tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88776001206267132872024-02-02T14:01:55.197-06:00Rambling RandomnessI was just thinking...roaringlamb3http://www.blogger.com/profile/16128839504321659278noreply@blogger.comBlogger81125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8877600120626713287.post-88094240110197621202012-02-14T09:26:00.001-06:002012-02-14T09:26:34.992-06:00Spilled Coins (Part 2)Well, this is the part of the lesson that is a bit harder for me to write because it is convicting on a very deep level. If you want the whole story of my encounter with a woman & her spilled coins, read yesterday's note. <br /> <br />Between writing the SaLT lesson, preparing for our SaLT meeting and listening to Chuck's sermon, I have spent hours in Mark 5 and the story of Jairus' daughter and the woman at the well this year. It has struck me over & over that Jesus, on His way to heal a little girl, stopped for one woman who touched Him, who needed Him, and who believed that He was the only answer to her lifelong problem. He could have kept walking. He could have allowed her to receive His power & be healed & left it at that. But He didn't. He stopped, sought her out, looked in her face, and blessed her. She was worth His time & His tenderness. She had value beyond her need for healing, and He took the time to reveal that to her. And it didn't detract from His mission at all. In fact, it added to it. To Jairus it looked like Jesus' delay meant there was no hope for his daughter, who died before they got to her. But it was perfect timing for Jesus, who raised her from the dead and gave her back to her parents. Right on time. <br /> <br />Jesus said in John 14:12, "Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." When He left us to go back to Heaven, he gave us the promised Holy Spirit, who in & through us would multiply the work that Jesus did, because there are many more of us than there was of Him. 1 John 2:6 says, "Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did." This is an expectation, not an option. If we are to be His hands & feet to the world, if we are to multiply His work here on earth, we MUST walk as He did.<br /> <br />Peter & John are a perfect example of this in Acts 3. They were on their way to worship and were stopped by the sight of a crippled man who was at the gate. This was not the first time they had seen this man. He was put there EVERY DAY to beg from those going in to the temple. But this day. This day Peter & John SAW him. It says in verse 4 that they "looked straight at him". Not only did they look at him, but Peter made him look at them. Eye contact is underrated in our society. It's uncomfortable & makes us see things we don't want to see. But it is oh, so important in seeing & communicating value to another human being. The man looked at them expecting them to give him money & move on. Instead, they offered him the love, forgiveness & healing of Jesus Christ. His hands & feet to this man. His hands & feet to the world. And their gift to this crippled beggar amazed & changed the lives of everyone who saw him walking, jumping & praising God. And then Peter & John gave credit where credit was due. This was not of them. This was of God. They were simply walking as Jesus did.<br /> <br />As I drove away from this woman & her coins, now safely back in the box ready to be turned into an adventure, I was struck with conviction. How many people do I pass by every day who have burdens much more pressing than some spilled coins? How many people do I rush past because I am in a hurry. Or worse, because I don't want to see them. I am selfish with my time. I don't always want to get dirty. But if I claim to live in Him, I MUST walk as Jesus did. I MUST look. I MUST see. I MUST act. I MUST give value to those who Christ loved so much He would die for them. And I MUST give Him all the glory, for they need to know. They need to know that all of their hope, all of their forgiveness, all of their eternity is wrapped up in this man, this Savior, Jesus Christ, who was never too busy, never unwilling, and never uncaring enough to refuse to see. And because His Spirit lives in me, I can see, too.roaringlamb3http://www.blogger.com/profile/16128839504321659278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8877600120626713287.post-4267621407977091902012-02-13T22:49:00.000-06:002012-02-13T22:50:13.920-06:00Spilled Coins (Part 1)Philippians 1:21-26; 2:14-16 says, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me...Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain."<br /> <br />I've often read these & other words of Paul as prideful boasting on his part, as if he were giving himself credit for the faith & walk of those whom the Lord had impacted through him. Although I know that that was not his intention, the wording he chose sure can look like it at times. But this week I had an experience with a stranger that made me look at Paul's heart in a new light.<br /> <br />I was on my way to lunch with a friend. I had to stop at Kroger to pick up a prescription which caused me to be running late. As I pulled away, I noticed a lady bent over on the sidewalk with a shoebox in a cart. This was odd, since they don't sell shoes at Kroger. After looking closer I could see that she was picking up coins. Thousands of coins that had spilled out of her broken box all over the sidewalk. I parked the van again & went to ask her if I could help her. Of course she said no, but I couldn't just leave her there with a pile of spilled coins and the small styrofoam cup that she was using to pick them up.<br /> <br />As we worked, we talked about saving coins. Since we were able to pay for almost our entire vacation last summer with coins, it was fun to hear about her plans. She & her husband were taking his daughter to New Orleans where he grew up for Mardi Gras. It would be her first time to experience part of her daddy's history. It didn't take long, but the few minutes we had were very enjoyable. And I even made it to lunch with 2 minutes to spare. I actually learned two very important lessons in that few minutes. I'll share the second one in a later post, since it was quite a bit more convicting & requires some more thought.<br /> <br />The first lesson is the one that made me think of Paul. He had the opportunity to travel all over the known world sharing the gospel of Christ with everyone he met. And he had the privilege of watching them come to a relationship with Jesus. But he didn't stop there. As you read about his travels and through the letters he wrote, you can see his heart for discipleship. He visited and spent time with those who were saved. He wrote letters to encourage, correct, rebuke & train them. He dedicated his life to seeing them grow in faith and learn how to walk in the Spirit and look like Christ. He took that privilege & responsibility seriously.<br /> <br />You see, those coins would have been picked up without my help. The woman would still have turned them in, gotten her cash & taken her family to New Orleans. Her step-daughter would still get to see this history that means so much to her dad. I was not necessary in the process. But, because in that moment the Lord opened my eyes, I get to be a small part of her story. People all around us are picking up the spilled coins of their lives. Sometimes they are muddy & hard to see. Sometimes they are shiny and just need to be put back in the box. Sometimes they have just spilled, and sometimes they are already partially picked up. Sometimes these people could pick them up on their own, and sometimes they have given up and are sitting next to the mess not knowing what to do next. And sometimes we get to be the one who comes along & helps them put them back in the box & turn them into the adventure of what God has next for them.<br /> <br />Paul got to do that all the time with people all over the world. He loved them. He loved reaching them & teaching them & serving them & seeing God do beautiful things in & through them. Those of us who minister to the hearts of others get to do the same thing. We get to see people grow in the Lord and watch God make beautiful, exciting things of their messes. And it is not only ok, it is necessary, to take this responsibility seriously and be grateful for the opportunities. God is going to work with or without us. The coins will get picked up. The adventures will happen. We get to choose whether we will be part of the story. Disciple-making is a privilege. And the more we get to be a part of it, the more we get to watch the Lord work, the more excited we will be, and the more we will want to be involved in His work. Like Paul.roaringlamb3http://www.blogger.com/profile/16128839504321659278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8877600120626713287.post-68909608833071922542011-08-24T17:22:00.000-05:002011-08-24T17:23:10.774-05:00It's Not About Me (Part 2)So, if you read yesterday's note, you got a peak into the yuck that the Lord is working on clearing out of my life right now. While that note wasn't easy to write, it was much easier than this one. You see, that was about what goes on inside of me when my focus is on me and not the Lord. This one is about what comes out of me when I do that, and that is much, much worse.
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<br />Most of you reading this already know that I went to Wisconsin & Minnesota for a while this summer and woke up to find my van submerged in a parking-lot-turned-lake one morning. The truth is, although it was not an easy situation, I was able to handle the loss of the van pretty well. I got a little sad & cried some when I cleaned it out, but that was normal grief over letting go of something that held 8+ years of memories for me & my family. That van had been all over the country & witnessed many miles of both laughter & tears. It was where I worshipped & prayed, and it was my escape when I just had to get away. It brought my kids to church & school & soccer practice & gymnastics & a million other activities. Letting go of that was hard, but I honestly never felt for a moment that God was not in control or that He wouldn't make it right.
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<br />The problem came in two very specific things that happened during that time. Since I had never been in a situation like that, I just wanted someone to tell me what to do. John, my new friend from Progressive, did that for me. He was very calm & told me very clearly what was my responsibility & what was theirs. This was good. I can follow directions. (Really, I can ;) ) Those directions, though, never took into account that the horrible apartment managers had a contract with an evil towing company who would take my van away before the insurance company could get there. I didn't have $280 to get it back, and they told me they wouldn't let Progressive have it, either. It all worked out, but that was one of my two break downs. The other happened when they called to tell me the settlement offer and that I only had 72 hours left with the rental car. Just enough time to get back to Tennessee, but not enough to look for another vehicle, which, by the way, they were not giving me enough money to come close to purchasing. Remember, I didn't have $280 to pay the towing company, let alone thousands of dollars to buy a new car. The Lord also worked that out, too, of course, but in my mind it was another area that I had messed up.
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<br />There are reasons that these two things hit me harder than anything else. They prey on my "tapes" that tell me that I am stupid, I screw everything up, I will never be good enough. And they attack the area of money, which is my one freak out area (well, that & crickets & trains, but that's another story).
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<br />On top of those two things, the kids were out of sorts because they were sad & confused & scared about the whole thing. And we had been on vacation, back to Jackson for four days & then headed north. They were exhausted. And they were behaving horribly. All of them. Which fed into my feelings of inadequacy & failure as a mother. So, you take those three things, and you have the recipe for a perfect storm. And storm is what I ended up with.
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<br />I started hearing everything that people said, specifically my mom & my sister, through the filter of the tapes in my head. They would say something simple, just making conversation about the kids or a picnic or a game or whatever, and I heard them saying that I was a failure, I don't do anything right, I'm not a good mom, everyone else is more fun for my kids than me. Did they say any of that? No. Did they mean anything close to it? Absolutely not. But I responded to them as if they did. I got snappy & defensive and hurt the feelings of people I love deeply. Thankfully, they accepted my apology & tried to understand where I was coming from, as wrong as my perspective & focus were.
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<br />So how does this fit into the "It's Not About Me" category? Well, I think that's pretty obvious. In the areas that I believed that God would take care of everything & make it right, I could smile & laugh, even in the midst of grief & sadness. In the areas where I was focused on me, the areas I always struggle with, there was no way that I could do anything right. And taking it out on the people around me just made that worse. When I, when anyone, reacts to who we are, or who we think we are, in the flesh, we hurt ourselves, other people, and the witness of Christ.
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<br />You may want to know why I have taken the time to write these two notes that allow you to see this ugly area of my heart where I have so much work to do. The reason is that I don't believe I am the only one who struggles with a focus problem. I'm not the only one who, when I take my focus off of the Lord and make life all about me, hurts people. So, I want to encourage you to recognize when your focus is wrong, admit it, ask forgiveness, and cooperate with the Lord in refocusing your heart, mind & spirit on Him. As much as we can hurt the cause of Christ in reacting out of wrong focus, we can help it by admitting our mistakes, asking forgiveness & working to make it right. Won't you join me in the process?roaringlamb3http://www.blogger.com/profile/16128839504321659278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8877600120626713287.post-11512264391275648832011-08-23T23:49:00.001-05:002011-08-23T23:51:36.933-05:00It's Not About MeI'm 37 years old, and I spent the first 34 years of my life trying to be who everyone wanted me to be. I tried to be extremely organized & focused on details, because that made me look responsible. I worked very hard at saying the right things, because that made me look smart. I feigned worry over natural disasters, world events, and tests or challenges that I faced, because if you don't worry, you don't care. Or so the world says. I pretended that I never got angry. That instead, I was just very sad when I or someone I cared about was hurt by another. That one I actually believed for a long time. Admitting you are angry when you have fought it for so long is not an easy task. And I pretended that nothing or nobody really mattered to me, somehow thinking that that would make it easier if I lost those things.
