Love. Always. Hopes.

from "Prayer" by Richard Foster

2011-10-25T22:24:00.005-04:00

Transformation and intimacy both cry out for ministry.

We are led through the furnace of God's purity not just for our own sake but also for the sake of others.

We are drawn up into the bosom of God's love not merely to experience acceptance but also so we can give His love to others. The world writhes under the pain of its arrogance and self-sufficiency.

We can make a difference if we will.

In earlier days we tried to serve out of our spiritual bankruptcy, and we failed. We now know that ministry must flow out of abundance.

Bernard of Clairvaux writes,

"If then you are wise, you will show yourself rather as a reservoir than as a canal. For a canal spreads abroad water as it receives it, but a reservoir waits until it is filled before overflowing, and thus communicates, without loss to itself, its superabundant water.
In the Church at the present day, we have many canals, few reservoirs. "

We have determined to be reservoirs.

drawn from "Prayer, Finding the Heart's True Home"
Richard J. Foster, p168

Don’t Let ‘Em Fool Ya…

2011-10-24T23:12:00.000-04:00

…The REAL Training at EBC
a tribute to my sessionmates
at the USA Southern Territory School for Officer Training

It has come to my attention that thereis something going on in our midst that we simply MUST be made aware of- thoughI warn you, the truth may shock you! There is an agenda for us, Friends of Christ, thatfollows a completely different schedule (as if we need anything else on ourplate), a rubrick that’s as many as 800 pages long and that involves BOTHindividual and group work (and you know you’re gonna end up with the group ofpeople that most drives you crazy, right?). Assignments include:

· Howto not always get your own way – and be okay with it

· EatingHumble Pie without spitting it out

· Runningthe Race – hurdles, hills, potholes and all

· Complainingvs. Counting your blessings

· Spreadingbeauty, not misery

· Howto get along – even if the other person is the one with the problem (!)

And we’ve all been working on theseassignments, because whether we recognize it or not this is the stuff that Godis doing in us when we’re not looking. We’re already not the people we werewhen we arrived – Proverbs 27:17 says:
“You use steel to sharpen steel, and soone friend sharpens another”

Haha…you’d think that by now we’d all berazor sharp and ready to go!

You see, He’s been transforming us by the renewingof our minds, and as we worship Him in Chapel or in our Brigade Corps or in ourprayer closet and we plead for Him to get rid of this nasty habit or thatcrummy behavior and grow in us the fruits of Holy Spirit, and make us more likeJesus, well,
He Does.
He refines us as we go through the detailsand interactions of our day to day living in community with one another. Welearn grace, patience, gentleness, to prefer one another above ourselves, tolove – especially when it hurts and a hundred other heavenly things just bychoosing to live here and choosing to follow Jesus. Maybe we didn’t learn it the first time, thesecond time or the 364^th time the lesson came around, but we’regetting it.

So Friends of Christ, don’t let anyone fool you about what we’resupposed to be learning here…I know our paperwork indicates that Majors Hoferare in charge, but indeed it’s the Holy One who is directing and drawing usthrough this training experience so that we are made into the sort of officers(and disciples) that He needs out in the field, and even the whole wide world. “…joyous sacrifice, to be chosen, namedand known as Friends of Christ…”

Is it just me or...

2011-10-20T15:12:00.000-04:00

Does something stink around here? I don’t know about you but that’s a question that comes up an awful lot around our house (sorry honey).
And yet…can I be real here?
If I’m going to be honest, in examining my daily living – I can apply the same question back to my own spiritual life. It it just me, or does something stink around here?

One of the strongest images from Scripture to ever lodge itself in my memory is from Romans 7, where after a long emotional confession Paul concludes:

“What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?”

Many scholars agree that the above verse was referring to one of the most severe punishments under Roman law wherein a dead body was literally chained to its murderer -- face to face, hand to hand, toe to toe. The condemned man was sentenced to go through the remainder of his life chained to this decaying corpse. The murderer could not avoid breathing in the stench of this decaying body which was his constant companion. Like I said – it’s some strong imagery.

