhere else to run from their storms.

Photos from the CSI Christmas Show in December
The group photo is me with the senior class 🎓

—

When I am not in the classroom, using all my willpower to not roll my eyes at one more student who forgot his textbook, I am coaching newbie missionaries in their initial phase of support raising. This is done through weekly phone calls in which I hold them accountable to their goals and pray them through the valleys of rejection and the mountains of affirmation.

I am blessed to have yet another job I love. I may not have all the answers to their logistical questions (I’m still learning too!), but what I lack in knowledge, I make up for in heart. I have been where they are and I have felt the joy of reaching that 100% financial goal. It is a privilege to walk with them on their journey from accepting their calling to their first step on their mission field.

Next month, on March 13th, I will head to Raleigh, North Carolina for a Reliant New Staff Training at Summit Church! USA! USA!I am so excited to be back on US soil for a few days (you know imma get me some Chick-fil-A Gospel Bird!)! But I am SUPER excited because last year, I went to this same training and got my first batch of trainees. I will get to see them and catch up with their first year of work!

My first trainees from Summit Church (April 2018) – Keevy, CJ, Cody + Alexa!

God came through big time to allow this trip to happen. At the school where I teach, we do not get paid time off/vacation days, so I had to ask for special permission to be gone for four days – something that most teachers don’t usually ask for! After a little convincing, the head director gave me permission to leave for the States!

I will be Stateside from March 13th – 18th in Raleigh, North Carolina. Unfortunately, I won’t have time to travel back home to Ohio, but it will be nice to be back for a bit!

—

Yesterday, February 8th, Mario and I celebrated eight months of marriage! Phew! When people ask how it’s going, my only truthful answer can be that it is everything. Name an emotion and marriage is that. Happy! Oh, for sure! We are definitely happy! Confused! Definitely. I mean, why can’t he just squeeze the toothpaste from bottom to top?? Amazed! YES! I am daily amazed at how hard Mario works and I know it’s not for his personal gain but for our family. Sad! Sure, we all have moments of sadness, but now I have someone to sit beside me as I cry, whether it’s over another unanswered phone call from Dad or because there are so many puppies on my Instagram feed and zero in our apartment.

Sometimes I find myself looking into his eyes, speechless at the fact that this handsome, hard working, tender man will be by my side for at least 95 more years. So yeah, marriage is good.

We visited a part of El Salvador called La Union in November
Our first Christmas together as husband & wife!
Celebrating six months of **everything** at the beach

—

So what now? For the past four years, I have been looking ahead to something – the move to El Salvador, the wedding, a suitcase filled with Chipotle from a mission team (still waiting on that one)…so now what am I waiting for?

Now, Mario and I are waiting to move back to the States, most likely Ohio. It has always been our plan to head back a year or so after getting married. We love our friends and family here, but we see a brighter future for our family in the States. No country is perfect, but between the violence, poor healthcare and political unrest in El Salvador, Mario and I have decided that moving north to the US is the best plan for us.

This means that Mario must get a residency visa (also known as a green card). Right now, he has a tourist visa, which is great, but in order to live legally in the States, he needs a green card. Using a Columbus, Ohio based lawyer, we began the application process as soon as we were married. The first step was a petition requiring us to prove to the US government that we got married for love and devotion to one another, not just for a green card. On January 6th, we were notified that our petition had been approved! HALLELUJAH! I won’t get into all the tedious details here (message me if you’re curious!), but I will tell you that if everything continues to go as planned, we could be in the States by this time next year!

*Mario and I after his tourist visa was approved in June 2017*

There is so much to think about and so much to plan, so for now, we are just taking it one step at a time. We will continue to keep you updated as the application progresses. More than anything right now, we need your support and prayers for a smooth process.

—

Thank you for continuing to love and support Mario and me. In this time of momentary stillness while looking forward to change, I lean on God’s Word to give me the direction to move or the courage to still.

“And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭58:11‬

This verse is everything to me. God has promised to guide us. He knows our desires and when we feel like nothing is happening, He will strengthen us in the waiting. If we stay connect to Him, the Source of Life and the Provider of Joy, He will be our Redeemer of Dreams.

