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

Arise, my love

Arise, my love.

I recently came across a quote, and it made me shutter inside.

“We live like zombies.

 We wake up,

 carry out habits,

and go to sleep.

Only to wake up

 and do it again.

You exist,

but do you feel alive?”.

“This isn’t right!” I wanted to scream. This is not how Abba has created us to live, walking around like zombies?  But when I took a step back, this is how the vast majority of us live. I look at our families, our city, our nation, and my heart breaks. We walk around this earth tired, hurting, broken. It’s as though we drift through this life asleep.

I look back at my own life, and remember. I remember the emptiness of boring, daily routines. I felt like it was slowly killing me. I could be around people all day, but still feel so alone. My days were filled with small talk. People at work asking “how are you?” as I passed them in the hallways. They never even stopped walking. 

I knew Jesus. I had a relationship with him. He kept calling me to go deeper with him, and I kindly put him in a box,  holding him at a comfortable length. Where I didn’t have to surrender anything, and I still held all of the control. I felt like I was in a season of waiting. Waiting for what? I didn’t really know. But I knew that there had to be more. I felt like one of the disney princesses, waiting around for my life to begin.

Then, I fell madly in love with Jesus. His love for me lead me to surrender, and from that surrender came freedom. Sweet, sweet freedom. 

He kissed my forehead and awakened my soul.

Now I am fully alive! I have daily adventures, just by being with him. I know exactly who I am. I grasp the royalty that I am, as His daughter. I live in freedom and grace. I glow with the radiance he gives. I shine under the delight he bestows upon me. I know the love he has for me. 

Then, this morning, I was reading one of my favorite passages of scripture. It comes from Isaiah 60 and it reads;

“Arise, shine, for your light has come,
    and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.

See, darkness covers the earth
    and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
    and his glory appears over you.

Nations will come to your light,
    and kings to the brightness of your dawn…

 Then you will look and be radiant,
    your heart will throb and swell with joy.

Papa showed me something that I hadn’t paid any special attention to before. His first call is to arise. Wake up sleeper! It’s the gentle and loving kiss on your forehead from your daddy, as your all snuggled up in your own comforts. He’s calling you to get up! Get out of this zombie funk you’ve fallen into. 

Awaken your soul to His love. Awaken your spirit to live this life! Then, oh only then dear one will you shine. Because His light has come, its here! 

Can’t you hear him?

 “Arise, my love. It’s time to awaken, it’s time to live”.

    

21 great things things about being twenty-one.

21 great things things about being twenty-one.

Two days after turning twenty one, I was laying on my bedroom floor, dreaming with Jesus. He told me that this next year was going to be a crazy adventure. 

He did not disappoint. 

This year past year has been a crazy ride. From living in Africa, to moving to Georgia. I have fully stepped into myself, into who he has created me to be. I have been set free. I have overcome so many fears.

I have become the woman I have always dreamed of becoming.

It is all because of Jesus, and I will take that as one of the best birthday gifts I could ever ask for. But what are some of the awesome things that happened this year? I’ve narrowed it down to 21.

1. Bringing in the new year with friends, in the old streets of downtown Traverse City.  We froze our bootys off with the temperature hovering in the single digits. But it was worth every minute.  

2. Meeting Kenzie. My friend, my new sister, “my person”.

 It was only a day after meeting you at training camp, we hadn’t even said ten words to each other yet. But somehow I just knew you’d be as weird and as crazy as I am, and I told you so.

3. Waking up in Johannesburg, South Africa. The sun warmly drifted through the window, onto my face.  I slowly awoke, and smiled. I was in South Africa. This was a dream come true.

4. Living in Swaziland, Africa. It was like being on a honeymoon with Jesus, and it was all a dream come true. 

5. Getting picked up on the side of the road, and riding in the back of a pickup truck, flying down the highway (Swaziland).

Yes, it was crazy. Yes, we almost died. Yes, it was awesome. 

6. Seeing a giraffe in a field, as we casually drove past (Swaziland).  Apologies again to my teammates for my loud squeal of pure joy.  But seriously, it was so great.    

7. Holding those precious african children, as they fell asleep on me almost everyday (Swaziland). One of the best things ever.

8.  Worshiping under the vast blanket of African stars. You really can’t beat it…

9. Receiving approx. 100 marriage proposals. (Swaziland).

It was really rather awkward in the moment, but they make for good stories now!

10.  Playing in the waves of the indian Ocean, at St. Lucia beach (South Africa). That was one of the best days of my life. 

11. Living in community with my “Swazi family”. I had the most amazing teammates. Doing daily life with them, serving along side of them day after day. It was an amazing privilege.

12. Receiving my Swati name (Swaziland). My Swati name is Buhle, and it means “beauty”. Its pronounced kinda like “boo-jay” only, you kinda stick your tongue out when you say it.

13. That African safari through Kroger National Park (South Africa).  Elephants, Zebras, giraffes, Lions, oh my! 

14. Stepping off of that airplane, and being welcomed back home by an airport full of people that I love. 

You all sure do know how to make a girl feel loved.

15. Spending my summer in Northern Michigan.

Sun, lakes, small towns all along lake Michigan. There’s no place like home.

16. Visiting in Indiana. 

I had the privilege of staying with an amazing family in northern Indiana for a couple of weeks in July, and they spoiled the living day lights outta me. 

17. The road trip down to Georgia.

I got to travel down to my new house with my momma. It was fantastic.

18. Living on my own (Georgia).

Miss independent. Need I say more?

