Faith...and planes

Mark 16:15 "Go into all the world..."

It takes faith to go, whether it's to go to school, go to work, or go into all the world. But faith begins with something inside that says, "YES!" When God asks, "Do you want to do thus and such?" Then you take a step, a leap is more like it.

Mark 16 goes on to say this, "...and the Lord worked with them." I have never read that verse before (or paid attention to it) until Friday. When God says go, He goes with us.

So if you've ever seen someone jump out of a plane for the first time they are strapped to someone. It's called tandem. A person is not told to jump out of a plane on their own, they are given a professional to guide them.

So when God asks if you want to go, just say yes and know that He's a pro and will be right there the whole adventure through!!! He has already been there and He is inviting us share in the adventure...

The world is my playground...

So I didn't want to get out of bed this morning. It's one of those days I just want to stay in bed and think myself into oblivion...it's safer that way right? NOPE! But I'm on vacation, I don't have to be active - right? WRONG! Inactivity sets us up for failure (King David took a vacation from the war and that's when he saw Bathsheba...need I go on...) Rest is good, and necessary, but even in rest I can meditate on good things.

The Lord reminds me of this verse, "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things." Phil 4:8

I can't be afraid of what is waiting for me when I get up. I know that something (and someone) big awaits me and as excited as I am to get there, I'm terrified too (this is where I get choked up and stop myself from crying.) All the "what if" questions hit my mind and I want to hide...ere go stay in bed. But I prayed for a few minutes before getting up and took care of some distracting negative thoughts, then I got some coffee and opened my computer to check my emails...

As I was reading another friend's blog (davidlawrencelive.wordpress.com) the most freeing thought came to me - "The World is my Playground, and it's Time to Get Moving!"

So as I meditate on pure, noble, and lovely things, I will get out of bed each day with the hope that I am moving forward, and face the world that is my playgorund.

Oxygen and tears....

Well today one of the best friend's I've ever had moved to St. Louis. Tears of sadness and loss, and yet tears of joy and great hope. Because what lies ahead is SO FAR greater than what lies behind.

If you get the chance to have really good friends...fight to keep them. Fight. Say what you need to say to be open, vulnerable, confrontational, and true.

Other than family, I've never known loyalty in a friend until now. I know what "tough love" means and go through life to come out on the other side even better friends. I know what a real friendship looks like and my life will never be the same.

"fan into flame the gift within you." 2 Tim 1:6

Flames need oxygen. In our lives we can give so much to others and see our flame dim sometimes, but people who are life-giving friends will breathe oxygen into that flame and cause it to grow.

To all my life-giving friends, thank you ...

fresh quote....life motto

"I've simply decided that it is better to launch people than lose them." (Next Generation Leader)
Andy Stanley, Pastor
Northpoint Church

Hope Fulfilled

This is a season of Hope Fulfilled. I am in awe of how amazingly wonderful the Lord is to us. He is faithful and gracious. People in my life are approaching their fulfillment or have had their hope fulfilled. New doors of opportunity. Strategic alignments. Each person had prayer before the Lord, and being that it was God's desire in the first place, the pieces are coming together. My thoughts......

My Hope lingers

A glimpse of fulfillment

I wait patiently

Press forward

Moments of impatience

Give way to trust

As I wait

And keep moving forward

Disturb Me!

Last year at Catalyst Conference (catalystspace.com) I listened to Craig Groeschel, pastor of LifeChurch.tv, speak about two very dangerous words: Disturb Me! It was a prayer of his heart to God to shake him from his current state of complacency and apathy. I knew these words were dangerous and at that time could not bring myself to truly mean them for my life. I knew the weight of that prayer. But these last few days the Lord has reminded of his words and they have now become my prayer.

I happened to be reading Acts 19 and came across this verse and it struck me with such conviction..... verse 23 says this: "...there arose a great disturbance about the Way."

The chapter is about Paul's ministry in Ephesus and this "disturbance" was the result of two years of discipling and adding people to the Kingdom. He put two major trade industries out of business - the equivalent to tens of millions of dollars! I love it!

My point is this - Disturbed people create disturbances.

"Disturb me O God that I may disturb what is around me."

The Fear of Disappointment

Over the last week I noticed a change in my behavior, and not in a good way. I would get angry out of no where and want to scream. It was totally out of character and sometimes I would be around people who would get the brunt of my anger and later I would have to go & ask their forgiveness. I knew something was worng and it needed to be dealt with - and quick! I have been seeking the Lord and asking Him to show me where this anger is coming from and let's get it out! I sensed it was a something I had let in and had taken root somewhere along the way and was now showing its ugly head.

Tonight as I was spending time with the Lord I felt the Holy Spirit quietly say to my heart, "disappointment the fear of disappointment." I knew immediately that was it and tears came to my eyes as I knew it was time to release that fear. I felt so much peace and freedom once I prayed and declared the Word that the Lord is my Hope and all my Hope is in Him. I kept saying, "I believe You!" I felt the Lord ask me, "Do you think I can do this?" I kept on smiling an saying, "I believe You. My hope is in You"

I was reminded of a Psalm and a song...it goes like this
My hope is in the Name of the Lord
Where my help comes from
You're my strength my song
My Trust is in the Name of Lord
Where my help comes from
You are faithful

Its from the Hope album by Hillsong. It so refreshed my heart and I knew I was finally free.

So what's next....what else is ahead? As I surrender to Him I trust that what the Lord has planned for my life shall come to pass and I must believe Eph 3:20 (which was my devo reading today)

I choose to believe

"Create in me a clean, O God; and renew a right spirit within me."

