Posted in General Posts by Annie Rose Taylor on 5/23/2011
With the start of a new season I have decided a new blog is in order. It is called 'An Awfully Big Adventure' inspired by a quote in Peter Pan where he shouts out "to live would be an awfully big adventure". I have found, in my short life, that living IS an adventure. And as I follow in Jesus' footsteps, I find even more adventure!
If you would like to follow me in this grand adventure, please sign in with your email address and you will receive updates when I write.
http://arosetaylor.wordpress.com/ | |
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Posted in General Posts by Annie Rose Taylor on 3/1/2011
The Israelites had just been rescued. Through an odd sequence of frogs, locusts, and some blood they find themselves watching the waters of the Red Sea swirl around the dead bodies of Pharaoh and his army. With the promise of a land flowing with milk and honey, they are anxious to see it and taste it. "And about one day later, they are complaining. They don't like the food; they don't like the water. The journey of freedom is too hard. They want to go back to Egypt" (Epic by John Eldredge)
The Racers walked off a plane in New York City. Through an odd sequence of squatty potties, healings (both physical and emotional), and some brokenness they find themselves walking away from Egypt and walking toward the freedom offered in their Promised Land. And my, what promises they have heard the Lord speak. About two months later (if we're comparing ourselves with ourselves, I'd say the Racers are hanging on just a little bit longer than the Israelites) they are looking around and seeing that their generation is in Egypt. And they've started to think that maybe this IS the best that anyone can have. Maybe they are designed to live life struggling along enslaved by defeat and watching out for 'yours truly'.
So has this happened to everyone coming off the race? Probably not. Has it happened to me? Yep. This journey of Freedom is dang hard. And when I don't look into Jesus' eyes, I quickly become distracted by what is ensnaring me and my peers. I begin to believe that the American dream is God's dream for each of us.
I think that it's most important to save my time and energy... for what, I couldn't say. But I need to save myself because certainly when Jesus asked me to leave everything, take up my cross and follow Him, He only meant it as a word picture. Certainly He wouldn't ask me to leave everything that makes me comfortable. Or if He does, He couldn't mean give up my comfortable bed that my parents bought me for Christmas last year, or of course He doesn't mean leave my closet full of shoes that I love (my dad counted them and I have something ridiculous like 40 pairs), and obviously He wants to make it so that I have a little bit of the control (of life, my surroundings, my time... etc).
But I've realized something in my long and short 3 months home...
My generation of Christians generally speaks a language of defeat... "I'm struggling with... this or that" "I don't know what to do" "It's just really hard to follow Jesus"
So when Jesus looks us in the eye and says through Paul "it is for freedom that Christ has
SET. YOU. FREE!"
It honestly makes us a little uncomfortable. We shift our eyes back and forth. Gazing at our addictions that make us comfortable (food, tv, sleep, friends). And then looking down this path that offers life, and that abundant. The comfort looks, well... comfortable. Freedom looks a little hazy with lots of speed bumps along the way. But also, it looks adventurous. It looks risky. But it will take all of me so that I don't have to half-ass my way through life. I could lose everything.
but what could I gain?..... ooooh boy, well, if I'm hearing Him correctly- I could have joy and peace in the depths of me at my disposal, any time, night or day. I could receive love without having to question it. I could walk with other people into their freedom. I could be myself (and that's a big deal for me). All that and more...
Sometimes, I feel like my spirit looks like the face Mel Gibson is making in the picture below. It gets all worked up and angry at the defeats I'm seeing in my life and those around me and it just opens its mouth to bellow from the depths of me
FREEDOM!!!!!!!
Today. Tomorrow. and for the rest of my life, Freedom!
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Posted in General Posts by Annie Rose Taylor on 1/22/2011
But
if I say, "I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name," his word
is in my heart like a fire,
a fire shut up in my ones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.
Jeremiah. 20:9 
Here am I, Send Me What would it look like if a generation stood up to injustice
and said "no more"? If a group of individuals got a fire in their bones and
under their butts to go out and truly 'heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse
those who have leprosy, and drive out demons; freely giving because they have
so freely received'? (Matthew 10:8) What
would it look like for a people to stand victoriously and humbly in the sonship
and daughtership they have received from Jesus and His death on the cross; no
longer begging, but confidently asking for big things because they know their
Dad?
