tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33727464977206911432024-02-07T20:12:42.536-08:00Searching for Treasure"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Luke 12:34, ESV)Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15253783284975097995noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372746497720691143.post-50838598360484185872013-03-17T12:06:00.001-07:002013-03-17T12:06:54.278-07:00Dress for Change! Challenge<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A friend posted a link to this challenge on Facebook, and so I want to extend the challenge to you!<br />
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<a href="http://lbddressforchange.blogspot.com/2013/02/dress-for-change-register-today.html"><span style="font-size: large;">Dress for Change: Register Today!</span></a></div>
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So here's the rundown:</div>
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<li>We all have PLENTY of clothes in our closets to wear, even on days when it feels like we have NOTHING to wear;</li>
<li>MANY little girls around the world, really don't have much to wear, which often keeps them from being able to attend school;</li>
<li>Sheyanne Root, a high school senior at Burns High School, has made "Dress for Change" her senior project;</li>
<li>Donate $5 and join the challenge!</li>
<li>Commit to wear one black dress for one week: April 1-7; and</li>
<li>For each person who participates, Sheyanne will make a dress and send it to <a href="http://www.littledressesforafrica.org/blog/">Little Dresses for Africa</a>.</li>
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I will try my very best to be creative with my accessories (can we say Noonday?!) and blog each day to share my experience. I actually have 2 <a href="http://rebeccadaniels.noondaycollection.com/">Noonday Collection</a> trunk shows and my daughter's 2nd Birthday party during that week!! I've never done anything like this before, so can I be honest and tell you that I almost let fear keep me from saying YES, but more and more I'm refusing to be held captive by fear, so I'm committing to this in front of God and everybody. Will you join me? If so, <a href="http://lbddressforchange.blogspot.com/2013/02/dress-for-change-register-today.html">hop on over to the website and register</a>, and also leave a comment for me here!!</div>
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Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15253783284975097995noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372746497720691143.post-63288324480383852472013-01-29T12:59:00.000-08:002013-01-29T12:59:20.953-08:00Exciting News!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I may be stating the obvious here, especially if you've known me for a while, but can I just say it anyway? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Our trip to Ethiopia last January wrecked me. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Seeing poverty so close up, so unfiltered and uncensored, opened my eyes in a way that showed me I would never be the same. For several months after we returned, I was overwhelmed and sad. I knew the Lord had called me to respond, but I didn't know how. Slowly throughout the summer and fall, He began to show me some small practical ways I could respond, but I always knew there was something more consistent He wanted me to invest my time in. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As I continued to pray about it, I began to see <a href="http://rebeccadaniels.noondaycollection.com/">Noonday Collection</a> everywhere I turned it seemed. I would see people posting about it on Facebook or on blogs; I even ended up listening to a <a href="http://jennieallen.com/blog/jessica-honneger-noon-day-collection/">podcast </a>Jennie Allen did with the founder of Noonday, Jessica Honegger. And it was really through that podcast that I started to think, "Maybe I could be an ambassador for Noonday Collection." What's funny is that I actually sent the podcast to a friend first and told her SHE should do it! But the Lord had other plans for her and I began to quickly realize that Noonday might be something He might be calling me to.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Long story short, I contacted Noonday, interviewed with Jessica and now am an ambassador for Noonday Collection! If you're not familiar with it, Noonday sells handcrafted jewelry, accessories, home and gift items made by artisans from around the world. By providing a market for these items, Noonday is helping provide a pathway out of poverty for the artisans. I've learned through <a href="http://www.amazon.com/When-Helping-Hurts-Alleviate-Yourself/dp/0802457061/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1359491463&sr=8-1&keywords=when+helping+hurts">When Helping Hurts</a> that simply giving money for charitable purposes has its limitations, but work instills dignity and a lasting solution. AND, in addition to helping create a pathway out of poverty, Noonday also helps support adoption. Adoptive families can host trunk shows and a portion of the proceeds will be given directly to the family to help fund their adoption. Are you starting to get why I fell in love with Noonday? Helping alleviate poverty AND supporting adoption? Sign me up!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The name "Noonday" comes from Isaiah 58:10, which says,</span><br />
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<span class="text Isa-58-10" id="en-NIV-18797" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; position: relative;"><i>and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry<span style="line-height: 0px;"> </span></i></span><span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><i><span class="text Isa-58-10" style="position: relative;">and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, </span></i></span><span class="text Isa-58-10" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; position: relative;"><i>then your light<sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-18797AI" title="See cross-reference AI">AI</a>)"></sup> will rise in the darkness,<span style="line-height: 0px;"> </span></i></span><span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span class="text Isa-58-10" style="position: relative;"><i>and your night will become like the noonday.</i> (NIV)</span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white;"><span class="text Isa-58-10" style="position: relative;">The other night I read Isaiah 58 in the ESV. This is how verse 10 is translated:</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white;"><span class="text Isa-58-10" style="position: relative;"><i><span class="text Isa-58-10" id="en-ESV-18797" style="position: relative;">if you pour yourself out for the hungry<span style="line-height: 0px;"> </span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white;"><span class="text Isa-58-10" style="position: relative;"><i><span class="indent-1"><span class="text Isa-58-10" style="position: relative;">and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white;"><span class="text Isa-58-10" style="position: relative;"><i><span class="text Isa-58-10" style="position: relative;">then shall your light rise in the darkness</span></i></span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white;"><span class="text Isa-58-10" style="position: relative;"><i><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Isa-58-10" style="position: relative;">and your gloom be as the noonday.</span></span></i></span></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white;"><span class="text Isa-58-10" style="position: relative;"><span class="indent-1"><span class="text Isa-58-10" style="position: relative;">When I saw poverty a year ago, my life felt gloomy - knowing something needed to be done, but not knowing what to do was a dark time for me. But now, instead of darkness there is light; instead of gloom, there is Noonday. And I am one thankful girl.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white;"><span class="text Isa-58-10" style="position: relative;"><span class="indent-1"><span class="text Isa-58-10" style="position: relative;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white;"><span class="text Isa-58-10" style="position: relative;"><span class="indent-1"><span class="text Isa-58-10" style="position: relative;">Here are some ways you can support Noonday Collection and our mission to help provide a pathway out of poverty:</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white;"><span class="text Isa-58-10" style="position: relative;"><span class="indent-1"><span class="text Isa-58-10" style="position: relative;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white;"><span class="text Isa-58-10" style="position: relative;"><span class="indent-1"><span class="text Isa-58-10" style="position: relative;">1) <b><i>Purchase items online</i></b>. Think about how you can use your purchasing power to make a difference in this world.