Heat or Rain?

As the seasons have been changing, we have turned our thermostat from ‘off; to ‘heat’.  It’s wonderful to walk in from a chilly, windy KC day to a comfortable home.  In the night, however, the heat has brought some confusion to me.  I wake up & hear what I think is rain, thinking, ‘oh, it’s going to be not only cold, but wet tomorrow.’  The thought stays logged in my sub-conscious somewhere so that when I wake up in the dark & dress for the day, I plan accordingly.  Grabbing my rain jacket, I head to the car.  (Some of our mornings get us out of the house before light.)   Yet as soon as I’m outside, it’s as if I’ve been tricked.  The ground isn’t wet and as the dawn is beginning to breakthrough, I can see that it looks like it will be a clearday.  Though it took me a couple of nights to figure it out, the noise I was perceiving as rain, was really heat. 

In a spiritual sense, we need to be aware of the season we are living in.   What we might initially think is one thing, may actually be another.  At the time I am writing this, the November elections have not taken place.  The ferocity of the battle is intense.  The economy is at the forefront of everyone’s attention.   Violence escalates everywhere.

Is this God’s mercy to grab our attention as a nation & make us aware of our idols of money & power & things?

Is this God’s judgment because our nation worships so many other gods?  (Rom 1)

Our intercession has been that we would, as a nation, choose to agree with God.  What a foolish and arrogant thought to set ourselves in opposition to the King and Judge of this world.   Lord, have mercy.

Benefits of being silent

Our small group has been studying a book by Bob Sorge called, "Secrets of the Secret Place".  Tonight's lesson was about LISTENING.  As we spent about 10 minutes, just being quiet and listening to hear God speak to our spirits, I had a picture of 2 things.

First, since I have a little bit of a hearing deficit, eating out with a large group of people at a restaurant is challenging.  I can't hear the conversation very well.  It seems like many times everyone is talking at the same time.  If you are talking, you may even feel like no one is listening (which is probably actually true many times).  lol

Anyway, in this type of situation, if you catch the eye of someone & you know they are listening to the story YOU are telling, you focus right back at them.  You are attentive to them.

2nd.  I pictured the globe from the perspective of heaven (not that I can really do this, but I imagined what it might be like).  God was looking and listening to all the blah-blah-blah that was going on.  Then He saw me.  I was silent and listening for His voice.  Oh, He smiled at me and I had His full attention.  He was pleased and so was I.  

"Lord, teach me to listen always.  I want to hear no one more than YOU.  I want Your attention."

How to get hungry.

How to get hungry??????? 

Actually, most of the time I AM hungry, I don't have to create it.  I want to eat first thing in the morning, mid-morning, lunch, a couple of times in the afternoon before dinner and then maybe a couple times before bedtime.  I enjoy eating.  The more I eat, the more I like it.

Someone in our Prayer Team the other day threw out the question, "How do we get hungry for spiritual things?"  Loren quickly answered with, "Eat."  He sometimes has a sense of humor that many people don't get, so everyone looked at him like, 'what are you up to this time?"  

He smiled and said it again, "If you want to be hungry, Eat."  He went on to explain that when he eats sugary foods, his appetite for sugar increases.  When he eats more fruits and veggies, his appetite for those things increases.  

The same applies for our spiritual lives.   We too often starve ourselves .... 

• not eating the Word of God or 
• not eating of worship or 
• not eating of fellowship with passionate Christians.  
  

Then we say, "oh, I just don't FEEL like reading the Word or going to church.  I don't feel like God loves me" and one it goes.   We haven't had the priority to EAT at His table.

"Lord, I want to hunger for You so I choose to EAT of the things You've set on the table for me.  Thank you for such a feast."

Bubbles

At IHOP, people will talk about the 'bubble' that exists in this community.  Because it is a campus of now about 2,000 passionate Christians, we can have quite a bit of interaction without ever stepping out of the 'bubble', though there is a LOT of taking the gospel outside of this mission base.

I was thinking about the other 'bubbles' that I have lived in.  

• Realtors.  I don't know how many meetings I was at when there was nothing that mattered but what happened in the real estate arena.
• EcoQuest.  This was a business opportunity that I was involved with for several years.  God used it in many ways in my life, but when I got out of the 'bubble' I realized how consumed I was with things that matter very little.
• Baseball.  When our kids were in little league, we lived for baseball.  It was a very positive time of our lives that I wouldn't trade, but it was a 'bubble'.

Bubbles I see other people in:

• Club & bar scene
• Work .... wherever that is
• Sports fans

The list is endless.   The one difference I see with my bubble now is that it has a purpose that is eternal.  

"Lord, as we all live in our 'bubbles' of life, give me understanding for others and keep me focused on what will matter FOREVER, not just for a few years."

Jealous to be Healthy!

I have 2 close friends that I love a lot.  Both of these women are very disciplined about working out .... they even ENJOY working out.  Also, they are conscious about eating healthy  .... they even ENJOY eating healthy!  Though I don't know all of their motivation behind their good habits, I appreciate the fact that they ENJOY it and it shows in the way they look.

