Blowing Dust Off The Bible

Recently I was considering a friend's comments about the need for "solid convictions" and a creed to live by. What came to my mind first was that believing the Bible is the Word of God, and that Jesus Christ is Who He says He is, are two very solid convictions upon which to build our lives. "For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." [I Corinthians 3:11 NKJ] Jesus Himself said that hearing and obeying His words is like building a house on solid rock. [Matthew 7:24-27 & Luke 6:47-49]

After that conversation, I had a mental image of a person blowing dust off a Bible. It was a good-sized Bible, leather-bound and well-worn, which spoke to me of someone who was not new to reading the Word and had perhaps carried their Bible to church or elsewhere many times in the past. This Bible also had a small flimsy lock on it, like you would see on a little girl's diary - not much of a barrier, not even fully closed - it was something easily opened. That lock reminded me of the phrase "treasures of God's heart," and also something I'd heard Bill Johnson teach, that "God doesn't hide things from us, He hides things for us." Like a parent who doesn't try too hard to conceal himself when playing hide-and-seek with a young child, our heavenly Father enjoys us and wants us to enjoy discovering Him through His Word.

As I thought about this picture for a few days, part of the meaning seemed obvious, while other interpretations seemed to develop over time (like a photo in a darkroom). For example, if your Bible is gathering dust, well, you might take this as a message to pick it up again - that would seem somewhat obvious. However, I also remember hearing a Texas preacher say, "We've been accustomed to reading the Bible like it's an old, old book that ain't hardly so" and we need to stop doing that! I sense that, if God was speaking to me through that "mental picture," He might be encouraging more than just reading the Bible more regularly - perhaps He is also inviting us to allow Him to renew the scriptures for us, to unlock the treasures of His Word in a fresh way.

A few of my own Bible reading experiences are described below. It's not a checklist of things to do - I simply hope that one or more of these thoughts may inspire or "blow dust off the Bible" for some of you:

A Time and Place
Someone told me that if you will make a time and place to meet with God, He will always show up. Like many of us, I like a cup of coffee (espresso) to help me wake up in the morning. I used to stop by my local Starbucks for a favorite concoction before work, timing that trip so I could spend about 10 to 20 minutes reading the Bible over a latte before I continued on to the office. Now I have a little espresso-maker at home, so I can settle into my recliner and spend up to an hour with God's Word while I'm still waking up. I never used to be "a morning person," but over the years this has become my favorite time of day. I also used to have trouble "settling down" before going to sleep at night, and I find that a little evening time in the scriptures brings peace.

A Fresh Perspective
Having read the Bible daily for about 28 years, I find I'm tempted to skim too quickly over scriptures I "already know" because I've read them so many times before. Slowing down (of course) or picking up a different translation of the Bible can help me "blow the dust off" so I read with a more open mind and heart. I like the New International Version and New Living Translation for clear and understandable language, and The Message paraphrase often gives a fresh perspective on familiar passages. Sometimes I enjoy reading the introductions to each book to get a sense of when, where, why, who wrote those chapters, etc. While I don't like to over-intellectualize, it certainly adds greater depth of understanding to consider more than a few verses taken out of context!

A Balanced Plan
As for a greater sense of the whole... how many of us have determined to "read the Bible in a year," starting with an ambitious reading plan in January, only to get bogged down in Leviticus or Numbers? For several years, I enjoyed reading the One Year Bible in New Living Translation. Daily readings include Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms & Proverbs - so I got a sense of the sequential flow of each book, with enough variety each day that I didn't get "stuck" and give up too soon. During the first year, I fell in love with God's Word like never before - as Gloria Copeland has said, what we give our attention to will determine our hunger. In fact, I so enjoyed having read the entire Bible that I continued to read this way daily for 5 or 6 years in a row. Once I'd read cover-to-cover the first time, I no longer felt pressured to "get it done" - I was able to slow down and meditate more thoroughly, sometimes taking 3 or 4 days to finish a "daily assignment." It's more important to allow God to speak to us through His Word than to simply "finish the book," so most Bible-reading plans allow the reader to take 2 or even 3 years to finish if necessary. Nowadays my plan is even more simple: morning & evening, I read wherever I feel inspired to read, usually at least one chapter (about a page) each day.

“You are what you eat” In Matthew 4:4, Jesus overcame temptation by quoting Deuteronomy 8:3, "Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." As surely as physical food nourishes our bodies, scripture feeds our spirits or "inner man"; and what we ate last week or last year isn't likely to sustain us now - we need to eat pretty much every day. Both Ezekiel (ch.3) and the apostle John (Revelation 10) were told to eat a scroll that tasted like honey, and then go prophesy to others. As food builds cells in our bodies, consuming God's Word so that it becomes part of us builds strength into our spirits so we express God's truth in our thoughts, words and actions.