Honestly, I don't know. But I am pretty sure I am quickly becoming a
part of that generation. Not because of me. Not because of anything 'good' that
I have done, but because our God is hungry to have His bride with Him. I have found a tribe and people group with
the same heart; a people whose desire is to decrease so that Christ may
increase. A people who won't relent, because they know that the cross is too
pivotal, the kingdom of God is too near, and they have an inheritance of people
to share with Jesus.
These broken and healed people are popping up everywhere in
our world. More and more the people of my generation are saying "Here am I,
SEND ME!". And a group of them have gathered in a school called g42 Leadership
Academy. I will explain about this school further, but first I would like to
share some of the vision I believe God has placed on my heart.
I shared my life story the other day with a dear friend.
About halfway through I couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry as I recognized
again everything that God has redeemed in me. I was a timid girl whose only
desire was to be noticed, seen, and loved (if I was lucky)... by anyone. I now
know that I am loved. I know that I am not forgotten. I know that I am seen and
that I impact. I know that Jesus in me has the power to be an atmosphere
shifter, a world changer, and a generation shaper.
What is G42?
Because of this transformation, I have found that God has
given me several dreams and desires. And they are
~ To Awaken the Sleeper ( Ephesians 5:14)
~To Bring Worship Where There has Been None Before ~To Usher In the Presence of the Lord (both now, and in
preparation for when Jesus comes back)
How? You may be asking. Well, God has started this little
baby dream in my heart called a House of Prayer. In this house, I dream that we
will truly meet with the Lord 24 hours a day 7 days a week through singing,
interceding, and even silence (Ecclesiastes 5:2). And then when not in the
House of Prayer my desire is to be with a group of people living in community and
serving the 'least of these' wherever God places this house. Now if you know me
very well at all, you know that the idea of leading and starting anything is
quite intimidating; much less starting a place that includes leading others
musically.
So THIS is where g42 comes in. It is an intense six month
school in Mijas, Spain starting April 3rd, 2011 that will provide
the environment to be trained in hearing and following God's voice more
clearly. This school will give me the time and focus that is needed to form an
actual game plan for this vision. And of
course this is where you come in. I would like to invite you to prayerfully
consider contributing to this next season of life for me. I am currently asking
the Lord to provide a plane ticket to and from Spain, and the $6000 that will
pay for schooling, lodging, and food. I continue to trust that as I ask Him for
bread, He will not give me a stone and He will only give me what is good for me and glorifies Him. If you are
interested in giving follow the instructions posted below. But more than your
gifts I am asking for your prayers as I follow a Savior who dreams bigger than
I ever could.
If you would like, I am also more than available for any
coffee or skype dates :)
To donate, simply go to http://www.g42leadershipacademy.org/donate
And give to 'Annie Rose Taylor'. To give a one-time donation
click on 'Intern Support' and specify that it goes to Annie Rose Taylor | |
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Posted in General Posts by Annie Rose Taylor on 12/15/2010
"I hear so many Christians murmuring about their imperfections and their failures and their addictions and their shortcomings, and I see so little war. 'murmur, murmur, murmur, why am I this way?'......
-
MAKE WAR!-
This came over the headphones of my iPod as I ran yesterday. Right as the preacher screamed out "MAKE WAR" the eyes of God's Spirit looked straight into the eyes of my spirit and my spirit cried out with great determination, 'HUZZAH!' (I feel like that's a war term that communicates how sufficiently jazzed I am, right?)
So I keep running getting more and more PUMPED about this idea of making war against the ruler of this world. I am determined that he won't have myself or my generation.
He won't steal my hope, he won't kill my joy, and he won't destroy my passion for Jesus.
I love this idea of a generation who stops believing they are victims and starts fighting back. A generation who starts claiming the victory that is rightfully theirs through the blood and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. A generation who lays siege to the prisons that bind and shakes those chains until they have no choice but to let go of their captives.
