Battle Plan:

Posted on December 6, 2011 by Andi

This morning I found myself doing battle with lies. I think we’re in THE battle every day or maybe we’re in the war every day and its made up of various battles and fronts. Regardless; this morning was def one of those times when I had to dwell on truth and in doing so I focused on what the Bible says about doing battle. There is a warrior nature to God and the Bible is clear about that. In wanting to focus on that and not the lies that I was hearing I did some researching on the inter-webs and found some things that make up what I’d call a Battle Plan for dealing with spiritual warfare.

SUBMIT FULLY TO THE LORD
James 4:7 – Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you
** How do you fully submit to the Lord? I think its laying down everything and trusting Him for the results. I’m reminded of the line in “Lord of Lords” where it says “Here in surrender; in pure adoration I enter your courts with an offering of Praise, I am your servant come to bring you glory as is fit for the works of your hands”. Its getting our eyes off ourselves; being lost in praising Him and giving Him the glory He rightfully deserves.

RESIST THE DEVIL-GO ON THE OFFENSIVE!
The second part of that verse in James says to resist the devil and he WILL flee. We’re also reminded in Romans 8:37 that we’re more than conquerors; rise up SAINT!

KEEP GODS COMMANDMENTS
There’s a random chapter in Leviticus that talks about the rewards for obedience. Chapter 26 is full of promises for what’ll happen when we follow His decrees and are careful to obey His commands; one of which being that He will grant us peace and our enemies will fall before us. That’s legit.
Deuteronomy 23:14 says, For the LORD your God moves about in your camp to protect you and to deliver your enemies to you. Your camp must be holy, so that He will not see among you anything indecent and turn away from you.
**If we’re letting sin in our lives than we’re inviting the enemy to come in and destroy things; that’s doing negatives and not getting you anywhere. I’m not saying that you’ve got to clean up your life before God shows up and you can do battle against the enemy. What I am saying is that if there is blatant sin in your life it might explain why you’re having to go through the battle in the first place. It’d be like trying to protect a city but not fixing the huge holes in the wall.

FIGHT WITH HIS STRENGTH-not your own.
This is a list of verses of how God gives us the power to do battle. Take the time to look at them and really take in what they’re saying.
Luke 10:19
Luke 9:1
Mark 6:7
Matthew 10:6
Isaiah 54:17
Psalm 44:5
2 Chronicles 16:9
Daniel 11:32
Zechariah 4:6
Acts 1:8
1 Thessalonians 1:5
Acts 4:33
1 John 2:27
1 John 2:20
Joshua 1:5
Psalm 144:1
2 Samuel 22:29
Psalm 18:32,37

WALK IN STRENGTH, BOLDNESS and COURAGE
**Also known as get out of the boat! We’ve got that whole list of verses about how Gods got our backs and we need to keep those in mind and not just talk about it but be about it!
Philippians 4:13
Psalm 28:7
Psalm 138:3
Psalm 68:35
Isaiah 40:29
Proverbs 3:26
Job 17:9

REMEMBER YOU ARE PROTECTED BY GOD
**God runs protection for you. Scriptures says He’s a Hedge, a Refuge, a Fortress, a Deliverer, a Strength, a Stronghold, a Front and Rear Guard, a Defense, a Rock, a Savior and a Light. Stand on the promises that God will protect you no matter what circumstance you’re up against or in the middle of.
Job 1:10
2 Samuel 22:2
Psalm 62:1
2 Thessalonians 3:3
Psalm 34:19
Psalm 27:1
Romans 8:31
Psalm 105:13
Psalm 125:1
2 Timothy 4:18
Psalm 18:2
Psalm 37:39
Psalm 121:1
Psalm 31:2, 19
Psalm 118:6
Psalm 46:1,5
Psalm 60:11
Psalm 91:1-16

HE WILL GO BEFORE YOU/HE IS YOUR CHAMPION
**God is our father, and I know of no real father who wouldn’t do whatever it takes to fight for their child. Sometimes God chooses to just protect us, other times I believe God meets the enemy head on and does battle on our behalf. I appreciate what Erik told me once; he said that he doesn’t picture Jesus in all white sitting on a fluffy cloud; but rather as sweaty, covered in marks of battle, huge sword in hand with evidence of victory scattering the ground behind Him. That’s legit.
Exodus 15:3,6
Isaiah 42:13
Isaiah 45:2
Isaiah 52:12
Deuteronomy 9:3
Exodus 14:14
Isaiah 41:11
2 Chronicles 32:7
Isaiah 49:25
2 Thessalonians 1:6
Deuteronomy 33:27
Proverbs 20:22
Psalm 138:7
Genesis 12:3
Psalm 129:2,4
Psalm 18:47
Psalm 35:1
Psalm 9:3
Psalm 20:6
Psalm 44:3
Jeremiah 1:8
Psalm 7:11
1 Samuel 2:9
2 Chronicles 20:12-17
Habakkuk 3:12
Deuteronomy 3:21

