a hodge podge

I recieved an email late last night from our landlord. The owners have decided that they want to sell the house…What?!? (We’ve only been here three months…I’ve not even posted pictures of my cute little house for you all). My first response was to panic and think of all the work that we’d have to do. Then I heard the Holy Spirit question, “Will you trust?”. We will choose to trust.

I shared the exciting news with Daniel, we prayed together and visited Proverbs for some wisdom. Here is what we were met with:

Are you confused about life, don’t know what’s going on?…Leave your impoverished confusion and live! Walk up the street to a life with meaning. (Prov 9)

Talk about a word in due season.

We do have a great peace in this odd time. God has been doing something in our hearts - a course correcting, a calling to a more disciplined, focused life. On our way home from Chicago, we developed an “Anti-Suck Plan”. It’s good. And then this…I think God is working something real good. We will be spending a lot of time praying in the Spirit to get this right. We are really determined to hear and follow. Exciting, no?

Who do you think wrote the book of Hebrews? I’m teaching on Hebrews and James  this coming weekend and authorship is one topic of my lesson…but the Bible doesn’t tell us who authored it (besides the Holy Spirit). So….I’m wondering…who do you think it was? There are no wrong answers. Well, I mean, there are wrong answers (I didn’t right it, for sure, John the Baptist didn’t write it and neither did King James…). Just curious.

Have you heard this song? Right now, this is my song.

Man. Singing it in worship is so…right. The song lyrics and our singing it acknowledges that God is God and HE is mighty to save. It seems that when we focus on Him and how great He is that He is pleased. (NayJ, not how grey He is! he he) Last night I could not not sing it as a prayer for nations, for my brother who is battling with Chrons, for the 17 month old daughter of a friend of a friend who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, for people I love that need healing in their hearts…He is mighty to save.

Everyone needs compassion
Love thats never failing
Let mercy fall on me
Everyone needs forgiveness
The kindness of a Saviour
The hope of nations

Saviour He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever author of salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave…

So take me as you find me
All my fears and failures
Fill my life again
I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in
Now I Surrender
I Surrender…

Emma was playing with play dough and her nose was running. I was feeding Anna so I asked Emma to get down, get a tissue from the bathroom and wipe her nose.

She promptly got down and returned with a wiped nose, tissue in hand and proudly proclaiming, “I did it!”.

I knelt down to her eye level so she could get my important message, “Thank you for obeying. It makes Momma very happy when you obey” (positive reinforcement).

“I love you, Momma” she replied.

Without thinking, I said, “I know you do. When you obey me, it shows me that you love me”.

Ah-ha! My own words sounded so familiar and I understood a little more.

last week we started Bible school…for the third time. we started by correspondence in ‘02 taking authority of the believer, then in ‘03 we moved to tulsa for vbi and then last week our church launched bethel Bible institute. we felt that even though we’ve taken these classes several times it would be good to stay sharp and get involved with the school. we are taking old testament (taught by our pastors) and authority (taught by my mom & dad).

bunny trail: i love learning about the new testament - especially the history of the new testament and the life and times of Jesus and the early church. (angie, have you seen this book?) back in college all in one semester i took pauline lit, the book of acts and the holy spirit & the church. it was a fun semester!

ok, all that to say, that as much as i love the new testament i often have a hard time processing paul’s writings. it is so power packed that i feel like i can’t even process one phrase, let alone one [long] sentence or chapter.

part of the assignment from my parents is to read the book of Ephesians. i decided to read in the Message Bible and i’m learning so much and having so much life given to my heart. i have to share!

from Ephesians 1

every time I prayed, I’d think of you and give thanks. But I do more than thank. I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!

All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ’s body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence.

from Ephesians 2

immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! (my note: He still wants us to rely on Him!)

I went through and underlined any time it said God, His, Him and the verb that God did for me. How’s that for a nugget?! I hope it encourages your heart as it did mine.

ps - anna is getting too wiggly to hold while typing.

With the help of a few fun websites, I wrote this for our youth to go through tonight. Thought it was fun.

1) What is your leadership style?
a. I just follow the crowd
b. I am a naturally gifted leader, it’s just taking everyone a while to figure that out.
c. I do have a lot to say, it may just seem off beat to some.
d. I mess up a lot, but I learn from it and stay passionate.

2) What is your biggest downfall?
a. I do not easily withstand temptation
b. I can be a little cocky at times
c. I’m kind of a control freak
d. Open mouth, insert foot.

