Mopped again today with Dad, this time with a little help. A 4 yr old girl named Emma popped in to say "hi" with her parents, who were the owners of the house. For the next few hours she was glued to my side, and boy... she wanted to do EVERYTHING. It's so funny how something adults groan about, little children are eager to do! The whole time she was helping she would say, "you are doing a GREAT job on our floor!!!" To adults, the same job would be hard work... to her it was fun! God sent me my very own personal cheerleader today in the form of a child. I wonder how much He is cheering us on when we are too busy "working" to hear it. We get so lost in the detail of what we are doing rather than enjoying the relationship or serving with HIM. He desires for us to come to Him like little children... with unhindered faith, pure joy, a grateful attitude of service, and silliness.
Instead of seeing "new mercies every morning" we grow hardened to the never ending questions at work, the weight of the financial responsibilities, the guilt of not being the person you thought you would be, and the expectations of the world around us. We add up all the wrongs, the hateful words, the emotional beatings, the abandonment, disrespect, and discouragement. We believe the lies and grow cold. It becomes easier to be numb to it all than to feel anything. Sadly, this is the world we live in. And most of the time it takes an outside force to shake us out of our "coma".
The TRUTH is: you ARE enough, you are LOVED, and you do have a purpose in HIM. Perhaps we need to be set ABLAZE with His love! But how?
B90: (Numbers 4:29-15:21) I've never been a fan of the word "settled". My friends and family always assumed that meant i would never be married, because to them... if you get married you must get settled and live somewhere and work and have kids and stay there. Over the years I've come to the realization that I can be married, have kids, and even jobs and still never be "settled." Settling sounds so... permanent. I know we probably all have our own definitions of that word, but there is definitely something to be said about always being ready and willing to move. Move in the physical sense, but most importantly MOVING with Him. God is constantly on the MOVE. His love is actively pursuing HIS creation every moment of every day, He's performing miracles, speaking prophetic words, giving generously and lavishly, and He's using us. Like the Israelites who followed the pillar of fire and the cloud, I want to be MOBILE. There is a certain eagerness (like my 4 yr old friend) that comes with this mobility. It's a complete surrender. It's about letting go of that dream home, dream job, dream family... and dreaming even BIGGER. Trading yours in for His is the biggest blessing of them all, because... He always out does us!
I was hanging out with a friend the other day in her BEAUTIFUL home. This woman has the most humble spirit of anyone i've ever met. She's extremely giving and is always ready for God's next move. She understands that being a part of that is better than anything she could've dreamed up. Last year her and her husband were downsizing so they could be more "mobile". Because of a few circumstances they could not have foreseen, they were given this amazing home. Now, she is mobile and also gets to serve the Lord, her family, and others with this house. This woman is such an inspiration and example of the trusting child God desires for us to be.
There's also something to be said about the Lord's fire. Fire can hold a negative or positive connotation depending on the usage of it. I heard someone speak on this not long ago. They shared their revelation of God as being the all consuming fire. If you look, there are many verses that point to this and speak of Him and fire. All i know is that I want to be in close proximity to the Lord's throne so I will BURN with His passion and be consumed by Him. So consumed that others will be caught ablaze by His love simply because of the heat of His glory that we bring!
Exercise/Nutrition: This are still going pretty good in this area... about to do a late workout :) God showed me yesterday that I've got to be careful not to push myself too hard, but just get up and run to Him every day! I hope everyone is enjoying their challenges and journey they are on with our Dad!!! Don't forget to be kids!!! Love you all :)
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
(day ten) legalism vs love- who wins?
Ten down eighty to go! Yahoo? Ha. This morning started off quite early, and i'm here to tell you that 4:30 actually does exist! I spent the first hour trying to convince my body that it wasn't still night even though it was dark, so confusing. Sorry body. There was a very good reason for this insanity, i promise. Let me explain: The past few years i've dreaming up an organic fair-trade coffee shop in my head and trying to figure out how in the world it could become reality. Well, this year i quickly became close friends with a girl who ends up buying a coffee shop- wanting to do it organic, fair-trade, economical... and wants me to help! Crazy how our God works huh? She also wants it to be an outlet for my photography and mission work, so i can encourage others through the shop!!!
Moving onward... today was cram packed full of a constant flow of revelation once again. Conversation after conversation... all followed the same themes which kept confirming the light God had been shedding on His gospel of truth.
Legalism vs. Love: in law and life. I'll probably cover this in more detail later, but since we are on the subject of law i think i'll pose a few questions God gave me earlier. As we can tell these books are full of rules and laws. It seems as though God is pretty strict and uptight about it all at first glance. And although His judgement and love go hand in hand... i believe Love came first. I don't believe He created us to judge us, but because He loved us. But now, because of sin... there has to be perfect sacrifice (blemish-free) to cover that sin. Before it was an animal, and now... it's Jesus. I was thinking eventually we would've run out of un-blemished animals. Who knows??
Part of the comparisons between the old testament and new is that the old reveals the power of sin... and the new reveals the power of righteousness. (hang with me here...) So, If this is true... then once sin was introduced in the world, if it wasn't taken care of and atoned for... there would be effects of that sin. God says in Lev 22:9 that He is the one who sanctifies. At this point, He's able to cover us... and in a sense protect us from the harm the enemy can bring because of our exposure. Now, I'm beginning to see it. If sin is not atoned for... the enemy will then have rights to deconstruct that person... not because God is not love, but because He lets it be our choice. If sin is continually not atoned for, then eventually their children and childrens children (whether they sinned or not) are going to suffer the effects of sin. Have you ever heard of the passing down "sins of the father"? Crazy huh?
This started coming together for me today even more. Look again at Lev. 21:16-24. Now my sister looked at this with her compassionate heart and said, "Lindsey, it's not fair.. i just don't get it, why would God not allow people in that had disabilities, it's not their fault." I agreed with her, but immediately sought further into the heart of God... knowing His compassionate heart for all people and being somewhat bothered by this scenario. Then it all started to make sense (or so i think, you may have a completely different opinion). So... if sin had never been introduced to the world, we would still be living in paradise. Since it was introduced we live in a fallen world with fallen bodies. Right now, we look at the globe and see many diseases, cancers, hunger, thirst, murders, affairs, blindness, pain, troubles, etc. Now, i think that all of these things... could be the effects of sin un-atoned for for many many generations. They are like toxins that have just saturated the world so much, it's hard for us to get away from! The hope is that the Lord can still use all of those troublesome things for HIS GOOD! And i don't believe they are "punishments" directly from God- for He loves His kids, just the mere fact that we live in a fallen world with an enemy! This is also why I believe God wants us to be as healthy and strong as possible, if we have weak places the enemy likes to creep in. So Dad's blood covers, protects and IS LOVE.
Back to Law... I think a lot of time we simply think God is having a power trip with all these rules. But what we don't exactly see in the beginning is that what rules really do- reveal our heart. The law tests our heart because of what comes out when we are faced with it. Our response reveals our fruit and it either glorifies Him in it's ripeness or doesn't in it's rottenness. Which again, just exposes our DEEP need for Him as messy broken humans who are made WHOLE in Him.
When faced with "rules" is our heart honoring or onry? Are we following them out of legalism and a fear of punishment, or our intimate love for the father? Do we desire God's will or our own? Do we align our hearts with the word or with the world's? Do the rules expose our selfishness or selflessness? Do we question the father's faithfulness or the foes friendliness? Do we hold on to his promises or call the rainbow a mirage?
These are all questions i've been asking myself lately that surely bring a fair share of challenge! I know our hearts can be deceitful, even more the reason to be so near Him so that our heart becomes like His. I also had a thought one last thought for you today: Are we just responsible for what we see, hear, or know? Or are we really responsible for EVERYTHING that is written in the word whether we've read it or not? My mom said an IRS man once told her that there is no excuse under the law. So even if you had never heard it, because it's written in stone you are accountable to it. Hmmm... I wonder if THAT'S where that expression came from? I'll be pondering over all these questions I'm sure for the next few days. I'd love to hear some feedback too... I wanna grow from what you are learning too :)
P.s. Speaking of "legalism"... Just so you all know I didn't eat amazingly healthy today and I didn't have a second to workout. And you know what? I'm ok with that... gonna get up tomorrow and move on! haha. It's not a race, it's a marathon... and God is NOT intimidated by your journey or anyone else's for that matter!!! So, get out there and LOVE on the world today :)
Moving onward... today was cram packed full of a constant flow of revelation once again. Conversation after conversation... all followed the same themes which kept confirming the light God had been shedding on His gospel of truth.
Legalism vs. Love: in law and life. I'll probably cover this in more detail later, but since we are on the subject of law i think i'll pose a few questions God gave me earlier. As we can tell these books are full of rules and laws. It seems as though God is pretty strict and uptight about it all at first glance. And although His judgement and love go hand in hand... i believe Love came first. I don't believe He created us to judge us, but because He loved us. But now, because of sin... there has to be perfect sacrifice (blemish-free) to cover that sin. Before it was an animal, and now... it's Jesus. I was thinking eventually we would've run out of un-blemished animals. Who knows??
Part of the comparisons between the old testament and new is that the old reveals the power of sin... and the new reveals the power of righteousness. (hang with me here...) So, If this is true... then once sin was introduced in the world, if it wasn't taken care of and atoned for... there would be effects of that sin. God says in Lev 22:9 that He is the one who sanctifies. At this point, He's able to cover us... and in a sense protect us from the harm the enemy can bring because of our exposure. Now, I'm beginning to see it. If sin is not atoned for... the enemy will then have rights to deconstruct that person... not because God is not love, but because He lets it be our choice. If sin is continually not atoned for, then eventually their children and childrens children (whether they sinned or not) are going to suffer the effects of sin. Have you ever heard of the passing down "sins of the father"? Crazy huh?
This started coming together for me today even more. Look again at Lev. 21:16-24. Now my sister looked at this with her compassionate heart and said, "Lindsey, it's not fair.. i just don't get it, why would God not allow people in that had disabilities, it's not their fault." I agreed with her, but immediately sought further into the heart of God... knowing His compassionate heart for all people and being somewhat bothered by this scenario. Then it all started to make sense (or so i think, you may have a completely different opinion). So... if sin had never been introduced to the world, we would still be living in paradise. Since it was introduced we live in a fallen world with fallen bodies. Right now, we look at the globe and see many diseases, cancers, hunger, thirst, murders, affairs, blindness, pain, troubles, etc. Now, i think that all of these things... could be the effects of sin un-atoned for for many many generations. They are like toxins that have just saturated the world so much, it's hard for us to get away from! The hope is that the Lord can still use all of those troublesome things for HIS GOOD! And i don't believe they are "punishments" directly from God- for He loves His kids, just the mere fact that we live in a fallen world with an enemy! This is also why I believe God wants us to be as healthy and strong as possible, if we have weak places the enemy likes to creep in. So Dad's blood covers, protects and IS LOVE.
Back to Law... I think a lot of time we simply think God is having a power trip with all these rules. But what we don't exactly see in the beginning is that what rules really do- reveal our heart. The law tests our heart because of what comes out when we are faced with it. Our response reveals our fruit and it either glorifies Him in it's ripeness or doesn't in it's rottenness. Which again, just exposes our DEEP need for Him as messy broken humans who are made WHOLE in Him.
When faced with "rules" is our heart honoring or onry? Are we following them out of legalism and a fear of punishment, or our intimate love for the father? Do we desire God's will or our own? Do we align our hearts with the word or with the world's? Do the rules expose our selfishness or selflessness? Do we question the father's faithfulness or the foes friendliness? Do we hold on to his promises or call the rainbow a mirage?
