To Love - II Corinthians 12:15

I have felt so compelled lately to love people. Is this some new revelation? No, but a calling to rededicate myself to the command that Jesus gave. "A new command I give to you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:31. He said it repeatedly, love one another. I want to spend less time thinking about doing things and then maybe doing some of them and more time letting my heart be transformed into the heart of Jesus and being unable to not love others the way they need to be loved.

II Corinthians 12:15 "So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expand myself as well. If I love you more, will you love me less?"  When Paul wrote this, I don't believe that he was looking for love in return, but to love as Jesus commanded.  Oswald Chambers comments that "Natural love expects some return" This is why I hunger to abandon my natural love and take on and be covered with the love of Jesus. How I want so deeply to love people the way that God has loved me, the way that my husband has loved and sacrificed for me, the way that they need to be loved.

To really love is hard, it calls us to look beyond what we feel, beyond our selves, past what we think is best and it calls us to be unlike us and more like Him. It calls us to fight everything that is natural to us and be at the mercy of the Spirit of God. But when we are the joy and the peace that passes our understanding is there and connects us so deeply with the heart of Jesus. That's where I want to be.

My family and I tend to  joke about being in the families "inner circle." Granted, I think sometimes my boys may jokingly use it to exclude their little sister from the imaginary benefits of being in the "inner family circle", but to be in the Inner circle of Jesus is a great place to rest ones head. To be in His inner circle means to be called a child of God, an heir to a royal priesthood, chosen and loved, covered by His blood and walking in His forgiveness everyday.

To be in His inner circle is a call to love, to love others, to humble ourselves and spend more time washing feet and less time thinking about it.

Let's go love. "Who's coming with me?" Hopefully it's not just me and the fish, hopefully it's you!

(10 minutes later. . . ) I need to follow that last line up with a credit. "Who's coming with me?" is a famous line from the 1996 movie Jerry Maguire. I put that there simply because I am in a classroom of High School students who had absolutely no clue as to who I was quoting. Then I tried the line "Show me the money" still no response. My final attempt was the line "You had me at Hello" and that, they said "Yes, I know that one, but can't tell you what movie that was from". I must admit I just aged myself by 20 years and realized that the young man in this room was only four years old when this movie was big. But it's a good reminder that movies fade, famous lines dim, but the truth of Christ stays the same and can only shine brighter in the lives of His people.

Now I'm off to love, to live, to serve in the name of a Mighty God and I say now confidently "Who's coming with me?"

The Wee Hours of the night

I don't really know where to begin, so much has happened to a people I care for in Haiti. So much to recap. I leave these links for you to read on and pray for. http://livesayhaiti.blogspot.com/ and http://lovingonemore.com/ .They are a few of the warriors fighting right now in the battle against time, to save lives. I'm just here praying with so many others. We pray without ceasing, on our knees. What else is there for us to do. We pray, we give, we plan, we ask God to use us in anyway He can. We humble ourselves as our hearts ache. We cry out to the God who is compassionate, the God of love and mercy.

I sit here in the early hours. 3am to be exact. I was sleeping peacefully, but the Lord woke me up and so wide awake I sit here, praying, listening to worship, and asking the Lord what do you require of me?

He said, go to Isaiah. And so the Lovely words that He showed me again, words that he had spoken so clearly at another time to me, words that in my bible had been highlighted and notes written around it, words that heal, He showed them to me again. He simply spoke through His word and said "I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city . . . I will defend this city" Isaiah 38:5-6

Does God hear our prayers? Does it even make a difference if we pray. The answer written deep in our hearts, the word written by the spirit of the Lord says YES! He hears our cries, He sees our tears. He looks down on the people of Haiti and says, I love you. He is a compassionate God, He is a sovereign God. He is God and He is Good!

Lord in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.

Call to me and I will answer you and show you great unsearchable things that you do not know. Jeremiah 33:3

2010

I'm really not a New Years Resolution making kind of person, but last night as I sat in a large circle with family and friends and we each took a turn sharing what we were thankful for this past year and what we were looking ahead to in 2010, I began to think. Still no resolutions, but a knowledge of the reality of what I am really looking forward to this year.

