crazy big prayers

October 5, 2011 in real life & faith with 2 Comments

I am taking a moment away from “Chapter 1″ of a new book I’ve been working on. It’s been a difficult chapter as I try to find the “voice” of the story. I found it towards the end of the first chapter but that means I now I have to re-write the Chapter.* As a writer, I always feel like I have to get that first chapter right before I can move on – and now that I think I’ve found it, the story is flying at me, demanding to be told.

But something else has been stirring inside of me lately. It is the size of my prayers. You see, God gave me a heart and a vision for something that feels rather impossible to my human heart and brain. As I’ve circled around this vision, I’ve pretty much run the gamut of feelings about it.

I’ve laid it down before the Lord, knowing it is not mine to pick up, unless He gives it to me.
I’ve grown weary as I’ve looked at the impossibility of it.
I’ve grown hopeful when I see confirmations.
I’ve been frustrated with the great need and my inability to do anything.
I’ve cleaned my house.**

The story of Joseph has been a cornerstone between me and the Lord for quite some time. So I’ve taken cues from the Word – to be like Joseph – and to simply do the work that the Lord puts before me, no matter what circumstance I am in. So I’ve been doing that. Not begrudgingly, but willingly. And yet this vision, this hope within me, will not be silent.

Today I realized that while I’ve poked and prodded and laid it down, have I really prayed?? Have I prayed the big, crazy prayers? While we must always pray that it is “His will” and not “our will”, we still must be willing to pray with boldness and confidence.

Here I am! Send me!

Where might God be sending you? Has He given you a heart and a passion for something? Then let’s pray for one another. For the Lord to open the doors that no man can shut and to close the doors we should not go through. And the wisdom to tell the difference.

Okay, back to work!

*yes, this might be considered procrastination…
** this is something I do with gusto when I’m wrestling with something.

Be Sociable, Share!

caregiving

September 29, 2011 in real life & faith with 4 Comments

20110929-110926.jpg

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27

At this moment, I’m sitting in a parking lot as my Nana gets her hair “fixed”. And I am aware more deeply today of this new phase of life I find myself in. Nana is my maternal grandmother and she’ll be 95 on Sunday. Until two months ago she was still tooling around town on her own, going to church, getting her hair done and going to doctors appointments that she hated. Then she got an infection that landed her in the hospital – twice – and since then it’s been quite different.

She’s always been fiercely independent so it’s been difficult for her to go from being able to take care of herself to needing help. At first, we had to insist on getting a shopping list from her so we could get her groceries. Then we had to insist on doing other errands for her. Then last week she made the BIG decision to give up her drivers license. But for her, it’s much more than just a license, it’s her independence – and she’s grieving. And while I can shop and shuttle and clean for her, I cannot help that grief I see in her eyes. And it breaks my heart.

When my hubby and I took her in 10 years ago, we knew this day would come. We were fully prepared. But I don’t think she was. God asked Hubby and I to take care of her. I promised my grandfather on the day he died that we would watch out for her. We will continue to keep that promise.

But as we adjust to this new phase I am reminded of just how much we all need each other. Of how hard it can be to accept help. Of just how fragile life really is.

Today I am praying that she would be comforted by the Lord, that He would surround her with His peace. That she would remember what is ahead, and not just what is behind. It’s a pretty good prayer for all of us.

~Sarah~

Be Sociable, Share!

take a “bath”

September 26, 2011 in monday manna devotional with 0 Comments

Mama said there’d be days like this…

Days when everything seems to go wrong.

Unexpected news that changes plans and forces sacrifice.

Rejection.

Heartbreak.

Life is unfortunately full of days that are less than bright & sunshiny. In this world we will have trouble. But while Jesus tells us this plainly, He also says, “But take heart. I have overcome the world.” (Jn 16:33).

We can’t always fix circumstances or change someone else’s bad attitude. *sigh* But we can deal with our own. I try to do three things when I find myself getting into a funk about something. (And seriously, I’ve had to put this into practice as recently as this morning:-)

1. Be honest

It’s not wrong to have emotion – which is a good thing because I’m *clears throat* a rather emotional person in general. The trick is finding out what to do with those emotions. And that’s “give them to God”. I hate using that phrase because it’s so “what does that mean???” but it’s also pretty accurate. Be honest with God. He is not afraid of your anger, your tears, your sorrow or your joy and delight. (If you don’t believe me go read Psalms…) Talk to Him, be honest with Him, pour out all those things in front of Him, then leave them there…

2. Take a bath

Not a literal bath (though those can be pretty nice, too) – but a metaphorical one. Pick up the Word and read. Read a book. Drink it in. Flip through and find passages you’ve marked and remember things that God showed you. Check out what God says about you. About life. Remember that what you find in the Word is the truth, not what the world says about you.

