You Will Always Be Mine

Another link to another song-- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFssotUHx1M

I'm sorry, guys! I know I can't actually play the piano, but I can't seem to stop now that I've started! Thank you for listening to them as they come :)

The verses used in this song:
" 1 But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says,
“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.
2 When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.
3 For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.


10 “But you are my witnesses, O Israel!” says the Lord. “You are my servant.
You have been chosen to know me, believe in me, and understand that I alone am God.
There is no other God— there never has been, and there never will be.
11 I, yes I, am the Lord, and there is no other Savior.
12 First I predicted your rescue, then I saved you and proclaimed it to the world.
No foreign god has ever done this. You are witnesses that I am the only God,” says the Lord.
13 “From eternity to eternity I am God. No one can snatch anyone out of my hand. No one can undo what I have done.” --Isaiah 43:1-3, 10-13

LYRICS:
There'll be other days
There'll be other times
There'll be other loves
You can't get off your mind
There'll be other dreams
There'll be other plans
There'll be other hopes
To take you by the hand
There'll always be another chance
Because you'll always be Mine

I've promised
When the waves crash all around you
They will not overcome you
You will not wash away

And I've promised
When the flames grow ever higher
My arms will hold you tighter
You will not be burned

(pre-chorus)
When the night falls
On another day
When nothing seemed to go your way
When the night falls
And you're lonely
When the night falls
And you're crying out
For someone to hold you
When the night falls
I'm already here
Just whisper a prayer

(repeat chorus)

I am God
From eternity to eternity
You only must believe in Me
And no one will snatch you from My hands

I created you
I have molded and shaped you
I have laid my hand upon you
And, Beloved, you are Mine

(repeat pre-chorus)

I'll give you other days
I'll give you other times
I'll be your first love
I'll never leave your side
I'll give you other dreams
I'll give you other plans
I'll give you other hopes
To take you by the hand
There'll always be another chance
Because you'll always be Mine

I'll redeem the darkest days (x2)
There's hope as long as you are Mine (x3)
I'll redeem the darkest days

I'll give you other days
I'll give you other times
I've been your first love
I hope you've realized
When you've lost your dreams
When the waters rise
When you walk through the flames
I'll be right by your side
You will not be consumed
Oh no
I'll carry you through
Because you'll always be Mine

Compelled (Missionary Song)

Hi!
Another new song to share:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIb8xvfCF2c

God gave me this verse this summer during a time of seeking Him desperately about mission. I'm compelled...

"For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again." -- 2 Cor 5:14-15

"For 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent?" -- Rom. 10:13-15

A New Song

Hey All--

A link to the newest song!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkDdwh1TRXk
(Just in case you're following that side of things :))

"For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as His Sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will-- to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves." -- Eph. 1:4-6

"...I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands..." -- Isaiah 49:15b-16a

"All beautiful you are, my darling; there is no flaw in you." --Song of songs 4:7

2 Days of Work and Counting!

Check me out! I spent my first day behind the check-out counter at Walmart today as a cashier. All the processes for whatever specific events are impossible to remember, but I guess I'll get the hang of it. I really enjoy the customers. Americans are so NICE! Haha. And I'm quite enjoying myself with the sweet little old men who come flirting their way through my line :) Hehe. One of them was even trying to find me a Valentine for this Saturday after I called him an old Romantic for buying his wife roses :) Aww! The other employees at Walmart are all SO incredibly sweet. I was trained in this morning by a few different lovely, knowledgable ladies and despite the fact that working in such a place isn't "me" and leaves very little room for my creative soul to breathe, I just feel blessed to be earning something these days back in the States as I work my way back to Rescue Mission! His purposes are beyond my mind's reach. I think as long as I can keep my focus as simply loving on the people around me in His name, I'll be just fine for this season. Though I'm not a corporation girl and feel a bit of a sell-out for working with one, Walmart has really rather impressed me with its emphasis on respecting and looking out for its employees.

But, after these first few days of settling in, and once I can hold my sleepy eyes open for long enough in the evenings after being up way too early (some of my shifts these next few weeks start at 6am!), I'm going to get back to the drawing board with this preparation to get back to mission in Europe! It's time to kick it into high gear :)

Ooh! I finally got an American cell phone, by the way. It's only a tracfone so that I can come and go from the country and still have it here waiting for me when I get back. But let me know if you'd like my number! If you're in PR, you could even come through my line and I'll give it to you in person along with a cheery, "Thank you for shopping at Walmart!" Hahaha :)

Check it out

I've just started writing for a website called ehow.com where each "how-to" article (and some of them can be pretty lame, let's face it) is paid according to how many reads it gets! So... please don't hesitate to look for me on ehow and read my articles :)

The debut:
http://www.ehow.com/how_4770099_public-transport-bucharest.html

Check it out for me!
Love,
Leah

Praise the Lord!

