Vision Post Follow Up

   So, awhile ago I shared a vision I had. This week I wanted to follow that up with an application post for some of the things I touched on in that post.

   "How do we build infrastructure and strategy ahead of time so we can actually handle growth when it comes? And how do we partner with God’s heart/what He is doing in a way that we can sustain it?" I think the answer to this lies largely in cultivating discipleship and keeping our focus on intimacy with Jesus. We need to be discipling people and growing together with others, and we need to be discipled ourselves. We need to raise up the people beneath us in holiness and going after God. "Teach what we know, learn what we don't." We need to be constantly seeking out people to take us deeper in our walk with God, and we need to constantly be helping others grow in their pursuit of Him. But more importantly, we need to be focused on intimacy with God. We need to keep our gaze on Him.

   In a family, life naturally comes out of the husband and wife's intimacy. Life does not come from the children. Our relationship with God is as a relationship of a husband and wife. So are our ministries and spiritual children (those we disciple) as children in a family. Our ministries do not bring life into our relationship with God. Our relationship with God brings life into our ministries and relationships with our spiritual children. So often we lose our focus and expect our life source to be from how well are ministries are faring, and how successful our spiritual children are. But is that the natural? Does the life and vibrancy in a marriage result from how well the children are faring? No! No amount of life and well being in children can keep a marriage that lacks intimacy together! Rather the husband and mother foster an atmosphere where there children can be vibrant and grow strong by having a healthy relationship and intimacy together. The health in the home comes from the health of that relationship. Is that not how it is in the natural? Then why should we expect different in the spiritual? "First the natural, then the spiritual." The health in our relationship with God fosters an atmosphere where our ministries and spiritual children can grow and be strong. (That's not to say that if there is difficulty with a ministry or spiritual child that it is always because of a lack of intimacy with God, for there are winter seasons where fruit is evident, but it is often a factor.) Our intimacy with Christ is where the life in our ministries should come from! 

   The way to keep revival going, the way we partner with God's heart in a way to sustain it, is to keep our focus on intimacy. To keep our focus on Christ and Christ alone, and let our ministries flow our of that place of intimacy.   



   Many of these thoughts were inspired by Nathan Davenport's teaching on Intimacy/Meeting with God. You can listen to it here http://www.chapelonthelake.org/#!teachings/cv40

Words: Life or Death

   Every single word we speak either brings life, or it brings death. They brings light, or they brings darkness. There are no neutral words. And one day we will have to give an account for every careless word we speak (Matthew 12:36-37, "I tell you, on the day of judgement people will give account for careless word they speak.) We will be judged by our words, and we will be set free by our words (Matthew 12:37, For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.).

Every word we speak has power. Proverbs 18:21, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits."

The Bible offers guidance for speech. Psalm 37:30, "The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice." And Proverbs 21:23, Whoever keeps his mouth and tongue keeps himself out of trouble." Also Colossians 4:6, "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."

Holy Spirit will speak through us if we will allow Him. 2 Samuel 32:2, "The Spirit of the Lord speaks by me; His word is on my tongue."

We can enter into covenants on how we will and will not speak. Job 27:4, "My lips will not speak falsehood, and my tongue will not utter deceit."

We can speak with excellence. Proverbs 25:11, "As apples of gold in pictures of silver, is a word spoken in season."

Our words are sharp swords capable of waging great war. Psalm 57:4, "My soul is in the midst of lions; I lie down amid fiery beasts- the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords."

We speak about what we love, and our passion moves out speech. Psalm 39:3, "My heart became hot within me. As I mused, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue."

God knows our speech and our motives. Psalm 139:4, "Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, You know it altogether."


   This is a message of warning. For by our words we can bring death and judgement to our souls and to the people around us. We can gossip and slander, speak idly and cloud the atmosphere around us. We can speak death over people, even those we love, with our speech.

   But this is also a message of hope, for by our words we can set captives free, bring hope to the hopeless, bring healing to the broken, and life to the lifeless. We can show the love of God by our speech, and we can be set free by the words we speak. We can enter into life by our words.

   It is a message of hope because it declares we can change the life of people we come into contact with everyday. The times we witness without seeing fruit, we can know that we still spoke life over that person and that always makes a difference. The conversations with people that don't feel like they matter can matter and declare life over someone, and do more good than we will every see. It is a message of hope because we can bring life to every conversation when we speak.

  So how will you speak? I will be pretty transparent here and admit this is a struggle for me, especially with my family. I struggle with my tone of voice, and am too quick to speak a harsh word (even when not intending to speak harshly). It's something I need to work on, and will work on. So, starting one day at a time, I am going to really work on speaking life, and not death.

Winged Contentment

Yes, I am alone on Valentine's Night.

Literally, alone. I've got the place to myself. Just me, my laptop, and a steaming mug of chai spice tea.

February 14 is an excuse for a lot of things: giddy laughter, chocolate, hand-holding, candlelight, chocolate, self-pity, sad poetry, chocolate, and nasty little sugar hearts printed with trite phrases. I'd be prepared to see less of some things (except the chocolate), but one thing that I think we need to see more of (among singles and couples) is contentment.

