He sent them out ......

Luke 10 .....The Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come.  And He was saying, "Go, behold I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves ......"

I have been thinking about this Scripture .....Jesus sent them out; He didn't say invite them into the church where you are, or bring them into your home although I am sure that would be great to do.  But He sent them out; out of their comfort zone, their safety places ....from what they knew, where they could control the situation and where they could feel secure and handle everything.

Jesus didn't give a salvation formula, He gave Himself.  Jesus is the blueprint for humanity.  As He gave Himself to us when we didn't even know we needed Him, when we didn't even know we were not living the way we were suppose to ......we are to give ourselves.  

I just spent the morning in a pub having coffee with a young girl working.  She told me the one reason she was drawn toward me was because I came into a pub.  She said she was not comfortable going into a church, but she was comfortable with me talking about a Creator.  

Jesus sent out the seventy in pairs to meet with the people where they were.  We are all missionaries - participating with Jesus in His mission in this world.  People don't know Him, but we do.  We know He is with us even when we are uncomfortable.

Reflect on Chapter 10 in Luke today ......let me know what you think.

Be you!

You were not made to be a clone or a replica or a version of what God's already done.  You were made to be only you, with all the limitations and triumphs contained within that.  Don't be the next anybody.  Be deeply, weirdly, completely, totally you.
(Shauna Niequist)

I always tried to be like some one else.  I thought if I could be this person or that person.  I would often try to copy little things people did.  I never thought about being me, just who I was.  I am not sure why.


Until I knew God was not mean or angry, I did not know myself.  I did not understand I was of worth and valued.  

This has been a journey for me.  As I read this lady's amazing article (http://www.shaunaniequist.com) I realised I have still not 'arrived' but as I have come to know God more and more, I am treating myself with respect and dignity in a way I never did before.  As I know Him more, I believe what He says about me.
   
 God designed humanity, it is hard to
believe, but He designed us          
uniquely and He wants us to be 
ourselves .....not someone else!

 God is a creative Designer, He 
 values beauty.  Look at the fun, creative photos .....BE YOU!
                                  

The Heart

1 John 4:18  There is no fear in love; but perfect love cast out fear .......

GG just returned from a youth weekend.  As I was putting her to bed she asked this question: Mom, do you know what area of our body only God can heal?  I asked what area.  She said, our heart mom.

And then she told me God was healing a place in her heart.  I just looked at her.  I had been praying for GG and I sensed God saying only He can heal some wounds in our heart.  To see this awareness with GG was amazing.

We all can have wounds in our heart that we might not even know about.  But we can be reacting from them and develop patterns in our life that are hindering us from being all God created us to be.  Often we can be fearful to face the root of the problem.  We just want to continue deal with the symptoms; and try to pretend there is nothing there.

But let me share with you, as my daughter was dealing with a place in her heart,God was dealing with me.  There was something that continued to cause a great deal of pain.  And I would have such a panic every time I tried to think about what was causing the pain.  But when I saw my 12 year old dealing with her wounds, it gave me courage to look at my own.  

I want to say trust God to show you what is going on.  If there is something happening in your life that continues to hinder you, ask God what it is and trust Him to walk you through it.  Get help if you need to talk to someone.  Don't be embarrassed and don't keep it secret.  You know we have an enemy of our soul and if he can keep things in the dark; he is happy.  He is a deceiver, a liar, a manipulator, an intimidator and a murderer.  This is his agenda.  So get help, talk to someone.  

God is love.  He does not just have love; He is love.  And His word says, perfect love cast out fear.  Whatever fear is keeping you from looking at your wound, the behaviour that is 
keeping you from being all God created you to be; know the enemy of your soul wants to destroy you.  This enemy is the one saying not to trust God; He will let you down.

I want to tell you today, He will not.  He is faithful.  I am watching Him work in my daughter's life and in my own life. 

Let's trust Him together!  If there is something you need to talk about, let's talk.  God cares, He loves you and He wants you to be healed and free.

Metanarrative

I came to one of favourite coffee places this morning, decided I was going to try and have a cup.  I have been sick for the past 5 days and have not had coffee - oh I was just staring at the coffee beans all day!