These are all questions i've been asking myself lately that surely bring a fair share of challenge! I know our hearts can be deceitful, even more the reason to be so near Him so that our heart becomes like His. I also had a thought one last thought for you today: Are we just responsible for what we see, hear, or know? Or are we really responsible for EVERYTHING that is written in the word whether we've read it or not? My mom said an IRS man once told her that there is no excuse under the law. So even if you had never heard it, because it's written in stone you are accountable to it. Hmmm... I wonder if THAT'S where that expression came from? I'll be pondering over all these questions I'm sure for the next few days. I'd love to hear some feedback too... I wanna grow from what you are learning too :)
P.s. Speaking of "legalism"... Just so you all know I didn't eat amazingly healthy today and I didn't have a second to workout. And you know what? I'm ok with that... gonna get up tomorrow and move on! haha. It's not a race, it's a marathon... and God is NOT intimidated by your journey or anyone else's for that matter!!! So, get out there and LOVE on the world today :)
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
(day nine) mundane mopping for beautiful stain
Today was hard. Most of my days have been filled with energy, joy, passion, ideas, etc. Today I felt as though I simply survived. I don't like this feeling at all. Perseverance was on the forefront of my mind as I tried not to take my exhaustion out on anyone else. I guess it was a mixture of not enough sleep and checking off things on a list that had to be done.
Over the last few days, it seems that the topic of conversation has been, "do you love what you do? Or even just like it?" I've seen people beaten down from jobs that they've had for years that they feel like they're supposed to be in. Nothing about them likes anything about the job. Now, I understand that sometimes we are called to something we may not like in the beginning... but if we love the Lord and see His hand in it and our purpose there, it should be extremely enjoyable. And He's our dad, so He wants us to love what He's asked us to do... or what we've chosen according to His purpose in our lives. If you truly believed that we are all called to "Go and make disciples" then every job you do will be minstry- a chance to love and serve others looking for nothing in return. And sometimes that is hard, but it's always FUN.
In some ways this reminds me of Moses... i wonder what He was thinking... if he ever rolled his eyes... did He love what He did despite how difficult it was? Another thing the bible teaches is that our reward is in heaven. This must be something Moses really understood... because if the position for leading thousands of Israelites around in the wilderness for 40 years doesn't seem like a job i, or anyone else i know, would apply for. Seems like most of us might assume we weren't called for that. I do believe it's a daily laying down of our own will for His and there is no doubt there were times of joy and blessing for Moses... I mean, He spent face to face time with God on earth! That's pretty amazing.
I have been thinking a lot about this the past few days as I've been working for my dad. There are times He'll ask me to do something... over and over again. Not only do i get tired of the mundane jobs but the repetitive ones as well. And there are so many details that must come together for the whole picture to be right. For example i had to mop a huge floor about 6 times in order for it to be ready for stain. No one sees all the previous sacrifice that went into the stain as they trapse all over the newly refinished floor. It's the stain that covers all of the impurities and mistakes the floor has seen in it's lifetime. That stain doesn't just change the look of the floor but the chemical composition... and it's not coming off, ever.
Right now.... I guess I feel like that floor, and maybe a little bit of how the Israelites felt when they had to constantly cleanse themselves before the Lord...only they didn't have the advantage we do today of stain... it seems they only had washable marker available :( Wow, thank you God for sending your son to be our stain... to cover our iniquities, sins, impurities and mistakes now and forever more. You make us beautiful. And even though people in this world walk all over us... because they will... we will still be the floor...um person that you've designed us to be.
B90: (Leviticus 10:12-21:12) I love chapter 17 vs 14 where it says the blood of every creature is it's life. His blood is life... and He's stained us with His blood. His life is now a part of us... and it's not coming off. I also love how in Ch 16 vs 16 it says that the tent "dwells with them in the midst of their uncleanliness." I love how He dwells with us and in us... even in the midst of sin, He is ready for us to run back to Him right in that very moment.
I heard this on the radio just yesterday," The Law- as a standard drives me to Christ, and as a goal shows me my need for Him." I'm still sorting through it, which is why i like it :)
P90x: I did do it this morning for about an hour... not with a smile on my face though. Haha. And my eating habits are pretty much the same. I need to put some healthy recipes on here or something.
Have a great night :)
Monday, June 27, 2011
(day eight) Mystery of the Ark
So, it's officially been a week! Great job everyone... Our daddy is so proud :) Whether you have had complete success so far or not is irrelevant. The crucial thing is that we keep moving forward and upward! It's a moment by moment thing... are we honoring Him in what we are doing, saying, eating, and thinking? If not, we ask for more grace and try again :) As we've already learned, regardless of what we are seeing right now... God is doing something in us, and it's grand! We are His tabernacle where He resides. There is no longer a tent that houses that presence, but us. When He moves, we move.
B90: (Exodus 37- Leviticus 10:11) I've never paid too much attention to these chapters because of the repetitiveness of it all. Oh, and the fact it's kinda gross. I mean, were they wearing gloves when they threw blood against the alter? Nast. Anyway... Seems there is something to the burnt offerings. You may have noticed this before, but it's interesting how He asks for a male animal without blemish and that the blood on the mercy seat atones them for their sins and they are forgiven. Sound familiar?
Well, I recently (as in last year) heard a pretty outrageous story... that if ever turned out to be true, would change the world's view of Christ as we know it... and if false, would change nothing. Whether it's true or false is up for you to judge, but as for myself... I was completely inspired and in awe of God's intelligence, creativity, and divinity. Every time i watch the videos or read the story i begin to cry. I can't hold back the emotions at even the slight representation of His UNBELIEVABLE love for us.
My involvement with the story begins about 10 years ago when my boss at Media Shout in Nashville, Tn, began to tell me the most amazing stories of his friend Ron Wyatt- also from Nashville. Apparently, people were calling this man the modern day Indiana Jones of the bible (or something along those lines). The story goes that he has had legitimate discoveries of Noah's ark, Sodom and Gommorah, Mt. Sinai, and even the Red Sea crossing. As my boss described these stories in detail, I could hardly believe my ears!! It wasn't until years later that I heard from another pretty reliable source who also knew him that Ron had discovered the Ark of the Covenant. Are you kidding me???? This is like the (inter)national treasure of all time!!! Ok, calm down Linds. My friend Joseph went on telling the story as the rest of us in the car gripped our seats.
It was the late 1970's when God basically told Ron where the Ark of the Covenant was. He reports that He was automatically granted permission to dig to his surprise, then started doing research to verify where God had said. He found it to be very possible, so traveled back to Israel and began his mission. First, he found what he thought was the hole where Jesus's cross would have been. Afterwards they began to dig underneath Golgotha. There were a serious of tunnels and tight squeezes before he came to something interesting. He began to uncover and with His flashlight saw something gold... at this moment Ron knew He was looking at the Ark of the Covenant. Overcome with emotion Ron passed out for 45 minutes.
Also in that cave Ron found the seven branch candlestick, a giant sword (with no inscriptions, but possibly Goliath's), an ephod, the wilderness tabernacle, the altar of incense among other things.
While in the chamber, Ron noticed a dried, black substance in an earthquake crack in the roof, above the Ark of the Covenant. He noticed that this black substance was also on the lid of the cracked stone casing. Obviously, this substance had dripped from the crack in the roof, and provision had been made for it to land on the Ark of the Covenant, as the stone lid had been cracked and moved aside. Ron wondered what substance could be so sacred, that God made provision for it to land on the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant. He remembered the earthquake crack at the foot of the cross hole, and suddenly an awesome realization as to what had happened, came over him. Ron traced the earthquake crack, and indeed it was the same crack as the one at the cross hole. The dried black substance in the crack was tested and proved to be blood, apparently the blood of Jesus Christ. The Bible says that when Jesus died there was an earthquake and the rocks were rent (Matt. 27:51). A Roman soldier speared Christ in His side in order to make sure He was dead, and blood and water poured out (John 19:34). Ron discovered that this same blood and water poured down through the earthquake crack and fell upon the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant. (Atonement for all mankind for the rest of history...)
It gets better...
Human cells normally have 46 chromosomes. The fascinating finding in this blood was that instead of 46 chromosomes, there were only 24. There were 22 autosomal chromosomes, one X chromosome and one Y chromosome. This evidences that the person to whom this blood belonged to had a mother but no human father, because the normal contribution of paternal chromosomes is missing.
So, however you view this story my hope is that you will be even more inspired by God and give him the glory for who He is, the great I AM.
I further investigated this story as I was in Jerusalem this year. In the garden tomb i began to ask the tour guides if they'd ever heard of Ron Wyatt. They immediately started denying everything before i could even ask! It almost sounded as if they were hiding something. They definitely knew who Ron was and admitted to him digging, but said there was nothing to be found. So it remains a mystery today...
If you want more info on all of this go here: http://www.wyattarchaeology.com/
B90: (Exodus 37- Leviticus 10:11) I've never paid too much attention to these chapters because of the repetitiveness of it all. Oh, and the fact it's kinda gross. I mean, were they wearing gloves when they threw blood against the alter? Nast. Anyway... Seems there is something to the burnt offerings. You may have noticed this before, but it's interesting how He asks for a male animal without blemish and that the blood on the mercy seat atones them for their sins and they are forgiven. Sound familiar?
Well, I recently (as in last year) heard a pretty outrageous story... that if ever turned out to be true, would change the world's view of Christ as we know it... and if false, would change nothing. Whether it's true or false is up for you to judge, but as for myself... I was completely inspired and in awe of God's intelligence, creativity, and divinity. Every time i watch the videos or read the story i begin to cry. I can't hold back the emotions at even the slight representation of His UNBELIEVABLE love for us.
My involvement with the story begins about 10 years ago when my boss at Media Shout in Nashville, Tn, began to tell me the most amazing stories of his friend Ron Wyatt- also from Nashville. Apparently, people were calling this man the modern day Indiana Jones of the bible (or something along those lines). The story goes that he has had legitimate discoveries of Noah's ark, Sodom and Gommorah, Mt. Sinai, and even the Red Sea crossing. As my boss described these stories in detail, I could hardly believe my ears!! It wasn't until years later that I heard from another pretty reliable source who also knew him that Ron had discovered the Ark of the Covenant. Are you kidding me???? This is like the (inter)national treasure of all time!!! Ok, calm down Linds. My friend Joseph went on telling the story as the rest of us in the car gripped our seats.
It was the late 1970's when God basically told Ron where the Ark of the Covenant was. He reports that He was automatically granted permission to dig to his surprise, then started doing research to verify where God had said. He found it to be very possible, so traveled back to Israel and began his mission. First, he found what he thought was the hole where Jesus's cross would have been. Afterwards they began to dig underneath Golgotha. There were a serious of tunnels and tight squeezes before he came to something interesting. He began to uncover and with His flashlight saw something gold... at this moment Ron knew He was looking at the Ark of the Covenant. Overcome with emotion Ron passed out for 45 minutes.
Also in that cave Ron found the seven branch candlestick, a giant sword (with no inscriptions, but possibly Goliath's), an ephod, the wilderness tabernacle, the altar of incense among other things.
While in the chamber, Ron noticed a dried, black substance in an earthquake crack in the roof, above the Ark of the Covenant. He noticed that this black substance was also on the lid of the cracked stone casing. Obviously, this substance had dripped from the crack in the roof, and provision had been made for it to land on the Ark of the Covenant, as the stone lid had been cracked and moved aside. Ron wondered what substance could be so sacred, that God made provision for it to land on the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant. He remembered the earthquake crack at the foot of the cross hole, and suddenly an awesome realization as to what had happened, came over him. Ron traced the earthquake crack, and indeed it was the same crack as the one at the cross hole. The dried black substance in the crack was tested and proved to be blood, apparently the blood of Jesus Christ. The Bible says that when Jesus died there was an earthquake and the rocks were rent (Matt. 27:51). A Roman soldier speared Christ in His side in order to make sure He was dead, and blood and water poured out (John 19:34). Ron discovered that this same blood and water poured down through the earthquake crack and fell upon the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant. (Atonement for all mankind for the rest of history...)
It gets better...