This is something that I struggle with sometimes--who doesn't? Even the happily dating, betrothed, or wedded can have their share of pity parties.

What image does the word "contentment" bring up on the screen of your mind?

Maybe you see quiet diligence, working hard and successfully ignoring all the beautiful, but deceptive, luxuries of the world.

Maybe you see a spiritualist wacko doing a yoga pose and blissfully deluding himself into thinking the world is peachy keen.

Does that sound like a life with wings? 

Does that sound like the kind of life God means you to live?

What if "contentment" instead meant somebody who laughs into the face of loneliness, fear of rejection, unworthiness and grace-less-ness and sings boldly,

"God I trust you. I trust you with every ounce of blood and passion of my being that you will do abundantly more for me than I could ever imagine, and I seize with my hands and heart the magnificent blessings that you have prepared for me in this very second."

That's an attitude I could get behind. That's a brand of contentment that I could be a fan of.

Questions for comments: What is your idea of "contentment"? Is it positive or negative? Can you honestly say along with Paul, "I have learned the secret of being content"?

5 Lessons from Death

I have nothing to fear from death, only lessons to learn.

Photo Credit: Beni Ishaque Luthor via Compfight cc

In the last three weeks my family has been rocked by two unexpected deaths. First my Uncle Gerald, who was doing poorly in a nursing home but might have lingered for years, was called Home after a stroke. Then my great-grandfather died, when everyone expected my great-grandmother to go first.

Experiences like that make you look at death in new ways, examine your reactions to it, and try to make sense of things.

You and I are young, and our faith is in Jesus. The grave has been conquered, and our lives lie ahead of us. How does death touch our lives besides leaving painful holes? Is it possible to carry more away from a loved one's passing than the cliché "live like you were dying" (which is a high-pressure, practically impossible sentiment anyway)?

After looking back on the deaths of five precious people in my life, I've gleaned five lessons that death. Perhaps they will help you somehow, whether or not you have ever lost someone near to you.

1. Never lose an opportunity to bless others. Every day brings our loved ones one step closer to leaving us forever. This isn't morbid, it's just facing the facts, and it urges us to treat everyone as if they had a fatal illness. Because they do. Take time out of your schedule, money out of your bank account, and love out of your heart to spend on others.
2. Don't ignore people "on the fringe." A few years ago my 19 year old friend lost his life in a car accident. We weren't very close, hardly more than acquaintances, but that was mainly because I kept him at arm's length. He was "different" than me, so instead of breaking through boundaries and befriending this young man, I let him die and leave me with so many regrets. 
3. Value the elderly. Last spring I lost one of my dearest friends, a 98 year old man named Byron who was like a third grandfather. He taught me so much with his love, wisdom, and insight, but only because I spent time with him. If I hadn't visited him once a week for several years, he would have been just another old man, but because I took the time to get to know him, I was blessed beyond my imagination.
4. Invest in people, not stuff. My great-grandfather was a dear man, beloved by many, but his last years were marred by a spirit of selfishness. He hoarded his money for no apparent reason. He wouldn't even repair the roof (which was falling in on him and his wife) because it would cost too much. He wouldn't get rid of his junk because he hoped to get some money out of it. Where were his priorities? "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal" (Matthew 6:20). We all love our "stuff," but it's gone too far when our money and possessions get in the way of the people around us.
5. See what a good life looks like. I don't know about you, but I tend to set incredibly high standards for myself. When I die I want important people at my funeral, I want awards and special ceremonies, I want to be remembered as an amazing person. But when my Uncle Gerald died I realized that even though he might have been unremarkable, he lived up to what Jesus calls each of us to be: someone who loves God and loves people. Everyone called Gerald "a good man," and the truth is that if we accomplish that much in our lifetimes, we can consider ourselves successful.

What has been your experience with death? What did you learn from it?

a biblical lady

lady - (n)

1. A well-mannered and considerate woman with high standards of proper behavior.

2. A woman regarded as proper and virtuous

There are all sorts of people in the world. There are loud people and quiet people, outgoing people and shy people, crafty people and wordy people, hands-on people and theoretical people. There are just as many divisions within the different genders as there are in the collective group. And that's where it gets a little hazy. The Bible is pretty clear on this point, in some cases--it's very plain that the "loose" woman and the "contentious, brawling" woman of Proverbs aren't women to be emulated. It's equally clear that women like Mary, the mother of Jesus, or Mary Magdalene, or Rachel, are most definitely pretty good role-models.

But what form does this take now, in the twenty-first century? After all, life is so much different now...right? 

Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

It is very true that modern young women are in lack of a good assortment of role-models in the here and now. We can read about past women who reached the goal of being a 'virtuous woman'--what I think is probably the best Biblical term for the modern conception of 'lady'--but it's more difficult to find women that live up to that in the here and now. Yet they do exist. You can find them in the kind words they give, in the gentle spirit they possess, in the fact that they're the sort of people who you would give up, whose worth in wisdom and love and pure beauty of the soul is far above rubies.