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white;"><span class="text Isa-58-10" style="position: relative;"><span class="indent-1"><span class="text Isa-58-10" style="position: relative;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white;"><span class="text Isa-58-10" style="position: relative;"><span class="indent-1"><span class="text Isa-58-10" style="position: relative;">2) <b><i>Host a trunk show with a Noonday Ambassador</i></b>. Invite your friends, neighbors and family to a night filled with fashion, fun and purpose!</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white;"><span class="text Isa-58-10" style="position: relative;"><span class="indent-1"><span class="text Isa-58-10" style="position: relative;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white;"><span class="text Isa-58-10" style="position: relative;"><span class="indent-1"><span class="text Isa-58-10" style="position: relative;">3) <b><i>Host an adoption fundraiser</i></b> trunk show either for yourself or a family you know who is adopting. </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white;"><span class="text Isa-58-10" style="position: relative;"><span class="indent-1"><span class="text Isa-58-10" style="position: relative;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white;"><span class="text Isa-58-10" style="position: relative;"><span class="indent-1"><span class="text Isa-58-10" style="position: relative;">Click the button below to contact me!</span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.rebeccadaniels.noondaycollection.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.noondaycollection.com/img/enewsletter/noonday-button-150x165.png" /></a></div>
Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15253783284975097995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372746497720691143.post-36285523918011859952012-12-09T11:59:00.000-08:002012-12-09T11:59:06.167-08:00Is There Room?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This morning in church, we sang <i>Joy to the World</i>. It's one of my favorites, but as I was thinking through the lyrics, a fresh understanding - and conviction - washed over me. As we sang...<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Joy to the world! the Lord is come;</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Let earth receive her King;</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><b>Let every heart prepare him room</b>,</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">And heaven and nature sing,</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">And heaven and nature sing,</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.</span></i></span></blockquote>
I began to wonder:<br />
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<b><i>"Is there room in my heart for Jesus?" </i></b></div>
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<b><i>"What does it look like to prepare room for Him?"</i></b></div>
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And then I remembered what <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%202:7&version=NASB">Luke </a>tells us about Jesus' birth...<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="background-color: white;">And she </span><sup class="crossreference" style="background-color: white; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NASB-24981E" title="See cross-reference E">E</a>)"></sup><span style="background-color: white;">gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a </span><span style="background-color: white;">manger, because <b>there was no room for them in the inn</b>.</span></i></span></blockquote>
And so I began to think about how maybe this issue of not making room in my heart for Jesus is not unique to me. The world, Bethlehem, was not prepared for Jesus' arrival. <b><i>There was no room for them in the inn. Mary and Joseph were relegated to a barn for the birth of the Messiah, the King. I want to judge the inhabitants of Bethlehem. I want to shake my finger at them with shame and condemnation. They should have known better.</i></b> And yet... <br />
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Is there room in my heart for Jesus? Do I really make room for Him, or do I just fit Him in between everything else - or perhaps worse - just sprinkle a little "Jesus dust" on top of "my life" and ask Him to bless it? Make me happy and comfortable. <b><i>And, if I'm going to be really honest, do I even know what it looks like to really give Jesus space in my heart - in my life? What does it look like to clear out all the clutter and really let Him have full reign? Honestly, I'm not sure I know. </i></b><br />
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<b>I'm asking this question. I need your help. I'm asking you: What does it look like to prepare room in your heart for Jesus? What does it look like when you give Him space to do as He wills? </b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15253783284975097995noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372746497720691143.post-13726242350261284852012-10-25T13:15:00.001-07:002012-10-25T13:15:44.736-07:00Idolatry. Part II.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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As I mentioned in my previous post, the Lord first began showing me the idolatry in my heart as I began the task of identifying items to be sold at our garage sale. Each day that week, the Lord hit my heart harder and harder with the revelation of these idols and the ways I had been bowing down to them for years. At the end of the week I told my husband that I felt like my heart had been through an earthquake, with multiple aftershocks that didn't seem to have an end in sight. <b><i>The main earthquake uncovered the idolatry, but each aftershock uncovered more and more sin that had been ignored or forgotten and never really dealt with.</i></b> I was feeling completely exposed and raw. And each time I began to feel slightly 'normal' again, another aftershock would come, leaving everything hazy and uncomfortable all over again. As difficult as all of it was, it's exactly what I needed! <b><i>It is by his grace that He uncovers our sin and leads us to repentance.</i></b><br />
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As it turns out, my words on Sunday night were a bit prophetic:<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;">And that’s really just the beginning of the story, I think. We still have lots of stuff in our house – lots of stuff I’m emotionally attached to, but rarely – if ever – use. There are still idols, friends. </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><i>I can’t tie a pretty bow on this and tell you that the Lord has cured me of materialism and I’ll never be materialistic again. But it’s a start and He’s working on it.</i></b></span></blockquote>
On Monday morning I read <a href="http://itsalmostnaptime.blogspot.com/2012/10/what-im-into-today.html">this post</a> by my friend, Missy, and thought, "Hmm... Approval. I <i>do </i>struggle with that. I should listen to those sermons." And so Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday while I cleaned the house during my daughter's nap, I listened to The Austin Stone Community Church's sermon series entitled, <a href="http://austinstone.org/resources/sermons/category/counterfeit-love">Counterfeit Love</a>. <br />
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<i><b>E-A-R-T-H-Q-U-A-K-E!!!!!</b></i><br />
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The first sermon was an overview of idolatry:<br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>The very first commandment God gave Moses was "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your might." (Deuteronomy 6:5)</li>
<li>King Solomon tells us that "...<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">he has put eternity into man's heart..." (Ecclesiastes 3:11b) <b><i>In other words, He has given us a desire to know Him, and He is the <u>only </u>thing who can fill that desire.</i></b></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And the verse I clung </span>to falsely<span style="font-family: inherit;"> when I was single, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." (Psalm 37:4) It makes so much sense to me now: <b><i>When I delight in Jesus, He gives me more of Himself. <u>He </u>is the desire of my heart.</i></b></span></span></li>
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The second sermon covered the 4 basic types of idolatry:</div>
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<li>Power</li>
<li>Control</li>
<li>Comfort</li>
<li>Approval</li>
