Be still [cease striving], and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted among the earth.
...and they will soar on wings like eagles.
isaiah 40:31
[committed to climb]
Those who were apprenticed to Him, the committed, climbed with Him. At a quiet place, He sat down and taught His climbing companions.
Matthew 5:1, The Message.
encountering angels.
I have some fun stories to share with you on the teaching front. This past Friday was 4th grade’s turn for Friday night church. It was awesome. Oh my goodness, little angles up there on the stage. We learned a new song by Ryan Long [If you aren’t familiar with his music, you should make yourself familiar, ryanlong.com] called “Lay My Burdens Down.” It’s a beautiful girls-repeat-the-boys kind of song speaking some good truth.
“Amazing Love (Girls with the Echo)
How Can It Be (Girls) That You My God (Girls) Would Die For Me (Girls)
Amazing Love (Girls)
How Sweet the Sound (Girls) I Come and Lay My Burdens Down (Everyone Together!).”
Two of my students, Nathaly and Maria made up a dance for the song, one that I’m sure the boys loved- it included a few twirls and dainty hand motions, but it was a beautiful sight. I just remember watching them on the stage, so full of a mother’s pride, thinking, “I’m a lucky one.” We made some construction paper hearts in class, pre-performance, for them to give to someone special in the crowd the second time singing through the song and one of my students, Maria, gave hers to me. It was such a precious moment…my eyes were “raining” just a bit.
In other news, we have a soccer tournament coming up against some of the other schools, and [drumroll here please] they are letting me help coach! It is so much fun, oh my goodness, these kids would blow your mind with their soccer skills. I’m sure they came out of the womb with cleats on. The girls team likes to travel together, one massive herd around the ball at all times. It’s hilarious, as is my attempt at coaching soccer in Spanish. Gratefully noted “pegarle” means “kick it.” Good as gold, I am having the time of my life coaching these kids.
I would love your prayers for the safety of our school, the watchman, and these sweet children I get to spend my days with. This past week, the school was broken into twice. The first night, the watchmen fired his gun, scaring off whoever it was before they stole what they were after. There was blood found (later we discovered the man was hit and killed) and the watchmen found bullet holes through his jacket the next morning. Two nights later, there was another break in and a computer was stolen. When we got to school the following morning, it looked like a staged crime scene. The window of the computer room was broken, glass everywhere and an ax at the foot of the windowsill. There was a computer wedged halfway through the window. Apparently, by the time the watchman came firing his gun, they couldn’t wrestle a second computer out in time. The kids looked at the whole mess so devastated. All day they were saying, “Teacher Karlie, I is sad.” They looked so heartbroken that someone would want to steal from their school. Thank you so much for your prayers.
The soul is healed by being children.
“Is your life built on the rock of Christ Jesus, or sandy foundation you’ve managed to lay?” [Big Tent Revival, Two Sets of Jonses.]
“For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in Heaven, not built by human hands.” [2 Corinthains 5:1]
In prayer for Japan and all the places that have known natural tragedy recently, this is message the Lord has buried in my heart. My foundation is Him, I cannot be shaken. And we walk each day closer to our Heavenly home.
![I don’t know how to share this story with you, how to recreate the moment so that it becomes alive to you as well, and not just words to read. Because this moment was so special, it should be more than merely read, but felt. A weekend back, we took a Sunday trip to Comayagua. We were wandering through the market and stopped at one table to look at some things. One by one, we noticed two of the children sitting near this table had a severe skin disorder. It is unlike anything I had ever seen before. Talking only through our eyes, we shared this moment with each other in deep concern to see these beautiful children in such a way. The boy, Eber kept trying to hide his face in his hands, almost afraid to make eyes with us and be seen. My heart was heavy for Naomi[she is in the picture above] and Eber to know they are beautiful, and so deeply and wildly loved.
I felt so small and powerless in this moment. I have experience the same feeling in relationships with girls through Young Life. Such a deep pain is revealed and the tragedy of it makes you realize you are powerless to fix it or say anything to make the hurt go away. But these moments are the Lord inviting you in to witness, front seat, His glory and redeeming love. We must know that it is merely a moment between two broken souls, unless we submit ourselves to be servants of His redeeming love.