She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms. 

These virtuous women--these ladies--are strong. Not just in the physical sense (because some of them aren't at all; one of the most beautiful ladies I ever met was old and frail), but in the sense that they have a strength that manifests itself as an ability to listen and never get tired, to be the gentle corrector, to offer advice when it seems something is hopeless, to be the one people go to when they don't know where to turn. That sort of strength, it seems to me, is so much more important than being physically strong, or even mentally strong. To be strong in the heart is a great talent indeed.

She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. 

These ladies are generous. They are generous with their strength--with the time they spend listening and helping and crying with and praying for--they are generous with their resources and their hearts and their homes and their minds. Not only that, but they are selfless. They think of others before themselves, of what they can do to help another. This part of being a virtuous woman is, to me, more about the spiritual than the physical. It definitely has a physical side--for instance, very often spiritual ministering includes physical ministering. But there is a need in the spirit, a poorness about some people's hearts that must be tended. A true virtuous woman, one of God's 'ladies', can sense that, and tries her hardest to do something about it.

She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. 

She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.

A lady is industrious. None of the modern-day virtuous women I've met are idle. They have their moments, of course (I mean, how many of us honestly have not had those days where we just want to curl up with a good book and spend hours immersed in a fantastical world, a very safe cup of hot chocolate nestled against one hand to keep it warm?), but they have a plan, a set idea of what they want and how to get there, and what to do while they're getting there. They work for their families, with their families, for other people, with other people. And that's kind of an amazing thing, when you think about it. Other people are one of the wonders of the world, and this lady is able to not only be with them, but do things for and with them, to create and sell and earn and buy.

 Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. 

A lady is courageous, and respected because of it--mostly because she respects others. This will lead to great rejoicing, for she who lives in peace with all will be loved by all. Something like that. (Try to figure that out if you can; I'm not quite sure what part of my brain produced that, but it sounds cool.)

 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.

A lady is wise, and kind, and kind in her wisdom. Someone once told me that the most important thing to think about when interacting with other people is "will this help me love this person more?" That is both part of wisdom, and much of kindness. The wisdom to know what to say (and, more importantly, when to say it), and the kindness to temper those words born of wisdom when needed.

Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

As always, in everything we do, there must be God in it. Every Godly lady I have ever met did not get there by her own effort. She is strong, but not without the Christ, which strengthens us. She is industrious, but not without the creativity given her by the One who created her hands. She is courageous, and gives respect to all, but not without the Holy Spirit to whisper to her words of truth about the people she meets. She is wise, and kind in her wisdom, but the beginning of all wisdom is God, and His word, and she would not know kindness but for the God who gave His all.

She fears the Lord, not in the sense that she trembles because of the punishment he could send, but that she adores and worships and is amazed by the awesome power that is His. She revels in the love and the beauty that is her God, she delights to learn more of him, to hear His words and see His work in her life. Everything she does is an outpouring, not of herself, but of the reflected light of Christ. She is a woman, not because of herself, but because of the One who holds her up with His mighty hand.

Femininity - Duchess, Cowgirl, or something else?

Femininity....

This is a word that I find conjures up many images in a girl's head when she hears it.  For some girls, they picture something from the "romantic" 1800's, or perhaps even early 1900's, or maybe you go even further back to medieval times.  Usually the image is of a young woman who is dressed in a beautiful dress doing something that we feel is a "feminine" activity.  For example, some would picture a woman sitting on a quilt at the beach with her parasol to shade her from the sun and book to engage her mind.  Perhaps you imagine a young lady on swing, her long hair softly moving in the breeze as she reads to a younger sibling.  Maybe it is a woman decorating a Christmas tree with a warm fire glow illuminating the room. Most of the time it a picture of someone who is "put together" in our expectations of femininity, doing something we think is feminine.

 

Which picture of Princess Kate is more feminine to you?  Each of us has our own view of femininity.

Whatever it is, it is usually NOT a woman cleaning out a barn with muck boots on, or scrubbing the kitchen floor with her arms covered in suds, or shoveling out a path way to the barn after a snow storm etc. :)  I know for me, I tend to romanticize my picture of femininity.  There is nothing wrong with the images I portrayed first, as long as we realize that that is not the only side of godly femininity.

Melinda, over at Radiant Purity and True Beauty did a short and sweet post on Femininity and I want to share a quote from her:

"Femininity is something that we develop inside. It's the quiet beauty of a meek and gentle spirit mingled with the robust strength of a Proverbs 31 woman. It's not talking softly, dressing like a southern belle, wearing pink, putting on lots of makeup and spending hours fixing ones hair. It's being a dignified woman of character and strength while instilling meekness, compassion, quietness, humility and sweetness of spirit in our hearts."

Colossians 3:12 says, ""Put on the garments that suit God's chosen people, His own, His beloved--compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience."

