Kissing Stones

Legend has it that if you travel to Blarney Castle in Ireland and kiss the Blarney Stone, you will gain the gift of eloquence.  Kissing the Stone isn't an easy feat.  The castle's official tourism website states:  Once upon a time, visitors had to be held by the ankles and lowered head first over the battlements. Today, we are rather more cautious of the safety of our visitors. The Stone itself is still set in the wall below the battlements. To kiss it, one has to lean backwards (holding on to an iron railing) from the parapet walk. The prize is a real one as once kissed the stone bestows the gift of eloquence. 

As you can see above, a few years ago when I took a little trip across the pond, I thought I'd give it a shot and kiss the Stone.  I need all the help I can get!  haha

You must understand that while I'm ok with writing out the thoughts that tumble through my brain, something misfires when I try to formulate those thoughts and actually verbalize them audibly.  I've gotten much better over the years, but it still doesn't come easy for me. You don't know the fear that courses through me at the thought of having to speak in front of a crowd.  And please don't ever put me on the spot to filibuster.  My brain likes to completely seize up.  So you can see why the gift that was promised from kissing the Stone appealed to me.

Over the last several years, I had been approached a few times about stepping up and leading worship at church.  I shut them down soundly every single time.  Sure, I can get up and sing, but don't ever ask me to talk.  I could never do that.

I was reading through Exodus 3-4 this week.  I love how God gives us examples time and time again of people who struggle with the exact same things we deal with today.  Moses is there talking to God in a burning bush.  God's telling Moses to go to Egypt, stand up in front of Pharaoh, and tell him to let the Israelites go.  You instantly see Moses freeze up, try to back pedal, and come up with any excuse possible not to go.  He starts shooting questions at God, and God comes back and answers all of them.  He starts saying that no one will believe God sent him, and God turns around and gives Moses miracles to perform to prove who sent him.  And then Moses throws out the exact excuse that I used to use:

Moses said to the Lord, “O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”  The Lord said to him, “Who gave man his mouth?  Who makes him deaf or mute?  Who gives him sight or makes him blind?  Is it not I, the Lord?  Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”  But Moses said, “O Lord, please send someone else to do it.”

There came a point about two years ago when I got asked to lead yet again. It came at a time in my life when I had been doing some major soul searching and self discovery. I had been praying that God would open doors for me to grow and stretch myself and serve. I really wanted to be used, and I didn't want to continue just being "comfortable". Honestly, the idea scared me to death. I had struggled in the past just to merely speak and invite people to "sing with me", so I wasn't at all sure how I was supposed to lead an entire service. But I knew that God had been using me for many years to lead people in worship, and I couldn't limit Him any more by saying He couldn't help me take that one step further. And so I decided to stop making excuses. I stopped refusing the opportunity that God was bringing me. I tried it.

Let's just say "freaking out" doesn't even begin to cover what I was feeling. Thankfully, I had some key people encouraging me along the way, and somehow God got me through it. And He got me through the next time, and the next time, and the next... There were a few times along the way when I had to unexpectedly fill dead air and speak. Something miraculously came out of my mouth, and I think it actually made sense?! All I know is that it was all God, because it certainly wasn't me. When God asks us to step out and trust Him, He will faithfully see us through.

A lot has happened over the last two years. I haven't had the opportunity to lead worship in a while...until now. I have the opportunity to help out and lead again this Sunday. You know, the crazy thing is that this time when I got asked, there was no internal "freaking out". There actually was some excitement, and there was an overwhelming realization of God's enduring faithfulness.  He continues to mold, shape, and prepare us along the way for each step of His plan. 

So did kissing the Blarney Stone actually give me the gift of eloquence?!  Haha...that's doubtful.  But I do know for a fact that if God is opening doors and wants you to do something, then He's going to faithfully give you the ability to do it.  We just need to stop making excuses and start trusting Him.

Good Reads...

I've had a couple of key people introduce me to some incredible authors over the last few years, and since then, I've begun to devour some really great books.  I ocassionally read a fiction book here or there, but I most often tend to read a lot of material that falls under the "Christian Living" category. 

I love filling my head and my heart with things that help me grow not only as a person, but also help me mature in my faith and in my relationship with Christ.  I love reading books that are not only encouraging, but also make me think and reflect.  I love finding books that hit home with things that I'm going through, and also help me help others more effectively.  I love how God uses so many different people with so many different styles to write so many different things that He puts on their hearts.  And I love how God has used those books to touch my life, to challenge my status quo, and to deepen my love for Him and for the people around me.

I can't even begin to list them all, but these are a few of my current favorites:

Wild Goose Chase
by Mark Batterson

If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat
by John Ortberg

Sun Stand Still
by Steven Furtick

Plan B
by Pete Wilson

The Christian Atheist
by Craig Groeschel

The Sacred Echo
by Margaret Feinberg

The Land Between
by Jeff Manion

The Grace of God
by Andy Stanley

Sacred Marriage
by Gary Thomas

The Unquenchable Worshipper
by Matt Redman

I could go on and on and on listing really great books.  A good number of these authors have penned multiple books, and I've loved them all.  It was so hard to choose which were my ultimate favorites at the moment.  Plus, I have a shelf full of books I have yet to get to...some David Platt, Bill Hybels, Erwin McManus, Mark Driscoll, more John Ortberg and Mark Batterson, and the list goes on and on...

