Want to join the Super Hero Squad?

  

I guess I have super heroes on my brain after Cooper's Super Hero birthday party a couple of weeks ago!

As I read in 1 and 2 Kings I couldn't help but picture the Super Hero Squad. I know, I know there are heroes all over the Bible! This one however, includes super human speed, strength and a cape! I've been a Christian for over 15 years now and I had no idea the Bible included these things. I love when God pours out things like you've never seen them before. I hope you enjoy!

So, let me set up the story...(only wishing I had pictures and caption bubbles). Israel had again turned their back on God and was caught up in worship of other gods, of which the most popular was Baal. Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to a contest to determine who was the real God. There were hundreds of Baal prophets against Elijah and his God. Elijah gave them all day to have their god set fire to an altar. There was even mocking and taunting. Yes, trash talk existed in the Bible! Then Elijah had a turn. He had them dig a trench around the alter and soak the wood with water 3 times before calling on God to light the fire. Immediately upon asking God to show who he was to all these people "the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench!" (1Kings 18:38)

Elijah saw a great victory, but the super hero part starts here! There had been a drought for 3 years and after the defeat on Mount Carmel Elijah prayed for God to send rain. As the sky turned black, "A heavy wind brought a terrific rainstorm, and Ahab left quickly for Jezreel. Then the Lord gave special strength to Elijah. He tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab's chariot all the way to the entrance of Jezreel." (1 Kings 18:45-46) Did you catch that? Ahab left quickly in his chariot, but Elijah tucked his super cape, channeled his super speed and super strength and stayed ahead of Ahab's chariots all the way back. POW!!! This boy was on fire! (oh wait - that's the human torch aka Abednego...another story/another day.) 

Let's talk about that super cape! In 2 Kings he used that cape when he met Elisha. God told him to go get Elisha and train him to be his replacement. He headed out to find Elisha working in a field and he "went over to him and threw his cloak across his shoulders and then walked away." Elisha asks simply asks if he can go and say bye to his mom and dad, and Elijah answers, "Go on back, but think about what I have done to you." (1 Kings 19:19-20) Ka-Bam!!! That cape has some powers. What had he done to him, and how on earth did Elisha know what that meant? It must be part of the super hero code! 

But you know...I hear stories like this all the time at NewSpring. People out doing their jobs, serving in the church, minding their own business when God starts working on something in their heart..."sell your business and get ready for what I'm gonna do"..."quit your job and wait for me to show you the ministry I have for you." Then, out of nowhere someone from the church asks you to lunch and says, "I think God wants you to be our next campus pastor", or "You know, God has been preparing you to do this ministry we want to start." I guess Elisha knew what it meant because it lined up with what God was doing in him. Boom!!! Being a super hero requires sacrifices! He knew exactly what Elijah had "done to" him, and he was willing to go.

There's another story involving that super cape, though. The transfer of power! 2 Kings 2 Elijah is making his way to the other side of the Jordan, (where apparently he has a rendezvous scheduled.) When they arrive at the Jordan river "Elijah folded his cloak together and struck the water with it. The river divided, and the two of them went across on dry ground!" (2 Kings 2:8) It was on the other side of the river that "suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove between the two men, separating them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven...Elisha picked up the cloak, which had fallen when he was taken up. Then Elisha returned to the bank of the Jordan River. He struck the water with Elijah's cloak and cried out, 'Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?' Then the river divided, and Elisha went across." (2 Kings 2:11-14) Elisha went on to do many super human feats including raising a boy from the dead!

It was fun to see real super hero kind of stuff with super human feats, cape and all, but I guess what I'm trying to say in all of this is that God has the power to make you into a super hero.

     Do you believe he has the power to get you out of a jam?
     Do you believe that God is the same God today that he was then?
     Are you willing to make the sacrifices?

Are you focused on what you would do with that power, or what God would have you do with that power?

I love that Elijah's prayer on Mount Carmel had nothing to do with him, and was all about God's glory...

"O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself." (1 Kings 18:36-37)

God is the same God he was for Elijah and Elisha. He does have the power to do anything with you and through you and He wants to use you to bring people back to Him!

What are you doing with your Super Powers?

How much did you pay for that?

