Prayer

Today we were challenged in SWAT (Staff working as a team) by our lead pastor, Dwight Mason, to confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops. James 5:16-18 NLT

As we met in groups and confessed to one another true prayer could be participated in around each table. Even a church staff can find it challenging to confess to each other their sins, admit their weaknesses and miss an opportunity to be authentic. We can gather and "chit chat" and talk about surface things and go through the motions of praying for each other.

I was challenged in our time this morning to revisit those disciplines that contribute to an earnest prayer life. I want to live a life that produces great power and wonderful results. I know it doesn't happen by the work of my hands but rather the bending of my knees. Giving private time to God must remain a priority if I want to change my story and change the world.

Time passes quickly - Hello Journal

It's too long since I last posted. How can this be? Time slips by and before you know it months pass. I am trying to journal everyday in order to recognize and appreciate the time I am blessed to enjoy life.

I have tried journaling on and off over the years but usually it fizzles after so many weeks. Since March, 2009 I challenged a couple of young women I was meeting with to journal along with me. It was that accountability that seemed to get me over the hump.

In leading people, as I have the privilege to do at NewPointe Community Church, I really sensed that I enjoy a freedom to pray and spend time with God, to begin a day fresh. It was something I was guilty of taking too lightly without great appreciation. I'm not brilliant nor the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to journaling. I rarely write down the events of the previous day. For me, I usually focus on what I am going to commit to God for the day. With that I might mention prayers, petitions, struggles, sins needing confessed, trust issues I have which I know God cares and wants to help me with. Sometimes I use my own format and sometimes I ramble.

Whatever you do in 2010 - try to write it down. It will be a special year for you to review the time you spent on earth.
The bottom line is every day just try and before you know it you will be like me. You will get over the hump.

Grace

Tonight while working out at Super Fitness I got so energized by a book I am rereading and a song by Chris Tomlin that I was listening to on my ipod. The book, I've mentioned before is Captivated by Grace by Dr. David Jeremiah. I'm telling you the second time through I'm getting so much more out of it. It may be because I believe I've really grown a lot this year in my relationship with God and I'm doing a better job at listening to His "still voice".
Anyway, this book has helped increase my appreciation of grace by reminding me of the many benefits of grace that is provided through my friend and Savior Jesus Christ.
Here's what was getting my juices flowing so much until I had to start running on the treadmill....or I was going to get off of it and start dancing...that would have looked strange.
Here's what Dr. Jeremiah writes: "The grace-driven believer disciplines his passions as a military leader would discipline his troops. And what passions? Eating, sleeping, talking, playing. The Spirit of God will point you to the specific issues of your own life."
I see hope in discipline.
I'm learning that as I continue my plan with Thin & Healthy for eating and exercising. There is such a strong correlation between our spiritual journey and the discipline of taking care of our body.
The beginning of Titus 2:12 says "We should live soberly..." I always thought of that word in a negative way - Whoa, did I have that wrong...a good translation of the word would be "with self-control". Well, how do you take care of your body...yes, it must be soberly. And your relationship with God? Yes, soberly, so you can exercise sound mind and judgement in all your passions and desires.
Wow - this stuff is life changing.
Read the words of "His Grace Is Enough" by Chris Tomlin or go get it on iTunes
Great is Your faithfulness oh God
You wrestle with the sinner's heart
You lead us by still waters and to mercy
And nothing can keep us apart
So remember Your people
Remember Your children
Remember Your promise Oh God
Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough for me
Great is Your love and justice
God You use the weak to lead the strong
You lead us in the song of Your salvation
And all Your people sing along
So remember Your people
Remember Your children
Remember Your promise Oh God
Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough for me (x2)
So remember Your people
Remember Your children
Remember Your promise Oh God
Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough for me
Your grace is enough
Heaven reaching down to us
Your grace is enough for me
God i see your grace is enough
I'm covered in your love
Your grace is enough for me
For me

light during the night

Normally, I like to keep blog postings short. "Fair warning" this one won't be. It could be a 2 part 3 part or even a 4 part but I'm going for the big enchilada on this one. So if you hang in there and read what's been going on in the land of dark storms maybe you will find couragement and perhaps you will find courage also to surrender your wheel, port, bow, stern, ship to the Commander.

I can't believe that it's been close to a month since I've posted. A lot has been going on...lots of dark moments. Ever had those times where clouds seem to hang over top of you. You know in a battle but the worst realization is that it's mostly with yourself. Oh I want to blame the enemy for the darkness, the battle within, the pit... but the reality is the enemy is mostly my undoing or battle of the undoing of self. Yes, that lifelong battle of being renewed, getting rid of the stuff that's hiding deep within that you didn't even know for sure was a problem but there it is one day rising up like a dragon from the depths of the sea and it's ugly dude - and your thinking to yourself - God help me ...Where in the world did that come from?

