all that is within me...

Let's worship like David!

People have accused me of a performance-based ministry, of being too expressive, but there is a fire in my inmost being that I can’t contain. God’s love & forgiveness & the power of the cross cause me to dance into my future, regardless of what people think. And hey, what can I say . . . I am a woman in love! When I joined my first worship team in my mid-teens, I tried hard to participate in what I thought was worship. I became boring—not extravagant. It was in my thinking that to be a Christian musician meant mediocre, nothing extreme, quiet & safe, as if somehow this conformity made me more holy. But only a few years ago I decided to be all that God predestined me to be. Bland doesn’t mean righteous, & I had permission from the King to let “all that is within me bless His holy name” (Psalm 103:1)

When King David brought the ark of the covenant (representing the presence of God) into the city, he danced & celebrated amid the joyful singing, shouts, the sounding of rams’ horns, trumpets, cymbals, lyres, & harps. Triumphant praise resounded as all of Israel joined in the thanksgiving parade! David’s worship was so extravagant that his wife, Michal, felt he was making a fool of himself. From that day she despised him in her heart. If David’s worship had been halfhearted, Michal would not have reacted so strongly to him. Casual worship wouldn’t have disturbed Michal, but David was radical in his expression of worship that day. David had extravagant love for the Lord, & he praised his Lord with reckless abandon! He was crazy with enthusiasm because he was so in love with God.

When we are extravagantly worshiping God, we may have onlookers who won’t respond the way we’d hoped. Someone may watch us as we lay down our lives to worship our Lord. The testimony of our adoration may be viewed as something of great value that will cause others to join in, but it may also make someone despise us for the freedom & the joy that we are living in. But worship is unto the Lord & not unto men. Worship is an act of seeking God’s face & enjoying His magnificent presence.

Taken from the book "Extravagant Worship" by Darlene Zschech.

Who is Joseph Kony?

Eight years ago as a freshman in college I heard about the Invisible Children for the first time.

I was changed.

Learning that children- any child- has to live in constant fear of abduction was heart wrenching. Through the years I have shared the news & have given support, but it is so easy to let life happen & forget. Just like the genocide in Rwanda, people (myself included) consider how horrible the actions were on television & went right back to eating their dinner. Eight hundred THOUSAND people were tortured & murdered over the course of one hundred days in 1994 in Rwanda. Joseph Kony has been abducting children since 1986! Throughout his reign over two million people have been displaced & thousands of children have been abducted & forced into an army or into sex slavery. He is currently the most wanted international criminal.

He must be stopped.

We have until midnight of December 31, 2012. Let's bring him to justice & restore the lives of many. Children in Uganda should not have to go to sleep in fear. Let's give them a chance at a future, an education, an independence! Let's raise a resounding voice for all of the children & make sure Joseph Kony is captured.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Kid friendly recipes

I realized that cooking is such a big part of my life, but I have never posted any of my own recipes. This needs to be remedied immediately. The following are two awesome recipes that will make anyone really popular making kid food. Enjoy!

Chicken Strips 
 (*yes...I realize I am a vegetarian, but someone's kids need to enjoy these.)


1 Pound chicken breast
Buttermilk (enough to cover)
To Taste Sriracha Sauce
To Taste Salt
To Taste Pepper
1 Package of crackers (any type will do, I prefer Water Biscuits)

Slice the chicken breasts into bite sized strips & place into a glass bowl. Cover chicken breasts with buttermilk & Sriracha Sauce. Cover the bowl with tinfoil & refrigerate for 8-24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Crumble the crackers into small crumbs. Gently remove the small pieces of chicken from the buttermilk mixture, coat them with cracker crumbs, & place on a greased baking sheet. Once all of the chicken pieces have been coated put the baking sheet into the oven & bake until the chicken pieces are cooked all the way through (use a knife to pierce the center of a thick piece- make sure the juices run clear & the center is not pink). Serve hot & enjoy.


Kids Quiche
This recipe came about one day when I was a nanny. The older boy, Alex, had the opportunity to go out shopping with his daddy one morning & Michael, the younger boy, needed something fun to distract him while big brother was out. It has many variations- anything that you would like to place in quiche really, but here is the basic gist. Michael enjoyed helping me stuff each muffin cup with all of our choice of fillings. It's a fun way to engage your children & encourage them to learn to cook.

