To Skip or Not To Skip?

It's been a great 3 weeks (well, almost 3 weeks) of Prayer and Fasting.  Being completely transparent with you, I usually just skip around in the Psalms.  Every time I get to chapter 119, I usually shutter with intimidation at the sheer size of the chapter, and hurriedly flip the pages to the 130's (as if I must out run it or something).  That's where some of my favorite chapters are; mainly chapter 139.  


For all practical purposes, mostly out of obedience, I dove into chapter 119.  Tackling a mere 8 verses daily, I found some of the best kept secrets the Bible has to offer.  I learned  1. wisdom of the believer is found in God's commands, 2. His perfect unfailing love is constantly at our disposal, and 3. safety is at our fingertips when we obey.  So very many great lessons to learn!  Not only lessons from His Word, but lessons in not skipping things just because of the size or any other excuse.  Don't let large chapters intimidate you.  They are filled with God's wisdom just like short chapters.  Great things come in small packages... and evidently large chapters too.  


What are you skipping over in the Bible?  
Challenge:  Dig in & find the treasures of God's heart.


I think my next challenge is Song of Songs.  (long pause)  I actually just shuttered typing the name.  I always intentionally skip the entire book because it's... so... well... it's gotten a bad wrap.  It's God's Word.  There is freedom in wrestling the areas of our lives that hold us back.  I think the question is:  What am I missing?  Time to find out!

Blind Sided by "The Blind Side"

Movies seem to capture my attention...maybe because I am a visual person. Last Friday, I was blind sided by "The Blind Side". It’s been 6 days, and I still cannot shake it. (If you have not seen it yet, I HIGHLY recommend it.)

As I watched the big screen with tears and a lump in my throat, I couldn't help but think "THIS is the hands and feet of Christ in action."  No fancy show.  Just simple.  You don’t need a platform or a microphone to speak into someone’s life; you just need to be yourself to those around you. Offer what you have in your hands.

The hurting people in this world need more families like the Tuohy’s. Families willing to be the subject of controversy. Families willing to step out of their comfort zone to extend a hand of help. Families willing to ignore "the rules" of society and take a risk. The Tuohy family put their reputation on the line and invested in the most precious commodity on the planet: life. Through love, they forever changed the path of one single person while unknowingly inspiring millions around them. I imagine a book or movie deal never crossed the mind of Leigh Anne Tuohy as she said "Big Mike, where you going? Do you have a place to stay?" She simply reached out to someone in need and offered what she had in her hand.

Are you willing to reach out into the lives around you? It's your choice. You don't have to take someone into your home like this family, but the opportunities to invest around you are endless. Get creative!  Step out of your comfort zone. Be willing to be the hands and feet of Christ to those around you.

Am I willing? What am I investing in?
James 2:14-17

Bummer

I know you should be excited and empowered when you finish a Bible study as great as the one we just completed.  Priscilla Schirer brings it in One In A Million.  Come on, we've just walked from slavery in Egypt into freedom in Canaan, the Promise Land for Pete's sake!  We've walked hand in hand with Moses and Joshua where we've experienced plagues, water parting (not once, but twice), battles won, heavenly food and sweet water.  Pillars of fire by night and pillars of cloud by day, a burning bush... so many ways God speaks.


Why am I not that excited?  Tonight was the end of our girls group for a while.  Community is the thing I feel God impressing upon me, and my new community on Tuesday nights is already done.  (sigh)  As quick as it began, it's finished.  Now, that's a bummer!  The flip side is I am beginning a new community in a couple weeks.  I am looking forward to it and the wisdom I will gain, but it's hard to leave the familiar and start over.  I love this group of women and what they bring into my life.  The challenge, the encouragement, the strength... they represent so much to me.  They are not just members of the Bible study, but my best friends.  So glad I get to do life with them... just wish I still had my Tuesdays ever week.  In the spring we pick a new study.  Until then I'll keep pressing forward.  No complaining.  Just obedience!!

Sparks

Where do I begin?  I don't even know.  This will likely be all over the place.  So much to write and so little time.  


Ever have one of those days (or weekends) when things just start happening like crazy?  Today was one of those days for me.  I've been waiting for it for almost 2 years.  The 6 am blaring alarm sounded off very, very early.  Note: I am NOT a morning person.  Once I was ready to leave, I opened the garage to notice my car was blocked in, so it came quite early for my daughter as well when she had to move her car to let me out.  Oops!  Then, the car was conveniently on E.  I raced to the gas pump to quickly put enough fuel in to "get me to the church on time" and headed down the interstate.  By this point, I should have expected the unexpected, but I hadn't awaken completely yet.  


