Control, do we really have it!?!

 In life there are times, events, and circumstance that make us feel as if we have lost control, have no control, or are just along for the ride. But honestly, do we have control over our life?Or does God have control of our life?  What does it really mean to give over control to the Lord?  Does it mean that we trust God with things such as our emotions, our relationship, our loved ones, our future?  In life, we are taught to take control. But the truth is, we don't really have control over things like a loved one who is making bad decisions.  We may want to fix the problem, we may want to hide our emotions and control how feel , control what others think about us, but the truth is we can't.   We need to trust that God, by his grace and mercy, has a plan for our lives.   No matter what is happening right now or will come in the future, it is in God's hands.  The Lord has control, even if we don't truly understand.

Now, I don't say that thinking this way is an easy thing to do.  Giving up control, as I know personally, can be a painfully hard thing to do. However, I also know that God is full of grace for his people and that the Lord has a plan.  His plan is far better then any thing that we as his children could have even imagined.  Romans 8:28 says:  And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (NIV).  Proverbs 19:21 says:  Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.(NIV)

So who's in control?  I know that God has control over my life now and my life in the future. God has a plan for me better then I could even imagine. Yes, sometimes it is really hard to let go and ask God to perform His perfect will  in my life, but in the end it comes to trust. Do I trust God? Yes.  Do I trust that He has a plan? Yes.  Is it scary sometimes to let go and allow God to work? Yes.  It also really amazing.  So there is something to the old saying, "Let go and let God"!

Little information about my upcoming trip

Dear Friends the flyer blow provides some information about my upcoming mission trip if you would like to know more please contact me at email-nikki.downer@bcom.org or phone 978-645-1839.  Also more will by posted shortly on my blog.

Nicole Downer

Bethany International Ministries                                     

Thailand 2012-2013

The AgencyBethany International MinistriesMission statement: We have joined God to recruit, train, send and support—mobilizing movements of Kingdom
workers worldwide to reach strategically among the unreached, and the least reached, to transform people and
nations for Christ wherever darkness reigns.
Bethany College of Mission: Outfits men and women for missions through classroom instruction, mentoring,
team growth and hands-on ministry opportunities including a 16 month Global Internship.
The MinistryThailand: Stationed in Chiang Mai, province population of 1,595,855 with 94.6% Buddhist
During my time in Thailand, I will evangelize in the slums and brothels while teaching English to the young
women engaged in human trafficking and the homeless children living there.
Ministry facts Thailand
 Since about 1990 about 80,000 women and children have been sold into Thailand's sex industry. In Thailand, up to 400,000 children under the age of 16 are believed to be working in brothels, clubs or bars.

scary, exciting and every thing in between

For some time now many of you  have heard me discussing Global  Internship and have followed me and supported me throw the process of preparation as I have learned and grown. I am excited to be able to share with you my next and upcoming steps towards Global  internship. I have been approved for Thailand 2013 and I am now entering in to the fundraising process. I am excited to begin this part of the Global internship process and experience. I  look forward to the lessons that I will learn and to be able to grow further in my faith and in my walk with the Lord as I dive into fundraising for Global Internship Thailand 2013.

If you would like to receive my newsletter explaining were I am in the process please email my your contact information so I may add you to my contact list.


Blessings

Nicole  

letting go and forgiving

In life there are some things that we must learn let go of. In each person life it is something different, sometimes it a love one, so times it a dream or for some it’s a hope. But when we let go what happens, do we just drop these things or do we realize them to God. Lately this is something that the Lord has been speaking to me about. Now I know letting go and giving that thing over to the Lord and forgiving is not easy. In fact most times it is a hard and painful process.  Sometimes the issue that we have been struggling to give up has left us with bitterness and hard feelings. Feelings of anger and disappointment towards that person, situation or things. Most times we our also  left feeling confused and not wanting to forgive but knowing that as Christian we our called to forgive those who hurt just has Christ has forgiven. Forgiveness is found many places in the bible.

Such as:

Proverbs 3:5-6-Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Matthew 18:21, 22 -Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. (Followed by the parable of the ungrateful servant).......35 "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

Mark 11:25- And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."

Luke 6:37- "Do not judge and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

Luke 17:3, 4 -So watch yourselves. "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him."

Ephesians 4:32- Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

 I know that this is a subject that touches many peoples life. Because unfortally we all have been hurt at one time or another or have been in a satiation were we need to let go and allow the Lord to have control. Personally  I know that  it not easy and it can well to be honest just plan stink and hurt but in the end it ends up ok because we have trusted the Lord  and chosen to forgive one another. Forgiveness and letting go is hard painful and confusing  but it is worth it all in the end.