Reading with a Friend This might be the most important point of all: since the Greek word "pneuma" means both breath and spirit, it seems to me that Holy Spirit Himself might want to "blow the dust off" by revealing God's truth as we read prayerfully with Him. In John 15:15, Jesus defines our relationship as "friends" in terms of sharing with us what He learned from the Father. In John 16:13-15, He promises the Holy Spirit will guide us into "all truth" which proceeds from the Father and Jesus. John 14:16-17 says that the Spirit of truth will be in us and with us forever - what a faithful Friend! So why read the Bible as if we were orphans [v. 18] who have to figure it all out for ourselves? Let's pray and ask Him to reveal what He wants to say to us, and let's not be afraid to ask Him honest questions as we read - the Bible is God's love letter to us, after all.

Take It With You
Not only do I usually have a Bible with me (in my car, suitcase, kitchen or bedside table), but - as mentioned above - Jesus taught that hearing and doing the Word of God is what builds a solid foundation for our lives. James 1:25 (see below) likens reading the scriptures to looking at ourselves in a mirror - do we remember our true identity and live God's truth continually as we go out to work and play in the world around us?

In closing, I thought I'd let a few scripture verses speak for (and about) themselves:

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV

"For the Word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are." Hebrews 4:12 NLT

"But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does." James 1:25 NKJ

"The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them is Your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward." Psalm 19:7-11 NIV

"I run in the path of your commands, for your have set my heart free." Psalm 119:32 NIV

Fires of Love & Purity

Of course, Heidi Baker's relationship with God isn't all hot baths and chocolate chip cookies (see last week's posting) - mostly it's about a woman so in Love with Jesus that she listens to God and desires to yield to whatever He tells her, no matter what it is... It's about eagerly taking the cup of suffering and joy from His hand and saying "Yes!" to it all, no matter what the cost. After all, He paid the ultimate price for us on the Cross, didn't He?

I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in December 2001, and spent the next two years struggling to find healing in doctors' offices and prayer lines. At church altar calls, people on either side of me would be instantly healed of serious conditions, but for me - nothing, it seemed. Medicine wasn't working either; I knew I was called to visit the poor overseas, and immune-suppressing drugs seemed like the wrong way to go, not to mention the fact that they were long on side effects and short on results.

Sitting in my recliner in tears - a former dance student and avid jogger who could barely walk and only with great pain - I cried, "God, even if I never get out of this chair again, I will love You and serve You and worship You with all of my heart." From that day, it seems, I began to get better. Something about giving our all to Him, even when we're not seeing what we think we need... something very powerful and liberating happened in that moment.

Holiness involves giving ourselves completely to God. When I think about "holiness," I think of absolute purity - I think of the beauty of God Himself. Holiness is God's attribute - we cannot attain it apart from Him. If "all our righteous acts are like filthy rags" [Isaiah 64:6 NIV], then the best thing I can do to be "holy" is yield myself fully to the work of His Holy Spirit living in and through me.

Last week I wrote about being so in Love with God that we don't mind being consumed with His passion for us and for the lost and dying world all around us. We don't care any more what it costs because we lose ourselves in His Love. When I see even a glimpse of Who He really is, I am so thrilled by His beauty, I give my heart, my all... humbled in His Presence, all I can do is lay my life down, letting Him have everything, letting Him have His way and do whatever He wants with me.

The apostle Paul wrote about this kind of abandoned love. In Philippians 3, after an impressive list of his "faultless" religious credentials and accomplishments, he puts it all in perspective: "I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my LORD, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ… I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.” [v. 8, 10-11 NIV]

One of my new favorite songs is "Beauty Is What Remains," the title track on Andrew Ehrenzeller's latest CD, which illustrates how God brings forth His beauty in our lives, even through struggles and pain. The same spiritual "fire" that "keeps us alive" also purifies our hearts to contain and express still more of His Love. I think you'll understand even better if you download the song and listen - it's worth way more than 99 cents! - lyrics & link below:

Beauty Is What Remains
by Andrew Ehrenzeller

God, I feel like we are sometimes separate
And it leaves me with a sense of regret
But Yours is a face I can never forget
Even if I were to try

You don't always give me what I want in life
'Cause what I need the most is to be purified
So I come and rest here for a while
Because You keep the fire alive - You keep me alive

There is beauty (yeah) - beauty in the struggle
There is beauty (yeah) - beauty in the pain, O Lord
For today will bring tomorrow
And the once-familiar sorrow
Will turn and testify to yesterday:
Only Your beauty, Jesus, Your beauty is what remains.