Happy summer reading!!

Navigation

I like to be prepared. Before I head out on a long road trip, I like to know where I'm going. I like to scout out directions on the internet beforehand. I like to zoom in on turns so I know specifically what precedes each turn. I will talk to people who have made the trip before me. I like to know what to expect. I just don't want to get lost!!

These days everyone seems to just hop in their cars, plug their destination into their GPS, and start driving. I, on the other hand, still have a hard time fully trusting that woman with the accent who talks to me from a little electronic box and tells me when to go. Too often I find myself wanting to tell her where to go...and it's nowhere nice. ;-)

You would have laughed. We headed down to Cape May this past weekend with my intricately plotted out turn-by-turn directions given to me by a co-worker who had made the trip many times on a route that was "guaranteed" to be faster, even though it wasn't the most direct way. But in addition to my printed directions, we had my car's internal DVD guided GPS system turned on, AND we had a Garmin plugged in for good measure. Actually, we literally did laugh out loud at ourselves and our overkill on preparedness.

I swear I'm not that directionally challenged, but even with all three navigation systems in place...yes, we ended up getting off course more than once.  It was pretty sad, actually.  So sad that we honestly just had to laugh.

• Problem #1:  We had too much input.  Too many devices telling us which way was the "best" way.  Too many different variations.  Too much noise.  And we tried to listen to all of it instead of just focusing step by step on one map.
• Problem #2:  We were looking for a place to stop along the way for food and for a beach chair to replace the one that was forgotten at home.  Of course, we were also talking about everything under the sun, too.  We got distracted.  We detoured from our set course.  We got turned around.
• Problem #3:  We didn't get going until evening, and it was getting dark.  We couldn't see all the road signs very well.  We were driving in unfamiliar territory.  We were keeping an eye out for deer.  We had a random car pull out in front of us with no headlights on.  It wasn't the easiest to make sure we stayed on course while trying to avoid potential danger along the way.

Honestly, isn't this all a little bit  like life?  Actually, I find it's a lot like my relationship with God.

• There are times when I genuinely just have too much input.  I'm trying to focus on following what God wants for me, and I have too many things clamoring for my attention.  I read books.  I ask for opinions from friends.  I listen to sermons.  And the whole time, what I really need to do is just stop and dive into His Word and focus on listening to Him and following Him step by step. 
• There are times when I'm just not paying attention.  I'm going about my daily activities, running down my to do list, and going from one scheduled event to the next.  I'm doing necessary things, but I get distracted.  Even good things can take you off of your intended course and get you turned around if you're not careful.
• There are times when I'm simply in defensive mode.  I'm hurting.  I'm more worried about self preservation than stepping out and trying to actively follow God's leading.  I'm just trying to navigate through those dark days when I can't really see where I'm going, and I'm trying to avoid more pain.  I'm trying to see His hand, but it's so hard when life is masked in the darkness of heartache.

I love that no matter what, God's there with us even when we get off course.  I love that He's patient with us when we are distracted.  I love that I can trust that He always knows our destination even when we're completely lost.  I love that if I slow down and actually pay attention and listen, He never fails to lead me one step at a time.  And I love that He's not annoying like the lady in the box repeating, "Recalculating.  Recalculating."  :-)

The good news is that we learned our lesson for our return home.  We carefully followed the directions I had printed out step by step and silenced all other apparatus.  We only stopped for food once and did not deviate from our course in doing so.  And we left earlier in the afternoon, so we had daylight the entire time.  Hmmmm...it's amazing how much faster and easier we were able to navigate our way home.

Your Love Is Everything

I love how God's gifted people to combine words and melodies to compose songs that touch hearts.  I love how different songs hit me at different times.  I love how there's been so many times when there's nothing quite as soothing as God speaking through music.  There are songs that I've put on repeat and just soaked in their goodness.  This is one of those songs.

Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:  Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”  The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.  Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love.

When I'm dry and thirsty Lord
And I'm crying out for more
I know I can trust in Your love
In the darkness in the night
When I'm starving for the light
I know I can trust in Your love

You keep no record of my sin
You don't remember all my shame

Your love heals every disease
You love fills every need
Your love is everything to me
Your love is everything

I will not forget
I won't forget Your promises
I will not forget
I won't forget Your love

I will not forget
That nothing is impossible
I will not forget
I won't forget Your love

BEACH!!!

It's officially that time of the year again!!!  BEACH SEASON!!!  Woo Hoo!!!

Every summer for the last several years, I've had the incredible privilege to escape from reality for a few days and head off to the beach somewhere with some wonderful friends.  We tend to try new locations every year just to mix it up a little, and the people in the group sometimes change slightly from year to year, but we always end up having a blast!

