Remembrance Stones of 2021

Every year, I review my journals and draw stones in my most current journal of all the nuggets that happened along the way. It helps to me recall all that He did, celebrate the milestones, see the themes and see the recurring Scriptures and encouragements from Him. These are all things I might not notice if I didn’t sit through and look at all my journals in one day.

I wanted to share some of the things He taught me in 2021. This year had quite possibly the most stones I have ever drawn. Either I am noticing more or life with Him just keeps getting more and more abundant.

The theme for 2021 was “i follow the Lamb wherever He goes.” This will cost you and it will be worth it. It is on a narrow road that few find. You might not get a ton of pats on the back but you get the “well done” of the King’s approval and that is all that matters. It’s the Exodus 13:21 life. You follow Him with a cloud by day and fire by night. You follow Him into the land unsown. And you even follow Him through the valley of the shadow of death.

On January 1, 2021, He encouraged me from Revelation 14 about being set apart to follow Him, James 1:2 about considering it pure joy when you go through trials, Acts 5:40 about what to do when you are ordered not to speak, 1 Peter 1:6 about rejoicing in trials, and wearing my armor…that I was gonna need it. Isn’t He such a good Father that prepares His kids that seek Him?

I never wanna be famous. I see so much compromise to keep a crowd. People that I would think once had Biblical convictions cower in the face of the public so as to keep their audience and be loved by the world.

Sometimes Jesus had a crowd, but He was also hung on a cross with very few in attendance at His greatest stance in history. When many disciples left when His teachings got hard, He looked at His disciples like the BOSS He is and asked if they wanted to leave too. He wasn’t into fans. He was into obedience.

I would rather have confidence in the Truth and be ridin’ solo than have a crowd built on compromise. Not just singing the good ol’ hymn “I have decided to follow Jesus” with “If none go with me still I will follow”….but actually living it. Big difference.

I watch parents and leaders bend to be loved by man instead of unashamed before the Lamb and His commandments.

“Christians are not so much in danger when they are persecuted as when they are admired.” ~Charles Spurgeon

If you ask, He wants to show you. This year, I read Ephesians 1:4 and asked God to show me what it means to be chosen. He answered that prayer with Yano. I have had 4 incredible encounters with God’s glory that couldn’t be mustered up in worship, couldn’t be constructed, figured out how to replicate or be scheduled….but only happen when Jesus wants to brings them. One of these encounters happened this year after praying for Him to show me what is means to be chosen. He wants to answer our prayers if we will ask Him and wait for the answer.

We made a sect of Christianity that doesn’t exist. Jesus made it really clear when He said He would spit the lukewarm out of His mouth. I believe the biggest pandemic we have facing the church right now is “Nominal Christianity.” It could be defined as calling ourselves believers when we have never really followed Him. We don’t know Him and He doesn’t know us. That’s a tragedy.

Matthew 24. Be awake. Jesus has been speaking a lot of end times language with me over the course of the last two years. Things like “have your oil ready.” “Be awake and alert.” I’m not of the persuasion that you can calculate the last 222 years, divide it by 2, subtract it by 3 and come at Jesus’ return date….but I do know He is coming back. And when He comes, whenever that is, we need to be ready.

Matthew 25. When you love the body of Christ, you love Him. He stamped out this message to me in the joy of nursing this year. “Can I get you something to drink?” “Are you hungry?” Being with Covid patients when they are sick and staying awhile…not rushing out of their room. Really asking how they are doing.

It IS about heaven and hell. I was told so many times in the last few years “It is not about heaven and hell.” Whenever I mentioned repentance it was like I had just cussed. I was told over and over how Christianity was more about this life on earth, how we need to focus on self (Find out your Enneagram, Meyers Brigg and your “true self” and remember who we are (hyper focus on identity) and a bunch of other temporary nonsense.

I remember being asked not to teach how to share the gospel with an emphasis on hell.

