Monday, January 7, 2013

::this week::

praising:  a ministry opportunity for J... believing for complete healing for a guy with a rapidly fatal cancer.  God's work in the hearts of our community group... re-uniting us with Him and each other as we start out 2013.

praying:  that Noah and I don't get the stomach bug J is getting over.  with new zeal and vigor for friends, family, our city, our church, and the nations.

thankful for:  brothers and sisters in Christ... community... people who invest in us... some encouraging words from a few sweet ladies.  a new year, and the freshness that comes with it.  some flowers from my love.

reading:  2 Kings, Jeremiah, Momentum

cooking: jerk chicken with Jamaican red beans and ricegreen bean casserole, crab and asparagus quiche, smoothies, buffalo chicken quesadillas, mac and cheese, peanut butter banana muffins

creating:  nothing... take some time to catch up on to do lists and enjoy the kiddos

doing:  working on potty training... therefore staying home as much as possible to make the process easier until Noah is telling me himself when he needs to go.  a lunch date with a friend.  a few visits and play dates with other friends.  a coffee date with my love.

reflecting:  on my mission/ vision/ purpose...  where have I gotten off track?  how can I re-focus.  finding new refreshment in coming back to this and weeding out the things not in line with it.

spiritual gifts... this is something I have thought and studied a lot about over the past year, and my beliefs have changed a lot over that time period.  reaching a place of contentment with my gifts... no longer wishing I had other "more spiritual" gifts, but knowing who God has created me to be, yet continuing to pursue Him, allowing Him to work in and through me in new ways, maybe even by adding new gifts.  blessed by this quote by Smith Wigglesworth that is ministering to me through this process... "We may not possess all the gifts as abiding gifts, but as we are full of the Holy Spirit and divine anointing, it is possible, when there is a need, for God to make evident every gift of the Spirit through us as He may choose."

transparency/ vulnerability, and the link with those and community...I've been thinking about some of the great prophets/ kings/ disciples... I was struck with how the Bible contains their "success" stories, as well as struggles and failures... (David's sin, Solomon's marriages, Peter's denouncing Christ, Paul's thorn, Moses mistrust, Sarah's unbelief...). So grateful that God gave us a picture of some of the trials as well as the high points... so grateful to have friends to openly share, and be shared with.

seek Him, not things (even good, "spiritual" things")... while I was praying through the prayer requests, including my own, the Lord spoke to me. I was praying for specific things for myself and others... "good" things... like strength, time in the Word, peace, love, joy, patience, obedience, boldness, courage, etc. And that's when God spoke to me... He told me not to seek these ("good") things over Him. To not seek joy, peace, even love above relationship with Him, above Him as a person. This sounds so obvious, like pre-school Sunday school stuff, but sometimes I think it's easy to loose sight of the basics, and really, Christianity, and the Gospel are very basic. Basically He's impressing upon me that the ONLY thing worth pursuing is Him, relationship with Him (like Mary at Jesus' feet) and that all of these things will automatically come out of relationship with Him... they will be fruits of our submission to His Spirit after time spent in His presence.

blessed by:  Jeremiah 10:23  I know, Lord, that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course.

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