Hey chicks – Jana, Salem, Beth and Laura left with the rest of the Zimbabwe Team at 6:00 this morning. Pray for safe travels and arrivals – both for the team and their luggage.
General
Arise
“Your life is an occasion. Rise to it.”
Yet another profound quote from Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium.
Your life is an occasion. A date worth celebrating. An event worth marking on the calendar. For sending invitations to. An occasion worthy of attention.
Rise in honor of the gift you have been given.
Rise to reach farther than you thought, or were told, you could.
Rise up with wings of eagles.
Rise with the same passion that brought God himself out of the grave.
There is a LIFE to be lived. Yours. His. The two of you together. Your life is an occasion. Rise to it. Be sure that no one else will do it for you. No one can.
A Voice Calling Out (Bethany Dillon)
I hear a voice calling out
I hear a voice in this wilderness
Where darkness has reigned for so long
Ground is being taken
The trumpet sounds
And Your glory touches the ground
And we all stand in awe
Who is this?
This glory far beyond us
I hear a voice
I hear a drum beating
Heaven’s drawing near
The sky will open
Your people are being healed
I hear a voice
[chorus:]
Heaven’s battle cry
Rise
See the sun light what was hidden
Heaven’s heart beat
See is moving
What was a whisper is now
A voice calling out
I see a generation rising up
No longer accepting lies
Running to the battlefield
And losing their lives
I see a generation rising up
No longer accepting lies
As a band of worshipers run to the battlefield
They’re finding their lives
I hear a voice
Dear Diary…
Have you ever had the “song” thing happen? Remember the high school or college romance when you had “Our Song”? Sigh. But the part that nobody ever told you about was that every time you heard the song from that infatuated moment forward until you were wrinkled and gray you would think of that person, that time, that romance.
I don’t know about you, but these are not always happy memories for me. I don’t like being reminded of him, or us, or how much it hurt.
But God.
Last night, He showed me how He is the Redeemer of all things. Because last night, I was on this excellent date with Chuck, and over the speaker I hear this song. It was a song God had given me a year ago. I stopped mid-sentence to listen. And to remember. He reminded me of all that was going on during that time, and all that He had healed (obviously with Chuck and I being on an excellent date). But He also reminded me of the His love for me.
No one, no one, no one
Can get in the way of what I feel for you
Who knew? Who knew that Jesus remembered “Our Song”? Or that when memories come back from this Love Affair they aren’t hurtful. But indescribable. Beautiful. Wonderful. A love affair that will never end.
I am beginning to see that Jesus likes to share His entries in His diary about me — with me. Love notes, whispers, songs, and dried leaf hearts. He is the pursuing Lover we have been looking for our whole lives . . . .
Listen. You will hear Him singing over you.
Holy Roar
I have the privilege and honor of watching God rescue people. He rescues them from self hatred, God hatred, addictions, legalism, coping, numbness, unforgiveness, and shame. But He doesn’t just rescue them and set them on the shelf. He wakes them up, washes them off, and then gives them a voice. He restores their glory.
It is a truly beautiful transformation to watch. And sometimes it’s humorous even. Think about how awkward a butterfly looks as she is trying to get out of a cocoon. She comes out, butt first, wrangling and wrestling, trying get out of the shadowland she had lived in. But her steadfast goal is to emerge so she can dry her wings in the sun and then FLY! Well, in the same way, some of the women I see are in the “awkward process.”
These are strong warrior women. The Spirit of God is strong on them and in them. They may be unconscious of their full potential yet. (Aren’t we all?) But they are beginning to step out and step up. They are wrestling to test their new found strength and courage as they feast on the goodness of God. But I laughed the other day and told Chuck that some of these dear ones are like fierce lions who charge up to you but when they open their mouths what comes out is a ferocious… “meeeeoooow.” They are still finding their voice. Their God voice. Their ground shaking, tomb breaking God voice that makes the darkness tremble.
In due season. In due season these women’s voices will rise up and become a Holy Roar. Why does it matter? Because we have the power of Christ beating within these bags of bones. We have His voice and zeal to rescue the perishing, to bring the truths of God to a dying world, to rescue other bound and gagged souls. We must open our mouths and let His words wash over this world.
Here is what I got in my email this morning. One woman’s story out of millions of being sold into the sex trade. Any one else want to lean back their heads and let out a Holy Roar?
Claudia (Click the icon to flip the story pages.)
Great Minds: All You Need to Know
I really enjoy the blogs from Seth Godin. He doesn’t take it all the way home for me sometimes. But I read his stuff and want to let out a Warrior Yell. Read this:
All you need to know…
is that it’s possible.
Mike sent me a great story about an ultra-lightweight backpacker:
“Wolf was carrying a super-small pack which weighed 14 pounds including food and water. When asked how he got his pack weight so low, Wolf would reply, ‘All you need to know is that it’s possible.'”