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I seriously was only listening to this series because it covered Approval, but holy. moly. As it turns out, I want ALL of these things!!! Seriously??!! <b><i>Gotta love the daily reminders of how deeply flawed and sinful I am because it shows me <u>how much</u> I need Jesus.</i></b></div>
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The third sermon covered healing. </div>
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<i>And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.</i> (Philippians 1:6) </blockquote>
<b><i>He wants to heal me of my idolatry!</i></b> I'm convinced that's why He continues to shake up my heart every week - and sometimes every day! <b><i> It's the way He draws me to Himself to know Him - reminders of my completely broken, wicked heart. A heart that whores after other gods, a heart that would often desire comfort over sacrifice; idols over Jesus.</i></b> Lord, help me! But I am thankful. Thankful He does not condemn me, but like the woman cau<span style="font-family: inherit;">ght in adultery, he says, </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"<i><span style="background-color: white;">Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on </span><sup class="crossreference" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-26381J" title="See cross-reference J">J</a>)"></sup></i><span style="background-color: white;"><i>sin no more.</i>" (John 8:3-11) </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><i>Grace. Unfathomable grace. Grace that draws me near to Him. Grace that brings freedom. Grace that stirs a love in my heart for Him that changes who I am. </i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>He is good, Friends. Know Him.</b></span></span><br />
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Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15253783284975097995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372746497720691143.post-63840339783047905582012-10-21T17:02:00.001-07:002012-10-21T17:02:26.851-07:00Idols and a Garage Sale<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As I have come to know Jesus over the last couple years, He
has begun to change my heart regarding many things. One of those things is caring for the poor
and the oppressed. As I mentioned in an<a href="http://rebeccamdaniels.blogspot.com/2012/10/responding-to-poverty.html">
earlier post</a>, seeing poverty in Ethiopia hit me hard. It messed me up for months. Now I’m at least able to think about it
somewhat rationally, without being completely overcome with emotion, but <b><i>I hope
I never lose the ache in my heart when I recall what I’ve seen. </i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After our second trip to Ethiopia in March, Rob and I began
praying and talking about what we could actually do to help. We have sponsored a little girl in Ethiopia
through <a href="http://donate.worldvision.org/OA_HTML/xxwv2DoChildSearch_B.jsp?xxwvLocation=0000&xxwvSearchType=ALL">World
Vision</a> for the last 3 years, but it seemed like God was calling us to
more. As I thought about it, I realized
there were no shortage of organizations to support; if we wanted to just give
money to an organization to make ourselves feel better, it would have been
easy. And yet,<b><i> I couldn’t shake the
feeling that He had a unique opportunity for us.</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">One day, as I was thinking about our trip to Ethiopia in
March, I realized what our opportunity was.
Before we took placement of our daughter, we were able to travel to
Gondar, where she was born, to visit the orphanage where she lived for 3
months. <a href="http://www.bridgeofhopeet.org/aboutus.php">Bridge of Hope</a> was
amazing. The kids we saw were happy and
well cared for. The housing was
certainly adequate and each house even had its own garden. They also have a café that they run to earn
money to support themselves. I later ran
across <a href="http://www.bridgeofhopeet.org/index.php">this video</a> that
also shows how they even support at-risk kids in the community. Bridge of Hope is doing wonderful
things. But as we learned while we were
there, although they have many ways to support themselves, they still need
donations. And specifically, <a href="http://www.bridgeofhopeet.org/childsponsorship.php">children need
sponsors</a>. As Rob and I thought and
talked about it, we realized<b><i> this was at least one opportunity we had to do our
part in helping fight poverty.</i></b> However,
we were kind of at a loss as to how we could really do that since we were down
to one income and had just added a member to our family.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Shortly thereafter, we were in church one Sunday and our
pastor was preaching out of <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%2012&version=ESV">Luke
12</a>. His actual sermon was taken from
verses 13-21, pertaining to the Rich Young Fool. I believe the sermon was about hoarding – or
at least that’s what I got out of it – but it was what Jesus said in verse 21
that really caught my attention:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">“So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward
God.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And I thought to myself, “what does He mean to be ‘rich
toward God?’ I have no idea.” So I kept reading. In verses 22 through 32, He talks about how
we shouldn’t be anxious, but instead trust the Father for our needs –
particularly our physical needs for food and clothing. And I thought, “OK, I get that, but I’m still
not understanding how I should be rich toward God.” And then I got there:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>“Sell
your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that
do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no
thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your
heart be also.” </i>(Luke 12:33-34)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Oh.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>But unlike <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2018:18-24&version=ESV">The
Rich Young Ruler</a>’s response (and frankly, my own response any other time
I’ve read this), I didn’t walk away sad, I finally said, “YES!!” </i></b> What the Holy Spirit
said to me that day was that I <i>was</i>
hoarding my possessions. We have <i>plenty</i> – <i>way</i> more than we need – and we <i>could</i>
sell many of our possessions so that we had money to sponsor a child at
Bridge of Hope. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And so we started the process of selling some of our
possessions. Rob was able to sell his
PS3 within a couple days of us making the decision; then we sold all of
Lottie’s outgrown clothes and gear at a large consignment sale; and then we had
a garage sale where we sold lots of other stuff. We still have several things to sell – some
books and electronics that we think we can get more money through other avenues
– but<b><i> the Lord was faithful to allow us to sell almost every single thing we
have attempted to sell. </i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbAYGcDSJKrdS5X8hm9DOKVRZUWnHrFv2-PaBJpDMTa4QUpUe69yOsopoa_zmjo83mHfTXKDeL1X91bDpJfcZf6-tzJ3P-5P8IPzkjgyaxLmlFDDMFHoAGG7ENff7KQZIzcg4DVZAe102T/s1600/garage.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbAYGcDSJKrdS5X8hm9DOKVRZUWnHrFv2-PaBJpDMTa4QUpUe69yOsopoa_zmjo83mHfTXKDeL1X91bDpJfcZf6-tzJ3P-5P8IPzkjgyaxLmlFDDMFHoAGG7ENff7KQZIzcg4DVZAe102T/s400/garage.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, in addition to <i>really</i>
learning that the Lord would be faithful to complete that which <i>He</i> has begun, I also learned how
stinkin’ materialistic I really am. <b><i>As I
went through the process of going through my possessions, not to simply
de-clutter, but to assess what I really
needed, my hoarding heart was exposed.</i></b>
For those of you who know me, you might be surprised at this. I used to have a family member who was a bit
of a hoarder. When compared to her, I
could never be called a hoarder, but with every decision, every piece of
clothing put in the “sell” pile, I began to feel more and more raw,
exposed. <b><i>I had come face to face with
the fact that I found comfort, security and <s>maybe even</s> status, in my
possessions.</i></b> It was then that the rest
of Jesus’s words began to sink in:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Provide
yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens
that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your
heart be also.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">See, I thought that we were just going to sell some extra
possessions so that we could give to those who were in need, but the Lord knew
my heart, and He knew what needed to be done.