David spoke these words in Psalms and I remember singing them in a song growing up in church. This is my prayer today. I want to hold on to faith, hope and love. I want to fight for what is right and stand up to what is wrong even in the midst of unpopularity. I want to see God’s plan for my life come to pass, and be used without hesitation and without regret. I will fight for what I know God has promised in His word. I have come to a place of brokenness again and must become transparent. Others see my flaws and quickly point them out for the sake of helping others. I must remain in love and choose rightly.

Am I wrong to hope, to dream, to want something I can’t see? Shall I be corrected as Sarah was and laugh at God’s promise only to delay it because of my disbelief? I say NO! I believe. I choose to have faith and remain in hope and love. Love, in 1 Cor 13, gives up its right to its own way. I can’t be selfish; I must give unconditionally, and love whole-heartedly. I must forgive and forge ahead. I must ask for forgiveness – quickly – of those I have wronged unknowingly.

I want to take time to do some fasting. I need to remain aligned & be sensitive to the changes God wants to make in my heart and life. So...yet another phase of change lies ahead, I'm nervous and excited. Oh how I "love" change....total sarcastic point I just made.

Recognition

I want to take some time to recognize...

I am a healed girl - even of things I didn't realize until after the Lord changed me.
I have stopped trying to control certain areas of my life.
I am free.
I have the ability to love people more than I ever have before.
The faithfulness of God to restore.
I must stay leaning forward into what God has for me.
I have something of value to contribute to my family, my friends, my church and my future.
I am very blessed.

Power of Agreement

There is something unique about agreeing with someone or something. I've been going through a Bible study with some friends and we've been disecting Matthew. I noticed in the first chapter that Jesus came from the line of Joseph, not Mary. That's when it hit me, when Mary agreed to marry Joseph that decision aligned her under Joseph's lineage (placed her under his authority and covering) and thereby enabled her to be filled with the Holy Spirit and bear Jesus Christ.

I had to questions: Could it be that God put in Joseph's heart to chose Mary because that's who He wanted to use, or would God have used anyone that Jospeh chose to marry because of his desire to please God and his destined lineage? Did God give Joseph the use of freewill to chose whomever he desired or was there a model image built inside of Joseph that caused him to only see Mary?

Mary didn't just agree to a marriage in the natural, she was agreeing to receive from God something supernatual. "Be it unto me according to thy word."

Accounting

started a new class tonight - principles of accounting. my instructor is a very passionate spanish guy who really loves being an accountant....he went for 3.5 hours and only gave us 1 15-minute break. whew! i think im going to really like this class, but its going to take a lot of work. but i guess if im going to consult the world's churches...im going to need to completely understand accounting...LOL. so watch out..here i come!

Crazy little thing called L-O-V-E

I found this in the back of my Bible. I remember writing it in a time with the Lord in one of my favorite spots - the front porch of my grandparents house. I wrote this about 3-4 years ago, but it still rings true with me today...in a fresh way.

Psalms 40 and 1 Corinthians 13...Love is FIRST patient, not idle.

Love is patient. Patience is having joy in waiting. You must have hope in something to know what your waiting for and faith to inspire hope. Hope is the vision + expectation of what faith says is possible. Love is patient - so patience (full of joy) give you strength (Neh 8:10) to stand and wait... expecting and knowing and going ahead. While waiting, you continue to serve - be a waiter. Have joy in the Lord - delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart (Ps 37:4.)

Faith without works is dead. Hope deferred makes the heart sick. Love is action.
Faith + Hope+ Love = victorious, purpose-fulled life.
Love is the accomplisher - if you love me, obey (John 14:15)
The Church of Ephesus needed to return to its first love (Rev 2)
Love acts in wisdom - James 2 and 3.
My life is not my own (1 Corinthians 13:5)

Play offensive with fears!

Well lately I've been faced with fears left and right, and I'm growing as a result. My mind creates imaginations and I begin to feel afraid. But then one day I decided to push back - and piss off that part of me that was afraid by doing the very thing I was afraid to do. Each time I did that, I felt empowered. For example, there are times i dont want to enter a room full of people (mostly my friends) because I think i wont be welcomed or wanted or that i'll make things worse by being there.....my head creates all kinds of aweful scenarios and i get panicky. I just want to run away and hide. Well the last few weeks I've been looking that fear in the face and telling it to piss off! That kind of fear is not welcome in my life. I walk right into the room and force myself to have a great time. And in the end it was all in my head. Sometimes I have to go to the Lord in prayer and say, "I'm totally nervous and I really need You." God always speaks to my heart and stengthens me and gives me the TRUTH. The TRUTH sets us free. Living in the light, and walking in the light together (1 John 1:7.) We walk with Christ and in HIM all things are possible. Playing offensively with fear is victory and growth.

Engage Me

At InFlux on Thursday night, there was something brewing in the air, it was awesome. During the worship the Lord begin to speak to me in pictures and talk to me about how He sees the generation of young adults - my generation. I saw people randomly spread out sitting alone on couches, chairs, church chairs, and then bleachers at a sports event. The Lord begin to pull on them and say "Engage Me." The people I saw were completely disconnected and discontent. They had "checked out." But God was pulling them, encouraging them to come "play on His field." I asked about what causes someoneto just sit there and watch other people - He spoke to my heart and said, "they've been told they don't belong there." I began to cry and my heart leaped as I knew that I had to share this with the group. The verse that came to my mind was Hebrews 10:35, "For we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed but of those who believe and are saved." As I began to share this with the crowd I was impressed to say, "Engage Me, come play on My team, I've created you, I've created you with a purpose, I've created you with a position to play on My team. Come with Me and know how to push back the enemy instead of being pushed around by him. Know what it is to have victory in every area of your life."