3. Be grateful

Once I’ve swum around in the Word for a while, it’s always easier to remember – and be genuinely grateful – for the blessings I have. When we get our focus off our circumstances and back on Him, then we can look at life through a better lens. We can remember that yes there is trouble, but there is also blessing, and there is Jesus, who is with us through it all.

Lord, help us to keep our focus on You today and to be simply grateful that we belong to You. Give us wisdom to navigate through whatever challenges we are facing and to trust You above anything else. Amen

 

Be Sociable, Share!

our role in a cultural movement

September 16, 2011 in church & faith, media, arts & faith with 2 Comments

I’m of the opinion that Christians should be impacting – and changing – culture.

That’s not what usually happens unfortunately. Too often and too pervasively, the church is far more impacted by culture than the other way around. It wasn’t always so. The church used to be a leader of culture, a patron of the arts and the voice that was heard.

Not so anymore. But what should our response be? Give up? Give in? Shrug our shoulders and pray for the Lord to come quickly?

I think we need to remember the courage and boldness of the disciples after Pentecost. When they were led and empowered by the Holy Spirit, culture changed. They led a movement that continues to this day. But our movement has lost momentum.

I have been listening in on Twitter (#Story11) as the Story 2011 Conference goes on in Chicago. I can’t be there, but I wish I was. So many things resonate. Here are a few tidbits that caught my attention:

Where are the poets and prophets? – Ann Voskamp

‎The credibility of our message comes into question when we do mediocre work. – Kyle Cooper

We know Easter but shy away from Pentecost. – Darren Whitehead

Talent follows material. Actors/Directors cut their price to see a great story told. – Ed Saxon

God launched a movement with ordinary, every day people like you & me. – Ed Saxon

 

What does it take for a Great Cultural Movement?

In my opinion – it takes three things.

Courage:
When Jesus lives within us through the Holy Spirit then we strike out with a courage we are incapable of on our own. If we do not feel awed and incapable of the vision before us, then it may not be God’s vision. His vision requires courage and a complete resting on His power to accomplish it. Anything less is just human.

Community:
We were built for community. We were designed to live and work together. Even the disciples had disagreements about little things, but they worked together to accomplish something bigger than themselves. We long to live in community with those that “get us”. Those that hear the same heartbeat of God that we do. Find that community and you will find strength for the journey you are on together.

Collaboration:
We all carry just one piece of the puzzle. Other people have other pieces that fit together perfectly with ours. As we fit our pieces together with others, the vision that God gave expands and changes as you get a wider perspective. Be willing to be flexible with what you see because you may only be seeing part of the picture. Trust that God works through others as much as he works through yourself. Never be above input, feedback and collaboration. It’s what makes us all better than we can be on our own.

Be Sociable, Share!

the gospel & beat poetry. Yes!

September 16, 2011 in media, arts & faith, real life & faith with 6 Comments

Loved this because I’m a sucker for great beat poetry and art so the fact that this is both those things + Jesus. Just had to share!

G.O.S.P.E.L. from Humble Beast Records on Vimeo.

Be Sociable, Share!

right or wrong?

September 13, 2011 in pop culture & faith, real life & faith with 0 Comments

Who decides what is right or wrong?

From a NY Times Article, “If It Feels Right…”

Rejecting blind deference to authority, many of the young people have gone off to the other extreme: “I would do what I thought made me happy or how I felt. I have no other way of knowing what to do but how I internally feel.”

Barb Nicolosi mentioned this article on Facebook and I had to scoot over and read it. It did not shock me, I suppose, but wow. Wow. Take a few minutes and read through it if you haven’t already. Go ahead. I’ll wait.

From Wikipedia:
Morality (from the Latin moralitas “manner, character, proper behavior”) is a sense of behavioral conduct that differentiates intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are good (or right) and bad (or wrong). In its “descriptive” sense, morality refers to personal or cultural values, codes of conduct or social mores that distinguish between right and wrong in the human society.

