{Day 212}

This my friends is part two of my take on the Justice conference.  Today I’m going to narrow it down a bit to one of the speakers I heard.  Do you want to know what really sealed the deal for me to go to this conference?  Two words:  Francis Chan.  Of course there is some background story as to why this is the case.  You see I didn’t really know who he was till last year when I watched a short clip of him speaking on Youtube.  It was a defining moment for me.  It was early April and in May I was going to be launching my 100 days dress project and I hadn’t told hardly anyone except a very small handful of people.  I was discouraged because let me tell you that if you’re going to wear the same dress for 100 days you also start thinking that maybe you’ve gone insane or that you really can’t do this.  But I watched this video with a balance beam illustration and I realized that I couldn’t NOT do the project God had laid on my heart.  See Mr. Chan has realized that living a life completely surrendered to God is the only way to truly live.  He gets what true love is about.  Actually he knows the One who is love and that has changed everything.  He told story after story of God’s faithfulness and goodness.  His words about Christ touched me and left tears of awe and thankfulness making tracks down my cheeks while it left truth on my heart.  And this God of love…well see Jesus loves ME so shouldn’t that change everything?  Yes.  I want to live a life surrendered to the One who gave up everything for me.  He gave his life for me and I want to give my life for others.  I can’t do it on my own so I cry out for his Holy Spirit to work in me.  To leave me changed.  I don’t want to live a complacent life.  Turning a deaf ear to the cries of others.  Francis said this, “It’s not about playing it safe.  Don’t let your life get safer and safer…”.  I only have one life and so do you.  I don’t want to fizzle out.  I want to go out blazing.  When my day comes to leave this earth I want to smile knowing that I trusted in who God said he is and that it changed me.  That it changed my priorities, my giving, my interactions…And everything I chose to do.  Are you willing to surrender and give up your life fully to the only One who will ever satisfy you so that you might gain it truly?  In Luke 9:24 Jesus says this, “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”  What will you do?  This thought by Jim Elliot is so poignant: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot loose.”

I wish I could find the link of Francis Chan speaking at the conference for you to listen to because I have done a very faulty job of telling what he spoke on and haven’t even skimmed the surface.  Since I don’t have that I hope you will at least give a few minutes of your time to watch this video below that I was talking about.  You wont regret it.

UPDATE! $56,869.54  Would you be willing to give $10 dollars today?  Because our darlings in India still need mattresses.  50 of them are still sleeping on boards.  Your donations make a difference and put smiles on their faces.  Please just leave a comment in the box provided on the donation page if you want it to go for beds. 🙂