Alignment

As many of you know, I had a lot of problems with my back in the month of January. I popped a rib out of place somehow in worship… Don’t ask how! (I may have been jumping and dancing a little too crazy) Anyway, I am feeling a LOT better! Praise God! Tons of people have been faithfully praying for me and I believe that God is answering those prayers! I have also been going to the chiropractor, Dr. Parker, to keep everything in place. The Lord has taught me a lot about what it means to be aligned.

My flesh WILL be uncomfortable while I give up all control and invite the Holy Spirit to do what only He can do in my life. My back and my heart have a lot in common. No matter how IN PLACE and IN LINE my heart is one day the next day it will be OUT OF PLACE and OUT OF LINE. It’s very confusing to leave the chiropractor because my back usually feels worse right after I am adjusted. I asked Dr. Parker about it and he explained to me how when he sets my ribs and spine back IN place my muscles (FLESH) do not immediately follow. They are used to the prior spot and will actually end up trying to PULL my back OUT once again. The Holy Spirit really spoke to me in that moment on how it’s also true with my heart. I can invite Jesus to align my heart to His and then my FLESH (my thoughts, my feelings, my laziness, my pride, etc…) will PULL against it wanting comfort and things to be how they have always been. “There is no good in me apart from Him.” (Psalm 16:2) I NEED HIM TO ALIGN ME!

In life, it is tempting to try to align MYSELF, to try to fix myself, or to deal with my sin and pain on my own because I’m tired or just “don’t have time” to go to the Father. Just like I have been tempted to try to put my own back in place because I don’t want to drive and pay money to go to the chiropractor. It’s also easy to just run to PEOPLE with my pain and ask them to “give me advice” or in other words “pop my back real fast” … When I truly need to run to my Healer FIRST! A lot of times when I run to other things I end up making the problem worse!

It has been very humbling being limited physically and if I need so badly for my back to consistently adjusted and aligned, how much more does my heart need it? To be honest, it has been easy with how busy my schedule is here at Teen Mania to get frustrated on days when I cannot get out of bed because of the pain. I can feel offense rising in my heart towards the Lord because “I just want to be healed so that I can be more effective in ministry.” The very fact that my focus is on myself and not on my Creator is just the beginning of the problem. My eyes need to get off of myself! I’m thankful for the Holy Spirit’s role in my life to continue to be so patient with me and adjust things in my life and heart that need adjusting so that I can be aligned with His will.

“You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your RIGHT HAND supported me, and your GENTLENESS made me great.” (Psalm 18:35)

 His right hand supports me. His gentleness is what makes me great. Since the chiropractor knows how the spine works and how to help, I am completely at peace when he is pushing and moving things. I trust him to do what is for my best. I want the same to be true of my trust in the Lord with my ENTIRE LIFE. That I KNOW that His ways are higher than my own. (Isaiah 55:9) I want to be completely at peace as He reveals things that at first are uncomfortable for me, but in the long run will prove to be for my best. I am so thankful that God can see the BIG PICTURE even when I can’t.

Basically, I am learning that it is a best place to be in the hands of the GREAT physician! He knows what we need before we ask! He sees the X-ray of what is UNDER what we can see on the surface. I'm very thankful for that.

New Year Update!

“Behold, I am doing a NEW thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:19

I know it is a few weeks late, but I want to wish you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR! I cannot believe that it is January 2013 already. I guess that theory that as you get older life goes faster is coming true for me! ;) Again, thank you to everyone who is partnering with me this year in support and prayer. I cannot thank you enough for believing in the work the Lord is doing in and through me at Teen Mania Ministries. I LOVE looking at my calendar everyday and praying for my big family!! I am still praying that the Lord will bring 3 more sponsors in His timing (23^rd, 27^th, 29^th). Let me know if that's something the Lord has placed on your heart to do. :)

Prayer and Support Family '12-'13

This is going to be a pretty power packed update… so buckle up! You might want to take it in sections. This is probably what most people call a “Newsletter” so we’ll go with that! Lots of links, pictures, and updates. :)

One Thing Is Necessary...

There is so much that I could write about, but more than anything I just keep coming back to the story of Mary and Martha:

“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but ONE THING IS NECESSARY. Mary as chosen the GOOD PORTION which will NOT be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42

There will ALWAYS be more things to do, but there is ALWAYS only ONE thing that is necessary: To sit at His feet. To leave behind the cares of this world, the importance of ministry, and the worries in our mind to simply behold Him. I have been like Martha for most of my life, but I want to learn how to be like Mary. I want to be able to see through the business of life and know what is most important. The fact that we have full access to Jesus is such a gift that should not be overlooked. So, as I update you on some of the other things that have been going on these past few months, know that it’s been a process of remembering the ONE thing that is necessary through it all.

Home

I was so blessed to spend Thanksgiving AND Christmas at home with the Sprague Tribe and loved every single day! 