<b><i>He exposed my idolatry – because let’s call it what it is. If I found comfort in my stuff, then I wasn’t
finding comfort in Him.</i></b> And that’s
idolatry. One of many idols in my life,
I suspect.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And that’s really just the beginning of the story, I
think. We still have lots of stuff in
our house – lots of stuff I’m emotionally attached to, but rarely – if ever –
use. There are still idols,
friends. <b><i>I can’t tie a pretty bow on
this and tell you that the Lord has cured me of materialism and I’ll never be
materialistic again. But it’s a start
and He’s working on it.</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>So how about you? Do
you find yourself, like me, storing up treasure which can be stolen, and moth
and rust destroy? How has the Lord
taught you about storing up treasure in Heaven?</i></b></span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15253783284975097995noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372746497720691143.post-9069508036892475612012-10-14T19:10:00.001-07:002012-10-14T19:10:33.214-07:00Playing Church<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
What I didn’t tell you the other day about reading David
Platt’s <i>Radical</i> was that I had
actually bought it and tried to read it a few months before our church read it
together. I didn’t get very far in it
before I just had to stop reading it. It
was “too much.” At the time, I couldn’t
really define what that meant, but by the time I picked it up again, I understood. In short, <b><i>it was legalism that kept me from
getting more than a chapter or two into it.
</i></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>The version of Christianity I subscribed to up until a
couple of years ago looked a lot like a to-do list:</i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Go to church most every Sunday</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Take an active role in church, such as
participating in Bible Studies (or even leading them), be on a committee, or
volunteer in some other capacity. And
the more you can do of these things, the better.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Read Bible daily</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Pray daily</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Don’t cuss</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Don’t drink excessively</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Don’t have sex with anyone other than your
spouse</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Take care of the house</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Be a good wife</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Be a good employee</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Be a good friend</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Be a good neighbor</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Volunteer with organizations outside of church</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
…and I’m sure the list could go on, but these are the things
that immediately came to mind. This was
what consumed my life. Some of it took
work, some of it really didn’t, but I was busy enough keeping up with that
list. So when David Platt came along
saying Jesus said things like:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i>“Anyone
who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27)<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i>“Any
of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple” (Luke
14:33)<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i>“Go,
sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in
heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Mark
10:21)<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
… it was just “too much.”
I already had a to-do list a mile long, I couldn’t add those crazy
things to it. So I put the book
away. I’m so thankful God had other plans
for me and wouldn’t let me run from what He wanted to teach me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What I learned between the first and second times I picked
up <i>Radical </i>was that<b><i> I had been trying my best to reconcile myself to God.</i></b> That, my friends, is the essence of
legalism. I don’t really remember being
taught too much about legalism in church (ha-ha), but I think I always had a
vague notion that it involved having to wear dresses, not being able to cut
your hair or following a very rigid worship style. If pushed, I probably would have said that
legalists were people who felt like God wouldn’t be pleased with them if they
didn’t do such-and-such. But I don’t
think I would have gone so far as to say they were trying to reconcile
themselves to God by those rules. And
that’s where I was deceived. I had a
whole laundry list of dos and don’ts that were the rules I lived by – the rules
that pleased God – the rules that, when followed, reconciled me to Him. I realize now what blasphemy that was. Now, I fully understand when Jesus said to
the Pharisees, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who
are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’
For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:12-13) <b><i> I needed to learn the depths of my sinfulness
and trust that Jesus was the only means of salvation, rather than compiling my
own list of “righteous deeds” that could somehow earn salvation.</i></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The other day I was reading Acts 5, and came across a
familiar passage: Ananias and
Sapphira. If you’re familiar with the
Bible, you might remember that this is the story where Ananias lies to Peter
about some money that he’s donating to the church, Peter rebukes him for lying and then he just falls down,
dead. A little later, Ananias’ wife,
Sapphira comes to Peter, corroborates Ananias’ story, and then she falls down,
dead, as well. Harsh, right?! <b><i> I always read it as a simple story about why
you shouldn’t lie.</i></b> And, to be honest, I
didn’t really get what it had to do with the rest of Acts, other than to maybe
show Peter’s power. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But this time when I read it, I saw a story I’d never seen
before. If you back up to the end of
Acts 4, you see the first Christians taking care of each other’s needs. How?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i>There
was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or
houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the
apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. Thus Joseph, who was also called by the
apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of
Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at
the apostles' feet. (Acts 4:34-37)</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then what happens?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i>But
a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for
himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the
apostles' feet. (Acts 5:1-2)<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Oh, I see. Ananias
and Sapphira want to <i>look</i> holy. They want to do what everybody else is
doing. They want to be <i>seen</i> as self-sacrificial, generous. But they’re not. They can’t let all of that money go, so they
hold part of it back and then… pretend.
