St. Patrick's Day.

Many of us will wear green in honor of it. Many of us will eat and drink different things specially to celebrate it.

But I wanted to share part of who St. Patrick was.

The history of today's holiday was never that important to me. But one day recently, I came across the quote that was engraved on the front of St Patrick's breastplate. It was later turned into a hymn for the Irish church in the late 1800s, and oh, how powerful it is!

So I started looking up a little bit about him...

Patrick was born in Roman Britain, thought to be back in the mid 300s. When he was 16, he was captured by Irish raiders and taken back to Ireland as a slave for years, until he escaped and made his way back to his family.

From Wikipedia:

The saint recounts in his "Confessio" how he heard a voice in his sleep compelling him to leave his master and find a ship that awaited him, and after the six years of servitude he fled his cruel master. "And it was there of course that one night in my sleep I heard a voice saying to me: "You do well to fast: soon you will depart for your home country." And again, a very short time later, there was a voice prophesying: "Behold, your ship is ready." And it was not close by, but, as it happened, two hundred miles away, where I had never been nor knew any person. And shortly thereafter I turned about and fled from the man with whom I had been for six years, and I came, by the power of God who directed my route to advantage (and I was afraid of nothing), until I reached that ship."

Later in his life, he returned to Ireland - the people who had kidnapped him - as a missionary, and was later deemed a patron saint of Ireland.

The prayer engraved on St. Patrick's breastplate which he wore in defense of the Druids during his time of missions in Ireland, is so powerful.

Maybe we should all prayer like this daily...

ST. PATRICK'S BREASTPLATE

I arise today

Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,

Through the belief in the threeness,

Through confession of the oneness

Of the Creator of Creation.

I arise today

Through the strength of Christ's birth with his baptism,

Through the strength of his crucifixion with his burial,

Through the strength of his resurrection with his ascension,

Through the strength of his descent for the judgment of Doom.

I arise today

Through the strength of the love of Cherubim,

In obedience of angels,

In the service of archangels,

In hope of resurrection to meet with reward,

In prayers of patriarchs,

In predictions of prophets,

In preaching of apostles,

In faith of confessors,

In innocence of holy virgins,

In deeds of righteous men.

I arise today

Through the strength of heaven:

Light of sun,

Radiance of moon,

Splendor of fire,

Speed of lightning,

Swiftness of wind,

Depth of sea,

Stability of earth,

Firmness of rock.

I arise today

Through God's strength to pilot me:

God's might to uphold me,

God's wisdom to guide me,

God's eye to look before me,

God's ear to hear me,

God's word to speak for me,

God's hand to guard me,

God's way to lie before me,

God's shield to protect me,

God's host to save me

From snares of devils,

From temptations of vices,

From everyone who shall wish me ill,

Afar and anear,

Alone and in multitude.

I summon today all these powers between me and those evils,

Against every cruel merciless power that may oppose my body and soul,

Against incantations of false prophets,

Against black laws of pagandom

Against false laws of heretics,

Against craft of idolatry,

Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,

Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul.

Christ to shield me today

Against poison, against burning,

Against drowning, against wounding,

So that there may come to me abundance of reward.

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,

Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ on my right, Christ on my left,

Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise,

Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,

Christ in every eye that sees me,

Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today

Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,

Through belief in the threeness,

Through confession of the oneness,

Of the Creator of Creation.

Let's celebrate St. Patrick today - celebrate his courage and his devotion to God.

And let's learn to live a life just as - and more - meaningful.

"Each second we live is a new and unique moment of the universe, a moment that will never be again. And what do we teach our children? We teach them that two and two make four, and that Paris is the capital of France. When will we also teach them what they are? We should say to each of them: Do you know what you are? You are a marvel. You are unique. In all the years that have passed, there has never been another child like you. Your legs, your arms, your clever fingers, the way you move. You may become a Shakespeare, a Michelangelo, a Beethoven. You have the capacity for anything. Yes, you are a marvel. And when you grow up, can you then harm another who is, like you, a marvel? You must work, we must all work, to make the world worthy of its children."

— Pablo Picasso

Last night, during some time with God, He took me to Esther 4:14, which says,

"For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?"

I've heard this verse before, of course, and we've all heard the saying "you've been made for such a time as this".

That's a comforting statement.

But Mordecai also said here that if Esther were to have remained silent, deliverance would've come anyway to the Jews, but that she and her father's house would perish.

The Hebrew word for "remain silent" here (Charash) is used in other verses to describe withholding peace, concealing truth, making lies, and ceasing to plow ahead.

It's something to think about.

We hold the cards of our free will.

