Maybe I Shouldn't Share....

...but I will anyway.

I told the Lord tonight, on my long drive home, that I was tired of coming home to an empty house and an empty bed.

So I walked into my bedroom and out from the folds of my comforter walks a three inch long, and an inch thick - cockroach, trying to bury himself in my sheets.

And of course I can hear God laughing. "What? It's all I had on such short notice!"

I think I'd rather go to bed ALONE :)

I Give Myself Away...

It's late and the song continually spirals through my mind..."I give myself away, so you can use me...I give myself, I give myself to you..."

When I first hear this song, I heard pride in it. "Look at me God, I'm such a good person. I'm giving myself to you, aren't you so lucky? You get to use me..."

In the last 9 months I've been watching the life of a leader close to me and seeing him and his wife literally "give themselves away." I've seen them sell their belongings to follow the cause of Christ. I've watched them forsake personal comfort and security. I've seen them struggle with fear and desparation, but they've remained faithful to "giving themselves away." Why do they do it? What motivates them? Pride and personal gain...you get to use me God...that falls off as an excuse very quickly. So what is it?

and then I remember Jesus saying, unless you forsake all else and follow me, I cannot use you.

So now when I hear this song and see the examples laid out before me, I consider the sacrifice involved. "God, I give all that I have, all that I am, in hopes that I may be used by you. I am becoming nothing, so that you can become everything...I give myself to you."

The next time you sing this song, think about the reality of the pledge you're making to the Father. What an honor it is to give myself away...

I Give Myself Away

Chorus:
I give myself away
I give myself away
So You can use me
I give myself away
I give myself away
So You can use me

Verse 1:
Here I am
Here I stand
Lord, my life is in your hands
Lord, I'm longing to see
Your desires revealed in me
I give myself away

Verse 2:
Take my heart
Take my life
As a living sacrifice
All my dreams all my plans
Lord I place them in your hands

Bridge:
My life is not my own
To you I belong
I give myself, I give myself to you

77 in 777

I was aiming to write a list of a 101 things that I want to accomplish in the next 1001 days. However, life's been so crazy, I could only hit 77 and I didn't want to keep you guys waiting. So pop on over to the next page and take a look at my list.

If you want to join me in any of the ventures, please do :)

I am blessed.

Ephesians 5

 ¹Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children ²and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
 ³But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. ⁴Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. ⁵For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.^{[a] 6}Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. ⁷Therefore do not be partners with them.
 ⁸For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light ⁹(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) ¹⁰and find out what pleases the Lord. ¹¹Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. ¹²For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. ¹³But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, ¹⁴for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said:
   "Wake up, O sleeper,
      rise from the dead,
   and Christ will shine on you."
 ¹⁵Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. ¹⁷Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. ¹⁸Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. ¹⁹Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, ²⁰always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
 ²¹Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

We'll talk about this soon. 

Dear Friends

Dear Friends,
I promise that I plan on sending you my love and greetings on this here blog site. However, as of late, my life has taken an insanely crazy twist. Since the accident, and my last blog post, I have moved in with Lezlie and Chris to help them through the nights. I love living with them and getting to spend more time with my sister and getting to know Chris better, but it leaves little time to blog on top of the busy work schedule and soon to be class schedule.

Announcement. Announcemnet. As of August 17th, I will officially begin graduate school at North Georgia Collega and State University. I'm pursuing my MBA in hopes that it will help me in the future with starting my own non-profit and for-profit business. I've very excited and blessed with the opportunity to go back and learn more.

An update on the patients. Lezlie went back to work yesterday for the first time since June 18th. They both had MRI's last wednesday/thursday and they found that Lezlie torn a ligament in her left knee, which totally explains why she's been in so much pain with it and the swelling hasn't gone down. She'll be getting her second brace her as soon as it comes in. So yeah for double braces.

Chris went back to work today and worked a full hour :) Props to him for getting out of the house, although he won't start back for at least another week. (of course he's attached to his blackberry and his laptop at home, but Bruce has done an amazing job keeping things running).

I'm working on new post for you guys and I've been at it for almost two weeks now. It's called 101 in 1001 and its going to be fantastic. You just have to come back and check it out next week.