1 Green Bell Pepper
1 Red (or Yellow) Bell Pepper
1 medium sized onion
5-10 Small Mushrooms (of choice)
1 Package of crackers (any type will do, I prefer Ritz)
Butter (softened)
Grated Cheese
Eggs
Milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Grease a muffin pan. Whip together Eggs & Milk in a bowl. Crumble the crackers & kneed in a small amount of softened butter. Gently press the cracker mixture into the bottom of the muffin pan cups. Fill each cup with your sliced veggies, cheese, meats, herbs, etc... & top with egg mixture to just below the top of the cup. Transfer the pan to the oven & bake until the egg has reached a firm texture. Top each cup with more grated cheese & replace into the oven to melt the cheese. Remove from the oven & cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.  I love to eat these with salsa. Yumm...

Enjoy!

twenty-seven

Yesterday I celebrated yet another year of life- twenty-seven. Balls. It seems that no matter how you try to ward them off they just keep coming. Twenty-six had it's ups and downs, but in the grand scheme of things it was actually a beautiful year. Life changed often & at times drastically, but I have been surrounded by wonderful people through it all. Twenty-seven is bound to bring more life with it & I am excited for whatever this year has to offer.

Tomorrow marks the one year anniversary of my first date with my amazing boyfriend. He took me to dinner followed by browsing through a bookstore & going to see "True Grit" (such a romantic movie...). Life with him is fabulous & I could not ask for a better partner in crime to live out the years with. He makes me smile.

Cheers.

When Life Happens.

The intention of this blog post is not to sound like Debbie Downer, but instead to acknowledge that God is continually & forever faithful. When life happens, He is always there as the constant Protector & Provider. I would not be able to face this life without Him.

December has been an eventful month (to put it lightly).

A couple of weeks ago Rob's phone disappeared & replacing a phone is not a inexpensive venture. Thankfully he will have a nice, workable phone that will allow him to do the things he needs to do for his many business endeavors.

The clutch master cylinder in my car went out. Don't ask me what that is or what is does, because I haven't the slightest, but I do know that after replacing it my car drives much smoother.

My (fantastic, strong, patient, loving, encouraging) mother (who we lovingly refer to as Meme), & one of my closest friends, was diagnosed last week with breast cancer. At this point we do not know what stage it is, but we do know that God is our Healer & we are believing for her healing. "...I am the Lord, your Healer." (Exodus 15:26) My younger sister battled cancer 18 years ago & is a living testament to our Lord the Healer. I want to thank everyone who has surrounded us with prayer & support & request that you continue to do so as we embark on this journey as a family.

We went up to Mill City yesterday with my grandparents to get a Christmas tree. Meme & I are presently waiting for Rob to begin decorating the tree- hopefully it will involve some hot cocoa & Christmas movies too.

I will be taking a break from school to assist Meme with her treatment. I feel strongly that I need to be available to her during this time & want to serve her to the best of my abilities. She has always been there for us kids & now it's time for us to show her our support. I will still be working as much as possible throughout the course of her treatment

I am looking forward to a relaxing & joyful Christmas holiday with the people I love the most- making memories that will last throughout the rest of my life.

Cheers.

'These things I have spoken to you, 

that in Me you may have peace. 

In the world you will have tribulation; 

but be of good cheer, 

I have overcome the world.'

John 16:33 

My content little life.

I realize just how cliche it is to post a blog about the things in my life that bless me on a day like today (Thanksgiving), but I also think it's important to recall those things more often than I do & why not do that now.

First off, I am thankful for a Saviour. My life would not be the same without the ardent love & indelible grace of Jesus Christ. As we enter into the Christmas season, I never want to forget the best present of all: "For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; & the government shall be upon His shoulder, & His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government & of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David & over His kingdom, to establish it & to uphold it with justice & righteousness from this time forth & forevermore." (Isaiah 9:6-7 ESV)

Today I get to celebrate the first of many Thanksgivings with the love of my life. It's funny when love finds you in an unexpected place & it blossoms after a casual friendship. Rob, you are my prince & you balance me in every way. Thank you for your love, support, friendship, humour, & warmth. "Whatever our souls are made of, his & mine are the same." (Emily Bronte)

My mom has always been a shining light in my life: she brightens my days & guides me (graciously) in the right direction. I love you, mom. Thank you for supporting me & bestowing love & grace all of my life. I adore the friendship that we have built through the years.