When I had to defend the existence of hell being eternal suffering last year, it grew in me an even greater urgency for the gospel. People have to accept Christ to be with Jesus forever. Universalism isn’t the new black. People are dying….and facing eternity.

Our dumbing down the gospel message to the gospel of self is literally killing people every day. They face Jesus in eternity and can undoubtedly quote how awesome they are, but don’t know Him. And He doesn’t know them.

Satan schemes are subtle. If he can get Christians to believe that there is no original sin, that Jesus dying on the cross doesn’t need to be emphasized, that hell isn’t eternal suffering and the Bible is fallible, then of course I could see why you wouldn’t even care to evangelize. You are actually a universalist. It isn’t “about heaven and hell” because you might not even believe either exist. Hence the lack of urgency and might as well focus on self because this life is all we got. TT’s got about 120 on earth and ETERNITY in ETERNITY….so I believe we have all authority to live for and focus on that.

I will not be silent. I will keep preaching and keep teaching and oh the gates of hell will not prevail. Thanks Mav City. And Acts 5:29 on point. Where my obedience lies.

I will shake the dust off. Super hard for the pursuer He made me to be. He wired me to go after the one and never give up on people. But sometimes, it’s Biblical to shake the dust off your feet and say “bye bye…I ain’t mad at cha, got nuttin’ but love fo ya, but buh bye. You ain’t pickin’ up what He’s putting down.”

What difference will I make in Covid? Thank you Mark Hodge for that question in 2020. I was so thankful Jesus led me to nursing with Samaritan’s Purse and with Harris. What mission fields they were. Matthew 25 lived out with taking care of Jesus. I got the JOY to take care of Covid patients all throughout the year.

20th consecutive negative Covid test. I don’t take that for granted. I learned that when Jesus wants to open a door, He opens it. It He wants to close it, He will close it. 20 negative Covid tests sent me into nations and opportunities that I wouldn’t have been able to go to otherwise.

We out here in the deep. Jesus didn’t make me for shallow waters. He encouraged me with Isaiah 43 several times this year. “When you go through the deep waters, I will be with you.” Emmanuel, remains my favorite name of Jesus.

Fear and faith are contagious. I’ll spend my life teaching people to not fear and walk in faith.

Gap C. I soaked them up. I love Gen Z and somehow He let me be with Gap C for every leg of their journey.

Social media fast is over. After fasting social media for a year, I learned it is GOOD and God’s desire to let the land lie fallow. When He leads you to take a break, it’s for a reason. It was good I wasn’t on social media March 2020-March 2021. The Lamb knows how to lead His kids.

My life will look more and more like what I read in Scripture. I think some Christians think the Bible is a fiction novel that makes for a good bedtime story to read their kids before bed instead of a prescription for how to live life. The longer I am a believer, the more I want my life to look like what I am reading and not some watered down cultural rendition of compromise.

Gotta stick to the foundations. Unity is called compromising truth these days for some false sense of oneness. Don’t drink the Kool-aid.

Even Michael Jordan said “The minute you get away from fundamentals – whether its proper technique, work ethic or mental preparation – the bottom can fall out of your game, your schoolwork, your job, whatever you’re doing.“

Keeping my heart soft. Don’t get bitter. Keep your heart tender and soft. If you lost your compassion, ask Jesus for His heart back. Forgive 70 times 7. Love always. Bless those who persecute you. But in this, don’t get it twisted….still stand for the gospel. Oppose false teachers. These two realities coexisted in Jesus. Make sure your love and your kindness mirror what we see in the Word of God.

Sometimes the place you are trying to bring deliverance to kicks you out. This happened to Jesus too when He freed the man possessed by demons. When they realized their pockets would be hurt, they kicked Jesus out.

If Jesus wants to give you antibodies to get into Israel, He will do it. And not only that, the highest level of antibodies that your medical report can’t determine if you have been vaccinated or recovered.

Make it make sense people.

