Cry of My Heart

Buenas Tardes Amigos! I am writing this blog update to share with you what has been happening in my life and what is to come. As most of you know I have been in Oaxaca for the last 7 months of so studying missions. This was the most incredible experience of my life which I am so very grateful for. Through this experience God fueled my passion for missions and reaffirmed to me that this is my calling. In Ephesians 4, it tells us to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called. I have been called to a life of missions, and I cannot imagine doing anything else. This leads me to WHAT is next for Ashley Ballard. God has laid it on my heart to go on staff as a full time missionary with Global Frontier Missions (the same organization I have been with in Mexico). Our vision is for the unreached people groups of the world. There are still 1.4 billion people in this world who have never heard the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our desire to see these people come to the knowledge...

Last night a friend of mine brought up how she felt selfish but she truly didn't want Jesus to return. She wanted to live her life, get married, have kids, and grow old before she went to Heaven. The idea of Christ returning invoked emotions of fear and anxiety more so than comfort or excitement. Her honesty surprised me at first, but then I realized how common this way of thinking is for the majority of Christians in America. I know I grew up with this same attitude. Why is this true? I pondered this for awhile and this is what I came up with. The majority of American Christians live comfortable unsacrificial lives. We love the luxury and easyness that comes along with our faith. I believe that many Americans view their Christianity as more of a fire insurance. It really is only good for them as a "get out of Hell free card". They may live the traditional Christian life and take the family to church on Sunday, but their faith is pretty much on reserve for when they die...