Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Oh my Word!!!

Soooooo...........where shall I start this one?? Are ya ready? You are, you want to hear it all??? My randomness?? Ok good, here goes!

First a little background to set this up. Sean, my sweet and dear husband whom I love so very much is, if you know him, very passionate about Jesus. By nature he is an extreme guy and is over the top in any and every thing that has his attention. Thank God that obsession has become Jesus and telling others about Jesus for nearly 7 years. Thank you Jesus.

So for years he has encouraged me to share my faith boldly and present truth to those walking far from Christ. Honestly I have hid behind the verse, "many parts form one body, so it is with Christ...if the whole body were an eye or an ear what good would it be...." ya know where it talks about being gifted differently. "But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be" from 1 Corinthians 12. [Please as you read those verses give it an arrogant air...as one who knows it all. I totally took it out of context.]
 So I'm like if God wanted me to be an evangelist He would've made me one but He didn't, He's asked me to pray for and encourage people and that is my gifting and I'm comfortable (sometimes) in that so...good. Sean you be the evangelist, God has me as discerning, given words of knowledge to intercede and pray, lift up, encourage. We are good! Good, great, we know our place! Nope. Not so much.
Geeeeeez!!!

So we have had this wonderful conversation for a long time, I've had people back me and its been great. I have had times where I have discerned that God wants me to share my testimony and speak into someones life and good, great invite them to church and maybe I'll encourage them, right? Cause that's what I do, but you know what? I've in my nearly 7 years as a Christ follower only seen one person converted to Christ, born again because of my sharing. Not to say I haven't planted many a seeds. Over times of sharing my testimony its made me really say "ya know God is in control, if they are His they will come to know him and its not up to me what I say or don't say." I have even considered not sharing my faith because I've been so jaded watching people walk away from the truth so much. So let Him control it all! WRONG. Ok yes, He is in control, yes. He is God of the Universe! But He has commanded me to GO AND TELL! GO!!!  Not just to say "Hey ya know this Jesus guy really gave me the warm fuzzies and I don't live a horrid life like I use to. I don't get drunk beyond belief, I don't fall into heinous sin like I did before and its great cause it works for me."  I have had people that I've shared my testimony with say "that's great I'm glad that worked out for you. That's good, we all need to get to that point of growing up sometime." No, that's not it. We all need a Savior.

So how did I go from keeping my head stuck in the sand to saying whoa......Sean is right? Yeah I can't ignore not only the great commission (Matt 28), Mark 16:15 "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation", "as the Father has sent me I am sending you" John 20:21 and the one I tried ignoring from when I was newly converted Isaiah 6:8 "the voice of the Lord saying whom shall I send? Who will go?... Here I am send me!" Will I have that same mind set and say Here I am send me, I will go? I have been so afraid of being real about sin, afraid to let a little uncomfortableness set in and let others hear their need, as well as mine, for a Savior. To know the God who sent His Son into this world to die a death undeserved on a cross for me, for them. So that they may have eternal life in Him. Romans 5:8, Romans 6:23. Those verses "while we were sinning"," wages of sin is death" always sounded so harsh and uncomfortable and it scared me to know that they are so true that if someone does walk away from that and they never confess Jesus as Lord they will not have eternal life and they will perish. That is scary.

Last night we went to something called Go+Tell from church. Our pastor said alllll the same things my dear husband has said over and over. I had to tell my husband "I know babe, you were so right. Its true." I just wanted to hide from it because I want to comfort all people. My husband said "I love that you love people and want to comfort them but we can't comfort them to hell." That sounds harsh I know. I've been wrestling with it for so long.

But wait, there is hope in Jesus! Show them Jesus, show them the cross, show them out of His great love, Jesus died for them. That is the most loving truth. The most comforting truth, we don't have to perish, we can have everlasting life in Jesus. To love someone enough to tell them about Jesus. Not just suggest a subtle life change but a big time potential for life change. Eternal life change.

So how did I get this revelation? Not only is my husband living radically for Jesus, there are others living and being encouraged to live as radically as my husband has pointed to in scripture. Its not just that my husband is a radical man but my Lord has unlocked my eyes, the eyes I've been trying to cover out of fear, to show there really is radical love in such beautiful truth. He goes before me and clothes me with strength. (Prov 31:25) He makes me bold as a lion. (Prov 28:1) He has made me to be an ambassador of truth. (2 Cor 5:20)

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Chore Galore!

