(day twenty-four) the CORE.

If you've ever done p90x or yoga or any type of exercise that focuses on complete well-being, you'll most likely hear that the CORE is the most important part. Most of these programs put major emphasis on strengthening the core because it's the center of you... the foundation of your physical body. When this is firm and healthy, other parts of your body will follow.

Through the natural symbolism of our physical and spiritual body, I've seen how the strength of the core determines our unity, freedom and mobility. If my physical core is weak then my parts don't seem to work together in unity; I become controlled by my body (and am more susceptible to getting sick); and I can't go as far or as fast as I'm capable of. It's the same spiritually speaking because if I put Christ as my core in the center of my life, He IS my strength. And if we, as the church, truly put Him as our center before religion, organizations, and agendas... then we will truly begin to see unity in the body of Christ; freedom to live, love, and serve as we're designed; and be mobile enough to do anything/ anywhere for the kingdom of God.

Just as I write this I'm distracted by my pounding headache. Because of the nature of these headaches, I know that something is out of alignment in my back that is causing all the pain. It's amazing how one little adjustment can bring so much relief. It really makes you stop and think how important it is to be in alignment with God's word and His heart for the world. There may be some adjustments that need to be done in our own heart, but once He touches us there comes a great relief in knowing it's all in His hands. We can trust He knows what He's doing. Just tonight I was telling a friend that i used to say (more as a justification than anything), "you are only accountable for what you know." But now as I look closer to His word... I'm realizing that because I know Him I'm accountable to what the word says if i've read it or not. What a wake-up call for me!

So as we put Him in the center, and begin to align ourselves with the word... we will start to carry His characteristics and begin to resemble our Father more and more. It's pretty funny to walk around my hometown and to have some completely random person stop me and ask if i'm Pam Little's daughter. Not only do we favor, but because i've spent so much time with her we have similar tones, laughs, expressions, and habits. I want to spend so much time with my Dad that I start to think, look, talk and act like Him. I want people to stop me on the street and say, "you must be the daughter of God because you really resemble His son Jesus." Wow.... how amazing would that be? And how proud our Dad would be to have all these little carbon copies of His Son running around loving and serving the heck out of people. I wonder if God ever looks at us and thinks, "can you please just get over yourselves, stop arguing, and love each other despite your differences for crying out loud??".

B90: (2 Samuel 15- 2 Samuel 24:25) I was thinking about this all day, not really knowing what part to focus on but knowing somehow it would all come together. And tonight, at 10:30 pm, as I'm driving to the airport to pick up my friend... I turn to a radio station I never listen to. The first thing I heard was a man's voice reading 2 Samuel 19:4-6. At this point I was driving with my ears open and jaw to the floor. Seriously, What are the odds? Once again try and tell me God doesn't like to be involved with His kids lives. Hahaha.

Anyway, the point this man was making was more on the Father/son angle of the story. David mourned over the loss of his son, even though his son was trying to freakin kill him! Although Absalom denied His father's love, He could never deny His kinship and the imprint of His father on his life. How many times have we, and how many times have we seen the world, mis-understand our Father? How often it breaks my heart when I see God's unfathomable love denied by so many who all carry the fingerprint of Him on their very soul. And perhaps it's denied because they've never seen (first-hand) this loving relationship of a Father and kid represented in this world. If we truly want people to see/experience the love of God for themselves, then we've got to lay down our agenda for them and start living this love out loud.

All of this has now led me on a daily search to find my center. Who am I choosing to be in the very core of who i am every single day? Myself or my Savior? Once we choose Him (if we do) as our center: He becomes our strength, aligns us with His word and heart, we respond...and we then begin to take on the very likeness of our Father.

(day twenty-three) play that phunky griddle white girl

(For those of you who read these early in the morning, i apologize for not getting it out last night. It just didn't feel quite finished AND i fell asleep before sending it. so.... here ya go!)

You know when your day kicks off at the "phunky griddle" in nashville it's gonna be a good one! Especially when i'm hanging with great company :) Again, today was filled with inspiring conversations and encouraging words- my heart is full.

