Thursday, August 26, 2010

Living on the Edge

I posted a thought on twitter today that continues to run through my mind and challenge my steps:

"LIFE happens when you're on the edge! No one goes to the edge by accident. We must intentionally put ourselves in a place that demands faith in the jump."

How many times I've counted myself faithful in my journey with God...yet recently I've discovered my lack. My faithfulness rests in rules, but not in my relationship with Him. We can always find a good solid place to stand with two feet on the ground and a life that follows the rules. But God never said, "Stay and do the right thing." Instead he said, "Come and follow me."

It was when Peter was standing on a boat in the swelling sea that Jesus said, "Come and follow me". And although Peter was able to see Jesus, he didn't experience Him until he took a step off the edge and walked on the water.

It was when Moses reached the Red Sea and his journey was counted finished that God said, "Come through the water, Moses, and follow me." And although Moses knew his God was faithful, he didn't experience Him until he stepped forward to the edge and the sea parted.

I realize that I can stay planted with two feet on the ground and know who God is, or I can take a step to the edge and know God. I can take a step that requires faith - not a faith found in words, but a faith noticed in my actions!

I want to live a life of miraculous experiences, divine encounters, intimate conversations, and outrageous testimonies...and if I truly want that...I'll intentionally move myself to the edge.

Moving Closer,

Vanessa

http://www.vanessavann.com/

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Go Into All the World

Honey - I'm home! And I hope you are not expecting me to say that I'm the same girl that left you 2 weeks ago - because that just simply isn't the truth! I'm reminded again and again just how BIG God is and just how much growing I still get to do! As my pastor continues to remind me, I'm not the person I want to be, but thank God I'm not the person I used to be! I'm growing, learning, and loving the journey.

Africa (as it always does) has captured my heart refreshed the desire that lives deep in my soul to do, to be, and to invite others along the way! I'm reminded just how blessed and privileged I am monetarily, yet also how self-deprived and poor I am spiritually. It is a heart wrenching experience to hold a child in your arms who has the taste of death on their lips yet continues to praise God or to sit amongst those who live off of $30 a month and can still say "How great is our God". The overwhelming fragrance of pure goodness completely sutured the hearts of the hundreds who came to worship. And yet it isn't a "whoa is me" moment. It's a "thank you for living" moment. I am changed.

A little girl coming to me and thanking me for loving her even though I am white and rich and she is black and poor - all I could do in response it thank her for being a "hero of the faith" as one of my teammates called her - someone who gets it and lives it daily. I pray that I can be found that faithful; that even when I'm mistreated, unfed, unclothed, uneducated, and unloved by those who are "supposed to" love me, that I can call on the name of the Lord to fulfill my daily need. He is the one whose living bread feeds the hungry, who is the armor that clothes the naked, who uses the foolish to shame the wise, who loves the sinner and saves the wretch like me. I am changed.

To gaze into the eyes of the orphan, the widow, the leper, the deaf child, the rape victim, the devastated mother, and the surviving father - it does something to your heart. Its as though a piece grows numb and stops beating because for some it was the first time they saw for themselves that our worst nightmare really is someone else's reality. There is a part of the heart that begins to mourn, to cry out, and maybe even grow silent because the encounter proves that this World hasn't recovered from the apple in the garden.

AND - there is something greater than the devastation that takes place within each person deep within the soul. It surpasses the tainted heartbeat and captivates the human spirit. Its the glimmer that rests in the center of every eye, its the eagle that swoops down and takes each of them to a resting place high enough to see the promise land, its the smile that is birthed out of pure joy that someone has come to love them just as they are - it's HOPE. Of all the things that can be stripped away - the one thing that will never leave the people of Africa is HOPE. The mountain is never too big, the ocean is never too deep, the sun can never set on their God. I am changed.

As I headed home I knew I would have to discover my response to all that I had just encountered. And I believe that is something that is going to continue to grow as I continue to process through all that I saw and experienced. Yet it's so much more than my optional response - it's now my responsibility! God allows our eyes to see the corners of this Earth so that we will reach for those who are there. God allows our hearts to be silenced so that we yearn for its beating again. God invites us to "Go into all the world" so that we can join in on His activity of World Change - Life Change - Heart Change.

I'm ready to act! To be! To do! Are you?

Chasing Him,

Vanessa

www.VanessaVann.com

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

I love Blogging - it links me to the world!

Hello from Kabwe, Zambia!

Today I get the privilage of teaching a blogging/socail networking class to individuals who are ready for the World to hear their story. We are learning to blog together for the very first time! Meet some of the students in our class today as they share with you why we are excited to blog:

I like to be here because of learning something that i have never come across. -abby kabamba

its sweet to conect to a big number of my friends in christ and share my moments and the sweet moments with the holy spirit and how christ is seeing me through in all my dealings. yes christ is very present every where we may be. - faggie manda.

Its awesome to be in this class, the lesson on how to blog together is interesting and our teacher vannesa is fabulous. - Alex Mutale

I'm excited to leave the "bush telephone" and find my place in the world of technology. Being able to link to my culture that I left 20 years ago and "find" lost friends that might just want to know what I'm doing in Africa! Tina Moyer

It is good to see other ways of communicating. Jeff Roth

we are learn blogging,inorder for us to be in toutch with you brothers and sisters from our mother of another country,Elijah Chembo; zambia

it is good to be back in Zambia and to be part of this class of bloging as the way of communicating to other in the world am quit excited for this.joseph chalwe (zambia)

Awesome, blogging is one of the best way to communicate effectively to others, as well as facebook and tweeter. B. J Luc

Of late i have been confused of the kind of communication to use to my friends and supporters in an effective way. thank God that i can know many ways through this teaching and figure out how i will use and to whom. Anthony chitambala ( Zambia)

Hi i love this game of bloging this will hope me alot Melvin

Had fun learning about blogging. Promote Vannesa to a management position. Marinus Geyser

This course is fantastic ienjoyed it. JAMES.

Hi am happy to be part of this blogging class because it will help me alot. misheck chama.

Hi am happy to be part of the blogging class, because it has widen my knowledge interms of communication. it is a helpful lesson. HERBERT.

HI IT,S GREAT TO BLOG AT LAST . AM A NEW VOICE FOR GOD ON THIS BLOG,SO LET,S GET BLOGGING. JABEZ

Well there you have it folks! The people of Zambia are ready to blog - more importantly ready to be a voice for the people of Zambia to the rest of the world!

Thank you for going on this journey with us! :)

Vanessa