This question may not be asked out loud too often, but I am sure people think it! Today, I was challenged to ask this of myself in regards to my relationship with God. David, in 2 Samuel 24, has the opportunity to get something for free and his response caught my attention. I mean, who doesn't want something for free, right?

Let me recount the story for you...
David is near the end of his reign as king and "once again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel." As judgement fell upon the nation in the form of a plague 70,000 people died. But as Jerusalem was about to be destroyed the Lord stopped the death angel at the threshing floor of Araunah. Then sent word to David to build an alter at that spot. As you may be inclined to think today, that was not David's property. David would have agreed, so he went to Araunah to buy the threshing floor from him. Araunah offered to give David the threshing floor as well as oxen for the offering. "But the king replied to Araunah, 'No, I insist on buying it, for I will not present burnt offerings to the Lord my God that have cost me nothing.'" David paid him, built the alter and sacrificed his burnt offerings to the Lord.

So, I ask you what I asked myself this morning...What are your offerings costing you? Are you giving up something in order to give to God? Are you making sacrifices to follow him? Or are you simply sliding by giving God only things that have cost you nothing?

These are a few questions that got me thinking today, I hope it does the same for you.

At least no one is trying to kill you...

Most of us know Joseph's story starting with the boy given the coat of many colors, thrown in the pit, then a LONG process of different seasons until he becomes the Pharaoh's right hand man and gets reunited with his family.  But what about David? David's story is very different, but still a story of seasons. Most of us can tell you about his poor choices leading up to and following his affair with Bathsheba, and we take hope from this story because even though he made mistakes he was called a man after God's own heart. What we don't usually focus on is the time between the boy who killed Goliath and him becoming the King that was on his roof looking for trouble.

He was a young boy, the baby of the family when God sent Samuel to anoint him king. He knew what God was going to do with him, but he didn't know how or when. He went from the shepherd in the field to mighty David who people sang songs about how he killed his tens of thousands after defeating Goliath. He became a man (son-in-law) that King Saul grew to hate out of pure jealousy. He spent YEARS running and hiding as Saul chased after him trying to kill him. He showed mercy and grace to the man who would never have done the same, only to spend many more YEARS in a war (after Saul's death) before he actually ruled the kingdom God had given him many years earlier. 

 

David experienced seasons in his life, seasons of joy and hope, seasons of heartache and pain, seasons of victory and defeat. We do know (Philippians 1:6) that "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." We see this played out in David's life as well as Joseph's and many others in the Bible, but I think we forget that for our own lives. I know for me it is a struggle not to continually ask God what the completed Bonnie accomplishes. I have a hard time waiting out the season, sometimes good ones as well as hard ones. 

 

All of that to say...I believe the answer is to live each day to the best of your ability. Allow God to smooth the path ahead. When he begins something in you, he is at work. He continues to work even when you don't see how this is going to get you anywhere. You are simply asked to represent Jesus, show his mercy and grace and follow after the things of his heart. He will put you where he wants you and use you in ways unimaginable. Enjoy the seasons of hope...be calm in the waiting...push through the hurt, God is at work...and no one is trying to kill you!

What season are you in? 

 

What has God put in front of you that you don't know how to get to? (Remember, it is not your job to get yourself there. He is the one at work.)

A message for MOMS!