We can dress in beautiful "feminine" outfits, doing "feminine" things, but if our hearts and character are not focused on becoming more Christ like, then we are not exhibiting true femininity.

Femininity is about serving God and surrendering to the Holy Spirit's control in our lives.

To God, a feminine lady is one who puts on the armor of God.  One who displays the fruit of the Spirit in her life, because her heart is surrendered to Him.  She is loving, generous, humble, kind, gentle, willing to serve, careful with her words, shares the gospel.....a reflection of Jesus. 

Dressing to go to a Christmas concert, curling our hair, adding that hint of eye liner, taking great care to look "feminine" is not wrong, but how we act and think when unpleasant circumstances occur will show how feminine we really are.  Because femininity, I feel,  is in many ways another word for godliness/ Christ-likeness.

P.S. Jasmine Bauchmann wrote a beautiful post about femininity here, that I think you all would enjoy :)

~ Smile ~ What has God blessed us with?

As we enter this week and look ahead to Thanksgiving, I smile at what the Lord has been doing in my life and my family's life.

This past weekend has been a busy one for our family.  My dad, sister and I traveled down to NYC for a few days to help with a church and the food pantry that they run.  Wow!  What an eye opener!  Yes, we have all heard that story of how someone went somewhere, where the people were in serious need and there eyes were opened to how blessed they were.  But somehow, when it happens to you, it still hits you hard, right between the eyes.

How many times have I had to worry about where my next meal was coming from? Never.  How many times have I wondered if I would be warm enough when the snow comes? Never.  How many times have I wondered if there would be enough food left after looking at the 100 people in front of me in line at the food pantry? Never.  How many times have I gone looking through bags of donated clothes set out on a table hoping for a jacket for someone special? Never. How many times have I wished I could bake Christmas cookies with family members, but known that it would all depend on if a certain store donated the ingredients needed to make cookies? Never. How many times have I waited in line for hours in the cold to receive that days groceries? Never.  How many times have I thought about God, but not known how to get to know Him? Never.  How many times have I searched for peace, love, and joy, but not found it because I had never been taught where to find the Source of love, joy and peace? NEVER.  When have I ever had a hurricane come through and ruin ALL my posessions? Never. When have I ever had to wonder if the water I was drinking was actually hurting my body, more then helping it? Never.

God has given us so much and yet so often I fall short in my gratefulness.  As I look back on the weekend and think of the people that I met and talked with, I can think of so many other things I am thankful for.

A family that loves me! A genuine relationship with my Heavenly Father! The Gift of Salvation!
A whole copy of the Bible that is accurate!  The Fellowship of other Christians!  A wonderful Pastor and his family!  Clean, healthy food!  The opportunity I had to be homeschooled!  The ability to see, hear, touch, smell and taste!  That I was taught to read, write and study!  Ok, lets get closer to home here at the blog.....Computers, websites, blogs, meeting kindred spirits online, email, the internet, photographs, etc.

God is so good! This past fall my sister and volunteered at a Christian Camp in our neck of the woods and we made some wonderful friends or built even better relationships then we had already had.  One of my favorite memories from this fall was on the last night we got together (there are several people who work the camp, but six of us specifically had gotten close.)  We were sitting around a campfire late at night talking, roasting marshmallows, heating up chocolate and making s'mores and just talking.  How many people are able to do something like that....sure I can think of a lot who can, but there are even more who can't.  I think of the people who live in cities. They don't have the opportunity to build a warm fire, see the beautiful sparks, smell that wood smoke, roast those marshmallows and make s'mores.  Many of them don't have likeminded, Christian friends who encourage and uplift them.

I could go on and on....as I think most of us could.  What are you thankful for?  It would be so cool to have each person who reads this post to leave a comment and write down and LEAST ONE thing they are thankful for.  Your comments are always a blessing for us the authors but also to the rest of the reader as well :) - Another thing to be thankful for :} 

Decisions

Decisions, decisions, they seem to be persistent.

I go here, I go there, and still I face decisions.

Red or Green? Pink or Blue? Large or Small? False or True?

Yes or No? High or Low? Hot or Cold? Shy or Bold?

Forever? For Eternity? Or just a small, small while?

For Him? For Her? For two, or one? To Hold? To Drop?

To Walk or Trot?  I must make a decision.

Oh!  I know what I will choose!  Not red or green, not pink or blue,

 I will choose to call on God to make the right decision.

Now I know just what to do, I'll ask God first and then I'll choose.

Although my decision may seem to be not wrong or right, just a choice in my life.

My life is made of the big and yes, small, even seemingly insignificant decisions.

For if I learn how to wisely choose, yes even red or green,, or pink or blue,
I will learn to choose how to live and what to do.

Should I marry?  Should I not?  Should I buy a car or not?
Big decisions I now can make, for I've learned to look God and wait.

I can trust Him.  This I know.  For you see, I've tried His way and He has a perfect way.

Decisions, decisions, I can now make.  Who knew?!

I can make decisions.

