Direction

I have been reading Jonah this week and have been thinking about direction.  Jonah heard from God and then decided that he was going to head in the opposite direction.  He let his emotions drive his decision jumped on a ship and ran.  There is a verse that really stuck out for me in this book, and I believe it is a good reminder as I walk out each day.

 "Those who cling to worthless idols

   forfeit the grace that could be theirs."

 I have included it in context below as it is part of a much larger prayer that Jonah prayed as he struggled with his decision and eventually gave into God's will.

   “In my distress I called to the LORD,
   and he answered me.
From the depths of the grave I called for help,
   and you listened to my cry.
³ You hurled me into the deep,
   into the very heart of the seas,
   and the currents swirled about me;
all your waves and breakers
   swept over me.
⁴ I said, ‘I have been banished
   from your sight;
yet I will look again
   toward your holy temple.’
⁵ The engulfing waters threatened me,
   the deep surrounded me;
   seaweed was wrapped around my head.
⁶ To the roots of the mountains I sank down;
   the earth beneath barred me in forever.
But you brought my life up from the pit,
   O LORD my God.
 ⁷ “When my life was ebbing away,
   I remembered you, LORD,
and my prayer rose to you,
   to your holy temple.
 ⁸ “Those who cling to worthless idols
   forfeit the grace that could be theirs.
⁹ But I, with a song of thanksgiving,
   will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed I will make good.
   Salvation comes from the LORD.”

Fishers of Men

^{I take heart in the fact that Jesus accepts me right where I am.  His love is pure, unchanging.  He cannot love me anymore or any less than he already does because his love is pure.  He loved me way before I chose to love him.  He does not force, persuade, or hard sell.  He simply said I so love you that  I am willing to take on your sin, suffer on a cross and die. Death could not hold him and a promise was fulfilled.   I am thankful for the sacrifice that Jesus made for me.} 

^{Fishers of Men}

^Invitation

^{Contemplation}

^Decision

^Action

^{Mathew 4:18-22}

And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.  And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.  they straightway left their nets, and followed him. And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.  And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.

Expectations

I snapped this shot while traveling up the Amazon last June during a mission trip. I thought of it today while I was reading the news letter from the missionary Orchidy Boyd that I have been working with. I will be traveling back this June to help with an outreach to several villages farther up river. The part that excites me most is the outreach is being planned in partnership with the village that Orchidy has been ministering to.  Members of the Yagua village that she has been working with will be traveling with us, sharing Christ with their neighbors along the river.  Really it is no different than us reaching out to one another in our own home towns.   Inviting a friend to church, encouraging a brother, offering to pray for a person in need.  My prayer today is that I would allow God to use me wherever I am, and in whatever I am doing.  I pray that I would treat my own town like a mission field, and that I would not let my own expectations cloud God's prompting in my life.

Ephesians 3:5-7

⁵ which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. ⁶ This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.  ⁷ I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power.

Walk With Him

What does it look and feel like to be in sink with God, to walk with Him, to hear His voice, to experience breakthrough?  This has been tumbling around my brain for the last few weeks.  I have come to the conclusion that it feels personal, life altering, intimate.  Feelings that you did not think you had flood into your life, and you find yourself caring and loving in ways that you can't otherwise explain.   My prayer today is that I would seek God in the normal, in the everyday, and even in the mundane.  I pray for the ability to be still, the ability to wait, the ability to listen, and the ability to hear.

In what way is God asking you to walk with him?

It may come as a whisper

Walk with me

Match my stride

Stop, be still

Listen, for I am speaking

Move

Move as one

Match my stride

Walk with me

Cowboy

At the age of 4 and 5 I spent many cold winter afternoons dressed up like a cowboy riding fiercely on my spring powered wonder horse rounding up stray couch cushions, and saving a little sister in distress.  My black lab was my constant companion and stealthy lookout, always at the  ready but cleverly disguised in a prostrate position beside the fire.  My steed was well seasoned, he had been put out to pasture years earlier, but my father who had a keen eye had snatched him up for a fraction of his value at a neighborhood yard sale.  He was faded, squeaked, creaked and popped a bit, but to me he was the fasted thing with four legs and springs.  Cowboys had a super hero quality for me, they were self reliant, tough, and always caught the bad guy.  

Years later I watch as my boys play out their super hero fantasies.  Cowboys occasionally show up but more often than not they are accompanied by ninjas, pirates, and the ever present Jedi. 