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<br />Sometime between my 33rd & 34th birthdays, something in me changed. The desire to become who God had created me to be, regardless of what other people thought, rose to the surface & began to boil. I admitted that I truly hate plans & routine & organization. I don't like lists or schedules. I like freedom & spontaneity & having the ability to change my mind. This took letting go of the need to look like I had it all together & could manage the world. I can't, and I have no desire to do so. I admitted that I worry very little about pretty much anything. This doesn't mean I don't care about things. It really doesn't. It just means that it's really ok to take things as they come & not have to be completely prepared or in control all the time. Needing to be in control removes the chance & change, and it bores me. I had to admit that I get angry at injustice. Really angry. And I had to learn to let go of anger over old offenses, forgive and move on, or that anger would continue to affect my relationships now & in the future. That was not easy to do, and is still something I have to consciously practice. But the most important change was admitting that there are people, places & things that matter to me. Deeply. And I have learned that losing those things doesn't hurt any more when you love passionately. The hurt of loss is the same, but the joy while you have that is infinitely greater when you allow yourself to love.
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<br />The lesson the Lord has been working on for a while now is that it is not all about me. Mostly that comes out in the fear of screwing everything up, not being liked or accepted, or never being good enough. Did you know that God can use Facebook to convict us and correct us and move us in the direction He wants us to go? Well, that's what He's been doing with me. You see, I will post a status about something that I think is funny, or ridiculous, or reveals something stupid I've done, or is meant to help friends who are struggling in certain areas, or whatever else. And then people will comment in ways that suggest that I am worried or hurt or frustrated or angry or whatever. The hair on my neck will rise, and I feel the need to defend myself. I want to scream, "Don't you know that this is an area that God has already changed in me?" "Will you never let me live changed?" "You have no idea who I really am, do you?" Notice a pattern? It's all about me. It's all about what I am afraid people do, or will, see in me because of these responses.
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<br />This week, God had enough of that attitude. You know what that's like-when God has had enough. The Holy Spirit begins to stir your heart, and you feel really uncomfortable. You can't remain the same, think the same, have the same attitude, and still be in obedience to the Lord. He expects something of you. And this week He revealed to me that the responses of others stem from the way they see the world. If they perceive worry, or anger, or frustration, or the need for control, or whatever, that is a heart issue for them. And as their friend, as someone who cares about their heart, my response should never be to react in anger or to defend myself. My response should be to pray for them. The flip side of that is also true. If they respond with words of encouragement, of joy, of confrontation when necessary, of humor, whatever, my response should be to thank the Lord, and them, for their friendship & their willingness to be used by Him in either uplifting or correcting me. You can see I need lots of correction at times. (Hopefully that is improving...)
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<br />Obviously I have not achieved the goal of living in all things like it is not about me. But He's working on that, and I intend to cooperate with the Spirit's leading. You now have permission to remind me when I forget :)roaringlamb3http://www.blogger.com/profile/16128839504321659278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8877600120626713287.post-92051946927871414482011-06-11T23:08:00.000-05:002011-06-11T23:09:26.738-05:00Things I Learned as a Church VisitorThis post has been rolling around my head for a week, and I thought I'd better actually write it down before going back to my church in the morning and forgetting everything I want to say. Last Sunday, Meg Rushing & I took Carol Headen to Nashville to catch her flight to Sydney, Australia, and then had what turned into 10 hours to kill before the Wright's got here from Albania. Lisa Rushing texted us on the way to Nashville & suggested that we try out CrossPoint Church, since they had a service at 1 PM. She & Wayne had visited there once & they thought we'd be fine in our shorts & t-shirts. After having served in the nursery the week before, I was excited about not having to miss a second week of church. Meg wanted to go, too, so we headed over there. After a small detour issue, we found the church & headed inside. I made a lot of observations and learned a few things. <br /> <br />First, if you have been a church employee or involved in church leadership for any length of time, you make a horrible church visitor. You start paying attention to things as soon as you get out of the car: Are the sidewalks clean? Is the landscaping attractive? (Ok, I didn't even look at that, but I had to throw it in for Chuck :) ) Where are the greeters stationed? Are they friendly? How do they do their jobs? What kind of coffee/fellowship area do they have? How do they promote their small groups? Do they make you want to get involved in a group? How do the church members act toward each other? Toward visitors? What's the make up of the worship team? How is the technical production? Do they take up an offering? How? How & when do they do announcements? What is their mission focus? Oh, and very importantly, where are the bathrooms? That, but the way, was the first & only question we actually asked. For the record, they were conveniently located next to the auditorium.<br /> <br />Needless to say, I found myself focused on a lot of details that a first time visitor may not care about, which meant that I needed to get refocused on worship. Once the music started, though, that didn't take long. The band was amazing, and, even though their service is broadcast on tv, or at least the internet (I'm not exactly sure which), it never felt like they were trying to draw attention to themselves. I felt drawn into worship in a way that I haven't experienced in a long time, even when there were no words being sung. For the first time in a long time I wasn't just waiting for the sermon to start, and actually found myself wanting the music to go a bit longer. Don't get me wrong, I love music, & worship that way on my own multiple times a day. It's just that my favorite part of corporate worship is almost always the sermon, and I get impatient to get to it. But I digress. During the music I learned that, even in a big church with a huge stage production, the tech team may still put the wrong words on the screen once (or maybe even three) times. That should be an encouragement to our tech team :)<br /> <br />Third, I realized that it's pretty fun to figure out that you are in a "cool people" church. See, when Lisa told us about Cross Point, I thought the name sounded familiar. Then the pastor came out carrying a round table. I knew right then this was Jon Acuff's church. He had just blogged the week before that, “They’ve got Pete Wilson behind the small round table.” I think Jon Acuff is one of the coolest people out there. When I realized I was at his church, I suddenly felt pretty cool myself :)<br /> <br />The fourth thing I learned was that relationships really do matter when it comes to truly hearing the Word from someone. Most of the time when I am at church, because of the relationship I have with the person coming out to give the message, I find myself immediately prepared to listen and receive whatever message they have to bring. Not that men are infallible & that we don't need to know the Word ourselves to be sure the message is true, but when you know & trust the heart of the messenger, it is easier to readily receive it. At this new church, I found myself sitting back for a few minutes, evaluating this man, his mannerisms & attitude, his connection with the audience, and his humility level before deciding that I could trust his message. While this may not necessarily be right, I think it's a somewhat natural response. I really liked the pastor a lot, and he caused me to think in a new way about the Beattitudes, which is a pretty common passage of scripture. My only disappointment was that it was so short. I had just gotten into the message and was excited for more, and it was over.<br /> <br />The last thing that I learned was that it really is good to go and visit a new church every once in a while, especially in a different city & setting. It gives you a fresh perspective on ministry, mission, & presentation. It gets you out of your box and gives you an opportunity to develop new ideas for your church & ministry. It also makes you thankful for the blessing you have in your friends & family at your home church. I never realized how much I KNOW about my church family that I cannot know in a different place. It was impossible to judge the friendliness of the church, because we had no idea who was a member & who was a visitor. As we looked around the auditorium, I did not know who to go to if I had a question about anything or who was connected to whom. I didn't know who was in a small group or who led them. I didn't have any idea who I would talk to if I wanted more information or would have wanted to be more involved. I didn't know anything about any of the people, their families, their struggles, their hurts or their joys. There was no one to check in with after church to see how they were doing or if they needed anything. There was no way of knowing who might make a good friend. Although there was a great sense of connection with the Lord during the service, there was a great disconnect with the people in the room. It was a lonely feeling, and it made me more aware of what visitors to our church must be feeling. I can go to church tomorrow with a renewed heart for helping to connect them to both God & other people. They need that. And last week I got a taste of just how much.<br /> <br />If you are ever in Nashville, I would highly recommend Cross Point Church. They have 5 services every Sunday, so you have no excuse. But I have to say that I am thankful that tomorrow morning I get to return to worship with my family at Northbrook, with my perspective slightly (and hopefully for the better) changed.roaringlamb3http://www.blogger.com/profile/16128839504321659278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8877600120626713287.post-8893410510883388852011-05-16T17:05:00.002-05:002011-05-16T20:35:40.466-05:00No Man Can Hinder MeIt's been quite a while since I've written, and I've realized something. It seems like I tend to write only when I have screwed up or learned a lesson about things in my life that need to change. At least I can say I have a teachable, moldable heart? That's a good thing, since I seem to make more mistakes than most. This post is no exception to the rule, I'll tell you that right now.<br /> <br />Our church is in the second quarter of the Big Story. For those of you who don't know what that is, we are all reading the entire Bible chronologically this year in order to see the big picture of the scriptures. In a way it's hard, because I like to take time to see the little details. On the other hand, though, it is really cool to sit back & see God's hand weaving His story of redemption from the very beginning. It has also been very exciting to see how the Lord has begun to open the eyes of individuals and show them how they fit into His story as well. There have been a lot of things that have hit me very personally through this process. The truth is, I haven't written at all this year because those things are a bit too personal to share. And some of them are even going to take quite a bit more thought & processing time.<br /> <br />There is one thing, though, that has hit me full force in the past few weeks. It is something that needs to be changed immediately. I am not what most people would call a people pleaser in the normal sense of the word. In fact, if I feel like there is something I HAVE to do in order to be accepted or liked, I generally intentionally avoid that thing. It's the, "I don't have to prove anything to you," kind of attitude that is not necessarily a good thing. That old chip on my shoulder that God will probably still be whittling away at when I show up at Heaven's gate. Sometimes He takes a big chunk out of it, and that's painful. Maybe one of these days I'll learn my lesson & just throw it away. But I digress...<br /> <br />The opposite of that kind of people pleasing is very true of me, though. If there are things inside of me-opinions, feelings, ideas, stories, etc.