Oh my goodnes, let me first say that I had like a whole 3 paragraphs written and some how I deleted it and it magicly dissappeared. Oh man that makes me so mad. Ha.
Lets try this again....
Okay!! so...Jesus is so good! I really don't want to be that one blogger that blogs about every little thing, but I have a feeling that it may be me! Please, bear with me though because its all about Jesus, well most of it anyway. I promise this one is all about Jesus. ok ok, sorry, i get off track easy.
As i write more, keep in mind what I blogged last about and that I'm reading the book Irresistable Revolution by Shane Claiborne.
I am currently on chapter 6 of this book and let me just quite what Mr. Claiborne says...
"I'm convinced that God did not mess up and make too many people and not enough stuff. Poverty was created Not by God, but by you and me because we have not learned to love our neighbors as ourselves. Gandhi put it well when he said "There is enough for everyones need, but not enough for everyones greed." -Shane Claiborne
Oh snap!!! So I read this and sent it to a few of my close friends that have a huge heart for the poor and are moved by it. I feel like Shane Claiborne puts it perfectly so I have no room to really comment besides...AMEN!!! Isn't that crazy!!
Yesterday at one club we discuss about LOVE. I even commented that before we can even love others we have to love ourselves. I unfortunately believe that many of us do not love ourselves, therefore we do not love our neighbors and the least of these. Heck I hated myself until I was about 16 years old. I'm finally beginning to love myself, then I went to Haiti and realized love for others and even in my own community and school. Yet daily, I continually fall short of loving my neighbors as myself. I constantly am after my own desires and am so easily satisfied. I am extremely selfish and prideful. I fall very short. oh and that's my prayer to fall so in love with Jesus...to know His love that much more deeper so that i would not be wishy washy on who I love and when I love. I want to love all, always!!! There's a verse in philippians 2 that talks about looking to others interests before our own...I do that MAYBE on a good day. How am I any different from the rest of society if I only love people I like and am greedy and selfish?? I look the same. I pray to be transformed! transformed by the renewing of my mind and not to conform to the pattern of this world that says it's all about me. It's not all about me or you! Sorry to bust your bubble. I'm busting yours because Jesus has officially busted mine. Dude!! is this not so ridiculous!! Jesus meant what He said. Love God first, then love your neighbor as yourself. SNAP!!
Ok so all these thoughts are running through my mind and I sent that text out. Then my buddy, Michael Miller texted back saying he had sent me an email and that it will blow my mind. I checked my email when I got home and dude, I was floored when i read it. He sent it before i even sent out that text which is even crazier. HA ha, I love how jesus does things.
Here's the link to what he sent me... http://rejectapathy.com/poverty/features/1455-life-lessons-from-swaziland
Now to save you time I'll summarize it for you...
first, know that it is about SWZILAND!!!....you know where i'm going this summer! haha also its a dude who lives there with the same organization i am going with!! ahhh even cooler. But even cooler than that is that it was about LOVE!!! This dude named Dennis Brock is talking about serving others before yourself and the poverty and AIDS pandemic in Swaziland. He talks about loving the least of these selflessly!! putting aside self for others, for advancing the kingdom of God!! oh my goodness gracious!! I FREAKED OUT!! and im still freaking out. haha oh man, Jesus, thank you for continually bursting my bubble to teach me more and to deny myself and daily take up my cross and follow you. I follow a homeless man(Jesus) and i serve homeless men(everyone around)!
Do you see why I just had to share this? Yup, thats what i thought, huh? These are lessons things I've heard my whole life but have never taken them literal. I've just been told, yeah go love you neighbor....NO yall...Jesus is serious when he says it GO AND LOVE!! it's not when ya want to and what not...its a commandment. The greatest commandment!! oh snap!
Father, continue to open my eyes to the things unseen. Continue to open my eyes to your love for me and for everyone despite our faults and misconceptions of You. Lord I pray for more of you and less of me. Rid me of my self and pride. Jesus, to overflow in your joy and love and grace. More jesus, more of you!! amen
Laura Beth Harbin
Friday, February 24, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Lickin' Envelopes & Lovin' ALL
Good Morning!!! Currently I am sitting in my keyboarding class- this is simply an elective class that just takes up some time inmy scheduele. If my teacher is reading this, don't worry I love ya a lot and your class gives me time to read and ponder...and BLOG ;)
Ok-so this morning I licked a TON of envelopes to send out the rest of my Thank You cards to all those who have supported me financially thus far. Can I just say that I still have the horrendous after taste of nasty envelope-ness. HA, but really, it's really gross. But hey, it's for good reasons right? Therefore, if you get a thank you note in the mail please know that my tongue suffered for you this morning.
