Love your enemies

Today i went on a walk in the forest. It was beautfiul weather and I just thought instead of having a time with God in my room, I should go outside and enjoy his beauty.

As I was praying and singing to Him, Jesus reminded me of my last Blog I posted about that he was rich and became poor so we can become rich. 

I was just thinking again of the fact, that Jesus left the riches of heaven to rescue us. I was thinking about the love he has for us, no one can understand. He was here on earth to teach us how to live. While I was meditating on this, my thoughts went all over the place(like always=). But somehow I came to think about my friends and family and people I could pray for. All of a sudden this scripture came to my mind:

But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!! Matth. 5:44

I should love my enemies?? I should pray for the ones who persecute me?? The ones who lie to me? The ones that talk bad behind my back?? The ones that make/made fun of me?? The ones that broke my heart??

And guess what!? Excactly those ones are the ones we should love/pray for!

Isn't that hard?? Right now I don't think I have a person I have a really hard time with. But I defenetely had before and I am sure I will meet someone like that in my life again! I was just dwelling in that and thinking how it seems so impossible. It is so stinkin hard to love people we really don't want to love. Those we would love to slap in the face! Is it even possible??

And then I went back to the thought I had earlier in the walk. Jesus has a love for us no one can understand. He came to teach us how to live.

And He did it. He did exactly what seems so impossible. He loved his enemies. He prayed for those who persecuted him. He was at the cross for our sins. He was made fun of, beaten and hurt for us. But He didn't chose to cuss, he didn't chose anger BUT he prayed for his enemies! He prayed for the ones that hung him to the cross!

Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing." Luke 23:34

I am so blessed to serve a God that knows what I am going through. I am so thankful for the way he speaks to me and that his grace is never ending. Thank you Father for your mercy!!

Thanks for reading my thoughts and what I am learning with God. I wish you a happy new year and may the Lord surprise you lots of times in this upcoming year!

God is generous

So the other day I had my Jesus time. I was reading the Bible in 2nd Corinthians 8, where it talks about the call to generous giving. But as I was reading this following verse my eyes teared up and my heart was filled with deep thankfulness.

"You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich." 2.Corinthians 8:9

God is so generous!! I am trying no to worry about money, cause God is so generous and He has always given me more than enough. I've always had a bed to sleep in. I had a roof over my head. I've never been so hungry that I could've said "I am starving to death" and I had always enough to wear.
So I look at my life right now and again I have enough! Even more than that. And still all of the things I have here on earth and all the things I am dreaming of is nothing compared to the riches that are waiting for me in heaven. And as we know, Jesus was there. HE HAD IT ALL. He was in a place that must be so beautiful and far greater than we could ever imagine. There was no pain, jealousy, tears, sickness, sadness, hunger, betrayel. But Jesus left that place and became human. He became one of us. He became poor. He had less than we might ever have! And He did it to make us rich!! Something God is teaching me out of this is not that Jesus wants to make me rich in materialism. Of course, he wants me to have a home and clothes to wear and enough food to eat, but he wants to give me something that's far more than that. It is deeper. It is love, peace, joy, fullfillment, grace, patience, kindness and so much more.
Today on Christmas Eve I am so thankful that I have accepted this free gift of God. I want all those things. But God calls me to be generous with my gift. That is why I want to tell people about Jesus. That is why I wanna live a life of generousity, love, patience, kindness, grace, encouraging words for others etc. Cause he has given it to me for free. How could I keep it for myself?
I am just so thankful and I want to remind you to be thankful for everything God has given you. Remember how rich you are in him and be generous with what you have!!
I wish you all a Merry Christmas!!

Reflection of the last 3 months

I don't know if that was ever clear in my posts, but for the last 3 years I have been working for a Missionsorganisation in Los Angeles called Yout With A Mission! In those 3 years I have learned so much about myself, God and his unfailing love for his children. I have staffed in different Discipleship Training Schools and Summerprogramms.

But the last 3 months I had the wonderful opportunity to be a part of a new ministry called Beauty Arise. The ministry is all about teaching women their worth and identity in God. We were 6 girls not really knowing what we are doing but trusting the Lord and being obedient in what He tells us to do!

(From the left to the right: Jessica Hover(Colorado), Alissa Sander(Arizona) Me(Switzerland), Anna Bishop(Idaho), Carrie McMillion(West Virginia), Evi Heilmann(Germany)

The founder of Beauty Arise is Jessica Hover. On this picture we were on a day trip to Big Bear, California.

Jessica & Shaun Hover (married since 4 years)

Her husband Shaun Hover also started something new. A Discipleship Training School called "Calling All Skaters". Like the name says it is for skaters and focused on the skate ministry!

So because the founders of those two ministries are married, we had the last 3 months a house full of skaters seeking the Lord and his truths about themselves and the truth about God and we have 7 girls(1 skatergirl, 6 Beauty Arise girls) seeking truth about their identity and beauty in God.

I just think God has so much humor. He chooses 6 Women who are struggleing with insecurities, finding their identity in God and not in guys, and teaching them truth. He takes them, puts them all together in a house with 10 skater guys and 1 skater girl. He lets them grow in being super honest and open with eachother and uses them to be teachers and friends to other girls AND being godly sisters to all those guys!

I hope this makes sense but I was just so overwhelmed by God. He knows how much I have struggled in my past with guys and finding my identity in them or what they say about me but he trusts me so much that he lets me live with a lot of wonderful, kind, strong, handsom men of God and he placed me in a ministry where I encourage girls to find their true beauty and identity in God. To let him be the fullfillment of their daily life.

God is so good. If he has faith in me to do that, He has faith in you too!!

Well and now after those 3 months of working with those two ministries God has called me back home to Switzerland. I will start Beauty Arise here. I am super nervous about it but it is gonna be great. And i will defenitley keep you updated! I am also applying for work in a clothestore. A fantastic place to encourage women everyday of my life.

So a week ago, after I said goodbye to the family I have gained in LA, I sat at the airport LAX waiting for my flight back home to Switzerlandand. I prayed and looked back on the last 3 months and what God taught me and here is what I wrote in my journal:

Wow, Lord the last 3 months have passed by so fast and yet it feels like it was an eternity. Lord you taught me so much in this short time. I can even see myself how you have changed me and normally just other people see changes right?! I am so thankful for the things you have shown me. You have shown me that you are the absolute number one. Nothing and no one else is more important than you. If everybody would be against me, I gotta be just fine with it cause I have you. You taught me that my beauty doesn't depend on an opinion of a guy. If I like a guy and he thinks I am ugly, that wouldn't mean a thing, cause the fact is, YOU Lord have made me beautiful and perfect.

I learned that it is okay to be attracted to a guy but what I do with it is important. I just gotta trust you with everything. I learned that I gotta check my heart at night when I go to bed and if there is a feeling of dissatisfaction, it is because I have tried to get my attention somewhere else but you!

I've learned that keeping up a relationship with you is not as hard as we always think it is. It just takes a little discipline. It takes a little bit of my time each day. But through that I will stay in tune with your Holy Spirit. I've learned that you'll never set up a future for me of failure but a future of hope. You put me in different and challenging places to train me but also cause you have faith in me and my success!

I've learned to set barriers in friendships between me and guys. I know I am a treasure and no one else but my future husband is allowed to come even close to me!

Lord thank you for this upcoming season. Show me your ways. Teach me and streghten me. Lord you have prepared this season for me to grow! I am the light and the salt in my community and I will give all that I am into this season!

Jessica interviewing me. Main question: "Why am I helping with Beauty Arise?"

On a walk with my lovely mommy!!

Hanging out time with good friends!!