Matching strides

I had a friend blog about the trinity and what it is like to really walk as one with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Worth the read The Voice of One ).  I thought about the concept and the fact that to really walk with God we must be willing to match his stride, move when he moves, be still when he is still and step out when he prompts.  As a child I can remember running to keep up with my Father.  He was a school teacher and often walked me home.  He walked with long strides and with purpose.  I on the other hand tended to be easily distracted, often loosing precious seconds because of rocks, spiders, and other odds and ends that littered my path.  He did not stop, wait, or prompt me, he just kept going with the expectation that I would keep up.  I learned to move quickly as walking with my father was something I enjoyed.  I had his ear for the 15 min. walk home and during these short walks he seemed truly interested in hearing what I had to say.  God also has a distinct agenda and if we want to move with him we must match his stride.  If we want to match his stride we must be aligned with the Holy Spirit, and if we want to be aligned with the Holy Spirit, we must first accept that Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for each of us. 

Green leaf

A few weeks ago I blogged about the concept of being linked.  A concept that I have been giving thought to over the last few weeks.  If you consider a tree with a single leaf it would be a horrible place to seek shade, but a tree with many leaves can provide a much needed respite from the heat.  Seems like a strange thing to think about when the temp outside is 8 degrees, but this is how my brain works.  Often God nudges us to show kindness, provide aid, or even suffer a small personal sacrifice to come to the aid of others.  As we are linked to one another this tends to set off chain reactions.  One small kindness can set in motion a handful of deeds, of which a few may become great.  A friend of mine and fellow blogger -faith art & farming- provided a small act of kindness through a gesture of a gift of mozzarella cheese she made from goats milk.  My wife was able to eat real homemade pizza, something she had not been able to enjoy in years due to lactose intolerance.  What a simple pleasure, and what a blessing!   God may be nudging you right now to provide some sort of kindness to someone in your life.  I encourage you to to take the time to make it happen. 

Proverbs 11-24-28

One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.

A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

People curse the one who hoards grain, but they pray God’s blessing on the one who is willing to sell.

Whoever seeks good finds favor, but evil comes to one who searches for it.

Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.

Living Water

Revelation 7:16-17

¹⁶ ‘Never again will they hunger;
   never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat down on them,’
   nor any scorching heat.
¹⁷ For the Lamb at the center of the throne
   will be their shepherd;
‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’
   ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’

Unlikely Places

God calls us to be obedient in unlikely places.  Yesterday I found myself lying in a dentist chair pumped up with a healthy does of lidocaine waiting for a 10mm titanium screw to be ratcheted into my upper jaw.  I tend to grind my teeth at night, and have unfortunately had several root canals, one apses, and now one implant (sinus lift included) as a direct result.  While lying there waiting for the numbness to take full affect I had the opportunity to chat with the assistant who would be helping out during the surgical procedure.  She was also a grinder and shared with me that it had recently gotten much worse.  When I inquired why, she told me that her 55 year old father had been diagnosed with stage 4 lymph node and bone marrow cancer last Friday.  I asked if her father was a believer and she said yes.  The doc then walked back into the room and I was obliged to open wide for the next hour and a half.  God placed it on my heart to pray for that assistant and her father during my procedure, actually it was a welcome distraction.   I had a chance to talk to the assistant after the surgery and shared with her that I had been praying for her Father and shared a few specifics that I felt God had laid on my heart during the prayer.  She was a bit surprised, thanked me and then it was time for me to depart. 

I am continually amazed at the need that is all around us.  Prayer is powerful, it is the language we use to communicate with God.  He asks that we simply love, and his love is not isolated or bound to church walls.  It is easy to get caught up in the busyness of our lives, zipping from task to task, never pausing to see what God has placed right in front of us. 

My prayer today is that I would be sensitive to the needs of others and that I would show them the love of Christ.

Question to ponder - What unlikely places is God asking you to show others his love?

1 Corinthians 13:3-5

 

³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,^[a] but do not have love, I gain nothing.
 ⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Outside the lines

 

^{When I was young there was a-lot of praise associated with drawing inside the lines.  My sister was great at it, she could make a coloring book page look perfect.  I however struggled to stay in the lines, I did not like the constraints of only coloring the picture that was there and often found myself frustrated.  Luckily my dad was a teacher and there was always a huge stack of old photo copies laying around with one blank side.  Thank you Dad for feeding my creativity!   As I was drawing this I thought a-lot about how God asks us to trust him even when it takes us outside our comfort zone.  He wants to take us beyond the boarders that typically frame us in.  My prayer today is that I will trust God to take me outside the lines that I know and that I would be willing to step into the blank page he has ready for me.  I am preparing for another mission trip to the Amazon this year and there are many unknowns.  If you feel led I would appreciate prayer that I would submit to God every step of the way.} 

^{Question to ponder:  How is God asking you to color outside the lines in your own life?}

<sup>Romans 7:4-7


4</sup> So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. ⁵ For when we were in the realm of the flesh,  the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death. ⁶ But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.

Strong and Courageous

I was asked to paint the cover art for the Ellensburg Christian School annual auction and fundraiser this year.  The theme is strong and courageous.  Prior to painting this I spent some time praying about just how to approach this project.  I find that in my life in order to be truly courageous I must first fully submit to the Lord.  This only happens when I allow his light to break into my life and wash away my earthly pride, for in order to be Strong and Courageous in Christ I must first be humble.  I thought about Moses and his opportunity to see the glory of God.  I imagine that it took real courage to lift his eyes even to view God from the rear.  The Painting which measures 30"x40" will be auctioned off during the event in February.  If you are interested in submitting an absentee bid I would be happy to pass your info onto the auction coordinator.  I can be contacted by clicking the following link InspiredSketch

Moses and the Glory of the LORD

Exodus 33:12-23

 ¹² Moses said to the LORD, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ ¹³ If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.”  ¹⁴ The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
 ¹⁵ Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. ¹⁶ How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”
 ¹⁷ And the LORD said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”
 ¹⁸ Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”
 ¹⁹ And the LORD said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. ²⁰ But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”
 ²¹ Then the LORD said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. ²² When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. ²³ Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”

Giving Thanks

2011 has been a year of growth spiritually for me. God has stretched me in new ways and opened my eyes to areas that I have previously been blind. I find myself reflecting on the year with one thought ringing in my head. Thankfulness..... I head into 2012 wondering what God has in store for me. It is my prayer that I will accept the cup that he gives me and that through him I would be able to serve others.

Matthew 7:7-8

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.