From WordPress to The World Race

Hey, followers and friends!

For now, my one and only blog is going to be jesseischens.theworldrace.org.

I would encourage you to click the link on the right side of the page, check it out, and sign up for email updates so you can stay up-to-date with all of the latest as I begin this process of preparation and fundraising and step out onto the field in September 2012.

If you would like to, I would also love any amount of support and prayers you can give. I appreciate all of you and am so grateful for you!

May God richly bless you in this next year and a half of life. See ya on the flipside 🙂

Well hello there, life change!

Wow! Who would’ve thought I’d be writing this blog a year ago? So crazy to think how your life can change so much in 1 year! Talk about wild!

I’m really excited, and just a little bit nervous and scared, to announce something to you. Quite a few of you know what I’m going to say, and quite a few of you don’t. But it probably won’t surprise you. You see…I’m about to embark on a crazy adventure called The World Race. It’s not the Amazing Race (it’s better!), not even really a race, but it is a trip around the world…11 countries in 11 months! Can you say WOWZA???

I first discovered this on July 7 (see, I even remember the date!?!?!) and was hooked from that very moment until this very day. Now it’ll be with me for a lifetime. It’s for 21-35 year olds…and its an 11-month long mission trip. See the world, experience all sorts of different people, cultures and places…learn how each missionary and missions organization does things differently, get stretched out of my comfort zone, strengthen my faith, get loads and loads of Holy Spirit goodness…and that’s just scratching the surface of all that’s in store. How do I know?

Well…there are these little things called World Race blogs that I’ve read every day since July 7. I know, I’m a little crazy at times. But I told you I was hooked, and I can’t get enough! You see, every World Racer has a blog. They get to tell the world about their experiences, their struggles, what they’re doing, where they are, their adventures, how they’re growing and changing, etc. So naturally I will get to do this soon, too (here’s a link to my very own World Race blog :)). But I’ve been reading these blogs for months now, and they’re crazy awesome. Real, down-to-earth, human experiences. Super encouraging. So anyway. I would highly encourage you to read some of these in your spare time.

But yes. I just received word that I was accepted. I applied on Dec 2, had my interview Dec 8, and found out Dec 15 that I’m in. That’s lightning fast! It’s been a whirlwind–and I’m really, honestly not 100% sure how I feel about everything yet. It’s a strange mixture of nervousness and excitedness (I think I just made up a word :-P). There’s a lot of other awesome God-stuff to tell you about, but in short, I’ve known for a while that this is something He wants me to do. There’s so much goodness in store, and I know it won’t be easy–it means leaving family and friends for 11 months, it means probably painful life-change and a lot of constant adjustments, it means being uncomfortable and tired all the time. But it also means stepping out and growing into who God wants me to be. This is something, a stepping stone, that I’ve been looking for for some time now…waiting for, wondering about, wishing for. But never for sure knowing what it would look like. The World Race is going to be a launching pad for me into full-time missions. My heart knows this. God has revealed some things to me and confirmed them in quite a few very obvious ways lately…and I know this is just the beginning.

It’s going to mean a lot of changes, and it’s going to mean I don’t get to see all of you wonderful people for a while, but I know you’ll be okay, and I’ll be okay, too. God’s on our side, who can be against us?! Big things are in store for all of us!

So, just briefly, I’ll let you in on what I know so far.

• I’ll leave in September 2012.
• I have to raise $15,500.
• I’ll be going to Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam/Laos, Tanzania, Mozambique, Swaziland, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Moldova, Romania, and Ireland. (check out more details of my route here)

This was all part of why I decided to go. I was in love with the World Race, or more so, the idea of it. I love to travel…want to see the world…love missions…love God…perfect, right? Well…I just wasn’t for sure yet. So, I prayed one of these prayers. “God, if you want me to go on the World Race, you know the countries I want to go to, so I’ll know that I’m supposed to go when I see them all on the same route.” Haha! I should’ve been more prepared. When the September routes were announced, I remember taking a deep breath before I read the email, because I had a hunch that God just might be calling me to one in September (but I didn’t tell anyone this, because I wasn’t sure). So…I opened the email. And started laughing. Because voila…there it was. My route. Totally meant for me. I should’ve known. God, you’re funny!

