All The Single Ladies, All The Single Ladies.

All the single ladies, all the single ladies. 

{for the love of being single}.

I see you. I see you as you flip through your newsfeed, and sigh as yet another one of your friends is engaged. Yet another one of your married friends are having a baby. I feel your pain, I share in your longing. I understand the desires of your heart. Those dreams, deep inside of the most vulnerable parts of your soul.Those holy, pure and beautiful dreams. 

I hear your cry, in the dead of night, when you can't fight them any longer, and the emptiness of your bed is more then you can take. I know those angry and confused prayers that you finally break down and pray. I know the frustration. I know the feelings of rejection that comes and attack your identity. I know the hopelessness that sneaks in. I know the lies you hear. I know the insecurities that gnaw at you. Is there decent good men left out there? Let alone a righteous man of God. 

I know, because I'm right there beside you. Fighting the same fight. 

In a moment of hot, angry tears, fresh heartbreak, and major frustration. The elephant in the room came in the form of my unanswered question, and it just seemed to hang there. I wasn’t so sure I wanted the answer anyhow. Yet still, my heart asked for me.

“God, Why am I single?” 

So began my beautiful, eye opening journey of learning heavens perspective. 

Maybe the reason you are single is not because you’re “not pretty enough”. Maybe it’s not because you are “too much”. Maybe the reason you are single is not because you’re “fat”. Maybe it’s not because of any of the things you thought.

What if you find yourself single in this season of life because everything about you is amazing?

What if you are single right now because you have been called into glorious purpose?

What if the Lord is giving you this precious gift of time and freedom?

What if the King of kings set you apart for such a time as this?

What if there is something distinct about this season of singleness that the Lord is calling you into?

What if singleness is a vocation given by God, to be cherished, enjoyed, and to be faithful with?

What if singleness is a gift after all?

"If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" Luke 11:13

How Dare You

“You don’t know the Lord intimately”. 

A lie I had heard repeated over and over again in my heart the past two weeks. They so perfectly aligned with what I was struggling through in this new season. This time of getting to know a new side of the fathers heart. A new side of his face. But I didn’t yet know this new part of his heart yet, and sometimes I struggled feeling as though I don’t know him at all anymore. Confession: Sometimes I still struggle.

“How dare you think you can led others into a life of intimacy with the father, when you don’t even know him yourself”.

Another lie, that felt like a twisted knife, dodging into the deepest places of my heart. I first realized the wording of these lies when I was snuggled up on my couch, spending my last few minutes before leaving for work, just sitting with the Father. 

“You don’t”   

“how dare you”.

That was someone accusing me, and that certainly wasn’t the voice of my papa. My warrior spirit kicked in, and I counter attacked these lies with truth.

“How dare YOU come at me, a daughter of the King, with those ratchet lies! I do know my father intimately, and he knows me!”

It’s then I felt my father, drawing me up into his strong arms. Welcoming me to rest my head upon his chest, so I could hear his heartbeat. I could feel him playing with my hair, as he spoke over me “I love you… I love you…I love you…I love you”. Over and over and over again. The steady rhythm filling me with strength. 

A few days later, as I sit sharing this story with my roommate, a grand revelation comes over me. “I love you” was his heart beat! He is love. His heartbeat is love, and it oozes out love for us, his beloved children!!!!! How blessed are we, when we draw near to him, and receive this great and glorious gift of love! Draw near to hear the unique beat of his heart pounding out ‘I love you…I love you…I love you’ just for you.

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” 1st John 3:1 

To all the Wild and Free

To All The Wild and Free

I was riding passenger,  making my second pb&j of the day, flying southward down I-75. My eyes wandered up to the darkness that covered the earth, and the little red dots of brake lights all along the inerstate ahead of us. My mind drifted back to just a few hours before, as the sun was setting to my right, and I thought to myself the ways the Florida landscape reminded me of Africa. 

Sweet, sweet Africa. The soles of my feet first hit you at nineteen years of age. But I had dreamed of going since I was just a little girl. At twenty, I hadn't gotten enough, and I returned to you again.  Then once more, less then a month after my twenty-first birthday, I spent the spring living out in the bush of Swaziland. 

I'm not exactly sure when it happened,  but now, it stares me right back into my brown eyes every time I see my reflection. 