So, I got the job :)

It's nothing glamorous, but I can feel His purpose in it for now. I feel like I've already started with a meaningful conversation with one of the interviewing managers and I'm excited about how Christ might be shared in my time working at Walmart. Plus, it's all part of the crazy life of a missionary, hey? Part of the preparation. I can't get to my "missionfield" without finance!

After my interview I met up with two old friends from Faith Baptist for lunch and the fellowship is so encouraging. I've been so lonely being back here, so far away from my life full of friends in Europe. But I am continually amazed at His blessings of placing lovely people in my path at just the right moments :) Kim's on a similar path of having been given a heart for mission and working out how to live this crazy, alternative lifestyle that comes with that heart!

**********************

And now, since I've been tagged--

You're meant to go to the folder on your computer where you keep your photos, go to your 4th folder, and upload the 4th file from that folder and then explain it :)

So, this is a bunch of us at college playing Super Uno (Dave and Adriaan Rules, 4th Edition :)). This is when my great friend Adriaan was back over in England visiting me from the Netherlands! I'm not sure exactly what's going on, but he seems to be calling me out about something and I may be about to cover my mouth-- maybe in an "oh my goodness!" gesture. Or maybe to sneeze or something. Haha. No clue. But those game nights were very very special. Adriaan and Dave (who is the owner of the dark, short-haired head you see the top of in the bottom right) used to add new rules to Uno all the time in our first year of college until it became our favourite college-wide game and such a laugh :)

(I don't know enough bloggers to tag 4 new people that Hannah didn't already tag-- how sad is that!?)

Movement!!!

Hey All,

Sorry I've been so silent. This time of waiting on God has been such an explosive mix of intensity and stillness, as I've waited for some movement. But more and more I feel blessed in the wait. What at first caused such frustration I see Him turning over into rest and preparation and soul-work as every day He holds out a hand and asks me to take it and trust Him, knowing that my ideal way may not necessarily be His way, and that I want His...

"Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows but only empties today of its strength."
-- Charles Spurgeon

I've taken to keeping busy with all kinds of things during the wait-- the wait for a job, the wait for a residency permit, the wait for Him to show me a sudden turn in the route I'm plodding onward to; to continue work with Rescue Mission Ministries in Sweden. I've watched for new direction because the route back to Sweden has not been an easy and smooth one, which has often made me wonder if I'm on the right one. But as I heard in clear words plain-as-day at a church women's retreat just this past weekend, "Just because something's hard, doesn't mean you're not doing it right." (Thank you, Beth. I know they weren't even meant for me but He spoke through them nonetheless!)

There have been glimmers of hope in the wait. A kind word, an understanding attitute about the complexities of a life of mission, someone exuding excitement about His Work, my first financial support, a gift from a dear middle school teacher of mine who seems to believe in me more than I believe in myself! And my second financial support, coming from a group of ladies who have so inspired and encouraged me in my somewhat down-trodden experience of being home for so long when my passionate heart is so alert to the need elsewhere! The Faith Mission Circle at Faith Baptist Church has taken me in with open arms. They are a lovely little group of rather elderly ladies who meet faithfully once a month to pray for the missionaries they know of. Each of them have lived at the very least 3 of my lifetimes :) Some of them have worked in mission themselves. All of them know the heart of the Father and feel the need of the ones throughout the world who don't. And the wisdom and care and heart gathered in that room touches me so deeply...

When boredom and passion drew me earlier this month to the piano-- an instrument I don't play as I can't read a note of music-- I never could have guessed how He would challenge me to obey Him in the todays as I prepare for my tomorrows. This past weekend, I have somehow ended up being asked to sing and play my own song for a women's retreat session, and two church services! Shaking with fright and struggling to breathe in order to push the sound out, He has touched me through asking me to sing-- more so, I'm sure, than He has touched anyone who has listened.



And tomorrow I am pleased to announce, I have an interview! It's nothing to write home about-- a cashier position at Walmart. But between now and 6-8 weeks from now when my visa is due back, I am desperate to earn the funds I'll need to get back to His work in Europe. I am hoping to make a long-awaited return to Sweden at the end of March! So, with the visa app filled out by parties on both sides of the Atlantic, finished and sent in faith, and an interview for an earning opportunity at hand, it feels like there's movement in this wait!!

And I am excited by the love of this God who sees beyond anything we can see in our present circumstances and draws us to Himself with His loving-kindness and steadfast faithfulness!!

Be blessed :)
Love,
Leah

p.s. If you'd like to be a part of this missionary journey, don't hesitate to get in touch! All my contact is to the left of your screen. I am actively seeking mission-partners in prayer and finance. You can even make your tax-deductible donations securely online via paypal to His_poiema@yahoo.com!