Yesterday I was reminded and encouraged why I started blogging. I sent a text prayer to a friend, who then forwarded it on to encourage others. Throughout the day, she sent me the responses she received. I learned so much from the responses.
I started blogging because I love community. I love doing things together.
Let's try this together....
Let's pray this together....
Let's learn this together....
Let's mess up together....
And in my plethura (love this word! or I could write out 'many' a quadrillion times to the infinite power) of mess ups, I love to bathe in the fact that there is One who loves me no matter what I've done. And in return, I want to love all over Him and share that love with others.
So I'm gonna forward the prayer on again this morning:
Mover of mountains....Lord of our lives...You are our HOPE....You are our CONFIDENCE...we rest in You, Lord. Move mountains in the people around us! Move mountains in us! Let us not be of talk, but of action. Overfill us with Your love that it splashes the people around us....that they catch what You got going on!!! May our words, our tones, our faces, our movements be full of gentleness and love and received as such. May we not believe the lies about us. Help us to hate sin and love love love people.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
character
One of my favorite things about listening to a message on Sunday is going over my notes the following week and seeing what else God has to say to me.
I love teachings that may be hard to listen to and may be hard to swallow but give me lots to chew on during the week. I love learning, I love growing and I want to do whatever it takes to look more like Him and love Him more!
It was these kind of teachings that changed my outlook and my perspective on reflecting Jesus properly in my life. I was talking a good game but wasn't walking it out in my character or my actions. The teachings were Mirror Christianity (reading God's Word and doing what it says), Off the Hook Christianity (forgiveness, release), and Safe Christianity (people's names are safe when I talk about them). Well I'm ready for them again! I'm ready to be challenged and transformed from the inside out! The process never ends.
At Celebration, Matt is doing a series this summer called Everday Christianity. We were in Titus on Sunday. The verse that hit me again this morning was:
Titus 1:16.....they claim to know God but by their actions they deny Him.
hmmmmmmm......
What actions do I do that deny You, Lord?
How is my tone when I talk to others? Is it gentle and full of love?
How do I react in difficult circumstances?
Am I consistent with how I talk to people when they are around and when they aren't around?
Do I speak life or death into situations?
Do I choose to say positive rather than negative things?
Am I easily offended?
Am I self reflective or do I find fault in others?
Do I think I am better than the next person?
Titus 2:10b....so that in every way we will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.
Lord, I pray that in every way and in everything I do or say or don't say, that I make wanting to know You and love You attractive. I want to look like You.
On Sunday, Matt said 'Offer something different than anyone else.'
Reality is most people who don't know and love Jesus, look more like Him than us folks who claim to love Him.
And I don't mean in their appearances. I mean in their character, in their deeds, in their love, in their kindness, in their self-control.
Christians have a reputation for being hypocritical, judgemental and pushing their religion onto people. Who wants some more of that?
So let's instead show love without words.
Let's step it up.
Let Him transform our character from the inside out to reflect Him more properly....to make Him more attractive to others.
I love teachings that may be hard to listen to and may be hard to swallow but give me lots to chew on during the week. I love learning, I love growing and I want to do whatever it takes to look more like Him and love Him more!
It was these kind of teachings that changed my outlook and my perspective on reflecting Jesus properly in my life. I was talking a good game but wasn't walking it out in my character or my actions. The teachings were Mirror Christianity (reading God's Word and doing what it says), Off the Hook Christianity (forgiveness, release), and Safe Christianity (people's names are safe when I talk about them). Well I'm ready for them again! I'm ready to be challenged and transformed from the inside out! The process never ends.
At Celebration, Matt is doing a series this summer called Everday Christianity. We were in Titus on Sunday. The verse that hit me again this morning was:
Titus 1:16.....they claim to know God but by their actions they deny Him.
hmmmmmmm......
What actions do I do that deny You, Lord?
How is my tone when I talk to others? Is it gentle and full of love?
How do I react in difficult circumstances?
Am I consistent with how I talk to people when they are around and when they aren't around?
Do I speak life or death into situations?
Do I choose to say positive rather than negative things?
Am I easily offended?
Am I self reflective or do I find fault in others?
Do I think I am better than the next person?
Titus 2:10b....so that in every way we will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.
Lord, I pray that in every way and in everything I do or say or don't say, that I make wanting to know You and love You attractive. I want to look like You.
On Sunday, Matt said 'Offer something different than anyone else.'