Until then, I pray the Lord is continuing to show favor and grace on your life and you are realizing the depths of His love for you. As my good friend says every time I say goodbye to him, call me if you need anything.

relentlessly serving Him,

Kelly

A Picture Says A Thousand Words

If a picture says a thousand words, the summary is this: 

We are blessed.

We are loved. 

We are held in the palm of His hands. 

Drive carefully my friends.

hard to believe.

It's hard to believe that its barely going on 9 in the morning and I've already got three hours of work behind me.
This week has been a learning experience, to say the least. For those of you just checking in, Lezlie and Chris were in a head on collision 6 days ago. Liz was in a car accident in Jamacia three days ago.  I promise, I'm  not planning on getting into any accidents today. No thank you.

Lezlie and Chris are both home and resting. Family and friends have been in and out of  the house bringing food, conversation, and laughter. Laughter may not be the best medicine, since Chris has a bruise over his heart the size of Texas. Lezlie can laugh, just shy of killing her broken rib(s).  They both complain that they never get enough time together. No problems there, they'll be sharing the living room  lazy boy chairs for the next two weeks together. Watching them  has the potential to make one sick. The mush is so thick, mom  has to mop it off the floor twice a day.  Imagine two cripples, standing on crutches, bending only at the joints that are still working, trying to kiss, trying to hug. Kissy Kissy Smoochie Smoochie. Yes,  I had to leave the room..

Liz survived her accident just fine. She and the Jamacia team  are on their way home tonight. Grandparents are also on the way into town.  Kim  & Krista, two of the greatest girlfriends I could ever ask for, just made their way back to Florida yesterday. We had a great time this last week, despite the hospital visits, random  trips to walmart and the house. We hiked Amicalola on Friday and I can still feel every single one of those 425 steps, (the equivalent of 21 flights of stairs).  Saturday we truly hit the town (after a random  trip to the hospital and walmart). World of Coke was the coolest place ever. You never realized how brilliant Coca-Cola's marketing team  is, until you realize that 1.6 billion cokes are consumed everyday.  We hit up Atlantic Station for some good girl time shoe shopping. Flip Burger Boutique definitely ruled as the best burger (& atmosphere) in town. Sunday we met up with Charlie Dawes, an amazing leader and mentor friend from  Southeastern.  He spoke truth to our leadership team  and I truly appreciate him  taking time out of his schedule.  Sunday night (after more girlie shopping) we hit up the famous Stone Mountain Laser Show. If you haven't seen this one, it's not the best its ever been, but it's still a load of fun for $10.00.  The fireworks definitely make the show spectacular. It's like the fourth of July :) *wink*

This past week could have been a disaster. It could have been insanity, and though it was busy, it turned out to be a beautiful week.  The Lord was present in every moment. He sent me my girls to hold me up when I wanted to cry. He knew everything that was going to happen this last week and through it all, He's been holding us all in the palm  of His hands.

Continue to pray for healing for Lezlie and Chris, safety for the Jamacia team,, strength for Pastor Gabe & Tami, and increase for the church.  Oh, and I'm  sure mom  could use some prayers for rest and strength.

You are beautiful.

Update 6-26-10

It's going on midnight and the last several days have definitely begun to take their toll. On top of this week's adventures, Liz was in a car accident in Jamacia tonight. From what we understand, everyone is fine. She's just a bit shaken up and mom is also a bit concerned that more accidents are on the way.

Lezlie is home resting tonight. The doctors are still very concerned about her spleen rupturing, so she's on strick no moving around. The next 7 to 14 days are critical to her healing. No travelling. No jumping up and down. Parasailing probably isn't an option for awhile. Her knees are getting more flexible and relaxed as the swelling goes down. She's walking (with crutches) a little easier today.

Chris is still in a lot of pain. He came through the surgery Thursday GREAT. The doctor thought it was going to be a lot more intense of a surgery, but when the twisted the tibia back into place, things started coming together easily. He should be on two crutches for 3 weeks, and then one crutch for 3 more weeks, so hopefully 6 weeks and he's back on his feet. His chest is hurting him a lot today.

There's a quick update.
Again today we are grateful that God has protected them through all of this.
Thank you to those who have dropped food off, helped us move Lazy-Boy's and brought us dinner, tooth brushes, and soap. You guys are wonderful.

Grace & Peace.

Update 9am

Chris and Lezlie are...well...hurting this morning. It's been a long night in a hospital bed.