Over gluten-free banana chocolate chip pancakes my beautiful friend and I chatted about some things God has been doing in our lives. Both of us had gone through a dark season and both have been brought through. You can see the freedom in her face and hear the humble confidence of her savior in her voice even as she sings. And boy this girl can rock out! One of the things we both agreed on, as are are very well aware we live in a competitive world: is that we can all co-exist together in ministry, building each other up and working together rather than using all of our efforts to get ahead (something she is passionate about). Also that if God places you on a platform, no man can tear you off- only God if He wills; but if you work and work to put yourself there... your platform becomes a pedestal and you are susceptible to falling by man or God. God will place you exactly where He wants you if you are willing and obedient.

All of this got me talking about "first fruits" today. One of the things God is highlighting to me during this whole 90 day challenge thing is that: IF I GIVE HIM MY FIRSTS, HE GIVES ME HIS BEST. It's pretty simple, and i think i've probably heard this before... but it's just now becoming a reality. It's wonderful actually. Let this sink in for a moment. What does that phrase in caps mean to you?

And if you really think about it... He gave us his firsts FIRST. Like... "we love because He FIRST loved us." (1 Jn 4:19) And... He gave us His only (first) Son. God created us first, loved us first, and sacrificed and died for us first. And sometimes I wonder how we still have entitlement issues. He did EVERYTHING first! Haha. One time I heard someone say that God will bless us for tithing to thank us for not stealing. Ha... I thought that was funny, and kind of true if we hold back huh?

One of the wise things my friend said over yummy pancakes was how if we don't hold back first thing, we are joyful and more generous in our giving. But if we wait till it's our last then it's harder to let go of. So perhaps it DOES have more to do with the heart than the actual action? I've also been thinking back of all those times I was ok with giving God my left-overs (as I sit there and push around the last bite of pancake with my fork). The funny thing is... we are actually MORE full if we give with little or no knowledge of what we'll have left for ourselves!!!

Anyway, this is what I've been experiencing over the last several months. Keep in mind, I'm learning as well... I'm not a bible scholar and I have not done extensive research on this. I just pray that what I say aligns with the heart of God. Nothing i say is intentionally for my benefit, but only to bring Him glory.

With that said... I came back from New Zealand in May with a "to do" list, a list of my needs, and some of my wants thrown in there too. There were many things on these lists that ranged from running shoes, an art show, a fair-trade organic coffeeshop, teeth cleaning, a scooter, good friends in jonesboro, a nice pool to swim in for the summer, studio space to work in, make-up (bc i was running out), and some business so I could tent-make for missions. So, here I had my lists (and I'm sure there was much more). But I looked at my extensive to do list and thought to myself how insane it would be to actually get these done. I looked at my needs thinking that I don't even have a fraction of what I need to pay for these things. (One of my rules for the last few years has been: if i have a need i write it down and give it to God, then i wait. I won't let myself buy it unless I have a complete peace... but almost every single time God has provided that thing for me and then it's even MORE of a blessing!!!) A few weeks later is when I decided to start this challenge. Every morning started off dedicated to him for a few hours. And let me tell you... It's been crazy to see how much God has accomplished! I could go in to detail, but every single one of those NEEDS written above have been answered in the most amazing ways and i didn't pay a penny for them. I'm telling you, God is very good. He does want to give us His absolute BEST. We are His kidos!!! Don't you want the best for your kids? Well... when they're not fighting at least. Haha.

B90: (2 Sam 2- 2 Sam 14: 33) When God places you in a position as you follow His lead, obey, and serve along the way... You can rest securely that you can do whatever He's called you to in that place because you know how much you desperately need HIM to do it. Another thing i'm learning is that it's not about the actual PLACE we are in as much as it's about seeking His FACE. To me, David was a good example of this. Yea, he did some stupid things... but He was a man after God's heart. Not that David even needed it, but God always promoted Him. I love in Ch. 3 vs 1, where it says "David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul became weaker and weaker." And again in Ch. 5 vs 10, "David became greater and greater, for the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him." Because David obeyed every step, God was building Him up and giving David His BEST.

In the verse directly after it's interesting to see how God brought everything David needed for a house. He was providing for His son. And His son knew His Father and no doubt His Father's heart for the world.