Something new God is teaching me I thought I would share today is about being a mom and a woman in ministry.  If I'm being really honest I can tell you I have been struggling trying to figure out what it looks like to be a stay at home mom. I am not a homebody. I like to be out and about. I certainly don't like to miss out on anything. And most of all I have prayed for a long time for God to use me in a mighty, powerful way. (Now, don't misunderstand, I don't care if that means I do something big and great or if it is something small and never recognized, I just want God to know I am here to serve him and want to be used by him to further his kingdom.)  I am not trying to minimize the role of the stay at home mom either. I am just trying to figure out what it looks like for me. I am used to going 90mph and I find myself in a new place only having to go 30mph. I don't really know how to "stop and smell the roses" being that I am wired to be very task oriented, so there are lots of discoveries for me here and now.
I have been reading through Ruth and Samuel and God has been really teaching me some different ways that it might look to be used by him. If you look at the story of Ruth and the little bit you get from the life of Hannah what you see is that God used them in a mighty way and they may not have ever known it.
You know the story of Ruth...(If not, you can read it. It's the little, short book in the Old Testament titled, :) Ruth.) She had the opportunity to go home to her family, but stuck with her mother-in-law and saw God go ahead of her and provide for all her needs. She wound up being in the lineage of David, who in case you don't know was in the lineage of Jesus! Pretty big role to play, I'd say, but she had no idea. She just lived her life of honor each day not knowing how she was going to be used.
And Hannah is only mentioned briefly in the beginning of 1 Samuel as one of two wives to Elkanah. That alone is the start to trouble - 2 wives...Anyway, we find Hannah crying out to God because she has been tormented by not being able to have kids. She asks God to give her a son and in return she will give that son back to him. God answers her prayer and she follows through and hands the young boy over to the priest to be raised in service to God. I love in 1 Samuel 2:1-10 Hannah praises God for what he has done and honors him for his ability, recognizing that he is God! That son was Samuel who grows up to honor God and speaks for the Lord to all of Israel. Hannah, too had no idea how her life would play a mighty role in serving God, she just lived each day to honor him and God did some amazing things through her.
With all that said, I want to encourage any moms, working or not, that God just might be using you in a mighty way just by you being a mother and a woman of honor! So, in search of defining my role in ministry, my job is to do the best I can do to honor God today and teach my kids to do the same.

What speed do you feel like you are going? Do you find yourself focusing on how God might want to use you, or are you just serving him the best way you can where he has you today?

What are you putting in his mouth?

Ok - so it's been a really long time since my last post.  (I kind of feel like I'm starting a confession saying that.) We are moved, mostly settled and trying to start a new normal. As I pray about what to post, I just keep coming back to this same lesson that I actually started writing before the move. Throughout this time of crazy schedules, in between homes for a week, packing and unpacking for almost a month, the thing that stands out most about what God is doing is how he is teaching me to truly hear his voice. God's been teaching me a lot about the differences not only between outside noise and his voice, but also about the difference between his voice and the words I put in his mouth. It is funny how we can read scripture and twist something around to make ourselves think that it is God speaking when really it is how we have taken God's word and made it about what we want to see happen without even realizing it.
I have talked with ladies who have asked "How do you know it is God speaking?" or "How do you hear his voice?" I have spent many hours thinking about those questions and tried to come up with how I answer them.
Mind you - I have no Seminary training or background for this to be anything other than my own experiences. However, here is what I would say is how I know I hear God's voice...

1 - In order for God to speak to you there must be a connection between you. - You spend time with him regularly. You praise him. You read his instruction book, The Bible, daily. You love him and you tell him that with your words and your actions. (This doesn't mean that God can't speak to you and get your attention without spending regular time with him. It simply means that to have a relationship where you truly learn to hear his whispers there has to be a ongoing connection.)

2 - What God says to you is not centered around you. - God has great things in store for you, but what he says to you will not be about lifting you up and making you great. If you think God is speaking to you and what he is saying somehow makes you look really good or puts you in a really good position, just double check that you are not putting words in his mouth. God has designed us to glorify him and lift him up! There are many people in the New Testamant and still today who have lost their lives following what God said for them to do.
   
3 - What God says is often confirmed through people or circumstances. - God will use other people in your life or things happening around you to affirm to you what he has already said.

4 - What God says will happen, happens! - It is not from God if what you think he said does not happen.  Deuteronomy 18:21-22
You may say to yourselves, "How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?" If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken.

A little side story...
I found myself learning these lessons clearly not too long ago. I know that God has something in store for me, a ministry that I will be able to serve him in a mighty way. I have no idea what that looks like, so as I read scripture I began to picture some ways that could be accomplished. I took God's word and in my heart, as if God was saying it to me, I told myself this is what he is telling me. "He is going to allow this to happen and do this, so that I can do this..." I was completely convinced that it was from God. It came to my mind during a quiet time. It was based on scripture.I have been seeking him with all my heart, having a great connection with him. Why wouldn't it be what God wanted for me?
I had the opportunity for it to be confirmed through a circumstance that same morning, but it was not. That still wasn't enough. I was convinced God was going to do this, so I kept thinking of other ways that it could work out. Through out this time I have to admit God had to be looking down at me going "Oh Bonnie, when are you going to learn? What are you doing all this running around for? If you would just get out of the way and stop making your own plan, I could really do some pretty cool things with you." 
Finally, I was able to stop and look at why I came up with this thought in the first place. I was hiding the fact from myself, but ultimately this plan was to elevate me. Although God would be honored in the outcome, the plan itself was about elevating me to the place I thought I should be, not about following him and his plan. 

