Prayer

Gethsemane - the place that has come to signify a place of intense suffering and courageous submission.

After Jesus had celebrated the Passover with His disciples, the group went together to the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus asked His friends to keep watch while He went to pray alone a short distance away. Luke says that prayer was so full of anguish that His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground (Luke 22:44).

Prayer is one of the disciplines of a godly life that we frequently find difficult to completely understand. I think oftentimes the whole concept seems intimidating or even baffling because we try to use unfamiliar words, or sound a certain way, like God is interested in whether or not we use proper English when we talk to Him! God never intended that talking with Him should be threatening! His desire is that prayer be more like an intimate conversation than some profound theological discourse. He just wants to hear our voice, to know that we trust Him enough to come to Him - even if we sound like babbling idiots! Jesus began His prayer that night at Gethsemane with, "my Father," and he has instructued us to address God in the same manner when we approach Him in prayer (Luke 11:2).

You guys - true prayer, the kind that moves Heaven, it requires honesty. Honesty with ourselves, and honesty with God. That night in the garden, Jesus knew full well that He was about to be arrested, and with every ounce of human emotion He dreaded and resisted the idea that He was about to die on the cross. He pleaded with His Father...you know, I kinda don't want to do this - if it's possible, take this away from me (Matthew 26:39). But the key is - Jesus openly expressed His emotions, He was honest with God in His prayer! He of course knew that His request was against God's eternal design, but He was honest with God! I strongly believe that God honors honesty in our prayers!! Jesus said if it were possibe he would have preferred to avoid the anguish ahead of Him. This isn't a sign of weakness - rather it was an expression of authenticity and honesty. In the same way, when we face seemingly unbearable suffering, it is perfectly legitimate for us to plead with our heavently Father to deliver us from the pain.

But hear me - when we approach God in a prayer like this, we have to be willing in advance to submit to whatever He decides is best. Jesus didn't look forward to the pain, but He had the wisdom and the courage to add yet not as I will, but Your will be done. Through this He acknowledged that His Father's will had to take priority over His own personal desires.

When we come into God's presence in this spirit of humble submission, of willingness to surrender control, to let go into the loving arms of the Father, we know in advance that while He may not change our circumstances, He will most definitely change us through the experience.

God honors honesty in our prayers - He just wants to hear our voice. Don't worry if you don't sound like so and so...God wants to hear YOUR voice, and YOUR heart! He wants us to trust Him, and believe Him when He says He listens to our prayers.

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer (1 Peter 3:12)

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours (Mark 11:24)

We're Kinda Dumb

I'm all over reading about Jesus' miracles in the gospels...God is just blasting me with an understanding that the miracles of Jesus are just the ordinary works of the Father, He just has to scale it down so we might actually believe them to have happened. Imagine what He could do with children who had the faith to believe anything He threw at them!

I was thinking about when Jesus miraculously satisfied the hungry masses at the feeding of the 5000...then he sent His disciples across the lake by boat while He went to pray (even Jesus needed quiet times of rest with the Father...probably a good plan for us too, then!). Later that evening, He cross the lake Himself - walking on water. (He's so cool!) As He approached the disciples in the boat, they assumed that a ghost was drifting toward them (yep, the Holy Ghost..well, sort of!), but Jesus calms their fears with three simple words..."Don't be afraid" (Mark 6:50). When He climbed into the boat, Mark says the disciples were "completely amazed"...I'm guessing they were sitting in shocked silence, you know the kind where you just shake your head wondering what just happened?! Mark 6:52 tells us that "they had not understood about the loaves." In other words, the disciples just didn't get it...we're kinda dumb! They had just witnessed Jesus feeding more than 5000 people with a handful of food, and they were still astonished that He could walk on water. This is so me! How many blessings and miracles has He brought on my life...and I'm still shocked at His goodness! We're kinda dumb! But as you read through the gospels, you see the disciples began to see that Jesus could do anything - it was only through experience that they finally figured this out! And the same it true with us - only as we get to know Jesus on an intimate level, can we learn that He can do anything in and through our lives! The more we observe Him carrying out His plans for our lives, the less astounded we'll be when He performs what seems unimaginable to us! Then we can start to become kinda smart...but only because of Him!

A Prophet Without Honor (for Nicole)

Text: Mark 6

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%206:1-6;&version=31

I'm getting ready to head home for my 10 year high school reunion (yikes, when did THAT happen?!?!)...and was reading in Mark about when Jesus goes to his hometown...some thoughts I thought I'd share...