So then I hemmed and hawed and prayed and thought and prayed some more about it all…anxious because I’d need to quit my job, but knowing this is exactly perfect for me with where I’m at right now. The opportunities are endless. And God kept after me, whispering to me to “just do it.” I finally had to forget all the wondering and the emotions and just simply “do it.” Stop wondering about what I know now or don’t know and just go for it. So I did. And now I’m here. Writing this blog, a little overwhelmed, a tad excited and sad and a puddle of random emotions…but relieved at the same time to be able to step out of my comfortable Minnesota bubble and do what I’ve been dreaming about doing for a long time now. Travel the world for missions and write about it.

I know and trust that God will show His face to me through this. That He will open me up to a world that is broken and in need of healing, but also a world that is ultimately HIS. Created for His glory and His purpose. I just want to shine His love.

So that’s the scoop, friends and fam! I can hardly believe it! The journey has just begun. There’s lots more to come, and I will keep you posted on the new life adventures of Jess. Love you all!

I’ll be sending out support letters soon…but for now, if you would like to begin supporting me, either go to my World Race blog and click the “Support Me” link, or click on the image below for details on how to support me. THANK YOU! 🙂

Excitement is building

I’m so happy to have my excitement back! I’ve been going through a period of an emotion lull…where I know I should react this way or that to whatever is happening around me…so I give people the responses I know I’m supposed to give, but I just didn’t feel anything.

I’m sure we all go through this to some extent, but it’s very frustrating when there just seems to be no end to it! (Then God shows up in ways that can only be from Him, and all of a sudden it’s like BAM…you’re awake again…you’re actually feeling things again. Only He can do that!) I’m sure I sound crazy, but oh well!

God’s doing some things in my life—big things—that I’ve been dreaming about for a while. I can’t talk about it yet because it’s too soon…sorry…but bear with me ☺ Through all the ups and downs of normal, everyday life lately, despite full-to-the-brim emotions or none at all…I’ve had to keep reminding myself of what God has promised multiple times. That He will never leave me or forsake me, no matter what. (Joshua 1:5, Hebrews 13:5, Deuteronomy 31:8).

Our God is a good God. He has life-giving, cup-overflowing plans for us.

Psalm 23 is amazing…I’ve found myself repeating it day after day. Because it’s truth. God is always with me. He’s always with you. He loves you so deeply that He would lead you beside the freshest, cleanest, purest streams of living water for you to drink; He guides us in paths of righteousness for the glory of His name; He blesses us in front of our enemies; He anoints us, He cleanses us, He loves us. Wow—we are blessed!

Psalm 23
[A psalm of David.]

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.

It’s just so exciting, and encouraging, and I hope this encourages you today to be strong in the Lord, be courageous, do not lose heart, because He is with you and will never leave you.

God heart

God is Lord of your heart. He knows your deepest wishes, your biggest dreams, those parts of you that you never show the world because if you did it might call you crazy, or psycho, or just lame. God is a God of the small and the big. Those little dreams you have, however insignificant, are important to Him. He knows the desires of your heart. Wait for Him. Draw near to Him and He’ll draw near to You. Let Him surprise you with how big He is. Enjoy being HIS. Don’t let the world tell you that you have to read your Bible for so many minutes or pray for so many hours a day for Him to hear you and draw near. Those things are good. In fact, they’re necessary and incredible and should be practiced daily, yet…wow…we all mess up. We go for weeks, perhaps months without truly digging into the Word, without spending passionate time in prayer, instead glancing at a verse here and there and praying tiny little prayers about needs and wants, sometimes for others, but if you’d admit it, mostly about you and your struggles and pain and frustrations. That’s a frustrating place to be. Because you know you can be better. And you want to be. But your flesh gets in the way and you give in to it too much, you know this, yet you still do it because it’s comfortable. It is a war against our flesh. But we can let the frustrations and feelings of unworthiness bog us down. Keep fighting. Keep praying.

Let the King of the Universe love you for who you are, not what you do.