This year it's just me and one other friend.  We sadly had to leave behind another friend who would love to be here, but the new baby takes priority...as he should.  BUT...the summer isn't over yet (hint, hint), and there will be many more summers to come.  I've come to dearly love our annual beach outings, and I dearly love my wonderful friends who share these trips with me!

We're back in Cape May this year, and this is our view today!!

It's ok...you can be a little jealous.  I would be too.  :-)

Here's a little celebration of the great times I've had with my awesome friends in past summers:

Cape May, NJ 2007

First sporadic trip with Laura and Laurie

Cape May, NJ 2008

Visiting the lighthouse again, but with Jen, Rachel, and Laurie

There's ALWAYS eating involved on vacations!!

Lewes, DE 2009

See...what did I tell you about eating?!  :-) 
Rachel, Jen, and Laurie two years in a row!

Rachel had to head home a day early, but I had to prove
that we actually DO go to the beach at some point.


 

Chincoteague, VA 2010

Seeeeee...BEACH!
This time Jen and I mixed it up with Linda!



And yes, we are now, of course, preparing to head out to eat...

Moving Beyond Forgiven

I love books that make me think and hit home all at the same time.  I'm immersed in Rob Bell's Velvet Elvis at the moment, and it's definitely been causing wheels to turn and process.  I know Mr. Bell has been under some major scrutiny recently for some questionable theology in his most recent writings, but I've found some really in depth thoughts and insights from some of his prior books.  So do we throw the baby out with the bathwater?  I think the back cover of this book actually says it fairly well:

We have to test everything.  Test it.  Probe it.  Do that to this book.  Don't swallow it uncritically.  Think about it.  Wrestle with it.  Just because I'm a Christian and I'm trying to articulate a Christian worldview doesn't mean I've got it nailed.  I'm contributing to the discussion.  God has spoken, and the rest is commentary, right?

Anyway, that's a whole other post in and of itself.  Back to my original thought process...

The following is one of the many paragraphs in his book that made me stop and really think:

The point of the cross isn't forgiveness.  Forgiveness leads to something much bigger: restoration.  God isn't just interested in the covering over of our sins; God wants to make us into the people we were originally created to be.  It is not just the removal of what's being held against us; it is God pulling us into the people he originally had in mind when he made us.  This restoration is why Jesus always orients his message around becoming the kind of people who are generous and loving and compassionate.  The goal here isn't simply to not sin.  It is not about what you don't do.  The point is becoming more and more the kind of people God had in mind when we were first created.  It is one thing to be forgiven; it is another thing to become more and more and more and more the person God made you to be.

So many times I think we stop at the forgiveness aspect of the cross.  While His grace and forgiveness through the cross is an essential foundational piece, it's more than that.  If we fully grasp how long and how wide and how high and how deep His love is for us, shouldn't that spur us on to want to be more like Jesus?  And yes, God wants us to turn from sin, but I think the ultimate goal is to have a real, raw, intimate relationship with Him. 

Have you ever noticed that the more time you spend with a person, the more you start to act like that person?  You might start saying phrases they say.  You start to use similar gestures.  Babies do it with parents.  They intently watch and learn.  They mimic facial expressions, and they will repeat phrases that you say.  So often you hear things like, "he is so much like his father", and you hope that it's a good thing.  So as we take a step beyond our first encounter with the cross and start getting to know Jesus more and building our relationship with Him, shouldn't our natural inclinations and actions grow to be more and more like His?  Shouldn't we start to reflect Him?  As we move beyond the moment when we surrender our lives to Jesus and accept His forgiveness, shouldn't we start extending His grace and forgiveness to others?  Shouldn't we start loving others the way that He loves us?

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.  Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.  This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.  This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.  We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.  And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.  If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God.  And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.  God is love.  Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.  In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.

Reflect

I grew up in a small Christian school...kindergarten through 12th grade.  We focused a lot on music.  Singing was always a part of every chapel service.  We learned large passages of the Bible by singing them.  I'm a little rusty, but I can still sing you entire chapters even today.  Want to hear Luke's account of Jesus' birth?  I've got a song for that.  The love passage in 1 Corinthians?  Check!  How about the ten commandments?  I have a song for that too.  :-) 

We also held a Spring Program every year.  The entire school participated as one massive choir.  We worked on songs for a good portion of the school year, and a few weeks beforehand, we'd go into "scrunch schedule".  I loved it.  All our classes would be shortened to allow for more rehearsal time during the day.  I'd rather sing any day than sit through class!  We sang Handel, Bach, a little bit of Mendelssohn, all mixed in with some more current composers and a few more modern contemporary Christian songs from Steve Green and the like. 

I actually got to sing tenor for a couple of years.  Let's just say that tenor is not really the "cool" part that boys want to sing.  Singing bass somehow proves that you are manly.  So if you had to sing tenor because your voice wasn't quite manly enough yet, most of the time you weren't too thrilled about singing, and you didn't sing very loudly either.  Hence, the tenor section had the tendency to be a little weak.  And that's where I came into play.  If you know me, you know I don't have a problem with singing LOUDLY.  :-)  The tenor section...yup, that was pretty much all me!  haha

I'm really thankful for all of the time we spent singing.  I'm even more thankful that while we spent a ton of time working on parts and perfecting songs, we were also learning priceless foundational truths of God through the songs that we were singing.  And these songs still stick with me today.  They're buried deep within my heart.    