No matter what we do with our lives after we become adults...how far we travel or how much we learn...returning to our hometown is often an emotional experience. (Kids...you'll understand this in about 10 years) Most people will at one time or another speak nostalgically about their childhood memories, and my psychology background tells me that to some degree, people make sense of their daily experiences through the filter of the patterns and recollections of their youth. So in some way, we are all forever affected by something of what we were as children.

Jesus understood these feelings about childhood experiences. When He returned to Nazereth and taught in the synagogue, the people there were amazed by His wisdom and miracles but found themselves unable to reconcile what they were seeing and hearing with the fact that Jesus was a local carpenter's son (Mark 6:2-3). Within the close-knit circle of small-town life, they had watched Him grow up, and their response to His teaching was skewed by their recollections of what had been in many ways an ordinary childhood. (I love how God makes ordinary - extraordinary!)

The citizens of Nazareth lacked faith. But Jesus refused to simply walk away and give up on them. He did not perform many miracles in Nazareth, but He did perform some (verses 5-6). I think the reaction that stung the most HAD to have been that of His own family. Check out Mark 3:20-21 - His own family questioned His sanity!! (Jesus entered a h ouse, and again a crowd gathered, so that He and His disciples were not even able to eat. WHen His family heard about this, they went to take charge of Him, for they said, "He is out of His mind") In John 7:5, John explains it as, "Even His own brothers did not believe in Him."

Nicole...this is where I find the Holy Spirit bringing you to mind! In our own lives, I think it can sometimes be most difficult to discuss the reality of Jesus' love and salvation with those who know us best. They may listen to what we say and even acknowledge that they can observe a change in our demeanor since we first met the Savior, but they will almost invariably judge us through what they remember of us...the "family" lens. They are probably the most skeptical because they remember too much. Or because they see that there is something different, but they have no idea how to approach it and understand it.

I think the key is - even when our parents, brothers, sisters, or close friends reject our words or are embarassed by our devotion to Jesus, we can not simply resign ourselves to their entrenched attitudes! Eventually, Jesus' own family DID come to the point of belief (see Acts 1:14). What speaks the loudest is not the idea that we are perfect, but the observation that we are consistent. (Oh...how I could write for hours on this one!) The example of a changed life before Jesus, will make a difference over time to those around us who find it hard to understand or believe!

Miracles Aren't Enough

I've been reading through a number of the miracles Jesus performed (as recorded in Matthew) over the past few days. It's obvious that Jesus' miracles attracted a lot of attention because there were crowds of people following Him everywhere (Jesus was a rock star!). But these miracles didn't always result in people turning to God in faith. In Matthew 11:20-24, Jesus condemned the towns of Koran, Bethsaida, and Capernaum because they had seen with their own eyes who He was and what He had done - yet had failed to believe. It seems that witnessing miracles does not always lead people to want to get to know God. This is so hard for me to understand because God has used miracles in my own life to draw me closer to Him (although, I definitely miss out on some from time to time because I'm retarded...). So it got me thinking - when two people witness the same event, how is it that one person is left doubting and another is found running into God's presence? I think the answer lies in God's grace. Only God's grace can bring about a change in our hearts.

While these New Testament miracles may have constituted irrefutable evidence that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, they can not in and of themselves soften and change unyielding hearts of stone. When we witness things around us that build our faith, draw us near to God, and basically just blow us away - that is the Lord wooing us into His presence, saying - come my child - let me show you what I have for you - this is just the beginning!

I think it comes down to three things...commitment, worship, and repentance. You see, Jesus desires our commitment, not our applause. He longs for our worship, rather than merely our wonder. And he yearns for our repentance, rather than simply our respect.

The greatest miracle anyone can experience is having his or her heart transformed by the touch of God's love and grace (see Matthew 13:11-17 and Ephesians 2:4-10). I think I always view this as the big salvation transformation of our hearts, and forget that God wants to transform my heart daily. I think too often I miss the small touches of His love because I am looking for the big signs and wonders. O how I pray that we will begin to understand His grace on a level beyond salvation and repentance. And move into an understanding that daily He rejoices over us with singing, He delights in us, and His love quiets our hearts - drawing us in to see the world through His eyes (Zephaniah 3:17).

Stupid Satan

A short one today...I'm supposed to be working - but keep thinking of this, so I'm sharing!