When Jesus was in the wilderness being temped, Satan even used scripture to try to get Jesus to mess up. It is very important to know when God is speaking vs when you are putting words in his mouth. I know that if you are a Christ Follower, if you have given your life to follow after Christ, God is present and he is real! If you spend time with him, and cry out for him to speak to you, he will answer. Jeremiah 33:3 says:  
Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.

Are you putting words in God's mouth, or are you allowing him to teach you great things?


I would love to hear some of the ways that you know when God is speaking.  Please post comments and share what God is teaching you and how you hear his voice.

The Big News!

SO, the next step on the journey...WE'RE MOVING TO SOUTH CAROLINA!
PT has accepted a job as the Discipleship Pastor at NewSpring's Greenville campus, and we will be there by the end of July. I have to focus on the move and not on the leaving, but we are very excited to know we are headed right where God wants us to be. I can't wait to see what all he teaches us there. I will be staying home with the boys, (at least for now) and am really excited to see what all we can get in to. :) God is so good!

Here is a little note that PT and I posted on Facebook, if you are in town and can join us for a little farewell get together we would love to see you! Farewell Note

The Gap Between Hopes and Dreams

As we have stepped out in faith to see what the new journey is that God has for us I have come up with an idea for what causes us to fall between getting our hopes up and accomplishing our dreams. I know without a doubt that God was at the heart of this leap of faith we have taken, so I had a certain expectation of what he was going to do. I remember telling my friend Janay, in the beginning, that I expected to be home a couple of weeks. Which would be great to spend some time with the family and give my house a good cleaning. We would then be offered the perfect job and we would not miss a beat financially. She kept her laughing to a minimum and asked me when I was going to come back to reality. It's funny now, but I was just certain God was able to do this. He called us out here (See my first post for the story.) and promised me he had all the details covered. Why wouldn't it be that smooth? At that moment God began to challenge me with "What if I don't meet your expectations? Do you still trust me?"
Not only were we clinging to the promise God made us that he had all the details covered and would "smooth the road ahead of us" (Isaiah 42:16), but we were believing Ephesians 3:20 - God can do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine. And there it is...THE GAP! No, not the store, the place where we lose hope and settle for something other than the dreams God has for our lives. We fall in this trap that God doing "immeasurably more" is the same thing as taking our expectations and making them even better. If I know that I have enough money to make it 3 months before finding a new job, then God doing immeasurably more should mean he does it in 2-3 weeks, right?
Well, if you have been following our story, you know we have been on this journey for almost 4 months now. The money is at the end. I'm not quite sure how it made it this long, to be honest. We are way past my pretty little expectation of what God was going to do, but I am still certain that he can do immeasurably more. It just looks different than I expect. In fact, we came really close to falling in the gap last week. We were interviewing for a job at an AMAZING church. I love the pastor, and would be so excited to be a part of this church. However, God began making it very clear this is not where we were supposed to be. As I stated, we are out of money and really needed to take this job, but what about his promise to smooth the road ahead of us? Do I still trust him? It's been pretty easy to trust him when there is money in the bank, but when we have nothing to rely on but him, what do we do? We TRUST! I honestly believe this is where most people fall in the gap. It doesn't make any sense. People are telling you there is no other way. You doubt what God was doing with you in the first place. You don't say it directly, but you are not longer certain God was leading you. Instead you think maybe it was just me thinking that...
I can't say it is easy to hold tight to hopes, but don't give up! Cling to the promises that God has made to you about your dreams, and one step at a time he will get you where he wants you. Don't fall in the gap...trust him to keep walking until you get to where he wants you. I can tell you I would not trade the last 3 months for anything. God has taught me so many things I would have missed out on if he had met my expectations. I am so thankful that he is a bridge between hopes and dreams.