Reality is most people who don't know and love Jesus, look more like Him than us folks who claim to love Him.
And I don't mean in their appearances. I mean in their character, in their deeds, in their love, in their kindness, in their self-control.
Christians have a reputation for being hypocritical, judgemental and pushing their religion onto people. Who wants some more of that?
So let's instead show love without words.
Let's step it up.
Let Him transform our character from the inside out to reflect Him more properly....to make Him more attractive to others.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Community Outreach Booklet
aaaaaahhhhhh......I just got back from vacation....and I am refreshed, recharged and ready to go!
A couple weeks ago I took a Sunday drive to the other side of Marion and I was reminded of one of my 'I will' statements that I made after reading 'Crazy Love' by Francis Chan www.crazylovebook.com :
I will be reminded that others are starving, thirsty, hurting, freezing and dying locally and
globally. AND I will do something about it. I will move to action.
This statement brought about the community outreach booklet. I was visiting Lancaster Community Church www.lancomchurch.org and they passed out to each person there a booklet of community ministry opportunities. At that moment, I knew how to volunteer, donate and find ministries in a town I didn't live in. I wanted to know this information for Marion. I had the heart to give and serve but didn't know how to easily do that or find ministries that I was passionate about.
So.....long, wonderful journey of a story that I will make short and sweet for your reading pleasure.....
The booklet for Marion is done and put together! YAY! It lists ministries, addresses, how to contact them, websites, descriptions of the outreach (my favorite part), and how you can serve thru volunteering or donating. It has just a handful of the outreach opportunities in Marion. The booklet can be found and printed off at www.celebration247.com , click 'What We Do' and then the booklet is under Missions.
So that is one of the many resources to move to action and make a difference in our community. What about globally? Here are two of my favorites:
Living Water International www.water.cc : They drill water wells to help communties in 26 countries acquire desperately needed clean water.
Advent Conspiracy www.adventconspiracy.org : Worship Fully. Spend Less. Give More. Love All.
These two ministries give me Godbumps and make me wanna move to action each time I watch their videos! We are in an amazing technological age. We are able to see what is going on around the world from our computer screens, our tv's, heck even our phones! God gave this to us-let's use it!
Let's open our eyes and move our feet towards what's going on around us locally and globally. Visit the websites, view the videos, go thru the detailed donate lists, print off the booklet. Let's move past just compassion and let's move to action!
What are some outreach opportunities that you are passionate about both locally and globally? Share the websites here. Let's blow up this blog with resources to help others.
Let's be a community that makes a difference.
A couple weeks ago I took a Sunday drive to the other side of Marion and I was reminded of one of my 'I will' statements that I made after reading 'Crazy Love' by Francis Chan www.crazylovebook.com :
I will be reminded that others are starving, thirsty, hurting, freezing and dying locally and
globally. AND I will do something about it. I will move to action.
This statement brought about the community outreach booklet. I was visiting Lancaster Community Church www.lancomchurch.org and they passed out to each person there a booklet of community ministry opportunities. At that moment, I knew how to volunteer, donate and find ministries in a town I didn't live in. I wanted to know this information for Marion. I had the heart to give and serve but didn't know how to easily do that or find ministries that I was passionate about.
So.....long, wonderful journey of a story that I will make short and sweet for your reading pleasure.....
The booklet for Marion is done and put together! YAY! It lists ministries, addresses, how to contact them, websites, descriptions of the outreach (my favorite part), and how you can serve thru volunteering or donating. It has just a handful of the outreach opportunities in Marion. The booklet can be found and printed off at www.celebration247.com , click 'What We Do' and then the booklet is under Missions.
So that is one of the many resources to move to action and make a difference in our community. What about globally? Here are two of my favorites:
Living Water International www.water.cc : They drill water wells to help communties in 26 countries acquire desperately needed clean water.
Advent Conspiracy www.adventconspiracy.org : Worship Fully. Spend Less. Give More. Love All.
These two ministries give me Godbumps and make me wanna move to action each time I watch their videos! We are in an amazing technological age. We are able to see what is going on around the world from our computer screens, our tv's, heck even our phones! God gave this to us-let's use it!
Let's open our eyes and move our feet towards what's going on around us locally and globally. Visit the websites, view the videos, go thru the detailed donate lists, print off the booklet. Let's move past just compassion and let's move to action!
What are some outreach opportunities that you are passionate about both locally and globally? Share the websites here. Let's blow up this blog with resources to help others.
Let's be a community that makes a difference.
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