GOD HAS AN ARMY
**There are several places in scripture where God sends an angel to do work for Him. We need to remember that we’re not alone when we fight our battles.
Psalm 34:7
Psalm 91:11
Exodus 23:20
Hebrews 1:14
1 Chronicles 21:27,29
2 Kings 19:35
Acts 12:23
Hebrews 13:2

DON’T GET AHEAD OF GOD, WALK HUMBLY WITH HIM
**Remember that His plan is perfect and His timing is perfect, so don’t get ahead of where you THINK He may be going.
Proverbs 25:21
Proverbs 24:17

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A picture is worth a thousand words…

Posted on November 21, 2011 by Andi

I like words. I’m sure I’ve started many a conversation and or blog with those words. I like words so much that this morning I’ve been trying to find a copy of the 1828 edition of Websters Dictionary so I can read the preface where Noah Webster (my favorite forgotten founding father BTDubbs) explains why he wrote the dictionary; because God used words to speak creation into being. Check an earlier blog post to understand why that simple fact may have changed my perspective on the Bible :)
So I’ve been reading dictionaries all morning and just loving words. I love that they have power just as much as I hate how that power is misused. Some of the advertisments on facebook lately have really gotten me thinking of just how twisted our cultures become.
So this one of them. I found this one on my sidebar the other day and I couldn’t believe that they’d actually made a TV show about hating a teenage daughter. I’m not sure this blog has enough space for me to go into all the things that are so very wrong with this. To name a few though: 1) really?! a show about hating your kid? (2) Its a show about hating a teenage girl; ’cause teenage girls dont have enough to be insecure about already; lets make a TV show about how their mothers hate them. (3) Anyone got any idea where the father is in this whole situation? nah, just another TV show that undermines family values; cause we need more of those, right?
Needless to say, that advertisment and show have bothered me some.
So has this one:

Now, I’m all about being a princess and all, but this whole idea of creating your own happy ending is WAY TOO similar to the plague of instant gratification that’s swept our culture and even breached the walls of the Church. Like the picture above, there’s so much wrong with it that I’m not sure I could coherently write it all out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last nights Truth Project addressed the issue of art and media briefly and had these two great quotes to share; so I want to share them with you, faithful-blog-reader:

Francis Schaeffer certainly knew what he was talking about. This long-waiting pandemic of instant gratification is symptomatic of the Western worlds departure from knowing Truth.

Today I’m just grieved by this; I thought I’d share that and shed a little more light on the situation.

 

 

<>< Andi

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Lessons from the children of Israel

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Andi

Last March I had a life changing brush with the story of the exodus from Egypt. Since then I’ve kept the story of the children of Israel in the back of my mind as a regular reminder that we have to go through a lot of desert times before we get to the place God has us; and even then theres still work to be done. As someone who lives in the world of word pictures and analogies, I can tell you that I’ve learned a lot from their journey. Granted, the intial lesson from these kids had to be pointed out but since then I’ve been taking careful consideration to see just how simliar my experiences are to theirs.

This past weekend I had another brush; not as life changing but certainly just as legit as it brought me back to the Lord and reminded me of the all too familiar nudge to just sit at His feet. Psalm 16:7-9 says,
I will bless the LORD who has counseled me; Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night. I have set the LORD continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely. (NASB)
David choose to act his way into a feeling; a phrase I’m all to familiar with. He choose to bless the LORD, to set the LORD continually before him. As well, he remembered attributes of God, declared them and choose to believe them. He didnt let his circumstances determine his theology; he didnt let what he was going through overshadow the truth that God is good; that God is faithful and that God will do what He’s said He’ll do. I want faith like that.

The line in this passage that got my attention was, “I have set the LORD continually before me”. It made me think of the Children of Israel and how when they were wandering about the desert they had a piller of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to guide them; that was the presence of the LORD (Nehmiah 9:12). Wow, could you imagine?! I know that there’s all sorts of theology and scripture about the Holy Spirit living in the believers and how we can see God in each other. I’m so very for that; two thumbs aloft. But put on your colander helmet for a second and think like a kid; how amazing would it be if you could look up and see a pillar of cloud in the day time and a pillar of fire at night and KNOW that the LORD your God was right there. Wow-Just wow.