A Walk Through The Mall

I hit a point in my walk after being a Christ Follower for  15 years where I knew I was walking with God, but I just didn't feel close to him. I was challenged by reading a young girl's blog of all the things God was teaching her and how real he was in her life. I didn't understand why that was not happening in my relationship with him anymore. As I cried out to God for my walk to be that real and exciting again he gave me a visual to put it into perspective.
I have a little boy who is 5 now. When he was little he liked to know his boundaries, but he loved opportunities where he could be independent. We would go to the mall together. When we walked from the car to the door of the mall I always held his hand, but once inside he had a little freedom. He loved to run out ahead of me while we walked though the mall. When he got a little too far ahead I would simply call out for him to wait up. When we got to a turn and he didn't know which way to go, he would look back to me for direction.
God said, that's what my relationship with him had become. He held me tight when things weren't safe, but when things were good, I liked to run out ahead of him. I could still hear his voice when I got too far, and I always sought direction when I didn't know which way to go.
God brought me to this point to let me know he wanted more from our relationship. I pictured PT walking through the mall with his mom and how different that looks. He walks arm in arm with her. They have conversation along the way. When they get to a turn they turn in unison because they know where they are going together.
I am so thankful for this visual. I use it as a check point regularly to determine how I am doing in my walk with him. I want so desperately to be side by side with God on this journey.

How do you walk with God?  What kinds of things do you do to stay close to him?

I hope you dance!

I know the Lee Ann Womack song I Hope You Dance is a bit of a cheesy song. However, God has used this as a reminder for me to be involved in my own life in spite of what others think.
I grew up pretty conservative. I don't know if it was something I picked up from my parents or just worked my way into it on my own. Either way, I was always aware of what was going on around me. I didn't realize it at the time, but I can definitely see now how that influenced my behavior. I have always been "professional", which for me, if I'm honest, translates into "afraid of what others might think." Back in the fall of 2010, when God really began igniting something new in me, PT and I found ourselves at several weddings. I can't say that I am a good dancer, but I have to admit I started longing to have the freedom to just get out there and let loose.
Recently I was reading Mark Batterson's Soul Print and he talks about this in relation to David's life. You may already know that David was known for dancing and praising the Lord. Now that doesn't sound so bad, right? Let's just set the stage for a better understanding. David was entering the city as King for the first time. He knew for many years that God selected him to be the next king, but Saul had been king and there was a lot of drama over a long period of time while he waited for his turn.
Well, it was finally here! He was entering the city in his own parade. He was honoring the Lord before all of Israel and bringing the Ark of God to the city. It was then that he decided to let loose..."And David danced before the Lord with all his might, wearing a priestly garment." (2 Samuel 6:14) Batterson portrays the event:
Mothers don't know whether to cover their children's eyes. His staff don't know whether to stop him. And a collective blush sweeps across the crowd. The king of Israel is down to a linen loincloth. Then His Majesty starts dancing like a little child without a care in the world.
Let me just say, I am not sure I can go that far in my letting loose at a wedding, especially where my husband is the pastor who just performed the ceremony. However, it is a good reminder that I can't be inhibited so much by what others might think that I am afraid to really be me.
Are you worried about what others might think? Does it keep you from being who God wants you to be? I hope you can find some assurance from this story of David, like I did, to know that it's ok to be you. God made you just the way you are for a reason and he doesn't want you to let life pass you by without YOU being a part of it.

I HOPE YOU DANCE!

After the construction

When we first moved into our house 6 years ago there was some major construction on the highway we traveled to and from work. It was so irritating. Traffic always backed up in that spot and there was no way around it. It seemed to take forever to get home in the evenings, and that was made very clear when we had a hungry baby in the car with us. Now, however, that area of highway is nice! It is one of the fastest moving sections of highway in the whole Dallas/Fort Worth area. We know once we hit that section of highway it is smooth sailing to get home. In fact, it is so smooth, that it is real easy to forget how hard it was to travel that section of highway at one time.
Our lives are like that...God does some work in us, we learn a lesson and when the construction is done we quickly move on and forget the work that was done to make us better. It can be hard when we are going through the construction, but when the mess is all cleaned up and we are moving forward just fine we often forget about the work that was done. I don't drive down that stretch of highway and think "wow, I am so glad they did that construction." I just enjoy the drive, usually thinking about what I am going to do when I get home.
I think the Bible warns us of this in Deuteronomy 9:11 "But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees I am giving you today." This was a warning to the Isrealites from Moses just before they crossed the Jordan and moved into the promise land.  God had taught them so many things during their journey in the wilderness, and it was about to end. They were about to have everything they desired.  Their direct need for the Lord's guidance, direction, and provision was almost over. He wanted to make sure that once the construction was over and they were moving in the fast lane that they didn't forget what the Lord had done for them to get them there and what he had taught them along the way.
I pray the same thing for myself daily with where we are in this journey. I know that God has me at a place right now that I have to rely heavily on Him each day. I know he is getting ready to show us what is next for us and things will be smooth sailing soon. I want to follow Moses's advice and BE CAREFUL not to forget the Lord my God in my time of plenty. I am working hard to create habits that will continue after this part of the journey and praying regularly that I hold tight to Jesus even in the land of plenty that is to come.

