Brimstone and Fire Sidewalk Preachers

Brimstone and Fire Sidewalk Preachers... crazy or normal??

Here's the story...

During lunch today, I was in dire need of a tall non-fat vanilla latte from Starbucks. So, I left work and made the trek to the Starbucks by Westlake Center. When I got there, I encountered an older man dressed in a black suit and tie with a white poster board (like one you would use in a high school presentation). 

Seattle is full of crazies (like the one time I passed by a fist fight and didn't know if I should call the police or not...I didn't...I will next time...) so I didn't think much about it. The crowd around him was diverse as only Seattle can provide: old men with white hair, the vagabond passerby, a young mom with twin babies in a stroller...you get the idea.

With coffee on my mind, I was about to step into Starbucks when I heard the man with the poster board exclaiming in Charismatic Exclamation that Seattlites need to repent and fall at the feet of Jesus. While this may be true...it seemed a little extreme.

I mean, will anyone actually listen to this guy and be impacted by him? Won't he simply make people angry and defensive as they walk by, hearing his crazy outcries for reform? He made me a little angry and annoyed and I even agree with some of what he was saying. I don't know. Although I will say it is not fair for me to put limitations on how God decides to use others and speak to His people. Still...I wonder... 

I just don't know about Brimstone and Fire Sidewalk Preachers...

Maybe I should try it some time. Anyone want to join me?

Today is a Good Day!

Today is a good day! It is my last day of work for the week and I am going camping tomorrow! Yeah!

I am so excited! I will be in 85 degree weather in almost 24 hours exactly. Oh how I cannot wait for the sunshine! Actually, looking outside my office window, I can see that the sunshine decided to show itself today in Seattle. That is a nice gesture :) But I'm still excited for tomorrow. 85 degree weather. It just can't get any better then that... Yes!

PS: What can separate me from the love of Christ? Nothing. No army. No object. No stupid act of disobedience. No family. No friends. No enemies. No emotions. No boredom. No distance. No decision. No nothing...and for that, I am ever so grateful. Thank you Jesus. 

The "I" Factor

First revelation of the day: Read the post below called "Life"... count how many "I"s there are... maybe that's the first thing to do...stop focusing on the "I" 

Life

So I asked a friend on Sunday how his life was going and he answered with "average good." Then I asked him what would make his life "good good" and he answered, "I just need to spend more time with Jesus. That's really it."

So, I know I haven't posted in a while...but I've been really distracted. To be honest, I've been a little preoccupied to think about much of anything. I guess I'm just kind of tired. Sometimes it is so difficult to put in the effort toward the things that mean the most. Why is that? I guess maybe that's why those things mean the most in the end...because you do put so much of your soul and energy toward it. It becomes you and you become it. 

So, if I'm not putting my time and energy into the thing that means the most to me...then what is taking it's place...and am I beginning to find my identity elsewhere than where I should? I really hope not. I need to probably think about that a little and make sure I'm not. But here's the thing...I'm tired. I'm afraid that I am entering a time in my life where I feel burnt out. How am I supposed to keep the passion burning? Maybe this is simply a time to learn some discipline. If that is truly the case, then I am failing dramatically. 

Don't get me wrong. I am loving my life right now for the most part. My job is amazing and my friends are the best. I am very very happy - how could I not be? If you knew me, you would understand that to be unhappy just isn't a part of who I am :)

I think I'm just tired of the routine. Maybe I'm getting bored. Maybe I need some change. But how do you get out of a routine when life is so busy that it is built around structure? And even in those few moments that lend themselves toward acts of spontaneity, I still get stuck in the routine of simply hanging out and not really doing anything different. I won't lie... I'm kind of tired of movies. I'm kind of tired of just hanging out. But what else is there to do? I'm just antsy. Maybe I don't feel like I'm really being used. Maybe I need to be challenged more. Maybe I need to go on some trip or take some sort of art class. I don't know. But I need to figure it out soon. I think my boredom (for lack of a better word) is starting to seep into areas of my life that I don't want it too. 

I think I will pray about it. That always works. God is always faithful. There are answers to be found and I am definitely looking and asking... 

Redeeming Eve

Redeeming Eve...is over. This junior high and high school young women's conference that my small group has been planing since September came to an end this past weekend...and what a weekend. Absolutely amazing. 

God, thank you for being there this weekend and touching many lives, healing many hurts and orchestrating needed conversations. 

I am seriously amazed at how beautifully God put this conference together. Every single person, moment, discussion topic, speaker, musician, volunteer...He specifically brought every piece together in unity to make His purpose and desire shine through. Awe Inspiring. Motivating.

It is amazing how God can gently whisper His plan into our ears and how we can simply ignore it as an after-thought, or recognize it as a call for action. How many times do I live my days missing God's subtle whisper? How many times do I miss out on His desires for my life, His plans for using me...when I'm simply not in tune with His Spirit or His will?