Along those same lines it made me think of a story Frank Liu told at the beach retreat last year. There was/is a native american tribe that, as their rite of passage, the young men had to go and be left over night in the wilderness- alone and blindfolded. They had to stay awake the entire time and they couldn’t take the blindfold off till morning. Regardless of what they heard, felt, smelled or imagined-they had to stay put and keep the blindfold on. If they could do that; then they’d pass the test. Seems terrifying to me but Frank said that in the morning when the young man took off the blindfold, he would see his father standing there as he had done all night; silently standing guard just incase anything were to threaten his son. Yeah, thats legit.

I bet when the children of Israel went inside their tent they didnt see the pillar; but they trusted the LORD to still be there and protect and provide for them. That young man who, as I imagine it, sat by that tree all night blind and aware of only what he could hear, feel, smell and even touch HAD to believe that he’d be taken care of because there was no other option.

Regardless of what I see, hear or feel-will I set the LORD continually before me. Will I remember the vast array of promises that He’ll never leave me or forsake me, that He loves me with an everlasting love and that I’ve trusted Him with my soul for all eternity; I can trust Him with whatever “this” situtation is. Will I stop myself when I’m going through the list of crazy, stressful, frustrating and overwhelming circumstances and remember, But Jesus…., ? My prayer is that God would give me something like the pillar of cloud or fire (either one is good, there both good) throughout my day to remind me to look to Him; to lift up my eyes and remember that everything is always and only about Jesus Christ, forever.

<><

Spirit now living and dwelling within me, Keep my eyes fixed ever on Jesus’ face. Let not the things of this world ever sway me, I’ll run ’til I finish the race.
-Brooke Fraiser, Lord of Lords

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HOW TO KNOW GOD’S WILL **Repost from James Dobson**

Posted on October 27, 2011 by Andi

How can we know, definitely, the purposes and leadings of the Lord for our lives? Here are key points to remember:

• Many Christians depend exclusively on their impressions to determine the will of God.
• However, not all impressions are valid – some are from God; some are from Satan; some are probably of our own making.
• Since it is difficult to determine the origin of an impression, we can easily make a mistake while assuming that a feeling is sent from God.
• Our Lord has promised to enlighten us and “guide us with His eye.” On the other hand, He wants us to “test” our impressions and leadings.
• Therefore, every impression should be tested by the following criteria before being accepted as valid:

1. Is it scriptural? This test involves more than taking a random proof text. It means studying what the whole Bible teaches. Use a concordance, search the Scriptures as did the Bereans (see Acts 17:11). Evaluate tentative leanings against the immutable Word of God.

2. Is it right? Every expression of God’s will can be expected to conform to God’s universal principles of morality and decency. If an impression would result in the depreciation of human worth or the integrity of the family or related traditional Christian values, it must be viewed with suspicion.

3. Is it providential? The third test requires every impression to be considered in the light of providential circumstances, such as: are the necessary doors opening or closing? Do circumstances permit the implementation of what I feel to be God’s will? Is the Lord speaking to me through events?

4. It is reasonable? The final criterion against which the will of God is measured relates to the appropriateness of the act. Does it make sense? Is it consistent with the character of God to require it? Will this act contribute to the Kingdom?

5. Satan will offer false representatives of the will of God, including astrologers, witches, mediums, false teachers, etc. We must scrupulously avoid these alternatives and “hold fast to that which is good.”

6. There will be times when the will of God will not be abundantly clear to us. During those occasions we are expected to retain our faith and “wait on the Lord.”

Ultimately, the comprehension of God’s will requires a careful balance between rational deliberation on one hand, and emotional responses on the other. Each Christian must find the balance in his own relationship with God, yielding to the teachings of the Holy Spirit. 1

We thank you for being a important part of Family Talk’s ‘extended family,’ and hope you’ll join us this and each month by listening to the daily broadcasts, visiting familytalk.org for useful resources to help your marriage and family thrive, and as part of Family Talk with Dr. James Dobson’s friend network on Facebook.

As always, we would love to hear from you and how we can better serve your family. Feel free to call us at 1-877-732-6825 or contact us via email HERE.