And I fully believe all of this! But at the risk of my own reputation let me tell you how the rest of my day went.
I get back from my run and go about the regular routine that I've fallen into. -I shower and eat. -I talk with my mom a little. -I check Facebook multiple times. -I spend hours looking at pictures, some of the race. -I stalk some people, looking at pictures and seeing what they're life has been like without actually connecting with them. -I play guitar for a little while. -I read 'The Chronicles of Narnia' out loud with my brother. -I wait for somebody, anybody, to contact me and ask me to hang out. -All the while, I wonder if I really want to hang out with people right now. -I get a text. -I go to my friends house to eat sloppy joe's and watch Hot Rod. - I go look at Christmas lights. -I think about God on my way home. -I lay in bed thinking about Him, and fall asleep.
Now if you made it all the way through that, what did you see? Was there any moment when I picked up the Word of God and sought out His thoughts?
I was thirsty, but I did not turn to the Living Water to quench my thirst.
How in the HECK do I expect myself to fight when I have no weapon? Or when my weapon is being cleaned and sharpened every once in a while instead of daily? How can I expect the Spirit of God to rise up inside of me when I numb myself all day long and cannot even recognize His voice when He does rise up?
So even as I write those things, I hear God's voice interrupt and say "I love you, Annie Rose". "OH, whew! Because I was about to condemn myself. Could you tell, Daddy?"
And then I FINALLY turn to His Word and see this
Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger or threatened with death?
No, despite all these things, OVERWHELMING VICTORY is ours through Christ, who loved us." Romans 8:35 and 37
And now these three remain, faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love! I Corinthians 13:13
Is that what you are saying then, God? Is love, like real-genuine-1 Corinthians 13-kind-of-love, the way that I fight?
"Yes, and you cannot love that way if you do not know the love that I have for you. And you cannot know the love that I have for you unless you read it, soak in it, claim it from The Book that I have given you."
And so, dear reader, you have now come on this journey with me. What started as a "convicting" blog about fighting, turns into once again the voice of my Father speaking of a love that is much more effective at slashing the lies of Satan than anything else.
SO LET'S GO OUT AND LOVE SOME LIES OUT OF POWER
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Posted in Moldova by Annie Rose Taylor on 11/16/2010
Watch out world! There are lots of thoughts that happen with coming home. What will I be like? What will I do with my time? What will overwhelm me? Will I walk back into old habits and thinking? Have I really changed? And then I remember. What I have seen, I can never forget. Who I have become I cannot lose. What God has set free, IS free. I look at the tattoo that I got in Thailand... Talitha Koum... it reminds me to wake up, to live, to live free, and to live loved. And this is a problem for the ruler of this world. He hates that I now know the truth about my generation and myself. He's scared to death that I will come home believing the truth and that I'll actually walk in it. Because then it means that if I believe the truth, I will then live it. And people will know genuine love, and I will walk into my destiny that involves bringing thousands to know and love my God, and strongholds that have been established for generations will be DEMOLISHED so that light and love can come rushing in to heal. But the fact is, I have heard. AND I BELIEVE. I believe the truth and that is GOING TO change my family and my generation and the bride of Christ will be purified and walk in the victory that belongs to her. And Satan and all of his plans will have failed. But he's defeated anyway... I'm just learning how to live like that's true. SO.... Instead of hearing His accusations - Your actions don't matter - You don't love well - You are not valuable - You are a quitter - You hurt people with your actions and words I now hear and know the TRUTH. - What you do echoes in eternity - You are NEW and the God of the universe lives inside of you and HE IS LOVE. So He loves well despite you. - You were created in the image of your Creator so you were created beautiful and majestic - You don't stop pressing in and you won't! - You have the river of Life inside of you and it often flows from your mouth to bring Life to others! And I'm not the only one. There is a generation rising who is hearing His truth and walking in it, and the power and glory in this group of ragged individuals is a little bit scary.
So watch out America! We're comin' home. We'll probably disrupt you. We'll probably make you wonder. But more than that, we will love you! So much! We will continue to learn to speak the truth to you and to ourselves. And You and I will be changed because of it.