I'm also thankful that we were encouraged to let our faces reflect the words we were singing.  They weren't just random words that didn't mean anything.  We weren't just singing...we were worshiping God through song.  We were encouraged to really think about what we were singing.  We were encouraged to let the words affect our hearts, and in turn, our lives would reflect a heart for God.  As water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man. 

It's been an invaluable lesson to me especially now when I have the opportunity to lead others in worshiping God through song.  It's something I always want to keep in mind.  It's not enough to just get up there and sing.  It's not enough to hit the right notes and sing all the right words.  And it's not just a lesson for worship leaders.  It's a lesson for every participant in the service.  Every person in every seat.  Every musician.  Every volunteer.  Everyone who has come through those doors.  Don't just go through the motions.  Think about what you're doing and saying.  Think about the words that are coming out of your mouth.  Let the words affect your heart.  And let your face reflect what God is speaking to your heart.

Funny...I distinctly remember one year when I think our pastor/principal/music conductor thought we finally actually all had learned to smile while we were singing.  Our Spring Program was held in a sizeable church auditorium that had a pretty steep incline from the stage up to the back of the sanctuary.  Some little kid was sitting in the back with his mom playing quietly with a football during our morning program.  Of course, all little kids are prone to drop their toys from time to time.  And, yes, this little boy inevitably dropped his football.  We all saw it happen.  Our music conductor did not.  It started at the top of the incline at the back of the auditorium.  And it slowly made its wobbly descent...rolling end over end...all the way down the aisle towards us.  We all started smiling.  You know...one of those ear to ear grins you can't help but contain.  Our music conductor was impressed by our smiling faces, but not our timing.  Unfortunately, wouldn't you know it, it was during the ONE song where we shouldn't have technically smiled.  We were singing about the somber subject of Jesus bearing our griefs, carrying our sorrows, and being wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquity.  Shoot...

Cannot Wait!!!

Oh my word!  I SO cannot wait for Catalyst East 2011!!  I just registered us last night, and I'm totally psyched.  Of course, now we have to wait until October?!  It seems like such a long time from now, but I'm sure it will be here before we know it.  WOO HOO!!!

Last year went a little something like this...

Incredible speakers.  Awesome music and times of intense worship.  Hilarious skits and random crazy stunts.  Leadership insight.  Encouragement and exhortation.  Great Biblical teaching.  I seriously left feeling a little bit overwhelmed with the enormity of it all last year, but I was so pumped all at the same time.  It was awesome!!  And from what the preview looks like, it's going to be just as great this year!  I can't wait to "Be Present" and soak it all in...

Daddy's Day

I love this picture. 
Yep.  That's me. 
And those are my daddy's hands that I'm toddling toward.
I love my daddy, and I love what this picture represents.  I love the safety found in daddy's arms.  I love the strength.  I love that they're ready to scoop me up if I happen to fall.  I love that those arms still give me hugs today even though I'm no longer a toddler. 

You know what else I love about my daddy?  I love that those same hands that loved on me also disciplined me.  WHAT?!?!  Yup.  I said it.  Sure, maybe I wasn't too thrilled about it at the time, but looking back, I'm thankful that I was disciplined.  No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.  Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.  I'm thankful because it has helped mold me into a better person.  I'm thankful because I now have a firm godly foundation to stand on.

I remember hearing, "Stop your whining, or else I'll give you something to whine about!"  :-)  And I will never forget those car rides when I'd start being a little naughty.  I was only a little naughty, mind you...my brothers were always the really naughty ones.  Haha.  Typically, there would be a warning of some sort.  It might have gone a little something like this...

But I knew I was in for it when Dad's hand came reaching around the back of the seat.  Keep in mind that he is a farmer.  Years of working on the farm have helped him develop a vise-like grip.  So when that hand comes back and latches on to your leg and squeezes your calf...you start to pay attention.  Trust me.  I learned to obey REALLY quickly that way.  You can scootch away and try to avoid Dad's hand, but when you're in a little two-door coupe, there's really no getting away.  Haha...perhaps Ken Davis needs to take a few lessons from my dad, because his methods don't seem to be quite as effective...

 

Anyway, I don't know exactly how my daddy reacted when I was born.  Maybe it went a little something like this...

Like I said, I don't know how my daddy reacted, but I do know that I am and have always been my daddy's favorite daughter.  Okay, okay...so truthfully, I'm also his only daughter, but I do know that he loves me very much.  And I know that he has shown me that he loves me even on those very rare (haha) occasions when he had to discipline me.  I love that I know that there is also safety, strength, and love to be found in my daddy's arms, but that doesn't even come close to the overwhelming safety, strength, and love that my Daddy in heaven has for me.  I'm so very thankful that my Abba Father God has blessed me with a glimpse of what His love is like through my daddy here on earth. 

I love you, Daddoo!!!  :-)

Happy Daddy's Day!!