What have you done (or are doing) to remember those times of construction in your life?

Leadership Lessons From Moses

As I have been reading through the life of Moses, God has been showing me some key elements needed to be a strong leader.  I have pages of notes of all the things I have learned from Moses's life, but here are a few that stand out.

1. Face Down...
Every time Moses started something he fell face down on the ground. Every time the people complained, every time someone disagreed with his leadership, every time he didn't know what to do next...he fell face down on the ground. He knew this was not about him, but about God's glory and being used by God. Therefore he looked to God first in ALL of it.

2. Heavy Weight Champion...
Leading is a heavy burden. Moses is regularly facing complaints from the Israelites, and yet he is continually asking God to spare them. (You have to truly have a heart for the people you are leading!)
He even cries out to God in Numbers 11: 14, "I can't carry all these people by myself! The load is far too heavy!" (You have to build up leaders under you - not just to do the work, but to help you carry the weight.)


3. In It To Win It...
It could be a long journey, made longer by the people you are leading! Moses wondered in the wilderness along side them for 40 years because of their struggles. (You gotta be in it for the long haul!) You can't walk away when it gets hard. When Moses cried out in Numbers 11, he didn't leave - he went to God. Something great happened; God put his Spirit upon 70 other leaders from among the Isrealites to "bear the burden of the people along with [Moses]."
Here's my favorite part...later in the chapter someone came running to Moses to tell him that others were prophesying and Joshua protested, "Moses, my master, make them stop!" I love Moses's response, "Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord's people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them all!" And Moses went right back to what he was doing. If Moses was worried about losing his "power" as a leader then he would not have wanted others to be able to do what he was called to do. Mind you, I believe Moses was a little fed up with them at this point, but the principle is the same. (It can't be about you!)

Moses's primary concern his entire life in leadership was for God's glory to be revealed to the people, and I believe these are 3 core principles that helped him as a leader.

Fool-y Surrender

I have known for a long time that Moses didn't get to lead the people into the Promise Land. I kind of knew it had to do with trusting God, but as I read the passage where God decided this today it caught me off guard. Numbers 20:2-12 is where you can find the story, and if you are like me you may have to read it several times before you discover what made God say Moses didn't trust him. I read the story...Moses heard the people's complaints and "fell face down on the ground" again, and I thought (even underlined it in my Bible) Moses always goes straight to God. God gave him the instructions "so Moses did as he was told." Now, since the people's complaint this time was that they didn't have any water, the instructions that God gave Moses were "as the people watch, speak to that rock over there and it will pour out its water."
Let's just stop there. Honest to goodness, I wrote in my Bible "like the people didn't think he was crazy already." Regardless, Moses did as he was told, right? So why did God say Moses didn't trust him? I prayed and asked God to show me what Moses did wrong. (I'm learning from Moses here - go to God first.) Then, I looked over the story like I used to search for the differences between 2 pictures in those magazines at the dr. office when I was a kid. (What were those, Highlights, or something like that?) Anyway, after a few minutes it jumped off the page at me. After gathering all the people, Moses "raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the the staff."
Did you catch it? God said speak to the rock, but Moses went and got that trusty staff that parted the Red Sea and used it to make water come out of the rock. How many times do I do that when God asks me to do something? PT and I, as you may know, have both resigned from our jobs. (If you didn't know, you can take a look at my first blog post.) We have been home now for almost 3 months. We have had job offers and felt as though God said to turn it down. We are quickly running out of money and praying we don't settle for the wrong job just to make sure we have a pay check before the money runs out completely. I was talking with a friend yesterday and made the statement, "we are trying to find the fine line between fully surrendering to God and foolishness." As I read this today, God challenged me that to fully surrender to God, we may be asked to do something that looks foolish. Moses was told to talk to a rock to make water come out of it! So, to truly fully surrender, I think it may look more like "Fool-y" Surrender.
Last, to top it all off, you can't Fool-y Surrender if you have a back up plan. (I am queen of the back up plan, in case you don't know me.) It is one thing for me to turn down a job and Fool-y trust God if I know there is still something in the wings, waiting for me. It is hardest and makes people say "you are crazy" when there is no back up plan because you completely trust God.