Today, let us leave you with the powerful and encouraging Word of God:

“Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus…. I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. And my God will fully satisfy every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4: 6-7,11-13,19

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Biblical Prayers for Disciples

Posted on October 13, 2011 by Andi

Brought to you by the epic Gordon clan; these were read this past week at Grace and I thought it’d be good to pass them along to as many people as possible. For the sake of this post disciples applies to both natural and spiritual children.
“Let our sons be in their youth as grown-up plants and our daughters as corner pillars…” Psalm 144:12

1) That God would draw them to Himself (John 3:3, 6:44, Psalms 78:5-7)
2) For them to obey and respect authority (Exodus 20:12, Ephesians 6:1)
3) For their moral purity (Psalm 119:9, Proverbs 5:7-23, 2 Timothy 2:22)
4) That they would be prodected from the deceits and schemes of Satan (Eph. 6:10)
5) That they would know and love God’s Word (Ps. 119:9-11. 2 Tim 2:15, 1 Peter 2:2)
6) That they would glorify God in whatever health of life circumstance He gives them, rejoicing always (Phil. 4:4, 1 Thess 5:18)
7) For them to be wise in the wisdom of the Lord (Prov 1:7, 2:1-7)
8) That they would have and be a special friend (David & Jonathan: 1 Samuel 20)
9) That they would endure hardship in fellowship with Christ (Colossians 1:24, 2 Thess 3:13, 2 Tim 4:5, Hebrews 10:36, 12:7)
10) That their yes would be yes and their no would mean no ( Matthew 5:37, Psalm 15:4)
11) That they would be equally yoked with a Godly spouse (1 Cor. 7:32-35, 2 Cor 6:14-20)
12) That they would be always humble, desiring for God to have the glory (John 3:30, James 4:10, 1 peter 5:5-7)
13) That their life would be used to promote God’s kingdom (Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 20:24)
14) That they would understand grace and so live out the law of Christ (Titus 2;11, James 4:6, 1st peter 1:13)
15) That my girl(s) would have a gentle and quiet spirit and my boy(s) would be the spiritual leader of his family (1 Peter 3:4, Ephesians 5:23. 1 Tim 3:4)
16) That they hunger and thirst for Gods righteousness (Matthew 5:6, Proverbs 20:11)
17) For them to identify with femalenses and maleness and be protected from gender confusion (Romans 1:25-28)
18) That they hate evil, avoid it and get caught when they disobey (Psalm 34:11-14, Proverbs 4:14, Proverbs 15:3)
19) For them to be hard workers (Romans 12:11, Colossians 1:28-29, 3:17, 3:23-24)
20) That they would think Biblically (John 8:31-32, 2 Corinthians 10:5, Romans 12:1-2)
21) For them to be an encourager to others (Ephesians 4:15,29,  Philippians 2:1-2, Hebrews 10:24)
22) That they love the church (Ephesians 4:14-16, 1 Peter 1:22)
23) For them to be salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16, Col. 4:5-6)
24) That they be secure in who God has made them to be (Psalm 139:13-16, Romans 8:1, Ephesians 1:3-6)
25) That they know they are deeply loved (Psalm 103, Lamentations 3:22, Titus 2:4)
26) That they love the Lord their God with all their heart (Matthew 22:37-39)
27) That they love others as they love themselves (Matthew 22:37-39)
28) That they would have honesty with the Lord, themselves and others (1 John 1:1-9, Psalm 15:2)
29) That they be faithful stewards of their God-given talents and their money (Luke 16:10, 1 Timothy 6:6-10, Psalm 112:5, Prov. 11:24-25)
30) For them to live by an eternal perspective (Acts 20:24, Romans 12:1-2, Philippians 2:20, Colossians 3:1-2, Hebrews 11:13)
31) That they would be men and women of prayer (Col 4:2, James 5:16, Acts 2:42)

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Beach Retreat 2011- Recap **Session 1**

Posted on September 26, 2011 by Andi

Now I dont “like” numbers, persay, but I’ll do this first bit for effect:
Wrote 21 pages in my journal
4 awesome talks by Andy Gray
5 folks got baptized
we had 80 people come (Biggest Grace Beach Retreat EVER)
I’d say all 80 people had their worlds rocked in some way shape or form

K, now that those are out of the way…this was SUCH a great retreat. I mean, it was my 7th or 8th or something like that and I’m fairly sure it was one of the best. Andy Gray, awesome name and from MN., brought his A-game and had all of us seriously taking notes. Below are some of the highlights; tidbits I came away with that I thought I’d share for those who couldn’t make it. Enjoy :)

Session 1 – AWAKEN -

 Psalm 57:8 (NIV84)
Awake, my soul!
Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.