-that I know will result in rejection, I keep them inside. I'm not talking about mean, ugly hateful things that don't need to come out. I'm talking about good, Godly, God-given things that He put inside of me to make me who I am. <br /> <br />I'm not one to jump on the "book bandwagon". You know, when a book comes out that becomes a sudden hit and everyone wants to read it & follow it, and expects everyone else to do the same or be deemed not cool or not a good enough Christian. That is why this spring has been a weird time for me. A friend suggested the book, "Chasing the Wild Goose" by Mark Batterson. I have read it twice. This week I finished another of his books, "In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day". When I had originally read the chapter headings of that one, I rejected it. I thought I was already willing to take any risk God asked me to take, so why read the book. Then, during the course of the Big Story, we read about Benaiah in the pit with the lion on a snowy day. So, I just had to go get that book :) As I read it I realized that if I say something that is totally innocent, yet someone takes offense, or if I share a dream or an idea and someone laughs, I will beat myself up for years and step back inside of myself again. I don't take risks with my heart, my dreams & my ideas because they might possibly offend someone or make them uncomfortable. I put the opinions of a few people ahead of the desire & leading of God. And that does not please the Lord. Not at all. <br /> <br />So many times my kids are part of what convicts me as well. Lynnea is in the gospel choir ather school. In almost every concert they sing the song, "No Man Can Hinder Me". This week I heard them sing it on Thursday & tonight. The Lord used that to show me the same lesson in a different way-I am allowing people to hinder me from the freedom of being who He created me to be and doing what He created me to do.<br /><object id="BLOG_video-FAILED" class="BLOG_video_class" width="320" height="266" contentid="FAILED"></object><br /> <br />So here are some thoughts that are somewhat painful, but, if they helped me, they might help you, too.<br />-There are some people who will hold your past over your head until they die. They will never forgive you, and they will hear everything you say & see everything you do through the lens of who you used to be. There is nothing you can do about that. But their lack of forgiveness in no way hinders God from forgiving you. <br />-There are some groups that you will never be able to truly fit into because one or more of those people has something against you. This can be your past, but it can also be jealousy, bitterness, a rejection of your dream, or an inability to see potential in you. There is nothing you can do about that. But their rejection in no way hinders the value God sees in you, because He put it there.<br />-There are people who will laugh at your dreams & visions. They may be jealous because they don't have dreams of their own. They may not be able to see God in the vision, because He gave it to you, not them. The realization of your dream may affect their life in what they perceive as a negative way. There is nothing you can do about that. But their inability or unwillingness to support or encourage you can in no way hinder the Lord from fulfilling His desire & plan for your life. If He put it there, He will make it happen. His promises are not affected by the opinions of people.<br /> <br />There are so many things that can hold you back from your dreams, from taking a risk for the Lord. Most of those are things you can do nothing about. So, it really all comes down to focus. Who and what are you focusing on? If your spiritual & emotional focus is on the Lord, your heart is focused on seeking Him first, and your effort is focused on obeying Him fully, He will realize the dream He put in your heart and the purpose He has for your life. As Mark Batterson says, "God is much more concerned about getting you where He wants you to be than you are about getting where He wants you to go." (And yes, I am going to order his other two books, too :) ) If your focus, though, is on the pessimists, the naysayers, the intentionally hurtful & hateful, you will never accomplish anything. And if I never accomplish anything for God, it will be because I let a few people, who should never be given permission to speak into my life, turn my focus from the One who deserves it. I have spent too many years allowing that to happen, and I will not do it anymore. No man can hinder me!roaringlamb3http://www.blogger.com/profile/16128839504321659278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8877600120626713287.post-3843998472283803922010-12-02T23:23:00.003-06:002010-12-03T00:02:01.488-06:00He Reveals His Thoughts to ME?Kathy Troccoli is one of my favorite Christian women ever. She's one of those people I would love to have lunch with sometime just to soak up some of what she has learned in her walk with the Lord. My favorite song she sings is an old one, but it's one that I could sing in total truth. Well, if I could carry a tune in a bucket I could sing it, but you know what I mean. Anyway, it's called "Break My Heart", and the lyrics are as follows:<br /><br />I've known laughter, days of fun,<br />Had many hours in the sun,<br />Been to many mountains, walked along the ocean shores.<br />I've seen rainbows fill the sky,<br />Counted stars on summer nights.<br />Oh, so many moments that have filled my soul with joy.<br /><br />CHORUS<br />But, it's been the rain, i'ts been the storms<br />It's been the days when I've been worn<br />That I have found You, Lord,<br />That I have found You, Father.<br />It's in the pain that I have grown<br />Through all the sorrow I have known<br />But, if that's what it takes for You to lead me this far<br />Go ahead and break my heart.<br /><br />I have felt the winter snow,<br />Seen the beauty of a rose,<br />Sat by many fires and enjoyed the warmth of friends.<br />I've known love and it's embrace,<br />Have felt the wind against my face,<br />Watched the moon at midnight shine upon a sleeping world.<br /><br />I love this song because I literally have seen all of those places. I've experienced all of those things. And the Lord has shown Himself to me in all of them. But, as I look back over my life, I realize that it truly has been in the painful, doubt-filled, questioning times that I have grown the most. This is where I have learned to trust Him with what really matters, with what I don't understand, and with what rests in the deepest parts of me that no one else ever sees.<br /><br />Tonight as I read in Amos, the Lord reminded me of a verse He had shown me a few years ago. Amos 4:13 says, "He who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals His thoughts to man, He who turns the dawn to darkness, and treads the high places of the earth-the Lord God Almighty is His name."<br /><br />Wow! He who made all those places & things I have seen & experienced, who forms mountains, creates wind, keeps the world spinning and holds time in His hands actually cares enough to reveal His thoughts to man. To me. This is something that is so hard to wrap my brain around. I don't deserve anything He has given me. Even less do I deserve to be one with whom He would share his thoughts. But I am. And so are you. <br /><br />In 2011 our church will be reading the Bible through chronologically together. This may seem like a daunting task, and it may be tempting, or even easy, to give up. After all, we are busy people. Surely God understands that, right? He couldn't possibly expect us to give up 20-30 minutes of TV, movies, internet, shopping, golfing, fishing, sports, a good novel, etc. each day to read a book that someone else will spoon feed us in an hour on Sunday morning, right? But wait. What if this isn't for His benefit? What if it is for ours? Think about what He could do in & through us if we really grasped and started living out His thoughts. The ones He has already revealed to us. What if we really, truly grasped what a privilege it is that He gave this Word to us? What would that do for our families, friends, neighbors, co-workers, communities and our world? We hold in our hands the revealed Word of the Lord God Almighty! Do you get how huge this is? Will you commit to making reading it a priority in this next year? This is not just about gaining knowledge for knowledge's sake. It's about knowing Him better, His heart, His character & His will. Will you open your heart to allow it to change you from the inside out, to transform your thoughts, attitudes & actions, to make you more like Him, and to move you out into the world as a powerful force for His Kingdom? Grab a Bible, a notebook, a pen & a friend (for you will need help & encouragement to stay faithful) and dive headfirst into the revealed Word of the King of Kings.roaringlamb3http://www.blogger.com/profile/16128839504321659278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8877600120626713287.post-52619094797092439742010-10-23T22:10:00.000-05:002010-10-23T22:11:01.278-05:00Warming the BenchToday was a really bad day. Not in what we did. Ian had a great interview in Memphis & will find out in a few days if he gets to go to Europe next summer. Lynnea had an all day basketball tournament, her first on the team, so we spent the rest of the day when we weren't in Memphis at their school. No, it was just an emotionally bad day. You know, most days it doesn't bother me so much that I don't fit. I've learned over the years to protect that part of my heart. But, today was hard. And I was crabby & didn't handle it well. But, as is so often the case, one of my children gave me an attitude adjustment without even realizing it.<br /> <br />Lynnea has never played basketball in her life, she's only in 6th grade, and she's very small for her age. She's a spitfire, though, and she made the middle school team. She's on the JV team, so for the tournament today, she spent 4 of the 5 games on the bench. She had a great attitude all day, did her best during the game the JV-ers played, and encouraged the rest of her teammates. After the tournament I drove her the 40 minutes to Humboldt for a birthday party. Throughout the day we had talked some, and as we drove I asked her again what kinds of things the coach told them after the games. They had lost all but one game, so their coach was understandably not very happy. Lynnea said that there were times where they had to go outside & run. All of them. Whether they had played that game or not. She accepted that without any complaints. <br /> <br />And then she began telling me what the coach had said. In Lynnea's words, it was things like: "She said we needed to pass the ball more." "We didn't play our positions." "We needed to stay between the other team & the basket better." And so on. Even though she had sat on the bench most of the time, she took ownership of everything the coach had said. She plans to work on every single thing in order to make her game & the team better. <br /> <br />As someone who spends most of my time sitting on the bench, I can & should learn a lot from my daughter's attitude. This bench-warming time is when I can learn from the good & bad things others do in the game, keep a steady intake of advice from the coach, and be thankful for & give my best effort when I'm allowed in the game, even if just for a few minutes. My life verse is Phil. 3:16- "But let us live up to what we have already attained." God doesn't expect me to do the things I haven't learned yet, but He does expect obedience in the things I do know. And as I learn more, I am expected to put those things into practice. As I continue to grow in my faith, my opportunities to get in the game will increase. Faithfulness in those things will result in even more playing time. It is extremely humbling that my 11 year old gets it, yet it's so hard for me to remember sometimes. I'm hopeful that one day I will consistently be a starting player, but in the meantime I pray that the Lord would continue to give me a humble, teachable, faithful heart to do my best in the waiting.roaringlamb3http://www.blogger.com/profile/16128839504321659278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8877600120626713287.post-40415820983696595102010-10-02T23:45:00.002-05:002010-10-03T00:06:43.521-05:0010 PeopleEarlier this week my kids were having a conversation about the end of the world as we know it. I think maybe Mark let them watch too much of "The Colony". Anyway, their question was, if something happened & you were the last person on earth, what 10 people would you choose to have with you? The only rule was that they could not be in your family. <br /><br />I started thinking about my answer to that question, and there were a few things that were very interesting to me. One was that I knew immediately where I would want to live if there were only me & ten other people left on earth. Not that that was surprising, but I realized that the where I want to be now has changed significantly from what it used to be. Now, knowing that I am supposed to be doing whatever I can to introduce people to Christ, and I have an assurance of where He most wants me invested in that, my "place" has changed from a couple of years ago. But, if that mission was removed because all the people were gone, I would live in my other favorite place. Not earth shattering, but interesting to me all the same.