Putting Your Money Where You Claim Your Heart Is

Well people let me tell you, most people's thoughts day in and day out are another day another dollar. And to some extent that's the same for me, as far as work is concerned. But let me tell you with this whole YWAM support letter and people's responses as of late, another day another dollar doesn't fully sum it up. Today I honestly shed a tear, well maybe two to be honest. The response that I have had from people, and not even the people I would have thought of right away to give, has been utterly amazing.
C.S Lewis once said: I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. I feel as if this quote has been something that these people have lived by.
The Lord truly has given me the sense that I'm doing the right thing with my life. I have and had been struggling with the fact of whether or not I was wasting the talent God had blessed me with. But I believe fully that the respose I have had through His people with this letter have calmed even those fleeting thoughts.
Our Lord is truly amazing!!

A True Confession

I have found that throughout my life it has been hard for me to rely and put full trust in people. My thoughts are, I might as well do it myself and make sure it gets done. I will basically go to any measure I can in order not to have to ask people for anything, it can be as small as asking for a hand in picking something up, to just making sure I drive everywhere I go, to asking for people to lend me some money. I guess in truth it's just the fact that I much rather have myself fail then have other people fail. Maybe after thinking things through, I'm a control freak. But I really don't think I'm that crazy and overboard with it. But who knows. I believe in this aspect, the Lord is stretching me, especially with the whole YWAM thing. Because where does my support come from, from my family, friends, and acquaintances. So not only do I have to rely on the Lord and everyone else, I also have to come to terms with the fact that I can't do it by myself. And wow has the Lord been teaching, teaching, teaching, teaching. I have only had a few responses to my support letter as of right now, but those responses have been amazing. I have been sooooooooooooo blessed, I can't even explain. Everyday it's like the Lord bops me over the head, telling me that He really does provide, and that I need to quit worrying. A great verse I need to keep reminding myself of is this:
Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:58

A Warm Blanket And A Story

In the bible study I am a part of we are discussing 2 Corinthians, during each and every chapter there have been many things that have popped out at me. While investigating each and every chapter, the bible study book we're going through has a "consider the message" part, and this is a story that was in there that I really enjoyed and put a lot of things into perspective for me.

Several years ago, I was raising a teenage girl who was left homeless when both her mom and dad were taken off to prison on the same day. Although Nikki didn't have impressive qualifications in the world's view, she felt called by God to a short-term mission assignment. She was thrilled with her appointment as "asbassador" to South Africa.....until her plans hit a major glitch. That is, the needed funding was slow in coming. She began to grow discouraged.
One day I brought to her attention the story of Gideon, a young person who also received a special assignment from God. When Gideon protested that he was unqualified to serve. God didn't try to boost his self-confidense or argue the point. Instead, he posed a question: "Am I not sending you?" It's the same question I posed to Nikki--and one I often pose to audiences throughout North America. Here's a simple analogy: If I were to hop on a plane to Japan tomorrow morning, no one would particulary care when I arrived. However, if the president of the United States were to issue me official papers as his ambassador to Japan and provide me with a diplomatic entourage, suddenly they'd be serving me sushi. THAT'S BECAUSE IT'S NEVER ABOUT THE ONE WHO'S GOING; IT'S ABOUT THE ONE WHO'S SENDING.

Wow, how that hit home. That's because it's never about the one who's going; it's about the one who's sending. How amazing that is, and how she puts it into perspective for us all. If we really did only think that it's not about us, and all about Him "the one who's sending." Think about how life would be so much easier. Not in just the missions viewpoint either, if we thought about that everyday, day in and day out.
I'll leave you with a little quote to ponder on for the day:
Walking by faith means being prepared to trust where we are not permitted to see.
-John Blanchard

All the above is stuff I am trying to work on this week as I prepare each and everyday to leave for YWAM. First off, that is not about me at all, it's about the Lord "the one who's sending me." And second, I need to trust in the Lord even in things I can not see.

Blast From The Past

It's funny how things pop in and out of your mind. I was just reflecting on the whole YWAM thing the other day, and well it took me back to high school. You see after Lance decided to go to YWAM and after he came back home, all that people could ask me is "are you going to do what he did,?" "are you going to go to YWAM.?" And at that point I was like well I guess I don't know, all I could answer was well maybe. Don't get me wrong the thought of what he did and the places he went was really intriguing and fun to think about doing, but following in my brothers footsteps wasn't something I wanted to do. But look at where I am now, following in my brothers footsteps, I am sure glad they're pretty good footsteps though. So Lance, Sarah and MJ thanks for paving the way!!! I hope my journeys and experiences are just as great as yours were.

