Coming Back From Costa Rica

Well...I am back from Costa Rica now. It was a trip that I will never forget, and the people will always be on my heart. I know that some people say that there is a high that you sense for awhile but then it goes away and the routine sets back in. I want to say no to that kind of thinking! You have to be willing to not allow that thinking to begin to start because once you do it is over and you will go back to being in a routine. I learned so much while I was down south from the people and I want to share a few things here:

1) I am no where near where I need to be spiritually. I believe that I have taken my Christian walk for granted and seeing the people there made me realize that God is so active in people's live if we will allow him to be.

2) I still have so far to go when it comes to being a servant of others. Just because you serve some people at your house, or do a service project here or there does not mean that you have a servants heart. It is a lifestyle that has to happen daily, and without hesitation, others come before yourself is the bottom line.

3) In America, we are so fortunate to have what we do, yet we are always looking to have more, or what we have is not good enough. Between Dave Ramsey and this trip my wife and I sold our Camery and bought a 1992 Honda so that we can help others out more.

4) I learned alot about people from my church. It was great to see how each one had different talents and gifts that they could use to impact people for God's kingdom. I was proud to be their pastor.

5) I learned a lot about myself as well. If I am willing, growing closer to God is something that can happen everyday that I wake up. He is always ready and willing but do I have the desire to grow closer to him. I do not want to have a little flame but a forest fire for the person who gave his life for me on the cross so that I would not have to. I want to take that fire and pass it on to others, not for a day but for a lifetime.

As I was in Costa Rica, I made some close friends. One person in paticular impacted my life. As I was talking with them, I mentioned about how much of a servants heart the people had. Their response has made me think. They said, "We are servants because we learned it from our pastor. If you want your people to be servants then you have to be the one to lead." It is something that I am now in the process of continuing to work on. God's spirit is on these people, and I want his spirit to be on my people as well, but it must start with me.

What an awsome trip!!!!!!!!!!