Cappuccino or a Pumpkin Spice Latte

It seems as I blog in seasons.  I suppose that is true as there are times I have more time to process life and stuff. So, I am going to try and blog about once a week.  What am I writing you ask?
Well, it will be like we are having a conversation over a cup of coffee about things that we are processing about life.

If you want to relax and sip a cappuccino with me I would be delighted. If you need to grab a pumpkin spice latte to go and just want to see the table, I am ok with that. Really its just going to be a place that I muse about the journey the Lord continues to take us on.


Hope to see you for some caffeine shortly!
Till then enjoy time, rest, and stillness in the Lord. One thing I know He desires more than anything is to just be with you. So, take some time and be in the presence of our Saviour!

Oh Come all Ye Faithful

I was listening to the Christian Broadcasting Network App today and I was struck for the first time with the words of O Come All Ye Faithful. Well not all the lyrics but by the first verse.

O come, all ye faithful,
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him,
Born the King of Angels!


What jumps out to you?  Its a song we have sung many times before but for some reason I overlooked the first verse. That in and of itself is amazing to me. How I can sing a song and not even compute what I am singing. How is that??

I digress, I am off on a tangent. 

Getting back to the point.

O come, (pause) ALL YOU FAITHFUL

JOYFUL AND TRIUMPHANT.

OK, come all you who are faithful. Faithful to Christ, faithful to following after Christ, faithful in hearing his words and doing them. 

(note) In what way have I been faithful? In what way now am I faithful to the call of Christ in my life and heart? Each day He calls me to something but am I faithful? AM I FAITHFUL? 

OK, the next part Joyful and Triumphant. 

(note) Those that are faithful will be joyful. Those that are faithful will be triumphant (not defeated). This is where it hit my heart. If I am faithful I WILL be joyful and I won't be defeated. Its easier said than done. Its an action, a daily surrender of our wills to his. Its choosing moment by moment to focus on what is right, true, noble, praiseworthy, excellent and of good report. In Philippians 4: 8-9 it says to think on these things and God promises peace. Yes Peace. I don't know about you but when I am peaceful I have Joy. 

When I am walking in tune with the Spirit I am joyful and I am not defeated. Its a call to come and behold the King. Come all who are faithful. Come see this King all you who are faithful (even in your brokenness from being faithful) come.  Its a call to come see, come behold, come experience the King. 
So, why don't we? Who came in the Bible to see Him? Who was invited? 
Would you go see the King? Would you be a faithful traveler? 


Are you a faithful joyful follower of Christ? What brings you joy this season, is it gifts? Is it a person? 

I want to behold the King this Christmas and be called by Him faithful, joyful and triumphant. What a thing to be characterized by; Faithful, Joyful and Triumphant. 

Philippians 4:8-9

As I have journeyed this life in the variety of places one thing I have come to see is our need as believers to set our minds on things of Christ rather than things of this world. The verse the Lord is constantly putting before my heart is Philippians 4:8-9. Its putting that into practice daily and intentionally wherever I am. 

Its so easy to stay bitter and stay in a place where there is no growth and your relationship with the Lord gets blocked. Life is hard, people are hard I completely understand that but I have also learned I have a choice. I can stay in a perpetual state of criticism and bitterness or I can chose to believe the best in others.  

God has done a huge work in my heart because when I came to Korea I had some bitterness spilling out me. I missed out from complete fellowship with the Lord  by remaining in bitterness and hurt . It took me a year to process and release all that junk and unclog the arteries of my soul and restore a peace in my heart.  Restoration requires pain to be restored from and that requires a Savior to be the redeemer and restorer. 

I am all to familiar with feelings as I am a deep, deep feeler.  My 5 strength finder results are: Empathy, Restorative, Connectedness, Belief and Developer.So what? What does this mean? 

Simply put, I feel deep for others and long for them to be restored to the Lord and with others. I see all things connected and I feel their pain.  In ministry this is so helpful but personally its really hard to not feel. For years my feelings ping around like an uncontrollable ball bouncing. That's always a fun person to be around.  What I learn thanks to great leaders and mentors who poured into my life is deep feelings for others is a wonderful gift but you need to be under the control of the Holy Spirit and the Kingship of the Lord. Without feelings under control you will burn out and fry. So, painfully I began to practice intentionally bringing all my thoughts and feelings captive unto the Lord.  