While painting this I thought about how much my perception of a hero has changed over the years.  My hero is so much bigger, stronger, and mightier than anything I could have ever imagined as a child.  He has real power and authority.  He can walk on water, command the wind and the waves and is gentle and scary all at once.  He promises eternal life and was willing to suffer to insure I had the opportunity to be with him.  He will never let me down, walk away, or fail to show up.  He is the one constant in my life that I can count on. He is three in one, The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

I have discovered over the years that I was not meant to ride alone.  I need God to be at the center of my life and it is my prayer that he will grant me the faith to allow him even more control, for it is only when I am willing to let go that I can truly belong to him.

Ephesians 1:11-12

In Christ  we too have been claimed as God’s own possession,  since we were predestined according to the one purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will  so that we, who were the first to set our hope  on Christ,  would be to the praise of his glory.

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.

Trust

How is God asking you to simply trust?

knock

 

Revelation 3:19-21 (King James Version)

Revelation 3:19-21

 ¹⁹As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
 ²⁰Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
 ²¹To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

Rooted in Christ

Things often feel crazy, unpredictable, even out of control.  It is during those times that I am most thankful for a deep rooting in Jesus.  Several times this week I have had to grit my teeth and remember who I really work for.  As a Christian I am called to represent my creator, not just on Sunday, but each and every day as I walk out my life.  The word of God is food for my roots and has allowed me to rejoice even in times of stress and conflict.

Thought to ponder: What are you rooted in?

Colossians 2:6-7

 ⁶ So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, ⁷ rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Linked

As I was sketching this I contemplated who and what I am linked to, both physically and mentally.  Links can lift us up, pull us down, apply pressure, and provide support.  I thought about my links to Christ, family, friends, coworkers, and the world around me.  Links are not always clearly defined and often intermingle.  What is clear to me is that if I allow myself to become linked to things that drag me down it places stress on my entire foundation as well as the foundation of those that are tightly linked to me.  My prayer today is that my first link would always be Christ, and that through him I would find my identity, strength, and self-worth. 

Question to ponder - Who and what are you linked to?

Hebrews 10:19-24

 ¹⁹ Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, ²¹ and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ²² let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. ²³ Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 

Emerge

Emerge - to come into view, to become known, to come into focus. Life is not without purpose, but without direction we are lost. I find my direction in Christ and the more I get to know him the more alive I fell. I find that growth in my faith is typically followed by some sort of trial. It is during these times of trial that I must absolutely rely on God's strenth in my life. A few weeks ago I found myself sitting on a plane next to a young woman that was in the middle of her own trial. She had a decision to make and was confused. She shared with me that she had been praying through it, but felt conflicted. We talked for quite a while and I shared this drawing with her. Each turn of the branch in this drawing represents presure. We have two choices, we can stick to God's path, or vier off course. As we choose him and his path he forms us into the person we are ment to be. We discussed how God gave us his word as a filter for all decisions. If it does not pass the filter test, then it is not of him. I received an update a week ago and she put her decision up aginst God's word and has emerged from the preasure cooker feeling closer to Jesus. Sarah, thank you for the faith you showed in this decision, may God bless you as you grow in him.

Stranger than fiction

Some things that show up in reality are simply stranger than fiction. I spotted this cloud last night at sunset just sort of hanging out all on it own. It remindes me of a Jellyfish. I turned 45 degrees to the South and the rest  of the sky looked like .

God's painted sky has followed me back from Mexico. I take this as a simple reminder that God's creativity is all around us, even in a cloud formation that appears unnatural. Maybe that is just his way of getting my attention.

How is God getting your attention today?

God's Painted Sky

Some of you may have noticed that I have been off line for a couple of weeks.  My family and I spent 11 days south of the boarder in a sleepy little area just south of Cabo San Lucas.  I took a break from work, blogging, and drawing.  The weather was warm and we spent most of our time in the water.  Each evening I would walk down the beach and marvel at God's painted sky.  I decided to create a slide show with some of my favorite moments as captured by my Nikon d7000.   When I look at the shear beauty of the sky I can't help but marvel at just how creative God is. 

Question to ponder: How have you been impressed with God's creativity lately? 

Romans 1:20

 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities

his eternal power and divine nature

have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, 

so that people are without excuse.

Prison Walls

We all have our own personal prison walls that we struggle with, but God is bigger than the walls that attempt to confine.  God can grant favor in the face of diversity and bring beauty from ashes.  My prayer today is that I would seek God's presence in the dark places of my life, that I would allow him to work in those areas and that through him I will break free from the walls that confine.

Genesis 39:19-23

 When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is how your slave treated me,” he burned with anger.  Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.
   But while Joseph was there in the prison,  the LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.  So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there.  The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.