I am also thankful for my sister. She's our miracle. After a year long battle against cancer (1993-1994), she overcame & I seriously don't know how I would have survived without her. She is my hero & has brought into my life two beautiful nieces & a handsome nephew, as well as my wonderful brother-in-law- I always wanted a brother & their family blesses me always.

My father has been a caring figure in my life for always. I appreciate the friendship we have developed & enjoy our conversations & his continued wisdom. Thank you.

It's always difficult to find a church that fits you, & we not only found one that fits us, but one where the people have become family. I am so thankful for the love & support from all of the people at New Beginnings Christian Center. We love you all!

I have been with Starbucks on & off for the past three years. It's amazing to have a job that is flexible & takes really good care of you. Remember whenever you buy your coffee that you're not only buying a great product, but you're helping support me (& other baristas) & all of the benefits that my company gives to me, & you're helping keep me employed. I love my job.

There are also so many friends & family members who need to be acknowledged on here, but there's not enough time or space to do so. If you are one of the many people who has graced my life (& Rob's life) throughout the years please know that we love you & we have been blessed by your presence in our lives no matter how great or how small it may be.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Heart Like Mine

I ain't the kind you take home to mama
I ain't the kind to wear no ring
Somehow I always get stronger
When I'm on my second drink

Even though I hate to admit it
Sometimes I smoke cigarettes
Christian folks say I should quit it
I just smile & say "God bless"

Cause I heard Jesus He drank wine & I bet we'd get along just fine
He could calm the storm & heal the blind & I bet He'd understand a heart like mine

Daddy cried when he saw my tattoo
Said he'd love me anyway
My brother got the brains of the family
So I thought I'd learn to sing

Cause I heard Jesus He drank wine & I bet we'd get along just fine
He could calm the storm & heal the blind & I bet He'd understand a heart like mine

I'll fly away from it all one day
I'll fly away...

These are the days that I will remember
When my name's called on the road
They'll meet me with two long stemmed glasses
& make a toast to me coming home


Cause I heard Jesus He drank wine & I bet we'd get along just fine
He could calm the storm & heal the blind & I bet He'd understand a heart like mine


Miranda Lambert

Twelve Weeks

As of yesterday, I am officially twelve weeks into achieving my culinary degree through Le Cordon Bleu. It's funny how serious you get about your education when you have an understanding of the debt you're getting into. I have my Bachelor's degree in music & I graduated from college with a 3.49, but I was never serious about my degree. In college, my professors would let us know up front how many absent days we are allotted for the semester & I would save them up carefully & use every single one. Now my chefs also let us know how many days we can be absent, but after missing one day this cycle due to illness I realized that I would rather come in sick than get that far behind again.

Since I mentioned finances, I will admit that they have been floating around in my head a lot lately. Recently, I finished paying off an accumulative debt of over $8,000 I had racked up in credit cards & fees. It feels amazing to finally be rid of that monster looming over my head at every turn. My amazing, loving boyfriend & I also opened up a joint checking/savings account to plan for our future together. I never realized just how scary the words "joint checking" are until we were sitting in front of the banker & filling out the paperwork. In reality though, I am so happy that we are budgeting & planning together & creating healthy habits that will one day transfer over into our marriage.

One thing that I don't have a lot of is time. My classes are butt-crack-of-dawn early & then I work afternoons & evenings. Sleep is something I hope to have over Christmas break, or maybe next summer sometime. Thankfully my job is amazing & I can look forward to it instead of dread going. Six more weeks & then it's Christmas vacation! I will be hibernating during this period of time & picking up as many shifts at work as I can...& possibly watching a Christmas movie here or there. I have never been in a relationship during the Holidays & I am so happy to be able to create new memories & traditions with the love of my life. He's a bit of a "bah humbug", so I am hoping to coerce him with a bit of Christmas cheer. 

This Christmas will be very exciting as we will have a new addition to the family- my sister & her husband are expecting their third child (& first son) any day now. My oldest niece is staying for a weekend sleepover & her little sister was very disappointed she could not join us. I made her a promise that we will have a play date just her & me soon. Being an auntie is the best!

