Seems Very Simple

In Matthew 22:36-39, we read this:

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

As far as I can tell, we are called to love God and love others (and that entails a lot!!!)

How will you show others they matter today?

My Dogs and God

Every time I come home, my dogs Sammy and Madi could not be happier to see me. They are so excited that I am home, that I have come back to them. At times, I think they hardly remember I was gone they are so happy to see me. They want to play, go on walks, don't remember when I have scolded them...dogs truly are mans best friend.


I have been thinking a lot lately about how my relationship with my dogs is similar to my relationship with God. My dogs run out in the street. I call after them. Sometimes they come running back to me, other times they continue on their way (especially if they are chasing a bird). When they come back to me, I am happy that they are safe and that they chose to listen to me calling after them.

Even though I may walk the other direction and may "leave" God for a time, He is always calling after me. And when I finally return, he is so happy to see me. He is happy that I am home, that I want to walk and talk with him. The fact that I had chosen to not include him in part of my life has been forgotten.

Its like the prodigal son. Although I didn't ask for my inheritance now, spend it on useless things, and choose to live obvious sin, I know that in many instances I turn my back on God. And when I choose to turn back to him, he is there waiting for me with arms wide open.


His grace is sufficient for me. And for that, I am forever grateful

When Helping Hurts

Have you ever stopped to think that the way in which you think you are helping is actually harming the person?

In our minds we, when we give the money to the person on the street, participate in the local angel tree drive, or even go to the other side of the world to do a VBS in a very poor country, we are doing something good.

But what if that money is being used to feed an addiction. What if the parent who isn't incarcerated feels helpless when another person gives their child a toy instead of being able to provide this for them. What if the VBS is so elaborate that the children no longer want to do the weekly children's bible study.

What if the things we do as Christians in this world are actually hurting people instead of helping to develop them? What if there was a way to include and equip the poor to be a part of their solution.

I just finished reading "When Helping Hurts: How to alleviate poverty without hurting the poor and yourself". If you care about helping people, I highly recommend it.

It has made me re-think the missions program at The Bridge, as it touches on local, national, and global poverty, as well as short term missions trips. Its my hope and prayer that we are not hurting people when we think we are helping people.

Less than $2 a Day

I have been contemplating the fact that about half of the worlds population, 3 billion people, live on less than $2 a day. If they make $2 a day and work everyday of the year, they make $730.

I look in my wallet and see more than that. I started thinking about the things that I do daily that costs less than $2.

You know what I came up with?

Not Much.

Have you ever gone a day with spending less than $2, including transportation, food, electricity, etc?

I know I haven't.

Did you Know?

Nearly 3 billion people-half of the world's population-lives on less than $2 a day. More than one-third of those survive on less than $1 a day.

More than half of all the child deaths in the world are caused directly or indirectly by hunger or malnutrition.

One in five children living in the majority world doesn't have access to clean water.

Less than 1 percent of the world's fresh water is readily accessible for direct human use.

An estimated 27 million people are victims of modern day slavery. Half of these are children.

The human trafficking industry earns between $9.5 and $32 billion each year.

Did you know? Now that you know, do you care?

To Watch Jesus Heal

I have been reading through the Gospels lately. I am in the middle of Luke, and the thought occured to me...

It would have been insane to watch Jesus perform miracles 2,000 years ago.

To watch...
the lame walk
the deaf hear
the blind see

To watch Jesus cast out demons

And then I wondered...

If I were a Jew 2,000 years ago, would I have believed that Jesus was indeed the Messiah?

Honesty Within the Church

To be honest, I find it hard to be honest about my struggles in the church, and where I am struggling with my job, which is at a church. I am pretty sure this has something to do with the fall...a long time ago...starting with Adam and Eve.

In Genesis 2:25, it states "The man and his wife were both naked and they felt no shame"

This does not simply mean physically naked. It is an intimacy with God and each other that caused no shame. They were naked with their emotions. They were naked with their experiences. They were naked with their souls.

They did not know what jealousy was. They did not know what contempt was. They did not know what anger was. They did not know how not to share everything with each other.