Will You teach me how to love deeper still?
And sometimes it is against my will
But the more that we dig, the more room that we have to fill -
Fill it with Your Love, O God!

You don't always give me what I want in life
'Cause what I need the most is to be purified
So I come and rest here for a while
Because You keep the fire alive

There is beauty (yeah) - beauty in the struggle
There is beauty (yeah) - beauty in the pain, O Lord
For today will bring tomorrow
And the once-familiar sorrow
Will turn and testify to yesterday:
Only Your beauty, Jesus, Your beauty is what remains.

(Because) You are the strength of my heart, You are the strength of my heart,
And my portion forever and ever
You are the strength of my heart, You are the strength of my heart,
And my portion forever and ever
You are the strength of my heart, You are the strength of my heart,
And my portion forever and ever
And only Your beauty, Jesus, Your beauty is what remains

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/beauty-is-what-remains/id379386911?i=379387091

That song reminds me of a print that hangs in my home, one of five pictures in the "Kingdom Courtship Series" by a young Christian artist named Amy Montgomery. In each of these pictures, there is a girl or a young woman representing the Bride of Christ, a dove representing the Holy Spirit, and a building or structure representing the Kingdom of God. I use these prints when I teach "Sanctification" to illustrate that our walk with God is both a journey and a relationship, which take us through different phases and experiences in life. The picture below is #4 in this series, and it's called "Purification."

I think the image speaks for itself, but what I usually say when I come to this picture is, "Don't be afraid of God’s fire, remember that it's the fire of His Love." His Love surrounds us, even in trials and testing. Isaiah 43:2 says, "When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze" (notice that the Bride's dress is not even burning). The purifying fire of God's Love will not destroy "the real you," your spirit, which is made of the same substance as His Holy Spirit. Only our flesh and all that hinders His Love is in danger of destruction, and our flesh is only getting us into trouble, anyway...

As we yield to the Holy Spirit's purifying work in our lives, let's look beyond any temporary suffering to the joyful rewards of God's glorious beauty being released. "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." [Hebrews 12:2 NIV]

I pray that we would learn to trust God so completely that we are willing to RUN into the Fire of His Love! "Purification" by Amy Montgomery - email amysjoyfulart@gmail.com

"This image portrays the youthful bride's purification journey through the Holy Dwelling of her Heavenly Bridegroom. His Love is a consuming fire that cleanses her to make her holy, pure, and spotless for Him." -- Amy Montgomery

“Love…burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame.” Song of Solomon 8:6b

"Wholehearted Holiness"

"Love is a better teacher than duty." -- Albert Einstein

In April 2005, I heard missionary Heidi Baker speak at a conference in Toronto called "Show Me Your Glory." I was acquainted with her work in Mozambique through the documentary "Mama Heidi," and I'd watched videotapes of her speaking at a women's conference in Pensacola; however, as I saw her in person for the first time - proclaiming the beauty of Jesus with such passion that I felt desperately hungry and thirsty to know the One whose Love so radiated from this woman that she would run to the poorest places on earth with joy - I remember thinking to myself, "Whatever she has, I need a lot more of that!!!"

Heidi told some of her favorite stories that demonstrate, as Pastor John Arnott likes to say, "How big God is and how nice God is." The miracle stories are impressive: blind eyes, deaf ears, other serious conditions healed and lives restored - both in Africa and, in recent years, in North American meetings, too. But perhaps just as impactful are her paradigm-shifting examples of God's kindness. On an earlier trip to Toronto, she was thinking about the wastefulness of an American-style buffet when she felt God interrupted and told her to eat cheese and take a hot bath - two "luxuries" she'd denied herself because the poor could not enjoy them. She recalled traveling with her husband to see a well-known prophet who told her God wanted her to eat two - not one, but two - warm chocolate chip cookies, which a woman happened to bring to the door just as they arrived. Heidi explained to us that she hadn't told this man in advance that her husband used to worry she would die from fasting so much, or how she'd come to believe that anything enjoyable was somehow "sinful" (I got the message that the Lord knows when we really need a couple of fresh hot cookies, instead of more fasting and prayer). Finally, she shared that, when she makes mistakes - runs too hard, too fast, or tries to do more than God really asked her to do - she feels that her heavenly Father says to her gently, "Slow down, sweetie" - picks her up, dusts her off, gives her a hug and restores her.