- We are to command our souls to grab ahold of the reality of OUR GOD!
- Andy talked about the biology of they eye and a condition where the Macula has degenerated to the point where vision in middle of the eye is blurred or just absent; its like seeing a picture with a big ole’ black or blank spot in the middle. ** 2 Cor 4:6 – We have spiritual eyes to see His face, and to have meaningful interaction and relationship with him.

 Eph. 1:18 & 19 say, “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength.”

 Enlightened means to flood with light, Andy connects spiritual vision with physical vision in that we only see that which light reflects off of. Objects mean nothing unless the light reflects off of it. Light is legit (dur!). John 1:4-5, “In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” Darkness can not overtake light; light only disappears as it gives way to darkness.  The power is in the Light.
- Andy showed a picture of this lighthouse; not in Maine, in the distance and a seawall that connected it to the shore. He explained that most believers are to focused on the wall, the rocks and the slippery crazy “circumstances” that they are here and now that they don’t keep their focus on the end goal; the thing that actually calls to them-like a lighthouse in the middle of a storm. Its this boiled-down faith or view of God where they’re so careful to not have self-inflicted pain that they lose track of the goal; and get mad when they get hit by a wave-a normal circumstance and consequence of the journey.
**Matthew 7 – both guys got hit by the wind and the rain and the crazy storm; storms happen. Trying to have every step go perfectly along the path and trying to live by a list of dos and don’ts, tryin’ to do everything right will leave you bitter and resentful.

Next part was centered on John 8 and the story of Mary Magdalene.
- Andy pointed out that the pharisees were using the woman; like she’d been subject to her whole life (we can assume) only this time it was by “religious” men who wanted to prove a point. One clear point they made was that they had no compassion for her. When the above stated bitterness and resentment gets so entrenched; it can easily come off as apathy and ambivalence towards the things of God.

- She was labeled as an adulteress; possibly caught in the act and now standing, vulnerable and full of shame, before Jesus and this crowd. She was standing face to face with the Pure and Holy Savior. She thought she’d deserved at the least a verbal beat down; you’ve got to think that she’d thought it was coming.

verse 6b – But Jesus…
“Best phrase in the Bible- But Jesus” Andy Said. Think of who you’d be, how you could’ve turned out, what would’ve been unbearable….But Jesus. verses 10-11 no one is left to condemn her. She now stands before a perfect God and sees that He is unlike any other man she’d ever encountered.  She was damaged goods and she just knew that was her fate…but for Jesus. He told her she wasn’t condemned; that He did not condemn her.

**JESUS DOES NOT CONDEMN ME! I’m sooo good at self condemnation; promise, but WHY do I do it when THE GOD OF THE UNIVERSE who has EVERY RIGHT to do so and doesn’t!!

Romans 8:1 Therefore, NOW there is NO CONDEMNATION for those in Christ Jesus!!<><

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Some people are just so much smarter than me-1

Posted on June 22, 2011 by Andi
Lets be honest; there are, at minimum, thousands of people smarter than me, and I don’t think that I’m dumb, and I know people who are smart about people aren’t always good at numbers (*ahem*) and that some people who are great with complex strategies sometimes aren’t the best when it comes to simple task. I’m just saying that I respect folks that are smarter than me in various areas and I think I’m going to start this blog ”series” of taking quotes from said smart people and re-posting them along with my thoughts, so here is the first one:
“Sometimes God redeems your story by surrounding you with people who need to hear your past so it doesn’t become their future.” John Acuff, blogger and creator of “Stuff Christians Like”
 