Human cells normally have 46 chromosomes. The fascinating finding in this blood was that instead of 46 chromosomes, there were only 24. There were 22 autosomal chromosomes, one X chromosome and one Y chromosome. This evidences that the person to whom this blood belonged to had a mother but no human father, because the normal contribution of paternal chromosomes is missing.
So, however you view this story my hope is that you will be even more inspired by God and give him the glory for who He is, the great I AM.
I further investigated this story as I was in Jerusalem this year. In the garden tomb i began to ask the tour guides if they'd ever heard of Ron Wyatt. They immediately started denying everything before i could even ask! It almost sounded as if they were hiding something. They definitely knew who Ron was and admitted to him digging, but said there was nothing to be found. So it remains a mystery today...
If you want more info on all of this go here: http://www.wyattarchaeology.com/
Sunday, June 26, 2011
(day seven) Resting in His Presence
The day started off relaxing with a bit of yoga and meditation on the Lord. It was a beautiful sunday morning as my sister and i headed to our church community on the college campus. Today's service was full of kids, parents, friends, singing, dancing, and rejoicing in those who were baptized! What a lovely picture of community. Community is something God's been speaking to me strongly about... prompting me to encourage our churches to be unified, our city to come together for common causes, and to see people's hearts healed as these things began to mesh. People are discipled best in community living by watching, learning, growing, serving and loving. It's personal. There is no agenda or script... just relying on God moment by moment for everything you need so you can give what others need. Church is a group of people at a safe place to be healed, become WHOLE and FREE, and to go back out and give what you got... not to fit in a certain kind of box and stay there.
After the church gathering, I spent the day resting and being inspired by others. It's nice just to sit, breathe , listen, think, recover, and simply relax. There is a restoration that occurs during this time that we may not see but certainly should feel. My dad and I sat by the lake watching the geese and talking about how to make our city "green". It's pretty amazing how the Lord delights in our obedience to Him and that it's actually for our benefit as well. You see, the "Sabbath" is not just a rule for rules sake... it's because He knew we would need it, and he could refresh us during that time. I mean, He's GOD of all and he took a rest. Sometimes I wonder what that looked like. Was God silent? Did God lay down? Strange i know... but questions i ask myself.
B90: (Exodus 26- Exodus 36:38) I don't have any major revelations to share today, but I just wanted to highlight a few things that stick out to me in these chapters... I'd also love to hear your perspective! Well the first bit is explaining the tabernacle, which at first glance might appear like a boring read. But as i was talking things over with my dad today, he mentioned Cheryl Gnagey's book "Spiritual Healing". Not only is this woman super talented and wise, but i'm honored to be her friend :) Cheryl talks about the tabernacle (Chapter 26) being God's way of dwelling with His people through the wilderness and into the promised land. Cheryl says, "Today we can look at the Tabernacle of God and see His heart, purpose, and His plan for us through it's symbolism." She also mentions that because the Tabernacle resembled heaven it was a tool to help the Israelites understand heaven, where God abided. Now, our hearts mimic the Tabernacle or the Lord. Also in her book she describes how the Outer court resembles the beginning of faith, the Inner court is the classroom, and the Holy of Holies- Living in the presence of God! (There is so much more i could write, so if this interests you I suggest you buy her book!) So now we ask ourselves... where are we in the tabernacle? Have we entered at all? Are we still hanging out in the "comfort zone"? Do we realize He's beckoning us to a deeper place inside? I don't know about you, but i want to be face to face with my Dad every moment of every day... living in His presence, breathing the same air, hearing his whispers, and feeling His embrace.
Every time i read about the shining face of Moses I can't help but think of my grandma (who's name just so happens to be Glo). Just like Moses... she craves this intimacy with the Lord, and dedicates her life to knowing Him. Ever since i've known her she's prayed every single day for each member of the family by name, the sick, poor, hurt of the world... and on very rare occasion when i have them- my boyfriends too. Haha. Seriously though, I've never seen a woman so full of joy. She sings worship and praise everywhere she goes, and i swear she does have a certain glow about her.
Nutrition/Exercise: As far as nutrition goes, i'm still doing the shakes... taking the supplements and eating pretty healthy. On the weekends I tend to be a little bit more relaxed about it allowing myself a little light snack here and there. Usually chocolate :) This morning I only got a half hour in of p90x yoga, but it was still good! The key for the weekend is REST!
Challenge: Be praying about what things you can cut out in order to have more time to enter the throne room, the Holy of Holies... to be right at his feet. It's amazing that we can actually experience this on earth, and without a building like the Israelites had! We find Him in our own hearts!!! If Silence/meditation is hard for you, I like to put on some peaceful worship music and just lay on the floor. When i close my eyes I picture myself walking through the gates of heaven, down the streets of gold, until i see Him face to face. Are you sitting at His feet? In His lap? Dancing before Him? Bowing? Crying? Rejoicing? I find this intimate place so fulfilling! Here, there is no counterfeit-only the REAL thing! My recommendation is the song "Cielo" by Phil Wickham. I couldn't think of a better place to rest, than right there in His Holy presence.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
(day six) H2O
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." Winston Churchill
As I've been reading through the word this time around, I keep asking for the Lord to give me true revelation in each book and to help me identify with the characters of the story so i can make some connections with who we are called to be, how much we are loved, and how we should be living our lives. So the past few days I've been thinking a lot about Moses. I noticed how water always seemed to be in the picture when Moses was around. I mean, his name even means "I drew him out of the water", for crying out loud! So whether it's water into blood, bitter water sweet, water splitting, or coming out of a rock... he was present and involved in the show. Today i found myself surrounded by bodies of water all day long. I had the amazing pleasure of spending time with my sis and dad at the river today. I kayaked (which took the place of my p90x today), they fished and we read (as much as we could with all the drunk hillbillies hoopin and hollerin in the background). And although there were several distractions from the beauty, it still shined through and i was a happy girl. The more the drunk rednecks (whom God loves, and so do i) acted up and seemed quite careless of their surroundings, the more they reminded me of the israelites. And the more i began to see myself in them a lot of times... consumed with "my stuff", careless of surroundings, tired of not seeing "results".... etc. How often do we do this? How often do we stay enslaved to "our stuff" because it's familiar and we'd rather live and die there, than risk our lives or sacrifice something for freedom? Is it worth it to you? Do we VALUE freedom in every area of our life like we should???
B90: (Exodus 13 – Exodus 25:40) Yea, so the Israelites seemed a little fickle if you ask me, but all day long my sister and i were wondering if we'd do the same thing. We sure hoped not, but sometimes you have to walk through that wonder to see the depths of your own heart revealed. I love what Moses says to the people in Ch 14 vs 13 "Fear not, stand firm, see salvation of the Lord, who will work for you today." So, basically all you have to do people is trust, stand, and see. Sounds simple... but it wasn't that easy for them.
Another thing I loved to highlight is the fact they followed a cloud by day and pillar by night. My pastor once said he wondered if just about the time they were ready to put in the pool and settle down with payments and such, God was ready to move. I started laughing... because our culture sets us up to be "settled" rather than "mobile" and free to go where He wants us. Don't get me wrong, sometimes we are called to be somewhere for awhile if not forever... but there are several questions to ask ourselves. Does our stuff, debt, payments determine our answer to the Lord if He says go? Could we be enslaved to those things in some way? Do we still see our lives in that place as a mission for the Lord, to love and serve all those around us and giving sacrificially? What if everyone in our neighborhood was saved? Would we move to a different neighborhood? What about city? If we gave away everything (which i'm not suggesting you should) could we trust he'd provide for our basic needs? Are there ways in which we could live below our means to help others more? These are all questions to get us thinking hopefully in a healthy WHOLE way.
XTRA BONUS!!!! I still can't imagine what it would've been like to be in Moses's sandals for a day, but physically I can understand a tiny bit. A few years ago, when i was in Sinai, my YWAM team decided to climb Mt. Sinai. Let me just tell you, nothing about this task is easy... and Moses wasn't exactly the youngest cracker jack in the box. In the climb alone, I went from an emotional high... to wanting the Lord to take me right then and there. We got to the top in just enough time to find front row seats to the most amazing artist painting the most unbelievable morning scene i've ever seen! Hundreds of people watched our God at work as my team's worship echoed off the mountain tops. As we descended and my weaknesses were again highlighted, it began to hit me... I wasn't pushing my 100's and I definitely wasn't carrying two ginormous stone tablets down the strenuous trail. Oh, and there probably wasn't a trail in his day. Ha. But the YWAM experience I was living out there and the sunrise i had just witnessed were only a twig on the burning bush scale of hearing God speak and seeing Him move. Now approaching bottom, i began to see how "normal" was now just plain ole gross. I wanted to be back with Him in that moment where everything seemed so pure, perfect, blissful and serene.
As my day drew to a close, I spotted a new song released by a guy i know named Brady Toops. The name of the song, believe it or not, is called "The Song of Moses". I listened and wept, as it concluded my day perfectly. He said he would LOVE for me to share it with you!!! So here you go...
Friday, June 24, 2011
(day five) wondering wanderers
One can't deny that we live in a consumer driven society. Today I was browsing through the "self-sustainable" section in barnes & noble, picked out a few books i thought looked interesting (i totally judge books by their cover by the way), and plopped down in one of those comfy chairs to take a little peek. In a book called "planet home", the author laid out 7 principles for conscious living (which i'll post at the end). The 3rd one down, "acquire less stuff", really caught my attention. One, because just yesterday we were talking about simplifying and two... because of what came next.
Take it for what it's worth to you, but He went on to say... "prior to WWII the U.S. was a culture of reuse, recycle, and restraint. But after the war, huge factories suddenly had nothing to make. Our gov't created a national strategy and built our whole economy around consumerism. If the stuff we buy is global, not local, there is an elaborate system needed to extract, process, and transport". Not only this, but there is so much of an issue with child labor, unfair wages, harsh conditions, and other types of slavery. If something is cheap, someone paid the price for it. It's so important for us to choose quality over quantity these days, especially if the value and worth of someone's life is at stake... or the resources of the God's beautiful world. We must acquire less, give away more, and seek relationships and community instead. Of course we all have that choice to make, and we can choose to keep up with the Jones's. But then our life becomes empty, unfulfilled, and expensive for many.
Exercise (p90): We want results we can see. Don't we? If I don't see that those people on the video look like i want to look, i wouldn't do it. It's easier for me to exercise and eat healthy because i know how it's helping my body, even if i don't see it immediately on the outside. My dad on the other hand needs more evidence than i do. Since i've started combining P90x and the Vi-protein shake... i'm already starting to notice a difference in my body and it's only been 5 days!!! If you'd like to try doing that at any point please let me know!!! I want to help everyone feel their best!
Then i started thinking about being a missionary. Unfortunately, for years we've had this silent expectation hanging over our heads to bring home stories of hundreds saved, thousands healed, and many rescued. Like our consumer driven culture we live in, we want to SEE results and see them now before we are willing to "invest" in it. But what if just being there and loving on these people IS doing something inside that we can't see immediately (just like healthy food and exercise)?? What if we have a part in the planting, or the watering... just simply being there because God called us to go?? Let's take it a step even further.... what if you KNEW that no one would be saved or healed or rescued on a mission, would you still go?? Might be hard to answer that question, but it will send you down an inquisitive path that will always lead you to His arms.
A compelling story comes to mind of when I was in northern India a few years back. My ywam team was staying in a little remote village with a tiny church. Not many knew who Jesus even was. I found this cute old lady that would come every day who was blind. One night as we were worshiping, I saw her sitting in the back and was quickly drawn to her. I sat by her for the next few hours holding her hand, singing, and praying for her. She held on with such a tight grip. More than anything i wanted to see this woman healed of her blindness, but i felt God softly say, "I am doing something in her heart right now that you do not see, what I'm doing inside is so much greater than what i could easily do on the outside". With tears streaming down my cheeks that she would never see, I knew without a doubt there was no where in the world i was supposed to be than right then right there with this woman.