There is also an old argument regarding this passage – whether or not the Apostle was referring to the state of his soul before his Christ encounter or after, and I’m sure we all have our own opinions on that. However, after some careful thought I’ve decided that this question really is irrelevant, because Paul is articulating the wrestle that exists for anyone who tries to get through this life purely in their own strength.

In fact, that could describe any of us who are trying our hardest and best to be good and holy through just working harder, praying longer, doing greater good works, implementing harsher self-disciplines and even ‘faking it till we make it’ and yet are still defeated every time by the desires of our sinful nature.

I agree with Matthew Henry, who says:

“Paul speaks like one that was sick of his flesh and would give any thing to be rid of it.”
That’s how I feel – perhaps you can relate? Does something stink around here?

It’s as though I cannot avoid breathing in the stench of my sinful nature – and I hate it. Now, it’s not a 24/7 thing, but more of an ebb and flow – some days are better than others. More often than not, reflecting on my thought life, words that I’ve spoken carelessly (or with the careful precision of a poisonous dart), and immature behaviors I say to myself “wow – Heather – you stink” and then I spend some time in a Romans 7 mindset myself, ending in a piteous cry of “WHO WILL SAVE ME FROM THIS BODY OF DEATH? Jesus, will I ever really be like You?”

On a good day, that inner angst flows over into verse 25:

“Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

How does this deliverance come? Supernaturally. It’s an act of grace – when we receive Him, and then His Holy Spirit, Romans 8:2 promises that we have been freed from the power of sin that leads to death. In Galatians 5: 16 Paul teaches that we must:

“let the Spirit direct your lives, and you will not satisfy the desires of the human nature.”

So let’s try this. Just for a time, let’s turn our noses inward – and forgetting about all of them stanky people all around us, vexin’ us and polluting our air with their spiritual junk, we can choose to make some room for Holy Spirit to check us. To reveal our own sinful nature – anyplace it may be alive and kicking and then – the key – is that one whiff of the putrid stench of our sinful nature would pierce our hearts and trouble us to such a degree that we would find ourselves drawn into godly sorrow - the Spirit led kind that always ends up in repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10).

And I know that God can really do something supernatural when our hearts are in that posture.

Don’t we want to kick this funky season we’re in and start experiencing serious spiritual victory? How about greater measures of Holy Spirit, of friendship (not just tolerance), unity and love?

Well, it’s going to take asking ourselves “Does something stink around here? And then, is it me?”

Are we as a body speaking like “one that is sick of his flesh and would give anything to be rid of
it?” Even if that means more brokenness and sorrow? It’s an agonizing and ill-fitting place to camp out – until we can give God room to move in us, so that our prayer ends like this:

“Going through the motions doesn't please You;
a flawless performance is nothing to You.
I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered.
Heart-shattered lives ready for love don't for a moment escape God's notice.
God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life.
Don't fail to breathe holiness in me.
Make me as joyful as You did when You saved me;

Amen.”
(excerpts from Psalm 51, MSG)

ThrowBack Blogs - from August 2006

2011-02-23T11:08:00.002-05:00

Counting the cost..it's a big deal, eh?

Back in the summer, I went to be a part of the Old Orchard Beach evangelical outreach brigade. It was a good time. It was good to be with close friends and to be 'dusted off' (encouraged through Scripture and prayer).

One of the words of wisdom that was shared with me, was on that very subject...counting the cost. I was in a place where I felt like God was stretching me just too thin and I wasn't okay with it - and I'm not talking about being 'out of my comfort zone' but more like, God, I've always trusted you, but right now, it's all just a bit too much.
...Slow down please,
......I need a break.
.........I need to pause and catch my breath and check out my surroundings and get some perspective.