—

Long Distance Friendships

Your continued support is what allows Mario and I to do our jobs here without having to worry about how we will pay rent, if we have enough money to afford groceries and it is definitely helping in planning for our future!

*NEW* Email: ashleyelaineramirez@gmail.com
Facebook: facebook.com/AshleyElaine85
Skype: ashleyelaine85

Prayers:

That the girls of CSI would come to Sisterhood and that it would be a place of trust among friends, old and new.
For safe travel to North Carolina and back and that Mario doesn’t starve to death during his first time living alone ;)
For wisdom and knowledge as I continue to coach new missionaries
That Mario’s job would be a place of happiness and not continual stress.
That God would provide the needed money for Mario’s green card process and our subsequent relocation costs and that everything would continue to be approved.

Take a Look – June Monthly Update

July 1, 2017July 17, 2017 Ashley Ramírez

Hola Hola, Amigos!

Oh my goodness! June was such a whirlwind! Our church, Iglesia Gran Comisión, hosted THREE mission teams in a row this month! It was super fun but also super exhausting! The teams started with a team from Rock City, led by Nate Eckhart, so that was a wonderful taste of home! Sylvia, one of my friends and a missionary on the team, even took time to give me a haircut! Thanks girl!

Because this month was so crazy busy with mission teams, I decided to do something a little different and update you with a Photo-a-Day series!

And there you have it! A month in photos!

Our A-Team (Ashley + Ali + Adri) has added an M to the Team – MORIAH! We have become an amazing, beautiful, well-oiled machine when it comes to mission teams! Which is great because we have SIX more teams this year! It is definitely a lot of work, but I truly love spending time with mission teams. Not only are they a breath of fresh air from the States, but what I love most of all is showing people just why I love it so much here. El Salvador isn’t just the violence you see on the news. El Salvador is a country literally filled to the borders with people ready and waiting with open arms to offer you an afternoon coffee, pan dulce (pastry), and spend hours talking about life. I love it when people see the spark of a brighter future for this country in the eyes of the children we serve in our Centers. And I absolutely love it when people to commit to helping be a part of the change here in El Salvador.

I don’t have solid dates yet, but I have talked with Reliant and Pastor Victor and it is looking pretty certain that I will be home for the months of October and November this year! I am so excited to connect with each of you! As soon as I have more solid plans, I will let you know!

If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage.
Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.
Philippians 4v10-13 (HCSB)

Selflessness is an area where I am continuously learning to grow. I was raised by amazing parents who were themselves incredibly selfless and consistently put my every need before their own. But what this led to then was an adult woman who isn’t always so good at putting others first.

How’s that for vulnerability in a simple monthly update??

Whereas many people are naturally gifted at seeing needs before they are noticed by anyone else – and then meeting those needs – I must keep my eyes actively peeled for how I can help, especially when I am serving mission teams.

••♥︎••

What about you? In what ways is God growing you this month? How can I pray for you in this growing season? Remember – this life is a constant journey with God of growing and refining who we are.
We are forever beautiful works in progress!

It has been awhile since I’ve gotten any mail! Stay in touch! It will require a bit of flexibility due to our crazy mission team schedule, but I would love to videochat with you! Send me a message and let’s plan something!

Email: ashley.arend@gmail.com
Facebook: facebook.com/AshleyElaine85
Skype: ashleyelaine85
Mailing Address: Condado Santa Rosa, Condominio Aclaraban, Pasaje Pacún #42. Santa Tecla, El Salvador (simply stop by your local post office to purchase a Global Forever stamp, only about $1.25! Just give it about 2 weeks to arrive!)

