Too late to recap 2011...NAH!

2011 was a BIG year...

I graduated high school. 

My family was blessed with a week full of fun, laughter, and relaxation! 

I traveled to Uganda and Kenya with Visiting Orphans.

I started college.

I discovered a new found interest in MSU football. Couldn't be due to my handsome now head manager boyfriend, could it? ;) 

The Billmans got a puppy!

2011 brought new joys, new heartaches, new friends, and most importantly a deeper and fuller understanding of our Savior's love and grace. It was a year to love a little harder, learn a lot more, and fall further in love with Jesus. 

I can't wait to see what 2012 brings!!

Costa Rica Info and a Request

Warning: This is kind of long; I just can't help myself these days! so if you're short for time, just scroll down to the description of our trip and the couple paragraphs that follow.  

As a follower of Jesus, I believe the words of James 1:27a: "Pure and faultless religion before our God and Father is this: to care after widows and orphans in their distress." Not to say that works actually make our religion pure or faultless, but our response to the desolate, vulnerable, and hurting demonstrates a heart changed by a pure and faultless God.  I want my life to demonstrate the work of an almighty, pure, and faultless God, and so with the many resources God's given me, I go. I go to care for orphans in their distress.

Sometimes when I think about all the hurt in the world; it feels like a 14 day trip to Africa or a 9 day trip to Costa Rica really isn't going to fix anything, which is true. As Katie Davis says in her book, "Sometimes I feel like I'm emptying the ocean with an eyedropper." Me getting on a plane for a small chunk of my summer is not going to fix the lives of 147 million (and counting) orphans in this broken world. 

But 9 days of my summer with the power of Jesus Christ can change the life of one, and that one is worth every expense. Jesus would have died on the cross for just one, how can I not as a follower of Jesus try to make a difference for just one. 

With that said, I want all of you out there to know a little bit more about my trip to Costa Rica this summer with Visiting Orphans. This trip is my response to James 1:27 because of what God has done for me. 

This is a description about Limón, Costa Rica, the place we are going on the VO trip. 

"Costa Rica is one of the most bio-diverse countries on the planet.  Its natural beauty is stunning and its beaches breathtaking.  However, on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica in the port town of Limon there is something that is breathtaking in a different way.  There are kids sleeping in the streets, there are problems with drugs and prostitution, the Afro-Caribbean population there that originally came from the Caribbean islands has been forgotten by the central Costa Rican government.  Social programs are seldom seen and the ones that do exist have a difficult time getting resources.  

Fortunately, there are two orphanages in the port town of Limon that fight hard to take care of the towns youth.  These two orphanages offer hope to children from broken families.  Not only hope but education, justice, recreation, access to health care, culture and recreation.  Limon is one of the locations in Costa Rica with the most needs." 

Our team will be traveling to Limón on July 16, working with the two orphanages mentioned in the description above, and then returning July 23. 

I'm working hard to raise the funds for the trip. I'm using some of the money I have saved and am also working this semester. I know that God has called me to go, and I know that He will provide the needed funds. 

I have a request, dear blog readers, would you being willing to invest in this trip? Certainly, these investments need not be monetary. I'm a firm believer that prayer investments are just as valuable as monetary donations. Would you pray for our team and for the children we will be spending time with in Limón? 

And if you would like to donate money to help get me to Limón, there's a really easy way. 

Step #1: Go to www.visitingorphans.org

Step #2: Click on the Donate tab. 

Step #3: Choose Costa Rica- July 16 

and (importantly)

Step #4: Put Ellen Billman in the "Team member or ministry name blank" 

Your page should look about like this: 

Thank you in advance to all who donate whether in money or in prayer! I'm so excited to see what God is going to do on our trip! 

Happy Birthday, Emily Kay!

So, I have about 15 minutes before my sweet sister's birthday is over, and I believe that calls for a shout out to the blog world in honor of her 14th year of life.

What a blessing this girl is to our family! 

Our Miss Emily Kay has such contagious enthusiasm. She has a smile that lights up the room and a laugh to match it. She is a loyal friend and a great encouragement to those around her. Emily is also a born leader who fails to waver under adversity. She continually takes a stand for what is right and leads others as a servant, never asking someone to do something she herself isn't willing to do.

In addition to wonderful character traits, Emily is also so very talented. She can play just about any sport or activity and succeed. Track, soccer, dance, cheerleading, art, drama, choir, you name it, this lady can take you down! (all with good sportsmanship and humility might I add). AND In case you can't tell from the picture above, Emily is also beautiful. Not only is she beautiful on the outside, but she has a beautiful heart filled with love for Jesus on the inside.

You'd think as the big sister, I'd be the one teaching Emily life lessons, but she has taught me so much already in just 14 years of her life. Emily and I could not be more opposite, but I love that God gave me a sister who is so unlike me. God has used many of Emily's qualities to further develop and grow the qualities in which I am lacking. My social butterfly, Emmy Kay, continually shows me how a true and loyal friend is supposed to act. Her outgoing nature helps draw me out of my shell, and her fun-loving personality reminds me to not take life so seriously. Thank you, God, for blessing me with such a precious sister who is so full of lessons!