If you are a lover of music, I have three albums to recommend to you:
"The Whole Love" by Wilco
Bon Iver's new self-titled album
"Great Great God" by Gateway Worship

I have fallen in love with Wilco. My work friends joke that we have a copy of their new album for every room in the house (four copies in total...mostly by accident). Bon Iver's album did not leave my cd player for weeks. And "Great Great God" was a song I fell in love with on my trip to Dallas back in February & I have been anxiously awaiting it's studio release, as my only copy of the song prior to was taken from a Gateway Church small group devotional. All of the songs have been on repeat in my head for the last week. Amazing.

Fisher of Men

Fisher of Men

He tied a feather to the hook for to get you to look
And by the time you know what took you, you already took
He's got a line in the water, he's a fisher of men

He put the thorns on the rose for to get you to bleed
And by the time you know what stuck you, the pain's in deep
He's got a line in the water, he's a fisher of men
He's got a lot on the line, he's a fisher of men

He's a fisher of men and he's wise as a prize fighter
He's like a soul miner mining souls on down the great divide

He put his name in my verses and his name in the hook
Before I knew what I was cooking, it was already cooked
He's got a line in the water, he's a fisher of men

And he put his name in my chorus like the dark before the dawn
So that in my hour of weakness, I'd remember it's his song
He's got a line in the water, he's a fisher of men 

Words & Music by M. Ward

ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

"There is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the right direction."

Winston Churchill

A good friend of mine wants to get a tattoo that says "change is constant, growth is optional". I love the truth in that. Because life is a series of changes, I have found myself in the midst of some recently & felt compelled to expand on my new life journeys.

One of the goals that I have set for myself before I turn thirty is to return to school. I've tossed around various degree/certification ideas over the past four years, but never settled on anything that sat well with me. At first I considered getting my CNA so I can potentially use the skills overseas on the mission field, but I have a weak stomach & can hardly handle blood when I pop a zit, so I crossed that idea off of my list. I looked into Event & Meeting Planning certifications, but they are not very prevalent in the Northwest so it too was crossed off. I looked into Communications, Journelism, Viticulture, MBA Programs, Mastors Programs in Music, among others, but all of these ideas stayed in that idea phase & never grew beyond that. I felt that it would be silly for me to take out a loan if I was not one hundred percent certain that I was pursuing something I would love & benefit from. After a lot of thought & prayer, I considered my long term dreams & goals & then established the game plan to get myself there.

Now for the unveiling... *drum roll*

My dream for the past five years has been to open up my own restaurant one day, so I decided to revisit the idea of Culinary School. I inquired at Le Cordon Bleu about the Culinary Arts program & a week later was accepted & enrolled in classes with a job lined up to sustain me through school. It is amazing how quickly & smoothly the whole thing came together. I begin classes on the fifteenth of August & start at Starbucks a week from today. I am so excited about this next series of life journeys & am so thankful for the support & encouragement I have received from friends & family along the way.

Life will certainly be busy again, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Thankfulness: Volume One

"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;

for His steadfast love endures forever!"

Psalm 118:1

The Bible is continually telling us to "give thanks to the Lord" & what I've realized is that, not only does He deserve our praise & gratitude, but it certainly makes my perspective on life easier when I look for things to be thankful to God for. That being said, I'm going to keep a "thankfulness" list from now on...right here. I encourage you to keep a list somewhere that you can look upon & remember the grace & love of our Saviour...& to share in the praises & thanksgivings of others.

1. Thank You for Your indelible grace that covers my life & that it's not dependent upon me.
2. For covering me with Your love & showing me how precious I am.
3. For a wonderful, beautiful mother that I can look up to, who encourages me & supports me.
4. For healing my sister & establishing an unbreakable bond with her...I know that she will go on to do greater things than I ever could.
5. For a best friend who knows me inside & out...thirteen years together & counting.
6. For a church that seeks Your presence & acts as my extended family.
7. For the gift of music.
8. For all of the girl friends I have had the pleasure of getting to know through the years...they keep my life entertaining.
9. For providing for me even when things seem dry.
10. For my past that has taught me so much about myself & has given me experiences that can be used for Your glory.
11. For the privilege of an education & the continued thirst for knowledge.
12. That I get to work every week with the most amazing group of musicians & minister to Your heart with them.
13. For a really cute car.
14. For the two most adorable nieces a girl could ask for & a little nephew on the way...they bring joy to my life.
15. That I am able to live in a beautiful, green part of the world & that life really is far easier here than in many places on earth.
16. For cupcakes.
17. For a pastor who seeks after you & leads with authority & grace.
18. For a fantastic set of grandparents who have established a legacy & heritage for us.
19. That I can sit down & write when speaking fails me.
20. For my health & the promise that "By Your stripes we are healed".
21. For all of the people You've placed in my life, they continue to teach me & enrich my life.