I came to this little place also because it's quiet, good internet and a great place to read.  I wanted to reread my written piece for my capstone project - see if I needed to add, delete or change anything.

When I came in there was a new young woman I had not met before.  Of course I needed to talk a bit.  There was no one else in the shop, so she had time.  I introduced myself, told her I wanted to work and ask if it would be ok.  She wanted to know what was I working on.  For some reason I felt that I just needed to be honest, and I told her this morning I was going to look at the Big Story of the Bible.  

She sat down beside me and said, "I do not believe there are any grand stories that give meaning to all of life or defines what is true.  I think the Bible is just a collection of odd stories and they can be interrupted in a myriad of ways.  I see no central interpretive principle of the Bible."

Wow, I looked at her and knew I was talking to a very smart young lady.  I asked God how did He want me to participate with Him with her.  Her next question was, "What do you think the Big Story of the Bible is?"

She grabbed a coffee and for the next 40 minutes we talked.  I told her that although the Bible looked like random stories, I believe there was a plot and direction to the story.  I told her I believed it was the story of self-revelation of God to the world.

As I was telling her these things, I remembered something one of my advisors with the masters had said to me, "Teresa, show, don't tell - it comes alive then."  God how do I do that?  I realised once she sees that there is indeed a big story God has been telling the world it will speak to her.  This is my prayer.  Please pray with me for this young lady!

Well she had to go back to work and I we have not had time to talk more; but I decided to write this down and share with you.  My hope is that I can return here and show her the story ....the metanarrative of the Bible. 

I will share with you when I do!

As I continued to sit in the coffee shop, I started researching the word metanarrative.  Here is a story I found in Christianity Today - the article is called 'I Was A Witch.'  It is the story of a lady's long conversion to Christ; concerning one particular moment in her journey, she writes of the power of the Big Story in her life:

"As I drove home, my mind ached as I replayed the words I just heard.  All the Old Testament and New Testament had one oddly familiar voice - one tone, one heart.  I wondered, how could a book written by so many people over the course of hundreds of years fit together perfectly as if one amazing storyteller has written the whole thing?  The Holy Spirit began melting my vanity and arrogance with a power stronger than any hex, incantation or spell I'd ever used.  Suddenly, the blindfold I'd worn for almost 30 years was stripped away, and instantly I knew what I had been searching for; Jesus!"

Another great quote:

".....the Christian gospel ....tells how for the world's redemption God entered into history, the eternal came into time, the kingdom of heaven invaded the realm of earth, in the great events of the incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus the Christ."

F.F. Bruce, The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?

A Paradigm Shift

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and love your neighbour as yourself.

Luke 10:27

As I have mentioned several times I am in a time of reflection as I finish my capstone project for the masters.

As I look back I can see how far I have come on my journey with Father.  I use to think being a Christian was about doing the right thing, being good enough, trying so hard so I could go to heaven; and not go to hell.  I could never have told you I felt this way, but I can see it now.  

I have had a paradigm shift in my thinking, worldview; God created us to be connected to Him and to others.  And His plan was for us to experience a deep, satisfying sense of purpose and accomplishment in performing the task He gave us.  Genesis 1:28 says, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it......"

Our lives were meant to be filled with relationship, activity, love and work.  Even in the garden Adam and Eve were meant to learn, grow and mature; they had to cultivate a young planet!  This was God's plan .....well plan A.  After the fall, God continued to want to be with us; He pursued us and He finally rescued us in Jesus.  

I use to think God was an angry God; maybe even mean.  I never thought of Him having a plan for creating us and that it broke His heart when we chose to separate from Him; choosing our own way.  But He continued to want to be with us and made a way to bring us back into relationship with Him, with others and with ourselves.

Being a Christian is about living the way He created us to live; with Him, participating with Him, creating and loving with Him.  He had plans for the earth and He wanted humans to be part of that; the most amazing thing is He still does!

What a different way of thinking, a different way of seeing life and understanding our purpose.  Yes God may have been angry, upset when we chose to go our own way; but I think mostly His heart was broken.  He knew we would not be living the way He created us to live and our lives would not work.  This broke His heart. 