What Happened?

This is another excerpt from Tim Willard and Jason Locy's book, Veneer, that really hit home with me and made me evaluate if I'm really being intentional in my relationship with Christ.  It will leave you with an open ended question.  Think about it...



Imagine you're walking on the safe shores of life.  You visit these shores often because you can see the untamed ocean from a distance while sitting in relative comfort and safety.  Rumors suggest that God is somewhere far out there, and though this intrigues you, you've figured out a way to keep his Son, Jesus, somewhere close by on the safe shores.

It's been a while, however since you visited Jesus; you've been busy with your career, and, well, you're just busy.  Today, though, you thought you'd walk the coastline and maybe even rent a boat and row out a ways, see what you find.  And maybe you'd happen upon some luck and run into Jesus along the way.

It's a rocky coast, like Maine's, and down the coastline you see what looks like smoke.  You get closer and notice a man stooping beside a fire.  It smells inviting, so you approach him, not realizing at first that it is Jesus.

You're still a few yards off, but you offer a "how's it going?" as he cooks fish over the open fire.  He's looking out into the distance, just smiling.

You're close enough and can feel the fire now.  And as you stop to greet him, the horizon catches your eye.  Its incandescent light casts itself all over the breaking waves.  He sits poking the fire and humming, his weathered skin buffeted by the salty air.  He looks up at you as you gaze out into the distance.  You turn your head toward the fire to catch him looking at you; he seems familiar, but you still don't recognize him.  He nods and smiles.

"Are you heading out there?"
"I was thinking about it.  Not sure though," you reply.
"I wouldn't go too far out if I were you.  It's not safe."
"Why? I've heard that God's out there somewhere.  I wonder if he would notice me."
"I notice you."
The words come to you like spring, like blowing on a child's face; there is loss of breath and exhilaration all at once.
"But who are you?"
"I AM the horizon.  I AM the rain.  I AM the good.  I AM the radiance you feel when you get too far out there.  I AM victory; sometimes you feel me, though not as often as you should.  I AM the light you saw in your grandmother before she passed.  I AM the joy you felt when your daughter was born.  I AM glory.  I AM the breath of creation.  I AM."

He looks up from cooking fish, his eyes filling up, but you turn your head away, again looking out into the horizon.  And then it dawns on you.
Why didn't I recognize him?  you ask yourself.

He looks back down and flips the fish.  They gray of the evening shrouds him.

"I'm sorry, I..." your words feel heavy, "I had no idea."

"I know," he replies.  "I'm not who you remember me to be.  I've passed you on this coastline before, but you didn't notice.  You looked stressed and busy."  He half laughs and wipes his tearing eyes.  "I think you like the idea of me.  But you'd rather I remain out of the way."

His words cut at your insides.  But he's right.

"I remember when you used to seek me out all the time," he continues.  "I loved our relationship.  But something changed.  What happened?"

"I don't know."

Elijah & the Ravens

One of my favorite flannelgraph stories growing up was about Elijah and those ravens who came and fed him down by a brook.  In 1 Kings 17, Elijah told King Ahab that it wasn't going to rain again until he said so.  Basically, Ahab was flat out evil, and he made God pretty angry.  So God sent Elijah to tell Ahab that there wouldn't be any rain, and that would ultimately result in a famine.  Now if you're an evil king, do you think you'd be too fond of some prophet coming to tell you that?  And if you're Elijah and you'd have to deliver that kind of message, I'm thinking you'd be freaking out a little.  God asked Elijah to risk his life and trust Him.

So I'm reading this again. I've freaked out over some pretty little things that God has asked me to do...both in the past and in the present.  Things that pale in comparison to what God asked of Elijah, but they still freak me out.  He's asked me to make some pretty significant changes.  He's asked me to surrender my dreams and my desires.  He's asked me to let go and stop trying to control.  He's asked me to step out and trust Him. To trust His timing...even when it threatens everything I hold dear. 

I love reading how God protects Elijah though.  He already has a plan in place to take care of Elijah.  He tells Elijah to deliver His message, and then tells him to get the heck out of Dodge!  God takes it to the next level and provides for Elijah's needs.  No rain means no water and eventually no food.  But God uses ravens to bring him bread and meat twice a day, and he had water from the brook that God told him to hide out next to. 

As I've actually taken those steps of faith and followed through on things that I believe God has asked me to do, I, too, have seen time and time again how God has provided every step of the way.  He already has a plan in place to take care of me.  It might not make sense at the time, but God somehow always provides for my needs right in the middle of it all.  It seems like a pretty simple lesson, but it's one that I need to be reminded of over and over and over again. 

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 

I'm going to take it one verse further though.  What happens when 1 Kings 17:7 hits us?

"Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land."

We always talk about how God provides, and don't get me wrong...He does.  You've given up so much, but you've also been able to see His hand, and you feel like you're doing ok even when it's not easy.  But then there are those times when you feel like you've truly listened to God, and you've been following Him even when it's been pretty difficult, but all of a sudden it feels like the rug has been ripped out from under you.  It doesn't make sense.  The brook dries up.  You're tempted to question if God is actually still providing.  I love what Perry Noble had to say about this at Catalyst last year...