Peter’s response just cuts to the heart of it:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i>“Ananias,
why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for
yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain
your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that
you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to
God.” (Acts 5:3-4)<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ouch. That really
hurts. Because that’s exactly what I
used to do. <b><i>I looked around and saw what
everybody else was doing and I copied them.</i></b>
I faked it. I had no idea I was
faking it, but my heart looked a lot like Ananias and Sapphira’s. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Remember my to-do list? There’s nothing wrong with those things.
There’s nothing un-Biblical about them.
<b><i>But when they come from a heart that’s trying to earn salvation, rather
than a heart that loves Jesus and trusts in His grace, then, as Peter says, we’re
not lying to men, but to God.</i></b> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>The reason I’m so passionate about this is simple: I can’t
believe I’m the only one who has bought this lie. I can’t believe I’m the only one who, despite
years of church and Christian education, thought Christianity was all about dos
and don’ts, rather than Jesus’ grace.</i></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I don’t expect any comments on this. And at this point, honestly, I’m not sure
anybody is even reading this. <b>But I beg
of you: ask the Lord to examine your heart.
Ask Him to show you if you’re playing church like Ananias, Sapphira and me. And if
the answer is Yes, trust that by Jesus’ grace alone, you are reconciled to
God. Burn your to-do list and ask Him to
show you what it really looks like to follow Him. He is faithful.</b></span></span></div>
Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15253783284975097995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372746497720691143.post-48658619863944423762012-10-12T12:01:00.000-07:002012-10-12T12:01:26.405-07:00Responding to Poverty<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This is the post I’ve been struggling all year to
write. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">When we traveled to Ethiopia in January to meet our daughter
and go to court, my life changed forever.
Yes, I got to meet my daughter, but that’s not the change I’m talking
about. I’m talking about poverty. Suffocating, overwhelming, never-ending,
poverty. I thought I’d seen poverty before,
but living in the US had not prepared me for poverty that was so rampant and
ran so deep. Please don’t misunderstand,
Ethiopia is a beautiful country filled with exquisite people. Their history is deep and rich, and I believe
their future is getting brighter. But
there are lots of people – families – who still have a long way to go.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">While I was there, I just took it all in, detached –
probably because I knew that once I began to respond emotionally, the feelings
would overwhelm me. And they did for a
while. For a long while, actually. For months.
I remember talking to Rob about it one day, telling him that I felt like
we were somehow responsible for what we’d seen – responsible to tell people, or
do something, although I had no idea what to do. It still felt very overwhelming. I remember telling him that I didn’t think I
could like myself very much if I didn’t respond in some way. Not long after that I read <a href="http://www.aholyexperience.com/2012/07/the-1-thing-you-really-have-to-know-about-your-family/">Ann
VosKamp’s post</a> after she returned from Haiti. She articulated what I was feeling so much
better than I had:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’m
angry that I’ve seen and I’m ashamed that I am angry and I’m angry that I’ve
seen and now I am responsible. More than respons-able – we’re response-bound.
Once we have seen the poor, we are responsible — we will make a response. As
long as your heart is beating, there’s no such thing as unresponsive. <b>We all look into the face of the poor and
it’s either Yes, I will help. Or no, I won’t.<o:p></o:p></b></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">There’s
no getting off the hook.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Faith
cannot have a non-response.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">We’re
either responding with indifference or with intercession, either with apathy or
aid.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">You can’t look into the face of
the poor and just plead the fifth amendment. Your life is always your answer.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Yeah. What she said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Before we went to Ethiopia in January, we had been told by
our agency to expect that people would ask us for food or money, so we took
lots of granola bars with us. And boy
did people ask us for food and money. Actually,
it was mostly Rob they approached. I’m
not sure anybody asked me for anything at all.
I mostly stood back and tried to discreetly take pictures. I just wanted to make sure I didn’t forget –
forget their faces or their gratitude. I
have struggled with whether or not to post these pictures because the last
thing I want to do is rob anyone of their dignity. My hope is that by showing you what I’ve seen,
you will at the very least have a better understanding of the events that have
shaped me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg78s_y1wRoT3euLBsXNwP1QG22a_L09aLfjR1HfwaYjwh4m-hXriH5u-buPKv_wia1La3gm5PZOtN0e5JYvFcYYfll16kxnYEzEdIwC95Uk8SalNYtrXUK44m5qh6_YKASZ135MLS7QXXH/s1600/1-IMG_4063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg78s_y1wRoT3euLBsXNwP1QG22a_L09aLfjR1HfwaYjwh4m-hXriH5u-buPKv_wia1La3gm5PZOtN0e5JYvFcYYfll16kxnYEzEdIwC95Uk8SalNYtrXUK44m5qh6_YKASZ135MLS7QXXH/s400/1-IMG_4063.JPG" width="271" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This woman approached our car, asking Rob for food. She was so grateful for the granola bar he gave her.</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-wp-XUYS-wxyaGoCiEcolISUUHC9N5kLaSosqA4rZpP8XFWx1Wo3MsPWjphaZca_jddTse6E5dbF8GKKmhrMuA4xuqbByhSpoCwWhzp1hZ9YMu8hZJKGpVIpqocoukH7VTzw96_2WNML/s1600/1-IMG_4165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-wp-XUYS-wxyaGoCiEcolISUUHC9N5kLaSosqA4rZpP8XFWx1Wo3MsPWjphaZca_jddTse6E5dbF8GKKmhrMuA4xuqbByhSpoCwWhzp1hZ9YMu8hZJKGpVIpqocoukH7VTzw96_2WNML/s400/1-IMG_4165.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>At the top of Mt. Entoto. I can only assume she lives here.</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2rlZdVKMttBdHQgATaUT2A9pcshaH8BgLO3FUspjQLMyLnV2UYUDV8Cn2tSvrjDdT8oifcaYkDG5d3gdGpPcFSEahdy5xqyK8U72__m64-27ed7SZr4pV8ZDGmgAw0YvOXjMxg-BzmbIV/s1600/1-IMG_4166+(1024x686).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2rlZdVKMttBdHQgATaUT2A9pcshaH8BgLO3FUspjQLMyLnV2UYUDV8Cn2tSvrjDdT8oifcaYkDG5d3gdGpPcFSEahdy5xqyK8U72__m64-27ed7SZr4pV8ZDGmgAw0YvOXjMxg-BzmbIV/s400/1-IMG_4166+(1024x686).jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Also at the top of Mt. Entoto. This woman was filled with gratitude for what she received.