What area of your life is God asking you to Fool-y trust him?
Moses went for the faithful staff. What do you hold on to that keeps you from Fool-y surrendering?

What am I called to do?

So many times I have found myself discontent with where I am.  Each time I find myself coming back to this question. What am I called to do? I know God has something extraordinary for me, so why can't I seem to get there. The last time I really sought hard after the answer to this question I began reading for myself about leaders in the Bible. I wanted to know how God communicated with them, how they responded and what it looked like when God laid out the plan for their lives.

Since I became a Christ Follower, I have had my very own life motto.  "Love God, Serve Others" (based on Matthew 22:37-40.) I strive to live my life by these actions, but as I read through the life of Joseph this time God gave me a new life motto. You know the story of Joseph. God gave him a vision early in life that his brothers would all bow down to him. A trip through a pit, to slavery, and jail surely never seemed like the right path for reaching that goal, however, not only did Joseph's vision come true, he also was used by God to save nations of people from starvation! (The one long sentence version of the story. You can read it for yourself in Genesis 37-50) This time I read the story I couldn't help but see how long it was between the vision and the final outcome, and all the little turns that the story took. All the while, one thing was true at each stage of Joseph's journey...He did the best job he could do where God had him on that day, and that is what got him to the place where God was able to do "immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine" in his life.

God totally called me at that moment to live my life by this new motto. "Do the best job that I can do where God has me today." I can certainly be thankful that I am not in jail to reach the completion of the vision he has placed in my life. :) I simply have to remember that each day I am where God wants me to be and all I am called to do is to do the best that I can on that day. I have stopped focusing on the destination and am enjoying the journey.

What vision has God placed in your life? What do you need to stop doing in order to focus on doing the best job that you can do where God has you today?

My neighbor made me muffins!

That sounds so nice, "my neighbor made me muffins".  But, it made my heart break a little. You see, this neighbor moved in back in February and I have continually thought about what I need to do for them to welcome them, to reach out to them, to show them love. I always had the perfect ideas of how to make something just right, but it was so perfect I couldn't do it. I didn't have the right stuff. I'm not great at baking. I just don't have the time. (At least that was a good reason until March.) :)
There was always a reason, usually because I convinced myself the outcome wouldn't be perfect. What I realized when my neighbor made me muffins was...JUST DO IT! The muffins she gave me weren't beautiful, a couple were even a little broken and they were simply wrapped up in foil...But how precious of her to bring me muffins. - DON'T WAIT FOR IT TO BE PERFECT - JUST DO IT!

Stoopin' instead of Steppin'

John 20:3-9 (NLT - emphasis mine)
3 Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. 4 They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t go in. 6 Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, 7 while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings. 8 Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed—9 for until then they still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead.

As I read this passage I noticed that the disciple who reached the tomb first didn't go in..."He stooped".  Later in the passage it says he "went in, and he saw and believed".  Then it even says that "until then they still hadn't understood." I don't know about you, but that jumped off the page at me.  They didn't believe until they actually took steps to go inside! How many times have I missed out on what God was doing simply because I was Stoopin' instead of Steppin'? When we choose to take steps in our faith he can show us things we couldn't have seen before and understand him in ways that seemed unimaginable. 


What areas in your life are you Stoopin'? Do you have any stories of times you have stepped and seen this happen in your life?

So, I'm starting a BLOG

Just a little bit about me...I have always hated to read, I don't think I am very good at writing, I certainly have no real training that qualifies me to teach, but God has been teaching me and I wouldn't be a good steward if I don't share the lessons with others. (That was the last lesson he taught me, so here I am...)

