 Today in my scheduled reading of Romans 10, verse 15 jumped off the page and embedded itself in my soul. Pointing back to Isaiah, it says “How beautiful are the feet of those who announced the gospel of good things” This past week. I saw them. I saw the beautiful feet of those working in the local church day and night. I saw the Pastors, tutors, teachers, cooks and translators sharing the gospel through words and deeds. I saw the local church doing what God called it to do. And I saw, as the Message translation so perfectly says, “A sight to take your breath away! Grand processions of people telling all the good things of God!” There were processions, there were testimonies and there were declarations of what God is doing through the local church. Through Compassion International we get to support the work. We get to be a part of releasing children one by one from the cycle of poverty. And when we do that we not only release a child, but the ripple effect to the family, the siblings, the local church and into the community is evident. I witnessed it. I saw it. I believe in the work that is being done. I’m once again overwhelmed to be a part of the call to carry the Gospel with Compassion partners around the world. And for that part , I am honored. To be able to see my sweet Jasilil again, visit her church, home and her mother was a gift. She has grown so tall and 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐒 the same sport that I played through college, 𝐕𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐘𝐁𝐀𝐋𝐋! I continue to pray for her and her dream to become a Flight Attendant one day (which is also my secret ambition). I know that through the support she receives she will succeed. She will chase her dreams and break the cycle. This I know. Check out my link to be apart of the work and begin a one on one relationship with a child today: compassion.com/Aspire In Jesus Name!
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 Without going into details, many of us may agree that our society is going a little off the rails. The world is redefining many of the core beliefs that the Bible clearly upholds. It seems like everyday there is something new on the news that seems almost unbelievable to me. I find myself thinking “how in the world can this be happening?” I am genuinely taken aback by the things I hear different groups, school boards, churches, believers in Christ, non believers, educated, uneducated, politicians, pastors, parents, children… the list goes on, saying and perpetuating. Can it get worse? Yes. Last time the world was so depraved, God sent a flood to curb the downward spiral, but promised not to do that again, so here we are. (And, no, I’m not advocating for a world flood) If you, like me, wonder how all this is happening, I’m reminded of this from Romans 8:6-8 “𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑑-𝑠𝑒𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑙𝑒𝑠ℎ 𝑖𝑠 𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑑-𝑠𝑒𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑒. 𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑑-𝑠𝑒𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑙𝑒𝑠ℎ 𝑖𝑠 ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝐺𝑜𝑑 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑖𝑡 𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑚𝑖𝑡 𝑖𝑡𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓 𝑡𝑜 𝐺𝑜𝑑’𝑠 𝑙𝑎𝑤, 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑖𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑢𝑛𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑑𝑜 𝑠𝑜. 𝑇ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑙𝑒𝑠ℎ 𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝐺𝑜𝑑.” People need Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. The world needs the Word of God to dwell richly in every person. But it starts with us. Go & Tell, don’t shrink back. Use your voice and platform whenever you are able and wherever God sends you or plants you. May the Word of God be the flood that the Lord uses to curb the mind-set of the flesh. May we walk diligently in the mind-set of the Spirit.  Sitting in the tension of 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝟕 today. I was gonna go ahead and read chapter 8, but there is so much stirring in my soul that I’m just sitting with it.
I am no longer married to the law. It died and made me a widow. A widow free to be in the most beautiful relationship with Grace and Truth. The fruit I bear is from God. I belong to Him who was raised from the dead. I belong to Jesus. And in the same breath… the struggle is real. The battles are real. The things I want to do I don’t, and vice versa.  Yet, Jesus wins. The ending is secure.  “Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐰𝐚𝐲 of life.” - Romans 6:4 Following “𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑾𝒂𝒚” looks different than following a way. THE WAY is very different than what the world defines. Lord, help me to follow YOU and walk differently and not be deceived. AMEN  If for some very odd reason you lurked under the table while we were eating, you may have witnessed me giving my husband a gentle kick for one reason or another... the great thing is that "he knows" what each undercover kick, elbow in the side, or gentle hand squeeze means from me. He speaks my language and reads me pretty well. Most of the time it means change the subject or it's time to go! There is a message in the contact. Today as I read His Word and prayed, God showed me some changes I need to make in my life. They are changes that will bring me closer to Him, changes that will help me love others well and ultimately bring glory to God. I count on my morning routine to get me going, focused and hopefully off to a healthy start. I wake early, walk outside, go the the gym, make my coffee and then sit down to study God's Word, pray and ponder. I love and desperately NEED my quiet time with the Lord. Some of the other things may fall to the side (well, NOT the coffee) but my days often look very different when I haven't prayed and remembered His Word. I find a place in my house where I am as alone as I can be. If you saw my setup, you would know there isn't much of a space for that, but I do my best. Today as the temperature was only 94° at the crack of dawn (thank you Phoenix) I was able to sit outside away from it all or so I thought. Yep, you guessed it... another interruption. I found myself irritated and frustrated that there is no where I can go in my home where I can be uninterrupted. Then it hit me. This was my cry to God and this is what I wrote in my prayer journal. "Lord, Help me to not take interruptions as invasions. Walk with me, nudge me, ELBOW ME IN THE SIDE when I act a fool!" I NEED God to elbow me in the side to remind me to act right. I need his discipline to lead my heart to be more like His. I NEED God, because on my own my heart struggles to love the way it should. I NEED GOD! Today I prayed for God to do for me what I invite myself to do to my husband. Only difference is the nudges from God are given for my good. The nudges I want to give others don't always stem from a spirit of love, but rather control or judgment. May God's kindness continue to lead us to repentance. And sometimes His kindness to me looks like a swift kick under the table. Thank you Lord! |
The BlogA collection of writings from a life based on the truth that about midnight anything can happen. 
AuthorAs an imperfect servant of the Lord, I often feel I am fumbling my way through life, looking upward for guidance and outward to love. So, I write about it, to break up the noise in my head. Categories
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