Meeting God in an Authentic Way

As I have been going to church the last few weeks – worship has become more important to me not the sound but the words and the attitude of my heart.  The worship is important because that where we meet God or one of the ways.  I heard it said once in college if you can’t sing from your heart don’t sing.  I was getting more and more convicted of this and saw that I was not connecting with God in worship at the campus I was worshipping at.  It’s not a matter of getting feed or the exciting songs but am I meeting God.  I changed where I worshipped and I love it – I can meet God and sing songs from my heart and that is the first time in more than six months.  I thank God for this move because that allowed me to worship from my heart.  He is a mighty God and he is waiting for his bride to come to him with an open heart and trusting heart.  Thank you for loving me!  Thank you for healing me! Thank you for saving me! 

This post comes from an overflowing heart tonight!

A New Old Conviction

This week God again reminded me of the need for me to disciple someone but until tonight I got discouraged because I was counting on my church having a minitstry and yet tonight I was reminded that it is MY responsibility and I can do discipleship or mentoring without having a program – all I need is someone who I see potential and ask them.  It is my responisibility.  God teach me and let me hunger for you.

What is God teaching you?

For such a Time as This…

As we approach this fall there is a new round of studies but the study last spring is still in my heart and mind…

Giant-Sized Obstacles: Esther and Her People

 Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
Esther 4:14

 In the introduction of the book Thirteen Days, former Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara wrote of the pressure felt inside the White House during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. He called it “a period of the most intense strain I have ever operated under.”

 Queen Esther could have said the same during the royal crisis that jeopardized her life and the lives of Jewish people everywhere during the days of the Persian Empire. Out of nowhere, a giant crisis emerged that put her under the most intense strain she had ever operated under. Her one assurance, relayed to her by Mordecai, was that God had anticipated this giant in advance; and, in His providence, had placed her on the throne to deal with it.

 Sometimes we find ourselves in a period of intense strain. It’s important to remember that God has anticipated it, and He has prepared us “for such a time as this.” He will give strength for the strain and wisdom for the crisis.

 When God can do what He will with a man, the man may do what he will with the world.
George MacDonald

 Recommended Reading: Esther 4:13-17

* This came from Turning Point Magazine – David Jeremiah

My First Place

I bought my first place and I have been hard at work since then I have learned how to paint groves and how to edge with an edger.  I am learning and my parents are helping so much.  I have taken some pictures of before and after.  Here is the basement – I have painted it and I will be having carpet installed in a week and so excited to have a room done.  I love my new  home and look forward to being in it full time!  I am looking forward to opening it up and having my friends over and opening up my family room to them.

New Video

I saw this on Anderson Cooper 360 – the waving goat.  It is great!  Another animal video – gotta love those animal videos!

A memorable month…

The last month our church has taken part in What if the Church and the whole concept started last year when three churches in the KC area got  together and thenn this year more than 10 churches got together had sermons/messages on loving mercy,  act justly, and walking humbly with your God and we then had a serve day which I could not take part in due to exhaustion and being sick the day of the event.  Tonight was the final event and it was the Worship Night where the different churches led us in worship, prayer, and communion.  It was fantastic…one of the people from Westside  toke a picture of the crowd….

 

Here it is….

LORD, MAKE US ONE! MAY GOD DO GREATER THINGS IN KC AND  LET THE CHURCH BECOME ONE IN MISSION – to reach the hurting, to reach the poor, to reach the single mom, to reach the drug addict, to reach those who don’t have a relationship with him.  Let us love mercy, act justly, and walk humbly with our God.

WHAT IF?  what if 12 churches mutiplies by 4 next year again -48 local churches?  What if we had a serve day and thousands came out?  A dream yes but God can do more than we can ask or imagine….

One million dolllars…

I was thinking about what I would do if I had a million dollars handed to me…

Here is what I would do and it is in the order that I would do it…

• 250,000 to my local church
• 200,000 to buy a nice home
• 25,000 to buy a car (my Ford Escape my dream car)

That is 475,000. 525,000 left

• 25,000 for an emergency fund
• 200,000 invest

That is $700,000…now what…I still have 300,000.

• I would give some money to single moms who are having a hard time getting started ($25,000)
• I would give some money to our mission partners around the globe ($25,000)
• I would start a college ministry that would train college students to do ministry and rock their world! I have no idea how much I would put towards this since this age is near and dear to my heart! ($50,000 maybe)

Wow, I still have plenty of money…$200,000 left

• Okay, so I would have some fun with the money – travel to Florida, travel to Washington DC, travel to California, travel to the Grand Camyans again, go on some cruises ($20,000)
• I would suprise my family and help them with paying off their houses and cars (that would be the rest of it).

What would you do if you got handed $1,000,000?  I invite comments!

Pet Trick – Play Dead

Great pet trick!  Love it

 

Six years ago…

It has been six years – six years ago this weekend I walked out of a church angry and hurt and questioning the leadership of the church.  Six years ago I walked into my current church and my current church has taught me a valuable lesson – NO CHURCH IS IMMUNE TO PROBLEMS!  Two years ago in April a big crisis hit my current church and I am truly excited where God is taking us.  It is because of God that I am there – not relationships even though I love those people but because I see God at work. 

This is not the purpose of this entry though – it’s about my old church.  I have been watching and seeing what has happened there since I left and yes I have heard and seen the problems.  It is in the public eye yet I dislike the hatred and bitterness that I see in some people’s lives who have left that church.  It hurts my heart because it is those people who are hurting not the church – the church is trying to take more ground for Jesus Christ and  as a Christian I will say go God!  God works through broken people and sinful people – Christians are not perfect we just have a God that loves us and forgives us if we ask him to forgive us.  I have a love for that church that only God has given me.   God is working there and pray that it will reach the community around that building. 

I will say what if the church was united in heart and would support other churches like it should.  What if indeed?   Words to the Church of Jesus Christ: DREAM BIG!  We have a God who says all things are possible with him. DREAM BIG!

Breaking free

I read this in the devotional Breaking Free by Beth Moore…

“We can be saved and yet continually live in defeat because the enemy can outwit us if we do not depend on the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.  We’ve got to know that we’re being swarmed, wise up to the Word, learn what our rights are, and use the equipment God has given us.”

A good word by Beth Moore.  Am I in the word?  Do I hunger for the Word?  Do I stop and listen to the one who does have everything under control?  Do I cry out to the Lord?  Do I live like one who has a God given destiny?  Am I equipped so when the enemy strikes I will be ready?

God be the center of my life and where I fix my eyes…