19. Doing life with my Georgia community.

These people are amazing, and I am so blessed to call them my friends. To be challenged, encouraged, and loved by them. 

20. All of the opportunities I get to lead worship (Georgia).

It is a pure honor to gather with other believers, leading them in praising our King.

21. Exploring the grand adventures of the future Abba has for me, daily.

My twenty first year was the best one yet, and I can’t wait to see what’s to come for my twenty second!

Thankful

Thankful

The cold wind hit my face hard, as I took a deep breath in. The air, crisp and clean. Big, chunky snow flakes fell softly from the sky, joining the heavy white blanket of snow that already covered the ground beneath my feet.

I was home.

Suddenly it was like I had never left, and Georgia had never happened at all. But Georgia did happen, and now? I have two places I call home. My season here is so unbelievably good, that sometimes it still feels like a dream. Sometimes I still can’t believe that I get to do life like this.

 Last week, I broke down and started crying, simply because of the Lords goodness. He’s crazy faithful, and I just got so overwhelmed by Him. I got so lost in His love, as it covered me like a blanket. I was drowning in His affection over me, His delight. 

He has brought me so far to be in this place with him. He has pursued my wandering heart so fiercely, to bring me to be doing what I do. I used to be so fearful, wrapped in chains of anxiety. Then he brought me into His glorious freedom, and now I get to proclaim it to others.

Abba has lead me to living in the bush of Africa, and now he’s lead me to live in a cute little house in northern Georgia. He’s lead me to be a part of Center for Global Action. I rarely ever understand His plan when its still far off in the future, but he’s brought me to a place of being so in love with him that I have the trust to take the jump, fearlessly. 

But in all of this coming and going, the Lord has also blessed me with people who are willing to take the jump with me. Family, friends, and even complete strangers who say YES to papa, and make the sacrifice to give to my serving adventures. I couldn’t do it with you.

So, thank you. Thank you for saying yes. Thank you for your obedience. Thank you for supporting the Kingdom. Thank you for supporting me. Thank you for your sacrifices, and faith. Thank you for your selflessness, thank you for loving me. I pray for an abundance of blessings for you, and your family, both now, and forever more.   

A look back: Center for Global Actions. (first semester)

A look back: Center for Global Actions. 

(first semester)

It’s seven days until Christmas. Tomorrow morning, I hop on a plane to take me nine hundred miles north. Today, I finish up on my work projects, say countless goodbyes, and praise the Lord for all of the amazing things that have taken place over the past four months here. Today wraps up my first semester at Center for Global Action (CGA).

My time here has flown by! It’s been rewarding, hard, painful, and some of the best times of my life. I’ve grown in more ways then I can count. I am pressed with new challenges daily to help me grow, and I welcome them, gladly. I live in a community of like minded believers, who are on fire for the Kingdom. As iron sharpens iron, we sharpen each other.

I was honored to be a part of  Worship Track. We dove into the heart of worship, and what a lifestyle of worship looks like. I had four amazing leaders, who are full of inspiring wisdom, knowledge and freedom. Through this course, I gained deep insight to the power worship brings, and the ways it’s able to literally change atmospheres, cities and nations.

They caught wind of my singing, and ran with it. They took the time to pour into me, and challenge me in such loving and honoring ways.  I’ve had the honor of helping lead worship down at our cities square, in local churches, in Pennsylvania, for our all staff Monday morning worships, and lead two hour sets, at our twelve hour burns. Then I had the incredible privilege of leading at the first ever     Beauty for Ashes Retreat, for teen girls. 

 I completed my two classes of  “Dangerous Jesus” and “Calling”.  

With these, I had my mind blown weekly. The knowledge, wisdom, and power of the Holy Sprit that was present was insane. 

In Dangerous Jesus, I learned of the radical way Jesus calls us to live, and what that looks like for me. I was challenged, pushed out of my comfort zone, and poured into. I learned what biblical discipleship looks like, and how to go out and disciple others myself, among so many other things. In Calling, I was given the tools to look back and dive into what the Lord has already put in place for my calling, that I was totally unaware of. I was coached and encouraged, and at the end of it all, I can confidently say that I know what the Lord’s calling on my life is.

I have worked in the department of “Short Term Missions” (STM) at Adventures in Missions. I have learned first hand all of the work that go into sending thousands of missionaries onto the field. I’ve gained real life skills, and grown in networking with other missionaries, and I get to influence thousands of people (literally) through my work with our social media marketing.

This season has been the start of my life in full time ministry, and I am so overjoyed that the Lord chooses to use me. My relationship with the Lord these past four months has been incredible. He’s leading me into a deeper intimacy with him, teaching me obedience, and showing me that no matter whats going on around me, all I need is to keep my eyes on Him. 

It’s a humbling thing to be 100% support raised. It’s humbling knowing that I’m paying for groceries with money that the Lord has provided for me, through my amazing supporters. It brings about full dependence on Jesus, and a deeper faith then I could have ever imagined. But I wouldn’t be able to do what I do without those who support me, from what the Lord chooses to do through you. So, thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for your investments in eternal things. Because of you, the Kingdom of the living God is advancing. I truly think of you all as a part of this ministry team, and together, we are claiming souls, and taking territory for the Kingdom.

His Kingdom come, His will be done.

On earth as it is in heaven.

Merry Christmas, and an abundance of blessings to you and your families!

Much love,

-Brookie

I am only $3,200 dollars away from being fully funded! If you would like to donate to Adventures in Missions, on my behalf, check out all the ways you can give here: http://brookgelinas.blogspot.com/p/support-me.html