Chris' surgery is schedule for noon. Please be praying as doctors go into repair his leg and insert a rod and pins and a pain pack. He'll be sleeping the next couple of days, but letters of love and encouragement are well appreciated!

Lezlie's awake this morning and she's hurting. She's stiff and having difficulty moving. Please be praying for her pain management as well. Because of the fracture on her knee, she will be doing some physical therapy (yet to be decided how much), but she won't be on her feet for a while (which poor baby, are really bruised too!)

We're grateful that they are alive.
We know God's Grace.
We've seen it in action this week.
All Glory and Honor goes to Him.

Thank you for your prayers.

saved her life.

Today is a day of Grace. 

Around 5pm this afternoon, Lezlie and Chris were on their way home from Chris' Grandfather's funeral in Kentucky. Twenty minutes away from the house, a gentleman swerved into their lane and crashed head on into Lezlie's little honda. He said that the GPS had fallen off the windshield and he reached down to pick it up. When he looked at the road again, the car in front of him had slammed it's brakes. He swerved to avoid hitting them. He was doing 65 miles an hour when he impacted Chris (on the driver side). Chris was doing close to 55 miles an hour. The airbags deployed and the ambulances rushed them both to the hospital quickly. The car, of which I will post pictures later, is completely destroyed. I'd be surprised if any joint or hinge in the car is still in tact. 

I got to the hospital a little after 6pm. Of course, when something serious happens, the town of Dahlonega decides to choose that particular day to repave roads. Sitting in traffic, not knowing the situation at the hospital nor any details of the wreck, you'd think I would have FREAKED out of my skin. Somehow I sat there completely calm, just waiting, knowing today was not the day to cause another accident. My poor mother couldn't handle a two-for-one. See, even in this little detour of my own blog, you're probably wanting me to move onto how Lezlie and Chris are doing.  I knew that it was bad. Mom was close to hysterical and not rationalizing on the phone...but yet I was calm. I only have one answer. Jesus was with me.

I arrived at the hospital and learned the details of the accident, in which I then demanded to see my sister. She's my sister, the only one (of two) that I have and I'm sorry to all the others waiting to see her, She's mine. When I got back to her, she was in severe pain. I've never seen her make that face before. She held up like a trooper, but as the nurse and I undressed her and settled her into the newest fashion trend (blue diamonds, open sling back, ties at top), I knew everything in her was screaming. 

CT Scan and X-Rays revealed that she had two broken ribs, she has a laceration on her spleen and her kidney, and to top the cake, she's fractured her knee. The bruising on her leg is sad. They've wrapped her knee, pricked her with a thousand needles (of which I almost told the nurses off about), taken more pints of blood then she has in her body, and stuck her with a morphine drip for the night. The doctors want to monitor to make sure the spleen doesn't rupture through the night and tomorrow. Why she isn't in worse shape, I have no idea, other than to say: Jesus was with her.

Chris' injuries, although more severe, will take just as much time to heal. He shattered his tibula and his fibula. The Tibula is twisted funky as well. Tomorrow morning the orthopedic surgeon will be piecing him back together. They plan on inserting a steel rod and some pins to help out the bone back together. From what I understand, it's a permanent setup, plate and all. Airport security is going to be fun :) He should be back on his feet, although not running, here in a couple weeks. He's in a cast tonight, morphine drip, the whole shabang. Why he isn't in worse shape, I have no idea, other than: Jesus was with him.

The general surgeon (the organ guy, I like to call him) came in and looked at Lezlie's injuries around her waste and his comment to them both was, minus the seat belts and airbags,  they would have both been killed instantly because of the trauma to the organs. The doctor said: The seatbelt saved your life. 

So as parents sleep in hospital fake pull out couches that really yield no sleep at all, I'm sitting at home preparing for the day tomorrow and continuing to help manage one crisis in the series of many family moments these last few days...and all I can think is wow. The doctors statement was false. Today I see it again that God is the giver of life. Yes, the seatbelt was instrumental in minimilizing the injuries, but Jesus saved their lives. 

I could be planning two funerals tonight and grieving over my sister and my brother, instead, I'm rejoicing that God has given us another day to live life together. It's the reminder: Life is but a vapor....it's here and then its.....

