Looking for a new house?

Thoughtful Thursday

The housing market might be down, but here's a deal worth looking into.

I was talking to a friend tonight about what Jesus did for us. She just doesn't feel worthy of that kind of amazing love. She feels like she needs to be a better person first.

The conversation rolled around to visiting other people's houses unexpectedly when they're messy. She said, "Honestly, I don't care what their house looks like. I just want to see them."

And that's how it is with Jesus. He wants us. He doesn't want us running around hiding the dishes in the sink and throwing away the trash first. He's knocking, and He wants us to answer the door and let Him in.

We laughed together that then, He cleans the house for us, but in reality, He actually gives us His house! That's justification, my friends!

And then, as we grow to look like Him, we learn a thing or two about house cleaning. That's sanctification.

So if you're looking for a new house, look no further than to Jesus. He's offering us His perfect, sinless home by believing in Him. That's a deal in this market that is too good to pass up.

When I'm the Peony

Thoughtful Thursdays

Have you ever felt like a transplanted peony?

I do not have a green thumb, but every once in awhile I go out on a limb and try to attempt something garden-ey.

I recently transplanted a peony bush. It was living a wilted, shallow existence in the shade, and I knew a sunnier location would be good for it. Apparently, it disagreed. It looks pathetic, all bent over, without a single petal left on its branches. 

I tried to tell it, “Don’t worry, little flower. I know this is hard on you, but it’s for your good. Sure, you had to leave the safety of the other location, but in time, when you regain your strength, you’ll find it’s really much better here.” But for the peony, I think it feels like death.

With garden hose in hand, I thought, “I am so often the peony.” God moves the puzzle pieces of my life in some way, and He provides me with water and sunshine, and yet I feel pain. But it’s for my good! Can you relate? If we let Him, He’ll restore us again and our faith will be strengthened, growing stronger than ever before.

So I’ll keep watering my little plant, and I'll trust that God is watering me too. What does this look like for you?

Unpacked Boxes

Well, we've officially moved to our sweet little home on a sliver of country. Moving was as big of a chore as I expected it to be, having moved our stuff around seven times in our 13 years of marriage, (as my brother pointed out while carrying a large piece of furniture out our front door), but it's finally over. Or mostly over, as those of you who've moved can understand. There are always the nagging few boxes of stuff you didn't want to deal with at your old house, that you still don't want to deal with at your new house!

We made it with surprisingly few casualties. There are a couple of missing toys and a hard drive cable that hasn't appeared, but having things drop out of  sight along the way or break into bits is par for the course.

This all started happening at the end of October, and since then, my life has been consumed with activity.



Planning, sorting, purging, purging some more, selling, making lists, donating, freecycling, planning some more, waiting...


And now~


Rest.


Ahh, a nice word. Rest.


I don't want to do this again for a long time! Whew! Time to make a cup of tea and sit back and enjoy the Christmas Season.

You wouldn't know it were Christmas around here. No lights. No tree. Occasionally I play some Christmas music on Pandora when I'm feeling festive. But the simplicity of the time is actually quite refreshing.

It's 8 AM. The house is quiet. Except for my my oldest who doesn't sleep in - ever - all is still.

I sit back and smile, knowing that one day we'll have eternity to rest. To rest from striving. The battle. The fight against sin. Sickness. They'll all be gone.

I sip my tea.

Rest.

Resting on His promises.

Come quickly, Lord Jesus! And as I wait, help me to rest in You.

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Wow, God!

Three stooges. Three muskateers. Three amigos. Three Blind Mice. Many things come in groups of three.

It's true for my life as well, as three separate areas are currently pointing in the same direction, leading me to declare, "Wow, God!"


1.) I & II Kings

In reading through I & II Kings, I see that over and over, God promises to do something great, people doubt, and He does it above and beyond all they'd asked or thought was even possible. (And an important note: Those who doubted usually met with a hard end! Just read II Kings 6 and 7.)

In these books, laws of physics are defied, nations are rerouted, and even bears are sent to do His will! It leads me to ask, "Is anything impossible with God?" And of course the resounding answer that shouts loudly from these pages is, "No!"  I am consistently inspired to say, "Wow, God! You are amazing!"

2.) True Woman

I attended the True Woman conference this weekend here in Indianapolis. I came away with pages of notes, but there was one single lesson that settled on my heart for me to grasp and take a hold of:

I need to pray.

Oh, I pray. I pray for my kids. I pray for my day. I pray through my quiet time and for my own issues of sanctification. I pray before meals and I pray here and there. All of this is good!

But it was more: my prayers need to be less self-focused, and I was inspired to be an intercessor for others and God's work here and around the world.

I was also encouraged to not rely on my natural giftedness but on the super natural power of God. I should be praying that God would never let me get to the place where I can do it without Him. I should be asking for a ministry that can only be explained by God, rather than relying on tools, resources, and programs. Then I can step back, look at the work He's accomplished, and say, "Wow, God!"


3.) One Cry.

Have you heard about One Cry? I was exposed to it at the conference this weekend. The message: A call for Spiritual Revival through prayer. 

The aim? To gather 50,000 prayer warriors to band together, seeking the face of God for revival.

Their goals?

• to engage in earnest, intercessory prayer for revival
• to walk in brokenness, humbly repenting of every sin God reveals to us
• to seek the manifest presence of God, believing that a revived church will advance the gospel of Christ throughout the world
• to unite with others who share this revival vision 

"If my people, who are called by my name, 

will humble themselves and pray and seek my face 

and turn from their wicked ways, 

then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin 

and will heal their land." II Chronicles 7:14

I asked myself: Why wouldn't I get involved in something like this? Why wouldn't I sign up and tell my friends? What do I make more important in my life than seeking God's face on behalf of others?



OneCry from Life Action Ministries on Vimeo.

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Combine these three elements and you have a recipe for praying in faith! What is this going to look like? My brain wants to immediately go to the details: When I should pray. How I should organize my prayer journal. What tools I need. But I'm trying to avoid letting all of that delay my obedience. I'm just going to pray. Do you want to join me?

We'll then be able to stand back together and say, "Wow, God!"

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