People are watching you. As I watch leader after leader fall….it puts the fear of God in me more than ever to stay close to the Lamb. I think the hardest part, is that these were once people we once gleaned from. I know people are watching my life. They are looking to see how I live with Jesus. This carries a holy weight to it that I don’t take lightly. Jesus asked Peter, who had caved to the fear of man prior, “Do you love Me?” The proof in the pudding answer was….then you take care of My sheep. That’s love.

Never give up on praying for people. You just never know when they will get saved. You never know the story God is writing. KEEP PRAYING!

Navy Seals. They live in the 1%. They know they have to live a completely different lifestyle. Makes me think of when the Bible talks about vessels made for special purposes. If you are called to be a Navy Seal Christian, you can’t look at the majority of the Body of Christ to get your cues for how to follow Jesus.

Make sure when you get persecuted you throw a party and rejoice like the Word taught us to. Luke 6:23 lyfe. #IYKYK

My filter, from which all stances for Jesus go through, is will I stand unashamed before the Lamb on the day I face Him? We all need some spiritual guts and strong spiritual backbone in these days. People will hate you. It’s fine. Jesus prepared you for this.

Take care of yourself. And pour yourself out. I am a firm believer that when you gave your life to Christ, you gave your life to Christ. I agree with George Whitfield that it is “better to wear out than rust out.” My greatest stories are when I lose my life and barely sleep, expose myself to Covid to help someone sick, eat whatever is set before me (even when I feel gross afterwards) and lose all sense of routine and schedule. It’s in the poured out moments of living in the streets with the homeless (thanks Erica Jenkins) that some of the greatest stories are born. Yet I still try, when I can, to eat from a whole food diet, sleep eight hours a night, work out six days a week and regardless spend time with Jesus every morning.

Death is deeply revealing. I saw a lot of people die this year. I don’t care what people say their theology is. I’ll see your theology by what comes out when you’re squeezed. What comes out of your mouth when someone dies shows your belief system. The most devout believer and staunch atheist both say the Muslim, the Jew, the atheist, the Christian…..the _____________ is “in a better place.” Makes me think we have more universalists than I thought.

Show and tell. I have always lived this, but it is highlighted more. I find myself convincing Christians that we need to evangelize. Not that they are scared, like most people I have encountered since 2002…you know fear of rejection, fear of not knowing what to say, fear of not being liked….but actually convincing Christians that we need to share the gospel. This goes back to my argument that I think I am dealing with universalist and not Christians at this point which makes me love discipleship/evangelism all the more.

Funniest moment of 2021: Putting the trampoline together with Maggie, my sis.

Greatest hike of 2021: With Erika Wynne in Eswatini.

Greatest compliment of 2021: I was told I was too narrow. Jesus said few find this place so I am so thankful for this word of encouragement.

My favorite song of 2021: “There is None Like You” from Legacy worship. It’s been on repeat since June. (Spontaneous version) It’s all about Jesus. Focus is right in this song.

Best salvation story of 2021: Bri’s sis in Guatemala.

Best answer to prayer in 2021: My visit with Yousif, my Iraqi father

Most refreshing moment in 2021: When Edward Graham picked up the Bible at Samaritan’s Purse training and said he believed the whole thing.

Best book I read in 2021: Martin Luther by Eric Metaxas.

Fave ministry moment with fam in 2021: Baptizing Nikki

Most repeated Scripture He highlighted to me in 2021: Isaiah 61 (12 times in 2021)

Favorite part of 2021: Yano.

Greatest grief of 2021: Yano.

What if God allowed your greatest joy to also be your greatest pain? Will we accept both from our Creator? He gives and He takes away.

As I close out 2021, I am in my 63rd journal, been to 52 nations and more in love with Jesus than I have ever been. He is my life. My everything. Life with Him is abundant. I hope you’re taking notes on the life He’s scripting. This changes your perspective.

I never get to the end of a year and say “Good riddance.”

Instead, I stand in awe for all He has done. These stones, I will tell of for generations to come….the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Thank you Jesus for 2021.