We ended up back at their table with a few groceries for the family, praying together. How sweetly the Lord romances us with moments such as this- moments we are so inadequate for but He makes us His called, and chosen and worthy lovers of souls. As we prayed, I glanced down at Naomi and she was looking right into my eyes, almost as if she was waiting for me. It was a precious moment that could never be created outside of Jesus. I gave them a hug as we left, praying for the Lord to use even that small touch to say “I love you.”
Please pray for them. Pray mostly that they will know every day how loved they are by the One who made them fearfully and wonderfully.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lifvwwTELy1qguohjo1_1280.jpg)
I don’t know how to share this story with you, how to recreate the moment so that it becomes alive to you as well, and not just words to read. Because this moment was so special, it should be more than merely read, but felt. A weekend back, we took a Sunday trip to Comayagua. We were wandering through the market and stopped at one table to look at some things. One by one, we noticed two of the children sitting near this table had a severe skin disorder. It is unlike anything I had ever seen before. Talking only through our eyes, we shared this moment with each other in deep concern to see these beautiful children in such a way. The boy, Eber kept trying to hide his face in his hands, almost afraid to make eyes with us and be seen. My heart was heavy for Naomi[she is in the picture above] and Eber to know they are beautiful, and so deeply and wildly loved.
I felt so small and powerless in this moment. I have experience the same feeling in relationships with girls through Young Life. Such a deep pain is revealed and the tragedy of it makes you realize you are powerless to fix it or say anything to make the hurt go away. But these moments are the Lord inviting you in to witness, front seat, His glory and redeeming love. We must know that it is merely a moment between two broken souls, unless we submit ourselves to be servants of His redeeming love.
We ended up back at their table with a few groceries for the family, praying together. How sweetly the Lord romances us with moments such as this- moments we are so inadequate for but He makes us His called, and chosen and worthy lovers of souls. As we prayed, I glanced down at Naomi and she was looking right into my eyes, almost as if she was waiting for me. It was a precious moment that could never be created outside of Jesus. I gave them a hug as we left, praying for the Lord to use even that small touch to say “I love you.”
Please pray for them. Pray mostly that they will know every day how loved they are by the One who made them fearfully and wonderfully.
![We went this past week to visit the houses of our students. It was hard to see the way some of them are living. It is easy to forget, when you see these kids at school in their nice uniforms, that they are the poorest of poor. The meal they receive at school is the only meal for some of them. It was an awakening to see their homes and meet their families. I remember the house of one of my students, Evelin. First, it was about a 45 minute walk up the mountain to her house. Her mother was waiting for us with fresh corn from their field. Their house was a small dirt house, only one room. They lived on land owned by a man in Tegucigalpa who paid them in food. He said whatever was grown on the land, they could eat, but no money. They have no water, not even dirty water. It is a hike to the closest river to wash clothes. But this family was so generous and full of love. They loved as though they had all the riches in the world. We got to pray together before our hike down, and they kept praying, “Thank you God, thank you.” I’m forever touched. [This picture above is the family of Evelin.]
On the bus ride home after visiting houses, one the Honduran teachers started opening up about her family, and the hurt and dishonesty. She began to cry as she was talking, and in my head I’m thinking, “God, why did you chose me? I can’t understand much of what she is saying to me and this vulnerability is so precious, I hate for it to be wasted on me.” I was quickly quieted with this, “I just want her to know I listen to her. You are simply My ear, don’t worry about what to say.”
The lyrics to the song ‘How deep the Father’s love’ keep running through my mind:
“…that He would send His only Son, to make a wretch His treasure.”