On a more serious note- this morning at One Club Miles Ownby spoke about anger and love. God has definitley been gently whispering in my ear about loving all. It just got louder this morning through Miles. You see, it's so easy to love those that I enjoy to be around and love. It's so much harder to love those that are incredibly annoying and just blaah. Yet, by only loving those that I love then I'm simply being like a Pharissee. I strive to love all. I am reading a book currently called Irresistable Love by Shane Claiborne, which is rocking my world by the way and I highly reccomend it. Anyway so he has talked a whole lot about love...love is not easy. Heck it's brutal and hard, but so worth it. "Love is not sentimental but heart wrenching, the most difficult but most beautiful thing in the world."
I'm thankful that God is teaching me this now. Love has no bounds. Love never fails. Love doesn't pick and choose who to 'put up with'. Love is eternal and not temporary. Love is not discriminatory. God is love! There's a verse in John 13:35 that says they will know you by the way that you LOVE one another!! also, what's the two greatest commandments?? Love God and Love People. These words wouldn't be red letters if Jesus didn't mean it. He wasn't just wasting His breath. He's meant to be taken literally. I strive to know so much more deeply how high wide deep and long Jesus' love for me is. Because once I love myself and love God unconditionally, then I can love ALL people unconditionally. I seek, hunger and thirst for this love!!
Will you pray with me to love all unconditionally?
Love,
Laura Beth Harbin
Ok-so this morning I licked a TON of envelopes to send out the rest of my Thank You cards to all those who have supported me financially thus far. Can I just say that I still have the horrendous after taste of nasty envelope-ness. HA, but really, it's really gross. But hey, it's for good reasons right? Therefore, if you get a thank you note in the mail please know that my tongue suffered for you this morning.
On a more serious note- this morning at One Club Miles Ownby spoke about anger and love. God has definitley been gently whispering in my ear about loving all. It just got louder this morning through Miles. You see, it's so easy to love those that I enjoy to be around and love. It's so much harder to love those that are incredibly annoying and just blaah. Yet, by only loving those that I love then I'm simply being like a Pharissee. I strive to love all. I am reading a book currently called Irresistable Love by Shane Claiborne, which is rocking my world by the way and I highly reccomend it. Anyway so he has talked a whole lot about love...love is not easy. Heck it's brutal and hard, but so worth it. "Love is not sentimental but heart wrenching, the most difficult but most beautiful thing in the world."
I'm thankful that God is teaching me this now. Love has no bounds. Love never fails. Love doesn't pick and choose who to 'put up with'. Love is eternal and not temporary. Love is not discriminatory. God is love! There's a verse in John 13:35 that says they will know you by the way that you LOVE one another!! also, what's the two greatest commandments?? Love God and Love People. These words wouldn't be red letters if Jesus didn't mean it. He wasn't just wasting His breath. He's meant to be taken literally. I strive to know so much more deeply how high wide deep and long Jesus' love for me is. Because once I love myself and love God unconditionally, then I can love ALL people unconditionally. I seek, hunger and thirst for this love!!
Will you pray with me to love all unconditionally?
Love,
Laura Beth Harbin
Monday, February 20, 2012
Roses Among Thorns
I wrote this on December 26, 2011 and figured I would post it here. It's another piece of my heart and piece of my journey to the unknown...
roses among thornes
beauty in the midst of pain
joy despite suffering
community within poverty
roses among thorns...
Aren't these paradoxes so intriguing?
When i went to Haiti these paradoxes became real, it was a bitter sweet reality and awakening. I was awoken from my ignorance and the veil covering my eyes was uncovered.
I always knew I had a huge heart for the poor, widowed and orphans but i had no idea what that entailed. I had no idea that it could absolute desperation and poverty could actually be so real. Then i set foot to the poorest country in the western hemisphere and was utterly broken....
My boat was rocked to the extreme and the passion and compassion that God placed on my heart were now wide open and the floodgates burst.
There's no way to really explain how there can be so much beatuy despite so much pain-spiritualy, emotionally, and physically. In fact, Haiti is sooo beautiful. The mountains are gorgeous and the carribean sparkles in the sun light. And please don't forget those beautiful white smiles!!! Oh my goodness they made my heart smile.
The joy despite suffering....if you look around these people are THANKFUL for the simple things...genuinely thankful. Even though they may not get a meal today or tomorrow they continue to laugh, they continue to smile, they continue to work hard and think positively.
