A Completely Joyful Adventure

Philippians 2:1-2 If therefore there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 

What a way to start the summer break off then to take a long-awaited and planned for many months, road trip with my BFF! We snapped our selfie at my front door and we headed for the airport just the next city over from our homes.

My boarding pass said B, hers was C and we ended up unable to sit together on our 3 hour flight to Texas. I found a seat towards the tail end, my friend Christina, up front. I felt a bit down about that, and hoped the flight might be over quickly and/or my book might keep me from boredom. I did end up with a window seat. A clear flight, I looked out the window a lot and wondered what and where we were, if that was the Salton Sea, if below me might be New Mexico...

I sat next to a couple who quickly introduced themselves, Teri and Randy. They informed me that they were off to Dallas to assist Pastor Greg Laurie and the Harvest Crusade happening that weekend at AT&T Stadium in Dallas. Last year, over 85,000 people showed up with more standing and listening in the parking lot. They hoped for the same this year. She pointed out to me more friends on the same mission across the aisle and said many more were scattered in the jet.

Wow Lord, I couldn't sit next to my friend, yet You surround me with Your good servants and conversation that glorifies You. So Cool, So You Lord, Thank You. 

I felt assured, encouraged--in going away on an adventure and excited that God provided for me to go with no lose ends at home.

I felt Christ's love when my seatmates asked me to pray with them before the plane landed. We prayed for the Harvest Crusade and they prayed for myself and Christina to enjoy our trip safely and joyfully.

I knew fellowship, being of One Body in Christ with complete strangers, yet...not really strangers after knowing that they served the same God with passion and compassion for the lost. My joy--complete yet waiting for our adventure, complete because of what blessings the Lord gives to me in friendships. Joy because strangers and best friends can share instantly in that sameness, a unity because of knowing God personally and trusting Him.

We left on a jet plane. I found new friends for a brief 3 hours. Along with my forever friend, (we call each other Soul Sisters), we all are intent on one purpose: To fellowship and share our hearts in love and words and find joy in each other, in serving and being served, and in adventure. The Lord moves us to and fro and we cannot be scenery watchers or keep our heads stuck in a downward position, afraid of people or where He may call us to.  His purposes are not seen in the clouds, but sometimes right in the seat next to us, to pray and fellowship and be reminded that it is never about the destination, but more about the journey.

Lord, Thank You for being a God of providence, provision and unity. Thank You Lord for best friends and new friends. Thank You Father for a beautiful world in which to share Your love and hope in. You are a good God intent on filling us with Your Joy, in all our adventures and even in our misadventures.
Help us Lord to continue to see You in our everyday walk through life and live fueled up and ready to soar to new places You plan for us. May we be packed with faith and trust and ready to unpack Your Goodness. Amen.

Complete Joy in Friendship

Philippians 2: 1-2 If therefore there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose... 

A conversation took place this week between me and one of my closest friends. We talk almost everyday and even when we don't, I know, she knows, that our thoughts aren't far away from each other. I even texted her a question, a text she never received because she didn't have her phone with her, but she answered me anyway...10 minutes after I texted, on a different device. Yeah---we're just connected that way. 

Anyway, as we shared this week about other people we love and are praying for--all this stuff and heartache, people in desperate situations, health dilemmas, and ongoing family separations, we agreed, it is all so hard, but it is our choice--that we feel deeply, petition, encourage one another, hope together and love one another because the other alternative is isolation. We wouldn't have each other or the beautiful relationship and trust God ordained. Friendships with Christ at the center blooms continuously out the window of our souls, a creative, tangible view of God at work. 

Isolation: No true, authentic friendships in which one can share the deepest of hurts, frustrations, fears, prayers, intimate insights, JOY and HOPE from God. I am sure there are a number of reasons why this happens, but God doesn't intend our lives to be that way. Hope comes from seeing it in another and then believing it for yourself. It is a promise from God. God also instructed us to live in fellowship with one another. 

There is always, always HOPE.

I cannot imagine my life without these close friends who all are dealing with pain of some sort. We talk every day, share every day, pray for one another every day and love God in and with each other every day. God is good. I am hurting for all of them. I cry to God. They have done that for me--do that for me now. I know. I know I am deeply loved and cared for by each one of them in their unique and gifted ways. I learn and see God beautifully in my life through these women of faith. 

In His timing and sovereignty, God will make a way. Then, we will again, feel deeply and cry, rejoicing and praising our Heavenly Father for His divine intervention and our growth in trusting Him. 

