One of my new favourite things about Jesus is that he keeps his heart open to people. Even when he was on this earth he fully loved people and told them the truth and there was no contradiction in that. He knew that he was going to be despised and rejected and yet over and over again he would chose to love and serve.
In this day and age we find it hard to keep our hearts open to people especially if there is an indication of difficulty or pain involved. If we think there could be rejection or separation on the horizon we would rather get out before we get hurt. How opposite to Jesus.
Jesus died for people who hated him (like us). He washed the feet of men who were going to deny even knowing him.
I have a feeling it's because firstly, he is love, and secondly he was so confident in the love of the Father and the Father was the one he lived to please, so even if people rejected his love he knew his Father delighted in him.
I really want to be like Jesus!
Monday, March 30, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
God, our creator
This week I have had two worship with the Word sets that have awakened my heart again to the wonder of God as creator.
When you read Job 37-38 you see God talking about storehouses of snow, boundary lines for the sea and him telling the lightening where to go. He is the God over all creation, this is to be a comfort to us. In Isaiah 40 Israel are called to remember the Lord God, the creator of the ends of the earth and to wait upon this one who is all knowing and all powerful. It's not just that God has wisdom but he has the power to act according to his wisdom.
When we look at the events of Revelation and we see the natural disasters that will be occurring we can know this: The safest place to be is to make the One who commands the lightning and thunder to be our refuge and to put our trust in him alone.
When you read Job 37-38 you see God talking about storehouses of snow, boundary lines for the sea and him telling the lightening where to go. He is the God over all creation, this is to be a comfort to us. In Isaiah 40 Israel are called to remember the Lord God, the creator of the ends of the earth and to wait upon this one who is all knowing and all powerful. It's not just that God has wisdom but he has the power to act according to his wisdom.
When we look at the events of Revelation and we see the natural disasters that will be occurring we can know this: The safest place to be is to make the One who commands the lightning and thunder to be our refuge and to put our trust in him alone.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
One year left
I'm back in Kansas City after a wonderful time at home. I love New Zealand, I think it's a marvelous place to be able to call home. I enjoyed spending time with my friends and family, especially my niece Caitlin, 13 months is a really fun (and loud) age.
Now I'm back in Kansas City I am looking at this year and asking myself and the Lord what is the best way for me to spend this last year at IHOP? I try to live in state of heart that is always thankful wherever I am and making the most of the season the Lord has me in and well as the opportunities that arise. Hopefully this year will be the same.
I'm excited about what the Lord has planned for me post KC but am determined to not let that rob me of the joy of living in the present now.
Now I'm back in Kansas City I am looking at this year and asking myself and the Lord what is the best way for me to spend this last year at IHOP? I try to live in state of heart that is always thankful wherever I am and making the most of the season the Lord has me in and well as the opportunities that arise. Hopefully this year will be the same.
I'm excited about what the Lord has planned for me post KC but am determined to not let that rob me of the joy of living in the present now.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Why the night watch?
I was talking with my friend and flatmate last night about the night watch. We were basically talking about how amazing it is to live in a community of young adults who have all switched their body clocks and their lives in order to pray in the night
Personally I think this is an unusual phenomenon. Many people stay up late, many people pray at night, many people have the graveyard shift but not many people order their entire lives around keeping a prayer room going from 12-6am and do it in the midst of a community.
I've always said, and this will remain true that I love the night watch because I love telling Jesus I love him and I love his leadership in the midnight hours when the rest of the country are sleeping or doing things you don't want to know about, but the Lord knows.
I also love this community of believers, I think the night watch are some of the weakest people here. We do the night watch because it hedges us in even more to pray and fast. But when I look around the room as I prayer lead sometimes my heart overflows with love for these people I see almost every day. Even those we don't know intimately, we know each others journey, we see one another continue in the place of prayer through difficult seasons and through times of promotion.
I joined the night watch because I wanted to love Jesus in the night, and I can truly say I also love his people in the night.
Personally I think this is an unusual phenomenon. Many people stay up late, many people pray at night, many people have the graveyard shift but not many people order their entire lives around keeping a prayer room going from 12-6am and do it in the midst of a community.
I've always said, and this will remain true that I love the night watch because I love telling Jesus I love him and I love his leadership in the midnight hours when the rest of the country are sleeping or doing things you don't want to know about, but the Lord knows.
I also love this community of believers, I think the night watch are some of the weakest people here. We do the night watch because it hedges us in even more to pray and fast. But when I look around the room as I prayer lead sometimes my heart overflows with love for these people I see almost every day. Even those we don't know intimately, we know each others journey, we see one another continue in the place of prayer through difficult seasons and through times of promotion.
I joined the night watch because I wanted to love Jesus in the night, and I can truly say I also love his people in the night.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
I don't believe in New Years resolutions but...
Maybe this will be the year I will get better at blogging regularly.
So I will give a brief update and recap of my life in bullet points because they are my favourite.