Wow this is different than seeing life about trying to be good enough, trying always to do the right thing; and even seeing life as trying to 'get into heaven' and 'stay out of hell'.  As amazing as that is!

Having this paradigm shift in how I see God, myself, the world and other people is amazing.  It changes everything; such freedom.  Is this the abundant life Jesus talked about?

Life is no longer about trying, striving, wondering, but about living, being present; and from this place of living and being present yes I am working, having a voice, standing in the authority Jesus gave me in His name, and it is about continuing to grow and learn.

It is exciting.  It is adventurous.  It is about being who I was all along; a human being united with the Triune God.  I am free to relate to Him the way He met for me to all along.  I am free to relate to myself, the world and others the way I was met to all along.  

Wow a cloud of deceit has been lifted.

Any thoughts?  Are you living the way you were created to live; the way you were recreated to live in Christ?  Is there anything hindering you?  Take a few moments to ask God to show you; ask Him to give you perspective, His perspective.

http://scottpriorart.com

GG made this heart for me with coffee for Valentines!

I have joined the British Community!

     I really can't believe I am a dual citizen!  Seriously a young girl at the age of 25, left alone, not knowing what to do or where to turn .....met God.  I had a plan for my life, had it all worked out and was determined.  But things changed, people changed.  I wanted to be in control, I knew how it should be, but God had other plans and I am so glad I listened to Him, I obeyed Him ......someway, somehow I knew He knew better than me.

     I love the path He took me down.  As I Iook back, I see this ...oh I didn't see it at the time.  I was so scare, I couldn't see what lie ahead and in the past when I couldn't control the circumstances, horrible things happened; life would spin out of control.  I tried so hard to control people, circumstances and situations.  But I couldn't anymore.  

     I trusted God.  He said He would take me down a different path in life.  The path has been amazing, not always easy, but an adventure.  When I was a little girl I would read about England, Scotland and Ireland.  I always wanted to visit, but I was just a young girl from a small town in North Carolina; that would not be possible.  And now I am a citizen!?  I know God has a sense of humour.  He loves to give us the desires of our heart.  I married a Brit!  I live in England and now I am a citizen!

     Oh the stories I could tell of how wonderful God is and how faithful He is.  I would love to have a cup of coffee with you now and talk about our faithful Creator.  He is amazing!

Signing papers

My certificate ....my family!

London is beautiful!

Location

Taxi

Telephone box ...love these!

Expectations

I spent this morning reading and rereading a devotion from Skye Jethani.  Wish we could just sit down, drink a cappuccino and talk about it.  Very powerful.  

So many times we have expectations and we bring them to situations and relationships.  I was talking to someone yesterday from England.  It was about raising children, always a touchy subject even if you are from the same culture!  

But as we talked I came to the realisation how very different we were looking at something and it had cause me to think one thing about her and she was thinking something about me that was not true.  What we thought was reflecting how we had been treating each other.  It was good to talk, I don't know if we solved anything, but to be open, honest and real was refreshing.

Sometime I don't think we are even aware of our expectations, but they still affect us.  What I was thinking about this lady affected how I was treating her and any relationship we might have.

Here is part of Skype's devotion ......

The people thought Jesus, the powerful prophet from Galilee, was going to Jerusalem to perform His miracles and deliver God's people from the oppression of the Romans.  They expected Him to be a political liberator and a military Messiah.  

Jesus, however, refused to conform to their expectations.  The people were so disillusioned with Him, so disappointed at their unmet expectations, that their shouts on Sunday of "Hosanna Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!" by Friday had become shouts of, "Crucify Him!"  Later in the day as He hung upon the cross, the people again assaulted Jesus with their expectations.  "Prove you are the Messiah," they said, "and come down from there.  Save yourself."  One final time Jesus refused to meet their expectations.  

Like the crowds in Jerusalem, we assume God exists to meet our expectations and grant us our desires.  When He does not, we conclude that He is either a fraud or a liar.  What we fail to see is that Jesus loves us too much to meet our expectations, just as He loved the people of Jerusalem too much to save Himself.  He accepts our anger, our disappointment, and our rejection because He refuses to be the Saviour we want.  Love compels Him to be the Saviour we need. 