</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpMhADzihJr6uziGSTkW6snswF3nCpMcfy9P0vdn8QikRxfn2BM4-J8rItbz7EnQFMKLitQQQnBunmIWjNffBYOelh8FKVqldPSytOYGs5ZYNoWxgozDU9ukXlj7KhuYmOxvRFej-Q3EFx/s1600/1-IMG_4167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpMhADzihJr6uziGSTkW6snswF3nCpMcfy9P0vdn8QikRxfn2BM4-J8rItbz7EnQFMKLitQQQnBunmIWjNffBYOelh8FKVqldPSytOYGs5ZYNoWxgozDU9ukXlj7KhuYmOxvRFej-Q3EFx/s400/1-IMG_4167.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Also at the top of Mt. Entoto.</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXO_hAIOADaQtdfOqT5Ay5nh7B7N5DKbt-ELuvoUcmaEZ_sNu48wf6hTUc-cwutRenIP8hq4mzd2QbZmlgiJWvnUUgEVo-HGRqsaV44Ssz4gTl8cQEIU8i1qnYaS6BuJTTnL9T4Lppej8E/s1600/1-IMG_4188+(684x1024).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXO_hAIOADaQtdfOqT5Ay5nh7B7N5DKbt-ELuvoUcmaEZ_sNu48wf6hTUc-cwutRenIP8hq4mzd2QbZmlgiJWvnUUgEVo-HGRqsaV44Ssz4gTl8cQEIU8i1qnYaS6BuJTTnL9T4Lppej8E/s400/1-IMG_4188+(684x1024).jpg" width="272" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>All the way up and down Mt. Entoto, we saw women carrying upwards of 150 pounds of firewood on their backs to make the equivalent of a few US dollars.</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSMn7403Qbzn0wNh7vGYWQI-quY5JQ-N4mUSAIIy2P46DdKuI0dUPAiDzRH_zq1E1EQdsM9cRGn-9hTYx6gplPOOEjOiI1ZqeLvGb2drpUfSD__uy6ly1c_-M9P6XY4T7ckl7dBBNZ0XVx/s1600/1-IMG_4520+(1024x681).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSMn7403Qbzn0wNh7vGYWQI-quY5JQ-N4mUSAIIy2P46DdKuI0dUPAiDzRH_zq1E1EQdsM9cRGn-9hTYx6gplPOOEjOiI1ZqeLvGb2drpUfSD__uy6ly1c_-M9P6XY4T7ckl7dBBNZ0XVx/s400/1-IMG_4520+(1024x681).jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This is outside Korah, the town dump. Many people live here. This large hill is actually trash. </i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgysnQOJO_Jg5hO_G6nxAQVdcjl6rQJGoYVP8J0P0F9v4paRyYbpRUNnCTWrf59_IJ-1yEqJRmQxUzE6M5VeQpWDPsSZbSVd_LKnBZ31UQz4iPtWaTMMBxb1yCuxohVhUpXskna9OAGkXS2/s1600/1-IMG_4675.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgysnQOJO_Jg5hO_G6nxAQVdcjl6rQJGoYVP8J0P0F9v4paRyYbpRUNnCTWrf59_IJ-1yEqJRmQxUzE6M5VeQpWDPsSZbSVd_LKnBZ31UQz4iPtWaTMMBxb1yCuxohVhUpXskna9OAGkXS2/s320/1-IMG_4675.JPG" width="216" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This boy wanted so badly to wash Rob's shoes, but he didn't have any money with him this afternoon. Even in the midst of extreme poverty, there is still such unspeakable joy.</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">After praying about our response for the last several
months, I think the Lord has finally begun to give us direction. We’ve stepped out in faith to do the things
we know He’s called us to do, but I think there’s still more to come. I’ll be sharing more of that in the coming
posts, but for now, let’s talk. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Have you
seen poverty outside of the US? If so,
how have you responded?</b></span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15253783284975097995noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372746497720691143.post-7999726566833045402012-10-11T11:00:00.000-07:002012-10-11T11:00:04.081-07:00Getting Radical<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">As the Lord continued to draw me near to Him, teach me the reality
of my sin and the truth of His grace, affection for Jesus truly developed in a
way that I had never known it before. It
was about that time that our pastor asked the church to go through David Platt’s
book, </span><i style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Radical-Taking-Faith-American-Dream/dp/1601422210/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1349814388&sr=8-1&keywords=radical">Radical</a></i><span style="font-family: inherit;">,
together. </span><b style="font-family: inherit;"><i> And from the moment I read the
first words of the first chapter, the Lord grabbed my heart and said, “Listen
to this!”</i></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> If you’re not familiar with
this book, here’s the summary from Amazon:</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">What
is Jesus worth to you?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">It's
easy for American Christians to forget how Jesus said his followers would
actually live, what their new lifestyle would actually look like. They would,
he said, leave behind security, money, convenience, even family for him. They
would abandon everything for the gospel. They would take up their crosses
daily...<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">But who do you know who lives
like that? Do you?<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">In
Radical, David Platt challenges you to consider with an open heart how we have
manipulated the gospel to fit our cultural preferences. He shows what Jesus
actually said about being his disciple--then invites you to believe and obey
what you have heard. And he tells the dramatic story of what is happening as a
"successful" suburban church decides to get serious about the gospel
according to Jesus.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Finally,
he urges you to join in The Radical Experiment--a one-year journey in authentic
discipleship that will transform how you live in a world that desperately needs
the Good News Jesus came to bring.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">For the most part, he just quoted Scripture, but I read it with
new eyes and a new heart. My view of the
world and my responsibility toward it began to change. Here are some points which have deeply
affected me:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b><i>The version of Christianity I was comfortable
with looked a whole lot more like the American Dream than the version of
Christianity Jesus preached.</i></b></span></li>
<li><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">I am rich.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">
</span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">I don’t mean spiritually (although I am), I mean financially.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Statistically, I live in the top 1% of the
wealthiest people in the world.</span></i></b></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b><i>People who die without knowing Jesus will go to
Hell.</i></b></span></li>
<li><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">If Jesus said things like, “Sell your
possessions and give to the poor,” multiple times to multiple people, I have to
think He meant it, and maybe it didn’t apply only to the people to whom He said
it.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Maybe it could apply to me in some
way.</span></i></b></li>
</ol>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">But let’s face it, I could just take all of this and make a
new form of legalism. I could make a new
checklist and get going trying to reconcile myself to God. But I’m so thankful that when I read this, I
was also listening to Matt Chandler remind me that Jesus wants my heart and not
my good behavior / begrudging submission.