Going back to my hotel room after spending 10 to 12 hours each day in those meetings, I felt so in touch with the Presence of the Lord that I didn't want to turn on the television or allow the voice of the world to interfere with the amazing peace and worshipful awe that I felt. After that conference, I didn't watch television again for two years! Now I'm not saying this to make specific rules for other people - I have a television, and I do watch it these days. My point is, I remember thinking, you know, someone could have told me that watching so much TV was affecting my level of intimacy with God, and I probably would have agreed with them - but I would have struggled to obey (substitute any other spiritual activity here: prayer, Bible study, etc.); what I know I "should do" doesn't necessarily empower me to follow through. However, in an atmosphere of passionate love - well, we'll do anything when we're in love, won't we? we don't even notice... we don't even care! All we want is to be with our Beloved.

In his book, After God's Own Heart, Mike Bickle describes "an approach to holiness that 'wows' people with a revelation of His tenderness. Instead of being motivated by fear or shame, believers will be empowered to holiness because of the affection for us that burns in God's heart. The highest and best way of motivating the human heart to righteousness is through fascination and exhilaration in love." Although fear of negative consequences - shame, loss, punishment, even hell itself - may move us to make positive changes, our real staying power with God comes from falling in love with Love Himself.

What is "holiness", anyway? That's a deep question I won't even attempt to answer completely in one blog! According to Strong's concordance and Webster's dictionary, holiness has to do with being consecrated, dedicated, and devoted to God. And "wholehearted" devotion is something we associate with passionate lovers (like Heidi Baker) who practically burn with desire to give themselves completely to the One they love. God's holy (called out, set apart for Him) people are not meant to be a company of half-hearted rule-keepers who feel constantly disappointed and ashamed of their own imperfections, but the radiant Bride of Christ whose beauty reflects the Light of God's Love for her as she gazes in complete devotion upon her beloved Bridegroom King.

In closing, let's consider Isaiah 35:2-10, which speaks of a display of God's glory and an outpouring of the Holy Spirit that will refresh, revive, and cause God's people to walk in "wholehearted holiness" with joy:

"Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers and singing and joy! The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon, as lovely as Mount Carmel's pastures and the plain of Sharon. There the LORD will display his glory, the splendor of our God. With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands, and encourage those who have weak knees. Say to those who are afraid, "Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you." And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind and unstop the ears of the deaf. The lame will leap like a deer, and those who cannot speak will shout and sing! Springs will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams will water the desert. The parched ground will become a pool, and springs of water will satisfy the thirsty land. Marsh grass and reeds and rushes will flourish where desert jackals once lived. And a main road will go through that once deserted land. It will be named the Highway of Holiness. Evil-hearted people will never travel on it. It will be only for those who walk in God's ways; fools will never walk there. Lions will not lurk along its course, and there will be no other dangers. Only the redeemed will follow it. Those who have been ransomed by the LORD will return to Jerusalem, singing songs of everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be overcome with joy and gladness." [NLT]

May we see and know the Beautiful One whose passionate Love opens our hearts to walk in this joyful new Life with Him!

P.S. This posting has a soundtrack - YouTube versions of 3 live worship songs related to this topic :) enjoy!

"So Beautiful" from Christ for the Nations CD Overtaken http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIFBABlogmo

"One Pure & Holy Passion" from Passion CD One Day Live http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I17edLkBDCo

"You Are My King (Amazing Love)" also from Passion CD One Day Live http://il.youtube.com/watch?v=aSsHl5s-v5w

Worship Hit Parade

I am a worship junkie - my friends and my iPod will back me up on this. If our church resource center gets a new CD in stock, I'm usually one of the first to buy it. When my purse was stolen in 2007, the iPod was the first thing I replaced! Including teaching tracks, my current iPod contains 9,374 songs - in other words, you could listen to it around the clock for 33.8 days and not hear the same track twice, unless you wanted to... and, of course, we do have favorite songs we play over & over again - some for the current season, some for a lifetime. Since my iPod keeps track of which 25 songs I've listened to most often recently, my Top 25 Most Played list below was easy to find. Top 10 CD's are more subjective - clearly I have a broad range of musical tastes, so I thought it would be fun to share a list of favorites, although the idea of being limited to 10 CD's for any length of time... well, thank God for the iPod :)

