Life....to the Fullest

God is love. He's a safe place....Actually He isn't entirely safe, because love risks all...but its good. And I think that goodness is a safe place, because we know its for us and not against us, always. Its a resting place. It renews, revives, and reproduces. Where love is there is hope. There is no fear, but complete trust...that I'm not so sure always goes both ways. The Lover doesn't change the Loved. But maybe it goes like this: the Loved is empowered by the Lover's love. When I have encountered this, I haven't been able to walk away without everything being changed. A friend said,"Once Love has an agenda, its no longer love". Yes, it is definitely intentional. But I think Love is the difference between intentionality and having an agenda. Fake. Lies. Fears.   Love abolishes them all.  God is love, and God is in us. We can love everybody. It will be very risky and won't make sense. But God is also good, and maybe through us people can kno...

I imagine that the day I arrive Home and see my Jesus' face, I will realize that a lot of my life was spent just guessing. Maybe the things I think are so important, actually won't be. I bet most of the things we spend so much time doubting and debating over won't matter near as much; because when we arrive Home, Jesus will have answered everything and maybe we will see all that really mattered was Love. Yes, I believe theology is important and knowing what the Bible says, but I think it would do us good to remember, as Rich Mullins put it, "that God is right and the rest of us are just guessing." Mary didn't recognize Jesus the first time at the tomb; she took him to be a gardener. But Jesus didn't embarrass her or give her a lecture. He just said her name, "Mary." Jesus did somethings similar with the Samaritan woman. Yes, he did tell her all she had done, but to say he knew her and he wanted to be her living water. The kindness of Jesu...

~Friendships Be careful with your expectations.  Remember Jesus calls you friend. Hold your friends loosely, but hold them. People go. friends change. I change. You change. We're suppose to. Paths may not cross. Some friends we are called to fight for, and some we are called to release.  Jealousy and envy are death to a friendship. Remember, Proverbs 18:21, "The tongue has the power of life and death." A good part of our transformation takes place in the satisfying work of relationships. There isn't anything on earth like relationships to make us holy.  Forgive offenses. Jesus was deserted by all his disciples when a friend is most needed. After he told them to love one another as he had loved them. I wonder if they really knew what he was doing for them. That he was going to be torn apart for them. He died for them anyway, and entrusted them afterwards with discipling hearts.   Relationships are gifts from God. Another one of those good ...

Joni and Friends disability ministry, China July 11- August 1 Our  team  all met in Beijing for the first time all from different states and many different backgrounds. It’s was a beautiful thing to see and remember what Love can do to bring people together. Not just our team, but also us with the staff at Shepherd's Field.  Cultural and doctrinal differences are put aside. Walls fall down. Suddenly some things don't seem as important when the unconditional love of the Father unites us and drives us to the world. With eternity in view, personal preference is silly.  Jesus is always calling us deeper into His love...And when we keep responding with a yes, sometimes He takes us to places out of routine like China, so we can see how colorful and crazy His love is. This trip was just another step of going "further up and further in", as C.S. Lewis put it.                            ...

Most of the time I don't get an audible plan for my life from God.  Bob Goff said in his book Love Does, "God is not limited. He can communicate to us any way He wants to anytime He wants to. Through flowers, other people, an uncomfortable sense, a feeling of joy, goose bumps, a new found talent, or an appreciation we acquire over time."  It doesn't need to be a big mystical thing like some make it out to be. In John 10 Jesus says his sheep head his voice and follow him. That is a statement. His children will  hear his voice.  We may choose to be selective in what we want to hear; we may persist in our own way, because we think it's the best and it's what we want. But maybe when we do that God allows us to have our way even though it hurts Him, so when we mess up and cause ourselves and other people pain, we can know that He is the best for us; He wants us to want Him and maybe that's the way he makes it happen.

John 10: 9~ I am the door; whoever enters by me will be saved; and it will enter, and it will go out, and it will find pastures. Love this: When we belong to Jesus, he not only takes us to a safe place and ends there ... he gives us life ... he takes us in and out to the pastures to know fully; Jesus leads us to places where we can know Him best and completely. Jesus doesn't wants us to be fearful leaving the pastures. I think he means it to be more like an invitation to a dance ... an invitation to wonder. The thief wants to steal that experience often through fear and the lies that say that our Father is against us and not for us. John 14:1 ~Do not let your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in me.

