South Africa Love

It was on November 9, 2012 that I received an email telling me I had been accepted on the South Africa Mission Trip. It was that night that I became a fervent believer that dreams do come true. It is now January 21, 2013. Over the last two months, I have been blessed to meet and connect my team. I made my first payment of $295.00. Thank you to those who donated. It really rocked my world.

I am now two months away from an 8 year old dream coming true. I will be traveling to South Africa ministering to and loving on the people. Over a span of 18 days, I will visit cities such as Cape Town, George and various townships. In these cities I will have the honor to share and spread love and hope. This trip really means so much to me. It’s so much more than visiting a beautiful country. It’s not a vacation. It’s a mission. It’s entering a new culture and appreciating the people and their world. It’s releasing restoration and hope to a hungry nation. It’s calling out the gold and loving on the communities. This trip, for me, is about shedding light in dark places, it’s being the full expression of love.

I can’t do this alone. As you read this, in 24 hrs, I have a payment of $1350 due. I need this payment paid off by noon (West Coast time) tomorrow in order to secure a ticket to South Africa. More than ever before I am believing for total financial breakthrough in the area of provision for this trip. I know this is where I’m called to go in this season. Daily my heart grows in love, anticipation, and hope for South Africa.. Your prayers are greatly appreciated!

To donate to this dream, just go to: http://missiontrips.ibethel.org. There will be a section that gives you a chance to give. Type in my name, Danae Carson, and my profile will come up. From there you can donate. Every amount counts and all donations are tax deductible. Thank you so much for reading this and for your support!! You are awesome!

Til next time,

D

Rest

“You have to be a human being before you are a human doing” – Kris Vallotton (Supernatural Ways of Royalty)

 Have you ever felt like there was never a moment to just pause, or when something is complete you are so drained you can’t relish in the beauty of what you’ve accomplished?  If you’ve answered yes, I want to present something with you. Firstly, above is a quote I love. The idea behind it is that what we do does not and cannot determine our identity. True identity comes from the truth of knowing who we are and BEING that person. When we get to a place where what we do determines who we are, we enter a downward spiral of a performance-based life that is riddled with comparison, low self-esteem, and a constant battle to measure up. Secondly, remember that:

1.  You are human. 
2. You cannot do everything nor be everything to everyone.
3. It’s okay to say no, because you matter.

Yeah, I said it, YOU matter. I can’t emphasize that enough. YOU are important. YOUR well-being is essential. See, when we operate solely out of a place of doing, we will run ourselves ragged. I am getting to a place where if I’m doing/giving out at 50% or lower, I practice the word ‘no’. Those I’m working with, in relationship with, and the things I’m working on deserve a fully invested me. I desire to be fully devoted and able to pour into my dreams and relationships from a place of wholeness and rest. If I’m not there, I allow myself the grace to step back and regroup. It’s important for me to BE me first.

In knowing this, do you think it is possible that we are unable to truly rest because we are operating out of a place of doing versus being? For me the answer is yes! When I placed my purpose and identity in a title, position, or job, I began to work from a place of striving. This led to me feeling burdened, pressured, you name it. That’s the complete opposite of rest! I’ve come into the realization that life is not about simply doing, it is being. When I am secure in the reality of my identity, I am LIVING. I am RESTING.

With all of this in mind, I want you to know that resting is doable and it doesn’t have one look. How you rest is unique to you, to your needs, and to your situation. One thing for sure is that when you are resting, you will know. So, just to clarify, resting is not limited to sleep. PLEASE understand that you can rest and not be asleep. Resting is not just a physical thing; it is an emotional, mental, and spiritual thing. I personally believe that I should be operating, communicating, and living from a place of rest. Now what would that look like if rest was only sleeping? Yeah…..it wouldn’t work out too well. To me, rest looks like security and peace. It’s knowing and being confident in who I am and living from that reality. Rest is being connected to my heart and my spirit and knowing when to say no. It’s loving myself enough to make sure I’m where I need to be emotionally, physically, and spiritually to be able to do and pour out all that I desire to.