B90: (Genesis 50- Exodus 12:51) Now, imagine what it would've been like for Moses. Geez. I mean, this man was capital O L D yet he was fed up with the injustice of slavery and took action hand in hand with God! No one can EVER say they are too old to do something in my presence... I might give them a friendly scold and suggest to read Exodus one more time :) Haha. But seriously, God told Him He was going to harden Pharaoh's heart and He STILL kept obeying the Lord. Talk about trust! Speaking of not seeing results, can you imagine all that wandering and wondering without seeing the promises fulfilled??? Wow. I surely have absolutely no room ever to complain.
What if we started "investing" in what God is doing around the world without an agenda or a big plan or expectations of any kind. We just supported, loved, served, and spoke truth with the character of God wherever we found ourselves or traveled to. What if we lived with an awareness of the slavery in the world (that we can't see), and decided to do something about it... because He says so. God loves ALL the people in the world... not just Americans, and not just Christians. What if we loved like that? What if we lived like that?
The 7 Interconnected Principles of Conscious Living By:Jeffery Hollendel
1- Think Holistically
2- Live by the Precautionary Principle (taking other people's lives into account)
3- Acquire less stuff
4- Think long term, not short term
5- Think "we", not "me"
6- Don't confuse "less bad" with "good"
7- Get active
* This is one man's research and opinion... I challenge you to make your own. I agree with some of those points but I believe God is the center of it all. How will you start living differently?
Take it for what it's worth to you, but He went on to say... "prior to WWII the U.S. was a culture of reuse, recycle, and restraint. But after the war, huge factories suddenly had nothing to make. Our gov't created a national strategy and built our whole economy around consumerism. If the stuff we buy is global, not local, there is an elaborate system needed to extract, process, and transport". Not only this, but there is so much of an issue with child labor, unfair wages, harsh conditions, and other types of slavery. If something is cheap, someone paid the price for it. It's so important for us to choose quality over quantity these days, especially if the value and worth of someone's life is at stake... or the resources of the God's beautiful world. We must acquire less, give away more, and seek relationships and community instead. Of course we all have that choice to make, and we can choose to keep up with the Jones's. But then our life becomes empty, unfulfilled, and expensive for many.
Exercise (p90): We want results we can see. Don't we? If I don't see that those people on the video look like i want to look, i wouldn't do it. It's easier for me to exercise and eat healthy because i know how it's helping my body, even if i don't see it immediately on the outside. My dad on the other hand needs more evidence than i do. Since i've started combining P90x and the Vi-protein shake... i'm already starting to notice a difference in my body and it's only been 5 days!!! If you'd like to try doing that at any point please let me know!!! I want to help everyone feel their best!
Then i started thinking about being a missionary. Unfortunately, for years we've had this silent expectation hanging over our heads to bring home stories of hundreds saved, thousands healed, and many rescued. Like our consumer driven culture we live in, we want to SEE results and see them now before we are willing to "invest" in it. But what if just being there and loving on these people IS doing something inside that we can't see immediately (just like healthy food and exercise)?? What if we have a part in the planting, or the watering... just simply being there because God called us to go?? Let's take it a step even further.... what if you KNEW that no one would be saved or healed or rescued on a mission, would you still go?? Might be hard to answer that question, but it will send you down an inquisitive path that will always lead you to His arms.
A compelling story comes to mind of when I was in northern India a few years back. My ywam team was staying in a little remote village with a tiny church. Not many knew who Jesus even was. I found this cute old lady that would come every day who was blind. One night as we were worshiping, I saw her sitting in the back and was quickly drawn to her. I sat by her for the next few hours holding her hand, singing, and praying for her. She held on with such a tight grip. More than anything i wanted to see this woman healed of her blindness, but i felt God softly say, "I am doing something in her heart right now that you do not see, what I'm doing inside is so much greater than what i could easily do on the outside". With tears streaming down my cheeks that she would never see, I knew without a doubt there was no where in the world i was supposed to be than right then right there with this woman.
B90: (Genesis 50- Exodus 12:51) Now, imagine what it would've been like for Moses. Geez. I mean, this man was capital O L D yet he was fed up with the injustice of slavery and took action hand in hand with God! No one can EVER say they are too old to do something in my presence... I might give them a friendly scold and suggest to read Exodus one more time :) Haha. But seriously, God told Him He was going to harden Pharaoh's heart and He STILL kept obeying the Lord. Talk about trust! Speaking of not seeing results, can you imagine all that wandering and wondering without seeing the promises fulfilled??? Wow. I surely have absolutely no room ever to complain.
What if we started "investing" in what God is doing around the world without an agenda or a big plan or expectations of any kind. We just supported, loved, served, and spoke truth with the character of God wherever we found ourselves or traveled to. What if we lived with an awareness of the slavery in the world (that we can't see), and decided to do something about it... because He says so. God loves ALL the people in the world... not just Americans, and not just Christians. What if we loved like that? What if we lived like that?
The 7 Interconnected Principles of Conscious Living By:Jeffery Hollendel
1- Think Holistically
2- Live by the Precautionary Principle (taking other people's lives into account)
3- Acquire less stuff
4- Think long term, not short term
5- Think "we", not "me"
6- Don't confuse "less bad" with "good"
7- Get active
* This is one man's research and opinion... I challenge you to make your own. I agree with some of those points but I believe God is the center of it all. How will you start living differently?
Thursday, June 23, 2011
(day four) provision vision
I think the hardest thing about the 90 day challenge thing is going to be blogging everyday, especially when i don't feel like doing it. Right now is one of those moments. I must press forward!!! Not only does it help me see what God's doing inside, but i pray that all of you reading are encouraged by what He's doing in you!
Provision: the act of supplying. If the word "provider" is part of God's character, then it's not just WHAT He does but WHO He is. He can not NOT provide. If He couldn't supply our needs, the He isn't God. Now, we shouldn't confuse our basic needs with things we "think" we need because of our lifestyle choice. I know many people who have a hard time trusting God will provide for their lavish lifestyle, and others who have no choice but to trust God for enough food to simply survive. Seems a bit backwards at times... nevertheless, it's always a choice to trust or not to trust (and that IS the question He asks). We have the opportunity to trust in every moment, in every breath.
"If the Lord fails me at this time, it will be the first time."
George Mueller
What if something shifted in us... what if we began to see the world the way God does, with His vision? You see, we live in an upside down kingdom where everything is quite opposite of the earthly view. I love to sit back and watch when people make room for God to move in their life by giving sacrificially. So not just the ordinary tithe, but beyond their own needs for someone elses. God never fails, and usually He rocks your face off in the blessing! I've found it's much more adventurous and exciting to give and then receive from the hands of God, rather than just keeping and providing for myself. But it does take trust, and lots of it!
B90: (Genesis 38:15- 49:33) Joseph set a great example of waiting on the Lord for provision. Many hardships he endured over the years as he was separated by his loved ones. Even by his own "loved ones". He was deserted, sold, falsely accused, forgotten, and imprisoned. Through it all He waited patiently for his needs to be met. Also, many times He could have praised himself for what he'd done or his fantastic ability to interpret dreams, or for his incredible ideas, or charming personality. But it was God's hand that exalted Him up, i truly believe mostly because his humble heart. The part where I lose it every time is when he sees his brothers, then benjamin, then his dad and bawls. It's almost like i'm there and can feel all of their emotions. He didn't even blame his brothers for what they had done! Amazing. On top of that he gave them all everything they ever needed. Something happens when our needs are exposed. We then have a choice to make. Do we worry, fear the worst, analyze the situation to death, ask for advice? Or do we actively trust and patiently wait.... for His best for us.
p90x: Didn't get up at 630, but 730 today... :( Instead i did my own improv workout during a movie with my mom. It worked.
nutrition: Still doing the same old thing... nothin new. Although, i did enjoy some vegetables at cracker barrel tonight celebrating my grandparents 64th anniversary! Yay for them!
CHALLENGE: I thought a fun way to make some room for God to move, would be to physically make some room. Whether that's in your car, house, office... whatever spaces you invade with your stuff. As I've been going from house to house with my dad doing some work, I see how much we consume and in some cases hoard really. How cool would it be if we FINALLY went through the stuff and just started making a pile. Then... we could take that pile and give it away to people in need! Or... have a garage sale and give the money away! Make sure you recycle the leftovers :) Every time i simplify my life i feel like i have more head space to think, hear, listen and learn. Also, it's part of becoming WHOLE. We can't be so attached that then our stuff ends up controlling us, right? FREEEEEEEEEEEDOM!!!! I'm feeling it folks!
XTRA BONUS: (and very cool provision story) So, i really wanted a scooter to drive this summer to have a way to save on gas, help the environment, and well...to look cool. hahaha. I found the cutest one i've ever seen and it was only $500! Well, my friend (Sara) and i were gonna split and share, took it for a test drive and fell in love with it! Later, as i was talkin with pops, he told me i shouldn't get it bc i have other financial responsibilities right now- which i do. And as much as i wanted it... i agreed with him. I started working with him to pay off some of what i owe him and just began asking God for a scooter. I knew it wasn't a NEED by any means, but i still asked because i know God is creative and likes to bless his kidos. The day I told the guy i couldn't get it, i was talking with a friend who asked where she could buy a scooter for her cafe deliveries. I just so happened to know of one and an available driver!!! Cool huh? It gets better! So an hour later I'm talking to another friend and she tells me she's about to leave town and said i could borrow her scooter while she's gone!!! Craziness. So, right now i'm driving a scooter at no cost and feel waaaaay more blessed than i wouldve if i had just bought it.... plus it saved me quite a bit of money and my whole family was changed :) God is so good.
Provision: the act of supplying. If the word "provider" is part of God's character, then it's not just WHAT He does but WHO He is. He can not NOT provide. If He couldn't supply our needs, the He isn't God. Now, we shouldn't confuse our basic needs with things we "think" we need because of our lifestyle choice. I know many people who have a hard time trusting God will provide for their lavish lifestyle, and others who have no choice but to trust God for enough food to simply survive. Seems a bit backwards at times... nevertheless, it's always a choice to trust or not to trust (and that IS the question He asks). We have the opportunity to trust in every moment, in every breath.
"If the Lord fails me at this time, it will be the first time."
George Mueller
What if something shifted in us... what if we began to see the world the way God does, with His vision? You see, we live in an upside down kingdom where everything is quite opposite of the earthly view. I love to sit back and watch when people make room for God to move in their life by giving sacrificially. So not just the ordinary tithe, but beyond their own needs for someone elses. God never fails, and usually He rocks your face off in the blessing! I've found it's much more adventurous and exciting to give and then receive from the hands of God, rather than just keeping and providing for myself. But it does take trust, and lots of it!
B90: (Genesis 38:15- 49:33) Joseph set a great example of waiting on the Lord for provision. Many hardships he endured over the years as he was separated by his loved ones. Even by his own "loved ones". He was deserted, sold, falsely accused, forgotten, and imprisoned. Through it all He waited patiently for his needs to be met. Also, many times He could have praised himself for what he'd done or his fantastic ability to interpret dreams, or for his incredible ideas, or charming personality. But it was God's hand that exalted Him up, i truly believe mostly because his humble heart. The part where I lose it every time is when he sees his brothers, then benjamin, then his dad and bawls. It's almost like i'm there and can feel all of their emotions. He didn't even blame his brothers for what they had done! Amazing. On top of that he gave them all everything they ever needed. Something happens when our needs are exposed. We then have a choice to make. Do we worry, fear the worst, analyze the situation to death, ask for advice? Or do we actively trust and patiently wait.... for His best for us.
p90x: Didn't get up at 630, but 730 today... :( Instead i did my own improv workout during a movie with my mom. It worked.
nutrition: Still doing the same old thing... nothin new. Although, i did enjoy some vegetables at cracker barrel tonight celebrating my grandparents 64th anniversary! Yay for them!