<br /><br />Then I thought about how hard it actually was to think about not choosing family members. Obviously this is hard with immediate family, both sets of parents, and others that we are closest to. But it was also very hard to think about not choosing extended family, even those I don't have opportunity to have close relationships with right now. It hit me that this feeling is very similar to that of not wanting anyone I love to die without knowing Christ.<br /><br />The third thing I noticed was that, considering the rule that I couldn't choose family members was in place, it was surprisingly easy to choose 10 people. In fact, it was probably less than 10 minutes before the decision was made. It made me realize the value of having those people in whose love I can trust and who I would want with me no matter what.<br /><br />The most thought-provoking thing about the whole conversation was the answers the kids gave. While I was thinking through all of my relationships, they were naming off their 10 people. Ian & Lynnea both named a couple of friends. But the rest of their answers included the following: a farmer, a cook, a mechanic, a teacher, a gas manufacturer, a pilot, a pastor and a locksmith. So, I started wondering. When do we get to the point where our relationships are more important than having our needs met. Or, is there not a point when that happens, but rather, personalities who prefer one or the other. Or, are my kids better at knowing the wisest choices in a time of need than I am? What do you think? And how would you answer that question? Who would be your 10?roaringlamb3http://www.blogger.com/profile/16128839504321659278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8877600120626713287.post-13697802346999325162010-08-17T21:54:00.002-05:002010-08-17T22:16:06.178-05:00The Fragrance of ChristRecently I read a book that we are now just beginning in our ladies Bible study called "What's Your God Language?" It discusses 9 different spiritual temperaments, one of which is the Sensate, or someone who connects with God best through their senses. Before reading this book, I had never put much thought into how our senses are used for anything other than daily functioning.<br /><br />As I have pondered this over the past few weeks, I have noticed afresh how many times things I see, hear, smell, touch & taste remind me of Albania. A building with an old door, a funny traffic moment, the scent of the fruit at the entrance of a store, the fabric of a pillow that feels like the couch where I sat to do my quiet time in "our" apartment, a small piece of grilled steak with a certain seasoning...and I could go on. There are so many times during a day that something grabs my attention and brings me back there again.<br /><br />This morning as I drove to the church office, the exhaust of the truck in front of me transported me to a Tirana street, and also caused me to start thinking about how powerful our sense of smell can be. <br /><br />2 Corinthians 2:14-16 says, "But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?" <br /><br />If the smells around us can so powerfully affect our senses, than the comparison of us to the fragrance of Christ is infinitely full of meaning. I want to live my life in such a way that those around me, whether briefly or in a close relationship, can smell Christ in me. If it is the fragrance of life to them, we can be an encouragement to each other. If it is the smell of death, may I be sensitive to their feelings and needs while standing strong on the truth of His character and purpose. I have no control over the response of others to Christ, but I do pray that whenever they respond to me, it is actually Christ in me that they are responding to. And I pray that my words and actions will be a fragrance and not a stench to my Lord or anyone else.roaringlamb3http://www.blogger.com/profile/16128839504321659278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8877600120626713287.post-4294482925578180952010-07-31T10:13:00.008-05:002010-07-31T12:01:30.529-05:00"Why do you love Albania?"I have a tendency to be pretty open about my thoughts & feelings, unless they are just too personal to put into words. Those are the kinds I've had the past few months, which is why there have been no new posts on here. Last night, though, while chatting with a friend on Facebook, I felt compelled to share why I love Albania so much. I have been asked that question by Americans and/or missionaries before, but never by an Albanian. I was extremely humbled and motivated by this young man's response to my answer. It made me realize again what a gift God has given me by allowing me to be a part of what He is doing there.<br /><br />For those of you who don't know anything about Albania, it is a small country in Europe just north of Greece and across the Adriatic Sea from the boot heel of Italy.<br /> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM_n_tgg2OZZLVuA20XszmEfVZP-ikThb_J2gVcwQtx9pUn-OfmsoAcuG-u6hgto4F-dYPYD9w7DFLSDNgfhlMub1zwf17V7bC5EnFnF-cbVTJOPRlw2LO4_8mDwEVjdRn9UeHl7eq0Itr/s1600/Albania+Ksamil.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM_n_tgg2OZZLVuA20XszmEfVZP-ikThb_J2gVcwQtx9pUn-OfmsoAcuG-u6hgto4F-dYPYD9w7DFLSDNgfhlMub1zwf17V7bC5EnFnF-cbVTJOPRlw2LO4_8mDwEVjdRn9UeHl7eq0Itr/s400/Albania+Ksamil.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500112508344110818" /></a><br />It is a beautiful, mountainous country with a lot of farming and fishing. Most of the population is in or near the capital, Tirana. The Albanian language is Shqip (Sh-cheap). The people are beautiful, hardworking and very hospitable.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_rfbXvSe9IMQcPZ11eDe-_yeBpvK5sPPd5YiuaNZYMECHwMrRmUapmWkRqo5XEM6Fx3BsTGZdiHHX_DqE7W7FOQHxBcvJ5a_xLp08pL3MPeQvxDseVb8yTE-DDR3zfi0BSMihrgo82Trq/s1600/Albania+shepherd.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_rfbXvSe9IMQcPZ11eDe-_yeBpvK5sPPd5YiuaNZYMECHwMrRmUapmWkRqo5XEM6Fx3BsTGZdiHHX_DqE7W7FOQHxBcvJ5a_xLp08pL3MPeQvxDseVb8yTE-DDR3zfi0BSMihrgo82Trq/s400/Albania+shepherd.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500112502732727250" /></a><br />One of the things I love the most about Albania is that it is such a relational culture. Family and friends are a priority. Meals are an event that could last hours. They are much more concerned about people than money and things. They make the most of what they have and share freely with others.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBobY9Y7yJfDQsw8vtfr3_uUgEJmQqZaLlRLeDmJ-UE3KvW9jdi6Mc_fFBa4pBawzVOtTVFRuMguBRgvpmwqMtsh98OG1ljsmFONqmjHVibWNcfyllMhUdXG3ndEnwQrsN2i5b9mImi4R/s1600/Albania+dinner.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBobY9Y7yJfDQsw8vtfr3_uUgEJmQqZaLlRLeDmJ-UE3KvW9jdi6Mc_fFBa4pBawzVOtTVFRuMguBRgvpmwqMtsh98OG1ljsmFONqmjHVibWNcfyllMhUdXG3ndEnwQrsN2i5b9mImi4R/s400/Albania+dinner.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500116074128676226" /></a><br />I am not a big city person at all, but I feel totally comfortable in Tirana. The traffic is crazy & dangerous if you're not careful, but it gets more funny than scary the more times I go. Even as a woman, I have never been afraid to walk around at any time, even alone. On my second trip I even managed to buy a watermelon from a man who didn't speak a word of English all by myself. That was a proud moment :)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7V_vOGCcWpO5jkgTUUVyhoFtjrxqk4EVp3uPlOSQXKM2LzvkbFfE8-fQHY8kiXKmhQAKOsATe-dKFQqn4unPZGw0Q9hlz-2d8_pdrczOq82xcYONJNjYYcnw0gLk2PAdwqA1wLm_vvO-W/s1600/Albania+2010+009.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7V_vOGCcWpO5jkgTUUVyhoFtjrxqk4EVp3uPlOSQXKM2LzvkbFfE8-fQHY8kiXKmhQAKOsATe-dKFQqn4unPZGw0Q9hlz-2d8_pdrczOq82xcYONJNjYYcnw0gLk2PAdwqA1wLm_vvO-W/s400/Albania+2010+009.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500115054963005266" /></a><br /><br />Another thing I like is that normal life carries on regardless of how comfortable people feel. On our last trip, Mark & I had set aside a couple of hours to walk around the city by ourselves so I could see how much I could remember and show him places that had memories for me. When we woke up that morning, it was raining. Cindy called to ask if we wanted to stop by & get some umbrellas. In America, the assumption would have been that we would choose not to go. In Albania, we were offered umbrellas because the assumption was that we would go anyway. The experience together was what mattered, not whether it was a sunny, 75 degree day and we felt totally comfortable.<br /><br />The biggest thing I love about Albania, though, is the opportunity to watch the way God is moving. Their borders have only been open since 1997, and the gospel is beginning to take root and grow. There are not many men who are following the Lord, but I have been blessed to see many women & children in the churches who are learning and growing in their faith. I look at these young boys and realize that the first generation of Christian men is being raised up right now. These boys will be the first Christ-following husbands, fathers, pastors, missionaries & leaders in their families. They will be the ones God uses to turn their country to Him. This is a humbling thought that carries a huge weight of responsibility for those charged with discipling them.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgipqaf4TS58FGeDuy6ZLjCFFwNVNnsWyyqvhqUpdJl9p8Gok1Q2N21k_9Eyx9-RYleIIANJ5RsrbCYxBrk70uAEoFSy20kujVSuj8XqzOGURRcURmP4DEIvWpvBcKdFT4UJ_coevJ2bvE_/s1600/Albania+Shkoze.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgipqaf4TS58FGeDuy6ZLjCFFwNVNnsWyyqvhqUpdJl9p8Gok1Q2N21k_9Eyx9-RYleIIANJ5RsrbCYxBrk70uAEoFSy20kujVSuj8XqzOGURRcURmP4DEIvWpvBcKdFT4UJ_coevJ2bvE_/s400/Albania+Shkoze.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500109955579472818" /></a><br />It is also amazing to think of how the Lord will be able to use Albanians in building His Kingdom. If people in a culture that understands & values relationship the way they do can finally grasp that the God of the universe created them and desires a personal relationship with them, they would be able to model that relationship in a way that much of the world has never seen. As God gets ahold of the hearts of these beautiful people, the gospel could explode & change the whole world from this little, mainly unnoticed country. Already they are sending out their first missionaries to neighboring countries and even to America. I believe in His work there so much that it is truly worth any sacrifice I would have to make in order to be a part of it. <br /><br />The needs in Albania are great. Millions of people have never even heard the gospel or had the opportunity to respond to Christ themselves. This is not a country that is well known or talked about much. Many missionaries have been serving for years without a lot of support or encouragement. They need to hear that what they are doing is vital, the lives they are touching are important, and that people are praying for them and lifting them up when they get tired. They need Christians who will uplift and encourage them as they serve tirelessly without backup or help. If you are reading this, you can be involved in reaching Albania for Christ. Let me know if you want to help prayerfully or financially, and I will hook you up with people who would faithfully use your help with integrity and purpose. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqhDqN7g7WAyfFhWLe1XB1SMTt4MDU7G71U7XdprO6NUAfCF4b_su1ky5pOzLD64ctA65d24UyW0SMTbDiIpmV6hyP-Ay6CZHGeOyBEMeqjV7icC43e79Y_BDCs6nKHDYOJNrlj2pK4sSy/s1600/Albania+lonely.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqhDqN7g7WAyfFhWLe1XB1SMTt4MDU7G71U7XdprO6NUAfCF4b_su1ky5pOzLD64ctA65d24UyW0SMTbDiIpmV6hyP-Ay6CZHGeOyBEMeqjV7icC43e79Y_BDCs6nKHDYOJNrlj2pK4sSy/s400/Albania+lonely.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500109680062984850" /></a>roaringlamb3http://www.blogger.com/profile/16128839504321659278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8877600120626713287.post-21551406243880934852010-04-25T22:28:00.002-05:002010-04-25T22:51:15.180-05:00Not Enough Room in the WorldToday I have been meditating on the last verse in John's gospel (21:25), "Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written." John wrote that not long after Jesus left the earth. He is still doing miracles and changing lives today and will continue to do so. If the world couldn't hold the stories 2000 years ago, imagine how much room it would take to hold the rest of His story.<br /><br />As someone who loves God's Word, loves to read it and discover new things and loves to teach it to others, I know the value and importance of the Bible. But I also know that there are many people who would never pick up a Bible and read the stories written there-not on their own; not where they are in life. Most of those same people, though, would be willing to listen to our stories. Their lives could and would be impacted in real, powerful ways if we were willing to share how Jesus has and is working in our lives. If we were willing to share our sins & struggles, our stories of forgiveness and redemption, our process of being made more like Christ-both the victories and the heartaches-the Jesus who is just a story in an old book to them would suddenly become a real, active, life-changing God who has relationship and eternity to offer to them as well.