Last week sometime, I was reading in Zechariah (chapter 3) and I've been thinking on this, as well as challenged to believe it, over the past week. In this chapter, Zechariah was allowed to witness a very unusual sight - basically Satan was standing next to Joshua, God's high priest, and accusing him of spiritual inadequacy (Zechariah 3:1-2). How often to we hear him accusing us in that fashion?? You didn't do your devotions this morning....You missed youth group last week...You don't pray enough. Here's the cool part - God let Satan know that Joshua was one of God's own and that God Himself had made him acceptable. God made Him acceptable - not anything Joshua had done on his own accord! And Zechariah is not the only Biblical character to have observed Satan accusing one of God's people. John also saw Satan as the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God (Revelation 12:10).

Satan accuses us night and day - but here's the beautiful thing - we don't have to fear his accusations because we have a defender standing with us before God. We have One who speaks to the Father in our defense - Jesus Christ, the Righteous One (1 John 2:1). So Satan accuses us...Jesus defends us...but it goes even further! (How awesome is our Father!) In Zechariah 3, the angel of the Lord stood by Joshua's side (verse 5...the angel of the Lord was the preincarnate Jesus if I'm not mistaken!). And Zechariah observed the angel speaking to Joshua and offering forgiveness and fresh, clean robes in which he could serve God. Wow! Not only does Jesus defend us against the enemy's accusations - but when we are obedient to run to God when we sin - He clothes us with righteousness.

ps...I know this sounds an awful lot like my message last week...but it's so foundational to us understanding who we are in Christ - and living free lives before Him. Grab hold of it - and run!!

Dry Bones

Text: Ezekiel 37:1-14

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ezekiel 37:1-14;&version=65)

This is blowing my mind this morning...I don't know why because I've read/heard about this passage many times before...but wow. God accompanied his servant Ezekiel on an incredible trip - a spiritual journey to a land of dry bones. In this vision, the Lord asked Ezekiel whether the piles of bones could come back to life. Simple question with an obvious answer - or so Ezekiel thought! And yet, he refused to give a definite response one way or the other (haha, I just chuckle thinking about this...). If he were to have reminded God that bones can't live, he would have been expressing doubt concerning God's power. On the other hand, accepting the premise that the bones could indeed come back to life would have implied endorsing a human impossibility. This is great! How often do we find ourselves in this position ("God...I have no idea how you are going to bring so-and-so to You, it seems impossible to me - but I'm not going to say it's impossible, because well, it's YOU I'm talking to..."). Ezekiel responded with what seemed the only plausible answer (and one I'm thinking we should consider more often!), "God - only You know that!" (Ezekiel 37:3).

Ezekiel did not formulate his own plan of action but instead placed his trust in God's ability to act. After Ezekiel had responded in faith, God gave him what seemed a ludicrous directive: "Prophesy to these bones - tell them to come back to life." WHAT?!?! Ezekiel must have been floored - doubting, but wanting so desperately to believe. It is one thing to believe that God can accomplish the impossible but quite another to become personally involved in the process! Ezekiel, however, did exactly as God had requested. Incredibly, those bones did take on flesh and become animate. Before long, an entire army stood at attention. On that day God performed a phenomenal miracle for Ezekiel's benefit in order to remind his people (then the Isrealites..now, us!) that He is indeed the Lord and that His promises are powerful and true!

When God's Word is faithfully taught, that which is dead in our souls is revitalized through the working of God's Holy Spirit. How many times do we think/say this verse..."I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13). Now, when are we going to start believing it to be true??! Jesus told His disciples, "apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). The same Jesus who raised Lazarus from the dead, healed the sick, and fed more than 5,000 people with a few fish and loaves of bread can do the seemingly impossible for us!!! He can transform our listless spirits and make us a powerful army of servants...if we let Him! God can breathe life into the most desperate of situations...if we let Him! God will change your life...if you let Him!!!

Oftentimes our strength becomes depleted to the point of discouragement or even despair. What was that about our strength coming from Christ? Right. Oh, and that part about apart from Him I can do nothing. Sweet. We have got to trust in the truth of God's Word to instill new life into our monotonous routine filled lives! Nothing is impossible for our God!

What dry bones are you waiting for the Lord to speak life into? Do you believe HE can do it? Believe Him - take Him at His Word!! Can you even imagine what this world would look like if God's people started believing He can actually do what He says He can do?!