- This guest post was written by Christina Crain. You can learn more about her and her family at www.CrainsNestBand.com

or pink or blue, I will learn to choose how to live and what to do.

Should I marry?  Should I not?  Should I buy a car or not?

Big decisions I now can make, for I've leaned to look God and wait.

I can trust Him.  This I know.  For you see, I've tried His way and He has a perfect way.

Decisions, decisions I now can make.  Who knew?!

I can make decisions.

Battle Partners or the Enemy?

Siblings....they can be your best friends or your worst enemies.

What are your siblings to you? 

I personally, have a brother that is five years older than me and a sister that is two years younger.  The older we have gotten the better our relationships have become.  My brother is from my Dad's first marriage, so throughout my childhood my brother would live most of the time at his mom's house and occasionally at our house.  As the years went by we saw less and less of him as he became involved with sports, boy scouts and other things.  However, my sister and I adored our older brother and I can honestly say I only remember having one fight with him when I was really young.  My sister and I however, have grown up side by side.  We did everything together and knew the other one as well as we knew ourselves.  We were each others best friends....but there were times we wished the other one lived on another planet. 

This summer, for those of you who remember, Altogether Separate took a blogging break as we the writers were going on vacation.  Part of my vacation consisted of attending a "Whatever It Takes" conference in Indianapolis, Indiana.  We started the conference out by discussing the false beliefs that many of us.  Satan has uses these false beliefs to cloud our minds and keep us in bondage.  One of the false beliefs that was mentioned was: "My Parents/siblings Are My Enemy".  Ouch!  How many times had I viewed my sister as my enemy.  After all, she was the one saying or doing something to me that hurt...right?  As Paul and Jenny Speed (The speakers) discussed this false belief, I realized that I had spent my life believing this lie and it has brought such destruction to my relationships.  Even though I grew up knowing we live in a spiritual daily battle, I still saw my sister as my enemy, when in fact, the true enemy was Satan.  I know this sounds so simple, but it hit me hard.  Every time I say something mean, or treat someone with disrespect I am allowing Satan to use what I say or do in the lives of other people and vice versa.  Yes, my siblings (and myself included) made the decision to say or do whatever we did and are responsible to God for them, but Satan knows that the person who the words were said to, now has a choice to make and that is when he starts to work on the other person.  He plants assumptions, thoughts and ideas in our heads to encourage us to fail.  He uses the failings and struggles of someone else to make us sin and therefore two people (at the very least) are rendered ineffective to Christ in that short period of time.

As I sit here trying to type this out.  I'm trying to figure out how to make this as simple as possible.  When our siblings are battling the enemy and they fail (sin), we need to realize that at that moment it is not our siblings who are our enemy but Satan who is using them as a tool. I know how hard it is to view it this way.  When someone says something that hurts me deeply, all I see is that person who said it.  But what I need to see is the enemy behind the person.

In the workbook we were given at the conference, the false belief "My Parents/siblings Are My Enemies" had some bullet points that I would like to share with you.

* This belief will later become "My spouse is my enemy."  This lie does not just stay with our siblings, because it is a part of how we view people when they say or do something that hurts us.  Therefore, this lie will transfer to your future spouse if we do not make efforts to change our outlook now! 

* Our Parents/Siblings are our battle partners - not enemies.  For those of us who have christian siblings and parents we are fortunate to have God-given battle partners in our own homes.  However, Satan has blinded so many of us to that fact because we view our family as the enemy when we are struggling with something.   When either a parent, sibling or even friend strike out at us, it is a sign that they are battling and starting to fail. 

When you watch those action movies and a battle is being acted out before our eyes, usually there is a scene where one of the heroes is being beaten by the enemy, but the heroes friend steps in to help and together they defeat the enemy. 

As Christians in a spiritual battle, we need to see our family as our spiritual battle partners.  We need to see our sibling (battle partner) failing and jump to the rescue. - not just hear the hurtful words and see them as the enemy!

by foodpr0n.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jlunar/228650018/sizes/n/in/photostream/

*See our Parents/Siblings as God's gifts - we will see our spouses the same way.  Cultivating this response to hurtful words and actions will help us in every relationship that God brings into our lives, including our future spouses.  I know I do not want to to view my spouse as my enemy and I do not want Satan to be able to work through him to get at me, therefore I need to be cultivating this response now, at the training ground God has placed me at.

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."  Ephesians 6:12   

5 Steps to a Zestful Day

Do you know anyone who aspires to live a dull, mediocre life? I certainly don't. Some people may end up living such a life, but they certainly don't purpose to go there. 

The new subtitle of my personal blog is "pursuing a life of zest, love, and purpose". As I travel onward in this pursuit, I'm finding that an extraordinary life doesn't happen by accident. It requires intentionality. 

Do you know the one difference between a dull, mediocre life and an amazing life full of zest and adventure? You. Not your circumstances, not your parents, not your finances or education--who you are and what you choose to do with what God has given you are what determines how your future will look. 

You're writing the story of your life. And do you know what? It takes shape chapter by chapter. You can't have a fascinating novel made up of boring chapters, and you can't have a zestful life made up of days taken for granted. 