"And David knew that the Lord had established him King over Israel and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel." (5:12)

Now, we dance before the Lord with all our might because He is good! (6:14)

(day twenty-two) root word: NEED

Seems like today definitely had a theme. All my conversations gravitated towards it. I was keenly aware (and couldn't escape) the word NEED. I woke up and i needed the dog to stop barking. I needed food in my belly. I needed to pee. I needed to read my 90 day bible challenge, work out... and I definitely needed to brush my teeth. But these needs manifest themselves in the broad daylight where as our REAL core needs are a little less tangible. These needs are easily overlooked, rarely acknowledged, yet provided for daily. And I know many who would be quite embarrassed if they had to ask for any of these needs. Most people say that you don't really appreciate what you have until you have to do without. But how many of us go without a roof over our heads, food for a day or two, and clean water? I'm betting not many. Even more than this... we need lungs to breathe, a brain to function, and a heart to live.

Need: be in need of, have need of, want, crying out for, desperate, call for, be without.

Now, let's say I add a "y" to the end of that word. It changes the whole dynamic. When someone is "needy" we usually think of poor. They might be physically poor- someone who has no money, or emotionally poor- someone who sucks life and energy out of others with their own demands. Everyone knows someone who is needy. And if we are brave enough to admit, we can probably be a little bit needy at times. Needy is what happens when God's creation doesn't know Him as a FATHER and trust Him as a provider. Being needy is acting out of that "orphan" spirit, when He's already signed the adoption papers.

"Kneedy" is what happens when we are fully aware of our needs and trusting that our Father has either already provided or is in that process. There is no fear and absolutely no need to be anxious. As we recognize these CORE n:eeds we have every single day we can't help but fall on our KNEES and thank Him. "Kneedy" people know their value because they understand the high price and see that He has taken our broken pieces and made it into something beautiful and useful! "Kneedy" people can give sacrificially because they trust their needs will be met by their Father.

I was thinking about our needs just today as I was in a conversation with a friend who was needing a job. One of my crazy thoughts was... well, He said He would provide for us water, shelter and clothing... but as far as I know, God never said anything about a job. Now, please correct me if i'm wrong... and hear me out. I'm not saying jobs are wrong, it's good to "work"... but how do we even know that God could provide for our basic needs if we always provide them for ourselves?? Yes, I know God provides the job, that provides the money.... etc etc. But how come most of us christians think it would be wrong to actually WAIT on the Lord to provide those things. You may actually end up fasting for a day or so, and quite possibly find yourself sleeping under the stars a few times... but then again we might learn some pretty valuable things during that time: Like how much God DOES care about His kids!!! The reason we find it hard to trust, and we may not know our Father as a provider... is most likely because we've never actually given HIM room to move in this area. And waking up every day is enough to bow before the Lord and thank Him that we are moving, breathing, and LIVING!!! Not to mention how much i (we) absolutely NEED HIS PRESENCE every single moment of every day!!! I don't wanna be riding on sunday fumes... I want to be filled up to the brim all the time.

Tonight, I had the awesome opportunity to work with some of my good friends in a downtown ministry called "People Loving Nashville". Started by one guy and a group of 5 or so, they would make meals and take them downtown to the homeless. As they answered the call to simply serve and love the "least of these" they began to see relationships form, discipleship take place, and God move in people's hearts. The hearts that were moved were not just the homeless. When the "kneedy" served the needy- all needs were exposed, hearts vulnerable, and lives transparent. This is when REAL community happens. This is when you find common ground. And this is when the "kneedy" are able to tell the "needy" that we all have REAL needs... but there is only one REAL provider. You see, there were many needs to even start a ministry like this... but because my friend trusted, believed, obeyed, and knew the will of His provider- every single thing has been taken care of.

B90: (1 Samuel 19- 2 Samuel 1:27) As I was reading today and pondering over all of this "need" stuff, it was pretty clear that David is a prime example of someone who trusts His provider. From the time He faced Goliath to the time He faced Saul who wanted Him dead, this guy always seemed like He was right in the middle of conflict. Now there are times when David wept and cried out to the Lord, but He never showed signs of doubt. David is human, and i'm sure He there were days... but He always ran straight to the Lord because He was desperate for Him.