Because He’s calling out to you to see Him every day and to hear His voice. He loves you with endless passion. I wonder if we could see the heavenly realm, if we’d be horrified by the extent of the battle fought for us every day. Satan is sneaky. Those feelings that you’re never going to make it, you’ll never be good enough, you’re not pretty enough, you’re insignificant and no one really truly loves you…those are LIES. I am talking to myself just as much as anyone here. Seriously, it’s a battle.

One thing I have really been impressed upon doing lately is just to let myself enjoy being with God.

I don’t have to do anything. Just simply be. Rest. Soak Him in. I don’t think we give Him enough chance to really get through to us in our days. We’re always going, going, going, off to the next thing. Ignoring, truthfully, because we don’t want to have to take the time to focus on Him. It’s such a battle!!!!! But remember, Jesus wins. Truth, love, grace–it triumphs. God is good. He loves you so much. Let Him simply love on you today. Listen to Him. Talk with Him. Rest in Him. He’s waiting.

Hawaii Tales: The Beginning

I just got home this morning from a mother-daughter trip to O‘ahu, Hawai‘i. Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow. Amazing. We looooooved it! First, we really just needed to get away and indulge in a vacation. I felt guilty about it for a while, since it wasn’t a mission trip, but I also felt God speak to me that I was in need of some rest, as well. Okay, I knew He was right, because the past couple months have been incredibly busy, incredibly stressful, incredibly awesome, so I simply just needed a break, and I needed to get away from everything familiar. Well…Hawai‘i is definitely the place to do it! I didn’t do a whole lot of thinking about anything except just enjoying God’s creation, exploring, spending good quality time with my awesome Mom…it was so well needed.

I also learned some more about God and how He speaks to me. He was teaching me to trust Him. You see, I get some pretty cool travel perks through my current job, so I get to fly standby (which means seat availability: if there’s an open seat on the plane, I might be able to get on, depending on how many other people are “standing by” for the flight (thus the term standby) and there are different priorities that people have to beat others onto the plane). It’s very competitive, and the flights are fuller than ever this year, so I knew we could be in for a bit of an adventure. Through it all, I felt very strongly that we were going to get onto our flights, and not to worry about it. I know, I know, it’s just a small thing, and there are so many variables, but to be honest, I don’t need to know the why or the how behind it all…because at the end of the day, God has my back and already knows everything and has it all planned out. Even though I was taking a vacation, He approved of it, chose to bless it, and I believe He made a way for us, since for each flight it always looked impossible to get on, yet somehow we made it. There’s more to the story, and it’s full of time in airports, but it was one of those things where I wasn’t worried about it, because I knew I was in God’s hands. That even though we were taking personal time and I felt slightly guilty about it and “leaving behind” the rest of my friends and family to go to Hawaii, that it really was okay. 🙂

Needless to say, I will write more later to recap our trip, but it was super fun, nice and relaxing yet full of exploring O‘ahu and finally experiencing what Hawai‘i is all about. It’s a totally different change of pace, which was refreshing!

Coming home was a little bit more adventurous, involving a red eye flight and us arriving home an hour before I needed to be at work again…but it was so worth it. God is good, and He has GOOD things in store for us! Believe in that today!

More later. 🙂

Just peaceful

You know those days when it’s just a peaceful, quiet day? You have time to just sit and soak in God’s presence…to blog and journal and spend time with Him…and enjoy some alone time? This time is so sweet for me. I need it. It’s been a long week. A good, fun-filled week. But very full and I can definitely say I’m in need of some rest. This week has been filled with fun family time, little-league football games, girls nights, birthday celebrations, and lots and lots of church and some serious seeking God time. But it is at the same time stressful and draining. Trying to make it all, enjoy it all, and be myself and find time for myself in the middle of it all. I really enjoy my friends and family…they rejuvenate me…but I think I tend to run myself dry and I don’t just let myself relax and take it easy. I usually end up needing some alone time to truly recharge my battery 🙂 I am constantly distracted and while I want to rest, it’s almost like I can’t, because I keep wanting to do things. I need to learn how to sit. JUST sit. And let God COME. I want it desperately. I yearn to be filled with more and more of Him, His Holy Spirit, His love, His peace, His joy so I can spread it to everyone I’m around. It’s a constant work-in-progress, I suppose!