Just like with anything you move two steps forward and one step back.  The key is to never give up. In my weak times I got hurt and had a hard time climbing out from that hurt and forgiving. Yet again a fellow follower of Christ leaned in and pushed me back into the fold and road to Christ. I am so grateful for the willingness of the Body of Christ to be bold in LOVE to encourage me and challenge me into a right unclogged relationship with the Lord.  This requires humility. It is Humility that you learn to see what others see (good and bad) and grow from that. Unfortunately I see so many that ignore wise counsel and walk in pride thinking they are always right and they have no faults. That is so hard to see others bash leaders in their lives because that leader was courageous and exposed a blind spot. I say this mainly because my life has been so radically changed by allowing God fearing leaders access into my life and heart. While it hurts to hear the blind spots and hurts to hear you are broken in areas the growth that comes from those crucial conversations if your heart is walking in humility is SO GREAT! 

I again for the past few weeks began to struggle a little with feeling so deeply with others and that quickly began to bring up past pain. Again, I had to daily take thoughts captive and focus on Philippians 4:8-9. Also, I cried out for help from a fellow God fearer and God used her in a mighty way to bring me back into unclogged arteries.   

I have been working through a series through Philippians and the podcast I listened too wouldn't you know what 4:5-6.  But what struck me was a part that I had glossed over time and time again. I love that about Gods word, its living and breathing. 

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

What the Lord pointed out in my heart is: if there is anything worthy of praise, if there is any excellence think on these things. Did you catch it? With other followers of Christ what are you thinking on with them? When you get wounded, what are you thinking about? Are you thinking on their demise or that you have been a victim and you need people to take sides? 

What does this say? IF THERE IS ANY EXCELLENCE. That means, with those that wound you, in order to have peace and fight for peace, find the nuggets of excellence, and find the nuggets of things that are good. Yes its hard to fight thru the pain and fight through the feelings of " you hurt me, I can't believe you did this" .  An amazing thing happens when you constantly bring your thoughts captive to Christ.  Slowing through a constant putting your thoughts captives and not letting your mind wander into hurt and lies,  your feelings begin to catch up to your obedience to the Lord.  You begin to bear fruit of the Lord, instead of fruit of Satan. When you allow your mind to wander into lies, there is no good fruit that comes from that. Think about this right now in your life. All your past self conversations that dwelled on hurt and anger, what fruit came from that? Did you feel peace after it? Now think about turning the rutter in your head to focus on Godly things and focusing on excellence. What  happens then? I realize you will start about fighting through this and fighting those bad thoughts coming back. God says if you think on Godly things, YOU WILL HAVE PEACE! 

I needed the reminder to focus on the excellence of the people that hurt me, and as fellow brothers and sisters I have no room for thinking on anything other than Gods design and God's qualities for them.  Does this mean I bring them back into my fold and allow them full access into my heart? I don't believe so, but I do strongly believe I need to push my thoughts about them into Gods thoughts about them. Anything less is sin. That's so hard to hear and so hard to come to terms with.  

Bitterness is like a plumbing pipe that has a clogged. It blocks your complete fellowship with the Lord.  Believe me, I had been stopped up for a while, and it took and takes hard work ti unclog and fight for peace. This world does not want us to be at peace. This world wants us to think on revenge, think on anything other than the best on others. 

I think about how many years I spent with a blocked pipe. I do know God brings us on a journey, and Philippians says 

12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. 16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

Be encouraged as you begin this journey and fight through this journey. God promises peace when we think on things of Him! 

 

Musings!

When I say the word Christmas what thought or feeling immediately come to mind. How do we recapture the essence, wonder and  stillness of Christmas.

