*it's time to blow the bubbles*

It's been way too long since I've blogged. Here goes....
I got back from Ireland on the 11th of february. It's really good to be back in the states. Ireland was good and I learned a lot. Ireland was unlike any outreach i've been on. I wasn't in a 3rd world country, there was no language barrier(besides the thick accent at times)that required a translator. In a way it was like america. People live there lives, just like they do at home. Pretty much everyone there knows who Jesus is. They are either Catholic or protestant. Not all..but the majority are. Ministering there was difficult.- At times I felt like I did nothing at all. That I made no difference. But I know that God planted seeds in people and encouraged the believers we worked with. We as christians have Jesus inside of us, which is light&truth. When we walk-no matter where it is-we bring the light of Christ with us. Knowing that, knowing that Jesus' name was proclaimed in places that haven't had that before made an impact in the spiritual realm.

I learned that I have to choose jesus every day. & I already knew this...but I had a revelation of it in a different way. It took me going to another country to realize there are areas in my life where I have compromised in my walk with God. Things I long for, to experience, to be apart of that I had given up on. Or tried to convince myself that I would be fine without them. & when I talk about the things of the Lord that I want to experience,I'm talking about Holy Spirit encounters. I want to see dead people raised, I want to be the one who prays for the dead baby & she comes back to life. I want to see blind see, I want to have dreams and visions, I want to be a woman who walks in the prophetic and lives boldly for Christ. I want spiritual transportation to happen. Take me to the third heaven Jesus! oooohh how I long for more of Jesus.
It took Ireland for me to be completely honest with myself and admit that I was loosing the desire to pursue Him. And that's something I want to keep first and foremost. To pursue Him and not the gifts He gives. Not go before Him expecting things for myself, but to lavish my love on Him. Being in the place where loving Him is enough. Even if He doesn't take me to those places I desire, i still trust Him. I still know He is a faithful and trustworthy God.
The other day I was blowing bubbles for a precious little boy I am nannying. He wanted to hold the bubble bottle and I gave it to him.- He started shaking it, tried everything to get the bubbles to come out, but he couldn't get the lid off. As this was happening I felt God show me something.
We can tend to be like that with our spiritual giftings. We can have them in a bubble bottle and try shaking them and stirring them, but until we take the lid off and pull them out and blow they won't be released. We won't grow until we allow God to open the "lid". It may be a silly illustration, but I like it. & I get it. :) Do you?