They felt no shame.

I am so thankful for the handful of people in my life who I know I can share every part of my life with; the good, the bad, the ugly, and they stick around. Its nice to know that I have a community of people who will walk through life with me.

Does your church cultivate a place of honesty? Do you feel you can take off the mask and share your burdens with others in the church?

Missions Month 2010

The Bridge Church is celebrating our 23rd year of Missions Festival Month. Below is the article I wrote for our "Bridge to the Nations" magazine.
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For Missions Month in 2010, we are partnering with a local agency that starts in the heart of Fresno but touches the world. We have an organization here in town that instills the heart of God in His people as they choose to follow Him and learn to love like He loves us.

Fresno - 55 violent gangs in Fresno with 7,000 members.
Fresno - Where 30% of families are below the poverty line.
Fresno - 5th poorest city in the nation.
Fresno - Largest refugee population in the United States.
Fresno - Where 50% of the nations' meth is produced.
Fresno - 22 neighborhoods of concentrated poverty.
Fresno - 3,000 children in the Fresno Unified School District have been identified as homeless.
Fresno - 4th highest teen pregnancy rate in the United States.
Fresno - 35% of adults don’t have high school diplomas. The dropout rate exceeds the state average by 36%.

Based upon the above statistics, Fresno seems like a lost cause. This past year, however, we have seen Fresno in a whole new light. There is beauty in the brokenness. The brokenness that is our lives, that is our city, that is our world. God came to live amongst us. In John 1:14 it says, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”

None of us is worthy of the love of God, yet He gives to us generously. We look, we judge, we turn away. God looks, he loves, he embraces. He left his home, his comfort, He incarnated himself to be one with us. The incarnation of Jesus is the means which Christ reaches out to us, the message he wants to communicate to us, and the model for how we are to minister.

What if God’s heart for the least of these and the City of Fresno infiltrated your heart? Did you know that there are more than 300 verses in the Bible about God’s heart for the poor and for justice? God desires for us to love like he loves, to see as he sees, and to do as he does.

We are partnering with InterVarsity’s Fresno Institute for Urban Leadership (FIFUL). It's an organization that seeks the Shalom of the city. Our city. Fresno.

Join us in helping to transform inner-city Fresno from the inside... by equipping builders to expand the kingdom.

Franciscan Prayer

It is my desire for my life to be lived out as the Franciscan Prayer below:

May GOD bless us with discomfort at easy answers, half truths and superficial relationships, so that we may live deep within our hearts.

May GOD bless us with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that we may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May GOD bless us with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that we may reach out our hands to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy.

May GOD bless us with enough foolishness to believe we can make a difference in this world, so that we can do what others claim cannot be done.

And may the blessing of GOD, Who creates, redeems, and sanctifies, be upon you and all you love and pray for this day and forevermore.

Haiti-The Earthquake and Our Response

These past couple of days have been chaotic. With our church's connection to Haiti through our short term trips and Missions Month 2009, a deep sadness came over me. I have been there. I know the names of these individuals.

Right after we learned of the earthquake we began making as many phone calls to whoever might have information. Cell towers were down and those that weren't were being bombarded with phone calls finding out the condition of loved ones. After hours of waiting, word came to us that all were ok. Which was a relief, but I was once again grieved knowing all those that were suffering.

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. It is a neighboring country. Abject poverty is something that can not be ignored. Yet, we decided not to pay attention until this tragedy occured. Now a country that had very little has even less.

Anne Jackson blogged about Rachel Evans on a different subject, but I came across her latest post titled "We Already Failed Haiti" She hits it right on.

So now that this tragedy has occured and the world's eyes are on Haiti, what is going to be your response....what is going to be the response of the church?

Burnout

I never thought that I would even come close. I knew what a healthy balance was. But over these past 2 months, work has been so crazy that I have shut out many other areas of my life.

I was off work on Dec 24th, but decided to go pick up a check at the church office. While I was there, I went into our communication directors office and asked if I could borrow one of his books. I had seen it laying around, but never looked closely at it. Which is why I am not even sure why I asked for it (now I know).