All that being said, I admit that when I'm being lazy and undisciplined with my exercise and/or eating habits, I am more aware of it when I am with them.  Though they NEVER have implied that I'm a mess-up because I don't do things like they do, I feel a little jealous and sometimes feel despair that I won't ever get 'there'.

I've seen this parallel in spiritual things.  When I'm around someone who is pressing in hard after God, running a disciplined race to reach the goal that HE has set before them .... sometimes I feel jealousy.  I want what they have, but wonder if I have what it takes to be so diligent.

I've been on the opposite of this equation also.  When I'm the most passionate in my pursuit of God, is it my imagination or do others seem to avoid me or be annoyed being around me?  

"Lord, as I set my heart daily to eat spiritually healthy 'food' and to keep spiritually 'fit', may I walk in humility.  Let others be drawn to You & release the fullness of the truth of your love that draws them to Yourself."

The High Cost of Fuel!

“Drivers putting less gas in tank, then running out”  

“High Gas Prices Have More Drivers Running on Empty”

These type of headlines are in the news everyday.  I had to fill up our car with gas today!  Ouch .... $3.99 a gallon !  It takes a lot of money to get from one place to the other these days.

I was thinking about how true this is in a spiritual sense also.  It's costly to stay FULL spiritually.   It requires that I go to the 'pump' regularly so that I don't run out of gas between the places that I go.  So often, we've not even looked at our spiritual 'gas gauge', naively thinking that if we don't acknowledge our depravity, we can get by with it, yet we run out of gas.  We end up hopeless, angry & irritated.  Not only can't we get anywhere, we can't take anyone with us.

"Lord, I choose today and tomorrow & the next day & the next, to come to You who alone can fill me up so that I can go somewhere both now & for eternity ....  & take others with me."

Play Ball!

Our family went to the Royal's/Cardinal's game earlier today. Cooper (20 months old), was sitting beside me & as he squirmed and wiggled trying to stand up on the seat, it folded up on him. His leg went down between the seat and the back. He pushed on the seat with his hands to try to free himself, but of course, this just squeezed his leg & hurt. He started to cry until I wrapped my arms around him & told him, "It will be OK. Papa will get you out."

Cooper, in his young wisdom did what many of us struggle to do at times. He listened, he believed me and he rested, patiently waiting for me to do what I had said I would do. The fact that he rested in what I said & quit struggling made it a lot easier for me to get him out. It happened quicker & with much less pain than if he had continued to insist on doing it his way.

"Lord, help me to listen and believe & trust you like that. My self reliance has never gotten me what I really wanted, so show me how to rest in what you are doing & how to move in sync with you."

The Stare Game

I was in the prayer room earlier today & finding it difficult to be still in my heart & mind.  A picture came to my mind.  

I was sitting as a child on the lap of Jesus & we were playing the 'stare' game.  You know...  when you look someone straight in the eyes and the 1st one to blink or turn away loses.  

Well, naturally, Jesus always won at this game.  But each time I would look away, He'd smile at me & say, "Let's play again".  I would gaze into His face once again, watching as He smiled at me.  Never able to out last His gaze or His smile, I would always look away.  Yet, in the process of playing this game, I noticed that He was always smiling at me..... when I was looking at Him and when I fidgeted & looked away.  He said to me, "I love it that you keep coming back to gaze at me again.  You smile & it stirs My heart."  WOW!  Now I want to gaze at Him more & more.

"Lord, thank you for teaching me profound truths in simple ways that I can understand."

Making the Bed

It was 7 AM & I was making the bed before going to meet my prayer team in the Prayer Room at 7:30 AM.  I knew we would be gone essentially all day and the thought crossed my mind, 'Why bother making your bed?  No one will see that it's not made.  Loren will not care and you'll just climb back into it tonight.'

Immediately, I sensed the Holy Spirit speak to me saying, "I want you to clean up the things that no one can or will ever see.  I not looking for everything to just look good on the outside, with the yard all manicured, but I want a place that I can come & rest .... inside, where no one sees."  Of course, He was not speaking about my house, but my heart.  

"Lord, I choose to pay attention to the things that NO ONE but you can see:  my attitudes & thoughts & motives.  Change my heart."

Mono-vision

It's been awhile since I've posted.  We kept our Grandson, Cooper last week so he could have a vacation.  Since his parents didn't know what they would do without him, they decided to go on vacation with some friends to Florida.  We all had a great time.  Cooper is absolutely GRAND!  However, that explains why I didn't have any time to post my thoughts. 

Yesterday I had to go to the eye doctor.  I had recently gotten a new subscription for my contacts.  Though I've worn mono vision lenses for several years (one eye does the distance while the other eye does the up close), my new subscription wasn't right.  My reading was greatly improved, but I couldn't see road signs very well when I was driving.   I wanted BOTH.  I wanted to see what was FAR off and what was NEAR, not choose one or the other.

