Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR?Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. -- Romans 11.33-36
My weeks continue to fill up. Soon I'm going to need a planner. HA! Yeah, right. Every moment God reveals to me a little bit more of why I am here this summer.
Right after talking with Mike and Joey about the lack of answers to hard questions and instead the struggle of walking out our search, I spent 3 hours in a park with a friend who needed to hear just that. The openness and raw honesty of our talk was mind blowing to say the least. I have no answers. It's ok. Together, we will seek to be still before the Creator and watch our hardships dissolve.
I also had my first meeting with two girls that I'm meeting with weekly for the summer. It was wonderful. They are blossoming into the leaders that God has anointed them to be. I'm so excited to get to shepherd them in that. I feel so unworthy to be the one who God has asked to foster the potential in their lives, but very excited that He has asked me to do it. It will be interesting to say the least.
Between work, family, and internship I hope for nothing more than a little time to run. Life is good. This is the first time I feel like I've really experienced summer is probably 4 years. God knows what He's doing.
"We can do no great things. Only small things with great love."- Mother Theresa
I do not seek greatness, only the story which He has written for me alone.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
The Kingdom.
I've been having some really good meetings with some really wise people. Here's what I've been learning.
1) The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.
My job is not to do God's work, but to find it, participate in it, and point others to it. As an usher of the Kingdom, my main function is to recognize it and lead others to do the same.
2) The harvest is plentiful and the workers are few.
My job is not to fix everything and there will not be a time when everything is fixed until Kingdom come. Instead I live an example of faith. The results of real, deep, hard, spiritual questions are not answers, but healing. God takes our complicated me-centered piles and heals our brokenness. Before our Creator, our questions are not answered, but cease to be. My job is not to tell someone everything they need to know, but to do life with them.
3) The Kingdom of Heaven is like a pearl of great price.
When you find it you will sell everything you have and immediately go buy it.
4) The Kingdom never seems to make sense at first glance... but it is oh so good.
Some good quotes from the book I'm reading with Joey and Mike-- Spiritual Direction by Henri Nouwen.
"No truth can be found unless there is a search for meaning, recognition of human vulnerability and limitation, relationships with trusted spiritual friends, and openness to the disclosure of the transcendent mystery of God, before whom all questions cease."
"In spiritual listening, we encounter a God who cannot be fully understood, we discover realities that cannot be controlled, and we realize that our hope is hidden not in the possession of power but in the confession of weakness."
"When God enters into the center of our lives to unmask our illusion of possessing final solutions and to disarm us with always deeper questions, we will not necessarily have an easier or simpler life, but certainly a life that is honest, courageous, and marked with the ongoing search for truth."
Life, in short, is wonderful in the service of Him who called me.
1) The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.
My job is not to do God's work, but to find it, participate in it, and point others to it. As an usher of the Kingdom, my main function is to recognize it and lead others to do the same.
2) The harvest is plentiful and the workers are few.
My job is not to fix everything and there will not be a time when everything is fixed until Kingdom come. Instead I live an example of faith. The results of real, deep, hard, spiritual questions are not answers, but healing. God takes our complicated me-centered piles and heals our brokenness. Before our Creator, our questions are not answered, but cease to be. My job is not to tell someone everything they need to know, but to do life with them.
3) The Kingdom of Heaven is like a pearl of great price.
When you find it you will sell everything you have and immediately go buy it.
4) The Kingdom never seems to make sense at first glance... but it is oh so good.
Some good quotes from the book I'm reading with Joey and Mike-- Spiritual Direction by Henri Nouwen.
"No truth can be found unless there is a search for meaning, recognition of human vulnerability and limitation, relationships with trusted spiritual friends, and openness to the disclosure of the transcendent mystery of God, before whom all questions cease."
"In spiritual listening, we encounter a God who cannot be fully understood, we discover realities that cannot be controlled, and we realize that our hope is hidden not in the possession of power but in the confession of weakness."
"When God enters into the center of our lives to unmask our illusion of possessing final solutions and to disarm us with always deeper questions, we will not necessarily have an easier or simpler life, but certainly a life that is honest, courageous, and marked with the ongoing search for truth."
Life, in short, is wonderful in the service of Him who called me.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Because I am a follower...
Lots of people I love are keeping blogs to talk about Jesus and their summers, and by that I mean 3. So I thought I would join them... Xanga died, blogspot is in. I could totally be ok with that. Mostly, I'm just really excited about TPX stuff so I thought I'd share.
My first meeting with Mike and Joey is tomorrow. That's when I should find out the hairy details. :)
I've had almost 3 weeks of down time since I moved back home. I'm still not unpacked... yeah, I know. But, the down time has been some good preparation time for my heart. I'm learning a lot about excellence and (to be honest) my current lack of it. My heart is relearning its focus. I'm so excited for what He has in store. I already know He's going to blow my mind.
My first meeting with Mike and Joey is tomorrow. That's when I should find out the hairy details. :)
I've had almost 3 weeks of down time since I moved back home. I'm still not unpacked... yeah, I know. But, the down time has been some good preparation time for my heart. I'm learning a lot about excellence and (to be honest) my current lack of it. My heart is relearning its focus. I'm so excited for what He has in store. I already know He's going to blow my mind.
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