That’s about the time I realized that <b><i>if Scripture says “XYZ,” and I’m
looking for ways to get out of it, then there’s a problem with my heart. </i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And so these truths are steadily sinking into my heart. The more I read the Bible, and the more I ask
the Lord to transform me, the better I <i>begin</i>
to see what this could possibly look like for me, and for our family. Last year, the only really big difference it
made was that Rob & I volunteered at an income-restricted apartment complex
in our area. We got to hang out with
kids and build relationships with them, and sometimes their parents. That opportunity ended earlier this year for
us, but I look back and think what a small step of faith it was to step out and
volunteer, but how much it took me out of my comfort zone. Even still, it also kind of felt like
home. <b><i> It’s hard to describe how
something so foreign can at the same time feel so familiar, but I think that’s
often how God’s plans work.</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>So what about you?
Are you following Jesus, or the American Dream with Jesus dust sprinkled
on top? What Scriptures have challenged
you to ask the Lord to examine your heart?
And how has following the Lord fleshed itself out in your life?</b></span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15253783284975097995noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372746497720691143.post-71610972061020726982012-10-10T11:00:00.000-07:002012-10-10T11:00:03.412-07:00Running from Jesus<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">When we started our adoption process, I felt for the first
time in a long time – maybe ever – like I was doing what I was made to do. And I think when the Lord blesses you that
way, it creates in you more affection for Him. I think that’s what started the
snowball effect. About this time two
years ago I remember feeling spiritually malnourished. I was attending church every week and reading
my Bible every day, but it just felt like it wasn’t enough – like I needed
more. I’d been thinking that I needed to
download some <a href="http://fm.thevillagechurch.net/sermons?kw=matt+chandler&type=sermons&match=any">Matt
Chandler sermons</a> to listen to in the car, so one Saturday morning while I
was praying about feeling spiritually malnourished, the Holy Spirit gently
reminded me of what I’d been wanting to do, that I had plenty of time to do it
then, so why didn’t I just get up, walk across the room and make a CD for the
car. Thankfully I obeyed because
listening to those sermons changed my life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here are some things Matt said that totally rocked my world:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">T</span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">he Lord wants my heart, not my begrudging
submission.</span></i></b></li>
<li><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">All of my righteous acts are like filthy rags
(literally: menstrual cloths (</span><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+64:6&version=NIV" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Isaiah
64:6</a><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">)).</span></i></b></li>
<li><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">I am saved by grace alone.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">NOTHING I can do on my own will reconcile me
to God (see #2).</span></i></b></li>
</ol>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">OK. Can we just take
a break from the story here and talk about this. The big question I’m still wrestling with two
years later is: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Why was this NEW to me?</i></b> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I would have been so insulted had anyone ever questioned whether or not
I knew this. OF COURSE I did! I was always in church, paying attention, even
taking NOTES! I have an undergraduate
degree in Christian Studies and a Master’s degree in Christian Education, for
crying out loud! But seriously people, until
I started listening to Matt Chandler, I never <i>really</i> got it. Part of me
feels like I should be ashamed of that, but I’m just so thankful Jesus grabbed
my heart when He did, that I just feel like the past is the past. Nevertheless, it’s a troubling question for
me because I suspect I’m not alone. I’m
not trying to solve the problem, or play the blame game here. <b><i>My goal in bringing this up is to create a
space where I can be honest, and you can be honest. </i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">One of the things Matt talks about a lot is having a genuine
affection for Jesus. I remember the
first time I heard him talk about that.
I was lying to myself, but I didn’t know it. And I certainly wasn’t doing it
intentionally. I wasn’t <i>trying</i> to run from Jesus. I just didn’t know Him, have a relationship
with Him, or have <i>any</i> affection for
Him. So when Matt asked, “What are the
things that stir your affections toward Jesus?” I didn’t know. <b><i>And it wasn’t until later that I realized that
I didn’t know what stirred my affections for Jesus, because I didn’t love Jesus
to begin with. </i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I should also clarify that none of this happened over
night. I wasn’t immediately convicted
about my lack of affection for Jesus, but after listening to multiple sermons
every day for a few months (y’all, I’m so slow), so many things started to make
sense. And I began to see that the life
I was living didn’t match with what I said I believed. I think the biggest area was grace. I thought I believed I was saved by grace
alone, but practically I was living like Jesus was my supplemental
insurance: <i><b>I did my part in earning God’s
favor, and then Jesus got me the rest of the way there</b></i>. Two years later, I’m still realizing how
legalism has been the foundation of every area of my life. And while I am definitely recovering from
legalism, it’s still an ongoing process.
I could talk a whole lot more about legalism, but that’s another post
for another day, and there’s still more to this story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>But for now, what about you?
Do you have a genuine affection for Jesus? If so, when and how did it develop? If you’re not sure, I’m praying for you and
would love to talk about it with you some time.</b></span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15253783284975097995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372746497720691143.post-57215781019653720032012-10-09T11:00:00.000-07:002012-10-09T11:19:16.060-07:00The Middle Part<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">After graduating from high school, I went on to attend Union University. It was like youth camp every day, except we
had classes like Calculus, Physics and Microeconomics. Everybody was a Christian. I learned a whole lot more about having a
personal relationship with the Lord and TONS of theology. About half-way through my college career, I
sensed the Lord was calling me to vocational ministry, so I changed my major
from Accounting to Christian Studies.