Life today - right now - this moment - is a precious and fragile gift from God. You can waste it being stupid, allowing bitterness, anger, envy, and unforgiveness to swell up in your heart. You don't even have to waste it doing stupid selfish things, like drinking yourself into the grave....Self-righteousness and pride can take it just the same.  Live today. Anger Free. Worry Free. Forgiven and forgiving others. Love today. Love beyond yourself. 

Jesus saved Lezlie and Chris' lives today, but He saved mine too. He saved yours. What are you going to do with it? 

 

from the heart.

Today I decided its time once again to update the world on the craziness of my life. I thought I'd talk about the amazing leadership concepts I am  studying, or the way God' moving in Dahlonega, the connection to new people, or even the life at the coffee shop.

Instead, I feel another conversation pressing its way to the surface, the thing you want to supress and keep to yourself, but you know it will find its way out anyways...so this comes straight from the heart...

Deep in the pit of my very being is an intense desire. It burns as the internal eternal flame... At it's core is the desire to know God in all intimacy and live life at a higher level. It is because of this flame that I move forward, unaware of the pressures and waves of life that tend to overwhelm  most.

But lately, I've been overwhelmed. I've talked before about how the only thing I want to be overwhelmed with is His love, and as life takes its toll, wrapping myself again inside the Father's love changes everything. Lately though, I've been overwhelmed with decisions...decisions...decisions...life changing-defining-shifting-moving-reprioritizing decisions.

Talking with your parents is great when it comes to making decisions. They have mounds of wisdom and years of experience and they may actually be able to shed light on why you do what you do. They have known you (how you behave, think, act, what motivates you, ect) your whole life.

In talking with my mother the other night, she gave me one of life's great lessons when it comes to decision making. She told me that sometimes God doesn't speak loudly, but He sends the Spirit of Peace to mark out the path...check this out:

Phillipians 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I don't know what decisions you are making today, but hand them  over again and again and again to the Lord and let His peace guard your heart and mind as you walk it out. Know that the Lord can lead you to the right decision in His perfect timing, and give you peace as you walk through it...

"In all things, I will magnify the Lord...for He's been good to me."

Grace & Peace.

Wood Shavings.

This week I bought my first big girl office desk. I've been using an old school 1980's styled teachers desk and it's got to go. I've been looking in thrift stores to furniture shops all across Atlanta for the last four months looking for exactly what I want. I found it last Wednesday at Way Point Thrift store and I ended up being able to buy it for - get this folks - $24.50. Seriously!

So I brought this beautiful piece home and I've been staring at it for 5 days now, waiting until I'll have the time to get my hands dirty with it. It's not that it needs so much repair, its just picked up drink stains, marker spots, and scratches. It's a light wood but I want it to be espresso/ebony black.

Yesterday I spend the evening stripping it down. My father laughs that his daughter who is a pastor had to go out and buy a stripper. Come on dad, is that the best you've got? I thought about how much junk we pick up living in this world. The stains we encounter, the marks...The chemical reaction of the stripper to the wood was incredible to watch. Easily, I was able to scrap away the stains...but the surface of the wood was still rough.

So this morning I pulled out dad's handy dandy electric sander and went to work. I spent a little over an hour sanding it down to perfection. The wood shines again, as though the table was just built. It's surface is smooth and ready for the new coat of stain.

Then I thought about Jesus and how He was a master carpenter and still is very much so. He finds us in the junk bin of a thrift store, pulls us home, strips away the marks of the world, continues to sand us and shape us into our full potential, and restores us to all that we were supposed to be in the beginning. He makes us useful again. Restores purpose. Restores beauty.

Wood Desk: $24.50
Stain & Stripper: $11.76
Realization of Christ's love all over again: Priceless

Lost in Psalm.

This week I've gotten myself lost in the book of Psalm. David, although he didn't write the whole book, was a beautiful musician. I think what I'm finding so refreshing about David is the place of human-ness that he conversed with God from. He's utterly human in his writing. There's no pretense of perfection. He's not writing to get comments on his blog or sell a book, or have his songs hit #1 in the Christian radio industry. He's writing from the place of raw life. Tending sheep. Running from Saul. Struggling to hear God's voice and be heard by God. Honesty. Sincerity.