Just wanted to send you an update on my trip status. Joni and Friends purchased our team's ticket this week so we are officially going! We leave July 11 and our flight from the US to Beijing will be 13 hrs long. So far I have reached 16% of my goal within two weeks. I am very thankful for those gifts. I just completed my third week working with an Allergist in his family practice that began in January. I knew the allergist and his family from a church small group I attended last year. The Lord unexpectedly and timely put the job offer in my lap three weeks. Now between that job and care-giving two days of the weeks, I have a little extra income to put towards this internship. Jesus takes care of his birds. God isn't like a watering bucket; buckets run dry needing to be filled before they can be useful. Jesus is a spring, because springs are self replenishing, they  constantly overflow and supply others.  And h ow do you serve a spring? How do you magnify a ...

“Come, everyone who thirsts,  come to the waters;  and he who has no money,  come, buy and eat!  Come, buy wine and milk  without money and without price.  Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,  and your labor for that which does not satisfy?  Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, a nd delight yourselves in rich food.  Incline your ear, and come to me;  hear, that your soul may live;  and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,  my steadfast, sure love for David," Isaiah 55:1-3 I am excited to be participating in the Joni and Friends internship to China from July 11-August 1. Joni and Friends is a ministry dedicated to extending the love and message of Christ to people affected by disability around the world. After a diving accident at age 17 that left her a quadriplegic, Joni Earekson Tada devoted her life to serving people affected by disability and equipping the Church to do so. T...

Been feeling alienated today. "Self, your home is with Jesus...in Jesus." Ephesians 2:12,19 , "... remember  that you were at that time separated from Christ,  alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to  the covenants of promise,  having no hope and without God in the world... So then you are no longer strangers and   aliens , but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God." I didn't know the meaning of what Paul was talking about in Ephesians until I left the US to live in Colombia.  Truth is every man is an alien, until he makes his home in God. Below is a re-post from  Gleanings From the Field  that someone shared with me when I returned to the States from Colombia. Strangers and aliens this is for you; you have a special place in my heart, because I haven't recovered from "alienation" on this planet. You and I have a special place in the heart of God too...   Leviticus 19:34 , "Y ou...

Matthew 10:29-31 29  Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.   30  But  even the hairs of your head are all numbered.   31  Fear not, therefore;  you are of more value than many sparrows. Was driving home late from work this past week on a country road. It was around 9:00pm, so it was dark and it was also storming. Nearly home, I passed a couple of set of small glowing eyes...Thought I briefly saw the figures of kittens. I drove on a little way debating whether to go back or not since it was storming and on a dark and lonely country road. I couldn't stand the thought of it actually being kittens and them there in the storm by the road, so I turned around.  Nearly back where I thought I saw them, I had to stop. A raccoon ran off the road into the woods. I didn't see anything else within my head light span. Butt sure that I had seen more than one pair of eyes, I went on. Approxima...

                             Understanding that there is an enemy behind temptation who has a strategy and purpose to destroy and devour, has helped me awaken to be more watchful for his schemes. Scripture itself says that this is a reason to know the truth of God’s Word and to be walking in the Spirit. Pray is an important element of intimacy with God…Where we find grace and mercy.  Ultimately, I am able to overcome only because Christ did so. Temptation is not sin. It is the enticing or daring to sin. Sin occurs when the desire (already there) that was alluring me is conceived.  It is the offense given to God. Knowing what I ought to do and but don’t and knowing what I ought not to do but do. It is faithlessness- I forget this most of the time.                            ...

There was a question that I had last week that really made me dig. It was, “Why did Satan question Eve first and not Adam? Why does he make Eve the target of his assault on humanity? The answer I have heard most often is that it is because Eve was the weaker of the two. I think that is partially true, but knowing that helper(azar) means to surround, aid, and protect, hence defend I wanted to know more. “Satan was first named Lucifer, or Son of the Morning (Isaiah 14:12). It infers a glory, a brightness or radiance unique to him. In the days of his former glory he was appointed a cherub who covers aka a guardian angel. The word cover there meant to fence in or defend. A cherub was placed to guard the tree of life and cherubs were on the Ark covering the mercy seat where God’s presence dwelt. The guardian of the glory of the Lord. In Ezekiel 28:12-14 says that Lucifer (or the King of Tyre) was the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. Perfect in beauty. But...

Word studies are my favorite hands down. I traced back to all the Hebrew roots this week. The primitive root of “Man” in Gen 2:33 anash, meaning ‘to be frail, feeble, melancholy, desperate, incurable, sick and woeful.’ I thought this amazing taking into account that this was before the fall. This one was awesome too: male, zakar, in Gen 1:27 is meant ‘the remembering one; to be mindful of; to bring, call, come, keep, put to remembrance’. It was good to remember who I was created to be this week. It is healing. The last couple of months I had been awakened to my soul’s longing for Eden and realized I am striving to be the Eve before the fall in vain. Sin has marred me. But thanks be to God that in Christ He sees me for the unashamed, spotless Eve! Observing man and woman made me pull out the books Wild at Heart and Captivating by John Eldredge. It grieves me to see that so many women today are uncertain of what it means to be feminine. Our culture’s portrait of femininity seem...

