Have you ever caught yourself stopping and looking around at the life you are currently living and thinking wow, I could never have imagined this for myself? Its not what you had planned for your life, in fact, it could be very different. Yet, your life is incredibly better than YOU could have ever planned out.  I have had numerous moments like that for myself since being in Africa. I mean, with my plans I would be in grad school right now; but God has blessed me so much to place me a world away in this beautiful country! Wow, He's awesome.      What I'm getting at is that we don't know what our futures could hold and often we miss out on things because our own agenda is too important. Thats a tragedy.

   Upon arriving in Jeffreys Bay, I had my own agenda and a bad attitude and almost missed out on some incredible things. We got here to this beautiful very westernized beach town, and I was miserble. Yes, I was taken out of my little hut in Swaziland with no running water and no electricity and pulled from doing ministry in the scorching heat almost all day long, and placed on vacation pretty much. I hated it though, as absurd as that sounds. I wanted to be continuing to pour myself out in ministry, and I loved living so simply and with the people in the rural area. My attitude grew very bitter and my thoughts very negative over the first few days here. Little did I know what was ahead of me. I felt horrible for these things in my mind and was very humbled at my low state. Then one day in solitude time with the Lord, when I was just lying down before Him and listening; He pulled me from my low state and poured His blessings of joy and peace all over me!

   The Lord showed me that He had intentionally pulled me out of Swaziland and ministry there that I loved so much and placed me in this strange new place for certain reasons. I realized how spent and tired I actually was and how much I needed to just be still and soak in Him. He showed me that that was my reason for being here: to be still, to spend time with Him, to listen and to learn for He has much to teach me. Praise God He allowed me to go through such a low and difficult time only to bring me out of it in such a powerful way. So that is what I have been up to in this cool beach town. I have been learning through speakers that we have had at this leadership and discipleship conference over the past few days. I have also been learning through my quiet time alone with the Lord. I have been resting in my Father and listening to Him, and its been awesome! The Spirit has rejuvinated my being and filled me up. I am still in this process but its an awesome place to be. I still have much to learn but am so thankful that I am no loger where I was. One thing that has really stood out is that there is no good in me, in any of us. When we try to do things out of our own self this is very evident. The only good in me/us is Christ, period. I experienced this in full with my bad attitude over the first few days here, then the Lord lifted me out of it and flooded me with His joy and peace. Praise Him!

  I'll be home in a matter of days! Yes, that is exciting.       This might be my last blog while in Africa, but I'll write once home in good ol' Mississippi!