...................................................

Do you have expectations today ....regarding someone, for yourself .......with God .....are you aware of them?  Are they affecting how you relate to someone, yourself or with God?

Be honest about them .....ask God to show you if you don't know or are not aware?  

Are they expectations that are right, good and serving ......are they true?

Or are they wrong?

With someone else, do you need to talk to them?  Take them for a cappuccino, talk about it!

If it is with God .....be real with Him.  Maybe you just need to trust He is the Creator, He knows .....and sometime we do not understand everything.  

Hmmmm expectations .......

The One Who Understands

     I remember when John Luke was eight years old .....I was visiting a neighbour next door and the cookie jar was on top of the refrigerator with lots of chocolate chip cookies ....John Luke's favourites!  He knew I would say no at that time of the day, so he climbed on a chair and retrieve the jar.  Eating one or two cookies was no problem .....three or four .....nine, ten ........

     I knew something was wrong when John Luke called downstairs and said he was not feeling well and didn't think he wanted anything to eat at dinnertime.  I found John Luke crouched down in the bathroom, clutching his middle and tearfully ready to confess what he had done.  

     I got some stomach medicine from the cabinet and helped John Luke to bed.  I brought him some water to sip and said 'well it's no dessert for you for a while.'  I remember John Luke asking why I was not mad at him.  I laughed and told him I had been where he was before .....that believe it or not I had been a little girl!  I then asked him if I had ever told him why I didn't like apples ......that once I did.  He told me no.  I shared with him how when I was his age a friend and I sneaked to our neighbours and ate many apples from their tree.  I was sick for days.  I told him disobeying was wrong, but I knew how he was feeling.

     I think this story reflects what we experience with Jesus.  He entered into our world, He became a man and walked through life ....experiencing joy, pain, betrayal, corruption, lies .....Jesus knows ......it is not something He knows from a distance .....He knows how we feel.  In the book of Hebrews, we can read that although He never sinned, He knows only too well what temptation is like.  In fact, nothing is hidden from Him.  

     Just like I held my little boy when he was in pain and sick, Jesus is with us, He cares, He is listening, He is even holding us like I held John Luke.  Yes there are consequences to our actions, but we don't ever have to run from Him thinking He doesn't understand .....He does and He will walk with us through whatever it is ......He may deliver us, He may not .....but He is always there and loves us beyond all we can imagine.  

Remembering

DTS students worshipping

Worship

In Awe

Surrender

     

I was standing at the window watching a dog bark across the street.  It took me a few minutes to realise the dog was on the roof of a house.  It took me till the next day to realise the dog lived on the roof!  Throughout the city dogs lived on low, flat, and colourful roofs .....I was in Chiapas, Mexico. 

     This was a few years ago.  It took me forever to get to the city.  I had left from Costa Rica 4 hours late, only to get to Mexico City to be told I had missed my connecting flight.  Since the flight only flew once a day, I had to wait till the next day to fly into Chiapas.  

     I was in a strange city, didn't speak the language well and unsure of what to do.  I met a few people who were very friendly and they helped me get a motel.  I didn't sleep very well though, because I could not lock my door.  I had to leave the motel at 4:30 so I thought not much sleep anyway!

     I arrived in Chiapas around 9am and there were four friendly faces waiting.  I was so glad to see these young people who had invited me to speak in their Discipleship Training School.  We took a taxi to the bus station and then drove up a beautiful mountain.  We stopped in a city that was not Chiapas, got another taxi and two hours later I was in Chiapas ......what an adventure!

     My young friends told me we had just come up a mountain where over fifty indigenous groups lived and most of them hated Christians.  The languages spoken were a dialect of Spanish and there was much 'brujeria" (witchcraft) throughout the tribes. 

     The Youth With A Mission house I was staying in for a week was very small with only a few rooms, but they gave me the nicest one.  The Mexicans are very hospitable.  It was a very interesting house with a garage in the middle of the building; rooms surrounding the cars!  The floors were concrete and the roof tin.  They showed me one bathroom and said twenty of us would be using it.  The house was spotless (even with cars in the middle of the rooms!) and there was hot water.

