High Five for Friday!

{one} Things at work have been BUSY. With the transitions and changes, I am now assisting 4 executives, so there is no lack of things to do! Most days it's fairly manageable {they are being kind to me, I am sure}. But there is that 6-8 day span of time surrounding the monthly board meeting that everything in the office is just nuts. As crazy as it gets and as tired as I am sometimes, I really am thankful for my job and truly enjoy it.

{two} Oh my goodness...THIS has arrived in Dallas. My most favorite cupcakes now come in ICE CREAM FORM??? I must. Go. Here. Soon.   :)

{three} One of my favorite bloggers shared this post from Susan Black: In Her Shoes- Those Who are Hurting. I really needed to hear her words this week {apparently the Lord was trying to speak to me via the blogosphere haha}.

"...our prayers are often no more than a personal wish list for God, and that what we’re actually praying is this: “Please God, take away my trials so that I don’t have to need You or grow up...the sufferings of Jesus show us that pain comes to us not as punishment, but rather as a testing ground for faith that transcends pain. In truth, pain redeemed impresses me more than pain removed."

Guilty. I consistently ask the Lord to take away trials, not stopping to realize that they are the very tools He is using to teach me His lessons of grace. Can anyone say conviction?

{four} My sweet husband sent this link to me on Facebook. I'm sure you have seen it, as it has been circulating the interwebs. He sent it to me with this message: "My thoughts on you - exactly (minus one "colorful" word in there - warning). I'm just glad you weren't in the room when he woke up or he would have been disappointed you weren't his." Aww...love him! Enjoy the video, because it's pretty awesome and really sweet.

{five} Tomorrow I will be attending an event for Acts 29 wives in the DFW area. I am VERY much looking forward to this event, as I have wanted to connect with other church planting wives. Confession: it's still a little strange to me that I am a pastor's wife :) I will also get to have dinner with the sweet girls from my old Bible study at Woodcreek. I missed the last "reunion" because I ended up sick, so I am really looking forward to catching up with everyone.

Paul's Faith: The Norm or the Exception?

We started walking through the book of Philippians in our home group, and Mike challenged us to read through the book everyday this week. I really love this New Testament book; it's where the verse from my blog link comes from (philippians3v7).

"But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead."

- Philippians 3:7-11

I want these words to describe my relationship with Jesus. I want absolutely everything in my life {including the good and even the godly things} to seem as rubbish in comparison to knowing my Savior. Like Paul, I want to be found in Jesus, and I want to know Jesus and the power of His resurrection. This is a daily battle for me, because my heart is so prone to wander...

Paul's life and faith challenges me so much. He was a chief hater and persecuter of Christ-followers until he came face to face with Jesus, and then he made a radical 180-degree change in his life. He had a boldness I pray for, a faith I wish I had, and a deep love for our Savior that I strive for.

In addition to reading through the book every day, Mike also asked us to consider a few questions. The one that has stuck with me is whether or not Paul's intense Christianity was supposed to be normal or if only a few people are called to such a deeper commitment to God. I mean, looking at Paul's life can be intimidating sometimes. He was able to effectively minister to and encourage the church at Philippi, from where he sat in a jail cell. He spoke without fear about his Savior, in the face of constant real-life-or-death persecution. And he was willing {and I would even venture to say almost excited} to die for the sake of Christ. Is faith like that real? Is faith like that even possible?

I don't believe that we read about Paul to have an unattainable example; that seems counterproductive. We each are given specific gifts, and we are all called to serve the Lord in different ways. Not everyone is called to plant a church from scratch. My calling isn't any more/less worthy than yours. But there are some basic tenants of Christianity that we are all called to... love the Lord with all your heart, love your neighbor as youself, make disciples, forgive as you have been forgiven, rejoice always, pray continually, etc...

Don't get me wrong, I do think that the idea of "radical" Christianity can be taken too far; people do abhorrent things in the name of Jesus. And too many Christians live in unnecessary fear and guilt of not being bold/godly/faithful/radical/fill-in-the-blank enough. But when we look at the core of the gospel, we have to be willing to dig deep and truly examine our own hearts and faith.

