I am back

Mixed emotions always accompany a return from vacation.  Such is the case today.

excited about vacation!!

We were blessed to  be away the past week and it was a refreshing time full of reading, relaxing, way too much eating and much needed time with my husband as well as a blast with our friends.




I am becoming more and more attached to our brothers and sisters in Christ.  The friends we are growing old with.  The friends we are doing life with.  The friends we take vacations with and the friends that are waiting for us when we get home.  I am more blessed then I can possibly describe.

A step away, a vacation, allows you to gain perspective on your life, dial in your focus and celebrate your blessings.

What I pray I can do is to remain in celebration, of the little moments, not big vacation moments but the everyday stuff.  Can I be thankful during a stressful day?  Do I really believe that God is in control or do I choose not to believe by taking things into my own hands?

Can I give time to friends and relationships, or will I continue to over-book my schedule unable to enjoy the people that God lines my path with?

I do have mixed emotions about returning from vacation.  It's back to one of the busiest weeks of the year for me, a real reality check, but I will do my best and remember fondly the last few days.

I believe with all my heart that God is ready to move at Crossroads in a mighty way - that is not some lightly made claim - I believe this.  Our community at Crossroads is falling more in love with the Lord and   in relationship with one another. This will change us as a ministry.  And this makes me ready to return.

Speaking out

Do you tend to sit back and keep peace? Please stop! Jesus was radical - He called people out - he called them to The Truth. Depart from the tendency toward mediocrity, we can draw the line - demand that people stop claiming the name of our precious Savior who refuse to live for Him. Living for Him has NOTHING to do with rules - it's behavior that pours out of those who deeply know their God. It does require learning and study and surrounding ourselves with great Godly mentors and friends, but the desire to mature in Him is already there somewhere deep in the soul it forms when you come to know Christ. When there is a true relationship with Him you cannot resist the pull to know more, to love more and to place everything about your life within Him. I am tired of just 'keeping peace - hoping problems will go away' - I have been weak and reluctant to name sin and I now know when I ignore sin in myself or others it allows it to increase and for the enemy to take a foothold. He will however be defeated - in God's power and in God's time. So take courage - take a stand against sin and call it what it is. Jesus gave His life to show us What is true and just and pure.

what I learned today

Wow...where to begin!

At first I thought all I was going to learn today was how to cram as much as humanly possible into one day, then as the day got going I learned a ton!

I hurried to complete as many tasks as possible in 1 1/2 hours I had at work before leaving for an Easter video shoot.  Every time I go to a shoot, I learn something new about lighting, audio or just the placement of the seemingly most insignificant item.  Today was no different.

Next I ate an an authentic African Resturant.  I tasted goat for the first time - very similar to roast beef.  We got seated in a middle of the resturant 'family' section away from the front 'mens' area, due to the fact that I was there.  Interesting.  Wonder what would have happened if I had insisted on sitting up front?  ha ha


I was highly distracted and saddened by the stream of men placing a rug on the floor, facing a wall and continuously bowing over and over in prayer to their god.  My heart ached for them to know the only true living God!

Next I returned to Crossroads to finish a few work details, help set up for Turbo Kick and to finish preparing for the Young Woman's Bible study I have the HUGE privilege of leading.  Tonight we studied Hannah.  I had never studied her story in detail before.

She lived with her husband who she was madly in love with, but her husband also had a second wife.  This created a huge amount of tension in the home to say the least.  Especially because Hannah was unable to have children, something she longed for and prayed for without ceasing.

Finally, God gave her a son, Samuel.

I am fascinated each time I study the Old Testament.  The way these people loved the Lord.  It wasn't  theological knowledge, they truly, personally knew God.

If Hannah can love and trust God even in the midst of her husband's bigamy, what possible excuse can I have not to be fully, continuously immersed in the Word and prayer?

Hannah's story of faithfulness and continuous praise to God was inspiring to all of us girls tonight.

