Potential and Purpose

We've been having revival with Rev. Tim Hadden the last few weeks and it's been amazing! He mentioned something in one of his sermons that hit me in the heart and I can't stop thinking about it. It wasn't even his main point but it's something to think about. Rev. Hadden was preaching and teaching on the purpose of light and was addressing the point that EVERYTHING God creates has a purpose. That includes you and me, not just the plants and animals. 

Not only does God create things with purpose; He expects His creations to fulfill their potential. If you look at the parable of the fig tree in Luke 13 God obviously has no use for the fig tree if it's not going to produce. I got to thinking about that and can't get away from it. What if I'm not fulfilling my potential? What if I'm not living up to my purpose? Will I be cut down? If you look at the parable of the talents in Matthew 25 it's plain that God expects His servants to fulfill their potential. His words for the servant who didn't use his talents were especially harsh. The servant who buried his talents was called a "wicked and slothful servant" (Matthew 25:25). God help me not to be that "wicked and slothful servant." So I challenge you today to take stock of your life and evaluate what God has given you, what your purpose is and if you're fulfilling it because I personally want to be called a "good and faithful servant" and I'm sure you do too!! Join me. Let's make sure we fulfill our purpose for the Kingdom!

One Hair-Raising Anniversary

One year ago today my life changed when the life of one of my dearest friends was drastically altered. Like the sisters we are we both went on AYC trips last summer, her to the Dominican Republic and me to Peru, however her trip ended a bit differently than mine.

Every AYC trip includes a bit of time for fun and for the DR trip that fun included go-cart racing. Wednesday afternoon, July 3, 2013 Milla got on a go-cart just like she had plenty of other times in her life. She fastened her seatbelt, checked that her hair was secure and then smiled for the camera.

And with that the race was on and Milla raced towards something she never imagined...

Somewhere on that course her carefully bound up hair, her beautiful, knee-length, thick, lustrous glory, came tumbling down and every Apostolic woman's worst nightmare occurred. That glorious hair got caught in the moving parts of the go cart and was ripped from her head taking the majority of her scalp with it.

I remember when I found out. I called our other "sisters" and we cried and cried and cried for Milla and for the loss of her beautiful hair. I'll be honest. I questioned how God could let that happen. Her beautiful hair! Her glory! Her scalp! How? Why? Oh how I questioned, but at the time I didn't know the whole story. All I could see was this:

And so I prayed, and I cried and I did what I could to help: meeting her at the airport, holding her hand and praying.

Only over time would I see the full picture. You see God allowed this to happen but He also had a plan for it. He knows the end from the beginning and had prepared her for that moment from her birth. Some of these preparations were minor in the scheme of life and others had seemed like problems up until this point while others were a result of a lifetime of labor by her, but all of these things worked together to keep her safe.

Something Milla had complained to me about over the years was her neck. It's thick and in her eyes not very graceful or feminine, but God made that neck with July 3rd, 2013 in mind. Her thick muscular neck may not have looked God to her over the years but as unspeakable force was applied to it and her scalp was ripped from her head that neck stood firm protecting her from a broken neck, paralysis or even death.

The preparations went deeper still though. God prepared her all the way to her blood. My sweet Milla's blood has too many platelets. Platelets are important but with too many you're faced with severe headaches if you become dehydrated and a you face a higher risk of blood clots as platelets are the part of the blood that helps it clot. Normally you don't want your blood to clot but if you've sustained a massive head trauma clotting is exactly what you want and exactly what normally doesn't happen. Head injuries bleed like no other but with Milla's excessive platelets the blood was able to clot and the bleeding was slowed enough that she didn't bleed to death on that race course.

Further preparing Milla for July 3rd, 2013 was her many years of Bible quizzing. As she struggled to stay conscious en route to the hospital it was the years of quizzing that kept her going as she quoted verses and  sang to keep herself alert and conscious. God prepared her in many ways for that day and her years of living for Him prepared her as well. He provided her with peace in the midst of everything as well, allowing her to rest in the knowledge that He was not punishing her and it was not her fault but simply some piece of a bigger picture. Milla easily could have died that day in the Dominican but she didn't because God had a plan. No matter how horrible the storm you're facing is always know that He is in control and He has prepared you for the storm and will see you through.

Milla's hair hasn't grown back yet, in case you're wondering but I know God has a reason. So for now she's wearing adorable pig tails from the part that didn't get pulled out and trusting God and sharing His great protection everywhere she goes. 

I don't know how the story's going to end for Milla but I'm so glad that God had planned all along for July 3rd, 2013. Happy Anniversary of living and thriving Milla. I hope you make it back to the DR some day!! 