Finally!  I made it to church.  How I missed being a Greeter, and I didn't even know it.  I had taken a break over the past many months but had recently returned to the list.  Today was my first day back.  Simply being there to say good morning, welcoming those entering the house with a smile and opening the door for them... it just felt good.  A fellow Greeter shared her story with me (seems to be a common theme for me this weekend) and it gripped my heart.  So many people outside of the church are hurting as well as INSIDE the church.  Encouragement poured forth from my own recent walk, and we entered the doors with a promise to be praying.


From there I met a friend dealing with family issues for coffee.  How I love coffee!  We visited and shared our hearts before randomly running into one of the worship leaders at our church.  He began sharing his thoughts with her as I listened.  At some point during the conversation, he started talking about his love for youth and WHAM!  Out of no where, the passion for youth ministry ignited.  It's like turning on your gas stove.  You can turn it on all day long, but without an ignition source, at the end of the day you only get a smelly house.  [If you've read my blog over the years, you have likely realized I've been in a wilderness for the past 2 years (which is a story within itself).  God took away my desire to plug in anywhere so I'd have no distractions or excuses for drawing near to Him.]  Anyway, at that exact moment, God pulled out the Holy flame clicker and ignited the passion to serve the youth right there in the coffee shop.  Who would have thought September 27th, 2009 would have held such a day for me?  I composed myself until I got in the car.  I drove home in tears praying for God to speak loudly.  I needed to know if it was "Connie" wanting to serve or "God wanting Connie" to serve.  


Fast forward approximately 7 hours...  So tonight, I dove in head first.  I put on my old high school shirt (Vision Night's theme), walked into our church with my eyes pointed up, expected the unexpected and by the time I left, I felt as if the Heaven's had truly opened and sparks were flying.  Lord knows that old school shirt may have seen it's "glory days", but it had never experience God like it did tonight.  I assure you, I was worshiping something back in the day, but it wasn't God.  You know, I think that shirt might have even gotten saved tonight, but regardless, I'm all in.  It's all or nothing.  


I cannot wait to see what God's about to do.  The goal is to see the unexpected.  I don't want to miss it.  I know it's going to be incredible.  I'm super thankful for the Wilderness experience itself and grateful to be released from the Wilderness.  I believe those 2 years of Wilderness prepared me for something great to come.  If not anything else, just to be closer to Him.  I'll take it.  Look out world, I've been released!

Manuscript

Blocks. Football players face them, vehicles drive around them, toddlers play with them, and writers sometimes become immobilized by them. One way or another, we all face them in some way, shape, or form in our lives.  I've looked eye to eye with mine far too long. 

Finally, I feel as if the door to my thoughts and creativity is once again open. It's as if I can see the exit to this no-man's land.  I've spent probably 8-10 hours of the past 2 evenings writing my heart out, and I've loved every minute.  The manuscript editing is going well, and I must say the changes are coming together quite nicely. I may have even picked the title.  Finally!  So very thankful...

Run Along

Last night, as I tossed and turned until well after midnight, visions of publishing my manuscript and writing raced through my head.  Lately, I feel like a kid in a candy shop who can only think about one thing: C-A-N-D-Y!   I believe I am on the edge of something... perhaps a new season.

When God opens the flood gates of ideas, it's time to put on the running shoes and run.  I'll be running along now.

Peace University

Today is our first step to taking control of our financial future.  We began a 13 week course changing our thinking and controlling our money instead of our money controlling us.  Dave Ramsey presents things with clarity while entertaining along the way actually leaving me to feel empowered as well as informed.  With a small manageable step we begin our journey to a big plan.  Look out future...here we come!  No more throwing our money down the toilet.  

Goal: Financial Freedom

If you want more info about attending, go to HPC.

Unspeakable grace

"Unspeakable grace for all the nations."

-Mercy Me (one line from 'Sanctified')

Today as I was driving and having my own Mercy Me concert in the Escape, something in this particular song reached out and captured my attention. "unspeakable grace" ... unspeakable. Let that marinate in your heart and mind a moment. Grace so amazing and so deep we don't even have words that remotely express it. It's unspeakable. The best part is that's exactly what Jesus brought us. It's for ALL the nations! Not just us here in the USA or our state or our street or our house. There's an entire world out there experiencing "unspeakable grace".

The song goes on to say "I'll never be the same! I know, I'll never be the same!" That's pretty much me. Touched by UNSPEAKABLE GRACE...Never to be the same ever...