2009 plan of attack!!!

It seems that God has been trying to tell me to focus on a new area in my life. It's not an area that I have ignored, but is a area that I apparently need more focus upon.

For 2009 it goes like this: spend time with God, people, and family. It seems so simple, but those are the very areas that are all too often are neglected or over looked. I am in the process of looking at my week and setting aside time for these things. I am wanting to meet with 2 students, 1 staff, and each of my three immediate family members each week. Along with meeting with others on a non regular basis.

We'll see how it goes!!

A new family tradition?

This year we decided that there really aren't many things that we really NEED. In view of that fact we are limiting our spending to far below what we have spent on Christmas in the past. The kids are spending $5-10 on each other and we are spending around $30 on each person. Our large gifts to each other will work this way: the boys will pick anitem out of the World Vision catalog to "give" to the girls and the girls will do the same for the boys.

I have to admidt that I had my doubts, I like getting and giving gifts! But I am finding that my excitement about Christmas has not lessened, it remains the same. I also get excited thinking about using the money to help people who REALLY need it! The kids are totally excited about it and have both picked out simple items, but ones that I have no doubt will be loved!

We are hoping that this will become a tradition that our kids can pass on to their kids, the tradition of giving to those in need because that is who Jesus came for! We will be praying that the gifts we give will express the love of our Lord.

The real meaning of Christmas is not the giving and receiving of presents, but remembering the gift we have already received!! May we remember!!!

A new family tradition?

This year we decided that there really aren't many things that we really NEED. In view of that fact we are limiting our spending to far below what we have spent on Christmas in the past. The kids are spending $5-10 on each other and we are spending around $30 on each person. Our large gifts to each other will work this way: the boys will pick anitem out of the World Vision catalog to "give" to the girls and the girls will do the same for the boys.

I have to admidt that I had my doubts, I like getting and giving gifts! But I am finding that my excitement about Christmas has not lessened, it remains the same. I also get excited thinking about using the money to help people who REALLY need it! The kids are totally excited about it and have both picked out simple items, but ones that I have no doubt will be loved!

We are hoping that this will become a tradition that our kids can pass on to their kids, the tradition of giving to those in need because that is who Jesus came for! We will be praying that the gifts we give will express the love of our Lord.

The real meaning of Christmas is not the giving and receiving of presents, but remembering the gift we have already received!! May we remember!!!

The tough stuff

Seems to me that most of us have no desire to work through the tough parts of life. I am no different, I have no desire to work through tough stuff; however I do know that when I do there are great rewards on the other side. We sometimes feel like when something happens that is hard to deal withan that God is punishing us or is unhappy with us. I have found this to be not true! Often I have found that God grows me through these times. I become a healthier, better person through the experiences in my life.

I do not seek these experiences, but I am learning to accept them. I am also finding that my process of letting go of these things and trusting God is a huge aspect of my spiritual journey. The straight and narrow as it is called I feel is more of the obedient and narrow.

God and I have been talking about the process of following. My western culture has embedded the idea of the shortest distance between two points always being the best. We serve a God who is outside of that. Seems to me that He keeps telling me that the shortedt distance between me and Him is simply obedience.

Last night we had a meeting at 6, around4:45 I felt a strong sense that I needed to go and spend the time up to the meeting in prayer. I did. The meeting went well, but at the end all I know is that I was obedient and because of that I felt a sense of joy and that God was pleased with my obedience.

I am doing my best to live a life of quick obedience, not perfect but my best. I once heard that "slow obedience is no obedience". I believe that this is true for adults as much as it is for kids!! May we be quick to be obedient, and slow to forget our need for being obedient!!

Restless

So, as I am getting our spiritual retreat ready I am finding that it becomes more and more difficult to be spiritual. Maybe you have found this too. I find the enemy attacking more often and more frequently as the event approaches.

I am also finding that as I prepare to speak about not being so busy, my pace of life is increasing. Making time for God is never something that just happens, it takes intentionality. Wish I was being more intention right now!! The positive side is that atleast I am aware of it now.

So how's your life? How busy are you? Do you do better than I do at making that time?

Guilt has no place in this discussion though. We are to be in a state of progression. God looks at our hearts, and to me that is a relief. I am not perfect, but I try my best to be better than I was!

Expanding horizons...

I had the opportunity this weekend to be a spiritual advisor for an activity I have never been to before. Preparing for something you have never done can be thrilling as well as nerve racking. As the time was drawing near I felt a growing burden to cover this in prayer, not even know what would happen. I did spend a few mornings in prayer asking God to provide me with wisdom and discernment and the others involved with what He knew that they needed. God was good (as usual) and we met with him at the event. I believe that a young man began his crisis of faith, but knowing that he is not alone and that there are those who would push him to own his own faith; not ours, not his parents, not his friends, but his. At the end of the night, after feeling a bit defeated through the process, he emerged with a new sense of life and a few questions to answer. As he and God walk this journey, it will be fun to be a resource to be used.

For me, this was a great time. Preparing for something we know nothing about requires a reliance upon God, we miss that in our society too much. Maybe we are too well informed and because of that we "figure it out" instead of "praying it out". May I pray it out more often than I figure it out!! May God continue to strip away the wrong thinking and mis-thoughts that I have. May I become a prepared ad sturdy tool in His hands!!

Amen

My mind won't stop!!

So I'm back from ministry conference and I have these thoughts that are flying around in my brain. They don't stop they just move and wonder and annoy (in a good way). I know that life has to be different now, it can't go back to being the same, but what does that look like? What does it feel like? And am I okay with that?

I know distinctly that the prayer and the cry of my heart was and continues to be "Break me and remake me!!" I am coming to find that breaking is not as fun as it sounds (and it doesn't sound that fun), yet I find joy abounding in my life through this. I feel like I am on a spiritual roller coaster, up one minute and down the next. As God confronts me on issues, I am down and want to avoid as usual... but as I confront these and converse with God I am lifted up to amazing heights. So this is how my days are going, little high... little low... and so on. Not a bad ride all together.

I was thinking this morning that I began working on a book a few years ago, but got frustrated as it seemed to end as it was getting started. I believe that I am finally allowing God to work in my life in a way that will add the next set of chapters to my book. This excites me, that God is stirring something inside of me (may the flames continue to be fanned)!!

I think back to my soccer days and know that the coaches that I appreciate are the one who rode me the hardest, pushed me the most, and never accepted anything but my best. They were tools that drove my worship of soccer. Today I have men in my life who ride me, push me, and never accept anything but my best in my spiritual life, and I am grateful for them. I do not seek "yes" men, I seek those who would tell me the truth no matter the pain. I remind my self that if i would endure "torture" for soccers' sake, how much more will I endure for my living redeemer!!!

May He BREAK ME and all my sinfulness and may He REMAKE ME into who He wants me to be. May I walk on in courage and faith, not wavering to the left or the right. May I run with endurance teh race set out for me and may I never forget where my power and strength come from... AMEN!!!!