Flannelgraph Lessons

Remember going to Sunday School when you were little? Remember the fuzzy flannelgraph boards and the felt figures that your teacher would stick up one at a time to tell you some amazing story from the Bible? Remember how you'd sit wide-eyed and listen?  Well, that is, unless you were one of those naughty kids who wouldn't sit still for anything.  But even if you weren't one of those good little kids, maybe just maybe you'd hear some simple and yet foundational truth about how big and how great God is and how much He loves us and takes care of us.

I think somewhere along the way, a lot of us have lost touch with that child-like faith. We've lost touch with the awe factor. The Old Testament stories have become just that...just "stories". Irrelavant even. I've been reading through some of those old stories recently, and God has certainly been speaking some really encouraging things to my heart through them. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure that if God took the time to write something down and put it in His Word for us...well, I'm thinking there's a reason for it.

The really cool part is that if I'm willing to take the time to read the Bible and open up my heart to listen, He somehow has a way of hitting me right where I'm at quite a bit. I can read the same passage that I've read 50 different times before, and it always seems like I can get something new out of it.   I love that!  God's Word is most certainly living and active!  His Word not only seizes our hearts and convicts our consciences, but it also comforts our souls and encourages us in our weariness.  His Word is POWERFUL!  All of it.

So next time you're reading those old stories, really let them sink in.  God really did create the entire world in six days.  God really did flood the entire earth.  God protected Daniel when he was surrounded by lions.  God made those walls of Jericho tumble down.  God really had Jonah swallowed up by a big fish.  Even when his own family betrayed him, God faithfully was with Joseph.  God sent plagues against Egypt when Pharaoh wouldn't let His people go.  God gave Samson unbelievable strength.  God helped David defeat a giant. 

They're more than just "stories", and they're more than just flannelgraph children's lessons.  You'll see how BIG God is.  How powerful God is.  You'll see that God can do things we can't even begin to imagine.  You'll also see how gracious God is.  How merciful God is.  You'll see how many times He simply desires us to give Him our hearts and turn to Him.  He gives second chances time and time again because He longs for us to be with Him.  You'll see that He truly is a loving and compassionate God.  And along the way, you might just find that His old stories are even more applicable now than they ever were when you were a kid.

Grammar

I'm a tad anal when it comes to spelling and grammar.  I know I don't always get it perfect, but I try.  It drives me a little nuts to read emails that have obvious mistakes. 

Confession: when I'm replying to an email, there have been times that I've literally gone back through and fixed the other person's mistakes in their original email to me.  Yes, I know I have issues.

To, Too, or Two??
There, Their, or They're??
New, Knew, or Gnu??  (haha)
So, Sow, or Sew??

Do you know the difference?

What about...
Your vs. You're
Allowed vs. Aloud?
Would vs. Wood?
Bare vs. Bear?
Principle vs. Principal?  (I'll admit...I do have to think about this one)

That doesn't cover not knowing how to spell in the first place.  And don't even get me started on punctuation!

Ok, ok.  Perhaps the English language isn't all that easy.  I get that.  And perhaps I should stop picking on certain people who have trouble spelling things properly (you know who you are...haha). 

Perhaps this explains some of the confusion, or perhaps it just makes it all the more confusing?!  It's a tad old school, but none-the-less, it's true...

And now I'm reading through this post several times hoping I haven't inadvertently messed something up.  I'm sure I'll hear about it if I did.  ;-)

Psalms

These are some of my absolute favorite Psalms.  They are like healing rain to my heart.  If you're needing a little extra encouragement at any point, try reading down through a few verses.  I've found such incredible strength and hope just by reading through the Psalms when I'm having an extra-discouraging day.

Psalm 5 

¹ Give ear to my words, O LORD,
   consider my sighing.
² Listen to my cry for help,
   my King and my God, for to you I pray.
³ In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice;
   in the morning I lay my requests before you
   and wait in expectation.

Psalm 10

¹⁴ But you, O God, do see trouble and grief;
   you consider it to take it in hand.
The victim commits himself to you;
   you are the helper of the fatherless.
¹⁷ You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted;
   you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,
¹⁸ defending the fatherless and the oppressed,
   in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.

Psalm 16

⁷ I will praise the LORD, who counsels me;
   even at night my heart instructs me.
⁸ I have set the LORD always before me.
   Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

 ⁹ Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
   my body also will rest secure,
¹⁰ because you will not abandon me to the grave,
   nor will you let your Holy One see decay.
¹¹ You have made known to me the path of life;
   you will fill me with joy in your presence,
   with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Psalm 18

⁶ In my distress I called to the LORD;
   I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
   my cry came before him, into his ears.

¹⁶ He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
   he drew me out of deep waters.
¹⁷ He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
   from my foes, who were too strong for me.
¹⁸ They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
   but the LORD was my support.
¹⁹ He brought me out into a spacious place;
   he rescued me because he delighted in me.

