For years, I have dreamed of preaching the good news God shares with me to men and women on a large scale. The dream has been squashed by myself and others and I've denied I ever wanted it to deal with the pain of setting it aside. I've longed for it and been discouraged, I've dusted it off and then feared it.
There were barriers to the pursuit of that dream along the way, some real and some imagined that seemed just as real. Now that all the barriers are gone, I'm confronted with questions I'd never noticed before.
These questions occupy my thoughts almost daily now:
Is this truly my dream? Now that it is possible, do I want to do it? Why do I hesitate? What do I fear?
God says, "Do not fear" about 143 times in the Bible. I know He wants me to believe Him to do great and mighty things for my good, no matter how impossible they seem to me. I know operating in fear is not operating in faith in my God who is good and cares personally about every detail of my life (Psalm 139; Jeremiah 29:11). I feel paralyzed somewhere deep down.
I'm on new frontiers and taking baby steps.
Without barriers, would you pursue your dream? Would your dream be the same?
Monday, January 23, 2012
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Living the Dream
I've borrowed the title and some of the content of this post from the sermon series Daniel Floyd is teaching at (Lifepoint Church).
I have been dusting off a dream that had been squashed under the "you can't do that!" of others. This week's sermon was about letting God's opinion of me matter more than the opinion of people. I've heard many talks about the subject and even have a few up my sleeve that I've offered to myself and others along the way. What was different this time? God spoke to my heart and called me out. He said I needed to LIVE the dream He planted in my heart rather than wait for people to approve of it. What a challenge!
What is your dream? Have you put it in a well-hidden part of your heart and left it there hoping one day it would be fulfilled in an instant? Have you dismissed it as too grand or too risky? Have you hoped God would come up with a different dream, one that is easier to do or achieve?
The world around you needs the dream God put in your heart - that God-sized, I-can-only-do-it-If-God-makes-a-way dream. What good and worthy things will happen if you go for it? What might be lost if you don't?
I have been dusting off a dream that had been squashed under the "you can't do that!" of others. This week's sermon was about letting God's opinion of me matter more than the opinion of people. I've heard many talks about the subject and even have a few up my sleeve that I've offered to myself and others along the way. What was different this time? God spoke to my heart and called me out. He said I needed to LIVE the dream He planted in my heart rather than wait for people to approve of it. What a challenge!
What is your dream? Have you put it in a well-hidden part of your heart and left it there hoping one day it would be fulfilled in an instant? Have you dismissed it as too grand or too risky? Have you hoped God would come up with a different dream, one that is easier to do or achieve?
The world around you needs the dream God put in your heart - that God-sized, I-can-only-do-it-If-God-makes-a-way dream. What good and worthy things will happen if you go for it? What might be lost if you don't?
Saturday, June 11, 2011
If you only knew the Jesus I love
At a recent home group meeting, a man shared that his son believes lots of people want to know God, especially the God we love and serve who is kind, strong, good, full of love and much more. I was deeply impacted by the mindset with which this young man shares God with people. I think he's right. People really do want to know the God we find in the pages of the Bible (when taken as a whole, not randomly extracted in little bits), just not the small, petty, vindictive god often depicted by some.
Resolved: I will take more risks to tell people about the God I love and why my life is so much better WITH him in it!
Resolved: I will take more risks to tell people about the God I love and why my life is so much better WITH him in it!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Eagerness or Impatience
We have made it safely to Virginia from Alaska in the past month. Our temporary living arrangement is comfortable by many global standards, if not American ones. We have been blessed with the resources to shop for a nice home, an option far beyond the reach of many in this world. I wish I could say that I'm simply grateful for that and that my mind is at rest, but I'm simply not there yet!
I awoke this morning thinking about the big decisions ahead of me and wondered why I'm thinking so far ahead of the moment I am in. Am I impatient to get settled or eager to start on the next adventure? Am I worrying about the decisions or wisely pondering the options before us? The answer to both questions is, "Yes!" I am both impatient and eager, worried and wise. Perhaps living with that paradox and not striving for perfection of heart will bring rest to my soul. My head knows that God, who brought us through the past nine months of major changes, has not abandoned me and has good plans for me. I know that He works in ways far beyond my comprehension and that He orchestrates many details ahead of revealing my next step to me. As a recovering perfectionist, I long for these facts to rule my mind and heart yet I know that being aware of them is progress in a healthy direction.