"Mad Church Disease:Overcoming the burnout Epidemic" by Anne Jackson was the book.

I started reading it on the 26th on our way to Urbana, and finished it early on in the flight from LAX to St Louis.

These past 2 months, I have given 120% at work. There has been so much to do, and knowing that it needed to be done "now" didn't help.

It is extremely easy for me "to do" for God, that I forget how "to just be" with Him. To sit at the feet of my saviour. To rest in Him.

And it turns out that if I don't change my lifestyle soon, I am going to burnout.

I recommend that every church staff member and every church leader should read this book, if only for the knowledge of what it may look like if they are beginning to burn out or if someone they work with and know well may be experiencing this.

So while at Urbana, although there is lots to do, experience, and see, I am trying to reconnect with the Lord of my life, to figure out again what it can look like to slow down and just be in his presence.

When we get home, Blake and I are going to begin implementing some lifestyle changes that we have already begun to discuss.

This book has a lot of good information, helps you reflect on your situation, and gives you steps to changing all areas of your life (spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical).

Crazy Life

My life has dramatically increased in stress and business the past couple weeks. Although I am excited for the challenges, I am overwhelmed. I am feeling it now more than normal since I haven't had a day off in 10 days. I am tired. I am finding things that wouldn't normally bother me definitely rub me the wrong way lately.

I need to get away. Be with Jesus. And no one else. Even if it is for a couple hours. I am no good to myself or in ministry if I am serving out of a puddle instead of an ocean of God's love and mercy.

Resting

I read Shaun Groves blog. I like what he has to say, even though I don't always agree with it. He is usually pretty insightful and makes me think.

I have been struggling with what it means to rest, to have a sabbath. Life is so busy that when I have an evening off, I am not quite sure what to do with myself.

Here is a portion of Shaun's blog from today:

"I’m always working because I’m never satisfied. At night I stay up dissecting the day and fretting over the next, sifting through the moments I wish I could do-over, prognosticating tomorrow’s troubles. Even when my body isn’t in motion my mind is still working away, tweaking the past and perfecting the future before it even arrives. I’m a bundle of anxiety and regret.

It’s good? Good enough to leave alone?

Taking a sabbath requires me to be satisfied with myself, with my reputation, with my income and the amount of stuff I own, with the finished and half-done and not-even-started. With God. With the life he’s made me – so far."

Am I not truly satisfied with life? Is that always a bad thing?

Do you struggle with taking a real "sabbath"? What do you like to do to rest?

To read the entire blog, go here.

Being Thankful

As an American, and as a daughter of parents who are middle class individuals, I never went without growing up. I wasn't spoiled by any means, but I was provided for.

I have been married to the love of my life for 5 months (exactly, tomorrow :) ) We were married one month to the day when my husband came home, and told me that he had been let go from his job in construction management. Not exactly something you want to hear when you just got married and just bought a house 4 months previously.

As hard as it has been, I admit that it has been wonderful.

It has put so many things into perspective.

The Lord has provided for us in so many ways. Thus far, we have no financial troubles. We have a roof over our heads. A warm bed to sleep in. Food in the cupboards. An awesome dog. And most importantly, we still have each other.

I am so thankful for the little things. I hope that as we continue on this journey, that I am reminded of all that God has done for us and how he has blessed us.

And right now, my heart is extremely thankful.

Under the Overpass

I started reading a new book on Tuesday, titled Under the Overpass.

It is written by one of the two guys who decided to take a 5 month journey into homelessness. Upper-middle class guys with a college education. They left everything that they knew.

I started it on Tuesday and I am almost done with it. Because it is good.

They encounter so many people, Christians, who look at them and automatically discount them because of the way they look. Dirty. Stinky. Sitting on the corner of a street playing guitar for money. And the reaction of Christians in this book is appalling.

And I pray that I am never the person who discounts the homeless person that walks into the church that I attend because they don't look or smell like I would like them to. That I would treat them as Christ would want me to treat them.

