Pure Bliss

Today I am taking a minute to pray for and praise some beautiful, amazing women that are taking steps of faith and rocking this world. There's a time in life where God just makes you uncomfortable. He makes you look at the details of your life, forcing you to see the cracked and dry parts, the parts that are thirsty for Him. He makes you look at your surroundings, your habits of complacency, and your tendencies to shrink back into yourself and believe that all is okay in the world.

Our world is full and teeming with the tough stuff and pretty stuff. Generally speaking, we're okay with the tough stuff as long as we don't get too messed up, too involved. Not these two girls! My friends, Tara Clapper and Rebecca Brown are ladies that realized that the cracked, dry parts of life come to life when you DO something. This past winter, we all went to Africa together, saw the tough stuff, held the orphans' hands and kissed their faces, we prayed for the street kids and bought them lunch...and then we went home. Tara fell in love with Rwanda. The beautiful country with its organic nature and rolling hills. A special orphanage caught her heart (and ours) and she knew she had to be back. She understood that a move of God required her to go even when it hurt, even when it was certain how it would happen. My prayer for Tara is that the children on the Noel Orphanage, and heck, the whole daggum country, will be changed because of a simple "yes." That she will grow to God even closer than she has been, and that she will find the true joy so many of us are striving to get in this lifetime. The joy of being a servant for God.

My other sweet friend, Rebecca left for Ethiopia in May. Becky and I shared a room in the Rwanda portion of our Africa trip and there was a moment I knew God would keep her there. We sat on the beds getting ready, and she played Christy Nockel's "They Will Know Us By Our Love." She belted it out as I sat in amazement at her talent, but more importantly, how strongly she felt the words of the song. She knew why we were in Africa. And in that moment, I realized God had so much more in store for her than she knew. We went to Ethiopia and in an instant, she was changed. She became a mom, a friend and a sweet supporter to a group of street kids in Ethiopia. She was crying tears of happiness and tears of a broken heart as we were in Addis Ababa. She loved each kid so fiercely, I really don't think any of our love from the team even made a dent in it. :) Becky knows the reality of living with pain, fear and loss. She knows what it takes to be strong, what it takes to be fully dependent on God. I fully believe she is the mother those boys have needed for awhile. Someone to nurture them with strength and a firm, unconditional love. My prayer is that Becky will have the strength, everyday, to simply love them because she can. To be their light to Christ and to raise them up to be men of God.

If you would like to give to either one of these precious ladies, shoot me an email (tiffaniemarie@cox.net) or comment here and I will get the info to you. Remember this as we pray for our friends" We have received freely so that we could give freely. There's more to this life than what we are living.

Inspired,

Tiffanie.