Good and bad. Right and wrong. If people measure those by “feelings”, then what is really at work? The desires of the flesh (that’s something we’ve talked about before…). In other words, society is saying “Whatever I want, whatever makes me feel good, it’s “okay.” This probably doesn’t shock you any more than it did me.

Because that idea? It’s basically hedonism. (From Wikipedia: Hedonism is a school of thought which argues that pleasure is the only intrinsic good.[1] In very simple terms, a hedonist strives to maximize net pleasure (pleasure minus pain).)

But as Christians – especially the next generation of Christians – this should concern us. The thing is, society is having far more impact on Christians than the other way around. To be a Christian, to be a true follower of Christ, well, that means that much of the time, the crowd will be going one way and you will be going the other. The stuff in the Bible, it’s not going to be “popular” because as a whole, it condemns this train of thought in society. The measure of truth and morality and good and bad: that is the Word of God. Not our feelings. Not our desires. Not “what we want”. That is called the flesh. The Spirit gives life, the flesh counts for nothing (John 6:63)

As Christians, we must, must, must know the Word of God. We have to let the Word guide us, not our flesh. There is a song that says “This is my daily bread – your very Word, living in me.”

That is our sustenance. Our daily bread. That is the only way our Spirits will live and thrive and be able to withstand the pull of the flesh and the world. Make no mistake. We are at war.

And unfortunately, many believers are standing on the battlefield unarmed and unprepared.

May God have mercy on us. May He give us wisdom and boldness and strength to pursue His truth.

Stand firm. You are not alone.

Be Sociable, Share!

our dreams vs. God’s dreams for us

September 12, 2011 in monday manna devotional, real life & faith with 0 Comments

As I work my way through the Bible again, I am currently reading Job.
This is not exactly the most warm-fuzzy-make-me-feel-good kind of book.
It is full of sorrow. And lots of questions.
Especially for a Monday morning.

But it highlights something that we all have to be willing to embrace. The sovereignty of God. He is God – and we are not.

I know there are many, many people in our nation who “believe” in God. But what does that mean? What does that mean to you? I have found that as we raise our children, we distinguish between those who “believe” in God, and those that “believe & follow” God. There is an important difference there.

If we say we love God, if we say we follow Him, then there will be points in our lives where what we want is not the same as what He wants for us, and we come to a decision.

Do we want what WE want, or what God wants?
Our will or His will?

I probably couldn’t even count up the number of times over the years of following Jesus that I have come to that crossroads. Where I’ve had to lay down a deep desire on the altar before the Lord and say, “Not my will, but Yours be done.”

This past year, as I’ve mentioned, has been a very difficult one. One where I have not so much wrestled with the willingness to lay down my own desires (I know His plan is always better than the one I’ve got anyway) but more so with where it is that He is leading me. Right now, I’m not sure. So I wait. And pace. And yes, I fret sometimes.

But when I begin to fret, I keep returning to this idea, reminding myself that even when I cannot see, He can. Even when I cannot understand, He is at work. And when it’s time, He’ll lead me where He wants me to go.

So if you’re in that place as well, well, you’re not alone my friend. Maybe we can have some coffee while we wait:-)

~Sarah~

Be Sociable, Share!

oh the ways we worship

September 9, 2011 in media, arts & faith, real life & faith with 0 Comments

Was sent a link to this video and had to share it with you…

What are we really saying when we sing? When we worship? Where is our focus?

Something to think about…

~Sarah~

Be Sociable, Share!

lady in waiting

September 8, 2011 in destiny & purpose, feeling lonely & unloved, real life & faith with 0 Comments

We are all in waiting. We are all waiting for that next bend in the road*. Waiting for that next big thing. It’s a natural desire but one that is a bit of a trap. The question “what are you waiting for” isn’t really the best question.

“Who” are you waiting for?

Life changes constantly and yet there is only one constant. The great I AM. I hear from so many young women who write – feeling desperate and lonely and full of longing to be loved and adored. They wonder why God doesn’t answer their prayers. They wonder why God “doesn’t work”. They wonder why God doesn’t “do something.”

These letters are so hard. You can hear the pain. You can see the tears between the words. And yet the answer is not what they want to hear. The truth is, God can and does work in powerful and amazing ways. But the way He works can look far different than what we want. He is way more interested in our hearts and our character than He is on our circumstance. He has the perspective of eternity that we lack.