Although Saul was probably one of the wealthiest men at the time, he seemed very needy. He was constantly jealous of David even to the point of death and destruction. Saul fought tooth and nail for His emotional needs and let His needs be sourced by His own selfish desires. Saul's deadly path most likely began with pride- which puts yourself in the middle of the equation and takes God out.

Bottom line: We need God. And when we give him all our "firsts", He provides all of our basic needs and then everything else is a blessing! So are we gonna worry in our needs or simply trust through it? Our shepherd WANTS to provide for His children. That is the very place intimacy occurs... in the presence of our Savior at his feet.

(day twenty-one) the garden- part two

Last night i wrote about the garden, today i found myself standing in the middle of one. One of the things I'll be doing this fall (which I've mentioned little about) is going back to work with YWAM in New Zealand... only this time I'll be building a garden! Myself and a few others will be spending many months preparing for the Earthcare School which will be starting March of 2012. I'm starting to realize how much needs to be done before the DTS starts... but also trusting God will show us everything we need to know :) Every since I started doing this 90 day thing, it seems as though God has been bringing people in my path almost everyday that are teaching me something new! I could have sought very hard on my own to find these people... but he's doing it all!!! "Plowing the field" in a way i guess! Hahahaha.

One of these people is an old nashville buddy of mine that has been learning all about gardening and self-sustainable living the past few years. He's even going to start a business/ ministry that teaches people how to garden and goes through all of the biblical symbolism at the same time. He was telling me some of the revelations He has had since He started working in the garden and they are so unbelievable. He mentioned that the bible was speaking to mostly an agricultural audience. He pointed out all of the verses that talk about seeds, sowing, harvest, soil, growing, plowing, shepherding, etc etc. These are things that the people really identified with. They understood than when the harvest is READY, that it's ready right then... and if you wait too late to pull the lettuce it will become wrinkly and bitter and will need to be thrown out. They understood that timing is everything. This generation now is the first to not to be connected with agriculture in this way. Most people my parents age had grandparents that lived on a farm.... but now that's pretty rare. Will it get harder and harder to identify with the gospels the further we walk from agriculture?

I definitely feel closer to God when i'm digging in the earth he made with His bare hands... when i'm growing food from His earth that He designed us to live on... and when i begin to really connect with the stories of the word with it's symbolism staring me in the face. Haha.

Towards the end of the garden tour today I saw something that almost brought me to tears. There, by the fence, was a little tomato plant struggling to survive. My friend shared with me that there were a few branches that were bearing no fruit that were taking all of the energy from the other ones that were. If the gardner doesn't cut off these branches soon, He would eventually lose the whole plant. But they give it a little while to see if those branches will begin bearing fruit and if not, it's time to cut them off. As I looked down at the dead little branch i realized that it was done. End of story for that little guy. This made me really and truly hurt for people who are not connected to the SOURCE for life... our Father. God loves all of His kids, and He wants them to bear fruit in their lives so others can see and TASTE that He is good. But He never manipulates us into a relationship... just pursues and offers. So, If we are not comparing ourselves to other tomato plants... do we bear good fruit that honors God and represents Him to the world well?

B90: (1 Samuel 7- 18:30) It's funny how this verse came up in Chapter 8 vs 12 after all this happened. After today, the scripture and all it's "agri lingo" are starting to come alive to me in a way i didn't expect! Some of you guys out there may find yourselves in a place where you just don't see any fruit in your own life right now, feel stuck, hopeless, or just down trodden from all of life's throws. Well maybe it's time to set a marker and place your Ebenezer in the ground! (Ch.7:12) Claim the ground God has already won in your heart, step into that freedom and boldly begin to walk forward- one step at a time.

You are an expression of God's kingdom.

(day twenty) broken- but in the hands of a loving gardner

Adam and Eve sat on a wall, Adam and Eve had a great fall... Can Adam and Even put all the pieces back together again? Nope, sure can't. But I know who can.