AND, I’m working on not worrying about being perfect. Especially when it comes to my writing and blogging and just doing life…I am a perfectionist in many ways. It’s just normal for a first born 🙂 God’s helped me along my life journey to become much more easy-going and uber-flexible with most things, but I think when it comes to my writing it is much harder for me, since I want everything to be perfect right away. That will flow into my words and thoughts, too. And so…I think in some ways that hinders my communication with the Holy Spirit, because I over-think and second-guess a ton of things that I shouldn’t. Hearing God’s voice, following His leading, trusting Him right away and not after a long time of testing Him, etc etc. I hope that makes sense. These are just some of my musings…I really process things so much better when I write them down.

Lucky you, you get to read these rambling thoughts. I bet you’re SO unbelievably excited, huh? Haha! I DO appreciate you reading this though. I appreciate ALL of you…you make my life amazing!

Look for my next blog in a couple weeks…after I get back from my trip to Hawaii! 🙂

Sorry about the lull…

…life sure has gotten the best of my blogging lately. I’m guessing you want to know all about the Desiring God conference! In fact, I think I’ll be posting a few of the sessions on my blog for you to enjoy through the next couple weeks when I can find the time. There were some that I couldn’t get enough of — especially Louie Giglio. If you’ve ever heard him speak, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Seriously amazing! What He shows us about God and who He really is is absolutely staggering!

There’s been a lot going on in the life of Jess lately. The weekend of the conference was also the same weekend we said goodbye to one of my brothers who is off to Air Force basic training. Pretty cool, as he’s been working toward this for a long time and is super dedicated to it — we know this is God’s call on his life — but it is still weird to have him gone!

Oh, and we had our first Mission Talk lifegroup last night. The one where we bring in missionaries to tell us their stories, their calling, how they got on the mission field, what it has been like, what their vision is for the future, etc. It’s amazing. This is something I feel is 100% necessary for followers of Jesus to do. To gather around our missionaries to support them and listen to them and be inspired by them to go (or at least to send!) as well — and especially to pray for them! It’s such a GOOD time. God’s doing amazing things around the world, and I don’t know about you, but I definitely want to be a part of it!

So anyway, definitely processing things from the conference and seeking God. It’s hard for me to gather my thoughts on it, because there are so many. But I will try. Later, though! 🙂

A little rawness

[I’m feeling a little raw today. So I thought I’d be real with you.]

I am fully human. I go through periods of anxiety, of wondering what’s next, of always waiting for something. These times of waiting are usually (eventually) followed by a period of peace, of being okay with the “right now,” being fully in the moment, realizing that life is too precious to waste a second of it. But other times it seems like it all goes together and I don’t know what I think anymore—all these things get muddled up/mixed together in my brain and I’m left wondering if I really have the ability to think straight, or if this happens to everyone (because no one talks about it!). But through it all, it’s SO good to know I have a God who understands me better than I understand myself! He is my hope! He is fully aware of my feelings and knows exactly where I’m at in this very moment—today—and He has a plan for me. I know it’s better than anything I could dream up. But why, oh why, is it so hard to wait? I’m so sick of waiting.

I’ve realized lately—why do we always wish our lives away? Why are we always, without fail, waiting for something? For what’s next. Why is it so hard to just BE?
You’re a kid and you wish you were a grown up. You can’t wait to turn 12, then it’s 16, then 18, then 21, then 25, then all of the sudden you wonder where the time went.
You can’t wait until you can drive. Then it’s college. Internship. Your first “real” job. The day you finally start dating “the one.” That first kiss. That engagement ring. The wedding day. The honeymoon. That 1^st child. That big vacation. The huge promotion. Retirement. Then you’re left wondering what happened. How did all of that life go by so fast?

Maybe it’s so hard to be content because we know we’re made for something greater than who we are and what we’re doing right now. I know I just want to jump leaps and bounds to be this incredible, selfless, always joyful and happy, hour-long-devo-in-the-morning, glass-is-half-full type of person that I want to be. Key word: want. I might portray that to you every once in a while, by God’s grace, but it is truly Him at work in me and nothing of me, at all, because as a human, my selfishness and cynicism and frustrations and anxieties very often take over before I have time to realize what has happened.