So don't say I didn't warn you! | |
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Posted in Romania by Annie Rose Taylor on 11/6/2010
We walked into the country of Romania wondering what God had for us. He had made it clear that we were purposefully in this country. But after some days of visiting the highschool and eating lovely snacks and enjoying spending time with new friends we began to question. Is this all? Did we come to visit this country just to make some new friends?
We woke up everyday not really knowing what we would do during the day. But each day God provided. This particular morning we discovered we were going to an orphanage. So we got up, got all pretty (I mean make-up and everything), put on our 'nice' clothes (for World Race language this just means they didn't have any holes and were fairly clean) and walked out the door.
When we got to the orphanage, we found that we would be needed for some construction work. (SEE ya, nice clothes) So like any World Racer does, we adjusted our expectations and got ready to work. 'You want us to sand?- ABSOLUTELY!', 'oh, what's that you say, you'd like some painting to happen too?- OF COURSE!' 'and spackling too?- well, we don't know how to do that but once you teach us we will so, YES PLEASE!'
Fortunately they offered us these incredible orange coats that had been donated to the children but were approximately eighty thousand sizes too big for them. We donned our attractive outerwear and got right down to business. We looked like this when we started...
... and we looked like this when we were done with the day!
As the day continued we soon found that our coming to this house had been an answer to prayers they had been praying for a while. When the house was finished it would be used as a home for the five children that were with the orphanage. The goal was to finish the house by November 1st. We were two weeks away from that date and they still needed lots of painting to be done, floors to be installed, and ceilings to go in. And they only had TWO men working consistently on it.
Noel
 and Eliseo
You have to know that World Racers are KNOWN for coming into a situation and, like vultures, eating and consuming almost everything put before us.
HOWEVER, we got to see this phenomenon put in reverse as we started to work on the house. The seven of us came with willing hands. We knew we were not professionals but we wanted to help and we found that our help was needed.
We sang our way through sanding
painting
spackeling
mixing and pouring cement for the floors
installing 'wood' floors
and yard work
Until we came to the end of our short time there. When we left all they needed to do was install the toilets and shower stalls. These would be fairly simple in comparison to everything they had needed to do when we started two weeks before.
WOW! Thank you God for providing everything that we needed. Willing hands for the house and a purpose for our 3 weeks in Romania.
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Posted in Ukraine by Annie Rose Taylor on 10/15/2010
Then Jesus said, "When you give a luncheon or dinner,
do not invite
your friends,
your brothers
or relatives,
or your rich neighbors;
if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid.
But when you give a banquet,
invite
the poor,
the crippled,
the lame,
the blind,
and you will be blessed.
Luke 14:12-13
The Vision: Create a feast that honors the street people of Ukraine. Provide a setting and place for them to eat as much food as they want while being treated like the VIP.
Assemble the 8 most incredible people on the face of this planet (a.k.a. Umoja and Natalka) who have a heart for being Jesus' hands and feet in a world that is broken and needy.
 
The Work: Invite as many people as possible on the week leading up to the feast!
Obtain an understanding of the legalities so we
do NOT get arrested by the Ukrainian police.
Go to the market
Buy
Grapes, Pears, and Oranges
Cookies, Chips, and Crackers
Make 100 salami and cheese sandwiches with more
than adequate amounts of mayonnaise and mustard
Go back to the store to buy ALL their breads
and (John's favorite), JUICE
.........................
Then the evening of the Feast arrives. We quickly gather our many bags of food and walk into the freezing cold night. There was a feeling of anticipation and nervousness as we walked. Would people come? Would we get in any trouble with the police? Would we be eating salami and cheese sandwiches for 3 days straight?
We found a spot in the park next to Odessa's
train station and started to set up camp. Because
of the regulations of the city, we had to make
our little feast look like a picnic instead of a formal
dinner.
We gathered in a circle and prayed in faith
and then we waited...
and waited a little bit more...
And THEN... one of our first customers!!
We found ourselves handing out food left
and right as more people came to our little
gathering!
We quickly made some new friends
as a group of street kids came to hang out with
us. Little did we know that they would soon be
our key to passing out the rest of the food we
had made
The night started to creep in on us and we needed to
wrap up our feast but we still had food to hand out.
