Fasting for...

             As of January 13th I began a 21 days fast with The Harvest church. For the past 10 days I have been eating nothing but raw fruits and veggies. 
            I could easily lie to everyone and say that this is really simple and not a hard thing to do at all. But is is not. This fast is one of the hardest things I have probably done in my entire life! I mean me, a teenage girl, is giving up CHOCOLATE for 21 days! (Goodness what was I thinking!) 
           People who partake in a fast all fast for different reasons. For me, I am fasting for a couple things. And God is using this time for His glory and His purpose in my life. 
           For one, I am fasting to prepare my heart for Kenya. I want to spend time dwelling in his word and find out what my purpose in Kenya will be. "...Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." -Matthew 4:4
          And the second thing I am fasting for is my relationship with my dad. As some know, my dad is an alcoholic. Alcohol has taken over his life. I know I can't blame him for his illness, for he is hurting himself. He was in the army for several years. In the front lines, he saw his best friends killed, and him himself killed those who tried to hurt our freedom. He didn't get the help he needed when he was discharged and so he treated himself with alcohol and prescription drugs.
          My mom and him are recently divorced. And although he isn't apart of my life, he is still my dad. I long for a relationship with him. However, I have to forgive him; forgive the things that he did, the things he said, everything. 
         I've been working on the forgiveness process for quite sometime now. Some things have changed though. And it is time for me to finally get this step over with. Things like me becoming a big sister. My dad and his girlfriend had a baby girl on Monday, January 14th. Alexis Ann Lynch, my goodness, I am a big sister. I may be 16 years older than her, but I am a big sister. Something I have dreamed and longed for for as long as I can remember. 
        Alcohol and prescription drugs is still unfortunately apart of my dad's life and his girlfriends too. It is not by chance I am that little girl's big sister. God made me her big sister, so that years from now, when she is questioning her life wondering why things are so hard, why she has alcoholic parents, why she was given the cards she was; I will be there. I will be there as a shoulder for her to cry on, someone to talk to, a listening ear, someone who has been there and done that. Someone who got through it. 
        I got through it with love, support, and a guiding hand from others who went through it as well. 
        That is what our stories are for, that is what they are about. They are testimonies of life. Life that kept on going and kept on moving even when the world seemed to be crashing down around us. Life that truly became life!
        So this fast, isn't just something I am doing just to do. I am doing it to deepen my relationship with God and to get things moving on the right track. 
        I am going to prepare my heart, my mind, and my soul for Kenya. The things I will see and the things I will experience. And I am going to get over my hurt and my pain from my dad and finally let that chapter in my life close so I can hold my baby sister's hand when she thinks no one in the world cares.  

        I'm letting go.
        I'm letting God. 

Kenya Bound Support...

                    These feet of mine have taken me everywhere. To the border of Mexico, to the red dirt road of Arizona. To the villages of Haiti, the streets of the Netherlands, and the lakes of Italy. 
                    This summer, God has put an amazing new opportunity at my feet. God has been working in my life like crazy. He has been reveling His will and His call for me more and more with every passing day. 
                    From July 11th - July 21st of this coming summer God has called myself and a team of nineteen others to Nairobi, Kenya! On this mission trip we will be spreading the gospel to the locals, painting at a local school, loving on and working with the orphaned, and whatever else they may need from us while we are there. 
                   I believe God will watch over me, but I would like to ask for you and your family to pray for my team and I. Of all the things you can do to support me, prayer is the most important! Pray that our hearts will be prepared emotionally, mentally that we will be prepared for what we are going to see and experience, and also that our financial needs will be met.   

                   To go on this mission trip we each need to raise $3,000; this will be a major challenge for each of us. However, I STRONGLY believe that God can and will provide. The cost covers travel to and from, lodging, meals, and supplies for the projects while there.
                   I am overwhelmed with the joy of getting to see how we can make a difference in Kenya. Would you pray about helping me with a small donation? Even a small donation of $10 goes a long way! Whether you feel lead to contribute financially or commit to prayer (or both), I truly appreciate your support. If you feel lead to contribute to God's call for me financially, the best way would be to write a check payable to Chase Oaks Church and slip it into an envelope in the mail to me. I will then turn it into the church so you will receive a tax deduction receipt. 
                  I will communicate before we leave on specific things we need prayer for and also report back with an update on how things went and the amazing things God did on our journey. 
                 My best of wishes and prayers to all!