Community...everyone in the village looked after one another. A 6 year old would watch after and carry their 2 year old sibling. They made sure everyone was ok and loved on. They didnt take for granted each others life and the opprotunity to be apart of it.
Countries like Haiti and Swaziland are countries of Roses and Thorns...beauty and freedom despite pain and suffering.
With this in mind it makes me excited for what I will encounter in Swaziland, yet at the same time i fear it...I fear being immersed. I fear being uncomfortable. Oh, but i know that in the fear and discomfort that God is so much greater! He is my hope. He is the Haitians hope and He is the Swazi's hope! Please continue to pray for me as I prepare each day to step foot on the Swazi soil.
I know that God is preparing me and has been preparing me since before i was even born. haha. That's so cool to me and so comforting. He rejoices and sings over me!! He rejoices and sings over the Swazi orphans who have nothing. He rejoices and sings over the Swazi's dying of AIDS. I know He is still moving and in control. Our God Reigns. He holds them in His loving arms!! They are NOT forgotten.
Laura Beth Harbin
roses among thornes
beauty in the midst of pain
joy despite suffering
community within poverty
roses among thorns...
Aren't these paradoxes so intriguing?
When i went to Haiti these paradoxes became real, it was a bitter sweet reality and awakening. I was awoken from my ignorance and the veil covering my eyes was uncovered.
I always knew I had a huge heart for the poor, widowed and orphans but i had no idea what that entailed. I had no idea that it could absolute desperation and poverty could actually be so real. Then i set foot to the poorest country in the western hemisphere and was utterly broken....
My boat was rocked to the extreme and the passion and compassion that God placed on my heart were now wide open and the floodgates burst.
There's no way to really explain how there can be so much beatuy despite so much pain-spiritualy, emotionally, and physically. In fact, Haiti is sooo beautiful. The mountains are gorgeous and the carribean sparkles in the sun light. And please don't forget those beautiful white smiles!!! Oh my goodness they made my heart smile.
The joy despite suffering....if you look around these people are THANKFUL for the simple things...genuinely thankful. Even though they may not get a meal today or tomorrow they continue to laugh, they continue to smile, they continue to work hard and think positively.
Community...everyone in the village looked after one another. A 6 year old would watch after and carry their 2 year old sibling. They made sure everyone was ok and loved on. They didnt take for granted each others life and the opprotunity to be apart of it.
Countries like Haiti and Swaziland are countries of Roses and Thorns...beauty and freedom despite pain and suffering.
With this in mind it makes me excited for what I will encounter in Swaziland, yet at the same time i fear it...I fear being immersed. I fear being uncomfortable. Oh, but i know that in the fear and discomfort that God is so much greater! He is my hope. He is the Haitians hope and He is the Swazi's hope! Please continue to pray for me as I prepare each day to step foot on the Swazi soil.
I know that God is preparing me and has been preparing me since before i was even born. haha. That's so cool to me and so comforting. He rejoices and sings over me!! He rejoices and sings over the Swazi orphans who have nothing. He rejoices and sings over the Swazi's dying of AIDS. I know He is still moving and in control. Our God Reigns. He holds them in His loving arms!! They are NOT forgotten.
Laura Beth Harbin
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
I wont be quiet anymore
It's time to stop sitting still in our comfortable church buildings and comfortable neighborhoods. You see, there are 143 million orphans in the world, 385 million living on less than $1 and 27 million enslaved!!! These number are NOT ok with me at all! This does not settle well within me. If you showed me this last year I would be upset over it, but then I went to Haiti and experienced those numbers and now I am enragaged. These numbers have a name to it, a name that is of significance and value, just like you and I. They are no different than you and I. They each have a story and each are broken human beings in need of a savior...in need of Jesus, the lover of their soul, who rejoices over us with singing!! So....what do we do with that? I can tell you what Not to do... please don't sit in ignorance. This is real...it's happening everywhere...look in your own city, it's here too. It's not just in Haiti and Africa. It's in our own country, our own cities. I can't say what you should do...that's between you and God. I know what I'm doing...I am entrusting myself to Jesus and allowing Him to move through me in my own home, school, city, and then in Swaziland, Africa...To be a voice for the voiceless. Pray with me to fearlessly proclaim the mystery of God's grace for which i am an ambassador of!(eph 6:19)
These are just a few thoughts for this morning.
Also here is a song called "We are Hungry" by Jesus Culture.
http://youtu.be/b5mJzHGCPjo
Love,
Laura Beth Harbin
These are just a few thoughts for this morning.