So, today, we praise God for another year of our beautiful, talented, sweet, enthusiastic Emily's life. As each year passes, she matures more and more into a woman of God, and I'm so excited to see how she continues to impact this world for Jesus.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KAY BIRD! I LOVE YOU! 

The Case for Short Term Mission Trips AND an Announcement!!

Disclaimer(s): 

#1: This post will most likely be rather long, but stick through it! And if you really don't have time, just scroll down to the bottom and check out my exciting news! 

#2: I am definitely advocating for short term mission trips, but I understand that the circumstances God has given each of us is different. I totally understand that not everyone has the means or gifts to go on such trips. There must be "go-ers" and "senders." I mean this post to address the criticism against short term mission trips and to explain why they have been so important in my life. 

SO...

We've all experienced moments in our lives when people cocked their heads to the side and said to us, "What on earth do you think you're doing?" For some, this happened when, at the ripe age of 6, they played barber shop with their dear friend, and ended up with quite a funny looking hairdo. 

I think people also ask "What on earth do you think you're doing?" about short term mission trips. Maybe not stated so overtly as in the question above, but you can feel it when you talk to people who don't believe short term trips are worthwhile. They say things like, 

Can't you just send your money instead? 

Biblically speaking, just sending money doesn't really make much sense to me. Not that donating money is bad; I think stewardship is awesome, but when we're arguing whether or not giving should replace going, going will always trump. 

     In Matthew 28:10, Jesus compels His followers, "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing the in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." 

Aren't we followers of Jesus? Doesn't that then compel us to GO too? 

What's more, we show Jesus' love most clearly, boldly, and effectively through building relationships with others. How can we build relationships just by sending money? You're bright, so I'm sure you came up with the answer yourself...You can't!! God works through us to reach people for the kingdom through relationships. To build a relationship we must get to know a person, and to get to know a person, we must GO. 

So it's kind of like a vacation for you though? 

Ok, so no one has ever specifically said this to me, but part of me just knows there are people out there who think it. In part, this is true. Going on a short term trip was about as exciting as a vacation. A new place, a new culture, fun and games, travel. But in a lot of ways, mission trips are not like vacation. On vacation, your heart doesn't break for little kids walking around with tattered shirts and no pants. On vacation, you generally don't have to trust God that you'll survive scary situations. On vacation, your objective is comfort, not discomfort. So, I guess in a way, short term trips are like vacation, but in a lot of ways it's really not. 

Is such a short amount of time really worth that amount of money? 

Can you put a dollar amount on vibrantly experiencing God's tremendous love? 

Is there a specific price for a child who doesn't feel loved to get to learn about and tangibly feel the love Jesus has for him? 

How about a dollar amount for a radically changed heart? 

The truth is I don't think there's a price for carrying out the gospel of Christ. Yeah, it's a bummer that flights cost so much and that we have to pay for a place to rest our heads, but this is God's work we're talking about. There's not a dollar amount that matches.

Short term mission trips are not religious tourism, they're not worthless, they're an expression of faith. They're a chance for a life-changing experience. They're opportunities to break up selfish materialism and pride, and they're a way for God's precious children to physically see His great love for the world. 

If you want an example of God's great power through short term trips, just look at my life. I was the girl who prayed, "Dear God, I'll be anything you want me to be except an astronaut or a missionary." Now, I want to be a missionary nurse. Short term trips change hearts. I promise. 

Ok, so as promised an ANNOUNCEMENT (drum roll please)...

This coming summer, I'm going to Limon, Costa Rica, on a mission trip with Visiting Orphans!!

God has heavily weighed orphans and the oppressed on my heart, so off I go, this time to a Spanish speaking country to use one of gifts He's given me.  

I'm a firm believer that it's never too early to start praying, so pretty please pray for the trip and for our team. 

Stay tuned to find out more about the trip! 

Paid in Full: The Beauty of Grace

But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you."

Sufficient. Adequate. Ample. Complete. Satisfying. Lavish.

A grace that covers. A grace that counters rebellion, pride, failure, imperfection. A grace that is unconditional.

This is the gift we are offered.

This is the beauty of the gospel.

This is what knocks quietly at my heart when I fail time after time to get it right on my own.

God says of grace, “It's sufficient for you, my child. You cannot earn it. It’s already been lavished upon you with the utmost care, without any action on your part. The grace I offer you came at a great price, but I was willing to pay it for you, my beloved. I gave up my best for you, even when you offered me your least. Take my sufficient grace, and run. Run further and faster. Tell everyone you know about this free gift I have given to all humanity. Do not let anything stop you; not the emotional walls you have built up, not the fear of rejection, not racial boundaries, not great, big, blue oceans, not your selfish pride. Rest in my grace, dear one, and delight when you fail to do it on your own because then my all-sufficient grace will cover your failure; my mighty power will work through you. Take the free gift and be satisfied in its ample blessings.”

