ministry

Thursday May 21st, 2015: Mexico Adventures & Lessons Part I

Devotions

I’m so excited to be in Mexico! My sister, Rachel, has lived in Puerto Escondido since August and I’m so glad I finally get to meet all the people she has met here, see the beautiful town, and see what God is doing in the ministry she is working with!

 We left Dallas Monday morning and when we got to Mexico City we learned our flight had been delayed (even though the board read on time). In case anyone was wondering, the Mexico City Airport isn’t very functional and the communication isn’t the greatest. Then when we finally got to our destination, I learned that they lost my bag… I was super bummed. I’ve never had issues while flying. Ever. I guess my luck just ran out. But don’t worry, the airline people were really nice and knew pretty good English so it all got worked out. I was supposed to get my bag on Tuesday but then it got pushed back to Wednesday (in typical Mexico fashion.)

I am so used to America that this situation made no sense to me. In America, when you lose your bag you file a report and there’s a procedure to be followed. In Mexico when you loose your bag you get the airline attendants number and work it out (literally.)

The common idea that’s been popping up is this: This place is so much different than what I’m used to.

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” James 1: 2-4 NLT

I’m kinda a diva (I’ve just come to accept this) and Mexico does not accept Divas. Okay well maybe they do, just not this diva. I’ve been trying VERY hard to adjust my attitude since I’ve been here. I’m trying to put away all my expectations of how I live back home. I’m trying to remind myself that roaches aren’t that gross (this ones hard). I’m trying to remind myself that I don’t NEED air condition. I’m trying to remind myself that I don’t need to fix my hair and do my makeup every morning. It’s hard, but when you’re forced to just accept all these things, ya kinda have to, or else you won’t have fun and embrace all that God has to offer for you.

I am a very type A person. I love organization, order, and schedule. Dirty, messy, and chaos are not adjectives that describe me. I realize that while those traits can be great, they often hinder me from not only having more fun but more importantly, following God’s will for my life.

As a Christian, God wants us to have fun! His will comes first, but who says following God can’t be fun? So today remember to HAVE FUN! Go with the flow! Following God is the furthest thing from boring.

My challenge for you today is to take what you would normally consider “troubles” and turn them into joy. Turn your test of faith, into a chance to grow. But most importantly just have fun! Live in the moment. Trust God. 

Have some fun!

“So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people to do in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them.” Ecclesiastes 8:15 NLT

I’ll be sharing more about my experiences in Mexico so stay tuned!

To see behind the scenes of my Mexico adventures, follow me on Snapchat at hannahhmooree 🙂

Always, Hannah

 “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV

Tuesday October 7th, 2014: Blessing To Be A Blessing

Devotions

I go to a very compassion driven church. We are constantly serving in some sort of way. Whether its single moms, abused foster kids, or orphans in India, we’re serving someone! Because of this culture, serving has become a huge part of my life. I want those who are in difficult times to know that Jesus loves them and He hasn’t forsaken them.

I have a heart for the homeless. I think that so many of them lose hope (because of their living condition) and this couldn’t be more saddening. Jesus never ever gives up on these people, but so many of them don’t realize this.

Over the weekend I went with a group of kids from my youth group to Downtown Dallas to serve the homeless with some hygiene and food items. We had all the items in backpacks and as we walked around we gave away the backpacks. We had the opportunity to pray with a lot of them too. It’s really interesting to talk to the homeless because you find out you actually have a lot in common with them.

I had the privilege of meeting a sweet man named Larry. Larry looked like a normal dude. He had on very normal clothes. Normal haircut. As I was talking to Larry he began to tell me his story. He was from California and had been a drug dealer for 19 years. He had gone to jail, which forced him to get sober, and found the Lord. Once Larry was released he came to Dallas to start somewhere new. He has only been living in Dallas for 2 weeks and currently lives in a shelter but is in search for a permanent living situation.

By the end of our conversation I realized that his story is much like mine. We’re both sinners in need of Jesus! Even though I’ve never sold drugs or served jail time, we are so much alike.

My point in sharing this with you is to share how important serving is. We get caught up in one point of view of life and forget that not everyone grew up in church like us, or go to Christian schoo,l or have iPhones. When you serve, you become humbled. You learn that you aren’t better than the drug addict on the streets. You have sin in your life too! If you don’t currently serve, find a way to serve someone! Maybe you can get a group of friends together and hand out free water at the mall or offer prayer to people waiting in hospital waiting areas. Maybe it’s serving your mom or dad by putting your dishes into the dishwasher. Don’t get overwhelmed feeling like you have to do this huge service project. Start small and see where God takes you from there.