Freedom.

Wildness.

In the purest of forms. 

As my papa awakened my heart, my soul became fully alive, and new life sparkled, bursting fourth like the rising sun. But these things took place after action. Days of falling facedown in the presence of Jesus. Surrendering all at his feet. Deep sacrifice, and surrendered expectations. I had big dreams, I had deep desires, and I gave every last one to my King. 

He taught me how to remain in his love. He showed me the ways I was striving for things that were already mine., things already given to me. He brought to life the woman I was always meant to be. A woman of freedom.  A woman of wildness.  A kingdom gypsy. 

Now traveling, and adventures are among my favorite ways to spend time with abba. I consider road trips to be a close friend. 

It's in these times I feel his love for me.

It's in these times I feel his delight over me. 

It's in these times I feel fully alive. 

Sure, maybe my body is exhausted, I smell, my hair is a mess, and my lips are chapped. But my soul is so alive and thriving.

There's something beatiful he created in us, this rare bread of humankind. We've tasted the thrill, rush, and excitement of this life of freedom. Lost in wild abandonment. 

I feel him in the power of the waves, as I'm overtaken in the Indian Ocean. 

I see him in the toothless grin of a man living in the slums. 

I hear him in the songbirds of the rainforest. 

But at the end of it all,  conquering a mountain, and crossing into south Africa is not all there is. 

Swimming with sharks and sting rays won't fully satisfy me. 

Jumping off cliffs won't fulfill my innermost being. 

Because, Jesus himself is my crazy, wild, and free.

Losing myself in his look of love for me is my song. His voice speaking tenderly over me is my melody.  I'm running faster, flying higher then ever before, never looking back. The only place I desire to go, and the only place I dream of going is deeper into his heart.

Let us not ever forget, great ones, that intimacy with our beloved creator, King, and friend is the greatest adventure anyone could ever dream up, ask for, or imagine. 

In the woods with daddy.

In the woods with daddy.

The past couple of days, I have had the pure honor of sitting in on teachings from a Strong and mighty warrior of the Lord. It’s in these talks that the Lord used him to wreck my world, and my view point of fear.

FEAR.

Isn’t that something, if we were completely honest, we would have to admit we all struggle with? There are all kinds of fear, and it comes in may forms. The fear of man, (aka, what other people think of me). The fear of failure, the fear of jumping off that cliff and into the unknown, on and on it can go.

But you know what? Fear is nothing but a filthy liar! As a daughter of the King of heaven, fear is not mine to pick up. “For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind”. 2nd Timothy 1:7. Fear is a weapon that the enemy loves to use against us. It causes us to stand still, to take a step back from fighting in the spiritual realms. It puts us in a position of handing control over to him. 

I grew up with the most incredible dad, who just happens to love hunting. I’ve spent countless hours in hunting blinds with him, out in the thick of the northern Michigan woods. When you deer hunt, you wait until after the world has fallen dark to leave the blind, taking the trek back to the car. My dad has no fear of the dark woods. None. 

As a little girl, this spoke volumes to me. As long as I was with him in those dark places, I wasn’t afraid either. He was right there by my side, holding my hand, guiding me in the right direction. I had confidence in him, that even if we were to get attacked by a bear, my dad had a weapon at his side, and he knew how to use it. He wasn’t about to let anything happen to me.

When Christ was resurrected from the grave, he conquered death, and plundered the gates of hell, stripping it of all it’s weapons.

Colossians 2:15 says “In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities (of their power). He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross”. (NLT) Another version says that Jesus “stripped the principalities and the powers”. 

Last night, I was awoken at 3am, and fear threatened to surround me. I knew that this was a turning point. I had the choice to stand my ground and fight this, putting into action all of these notes and wisdom I’ve been taught this last week, or I could give in to the enemy and his lies, allowing myself to be held captive under the lie of fear.

I cried out to the Lord for his strength, and he brought to my heart all of those times I was out in the dark woods with my dad. Abba wasn’t afraid. He told me that I was a big girl, and even though he wasn’t holding my hand, I had to rely on him in faith. Although I couldn’t “feel him” he stood right there next to me, he was within me. 

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you”. James 4:7 Fear now becomes our weapon to use against the enemy, Scripture promises are our sword.