David did something that set him apart from others though. David Praised. David exalted God in the midst of his crap. God, this this and this is going on and it sucks, but why are you downcast my soul, praise God..trust God, embrace God...

Here's my favorite from the week. I've read this one about 12 times this week, I can't seem to get away from it.

Psalm 66:16-20

Come and listen, all you who fear God;
       let me tell you what he has done for me.
 I cried out to him with my mouth;
       his praise was on my tongue.
 If I had cherished sin in my heart,
       the Lord would not have listened;
 but God has surely listened
       and heard my voice in prayer.
 Praise be to God,
       who has not rejected my prayer
       or withheld his love from me!

Today I praise God, for as He answers my prayers, I know His love remains unwavering. Praise be to God, who knows that which we need before we need it. Praise be to God. Praise be to God.

The Trust Muscle.

These past four weeks have been tough! Let's be real. Waiting is tough. Seeking God, totally easy. Get on your face, humble yourself, repent, rejoice in him, listen, pray, read the Word. Seeking God requires time and intentionality but waiting on Him. Sitting still? Remaining quiet? Doing the last thing He told you to do and waiting for Him to move the next thing...UGH, what a pain! I was talking to a friend last night and she said this to me and I must share it with you.

Waiting is flexing that muscle that we don't like to use, it's called trust.

Thanks Kim, that one bites. The truth is, I trust the Lord, I know I trust Him, so the longer I wait, the more that muscle grows, but muscles under too much strain give out. Curl 25lbs long enough it will start to feel like 200lbs. I feel my muscles getting weak and tired. So my question tonight is what do I need to do to keep a healthy trust muscle? At 4am, the only thing I can come up with is knowing that as I'm waiting, He's waiting to show me something marvelous He's already done.

In the silence, God's doing something.

Servant Leadership.

What an incredible week this week! God's been rocking the boat the last month and shaking things up for His Glory and I love it! Rescue Youth out of Life Church @ Auburndale came up to Dahlonega AG on their RoadRules 2010 Tour. They were incredible! Brad Chandler, their amazing youth pastor, and I ran into each other (randomly in Lakeland, FL) in Starbucks the first week of March as he was looking for a place to fill as the final destination of the trip. God totally worked it out for them to help us prepare for the GREATEST Easter Egg Hunt EVER given as a FREE GIFT to the community. We desperately needed their help! Brad asked me to speak to his students on the important of servant leadership, since this was one of their main focus' for the week the kids were travelling.

Let's be honest. My brain was absolutely scattered between Easter Eggs, Family Connections Agency, organizing the basement, cleaning the church, and the other small hundred little things they helped us with. So when I got the opportunity to stand in front of the kids, I didn't get to share clearly everything that God had laid on my heart over this last week.

and then it hit me. This is servant leadership. Getting lost in the ministry and forgetting your own life. Two words come to mind when  I think about servant leadership: Sacrifice and Surrender. #1. Servant Leadership is the call to sacrifice, it's the call to come and die. Preach that on a Sunday morning. You want to be a leader, kill yourself. The message doesn't quite come across as invitational and exciting. But you will sacrifice if you decide you want to walk in the example of Christ. It won't necessarily be the things you generally think about when it comes to sacrificing. It's everything, finances to sanity of mind, to emotions, and even at times, human contact. You may come to the place where no one understands your call and your heart, but God himself. No one else carries the burden for you, which is why you must cling to the Savior. For He knows the burning flame upon your heart.

#2. Servant Leadership is surrender. Congratulations, you no longer have control to dictate your own life. You cannot decide where to live, who you want to minister to, who you want to love, what you want to do. It's now about where He wants you to be, what He wants you to do, how He wants you to do it, when He wants you to do it, and who He wants you to minister to. You don't get to choose the people that you're called to. The most important thing I have learned in ministry: You are not called to change people. God Changes People. You are called to surrender to the Lord and love them no matter what they look like, smell like, talk like, think like, act like....Servant Leadership...the call to surrender all that you have and all that you are, and all that you dream can be, place it in the Master's Hands and listen.