Because I do think that we live in a {dangerous} culture of nominal Christianity. A culture that resides in its safe Christian circles and praises those who do the "Christianity checklist" well. A culture in which we have somehow convinced ourselves that the deep faith and boldness for Jesus described in the Word is just a nice thing to think about, but not something to actually strive for. The idea of being bold in my faith quite frankly terrifies me. I seriously struggle with having the faith to trust God in all circumstances. And yet I don't feel any less convicted or compelled by Jesus' command...

That's part of why Mike and I feel called to plant a church in the heart of the Bible belt. Not because we feel we have the answers to what all the other churches are doing "wrong." {Goodness. The Lord knows we have and will make our own fair share of mistakes}. But because we feel a deep calling to make disciples of Jesus who have a faith that looks more like Paul's. We desire for people to value Jesus more than anything else, to truly know Jesus and the power of His resurrection...

I am praying that the Lord continues to speak to my heart this week as I mull over this question; I am definitely looking forward to discussing it in our group. What do you think? Is Paul's intense Christianity supposed to be the norm for us, or are only a few people called to be like Paul and have a deeper committment to God?

A Thought for Thursday

I read this book {Crazy Love} a few years ago, and I would highly recommend it if you haven't had a chance to read it. It really challenged me to take an inventory of my heart and examine how I live my life for Jesus.

I came across this quote from the book the other day, and I was reminded of how our lives really shouldn't make sense to an unbelieving world. If I truly grasped the depth of God's love for me- His radical, unconditional, self-sacrificing love- then that should change everything. The way I live, love, and serve. The choices I make. How I spend my time, money, and energy.

It makes me stop and think...do I look more like Jesus or more like the world? Does my life look crazy, different, and even strange at times to unbelievers? Not just for the sake of being different, but because I choose to live by a different set of rules, for a higher purpose, and more specifically, a higher Person. Or do I look pretty much the same?

Are You Ready for This?

Last night Mike received a couple of texts from people asking for prayer. Thankfully we didn't have any plans and received the texts at the time they were sent, so we were able to stop and pray right then for our friends.

My sweet husband asked me the question, "Are you ready for this?" to which I responded "Ready or not..."  :)

But I have been thinking about that question a lot today. Am I ready for this? Because last night was no big deal- just a few simple requests for prayer. Looking ahead to our lives in ministry, those texts will inevitably turn into phone calls and requests to meet and talk in person. Possibly in the middle of the night. Possibly in the middle of something we have planned. Am I ready to stop what I am doing for the sake of others? Am I ready to give up what I know will become a coveted evening with my husband so that someone else's needs can be met?

My honest prayer right now is "I hope so."

Because the likelihood of these sacrifices will certainly increase as we step forward into planting and leading a church. It is just part of the demands of ministry. But the question that the Spirit keeps bringing to mind is this: "How much of this will be because you are in ministry? Shouldn't you be ready for "this"...as a pastor's wife or not?"

Ready to drop everything to pray for someone. Ready to stop what I am doing for the sake of others. Ready to give up my plans so that someone else's needs can be met. Shouldn't we be a part of a community of faith that operates this way on a regular basis? So it's not solely the responsibility of the pastor and his wife, but rather the responsibility of an entire community of believers who desire to love God and the people around them.

Don't misunderstand me. I'm certainly not trying to shift responsibility or somehow get out of what my part will be as a pastor's wife. I answered the Lord's calling and made the decision to become a church planter and pastor's wife, knowing that this was part of the deal. So while there are certainly a unique set of expectations for that role, should those expectations be that much different from the calling to be a faithful and obedient Christ-follower? The calling to sacrificially love the people the Lord has placed in my life?