Believe Me now ~ Believe Me here ~ Remember all the times I've told you loud and clear ~ I am with you ~ I am for you ~ So believe Me now

In the Lions' Den

Between reading Daniel, and an email I received from a friend talking about how hard it is to continually trust in God to provide - and to turn away from the world...I was thinking 'what's up with the lions' so I did some research and had some thoughts...I love how He continually links aspects of my life together into His grand scheme...

So, the lions...at various times throughout history, rulers have used lions to both torture and kill those individuals who opposed them (the rulers). Apparently, during the periods of persecution during the first centuries following Jesus' death and resurrection, members of the early church were repeatedly thrown to the lions because their decision to walk with God and stake their lives on faith in his Son ran counter to the official government stance. Then there's Daniel - while Darius was ruler of Babylon, Daniel was accused of treason and thrown into a den full of restless, ravenous lions (Daniel 6:16-21). The beauty of this story is God sending His angel to keep the lions from attacking Daniel, protecting His servant (verse 22).

Which brings me to us...the very fact that we choose to walk with God involves a second implicit choice...a choice to walk out of step with this world (Romans 12:2; 1 John 2:15), and Satan makes certain that believers will feel the consequences of this decision (Job 1:7; 1 Peter 5:8). Stupid Satan...

Jesus warned his followers that they would be handed over...and put to death, that they would be hated by all nations because of their faith in Him (Matthew 24:9). Jesus also addressed this issue when He began his Sermon on the Mount with the recitation of the Beatitudes..."Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in Heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matthew 5:11-12).

It's a hard choice to choose walking with God, knowing that you are opening yourself up for attacks from the enemy on a daily basis. Satan would love for us to forget God's promises to us...that He has sent His Spirit to guide and protect us - and to reveal God's truth to us when we choose to live for Him (John 16:13). In this world we will have trouble - it's a given...but be of good cheer...our King has overcome the world!!! (John 16:33)

Be encouraged friends - Heaven is coming...Jesus is coming! Don't lose sight of that hope!

Radical Transformation

I think one of the pitfalls we face in following Jesus is the temptation to focus on how our lives look to other people around us - rather than on how God is changing us from the inside out - one day at a time. We get so caught up in how things look to others, it's such a lie from Satan! It's that Casting Crowns song - Stained Glass Masquerade...

Are we happy plastic people ~ Under shiny plastic steeples ~ With walls around our weakness ~ And smiles to hide our pain ~ But if the invitations open ~ To every heart that has been broken ~ Maybe then we close the curtain ~ On our stained glass masqueradeWe are so worried about how others will perceive how our relationship with the Lord is going...we lose the point - that the Lover of our souls is changing our hearts and molding them to be more like His. So not the point of what I was going to write today...but a good tangent nonetheless!

What I really wanted to write about is how our hearts are God's chief concern, not what we look like to other people around us. I've been reading a ton in the Old Testament lately, and I'm always quick to judge the Isrealites for losing their focus on God in the context of what looks to us like the clutter of endless rituals, but aren't we the same way?? We, too, are tempted to take our eyes off the Lord and concentrate on our outward appearance of spirituality, on how we present ourselves to other people...to God..or any other number of lies Satan fires at us to get our focus off the Lord. Satan stops at nothing to steal our gaze. Stupid jerk.

God promised Ezekiel that he would provice the nation of Isreal with a new heart and a new spirit. The people would experience a fundamental transformation from the inside out, and this radical change of heart and spirit would inevitable lead to a life of obedience (Ezekiel 11:19-20; 36:26-27).

First, God promised a new heart. Sin rejoices in prompting us to deny the truth, but God is explicit in his analysis: The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure (Jeremiah 17:9). Our entire self has been permeated and corrupted by sin, we are powerless to change that fact. BUT - God is a heart surgeon of incomparable skill - in fact, he administers a total heart transplant! (Eat your heart out Dr. Burke...no pun intended). God removed the old heart of stone (Ezekiel 36:26) that has resisted his will and replaces it with a new, softer version - one that is vital and responsive! A new heart offers new life, new direction, new desires and new possibilites for us!