One of the under-reported stories of the internet is this: it constantly reports on what’s possible. Somewhere in the world, someone is doing something that you decided couldn’t be done. By calling your bluff and by pointing out the possibilities, this reporting of possibility changes everything.
You can view this as a horrible burden, one that raises the bar and eliminates any sinecure of comfort and hiding you can find, or you can embrace it as a chance to stretch.
Most organizations forget to ask the question in the first place.
What I mean by taking it all the way home is the God factor. All you need to know —is that it is possible. And that With God, All things are possible. What are you about? What you shooting for? What are you letting stop you that others have pressed through? If they can, you can. Yes and Amen!
Believing is Seeing
Just got this blog post from my friend. And I think it is really profound because I am myself amazed at the quitting, disbelief, and negativity all around. I am a Depression grandbaby. My grandmother and parents lived through the Great Depression and I have learned much from their stories. They believed in a something greater than the moment. They believed in the human spirit to overcome.
Now that I am a Christian, I see there is something in us, the Spirit of God that helps us overcome. Read this and see where you are in it. Then ask the Lord: Help my unbelief.
…Writer Paul Miller describes cynicism as “the spirit of our age” and sees it as a natural reaction to baseless and naïve American optimism’s failure to survive life’s difficulties. Dreams based on people, money, our health, our work, our church or government ultimately disappointment us because they are all transient, flawed foundations for hope. As Miller says, “Weariness and fear leave us feeling overwhelmed, unable to move. Cynicism leaves us doubting, unable to dream. The combination shuts down our hearts, and we just show up for life, going through the motions.”
What’s the basis for a realistic optimism?
So, what’s the basis for a realistic optimism that won’t be undone by life’s difficulties? Ironically, we may need to look back to the past and ask how our predecessors were able to withstand far more harsh life events than ours and still remain steadfastly, if grimly, optimistic? The answer is their faith in something that they understood to be benevolent, unchanging and ultimately trustworthy.
I can hear some of you saying, ” He’s talking about God”, but even many of my religious friends appear to be captives of a nagging cynicism. I see people of all stripes finding themselves bereft of real hope. My friends who view God as nonexistent, my friends who view God as indifferent and uninvolved, my friends who are religious but functionally atheistic (God exists and cares, but I am ultimately the master of my own fate), and even my friends who are devoutly religious – all struggle with questions of whether anything in their lives will ultimately prove to be worth their trust and hope.
So, how do I maintain my optimism for my clients?
In a pivotal moment of the film, The Polar Express, the main character is told that contrary to the adage (and cynic’s creed) “seeing is believing”, one must first believe and then the evidence to support belief becomes quite clear, “believing is seeing”. “Seeing is believing” requires evidence before trust – a typical cause and effect relationship, but “believing is seeing” says faith makes something non-linear happen because we place trust in something/someone not-of-this-world first.
Excerpts from Dr. Jim Bailey’s newsletter at Directions Consultation
Dominos: Better Than Lucky Charms
Okay, you are not going to believe the Ah-Ha moment I just had. I am laughing my head off. Yesterday my friend responded to my prayer request letter with a blog post about giving thanks. The author instructed us to thank the Lord for everything. Literally. Even the bad stuff and the hurting places. Even the “how is this going to work out” things.
Now. For the record, I know this already. I have taught this for Heaven’s sakes! But I was still running around like a chicken with my head cut off. (Have you ever really seen this? Not pretty.) Bear in mind, my frantic action is happening right after I have just had a session of prophetic prayer in which they said about me: You are striving. You are not resting. You think your way is better. You have a foundational trust issue with God.
Well then. So I sit down, and I, literally, thank the Lord for everything on my to do list. And the things on my mental freaking out list. One of my entries reads: Thank you for the questions about clothes, meds, and packing.” These are real needs. Real issues that have to be resolved before I leave in a week for Zim. I have been all over town trying to work these issues out. (Striving, not resting. Not trusting.)
Here is the Ah-ha. Yesterday afternoon, after I wrote this entry yesterday morning, I am at a meeting and my friend says, “Hey before I forget, do you need shorts or pants? I have a whole tub for you to go through.”
I couldn’t believe it. It is like they were custom purchased for me, although we have totally different body styles. So I am just thanking the Lord and going on my merry way. But then this morning, He draws my attention to thanks having a Domino effect. Two people also called me yesterday about help with the meds I need to take with us. I have all the suitcases I need now. I have my pants! And on top of this, if this weren’t enough, I just heard the Lord tell me that I needed to take gifts for the women’s conference I am teaching. I tell our business manager, “I need money for some trip supplies.” And at the very same meeting, someone leans over and whispers, “Hey, I have a check for you, don’t let me forget to give it to you.”
Now if you are not already shaking your head like I am, here is the kicker. Know what Domino means?