The two most important things needed for servant leadership:

A. A Servant Leader is neither a servant nor a leader without the Holy Spirit. You can serve in your own strength for so long and you can even be good at it. However, nature to the human condition is a sin called pride and "servant hood" has a way of boosting our egos to dangerous levels. I have met many leaders who are amazing at what they do, but today are stuck because of their own egos. I recently met a pastor of church of 80,000 people. I introduced myself as a young pastor excited about the things that God was doing in North Georgia. I waited and waited for him to speak something of a blessing or word of encouragement..."Run after God with all you have..." Something that speaks of a previous generation empowering the next...and I was met with silence. Instead, my response to this pastor was, "May God bless the work of your hands as you continue to labor in the Kingdom." and I walked away. This man may be a leader and great at it, but there was a disconnect. Perhaps he was distracted by the events surrounding him. Perhaps I caught him off guard. He could have taken the time to speak something that would have resounded in my heart for years to come, but he said nothing. He missed an opportunity to speak life. Perhaps he's so used to speaking to the 80,000 that He's forgotten how to speak to one. That's what I love about the Lord. He left the 99 to go after the 1. He rejoices for one. But how easy is it to forget that message when your own ego is boosted by success, fame, power,...? You fill in the blank. This is why the Spirit's constant guiding in your life is necessary for the call to servant leadership. John 14:26 "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." The Spirit points us towards Christ, that our eyes are steadfast fixed upon Him. If Peter had kept His eyes on Jesus, he wouldn't have sank. Christ. Let's us fix our eyes upon Jesus...the author and finisher of our faith...


B. A Servant Leader must develop a healthy prayer life. Ask any marriage therapist and the number #1 problem in every marriage is communication. Misunderstandings. Misread intentions. Misguided actions. Communication breakdown. If you've chosen to walk the path of a servant leader, you've stepped into a Covenant Relationship with Christ. You've taken up your cross and decided to follow. How now shall we live? Many would tell you to begin reading a devotional on spiritual disciples and YES - spiritual disciplines are vital to the health of your soul, but the goal is all the same - better communication with Christ. Lessening of one's self so that Christ can be more clearly heard. Develop a lifestyle of prayer. Paul said to pray without stopping. Continuous conversation with the Father. Here's my thing. I work 65+ hours a week. I get up, I go to work, I go home, I go to bed....when should I pray? I pray all the time. In the car, at work, on the way home, on break, I'm in constant communication with the Lord, asking Him things, telling Him things, probably trying to get Him to do things, but ultimately, I'm learning to ask His opinion in everything that I say, think, and do. However, there are times when I must put myself in a position of surrender and pray. I mean face on the ground, God you have to move now, shake things up, manifest your Glory, take it all, shake it all, move the mountain, Bless the Lord, prayer times, okay? Prayer has to be continual, but it also must be intentional. I learned so much about prayer during one season in my life where I was up by 5:30am everyday to pray with a group of amazing young people. That season, I felt like God was walking hip to hip with me everyday. Be ready, when you set aside that time with the Lord, His Spirit does things in you and for you that you cannot imagine.

So get ready, sacrifice all that you have, surrender all that you are, ask God to fill you with His Spirit, and constantly communicate with your heavenly Father and I know that God will take you from where you are and move you to the place He wants you to be...It all starts with surrender....Be blessed.

Days Gone By...

To my faithful fans and loyal readers, I apologize for being absent these past two weeks. There has been so much that God has been shifting and wrecking in me and it's been a trip to process it all.

Two weeks ago, I prayed the prayer, "God manifest your glory in my life. Shake us up. Do something." I have to encourage all of you reading, this is a very dangerous prayer to pray. God is moving in every area of my life.

Here are some things that I have come to understand in the last two weeks, each should have their own blog, but for the sake of time, bullets will have to do.

* No one will understand the call nor the burden that you carry. I'm  not just talking about the title "pastor" although this is a tough title to carry, the burden is personal. I know what and where and to whom God has called me to in this season. It doesn't make sense to others why I am where I am.

* The place where God calls you is a place of sacrifice. It requires more of you than you ever expect or anticipate. However, the rewards are well worth the present pain.

* I don't like discipline. It's tough when you feel like you are constantly being disciplined by the Lord. However, the rewards of discipline are well worth it.

* God's timing is far superior to our time. If His design of the heavens is any example of the kind of designer He is, His timing is far more immaculate. Be encouraged, wait on God, His timing.

* This world is desperately broken and desperately in need of the saving love of Jesus Christ.