But God has entrusted us with a purpose. One we need to follow.

We owe Him that much. More.

We owe the people He's placed in our path that much.

Everyone deserves hope.

What if it's our job to give it to them... And we don't?

Esther was afraid of coming to the king without being summoned.

She went anyway. She chose to be the voice of those who couldn't speak for themselves.

Made her request;for the king to save her people.

Mordecai (good guy) was exalted.

Haman (bad guy) was hanged.

Esther kept her life, and I bet you she has a kick-butt house is Heaven today.

God can use others to do what He has for us. But He wants to use you. Me.

I don't know why. I haven't gotten that far yet.

These are my thoughts today.

Be someone's hope. Because you were made for such a time as this.

"And you will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a witness to bear testimony before them and to the nations." - Matt 10:18

I went to Wal-mart today to pick up a few things. There's a Subway in the back, and I hadn't had lunch yet, so I went back there to get me some eats. There was only one guy working - a black guy, who clearly had facial features from another country. He confirmed this by asking me what kind of cheese I wanted with the thickest African-based French accent I've heard in a while (such a beautiful sound). I asked him where he was from, he said "west 'Ofreeca' ", with a bit of hesitancy. My exclamation brightened his face a bit, and we just started talking while he was making stuff.

His name is Tiane (TIA-nee), and he moved here a while ago to go to school. He's gotten his accounting degree and is going back to school, once he gets the money.

When I asked him why he came to America, he explained that there is just more opportunity here, and that by working at Subway part time, he makes 3 times more than the monthly wages of a farmer who works 14hr days in his village. He said the last job he had before he moved here was in an orphanage down the road from his house. I told him that that's what I want to GO do;move to Africa and live in an orphanage. When I said this, his face lit up, and he said "YOU? you want to go, and stay?", and a huge smile burst onto his face. He said "Many American don't know how good it is to be in this country. Some people act like it is nothing. But it is so much."

How true this is.

I didn't get a chance to ask him about his family (which I fully plan to go back and do) or a hundred other questions bouncing around in my head, because he had other customers, but he wished me a good day, as did I to him, and I left.

Tiane is just one more example of how different every person's walk is. He left where I want to be, and came to the very town in which I've lived, and would like to leave (most of the time :]).

And who knows if my conversation with him inspired or encouraged him, but I know it encouraged me. No matter that he came from there to here (he still traveled the same distance as my aspirations would take me, just in the opposite direction), he is achieving his dreams.

And he started on the wages of an orphanage worker in a poverty-stricken village. How amazing.

Never think you can't do something.

Never think you don't have enough.

And never keep your story to yourself. You may just touch and inspire someone with it.

Be thankful for the opportunity around you.

And if your calling takes you away from where you are, embrace that.

And know that what you're striving for is possible.

Take heart in the midst of your challenges today.

I found this post earlier on Gabi's Blog.


And it was (yes, you guessed it :]) an inspiration.

Enjoy.

And visit her blog and see how she's changing the world.

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Don’t go to Africa, by Joan Smith

by Gabi

[this made me smile deeply and so I thought I’d share it as it contains important pieces of the culture and heart of my home-land.]

So don’t go to Africa…

- if you’ve already determined that people are poor because they are lazy.

- if you aren’t moved to do something when you see abject poverty, people who are sick and have no health care providers at all, schools with no resources, school-aged children too far from public education and too poor for private education.

- if you can’t tolerate no schedule, standing around waiting, daily detours for cell phones, food for others, banking and people who have so little asking for more than you have to give.

- if you’re not flexible with your time, your thinking, your attitudes and your prejudices.

- if you can’t see beyond the poverty and lack or resources and see the love, caring, compassion and humanity in life here.

- if your wardrobe can’t tolerate red clay stuck to your shoes and clay dust clinging to everything else.

- if you don’t want to be awakened by a rooster at 3:30 and 4:15 and 6:05.

- if you can’t accept heartfelt gratitude for the smallest gesture of help.

- if you can’t say no.

I am growing.

At least, I hope I am.

Walt Disney said, "keep moving forward."

Good advice.

There is a Chinese Proverb that says,
"Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still.”

More good advice.

And, if I may add to that, I heard someone say recently that, if you're not growing, you're dying.

How true.

I'm guilty of looking at people with discrete degradation sometimes, because they're not doing things the same way I am.

They're not loving the way I would.

They're not experiencing God the way I have/am.

But I'm being brought into a place where I realize everyone's walk is different. I guess I knew that before, but now I'm being humbled by it. And it has brought about a compassion for those who's walk is different. ...Which is everyone, I suppose. It's all a part of the preparation of the life we've been appointed to live, and they're all unique. I'm beginning to love that so much.