<br /><br />Even if you don't feel your story would ever be worth writing down, it may be life-changing for someone who feels the same way about theirs. As a child of God, saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, you will never know the full impact your life can have on the world. Will you truly live your story-His story-in your life so that others can see you have a story to tell? There may not be room in the world to hold all of His stories, but there is room in eternity for all who hear them and believe on Him. Share yours today.roaringlamb3http://www.blogger.com/profile/16128839504321659278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8877600120626713287.post-42002612188750286552010-03-11T22:04:00.003-06:002010-03-11T22:47:51.943-06:00Walking in FaithMy friend, Sue Prince, wrote an interesting <a href="http://sistersweblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/do-you-leap-or-walk-in-faith.html">blog post</a> today. I've been thinking since I read it about what it means to "walk in faith". The Bible does speak many times about walking in faith, but it also speaks of the walk of faith. It seems to me that it is an argument of semantics. Is our walk a verb or a noun? I think there is Biblical evidence that it is both. In 3 John 1:3, it is a verb: "It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth." And in Psalm 101:6, it is a noun: "My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he whose walk is blameless will minister to me."<br /><br />So what does it mean when people talk about a "leap of faith", and is this an indication of fear that the Lord will not follow through or an excuse not to walk with Him? Personally, I don't think so. When I see the term "leap of faith", I think of something extremely exciting, something that gets your blood pumping more than just the normal, everyday walking with the Lord. It's when He is giving you an opportunity to do something where you know you will be completely out of control and totally dependent on Him. While we are supposed to live in a state of total dependence, there are times when we feel it on a higher level than others. There isn't a question of whether or not the Lord is faithful or will catch or carry us. There is just a higher level of excitement about what He is about to do. And yes, with that excitement there may be more fear of the unknown, but it is an excited fear rather than a fear that holds us back from action.<br /><br />In looking at our walk as a noun, it is a thing we are a part of rather than an action we do. The walk of faith is both, ironically. But when we look at it as our walk (noun), it is a thing born of relationship, our state of being with God all the time. Sometimes it is slower, sometimes faster, sometimes more fun or exciting, and sometimes sorrowful, but I believe that during that walk, the Lord takes joy in everything we do, whether it is jumping, skipping, twirling, dancing or simply stepping.roaringlamb3http://www.blogger.com/profile/16128839504321659278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8877600120626713287.post-84296700678557611752010-03-08T00:09:00.005-06:002010-03-08T01:38:28.219-06:00What I Learned About The Lord at 14,000 FeetJust in case you missed it, I got to go skydiving this past weekend. Since everyone is sick of hearing about it, I will stop talking about it. After this post. Because there are many spiritual analogies that have swirled around in my brain since the jump yesterday afternoon. Now, before you say anything, let me start by saying that I know that due to human and/or mechanical failure or negligence (yes, I read the "You-Can't-Sue-Us-For-Any-Reason-Ever-And-Neither-Can-Your-Family-For-A-Thousand-Generations" agreement before signing it), the analogy breaks down at a certain point. But, for the sake of argument, let's just assume that everything goes perfectly and the analogy works. Thanks :)<div><br /></div><div>For obvious reasons, the first many times you skydive, you don't get to just jump on your own. And you don't get a parachute. You get a guy that has a parachute. And hopefully he knows what he's doing. This is not a fun idea for people who feel the need to be in control. I tend to be a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of girl, but, if we are honest, we all have to admit, no matter where we fall on the control freak spectrum, that we like to have some semblance of control over our lives and the things that happen to us. Tandem skydiving is a total giving up of that control. Here's why: </div><div><br /></div><div>1) You don't get to strap yourself into the harness or onto the person you're jumping with. They buckle & tighten the straps onto you, and eventually onto them. You have to trust that they are doing it right.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2JF9AAjMG6Jhr9ZLr7b861JwH_Q-enmx-2c-vrQCZJL-z0fuoSYRGcpNSf0weUoqklYCQ6ZAhpG7B-Ch8NDwXZCuPBX_h6fDJnT-hTVoZj42YZg9P8J__KMYXjfjLA62mXX_Lhyphenhyphen1jrQom/s1600-h/079.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2JF9AAjMG6Jhr9ZLr7b861JwH_Q-enmx-2c-vrQCZJL-z0fuoSYRGcpNSf0weUoqklYCQ6ZAhpG7B-Ch8NDwXZCuPBX_h6fDJnT-hTVoZj42YZg9P8J__KMYXjfjLA62mXX_Lhyphenhyphen1jrQom/s400/079.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446157155995041330"></a> </div><div><br /></div><div>2) You don't get to change your mind. You get to choose to sign up, show up and get on the plane, but once you head in that direction, there is no turning back. You are strapped onto this person who is going to jump out of the plane whether you want to or not. You have no choice but to go with them.</div><div><br /></div><div>3) You don't get the parachute. You can't reach the release even if you know where it is (which I didn't). You don't get to pick when it gets deployed and how high (or low) you'll be when it does.</div><div><div><br /></div><div>4) You don't get to steer. Yeah, they let you hold the control straps (or whatever they're called. Experienced skydivers will have to bear with my ignorance), and they show you how to spin in both directions. But, no matter where your hands are, theirs never let go of the controls. You will go where they choose, because they know what they are doing and can override you at any moment.</div><div><br /></div><div>5) You don't get to pick where you land. No matter how many places may look cool or fun or more appealing to you from 14,000 feet, they know where the target is. That is where they are taking you. Period.</div><div><br /></div><div>So, I got to the airport and waited for quite a while because they had gotten backed up a bit. After about two hours I met David. This was the guy who was going to have my life in his hands. Literally. Thankfully, I liked him immediately. A lot. He was very calm and reassuring. His instructions were clear, and I knew exactly what he would do and what he expected of me in the plane and in the air. All I had to do was follow his lead, and I was completely assured that everything would be ok. Even when we got to the door, which is when I expected to have a short freak out, I-Don't-Really-Want-To-Do-This moment, I really wasn't scared at all. I trusted this stranger, whom I had known about an hour, completely.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9p5_PGJyGhbutkPAw5uEwU0N_5FHoL5RbmUA8i1Yjez8HUHniXoFcq_OHRx89EgHnQPM5RC9TaSS88wB1Xg3vOs0l2z2m6bStThUqqfrRBJtYxIpmy_a8RuHVsVNlXKakR-8oVCkr3oEF/s1600-h/IMG_3842.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9p5_PGJyGhbutkPAw5uEwU0N_5FHoL5RbmUA8i1Yjez8HUHniXoFcq_OHRx89EgHnQPM5RC9TaSS88wB1Xg3vOs0l2z2m6bStThUqqfrRBJtYxIpmy_a8RuHVsVNlXKakR-8oVCkr3oEF/s400/IMG_3842.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446157165346216018"></a> </div><div><br /></div><div>He had me look at the camera, & then he jumped. We fell very fast for 60 seconds. I didn't know until I watched the video later that David was watching an altimeter (sp?) on his wrist so he would know when to pull the chute. The falling part was cool, but after the parachute opened and we were floating, it was the most amazing feeling ever. We were just hanging out above the earth, no one else around, able to see forever, and we could have a conversation as clear as in a quiet room. We spun around a few times and practiced our landing. He made sure that I knew exactly what I needed to know for this next step.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmvcnIpjSTWt4DQbZLe3QzhBpc2Mfcnxh3DZ_guXX0Sgy2Lmqu_H62LjYfNxabeZ60BAlUCqjM69zyqw0HqlxaW9wvU9NoVwujGMKpnSOHb8y3-glM4G_T2KOm_U6Z8FnY0r2CBguOQUMB/s1600-h/IMG_3870.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmvcnIpjSTWt4DQbZLe3QzhBpc2Mfcnxh3DZ_guXX0Sgy2Lmqu_H62LjYfNxabeZ60BAlUCqjM69zyqw0HqlxaW9wvU9NoVwujGMKpnSOHb8y3-glM4G_T2KOm_U6Z8FnY0r2CBguOQUMB/s400/IMG_3870.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446157172199246482"></a> </div><div><br /></div><div>When we landed, he unhooked me and told me I was free to stand up. His job for this jump was done, but I sure hope that if I get to do it again, David will be my partner.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnz8AOX3Zqy1N0SWPPBeHGKBm1eB5Il1D5zzzv_BSUi-bXrUjQunkrn6R-3iAaaA56P22rWnoVepK62gEbfIM9dSvgVnQjDV33CYPlOq8YFem6FfHH_L0FO2h-DY3_9mNLKziXMelEWiIm/s1600-h/IMG_3948.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnz8AOX3Zqy1N0SWPPBeHGKBm1eB5Il1D5zzzv_BSUi-bXrUjQunkrn6R-3iAaaA56P22rWnoVepK62gEbfIM9dSvgVnQjDV33CYPlOq8YFem6FfHH_L0FO2h-DY3_9mNLKziXMelEWiIm/s400/IMG_3948.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446157180638761042"></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Our walk with the Lord should be very similar to my experience yesterday. We make the first choice to follow, and subsequent choices to obey. Turning back should never be an option. We should be willing to give Him total control. We can trust Him to know where we are going and how we need to get there. We don't need to be distracted by the shiny things that tempt us to head in a different direction. We should be listening for clear instructions for each step and trusting that He will reveal anything else we need to know when we need to know it. And when we land, we will be able to stand up and thank Him for the adventure, knowing that the next one will be even more faith-filled and exciting because He has proven Himself faithful and trustworthy. Man, machines, systems and equipment may fail, yet we trust them everyday as we go about our lives. How much more, then, should we trust our Lord and His Word, which never fail or forsake. Jump!</div></div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx9bw03VCncD_C1NxTlKayrmgd5Uz7LdJP_4ypxoDUZ9d43akaMsONHlNibVO3rY2YndHZGQPWsEKNc1NIM3g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>roaringlamb3http://www.blogger.com/profile/16128839504321659278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8877600120626713287.post-48576676286009484132010-01-14T21:49:00.004-06:002010-01-14T22:11:21.277-06:00The Wonder YearsTonight I have been on a Wonder Years kick-spending way too much time reading quotes & looking at pictures. In all of that, I have come to the conclusion that every girl (no matter how old) wants to be loved like Kevin loved Winnie. So here's my tribute to the relationship that shaped the way girls who grew up in the 80's dream of being loved. These are quotes by Kevin about Winnie or things that he said to her. Basically, they all say, "I love you."<br /><br /><b>"All our young lives we search for someone to love, someone who makes us complete. We choose partners and change partners. We dance to a song of heartbreak and hope all the while wondering if somewhere and somehow there is someone searching for us."</b><br /><br />Who could ever forget this scene? I even remember crying with Winnie.<div><br /><b>KEVIN: <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Winnie, you know I don't get you!! One minute you like me, the next you don't. You've been doing this all year. First you kiss me, then you act like you don't like me. If you like me, fine, if you don't, quit acting like it!!</span></i><br />KEVIN: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><i>I just have to know if you like me or not. And don't give any of that "like me" like me stuff. </i></span><br />NARRATOR: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Well, that was it: a straightforward, face-to-face, yes-or-no question. And I was going to stand there until I got my answer. </span><br />WINNIE: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><i>I don't know. </i></span><br />KEVIN: </b><i>"I don't know"! What do you mean you don't know?</i><b><br />WINNIE: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><i>I mean I don't know. I really don't know. [On the verge of tears] I wish everyone would just leave me alone. I don't know what I'm doing.