For my life is not my own. My life belongs to God. If this is truly what I believe (and it is), then why do I often live as if I'm only living for myself and not for God? How is it that I get side-tracked so easily...that I stray off His path so simply and start treading on my own? 

I find that it is when I slip into thinking that I have things under control, or when I rely on my own self-sufficiency and strength, that I begin my departure from God's lead. I MUST remember that I can do nothing without the strength of my Lord Jesus Christ! If I do not cling to the reality of Jesus Christ, I will be fooled into believing that my few strengths will make up for my many weaknesses as I try and define a right path to tread on my own. 

Oh and how I have failed each time I try and do things on my own! It is only through Christ's power that I am made perfect in my weakness. Therefore, if I loose sight of my true leader, of my true Lord, I will remain lost and forlorn in a world that craves vengeance on me. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

There is only one who has fought the last battle and has been proven victorious for eternity. It is because Jesus has overcome death, has overcome all temptation and sin that I can call on him for strength and be made perfect in my weakness. And I must call on him because I cannot overcome the evil one without Him.  I will not let the oppressor be victorious over my life. He will not win the battle against me. I will fight against Him with Jesus as my Leader, as my Lord and as my Savior, and be victorious.

In doing so, I will try with all my heart to listen for His whispers in my ear and in my heart. I will listen to His calling and what steps He would have me tread next. I will do everything I can to stand aside and let Him lead, even when I want to be the leader. If I do not let go of my own self-righteousness, I will simply give my opponent a foothold to bring me down... and... I will miss out on opportunities to fight in this battle and be a threat to the kingdom of darkness.

Thank you Lord that we heard your whisper about Redeeming Eve. Thank you that some 75 young women have heard of their true value in You as your daughters and as image bearers of your beauty. Each of them have a vital role to play.  They are relational specialists, agents on a mission, and life givers that have your essence of beauty enthroned in them. Thank you for your abundant love and sacrifice for each one of us. 

Continue to whisper. I will try to keep listening. 

One Big Lesson Still Learning

Gosh I'm excited! 

The junior high and high school women's conference that my small group and I have been coordinating since September is happening this Friday! Whew!

It is crazy to think that it is finally here. Truly unbelievable.

It is also crazy to think about my life in these last few months and the lives of my friends. Reflecting on how much time has passed since September, I see that so much has happened in each of our lives! There has been significant change in many of us and we have grown in astounding ways. We have grown through many wonderful experiences and also through some really tough ones. I suppose that's always how it goes though...God uses both the good and the bad to shape us into the people we were created to be. Sometimes the difficult path is the one we must tread in order to learn some of the most important lessons of all.

I think one of the biggest lessons I've learned, and am still learning is this:

1. We are passionately loved by the God of the universe

2. We are passionately hated by his enemy

It sounds so simple doesn't it? But these two truths impact EVERYTHING! Understanding these two truths not only impact my thought process and how I view myself and my life, but they also impact how I act. This is the big picture of life. God loves me and pursues me with a passionate longing...and satan hates me and pursues the goal of wreaking havoc in my life to separate me from God with my sin. 

The more I come to understand how simple these truths are, the more I will be able to see the simplicity of making sound choices that may seem difficult at first sight. The truth is that every decision I make either leads me toward my God who loves me unconditionally and who I love as well (although my love sometimes seems inconsistent and unworthy) OR my decisions lead me away from God with acts of sin and disobedience.

These are the decisions that each of us are faced with everyday. To love God or to choose ourselves. I know that I don't always choose the right choice. I know that often times my priorities become focused on what I want to do and who I want to be - instead of looking always to what God wants me to do and who God wants me to be.

And that is why I will try to remember that God passionately loves me and satan passionately hates me so that maybe more times than not, I will make the right decisions and choose the path that God has set out for me. 

Again, a lot easier said than done... 

Impulse

Disclaimer: acting impulsively does not always instigate sin or negative consequences. There are many times when an impulsive act of kindness or love delivers great care and support to the one involved.

Now onto my questions…

Why are we sometimes moved to act impulsively? And why is that when we want to act impulsively, it is usually toward some sort of destructive nature? It is interesting to think about how in times of impulse, all thoughtful rationality seems to fly out of our heads as we act in the moment of our hearts and our flesh. The consequences, whether good or bad, are rarely thought out. We simply move in the moment we are caught up in.

Could it be due to selfishness that we don’t pause to consider others, or even consider our own hearts and the need to protect ourselves from sin?

Or, could it be that we simply don’t think that the consequences will ever be that severe - or at least severe enough - to cause us to pause before jumping into irrationality and sometimes destructive behavior?

Maybe we act impulsively because something causes us to doubt what we know to be true…a subtle thought sweeps through our minds…a mere comment by someone we trust instigates ideas…our eyes linger on an image…any of these seemingly minor occurrences have the power to persuade…

Therefore, we MUST keep our eyes on Jesus so as not to stumble in acts of impulse! Only by maintaining a close and right relationship with our Lord can we take steps toward truth and create space between sin and the desires of our flesh.

Definitely easier said then done…