Another thing I've been learning is, I can't do this walk alone. No one can. And by my looking on someone else with misunderstanding, and thus, a bit of criticism, I'm eliminating the element which I need to do this walk right.

Community.

Companionship.

Relationship.


I used to not like it when people inspired me.

I know. I'm a mess.

Because, when people were inspiring me, it means they had preceded me in something. Thought of it before me. I wasn't as advanced in my walk.

That scared me.

But where would we be without inspiration? Without those who set an example of how to

love.

dream.

act.

make a difference.

hope.

stand firm.

persevere.

endure.

Jesus said "I only do what I see my Father do. I only say what I hear Him say."

But it also says in Proverbs, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

The word "sharpen" here comes from the Hebrew word "Latash", which is also used in a verse in Genesis to describe, in one translation, an "instructor", or if you will, in another translation, "a forger of tools".

"to forge" means "to form with heat and hammering".


Sometimes being "sharpened" is crappy.

Heat and hammering.

But instructing at the same.

Learning.


Yes, you're being preceded by someone.

But you are proceeding someone as well.

You are the successor to the former.

Learn from them. From each other.

Walt Disney also said,

“All of the top achievers I know are life-long learners... Looking for new skills, insights, and ideas. If they're not learning, they're not growing... not moving toward excellence.”

Grow.

Be inspired.


Inspire others.

When I began searching for colleges towards the end of high school, I never really found anywhere I felt peace about. That's normal, I suppose, for a soon-to-be graduate, but nothing my prospects had to offer ever really captured me. Still, I felt as if I should go somewhere because, after all, it's what people do, right?

But nonetheless, I took a year off to gather myself and figure out where God wanted me. When it came time to start applying the next year, I still couldn't do it. My intellect said do it, my logic said I better, or I'd never succeed, people said I should, based on the little looks they'd give me when I told them I still didn't know where I wanted to go.

But you know, I've been blessed with something that many recent and not-so-recent graduates don't have: a vision of what I want to do, who I want to be, and what I'm striving for.

That being said, there are a few places I would give anything to go to. Schools, yes, though not academic.

My heart is for the lost. For the hurting. My heart is for giving people hope. I've always significantly admired Bill Johnson (Pastor of Bethel Church in Redding, CA) and have entertained the thought of applying to the school they have there to learn more about/be strengthened in the ways of ministry as it pertains to the supernatural. It's something we'll all be dealing with more and more as the days continue, whether we realize it or not.


I'm a photographer. It's something I've had a passion for for a long time, but in the past few years, I've realized it's part of my calling too. I can't say why I love it so much, except that it was a God-instilled thing, and I'm not sure how He'll use it just yet, but I want to "learn my craft", if you will. What's more, I feel a peace about this place in particular. Earlier this year, I had a chance to become acquainted with the director at RMSP in MT - a great woman, indeed. Though God didn't provide a way for me to go this year, I hope it's in the future. Till then, I'll continue documenting life as it comes anyway :)


Since I was knee high to a grasshopper, I've loved Africa. It's another calling on my life that I just can't - and never want to - ignore. My brothers call me 'a hippie' and say I'm a walking spokesperson for an African flea market (I think - think - that's a bit of overkill :]). If you know me the slightest bit, you know my passion for most of the countries on this continent, though there're a couple in particular that make my heart swell and go into a spiritual frenzy.
Even if you've never heard of The Harvest Missions school, I'm sure you've heard the name "Heidi Baker". I love her. I don't know her, and I love her. I admire her. I fancy the idea of proceeding her. And I can't think of a place - maybe even including the other schools - that I'd rather be, than under her and her staff's missions teaching in Pemba, Mozambique. Two months of hardcore supernatural/love/ministry schooling on all things missions. All things Africa. Her ministry spreads as far as Asia, but the school, and her heart - like mine - is for Africa. I could die happy.


Who knows how many of these I'm meant to attend. God will provide according to the will He has for me. He will also provide according to the desires of my heart that line up with His will.

And one of the (spiritually) great/(physically) not-so=great things about pursuing any of these paths/schools.. I have to trust Him.

I don't have the money for them.

I will be great distances away from family & friends - my support system.

They are things that will significantly challenge me and, thus, alter my life. Am I ready for them? Can I do them?

But He needs people who trust Him.

People, again, look at me like I'm crazy most of the time, but if God has given you a dream, trust that He's got a reason for it. Trust Him to provide for it. Trust that He's with you when you venture out and do it.

Show people how fun it is to have crazy dreams.

Go be unconventional.