 

"Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." ~Philippians 2:3-8 

I will be honest and say that there is a part of me that fears this part of ministry. Mostly because I know it will not always be easy to do. I won't always feel loving or sacrificial or selfless. But the reality is that this idea shouldn't be that foreign or new to me. I should be more than ready for this kind of sacrificial and selfless life, simply because I call myself a Christ-follower. It really is a matter of dying to myself daily.

I love the part of the verse in Philippians that says that we should have this mind, "which is ours in Christ Jesus." I don't have to somehow muster the strength to be selfless on my own. Because left on my own, I am pretty selfish. But I can be ready for this life because of Jesus. It's certainly a challenge, one I will be working on every day.

Draw Near

"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you..." ~James 4:8a

I know I highlight this verse a lot. It quite possibly could be my favorite verse. Every time I read it, I am reminded of such simple yet profound truths. The truth that I serve a God that is approachable. The truth that He desires to be in relationship with me. The truth that there is action required on my part to develop and nurture that relationship.

For the summer, I have chosen to walk through a study on the Sermon on the Mount. I listened to the intro podcast this morning and was reminded of what a privilege it is for us to even be able to draw near to our God. I lose sight of that too often. I neglect it. I take it for granted. I forget what an incredible gift it is for me to approach and be in relationship with such a holy God.

Reading Jesus' longest recorded message, we see that the crowds were drawn to Him. Though it was mostly a selfish and superficial draw (Jesus had begun healing people), the people nonetheless could approach the Son of God without fear. This is significant because the last time God spoke from a mountain (Moses on Mount Sinai to receive the Law), the experience was marked by thunder, lightening, fear, and trembling. While it is healthy and holy to maintain a similar sense of reverence before the God of the universe, Matthew highlights the incredible reality of an approachable God. This experience is marked instead by a still, small voice. A voice with just as much authority and power over our lives, but a voice that draws in those who believe and desire to walk with Him.

Jesus allows us open access to God; He alone has allowed us the privilege of being able to "draw near to God." What a difference the coming of Messiah makes for us to draw near to a holy God.

God is in Control

Budget cuts. Tsunamis. Filibusters. 

Military strikes.  World protests.
Economic crisis. Party disagreements. Nuclear fallout.  Rebel fighting. Government shutdowns. 

It's enough to make anyone crazy and depressed just listening to the news these days. As questions about world events loom, I rest in the sovereignty and omniscience of my God. He isn't surprised by any of today's events. He is not scrambling to figure out what the heck is going on in the world. Instead, 

"God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne." 

~Psalm 47:8

"The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all."

~Psalm 103:19

He is unchanging in a forever-changing world. He is still enthroned in all majesty and honor; He is still ruling justly and rightly from His throne. He is just as holy as He was before all the craziness, and He will be just as holy when things get worse (because prepared or not, it will get worse). I can also take comfort in knowing that nothing happens outside of His authority. He is God over all men and all rulers of the world.

"For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God."

~Romans 13:1

I may not like the decisions of our leaders or other leaders around the world. But it is so comforting to know that they only have "power" because God wills it. So I have nothing to worry about. God's got it all under control.

That's not to say that people are not hurting because of current world events. And that's not to say that God is just sitting back watching everything unfold without caring or intervening. He is active and living and breathing and real. He is accomplishing His perfect and sovereign purposes in the midst of it all. There is something bigger going on than whether or not I am going to receive my tax refund soon. He wants us as Christ-followers to be active and living and breathing and real. He wants us to be diligent in the work He has called us to. To love the people around us. To share the Gospel. To introduce them to Jesus. So that He can be glorified and receive all the praise and honor due His name.

Worship is More Than a Song

Yesterday I had the opportunity to see music pastor and Christian recording artist Ross King in concert. He was invited to our church to do a special Christmas concert and share some of the songs on his new CD- The Christmas Stories. I had never heard of him until I started dating Mike, but I really enjoy his music! And I have been challenged by his music. He has written some great songs that have honest and powerful lyrics. I really enjoyed his concert, and I think you should check out his CD :)

I have been thinking about something Ross said in his concert last night. It's actually not a new thought (I have been challenged by this thought by others in recent months), but I haven't blogged about it yet. Ross talked about how we have somehow come to view the word "worship" as synonymous with "music." When you ask someone how the worship was, people will almost always frame their response in musical terms. I have been guilty of it. When did we let that happen?? There's nothing wrong with using music as a tool to worship our God. It's personally one of my favorite ways to bring an offering of worship before my God.