Second, God promised that along with their new heart would come the very Spirit of God (Ezekiel 36:27). In the OT, the Spirit of God came on people, but did not live in people. God's promise of his indwelling Spirit must have sounded strange to the 'ol Isrealites - how could God dwell IN them?!? Much later, Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would be present after his ascension to guide not only the disciples - but US into all truth (John 16:5-15). The outpouring of the Spirit occured in a dramatic way on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4...wouldn't that have been cool to see?). The key here is, it is the SAME SPIRIT within our own hearts who infuses in us the power to resist sin and to obey the Lord (Galatians 5:16-26). The power of the life-giving Spirit has set you free from the power of sin that leads to death! (Romans 8:2)

So you see, it's the combination of the new heart and the new Spirit that God imparts to us that gives us the power to resist sin, and be transformed radically by our Father! Jesus made it abundantly clear that we are incapable of camouflaging that dark, icky stuff in our hearts. He knows our hearts better than we know them ourselves! Remember the Sermon on the Mount? It was there that Jesus made the profound statement that, "where our treasure is, there our heart will be also" (Matthew 6:21). Later on, he told a group of Pharisees the "out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matthew 12:34).

Then remember that command Jesus gave us...Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength (Mark 12:30).

With heart, soul, mind, and strength - in other words, with everything we are - we are called to love our God!

And out of this love will inevitably flow an outpouring of heartfelt and selfless service, service that the world will see and recognize as genuine...not a fake mask we're putting on to look spiritual and put together!

So once again...it all comes down to our hearts and love...amazing!

Not because of what I've done...
But because of who You are...

(From 'Who Am I' by Casting Crowns)

As a Christian, as a human, this is the hardest thing to come to grips with.

You're saved,

you are going to heaven,

and you didn't do a thing to deserve it.

You didn't say a million prayers...
Or convert a hundred jungle natives...
You didn't do anything except what came naturally...

You heard the truth.

That God, the creator of everything, loves you.

He became a man so He could relate to you.

He died in your place.

He rose from the dead so you could be assured that He has the

power to fulfill any promise He makes.

How can you help but fall on your face and worship and adore Him!!

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9)

Ahhhh Yeah!!!

I'm not sure which is sweeter...

The AVS advancing to the Western Conference Semifinals...or the Red Wings getting beat by Edmonton in the first round!!!!

BRING ON THE CUP BABY!!!!!

Are You Kiding Me?!

AVS WIN!!!!

Unbelievable...

5-4 OT to go up 2-0 in the series!!!

After blowing a 3 goal lead at the end of the first, they were down 4-3 late in the third...tied it up, then freakin' WON in OT!!!

I LOVE IT!!!

Totally worth staying up until midnight for!

Back to Denver now...ahhh yeah!!!

Matty...you're going down my friend!

Scandalous Love

So I've been spending some time this week reflecting on Easter. It all kind of started because I wasn't fired up about it this year like I have been in years past and that was bothering me. How could I not fall on my face in gratitude and awe over this man Christ Jesus who died for me, then rose from the dead?!?!

You see - I've been struggling lately - attacks on a number of my relationships and my foundation is being tested. There are days I wake up wondering if it's all a dream - and I have to remind myself that it's HIS strength that I stand on, not my own.

But back to Easter...I've decided it's like Christmas, Part II. Because really, what is the point of Christmas without Easter? Some time in history when God simply came to earth to pay a visit? I mean really, without His rising from the dead, the joy of Christmas loses it's meaning.

Then I thought further...what really then is Easter without Good Friday? That torturous day when Jesus took MY place in the death that I deserve. I obviously am no innocent person - pretty far from it. If some of you really knew me, I think you'd be surprised at the struggle I face daily to submit myself under God's plan for my life and not control it all on my own. And it goes so much deeper than that. I hate the sin in my heart...yet I'm so in love with the world. It's scandalous really.

The Bible says not one of us is innocent. Not one! "No one is righteous, not even one." "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." I don't see a lot of room for setting myself on a pedestal and proclaiming myself worthy of God's love there. But when God looks at me, He declares that I am righteous. Seriously? Once we were slaves, but we are slaves no longer because of Christmas....which has it's meaning because of Easter...which has it's meaning only because of Good Friday. Wow - that God, He sure had a plan! Maybe I should learn to trust Him a little better with my own life since He did so well with His Son's!!!

I watched 'The Passion of the Christ' earlier this week - and I was reminded of the suffering and agony that Jesus went through as He took on my sin and death. He took all the beating that I deserve - through his sacrifice He defeated the laws of sin. And three days later He defeated the laws of death. Hallelujah!!

Because of this, we have no fear of sin's mastery in our lives, nor do we fear death...when we rely on HIS strength - sin is defeated, the grave is defeated, and get this - we are declared righteous because of it. How cool is that...and how mind blowing!