So our new friend Icha offered to walk with us and hand
out the rest of the food that we had. We formed a team
and started on the journey.
I walked with our contact, Natalka, and these kids
as we fearlessly crossed roads filled with cars. I
walked with them not understanding a word that was
being spoken and loving every second of it! My fingers were
frozen, I was a little unsure of where we were going, but
my love of adventure took over and I followed along confident
that God saw me and would take care of us.
We found some of their friends in the park and gave them
some juice and bread. Around the next corner we saw a group
of crippled street people who were obviously drunk but
oh so grateful to have the food. And by the end of the evening
we had passed out every single bit of food that we had for the
feast.
I found myself strongly desiring to be able to communicate
with my new friends as we survived the cold evening together.
We laughed with each other and learned to love each other
despite language barriers.
We finished the night with our new friends going back to their
'home' and us quickly making our way back to the 2 bedroom
flat that the 8 of us were sharing. It was finished! We had seen
Jesus bring those that needed food and friendship to our
humble feast in the park. And we had been changed by it
I will never forget the night I followed street kids around Ukraine
and was blessed to see a piece of their world and become
a part of a story that I am praying they won't forget either!
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Posted in Ukraine by Annie Rose Taylor on 10/10/2010
“There is no one like the God of Israel.
He rides across the heavens to help you,
across the skies in majestic splendor.
The eternal God is your refuge,
and his everlasting arms are under you. "
Deuteronomy 33:26-27
There are just some days that I wake up and I need a hug. Whether I've been woken with songs of deliverance sung over me, or I am believing the lies that won't quit, some days a hug is just what the doctor has ordered... or several of them!
Growing up my mom told us that we needed 12 hugs a day to be healthy and happy. So on the days that we were extra grumpy she would give us several hugs in a row. According to research and studies done on couples and infants, hugs are good for your heart, they lower blood pressure, and reduce stress. Plus they're just nice!
So now I'd like to tell you about Anna. Anna is a woman from the streets of Ukraine who just happened to find us and fill our hearts with joy. Although I didn't meet her until the night we were leaving Ukraine, I don't think I will soon be forgetting her.
She was spotted the first day in Ukraine by my teammate Alisa. Her wrinkled skin and many layers of clothing gave away her socioeconomic status. While no conversation happened, Alisa noted the way she was dressed and how she looked in need.
Later, when we were handing out food to some street people, Alisa and Sarah ran into her, gave her a bag and talked with her for a while. While they could not understand her words, they knew her heart as she spoke to them in Russian. She shared her stories with them and they listened with Jesus' ears. As they were leaving, Sarah reached out to touch her, and she abruptly pulled back and strongly said "Nyet" ('NO' in russian).
Yet again we found her as we handed out food a second time, this time Sarah and Auston spoke with her. During this second meeting, Auston reached out to give her a hug and she again strongly said NO. But she would always stand and talk until we had to leave, showing us that she at least enjoyed our company.
Very obviously Anna needed a hug. She needed to be touched and each one of us felt it as we met her. Anna is a woman of strength and pride. She would not accept food without giving something to us in return. She wanted us to know that she was taken care of and did not need our help but just wanted to be with us.
The night that I met Anna was a cold and windy night in Odessa, Ukraine. We had just carried our backpacks the 6 or so blocks from our flat to the train station and I was focused on getting that bag off my back. As we walked I heard Sarah call out "Anna". She ignored us at first but soon came up to talk as we waited for our train. She was quick to share everything that she had. She gave us some of the flowers that were in her bag and when we shared our bread with her she handed us some of her crackers.
She carried on in Russian and we attempted to understand what she was saying but weren't too successful. Yet as we listened, I began to fall in love with this woman who smelled like an onion and had a mouth filled with broken teeth. As she talked and shared, I pictured her being someone's mother and grandmother and I so badly wanted to know the story of her life.
And I really wanted to give her a hug! I can't explain it. I just saw her wandering and sleeping alone in the cold streets and I wanted to hug her and give her a connection with another human being who didn't want anything but to love her.