Holiness: Love for my Beloved

Do you ever wear pants? Can you cut your hair? Can you wear makeup? Why don't you wear jewelry? Never ending questions, day after day after day they ask with curiosity and sometimes scorn. And day after day my answers surprise them when I tell them yes I can wear pants, jewelry or make up and yes I can cut my hair. They often laugh when I tell them I can but I choose not too as they assume I'm simply brainwashed into believing it's my own choice. I can do any thing they might ask I am after all physically capable of doing so however out of love for my King I choose not to. It's all a choice. The real question is why I make that choice. 

Why? That's the question I love to answer. Ask me why I do or don't do anything with regard to modesty or holiness and the answer is always the same. I love Jesus and so I choose to dress or act in ways that show my love for Him. You see, we are the Bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:25-27) and when a bride loves her husband it is her desire to please him. On that most basic level it is my desire that Jesus be pleased with me and so I live and dress in a way that I hope will be pleasing to Him. Holiness is an outward expression of my inward love for Jesus. It's an expression of my desire to please Him and furthermore to be like Him. 

There's an interesting phenomenon that occurs when a couple has been together for long enough. The more time they spend together the more alike they become. I rememberwhen I was dating my first boyfriend I started picking up habits and likes and dislikes from him. For a simple example I used to hate sausage pizza. After a while though his favorite became my favorite and I still like sausage pizza years later. The same is true with our relationship with Christ. The more time we spend together the more alike we become. Our likes and dislikes become the same. Our desires become the same. We become alike. 

However there is a key difference in this relationship. In my relationship with Christ only one of us can change and that's me. In Malachi 3:6 He declared that He is The Lord and He changes not! Scripture is clear that He is the same yesterday, today and forever. So if He does not change and is always the same then there is only one way that we can become alike. I have to be the one that changes. I have to become like Him. For us to be like a long married couple becoming alike over time then I must change. I must become like Him. And if I am going to be like Him then I must know what He is like. 

There are many good words that can be used to describe The Lord: loving, powerful, wonderful, omniscient, the list could go on for all eternity. However there is one trait that stands out. The angels cry out one word to describe Him: holy. Of all the things God is his holiness is one of the most oft mentioned. The angels cry out "holy, holy, holy" and as Sproul put it “The Bible says that God is holy, holy, holy. Not that He is merely holy, or even holy, holy. He is holy, holy, holy. The Bible never says that God is love, love, love, or mercy, mercy, mercy, or wrath, wrath, wrath, or justice, justice, justice. It does say that He is holy, holy, holy, the whole earth is full of His glory.” And so if I'm going to become like Him that means I must become holy. In His word He even tells to be "holy for [He] is holy" (1 Peter 1:15). So the more time I spend with Him, and the more like Him I become then the more holy I become. 

And so because I love Him I do what I know will please Him. Because I love Him I spend time with Him. And when I spend time with Him I become like Him. And to be like Him is to be holy, to act holy, and to live holy. I don't dress like I do because of rules. I don't dress like I do or act like I do because a man told me to. And contrary to one popular opinion I don't dress like I do to protect the men from their own lustful ways (another post for another day). I dress and act like I do because I love Jesus and I want to please Him and be like Him. "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine" (Song of Solomon 3:6) and I want to make my Beloved happy and I want to be like Hm. And so I do all things, not even just the outwardly obvious things like clothing, with a desire to please Him because I love Him. So when you want to know why I do something there is a simple one word answer: LOVE. 

This was written as an answer to an assignment by my pastor to the young people and college and career as part of a series he is teaching. To listen to that series or any other sermon from our church click here. If you attend my church and have read this whole thing I apologize as you'll be hearing it again on Wednesday night. 

The Powerful Potential of Plastic Chairs

Chairs before service in the last church we visited in Lima, Peru

You've all seen them -- plastic garden chairs, the seemingly official seating choice of churches on the "foreign" field. You'll find them in churches large and churches small, though why I've never known. Why those chairs in particular? Why not pews, even the most basic wooden bench, they can't be that expensive, says my American brain?

But there's a flaw in my American brain. My brain likes clean, neat spaces, rows that don't get messed up, and easily determined seating capacities. My brain thinks inside the box.

Outside the box is found the answer. Plastic chairs allow you to start with 50 chairs for those you know will show but when God shows up and 100s more arrive you can add more rows until you reach the door. When there are more people than chairs you put them up and stand -- allowing more people in God's house. When the sermon has ended and the people gather eagerly to pray you can get them out of the way -- allowing all to gather at the altar without the limiting confines of immobile pews creating an arbitrary size limit on the altar area.