Inspiring. Entertaining. Peculiar.

I am a quote keeper. I have a list of quotes in my phone that when put into Microsoft Word came out at a grand total of nine pages. I slimmed it down & these are my favorites. Enjoy.

"Jesus is the ‘I AM’ not the ‘I WAS’ or ‘I WILL’...He is your present help in time of need...TODAY!"- Pastor Judah

"The difference between cowards and champions is in what you do, not how you feel.” - Leon Fontaine

"The most unhappy people are the ones who always undervalue what they have & overvalue what others have." - Reverend Run

"Whatever our souls are made of, his & mine are the same." - Emily Brontë

"Grow old with me! The best is yet to be." - Robert Browning

"You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams" - Dr. Seuss

"Real love stories never have endings." - Richard Bach

"Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with." - Mark Twain

"The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials." - Chinese proverb

"I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind.
Some come from ahead and some from behind.
But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see.
Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!"
- Dr. Seuss

"There are no shortcuts to any place worth going." - Helen Keller

"Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass...it's about learning how to dance in the rain." - Vivian Greene

"Our lives end the day we become silent about the things that matter. " MLK Jr.

"To love at all is to be vulnerable" - CS Lewis

“A Bible that’s falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t.” -Charles Spurgeon

"'I did' beats 'I will' any day." – Cyle

"Belong. Believe. Behave." - Judah Smith

"Our most basic emotional need is not to fall in love, but to be genuinely loved by another- to know that love grows out of reason & choice, not instinct. I need to be loved by someone who chooses to love me- who sees in me something worth loving." - Gary Chapman

"Don't let your issue become your identity." – Mike

“If you cannot find peace within yourself, you will never find it anywhere else.” —Marvin Gaye

"God responds to priests not politicians. Politicians pursue the heart of people, priests pursue the heart of God." - Zach Neese

"We can't measure something that's immeasurable." - Thomas Miller

"Gods joy and peace end where we stop them, when we take ourselves out of the equation. He is unending!" - Pastor Judah

“God’s raising up a generation that would rather carry a sword than a title.” -Damon Thompson

"You could get your heart broken or you could have the greatest love affair of your life, but you'll never know unless you try." - When in Rome

"The enemy will try to steal a gifting that's not yielded to the Holy Spirit." - Kari Jobe

"Hey! The moon followed me!" - my neice

"We're meant to lose people we love, how else would we know how important they are to us." - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

"Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality" - Warren G. Bennis

"Praise is an explosion of faith that allows you to run straight into the loving arms of Jesus." - Darlene Zschech

"I'm an early bird & I'm a night owl, so I'm wise & I have worms." - Michael Scott

"The right manner of growth is to grow less in one's own eyes." Thomas Watson

"First priority is God's presence before His plan. His plan is a byproduct of a life in His presence." - Elijah Waters

"Holiness isn't rules put ON a believer, it's the reality of God withIN a believer" - Elijah Waters

"Give your best today & I will better your best tomorrow" - God (Judah Smith)

"Favor is a result of grace which is a result of God's choosing you." - Judah Smith

"Respond to God, don't react to life." - Judah Smith

"Jesus was radical!! Anything short of being a radical believer can't be normal Christianity. Radical Christianity has become rational Christianity. Let's get disgruntled." - Pastor Bowles

"Sometimes to lose balance for love is part of living a balanced life." - Eat. Pray. Love.

"You don't need a man, Liz, you need a champion." - Eat. Pray. Love.