The call for our train came over the loud speaker and we knew it was our last chance to ever connect with Anna. So Sarah asked quickly if she could have a hug. She demonstrated what she meant by hugging Alisa. And she had to ask several times for the meaning to be made clear.
But suddenly Anna nodded her head and opened her arms to Sarah. Tears filled my eyes as I watched Sarah and then Alisa hug this beautiful woman who loved us so incredibly. I quickly wiped my eyes and started to gather my things. And even though she had just met me, I asked Anna if I could hug her too. She nodded and I felt honored as I wrapped my arms around her.
Anna, who gave when she had nothing and took care of us as we tried to take care of her, allowed me to give her all that I could give, a hug. I walked away with my heart filled knowing that it is the little moments that are big in this life. I won't forget that hug and I won't forget Anna because of her strength of character. And I won't forget how God called a group of American nobodies to Odessa, Ukraine because He wanted His kid Anna to be hugged. We got to be His arms that cold, wintery night and we are so honored by His call.
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Posted in Uganda by Annie Rose Taylor on 9/22/2010
In the beginning of Tanzania I gave a sermon on the presence of God. I have found and increased desire for God's presence as I have traveled the world feeling like a foreigner and stranger in the land. In the sermon, I talked about the twenty-four elders described in Revelation 4:4.
They are these dignified men who sit on thrones in the courts of God. But as they sit, there are four living creatures who "Day after day and night after night they keep on saying, 'Holy holy holy is the Lord God, the Almight- the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come'.
And every time they say this, the twenty-four elders are overcome with the presence of God.
These dignified older men suddenly look at the face of the God of the universe and they jump up off their thrones, take the crowns from their heads and lay them down before the throne of God. As they do this, they fall face down and find themselves saying
"You are worthy; oh Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased"
The dignified elders become so overwhelmed by their encounter with God that they fall face down in a most undignified way. And they do this day after day and night after night.
As I continued to study Revelation I found that this description of dignified elders becoming undignified happens five more times. These elders are constantly being fools for their God. So if these elders can have the ability to lose their composure in the face of God, then can't I, as a silly girl traveling the world, be more undignified? Even if I look like a fool.
One night at a girl's school in Uganda I think I got to experience a little picture of what it looks like to be that excited about Jesus. Our team and met and talked to these girls earlier in the week and they had been fairly reserved and quiet. So we planned to come that evening with a short speech, a song and a Q and A session with the girls.
What we found when we walked into the room was almost overwhelming. Two hundred plus girls were singing praises to Jesus. All they had was a drum and their voices and it was one of the most incredible sounds I've heard in my life.
In Africa people sing from their diaphragms and it comes out almost as a shout. So to combine that many voices with just a drum brought chills to my arms and took my breath away. When we stood to sing for them, we invited them to join us if they knew the song. We started to sing...
I'm trading my sorrows
I'm trading my shame
I'm laying it down for the joy of the Lord
I'm trading my sickness
I'm trading my pain
I'm laying it down for the joy of the Lord
And then our voices were completely overtaken by theirs. They sang in a way that put grins on our faces and strained our voices. We all began to dance together before the Lord and I felt my knees and hands shaking with the power that was breaking up the darkness and silence of the night.
The song was broken as we frequently got swept away with our singing, but it was one fo the most powerful songs I've ever sang. There was not fear of what the other person thought, it was simply unadulterated joy and worship of our Savior.
We got the opportunity to throw our crowns before Jesus' throne and say to Him "You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power." And our undignified praise joined that of the twenty four elders to glorify God the Almighty!
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Posted in Awakening by Annie Rose Taylor on 9/21/2010
What happens when the awakening holds a dance-off and N squad hears the news? The joining together of epic super powers to create a force that will not be contested.
We danced.
We gave our all.
We fought like warriors.
And we returned from battle victorious with two large bags of American skittles to show for it.
I'm so proud of my squad and I am sure that once you see the video you will be too! Watch how N squad danced their way to victory and a greater unity than they've every had!
N Squad:Awakening Dance Off- Ireland 2010 from Krissy Whaley on Vimeo.
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