In case you missed it, I had the opportunity to share with my Daddy at Life Church one weekend while I was home. “The Legacy of the Kingdom” I pray the Lord encourages and speaks to you. Don’t get too distracted by how alike our hand motions and mannerisms are! Like father like daughter. ;) Here’s the link:

Life Church Media
(Click above and scroll down until you find it)

"As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk IN Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, ABOUNDING in thanksgiving. Colossians 2:6

I really do miss my family a lot. I talk to my mom almost every other day and keep up with the Sprague life. Every time I am home I am amazed at how fast everyone is growing up! Keep praying for their health and wisdom for my parents. Justus and Hannah are potty trained and talking so much more! Allie is becoming more beautiful and FULL of personality! Nicole is a part time intern at the church while a senior at Olathe South. Levi beat my dad in Fantasy football and is continuing to learn more songs on the Piano! OH HOW I MISS THEM! Levi's latest addition to his song collection:

Brazil

Two girls from Brazil that were translators on my trip were able to come up for the onething conference over New Years which was such a dream come true to see them again! They had never seen snow before so as we were all praying against it, they were praying for it! I guess the Lord wanted to answer their prayer more! It is really an amazing thing when you find people with the same vision and passion for the Lord across the world. I love how uniting it is to follow Jesus! 

I know that it’s been awhile, but I wanted to share some testimonies and pictures over video and thank everyone who was a part of mission last summer. One of the girls, Vanessa, also wanted to share how much of an impact us coming to her country was in her life and what their church is continuing to do there. It is SO EXITING to see how the Lord continues to move in mighty ways 6 months after our trip! Check it out:

My last blog post is a written version of what I shared in the video. :) Thank you everyone who made that trip possible! God definitely exceeded anything I could have asked for or imagined.

 
"...It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me." 

Galatians 2:20

(There are more pictures in the slide show!)

Honor Academy
I'm in my second year here at the Honor Academy and the Lord has been so faithful to continue to complete the work He began in my life. I am so blessed to be apart of the lives of interns while pouring into them and also be mentored by those on staff.

The morning prayer initiative, theWALL, that a few of my friends and I have been heading up is going strong! It’s such a good reminder in the morning why we are here in East Texas doing what we are doing and WHO we are doing it for. Sometimes in life it is easy to get caught up in the business not see the broken walls in our lives and our ministry. This morning we had over 60 interns that came together to invite Jesus to reign over our ministry and our lives! I love being apart of what’s on God’s heart!

And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province

who had survived the exile is in great TROUBLE and shame.

The wall of Jerusalem is BROKEN down, and it’s gates DESTORYED by fire.”

As soon as I heard these words I sat down and WEPT and mourned for days,

and I continued FASTING and PRAYING before the God of heaven. And I said,

“Oh Lord God of heaven, the GREAT and awesome God who keeps covenant

 and STEADFAST love with those who love Him and keep His commandments,

let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant

that I now pray before you DAY and NIGHT for the people of Israel your servants,

confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which WE HAVE SINNED against You.”

Nehemiah 1:3-6

Keep praying that the Lord will stir young people’s hearts to hunger and thirst for righteousness and to seek his face in the place of prayer. I believe that if a culture of prayer and worship could erupt on this campus that everything else will fall into line and our ministry would be what we say it is in our mission statement: “…provoking a young generation to passionately pursue Jesus and to take his life giving message to the ends of the earth!” Forty new January interns just arrived this week and I am praying that the Lord captures their hearts and it is not about the rules, but about relationship with their Creator. Join me in that prayer!

“I give you my word, if you are ready to believe that you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer, it shall be done for you.” –Jesus (Mark 11:24)

Global Expeditions
Over Christmas break we sent over 120 students, in the Youth Groups department alone, to Baja, Mexico! In total Global Expeditions sent close to 400 people who were reaching out by building houses, running VBS, and sharing the LOVE of Jesus in Dallas, Mexico, Panama, and South Africa! Here’s just one of the many testimonies we got from teams that went over Christmas break:

“I love Global Expeditions. Honestly, the best part of the trips to me is being both a goer and a mobilizer at the same time! I love evangelizing, and equally I love ministering to the students on the trip and being part of the Lord speaking truth into their hearts, bringing change to their lives, and then overflowing His love to the nationals. The Lord is soooo good!!

Many of the kids in my group came to see how real the Lord is. Everyone experienced His love and grace, and left a changed person with action steps to keep this lifestyle back at home. Thank you, Groups (and Marketing if you read this too) for being part of this!! Without you guys, my kids wouldn’t have changed so much on this trip and would be in deeper sin and many of them deep bitterness and disbelief in the Lord. Thank you guys!!! Continue to serve faithfully, knowing that this group was only 11 of the thousands Global Expeditions is sending out this year!!”-Kate McClain (Youth Leader)

Thank you for supporting me to serve here and in doing that being a part of mobilizing these teens to GO into all the world and preach the good news! Now we are gearing up for the summer missions trips! There are already over 20 youth groups signed up and one of them being our very own Vertical Student Ministries! It’s pretty cool for me to take what I’m learning here and serve my home church. I LOVE it! I also love leading and enjoying life with my team of interns in the Youth Groups Department. They have such a passion for these youth pastors and a heart for prayer! I love them all so much. 

"Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe." 

1 Timothy 4:12

Well, this has been the longest update ever! I hope you feel well informed about what's been going on in my life lately. :) My greatest desire is to bring Glory to my Creator and I pray that as you read this that He was lifted high through it. I appreciate you all. Continue to walk IN Him today. #ALLday #EVERYday

kayla.sprague@teenmania.org

PO BOX 2010 CPO#622

Garden Valley, TX 75117

Feel free to contact me with questions or things that I can keep in prayer!

For His Glory,

Kayla Marie

“If you are discouraged it is a sign of pride because it shows you trust in your own power. Your self-sufficiency, your selfishness and your intellectual pride will inhibit His coming to live in your heart because God cannot fill what is already full. It is as simple as that.” 

-Mother Teresa