Well, the good news is that when you cry out to God, he does come to help. It may seem like he's late on the scene but he's not.

I'm going to digress a bit here and refer to last year when I began a journey on a spiritual breakthrough on pride. It was a real struggle at that time but one day while gardening digging out a deep root with a pick axe I experienced a God moment. He showed me that pride is like the deep rooted wild tree I was trying to extract from my garden, if I didn't work way down into the soil with the sharp end of the pick it would just grow back and perhaps would even spread it's roots and cause more trouble.

Well God was faithful in helping me deal with that and through that time I was very interested in disciplines of reading. Dr. Bruce Wilkinson recommends many authors that I was becoming familiar with at the end of his book. So I invested in some reading material...not just a few books but perhaps 10-20+ books. One of those books was Renovation of the heart by Dallas Willard. It's powerful, I'm not far into the book but let me tell you he hammers it. He says the greatest need, the only hope of humanity lies in the fact that as our spiritual dimension has been formed, so it also can be transformed.

Dallas then talks about the revolution of Jesus and how he took a little band of friends and sent them out to "teach all nations" that is to make students (apprentices) to him from all ethnic groups. His objective ..to eventually bring all of human life on earth under the direction of his wisdom, goodness, and power, as part of God's eternal plan for the universe. Sending out his trainees he set in motion a perpetual world revolution; one that is til in process and will continue until God's will is done on earth as it is in heaven.

So this revolution of the human heart or spirit does not proceed by means of the formation of social institutions and laws, outer forms of our existence which might impose a good order of life upon me because of their power. No Jesus is much more about revolutionizing character which proceeds by changing people from the inside through ongoing personal relationship to God in Christ and to one another. So here is where I'm starting to see why there's apparent darkness over me. This relationship is about changing ideas, beliefs, feelings and habits of choice, as well as bodily tendencies and social relations. It's going to penetrate to the deepest layers of my soul.

So as I'm reading this book and I know God is at work through the power of Christ and the Holy Spirit prepping me to look inside me. You see, I don't read fast, sometimes I read so painfully slow that I wonder how in the world will I ever get all of these books read before I die.

So I'm reading "The impotence of "systems" is a main reason why Jesus did not send his students (disciples aka apprentices) out to start governments or even churches as we know them today which always strongly convey some elements of a human system. They were instead, to establish beachheads of his person, word, and power in the midst of a failing and futile humanity. They were to bring the presence of the kingdom and its King into every corner of human life simply by fully living in the kingdom with him."

"Those who received him as their living Lord and constant instructor would be "God's chosen ones, holy and beloved" (Colossians 3:12 nrsv) and would learn how to "be blameless and harmless, children of God, faultless in the midst of a twisted and misguided generation, from within which they shine as lights in the world, lifting up a word of life" (Phillippians 2:15-16 par)

Now all the while I'm chewing on this I'm also reading a leadership book by Kenneth Boa entitled The Perfect Leader, Practicing the leadership traits of God. From page 27 "As we dig, we must ask God to provide us with insight and understanding. Ultimately, only god can open our eyes to see spiritual truth and then enable us to apply that truth to our lives (Ephesians 1:18) As God fills our mind with wisdom, our character will develop so that we will possess the ability to consistenly make right choices--choices that are just, fair, and moral.

As Henry Blackaby and Claude King note in their book "Experiencing God" (have but haven't begun to read)....
"Once you come to believe God, you demonstrate your faith by what you do. Some action is required...You cannot continue life as usual or stay where you are, and go with God at the same time... To go from your ways, thoughts, and purposes to God's will always requires a major adjustment. God ma require adjustments in your circumstances, relationships, thinking, commitments, actions, and beliefs. Once you have made the necessary adjustments you can follow God in obedience. Keep in mind-the God who calls you is also the One who will enable you to do His will.
It's at this point I realize that I need to let go of some silly things I hang on to, not out of pride as much as out of "it's my personal information" I don't want to share it. But God seems to be saying "trust me with this"...release it and trust me. Here's the silliest thing, not all women are plagued by this insecurity as I am. So here I am letting go, being transparent so that I can pursue joy. I'm in a competition at church to lose weight and I've lost 23 lbs. which is great but I'm hanging on to the fact of where I was when I started at 200 rather than rejoicing in the fact that I'm at 177 and on my way down further, getting healthy. God is good is helping me to realize ...something was wrong with the picture.