These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold–though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. 1 Peter 1:7

Our faith is more precious than gold. Our faith – in Him. Not in some change of circumstance. Not in some guy or girl. Not in some job. Or some house. Or some goal. But Him. Trusting that even if injustice prevails for a season, God is still in control. Trusting that He has a plan for us that is good. That He will never leave us. He will never forsake us. And that He loves us more than we can ever imagine.

The kind of faith that says, “It doesn’t matter whether you say yes or no to ________, I will serve you and trust you with all of my heart.”

How do we get there? Get your eyes off the circumstance and focus on Him. Spend time devouring His Word. Spend time in worship. Pour your heart out to Him in prayer. But then say, “But not my will – but Your will be done.”

However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth? Luke 18:8

I’m praying for you today.

~Sarah~

*can you name the movie? “There’s no bend in my road.”

Be Sociable, Share!

virginity, abstinence and the lost art of denial

September 2, 2011 in sex & faith & purity, singleness & faith with 0 Comments

Many times I come to this blog after reading something that compels me to want to comment. Maybe get on a soapbox. And occasionally shout from the rooftops.

Today is a rooftop day.

My friend Mary shared this quote on her blog*:

“Eighty-two percent of young, unmarried Christians have had sex. Two-thirds have been sexually active in the last year. Even though, according to a recent Gallup poll, 76 percent of evangelicals believe sex outside of marriage is morally wrong.”

Sex is meant to be shared with a husband and wife. Period. But if I just quoted a couple of scriptures, it would probably make some just shrug their shoulders. Let me just say that if you call yourself a Christian, what the Bible says should matter. Not just a few scriptures taken out of context. Not just a couple of memory verses. But the Bible as a whole. The story the Bible tells us of the nature of man, the nature of sin and God’s plan for redemption. The whole thing should matter.  If it doesn’t matter all that much, then maybe….just maybe…you haven’t fully surrendered to God in the first place.

The Bible is not simply a list of suggestions for good living. It is a manual for life that shows you how to overcome the war inside of you. Yes – there is a war inside of you – and it’s talked about regularly through the Scriptures. It’s the war between the flesh and the spirit. The new man and the old man.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. (Matthew 16:24)

Deny himself. Deny himself from engaging in the pleasures of the flesh. From engaging in sin. When we deny our flesh, our spirit is able to be more in tune with the Holy Spirit. We can focus in on how He is shaping and molding us – changing us. And we must be changed. We are not “okay” in any sense of that word. We are fallen. We are sinful. And we need a Savior because we cannot change on our own.

Sex is pleasurable. Many sins are. How do you think people get addicted to drugs or end up drinking alcohol or eating too much food? Engaging in the sin gives them pleasure – but only short-term pleasure. That is sin’s greatest lie. The pleasure we gain from sin is fleeting and ends so quickly that just like an addict, we keep going back for more.We become a slave to sin. We end up serving sin – and not God.

When we get mad or fight against God or get frustrated with the “rules” – well, we are missing the point entirely. Everything that God asks us NOT to do, is for the pure reason of keeping us in relationships with Him. Sin separates us from Him. Sin makes us deaf and blind to what He wants to do to shape us. When we deny our flesh, we are then able to follow Him instead.

Saying no to sex is not going to be easy. It’s hard! And our bodies are designed by God to want it when we engage in certain behaviors. But if you’re not married. You absolutely should be saying no to sex. I don’t know anyone who regrets being a virgin on their wedding night, but I know plenty who regret NOT being a virgin on their wedding night.

If you’re serious about saying no to sex – and you should be – then you need a battle plan. You need to know – beyond any shadow of doubt – that you will be tempted to have sex. And you will be shocked at how convincing the arguments your flesh will give you to try to convince you to sin.

But we’re planning on getting married

I know he/she is the one

It’s okay because I love him/her

It’s not that big a deal

When God says “no” and we go ahead and say “yes” anyway – we’ve already lost the battle. And denying ourselves? Well, that’s not just about sex. The Christian life is about laying down our desires, and choosing God’s desires for us instead. Saying no to sex – well, it’s just practice for all the times you’ll have to say no to something you want in order to live the life God has for you.

We humans often have many big dreams and desires. But God’s desires for us are far better, far greater, and far more than we could have ever imagined. But to get to His desires – we must be willing and able to say no to our own.

We can’t afford to be apathetic about sin and we can’t afford to be apathetic about following God.

I guess that’s enough ranting for a Friday, eh?

~sarah~

 

*Mary’s blog

Be Sociable, Share!
Page 3 of 13«12345»10...Last »