A Life Pleasing to God

Kelsey Keizer!!!!!

Even though you are on the otherside of the world...sorta...I am still always talking about you and its like you are still here. Me and the girls on the team are always reminded of you when ever we her the song "love, love, love, love I want your love" from the chapel you did! It cracks me up cuz I can hear you singing it! I am always doing the Kelsey Keizer dance and cracked up with Jordann watching your christmas video you and the family made!
Just yesterday Turk reminded me of you because she was wearing her shirt that says I love boji! I am so proud of you and that you went through with going to Prague for the gospel of Christ and its pretty sweet He has allowed you to play the sport you love and that he has blessed you with.

I just want to fill you in on what going on here in Des Moines...especially what the Lord is teaching me! Its unbelievable!
Basketball has been really challenging but a total blessing and learning experience. I have really been humbled by the whole thing.

Phillipians 2:3b-4 In humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interest, but also to the interests of others.

Our flesh wants us to only care about our needs and what we want. Recently I have really been praying that God would give me a servant's heart and a desire to reach out to the lost. I specifically having been asking the Lord to transform my heart and mind into that of Pauls. This is such a huge prayer to ask. Just look at how willing Paul was to follow Christ with his life. He gave up everything because he new to give up his life for Christ was to truly have life!

Phillipians 1:20-21 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

He was so pulled between staying here on earth to do the work of the Lord and to go to heaven to be with OUR savior!!!! He knew the truth and was completely living for it! This has just really been on my heart and if for any reason you are struggling or if you were second guessing why God brought you to Prague know that you are there to do the work of Christ! You don't have to be like Paul who went on missionary journey's and preached when he was told by officials to keep his mouth shut or he would be put in jail. You can just do the small things. Encouraging teammates, talking or building relationships with people who aren't appreciated, serving your friends, leaders, or teammates!

The same God who was in Paul's heart is in our hearts!!!! Wow!

I know that for me I feel that God's not using me on the team, I have been such an awful example to the team and not willing to give myself fully to Christ. Why would Christ ever want to use someone so selfish and prideful? The truth is, I put God in a box in, but that was not what happened. God still worked through me to reach out to girls on the team. HE IS SO FAITHFUL! Lauren and I had an opportunity to share with Katie and read the bible with her. Ellie opened up to me and told me that her faith has been strengthened so much since she has come to Drake and she feels like she has gotten closer to the Lord and is reading her bible! I was able to have enough confidence to ask the team to come to alive tonight and they all sounded pretty interested! God is so big even when I make him small in my mind!

My prayer is that you are on fire for the Lord, and things can be going great in Prague! But just know Kelsey that if you do face hard times, God never turns his back on us and he is never leaving us to do the work on our own! Praise God that he loves us so much that he desire to use us!

Psalm 63:3
"Because your steadfast love is better than life my lips will praise you."
Psalm 3:3
"Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart."
Proverbs 3:5-6
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

Lauren shared this with me yesterday and I absolutely loved it! I hope you enjoy it too!
Romans 12:9-13
"Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hopitality."

I am praying for you Kelsey, I miss you, and I love you!

Rachael