So, clearly-its a legit thought. This was straight up encouraging and convicting at the same time. (Funny how those two often go together huh?) I know that my life story is def. redeemed by God-truth. Claiming Psalm 16:6, “The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance” I own my life’s story as the one the Sovereign Lord has given me to live; this is my life of epic adventure and it is indeed delightful because it is from a loving God. Can’t really argue with that :)
I read this and I take from it several elements:
Discipleship-If you know me,  you know I love discipleship. I see no clearer model for life than discipleship and I’ll defend that all day-everyday.  The quote reminds me of 2Tim 2:2 and the model set up there.
Remembering what He’s done for YOU-How many times have I wished that I remembered more. I know and believe that if I was supposed to remember it than God would bring it to mind ’cause, well, He’s God and He’s in control over everything. Simple to understand,  not easy to explain but that’s another blog. Anyway. I wish I remembered the things that I’ve been through so that I can share it more readily for His glory.
Community-we’re supposed to be surrounded by people. I’ve said it before-it takes a village to not only raise a child but to get through life. Its like discipleship but its bigger than that b/c there are people in your church/life that you may not be discipled by or be discipling but ya know, they just may be looking at you and learning from what you’re going through or what you’ve been through. Cool huh?
**biggest thing I took from the quote**
We’re set apart for a reason-I struggle, a lot, with being different. Not because I’m a Christian but because by the grace of God I am what I am. My life story is big. Its not simple at all, its not pretty, its not linear, its not cookie-cutter and its certainly not normal. My life story isn’t easy. Its dysfunctional, its sad, its terrifying at times and fantastically horrible at others. However, like I said before, I claim that psalm that Berk passed along to me at faithwalkers last year and know that this is the story I’m supposed to live; this is my epic adventure.
My confession is, I struggle with being in said epic adventure. All those stories you’re thinking of when you dwell on the words “epic adventure” involve, most of the time, a hero thats doing or done something that’s set them apart; they are no longer apart of the crowd-they are,  , alone in the thing that sets them apart-the concepts do go hand in hand. So when I look at my life I see that most of it sets me apart and often times, when I’m at a low point, I feel really alone. Its just the way things fall and God gets me through it and I fight another day.
Aight, so I’ve gotten used to the fact that very few people will ever and can ever experience or understand what I’ve been through in life; and I don’t want people to have experienced or personally understand that part of my life-that’d be just mean to wish that on someone. But when I read this quote I realized, and Gods funny like this, that my epic adventure serves as a lighthouse, guide, testimony, example and even clear proof of Gods power. I’ll be honest its not the first time I’ve thought about that or figured that it was the case; but I clearly needed the reminder. The fact that I’ve experienced God as my provider, my father, my stronghold, my refuge and my strong tower came to mind again and truthfully its given me a great insight. Like I posted before, I lifted up my eyes and this time looked to God and said thanks for giving me a great story to turn around and tell others about and then I said thanks for putting me in a position where I can share my story with others so they can not make my mistakes or so that they have clear and tangible examples of how God comes through even when it looks impossible.
That’s whats up :)
<><
 
 
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Spoken Blessings, Simple Words and Surprising Connections

Posted on June 22, 2011 by Andi

I’m in a writing mood; cant help it. Its what happens when God does work and when I’m tuned in to the right frequency with Him and I’m ACTUALLY paying attention. There’s so very much going on right now and I shouldn’t prob. be taking time to blog but ya know, can’t help it-I already wrote 8 pages in my journal and its time to go digital.

At my birthday dinner (the second to last event of my birthday week, the last being where we burned 2-3 months of junk mail-so legit) Alex asked, randomly, for everyone around the table to tell three things they liked or respected about me. If you know me at all, its kinda hard for me to be the center of attention when it comes to praise and laurels. I’m okay when its a situation of standing there and directing/leading-uber comfortable. But when its personal and I’m the focus, well its just kinda weird. (side note, its weird because for 364 days a year its NOT about you believe it or not, then on one day a switch is flipped and suddently its supposed to be all about you, I just can’t turn it on and off like that) So everyone said 3-4 things; and they were fantastic and I’m slowly collecting them for my “read in case of emergency” word document. (Its a doc. that I read when I’m freaking out/breaking rule #1 and need to remember that I’m loved and not terrible and dag’gummit people like me).

In thinking about (which really means journaling ’cause I’m an external processor) I came to realize pivitol points in my life can be tethered, in part, to someone speaking truth or a word of affirmation to me. I literally filled up atleast 2 pages in my journal of the times I could remember off the top of my  head. I love words and the power that a spoken blessing has.  Its really cool to see how Gods used my love language throughout my life to show me how He loves me

This past weekend God showed me through very simple words how selfish I’d been towards someone. I asked God to give me a lighthouse; something that’d point my crazy thought process of the moment in the right direction and He did. It was a two parter. First, He said “Lift up your eyes”. I’d gotten so focused on me and my thoughts and how I was feeling and me-me-me-me that I had tunnel vision-I couldn’t see the situation for what it was. Then He reminded me of the first line of the song, Mighty To Save; Everyone Needs Compassion. I’d forgotten what this person was going through and wasn’t even thinking about that at all. I’d made it all about me but thank God that He gave me such simple words to remember; lift up my eyes and remember that everyone needs compassion.  

