This morning Jeremy was telling me about a conversation he had with a mutual friend of ours. This friend is a believer, and has felt for years that God has burdened him to be a "giver." Now the thing is, he and his wife have very conservatively paying jobs, and for the wife especially, this burden kind of scares her. She is a very calculated, regimented, careful sort. He, on the other hand would love to be giving even to the point of it being hillarious. He hasn't necessarily known HOW God has wanted to develop this burden into action, but it has stuck with him.
So, the current converstaion is this. Jeremy asked him where all of this is at today. He said, "Well, everything is kind of on hold with that. We are trying to pay off our house in 10 years....so yeah."
WHAT?!
Immediately, Scriptures come to mind. Mark 10:17-31--the rich young man--"One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."......"no one who has LEFT HOME or brothers or sisters.....OR FIELDS...will fail to receive hundred times as much in this present age..."
Mark 8:21--the cost of following Jesus--"Lord, first let me go and bury my father." But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead."
The FIRST order of business is NOT to take care of our personal earthly affairs. Get all of our ducks in a row--finances, family, careers, THEN you can walk into the calling of God? NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! I am trying very hard to not walk in criticism and judgement towards our friends. I definitely have areas where I hide out in fear and hold back too. WOW! The world is lost, the church is falling apart at the seams, and we sit like ducks nuturing our little nest egg WAITING for that day when we can spring into action? Not good.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Hephzibah by Beckah Shae
This woman is a talented artist. I am really liking her style! As the lyrics state at the beginning, she did indeed wake up from a dream with the word "Hephzibah" in her mind and it was all she could remember. She had never heard the word before, so she researched it and found that not only was it a real word, it was found in the Word--Isaiah 62 to be exact. So cool! Good song!
Sunday, October 17, 2010
A prayer for a friend
I found this in some old files I was going through. I love the inspiration that God gives when we are willing to listen. I wrote this for a friend who was in a great struggle and thought I would share it on my blog:
To My Friend
The depth of your pain is so vast, that I fear I cannot touch it. My words seem like chaff, drifting away, unable to touch that place of darkness inside of you.
You ask for a word; you ask for a touch; you ask for encouragement. Though these things I offer, they are no longer within your grasp to hear or feel.
Your feelings are like a raw, open wound. Could my words cut you deeper? Could my advice be like salt to your bleeding soul? Your bones are brittle and thin. Could my touch be that thing that breaks you? Your spirit is parched. Could my prayers shrivel you up?
In my insecurity, I look to the Word for a morsel to offer your starving soul. My friend, what I find there might surprise you:
Seek to preserve your life, you’ll lose it.
Complain that you are ruined; he offers to sear your flesh.
Tell Him you want to follow Him, forget your family.
You want to be wise; he wants you to be like a child.
You want to walk on water; you’ve got to learn about sinking.
You want to be rich; he offers poverty.
You desire a wide open road to travel; he shows you a narrow foot path.
The tears will not stop; He weeps with you.
You are looking for the door; He turns you to the altar.
Death promises to consume you; He will guide you through it.
The prayers He has inspired, I fear you may not be able to comprehend:
Lord, my friend is weary. Exhaust her to the point of deliriousness.
She has cried her last tear. Offer her a portion more.
She wants a counselor. Shut the mouths of her mortal companions.
She seeks for relief from the pain. Wound her.
She looks for strength. Weaken her.
My friend is lonely. Send her companions away.
She is parched. Bring her to the desert.
She fears she is loosing her mind. Make her simple and foolish.
She wants to be filled up. Pour her out.
She wants her life back. Wreck it.
I pray these prayers in secret for you my friend. They seem to be heartless and cruel. The Father has let me know that while He consumes your flesh, He will inflate your Spirit. Like air filling an infant’s lung for the first time, He will breathe into you the breath of life. It pains me that you must go through this dark and lonely time. I pray you do not wriggle away while He holds you to the altar. May you scream out to Him who is your only salvation.
To My Friend
The depth of your pain is so vast, that I fear I cannot touch it. My words seem like chaff, drifting away, unable to touch that place of darkness inside of you.
You ask for a word; you ask for a touch; you ask for encouragement. Though these things I offer, they are no longer within your grasp to hear or feel.
Your feelings are like a raw, open wound. Could my words cut you deeper? Could my advice be like salt to your bleeding soul? Your bones are brittle and thin. Could my touch be that thing that breaks you? Your spirit is parched. Could my prayers shrivel you up?
In my insecurity, I look to the Word for a morsel to offer your starving soul. My friend, what I find there might surprise you:
Seek to preserve your life, you’ll lose it.
Complain that you are ruined; he offers to sear your flesh.
Tell Him you want to follow Him, forget your family.
You want to be wise; he wants you to be like a child.
You want to walk on water; you’ve got to learn about sinking.
You want to be rich; he offers poverty.
You desire a wide open road to travel; he shows you a narrow foot path.
The tears will not stop; He weeps with you.
You are looking for the door; He turns you to the altar.
Death promises to consume you; He will guide you through it.
The prayers He has inspired, I fear you may not be able to comprehend:
Lord, my friend is weary. Exhaust her to the point of deliriousness.
She has cried her last tear. Offer her a portion more.