Please Pray:

For ENERGY! Even this girl gets drained after being with mission teams 12+ hours day, 7 days a week!
That working with mission teams would not become routine and commonplace. I am praying that I can see God moving in and through each of our teams.
For the English Academy! It is in the solid planning phase! We are talking with nearby schools to gauge their interest in partnering with us and beginning to plan lessons and work out the logistics! GREAT NEWS! Thanks to the giving heart of one of our missionaries, we now have enough money to begin our Academy and get it off the ground and running!
Plans for my first trip home since moving here 14 months ago! There are many details to iron out and I am working on trusting that God already has everything figured out!
That we can finally finish funding equipping our Dental Clinic at the Volcano. We now have one dental station but are aiming to get a second so that we can serve not only the children in our program, but the community and the children of Soyapango as well! We have $7000 left to raise!

be cheerful no matter what // pray all the time // thank God no matter what happens.

Thankful and Blessed to Work with You,

-Ashley

These are some of my besties at our Development Center in Soyapango!
Franklin – Dani – Karla – Kelly – Katy – Jessica

💜💜💜

365 Days + Counting

April 21, 2017 Ashley Ramírez

Hola Hola, Ashley!

HOLY CRAP IT’S HAPPENING! You’re on the plane, headed to a new life in San Salvador! This is IT! This is what we’ve been working and praying and crying and thinking about for almost 2 years now! And here it is! IT’S HAPPENING!

Okay woman, calm down. I’m you 365 days from now. It’s April 21st, 2017. You’ve lived here in San Salvador for a year now and it’s been a heck of a year. I know you’re all “LIFE IS AMAZING – EVERYTHING WILL BE WONDERFUL – LET’S GOOOOOOO!” and that’s great and you’re right, but I am here to give you a head’s up about a few things.

First of all – Spanish. Santo Dios, Spanish. This is going to be your greatest challenge this year. As it turns out, you’re not going to learn Spanish through osmosis. Immersion is a thing and it certainly does help, but you’re going to have to put in some serious effort. And you’re going to want to quit approximately 7 times a day. But woman, you live in San Salvador now! They speak Spanish! So DON’T QUIT! But guess what – you’re going quit. Like 17 times this year. You’re going to hit a plateau of ability, get frustrated that it’s not coming easier and you’re just going to stop trying to learn anymore. It’s ok. Spanish is hard. But quit quitting! Your mama didn’t raise no quitter AND she told you like 18 years ago that you should learn Spanish (and you chose French 🙄). So remember who you are and why you need to learn Spanish (y’know- so you can love people in their own language!) and JUST DO IT!

Second thing – relationships. You are going to strengthen the friendships you already had here and you are going to be able to make new ones with some pretty amazing people. Salvadorans are a beautiful, loving, kind people who will pretty much do whatever they can to help you when you need it. Ash, we have always been good at loving people. It will be a little more difficult to love people the way you are used to due to language barriers and culture differences (for example, I think Lelys thinks we’re hilarious simply because she doesn’t understand our Spanglish 85% of the time!), but you will learn to love people in ways you never have before. Enjoy that!

Third and last thing – God. Your relationship with God is going to be chaotic. At times it will be passionate. You will see God working in everything and everyone. You will find God in the unrelenting grasp of a child’s hug, in the sound of hundreds of Latino youths worshipping Him, and you will definitely find God in the taste of Easter Torrejas! But I’m going to warn you – those are going to be rare times. Most of the time, you are going to question if God even knows where you are, if He’s doing anything in your life and why He’s not speaking to you. Ash, this is normal. It’s not fun, but it’s normal. The truth is, God knows exactly where you are every moment of every day. He is using every success and every failure for your good. And He is always speaking to you. You must learn to listen! These are only dips – they will not last forever. Keep searching for Him. Keep your eyes peeled and He will show you His presence.

You are about to begin an amazing year and I want to tell you some of the really cool things that are going to happen:

Moving to another country! Some people never leave the city they were born in! But you?! Florida? Nope. California? Nope. Colorado? Nah. EL SALVADOR? Why the heck not?!
With your help, a beautiful Dental Clinic at the Children’s Center will be constructed so that the people of the Volcano can live longer, healthier lives.
Inspiring short-term missionaries to dedicate their lives to serving God in their own country. This one you aren’t going to be verbally assured of very often, so you just need to know it in your soul – God is using you to inspire people. Through you, God is demolishing the fears people have about completely surrendering their lives to Him. They will see you and God will instill a sense of “Hey if she can do it, I can do it!” in their spirits.
Loving people! Ash, the truth is, there aren’t going to be a whole lot of “LOOK WHAT I DID!” moments this year. This is a year of learning and adjusting. But oh my goodness, you will love people as much as you possibly can. And they will love you back! That’s the best part! So soak up all those little kid hugs, say yes every time someone invites you to coffee and thank God that love really does transcend spoken language.