CHALLENGE: I thought a fun way to make some room for God to move, would be to physically make some room. Whether that's in your car, house, office... whatever spaces you invade with your stuff. As I've been going from house to house with my dad doing some work, I see how much we consume and in some cases hoard really. How cool would it be if we FINALLY went through the stuff and just started making a pile. Then... we could take that pile and give it away to people in need! Or... have a garage sale and give the money away! Make sure you recycle the leftovers :) Every time i simplify my life i feel like i have more head space to think, hear, listen and learn. Also, it's part of becoming WHOLE. We can't be so attached that then our stuff ends up controlling us, right? FREEEEEEEEEEEDOM!!!! I'm feeling it folks!
XTRA BONUS: (and very cool provision story) So, i really wanted a scooter to drive this summer to have a way to save on gas, help the environment, and well...to look cool. hahaha. I found the cutest one i've ever seen and it was only $500! Well, my friend (Sara) and i were gonna split and share, took it for a test drive and fell in love with it! Later, as i was talkin with pops, he told me i shouldn't get it bc i have other financial responsibilities right now- which i do. And as much as i wanted it... i agreed with him. I started working with him to pay off some of what i owe him and just began asking God for a scooter. I knew it wasn't a NEED by any means, but i still asked because i know God is creative and likes to bless his kidos. The day I told the guy i couldn't get it, i was talking with a friend who asked where she could buy a scooter for her cafe deliveries. I just so happened to know of one and an available driver!!! Cool huh? It gets better! So an hour later I'm talking to another friend and she tells me she's about to leave town and said i could borrow her scooter while she's gone!!! Craziness. So, right now i'm driving a scooter at no cost and feel waaaaay more blessed than i wouldve if i had just bought it.... plus it saved me quite a bit of money and my whole family was changed :) God is so good.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
(day three) sweet dreams
As if i didn't have enough things to do for 90 days, I've decided to add "making my bed" to the list. It's funny how this might be the most challenging, probably because it's a mental thing. Even more so the reason I should do it, because this is about WHOLENESS... and the mental is a part of that too. I'm terribly sorry if you are one of the ones i used to make fun of because I've always thought it's absolutely ridiculous to make your bed- ESPECIALLY if you were the only one who was going to see it- ESPECIALLY if you have a lot of little silly pillows that have to be organized a certain way. One of my mom's only parental failures was probably me not choosing to make my bed as an adult after all those years of being forced to. Sorry mom. But something happened the other day (I don't know... maybe it was the whole "integrity" talk), I woke up and felt like i should make my bed for 90 days (if not more) and to my surprise i agreed. I must confess though, today i did a pretty shotty job... but eagerly looking forward to 87 more days of potential improvement :)(Can't you tell?) It's looking mighty inviting right about now.
Speaking of confessions...I haven't been getting enough rest (partially due to this blog- which i'm thoroughly enjoying) and last night i tried to avoid the cheese dip in the fridge and failed miserably. Still holding strong to my sugar fast... if that healthy protein bar doesn't count :) It's fairly easy to see that i'm not perfect... but i'm also not going to wait a second beating myself up about any of that- and I hope you wouldn't either. I am going to go full steam ahead, keep thinking positive and worshiping the Lord in EVERYTHING that I do and say. Bill Johnson would say the sin is actually living in the past, because He's already covered us for that. I choose to run to Him, fall at His feet, and simply spend time in His presence with Him.... it's the sweetest place to be. But we have to choose... even when we don't feel like it. And we DO have a choice. We must try and avoid justifying our neglect of the truth at all costs. We do have a right to be a son or daughter of the King living a life free from the slavery of sin. We must honor God's desire for us which is for our good.
p90x: Enjoyed another day of workout (legs and back) with my beautiful friend Steph! I still can't believe i'm getting up at 6:30.... so weird. Ok, my bed is looking more enticing by the second.
B90: (Genesis 27- 38:14) A few things stood out to me today, but i'm still REALLY interested to hear what you are learning. I love to learn from others perspective! I'm kind of on this "dream theme" at the moment, so let's go with that. One of the things i love about Jacob's dream is where God said, "For i will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." (28:15) Reassurance that He WILL NOT leave us and that He will follow through with His promises. So many of our thoughts tend to be wasted on "wondering" if God is there or if He's really who He says He is, when it's already confirmed in His word and all we have to do is walk out our belief. If we're having a hard time believing, we walk out in faith... until we believe. But He deserves the up-most honor... even in our question asking. Careful to not let our "wondering" become "wandering", but desire the safety of His embrace. It seems as though, when Jacob makes his vow starting in verse 20, that He is- at this point- captivated by the Lord's heart for him and is truly seeing God for who He is for the first time.
The following chapters seem to be a little bit more difficult to understand. For some reason today though, instead of seeing Leah and Rachel as people... I suddenly saw them as symbols that represented how we- as God's kids- can act at times. They had their moments of playing victim, pouting, feeling hated, striving for attention, doing things to win affection, being selfish and spoiled, living by rules rather than letting love rule... but also moments of clarity where grace and love was realized and accepted. We are all guilty of some of these things, nevertheless it is all part of the journey and thankfully He doesn't love us any less because of our bad judgment. Breaks my heart even more when i realize how many times i've broken God's heart over the years... how much grace He's given me despite my stupidity... and how many times He's misunderstood in this world- by christians and non-christians alike.
Speaking of dreams (please excuse the rough transition :)... that Joseph is sure a dreamer hey? They may not have been always sweet, but they were surely colorful! It's very interesting how Joseph's dreams got him into the deepest pits- literally, and the highest of positions. The thing i loved about this guy was that He never stopped dreaming! There is so much more to chew on here, but alas I am sleeeeeeeepy and ready to DREAM. hahaha.
CHALLENGE OF THE DAY: Be thinking about your dreams. Things that God has planted in your heart that you now have an opportunity to dig up again and revive! I truly believe that He has given you all of those for a reason...I mean as we can see He is the author and giver of all good things. Take those dreams and at least write them down. Don't let any negative thoughts or doubts enter your mind... and start to think of all the possibilities. He loves to fulfill our desires and for us to create with Him!!! Dream BIG, dream together :)
XTRA BONUS: Yesterday in the xtra bonus i talked a little bit about mt moriah and the symbolism of story of Abraham taking Isaac up for a sacrifice and the possible foreshadowing to the crucifixion. Well, today as I was reading chapter 29: 7-8 I wondered if that might also be a foreshadowing of the resurrection? Or possibly just symbolism about the church? Just a thought/question... read it and let me know what you think.
Goodnight and sweet dreams to all.
Speaking of confessions...I haven't been getting enough rest (partially due to this blog- which i'm thoroughly enjoying) and last night i tried to avoid the cheese dip in the fridge and failed miserably. Still holding strong to my sugar fast... if that healthy protein bar doesn't count :) It's fairly easy to see that i'm not perfect... but i'm also not going to wait a second beating myself up about any of that- and I hope you wouldn't either. I am going to go full steam ahead, keep thinking positive and worshiping the Lord in EVERYTHING that I do and say. Bill Johnson would say the sin is actually living in the past, because He's already covered us for that. I choose to run to Him, fall at His feet, and simply spend time in His presence with Him.... it's the sweetest place to be. But we have to choose... even when we don't feel like it. And we DO have a choice. We must try and avoid justifying our neglect of the truth at all costs. We do have a right to be a son or daughter of the King living a life free from the slavery of sin. We must honor God's desire for us which is for our good.
p90x: Enjoyed another day of workout (legs and back) with my beautiful friend Steph! I still can't believe i'm getting up at 6:30.... so weird. Ok, my bed is looking more enticing by the second.
B90: (Genesis 27- 38:14) A few things stood out to me today, but i'm still REALLY interested to hear what you are learning. I love to learn from others perspective! I'm kind of on this "dream theme" at the moment, so let's go with that. One of the things i love about Jacob's dream is where God said, "For i will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." (28:15) Reassurance that He WILL NOT leave us and that He will follow through with His promises. So many of our thoughts tend to be wasted on "wondering" if God is there or if He's really who He says He is, when it's already confirmed in His word and all we have to do is walk out our belief. If we're having a hard time believing, we walk out in faith... until we believe. But He deserves the up-most honor... even in our question asking. Careful to not let our "wondering" become "wandering", but desire the safety of His embrace. It seems as though, when Jacob makes his vow starting in verse 20, that He is- at this point- captivated by the Lord's heart for him and is truly seeing God for who He is for the first time.
The following chapters seem to be a little bit more difficult to understand. For some reason today though, instead of seeing Leah and Rachel as people... I suddenly saw them as symbols that represented how we- as God's kids- can act at times. They had their moments of playing victim, pouting, feeling hated, striving for attention, doing things to win affection, being selfish and spoiled, living by rules rather than letting love rule... but also moments of clarity where grace and love was realized and accepted. We are all guilty of some of these things, nevertheless it is all part of the journey and thankfully He doesn't love us any less because of our bad judgment. Breaks my heart even more when i realize how many times i've broken God's heart over the years... how much grace He's given me despite my stupidity... and how many times He's misunderstood in this world- by christians and non-christians alike.
Speaking of dreams (please excuse the rough transition :)... that Joseph is sure a dreamer hey? They may not have been always sweet, but they were surely colorful! It's very interesting how Joseph's dreams got him into the deepest pits- literally, and the highest of positions. The thing i loved about this guy was that He never stopped dreaming! There is so much more to chew on here, but alas I am sleeeeeeeepy and ready to DREAM. hahaha.
CHALLENGE OF THE DAY: Be thinking about your dreams. Things that God has planted in your heart that you now have an opportunity to dig up again and revive! I truly believe that He has given you all of those for a reason...I mean as we can see He is the author and giver of all good things. Take those dreams and at least write them down. Don't let any negative thoughts or doubts enter your mind... and start to think of all the possibilities. He loves to fulfill our desires and for us to create with Him!!! Dream BIG, dream together :)
XTRA BONUS: Yesterday in the xtra bonus i talked a little bit about mt moriah and the symbolism of story of Abraham taking Isaac up for a sacrifice and the possible foreshadowing to the crucifixion. Well, today as I was reading chapter 29: 7-8 I wondered if that might also be a foreshadowing of the resurrection? Or possibly just symbolism about the church? Just a thought/question... read it and let me know what you think.
Goodnight and sweet dreams to all.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
(day two) Setting Intentions...
I've been doing a lot of yoga lately. I find it helps me slow down, relax, be silent. I feel as though i'm beginning to live the words of truth "Be still and know that i am God." This seems so hard for us to do, especially in our over-booked society. One of the first things we do in class is "set our intention" and pick a word to bring us back to the moment if our mind begins to wander off into never never land. I love this!! I think i need this everyday! To be intentional is to be purposeful and one definition even says "pointing beyond itself". If our intention is set on Him during this journey, we shall surely find more of Him and more of ourselves - in HIM.
My specific word for the intention of the yoga class has been "integrity." It just keeps popping up in my head and now i can't get away from it!!! Last night as my mom and i were watching "Food, Inc.", one of the farmers was talking about how most farming is corporate now and many have lost integrity. The more dishonest it has become, the more unhealthy our food is and now we are beginning to pay the price. This organic farmer said that his goal to see people healthy would never be compromised by a need for more money. This made me think even more about the domino effect of justification. Sometimes we can justify things so easily without understanding or caring about the long-term effects. Not only this, but we don't even think about what God might think. It mostly comes down to trusting that He will provide for us what we need.