But worship is SO much more than music. It's SO much more than a song. I should be living a life of worship- in how I do my work, how I spend my money, how I interact with and love the people around me, how I spend my time, where I focus my energy and attention, how I spend my time in prayer and reading the Scripture...

I think this might be one of my favorite songs by Ross King- you may have heard it as it is one of his more popular songs and plays on the radio. You can listen to it here and I included the lyrics below. It's not on his Christmas album, but he sang it last night and I pray that the Lord helps me remember that He alone is worthy of all worship, honor, and praise. I pray that the Lord exposes the idols in my life and continues to mold me into a servant that boldly proclaims the hope of salvation to those around me. And I pray that He will provide the grace and humility I desperately need to truly live a life of worship to the glory of my King...

Clear the stage and set the sound and lights ablaze

If that's the measure you must take to crush the idols.

Chuck the pews and all the decorations too

Until the congregation's few then have revival.

Tell your friends that this is where the party ends

until you're broken for your sins you can't be social.

Then seek the Lord and wait for what he has in store

and know that great is your reward so just be hopeful

Cause you can sing all you want to

Yes you can sing all you want to

you can sing all you want to

And don't get me wrong, worship is more than a song

Take a break from all the plans that you have made

And sit at home alone and wait for God to whisper.

Beg Him please to open up his mouth and speak

And pray for real upon your knees until they blister.

Shine the light on every corner of your life

Until the pride and lust and lies are in the open.

Then read the word and put to test the things you've heard

Until your heart and soul are stirred and rocked and broken.

Cause you can sing all you want to

Yes you can sing all you want to

you can sing all you want to

And don't get me wrong, worship is more than a song

Anything I put before my God is an idol.

Anything I want with all my heart is an idol.

Anything I can't stop thinking of is an idol.

Anything that I give all my love is an idol.

We must not worship something that's not even worth it.

Clear the stage and make some space for the one who deserves it.

Cause I can sing all I want to

Yes I can sing all I want to

I can sing all I want to

And still get it wrong, worship is more than a song

And you can sing all you want to

Yes you can sing all you want to

You can sing all you want to

But don't get me wrong, worship is more than a song

Clear the stage and set the sound and lights ablaze
If that's the measure you must take to crush the idols.

Point to Ponder

My mom forwarded me one of those "make you think" emails this morning, and I was struck by a statement at the end of the email:

"Too many Christians are no longer

fishers of men

but keepers of the aquarium."

When I first read it, I thought, "Aww that's cute. What a creative little play on words." But then I really thought about it and realized how much (sad) truth is in that statement. I'm pretty sure Jesus intended His followers to be the former, not the latter.

"And he said to them, 'Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.'"- Matthew 4:19

There is no extra statement that says "but some of you will be keepers of the aquarium instead." I don't mean to make light of the Word; it's just funny how we think sometimes. And it's disheartening how we live, even in light of what the Word says. Talk about convicting! So the point to ponder...am I living as a fisher of men or a keeper of the aquarium?

Moment by Moment Obedience

A sweet friend from our 20s group emailed me some encouraging words from a devotional she had read. She was reading from one of my favorites My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. Here is an excerpt from what she shared with me:

What is my vision of God’s purpose for me? Whatever it may be, His purpose is for me to depend on Him and on His power now. If I can stay calm, faithful, and unconfused while in the middle of the turmoil of life, the goal of the purpose of God is being accomplished in me. God is not working toward a particular finish— His purpose is the process itself. What He desires for me is that I see “Him walking on the sea” with no shore, no success, nor goal in sight, but simply having the absolute certainty that everything is all right because I see “Him walking on the sea” ( Mark 6:49 ). It is the process, not the outcome, that is glorifying to God.