So think about it, feel free to answer the questions in the post, they aren’t rhetorical! I’d love to hear from you so don’t hesitate to comment below, and REST. Find your inner peace, begin to live from a place of being and watch how things shift!

Til next time,

D

So long, Farewell

It was a cold night. I stood in an apartment in Brooklyn. Surrounded by laughter, chatter, and the comfort of friends, the countdown for the New Year began. It was seconds away. I stood there chanting, letting the reality of this pending year sink in. It was gonna be my year. I would be graduating college in 4 months. My future was staring down at me. The clock struck midnight. Whatever inhibitions I had in 2011 were sealed in the year past. I had no clue what to expect in 2012.

Now, with the New Year moments away, I sit in awe. This year really has been the beginning of the rest of my life. So many things have happened over the last 12 months.

It was in January that God told me to take a year off. In April, I completed my first collection of short stories that I aspire to have published some day. The month after, graduated college. In June, I felt the call to Bethel. This summer, I began to experience life in a whole new way. I meet new people and went deeper with people I hold dear. Spiritually, I learned what it meant to depend on God. I learned to trust myself, to trust my heart. The last half of 2012, I have spent on a new journey that is nowhere near done. I moved to California. I allowed my heart to become entwined with amazing people. I entered a deeper level of intimacy with God. I FINALLY finished a journal I started two years ago. While I’ve learned and seen so many things, there are four things I’ve learned, encountered, and experienced that will follow me for the rest of my life.

The first is that I’ve learned what it means to GIVE YOURSELF UP FOR A PERSON and what it means and looks like to have someone do the same for you. It can definitely be a challenge, but honestly it’s one of the most humbling, genuine, and committed acts of value I’ve encountered. To give yourself up for a person is to deny you. It’s cherishing the truth and beauty of a relationship in the season that it’s in. It’s putting the other person ahead of you. It’s completely selfless. It takes humility, patience, and self-control. I’m honored to know people who have done this and do it. I can openly say I’m learning to be this person.

Secondly, DREAMS DO, CAN, AND WILL COME TRUE. I’m a dreamer at heart, I always will be. For a long time, I really felt it wasn’t a good thing, you know? I was a dreamer mixed with an idealist, just sounds wrong right? Well, this year I realized I am not just a dreamer-idealist. I am a dreamer-idealist grounded in the truth of God’s faithfulness. I’ve seen Him do it. I’ve witnessed the impossible become possible. I’ve seen Him open the doors and let the desires and dreams of long past come true. I’m proof!! An eight-year-old dream to travel to South Africa is in the works of becoming true. This is the first of many dreams that will be fulfilled!!

Thirdly, I CAN HAVE WHAT I WANT. Call me whatever you like, I FIRMLY believe this and that’s because my heart wants what God wants for me therefore I’m gonna have it. The insane thing is, growing up, I always felt like whatever God would have me do would be something I would have to grow to love or I would always hate it. Umm….THAT’S A LIE. He’s a good and faithful daddy. God wants to see me happy. He wants to see me prosper and excel and be all He created me to be. As I have grown into a deeper level of intimacy with Him, my heart and His are beginning to melt together. My spirit is learning to be in constant communion with His and because of this, I can confidently walk in the reality that what I desire is in tune with the heart of the Father, therefore it will happen. It’s Psalms 37:4 fulfilled. It’s beautiful.

Fourthly, THERE IS MORE. There is. Point blank. There is so much more to life. Life is an adventure. There is so much to see, to taste, to touch, to experience. I won’t settle.

With that said, so long, farewell 2012. You have rocked my world. I know 2013 will be phenomenal. I know it will be an amazing year. So many things are going to unfold. I’m super excited for you who are reading this. As you go into this new year, I bless you to go after your dreams. I encourage you to learn more about you. I encourage you to go deep. Allow your heart to connect with others in a new way. Have a safe, memorable, exciting, adventurous New Year!!!

Til next year,

D