Spring Break 2013: Day 4: A People to Pursue

Scripture: "For I am the LORD your God, who stirs up the sea and its waves roar. 
 I have put My words in your mouth and have covered you with the shadow of My hand, to 

establish the heavens, to found the earth, and to say to Zion,
 'You are My people."

Isaiah 51:15-16

 

Worship: "Furious"- Jeremy Riddle

 Nothing can tear us from
The grip of His mighty love
We’ve only glimpsed, His vast affection
Heard whispers of, His heart and passion
It’s pouring out…


His love is deep, His love is wide
And it covers us
His love is fierce, His love is strong
It is furious
His love is sweet, His love is wild

And it's waking hearts to life

The Father loves and sends His son
The Son lays down His life for all
He lavishes His love upon us
He calls us now, His sons and daughters
He’s reaching out…


… and its waking hearts to life


I heard Brandon's voice today in a message, from a call I missed.
I prayed several times that he would just call back....pursue our conversation until it happened.....but knowing how "conscious" of money my husband is, I knew deep down I would have to wait.

The word PURSUE kept resounding in my heart after that.
There is no greater comfort than knowing that your life has value and worth....that someone values you enough to pursue you.
When I let the words from the song above, set in my heart, that His love is all of those things....that it  is deep and it is wide....that it is fierce and strong and furious....and that we have only caught a glimpse of the vast affection that He has loved us with, pursues us with and saves us unto....
It's so clear that our lives have a weight...a value...worth PURSUING....

Unlike my frugal and considerate husband, our God keeps CALLING....until we answer...and then He continues to speak knowing that .....
The conversation that we have is more important than anything else I desire to pursue.
Because I am His. He is mine.

We are his people.

 



Spring Break 2013: Day 3-It Does Cost Something

Scripture: "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.

This I command you, that you love one another"

-John 15:12-17

 

 

Worship: "Stay and Wait" -Hillsong United (just face it ....it will probably be the album of the week)

 

Who spoke the Earth and sky to form
Who sets the sun and calls the dawn
Who breathed me out of dust to life
With the will to trust or run and hide

 

I will stay should the world by me fold
Lift up Your name as the darkness falls
I will wait and hold fast to Your word
Heart on Your heart and my eyes on You

Who loved me through my rebel way
Who chose to carry all my shame
Who breaths in me with endless life
The king of glory Jesus Christ

 

I will stay should the world by me fold
Lift up Your name as the darkness falls
I will wait and hold fast to Your word
Heart on Your heart and my eyes on You

God of wonder and God of grace
Let my soul stand always to praise You
Fix my eyes on Your perfect way
And I'll never look back

I will stay should the world by me fold
Lift up Your name as the darkness falls
I will wait and hold fast to Your word
Heart on Your heart and my eyes on You

Who lifts the poor and heals the blind
Who trampled death for all mankind
Who stands for all with arms stretched wide
My King forever Jesus Christ

 

The sermon I heard this morning reminded me AGAIN that there is a definite COST to discipleship.  There is a sacrifice and a price to pay when a person says...yes, I will follow YOU....all the way....loving one another until the very end. 

 He is the one who calls.

He is the one who prepares the way.

He is the one who lights the way.

He is the one who created the path.

As a disciple, follower of Jesus, we KNOW in our minds that this is a "truth"....but when love is put into action and discipleship becomes the way of life, instead of just a program....then that truth penetrates the heart.

The result is what I experienced today.

That it hurts.

It hurts and it is hard.

Anyone who tells you otherwise is drawing you into something that is not what Jesus calls us to.

Today, I truly felt the sting that being apart without knowledge of knowing the when...the when will I hear his voice (and I mean Brandon's voice)!

It was a sting.

 

BUT

I still love the knowledge that because there is a COST there is also a reward.

The fullness of the when and the where and the what of the reward are answers we won't grasp completely.

BUT

we know the exist. Because we know the ONE who created us and the ONE who knew the COST to what He was about to go on mission for and we know the ONE who is reconciling all things back to Himself through the power and the comfort and the guidance of His Holy Spirit.

 

It hurts. It is hard. It is worth it. I have HOPE that He is faithful.

 

Spring Break 2013: Day 2- Unrelenting

Scripture: "He must increase, but I must decrease"

Worship: "Relentless"-  Hillsong United

Salvation sounds a new beginning
As distant hearts begin believing
Redemption's bid is unrelenting
Your love goes on
Your love goes on

Four Generations


You carry us
Carry us
When the world gives way
You cover us
Cover us
With Your endless grace

Creative Perfection


The time is up for chasing shadows
You gave the world a light to follow
A hope that shines beyond tomorrow
Your love goes on
Your love goes on

A bunny craft

A memory



 Your love is relentless
Your love is relentless
Tearing through the veil of darkness
Breaking every chain, You set us free
Fighting for the furthest heart You gave
Your own life for all to see
 
Your love is relentless
Brandon, I am praying you may experience at even greater depths the kingdom principle of "your decrease and His increase".....may you grasp a new fullness of this scripture and the reality of its presence here on earth.
May the team in Honduras witness the breaking of chains, the  pursuit of a of God who fights for the furthest heart, and His relentless love that holds all of us within His grace.
May every one of those children KNOW the God who created them, holds them, and loves them....from this day on....
In the name of Jesus.

Spring Break 2013: Day 1 -War and Trust

Scripture: Joshua 1:8-9

"This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

 

Worship: "Love is War"- Hillsong United

In Your justice and Your mercy
Heaven walked the broken road
Here to fight this sinner's battle
Here to make my fall Your own

Honduras Bound


Turn my eyes to see Your face
As all my fears surrender
Hold my heart within this grace
Where burden turns to wonder

Midwest Bound



I will fight to follow
I will fight for love
To throw my life forever
Into the triumph of the Son

Let Your love be my companion
In the war against my pride
Long to break all vain obsession
Till You're all that I desire

Sweet Baby Avery


And I know Your love has won it all
You took the fall
To embrace my sorrows
I know You took the fight
You came and died but the grave was borrowed
I know You stood again
So I can stand with a life to follow
In the light of Your name


My prayer for Brandon is that he is resting, knowing that Asher and I are at PEACE not knowing where he is but trusting the ONE who does know.  Praying every moment his flesh is being crucified that Christ may be made manifest and that the Holy Spirit is washing over all his fears, deep wounds, and setting free all that he still withholds.  For the entire team that they are UNITED....seeing one another in the beauty of the body of Christ that they may pour out all......that they may be guarded from any attempts of the evil one to steal, kill or destroy all that has already been declared in the heavens as FINISHED.....with every step victory is found within souls and families.


 



 

Quality of His Love

This was Asher's FIRST attempt at making his bed ALL by himself....

These are the moments that could begin to produce fear, when your three year old suddenly realizes there are THINGS they can "do" apart from you that seem bigger than themselves...
....

I'm sure ONE day he will look at this picture and think...I definitely "accomplished" that by myself, but the quality was so different from when my mom and dad helped in the process...

I love looking at the picture of this messy bed and pondering all the truths....that at some point we all need to grow up and make our beds no matter how messy or unfinished it appears. Not stopping there, we need to find ways to sustain that work....and the only way to sustain THAT type of work is to rely on the ONE who shows and reveals every good thing we need for accomplishing and sustaining the DAILY work....whether its making the bed or growing in Christlikeness.

Thankful for our eager three year old who will at least TRY....and thankful when he realizes he could still use his Mommy's help!

Thankful I am in a daily abd obgoing relationship with the ONE true God who demonstrated how faithful He is when He begins a good work...He walks alongside until it is not only finished but also weighted by the quality of His love for us.