I'm the one who has screwed up - I lost it all. Yet, He did it all. And in the end, I get it all. Through Jesus, we have a promised hope - and all of our mistakes are atoned for.

I guess it's about time I start living like it...

After much deliberation...my new TOP 10!!

Springtime is a time to reflect on the lessons you learned through the winter...a time to look at your goals and adjust where necessary...a time to focus on reality and realize that some dreams weren't meant to be achieved, and so you must dream up new dreams...

So after much deliberation...I now present to you (my dearest friend) my new Top 10. While these 10 new individuals could never truly replace the 10 posted on our refridgerator so many years ago...I believe they reflect a new, more mature Stacey - one who has moved on from such childish dreams of marrying Peter Forsberg or ah hem, Brian Griese - to dreams that will certainly become reality! :-)

Patrick Dempsey (ahh - McDreamy!)
Bruce Willis (yes, still..the man gets hotter the older he gets!)
Brad Pitt (like that could change...)
Joaquin Phoenix (hello...)
Jack Johnson
Howie Day (yes, I know he looks like he's 12, but it's the eyes...)
Anson Mount (even though the movie sucks...he's still beautiful)
Matthew McConaughey
Dan Hinote
Jake Plummer (I still think he's kinda hot...yikes)

**Mentioned in no particular order, should one call - I'll be sure to alert the troops that the other 9 can be removed...

Resting on THE Rock

I was reading in Isaiah this morning (such a cool book by the way...) and thought I'd share some thoughts...ISAIAH 28

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2028&version=31)

So I was thinking...very few people can relax on a boat during a raging thunderstorm with swelling waves and pummeling rain, or in an airplane surging through turbulent winds (think...the storms we've had around here lately!), or in the midst of a hurricane or an earthquake. If you've ever been on a boat during a bad storm, maybe you know what it's like to grope for a secure place to stand. When we are in situations like this, we find ourselves stumbling, grasping for anything to hold us steady - and praying for a firm foothold on steady ground. Good news! (good news mom - I got a scooter..haha, I love my nephews) Anyway - there IS a sure foundation on which to stand, Someone who will keep us safe and guide us by the hand through the most intense turmoil imaginable, Someone who will allow us to find rest, when all around us is turmultuous and threatening.

God's message to the northern kingdom in this passage was that the people could find their rest in Him. It hadn't taken long for the Isrealites to become rigid and ritualistic in their observance of God's law. Rather than getting to know God, and encountering Him, they had turned his words into a rule book. Their basis for facing life's issues had become adherence to an inflexible list of do's and don'ts. Rules in and of themselves, however, are insecure and ultimately unsatisfying. Isaiah captured the essence of the philosophy of the Israelites of his day by referring to it as a complex system of "Do and do, do and do, rule on rule, rule on rule; a little here, a little there - so that they will go and fall backward, be injured and snared and captured" (Isaiah 28:13)

The children of God were so preoccupied with obeying all theh rules that they had begun stumbling all over one another. Surprisingly God's counsel to his people was to slow down and be still - to rest. We can almost hear God's gently appeal, whispering on the winds of the storm: "Quit trying so hard! There is nothing you need to do except enjoy me! I have provided everything for you, so step out of the storm you have created and relax!"

Now I'm not condoning a sloppy lifestyle of living and flirting with sin, and then just saying Jesus wont care and he winks or something. That is not what Im talking about. Because its Gods kindness that leads us to repentance. When we figure out that God is a God of kindness, we want to turn from everything that hinders love. I dont want to take advantage of the kindness of God. Kindness leads to repentance, not sloppy lifestyles.

Anyway - Isaiah reminded the people that there was a "stone" on which they could rest without ever experiencing dismay. This stone is one hundred percent safe and secure, a place of reprieve from the endless round of doing and rule-keeping. That stone is Jesus, God's Son, the "sure foundation" (vs. 16) for all of life (see also Psalm 118:22 and 1 Corinthians 3:11).

Peter quoted Isaiah's words and encouraged believers to become people of integrity who are not blown away by the storms of life. As we live holy lives we become strong and immoveable (see 1 Peter 2:4-12).

So relax, settle down, trust him!!! And find joy in your journey of faith (Matthew 11:28).

Look For Him Everywhere!

I just had the most incredible encounter with God - in the most unlikely of circumstances!!! Never in a million years would I have expected to be encouraged and encounter Him with one of my clients - but He is so perfect, awesome, and amazing.