It is a choice--to have a deep, intimate, authentic relationship with the Lord or to isolate yourself in your sorrows, disappointments and fears and pretend that nothing matters outside your own bubble of hurt. Eventually, I think, that just might turn into resentment and a very lonely existence. 

One small step of trust, one tiny but faithful prayer to lead you to a true and trusted friend, might just find you surrounded in a circle of deep and passionate relationships who will be your warriors when times are desperate or when joy is over flowing in your heart. It must go somewhere and to me there is no better feeling then praising God with friends who have prayed right along side for God to make Himself known. 

Lord, tonight I pray for the isolated, the hurt, the lonley souls that do not or choose not to trust in friendships. We are still abiding on this earth, thus we are not perfected yet, but God desires for us to live in unity and fellowship, and we must trust Him for the right people alongside us. Help me Lord to be the kind of friend that encourages and prays unceasingly for my friends and believes in all things good, that Your Hope and Your Joy are awaiting us. Thank You Lord that I, that we have seen it and we await for it again. We wait to plan a party! Amen. 

Brother (or Sister)
NEEDTOBREATHE with Gavin DeGraw 

A Believer's Bouquet

Romans 12:4-5 "For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another." 

I had the unique privilege this week to celebrate a ministry milestone of five years. "Coffee Break" at my church is a gathering of woman who come to fellowship, eat decadent desserts, sip coffee, compete in silly games, worship, then settle in to hear a woman within our own church share their compelling testimony.

Coffee Break Five Year Celebration 

Everyone has a story. If you have been redeemed by the Lord, set free, been given hope through a hopeless situation, grieved, made irreversible decisions, suffered abuse, dealt with difficult relationships, been hurt by loved ones, suffer an illness, relied on God for the impossible, stepped out in faith when others questioned your sanity, felt panicky, anxiety, depression, even the unthinkable thoughts...

If you've been angry, been betrayed, broken, failed, scared, felt unloved, ashamed, questioned your faith, ran away...

and yet, God found you and filled you with hope, laughter and purpose... JOY.

If you have sinned, been forgiven and now choose to live for Christ despite it all...

God created in you a testimony of your faith in Him. FYI: For continued healing.

Be transparent and share. It's hard stuff, but full of blessings and further healing.

Trust Him.

~~~

Tonight, my neighbor came over and asked me to put together some bouquets of flowers for the important moms in his life. Glad to do it for he blesses us with his handyman and mechanical abilities. My son got the card table out while he brought in the three large wrapped bunches of flowers,  purchased downtown this morning at the flower mart.

 



As I was arranging the flowers, I thought of how this is like Coffee Break, or even the Body of Christ. Some of us are beautiful mums, roses, tall daisies, or zinnias, all different in color and shape and story, the sanctification journey.  Some of us are fillers, like the babies breath or the eucalyptus branches; those little encouragers that complement and define the story, God's Word of Truth.  Some of us are the vases, open to be filled and displayed, the very foundation of our faith, our teachers, pastors and mentors.  Then, finally, there is the water which sustains us all, The Holy Spirit.

And we give in Love, because He first loved us. 

Jesus eternally loves, defines love in us, teaches us to love, died and rose again because of LOVE.

We bloom and show His love best working together in unity with all our uniqueness and purposes. He designed it that way!  So let's be a little showy! --All for His Glory in our story!


God gathers us all together and makes a gorgeous bouquet to set out openly,  even on our own welcoming table for others to see and take in the sweet aroma of our Creator, our Maker.

 


Thank you Lord for flowers. I sure love them,  the colors and shapes and sizes. I love the process of planting and nurturing, weeding and caring, even clipping and displaying. Thank you Lord for Your people, the Body of Christ. I sure love them, the stories and the testimony, the sharing and the caring, the trusting and gathering to sing and worship together. I love the forgiving, the moving over to make room for one more, the new little buds forming, and the sweet aroma of prayer we create together for our own seedlings. May the display of believers, the bunches of branches and petals of praise, bring You Glory in our story, in our love for one another, in our testimony of hope. Thank you Lord for planting me where I'm at and nurturing me within the Bouquet of  Belief, for I am pressed deep into the Water of Life. Amen.

P.S.  Happy Mother's Day!  

Journal prompt: Do you see yourself as part of God's Bouquet?  Where in the church is your gifts displayed for His Glory?  Where is He leading you to serve?