"The will of God won't take you where the grace of God can't keep you." - Pastor Stan

“We are all mortal until the first kiss and the second glass of wine.” - Eduardo Galeano

"Love, it will not betray, dismay, or enslave you—it will set you free to be more like the man you were made to be." - Mumford and Sons

"Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for." -Epicurus

"Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” - Howard Thurman

"Faith is not believing in my own unshakable belief. Faith is believing an unshakable God when everything in me trembles & quakes." - Beth Moore

"You can't lead people to worship unless you worship." - Tommy Walker

"God didn't send His Son to make bad people good, but to make dead people alive." - Leonard Ravenhill

"Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world." - Walt Disney

"God isn't looking for perfect vessels, He's looking for yielded vessels." - Catherine Kulhman

"Yeah! I went hunting once. Shot the deer in the leg...had to kill it with a shovel, it took about an hour. Why do you ask?" - Michael Scott

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act but a habit" -Aristotle

"Successful men do daily what unsuccessful men do occasionally." -Pastor Brent Sparks

"I don't dream at night, I dream all day; I dream for a living." -Steven Spielberg

"Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the hearts of men." - Goethe

"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

“They tricked us into reading a book by enticing us with promises of vulgarity.” - Cartman

“Feel the rhythm, feel the rhyme, get on up it's bobsled time!” - Cool Runnings

“I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best.” - Marilyn Monroe

“I shall keep the silence of my heart with greater care, so that in the silence of my heart I hear His words of comfort, & from the fullness of my heart I comfort Jesus in the distressing disguise of the poor. For in the silence & purity of the heart God speaks.” - Mother Teresa

“My therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what I start. So far today, I have finished 2 bags of M&M's and a chocolate cake. I feel better already.” - Dave Barry

“The only way to get started is to stop talking and start doing!” - Walt Disney

‘No statue has ever been erected to a critic, but to the people they have criticized, many statues have gone up.” - Glenn W. Turner

“Think of it as an investment in personal expression.” - Piano Shop on the Left Bank

“One day, a person will come along who will make you realize why it never worked with anyone else.” - Cyle

'You'll regret the things you didn't do more than the ones you did.' - Cyle

“I don't know what it is with girls & vampires!” - Darren

“If you focus on what you've left behind, you'll never be able to see what lies ahead.” - Ratatouille

“You rap like Charles Barkley” - Tyler

“I just got this like eight years ago!!” - Tina Fey

"If love be rough with you, be rough with love; prick love for pricking, & you beat love down." - Romeo & Juliet

“Shelly, I'm like Ariel & you are my fish!!” - my neice

“The level of rock depends on the size of your guitar strap.” - Jordan

“An apple's the gateway to steak.” - Paul

“If we don't know where we're going we'll find a sign in anything.” - Abbey

“The goal is soul.” - Gretsch

“I long to accomplish a great and noble task; but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble.” - Helen Keller

“If we will walk with God for a lifetime, we have to be willing to embrace mystery.” - Pastor John Stumbo

“I like your Christ, I do no like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” - Mohandas Gandhi

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” - Helen Keller

“Get out of the bitter barn & play in the hay!” - Phoebe

“Begin each day as if it were on purpose.” - Hitch

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” - Eleanor Roosevelt

“Whenever I'm about to do something, I think "would an idiot do that?" And if they would, I do not do that thing.” - Dwight Schrute

“You can observe a lot by watching.” - Yogi Berra

“If you always do what you've always done, you'll always have what you've always had.” - Cyle

"Love is begun by time & time qualifies the spark & fire of it" - Shakespeare

“I'm madly in love with you, and it's not because of your brains or personality.” - Little Miss Sunshine

“I was finishing dinner at a restaurant last night. The waitress asked, 'you want a box for that?' I said 'no, but I'll wrestle you for it’.” - John Mayer

Identity: Treasured Possession

When I meet new people I experience a lot of anxiety. It is not because I dislike meeting new people—people are one of the things I am most passionate about, but I fear that I make a bad first impression. A few weeks ago, I was preparing to attend an event where I would be meeting some important people. The anxiety I felt leading up to that point was overwhelming. I spent a lot of time in prayer prior to it, just to saturate myself in the Lord’s presence & finally I decided to pray over my insecurity of bad impressions. The Lord immediately spoke this to me very clearly, the way a Father would: “You are my delicately planned treasured possession—I did not make a mistake when I created you”. At this point I began to weep because I was reminded of how much my Daddy loves me & how proud He is of me even when I let my insecurities get in the way.

“Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine." Exodus 19:5

Over the past few weeks, I have been preparing music for a few upcoming weddings. One wedding is relatively soon & the couple has asked me to sing & play “My Beloved” by Kari Jobe at a point in the ceremony. The words in the song speak of the husband & wife romance between God & His people—something that should be mirrored in the relationship between husbands & wives on earth.

In the New Testament, Jesus tells two stories describing how much we are worth to Him—the first of a man who discovered a hidden treasure in a field, he went & sold everything he had to buy this land & make the treasure his own. The second is of a merchant in search of pearls, he comes to find one pearl that has “great value” & he sells all of his belongings to buy this pearl. (Matthew 13:44-46) To the man who bought the field, the treasure was so valuable that he protected it until he could make it his own. To the merchant, he found one pearl that caused all other pearls to fail in comparison & possessing that one pearl meant more than all of his securities in life.

Gary Chapman, author of The Five Love Languages, wrote: “Our most basic emotional need is not to fall in love, but to be genuinely loved by another—to know that love grows out of reason & choice, not instinct. I need to be loved by someone who chooses to love me—who sees in me something worth loving.”

God loves us in this way. He chooses to love us & His expression of that love was to send His Son to earth as a man to die a horrible death on a cross to redeem us & call us back to Him. He sees in us something of value—something to be treasured. He will go to any lengths to express His love for us, all we need to do is accept His grace & choose to love Him in return. We are His treasured possession.

Identity: Priests

* I was asked to write a short segment for the June edition of our monthly church bulletin. Coming up on June 22nd I will be teaching on praise & worship then we will have an extended evening of corporate praise & worship, so I was hoping to use the article as a preface for my sermon. As it turns out, I may have dug into something new entirely, & I am now planning to write a series of blog articles on our identity as defined by the Bible. They will hopefully be weekly installments released every Wednesday. I would like to invite you to follow along as I journey to discover the deeper meanings of our identities in Jesus Christ.

In our culture we seek to be identified by obscurities. We strive to be our own person & control who or what defines us, but the trouble is we have lost sight of our true identity by not wanting to be identifiable. Webster’s dictionary defines identity as: “sameness in all that constitutes the objective reality of a thing: oneness; distinguishing character or personality of an individual: individuality”. By this definition, it is safe to conclude that our identity not only speaks to our uniqueness, but also to our unity. For example, my name is Michelle Perdue & I am a Christian—the first of course speaking of my individuality & the second to my heritage & oneness as a follower of Christ. As devoted followers of Christ, it is important that we seek out how the Bible identifies us in order to effectively function in our identity in Christ & not lose sight of who we are.

“You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. . . You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:5,9

In the Old Testament, priests could only be male descendents of the house of Levi. We are now under a new covenant of Grace through Jesus Christ & all of us as Christians are called to be priests. I am a priest. You are a priest. Now that we have been identified as priests, it is important that we study out our “job description”. Our responsibilities as priests can be found in Deuteronomy 10:8: to carry the Ark of the Covenant, to minister to the Lord, & to bless the people in His name.

Our first duty is to carry the Ark of the Covenant—or to carry the presence of the Lord. We have the responsibility of carrying His presence with us, because our bodies are vessels (1 Corinthians 3:16) in which the Holy Spirit dwells—which means that we have the opportunity to allow people to encounter the presence of God every place we go. We are called to create “meeting places” between God & man. As we learn to identify with this, we should also consider how we interact with people as carriers of the Lord’s presence.

Our second duty is to minister to the Lord. Ministering to God means that we are here for His glory, His desires, His pleasure, His will, His entertainment, to serve & honor Him. It is not our role to be consumers of worship or to receive from worship, but to minister to God in worship. Our worship is full obedience & submission to God. The posture of our bodies should express & reflect the posture of our hearts toward God.

Our final duty as priests is to bless His people. A common Levitical blessing goes like this: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you & be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you & give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26) The purpose of this blessing is not for the desires of the people; instead the purpose is to call out everything they need for their futures—preparing their destiny.

Let us make a commitment, today, to come together as a unified family & discover the ways that Jesus Christ identifies us & learn to function in our identity to bring glory to His Name & draw people toward our glorious, loving Saviour.

I am pretty sure this IS how it works...