It might just be my season of life now as I prepare for the next season, but this Christmas I am experiencing something different. Does it have to be just a season I am in and  dismiss it as that? Or can we keep it throughout the seasons of life; the wonder of it all.  I think about what its like as a child to experience Christmas and see that babies face, the simpler time. Are those kids not prideful and scarred like us as adults? simple beauty.  What happens between that time and now, or even as a teenager. What changes? The hurt, the pride the greed. How do we guard against it?

I think as next year we will have our child, and what that will be like. Will she see the beauty and wonder of Christmas? Will she see her Saviour or will she see mom and dad stressed out by all the activities and things to do.

I think in the midst of the holiday, we lose the wonder, we lose something in the midst of serving. The wonder requires us to BE STILL. Being still requires us to wonder. I think they go hand in hand.

Psalm 46:10, BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD!

Being still, what does that look like in Christmas? Can we even achieve it? Where can we recapture the time?

In the stillness, we rediscover EMMAUNUEL. GOD WITH US! 

Best things in life are not things!

http://haasadoption.blogspot.kr/2014/09/the-best-things-in-life-are-not-things.html

The whole30 a whole new you

For those of you that know, and for those of you who don't. Dan and I completed a program called a Whole30. 30 days with no sugar, wheat, and dairy.

Below is a note I put in the Facebook group on our journey.

Well, I just finished my first whole30. I dare say, I can never go back to where I was before. Literally. I am a type 1 diabetic with an insulin pump. I was up to 120 units of insulin a day, and my numbers were so crazy. I am proud to say, that I am now at 60 units total. I don't give myself any insulin for meals, and rarely have high sugars. 

Also, my thyroid levels are good, meaning my medicine is working and I am feeling great. This 30 day program really have given me my life back. I didn't even realise I was trapped in a sickly body... addicted to sugar, and made so many excuses. I have lost 15 pounds, and many more inches.

My energy is up, and I am much more productive. I have done so much research now on food, and such that I can never go back to where I was.

I ended the program with a intestinal parasite that took me into a tale spin of pain. 6 days of pain. when healed, I was afraid to eat fearing that pain would return so I got TERRIBLE TERRIBLE hunger pains. I mean so much so that it made me vomit to get relief! Crazy. Now that I have meds, and resuming slowly the food, (paleo program) I am struck with a few thoughts. Why is it that I never knew hunger before? It makes me think of all those around the world that face that on a moment to moment basis. I am so sad about that, that as an Americian society are so inundated with so much food that most of us don't know hunger. This could just me my take.

Anyhow, I am so grateful for the Whole 30. Its has changed my dependance on food, and my relationship with food. I now feel like myself again only improved!

to facebook or not?

Recently the Lord has begun an overhaul in my heart. I am not sure what He is doing, I just know, I am asked to follow Him. All His ways are good, all His ways are His design for me. So as I have not gone on Facebook as much (have gone on a few times to take some photos off) I am amazed at how many times I want to post something, or say something on a status. I ask the Lord, ok I want to put this on there but... is that what you want? More often than not He says, Be Still.You talk to much. I will  and I AM. Your job now is to be obedient to the things I call you to. 

I stop and think about life before Facebook, about life before the internet. Yes, I am that old...

Seems as though we were not as busy, not a stressed, and didn't have information overload. Could it be that we share so much, (good and bad) that when we do get together there is nothing to talk about? Is that why I see so many people out and about with friends and all they do is look online for conversation, when a person is sitting there in front of them. This realisation came to me from many things actually. First, going on a date night with my amazing hunny and found I wanted to post so much online, that I neglected the moment I was in. Years down the line, when either I die or He dies first, and crave more time with them but knowing now, I didn't take advantage of the time I had with him and desired to go on Facebook more. Second, noticing everyone around me engrossed in their smart phones, that they don't recognise others around them. Could it be that we have missed countless divine moments the Lord has given because we are engrossed in our own life, and Facebook?

See how the Lord is overhauling me right now... so much meditation on His word.... 

Lord, Please mold me for your purposes and in your way. I desire to live a Radical life for you. I don't think you created us for anything less than a radical sold out life for you. Let me LOVE radically. Let me SHARE radically, let me FOLLOW radically.

This is my desire, to honour and follow you!