The surprising connection is that I hate it when things are all about me but so often in my head I’m making it all about me. What a perdiciment huh? Its human nature I guess but we’ve got the Holy Spirit so we’re called to put to death the deeds of our sinful (fleshly)nature. Just another way God validates the truth that the more I know; the more I realize I need to learn.

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If I knew then what I know now

Posted on May 25, 2011 by Andi

10 years ago today I graduated from Stratford High School. One of 582 people to sit on the floor of the N. Charleston Coliseum; walk across a stage and then proudly turn their tassle as the first class of the new millennium. Like those I graduated with, life has changed a lot in a decade and I’d venture that we’re all different people now that we’re 10 years older and have countless memories and experiences behind us. Those same experiences never came close to crossing our minds as we crossed that stage, shook who knows how many hands and got our diplomas. I’m thankful that I’m someone different and I’m thankful for the experiences; beautiful, good, bad and terrible, that God saw fit for me to go through. Most of all, I’m thankful for who He’s made me to be and how my life is better than I could have ever imagined. So of course in ten years there are, as I mentioned before, countless experiences that one could blog about but I’ll bring up only one as it happen yesterday and sums up much of how I’ve changed since May 25th, 2001.

Sometime over the past few months, I’d guess, a lint clog has grown steadily in the pipe that drains from our washing machine. We didn’t notice it till it’d started sending water back up the pipe, out of the opening at the top and then down the outside of said pipe, into and behind the wall. Then, doing what water does with the help of gravity, it found the path of least resistance and started coming out of the fan in the downstairs half-bath. Fan-tastic. So, we put towels down and I started trying to figure out what had caused water to come from the fan ’cause even though I majored on the pretty side of campus I was quite sure that wont’ right. Fairly quickly the correlation between the sound of the spin cycle on the washer running and that of the water coming from the ceiling was clear and we found it had something to do with the washing machine. Not knowing what to do, I called our friend Adam who came and figured that it was the water coming up out of the pipe (smart guy) and then we had to figure out why. Well, an hour or so later it was clear that the pipe wasn’t clear, a clog had formed and the pipe needed to be flushed or snaked or Drano-ed or something like that. By the time Adam left he had tried to snake the clog out to no avail and we’d poured a decent amount of Drano down the pipe to see if that’d help over the next 12-24 hours. I took the next day off and babysat it just in case we had to call a plumber and all that jazz. 36 hours later its still clogged and I’m waiting on the Drano to do its thing before we try a wet/dry vac and the snake again and more Drano; fun times.

That night I went to bed just mad. I couldn’t figure out why exactly I was mad but I knew that stupid, trivial, and totally unintended things were making me even more mad so I needed to just fall asleep and figure it out in the morning-didn’t have a verse for that one but its what seemed like the better idea at the time. Anyway, I woke up and hung out with God and came to a conclusion that blew my mind. I was angry because I had to deal with the whole plumbing problem. I was angry because it wasn’t/isn’t something I felt like I should have to deal with. I was angry ’cause there I was, 10 at night wanting to go to bed but having to figure out what the next step was and having to do it on my own; I didn’t like that. Sure, I’ll go ahead and play the stereotype card here and say that my washing machine not working and the pipe being clogged and all related issues are guy things that guys should be around to deal with and yet there I was having to make it happen-I didnt/dont like that.

Now, here are my disclaimers or qualifiers or whatever-Yes, I am capable of figuring out the plumbing problem and getting it fixed and all in all it’s important to know in general how to do things like that around the house and its good experiential learning for all of the girls living with me-blah blah blah. The important thing to catch here is I’ve grown to the point where I recognize that there are things in life that men are supposed to do and the fact that I got mad ’cause they weren’t there to do them put the past decade into clear perspective. No longer am I the frustrated little naive feminist thinking that I didn’t need no man in my life ’cause I could do it all on my own. Instead, I’ve come to know, understand and expect the men in my life to do the things men should do; and I actually believe it to be true and actually care enough to get mad- like have a legit emotional response- when it doesn’t happen. Basically, I realize I now fully embrace the truth behind Biblical manhood and womanhood and the roles that the Bible spells out for men and women. To borrow the line from Lauren Littles blog, I love my role.

