Orale! Training Number Uno

I'ma be honest with you folks...actually, disregard that intro, I shouldn't have to preface honesty.

Let's operate on the assumption that I'm always being honest with you folks (or at least trying).

Well, mijos, I'm going back to Monterrey this Spring and I. Am. Stoked. I tried to play it cool last year and pretend like I was fine with not going. But it was rough. The people I love, going to the city I love, to do the ministry I love (and eat the tacos de trompo I love)...without me. It were rough. As always, we're operating under the assumption that God knew exactly what he was doing and my not-going fulfilled the triplicate purpose of all God's plans (it is for his Glory, for my Best and for others' Blessing), but I still don't see it. We worked through it though and all's well.

AND I'M GOING BACK! (I slept about an hour and a half last night, so...sorry if I sound deranged any, I really can't tell how I come across at this exact moment).

We had our support-raising training today and, for the first time ever, I actually caught a little vision for why support-raising is good...which is exciting. In Matthew, Jesus says where your treasure is, your heart will be also. Note that it's the heart that follows the treasure, not the other way around. The act of Sacrificial Giving can actually soften your heart to things God cares about. How clever of him to redeem something that can become an idol so easily by using it to guide our hearts back to him...when we're obedient. So, follow me here: since the heart follows the treasure, asking people to support something financially is giving them an opportunity to take small steps to see their heart changed in a profound way and allowing them to partner in God's work and stack some treasure in Heaven... pretty crazy stuff.

In case you're a real person and you actually end up reading this (I operate on the assumption that is rare); consider giving to something you want to see your heart soften towards.Where is your heart calloused? Towards the poor? missions? refugees? addicts? the lgbt community? Who do you struggle to love? Maybe donate to a ministry geared towards that type of person and see what God does.

 grace and peace y'all