A year ago, I never would have imagined myself where I am today, moved across the country, in a new home, new church and some new friends. So much can happen in a year. People have come and people have gone, some with Jesus, others just away. . . graduations, illnesses, broken relationships, mended relationships. . . . bitterness, anger, forgiveness, healing. . . . the list goes on. Yet, through this year I have taken stock of some of the mighty things that He has done, allowed, and redeemed. It has been a good year, not because of what has happened, but because of who He is and because He has allowed me to see His hand moving through it.

So for 2010 what I really look forward to is January 1, 2011 when I get to look back again and recognize His hand at work through good and the bad. Yes, to look back and see what a mighty God we served and will continue to serve. I can't wait to see what He does this year.

Thank You, Lord, for letting me be a part of it all, for revealing Yourself in the lives of Your people and giving us a glimpse of Your goodness and Your Mighty Hand
Amen!

My Kind of Crazy

Not that my life is a life of chaos, but I have to admit if you compared my brain to my husband's brain, my mind would look a bit chaotic. It would have swirls, mountains, valleys, dizzying colors and a whole lot of drama. That's just inside the brain. Thankfully, I still have a filter, (well, half a filter) so that the world is not tormented with my crazy.

Yesterday, I had a wonderful 2+ hour coffee with a friend at the breakfast joint. Literally, it is called the Two Hippies-Breakfast Joint. Great place if you are even in Phoenix. Anyway,It was such a wonderful time of encouragement, prayer, edification and a plain ol great girl time. As we talked and shared what's going on in our lives, I found it so amusing that we are quite similar and have very similar husbands. What a joy it was to talk about the men we love and all their strengths and how much they mean to us. I think I even made a comment at how refreshing it was because there are many times when one might listen to women who have nothing good to say about their husbands. So, on and on we went about our wonderful men.

The greatest insight and thankful point I had from that visit was how grateful I am to my husband and to God for bringing me together with a man who is so wise, has such clarity, so able to love and forgive and above all (and this is the main one) he has the amazing gift and ability to see through my chaos. My chaos, that I sometimes can not see through myself. He looks straight past my ups and downs and just sees me and loves me just as I am.

He sees through the fact that the house is not clean this week and sees that we live in a house of love, prayer, faith and hope. He sees through the pile of laundry in the hallway (ok, two piles) that couldn't fit in the laundry basket and sees that I am tending to bible study, transporting kids, visiting with friends and doing the things that really matter. He sees the beauty of my heart through the chaos of my day, my mind, my ups and downs, my bad hair day, my no shower day. He just sees me and loves me.

Thank you Lord for the wise, clear minded, godly man that you have given to me to lead this family in faith towards You.

A Good Day To Be Found

There is a saying at my High School Alma Mater. . ."It's a good day to be a Bronco". Today I found myself saying "It's a good day to be found". Was I lost? No, not really, but let me walk with you my morning.

Since moving to the Phoenix area, I have found myself taking up hiking. I have the official camelback backpack to hold my water. All the hikers out here have one, it's essential. I now have my official hiking boots, low rise, as to blend in to the mass of native Arizonians.

Today took me to Camelback Mountain. I have hiked it several times and each time I make it about 2/3 of the way to the saddle. Basically by the time I make it to the saddle, I'm tired and I'm ready to turn around and I tend to be short on time. But, today I made it to the saddle with ease and had plenty of time to leisurely make it to the top, so I persevered. Each step begging the question. . . "Why, what are you trying to prove" And each step replying "I will conquer Camelback, I will persevere and not turn back."

Even though the last 1/3 of Camel back is more like rock climbing up a straight wall, I made it with a little encouragement from fellow hikers and the passing Mountain Ranger.

I made it. I stood on top of Camelback where the air was blowing and I could have full view of the city and the surrounding mountains. What a view. I stood there admiring the birds below and some above, floating and others simply hovering on the wind. It was a great sight and well worth the climb up.