I learned many things today and for that I am very thankful!

my day off

1. My day began with hubby going out for breakfast.  (perfect beginning)
2. Stopped at church to discuss set design plans and check on a couple projects (set design is one of my favorite parts of my job)
3. Met girlfriends to go thrifting (made some great finds and had a few laughs)
4. Returned home with new/old treasures (I love blending contemporary with antiques!)
5. Started laundry (I find when I keep up with laundry AND ironing - I tend to believe I have enough clothes and I don't buy more and I feel organized)
6. Sent messages (sent info to the girls in my study group, face-booked a couple of minutes and now am writing)

Examining my day so far - have I done anything important or worthwhile or eternally significant?

Yes.

1. Keeping marriage strong by spending time together.
2. Details at Crossroads; each have a unique and eternally significant importance.  Stopping by for a few minutes puts me ahead for the rest of the week.  Communicating with the girls I lead is obviously important as well.
3. Investing time in my Christian girlfriends - we keep one another on the right track and hold one another accountable!
4. Even the shopping, because I stayed within my budget was an aspect of fellowship that I enjoy very much - makes it feel like a day off.
5. Finally... laundry.  It prepares us for the work week and helps me feel organized and 'done' at home when I have the laundry done and completely put away.  (weird I know)

I am curious to know what your day off is like!  Do you fill your day off with errands and busyness or do you get caught up at home.  Is it all about relationships or a day to be alone?

I am thankful for my day off and I will now do the ultimate 'day-off thing'...nap. Enjoy your day!

waiting

Waiting is difficult and it holds many of my closest friends in its grasp on this very day.

I have friends waiting...

to see if the Lord will continue to protect and grow a long 'prayed for' baby in the womb
to have the emptiness of being alone filled
to heal a marriage
to change a wayward son
to restore health
to meet financial needs

The Bible is filled with times when the Lord required waiting.  Within the wait bitterness can grow, or the decision to take things into our own hands can be made...

But, what could this wait become if we filled it with thankfulness recognizing the small blessings around us while waiting for the big one?  Surrendering the wait to Him?

Are you waiting too?  What it is that grips your heart and pushes you further toward complete reliance on your Lord?  Give Him the desires of your heart today and then lift your praise to Him even in the waiting.

love is not passion

Love is not passion. It is the pulse of sacrifice - Ann Voskamp I love this quote.  It is so true. To love anyone - whether spouse or friend or child is to sacrifice for them.  You can tell them you love them endlessly but what really speaks true love is when you give up the pursuit of your own comfort and agenda and serve the other. There is no room for equal - we must each give more to the other. Have you loved this way?  Completely unselfishly? Is it even possible to not be selfish?  Do you love even when their love doesn't look like what you wish it did? I learn more about true love everyday.   I have watched friends this year who remain in love with their Lord even with the loss of spouses.  I see them cling to the love that can only be found in Christ.  They inspire me to love more and to not take love for granted. Love is the pulse of sacrifice.  A pulse is steady, repeating, never stopping until the day you die.  To die to self and sacrifice for another is a steady, repeating, never ending until the day you die sacrifice.  Looking at the life of Jesus is the perfect example of love - look at his life closely, the Word of God shows us perfect love and needs to be the source of our pulse.

how much is enough

I have watched several shows tonight featuring some of the most expensive  homes in America.  Some were for sale and some had recently been redesigned for extremely wealthy clients.  These homes contain design elements and contents that I honestly didn't even know existed!  The beautiful wood and marble that had been imported from around the world easily cost more than my entire home!

One APARTMENT not home, APARTMENT reduced their price by $1,000,000 because it had been for sale for 6 months.  Can you imagine?

It made me wonder how much is enough?

Are you satisfied with what you have?  HONESTLY?

Gossip comes from being dissatisfied.  Over-shopping, and high credit card debt also screams "I'm not satisfied!"

I am sure you realize how wealthy we all are in comparison to most of the world.  So what does it take to make us happy?  Do you spend what you should be using to help others -  Missions - The local church?

I examined my own heart and my own actions...

I really do have enough. More than enough!  May our thanks pour out daily praising the Lord for His exceedingly gracious blessings!!