Happy Birthday to me

I figure I am allowed to wish myself a happy birthday since I'm generally in charge of birthdays around here.

Maybe it's because I'm getting older but the last couple years I have gotten very introspective on my birthday. This year I'm thinking about where I've been and where I'm going. As many of you know I've moved a lot...a lot, alot. Because of that I've never felt like any one place was my home. My church is home because I know I'm loved and accepted there. When I was in Peru it felt like home too. I don't have any real reason for that. Maybe it's because that's where I'm supposed to be? In Jose's arms is home because I feel safe there. A lot of places are home. And a lot of places aren't. Sometimes it's surprising where home is and where it isn't. (I sound like yoda..."mmm, much confusion in you there is"...and yes Jose has turned me into a bit of a star wars geek)

Jose and I are celebrating Saturday at a Peruvian buffet. *WOOT* I love Peruvian food (good thing huh?) Today since he had to work we didn't do very much but he made me feel well loved. He tried to get the boys to leave me alone so I could sleep in...brought me lunch and got me an ice cream cake. I'm pretty sure I gained 15 lbs today. I went to the park with the kids today while Jose was at Man Church. I met up with some friends and took my camera to take pictures of our merriment. I got there first took like 5 pictures of myself and the boys but as soon as my friends got there I forgot to take pictures. That is the reason I don't have any pictures of most of my friends. I get too interested in talking and totally forget to capture the moment. *sigh* Anyway my sweet friend Abigail got me froggy cupcakes and a cute shirt I can't wait to wear. (I love presents! Thank you Abi!)

In other (Peru related) news we are leaving houston in less than 11 weeks! Time is flying by right now! So much still to do and yet I am feeling more and more ready everyday

With Everything

This morning in worship we sang this song and it really stirred my spirit. Whenever I hear it it does so I wanted to share it. The song playing first right now is the same song

Open our eyes


To see the things that make Your heart cry

To be the church that You would desire

Your light to be seen



VERSE 2:



Break down our pride

And all the walls we’ve built up inside

Our earthly crowns and all our desires

We lay at Your feet



PRE CHORUS:



Let hope rise

And darkness tremble

In Your holy light

That every eye will see

Jesus our God

Great and mighty to be praised



VERSE 3:



God of all days

Glorious in all of Your ways

Oh the majesty the wonder and grace

In the light of Your Name



CHORUS:



With everything

With everything

We will shout for Your glory

With everything

With everything

We will shout forth Your praise



CHORUS 2:



Our hearts they cry

Be glorified

Be lifted high above all names

For You our King

With everything

We will shout forth Your praise

Musings on moving and our current life

This month has been (and continues to be) crazy...
this month Jose is standing in a wedding and Logan and I are in a different one. My baby brother graduated from college today. Jose's baby brother graduates from high school in 2 weeks. On Tuesday Jose and I celebrate our 6th anniversary. Next week I'll be 28...at this point getting older doesn't bother me...maybe because the vast majority of people think I'm 20 or so. I don't know. Maybe I'll change my mind when I turn 30?

Every time I look at the calendar or someone mentions getting together with me before we go I realize how soon we are leaving. I remember thinking in January that I can't say we are leaving next year anymore now it's THIS YEAR. Now it's less than 3 months away. We are moving out of our house in July...anyone need house stuff? We are getting rid of everything. Thinking about getting rid of everything makes me realize how little all that stuff matters. I look at some of the stuff that was *so important* for me to have back then and now I'm giving it away.

I'm feeling a greater dependance on God lately. I know I talk about it alot but I guess that's because that's what I think about right now. I'm relying on God to take care of me even in the most minor scheduling details. For instance I wanted to take a short trip with my extended family before we leave and in spite of 7 adults with very busy lives we managed to work out a weekend that we can all do it. That may seem easy to you but it has proven very difficult for us to accomplish in the past so I see it as a miracle.

Hearing God

"Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.  Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you." James 1:19-27

The other day someone mentioned something to me in passing about having the ability to hear from God. Something about that statement gave me pause. I kept hearing that phrase in my head. "I can hear from God" I thought about it a lot and then I just asked God. What is it about that phrase? and then because *I can hear from God* He told me, the strange thing about that phrase is everyone *CAN* hear from God. Think about it. The bible is a letter from God. So it stands to reason that any person that reads the bible at any time is  hearing from God. Seriously though, saying you can hear from God is like saying you can breath. Of course you can, you were made to do it. But, just because you hear from God doesn't mean you automatically do the right thing aka "what God said to do." Why else would God say this in his word "But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says." 

Now I'm going to break down this little section of scripture and show you what God showed me (scripture is in blue my comments are in black)

"Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.

This seems somewhat obvious to me but in case you don't see the connection I'll mention it. It's hard to hear someone else talking when you are always talking. I have come to the place that in my prayer time I hardly speak at all. It's not because I don't have a lot to say (obviously, I have a lot to say) It's because If I do all the talking I won't hear God's still small voice speaking to me. Lord help me, I don't ever want to miss his voice.

So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.

Humility is a key to hearing from God. Most of the time we really don't want to hear what he has to say. Most of the time he says to give up your life, sacrifice, obey, submit, give, love your enemy, pray for those that spitefully use you. Things that pride doesn't allow.

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

Strong words. I have wanted to say this to people in the past. It makes me sad to see people justify themselves because of past accomplishments or ability to hear from God. It goes back to humility. If you start to see the things you've done for/through/because of God as something you did yourself. You already got your reward and you are deceiving yourself.

For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

I love how vivid this is. Since I have to check a mirror before I leave my house, on the way to my destination, and as soon as I arrive. This hits home for me. I mean it's not like I forgot what I look like (well sometimes...maybe). But I still check again and again. Looking carefully is descriptive of searching out the scripture. Having scriptural backing for the things you do. (and please, look at the context of your verse don't just find a verse that fits your needs if you leave out the first 3 and last 2 words...pet peeve) 

If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.

I love it that he says this. He literally says if you don't control your tongue your religion is worthless. Someone tried to gossip to me and I told them "I don't want to be a part of gossip" they said "it's not gossip it's the truth" Their tongue was so out of control that they justified gossiping by saying it was the truth. My rule of thumb is If I'm not part of the problem and I'm not part of the solution then it's not my business. I do not want to hear that everything I did was worthless because I was involved in any way with idle chatter

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

This is one of my all time favorite scriptures. I look forward to the day when I will be caring for orphans. I also think it's interesting how many people leave the last part out when they quote this verse. Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father is caring for widows and orphans in their distress, but it's also refusing to let the world corrupt you. We let the world corrupt us by making small compromises it usually starts with our mouth James 3:3-6 says "We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself"


A few additional thoughts.
I'm reading a book right now called Steps To The Anointing (Dag Heward-Mills) it talks about the ability to be led into the wilderness. Jesus was led into the wilderness (Matt 4:1) and yet as Christians we don't believe God will ever lead us into a wildnerness. Most of us will only follow him to somewhere nice. But we must be people who will follow him even when he is leading us against our natural inclinations. As Ray Comfort has said when we say "my god wouldn't ask me to do something like that" we are breaking the second commandment and making a god in our own image. Of course your god wouldn't do that he doesn't exist.  

 I love how beautiful the word is. It's just poetic. I wish that I could transfer the feeling I get when I read the word of God to others. It sheds light on things I don't understand and restores my soul.