But how do we discover the magic in everyday things? Is it possible to make even uneventful days into small adventures? 

Here are 5 practical ways that you can make just about any day more zestful:

1. Take every opportunity. Big or small, don't pass up the chance to do something out if the ordinary. It might just be going to a movie with friends on the spur of the moment, or adding an extra dollop of hot fudge to your ice cream, but who knows what might come of it?
2. Stop, Look, Listen. Make the most of this moment by shutting up, unplugging, and absorbing with wonder the world that surrounds you. Don't be a passive observer, relish every second with all your senses. 
3. Rejoice Always. If you want your life to get better immediately, start giving thanks. It is impossible to simultaneously complain and give thanks. Even something as basic as a bowl of oatmeal or a busy highway can offer the observant beholder a vital opportunity for gratitude. Try giving thanks for one thousand gifts. 
4. Make the most of food. I've been participating in a 40 day fast to raise awareness for people living in poverty, and I don't think I've ever appreciated food this much before! Get this: You're probably going to eat at least 2 or 3 meals a day for the rest of your life. Setting your average preparation and consumption time at 30 minutes per meal (obviously a low estimate), you'll spend roughly 8% of your waking life preparing food and eating it. You'd better enjoy it, sister. Take pleasure in cooking your food, and savor every smell and flavor. 
5. Go deeper. Relationships will be your greatest legacy on leaving this earth. Obviously, building friendships is a lifetime process, but something you can do today is to go deeper with one person. Broach a thoughtful subject, share and get personal, or do an activity that brings you together. Also, don't forget to spread rainbow sprinkles. 

These are just a few ideas. I'd love to hear what you girls do to add zest to ordinary days!

Reese & Hayley Synchronized Crazy Happy Dance!, a photo by  Pink Sherbet Photography

Zingy Home-Made Lemon Curd, a photo by French Tart on Flickr.

still the same

Well, the past several months have been absolutely amazing for me. There's just something about summer that gets me excited sometimes--and it has nothing to do with the heat or the sudden ability to get soaking wet outside without freezing or enjoying cookouts. It does have a lot to do with the bevy of summer activities I sign myself up for, though. This summer, I've attended Christian Youth In Action (a nine-day training program put on by the Child Evangelism Fellowship), gone to Romania, and then gone on to summer camp with my youth group in Ringold, LA.

CYIA was epic, as always--most of my best friends attend, mostly because that's where I met them--and I learned a lot. They basically teach us how to run a five day club, which is a VBS-type program where we take kids and teach them about Christ and missions and the Bible and the Gospel over the course of a week that is usually pretty crazy. I'm doing another five day club right now and, let me tell you, it's nothing short of an adventure.

Romania was even more of an adventure. As some of you may know, I've taken two other overseas trips, to Zambia and China. Flying all the way across the Atlantic Ocean is, while not yet a commonplace happening, isn't quite so much of a novelty anymore. In other words, it's pretty boring. But then we got to Romania. We helped run a VBS for our missions, Tim and Debra Tyler, in Timisoara. On our peak night, Wednesday, we had over 70 kids. It was a huge blessing.

There's something amazing about going overseas and seeing how similar things are. Yes, we have different languages and different styles of living, sometimes even different cultural values and ways of looking at the world. Yet at a fundamental level, all people are the same. They live, laugh, love, die the same everywhere. Not only that, they pretty much worship God the same way. Oh yes, there are different styles of music, and some cultures (Africa comes to mind) get into it a whole lot more than Westerners usually do, but that doesn't change the simple fact that people are people, that when they really love God, they do it with all their hearts, and one of the purest expressions of that love is lifting praises to the Lord of the universe.

Romania didn't "change my life" per se, but it did refresh some things in my mind and show me a few things I need to change in my own life. So, I suppose it was a success. Pache (peace).

Niagara Falls! A place filled with examples of our Creator's Creativity!

Hello Friends!  It is good to be back with all of you!  I know all of us Bloggirls had wonderful vacations and are looking forward to sharing what the Lord, taught, shared and showed us on our trips.

I've been trying to figure out how to fit our vacation into a short blog post and it just isn't possible :] Therefore, I'm going to focus on just one of the many highlights of our families trip......Niagara Falls!

Have you ever been somewhere where the power of something just overwhelms you?  Where something so enormous is hard to comprehend?  Well Niagara had that affect on me :o)

As I wrote this post the following verse came to mind.  "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you."  ~ Isaiah 43:2

When I put the context of this verse next to Niagara Falls and realize that no trial, no matter how hard, even if it is as powerful and overwhelming as a raging, forceful river in early spring, it "shall not overwhelm you" because God is with us and is bigger than the trial! Praise God.

The first falls we visited were American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls.  Both of them fall inside the United States and were beautiful to see.  Here are some pictures:

Standing next to the observation tower looking at
American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls.

Standing on Goat Island looking at Amereican Falls.
At the bottom left hand corner you can just a small portion of
Bridal Veil Falls.