We are a treasure. Maria Esther is His treasure, Evenlin and her family, they are His treasure. How deep the Father’s love for us.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lh8z5fHALn1qguohjo1_1280.jpg)
We went this past week to visit the houses of our students. It was hard to see the way some of them are living. It is easy to forget, when you see these kids at school in their nice uniforms, that they are the poorest of poor. The meal they receive at school is the only meal for some of them. It was an awakening to see their homes and meet their families. I remember the house of one of my students, Evelin. First, it was about a 45 minute walk up the mountain to her house. Her mother was waiting for us with fresh corn from their field. Their house was a small dirt house, only one room. They lived on land owned by a man in Tegucigalpa who paid them in food. He said whatever was grown on the land, they could eat, but no money. They have no water, not even dirty water. It is a hike to the closest river to wash clothes. But this family was so generous and full of love. They loved as though they had all the riches in the world. We got to pray together before our hike down, and they kept praying, “Thank you God, thank you.” I’m forever touched. [This picture above is the family of Evelin.]
On the bus ride home after visiting houses, one the Honduran teachers started opening up about her family, and the hurt and dishonesty. She began to cry as she was talking, and in my head I’m thinking, “God, why did you chose me? I can’t understand much of what she is saying to me and this vulnerability is so precious, I hate for it to be wasted on me.” I was quickly quieted with this, “I just want her to know I listen to her. You are simply My ear, don’t worry about what to say.”
The lyrics to the song ‘How deep the Father’s love’ keep running through my mind:
“…that He would send His only Son, to make a wretch His treasure.”
We are a treasure. Maria Esther is His treasure, Evenlin and her family, they are His treasure. How deep the Father’s love for us.
redeemed.
Hi. I have some beauty to share with you. I am in this blissful and consuming awe of the special love of Jesus for me and I don’t want to keep it to myself. My soul is under the romance of God’s promise, “I have searched you, Karlie. I know you.” [Psalm 139:1] Better than I know myself, He knows me. And because of this, I dwell in the awe and wonder of His provision for me. Greater, higher, deeper than what I am capable of imagining. I don’t know if I make any sense, so let me give you a nugget of this gold.
When the Lord first drew my heart into knowing people from another world, it was through the words of Isaiah 61. Words that make your heart beat a little faster:
“The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.” [61: 1-4]
What a powerful message of redemption that will shake my soul forever. And in my mind, it made so much sense. Father, You will take me to a land that is rugged and raw; but more than the physical, it will be a matter of souls, hearts- rugged and raw- on the brink of Your redemption. And it is not I who will go to redeem, but you just want me to see it, to witness the glorious love that heals the deepest of roots.
But what has unfolded is my own redemptive story. Its like He got me when I wasn’t looking. And He has healed the parts of my heart that were bitter and calloused and afraid, and made me to be His innocent and pure child. Dancing in the freedom to love. God is good, amen.
A pastor once said this, “God wants you to confess your sins, but satan wants you to concentrate on them.” Remember the truth, “For freedom, Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and don’t let yourselves be bound again to a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1. Take your sins to the cross, and trust that He will redeem. Oh boy will He, with the most perfect love of all. “I have searched you, Karlie, I know you.” He knows every bit of what we truly need, and He delights in showing us the love of being deeply known by Him.
Sunday afternoons.
Corn Tortillas.
2 cups of corn flour
¼ teaspoon of baking soda (if you’re looking for a little lift in your torts)
1 ½ cups of warm water (if your dough is still floury at this point, add a little water as needed ‘til you have your dough)
Knead the dough, palms pushing in.
Let the dough stand for 5 minutes. You can prep the griddle (or any kind of flat cooking surface on the over- I use a skillet) to cook the tortillas.
Stove top on high heat.
Once that is under way, roll dough into little balls and flatten.
I use two plates and sandwich it down to flat. Get creative.
Then plop them onto the skillet one-by-one. It doesn’t take long to cook, maybe 27 seconds on each side.
ENJOY.
Even better paired with some melody. [Patty Griffin, David Gray, James Taylor, The Weepies (or Funzies, as some may say), Local Natives, the Civil Wars- the greats.]
Buen Provecho.
“All that I want is one who knows me
A kind hand on my face when I weep
And I’d give back these things I know are meaningless
For a little fire beside me when I sleep”
Patty Griffin, Little Fire.