(All I have to say about this picture is that I was so dazed and confused)

It was the climb down that I was not looking forward to. Going down, I definitely felt like the old lady sliding down the mountain on her behind, I could feel my legs quivering with each and every step. Then I heard the Radio call from the Rangers above me. . ."I have a rescue in progress, a rescue in progress". I though to my self, who could be in trouble. I even said a quick prayer in my mind for that person and for the quickness of the rangers. I found myself not wanting to move in case they needed to rush down past me. I wanted to keep clear.

Slightly after the radio call and the quick thinking on my part. I heard the ranger call down to me and say "Hey, you are off the trail. the trail is up here. You need to climb back up here and get on the trail." I was shocked. Were they talking to me? Yes, they were. I was the rescue. I was the lost hiker in need of rescuing and I didn't even know it. How long would I have continued on my way down that mountain before I would have realized that I was lost? Thank goodness for Ranger, for the Shepherd's that have an eye and a heart to seek and save the lost.

So, how many people are out there just like me. How many people are out there on the wrong path and don't even know it? How will they know how lost they are if we don't radio in to our Father in heaven and then throw them the line, the gospel, the saving truth?

What a joy we have been given, what a calling we have been entrusted with, to go and make disciples of all nations. How will they know if we don't tell them, How will they know that they need Jesus, if we don't shine His light on them. How will they experience mercy if we don't share it. How will they know?

Youth Impact

I just returned home from an awesome time of worship leading for a youth group. It was a group that had just spent the several hours before serving and doing ministry work. Was I as encouraging to them as they are to me, I don't know. Sometimes I wonder if our youth know how impactful they are, how the works of their hands, the fruit of their hearts really reach and inspire others to think outside of themselves. I wonder, I just wonder.

I guess as I get older, I realize how little I know and how much I have to learn. Growing up as a child (and young adult for that matter) who had very low self-esteem and tended to be pretty self destructive, I find myself so amazed and encouraged by young people who are active in their church and are reaching out to someone besides themselves.

I see them learning what I learned a lot later in life. Oh, to imagine what my life would have been like if I would have learned what I know now at a younger age. Regardless, I praise God for journey, for the grace, for the mercy cause I received a whole lot of it.

Thank you God!

Micah 6:8 he has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Emergency Brake

It was early Sunday morning, I was a little rushed and I had to pick my daughter up from a late night sleepover and get her to church where she would join her choir to sing in the early service.

I made the drive to her new friends house, following each and every turn that the sweet voice of the GPS told me. What perfect guidance and then the announcement "You are arriving at your destination." There I was, right in front of the house, eager to see my daughter after a busy few days, eager to get to church and worship and sing.

I went up to the front door where three sleepy faces happily greeted me. I stepped inside for just a moment to say hello and get the quick rundown of the night. I was engaged, happy to hear how everything went and always up for a good chat with fellow adults.

After a quick chat we were off to church. As we walked out of the house, my daughter asked me why the car was across the street. I confidently explained to her that it was not our car, but another car that looked exactly like ours and that my car was right. . . . "oops". . . not right here, but across the street and rolled over the curb.

My daughter informed me that she saw it rolling backwards, she just thought that her dad was in the car backing it up. Then I remembered that I had not put on the emergency break. The ever so slight downward slant took my little Corolla on a ride across and down the street. My trusty GPS forgot to tell me to engage the emergency break. It lead me to where I needed to go, but left me on my own to figure out the rest (one would think that I could handle this one my own, but apparently not).

As we stood there, laughing at the latest mishap that I found myself in, I was reminded that I too need to engage. I need to engage in the Emergency Brake of Life. When I go out into this world unprepared, I slip, sometimes ever so slowly, but a little at a time.

I need to remember that even when I follow the path to get there, I need to remain grounded. It is so easy to slip without the emergency break on. Sometimes the slant is slow, sometimes it's fast, sometimes we don't even notice until we are down hill and stuck up and over a curb.

Ground yourself in the word. Ground yourself in the truth. Blessed is the man who delights himself in the word, he will not stumble or fall.