Word studies are my favorite hands down. I traced back to all the Hebrew roots this week. The primitive root of “Man” in Gen 2:33 anash, meaning ‘to be frail, feeble, melancholy, desperate, incurable, sick and woeful.’ I thought this amazing taking into account that this was  before  the fall. This one was awesome too: male, zakar, in Gen 1:27 is meant ‘the remembering one; to be mindful of; to bring, call, come, keep, put to remembrance’. It was good to remember who I was created to be this week. It is healing. The last couple of months I had been awakened to my soul’s longing for Eden and realized I am striving to be the Eve before the fall in vain. Sin has marred me. But thanks be to God that in Christ He sees me for the unashamed, spotless Eve! Observing man and woman made me pull out the books  Wild at Heart  and  Captivating  by John Eldredge. It grieves me to see that so many women today are uncertain of what it means to be feminine. O...

Knowing that I am not an evolved animal is huge. I am made in the image of God and this makes me want to fully embrace my femininity. I want to know the God I am to image and be all He designed me to be. He said it is very good. I have seen something with my heart that has rocked my world: God is wild! Like just looking at creation, its massiveness and adventure! Deserts, mountains, jungles, the Artic...He made roaring waterfalls, angry oceans, and then there's cats. Ha! It reminds me of the Chronicles of Narnia when one of the Pevensie children asked the Beavers if Aslan is safe. They replied, "Safe? No he isn't safe! But he's good". I have been thinking of God as a "tame lion", when all the while creation and the crazy stories in His Word say otherwise.   I also like this section from Narnia in Prince Caspian!.... "And then—oh joy! For he was there: the huge Lion, shining white in the moonlight, with his huge black shadow underneath him....

1 Peter 2:9, " But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." This verse came to mind when thinking about God bringing forth creation after not before light was created.   Overall, it is awesome to think about how intelligent and purposeful God was in creating.  Plants live by photosynthesis.   Photosynthesis  can only occur when a plant has access to water, carbon dioxide, sunlight and chlorophyll. Plant cells naturally produce chlorophyll, and they draw carbon dioxide directly from the air. Water and sunlight must be acquired from external sources. Animals and mankind need oxygen which plants produce along with water, light, and food - plants to eat.  I also thought about how light waves allow us to see color. Imagine without light there would be no color! How dull! God is not dull, is He? It made me ...

Studying Genesis 1-3 in preparation for staffing at Precept's Boot Camp for students.  I began by skipping over the first assignment to write down any questions I might have beforehand…. “It’s just Genesis 1 again…I believe it. But if there’s something new here, Lord, show me”. Ha! Some of my observations caused me to think about things like fall and winter and water and darkness. I have always thought fall and winter were results of the fall b/c they’re death, but God made seasons before the fall…. Hmmm. I wonder if there will be seasons in the new world? Darkness and water were there with God in the beginning! So, God didn’t create water??  Those questions aren’t really of any significance I suppose, but it goes to show what happens when I want to see and God opens my eyes. Some characteristics about God I find awesome in Genesis 1 are Logical, Orderly, Name Giver, Sustainer, Gorgeous, Miraculous and Mysterious, Purposeful, Sovereign- outside of time, desiring ...

    John 13:37, " Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”      When God brings a blank space into our lives, we should take care that we do not fill it in, but wait. The blank space may be appointed either to teach sanctification or to teach what service means after sanctification. Running before God's guidance is a dangerous thing. 

O Love that will not let me go I rest my weary soul in thee I give thee back the life I owe That in thine ocean depths its flow May richer, fuller be O Light that foll’west all my way I yield my flick’ring torch to thee My heart restores its borrowed ray That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day May brighter, fairer be        I have seen Elliot quote this hymn several times in different books, so it has become a favorite of mine. I came across it again recently  while reading. I decided to look up the author and story behind it. This is what I found: At age 20 George Matheson (1842-1906) was engaged to be married but began going blind. When he broke the news to his fiancée, she decided she could not go through life with a blind husband. She left him. Before losing his sight, he had written two books of theology and some feel that if he had retained his sight he could have been the greatest leader of the church of Scotland in his day. ...