So the prayer continues, "God shake us up, do something in our lives, be glorified in and through us. Continue  your discipline in our lives. Be King of our lives. Shake us up."

Bless the Lord

God is wrecking my world, minute by minute, He has my full attention.
I have a job interview today and I'm in the place where I don't want to do anything without God's permission. I want the Glory of God to infiltrate my life. Everything that I do and all that I am, be fully saturated with the Presence of God.

God, Be Glorified in my life. Be lifted high today. Bring us to a place of unity. Wake us up God. Wake up your bride. Shake the foundations.

O My God

whew. 


I cannot even express to you the urgency that I feel in my Spirit. Tonight I was reading in Isaiah, getting my Spirit back in line with the Word of God and an overwhelming sense of His Presence hit me between the eyes. There's a million things I read that I could share with you, but the Lord spoke over and over, "I'm about to shake the foundations of the earth...I'm shaking the foundations...I'm gonna shake the earth." Glory to God. 


I hit Isaiah 6, where Isaiah mentions the death of the passion of King Uzziah and He makes the statement, "In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke."


The (NIV) if that is what you are comfortable with, reads "


"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; 
       the whole earth is full of his glory."

At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.



The Throne Room of God, the Dwelling Place of the Most High shook with the praises of the Elders, of the Angels, and the Saints. Perhaps the largest structure in existence, shook with the Praises of Yahweh. "Holy Holy...the Earth if FILLED!" 


and the Lord says, I'm gonna shake the earth with my Glory. The Whole Earth will be Full of My Glory and all will bow, every tongue brought to confession. 


Fill the earth God. Fill the earth. 


I love Isaiah's response in the next part of the text. "WOE TO ME. WAIT, I'm a MAN OF UNCLEAN LIPS AND I'VE JUST SEEN GOD." O if that was our cry today, WAIT, I'm screwed up, I can see God, there He is, I'm unworthy." O if we could humble ourselves. O if we would look up and see God, High and Lifted up in our own lives. 


How many times do we come to this place where we can see God, in all His Splendor and Glory and forget that we are unclean. There He is, but we're not done with halfway living, with one foot pointed towards the Kingdom and the other left in the muck of our own mess. 


Halfway won't work anymore. Now is the time to throw off the old self, which is the path Jesus said would lead to destruction, now is the time to move in the direction of the Throne Room and join in the Song. "Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God Almighty... The whole earth is filled with the Glory of God." My life is filled with the Glory of God. 


Throw off everything that can hold you back. Cast it aside and run now to the throne room of Grace, for the Lord is about to shake the earth with His Glory. 

sitting.on.the.floor.

So tonight I've chosen a different place to blog from. I'm sitting on the floor of my parent's home, not quite in the living room, but rather in the empty space between the living room, kitchen, and well practically the rest of the house. The more I think about it, the more I realize how unused and ignored this space really is. There's nothing really exciting to do here, other than to sit.

This floor is symbolic in a way of my life right now. This floor joins the other pieces of the house together and without it, it would be impossible to move comfortably around the house. Granted, we could always enter the dining room from the kitchen and circle back around to the living room, but the bedrooms and basement would be completely cut off. So what is this space? I think it's a transition space.

I feel like this is where I'm living my life. At times, I've lived life in the waiting rooms. You guys have read about that in the past. In other seasons, I find myself hidden away in a cave, where only God alone can find me. There's the desert, the mountain top, the valley, etc. We've all been there. Today, I find myself in a transition space. The space in between where I have come from and where I am going. It's a quiet place. There are few distractions here. I could rest here, although I know I can't stay too long before my legs go numb.

Where I am going, I have yet to know. How soon it will take to get there, tis a great question. But I know somehow I'm going to make it. By the grace of God, I'm going to make it. I ran along this quote the other day and every time I read it, it encourages me to continue to let God be God in my life. My gift to you. Mozal Tov.

"My life cannot be wasted because living inside of me is a God who cannot fail."
David Crenshaw

All Things

In all things I will magnify the Lord,
For He has done great things...

For we know that all things work together for the good
of those who love the Lord and are called according to
His purposes...

I am the Lord who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the whole earth by myself...

With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible...

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the FAther will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you...

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some...

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need you will abound in every good work.

What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Jesus Christ my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.

For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

The Son is the radiance of God's glory and exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by is pweful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.