There’s so much more to life! To being fully alive through Christ, because He made me to be ME. He made me to be fully present, right now. I know I will keep failing, but I will keep trying, keep placing my focus back on God, keep surrendering to Him. I can’t do this on my own. None of us can. Only through Him who gives us strength can we truly be all He has called us to be! That takes time. I know it’s natural to wonder. God didn’t make us with brains that know it all. We’re constantly learning and adapting. But God is good. He made us for greater than we could ever see ourselves being. Perhaps that’s why I can sense the calling to be greater, but I have no idea how to get there. Because the only way is through God. He has the PERFECT timing, though. Maybe I need to learn how to be okay with wanting and waiting, and how to sit still and just soak up God’s presence even then. Even if I do feel otherwise. Feelings are not always trustworthy, but God does use them.

[That was a lot of jumbled-up rawness…hope you could make sense some of it!]

There’s POWER in Prayer

Lately, I have been becoming more and more aware of the intense, incredible, authentic, and life-changing power of prayer!The coolest thing is that there is no defense against the power of prayer! You can go to the nations in prayer! Countries may have closed borders and be closed to the Gospel, but prayer penetrates those borders. It gets through the cracks in hard hearts. It breaks down barriers. Isn’t that just awesome?!

I have this vision of God’s people praying, and it’s like an aviation map. The prayers “fly” across the world — there is no border that prayer can’t cross, no fortress strong enough to hold it back, no wall thick enough to keep it out. That is the power of God through prayer! A country may be closed to you, but it cannot be closed to the power of your prayers. We can change the world through prayer!!!!

Don’t listen when people discourage you from praying. When people say, “oh, my friend, I have done too many bad things, so do not even try to pray for me, because it is hopeless for me,” do not listen to them! I can easily see this as the devil speaking through them, because he recognizes the power of prayer! Think about it…the devil knows how powerful God is and that there is incredible, life-changing power through prayer. If the devil tries to discourage you, he’s trying to limit the goodness of God, limit the incredible life-changing power of God, and he knows that prayer could change this person’s life and so he discourages you from praying, even through the mouth of this very person, to try to stop God from doing miraculous work through prayer. Whoa, huh?

We often times don’t see the end result of our prayers. And that can be very discouraging. But can I encourage you to keep at it with all excitement and Passion and boldness? It is hard when the feelings aren’t there…you feel dry and empty…but it’s all about believing in the power of God to transform lives and do what seems impossible to us, because it is really nothing for Him. We are to be rooted in prayer, because there is nothing that God cannot do. He is everything! There is so much strength in prayer, so much peace in knowing that you have prayed, and now you can let God do the rest, because you have done your part, even if it feels like the smallest thing, by praying.

We underestimate the power of prayer. Many people, or most people at one time or another, think that prayer is wimpy or not good enough. We think we need to DO something tangible in order to make a difference. But I’ve been learning that that is just not true at all!!! Pray with confidence! Pray with conviction! God may not answer our prayers the way we think He should do it, but — reality check — He is WISER than us and He has a PLAN!

There’s a closeness, an intimacy with God when we pray. Sometimes you won’t feel it (I know I don’t most of the time). And sometimes it will overwhelm you!!! But it is really not about feelings. It’s about knowing who God is, knowing His truth and trusting Him no matter what, that He has the best plan. It’s understanding that His ways are not our ways, that we don’t understand “why” all the time. But don’t you think it’s definitely possible that our brains could never truly grasp how wide and how deep and how high is His knowledge, His power, His love for us? It’s about trusting Him through that and never ceasing to pray. Pray with a humble heart and open hands, ready to receive and go, and ready to be all who God has called you to be.

Prayer reaches the nations! How awesome is that? We cannot fathom how far it reaches. We do not understand the full depths of its power. But God is so huge. Prayer is an incredible gift that needs to be picked up and used. It’s hard to pray all the time. It’s challenging, and I fail so often. But try. And keep trying. God doesn’t give up on you. He loves you with an everlasting love. I am so grateful to serve a God with such depth to Him. I can’t comprehend Him, but oh how I love Him and how He loves me!!! This is a beautiful thing, my friends!