     The food was very interesting, one day I ate pig's ear.  They did not tell me until after I had eaten it.  Not sure if this was a trick or a language barrier ...I think maybe the latter!  It tasted a bit like squid, a bit rubbery.  They served much cow's liver.  This along with rice and beans seemed to be the staple food.  They took me out to eat several times and guess what I had to eat?  Lot of tacos!  They were delicious.

     I went to a market one day, seemed like another world.  Not sure how to describe this scene, you just had to be there; beautiful people, many colours, food and children everywhere.  The babies were carried on the backs of their mothers in huge scarves.  People were sitting on the streets, in groups, everywhere selling their produce.  I ate corn on the cob, grilled over an open fire; delicious!

     I was teaching that week on the Active Presence of God in our lives.  As I was standing in the market that day I became so aware of God's presence with me.  Although I was in a foreign town with people I did not understand, food I did not recognise and was not sure how to get back to the house I was staying in; I knew I was not alone.  

     I shared that week with about twenty-five young people from the country of Mexico.  I wanted them to understand that though they were living in a very small town with much poverty, they were people with a purpose, a destiny, they were with Jesus through Holy Spirit.  They were united with Father; they were part of God's story.  I could see in their faces by the end of week they sensed God's spirit; they had captured God's heart from Revelation 7:9 ".....every race, tribe, nation and language."

     The Thursday night I was there, the young people had what they called an "international night" where even people from the surrounding communities came.  They were going to pray for China.  All the young people were dressed in Chinese style and we ate with chopsticks.  I shared a bit with them and then we worshipped.  I had not ever experienced anything like this, and a young girl started singing in Chinese.  It was so crystal clear.  So amazing, the next day the young girl's mom came and asked when would she stop.  One of the students from the DTS was a young guy..... let's call Isaac and he was a lawyer in Chiapas.  He came to me and said, "I asked God for a miracle tonight, I guess He did!"  

     This was one of the most amazing trips and teaching weeks I have ever had.  I am not sure why I continue to think about it, why God has brought it to mind, but I continue to remember.  I know this blog is a bit long, but I felt to share it with you.  I hope you find it encouraging.

     There was one more thing I did that week I still remember so well.  I was on the radio!  Yes that is right.  I was asked to give my testimony and to share how God could use people  right there from Chiapas, Mexico to participate with Him in His mission in this world.  The broadcaster told me afterwards my words were real and honest.  He said that is what people want to hear because so much of Christianity was connected with religion, not relationship.

       It was an expensive trip, a bit scary at times, but as you can see I am still thinking about it.  I remember as I was getting in the taxi to go down the mountain at the end of the week Isaac came up to me, hugged me and said, "God showed me another miracle this week and that is you.  Thank you for coming here.  I will never be the same and if I don't see you in this world again we will meet at the Throne worshipping Him."  

     Maybe that is why I am remembering this week again .......this young man reminded me why I do what I do, why I can't help but do what I do .....encouraging, inspiring, teaching, telling people who God is, who they are, how much humanity means to God and what our purpose is.

     As I went down that mountain I couldn't see the beauty because of tears streaming down my face .......but I felt His pleasure .........

How do you see me?

How do you see me God?

I had asked this question several times in my life, but this time it seemed to affect me in a way it never had before.

How do you see me right now, God?  Not how do I have to try and be or how do I get that way?  I realised I had always seen what He said about me in the Scriptures or maybe even what He said to me deep down in my being, as something I still needed to prove or strive and achieve.  Wow striving, performing such a part of my thinking.  I just couldn't separate this from what God said.

I was determined to sit, reflect, journal and listen to God.  I have learned that the spiritual disciplines are good; God's grace, a time for me to be still and be with Father.  I know I am not seeing myself the way He sees me and it was hindering me from being all He created me to be.

Something immediately came to mind ........my time in Switzerland (masters intensive) during the first week when the speaker asked us to ask this very question; what are God's thoughts toward us?  I wrote down passionate and creative.  I remember thinking , "What, this is not me."  I always wanted to be this way, I tried, but couldn't.  Immediately I saw where I did not receive this.  Once again I thought well I will try.