1) My Fall interns left just before Christmas. My new ones arrived 4 days ago, though this time they are track 2 (our internship has two three month tracks) and I'm leading with a wonderful women Eileen.
2) Christmas and New Years were spent with good friends and very enjoyable, though I intended to take photos, I forgot and so I don't really have any evidence of any fun that was had!
3) The onething conference, which is the young adult conference IHOP run at the end of the year was amazing, and I have enjoyed listening to the archives that have been made available for free! Since I was sick for the conference I probably saw more than I would otherwise because I watched it at home instead of working for it
4) I'm going to be with my family in New Zealand for 4 weeks in 2 1/2 weeks and I am pretty excited. I've borrowed dresses for the two weddings I'm attending and can't wait to play with Daniel and Caitlin.
5) I am also looking forward to my sister Jo, her husband Devan and their little boy Jame visiting me in July, the last time I actually saw my whole family in the same year was 2006.
6) I really do want to write more on my blog, probably on topics relating to holiness and the pursuit of the Holy One, so we'll see how we go with that.
7) I think that's a good recap of my life, and maybe I'll actually write more this year. You never know.
So I will give a brief update and recap of my life in bullet points because they are my favourite.
1) My Fall interns left just before Christmas. My new ones arrived 4 days ago, though this time they are track 2 (our internship has two three month tracks) and I'm leading with a wonderful women Eileen.
2) Christmas and New Years were spent with good friends and very enjoyable, though I intended to take photos, I forgot and so I don't really have any evidence of any fun that was had!
3) The onething conference, which is the young adult conference IHOP run at the end of the year was amazing, and I have enjoyed listening to the archives that have been made available for free! Since I was sick for the conference I probably saw more than I would otherwise because I watched it at home instead of working for it
4) I'm going to be with my family in New Zealand for 4 weeks in 2 1/2 weeks and I am pretty excited. I've borrowed dresses for the two weddings I'm attending and can't wait to play with Daniel and Caitlin.
5) I am also looking forward to my sister Jo, her husband Devan and their little boy Jame visiting me in July, the last time I actually saw my whole family in the same year was 2006.
6) I really do want to write more on my blog, probably on topics relating to holiness and the pursuit of the Holy One, so we'll see how we go with that.
7) I think that's a good recap of my life, and maybe I'll actually write more this year. You never know.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Winter coming fast - Summer here I come!
It's becoming very cold here in KC, it's already been below 0 a couple of times, the leaves have fallen and even some snow!
It warms my little heart to know that I will be in NZ summer during the coldest month of the KC year.
In other news, the Lord totally provided for my ticket home - from a person I don't even know! My mum meet someone at her retreat who wanted to give me money after hearing about what I do here. The Lord is my Provider!
Events of recent weeks has caused my to be sober once again in the times that we are living in and I want to give myself to the knowledge of God, not just to know information but to know his heart.
My interns are wonderful, and just thinking about them makes me smile, I don't think I've ever had to answer so many questions but they all have such hungry hearts for truth.
that's me
It warms my little heart to know that I will be in NZ summer during the coldest month of the KC year.
In other news, the Lord totally provided for my ticket home - from a person I don't even know! My mum meet someone at her retreat who wanted to give me money after hearing about what I do here. The Lord is my Provider!
Events of recent weeks has caused my to be sober once again in the times that we are living in and I want to give myself to the knowledge of God, not just to know information but to know his heart.
My interns are wonderful, and just thinking about them makes me smile, I don't think I've ever had to answer so many questions but they all have such hungry hearts for truth.
that's me
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Another attempt at consistancy
I would like to think for the most part that I am consistent. With this blog I am consistent in not writing very much, so I guess that's better than nothing.
Fire in the night started it's Fall track 10 days ago, 80 interns, 5 young women who I am responsible for for the next three months. One thing I like about working with people is it means the same job is never the same. I find that I led so differently track to track depending on the women in my apartment and where think people are at. You don't led an 18 year old and a 30 year old the same way.
Fall is here, and I do like fall, but when I think about it I actually like all the seasons for different reasons.
My sister Jo had her first baby, James and I am so excited, I think it's amazing that in a moment a women becomes a mother, I think it's so cool.
Speaking of cool, I'm going home for a visit in late January. I'm looking forward to it and it makes living in another country easier when you know you get to go home sometimes.
That's all
Fire in the night started it's Fall track 10 days ago, 80 interns, 5 young women who I am responsible for for the next three months. One thing I like about working with people is it means the same job is never the same. I find that I led so differently track to track depending on the women in my apartment and where think people are at. You don't led an 18 year old and a 30 year old the same way.
Fall is here, and I do like fall, but when I think about it I actually like all the seasons for different reasons.
My sister Jo had her first baby, James and I am so excited, I think it's amazing that in a moment a women becomes a mother, I think it's so cool.
Speaking of cool, I'm going home for a visit in late January. I'm looking forward to it and it makes living in another country easier when you know you get to go home sometimes.
That's all
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