                 "Jesus said to His disciples, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creation."' -Mark 16:15


Feel free to contact me personally!
booyah_61496@yahoo.com
469-396-8115

Address to Send Checks:
Courtney Lynch
304 Willow Brook Dr. 
Allen, TX 75002

Authentic

Authentic [au-then-tik] adjective: not false or copied, genuine

            Authentic; I have decided that that will be my word for the year 2013. There is many reasons behind this word to me. Probably the main reason would be because I feel like I hide/ not as open with my faith as I feel like I should be. I feel like I hide who I truly am and who I truly want to be with others because I am too worried about fitting in, but that's high school for you. 

            I need to put my faith into action, not only on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays; my faith needs to be in action all day, everyday, 24/7. The only way to make a true connection with God and to see myself how He sees me is to put forth the time and the effort. 

            I have to remember that no matter what chapter of life I am in right now that God is STILL writing. He is not done, and there is more to come. I am thankful beyond belief for the amazing people God has put in my life to remind me of the beautiful master piece God made me; sometimes when life is rocky, it's incredibly hard to remember, but they remind me (even when I am stubborn). 

            Being authentic with my faith may step on some peoples toes and I am completely aware of that. Am I nervous? Beyond! There is a lot of things in my life that are going to have to change if I truly want to be authentic. It sure as heck not going to be easy.  

            I'm just a ordinary girl, with a dysfunctional life, following God's call all at the same time.

            Let go. Let God. Now lets do this :)  

What 2013 Brings...

          Happy New Year!!! I hope and pray that everyone had a wonderful holiday season enjoyed by lots of laughs and giggles from all :) 
          As the new year begins I can't help but to smile with joy for the excitement to come. God has great things planned for everyone! A part of my new year "resolution" (I guess you could call it that) was to start a blog. God is doing great and amazing things in my life, and there is only many more to come. 
        One BIG thing coming up this summer is that I am continuing God's call for me and my life. This summer, July 11th-21st, I will be heading to the beautiful grounds of Kenya. Yes, I am talking about Kenya as in Africa!! I know, I know, I am 16 years old, but God has made His call and His will clear to me more and more with every passing day. Since the 7th grade I have partaken in five full mission trips to eleven different places (Texas, Arizona, Haiti, England, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, France, and Louisiana). 
        My purpose become more and more clear to me with every step, every breath, every smile, and every tear. 
        I tend to get a lot of mixed reactions from people when I tell them about my upcoming trip to Kenya. Some are happy for me and thrilled about the adventures that are to come. Others are nervous, and think that I will attract some disease. And some question why I need to leave the country in the first place and think/say it's a little ridiculous. I answer/respond to all those questions and comments with a smile and say, "I'm just following what God has called me to do." Some understand, and some don't. And those who don't, I just see it as God working through them and He is working through me.
         Call me crazy, but I am homesick for places I've never been; I'm craving relationships that have yet to begin, and I'm longing to be the woman God created me to be. I'm in love with places I've never been to and people I've never met. 
          I am NOT just only 16. Age doesn't matter; anyone can be the hope, the joy, and the change someone needs in their life to get them going. 
          I fail God daily, but I am only human and God does NOT define us by our sins. (Thank goodness for that, because if He did, I'd be in deep, deep, deep water!) I've gone done paths I'm not proud of and I've done things that I am ashamed of. But guess what...God keeps pulling me back and saying to me, "Court, this is just one page of your story, I'm not done with you. Amazing things have yet to come, and amazing things are still to be done. Just don't give up." 
         Every time a page is turned in my story, as I grow older, I realize how much more joy and happiness I have in my life when I am following Him, and living my life on His purpose. That those sins, those things that keep me from Him, don't even begin to compare. 
         So that's what I am doing, and that is what I intend to do. To live my life for Him and not hold onto the struggles that could hold me back if I let them. Every single minute you spend regretting something is a minute wasted because that minute could have been spent in love, in passion, and in hope.

           I hope and pray for all those around me that they will see the doors that are open in front of them and not focus on those that are closed. I will continue to update on the progression of our trip and more details to come as well. 

Love & God Bless,
Courtney Gail <3