Just this week I've been seeking Him - wondering how this whole PhD thing fits into His plan - asking Him for confirmation that I am where He wants me to be.

He has a divine purpose for EVERYTHING that we do...and if we look for Him in everything that He has called us to do - we'll find Him...and He's gonna knock our socks off!! All He's called us to do is search for Him...kinda like an Easter egg - search high and low - under every nook and cranny.

Search for him everywhere - let Him blow you away!! He's so incredible - rock on!!!

Liquor, Lust, and Learning

In his search for meaning in life, the "Teacher" (aka, King Solomon, I think...) in Ecclesiastes related that he had chased after many of the same goals our own society glamorizes:

Think deeper...
party harder...
experiment with more options...
experience all that you can (Ecclesiastes 1-2).

But the Teacher discovered what many of us have learned. It's all a waste of time in the end, for "with much wisdom comes much sorrow" (Ecclesiastes 1:18).

In other words, sometimes the more we learn from the experience, the worse we feel. Ignorance can indeed be bliss! :-) And it can take a lot of false starts for us to find out what really matters, leaving us with a deep and pervading sense of regret and futility.

Life begins to make sense for us only when we learn to trust God and take His words seriously. Jesus was explicit about his purpose for us: "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10). Living for Jesus bring true fulfillment to life, and our searching souls find satisfaction only when we realize that He is the One we have been looking for all along, the One who alone can fill our hungry souls with all we need for true joy (John 6:35, 48-51).

Getting Out of the Mud

"Get out of the mud my child, I have something much bigger planned for you."

Lord I need You. I need your strengh and grace. I was never meant to do this alone. Let Galatians 3:3 be inscribed on my heart...Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?...I'm weary because I am relying on my own strengh. I can't fight this giant with my hands. I call on You, Abba, my Deliverer...Deliver me. Let me embrace Your FREEDOM as I fall into your embrace. Thank you for your truth - and the freedom that accompanies that truth. Forgive me for not trusting you, for trying to orchestrate what only Perfection can do. Wash over me - and awaken deeper Love within me! I love you!

Mourning into Dancing

Something I was thinking of after some talks with my sister and running this morning...

Being a follower of Jesus doesn't imply that bad times will never come...there are the mountains and the valleys - and the valleys are very real and sometimes painful, even when we are walking with God!

We live in a world polluted by sin and are compelled daily to deal with the consequences of that sin - both our own and that of other people. We do not escape the effects of sin just because we accept Jesus and his forgiveness. But the difference should be the manner in which we approach the painful aspects of our lives. If we know God, we can trust Him in everything - even in those valleys - and say "I will exalt you, O Lord, for you lifted me out of the depths" (Ps 30:1).

It is often when we are in the depths of those valleys that we really learn to count on God to get us through. When the walls that we have erected to help us keep our balance are knocked down around us, we begin to sink in the the 'slimy mire' - and we come face-to-face with the fact that God Himself is the only One strong enough to rescue us! Wow!

I think of David, and how he danced before the Lord in celebration after confessing His sin to the Lord. God turns our mourning into dancing, if we will seek Him and let Him!! (Ps 30:5 - though the sorrow may last for the night, His joy comes in the morning!!!) It is during these times that we experience new dimensions of our relationship with Him and receive fresh new assurances of His unceasing love and care....new revelations of His character to trust in the next time we're in the valley!

Dance before the Lord today and be encouraged!

On Being the Body

"I remember hearing about an old comic strip. Two guys are talking to each other, and one of them says he has a question for God. He wants to ask why God allows all of this poverty and war and suffering to exist in the world. And his friend says, 'Well, why don't you aks?' The fellow shakes his head and says he is scared. When his friend asks why, he mutters, 'I'm scared God will ask me the same question.' Over and over, when I ask God why all of these injustices are allowed to exist in the world, I can feel the Spirit whisper to me, 'You tell me why we allow this to happen. You are my body, my hands, my feet.'" (The Irrestible Revolution by Shane Claiborne)

A New Generation of Kids

HEAVEN IS MOVED!!!

http://livedigital.com/AITkZACDhw/content/52110/u22331

I have so much to learn from these kids - reckless abandon to Him and confidence in the authority He gives to His children!!!

"I call myself a wimp and I call You a majesty!"

"May we be smitten by your love Lord, that nothing else will matter, but how much we love you Lord"

WOW!!!