Most things are made to break. Usually, the cheaper something is the faster it breaks. I used to buy sunglasses from target because they were cute and cheap, but after loosing or breaking about 15 pair I could have purchased one nice comfortable pair that would've lasted significantly longer. Now, after everything I've learned about slave labor, it's hard for me to buy anything cheap... knowing that someone along the line has paid the price for it.

The crazy thing is... we were not meant to break. The more I read the word, the more I see how the original design was for us to live in bodies that were "lifetime guaranteed". We wouldn't have to call the shop to get it fixed or have to buy a new one- part by part. Our parts would work beautifully forever. Remember how the price of something usually determines the quality? Well, it's completely true in this case. Because of the highest price ever paid, our hearts are automatically the most valued and worthy possession in the eyes of the one who paid it. Since the fall, we've been losing earthly "quality" fast. But also since then... God's been pursuing His creation desiring to restore and redeem to it's original intention.

Restoration: the action of returning something to a former owner, place, or condition. Not only does God care enough to restore our relationships on earth... but He actually treasures us so much that He is restoring us to HIM, to eden, and to our original mold. Man, what a job that would be? The more we live like adopted sons and daughters of a king, the more freedom we experience on this earth and the easier it is to walk around in the kingdom daily.

I picture an overgrown garden tucked away somewhere content with its quiet hidden life. The weeds have taken over and no one visits, but it's comfortable. The original gardner comes back one day and is shocked to see it in such a place, far from it's intention. It was once a magnificent garden where children loved to play, women came and planted, and people drove for miles to enjoy the peaceful serenity. The gardner spent every waking moment on his knees digging around in the dirt, pulling out those deep rooted weeds, and replanting many new things. In the meantime, the garden was struggling to understand why the gardner wouldn't just leave her alone and let her be. This process was much more painful, and seemed endless. When the gardner finally stepped back to admire the beautiful garden He had restored, the garden finally saw itself in the reflection of its keeper's eyes... and it finally saw what He saw. Once the garden finally accepted its purpose and design, it began to come alive. Every day many people came to enjoy the garden and because of its beauty, they could ALWAYS feel the presence of the gardner. The garden, after all, was a reflection of the hands that dug deep into it's soil, pulled out those painful weeds, and planted even more stunning things than before.

It's a process, and it's not easy (and quite messy at times).... but it's well worth it. Control- we want it, but He wants us to let go of it. Why? So He can restore us like this garden. And as He does... we begin to look like Him, smell like Him, sound like Him and reflect His splendor. We represent Him. Do others enjoy His presence in us? Or do they have a hard time finding their way through all the weeds? God finds so much joy in our willingness to obey, and the moment we step out He's ready- tools in hand- to get this garden party started. Think about all the time you'll spend together!

B90: (Judges 18:20- 1 Samuel 6:21) It seemed as though this was a theme throughout this section of reading. Words that stuck out to me were "inheritance", "redemption", and "restoration". These remarkable stories in the word reflect the very things God wants to do in our hearts. He truly wants to redeem us to our inheritance, so that we LIVE as though we KNOW who we are and WHOSE we are! And although we sometimes forget, let me remind you that we have an unfathomable inheritance. Just like in Ruth Chapter 4:15, He restores OUR life and is a nourisher of our souls! To redeem means to gain or REgain possession of something (someone) in exchange for payment. He paid for us, now He wants us back. There's no need for us to feel like an orphan ever again, Our Dad just wants us around more.... like, ALL the time.

Xtra little sumthin: God speaks to me a lot through gardening. Maybe it's because He's pulled a lot of nasty weeds out of me that were holding on for dear life. I've had the most amazing privilege of spending significant time in Israel. Out of everything I've seen and experienced around the world. His gardens are my favorite. The garden of gethsemane and the garden tomb. I could spend hours upon hours in these places. And now, i've actually committed to our Earthcare Dts in New zealand. I went from pulling weeds on our base in 2007 as God was pulling out mine, to leading a school that plants organic gardens and builds community in the third world. Wow, God's so hilarious sometimes.

(day nineteen) green revolution

I thought I'd give you guys a little sneak peak at a book review i just wrote for a magazine rather than bore you with the normal blog. Ha ha. You know... just tryin to mix it up to keep the romance alive!