The next morning I took my daughter to school.  Before she got out of the car, she gee me a big hug, a kiss and said, "you are awesome Mom!"  As she ran towed the school, I watched her.  I sensed God saying, "Teresa, I think you are awesome too."  Could this really be God?  I couldn't believe it.  No God, you would not say that, would you?  I continued to reflect on this.

The next day my husband brought me a dozen red roses.  He has done this in the past years, but not in a while.  I asked him why.  He said, "Because I love you."  As I went to put them in water, again I sensed from deep within, "This is how I see you Teresa.  I love you."

Right now I am asking God to empower me to embrace this truth; not to perform.  I am practicing the spiritual disciplines God gave us to reflect, journal and listen.  I am creating space  for God to minister, heal and speak.

I want to be everything God created me to be.

Here are some questions for you to reflect upon to see if there is anything hindering you.
1.)  Jesus was always interacting with people, asking them questions; sometimes strange questions.  What question do you think Jesus might ask you right now?
2.)  What kind of feelings would you be having at this time while talking to Jesus.
3.)  What questions would you like to ask Jesus?

The Blueprint for Humanity

"God's method is always incarnational.  He loves to take His truth and wrap it in a person."  (Howard Hendricks)

When I first went to Budapest, Hungary ......I had so many ideas what a 'missionary' was suppose to look like ......and I was going to be a great one!  One day I was running through the streets, I had so much to do and I was in a hurry.  I was 'doing ministry' after all!  The streets were very wide and you did not cross them above ground, you had to go under ground.  I was hurrying from one side of the street to the other ....down steps and up them, when I noticed a woman sitting on one of the steps with a bundle in her arms.  The homeless people were everywhere and most of the time ignored.  On this day I looked and then I looked again.  She was looking right at me.  I turned around and went back to her.  She had tears running down her face.  As I watched her, I sensed something deep inside......"what are you doing?  Running around like a crazy person 'doing ministry.'  What about this lady and her child, right here in front of you?"  I sat down beside her and ask if I could see her baby.  She showed the child to me, beautiful, but crying.  

I looked in this woman's face and I saw a person, a woman .... a human being that God created and cared about.  I asked her if I could buy her something to eat.  She just stared at me crying.  I told her I would be right back.  I went to the top of the stairs where there was a McDonald's and bought burgers, fries and drinks.  I went back down the steps, sat down beside the lady and her child and gave them food.  I sat with her for a long time drinking coffee.  I knew I had learned something that day; I could run around all the time and think I was doing 'God's work' and totally ignore what God was actually doing all around me; on the metro, tram, bus, in my apartment building or on the streets.  

Even when we did not know we needed God, didn't even know we were not living the way He created us to live .....He entered into our world, He came to us .....He met us.  We must not make ourselves immune to the suffering and pain of the world around us, but where we are, we too must entered into lives .....to live the life of Christ .....as He entered into our world to live the life of God.

If Jesus is God living a human life ....then we have in Him the designer's blueprint for how human beings are meant to live.  If our blueprint of what it is to be human is a person who entered into our world and entered into our suffering ....got strung up on a cross, then we must not detach ourselves from the world.

Jesus entering into our world gives us a vision of how to be human.

Any of us who have been transformed by Christ, need to entered into people's lives.  This lady needed something real, full of life....... she needed a person.  The transforming story of what God does in a human heart comes alive and the life-changing story will touch and change lives.  By sharing our lives we are telling the story of Jesus.

"But what does it all mean?" asked Susan when they were somewhat calmer.
"It means," said Aslan, "that though the Witch knew the Deep Magic, there is a magic deeper still which she did not know. Her knowledge goes back only to the dawn of Time. But if she could have looked a little further back, into the stillness and the darkness before Time dawned, she would have read there a different incantation. She would have known that when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor's stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backwards."

And the joy – the deepest, most fantastic joy of all – is that there is a “deeper magic” available for all of us.

Ch. 15 : Deeper Magic from Before the Dawn of Time