And while I grew tremendously over those 4 and a half years,
periodically something bothered me.
Sometimes people would talk about loving Jesus, and <i>when</i> I was honest
with myself, I had to say that I </span>didn't<span style="font-family: inherit;"> really get it. Love for God, I got. But Jesus?
Not so much. Everything he said
was kind of obscure, and I just felt like I </span>couldn't<span style="font-family: inherit;"> relate. But I </span>didn't<span style="font-family: inherit;"> let myself worry about it much,
and hardly ever thought about it.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">After taking a year off after college, I moved to Texas to
go to Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. The first semester was awesome. I loved
school, I loved being on my own, I loved where the Lord had me. But after spending the summer working at a
church in Montana, I struggled with coming back to Texas. It was hard for me to put my finger on it at
the time, but I now realize what I loved about being in Montana was that the
people there had genuine faith that I desperately needed. They </span>weren't<span style="font-family: inherit;"> playing church; it </span>wasn't<span style="font-family: inherit;"> socially acceptable for them to be Christians.
No, they genuinely loved Jesus and walked with him each day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">My second semester in seminary was
terrible. I was mad at God for bringing
me back to Texas when all I wanted was to be in Montana. I had a terrible
attitude; and every second of that semester was torture. I suppose it got better after that. I repented of my attitude, grew closer to the
Lord, and tolerated school. But by the
time I was finished with school, I was completely burned out. I </span></span><span style="line-height: 18px;">wasn't</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> really interested in anything about
the Lord that would require me to think.
And I certainly </span></span><span style="line-height: 18px;">didn't</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> want to act on anything. I just wanted to sit back and rest. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Rob asked me out on our first date the day after I graduated
from seminary, so instead of pursuing my plan to move back to Nashville and
edit curriculum for LifeWay, I just stayed in Texas and took a temp job. It was quickly apparent to both of us that we
wanted to get married, and 6 months later we were engaged, the temp job became a permanent job and 8 months after that we were married. </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="line-height: 18px;">We've</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> been married now for about 8 and a half
years. I remember really struggling with
loving the Lord for those first few years because I loved Rob so much. I had wanted to be married for so long that
it had become my functional savior – I thought marriage would be the thing to
save me from my miserable life (which really </span></span><span style="line-height: 18px;">wasn't</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> that miserable, but I thought
so at the time). So then, once we’d been
married for a while, I began to think having a baby would satisfy me. As </span></span><span style="line-height: 18px;">I've</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> <a href="http://rebob.blogspot.com/2010/01/our-story.html">written before</a>, I spent a miserable
year being mad at God for not allowing that to happen. But He is faithful and continued to show me
how much He loved me. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">What about you? How did your faith develop after you first believed?</span></div>
Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15253783284975097995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372746497720691143.post-43425682553956834412012-10-08T11:00:00.000-07:002012-10-08T11:00:04.917-07:00The Early Years<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Until the time I was 13, my family attended a United
Methodist church. I don’t really
remember much of what was taught, but I know that I was baptized as an infant,
and later <a href="http://www.umc.org/site/c.lwL4KnN1LtH/b.1697421/k.65F6/Confirmation_Overview.htm">confirmed</a>
in middle school. I can’t remember a
time when I didn’t love God. I grew up
learning about Him, understanding He wanted me to be good and live a moral
life. I believed He was near and that He loved me. I could go to Him for anything, whenever I
wanted. But I don’t remember much
importance (if any) being placed on accepting Jesus as my Savior. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">When my family moved from North Carolina to Indiana, we
stopped going to church for a while.
But, I met a girl at school and she invited me to her church and I began
regularly attending with her. This
church was a lot different than the Methodist church we’d attended in North
Carolina. After attending for several
months, I began to better understand the concept of salvation and the necessity
of asking Jesus to save me from my sins.
So, at youth camp, the summer I was 15, I “rededicated” my life to the
Lord. I realize now I was too prideful to admit I wasn’t a Christian up until
that point. Nevertheless, I was baptized
by immersion soon after and remember experiencing an indescribable joy. I can remember so clearly being in the
baptistery wanting everyone in the church to hear the answers to the questions
they asked me, so EVERYONE would know that I was a follower of Jesus Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As time went on, however, I lost that joy. What I remember being taught in youth group
was, essentially, legalism: Don’t hang out with non-Christians; Don’t listen to
secular music; Don’t drink; Don’t smoke; Don’t have sex before you’re married;
Don’t watch Rated-R movies; and the list goes on. And I kind of get it. We were out-of-control teenagers and our
youth sponsors were just trying to keep us under control. But while I was a really good girl, I didn’t
love Jesus. I did everything I was
supposed to do, and didn’t do the things I wasn’t supposed to. I followed the rules.</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What about you? Did you grow up loving Jesus?</span></span></div>
Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15253783284975097995noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372746497720691143.post-26353227145381471722012-10-07T19:06:00.000-07:002012-10-07T19:06:12.688-07:00Searching for Treasure<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A couple of years ago, the Lord began a work in me. It started so subtly, I didn't even realize it at first. But now, looking back on the last couple of years, I realize transformation has begun - and is happening now. And what I'm beginning to see is that it all comes down to that which I treasure. Do I treasure this world and the comfort it provides? Or do I treasure Jesus and His Kingdom? What I am slowly starting to see is that while I say I treasure the latter, in reality I treasure the former. <br />
<br />
I invite you to join me on a journey. Because I believe this journey has been initiated - and is being sustained - by the Lord, it seems only fitting to glorify Him by openly sharing where I've been, where I am, and where He leads me. It's a journey that promises at times to be messy, painful, and unclear, but also fully of joy and adventure.<br />
<br />
Will you join me? It's my goal to be as honest as I can be, and I would love nothing more than to dialogue with you!</div>
Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15253783284975097995noreply@blogger.com6