This is my declaration, and I invite you to join me in this, that I will no longer allow the enemy to use the lie of fear over me. He who is in me is stronger than him who is in this world, and it is not me who should be afraid, but him! I have been given the brave and courageous spirit of a warrior. He has given me his complete armor (Ephesians 6:10-18) and I will choose to put on and clothe myself in his truths. 

Lead Me To The Cross

Lead Me To The Cross.

Something had changed. Things were different. What? I didn’t know, I couldn’t figure it out.

All I knew was that I couldn’t feel him anymore. 

I was struggling to hear him. 

I was struggling to find words to pray. 

It felt as though he had turned the water faucet off, and I was suddenly dying of thirst in the desert. 

I knew he was still with me.

I knew that his love for me was still present.

I just couldn’t see it quite the way I could before.

I didn’t feel like myself.

I felt like a hella hot mess. 

Things were physically being stripped from me, left and right. 

Love and joy were things I had to chose and fight for, daily. Hourly.

I didn’t understand anything that was going on with me.

I was on a major struggle roller coaster. 

Then, a few nights ago I had this intense dream.

It was set back in old Roman times, and I watched it all unfold before me.

A husband came to his wife, and told her that she was to be crucified. CRUCIFIED.

She fully submitted, without question, and followed him. Followed him to her death.

I awoke troubled. I knew that this dream was something spiritual, as the Lord often speaks to me through my dreams of the night. But what it meant, I wasn’t quite sure. 

Later the following day, I had the privilege of helping lead worship for a group of young people about to be sent out to the nations on three month long mission trips. It was during worship that the Lord downloaded some throne room perceptive to me on my crazy dream. 

There are things that I need to die to.

I need to die to myself, and give up my control to the Holy Spirit.

Again.

Deeper then ever before this time.

This was an answer to my prayers of wanting more of him, prayers of wanting to go deeper. It was a beautiful representation, of a husband and wife relationship, the love and intimacy that is present. The leadership and head of a husband, and the way Jesus leads me. The way of a wife, and how he has called us to submit to him.

Its a painful process.

It involves grieving, surrendering, losing control.

Honestly, I’m not fully there yet. 

But I want to be there.

And by his amazing grace, love and mercy, I will get there.

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me”. Galatians 2:20

The World Race!

The World Race

11 Months.

11 Countries.

September 2015.

I’M GOING ON THE WORLD RACE

The World Race is a 11 month mission trip, that journeys into 11 countries.

 I will live in tight community with other racers on my squad, as we get to do this crazy life with each other for eleven months. 

Ministry will look different in every county, as we do whatever is needed.

Ranging from construction, orphan care, teaching, evangelizing, prayer walking, door to door home visits, feeding the hungry, ministering to girls on the red light district, on and on it goes.

Overall, my ministry is to see the Kingdom of God come.

I launch in September, and I will be traveling to: Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Japan, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam!!!!!

I need your SUPPORT!

None of this will be possible without YOU!

As far as support goes, you can help support me in at least 3 ways:

1.  First and most importantly you can Pray!  

     Pray for my finances that Father would supply them quickly so that I don't have to worry about it while on the mission field. You can also begin praying that Daddy would prepare me mentally, physically, and spiritually. That Kingdom will come, and hearts will know Jesus.

2.  Tell other people. Word of Mouth will be one of the biggest ways you can help share my story and what Father is about to do.

3.  Lastly you can support me Financially. I need to raise $16,267. If you feel like Father is leading you to support me financially, please pray about it first!  Ask Him what exactly He wants you to give and how. If you feel as though He has said given you the green light after praying, then PLEASE GIVE! Every single dollar and cent will add up, so please do this according to His obedience.

If you'd like to support me financially, you can click on the link below for one time donations: Donations for Brook

For monthly pledges please follow this link here: Monthly Donations for Brook

Lastly you can donate by mail: mail your tax-deductible contribution to:

Adventures In Missions
P.O. Box 534470
Atlanta, GA 30353-4470

Be sure to indicate the purpose of your gift on your check:
For Brook Gelinas (Please include the world racer's full name)

The story of how the Lord called me to the Race coming soon!

p.s. Subscribe to my new world race blog at: www.brookgelinas.theworldrace.org