A Media Review of "Green Revolution" By: Ben Lowe

Looking deeper into the mysteries of our Father's heart we begin to encounter our purpose- to love Him and all of His creation. We also discover that when our Father's heart breaks for His broken world, ours does too. With the guidance of this book, which outlines the crisis of our decaying world and the need for believers to step up, I've found simple ways to put this conviction to action. The author helps us clearly see... “caring for the environment is a biblical mandate, not just a popular trend”.

Ben Lowe, the author of Green Revolution, does an incredible job promoting the body to “come together to care for creation” in a humble, loving, and exhilarating way! There is not one boring moment in this entire book and every sentence is packed full of useful information. The author gently exposes some of the most devastating statistics I've heard in awhile... but patiently and joyfully points you to many essential resolutions. I must admit that there are several things emotionally hard to grasp... nevertheless, Lowe always leads you to a place of hope and answers.

Ben Lowe's conviction comes across unmistakably in the following statement...“I would not sit back and let the comforts of the American Dream insulate me from the rest of the world. No, not when so many of my local and global neighbors lack the most basic resources I take for granted. Not when there is an environmental crisis brought on in large part by our unsustainable lifestyle of over-consumption. Not when there is so much that I- that we as the church- can do to help.”

“God is pleased when we take personal steps to live intentionally...” Lowe states. Shorter showers, composting table scraps, recycling, avoiding styrofoam, turning off lights, carpooling, hanging clothes out to dry, buying local, starting a community garden... are all small but doable things that reflect a heart of stewardship and will actually make an impact in our world.

The more I began to research these matters in my own city the more I saw that restaurants, schools and business were beginning to catch on... but churches were bringing up the rear. Why is this? If we are the ones who claim to believe in a God that created this beautiful earth, shouldn't we be the first ones to desire to take care of it... and love wholly the people living in it?

“We need to relearn how to be good children, good neighbors, and good stewards,” exclaims Lowe. We have so many comforts and securities built up around us that we've actually blinded our eyes to the real problems going on around the world affecting our global family and God's creation.

I know this all seems like a huge "toxic" pill to swallow, but Lowe does an incredible job of helping Christians face the harsh reality of the current condition of the world and boldly leading us to a place of love in action! My prayer is that you will read this book, soak it in, and let Christ penetrate your heart with His passion for the world He created, is restoring, and will REDEEM!

“Our planet is in crisis. Creation is groaning. Our neighbors are suffering. The time for Christians to take a stand is now,” Ben Lowe. “Creation was made for God (Col. 1:16) and still belongs to God (Ps 24:1).”

(day eighteen) taste the rainbow

Ok, so today totally made up for yesterday. Sometimes i think that little booger (aka: devil) just wants to drive us to the brink of hopelessness so we become blinded to the blessings all around us. Lame. Alright, so I was down for half a day or so... but not out; I knew I had to hold on to God's promises and persevere to see what the future held!

The last three days i've been doing a little photography workshop for a few youth in town. They have been such a blessing this week. Through them God kept reminding me to be "childlike" in my faith. You see, most young kids believe ANYTHING is possible until the world tells them otherwise. Most of the time that's our "safety net" so that we won't get our hopes crushed or God won't even have the chance to "fail" us. So, as we get older... we trade in that kind of faith for a more "grown-up" sophisticated version that's not the least bit biblical, but somehow we justify it. (speaking to myself too....)

Good thing his character does not depend on our faith, and His promises are still true. It's our choice to step into them or not. So, when the times get tough or the expectations of the world seem too heavy... Do we hold onto His promises or just call the rainbow a mirage? We must CHOOSE to walk in that truth and taste what He's offering us.