That, my friends out there in the blog-o-sphere, is growth. Its God doing work. Its God faithfully dispelling lies I’d believed since childhood and breaking down walls I’d knowingly and unknowingly hid behind most of my life. Its God showing me that I can trust Him and I can trust Him in other people when past experience in this world has taught me the exact opposite. This world encourages men to be less like men and I really hate how its socially okay to let men off the hook when it comes to their God given roles and I hate how the same world system encourages and almost forces women to take up those roles abdicated by men and still be some commericially constructed ideal of a woman. The verse where Paul writes, “Where is the wise man, where is the scholar, where is the philosopher of this age, has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world” (1 Cor 1:20) comes to mind as I come back to what I know to be true; God is in control and all of who we are destined to be is wrapped up in Him. I praise God that He does have this plan and that through Him we can understand this world ain’t right. Through Him and by Him we can avoid the socially acceptable wide path everyone else is on and we confidently aim for and CHERISH the path to that precious narrow gate.
Its not easy, this thing called life, but it is simple when we surrender to His plan. And when hind sight proves to be 20/20-we’ll see that His plan really was perfect for us.

 I’ll end here adding that I know every marriage doesn’t look the same and sometimes dad is a better cook than mom or sometimes mom is better at fixing the computer than dad, but those are things that get figured out within individual marriages and there aren’t any “thou shalt fix the washing machine” verses that I’ve found. Our roles as men and women are different; God created two genders to reflect His nature in distinctly different ways. As one writer put it, “God invests power and strength in a man for a reason…A man is meant to use his power to create and initiate and build and bless the lives of others” and, to bring this full circle, fixing a washing machine is certainly a blessing to me. I could fill a book (and maybe I will one day) about what my role is and how I should and do and will fulfill it; but thats for another time. From this experience I’ve found a tangible example of the need for the role men have in my life and can see how God has brought me to that point over the course of 10 years of experiences.  I’m not itching to get married, but I see how in not being married right now God is teaching me and preparing the foundation for that epic marriage I’m confident He’s got for me in His perfect timing.

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If we aren’t willing to have our worlds rocked, maybe we shouldn’t be in leadership.

Posted on May 4, 2011 by Andi

John Hopler wrote this in this weeks Moral Booster:

“As leaders who proclaim God’s word, we must always remember that we are learners first, and teachers second. As learners, we need to ask ourselves in every situation and in every conversation, “What is God teaching me here?” ”

 Lately Gods been doing work; more than I honestly thought I was ready for. Clearly I was wrong because well I’ve learned more since Faithwalkers 2010 than I have in a very very long time. The past several weeks have brought this constant state of flux re: my familiar status quo. In every worldly sense of the phrase, my foundation has been rocked. The things the world and my flesh tell me to trust in are all so NOT going the way they “should be”. But in an amazing display of Gods mercy and love, He has and is guarding my heart and I’ve been overwhelmed by a sense of peace reminding me He is, indeed, in control of everything. 

Seems everytime I turn around good recently something I’ve trusted in is challenged or in some cases flat out taken away. You’d think a girl could get some rest, but God keeps bringing it on as though I’m in some epic marathon of refining. Its tough, no lie. The beauty of a refining time or season, as it seems, is that it reveals just where our hearts are and it reveals what we’re holding on to; good or bad. For me I’ve seen Gods faithfulness as He reminds me that He is jealous for all of me, my time, my desires and my plans. I’ve seen Him take away pride I was standing on and replace it with a radically different approach to trusting Him. With an amazing demonstration of patience, He has broken down walls that’ve been standing for decades with the gentleness of low-tide waves on the seashore and the excitement you’d see if NCSU ever won a BCS championship.

Each of these experiences and countless more came to mind when I read what John wrote; if as leaders we aren’t learning from every situation and every interaction with God, ourselves or those around us, then we aren’t doing our jobs. Truth. Leading means leading from the front where everyone can see you and that being up front is a terrifying place if we view it with the reverence it deserves. Its a place of vulnerability few, including myself, ever fully understand and take advantage of. Its a place of trust but not in yourself, its more along the lines of trusting in God as He works in you, through you and also in others and through others. Thats scary. Its a place in constant flux, not that God is changing but if we let Him and frankly get out of His way, He’ll be that Master Carpenter and He’ll do work at a pace that will leave you exhausted and yet strengthened at the same time. Dont ask me how that works out but I know it to be true.

One of my ROTC instructors would tell me “adapt and overcome Hughes, flexibility is the key to everything” whenever I was challenged by something. With God rocking my world at every junction these days I’ve come to appreciate this quip deeper than Maj. Casey had originally intended. All in all, if we aren’t willing to have our worlds rocked, maybe we shouldn’t be in leadership because there is nothing more refining than allowing God to use us in the lives of others.

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