Gina's Top 10 Worship CD's
Alberto & Kimberly Rivera, We Will Run
Andrew Ehrenzeller, Beauty Is What Remains
Laura Woodley, In Love
Jesus Culture, Your Love Never Fails
Delirious?, Cutting Edge
Hillsong, By Your Side
Paul Oakley/Tim Hughes/Matt Redman, All Around the World
Chris Tomlin, Live from Austin Music Hall
Eoghan Heaslip, Mercy
Terry MacAlmon, Visit Us

Gina's Top 25 Most Played Songs
Michael Gungor Band, "Cannot Keep You" - CD: Beautiful Things
Andrew Ehrenzeller, "Light" – CD: Beauty Is What Remains
Jesus Culture, "Holding Nothing Back" – CD: Consumed
Jesus Culture, "Dance With Me" – CD: Consumed
Jesus Culture, "Oh Lord, You're Beautiful" – CD: Consumed
Delirious?, "History Maker" – CD: Deeper
Marcos Witt, "Mi Pan, Mi Luz" – CD: Dios De Pactos
Bethel Live, "Healer" – CD: Here Is Love
Bethel Live, "I Need You More" – CD: Here Is Love
Bethel Live, "Here Is Love" – CD: Here Is Love
Kim Walker, "Open Up Heaven" – CD: Here Is My Song
Kim Walker, "I Surrender" – CD: Here Is My Song
Beyonce, "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)" – CD: I Am… Sasha Fierce
Heidi Baker, "Holy Hunger" (teaching track)
Michael Bublé, "Save the Last Dance for Me" CD: It’s Time
Jessie Rogers, "How Great Is Your Love" CD: Out of the Fire
Jessie Rogers, "Untame My Heart" - CD: Out of the Fire
Jason Lee Jones, "Spinning Around In Love" – Sounds Come Down
Jason Lee Jones, "Awaken the Child" – CD: Sounds Come Down
Heather Clark, "Pearl of Great Price" - CD: Way Gone Place
Melissa Wise, "Rain Down" – CD: We Cry Out
Chris Quilala, "I Adore You"– CD: We Cry Out
Melissa Wise, "My Romance"– CD: We Cry Out
Chris Quilala, "Your Love Never Fails" CD: Your Love Never Fails
Kim Walker, "Sing My Love" – CD: Your Love Never Fails

Yeah, I was a little embarrassed to see Beyonce and Mr. Bublé on the list ahead of Kim Walker's rendition of "Sing My Love" ?? - but the theme of this blogsite is "speaking the truth in love," so I typed exactly what showed up on the iPod... even though I'd rather those two songs were Heather Clark's "Price of Love" and the Battlecry Worship version of "I Am Free." Years ago I was jumping around my house to a popular Sheryl Crow tune when I felt as if the Lord said to me, "This, too, is worship." Wow, that sobered me. I realized that when we sing and dance with enthusiasm and energy, our hearts are lifted up to something - where was my mind, my heart, my devotion, at that moment? I'm not condemning all secular music, just offering this thought: what are we listening to that shapes and/or reflects what's in our hearts these days?

Well, Beyonce & Michael Bublé might keep me walking uptempo when I'm out for exercise, and a happy song can lift our spirits in a temporal way; but...

May the song of the Lord lift our eternal spirits to behold His magnificent Beauty and rejoice in His amazing Love.

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His Holy Name!" Psalm 103:1
"Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!" Psalm 150:6

Artists & websites (alphabetical by first name/group):

Alberto & Kimberly Rivera http://www.rainingpresence.com/

Andrew Ehrenzeller http://www.lionandlamb.org/

Bethel Live http://www.ibethel.org/
Beyonce, Bublé www.itunes.apple.com/us/
Chris Quilala http://www.ibethel.org/

Chris Tomlin http://www.christomlinstore.com/
Delirious? http://www.cduniverse.com/

Eoghan Heaslip http://www.verticalmusic.com/
Heather Clark http://www.heatherclarkband.com/
Heidi Baker http://www.irismin.org/ or http://www.ibethel.org/
Hillsong http://www.hillsongmusic.com/
Jason Lee Jones http://www.richestoffare.com/

Jessie Rogers http://www.amazon.com/

Jesus Culture http://www.ibethel.org/

Kim Walker http://www.ibethel.org/

Laura Woodley http://www.spiritsoulbody.com/

Marcos Witt http://www.cduniverse.com/
Melissa Wise http://www.ibethel.org/

Michael Gungor Band http://www.gungormusic.com/

Paul Oakley www.itunes.apple.com/us/

Terry MacAlmon http://www.aimediasolutions.com/tmmi

God Loves Flowers

“Even the wilderness will rejoice in those days. The desert will blossom with flowers.” Isaiah 35:1 NLT

At a church I attended for many years, I used to think of people as different kinds of flowers. The pastor's son, for example, was a third generation minister with praying grandparents, raised in a comfortable home with parents who knew the Lord, had a strong marriage and were devoted to loving their family. He reminded me of a hot-house orchid – an unusual exotic plant, raised in more or less ideal conditions, with lots of tender care and protection from the elements.