D-DAY

And there off! Today is the officially day that all the letters went out. Now it truly is in the Lord's hands. Support, support, support. That's what it's all about right now. Gosh yesterday was just a WOW this is really happening day, getting the letters together, getting labels, getting stamps, just getting things done and together. It was kind of a slap in the face that hey it's coming, I believe it's approxiamately 48 days til I pack up the car and wave goodbye. I guess in the words of the Dixie Chicks, I need wide open spaces, and I can also see my dad yelling "Check the oil!!" Those crazy Dixie Chicks!!

It's so hard to sit down and think I need to raise that much money in just 48 days, but on the other hand I know it will happen, it's just so hard to have that sorta faith sometimes. It's so funny though cause just the other day I was kind of worried about it already, the money situation that is, and in the mail that day I got a check. The Lord is amazing!!

A Struggle With Mailing

Today is a struggle with mailing support letters out. The main questions who to send to, who not to send to, will these people remember me and will they be willing to help me out? It's such a hardship to get things together, it's almost as if I'm living high school graduation all over again, going through to find addresses and getting together labels along with stamps and letters. Hopefully by the end of the day though, I will have sent out the majority of letters I need to get out. There are a few addresses I still need to get, but after today the bulk of the load will be over. I just need to sit back and trust that the Lord will provide. I truly believe this, but there's always the stupid human qualities that come out, that has me feeling a little nervous about it.

Another Day in Paradise

So I just got back from Arizona last night, and I had a couple firsts on this trip along with one hilarious story. The first, first was the fact that I saw a Praying Mantis, yeah can you believe that a real Praying Mantis, yep just hanging out praying. Those Mantis' sure got it good with God, always praying!! PRAYING, PRAYING, PRAYING. And the second first, was the fact that I got to see The Road Runner, minus Wylie though.
Now I know you can't wait to hear the hilarious story so here it is: So Rach(my sis in law), Jeremy (my bro) and I are going into Target. The reason we're going into Target is to bring some stuff back, so Rach has a bag of returns and we casually walk into Target and you know how they have those security things when you walk in and out, for theft issues. Well let's just say, it went off, on our way in, so what does Rach do?!?!?!?!!? She throws her head back and says with a voice like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar, "just bringing stuff in!"

Just a little support here

Well today I sat down and took some time along with my brother and sister in law, to put together my support letter. It took a few cuts and pastes, but I think it'll do. I hope that you find enough information to know that this is sincere and from the heart. If you have any questions about anything, click the link on the right sidebar for my e-mail.

Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

Proverbs 19:21

Greetings,

Hello to all, friends, family, and fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. First of all I’m going to give you all an update on what’s been going on in my life these past few years. I have recently been attending the University of North Dakota (UND) and been involved with the track team there. And although I have had many blessings and great successes, the Lord has put it on my heart that it’s time to hang those track shoes up. The first part of the above verse is one I believe I have been following for far too long, my plans, being in the sports world were to hopefully end up with a National Championship under my belt along with maybe a chance at the Olympics. Throughout those years though there has been a tug at my heart off and on from the Lord saying, “You need to go serve Me, Dana,” and missions is where I felt led. So, it is here I sit, telling you I am finally listening and taking heed to my Lord’s will for my life. In order to prepare for this new chapter in my life, I have taken this year off of school and gotten a job to help support myself. It truly is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

I plan on attending Youth With a Mission (YWAM) in Nashville, Tennessee. Youth With a Mission is a nondenominational Bible school with a missions focus that provides three months of intensive training, called Discipleship Training School (DTS), which allows their students to go out in the mission field with the best fire power there is, the Lord’s word. This comprehensive, Bible college level schooling is followed by a two part outreach involving ministry in the United States, as well as a foreign field assignment. A few of the places that YWAM Nashville has sent mission teams overseas are: Albania, Turkey, France, Thailand, Tunisia, Egypt and Columbia. I will be leaving a few days after Christmas; the program will be starting the 1^st of January and be running until the 27^th of May. The three month lecture and classroom phase will cost $2890, and in that fee will include housing, meals, tuition and books.

So I am asking if you would please prayerfully consider supporting me. First of all, I would ask that you would keep me in your prayers daily. That is where I will need my main support because the Lord will always provide. Secondly, if you are financially able, I would ask that you consider supporting me in this way. Checks are tax deductible when made out to YWAM Nashville. If you plan on sending a check straight to YWAM please include a little note saying that this check is going to support Dana Olimb. Otherwise it would be great if you could send your already made out check to me, so I can keep tabs on how much I already have and how much more I need to raise. Anything you feel led to give would be great, every little bit will help. Thank you in advance for your prayers and support.

Checks can be made out to:

YWAM Nashville

P.O. Box 78219

Nashville, TN 37207

“YWAM Nashville is an international, interdenominational missions organization dedicated to glorifying God through training, mobilization and reaching the nations.”

You can check out YWAM Nashville at

Ywamnashville.org

Insight to my mind

The purpose and point of this blog is to inform friends, family and any anonymous readers of the daily thoughts and information going on in my life.