Ask and keep on asking...

Jesus teaches that we are to ask and keep on asking, knock and keep on knocking, seek and keep on seeking...when did we stop? The last two weeks I have had three conversations, all with young women from 19 to late 20's, and they have asked a ton of questions. I have felt alive and awakened by their process of thought, their persistence in seeking, and their interpretation of life. It has been eye opening, stimulating and challenging. Simple questions that I take for granted like what is Good Friday and Easter, isn't it just a holiday? To actually simply deep questions, "What is all that singing in church about?" To the complex, "I heard preached at another church that we are made in Adam's likeness, is this true?"

Questions stir the thoughts and soul of the person we are asking. I was touched and moved that in my own circle of influence there are people that do not know the Gospel. I was challenged to theologically and scripturally explain that our identity is in Christ, for those that Believe...we no longer have the identity of "sinner", but are now children of God, co-heirs with Christ, adopted, sealed with the Holy Spirit, we are the Body of Christ...it is no longer we who live, but Christ alive within each of us!

Questions evoked passion in me as I realized the responsibility we have been given to truly spread the Gospel in our own back yard. I was jolted by the reality that the truths I take for granted are not even on the radar of this generation or world today. Have I fallen into the "cage" of Christian Country Clubs? (Listen to Pastor Tony Wood's sermon at Crossroads 4/19...awesome!)

As Jesus teaches us to ask and keep asking, do our questions also evoke and stir the heart and passion of God? What are you asking? So often we think of asking God for the things we need, or we ask Him why... But what questions could you or I ask Almighty God that would stir Him, move Him, and bring out something amazing in Him, just as these beautiful young women have brought out in me?

Lord...teach us to ask...You are the God of the universe, what would stir you, move you, impassion you, and excite you to be asked?

Caught off Guard

God sneaks up on us at times when we least expect it. This week I have experienced His intervention in so many ways, and so many situations. There has been no doubt that God is working all around me, and I have loved all the sweet surprises, confirmations, and loving touches. I have been gently soaring on His wings of grace all week and truly loving how God works...and then it happened, I was totally not prepared for the way He was going to move next. My guard was down.

I was in our Good Friday service when precious little Taylor began to sing. The song is about a little girls perspective with her daddy as she watched Jesus go to be crucified. At one point at the end of the song, Father God is speaking and says something like..."Look at that little girl trembling, this is why you have to die". Why would God do this to me in the middle of the service? It took me right back to a very traumatic time in my life where I was a trembling little girl being misused and mistreated, and that sentence of the song spoke right to her.

It is because of the evil in man, the darkness of soul, the emptiness of spirit that brings us to places of trembling that Jesus had to die. With my heart undone, tears running down my face, I was so grateful for God's forsight to see that I would be trembling under the tyranny of darkness and would so desparately need a Savior.

In moments when we least expect it, God goes deep, to our core, to our darkness and brings His powerful light. It might undo you, it might blind you for a moment, it might even catch you off guard...but in those moments His prevailing love rescues us yet again.

Surrendered Friend

Have you ever experienced humility, true humility...the kind that leaves you knowing you have been in the presence of God? I have a dear friend that has wrestled with herself for months. God has joined in on the wrestling and together the process of stripping of self began. It looks different for all of us. The time it lasts depends on our determination to stay in the process with God until He is done. It has happened to me many times...I guess the more pride, the more stripping opportunities God has in our lives! So He has His work cut out with me...but back to my friend...
It is painful when you are going through it personally, but I have never felt so helpless as to watch someone I love so much struggling and battling thoughts, feelings, and perspectives that God was trying to change. All I could do is pray...
The day came when I felt like I was truly on Holy Ground. We met together in the park at her request, I listened and I began to watch as Jesus took over. The months of pain and struggle brought forth a selfless act of complete surrender on her part. She gave away something that has been a part of her life for a very long time, something that is so dear to her, and something that has allowed her to serve in a mighty way. But the final result of her battle, was to surrender to God something dear to her heart into His hands. From that moment on, she has had a new freedom and peace...and she has continued to be a great blessing in my life with her words and kindness in spite of her own stripping.
To experience the moment when someone is letting go out of surrender to God and walking in obedience to Him was truly a Holy Ground moment. I realize that we miss these opportunities with each other for two reasons:
1. Do we hang in the fight and wrestle with God until His process of transformation is complete for that moment or season or thing?
2. Do we let ourselves get close enough, and vulnerable enough with another person to share that moment with?

I have gained more as I have experienced this process with her than if she had kept it to herself. It was difficult at times, and we have had to get honest about ourselves and our friendship in the process, but the richer I am for it. Holy Ground moments...Surrender Shared. Thank you friend.

Unmasked

Still celebrating a wonderful day with 300 women last Saturday. When we were led to use the title Unmasked, we knew that God would be working to remove the things we hide behind, but I wasn't prepared for the amazing testimonies that are coming through! Lives were brought to salvation, marriages being saved, the demonically oppressed recognizing freedom in Christ, the self conscious, the self loathing, the fearful, those in pain, those in need, all finding something amazing in the testimonies of transformation through Christ.