French, probably from Latin —in the ritual formula benedicamus Domino — let us bless the Lord. A whole new concept of the Domino effect. We bless Him. He blesses us, we bless him.
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation. O my Soul praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation. All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near, Praise Him in glad adoration. Hallelujah!
Calling Hope to Mind
21 But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:
22 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”
Lamentations 3: 21-24
I hear a song in my spirit when I read these words. It is Emily McCoy singing at one of our Unhindered Encounters. “The steadfast love of the Lord never changes. His mercies never come to an end./ They are new every morning. New every morning. / Great is your faithfulness to me./ Great is your faithfulness.
This is a supernatural math equation. It adds up every single time for our good. When we call to mind, when we consciously, purposely, submit, remind, immerse, surround ourselves with truth about God, the bottom line sum is always the same — “therefore I have hope.”
What is the truth? No more and no less than the steadfast love of the Almighty, Living God. For me, for you. His steadfast love gives me hope when I am empty. And it is His mercy that washes my life and circumstances. Not my love, not my mercy. But His steadfast love and mercy that rises every morning like the sun.
The LORD is my portion, therefore I will hope in Him. Don’t miss this. He is the sum total. “The thing.” The goal and measure of success. Not my looks, my money, reputation, relationships, kids or dreams. Not even my work done in His name. He is the portion; He alone is the piece that pacifies and satisfies my soul.
“Lord, thank You for the simplicity and power of this statement. Thank You for showing me that I can choose to call to mind the truth about You. Thank You that because You never run out of love and mercy, that I too can have love and mercy for myself and others. And Lord, thank You for revealing how I try to fill my cup with other things. You alone are my portion, therefore I have hope.” Amen.
Groping in the Dark
I get in the middle of drama sometimes. Do you? I mean the kind of drama that swirls around you like a spring thunderstorm. Out of nowhere, before you know it, you are frantically searching left and right, conversation blowing around you from all directions. And you ask: How the heck did I get here??
My most recent of these whirlwinds has kept me in distress. I think and pray about it when I go to bed. I wake up in the night distressed. I rise in the morning with it still in my heart and mind. And I finally concluded that the only solution to the drama, the trauma and heartache is this: Godly wisdom.
In this particular case, the folks are doing the best they know. But that is the problem, what they know is not enough. They need God’s wisdom, His ways of doing life, reconciling, forgiving. Living in Him. They need to know what He knows.
If they don’t have Him, they only have their wants, desires, and demands to lead them. It’s a scary place. And the destruction is painful to watch. As I was praying for this desperate situation, the Lord reminded me of this passage:
I will lead the blind by ways they have not known,
along unfamiliar paths I will guide them;
I will turn the darkness into light before them
and make the rough places smooth.
These are the things I will do;
I will not forsake them. Isaiah 42:16
What a promise, that He knows we need light, knows that we are groping, hands out in front of us, in the dark. Now to wait. Now to pray for tender, surrendered hearts before the Lord.
This is a powerful passage to pray over people and situations. Change out the word “they” for the person your are interceding for. And then claim the last two lines: “God do what You promised and thank You that You will not forsake them.”
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. James 1:5
Dead Among the Living
All winter long, we have been admiring the beauty of the trees in our yard. I have really come to favor winter as you can really “see” the tree, its shape, limbs, its tree-ness without all the pomp of leaves and flowers. But today as I was taking a break from weeding, I looked up and the same line of trees I had been admiring has a glaring discovery. It is one of those kindergartner exercises, “Circle what doesn’t fit in this picture.” Amid all the lush green trees, leaves waving and dancing in the wind, is a grey bark trunk and bare jagged limbs sticking out of the green wall.
All winter long, we never knew. But now with new growth busting out all around it, spring having sprung, the dark naked branches and shape reveal its true condition. Dead. I watched as it did not sway in beautiful motion with the wind, but rather it jolted and staggered, like any good gust would cause it to crack and splinter and fall.
You know, dead trees are a hazard to living ones. Because when they fall, they bring the living branches down with them; sometimes whole live trees are grounded by the falling timber.
This is a precarious spiritual question. But one that needs to be asked. Are you a living or dead tree? Are you continuing to grow through the seasons, to produce new growth in spring, the promise of fruit in summer?
Or are you a dead tree trying to blend in? Don’t miss this. It is not enough that you are standing right next to the others in church. That dead tree is still standing. It is not enough that you grew up in good company, family, tradition, or denomination. Do you have God’s life that is reproducing in you? Slowly but surely. Gradual but inevitable because you are a Living Vessel that God pours through.
Not checked boxes, but a living transformation, so much so that others can see and say, “Yes, this tree is definitely alive. No question.”
The dead tree in our yard will be cut down shortly for firewood. And just like Jesus said, “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.” John 15:6 NKJV
Do not let merely the fear of hell keep you from answering the question. But rather receive the invitation that Jesus offers right before in this passage: “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”
Don’t just stand there. Bloom.