The Mask

What do people see when they look at you? Do they see a mask that shows an image or when people look at you do they see the other side, the side behind the mask? When people see behind the mask what do they see? Do they see a difference, a light, do they see the light of Christ? As Christians we are called to be a light in a dark place. Our light is recognizable to others in everyday life; this is not always the case. Lately I have been learning more about the mask that I find myself wearing from time to time. What does my mask say about me and what I live and stand for? I have learned that in life it is not always easy to remove the mask but it is most important to do so. Each time we put on a mask we hide something from the outside world, either it is a hurt we have or a fear that we carry. But what if our mask hides our light and hinders our faith? Could our mask make it hard for those around us to be able to see Christ in our life? I don’t ever want to allow a mask to hinder the light that shines in my life , to hide my faith in Christ.  Matthew 5:13-16 is talking about this subject. In these few verses it tells us that we are the light to the world and we should allow our light to shine bright.   The world we live in today is filled with dark violence from the media to the world around us.  If as Christians we hider and hide our light, then how will we effect the world with the love of Christ? Our love for Christ as Christians should be a notable thing in our lives.  As Christian we should influence the world around.

Matthew 5:13-16

New International Version (NIV)

Salt and Light

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

The river

Just something that came to me well I sat down at the rock on the river edge.

The river can only follow one way it can not go back no matter how much it wants to try. Like the river along our walk in life we cannot move back, we can only go forward. Some times in life like others I find myself wishing to go back to that moment in time, to spend one more seconded with a person we love, to make a different discion. To go back to whom I was then or for someone who I was. I looked how I felt. Each of us has their own moment in times where we wished we could go back. But like the river we cannot go back only forward, carrying our past with us. However we can move forward taking bits and pieces of our lives with us, making us who we are.     Each of us has a testimony; a testimony that gives glory to the Lord for his faithfulness in our lives. So like the river, we can never go back but we can go forward taking and sharing the lessons we have learned along our walks with the Lord.

thought ....

Just some thoughts

Dear friends I would like to share with you some thoughts that have come up recently in my quiet times and throw out my every day life here at Bethany.

To begin with I would like to share a statement that a good friend of mine shared with me during one of our conversions. “ In we say to the Lord Lord I will go were you want me to go I will serve where you want me to serve send me and I will go. While what if we are where the Lord wants us in this season of life. What if he has us in a specific season so that we may learn, grow or even find some healing in a area of our lives. Once my friend shared this thought with me I could not get it out of my mind it made me think about my walk with the Lord and where he has brought me and were he is bringing me to. My second thought that I would like to share is this. As Christians we say that we will walk by faith and not by sight. However what we do not talk about or share about is how hard this is sometimes and how much we need to rely on the Lord for strength because I know me personally there have been times in my walk where I know it was not by my personal strength that I have gotten through but by the Lord's strength and grace. My third thought is one that I believe many Christians have whether you're in ministry or mission or not and that is the thought about those time in our lives when we just ask the Lord why I just don't understated. Personally I found that when it is the Lord's time and not you own the Lord will bring understanding to these things in Life.

My fourth thought is this, Why is it as Christians we find our self hiding from the Truth in different areas of our lives. Why do allow our bother and sister to hide in shame and fear when as a body we're called come side and love them as Jesus would. Loving one another no  matter what has happened , allowing people to remove their mask and show how they are. I say this knowing that it is not a easy thing to do for I understand because I have been both those people. The person who wears a masking hoping no one will ever know what is going inside as that person that other can take their mask off in front of and lean on. Throughout my walk with the Lord I have learned from different people what this looks like and how it can affect a community.

My fifth and final thought is this, In my walk with the Lord I have found that no matter how much I want something not matter how much I try to earn or no matter how hard I work at it if not the Lord's will then it does not happen. Let me explain have you ever had a plan and then the Lord changes because it not plan. I found that what it comes down to is this we have our plan and the Lord has his. To be honest usually the Lord's plan turns out to be a lot better even if we do not see it or understand it at the time when it is happening.

In my closing I want to share one more thing with you and that is this: That know matter what happens in our lives as long as we look to the Lord and know that we are the body, we are brother , we are sisters, we are children of God and through the Lord we are loved, cared for and set free.

The new check it out with Nicole . The foot prints in the Sand

The foot prints in the sand!!!

The new check it out with Nicole.                                                                     

Hello friends!!!

I am writing to update you on my life and my ministry. In the beginning of the month I returned to Bethany were I am serving as a ministry intern and taking a few classes. During my time here at Bethany I will be taking a worldview class, spiritual warfare class and a power of the cross class. On returning to Bethany I am currently taking steps towards global internship were I will be serving over seas for 16 months. 

World view class:

I have learned about many different world views such as naturalism, nihilism, new age, post monism and more. Learning about these different world views will allow me to better understand different people and their beliefs so that I may share Christ with them.

Up coming ministry

Coming up on Friday February 3^rd, 4^th my self along with a group of Bethany students will be volunteering at acquire the fire. This is a 27 hour teen conference that is put on by teen mania ministries.  This event will be an amazing, stretching and growing experience for teens. They will have the opportunity to hear the gospel in a way that will reach them where they are at.

           

Blessing

Nicole Downer