B90: (Genesis 14-26:35 )
Today, I even read about integrity as Abram and Sarah chose, several times, to come up with their own solution rather than waiting on God's best. So not only did they not trust, but they sinned out of their impatience and justified it as an "honorable" thing. I love how God continues to pursue their hearts which ends up in quite a redeemable story. Sarah ends up bearing a child after all! And...If you read Chapter 22 carefully you see that Abraham knew God was going to pull through when He's asked to sacrifice His only son (sound familiar? read the "xtra bonus" at the bottom)... He even tells his men that they will be back and tells his son that God is providing a lamb. Over the years i just assumed that Abraham was lying so that Isaac would keep walking. I saw a God that might ask me to do something awful if I gave my life to Him. But looking deeper, it's as though Abraham was completely calm. Another interesting is that it doesn't mention anything about Isaac trying to squirm off the alter, scream out for help or run away. He trusted His Father and His Father's Father. We will always have "opportunities" to lie, cheat, worry, fear, panic, run away and distrust. And most of this can be easily justified. But as our journey moves on... and we grow through our failures and mistakes... we then have the opportunity to trust Him. If we trust Him and see His heart for us then integrity comes almost natural. If we fall we understand His grace, we get up and RUN to Him WHOLE-heartedly. But if we loose sight of who He really is and how much He loves us, then it becomes a chore to try and "do the right thing"... and when we fall it's easier just to stay down, give up, and be defeated. Even so... He STILL pursues our hearts and is not intimidated by our journey.
P90: Loved the little 15 min ab workout and finished off my day with hot yoga downtown jonesboro... I'm really loving that community I have there and seeing God begin to work powerfully in peoples lives!! Exercise is another way to develop relationships with people and show them the love of Christ!
Nutrition: All day long I constantly found my flesh creepin up on me. There were many times i almost justified something that I said i wouldn't eat during this time. I wanted to cheat so badly and it's only the second day! Oh my goodness. Thankfully, this word "integrity" keeps coming back up, refocusing me, and re-setting my intention.
XTRA BONUS: Alright, this is a cool little story I learned about last time I was in Israel... thought you might enjoy it! Apparently Golgotha, where Jesus (God's only son) was crucified, used to be attached to Mt. Moriah where Isaac (Abraham's only son) was to be sacrificed before God provided the lamb. Isaac carried the wood for the sacrifice and so did Jesus. Isaac had to trust in His father and so did Jesus. The similarities continue, but it's interesting how God was almost providing a moment of foreshadow to what was to come. During Abraham's hard journey up the mount, He had no choice but to trust God... and God provided a ram. Wherever we are in this world we are making that same journey in a way, with opportunities to justify our reasons to walk back down and turn our back on our pursuer. But the whole time, He was providing the innocent lamb for us... that sacrifice that would've/should've been us, was now Himself. It's also pretty important to note that Abraham named that mountain "The Lord will provide". That He did.
My specific word for the intention of the yoga class has been "integrity." It just keeps popping up in my head and now i can't get away from it!!! Last night as my mom and i were watching "Food, Inc.", one of the farmers was talking about how most farming is corporate now and many have lost integrity. The more dishonest it has become, the more unhealthy our food is and now we are beginning to pay the price. This organic farmer said that his goal to see people healthy would never be compromised by a need for more money. This made me think even more about the domino effect of justification. Sometimes we can justify things so easily without understanding or caring about the long-term effects. Not only this, but we don't even think about what God might think. It mostly comes down to trusting that He will provide for us what we need.
B90: (Genesis 14-26:35 )
Today, I even read about integrity as Abram and Sarah chose, several times, to come up with their own solution rather than waiting on God's best. So not only did they not trust, but they sinned out of their impatience and justified it as an "honorable" thing. I love how God continues to pursue their hearts which ends up in quite a redeemable story. Sarah ends up bearing a child after all! And...If you read Chapter 22 carefully you see that Abraham knew God was going to pull through when He's asked to sacrifice His only son (sound familiar? read the "xtra bonus" at the bottom)... He even tells his men that they will be back and tells his son that God is providing a lamb. Over the years i just assumed that Abraham was lying so that Isaac would keep walking. I saw a God that might ask me to do something awful if I gave my life to Him. But looking deeper, it's as though Abraham was completely calm. Another interesting is that it doesn't mention anything about Isaac trying to squirm off the alter, scream out for help or run away. He trusted His Father and His Father's Father. We will always have "opportunities" to lie, cheat, worry, fear, panic, run away and distrust. And most of this can be easily justified. But as our journey moves on... and we grow through our failures and mistakes... we then have the opportunity to trust Him. If we trust Him and see His heart for us then integrity comes almost natural. If we fall we understand His grace, we get up and RUN to Him WHOLE-heartedly. But if we loose sight of who He really is and how much He loves us, then it becomes a chore to try and "do the right thing"... and when we fall it's easier just to stay down, give up, and be defeated. Even so... He STILL pursues our hearts and is not intimidated by our journey.
P90: Loved the little 15 min ab workout and finished off my day with hot yoga downtown jonesboro... I'm really loving that community I have there and seeing God begin to work powerfully in peoples lives!! Exercise is another way to develop relationships with people and show them the love of Christ!
Nutrition: All day long I constantly found my flesh creepin up on me. There were many times i almost justified something that I said i wouldn't eat during this time. I wanted to cheat so badly and it's only the second day! Oh my goodness. Thankfully, this word "integrity" keeps coming back up, refocusing me, and re-setting my intention.
XTRA BONUS: Alright, this is a cool little story I learned about last time I was in Israel... thought you might enjoy it! Apparently Golgotha, where Jesus (God's only son) was crucified, used to be attached to Mt. Moriah where Isaac (Abraham's only son) was to be sacrificed before God provided the lamb. Isaac carried the wood for the sacrifice and so did Jesus. Isaac had to trust in His father and so did Jesus. The similarities continue, but it's interesting how God was almost providing a moment of foreshadow to what was to come. During Abraham's hard journey up the mount, He had no choice but to trust God... and God provided a ram. Wherever we are in this world we are making that same journey in a way, with opportunities to justify our reasons to walk back down and turn our back on our pursuer. But the whole time, He was providing the innocent lamb for us... that sacrifice that would've/should've been us, was now Himself. It's also pretty important to note that Abraham named that mountain "The Lord will provide". That He did.
Monday, June 20, 2011
(day one) Creation and insulation.
I hope your first day was full of challenge, drive, motivation, encouragement, peace, love, fulfillment, hurdles and grace! It's all about the journey and understanding how to live FULLY and WHOLE in the present moment. God is here now. How are we to think, love, act, receive, serve, give and worship in each and every moment?
A few reminders on this journey:
1- Don't forget who this is all for (it's not even about what we look like, but who He's molding us to be... someone like Him- you are a son/daughter of the KING! You have value, worth and purpose. No matter what- you are LOVED by Him, and i truly believe He will meet you where you are at, which leads me to 2)
2- Willingness (Be willing and open to change, to letting go, to intently listening with no preference on how He will speak or what God asks of you. It may be hard, but
it will be great!)
3- Seeing the WHOLE picture. (Everything works together and strengthens each other. If one part is weak, the system breaks down. Of course there is grace!!! But remember it is just as important what you put in your mind and body as it is how you feed your spirit. Try keeping those thoughts and words positive as well)
4- Look in/Look out (As God begins to move in you, have an open-handed policy. Always be on the lookout for ways to love and serve others with all He's showing you. As you experience a divine love encounter with our Dad, it will be much easier to love everyone else out there with no judgment)
With that said.. I'd like to share a little bit of my journey in hopes that you are encouraged, inspired and blessed as i am by every single one of your stories. (PLEASE keep sharing them!!!)
P90: Got up at 630 AM (are you kidding me?) to work out with my amazing neighbor Steph, and our personal trainer (who likes to talk as you can see) Tony. I'm a little sore, but after all that sweat and laughter it was sure worth the time and effort. It's fine if you're doing something other than p90, it's just an important part of your day to get some sort of physical movement in as part of the WHOLE.
B90: (Genesis 1- 13:18) Today we read about creation and the fall, life and death, corruption and water (lots of water), people living for hundreds and hundreds of years, confusion and callings, separation and community. As much as i'm bumfuzzled by most of it, I'm already beginning to see His pursuit in it all for man's heart. One of the most interesting things that i must point out is something that's recently been brought to my attention (located in Gen 3:22-24). Ok, so Adam and Eve eat the forbidden fruit and God kicks them out of the garden because of their sin. Believe it or not... this is the story we've always heard (or at least I have). I've never really read into it much, or sought for a different answer. This section right here is where we get a lot of our views on God i believe. I mean, sounds kinda brutal doesn't it? And some of us have even thought... well, they were told and they got what they deserve. Maybe not, but i think i saw more judgment in this move of God than grace and love.... until now. If you take a closer look at vs. 22, God is saying that since He now has been exposed to this good and evil and ate from that tree, He will also eat from the tree of Life and live forever. There is one very enormous problem with this... Adam and Eve would live FOReeeever (ref to sandlot) in this fallen world with fallen bodies. Hmmmmm. This would not be a pretty sight. Has anyone ever seen "Death Becomes Her"? Homework assignment. Good picture of what this might be like. You see.... God knew if He did not banish them and place the cherubim with flaming sword to guard the tree, His creation would be doomed to live hell on earth... for eternity. This was a paradigm shift for me. I began to see God's heart for His creation who so royally screwed up. He's been saving us, forgiving us, and pursuing us from the beginning of time. How often is God misrepresented?? How often are His promises clouded by a misunderstanding on our human part? I pray this begins to shift our mental capacity to understand and receive His love in a revolutionary way today. I pray that we begin to see things through a brand new clean filter created by Him... rather than what we've prescribed ourselves. Let the spiritual detox begin... letting go of notions that undermine God's authority and seeking pure concentrated truth for total fulfillment.
Nutrition: Detox is a good word to describe the beginning stages of this challenge. The more bad eating habits we cut out, and good WHOLE things we put in... the stronger our immunity becomes and the more we can fight those free radicals and toxins out of our system to prevent further damage to our body. If you are a beginner in this area, feel free to email me and ask more questions! If i don't know the answer I have a slew of naturopaths and other well-educated health nuts that i rely on for knowledge as well :) It's not a DIET... it's a lifestyle. This is important to keep in mind especially when you might feel a little overwhelmed. The first week or so will be a little hard if you are taking things out that you might be slightly addicted to. I think it's ok to give yourself a break one day a week... so it doesn't become a legalistic thing, and you see the grace in it all! We are not punishing ourselves here... just trying to develop a God-honoring lifestyle that will help strengthen all parts!
Today I drank my Vi-protein shake for breakfast- YUMMMMY, had a salad and fruit smoothie (with no sugar) for lunch, carrots for snack, and a scrambled egg for dinner with avacado, feta, and olives on a piece of gluten-free bread. Topped it all off with some delicious watermelon! I also make sure and take MAXone, a raw multi-vitamen, my barlean's omega swirl, and pro-biotics. I've found these are all good basics for any body type. (I can give you more info on any of them and show you how to get them for free!!)
All the rest: God has recently been telling me to give Him my FIRSTS. In regards to money, time, relationship, energy... everything. He keeps whispering this and telling me that if i do, He'll provide all the rest. I have about 12,000 or so to raise for next year as a full-time missionary and my instinct would be to work my butt off and get as much as i can towards this. But the other day God simply asked me to work for my dad. I didn't even argue, because i trust that He's going to provide and i'm so excited to see how this time!!! I have no choice to agree, the alternative is to worry myself to death and that's not very healthy is it? Today was such a special day with my dad... although i could've done without the insulation that's now stuck to my throat and lungs. This afternoon I got to spend some more time with my beautiful twin nieces and sis... and tonight got to watch food, inc. with my mom. This should be another homework assignment, GREAT documentary! A day packed full of blessings and lessons, i hope yours was fulfilling as well. Sleep tight my friend... see you tomorrow :) lins
A few reminders on this journey:
1- Don't forget who this is all for (it's not even about what we look like, but who He's molding us to be... someone like Him- you are a son/daughter of the KING! You have value, worth and purpose. No matter what- you are LOVED by Him, and i truly believe He will meet you where you are at, which leads me to 2)
2- Willingness (Be willing and open to change, to letting go, to intently listening with no preference on how He will speak or what God asks of you. It may be hard, but
it will be great!)