This year was pretty great, Ash. WE DID IT! You persevered through what I am pretty sure will be one of the greatest challenges of your life – adjusting to a new country with its culture and language, a new job, new home (living with your boss/pastor and his family!), new everything.

I’m not sure what this new year will bring, but I have a hunch that it’s going to be even greater than this year. Keep up with the Spanish and you’ll be able to serve more, connect more and love even more than before. And above all, let go. Sure, God’s driving the car, but sometimes you seem to think you still have the map! Sweetheart, move to the backseat, roll down the window and enjoy the ride.

God is good and He is good to you.
Blessings,
2017 Ashley

Thank you to each and every one of you for your continued encouragement! I believe that the word over not only this past year, but over my life, has been PERSEVERANCE. I would not be able to persevere the valleys of life without the support of the people around me. Thanks to each of you, I celebrate more, laugh louder and smile bigger (and occasionally speak Spanish better 😉),

The day I moved to San Salvador, I posted a photo and wrote a caption that remains true 365 days later – I may be God’s hands and feet, but you are His heart.

And as always – please stay in touch! I have received a number of cards and care packages this year and each one brings such genuine joy to my heart!

Email: ashley.arend@gmail.com
Facebook: facebook.com/AshleyElaine85
Skype: ashleyelaine85
Mailing Address: Condado Santa Rosa, Condominio Aclaraban, Pasaje Pacún #42. Santa Tecla, El Salvador (simply stop by your local post office to purchase a Global Forever stamp, only about $1.25! Just give it about 2 weeks to arrive!)

Please Pray:

For the next 365 days! Only God knows what they will bring, but please pray that I would be obedient to His will and open to hear His voice.
For a renewed spirit of motivation to continue learning Spanish! My mama didn’t raise no quitter! 😝💪🏼
For José Valle, a brother in our church and my dear friends Meli and Florence Valle’s father. He was hospitalized last week for an infection in his leg and respiratory issues. He seems to have stabilized. Please pray for a miraculous healing and peace for his wife and daughters.
For ongoing fundraising for our Dental Clinic at our Volcano Children’s Development Center. In 2016, we were blessed to be able to raise $40,000 to build the clinic above our current Total Health Clinic. Now, we need $18,000 more to purchase dental equipment. The need for dental care, hygiene and education is great at the Volcano.

be cheerful no matter what // pray all the time // thank God no matter what happens

Thankful + Blessed to Work with You,

-Ashley (2017 😉)

fri-YAY FAVORITES! March Monthly Update

March 31, 2017 Ashley Ramírez

Another month has just FLOWN by us! March was filled with Mission Teams and fun with friends! To change things up a bit this month, I am giving you MY FRIDAY FAVORITES!