My own upbringing included many advantages: hard-working parents, financial stability and high quality education. We attended church and learned moral values, but the emotional climate of our household was stormy at times, and God seemed very far away and uninvolved in my daily life. Compare that to an outdoor garden, which is exposed to weather and tended erratically - things grow, but not always with a healthy balance of nourishment, sunlight, water, protection, etc.

When my kids were growing up, they made friends in the neighborhood whose mothers had multiple children by different men - some didn't know who their father was; some families were on welfare, or their siblings were in trouble with the law. After my husband left us, I used to tell my children, "You're a flower, not a weed" - in other words, I care about how you turn out. We'd bring their friends with us to church to learn about God's Love - first in my minivan, then in the 25-seat church van, and eventually this became a ministry outreach that filled two school buses with kids whose parents didn't bring them to church (although we visited homes on Saturdays and talked with their parents, too). Some of these children seemed like wildflowers in a vacant lot, windblown and pushing their way through dry hard ground, surrounded by garbage and only the barest necessities of "growing up."

Now, don’t get me wrong - no one has a perfect life, and we all go through trials along the way to becoming who God created us to be. The pastor’s son was constantly on display and being evaluated by high spiritual standards; yet I remember how much he admired my boldness to go out and knock on doors to visit and offer to pray with families of the “bus kids.” We all have our strengths and weaknesses, our special gifts and our challenges. As his very wise grandmother used to say, “Everyone, if we only knew it, has pretty much all they can stand.”

The “church kids” and "bus kids" had very different behavioral, emotional & spiritual issues. Sometimes it was a process for leaders and church members to adjust their style or set achievable goals, as we all learned to relate to people from different backgrounds. You can’t expect the same results from everyone, and God - who created both delicate flowers and dandelions – enjoys and appreciates each one of us. If the lesson of the Church is learning about God’s Love, then “church kids” need “bus kids,” and vice versa.

My pastor likes to say, “Behind every heart, there’s a history.” If we’re going to love people and help one another to grow, we need to understand that where we’ve come from and what we’ve been through affects how we give and receive love, as well as how we teach and learn the lessons God gives us.

And consider this: sometimes God plants wildflowers in places where nobody sees them but Him. There are children who may never accomplish anything that the world considers significant, yet God sees those people as beautiful, too.

Lord, help me to see as You see and love with Your Love.

"Who can be compared with the LORD our God, who is enthroned on high? Far below Him are the heavens and the earth. He stoops to look, and He lifts the poor from the dirt and the needy from the garbage dump. He sets them among princes, even the princes of his own people!" Psalm 113:5-8 NLT

The Princess & The Pea

Remember the story "The Princess and the Pea" by Hans Christian Andersen? A prince wanted to marry a "real" princess. (There were plenty of princesses around, but not real ones.) One night, a terrible storm blew a wet, bedraggled princess onto his doorstep who needed a place to stay. To test whether or not she was a real princess, the prince's mother piled 20 mattresses and 20 feather beds on top of a pea, and the poor girl slept terribly all night long. The story concludes "only a real princess could be that sensitive."

I have come to realize that, in Christ, I am a "real princess." As God's daughter, I am royalty, and I am sensitive, because He has given me a tender heart full of His Love, compassion and mercy. However, sometimes our greatest strengths can be turned into great weaknesses, and vice versa. For example, God is kind and compassionate; He doesn't despise the weak or the broken, and neither should we. However, scripture also tells us that "love is not touchy, fretful, or resentful." [I Corinthians 13 AMP] I know that I can be very sensitive to the Holy Spirit and to the needs of others; but I also know that sensitivity can be twisted into something paralyzing or destructive through spiritual warfare, deception, fear, insecurity, false responsibility, weakness, or unhealed hurts from the past.

A few suggestions for the "real princess" in all of us (OK, guys, be the Bride of Christ with your sisters here):

(1) Look to God for truth in any situation. Too many of us act or react based on perceptions, thoughts or feelings we haven't brought to the Lord first in prayer. We need to ask for His guidance before responding. The enemy operates in the natural realm; only God knows the heart and mind of every person, and the whole spiritual truth underlying every situation. Shouldn't we ask Him what's really going on and what, if anything, He wants us to do or say before we act or form opinions based on our own limited understanding?