God’s training is for now, not later. His purpose is for this very minute, not for sometime in the future. We have nothing to do with what will follow our obedience, and we are wrong to concern ourselves with it. What people call preparation, God sees as the goal itself.

God’s purpose is to enable me to see that He can walk on the storms of my life right now. If we have a further goal in mind, we are not paying enough attention to the present time. However, if we realize that moment-by-moment obedience is the goal, then each moment as it comes is precious.

I am hardly in the midst of turmoil right now, but I have struggled a bit in recent months about my job and figuring out what I am doing, what my next steps are, what my purpose is in the midst of it all, etc. Her email was such an encouragement and a good reminder of waiting on the Lord, committing my plans to Him, and just living in moment by moment obedience...for a personality that is a compulsive planner at heart, this is so difficult sometimes. I get so focused on the future and what I am supposed to do next, that I too easily forget about where He has placed me right now. I want very much to serve and glorify Christ no matter where He places me- even if it seems like a strange place to be, even if I cannot see or understand fully the purpose. I want my life to be characterized by moment by moment obedience...

Rethinking Christmas

Last Christmas, our 20s group participated with our church staff in the One Gift Campaign through Advent Conspiracy. And this year we are opening it up to challenge the entire congregation. I loved this campaign last year, and I have committed to it again this year.

Christmas has become something it was never intended to be...stress, shopping lists, traffic jams, unnecessary consumerism. All the marketing, the spending, the debt that people accumulate...why do we do it to ourselves? And why do we as Christians get caught in it? I can't help but be a little sick over what we have done to the celebration of Christ's birth. The fact that we as Americans spend $450 Billion every year on Christmas and it is estimated to take only $10 Billion to solve the world's fresh drinking water crisis...it's enough to make me stop and rethink my Christmas.

I love giving and receiving gifts as much if not more than the next person. Buying Christmas presents for the ones you love is a good thing. The whole concept of giving is biblical, and I believe God is glorified when we give to others. But do we really need half the things we buy? Do we really need an extra material thing? I have been very convicted lately on just exactly how I spend my time and my money. God has given me such an overabundance...am I really using His resources in the best way? Because everything I have is His...and I am pretty sure He didn't give me what He has so that I could spend it on things that will perish. I really feel like our American mentality has messed with our priorities and how God truly intends for us to serve Him.

What if we did spend less and give more? What if we spent less money on a material gift and more time with friends, family, loved ones? What if we decided to spend our money on something that actually mattered?

So this year, I have decided that I don't want anything for Christmas. I am so broken by what God has placed on my heart, that none of the material things matter. I can certainly do without gifts this Christmas. Anything I receive, I plan to return and give the money to the One Gift Campaign so that a family across the globe can have clean drinking water. I don't post this commitment out of pride or self-praise...I post it as a confession that my priorities are out of wack and something has to change. Instead I post it as a concrete commitment for which I desire accountability. Because I really want new boots for Christmas. And it would be so tempting to ask for them anyway. Because when push comes to shove, it's going to be hard to return something I open that I really like. But I am choosing to honor God by fulfilling this commitment to Him. I want you to ask me about it.

Hmmmm.....

My grandpa sent me an email today that had this cartoon in it. It really made me think.


How much truth is in this one little cartoon? I really had to step back and reflect on this idea. So I went to the Scriptures to remind myself of what God says:

"Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you." ~ Deuteronomy 16:17

"Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to." ~ Deuteronomy 15:10

"Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine." ~ Proverbs 3:9-10

"Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and gives strength to all." ~ 1 Chronicles 29:10-12
Why is it that we seem to struggle with giving God 10%, but don't think twice about dropping an extra 15% at a meal? Hmmmm.....

Good Friday

"As the echo

of the crunching of the fruit

was still sounding in the garden,

Jesus was leaving

for Calvary..."

--------------------------------------------------------

~ Max Lucado, Everyday Blessings