FRIDAY FIVE

Five of my Favorite March Moments

My visit from Becke – She is a sweet friend from home who came for a weeklong visit! We enjoyed (SO MUCH) coffee, movies in bed, (SO MUCH) girl talk, and a sweet time of prayer before she left. I have been more homesick than usual recently and Becke was a breath of fresh (Columbus!) air!
Beach day with the Rock City Teams – That’s right – I said, TEAMS! Plural! We had a team from Rock City (my home church) here a few weeks ago, and at the same time, there was a Rock City team in La Libertad, the beachside city to the south. We got to put both teams together and enjoy a day at the beach on their last day! It was so much fun to see friends from home. It was truly rejuvenating.
Outings with our youth groups – Last Saturday night, our lifegroup got together for a night of basketball! Needless so say, none of us are very good, but it was great fun being silly with my friends! The next day, Sunday, the Soyapango youth group got together and spent the afternoon at a local park playing soccer, basketball, eating junk food from the local vendors and just laughing together! Their leader, Dani, shared about unity and how God created us to live and work together with our different talents and abilities. We finished out the day with a pupusa dinner! OF COURSE!
Bay Area Team – Oh my goodness! This was a HARDWORKING team! They spent 3 days at the Volcano Development Center helping with the beginning steps of creating a soccer field! Basically, it required A LOT of digging in the dirt making trenches. I’ve never seen a team so dirty!
Birthday Dinner with Adri – Adri celebrated her 24th birthday on March 16th! She got to celebrate her day with the Rock City and Bay Area teams and the following week she and I went to dinner to continue the festivities! I am continuously grateful for our friendship and am learning from her as a professional in ministry and as a woman of God.

FRIDAY FIFTEEN

Fifteen of My Favorite Things in San Salvador

Popsicle Flavor: Nutella + Banana. We now have a tradition with mission teams of going to this delicious popsicle place after our pupusa dinner! They have all kinds of amazing flavors!
Pupuseria: The 3 pupusas for $1 place! Now that I can afford! They’re delicious AND the owners gave me a mug for Christmas for being a regular customer!
Pupusa Flavor: beans + cheese. Pretty standard. Pretty delicious. (ps…Kristen – frozen pupusas ARE NOT real pupusas! #sacrilege!)
yup…this should be enough for the four of us! 😂
Non-Pupusa Restaurant: LacaLaca! It’s a Mexican restaurant and OHHH MYYY GOODNESS….the nachos are SO GOOD! You get a plate as big as your head (and are expected to share it with your friends… -_-)
Salvadoran Dessert: Semita Alta made by Pastor Victor’s family in La Libertad! It’s a pastry filled with different flavored jam and the Alta means it’s THICK! And when it’s fresh from the oven?! Que rico!
Nail Salon: Salon Ramirez, jaja! A friend from church and her daughter often offer to paint my nails! Hey, even a missionary wants to have nice cuticles!
Worship Song: Cuan Grande Es Dios. It’s the first song I learned (and understood) in Spanish!
Movie Theater: Multiplaza – they have a candy gummies section AND caramel popcorn!
Place to Work on the Computer: The Coffee Cup at La Skina shopping center. I can walk there and they know my order! I’m a regular!
Coffee Shop: Ben’s Coffee on the Volcano! They can make all kinds of designs in your coffee and there’s a gorgeous view of the city.
Drink at Ben’s Coffee: I know I’m in the land of AMAZING coffee, but I will always be a chai tea girl!
Beach Resort: This simple little place close to the Atami beach resorts. Some friends and I went there for the Christmas morning sunrise and it was beautiful!
Salvadoran Dog: CACHUN! He’s a Boston Terrier that belongs to my friend Lelys! She lets me pretend he’s mine.
Salvadoran Slang Word: Puchica! It basically means DANGIT!
Place: Anywhere on the beach. The beach will forever be where I feel most connected to God and most at peace with His presence.

“I want to report to you, friends, that my imprisonment here has had the opposite of its intended effect. Instead of being squelched, the Message has actually prospered. All the soldiers here, and everyone else, too, found out that I’m in jail because of this Messiah. That piqued their curiosity, and now they’ve learned all about him. Not only that, but most of the followers of Jesus here have become far more sure of themselves in the faith than ever, speaking out fearlessly about God, about the Messiah. Philippians 1v12-14 (The Message)

FROM HER BINDER PROJECT MARCH DEVOTIONAL:
Walking along the beach, you may find treasured sea glass. Some pieces are big, some small, and each is a different shape, size, and color…Each piece has one thing in common: they are all broken. Tossed in the ocean, they have experienced rough waters, storms, and rough sand. All of which has smoothed and re-shaped the piece of glass into a treasured item…We are also like the treasured piece of sea glass. Broken, we have experienced storms, rough waters, and heartbreak. We are also treasured in God’s hands…Our stories can also be used to point others to God’s healing grace. Our scars and storms are a part of our story, an intricate piece that brings us to where we are today. They reflect the love, redemption, and healing power of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Friends, who can we share our brokenness with today? Who can we encourage? Who can we assure that they are not alone?