3) What is one of your strongest points?
a. My love for God and my family
b. My ability to dream and have big vision
c. My strong convictions
d. My passion

4) Where would be your dream home be located?
a. The great outdoors
b. In a palace
c. In the desert
d. On the lake

5) What is your outlook on life?
a. It’s good to reflect on a long life, including it’s mistakes & victories.
b. Life can be rough, but it usually turns out for the good.
c. I desire a full life, not a long one.
d. So much to learn, so much to do.

6) Which Praise & Worship song do you like best?
a. The Heart of Worship
b. It is Well with My Soul
c. I Surrender All
d. History Maker

7) What about your friends?
a. Mostly just family
b. They aren’t the greatest
c. I don’t have any friends
d. My friends are with me following Jesus

Now, count your totals. How many of each do you have?
A: B: C: D:

If you answered mostly: You are like:

A’s ADAM. You’re creative and willing to live in the moment. You enjoy outdoor life, at times follow the crowd and you might to try to pass off responsibility. Ultimately, you love your family and a have a tender heart towards God.

B’s JOSEPH (Jacob’s son). Self-assured and proud of it, you’re leadership material through and through. Hey, can you help it if other people think you know it all? You do! You have big visions but might have a rough time getting there. But God is on your side and it will all work out for the good.

C’s JOHN THE BAPTIST. You have an unerring vision of who you are and what you believe. In fact, you’re pretty sure about what others should believe, too. A minimalist when it comes to lifestyle, some may call you a control freak. You have strong convictions, might be a loner, but you will make an impact on others for eternity.

D’s PETER. You’re a regular guy with a big destiny and a big heart. You are quite passionate… even if that passion drives you to sometimes make mistakes (but you are willing to learn from them and move on). Through you humility and passion you will make history.

I was able to have a real, live quiet time this morning! Most days they’re “abridged” in the shower, during a feeding or after Emma fell asleep and before I do. But I was pretty overwhelmed by my day this morning and I knew I needed to be in the Presence of God. So here are some wonderful “nuggets” from my time this morning:

Jer. 17:5, 7 (This was perfect for me today) Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD… But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.

That was exactly what my heart was crying out for! I could not depend on my stregnth, my flesh. Thank God for His Word

Matt 16:16-17 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah…

I am blessed because I know Jesus as Messiah. I am blessed becasue I know He is the Son of the living God, not blessed becasue He pays my bills or …. Isn’t that good?

Yesterday our pastors good friend spoke at church. He spoke about following Jesus and how we have to follow Him no matter what through whatever He takes us through even we make like someone else’s “deal” better. Case in point, Peter and John. Jesus essentially told Peter he would die a martyr and Peter says, “Well what about this one (John)?”

Jesus’ reply was basically “What’s it to you? You follow Me.” Doesn’t matter if you get a Peter deal or a John deal…you follow Jesus. (But don’t we all secretly hope to get the “John deal”)

We were then given an opportunity to commit (recommit) to the Lord that we will follow Him anywhere, Honestly, not anywhere if it doesn’t affect my family, my church, my location… It was good but a bit scary though too. Because what does that mean for us? For the season we are in, this seems to be the perfect place to be. I love the Word “in season”.

I had a dream last night that Christianity had become illegal. That all Bibles were illegal. That there was a new bible that would try to re-renew our minds with error and deception. In my dream I realized that I needed the Word to live. It wasn’t a devotional disciple, a school I went to…I needed it. I mean, I love the Word now, but this dream made me realize how easy it is to take the Word for granted.

So then I start reading the intro for one of the classes I’m taking and it said, “The Bible is the central core of the Christian Faith. It is the instrument that the Spirit of God uses to have fellowship with us, instruct us, and to build both the Kingdom and the Character of God in our hearts…The wisdom and knowledge that you get from the Bible is indispensable. There is no more noble endeavor on this earth than searching the Scriptures in the power of the Holy Spirit and then walking obediently in the light which you have received.”

I am glad I had this dream as uncomfortable as it was.

What is the difference between those who are doing great things for God vs. people like me who have big destinies in my heart and seem to be taking the back roads to get there? Am I less obedient? Less willing to sacrafice? I would hope not. Maybe the last few seasons of my life have been “those” times when…well, I dont know what, but when things aren’t like you thought they’d be (not that they are unhappy times just different).

My pastor preached a message back in the summer called “Life Lessons from the Life of Joseph”. Joseph had a dream, a big dream yet it took years and prision and slavery before he “arrived”. I would like to think I am somewhere along this Jospeh route. If not, I pray God will show me. And in the meantime… I guess we’ll see!