(2) Believe the best of every person. Unless we have evidence to the contrary (in which case, we still need to forgive and not judge), it's a fairly safe bet that most people have good intentions (or think they do), and don't really mean to hurt us deliberately. We're all capable of making mistakes or accidentally causing harm, so let's be wise enough not to assume negative intentions and, when it's necessary to discuss an issue, "restore...in a spirit of gentleness." [Galatians 6:1]

(3) Take responsibility for your own thoughts and feelings, and (4) allow God to work in your own heart and life. You are the gatekeeper of your own mind and heart, so - even if you do need to have a conversation to clear up an area of conflict or confusion - it's a good idea not to accuse another person. Chances are, no matter what they might have done better, the reason it's affecting us so much has to do with our own history or something God is trying to heal or refine in us. Sometimes it's OK to ask someone what they meant by what they said, or explain how it affected us; however, we'll grow a lot more if we realize that things which upset us are generally "red flags" pointing to something God wants to teach or heal in us. If all we try to do is avoid pain in the present, we're likely to miss the deeper lesson or healing of an old hurt God may be allowing to surface so we can finally deal with the roots of our emotions or thought patterns through repentance, forgiveness, or simply asking God to heal that wound we buried or denied long ago. Ask God "what's really bothering me?" and see what He shows you in prayer. He can heal the past and the present situation!

Most of the time, I don't mind being sensitive - it inspires my prayer life, heightens awareness of what God is doing or saying, giving me lots of creative and effective ways to minister and relate to others. I worship with passion, experience life deeply, and enjoy a rich intimate love relationship with my Lord. But I also have to be wise enough to see where the enemy may try to take advantage of a vulnerable moment, or how the Lord is continuing to work in my own heart as I endeavor to live transparent before Him. As long as I remember to let His strength fill up my weaknesses, I can live happily ever after as a "real princess" in God's Kingdom.

"He won't brush aside the bruised and the hurt and He won't disregard the small and insignificant, but He'll steadily and firmly set things right."

Isaiah 42:3 The Message

Summer Reading List

A few weeks ago, I stopped by Family bookstore to pick up another copy of Take Your Best Shot by Austin Gutwein, who founded "Hoops of Hope" at age 9 - it's an incredibly encouraging story for all ages, especially young people, and this was about the 8th copy I've given away since it's been on $5 special at Family Christian stores. While I was chatting with the store manager about missions, she talked me into buying The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns, president of World Vision U.S. - she even gave me a 40% discount. I laughed all the way to my car that I let her talk me into buying another book, because at this point I need another book to read about as much as I need a hole in my head!

I cried my way through the first 10 pages (a pretty good sign that the Holy Spirit is touching my heart in a deep way), before setting it down on the little endtable to the left of my recliner. There it is right now, along with a couple of Bibles (NKJV & The Message), and two devotional journals. On my right, at the edge of the kitchen table, are: 4 more Bibles (NIV, NLT, One Year Bible, & Spanish NTV), another daily devotional, a Spanish language textbook, my own copy of Take Your Best Shot, a guided journal based on Captivating by Stasi Eldredge, Prophecy & Responsiblity by Graham Cooke (assigned reading for a small group that meets twice a month with one of our church elders), and Way of the Wild Heart by John Eldredge, which I quoted two weeks ago in my Father's Day blog.

And that's just downstairs... around my bed, I currently have the following: another Bible (NLT), Supernatural Ways of Royalty by Kris Vallotton, Can You Hear Me? (children's version) by Brad Jersak, Ancient Paths by Craig Hill, The Happy Intercessor by Beni Johnson, After God's Own Heart by Mike Bickle, and God Speaks Your Love Language by Gary Chapman. All wonderful books, full of beautiful inspirational ideas and life-changing information... but is it any wonder I have such trouble finishing a book when I'm so easily tempted to start reading another?

Every so often, I stop and ask God to show me what books (two or three at most) I really need to focus on reading all the way through, then I gather up the rest (well, other than the Bibles - since I write and teach on scriptural subjects, it's good to have various translations at hand) to put back on the shelves I have in almost every room of my house. Gloria Copeland once said she's "like an old lady with too many cats" when it comes to Bible teaching tapes - for me, it's mainly Christian books and worship CD's. Last year I hired a young lady who was doing odd jobs to raise money for missions to alphabetize them all by author - why have a book in the house if you can't find it? It helped a lot, although - with the constant barrage of information in our busy world (TV, email, internet) - it can be hard to focus all the way through a single book unless I have God's grace to pursue that particular lesson.