Just for a moment I'd like everyone reading this to pretend that they are a kid again. (And pretend this isn't cheesy, Ha. :) Let's say that you just loooooove your skittles. You love the taste, the shape, the colors, the smell... everything. You eat them everyday and when you are not eating them, you're talking about them. (Let's hope there are not real kids with this obsession.) So now you are with your parents on a mission trip in some remote village in Africa. You just ran out of your last bag and they are NOWHERE to be found. You are freaking. In that moment, you randomly see some other kid with a package. The other kid says if they are that important to you he'll sell them for $100 bucks. You hesitate knowing that is serious cash money to you. But then you think about they way the look, smell, and taste again and you begin to dig around in your pocket. (Pretend you have the $ for some reason). You then look at the money and think about all the other things you could buy... but nothing would quite satisfy you like those skittles. After returning to your house (er... hut) with your tasty treat, someone randomly gives you $100. (For the sake of the analogy, forget about the fact this kid had an ugly addiction that he paid $100 bucks for :)

You see, God seriously offers us His "skittles" every day, but not just for us to look at. It sometimes looks like a high price or some sort of sacrifice for those promises, but once we step out in faith... He's already taken care of everything. He's paid that price already... done and done. Whatever we do have to lay down is totally worth it and looks way more insignificant in hindsight. I want to be that addicted to Jesus! (Just like the kid with the skittles). That nothing would ever be worth hanging on to in this earth, to simply receive more of Him... and enjoy all the flavors (sorry, i just had to) of His promises.

When we STEP INTO that rainbow- we become a reflection of Him, a testimony of His promises and our lives become that much more rich and colorful! I mean, who doesn't love a rainbow? I learned many years ago that rainbows are always there in the sky, we just don't see them unless the conditions are just right. The correct definition of a rainbow is: appears in the sky opposite the sun as a result of the refractive dispersion of sunlight in drops of rain or mist. So even when we don't see them, we trust they are there.

I like to think that we finally see the promises when they are opposite the son as a result of the refractive dispersion of the son's light in our tears. Whether those tears are from pain or brokeness, it's Him reflecting off of us that reveals His true glory as it becomes a living testimony to the world. No one can argue with your testimony of God's love... because it's yours and it's real to you. So maybe instead of us showing others what is wrong with the world today; we should gently, humbly and joyfully lead them to what's right by our actions.

B90: (Joshua 19:1- Judges 6:21) How fitting for today is Ch. 21:45? "Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed: all came to pass." And then again in Ch. 23: 14-15. Gets a little sticky after that, but time and time again... God proves His faithfulness in the word, and not even because He has to... I mean, He's God.

I love this quote by George Mueller,"If the Lord fails me at this time, it will be the first time." If you've never read this man's autobiography, it's on the top of my recommendation list! This guy was constantly putting himself out there, totally exposed... making His needs clear to the Lord. He could have lived a comfortable life, never really asking or needing anything. But He decided to start caring for God's orphans one day... and because of this His needs became greater, He was responsible for more, his reputation suffered.... but His faith in the Lord grew every breath. Why? Because He HAD to rely on God and God ALWAYS came through.

I'm not talking about more clothes, a new car, a bigger house, or better job kinda needs. I'm talking about trusting God for food on the table, transportation to your job, clothes to wear and a roof over your head. That's when we know that we NEED God to survive. And to be honest, most of us living in America have never known this kind of need. And we are certainly not bad people because of that, we just might need to make a little room for Him to move in our lives every once in awhile.

One of the definitions of sacrificing is: to surrender or give up, or permit disadvantage to, for the sake of something of higher value. If we really truly do believe our relationship with God is of HIGHER value, then we'll give up anything for Him. Even if it means to our earthly disadvantage. But what we find is once we hand something over, He gives us a much better version of fulfillment and satisfaction in Him. And we are even MORE blessed because we see it came directly from His hand!!!

xtra: So today, right after i'd decided what to write this blog on... one of my photography student pulls out a bag of skittles!!! Ha ha. I just looked at them, looked up and laughed. Seriously, God just cracks me up all the time. And now, I'm sitting at my desk and look over at a book my mom bought me a few days ago. This book is called "THE FUTURE OF THE EARTH" and has a big ole rainbow across the front of it. You tell me that God doesn't care or want to interact with us daily... and I just won't believe you. Haha! Enjoy it folks! We only get one :)

P.s.s. And don't even get me started on my rainbow stories... we'll save those for a rainy day (tee hee). Love you all dearly... thank you so much for reading these extensive blogs!!! You are my sunshine... my only sunshine... you make me happy... (ok ok, i'll stop.) Goodnight!!!