You may be wondering at this point what is the timeframe of all of this, it's a couple of days since I've picked up the two books and a new one +5 come in the mail. Spiritual Leadership, Principles of Excellence for Every Believer by J. Oswald Sanders. I crack it open and begin light reading of it and land on this quote by Samuel Brengle, a gifted leader of the Salvation Army who outline the road to spiritual authority and leadership:
"It is not won by promotion, but by many prayers and tears. It is attained by confession of sin, and much heart-searching and humbling before God; by self-surrender, a courageious sacrifice of every idol, a bold cuncomplaining embrace of the cross, and by eternally looking unto Jesus crucified. It is not gained by seeking great things for ourselves, but like Paul, by counting those things that are gain to us as loss for Christ. This is a great price, but it must be paid by the leader whose power is recognized and felt in heaven, on earth, and in hell."

I am so thankful that The ReignForest has a team of three women who lift up every volunteer in prayer...that when I call on them and tell them, please pray for me I know that they are remembering me in prayer. This has been going on for the past couple of months during the darkness of the storm. Do I believe that this is all plays a role in the climax of what took place late Sunday night and early Monday morning ...without a doubt. Now I take you to Sunday night as I'm in bed and at a whim decide to listen to Francis Chan preaching on the topic of JOY.
He shares how Cheetos have no grams of Trans Fat. So he looks at the ingredients and says what's really in Cheetos. The label of ingredients doesn't look so great but the package says no grams of Trans Fat...so it kind of leads us to believe that Cheetos are not bad for us. Well he compares Christians to looking like a package of Cheetos...where we are doing the right things, serving, giving, I don't drink, don't swear, don't sleep with anyone anymore...whatever. Meanwhile we have all this stuff inside us that is junk. Our label may say one thing but we are really keeping it inside. Chan says that Jesus says a good Christian is someone who at the core of their being are madly in love with Christ. That we love him with every fiber of our being. Is that true of you? Chan asks. Rejoicing in him. Here's a passage that is a command of God.
From Phillipians 4
4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.Along with this sermon I realized that God was getting my attention on my heart condition of rejoicing through darkness

When we are in love we do things appropriately....to others, to situations, to whatever.
Chan challenges us to really love Christ and believe what the bible says on this. Think about it ..if we really believe this, we walk away and never "worry" for the rest of our lives.

WOW, I need to never stop taking my mind off of God, and experiencing His joy... He is the supplier, finisher, author of my faith, provider, supplier of peace. My hope, my salvation, my coming King. I really want to rejoice so much that every one can see His love in me.

There's 3 sermon messages on JOY and they are awesome...check out http://www.francischan.org/ and you can jump to his church Cornerstone to get his sermons.

Weight Training

Monday night Len and I met with Ron, our personal trainer at SuperFitness to begin our weight training regiment. Ron is a retired school teacher of 35 years, teaching health and physical fitness. A really super guy and definitely one of those teachers you wish you would have had when you were in school. Something that stuck with me from our first session is that diet, cardio and weight training all work together for the best health program. Ron mentioned that if you just use one or two of them you won't get the best overall benefits. Diet provides the fuel into the body, cardio provides the conditioning to go the distance and weights provide the strength it takes to endure.
A great bonus from using cardio and weight training is that when you rest after doing both you will burn calories twice as long.

While talking with my friend Gwen about this a correlation occurred to me between our new disciplines and our spiritual life. When we receive a message from the Word of God either by preaching or devotional times, it provides us fuel (diet) for our walk with God. Getting involved in serving is like cardio helping to condition us so we can go the distance. Finally, being involved in a Small Group will offer you strength for the distance. The verse Ecclesiastes 4:9 comes to mind:
"Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed."

I hope you're getting the proper diet, cardio and weight training for both your body and your spiritual life.

Discipline

My husband, Len, and I have committed to change our lifestyle disciplines. Namely, eating and exercise habits. It's challenging and some days are harder than others. We are in the 4th week of our new program. Fortunately, we are reaping some of the benefits already it brings us together more, we are eating healthier, dropping some weight, and feeliing better. Oh there's aches and pains and sometimes complaining going on...I think that's normal. No one likes change no matter how often you go through it. It's still difficult to embrace.

It's always difficult when you first begin to change disciplines. You seem to be working on everything you do. You realize what a mess you were and see that priorities must change and this is difficult work.

I see how that can relate in our intimate walk with God too. You must set your mind to rethinking how to live your life before God. Old patterns have to be broken and your priorities must change. You find that you must process life through a different filter. You know the outcome is going to be better but you're experiencing some aches and pains in the process.

Romans 12:2
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Your not alone or the only one going through the aches and pains of change. We may be at different levels but we're all in the process.
Don't give up, stay encouraged and press on.