Yea! I have finally made a functional, bright, and hopefully successful chore chart!
In Sunday's message about being a good steward of God's money it encouraged me to do better with what He has given us. Part of that is doing our responsibilities that ultimately help us to save and share more. While I try to be responsible, plan well, and be a good steward I know it isn't too early to teach my kiddos the same lesson.
I've tried chore charts in the past and it just wasn't functional, it was boring and it ended up getting trampled on somehow. Sooo....I cleverly came up with this....

Yeah buddy!!! The blue star chores are ones to be done because you live here and we have responsibilities whether we like it or not. The $ is a chore to earn money. Jaiven doesn't quite get that yet at his age but Caiden definitely understands green. I still need to print pictures to put on the pockets to show the chore or job so they know what to do, but you get the picture. I can easily add more but I don't want to overwhelm them. I'm getting excited here! Caiden's opportunities for money are saving me on some of my chores! Score!!!
He gladly watered the garden this morning and really got excited when I told him it would be one of his paid jobs :) 

Next project is the "save spend give" jars to teach him the principles I am working on getting better at myself. 

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Quick thought for the day

Never put expectations on any person. They will inevitably fail you, they were never designed to be your all sufficient Savior or fill any need of yours. That wouldn't be fair to you or them and puts them in the place only Christ should reside. Only Christ is your all sufficient sacrifice and place of security. He will never leave you or forsake you.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Exodus to John

I am enjoying studying in depth, really digging into the gospel of John with a friend, and almost done with thorough investigation through Exodus on my own.
Sometimes going through Exodus its hard to see what God might be trying to speak to ones heart for today. I have found that God is showing me how wonderfully creative He is, how He cares for every little detail in our lives, He desires our whole hearts, He is completely gentle with us and doesn't tolerate anything that isn't of Him for our lives. God is so good. I love how Moses was such a leader of humility, deep care and concern and He had such an intimate relationship with God. Lord let me have such a prayer life like that of Moses. Almost done with Exodus and then I can officially say I have studied it verse by verse. I feel, for me, its important to not just glaze over the scriptures but to really read, dig in and see what the Lord is saying. I can't say I have read the whole bible like that. So my goal is to do this with each book of the bible before I die. I say before I die because it very well could take a while ;)
A sweet friend, who I am so very grateful for that the Lord has brought into my life,  and I are studying through John. I've read John a number of times, very familiar with the stories but this time I am taking the ol Walvoord and Zuck commentary along for the journey. All I can say is Wow Wow Wow!!! Reading John and my commentary together not skipping any beats is so enriching! There are things I never considered looking further into before but now that I am, I am fully enriched by all of the little details that seem to not mean much but then gaining a bit more understanding has just been so sweet and fulfilling. Only through the first 10 chapters currently and very excited to carry on this way. It is so cool to see God at work this way. He is so alive!!!
I pray that as I read and journey through, that His Word penetrate my heart and mind and that I reflect Him more and more each and every day with every particle of my being and my home to be a place where His presence is felt.
Thankful for many, many things!

Simple things...

Now that I am not in school full time, not working, not doing what I call "heavy duty" ministry I am beginning to feel totally simplified and really enjoying that. My primary objective each day is to reflect Christ to my children and keep a happy home. Yea!!!
In times before I sadly felt guilty about that. I felt like I needed to further a career I barely got going in and needed to succeed, succeed, succeed, by the worlds standards. I'll keep my license up and certifications but simply working on keeping my home a home of peace is actually finally feeling completely right. I underline completely because there have been times past that I felt "completely" ok with where I was but just ok. Right now I feel blissfully grateful for where the Lord has led me and my sweet ones to be. We do change through seasons and each day I need to surrender my will to the will of my Fathers but simply knowing today I will mop floors and play with my darlings and that is it, is simply satisfying. Simply.
Sean is nearing the end of his BSN, Im not trying to multi task school and we aren't leading anything in ministry. Serving where the Lord leads sure but not leading anything. Strange to not lead anything initially but if the Lord has us in a season of wait, we will simply enjoy each moment and be content in it. Of course if the Lord did lead a certain direction we would joyfully and willingly follow His lead. Currently this is the least we've been committed in anything and it kinda feels nice to be down to the basics. Enjoy each and every day the Lord gives. Even if you're in a rough and dry season, know that the Lord hears your prayers, He will bring you into green pastures and still waters in His time. Take each moment with a heart of gratitude no matter what the moment looks like.

May God bless you with His presence dear reader....