My Story: I accepted Christ on a retreat in high school and they couldn't keep me out of the church from then on.  I "accepted a call to ministry" about a year later.  For real, I walked down the aisle of my church, the one they couldn't keep me out of anymore, and told them I felt like God wanted me to do this sort of thing for the rest of my life. They prayed for me, put my picture on the wall, and it was official! I helped out with the student ministry, constantly invited my friends to church and by the time I was 18 was on staff - Children's Ministry Intern.
I met my husband, PT, at 18, got engaged 8 months later, and we got married almost 2 years later.  (That's a whole different blog post.) We have been married for almost 12 years now and have 2 precious boys. I started school in MS, but I ended up graduating from Texas Christian University with a business degree, focused on Entrepreneurial Management. (Which I still can't spell without spell check.) PT and I began working at Fellowship Church about the time we each finished school, him from Seminary and me from TCU. We have loved being a part of Fellowship Church. Out of the almost 12 years that we have been married 9 of them have been as part of the family of Fellowship Church. We have become who we are because of our time there.

So where are we now? That is a great question..we aren't sure.  God began working in our hearts around August of last year.  Quietly, He asked us to get ready for a new journey. Over time that nudge became louder and more persistent, so we began to look for direction on where this new journey would go. After months of keeping our eyes open we still saw no new path. I continued to pray and ask God to show us where we were going, but no direction. I began to read scripture more diligently for the answers. I studied people, how God led them, how he communicated with them, how they responded and what happened afterwards. You start talking about God calling you to move and you instantly think of  Abraham. I can tell you after searching through the scripture from Abraham to Moses, then all of the New Testament, there are FAR MORE stories of God showing his people where to go before they move than the popular story of Abraham who just goes, with no direction at all. SO, I waited some more for God to show us where he wanted us to go.  Surely he would open a door, drop something in our laps if he wanted us to change jobs.

Then there was that morning that I cried out to God for direction. I can clearly recall driving in to work that morning listening to worship music just begging God to give us some answers. We were no longer content to just keep doing the same old thing when the creator of the universe says he has something different for you. I told God that morning that we wanted what he has for us, that we were willing to step out like Abraham if that was what he wanted us to do, but I didn't think that is what he was asking of us.  If it was, then he needed to make that clear. I don't think I have seen God answer prayer requests so fast in all of my life. He made if very clear that morning that he was asking us to step out in faith not knowing what was next, and the wheels were all in motion before I could even stop and say, "You want us to both quit our jobs?" Although that is probably best, because had we had much time to stop and think about it we probably would not have done it...I mean, who does that? Who chooses to up and quit your job in this economy with no idea of what is next? Things are going fine.  We love Fellowship Church.  We have a nice little house. The kids are doing good in their school. There are so many reasons not to take that step, but I have no doubt in my mind that is the step that God directed. From August when God began this particular part of our journey he spoke to me when I read Isaiah 42:16 "I will lead blind Israel down a new path, guiding them along an unfamiliar way. I will brighten the darkness before them and smooth out the road ahead of them." As clearly as if he were speaking audibly to me he said that he is taking us on a new path, he will show us what we need to know when we need to know it and that he has all the details covered. 

No Really - Where are we? So, that step of faith was about 2 months ago.  We have had several interviews for jobs with other churches, that we felt God say "that's not it, wait for me." We have enough left in our savings to make it to the end of June and I am continually going back to that verse. I usually just recite it to myself from memory, but I opened it up and read it from the Bible to discover that it doesn't end there. The last part of verse 16 actually says, "Yes, I indeed will do these things; I will not forsake them." I know that God has a plan.  I would really love to know what it is, but God continues to teach me to trust him one step at a time.  The farther we go, them more I have to rely on him. I think that is what he is truly trying to teach me. I was at the Flavour Conference last week and Julie Richard (LOVE HER!!) was talking about how God's ability really comes out when you are in need of a miracle...that is his sweet spot...he's kinda good at that.  :) God took that moment to remind me that I may miss out on a chance to really see him do a miracle in my life if I am not in need of one. I know he has brought us out here to this place and that he has a plan for us.  I continue to learn like I have never learned before and I wake up in the morning with the thought, "I can't make it through today without you."

God, keep me here long enough to never forget that no matter my circumstances, I can't make it through today without you.
Bonnie Lee