Half Way?

Today marks the half way point for my summer project in San Diego - really hard to believe! I'm sitting here trying to think all that has happened the past week since I've blogged. God seems to teach me something new everyday which is really cool and consequently really difficult to express in words. But, I'm just going to touch the surface. :)

God is working on SDSU campus and I feel so honored to be apart of that. God is uncontainable! How often I limit what I think God can do through me and through a group of believers. When making goals for what we want to see this summer I find myself trying to not dream too big. Like, do I forget who we're working with here? Ya know... the God of the universe. New revelation: the same Spirit that rose Christ from the dead lives in me. Wow. Every time I say that I feel like I have to take a few moments for that to sink in. We have recently talked about how you would live your life differently if you realized just what power lives within your heart.

Time after time again I have been realizing just how great the power of prayer is. God is for realllll. He is answering our prayers. Some in which we can see and others below the surface - both ways are great. God places particular people in our path for a reason and that has been pretty evident. Also, we are rejected which for me has just helped me learn resilience. It's easy to forget the intensity of the power that lives in you until you see the boldness in action.

Yesterday was a day full of solid spiritual conversations. My sharing partner (Christina) and I went from conversation to conversation most of which we got to share the Gospel. We met a Latina who identified with the Christian faith but confessed she finds great happiness in living in the worldly terms. We had an informative conversation with three girls who practiced Buddhism. We had an open conversation with a lady who practices agnosticism. Lastly, God put us in the path of two Filipino ladies. This was such an awesome conversation where we got to use perspective cards and learn a 'lil about their walk with God as shaky as it may be. At the end they actually asked us what out our perspective was (rarely have had that happen.) They were so inquisitive and had teachable hearts and I loved it. We got to share the ways God worked in our lives and it was just definitely a conversation God laid out for us. Love that Holy Spirit! I can't wait to meet up with them again!

Recently, God's just been teaching me and I feel like preparing me to make some major changes in my life. I'm learning what it looks like in my life to fully submit myself to the Lord. It's going to be a constant struggle to recognize my sin and fully trust that God takes the blame & guilt that goes along with those things. Trusting God to take this head knowledge and bring it to my heart. Honestly, I'm just really over the never-quenching salt water I always turn to in life. These things I find my identity in are worthless and so faulty. God offers living water for me that satisfies all the desire I look to other things for. I get so frustrated when I look at the life the world offers me and the life that God offers me. Living my life with purpose and a passion for Christ is SO much more fulfilling than finding my security in these temporal things of this world. But, why do I hold back?!?! (still figuring it out.)

God has convicted me of these realizations and things I need to give up and it's going to be difficult - really difficult. A part of me is extremely scared because I don't think I will be able to live up to God's expectations or I don't believe I'm strong enough to live out God's plan for me and I sure am not holy enough. My insecurities are made secure in the cross. God looks at me and sees Jesus. Wowzers. That kind of just puts it all in perspective.

For those who have been praying: thank you! God's been answering.

San Diego is beautiful. SDSU students are so receptive! Plus, I get to work alongside of some really awesome people who share the same desire to please the Lord.

¡Hasta luego!
Ashley