Go buy this book.

"Revolution in World Missions"

I am reading Revolution in World Missions by KP Yohannan. Yohannan is the founder of Gospel for Asia (GFA), a missionary organization that raises up native missionaries to reach their own people.

At first, I was intrigued by his story of how God brought him to this place of starting such an organization. Then I was a little annoyed by what seemed like a plea for those in the US to give away all their money (which I think speaks more to the fact that I am materialistic, even though I try extremely hard not to be). Today, what I read was extremely convicting.

He wrote on the social or humanistic gospel. That for years, organizations go in and speak only to the physical needs and not the spiritual needs. And how in China, organizations built hospitals, schools, etc, for a hundred years, which added to their life here on earth, but millions of people never heard the Gospel. So although they had good health care and good education, they never heard the gospel. First and foremost, as Christians, we are suppose to be preaching the Good News of Christ.

Yohannan states "It is a crime against lost humanity to go in the name of Christ and missions just to do social work yet neglect calling men to repent-to give up their idols and rebellion-and to follow Christ with all their hearts"

And

"Substituting a bowl of rice for the Holy Spirit and the Word of God will never save a soul and will rarely change the attitude of a man's heart"

He isn't saying that you shouldn't care for the physical well being of a person, but "What good is it for a man to gain the whole world but lose his soul?" Mark 8:36

Jesus had compassion on the multitudes, but it was a compassion having to do with their spiritual condition first, and their physical condition second. He fed them with the bread of life, and filled their stomachs with fish and bread. He not only opened up the eyes of peoples hearts but he also made the blind see.

If we, as Christians, as missions organizations, do not proclaim the gospel, then feeding an empty stomach will not save them from hell.

Reading this book has me thinking about which missionaries and organizations we support and how strongly or effectively they are sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ...

Haiti....

It was one year ago this day that I got back from Haiti. I struggled a lot when I got back from Haiti. After seeing that kind of poverty, I don't know how anybody is the same ever again.

I have so many thoughts and feelings about my trip last year that I am not even sure where to begin...

Those who have not heard....

I receive the Missions Catalyst eMagazine each week. Its purpose is to "inspire and equip Christians worldwide for global ministry" Each week, different stories are shared about the work going on all around the world.

This week, from the Joshua Project, this was shared:

"Joshua Project, a collaborative missions effort that focuses on unreached people groups, reports that an average of 160,000 a day hear the message of redemption in Christ for the first time. Every hour, 3,000 more people decide to follow Jesus Christ.

In 1800, those who had never heard the gospel were almost 75 percent of the globe's population. Today the percentage of those who have not heard is 28 percent. That means, however, that about 1.5 billion people have not heard the gospel message even one time! "

3,000 decisions for Christ every hour.....1.5 BILLION people...that is a lot of people...

Those are some fascinating numbers.

Daily Email Devotionals

I have signed up to receive 2 daily email devotions. One of them is going through Romans. And it seems to be just what I need everyday.

Today, it is on Romans 12:1-2-being a holy and living sacrifice to God.

And it made me thing...is that what my life exhibits? That is the desire, but do I really do it?

And this is a quote that really hit hard....

"Thus the Christian life is not a heavy burden, but the light yoke of Jesus, lived in joyful acceptance of God’s daily mercies. "

Slowing Down

Blake and I are trying something new...we are trying to learn to slow down. This is extremely hard for both of us, as we like to do stuff and be with people. However, with planning a wedding and settling him into our house, we have just had to cut certain things out.

Last week, we canceled our plans for Wednesday night and Thursday night. Then plans seemed to go away for one reason or another on Friday and Saturday night. And it was so good.

With that said, we are trying to continue on this path of not overplanning, but it is hard when there are still so many things to do and so many people we want to hang out with.

We are going through 1 Corintians right now (we started it on Monday), and both chapters 1 and 2 talk about God's wisdom. And I was reminded how God's foolishness is wiser than my wisdom. And this made me begin to pray more fervently for wisdom, something I know I definitely need.