We then walked to the other side of Goat Island to view Canadian "Horseshoe" Falls.  1/3 of Horseshoe Falls falls inside the U.S. border and therefore the fall is considered Canadian. The falls make a "U" shape hence its name, but because of that feature it is hard to get a good picture unless you are on the Canadian side....however I thought you might enjoy a couple pictures anyway!



Looking over at the Canadian side with the mist from the falls
rising up.

I though you all might enjoy these quick facts about the falls:

150,000 gallons of water flow over the American Falls every second!! - (Give or take what time of year it is)
600,000 gallons of water flow over Horseshoe Falls every second!! - (Again the amount may change depending on the time of year it is.)

As our family discovered different parts of Niagara State Park, we were overwhelmed by the amazing creativity of our Creator and the power that He has and uses on our small planet, in our country, in the state of New York, in the park of Niagara!


I would definitely recommend visiting Niagara and our family hopes to return someday!  We thank God for the opportunity He gave us!

Masks and Vulnerability

You know you're probably wearing a mask if someone asks you to strip it away.

I'm sitting around a campfire with some of my best girlfriends. We're lighting up the night with crackling flames; laughing, swapping stories, roasting marshmallows so big they nearly fall off the stick, trying to keep our voices down low enough to not disturb the neighboring tents.... We're using Ungame cards as conversation starters and going around the circle, sharing things we'd never dare speak if the darkness wasn't cozy all around us, hedging us into a circle of comrades.

Then my friend gets a card that gives her a free question; she can ask anyone anything she wants. "Abby, what is something that you've never told anyone?"

I'm shocked, flabbergasted, and dozens of things rush into my mind, all the things I can't say. I'm not a naturally open girl. Call me introverted, call me shy, the truth is that I'm not too keen on sharing my personal feelings. Oh I break down plenty of times, or get riled, and I'm quick to share my opinions, but when it comes to sharing the deep, dark corners of my soul I get hopelessly embarrassed and tongue-tied. In a way, I'm hiding behind a mask. I'll talk about my work, my school, my future, but talking about my feelings, my secret thoughts, my insecurities―that hurts. No one sees exactly what goes on underneath that surface.

“Underneath my outside face

There's a face that none can see.

A little less smiley,

A little less sure,

But a whole lot more like me.”

―Shel Silverstein, Every Thing on It

I end up telling her about one of my less-sensitive embarrassments, my legs (pale, you know, with funny knees). But what about the other things? The things I don't blog about, the things I cry on my pillow over and speak out to God on windy days? What lies behind your mask?

This night teaches me something, let's me know about the things I've been hiding, and how many of them there really are. I'm more than willing to have a friend dish about her problems to me and cry on my shoulder, but I would never consider doing the same. "And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them." There's a distinct possibility that I have been limiting my friendships by holding back the realest parts of myself, and I suspect that I'm not the only one. When was the last time you were absolutely honest with someone, the last time you tore off that self-sufficient mask and let it all hang out?

Being vulnerable is going to hurt, but we have to do it. Who wants to live―or die―behind a mask?

 

mask, a photo by kynan tait on Flickr.

looking at that mountain

I can do all things...

There are some things in life that are, quite simply, just hard. Staring up at them, I think, "God, what is this, and why is it mine to take care of?" And all at once, I start to realize that yeah, it is really huge, and there's no way I can move it, and I get stressed and worried and it's this endless cycle that just keeps getting worse and worse the longer it goes on. This is something I've struggled with a lot in the past, ever falling and trying to get back up again--and failing more often than not.

...through Christ...

But there's something we have to realize. And that's that the huge mountain we're facing can't be budged by us. It's too huge. That feeling of being swamped, of insufficient strength, is very accurate. We, by ourselves, can't do a thing to help ourselves. Yes, Jesus said "faith as a mustard seed" will remove a mountain...but he wasn't saying that we would do it if we just believed in ourselves. He was saying "believe in me; I'll do it. Just believe; I'll take care of the rest."

...which strengthens me.

Overcoming the Challenges!

What verses in the Bible do we find challenging?.......................................

This topic should be fun! 

When I use the word "challenge", what exactly do I mean by that?  Well, Websters 1828 Dictionary says,

CHALLENGE, n. Literally, a calling, or crying out, the primary sense of many words expressing a demand, as claim. Hence appropriately,

1. A calling upon one to fight in single combat; an invitation or summons, verbal or written, to decide a controversy by a duel. Hence the letter containing the summons is also called a challenge.



Credit given to Google images



2. A claim or demand made of a right or supposed right.

There must be no challenge of superiority.

So, when I say "What verses in the Bible are challenging?" I see the word meaning in this context, "What is God "claiming" or "demanding" of us (we who have been bought with a price and owe Him our allegiance).  What verses does He call us to obey and it is a struggle for us to fulfill them?

