Change

‘No problem can be solved by the same consciousness that created it. We need to see the world anew.’ Albert Einstein

When the calendar flipped over to 2010, I knew change was coming. It is just one of those feelings you get. I am excited to see what this year will bring. I am a little scared and pretty unsure of what the outcome may be.I should probably be a little more anxious or worry a little more about this year. People keep asking me, “What are you going to do”? To be completely honest with you, I don’t have any idea. But, I have been through this change things before and God has done a beautiful job when I left the details up to Him.

Do you ever wonder why change seems necessary? Why don’t things just stay the same for a while? I am not going to claim that I completely understand the divine nature of our Creator but I do have a bit of a theory.

When we proclaim to believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins, we are adopted into His family. We are invited  to experience the reverence and awe of a relationship with God. You and I are given the honor of calling God our Papa. God sees us through the purifying blood of Christ. We are clean. I believe God looks at us and sees everything that He created us to be. And, like any loving father, wants us to see in ourselves our potential.

When we cry out for things to be different, God gives us change. When we repent and release ourselves from our sins, God gives us change. When we want to be more loving, patient, kind, God offers us change. He doesn’t require it of us. God loves us despite our humanity. We are given choice. God knocks at the door of our lives with the opportunities to change every day. He gives us a chance to see for ourselves the son or daughter He created us to be. Change can be difficult but He promises to love us, comfort us, heal us and give us strength when we have nothing left to give.

The person you see in the mirror isn’t the creation God sees. You are perfect in His eyes and He desires for you to know the “plans” He has for you. Sometimes, change is the only way we begin to believe the promises that God has made to us. Wouldn’t you like to get a glimpse of what God sees when He looks at you?

How is God asking you to change? Are you being obedient or fighting change every step of the way?

Purity

“……and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags”

One of the greatest gifts of being justified by Christ is that I can’t earn my salvation. It is a gift from God. There is not a single good, righteous, thing I could do to repay or earn the mercy and grace I have been given.

There is this part of us that desires to respond to His gift. We grasp that He wants us to experience a pure life, calling us His children. We want to please Him, knowing we are His. Desiring clean hands and a pure heart isn’t about proving your goodness to God. He sees you through the eyes of Christ, he already sees you as clean.

We pray for purity in our lives because it honors our Father. Our loving Papa promises, whatever we ask for we shall receive. Pray and find out just how the Spirit of God, in you, will begin to change you into the person God already knows you are, pure.

^{Psalm 24}

⁴ He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to an idol
or swear by what is false.

⁵ He will receive blessing from the LORD
and vindication from God his Savior.

⁶ Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek your face, O God of Jacob.
Selah

Faith

to trust; to believe

I can still remember first going to youth group. I can remember hearing them speak of God and Jesus and Truth. I was 14 and immediately believed. In spite of the road I traveled, I never stopped believing. I wasn’t entirely ready to devote myself to a response in grace but I knew God had my best interest at heart. When I had my daughter Madi, I knew God had a hand in her creation. When I stood in the back of a church and mourned the death of our beautiful 3-year-old cousin, I knew God had a bigger plan than what I did. Everywhere I look I can see the fingerprints of our Creator.

It is a hard life lesson to learn that not everyone believes in the same way. Faith doesn’t come to each of us in the same form. Just as differently as He made our eyes, our hair and our noses, He made each of us different in our responses in faith. It is hard for me to understand how someone can’t see the majesty of God when they stand on the top of a mountain or in the sand beside the raging ocean. I have come to realize that the creativity He uses in the world around us is the same in the people we share this life with. My husbands faith, though very different from my own, is beautiful and just as real.

^{Hebrews 1-3(msg)}The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd.

By faith, we see the world called into existence by God’s word, what we see created by what we don’t see.

What does your faith look like? Do you have an abundance? Do you pray constantly for more belief? Do you look first at facts? Do you do everything within your own power before you trust God to help you out?

Truth

What is truth? I suppose it is relative depending on the situation and life experience. It is perception and ideas. Our lives live out the ideas we believe as truth. The things we value most get the most of our time. Our words and our traditions speak volumes on the ideas we hold dearest to our hearts. Each of us has the opportunity to decide for ourselves what the truth may be.  Sometimes, I wonder, if my life is more of a reflexion of my ideas or His.

There are moments for each of us where we see and experience the truths that come from God. A way that is more perfect and just than our own. And as this journey of life progresses we often times find ourselves confronted with our truths vs the Words of God. And I pray that each of us, in those moments, chooses God’s truth over our own.

Can you recal a recent time when God showed you His way is better than your own? Is your life a reflection of God truths or yours?

 Psalm 25:4-5

⁴ Show me your ways, O LORD,
       teach me your paths;

 ⁵ guide me in your truth and teach me, 
     for you are God my Savior, 
     and my hope is in you all day long.

Need

Everything starts somewhere.The things we do, the decisions we make and the words we say all fill some sort of need in our lives.

Drugs, Alcohol, Sex, Money, Relationships, Causes, Food, Education …… all things we use to fill the needs we have. All the while, they never provide our answers or our peace of mind.

My need for refuge is what brought me in search of God. I needed someone, something to protect me. I needed to know I was safe, somewhere. I needed to know that in spite of all the world brought down on me, I was going to be OK. God was my answer, filling my need for a Father.

I wonder: What need brought you to God? What need in your life are you filling with something other than God?

Haiti

Last night after watching the NFL Playoffs, Ted and I in our Sunday afternoon laziness didn’t bother to change the channel and began to watch 60 Minutes and their story on the Haiti earthquake disaster.