Psalm 23

¹ The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
² He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
³ he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
   for his name’s sake.
⁴ Even though I walk
   through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me
   in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
⁶ Surely goodness and love will follow me
   all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Psalm 27

¹⁴ Wait for the LORD;
   be strong and take heart
   and wait for the LORD.

Psalm 31

¹⁴ But I trust in you, O LORD;
   I say, “You are my God.”

¹⁹ How great is your goodness,
   which you have stored up for those who fear you,
which you bestow in the sight of men
   on those who take refuge in you.

²⁴ Be strong and take heart,
   all you who hope in the LORD.

Psalm 34

⁴ I sought the LORD, and he answered me;
   he delivered me from all my fears.
⁵ Those who look to him are radiant;
   their faces are never covered with shame.
⁶ This poor man called, and the LORD heard him;
   he saved him out of all his troubles.
¹⁷ The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them;
   he delivers them from all their troubles.
¹⁸ The LORD is close to the brokenhearted
   and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

¹⁹ A righteous man may have many troubles,
   but the LORD delivers him from them all;

Psalm 40

¹ I waited patiently for the LORD;
   he turned to me and heard my cry.
² He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.

³ He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.

Psalm 55

²² Cast your cares on the LORD
   and he will sustain you;
   he will never let the righteous fall.

Psalm 56

³ When I am afraid, I will trust in you.
⁴ In God, whose word I praise,
   in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
   What can mortal man do to me?

Psalm 62

¹ My soul finds rest in God alone;
   my salvation comes from him.
² He alone is my rock and my salvation;
   he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

Psalm 68

¹⁹ Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,
   who daily bears our burdens.

Psalm 91

⁴ He will cover you with his feathers,
   and under his wings you will find refuge;
   his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

⁹ If you make the Most High your dwelling—
   even the LORD, who is my refuge—
¹⁰ then no harm will befall you,
   no disaster will come near your tent.
¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you
   to guard you in all your ways;
¹² they will lift you up in their hands,
   so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

Psalm 94

¹⁸ When I said, “My foot is slipping,”
   your love, O LORD, supported me.
¹⁹ When anxiety was great within me,
   your consolation brought joy to my soul.

Psalm 120

¹ I call on the LORD in my distress,
   and he answers me.

Psalm 121

¹ I lift up my eyes to the hills—
   where does my help come from?
² My help comes from the LORD,
   the Maker of heaven and earth.

 ³ He will not let your foot slip—
   he who watches over you will not slumber;
⁴ indeed, he who watches over Israel
   will neither slumber nor sleep.

 ⁵ The LORD watches over you—
   the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
⁶ the sun will not harm you by day,
   nor the moon by night.

 ⁷ The LORD will keep you from all harm—
   he will watch over your life;
⁸ the LORD will watch over your coming and going
   both now and forevermore.

Psalm 145

¹⁴ The LORD upholds all those who fall
   and lifts up all who are bowed down.
¹⁵ The eyes of all look to you,
   and you give them their food at the proper time.
¹⁶ You open your hand
   and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

 ¹⁷ The LORD is righteous in all his ways
   and loving toward all he has made.
¹⁸ The LORD is near to all who call on him,
   to all who call on him in truth.
¹⁹ He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
   he hears their cry and saves them.

Just Saying Hello...

I've been noticing recently that the typical traditional "handshake" that I used to receive as a greeting, at church in particular, seems to be morphing into something a little less formal.  I'm wondering if it's just a passing phase within our society in general or if it's limited to the new group of people I'm getting to know?  Granted, the handshake is still used, but I'm finding other greetings seem to be more prevalent.

First of all, I've never greeted with so many hugs in my life.  I don't know why it seemed foreign to me initially.  Not uncomfortable necessarily.  I just don't think I was used to it...well, not THAT much hugging from THAT many people at least.  I started getting greeted by hugs from people I hardly knew.  I'd go to shake their hand, and I'd find myself getting pulled in for more.  I started realizing how much it made me feel welcomed and how quickly it made me feel like family.  Haha...kind of like this...

The other phenomenon I've noticed is how many high fives I get when I walk into church.  They're always offered with enthusiasm, and I find it funny how they come in many multiple forms.  There's the high five up high...sometimes issued with a slight spring in your step.  There's the parallel hand slap that turns into a handshake and sometimes morphs into a half hug.  And there's the increasingly popular fist bump issued with the directive to "pound it!".  With all these different variations, I thought it might be valuable to share some helpful tips and lessons on high five etiquette for those of you who aren't quite up to speed on this greeting style.  :-)

No matter what form it might be in, I'm coming to realize how important it really is to communicate a welcoming and friendly atmosphere at church especially.  As is true in most areas of life, first impressions are critical.  People can be so easily turned off by cold, sterile, unfriendly, and unwelcoming attitudes.  We all need to work at it...not just the "greeters" at the front door.  So offer a smile.  Shake a hand.  Give a hug.  Jump up, high five, and throw in a chest bump.  I don't care how you do it.   For goodness sakes, just say hello!