</i></span><br />NARRATOR: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">This was something new. I mean, I always figured girls knew exactly what they wanted. They knew; they had a plan. Or maybe they didn't.</span><br />NARRATOR: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Maybe they were just as confused as we were. Isn't that great?</span><br />NARRATOR: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">It--it's horrible. They don't know either. That means nobody knows. </span><br />KEVIN: </b><i>You mean you really don't know?</i><b><br />WINNIE: </b><i>No.</i><b><br />KEVIN: <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Oh.</span> </i><br />KEVIN: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><i>Well, I'm sorry. </i></span><br />WINNIE: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><i>What for? </i></span><br />KEVIN: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><i>I don't know.</i></span><br />NARRATOR: </b>As I stood there that cold night, I realized for the first time in a long time that Winnie and I were feeling the same thing.<br /><br /><b><i>"I stood there, my heart in my hand. It was time to give it to it's rightful owner."</i></b><br /><br /><b>"Love makes you do funny things. It makes you proud. It makes you sorry. That night we talked. About life. About our times together. Maybe we weren't the same two kids we had once been. But some things never change. Some things last. And even though I didn't know what was going to happen to us, or where we were going. I just knew I couldn't let her out of my life."</b></div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>"There are things in life that matter, things in the past that can't be denied. Winnie Cooper is part of me, and I am part of her. And for as long as I live, I will never ever let her go."</i></b><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaE2nbGOsQ-xinYH8ozhJ6hXeYaoz-hTGnc6lYChy8S7_-I67vRdrGF1bG6pVl2V3-Ib1ia0BUQ2PjjOVkamYYIQSBsqNhxa02m7O5tNg5I5XjD-iHGYu_uO7WYT5Kn76KTuLQaYnrP490/s1600-h/Wonder+Years.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 226px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaE2nbGOsQ-xinYH8ozhJ6hXeYaoz-hTGnc6lYChy8S7_-I67vRdrGF1bG6pVl2V3-Ib1ia0BUQ2PjjOVkamYYIQSBsqNhxa02m7O5tNg5I5XjD-iHGYu_uO7WYT5Kn76KTuLQaYnrP490/s400/Wonder+Years.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426813568542533666" /></a><br /><b><i>"Once upon a time there was a girl I knew, who lived across the street. Brown hair, brown eyes. When she smiled, I smiled. When she cried, I cried. Every single thing that ever happened to me that mattered, in some way had to do with her. That day Winnie and I promised each other that no matter what, that we'd always be together. It was a promise full of passion and truth and wisdom. It was the kind of promise that can only come from the hearts of the very young."</i></b>~The last episode</div>roaringlamb3http://www.blogger.com/profile/16128839504321659278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8877600120626713287.post-15768554436290900382009-12-26T23:56:00.002-06:002009-12-27T00:03:00.273-06:00Some Fun Christmas ObservationsI thought I'd lighten up my blog and post some fun observations from this Christmas break. Some of these are things I already knew, but they came up again this week. Therefore, they are included here. I wold also love to hear some of the things you have learned from your holiday and family gatherings. Just remember: we are having fun here, so be nice!<br /><br />1. It is much easier to wait to open your own presents than it is to wait to give other people what you've wrapped up for them. <br /><br />2. There comes a time when you really wish your kids would admit they don't believe in Santa anymore.<br /><br />3. Being able to help someone who would not have been able to do so otherwise give their kids a happy Christmas is one of the greatest blessings. Watching your kids be part of that is even better. <br /><br />4. I get to swim with dolphins in February!!! Another thing to cross off my bucket list :)<br /><br />5. When you decide to use your brand new toaster oven, remove the plastic bag with hamburger buns from on top of it. If you don't, the bottom of the plastic bag will be tattooed to the top of the oven.<br /><br />6. You can actually cook raw hamburgers completely in the microwave, and no one will die of food poisoning.<br /><br />7. If you wear cowboy boots with red plaid flannel pants, blue & green argyle socks and a maroon & gold bulldog jacket, you will get laughed at.<br /><br />8. If you are a parent who takes a gazillion pictures, and you give your child a camera, they will also take a gazillion pictures.<br /><br />9. If you cannot throw a frisbee in real life, you will not do well at frisbee golf on the wii, either.<br /><br />10. Even if I win, I do not like games that I can't understand HOW they work. If I can't do well on purpose, it's just luck, and that doesn't count. <br /><br />11. Kid noise is much easier to handle when the adults are quiet and the dogs are outside.<br /><br />12. Trampolines are MUCH more fun to jump on than to put together.<br /><br />13. We were required to take home ec in school because they knew we would need to put a trampoline net up one day. Who knew learning to sew would come in handy outside in 30 degree temps?<br /><br />14. Antiques neatly decorating a house are beautiful, but the chaos in an antique store can make your head swim.<br /><br />15. Little girls really cannot go more than 4 days without seeing their friends and having a sleepover.<br /><br />16. If you have, at any time, waved a knife in your child's direction, even unintentionally, and/or lost that same child while they were sitting in your lap, you will never hear the end of it at family gatherings.<br /><br />17. The older your children get, the more delight they get from pointing out the stupid things you have said and done.<br /><br />18. There are certain people who, no matter where you are, what you are doing or who you are with, are never far from your heart and mind.roaringlamb3http://www.blogger.com/profile/16128839504321659278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8877600120626713287.post-31698221218955537922009-12-08T23:59:00.002-06:002009-12-09T00:17:51.495-06:00Priority Versus OptionOne of my Facebook friends posted this quote as her status the other day: "Never make someone your priority while allowing yourself to be their option". My first reaction was to totally agree with that statement. I mean, who likes the feeling of pining or sacrificing for someone constantly while that person is just taking advantage of their heart and feelings. But, like pretty much everything else that catches my attention, I pondered that thought for a while. I think there is another side to it that we as Christians are actually called TO.<br /><br />I am very glad that God did not apply that thought to me, to anyone, when choosing to provide a way of salvation for all. I am also glad that He doesn't apply that concept to me on a daily basis. Every day I make choices that place a higher priority on something or someone else than the Lord. I try not to most of the time, and sometimes I do it without even thinking. Many times it is something that is good in and of itself, but should never be given more attention than Him. But no matter where my heart or priorities are, even when He is an option to me on many days, I am always His priority. He always loves me. He is always working to change my heart, mind and spirit to bring them more in line with His. He is always providing opportunities for me to watch Him work in the world and lives around me, even when I can't see it.<br /><br />He did the same thing for every single person you will ever meet, anywhere, at any time. If you know Him, it is your call, your mandate, to love them as He does-to make serving them and introducing them to Jesus your priority, even if you (or Him) are just an option to them. We are called to love when it's painful, when it is not returned, when it doesn't make sense. That is what He always has and always will do.<br /><br />Jesus died for me while I was yet a sinner. He did the same for you, whoever you are. Even when He was not yet a thought, let alone an option, for us, He died for us. He loves, cares for and pursues us-first to win our hearts and then to give us real life. We are created by Him, saved by Him, and changed by Him. And we are always His priority. Will you make Him more than an option today?roaringlamb3http://www.blogger.com/profile/16128839504321659278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8877600120626713287.post-65759637701767120132009-12-07T00:26:00.009-06:002009-12-07T01:09:32.856-06:00Covenant RenewalIt is common for people to join a church, get their name on the roll, and be satisfied that they have met the requirements for church membership. Some even see this as a guarantee of salvation. One of the reasons I love Northbrook so much is that membership is viewed very differently. It is a commitment we take seriously. When you join Northbrook, it is not a forever or until you decide to join another church kind of deal. Every year we take time to evaluate where we are as a church as well as individually in ministry and mission. Tonight was our annual Covenant Renewal Celebration. It was such a special time of fellowship and family. We are a Baptist church, so of course there was a lot of food involved. But I am convinced we could do this thing with crackers and water and still be just as blessed.<br /><br />Our current series is on the "One anothers" in scripture, so we had a contest to see who would use the number one most creatively in their dress. Hannah used Uno cards, and Caleb went with the "Bear one anothers burdens" idea. Chuck tried to use applause to judge, but ended up giving them the Sonic gift card & telling them to share it. Hmmmm....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtiLt7FpcT_gbj3mvNlEC56bQInfQ9eZDhJCXAgi5jry_b4BSJgLTLoimOq7GSo5HfoW7LAicAheZRItEecVAcxLRoKdpRvnx7n27StSSiETme6OCp62L8pu5R-_YflBLXBs65b_2NXuWq/s1600-h/030.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtiLt7FpcT_gbj3mvNlEC56bQInfQ9eZDhJCXAgi5jry_b4BSJgLTLoimOq7GSo5HfoW7LAicAheZRItEecVAcxLRoKdpRvnx7n27StSSiETme6OCp62L8pu5R-_YflBLXBs65b_2NXuWq/s400/030.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412380104410045298" /></a><br />Amelia Lancaster was one of the few who had the courage to stand up and say in three words only what she likes about Northbrook. Even at 9 years old, her church is her "family in Christ". How cool is that? <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNYR0Odr1OKZgeDxV3x-ZBS5JM4HGENl6O6zOUfwmSPmV46UofrI5GlJZrKVcoV9wSpiv_IOgXjov6b9VUA1YEOe-ghRsSL2OuJd5OumyQsROT8wQk8gJ9PhcpxPwSRyfOrljJ5XAvUuJO/s1600-h/056.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNYR0Odr1OKZgeDxV3x-ZBS5JM4HGENl6O6zOUfwmSPmV46UofrI5GlJZrKVcoV9wSpiv_IOgXjov6b9VUA1YEOe-ghRsSL2OuJd5OumyQsROT8wQk8gJ9PhcpxPwSRyfOrljJ5XAvUuJO/s400/056.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412381274954043618" /></a><br />After a time of worship, Tim Wheat, who was Northbrook's first paid pastor, gave an encouraging and challenging message. It was neat to me that he kept referring to Northbrook and the things that "we" are doing. I love that former Northbrookers still refer to their relationship with this church family in the present tense. Even when they have moved on to other ministries, they still feel a sense of ownership and belonging. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRb_XaoQpj4h39Zv8XvDmMA9PFBOid_sAITkyIZ-olbM6wkg-TH-ccwc69vQX2eHSV2XN1rGTw-EycgN-zahK_7P_3vCcBSrcBhGtBInp6ZJgVDXMqWNV7dCZKSQ5vh1_SXapDRE7lL_Gw/s1600-h/073.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRb_XaoQpj4h39Zv8XvDmMA9PFBOid_sAITkyIZ-olbM6wkg-TH-ccwc69vQX2eHSV2XN1rGTw-EycgN-zahK_7P_3vCcBSrcBhGtBInp6ZJgVDXMqWNV7dCZKSQ5vh1_SXapDRE7lL_Gw/s400/073.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412382241713849762" /></a><br />Then we sang the song that our current pastor, Chuck, wrote for Northbrook. I can't ever sing this song without tears, because never have I been in a church where the words are so true. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAMO3ItHb_AYIG5SDboNChbh5X8ZCscuOTq054wBOuNrm8wd4jCsDpl3e5RBBTmZ63U2PhRrKQrjjGzYl21AJIUxCNQ7jv-IC27FvP6qF9HilvyWj7G7tooVSG3x2-yG5kySHbOWH8Inoh/s1600-h/076.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAMO3ItHb_AYIG5SDboNChbh5X8ZCscuOTq054wBOuNrm8wd4jCsDpl3e5RBBTmZ63U2PhRrKQrjjGzYl21AJIUxCNQ7jv-IC27FvP6qF9HilvyWj7G7tooVSG3x2-yG5kySHbOWH8Inoh/s400/076.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412382964185892818" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFfPOvLL3jxc6oNPyGNWvv7wMrEqgE-NuECExqRn_KZ2E6uXbfFvlcAUUTzol7OMD41ZaJUz4xcTfjQiEBxYQFYqETjHH1do_R4xb7RSg-8o9o4mloAMUCGlvGYyVz36ouvK2lqS3UhvR/s1600-h/080.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFfPOvLL3jxc6oNPyGNWvv7wMrEqgE-NuECExqRn_KZ2E6uXbfFvlcAUUTzol7OMD41ZaJUz4xcTfjQiEBxYQFYqETjHH1do_R4xb7RSg-8o9o4mloAMUCGlvGYyVz36ouvK2lqS3UhvR/s400/080.