Changed by His love

Aloha friends and family-
Wow, what an awesome day/weekend it has been! But… before I go into the events of today, I have to say I typed up a different newsletter a few days ago to send out over email. This was requested of me by a friend but when I went to send it my email would only allow me to send it to just her. The following email God laid on my heart today and I thought I would share. So… this is going to be sent out to everyone even if I have to snail mail it because I want to brag on the awesomeness of my God. So here goes…
Today started off like any other Sunday morning. My alarm went off at eight o’clock am, I rolled over, and reset it for 8:45am! (Normally Sunday mornings are the only opportunity I have to sleep in so I have figured out the latest I can sleep and still make it to church on time!) Any way before my alarm could go off for a second time, the phone rang. It was a potential preschool parent telling me that she wasn’t going to be at church today for our scheduled meeting because her son was sick. Once we hung up, I started praying that God would make today special. All of my close friends are off island and I didn’t have any plans all day, so I gave the Lord my day and boy did He make it memorable!!

As I made my way into church, I was talking with some friends sharing the news of Sybil (my coworker and friend) having her baby yesterday and the preschool winning fourth place and $200 in the Aloha Week Parade Float competition yesterday. When we came together to open our church service with praise and worship, each song seemed to just open my heart up more and more. By the third song, I was on my knees before God. The words of the song were…

Majesty (Here I Am) by Delirious

Here I am humbled by your Majesty
Covered by your grace so free
Here I am, knowing I'm a sinful man
Covered by the blood of the Lamb
Now I've found the greatest love of all is mine
Since you laid down your life
The greatest sacrifice
Majesty, Majesty
Your grace has found me just as I am
Empty handed, but alive in your hands
Majesty, Majesty
Forever I am changed by your love
In the presence of your Majesty
Here I am humbled by the love that you give
Forgiven so that I can forgive
Here I stand, knowing that I'm your desire
Sanctified by glory and fire
Now I've found the greatest love of all is mine
Since you laid down your life
The greatest sacrifice

Boy, was I humbled! The wretched sinner that I am, God still chooses to bless me with precious gifts like the birth of a friend’s baby and winning a prize for our float.

God didn’t tell me… ‘In order to be my child, you have to clean up your act.’ No! In fact, His loving hand picked me up right where I was and He loved me! He loved me enough to die for me. That has changed me forever- Not only do I get to spend eternity praising my precious Savior in Heaven but I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that nothing I do will change God’s love for me.

That is such a humbling thought that He loves me even when I do things that He has specifically told me not to do like “Do not worship other gods” and I turn around saying “I am doing this today.” By me planning my day without asking God what He wants me to do, I am worshipping me and making an idol out of my time. God totally blew me away today by reminding me that when He is included first in the day, the day goes so much smoother and I get blessed in return.

So after an awesome message through song, we watched a slideshow of our high school students at “See You at the Pole”. On our small island, 43 students showed up and prayed for their school, families, friends, island, state, and nation. Seeing all of those young people bowing their heads, standing in the gap for the place where they live. It was powerful!! God convicted my heart that I don’t pray enough!

All of the “lessons” took place before Pastor Randy even started his prepared message. God was about to teach me a couple of other very important lessons. Remember when I said I didn’t have any plans for the day, God had plans already set up for me. We had an island wide prayer meeting scheduled for 3 o’clock (that I had forgotten about) and then a preschool family invited me up for dinner.

At 3, I went down to New Hope Retreat Center for ‘United in Prayer’ for a time of youth led worship. Then we broke into teams and went to all of the different schools on Molokai walking and praying around the school building for the students, faculty, staff, and administrators. I chose to pray at Akaula with Pastor David and Shirley Nanod. What a blessing it was for me to spend time and pray with this couple who love the Lord and this island!

Aunty Shirley and I worked together last year and became friends and prayer partners. So she encouraged me with the work at preschool and we prayed for the children and their families. We also got to catch up on what was going on in one another’s life. When I got back in my car to leave I felt like I could have floated home… Such a feeling of peace and excitement for what the Lord is doing in this place.

I headed up to the Go’s for dinner and was treated to a wonderful home cooked dinner of porkchops, salad, and noodles. We talked story for almost four hours but it was such a blessing to finish up my day fellowshipping with friends.

By now it is after midnight, I am very thankful I am on fall break, so I don’t have school tomorrow. I love each one of you so much and pray that each of you will experience the greatest sacrifice when Jesus laid down His life for you. May you be changed by His love, too!!!

Much love and God’s blessings,

Angela