Pocket Jesus

Yes, Pocket Jesus is available for purchase.  And yes, I have one!  I have "Pocket Jesus is Peace", to be exact.  Ok, so it's a little sacrilegious, but it was a gift from a friend...a gag gift, of course.  I honestly just died laughing when she gave it to me.  He came complete with a tacky religious bumper sticker in his little box.  Awesome!  haha

If you ever want to meet Peace Pocket Jesus, he does, indeed, travel around with me in my purse.  But don't expect him to do anything other than to possibly provoke a little laughter while his little green plastic self is laying there lifeless in the palm of your hand.

I was thinking...how many times do we reduce Jesus to a little insignificant item that we can carry around in our pocket to pull out when we decide that we need a little extra help?  Better yet, we could carry the whole Pocket Jesus set around so we're ready to whip Him out to "take care of" whatever issues might come our way.  And then when we're done with Him, we just put Him away in His little box.  There's no relationship with Him.  There's no daily communication.  There's no acknowledging Him unless we need something.

The fact is that we really can carry Jesus around with us all the time though...in our hearts and on our minds.  He isn't just some novelty item you can buy at your local Five & Dime.  If we are in Christ, we have the Holy Spirit living in us.  If you've believed in Him and put your faith in His salvation, He's promised that He will be with us wherever we go.  We don't need to rely on an inanimate powerless object.  We have an all-knowing, all-powerful, un-changing, and gracious Savior who loves us more than we can possibly imagine. 

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever - the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.  I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.  But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Jesus yearns to have a relationship with each and everyone of us.  He desperately desires for us to take the time to get to know Him better.  He doesn't just want a few minutes of your morning when you rush through your devotions.  He doesn't just want a half-hearted laundry list of prayer requests thrown at Him.  He wants us to remember Him and carry Him with us wherever we go.  He longs to have priority within our lives.  Jesus simply wants us to place Him in a position of prominence within our hearts and not just throw Him haphazardly in our back pockets without a second thought. 

Church Coma

I'm sure everyone has fought sleep in church before.  You start to zone out.  Your eyes get heavy...then eventually close.  The inevitable head bob follows shortly thereafter.  You jerk awake, shift in your seat, and hope that no one noticed.  And then the sleepy waves roll again.  The cycle continues.  Someone in your family pokes you.  You try...really, really try to pay attention and focus.  But it's just. so. borrrrrring.  Hopefully it's never gotten quite THIS bad though...

It's kind of sad.  The top comment on this video is "I don't blame him for falling asleep.  Church is so boring".  It makes me wonder how many people think that.  Probably a lot.  I'm not saying that church needs to be flashy and entertaining, but I do think that it needs to be relevant and connect with people.  Otherwise, what's the point?  You'll just walk in, fall asleep like Mr. Bean, and walk back out...unaffected and unchanged.

I LOVE that I get to hear God's Word preached every single Sunday, it's always applicable to my life, and it's never boring!!  Thank you, Victory Church and Pastor Curt, for meeting us right where we're at and bringing us closer to Christ!

Can't wait for SUNDAY!!!

Getting Real with God

I just finished reading Tim Willard and Jason Locy's book, Veneer.  I love, love, LOVE the excerpt below.  According to the footnotes, it's a nonchronological expression of the following Scriptures:  Ps. 51:2-14; Jonah 2:6 NET; Lam. 3:19-21; Rev. 22:16-17 NET; John 8:12 NLT; Matt. 11:28-30; Isa. 40:31.


We want to revere God.  We want to be known by Him, to be seen by Him for who we really are, stripped of our veneer.  We don't want the meaninglessness of the world; we want the real of the eternal.

So we cry out:

Scrub away my guilt, soak out my sins in your laundry.  I know how bad I've been; my sins are staring me down.  You're the One I've violated, and you've seen it all, seen the full extent of my evil.

You have all the facts before you; whatever you decide about me is fair.  I've been out of step with you for a long time, in the wrong since before I was born.  What you're after is truth from the inside out.  Enter me, then; conceive a new, true life.  Soak me in your laundry and I'll come out clean, scrub me and I'll have a snow-white life.

Tune me in to foot-tapping songs, set those once-broken bones to dancing.  Don't look too close for blemishes; give me a clean bill of health.  God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life.

Don't throw me out with the trash, or fail to breathe holiness in me.  Bring me back from gray exile, put a fresh wind in my sails!  Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God, and I'll sing anthems to your life-giving ways.

I went down to the very bottoms of the mountains; the gates of the netherworld barred me in forever; but you brought me up from the Pit, O Lord, my God.

I'll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness, the taste of ashes, the poison I've swallowed.  I remember it all - oh, how well I remember - the feeling of hitting the bottom.  But there's one other thing I remember, and remembering, I keep a grip on hope. 

And God replies to our cry:

I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star!  Let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wants it take the water of life free of charge.

I am the light of the world.  If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.

Are you tired?  Worn out?  Burned out on religion?  Come to me.  Get away with me and you'll recover your life.  I'll show you how to take a real rest.

Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it.  Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.  I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.  Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.

Those who wait upon me get the fresh strength.  They spread their wings and soar like eagles.  They run and don't get tired, they walk and don't lag behind.