Let’s rest in the grace of Jesus. Let’s take seriously the promises of His grace. Let’s embrace the fact that we are obligated to share this grace.

Ephesians 2:8

“For it is by grace you have been saved through faith—and this is not from yourselves; it is the gift of God”

Titus 2:11

“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.”

Ephesians 1:7

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.”

Sideline Christians Anonymous

I'm a great pretender; no really, I'm the best. For years I put on a show of what seemed to be "good Christianity." But what was on the outside didn't reflect what was happening on the inside. Deep in my heart, I ignored God. I turned my back on Him and instead decided to focus on my outward appearance, to wear down my body in a dangerous way, and to downright fake the life of a good Christian girl.

But God saw fit to keep pursuing my pitifully lost heart. He set up my life circumstances in exactly the right way, the way that would lead me to pursue Him fearlessly. My family moved to Ohio, and there, I met some of the most spiritually strong young women you'll ever see. At first, I was intimidated by these "spiritual giants," but after a while, I soon realized that what these ladies were living out could be mine to. I didn't have to go through the motions; I could live out the same passionate love for Jesus that they did.

So I decided to give up. I decided to let go and let God. This was just the beginning...

I went to Africa, and everything changed.

I saw people who love the Lord with every fiber of their being. I saw people whose lives will end if they don't rely on God's power each and every day of their existence. These people, these precious, precious sons and daughters of the God Most High showed me how to love God.

I talk all of the time about how God broke my heart for orphans and the oppressed while I was in Africa, but something else happened there too. When I came back from Africa, I ceased to be a girl who is content with going through the motions of Christianity. I stopped being a girl whose life only differs from a non-Christian because of my Sunday schedule. My days as a sideline Christian stopped dead in their tracks.

God revived my sick and dying heart.

I hope people notice how different my life looks, not for my sake, but as a testament to God's redeeming work in each of His children's lives. I hope people see through my "God-story" that God doesn't give up on us when we turn our back on Him. He pursues the lost and the broken, and there's no level of brokenness He won't pursue. Trust me; I've been there. There's no games or gimmicks. It's not rocket science or a magic formula. I simply let go and let God.

Your God-story isn't going to look the same as mine; most of you won't go to Africa, although I hope you do! To be honest, I think it's more of a testament to God's power that all of our stories are different. The vast lengths and diverse ways God will go to captivate your heart are astounding.

Please consider letting go and letting God without holding anything back. You might have to let go of things daily (I know I sure do), but don't live your life as a sideline Christian. You'll be missing out on something AWESOME!

An Eternal Perspective

Life is stressful. It's messy and tiresome. Rarely do things work out the way we want; in fact, they usually go the exactly opposite to how we had pictured.

But in these moments, when people die who weren't supposed to yet, when two year olds get cancer, when decisions weigh heavy, when the work piles up, we have a greater hope.

This is not our home.

In the grand scheme of eternity, is that exam really going to matter? Are you going to care about workplace stress when you're in heaven? Are the worries of this life going to effect you as you stand in the presence of Jesus?

The answer, plain and simply, is no; it's not gonna matter.

But, sometimes, it's hard to let the abstract idea of heaven comfort us in hard times. So this is when we look to the blessings around us, God's mighty presence woven into the very fabric ofour lives.

Here are some of the blessings God's given me

An unwavering support system: God's blessing of family.

A Papa bear who understands, a momma bear who nurtures, a brother who makes me laugh, a sister who shows me how to compassionately love, a brother who shows me fearless determination.

Spiritual Strongholds: God's blessing of friends

My Soul Sistas, who helped set my heart on fire for Jesus and encouraged and challenged me when I wanted to give up.

African brothers and sisters: God's blessing of passion

God provided for this trip to Africa. He broke my heart for orphans and the oppressed. He sent my heart on fire for Him, gave me a vision for the future, and made a place for me to join in His redeeming work of this broken world.

Love: God's blessing of a best friend

Four years ago, I met this handsome fella, and I've not quite been the same since. All I can say is God's timing and planning are perfect. I've been blessed to run closer to God with him running right by my side.

These past two weeks I have been so overwhelmed; overwhelmed with the heart ache of this world and overwhelmed with the amount of things I'm supposed to get done. Foolishly, I didn't turn to my Bible or to prayer; instead, I cried and moped and complained, probably to the chagrin of all those around me. But in the last couple days I've realized that in the grand scheme of my life and in the grand scheme of eternity doesn't matter. What's more, I'm BEYOND blessed, so really I don't have much to complain about.

So, to all of you out there, when your life get's so stressful that you feel like you just want to crawl into bed and never come out, if you're facing something that seems unconquerable, make a list of all of the ways God has taken care of you so far. Remind yourself that in the grand scheme of eternity, what you are facing will be gone in the blink of an eye.

If you're feeling ambitious, I'd encourage you to memorize John 14:27; it's not long, and you can use it as your secret weapon for the times when this life get's too hard.

Rest in God's blessings, dear friends, they're all around you.

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

John 14:27