Well, which verse do I choose.  I am far from perfect and struggle every day to fulfill the commands of Christ and still I fail every day.  Yet I can wake every morning with thankfulness, knowing that:

Lamentations 3:21-23 "But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

Everyday is challenge for me to wake up with a positive outlook on life.  It is very easy for me to see the negatives and feel defeated before I even get up out of bed.  The verse that comes to mind the most is:

Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

Whew! This is a hard one for me.  Some days are easier than others, but it can be difficult to constantly remind myself to think on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely and of good report.  Sometimes the battle against the flesh and the spiritual battle we face can be overwhelming.





Credit given to google images

 However, if I am to take the challenge God has placed before me, then removing the negatives from my mind must happen first and then I must replace them with things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely and of good report (THJPL&GR).

So.....what things are "THJPL&GR?"  Well, God's Word would be the first place to look. Here are some of my favorite verses that I've been memorizing to help with thinking on the things that He is challenging me to think on.

Joshua 1:8 "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success."

Psalm 16:11 "You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore."

Matthew 26:41 "Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."

Galations 6:9 "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."

Ephesians 2:10 "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

God's Word is True, Honest, Just, Pure, Lovely, and of Good Report.  There is nothing else that we could fill our minds with and think on, that would be better than His Word.  The very first verse that I mentioned (Joshua 1:8) talks about meditating on His Word day and night "so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it."  We have to meditate and be familiar with His Word in order to be able to do what He has called, commanded, or challenged us to do.  "then you will have good success."

When we are struggling with trials that have been placed in our lives we need to claim the promises of God and find the encouragement we need in the Fortress of "Trust In Him."  When we trust that He is in control and think on things that are "THJPL&GR" then we can be sure that we are inside His fortress and can see through the "positive glasses" that God will have the victory over sin and all evil one day.  We are surrounded by battle flags of victory if we would claim them for ourselves.

Credit given to google images

Battle Flags like:

Psalm 34:8 "Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!"

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."

1 Corinthians 2:9 "But, as it is written, 'What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him.'"

Isaiah 40:31 "but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."

Psalm 18:2 "The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."

Psalm 119:105 "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

When we are feeling defeated, we need to think on these verses and so many others.  God's challenges to us are not impossible.  They are not unthinkable and unachievable.  He is our strength, our shield, our refuge, our fortress, our deliverer, our rock, our guide, our leader, our Savior, our Creator, our GOD.

Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through him who strengthens me."   

2 Corinthians 12:9 "But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

My Answer to the Inevitable Question

I've worked so hard to answer this question without any success that I've finally put it on the backburner. For years I struggled and stressed whenever I thought, "What do I want to be when I grow up?" I took personality tests, examined lists and lists of possible careers (calculating salary, location, and opportunity for advancement),  and sought advice from loved ones. I prayed until I was tired of praying, I researched until my eyes watered. And through it all there was never an Aha! moment when my future unfolded before my eyes and everything was made clear. There was a time when I was fairly sure that I wanted to be a teacher (you can hear all about it on video 1 and 2 of my high school graduation speech, or read the transcript here), but with further knowledge that dream is slipping by the wayside, or going through some serious modifications.

So here's another question: do we have to have it all figured out? Must we know at age 15, or 17, or even 20 what we want to do with the rest of our lives, as long as the next few steps are decided? My answer is, yes and no.

Yes: It's important to plan ahead; if you don't have something of a road map then you have no idea where you're going! It pains me to see some of my friends and acquaintances drift through life without any concrete goals, just vague ambitions and hopings for the best. I don't want to be flipping burgers at McDonald's when I'm 30, I'm going to make some plans.

No: If my diligent (not to say manic) research of possible career paths has taught me nothing else, it has made me realize that there are so many possibilities! Our world is one of absolutely unlimited potential. I listen to several podcasts on a regular basis which I would recommend to anyone who doubts that it's possible to find creative work that matters and that you love: 48 Days, No More Mondays, Free Agent Underground, and Coach Radio. The hosts of these shows are inspiring, revolutionary, and are constantly giving me great ideas.

But they aren't giving me a roadmap, and that's what I think so many of us want. We want God to hand down the script from Heaven and say, "Here, my child, these are the plans I have for you." Unfortunately, that doesn't happen.

What has happened, for me at least, is that I've been given inspiration for the next few steps of my journey. I started taking CLEP and DANTES tests a few years ago to earn credits for a college degree (you can learn how I earned over 84 credit hours without stepping foot in a college here). Then I enrolled in Thomas Edison State College, a fantastic (fully-accredited) school that will accept bucket-loads of transferred credits. Now I'm on track to complete my bachelor's degree in English by November of this year. What am I going to do with that degree? It's hard to say. I've tried to study in my strengths (you'll notice I didn't major in basket-weaving or algebra), because I figure that whatever my future career looks like, it's going to involve writing, and a lot of it. I also have plans to go to Bible school for several months in England, and I'm super-excited about that!

In the end, it's all a delicate balance between two proverbs,

 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6).

"Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. (Proverbs 4:26).

What about you? Are your next steps clear?

Questioned Proposal, a photo by Eleaf on Flickr.