Please stay in touch! There are a number of ways to contact me!

As always, thank you for your continued prayers and support! And an extra HUUUUGE thank you to those of you that sent care packages with the Rock City team! Your letters and cards and gifts have spoken such love to me! My heart smiled as I opened each package! My heart is filled with jewelry, beef jerky, lemon Oreos, and SO MUCH peanut butter (that’s an odd food combination! ha!)!

Please Pray:

For our mission team coming from New Life Church in Michigan tomorrow. They will only be with us for two days before heading to La Libertad for the rest of the week. This is much shorter than normal! Please pray that in those two days, God would speak to them and they would hear His voice!
For our church family as we drive to San Pedro Sula, Honduras on April 12th for the annual Great Commission Latin America Conference! Please pray for safe travels, lots of learning, and quality connections!
For ongoing fundraising for our Dental Clinic at our Volcano Children’s Development Center. In 2016, we were blessed to be able to raise $40,000 to build the clinic above our current Total Health Clinic. Now, we need $18,000 more to purchase dental equipment. The need for dental care, hygiene and education is great at the Volcano.
For my relationships here – that they would continue to grow and always be God-honoring.

be cheerful no matter what // pray all the time // thank God no matter what happens.

Thankful and Blessed to Work with You,

-Ashley

This is an Empiñada! It’s basically just sugar and starch that’s been rolled suuuuuuper thin. It reminded me of a giant communion wafer, but tastier!

Hard + Holy Things

October 4, 2016 Ashley Ramírez

“The world has enough women who know how to do their hair. It needs women who know how to do hard and holy things.” – Ann Voskamp

I can’t tell you that I know what I am doing, but each morning, I wake up, (maybe) workout, down a mug of coffee and set my eyes on the His. Sometimes I’m zoned in and my gaze doesn’t detract from God’s. And other days – most days – the things of this world distract me and I am constantly refocusing my vision. But God is never changing, always there, looking at me with love and devotion.

Living this life of a Christ-follower isn’t easy, but it is oh so necessary and oh so holy. Girls, God wants to use us to make Heaven full, no matter the state of our hair. Refocus. Take a step. He is there.

You keep her in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because she trusts in you. Isaiah 26v3

I don’t think anyone would describe me as “peaceful.” Even as a child, my parents had me tested for ADD. It turned out they were just raising a hyperactive daughter. #blessed

In Isaiah 26, the original Hebrew word for “stayed” is “sawmak” and it gives us a visual of propping something up. So in order to find perfect peace in God, it is essential that our minds are “propped up” by thoughts of our Heavenly Father. His Word is ripe with verses about setting our minds on Him. First and foremost, Jesus tells us to love the Lord our God with all of our minds (Matthew 22v37). And He tells us to set our minds on heavenly things (Colossians 3v2), for the end is destruction for those who set their minds on things of this world (Philippians 3v19).

Today I thought a lot about the future – what my life here in San Salvador will look like 6 months, even 5 years from now. Not having control over the future is what ultimately causes me the most uneasiness.

I do not think it is bad to plan and dream for the future, but those desires must be propped up on the will of God. I don’t know exactly how God’s plan for my life will unfold, but I can but I can extinguish that fear and experience perfect peace if I place my plans and dreams in the palms of God’s hands.

Believe me – I am the first to say this is easier said than done. But I also know that God has the power to transform our minds – even the mind of this Type A control freak (Romans 12v2). If a wild & crazy girl like me can find peace in the midst of a world of unknowns, even for just 7 minutes a day, I believe with all my soul that perfect peace is available to you as well. As we practice setting our minds on Christ, what was once a difficult task will one day become a habit and eventually a normal state of mind.

We cannot only occasionally encounter God – He must be what continuously sustains our minds.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
What is propping up your mind today?