Also here is a song called "We are Hungry" by Jesus Culture.
http://youtu.be/b5mJzHGCPjo
Love,
Laura Beth Harbin
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Beginning to Blog
Hey everyone!!
So this is my first time to blog. I wanted some place to express my thoughts as I prepare for Africa. For those who don't know, I am heading to Swaziland, Africa this summer with an organization called Adventures In Missions. I will be there June 22- July 21.To be honest it sometimes is annoying for me to tell Everyone and their mom where i'm at in the preparing process, etc. Therefore, hopefully this will explain where I'm at as far as preparing to head out on my journey to the unknown, both to Africa and thereafter.
I am already having some weighty thoughts and my heart has become even more heavy as reality is sinking in. I mean my world was turned upside down after going to Haiti and ever since I have been back it's as if I have been restless. Ofcourse, I miss that village like crazy and especially the people. That's not the only reason I'm restless....it's the reality of poverty, pain and suffering. It's so heavy on my heart to where I feel as if I can't even breathe. My soul is going to burst any second! So with Haiti in my past and Swaziland in my future the heaviness has just gotten, well, heavier. Each day that get's closer to heading out to Africa I have been reminded of the desires and passions God has so intricately woven into my heart and very being. That passion is to sit in the dirt with the poorest of the poor. I desire to stand along side the orphan and diseased, to feed the hungry and clothe the naked. I desire to be a light in the dark places. I'm sick of being a light in a bright place. I'm sick of sitting in a cushioned pew. I'm sick of being comfortable.
It's so difficult to articulate all that I'm feeling, thinking, and experiencing. So to save this first blog I'll just post a video that I made on Sunday(feb 12). I wrote everything that's in the video on Friday(10) after I had a crazy dream on thursday(Feb 9) night.
Thursday I had a dream that there were sorta these two paths. One was full of fun activites such as rock climbing and all sorts of stuff and the other path had a child of every nationality represented dressed in rags...i woke up and my heart was overwhelmed and hurting. The weight of it all has began to become more real and i can no longer just sit still like everything is ok because it is not.
Please know that i am by no means pointing a finger at any of you because i have to blame myself too.
I hope you can see the yearning in my heart. Please pray with me. I know God reigns and is still in control in the midst of poverty and brokeness. In fact He teaches me more from the Poor and broken because deep down i am too.
http://youtu.be/Rn76uK3gi7E
Love,
Laura Beth Harbin
So this is my first time to blog. I wanted some place to express my thoughts as I prepare for Africa. For those who don't know, I am heading to Swaziland, Africa this summer with an organization called Adventures In Missions. I will be there June 22- July 21.To be honest it sometimes is annoying for me to tell Everyone and their mom where i'm at in the preparing process, etc. Therefore, hopefully this will explain where I'm at as far as preparing to head out on my journey to the unknown, both to Africa and thereafter.
I am already having some weighty thoughts and my heart has become even more heavy as reality is sinking in. I mean my world was turned upside down after going to Haiti and ever since I have been back it's as if I have been restless. Ofcourse, I miss that village like crazy and especially the people. That's not the only reason I'm restless....it's the reality of poverty, pain and suffering. It's so heavy on my heart to where I feel as if I can't even breathe. My soul is going to burst any second! So with Haiti in my past and Swaziland in my future the heaviness has just gotten, well, heavier. Each day that get's closer to heading out to Africa I have been reminded of the desires and passions God has so intricately woven into my heart and very being. That passion is to sit in the dirt with the poorest of the poor. I desire to stand along side the orphan and diseased, to feed the hungry and clothe the naked. I desire to be a light in the dark places. I'm sick of being a light in a bright place. I'm sick of sitting in a cushioned pew. I'm sick of being comfortable.
It's so difficult to articulate all that I'm feeling, thinking, and experiencing. So to save this first blog I'll just post a video that I made on Sunday(feb 12). I wrote everything that's in the video on Friday(10) after I had a crazy dream on thursday(Feb 9) night.
Thursday I had a dream that there were sorta these two paths. One was full of fun activites such as rock climbing and all sorts of stuff and the other path had a child of every nationality represented dressed in rags...i woke up and my heart was overwhelmed and hurting. The weight of it all has began to become more real and i can no longer just sit still like everything is ok because it is not.
Please know that i am by no means pointing a finger at any of you because i have to blame myself too.
I hope you can see the yearning in my heart. Please pray with me. I know God reigns and is still in control in the midst of poverty and brokeness. In fact He teaches me more from the Poor and broken because deep down i am too.
http://youtu.be/Rn76uK3gi7E
Love,
Laura Beth Harbin
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