It was heartbreaking to see the tragedy that has struck Haiti. Our stomachs ached and our eyes filled with tears as we watched bodies being picked up off the streets with a front end loader and dropped into a dump truck. “There has to be a more humane way of doing that?!!”

It is easy to get lost in the despair and feel hopeless. How am I suppose to help? What can I do from here? We give money and yet it never feels like anything has been done. I look around and think, well if I didn’t have all of these responsibilities I could go there and really make a difference. But, I have all of these responsibilities here, things that need me like my girls and my husband and I love them and I love that I am here to care for them. So, what do we do?

We Pray.

^{Matthew 17:20}And He said to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.

²¹But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” (emphasis mine)

Do you realize that we have a relationship with the Creator of the heavens and the Earth? You see, it is easy enough to say you will pray about something. It is another thing to believe that when you pray, you are talking to the One God, One King, the Healer and Comforter of all of our pain. He wants to hear from you and He wants to hear that you love the people of Haiti and want Him to heal their land.

So, my friends, I ask of you to take time to not just watch the pictures go by and wonder what you can do because you have the most powerful tool of them all, mustard seed size faith. Use whatever faith you can gather, believe in the promises of our Father, and pray.

Fasting

I hope everyone that has committed to the Daniel Fast is doing well. For all of you that have chosen to fast something in someway during this time I pray you too are doing well.

It occurred to me after my shopping experience on Sunday, how easy it would be to get distracted with fasting. I mean, it was a list of do’s and don’ts, what was okay and what isn’t. Making sure we are following the rules and only eating the pure and Daniel worthy foods.

Admittedly I lost the purpose on the first day. I was so consumed with making sure we were getting it right that the whole “getting closer to God” part of the experience was missed. Let me add to this admission. I had a wonderful day with my family. All of us were involved and having a good time through the process. God was certainly with us and our commitment, we just didn’t do a whole lot of spiritual seeking during day 1.

So worldly am I. Even in my attempt to seek first the Kingdom, I first had to follow my to-do list. I don’t know if anyone else struggles with this but it is one of my many hurdles in this life.

I have been thinking though about how fasting isn’t a diet. It is about prayer. It is about giving up some of my favorite foods and beverages (coffee) to be truly satisfied only by God. Relationship, giving something in response to everything I have been given.

So, let me remind you….what is your purpose? Why do you fast today? Are you remembering to pray?

Spirtual Growth: From Seed to Fruit

What makes us different? What makes us more than just good people? What makes us desire change?

I suppose it is good enough to be content where we are, to fit in with the people around us. There is plenty of good things to be a part of and enjoy.  When do we decide we want more, when do we trim out the good to make room for the best?

^{2 Peter 3: 18} But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

I believe once the grace of God has been poured into our lives through our faith in the blood of Christ, we are set apart. There is beauty and perfection in that love and mercy. Our God is amazing and has loved us beyond anything we deserve. He sees in us things we could never imagine for ourselves.

Yes, your life is blessed. Yes, you are a beautiful creation in Christ. Tell me this, are we all pursuing our God to find out just what He sees in us? Are we choosing to be an active part in His perfecting? Are we desiring the nourishment, the rest and the adventure that comes from being His child?

Do we believe we can heal? Do we believe we can move mountains?

Uprising

Who do you pray salvation for

A loved one

Your spouse

Your children

A friend or co-worker

everyone?

Whenever I am asked to pray for God to work in someone’s life I always think of my mom. She is an addict. She has been for the majority of my life. There is a lot of history between us and I have a tendency not to see her as Christ does. And maybe that is it, the answer to why so few of the people we pray for find grace.  How would she know the love of Christ if her oldest child can’t always find the words of forgiveness and love?

I got this text today: “I am out of the hospital today. I am now certified Crazy (LOL)! I need my family I Love you all. Please read Psalms 86 Mom”

So, I did. I read Psalm 86. And you know what I realized: my mom, your friends and family and our world need us to have an undivided heart. A heart that agrees with His love, His mercy, His grace and not our own.

^{Psalm 86:11}

Teach me your way, O LORD,
and I will walk in your truth;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.

So, while I spend my time praying for God to save my mother from her addictions and her illnesses I will pray that my heart never be divided from His truth. And the same uprising I pray for unbelievers, I will pray the same Spirit consume me to love and forgive with all of the compassion that comes in response to the mercy I have been shown.

Be My Witness

No matter your perspective, you are never too small to make a difference.

The proof is in the ability of Canvas’ childrens ministry  to give more that 25 chickens to a village in China this year. Our God has an amazing ability to take what we give and make it exponentially more.

I firmly believe God knows the heart of the giver. I know God looks at Canvas and regardless of our size, knows we have a giving heart. I believe He is truly glorified when we give outside of our walls.I believe He can take anything that may seem small and make it touch the ends of the earth.

^{Psalm 67:1}God be gracious to us and bless us, And cause His face to shine upon us– Selah. ²That Your way may be known on the earth, Your salvation among all nations. ³Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You. ⁴Let the nations be glad and sing for joy; For You will judge the peoples with uprightness And guide the nations on the earth. Selah. ⁵Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You. ⁶The earth has yielded its produce; God, our God, blesses us. ⁷God blesses us, That all the ends of the earth may fear Him.

May the Lord continue to bless Canvas Fellowship and the ministries we touch.  (Acts 1:6-8) Please continue to pray and give to each of these ministries:

Our Jerusalem: Iva’s Place

Our Judea: KARM & The Water Angels Ministry

Our Samaria: Vineyard USA & ARC

Uttermost Pars of the Earth: United World Missions & Build International

Is there a ministry that you and your family support? Share with us. (This is the time that shameless plugs are completely acceptable)