I am not naturally drawn to adventure. I love watching and celebrating others' exciting treks from the comfort of a stable, comfortable place. Without adventure, life is routine and quiet and quite possibly dull! I married a man drawn to adventure and eager to see what's around every next corner of life. I have traveled a good part of this huge world as a result and want to do more! Perhaps the application to eagerness, impatience, worry and wisdom, is that in community, we can embrace life with more courage and joy than we could ever manage on our own. May we each seek and engage in a community of people that embolden us to think more freely and do more adventurous things than we might ever do on our own!
I awoke this morning thinking about the big decisions ahead of me and wondered why I'm thinking so far ahead of the moment I am in. Am I impatient to get settled or eager to start on the next adventure? Am I worrying about the decisions or wisely pondering the options before us? The answer to both questions is, "Yes!" I am both impatient and eager, worried and wise. Perhaps living with that paradox and not striving for perfection of heart will bring rest to my soul. My head knows that God, who brought us through the past nine months of major changes, has not abandoned me and has good plans for me. I know that He works in ways far beyond my comprehension and that He orchestrates many details ahead of revealing my next step to me. As a recovering perfectionist, I long for these facts to rule my mind and heart yet I know that being aware of them is progress in a healthy direction.
I am not naturally drawn to adventure. I love watching and celebrating others' exciting treks from the comfort of a stable, comfortable place. Without adventure, life is routine and quiet and quite possibly dull! I married a man drawn to adventure and eager to see what's around every next corner of life. I have traveled a good part of this huge world as a result and want to do more! Perhaps the application to eagerness, impatience, worry and wisdom, is that in community, we can embrace life with more courage and joy than we could ever manage on our own. May we each seek and engage in a community of people that embolden us to think more freely and do more adventurous things than we might ever do on our own!
Monday, March 14, 2011
The Whole Earth Shakes
World events in recent weeks have sent tremors around the world politically, economically, and physically. Through natural eyes, the world looks less secure and even fearful. Thoughtful people wrestle not only with the implications of these events on nations and individuals, but with the deep spiritual questions inevitable when revolution and tragedy strike.
It is natural to blame God for what happened and to ask why a good God lets such things happen. I used to get stuck on this thought. In recent years I've learned to hold certain facts about God and Satan up as a filter through which to view the world and it's harsh realities.
1. God is good, God is love, God is just and God is holy - everything done by God is motivated and flows out of those characteristics. There is great dichotomy in those qualities. There are not simple answers to complex crises.
2. Satan is the ruler (albeit temporarily) of this world and works to steal, kill and destroy. He does everything he can to turn our eyes off of God's love and kindness and works to get us to blame God for his evil deeds.
3. God is patient in ending Satan's reign on earth. He wants to give opportunity to as many as possible to turn to Him for hope and LIFE before He ends the world as we know it and puts Satan away forever.
Until that day, we live in a world full of trouble and difficulty. Hope comes as we trust God's goodness and hold fast to faith in Him no matter what circumstance we face.
I don't pretend to understand God or His timing. I find such tragedies horrific and incomprehensible. I often feel small and helpless in the face of world events. I do know I serve a God who has power to make good out of what Satan means for evil in individual lives.
Join me in asking for God's mercy on all affected by the crises in the Middle East and Japan in particular and in taking action to relieve suffering when the opportunity presents itself.
It is natural to blame God for what happened and to ask why a good God lets such things happen. I used to get stuck on this thought. In recent years I've learned to hold certain facts about God and Satan up as a filter through which to view the world and it's harsh realities.
1. God is good, God is love, God is just and God is holy - everything done by God is motivated and flows out of those characteristics. There is great dichotomy in those qualities. There are not simple answers to complex crises.
2. Satan is the ruler (albeit temporarily) of this world and works to steal, kill and destroy. He does everything he can to turn our eyes off of God's love and kindness and works to get us to blame God for his evil deeds.
3. God is patient in ending Satan's reign on earth. He wants to give opportunity to as many as possible to turn to Him for hope and LIFE before He ends the world as we know it and puts Satan away forever.
Until that day, we live in a world full of trouble and difficulty. Hope comes as we trust God's goodness and hold fast to faith in Him no matter what circumstance we face.
I don't pretend to understand God or His timing. I find such tragedies horrific and incomprehensible. I often feel small and helpless in the face of world events. I do know I serve a God who has power to make good out of what Satan means for evil in individual lives.
Join me in asking for God's mercy on all affected by the crises in the Middle East and Japan in particular and in taking action to relieve suffering when the opportunity presents itself.
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