3- Seeing the WHOLE picture. (Everything works together and strengthens each other. If one part is weak, the system breaks down. Of course there is grace!!! But remember it is just as important what you put in your mind and body as it is how you feed your spirit. Try keeping those thoughts and words positive as well)
4- Look in/Look out (As God begins to move in you, have an open-handed policy. Always be on the lookout for ways to love and serve others with all He's showing you. As you experience a divine love encounter with our Dad, it will be much easier to love everyone else out there with no judgment)
With that said.. I'd like to share a little bit of my journey in hopes that you are encouraged, inspired and blessed as i am by every single one of your stories. (PLEASE keep sharing them!!!)
P90: Got up at 630 AM (are you kidding me?) to work out with my amazing neighbor Steph, and our personal trainer (who likes to talk as you can see) Tony. I'm a little sore, but after all that sweat and laughter it was sure worth the time and effort. It's fine if you're doing something other than p90, it's just an important part of your day to get some sort of physical movement in as part of the WHOLE.
B90: (Genesis 1- 13:18) Today we read about creation and the fall, life and death, corruption and water (lots of water), people living for hundreds and hundreds of years, confusion and callings, separation and community. As much as i'm bumfuzzled by most of it, I'm already beginning to see His pursuit in it all for man's heart. One of the most interesting things that i must point out is something that's recently been brought to my attention (located in Gen 3:22-24). Ok, so Adam and Eve eat the forbidden fruit and God kicks them out of the garden because of their sin. Believe it or not... this is the story we've always heard (or at least I have). I've never really read into it much, or sought for a different answer. This section right here is where we get a lot of our views on God i believe. I mean, sounds kinda brutal doesn't it? And some of us have even thought... well, they were told and they got what they deserve. Maybe not, but i think i saw more judgment in this move of God than grace and love.... until now. If you take a closer look at vs. 22, God is saying that since He now has been exposed to this good and evil and ate from that tree, He will also eat from the tree of Life and live forever. There is one very enormous problem with this... Adam and Eve would live FOReeeever (ref to sandlot) in this fallen world with fallen bodies. Hmmmmm. This would not be a pretty sight. Has anyone ever seen "Death Becomes Her"? Homework assignment. Good picture of what this might be like. You see.... God knew if He did not banish them and place the cherubim with flaming sword to guard the tree, His creation would be doomed to live hell on earth... for eternity. This was a paradigm shift for me. I began to see God's heart for His creation who so royally screwed up. He's been saving us, forgiving us, and pursuing us from the beginning of time. How often is God misrepresented?? How often are His promises clouded by a misunderstanding on our human part? I pray this begins to shift our mental capacity to understand and receive His love in a revolutionary way today. I pray that we begin to see things through a brand new clean filter created by Him... rather than what we've prescribed ourselves. Let the spiritual detox begin... letting go of notions that undermine God's authority and seeking pure concentrated truth for total fulfillment.
Nutrition: Detox is a good word to describe the beginning stages of this challenge. The more bad eating habits we cut out, and good WHOLE things we put in... the stronger our immunity becomes and the more we can fight those free radicals and toxins out of our system to prevent further damage to our body. If you are a beginner in this area, feel free to email me and ask more questions! If i don't know the answer I have a slew of naturopaths and other well-educated health nuts that i rely on for knowledge as well :) It's not a DIET... it's a lifestyle. This is important to keep in mind especially when you might feel a little overwhelmed. The first week or so will be a little hard if you are taking things out that you might be slightly addicted to. I think it's ok to give yourself a break one day a week... so it doesn't become a legalistic thing, and you see the grace in it all! We are not punishing ourselves here... just trying to develop a God-honoring lifestyle that will help strengthen all parts!
Today I drank my Vi-protein shake for breakfast- YUMMMMY, had a salad and fruit smoothie (with no sugar) for lunch, carrots for snack, and a scrambled egg for dinner with avacado, feta, and olives on a piece of gluten-free bread. Topped it all off with some delicious watermelon! I also make sure and take MAXone, a raw multi-vitamen, my barlean's omega swirl, and pro-biotics. I've found these are all good basics for any body type. (I can give you more info on any of them and show you how to get them for free!!)
All the rest: God has recently been telling me to give Him my FIRSTS. In regards to money, time, relationship, energy... everything. He keeps whispering this and telling me that if i do, He'll provide all the rest. I have about 12,000 or so to raise for next year as a full-time missionary and my instinct would be to work my butt off and get as much as i can towards this. But the other day God simply asked me to work for my dad. I didn't even argue, because i trust that He's going to provide and i'm so excited to see how this time!!! I have no choice to agree, the alternative is to worry myself to death and that's not very healthy is it? Today was such a special day with my dad... although i could've done without the insulation that's now stuck to my throat and lungs. This afternoon I got to spend some more time with my beautiful twin nieces and sis... and tonight got to watch food, inc. with my mom. This should be another homework assignment, GREAT documentary! A day packed full of blessings and lessons, i hope yours was fulfilling as well. Sleep tight my friend... see you tomorrow :) lins
Sunday, June 19, 2011
lazy bones
The countdown begins... Only a few short hours left until my lazy summer days are over. Don't get me wrong, i will still do everything in my power to enjoy many relaxing moments by the pool... only now i'll be dedicating several hours to physical and spiritual fitness! Up till now I've been doing these things at my leisure, and when i didn't feel like it i just didn't do it. Yes, there will still be grace... but now there is intention and discipline. I'm a little nervous when i look at the whole picture... but excited about results along the journey. I want to give God my all, not just 10%, and see what happens!!! I believe that through this process there will be lots of challenge, but in the same breath: change, growth, breakthrough, emotional health, mental clarity, revelations, answered prayers, strength, and intimacy with my heavenly Father. I know we don't have to DO anything for His love... He just wants us to BE-loved by Him. But i also realize that this life is our only chance to worship, praise, and love Him in our lack. WE NEED HIM. Right now, we are making room for Him to move as we strip away some of our comforts and preferences to seek His desire for our lives. There will be moments we may think we just can't go on, or we are ready to throw in the towel... but in those moments we'll feel his grace, power and strength kick in and know it's His divine love that brought us through. So as we grow, I believe all areas of our life will be strengthened as they support each other. I also believe we'll see/understand our great human need for His heavenly heart and be fulfilled by His promises :) So, it's now 11 pm and my new bedtime. May you all be encouraged as you sleep and wake up pumped and ready for what's ahead... one day at a time!
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Unity, Alignment and Wholeness
The countdown begins! Just a few more days before this 90 Day thing kicks off for me and a few others. I hope you can catch the vision, come up with your own version, and be a part of this community. If you'd like to know more of the vision, start with the first post :)
Last night as I was drifting off to slip, I felt like the Lord said 3 words to me: Unity, Alignment, and Wholeness. As I began to pray about what those words meant, I realized that they actually defined this whole thing... and in more ways than one! At first glance it may be obvious. Through this "90 Day" thing, and as I/we become healthier and whole; our mind, soul, body and spirit begin to become unified. As each part start working together and supporting each other and as we ALIGN ourselves with the truth, love and word of God... we promote WHOLENESS in ourselves, we began to live at our fullest potential; and have the strength, courage, passion, and energy to live fully for the Lord!!!
But there's more!!! I'm committing, during this time, to pray that as my body become unified, aligned and whole... that the church follow the same pattern. I believe that if we- as a church body (no matter what building you attend)- begin to align ourselves with HIM then all of our parts will be strengthened, we will become WHOLE people, and the BODY OF CHRIST will begin to be unified. If we haven't noticed, this dis-unification seems to be an epidemic in the American church. Just like in our own bodies... we must lay down OUR preferences for HIS. This IS NOT the easy, cheap, or quick fix!!! This will be more difficult, a little bit slower and require lots of humility, forgiveness, grace and love. True REVIVAL will never happen unless the body of Christ is unified. Sure, we'll never be perfect... but He's calling us to a new level, are we going to accept the challenge? God wants to rock the world with His love through us! I hope you see the need, and take this opportunity to step out of the normal day to day routine and shake it up a bit!
This is an opportunity to spend more time listening, communicating, and learning about our Father's heart for you and the world! A time to see some needed movement or change in your life. A chance to become healthier, feel better and live longer! This is a platform to show others that we desire to manage what God has given us well... including our body, mind, soul, spirit, world, and the people in it! What a testimony this will be :)
Thursday, June 16, 2011
the 90 day journey of becoming whole...
Someone I consider really "sold-out" for God once said "I've got to keep up physically with what God is doing spiritually". This woman desires to keep her body and mind healthy so she is fully prepared to do whatever God asks of her. It just so happens that it's always quite an adventure! Well... this stuck with me. And just today, as i was speaking to my Naturopathic doctor and friend on the phone, she said, "everyone always wants the quick, easy, cheap solution or fix but that's not how God cares to build up his army." So where is God calling us? And how is He calling us to get there?
Basically, I believe that God is calling His people to the next step. Collectively He's calling us into a new season...a season of letting go of comforts and relying on Him for all our needs, a season of simplifying, detoxing (mind, body and soul)...a season of giving till it hurts, being unoffendable, hanging out at a place you wouldn't normally be caught dead in, a season of not seeing others as a target for our agenda but a person to simply love with His agenda...it's time to lay down our preferences and pick up HIS. This challenge isn't for the faint of heart or anyone who wants to continue on with life as normal. This is for the person who desires change, who wants to be challenged and see growth, someone who is seeking something more and willing to do whatever it takes! This... is the journey of becoming WHOLE.
So, what I've done is taken the "90 Day Bible Challenge", the "90 Day Vi Protein Shake Challenge", and "P90X" to create "90 Days to Becoming Whole". I'm basically cutting the "unhealthies" out of my life during this time such as: sugar, processed foods, television, and caffeine. This helps detox the mind and body! I'll be maintaining several things like: meditation of the word, soaking in the Lord's presence and love, controlling my thoughts, earning the right to be heard by intently listening, thinking/speaking positively, stretching, deep breaths, creating things, taking max-one (max.com), using Barlean's products (barleans.com), and sharing His love and truth with others. I'd like to also be looking for a creative way to serve someone each day.
The more i understand who God is, the more He reveals His purpose for all creation and the more i see how important it is to be WHOLE- mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally healthy. All of these are important to our relationships with people and to God. All of these are connected and if we neglect one they are all affected. If you choose to be a part of this challenging yet grace filled community, please make this 90 Day thing personal to you! Pray about it and then choose what to lay down and what to implement in your daily life. There is no doubt in my mind that God will use this time to speak into our lives in an eternal and life-altering way! I've decided to begin my journey this Monday, June 21st. Feel free to begin yours whenever you feel it's right... and please let me know so i can be praying for you! The most important thing in all of this is that God receives all the praise and glory for what He's doing in each and every one of us!
Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge:
P90X:
90 Day Bible Challenge:
Schedule:
Day 1 Genesis 1 – Genesis 13:18
Day 2 Genesis 14 – Genesis 26:35
Day 3 Genesis 27 – Genesis 38:14
Day 4 Genesis 38:15 – Genesis 49:33
Day 5 Genesis 50 – Exodus 12:51
Day 6 Exodus 13 – Exodus 25:40
Day 7 Exodus 26 – Exodus 36:38
Day 8 Exodus 37 – Leviticus 10:11
Day 9 Leviticus 10:12 – Leviticus 21:12
Day 10 Leviticus 21:13 – Numbers 4:28
Day 11 Numbers 4:29 – Numbers 15:21
Day 12 Numbers 15:22 – Numbers 26:27
Day 13 Numbers 26:28 – Deuteronomy 1:25
Day 14 Deuteronomy 1:26 – Deuteronomy 13:18
Day 15 Deuteronomy 14 – Deuteronomy 28:52
Day 16 Deuteronomy 28:53 – Joshua 6:19
Day 17 Joshua 6:20 – Joshua 18: 28
Day 18 Joshua 19 – Judges 6:21
Day 19 Judges 6:22 – Judges 18:19
Day 20 Judges 18:20 – 1 Samuel 6:21
Day 21 1 Samuel 7 – 1 Samuel 18:30
Day 22 1 Samuel 19 – 2 Samuel 1:27
Day 23 2 Samuel 2 – 2 Samuel 14:33
Day 24 2 Samuel 15 – 2 Samuel 24:25
Day 25 1 Kings 1 – 1 Kings 9:14
Day 26 1 Kings 9:15 – 1 Kings 20:12
Day 27 1 Kings 20:13 – 2 Kings 8:15
Day 28 2 Kings 8:16 – 2 Kings 18: 37
Day 29 2 Kings 19 – 1 Chronicles 4:12
Day 30 1 Chronicles 4:13 – 1 Chronicles 15:29
Day 31 1 Chronicles 16 – 1 Chronicles 28:21
Day 32 1 Chronicles 29 – 2 Chronicles 14: 15
Day 33 2 Chronicles 15 – 2 Chronicles 28:27
Day 34 2 Chronicles 29 – Ezra 4:16
Day 35 Ezra 4:17 – Nehemiah 7:3
Day 36 Nehemiah 7:4 – Esther 4:17
Day 37 Esther 5 – Job 12:25
Day 38 Job 13 – Job 31:16
Day 39 Job 31:17 – Psalm 8:9
Day 40 Psalm 9 – Psalm 33:22
Day 41 Psalm 34 – Psalm 56:13
Day 42 Psalm 57 – Psalm 77:20
Day 43 Psalm 78 – Psalm 101:8
Day 44 Psalm 102 – Psalm 119:80
Day 45 Psalm 119:81 – Psalm 150:6 (Praise the Lord!)
Day 46 Proverbs 1 – Proverbs 15:16
Day 47 Proverbs 15:17 – 28:28
Day 48 Proverbs 29 – Song of Songs 3:11
Day 49 Song of Songs 4 – Isaiah 10:13
Day 50 Isaiah 10:14 – Isaiah 25:12
Day 51 Isaiah 26 – Isaiah 37:38
Day 52 Isaiah 38 – Isaiah 49:16
Day 53 Isaiah 49:17 – Isaiah 63:19
Day 54 Isaiah 64 – Jeremiah 6:30
Day 55 Jeremiah 7 – Jeremiah 17:27
Day 56 Jeremiah 18 – Jeremiah 30:24
Day 57 Jeremiah 31 – Jeremiah 44:18
Day 58 Jeremiah 44:19 – Jeremiah 52:64
Day 59 Jeremiah 53 – Ezekiel 7:27
Day 60 Ezekiel 8 – Ezekiel 21:32
Day 61 Ezekiel 22 – Ezekiel 33:20
Day 62 Ezekiel 33:21 – Ezekiel 45:12
Day 63 Ezekiel 45:13 – Daniel 7:14
Day 64 Daniel 7:15 – Hosea 9:17
Day 65 Hosea 10 – Amos 5:17
Day 66 Amos 5:18 – Micah 5:15
Day 67 Micah 6 – Haggai 2:23
Day 68 Zechariah 1 – Zechariah 14:21
Day 69 Malachi 1 – Matthew 9:8
Day 70 Matthew 9:9 – Matthew 1930
Day 71 Matthew 20 – Matthew 28:29
Day 72 Mark 1 – Mark 10:34
Day 73 Mark 10:35 – Luke 3:20
Day 74 Luke 3:21 – Luke 11:13
Day 75 Luke 11:14 – Luke 20:47
Day 76 Luke 21 – John 6:15
Day 77 John 6:16 – John 16:4
Day 78 John 16:5 – Acts 6:15
Day 79 Acts 7 – Acts 16:40
Day 80 Acts 17 – Acts 28:31
Day 81 Romans 1 – Romans 12:21
Day 82 Romans 13 – 1 Corinthians 12:31
Day 83 1 Corinthians 13 – 2 Corinthians 13:14
Day 84 Galatians 1 – Philippians 4:23
Day 85 Colossians 1 - 1 Timothy 6:21
Day 86 2 Timothy 1 - Hebrews 8:13
Day 87 Hebrews 9 - 1 Peter 2:25
Day 88 1 Peter 3 - Jude vs. 25
Day 89 Revelation 1 - Revelation 17:18
Day 90 Revelation 18 - Revelation 22:21 "May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's holy people."
Basically, I believe that God is calling His people to the next step. Collectively He's calling us into a new season...a season of letting go of comforts and relying on Him for all our needs, a season of simplifying, detoxing (mind, body and soul)...a season of giving till it hurts, being unoffendable, hanging out at a place you wouldn't normally be caught dead in, a season of not seeing others as a target for our agenda but a person to simply love with His agenda...it's time to lay down our preferences and pick up HIS. This challenge isn't for the faint of heart or anyone who wants to continue on with life as normal. This is for the person who desires change, who wants to be challenged and see growth, someone who is seeking something more and willing to do whatever it takes! This... is the journey of becoming WHOLE.
So, what I've done is taken the "90 Day Bible Challenge", the "90 Day Vi Protein Shake Challenge", and "P90X" to create "90 Days to Becoming Whole". I'm basically cutting the "unhealthies" out of my life during this time such as: sugar, processed foods, television, and caffeine. This helps detox the mind and body! I'll be maintaining several things like: meditation of the word, soaking in the Lord's presence and love, controlling my thoughts, earning the right to be heard by intently listening, thinking/speaking positively, stretching, deep breaths, creating things, taking max-one (max.com), using Barlean's products (barleans.com), and sharing His love and truth with others. I'd like to also be looking for a creative way to serve someone each day.
The more i understand who God is, the more He reveals His purpose for all creation and the more i see how important it is to be WHOLE- mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally healthy. All of these are important to our relationships with people and to God. All of these are connected and if we neglect one they are all affected. If you choose to be a part of this challenging yet grace filled community, please make this 90 Day thing personal to you! Pray about it and then choose what to lay down and what to implement in your daily life. There is no doubt in my mind that God will use this time to speak into our lives in an eternal and life-altering way! I've decided to begin my journey this Monday, June 21st. Feel free to begin yours whenever you feel it's right... and please let me know so i can be praying for you! The most important thing in all of this is that God receives all the praise and glory for what He's doing in each and every one of us!
Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge:
P90X:
90 Day Bible Challenge:
Schedule:
Day 1 Genesis 1 – Genesis 13:18
Day 2 Genesis 14 – Genesis 26:35
Day 3 Genesis 27 – Genesis 38:14
Day 4 Genesis 38:15 – Genesis 49:33
Day 5 Genesis 50 – Exodus 12:51
Day 6 Exodus 13 – Exodus 25:40
Day 7 Exodus 26 – Exodus 36:38
Day 8 Exodus 37 – Leviticus 10:11
Day 9 Leviticus 10:12 – Leviticus 21:12
Day 10 Leviticus 21:13 – Numbers 4:28
Day 11 Numbers 4:29 – Numbers 15:21
Day 12 Numbers 15:22 – Numbers 26:27
Day 13 Numbers 26:28 – Deuteronomy 1:25
Day 14 Deuteronomy 1:26 – Deuteronomy 13:18
Day 15 Deuteronomy 14 – Deuteronomy 28:52
Day 16 Deuteronomy 28:53 – Joshua 6:19
Day 17 Joshua 6:20 – Joshua 18: 28
Day 18 Joshua 19 – Judges 6:21
Day 19 Judges 6:22 – Judges 18:19
Day 20 Judges 18:20 – 1 Samuel 6:21
Day 21 1 Samuel 7 – 1 Samuel 18:30
Day 22 1 Samuel 19 – 2 Samuel 1:27
Day 23 2 Samuel 2 – 2 Samuel 14:33
Day 24 2 Samuel 15 – 2 Samuel 24:25
Day 25 1 Kings 1 – 1 Kings 9:14
Day 26 1 Kings 9:15 – 1 Kings 20:12
Day 27 1 Kings 20:13 – 2 Kings 8:15
Day 28 2 Kings 8:16 – 2 Kings 18: 37
Day 29 2 Kings 19 – 1 Chronicles 4:12
Day 30 1 Chronicles 4:13 – 1 Chronicles 15:29
Day 31 1 Chronicles 16 – 1 Chronicles 28:21
Day 32 1 Chronicles 29 – 2 Chronicles 14: 15
Day 33 2 Chronicles 15 – 2 Chronicles 28:27
Day 34 2 Chronicles 29 – Ezra 4:16
Day 35 Ezra 4:17 – Nehemiah 7:3
Day 36 Nehemiah 7:4 – Esther 4:17
Day 37 Esther 5 – Job 12:25
Day 38 Job 13 – Job 31:16
Day 39 Job 31:17 – Psalm 8:9
Day 40 Psalm 9 – Psalm 33:22
Day 41 Psalm 34 – Psalm 56:13
Day 42 Psalm 57 – Psalm 77:20
Day 43 Psalm 78 – Psalm 101:8
Day 44 Psalm 102 – Psalm 119:80
Day 45 Psalm 119:81 – Psalm 150:6 (Praise the Lord!)
Day 46 Proverbs 1 – Proverbs 15:16
Day 47 Proverbs 15:17 – 28:28
Day 48 Proverbs 29 – Song of Songs 3:11
Day 49 Song of Songs 4 – Isaiah 10:13
Day 50 Isaiah 10:14 – Isaiah 25:12
Day 51 Isaiah 26 – Isaiah 37:38
Day 52 Isaiah 38 – Isaiah 49:16
Day 53 Isaiah 49:17 – Isaiah 63:19
Day 54 Isaiah 64 – Jeremiah 6:30
Day 55 Jeremiah 7 – Jeremiah 17:27
Day 56 Jeremiah 18 – Jeremiah 30:24
Day 57 Jeremiah 31 – Jeremiah 44:18
Day 58 Jeremiah 44:19 – Jeremiah 52:64
Day 59 Jeremiah 53 – Ezekiel 7:27
Day 60 Ezekiel 8 – Ezekiel 21:32
Day 61 Ezekiel 22 – Ezekiel 33:20
Day 62 Ezekiel 33:21 – Ezekiel 45:12
Day 63 Ezekiel 45:13 – Daniel 7:14
Day 64 Daniel 7:15 – Hosea 9:17
Day 65 Hosea 10 – Amos 5:17
Day 66 Amos 5:18 – Micah 5:15
Day 67 Micah 6 – Haggai 2:23
Day 68 Zechariah 1 – Zechariah 14:21
Day 69 Malachi 1 – Matthew 9:8
Day 70 Matthew 9:9 – Matthew 1930
Day 71 Matthew 20 – Matthew 28:29
Day 72 Mark 1 – Mark 10:34
Day 73 Mark 10:35 – Luke 3:20
Day 74 Luke 3:21 – Luke 11:13
Day 75 Luke 11:14 – Luke 20:47
Day 76 Luke 21 – John 6:15
Day 77 John 6:16 – John 16:4
Day 78 John 16:5 – Acts 6:15
Day 79 Acts 7 – Acts 16:40
Day 80 Acts 17 – Acts 28:31
Day 81 Romans 1 – Romans 12:21
Day 82 Romans 13 – 1 Corinthians 12:31
Day 83 1 Corinthians 13 – 2 Corinthians 13:14
Day 84 Galatians 1 – Philippians 4:23
Day 85 Colossians 1 - 1 Timothy 6:21
Day 86 2 Timothy 1 - Hebrews 8:13
Day 87 Hebrews 9 - 1 Peter 2:25
Day 88 1 Peter 3 - Jude vs. 25
Day 89 Revelation 1 - Revelation 17:18
Day 90 Revelation 18 - Revelation 22:21 "May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's holy people."
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