Plastic chairs take the limits off. Plastic chairs are full of potential.

Lord help me to take the limits off. Help me think outside the box.

Our Song

Our song -- every couple has one -- that special song that makes you think of the other person. Maybe it's the song you heard on your first date. Maybe it's a song that tells a story similar to your own. Maybe it's just a song you both like. It gives you goose bumps to hear it and leaves you soft and sentimental, maybe a little misty eyed. It's a different song for everyone, but that's what makes it special. 

Right now I don't just have one song that's "our song." There's several. And they change often. But there's always at least one -- special to where our relationship is right now. There's always at least one song, usually several that make my heart skip a bit and my eyes mist. But these aren't songs that bring to mind a special person. No these are songs that make my heart flip thinking of my dearest love, the one who laid it all down for me, the lover of my soul, my one and only savior, Jesus.

Right now these are our songs, songs that make me stop anything I'm doing and cry in thanks, songs that make me feel His love, songs that remind me of all He's done and all I get to do.

Closer

"What Can I Do?"

You Are Holy

Victor's Crown

So, those are "our songs" right now. What are some of yours? Maybe I'll find another one to add to my list. Keep worshipping my friends. Keep communing with Him. And when you find that song that makes you stop and pray no matter what you're supposed to be doing listen to it often!

New Year

A new year. A fresh start. A blank slate there for writing on. A chance to improve and put the failures of the past behind. This day is so full of promise. The world is full of people with zeal for changes and self improvement. A month from now most have failed but that doesn't have to be you -- or me. 2014 can be different. 

2013 was an interesting year full of many highs but not all I would have wanted it to be. It was a year of triumphs and tears. A year in which I moved forward in many ways and found myself lacking in others. But today is a new day. A day to go higher. A day to go further. A day to do all He asks me to do. So this year I have one word on my heart: Faithful. A reminder that He is always faithful and a reminder to myself to be faithful in the small things that are easy to forget. Faithful.

This year I'm not posting my resolutions publicly but I will say I've taken steps to ensure they go beyond today -- at least the truly important ones. Step 1 is accountability. I'm working together with friends on some of the same things to make sure we keep each other on target. Step 2 is making the goals manageable -- each month has it's own goal -- often to be determined by the previous month's success. Don't let 2014 be another year wasted. Go. Do. Create. Make it great. It's a whole new year with 365 days to use for His glory!

Giving and the Wonders of Social Media

I'm a fan of social media. It's a fact and those who know me know it well. It has its faults and issues I'll admit. But it has some wonderful qualities as well. I'll address the flaws at some later date but today I'd like to talk about the good sides.

It's magical the people you can come in contact with who you'd ordinarily never meet. Several weeks ago I was over on Evy's Tree's blog and she featured a fundraiser she was doing to help fund an adoption for Emmy over at It's Just Emmy. I'd never encountered Emmy and her blog nor the amazing adoption loving community on Instagram. I didn't need any more hoodies so I didn't buy one even though I found Emmy's story touching. However as I clicked through some of her other posts I found another fundraiser. This one was for a print of a lovely quote by Amy Lou. 

When the Lord places a calling on your life He also provides the map & the lamp to guide your path. All you have to do is follow.

I loved it and bought it immediately. Later on I got the print and Amy Lou had sent me several extras as well. The generosity this stranger had astounded me. To do a fundraiser for someone whom I believe she's never met AND through in extras with purchases she was already making no profit on was amazing. 

As I continued to look at her posts and those of others I was inspired by their giving ways and the friendships formed among these women. I watched in amazement as Emmy has continued to host fundraisers for other adoptive parents after sweet Georgia's adoption was fully funded. I watched strangers give to people they'd never met. Somewhere along the way their attitudes rubbed off on me. Not only have they inspired me to make time to be crafty and create beauty instead of worrying about making it perfect they have also inspired me to give. This week I found myself reading a post by someone on Facebook who frankly occasionally annoys me. However a post that would previously have irritated me instead inspired sympathy. I still have to check my attitude on a regular basis but after the influence of these lovely ladies I instead decided to find a way to bless this person who is obviously going through a rough patch. Later on I was shopping and about to buy a second pair of boots (obviously a want not a need) and then remembered a little girl from my church's bus route wearing sandals last night when it was 35 degrees outside and headed over to find a pair of flats for her instead. 

I don't say this for you all to know that I did something "good" but to marvel at the impact these giving ladies that I've never met have had on me. Social media can be a time wasting, depressing technology, but it can also connect us with people better than we might without. It can allow others to influence us and vice versa. It's amazing. Find someone who makes you want to be a better person and follow them. Let their light ignite yours.