I notice when you create a profile on Facebook or start a blog on Google, you're often asked for a list of favorite books, music, movies, etc. So this week, as I was considering all the books around my house, I decided to make a list of "recommended reading" from what's been lying around (listed above) and some of my favorites from the shelves (listed below):

Turnings by Guy Chevreau - if I moved somewhere far away and could only take a few books other than the Bible, this is the first one that comes to mind. I first read it "devotionally" - a couple of pages at a time, to let it sink in - weeping through whole chapters, as God opened my eyes to the poor and called me to short-term missions in May 2005; when I got to the end of the book, I started all over again immediately and read it through twice, back to back. Chevreau is a beautiful writer and a scholar, a lover of God with a tender heart and a brilliant mind. This book is a gem, a real treasury of quotes and insights, and it really could change your life. www.ibethel.org/store/

Compelled by Love by Heidi Baker - there's not room enough here to say all that Heidi has meant to those of us who have been inspired by her ministry, so i'll just say that this book - which includes the Beatitudes of Jesus, stories from Mozambique, and quotes by Mother Teresa - is a wonderful presentation of Iris Ministries' core beliefs, relatively short and easy to read. well, "easy" unless you mind crying :) I think I wept at the introduction on this one :) also very affected by Rolland & Heidi Baker's There Is Always Enough (their early testimony) and The Hungry Always Get Fed, a journalistic account of missionary life in Mozambique. http://www.irismin.org/ or http://www.ibethel.org/store/

Face to Face with God by Bill Johnson - I often list "anything by Bill Johnson" because most of his books are taken from his sermons or teaching series, and he is a phenomenal teacher - a 5th generation pastor with a rich heritage in the Word and Holy Spirit, his floor is the ceiling most of the sermons I'd heard before seemed to bounce off in circles until I heard him speak for the first time in 2006 and felt challenged to accept fully that what we already know from the Bible is a true foundation, so let's go on and grow deeper in the things of God. http://www.ibethel.org/store/

Can You Hear Me? by Brad Jersak - adult version, subtitled "Tuning in to the God Who Speaks" - this is one of the best books I've ever read on hearing God's voice, except for the children's version mentioned above, which ministers to me greatly as a devotional, too. http://www.freshwindpress.com/

Approaching the Heart of Prophecy by Graham Cooke - along with Prophecy & Responsibility mentioned above, these are books 1 & 2 of the Prophetic Equipping series (vols. 4-6 yet to come). more "read slowly" books, and I find myself marking a lot of great quotes, too. Today's world and today's church both need prophetic voices speaking with this kind of love and wisdom. www.brilliantbookhouse.com

John Eldredge is another author by whom I recommend "anything" for beautiful, thoughtful writing that touches our hearts "where we really live." Using quotes and examples from life, literature and pop culture almost as freely as the Bible, his theology is sound and "hits home" in a deeply personal way. My favorite of his books is Journey of Desire (republished in recent years simply as Desire), along with Way of the Wild Heart mentioned above. Captivating, which he co-wrote with his wife Stasi, is one of the best women's books i've ever read (over & over). I've given away dozens of Eldredge books, including little excerpt pamphlets designed for Mother's & Father's Day giving, to sincere seekers as well as Christian believers. http://www.ransomedheartministries.com/

The Shack by Wm. Paul Young - as you can see from the list above, I read mostly nonfiction. Although I read novels voraciously in high school and college ("Before Christ" in my life story), I probably haven't read fiction in years. I also don't usually read "bestsellers" just because they're popular, and I saw this book advertised so much at first i delayed reading it for about a year. It's superbly well-written and, although the more "meaty" theological discussions between God and the main character felt a little daunting at first, I was glad I persevered - actually, I couldn't put it down. Absolutely worth reading. (If you carry it around with you in public, a lot of other people will tell you that, too!) Author-recommended follow-up: He Loves Me by Wayne Jacobsen. Easy to read non-fiction & also very good. http://www.windblownpress.com/ or http://www.theshackbook.com/

...and I'll stop there for now. I'm sure there are many other special authors & titles we could add to this list, and it probably won't be too long before I'll be praying over a whole new pile of books that have accumulated on my bedside and kitchen tables. Remember how teachers used to give you a "summer reading list" at school? Well, I've enjoyed sharing my list with you - I hope you enjoy reading some of these. Let's see how many books I actually finish this summer! :)