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412382968695539906" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7OeWcw8KY8M6ud82alC-ccmhSaI9f1M5T6Hg6RDc97heSAAEJrph9L_g4Tpb04e4eOzr1Prfwyz-7yXS7HrHFzKKeFRVGe_9mrC83W5NunDA8w5c_frODwvn_Z9GySvHuDBvsbKLSG3l2/s1600-h/081.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7OeWcw8KY8M6ud82alC-ccmhSaI9f1M5T6Hg6RDc97heSAAEJrph9L_g4Tpb04e4eOzr1Prfwyz-7yXS7HrHFzKKeFRVGe_9mrC83W5NunDA8w5c_frODwvn_Z9GySvHuDBvsbKLSG3l2/s400/081.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412382979135796610" /></a><br />This fall we have added three men to our Pastoral Leadership Team. Tonight we had a chance to pray for and dedicate Larry Butler, Wayne Rushing and Jason Brooks. They are all wonderful, Godly men who I know will serve Northbrook well. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsjOnqSxiEsCAqpmdHp7Xz2b3wQPArF_dsNf4GjZp3U-_ETrdkNLjh_8LioLo4HPKnTbTutp25g3abf1NdhL76yrUvsQtOkOhhBtvjr3KtG7Qrrzr0Hbd2mzKjyd2IOgKF4N_bxfoFCifr/s1600-h/099.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsjOnqSxiEsCAqpmdHp7Xz2b3wQPArF_dsNf4GjZp3U-_ETrdkNLjh_8LioLo4HPKnTbTutp25g3abf1NdhL76yrUvsQtOkOhhBtvjr3KtG7Qrrzr0Hbd2mzKjyd2IOgKF4N_bxfoFCifr/s400/099.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412383987143006674" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQm9WQI-m2vi_ydy0KTUUYN2mbjAx9iGXQWXCmNS9lcReHWG3CmWHOPzu5UvDL9yd_AGIEf-2hS7Q7XBEo4b_8iCGYdBALk8JYRp9hQzfG1ELGTMfTGju_Js9carHR2QEoQL1yLHnzDPCX/s1600-h/101.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQm9WQI-m2vi_ydy0KTUUYN2mbjAx9iGXQWXCmNS9lcReHWG3CmWHOPzu5UvDL9yd_AGIEf-2hS7Q7XBEo4b_8iCGYdBALk8JYRp9hQzfG1ELGTMfTGju_Js9carHR2QEoQL1yLHnzDPCX/s400/101.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412383993645266706" /></a><br />Like I mentioned earlier, membership is not something we take lightly at Northbrook. We have to take time to ask ourselves every year, "Am I willing to be held to Biblical standards by this group of people, even when it's not comfortable?" "Am I willing to commit to regular attendance at large and small group gatherings?" "Am I willing to uphold the unity of my church, speak positively and pray for her leaders?" "Am I willing to give sacrificially of myself, my time and my resources to support the ministry of this church?" "Am I willing to serve these people and alongside them in fulfilling the great commission in our church, our community and our world?" <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFaVjh155ZmzZlsPHH42KpCUyYKPYsWkI-g7jFmQQBkEGBrHZxyg19jYaZvEKdVVg4CS5bMDf82vAvhdmOiyq2Vg0n7Za-eynCS-Q-92j_KUnvjTywfxuwewyXtIFJSm_TcS-1SBJ8Wf-C/s1600-h/094.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFaVjh155ZmzZlsPHH42KpCUyYKPYsWkI-g7jFmQQBkEGBrHZxyg19jYaZvEKdVVg4CS5bMDf82vAvhdmOiyq2Vg0n7Za-eynCS-Q-92j_KUnvjTywfxuwewyXtIFJSm_TcS-1SBJ8Wf-C/s400/094.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412385954029229522" /></a> <br />These are questions we have to answer before signing the covenant for another year. If the answer to any of these questions is no, we also provide a regular attender card that communicates a desire to be part of the fellowship without being able to be a fully committed member. I love the moment where everyone signs their cards together. It is a feeling of being a part of something so much bigger than myself, yet intimate and personal at the same time. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ1opGNYy_VgYtsahVXkGHHiSWWGaNgxpYzSeMNz0NQG7vNt1pouuuKt4LFLFX1fnOXMkQC2wuUeBfYjBXf0UdHovBCn8DEzNnjEhl_U6dY1-dDFi-2AsMXeTRTyX-wWI09BtDoRsIVpZP/s1600-h/103.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ1opGNYy_VgYtsahVXkGHHiSWWGaNgxpYzSeMNz0NQG7vNt1pouuuKt4LFLFX1fnOXMkQC2wuUeBfYjBXf0UdHovBCn8DEzNnjEhl_U6dY1-dDFi-2AsMXeTRTyX-wWI09BtDoRsIVpZP/s400/103.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412385959226735010" /></a><br />My heart breaks for people who leave a fellowship of believers because it is too hard or personal, because it challenges their comfort level, because it asks more of them than what they are right now. Being a part of a church like Northbrook is hard. It asks a lot of us. But God's standards are high, and I am so very thankful for a church that does it's best to live up to them, challenges it's members to do the same, and isn't afraid to admit mistakes. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.roaringlamb3http://www.blogger.com/profile/16128839504321659278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8877600120626713287.post-90480108073761029562009-12-04T09:56:00.002-06:002009-12-04T10:17:59.619-06:00Nothing Makes Us So Lonely As Our SecretsThe past few weeks have been very hard. I've been carrying some pretty heavy stuff, and, as the title of this entry (which is a quote from a guy named Paul Tournier) says, that stuff that we carry in secret really does make us lonely. Today I am home alone cleaning my house in preparation for my family's visit next weekend. Alone-ness feeds loneliness as well. Obviously, this could have been a set up for a really bad day. But God had other plans.<br /><br />Last week a special friend gave me an early Christmas present-a DVD with winter scenes set to Christmas music. I love gifts like that. She thought enough about me to know that my heart was needing a little bit of home. Our schedule has been so crazy that I have not had a chance to watch it until this morning, so I put it in while I was folding clothes. It was like the Lord just wrapped His arms around me and reminded me that he is my Daddy. In those pictures of cold, lonely places all covered in white, He reminded me that there is immeasurable beauty and living water flowing freely in his presence. All the time. <br /><br />For the first time in a while I was able to crawl into His lap and just cry everything out. I could tell Him how I felt, where I've failed and what I need. Really need. All of the things that there are no words for, no ways to communicate so that people will understand, the things that are so deep inside that I don't understand them myself-they all came out of my heart to His. As He says in Romans 8:26-27, "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." I am so thankful that my Daddy knows my heart so much better than I do, and that His Spirit prays for me and through me when I just can't do it myself. And, in this moment, I find myself much less alone.roaringlamb3http://www.blogger.com/profile/16128839504321659278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8877600120626713287.post-28689932312695968412009-11-23T00:38:00.002-06:002009-11-23T00:58:52.167-06:00Square Peg, Round HoleI usually think about things until I have them figured out and then post the questions with my conclusion(s). But there is something that is on my mind all the time, and I have no conclusions. So, I decided to throw out the thoughts and see if any of you have anything to add and/or a solution to the problem: The Square Peg, Round Hole Dilemma. I feel like this most of the time, and, after talking to others, realize that I am not nearly the only one who does.<br /><br />I have spent time in a lot of places, and have enjoyed almost all of them for different reasons. Out of all those places, though, there are only two that felt like "home". You know. The place where you are totally free to be yourself, no inhibitions, completely comfortable. The weird thing is, I have never actually LIVED in either of these places. They have never been my real home. I shared that with a friend one time who asked why I felt more comfortable in these places. I told him that I felt more like me when I was there. That offended him, because he wanted to know why I wasn't being me here. It is so hard to explain that I am not faking anything or pretending to be someone I am not. Who I am all the time is really part of me. Nothing fake. It's just not ALL of me. <br /><br />And then, like those places, there are certain people who feel like "home". These are the people, whether you have known them a lifetime or just a little while, who make you feel safe enough to be totally who you are. I have a couple of these people, with whom I feel like I could say anything, do anything, feel anything, and everything would be ok. <br /><br />The real magic happens when you put those people and places together, and all of your walls come down. That is when your heart soars. You feel totally, completely free. You smile and laugh with everything in you. You cry honest, deep, intimate tears. You feel safer than you have ever felt, and you know what it means to be fully alive. The hole is no longer round, but square, and you fit perfectly.<br /><br />So what is it that makes the difference? Why don't we feel free wherever we are? Why do we have such a hard time letting all of us come out when we are with people we know love and care about us? What holds us back? What exactly is it that sets us free? And the Jesus answer doesn't count this time, because He is just as much a part of all of our places and relationships-limited and free. So, what do you think?roaringlamb3http://www.blogger.com/profile/16128839504321659278noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8877600120626713287.post-21472623432021332472009-11-12T22:28:00.003-06:002009-11-12T22:49:50.082-06:00The Gift of GraceI learn so many things from my kids. This week, Jadon has taught me about grace. His school has a card system for behavior. They start out on purple. The idea is to stay there all day by having good behavior. Ian & Lynnea never had a problem with this. Jadon is another story. Many days he comes home on green, having had to pull just one card, and almost always for talking. This is the child who thinks that if something comes into his mind, it must come out of his mouth immediately, regardless of what else is going on. <br /><br />The past couple of weeks have been pretty rough for him. Two days he's had to pull two cards, and one day he had to pull three. That was a bad day. A really bad day. He got in the car in tears and handed me the note from his teacher, which included a list of his transgressions for the day. Talking I can deal with, but bad behavior is a totally different story. He curled up in his seat and said, through lots of tears, "I really didn't like today at all, Mommy." From the front seat I held up the list facing him and said, "Is there anything on this list that is anyone else's fault but yours?" He said no. So I said, pretty sarcastically I have to admit, "Well, if you want to have a better day, make better choices!" I was a bit too angry to punish him this time, so we waited til Daddy came home. He has a bit more of a level head than me.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9RqftQXkgTY5mtGTkwZt9iRF-l5RwPHa4K46Cj6_lVesqgCGGfE-49XHQf36kYcmA7KkjNLkSC_WbhUUbEq6E-fP0EapSAbLdBHnpiSx-gkN_17sTZXbLfM7wIZ8HDfmnhdPFulcPq42M/s1600-h/261.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9RqftQXkgTY5mtGTkwZt9iRF-l5RwPHa4K46Cj6_lVesqgCGGfE-49XHQf36kYcmA7KkjNLkSC_WbhUUbEq6E-fP0EapSAbLdBHnpiSx-gkN_17sTZXbLfM7wIZ8HDfmnhdPFulcPq42M/s400/261.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403445351320604402" /></a><br />The next morning about 6 AM, Jadon crawled into bed with me. He wrapped those little arms around my neck and whispered, "I love you, Mommy" just before he fell back asleep. I cuddled him close and prayed for him, all traces of anger and frustration gone. I couldn't help but be reminded of how God deals with us in our sin. Our sin breaks His heart, and He allows us to suffer the consequences for it. But He also freely forgives, extends grace, and restores us to walk with Him again. And He does it over and over. I am so grateful for a Daddy whose lap is always open when I need to cry, ask forgiveness and be restored in grace. And I am grateful for the children He has given to remind me of His character.roaringlamb3http://www.blogger.com/profile/16128839504321659278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8877600120626713287.post-48350394659379564002009-10-27T08:51:00.003-05:002009-10-27T08:53:05.968-05:00Wisdom and WordsThis is a devotion I got this morning from Christine Wyrtzen at Daughters of Promise. I wanted to share it, because it is so relevant to things I know many of you are thinking about right now.