I realized how often we settle for what is NEAR, the short term vision in life.  I want the ice cream, so I forget about the long-term goal of my health & weight and eat it.  I want to justify being irritated because things didn't go the way I expected, so I forget about the goal of 'doing all things without complaining".  I want to be angry about the way someone cut me off in traffic, so I forget about following Jesus' example of laying down His life and choosing humility.

Lord, clear my vision.  I want to see 20/20.  I want to see near AND far.  I want to see not just the temporary things of this life, but the eternal things of the Kingdom of God.

Comfortable to Uncomfortable

This morning I had to get tags for our pickup.  The KS tags were expiring & the process of becoming a legal Missouri resident could not be avoided any longer. 

The process at the Dept of Revenue is always interesting.  Will I have all the detailed information they need?  How long will the line be?  How much money will it cost?  Today I went in totally prepared.  Though I was # 29 in line, when I finally got to the front of the line, I had all I needed.  (now THAT is a miracle).  

As I waited in line & reflected, I was keenly aware how dramatically my life has changed in the past few months.  Not long ago, I was living in my dream home, living very 'comfortably'.  

What drove us to de-value 'comfortable' and go to uncomfortable?  Many don't understand why we chose this dramatic lifestyle change.  It all comes down to this:  I want it to be about loving & obeying God, not about comfort.  When I choose obedience, the uncomfortable can become preferable.  That's the way the Kingdom of God works.  It's upside-down & I love it.

"Lord, thank you for being able to absolutely enjoy living in a place that is uncomfortable.  I choose to obey You today."

Energy comes from exhaustion

Over the past week, we had 3 different group events at our home with about 45 people coming & going between them.  By the end of the weekend, I was pretty tired.

Before the night was over, however, we got a phone call from a couple who had been through earlier in the week with one of the groups.  They asked, "Can we come over & talk to you about our marriage?"  All of a sudden, there was some energy & anticipation back into my body.  This is why we are here, why we open up our home, why we stay up too late for our age, why we clean up the house before and after, why we serve!  

We know that God has and IS doing some miraculous things in our lives and in our marriage.  We are so grateful for the opportunities to be able to share His life & hope with others.  The group activities may be fun & relational, but our motivation for having them is for the purpose of ministry.  Ministry happens most effectively from relationship.  

So as this week starts, I am asking God to guide us DAILY to people.  I believe that my purpose is to connect people.  This may happen through a cook-out to establish relationship.  But I want them to connect to Jesus.  When we are living out the 1st commandment to love God with all we are, the 2nd commandment to love others will be a natural overflow.  

Lord, thank you for the life and hope you have restored in me.  Keep coming & changing me so that I will love you more.  It's from this place of love that I know I will be able to love others best.

'Under the Radar' story

Recently at the Welcome Desk we met a young woman we quickly connected with and she opened up her heart to us.  Last week, she approached Loren outside the prayer room and asked if she could come over to just help her process through some things going on in her life.  

As she sat at our dinner table and shared her story, we were amazed by two things:

1.  God alone can restore the most challenging relationships and circumstances.

2.  He has given us an exceptional responsibility & calling to listen to & pray for these young adults.  

For her sake, we can't share any details of her story.  Today she called & asked if she could come over again to share some of the great things that have happened in her life since we talked & prayed with her.   God is so good!  

Father, I know that apart from you I have nothing to give to others.  Fill me up today.

Bitterness

In May, we taught a small section for Marriage Counselors at our church, Antioch Church.  We were assigned the topic of 'Bitter Root Judgements".  

WOW!  When I was reviewing and studying the material, I knew that it was God who had assigned us this topic.  Though I have heard about this subject for years, it was God's timing for me to study it deeper and get it into my heart, not just my head.

Since that time, I keep getting my heart exposed to see areas that I have held offense against people & how the result of that has destroyed some of the very things that I want to build.   As I ask for God to bring revival to ME, it enables me to let loose of these judgements and offenses.  There are no words that express the hope and anticipation I sense from this revelation. 

Lord, I want more of you & less of me.  Continue to expose my heart to me.  I want FREEDOM!

Revival in ME.

I'm going to experiment with blogging.  Nearly every day something happens that I think is meaningful, but maybe not something we will put in the monthly newsletter.  Many times it's personal.

Today is one of those days.  

We were in the prayer room from 8 - 12 this morning.  The 8-10 AM set is called 'worship with the Word'.  The worship team meditates on a scripture through music and responsive singing.

The 10-12 set is 'intercession' when we corporately & privately intercede for a variety of issues.  This morning, Lou Engle, IHOP missionary & National founder of The Call ministry led us in corporate intercession related to the revival that is happening in various spots in our nation now.  The corporate prayer was to ask for Him to intensify the revival as it comes to Kansas City, not just in healing, but it our hearts.

I had a deep longing for revival to happen in ME.  Yes, I want it for KC.  I want it for the USA and for the world, but first I want revival in ME.  I want revival of joy, revival of purity, revival of humility, revival of unity in ME.   I know that when this happens in ME, it will impact my marriage, my family, my church, my city and beyond.  

Lord, I know you know my name and love me.  Bring revival to ME today!

~Lynn