She wants a counselor. Shut the mouths of her mortal companions.
She seeks for relief from the pain. Wound her.
She looks for strength. Weaken her.
My friend is lonely. Send her companions away.
She is parched. Bring her to the desert.
She fears she is loosing her mind. Make her simple and foolish.
She wants to be filled up. Pour her out.
She wants her life back. Wreck it.
I pray these prayers in secret for you my friend. They seem to be heartless and cruel. The Father has let me know that while He consumes your flesh, He will inflate your Spirit. Like air filling an infant’s lung for the first time, He will breathe into you the breath of life. It pains me that you must go through this dark and lonely time. I pray you do not wriggle away while He holds you to the altar. May you scream out to Him who is your only salvation.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Solicited Advice
So the friend that I mentioned in my last post SHOWED UP at my house today unannounced! And the amazing thing--she came because she knew that I would not tell her what she WANTED to hear! God is so good! I had just been talking with Jere about how do we approach these touchy topics in people's lives. We love them, but then what?! So she shows up and we talked, we read Scripture, and we are putting together at date for her to "go to the altar" with God and wrestle with these things and hopefully recover her lost identity as a daughter of the Father. Do I think she might still walk in sin? Yes. Do I think she will mess her "diaper" a bazillion more times? Yes. Do I think God will win? YES! What a sweet morning!
Monday, October 11, 2010
Doing what makes me happy
So today I was talking to someone who I suspected was heading into some behaviors that are wrong. I gently introduced the topic, and the person didn't deny it, so I pressed a bit and asked her what was going on to which she said, "I am doing what makes me happy." I was taken aback to say the least. The thing is that this person knows what she is up to is contrary to the Word. God has given her a TON of freedom from past stuff, and she has had incredible breakthroughs that she credits directly to the Lord. Bottom line--she knows better! I thought to myself, since when is the criteria for our lives as Christians to do that which makes us HAPPY? Somehow does this excuse sin? Is God okay with our behavior because He is so thrilled that it makes us happy?! I am floored! And then I thought to myself, am I really any different? How often do I excuse myself because I want to do or say or think something that will make me happy? But wow, what a good reminder that my happiness does not change God's standard. Sin is sin. God really isn't too impressed with our idolatry of happiness. And now the question is, how do I respond to this person in a right way consistently?
Monday, October 4, 2010
I almost forgot!
Oh my gosh! I almost forgot to add to my list of loves...not sure how I could have overlooked these, because I am slightly in love with these items....1. coffee and 2. butter mmmmm!
Fits like and old pair of jeans
So I mentioned in a former blog that I have a friend who has been in my life since 5th grade. We have been very close, and over recent years we have kind of drifted. Our lives have parallelled each other's for so many years, but it seems our passions/interests have just changed over recent years and we have not been all too interested in or motivated to get together. The funny thing is that I love her a ton, and I miss her...but sometimes it is not until we DO get together that I realize that. Well after many failed attempts to get our families together--which has been close to impossible, I finally decided we needed to simplify and just the two of us hook up. Well it finally happened! We met for coffee tonight and it was mildly awkward at first, but before long it was comfortable and just plain old good. It was like slipping into that really broken in pair of jeans. She might not appreciate being compared to ratty denim, but in this case it is a compliment! I am thankful. AND I am glad to be conquering (little by little) my relationally challenged ways!
Friday, October 1, 2010
Things I love
So I decided that if I was going to take the time to create a list of things that drive me nutty, that I should think of a few things that I love (if nothing more to not appear too negative!). Strangely, it is really easy to think of peeves and I am having to think really hard on this list! Oh well, here goes....and these are in no particular order.
1. Minted out wooden barns-nice red paint job!
2. Drinking ice water out of a plastic cup.
3. Writing a great paper or other composition
4. The sound and smell of fall leaves crunching under your feet.
5. Freshly clipped fingernails and toenails, that is the fingers and toes afterwards--Not the nails!
6. A great lettuce salad (that has usually lost its healthy content by the time I am done with it)!
7. Boy's choirs.
8. Movies that make me cry.
9. New car smell
10. That sulfur smell of a freshly lit match
11. Racing fuel
12. A purring cat.
13. Live orchestra
14. Watching my girls dance.
15. Snuggling.
16. Fishing!
17. Camping.
18. Meeting people who really get the things that you are passionate about
19. Comfortable silences
20. Awesome worship music
So not a comprehensive list by any means
1. Minted out wooden barns-nice red paint job!
2. Drinking ice water out of a plastic cup.
3. Writing a great paper or other composition
4. The sound and smell of fall leaves crunching under your feet.
5. Freshly clipped fingernails and toenails, that is the fingers and toes afterwards--Not the nails!
6. A great lettuce salad (that has usually lost its healthy content by the time I am done with it)!
7. Boy's choirs.
8. Movies that make me cry.
9. New car smell
10. That sulfur smell of a freshly lit match
11. Racing fuel
12. A purring cat.
13. Live orchestra
14. Watching my girls dance.
15. Snuggling.
16. Fishing!
17. Camping.
18. Meeting people who really get the things that you are passionate about
19. Comfortable silences
20. Awesome worship music
So not a comprehensive list by any means
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