<br /><br />ONE WHO FIGHTS; ONE WHO FLEES<br /><br />And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for my hope is in your rules. Psalm 119:43<br /><br /> The Psalmist fears that when any given situation arises, the wisdom of the kingdom, born of the Word and the Spirit, will be absent from his tongue. The word of heaven is one of precision and strategy; a word that is characterized by either a gentle rain for a parched situation or a bolt of lightening that strikes in a firestorm. It is clarifying, it is corrective, it is healing, and it always causes the kingdom to intersect with the world. <br /><br />Just because one is talkative and witty doesn't mean that God's Word is on their tongue. Just because one is on the quiet side and speaks thoughtfully doesn't mean their speech is heaven sent either. Both are derived from the bent of the natural man. <br /><br />Take two children, put them in the same home, and when adults fail them, both children can respond differently. One is perceptive enough to realize that the failure is outside of himself. He turns into a fighter. Words will be plentiful and will become his sword. He will spend a lifetime trying to right injustice and set the world right. He argues well and is used to winning verbal skirmishes. The other child internalizes the pain and believes the problem is within himself. He was failed by the adults because he deserved it somehow. This child loses words and turns the sword on himself. He grows up to withhold his insights. People, even family, fail to know what he really thinks because, though he has many thoughts and observations, he rarely speaks them. <br /><br />Only God can heal the angry adult child. Only God can heal the self-condemning, fearful adult child. Without God's intervention, the first adult will continue to have words, but they will be words born of his anger. And, without God's intervention, the second adult will keep his mouth shut when words are necessary. <br /><br />To have God's words on my tongue - words of strategic kingdom importance - I must abandon all personal agendas whether I am one with a need for personal justice or I am the one with a need for validation. I must abdicate my right to fight or to be silent. My mouth is God's mouth - ready to speak HIS word, HIS wisdom, on HIS timetable. <br /><br />So, what makes a spokesman and an ambassador of heaven? One who has been taken to the wilderness at some point in his life to understand how he has learned to adapt to the pain in his life. God gives him the self-awareness to know if he is one who fights or one who flees. Either way, healing is needed. Either way, words must be re-born of the Spirit. <br /> <br />How am I to use my mouth today? When I would normally speak, is God asking me to be silent instead? When I would normally retreat in fear of speaking, is God asking me to open my mouth? The life of the true disciple is to weigh such matters, search the heart of God, and yield every member of his body, including his tongue, to the yoke of Jesus. <br /><br />As one who loses words, I ask You to fill my mouth with Yours. Amenroaringlamb3http://www.blogger.com/profile/16128839504321659278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8877600120626713287.post-51240098385581431212009-10-26T22:27:00.002-05:002009-10-26T23:01:07.983-05:00Itching EarsToday was quite the day. In fact, as I sit here and replay it in my mind, it was more like 4 different days rather than just one. Looking back, though, the theme of sin, accountability, grace & truth permeated all of it. In just this one day I have experienced all of those things, and seen them rejected as well. <br /><br />Tonight at our ladies Bible study we were discussing obedience and disobedience. Obedience to God and His word brings freedom, blessing, grace, love, opportunity, warning, health and many other things. Those are the good things God wants to give us and lavishly bestows when we obey His commands. Yet still we disobey so often. We think we have a better plan, or maybe just want to compromise with God. Sometimes, like a little child we stomp our foot and demand our own way. And sometimes we just don't want to. It's too hard, requires too much, or asks us to give up what we hold on to so tightly, even if that very thing is sucking the life out of us.<br /><br />Part of our responsibility as Christians is to hold each other accountable to obedience, to help each other out when we fall, and to restore relationships with God and other people. Yet, in our disobedience, even those of us who are supposed to know better reject this gift of help and grace & truth from the people around us.<br /><br />2 Timothy 4:1-5 says, "In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; <i>c</i><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><i>orrect, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction</i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><i>. </i></span></span> <b>For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.</b> <i>But you, keep your head in all situations,</i> endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry."<br /><br />This is talking about people who have heard and believed sound doctrine, but are no longer willing to listen to or obey it as truth. They surround themselves with people who will support and reinforce what they WANT to be truth rather than what actually IS truth. And lest we think we are immune from this temptation, remember: Paul had to tell Timothy, "BUT YOU, keep your head in all situations..." <br /><br />The only way to recognize the false is to study and know the truth. Even the government and banks know this. They don't train employees to recognize counterfeit bills by showing them counterfeit bills. They make them study real money so much that they can spot a counterfeit a mile away. Protect yourself. Study God's Word. Surround yourself with people who love Him, love you, and will help steer you back on track when you wander off. <br /><br />Tonight we talked about two cycles. The cycle of disobedience is this: we disobey, our hearts begin to harden, and we no longer want to obey. The cycle of obedience is the opposite: We obey, we reap the blessing of being closer to God & knowing Him better, we love Him more, and then we want to obey. Examine your life honestly. Which cycle are you rolling around in, and is that really where you want to be?roaringlamb3http://www.blogger.com/profile/16128839504321659278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8877600120626713287.post-66952420798658224172009-10-24T22:06:00.003-05:002009-10-24T22:39:11.041-05:00Women of FaithSo I was trying to think of something to blog about since I have, once again, been very lax. I had a request for a Women of Faith update (why didn't I think of that?), so here goes. Last weekend I was blessed to be able to fly home to attend the conference with my best friend from college and one of her good friends, who now lives in Kansas City. This was not one of those real emotional, conference high kinds of weekends. But that in and of itself was pretty cool for me. I will explain as I share some of the highlights.<br /><br />Sandi Patty said "venting can make you feel better, but venting is not the same as healing." How often do we think that just spouting off everything that enters our mind is actually helpful. It's not. All that does is clear off the top so that we can fill it up with more stuff until the next time we blow. We have to deal with the root of our hurt before we can ever hope to stop spewing our stuff all over everybody. Those are my thoughts on her statement, but you get the point.<br /><br />Marilyn Meberg said a lot, but the one thing that touched my heart most from the whole weekend was when she said, "Nobody can tell you how long it's appropriate to grieve anything." I could have left at that point having heard all I needed to hear. I have been criticized by well meaning friends and told to stop thinking about and hurting over a particular loss in my life-as if not talking about it would simply make it go away. Only God knows how deep our grief over anything goes, and He is patient enough to walk with us through the entire grieving process. <br /><br />And here's a funny from Patsy Clairmont (I can only hope I'm as cute as her when I grow up!)- "I knew I was directionally gifted, but I never knew I was bossy!" :o)<br /><br />Weirdly, my favorite speaker this time was Rick Stearns, CEO of World Vision. I expected his talk to be all about trying to get us to sponsor a child. Instead, he challenged us to really look at the things we pretend not to be aware of and see how God may want to use us. His two main points were 1) God expects one thing from us: everything! and 2) When you are asked the question, "Are you willing to be open to God's will for your life?" What that really means is: Are you willing to give up your job, career, salary? Are you willing to leave your home, family & friends? Are you willing to enter the pain & suffering for Jesus' sake? Those are not easy questions, but ones we must ask and answer if we are to fulfill all that the Lord has for us.<br /><br />Sheila Walsh said, "Forgiveness is God's gift to us to live in a world that isn't fair." We can never understand why people do what they do, why bad things are allowed to happen, why good things are allowed to happen to those we see as bad, etc. But when we allow God to forgive through us, we are freed from needing the answers to those questions. We can live freely in His love, and the peace that passes understanding. It truly is a gift.<br /><br />Lisa Whelchel also said something that was very pertinent to where I have been the last 12 years. She said that, when God spoke to her about the protective walls she had erected as a child star alone in Hollywood, He said, "I'm not mad at you for building those walls. But it's safe to come out now." <br /><br />All of those things, as well as the other speakers and the music, were really cool for me to experience. The greatest thing for me, though, was not what happened at the conference, but what the Lord revealed in my spirit that He had already done in me. During Sheila Walsh's beautiful rendition of Amazing Grace, He said to me, "Relax. Enjoy. We have done a lot of work, and it is ok to rest in being on the other side." I know there is a lot more work to be done in my heart and life, but the fact that God has done so much and brought me so far, and that He wants me to enjoy that, was wonderful for my heart and spirit.<br /><br />Another thing He did for me on this trip was to introduce me to a wonderful brother and sister in Him. He showed me in a very real way how His Spirit knits us together as His family, whether our paths cross for a moment or a lifetime. That connection is a perfect encouragement and bond that cannot be broken. I will always remember these two new friends who touched my life at just the right time.roaringlamb3http://www.blogger.com/profile/16128839504321659278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8877600120626713287.post-73831471710949654312009-09-07T21:55:00.003-05:002009-09-07T22:11:46.887-05:00A Vacation Suggestion for FamiliesThought I'd post a quick plug for a great vacation spot for families. This weekend we went to Santa Claus, Indiana to celebrate Jadon's birthday at Holiday World and Splashin' Safari Waterpark. We have been wanting to take the kids to an amusement park, but they're still so short that they can't ride most of the rides at the major parks like Six Flags. A few families we know had gone to Holiday World a couple of years ago and had a great time. We looked it up online and thought it looked like a lot of fun. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2bBSWrbBlMUJHZsCRcUXuvTY6TZZilACX3XWSH_yECNRsl_ZnQL3ys0WYMojg8DzX2wgOQtc56gcCZyhqH03Oi2aWOmeVg0VB8MyxbilsW1Y53eLTScj-2KMHKLu-rB3ZniDXQVZu9l3T/s1600-h/Labor+Day+09+002.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2bBSWrbBlMUJHZsCRcUXuvTY6TZZilACX3XWSH_yECNRsl_ZnQL3ys0WYMojg8DzX2wgOQtc56gcCZyhqH03Oi2aWOmeVg0VB8MyxbilsW1Y53eLTScj-2KMHKLu-rB3ZniDXQVZu9l3T/s400/Labor+Day+09+002.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378928451513687858" /></a><br />Many of the rides have similar height requirements as the bigger parks, but this one has lower ones if they ride with an adult. Since we wouldn't let them go without an adult anyway, that worked great for us. Ian & Lynnea could ride everything, and Jadon & his friend, Ethan, were able to ride all but the roller coasters and one or two other rides. They could all ride all of the water rides. Most of the water rides have large rafts for 4 or 5 people, so that makes the slides more fun, too.<br /><br />Some of the perks at Holiday World that you don't find at other parks include: free drinks (Pepsi products, gatorade, lemonade, etc.) all day long, a family-friendly atmosphere, very nice staff, free lifejacket use, and food prices that are similar to a McD's rather than jacked up prices found at most tourist places.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMVZlypk6zMr_bAorX8hBDi2qUdtWo9jB7h3DPFeVLzKpVdEjBfuSp6QmrCHnbr6zSDD9zDJz0TUhb3qFT5ysKuR0nlLme8XyO_MR7TocYKxYEkqhuZTblvsDbLObDX2jPBuGYF3Fu5JTw/s1600-h/Labor+Day+09+027.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMVZlypk6zMr_bAorX8hBDi2qUdtWo9jB7h3DPFeVLzKpVdEjBfuSp6QmrCHnbr6zSDD9zDJz0TUhb3qFT5ysKuR0nlLme8XyO_MR7TocYKxYEkqhuZTblvsDbLObDX2jPBuGYF3Fu5JTw/s400/Labor+Day+09+027.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378928457837855922" /></a><br />The one thing that we will do next time is plan a two day trip rather than one-a dry day and a wet day. There is way too much to do in one day, so we did miss some of the rides and didn't get to see the shows. It did help us that there were scattered thunderstorms all day, so the park wasn't busy and the lines were short. Longer lines would have made us miss out on even more of the rides.<br /><br />If you are looking for a fun, safe, family-friendly vacation for your family, I would highly recommend trying it out. It's in southern Indiana, which is pretty centrally located for those east of the Mississippi.roaringlamb3http://www.blogger.com/profile/16128839504321659278noreply@blogger.com2