Never cease to pray. Lift up yourself…for healing and understanding and the filling of the Holy Spirit. For boldness and confidence in Christ. Then lift up others around you. Bring them to the throne of God! Pray for your nation — for peace and wisdom for its leaders, for God to be known amongst every people group in your nation, and finally, all the other nations in the world. That Christ’s love and undeniable power would be known across the globe, and that the Holy Spirit would penetrate every border, every people group, every person in every nation. That no one would die without the chance to know Jesus, to know that He died for them so that they could have eternal life and be with God in heaven forever! Ahhh-mazing. Amen!

[I wrote this a couple of days ago in a moment of inspiration 😛 I’ve tweaked it since then…but I’ve been incredibly challenged by this. It really challenges me more than I could ever tell you…and I’ve realized lately that I lack so much in prayer. I used to pride myself in praying “all-day-long.” But I am now humbled in knowing I have a long way to go. Would you join me in becoming more persistent, more confident, more deliberate in prayer? It’s SUPER challenging. But the reward, getting closer and more in tune with the Holy Spirit and the heart-beat of God, has GOT to be SO worth it!]

Oh the lies of the enemy!

I am a woman. And BECAUSE I am a woman, I am bombarded by the same issues that have long been a part of this world. Woman is seen as beautiful. She is the pinnacle of beauty. From the beginning of time, she has been drawn and painted and sculpted as intricate, delicate, mesmerizing art. She is soft on the eye. Her form is pleasing and easy to look at.

Thus, in comes sin, warping the senses, twisting into lust what is innocently beautiful and perfect, thus degrading what is beautiful. Sin changes mindsets…and it causes a beautiful woman to look in the mirror and yearn for perfection for something that she doesn’t realize is already perfect.

I struggle with body image just like every other girl I know. It is a common attack on women, and I can only imagine the devil thrives on tormenting women. He knows how beautiful we are, how much God loves us, and the sweet, strong power we hold within that beauty that is a God-given gift. We are a testimony of God’s goodness. A mirror to the world of His infinite beauty. We are created in His image! And Satan wants to mar that image. So he causes us to believe we’re fat, we’re ugly, no one will like us or date us or love us or cherish us because we have (in our eyes) too much pudge in this area or that, our lips or eyes or chin or ears or hair aren’t perfect, so we stand in front of the mirror day after day, crying in desperation. We change our hair color and style it differently each day. We go through countless changes of clothes. We put on heels, we slather on the makeup and the hairspray, and we think that that defines us…that that equals beauty.

And all the while, God is whispering, “Oh BELOVED! If you only knew how breathtaking you are…how beautiful and mesmerizing and radiant…my precious daughter! How I love you!”

Sometimes, during those times I’m standing in front of the mirror, hopelessly lost in thoughts of disgust at myself…I realize the lies that Satan is feeding me. He’s gleeful in his attacks, and I’m making it way too easy for him. So I throw back my head, raise my chin, straighten my shoulders, look straight in the mirror, and declare OUT LOUD, “I am a daughter of GOD! I am BEAUTIFUL! No one else sees what I see. God created me in His image. I am stunning. God loves ME!” I declare truth over myself, and in that instant, it’s as if the blinders are lifted and for a second I can see me as God sees me. Innocent and beautiful and mesmerizing.

Don’t give in to the devil, ladies. He enjoys feeding you lies that you’re ugly and no one will want you. That is NOT TRUE. You are a daughter of the MOST HIGH KING, created in HIS IMAGE, set APART for His GLORY, DELIGHTFUL & PLEASING & STUNNING as you REFLECT HIM.

Go out into the world and SHINE for Him!!! 🙂

Here are couple other blogs I’ve come across lately on this same topic…definitely inspired my blog and encouraged me, which I hope they do for you, as well! Love you all!
http://lindsaydobner.theworldrace.org/?filename=world-race-beauty-101
http://nataliedache.theworldrace.org/?filename=identifying-idols