The Gospel Message continues to be the most powerful message available to mankind. It doesn't matter that it is over 2000 years old, it is still relevant, still powerful, still able to break the chains, give sight to the blind and set the captives free!

Just sharing stories of how Jesus changes lives...is the Gospel message. Never underestimate what your story can do to touch another life for Christ. We all have a story! How has Jesus changed your life? How has he met you? What do you love about Him? Now go and tell someone and watch the power of the Risen Christ change a life through you! It's contagious!

Like Daughter, Like Dog

My beautiful 21 yr. old daughter has always been quite the joy...she is loveable and truly is a people person. In preschool I already knew we had a connector on our hands, she knew every persons name in her preschool class. Another amazing attribute is that she is tenacious...as a little one it was quite cute and who knew what it would develop into when it came to staying out later than curfew or acquiring a cell phone or pretty much anything else she wanted...she hung in there until she wore me or her dad or both of us down, and it was always with those beautiful eyes and that irresistable smile! As I write she is working on her dad at this moment about buying a motorcycle...it doesn't end.

Because of her tenacity, we have added a dog to the family and our poor old dog, angel has had her world turned upside down. Angel is well trained, she knows the rules and is quite content with the way things are. Now we have Bella, a 2 year old, semi trained dog with the cuteness of my daughter, but more importantly her tenacity! Bella also knows the rules, but she continues to bat her eyes, wag her tail, and keeps popping up on furniture, sneaking up the stairs, jumping on the bed, etc. until she wears us each down and gets her way. Unbelievable, just like my daughter!

The apostle James must have known or been like my daughter...how else could someone write, James 1:2-4 (NASB) 2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Endurance, tenacity...same idea! I have watched as this same quality in my daughter has helped her to press through tough times and situations, and continue hanging in there with people trusting the Lord through to the other side. There are times we all want to give up, a little tenacity, and some holy perserverance is a great thing to have, and what I really love is James promise that if we hang with it, we will be complete and lacking in nothing! It is working for my daughter and Bella!

Stirred Hearts

Today in our devotional reading, Ex. 33 and 34, it mentions several times that the people's hearts were stirred to give, or stirred to serve, or stirred to respond... the result, they had to stop the giving, they had too much! It made me think about my heart. Do I respond when God stirs it? Do I even feel it being stirred, and if so, do I recognize that it is God?

My greatest fear is that my heart will become callous, cold to God, unresponsive to His stirring. David cries out to God, "Lord, do not take your Spirit from me!" If we ignore the stirring of God enough, are we receptors of His movement any longer? How many opportunities have I missed where God has tried to get me to move out in His name?

My prayer is that I gain sensitivity to the stirring of God, that I respond to His movement, that I not hinder or ignore Him, and that my response will be part of a movement to overflow the storehouse of the Body of Christ. Wouldn't it be awesome if we were all stirred to the point of having to be asked to stop giving of our gifts, our time, our talents because our church had too much?! What an awesome day that would be...will you join me?

Wild Beasties in the Trees

Have you ever wondered what lurks around Corona in the middle of the night, while you are safely tucked away in your warm bed? Well, I don't wonder either, but maybe we should!
My husband let the dogs out to wander in the front yard before bed, and our pit/greyhound Bella, tore through the garage and was trying to make dinner out of something! We yelled her back into the house and Richard went out on a rescue or security mission, depending on your perspective. A few minutes later he was calling me outside to come and look. Picture me trying to get out the door with Bella, determined to finish her pursuit, pressing through my ankles with me trying to squeeze my tiny self through the door, and keep our brave watchdog pinned in the laundry room.

I finally get outside and Richard is standing there with a flashlight pointed in the tree. There, precariously perched, with heart beating a million beats a minute, looking very innocent, was a Raccoon! It was fairly small, and Richard has seen a pretty large one run across the street another night, so this must be her baby. Ok, so now I live in the wild. The poor thing was looking at us like, "What did I do?"

Have you ever felt completely out of place? It feels like you are in the wrong neck of the woods, so to speak, and everything is strange, abnormal, doesn't fit. I am realizing more and more that we are not of this world, and like the raccoon I press on with my heart racing, staring with disbelief at what I see and experience at times, and clinging for dear life. I love life, and I love people...but this world is definitely not our world. For those of us that Believe in Jesus, our spirit is longing, groaning, aching to be with Him constantly. This world is more and more not our home, and like the unsuspecting raccoon, we can easily become devoured!

As I pray weekly with people struggling to navigate this world and keep their loved ones safe...I am so grateful for fellowship with other Believers that keeps us connected, worship that keeps our hearts hopeful, teaching that keeps our perspective based in truth, and the Holy Spirit that serves as our daily counselor and teacher. As we all daily journal and get into the Word, I am so thankful for the grounding and truth that God has preserved for us until we are safely home. So when you feel like the raccoon, hang on tight, and know that God has made a way for you even in this foreign land. Beware, out there, there truly are things lurking in the night!