The word was just this...it's okay to be in that place of pause. It's not letting go of God, it's not turning my back on Him, disagreeing with Him or backsliding...its saying hold on a sec please! that was very reassuring to me...because I didn't feel as though I was being disobedient, but my legalistic self, my logical mind got me going, saying that I didn't love God enough, and didn't trust Him enough. blahblah.

If this whole Christian life is about relationship, not just works and blind obedience alone, then why would I think that my God, as a responsible Father, would grab me by the hand and begin to drag me along, lecturing me and chewing me out the whole way because I'm not 'good' enough or 'quick' enough or 'instantaneously obedient' enough?

If what I preach to others is true, than God can't be like that. So I'm learning to allow myself to withdraw to a quiet place of retreat with Jesus and let myself believe that He'll love me just as much if I quit all of this and went to work at McDonalds (not that there is anything wrong with that...but i think it's safe to say that it's not my calling) for the rest of my life. He would. Wouldn't He? :-)

Therefore, I wil not let my fear not control me...but think on Love. There is no fear in love does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment...if what's holding me back from going deeper is the fear that I won't measure up and why bother asking for a second blessing if I'm never going to be able to maintain it (for example) then I'm missing the love factor.

Fear wants me to be afraid of God's punishment when I mess up, but I shouldn't be afraid in that place, because even there, it's all about love. To not lose courage and give up and faint when I am reproved or corrected by Him; For the Lord corrects and disciplines everyone whom He loves, and He punishes, even scourges, every son whom He accepts and welcomes to His heart and cherishes.

That's a pretty special place to be, eh?

Welcomed into His heart? Cherished?

Wow. When you have a disciple, you want to keep them on a narrow track of discipline so that they can be trained in the Lord's ways. You will be quick to rebuke anger, hate, racism, gossip, self-deprecation, cursing, lewd comments and so on, right?
Over and over until they get out of those old habits and into new ones.

In the same way, God the Holy Spirit will be all over me to convict me of old habits over and over and over so that He can usher in new ones. The end result is GREAT!

When I look around me at other disciples, it's apparent that everyone gets the same process. So I take heart in that. And then I look forward and set my face like flint knowing that I will not be put to shame...

Confessions of a Compassion Junkie

2010-06-15T15:01:00.002-04:00

My name is Heather and I’m a compassion addict.

Many years ago while ministering in a one of the poorest neighborhoods I’ve ever had the privilege to serve in, I came across a man I knew who indicated that among other things, he was hungry. I promptly swung into compassion-action and smiling contentedly to myself, marched off to get him a slice of pizza. Just what he needed and so easily taken care of, I thought to myself.

While standing in line, a voice called out to me:

“Hey!” the man said,
“I only have 50 cents, wanna go halfsies on a piece with me?”
“No” I replied dismissively, “I’m buying a piece for my friend.”
“Please? I’m so hungry.” he added, with a hint of desperation.

At that point, I’m pretty sure I ignored him, busy as I was giving my order and paying my money. As I triumphantly turned around to present my pizza gift to my friend, he was long gone down an alley for a fix. I looked around for the man I had brushed off, but since I hadn’t actually seen him, I wasn’t sure who to look for. I sat down on the curb holding that Hawaiian pizza slice and Jesus spoke to me.

He revealed to me that in my zeal to ‘do-good’ for others and ‘feel-good’ about myself, I had made a plan that seemed right in my own eyes. Human compassion had kicked in at the first opportunity to 'meet a need' and I stopped at the words ‘hungry’ and thought – “Oh, I can take care of that.” rather than listening with my spirit to ALL of what he had to say in that moment. My plan didn’t take into consideration what God was already doing in that man’s life and where I might have been able to lend a hand. No, this plan was All. About. Me.

The second man was the divine appointment the Lord had had waiting for me. As Jesus spoke to me, I understood that God had been preparing that man’s heart for salvation and community, and my part was to give him the dignity of being treated well, and sharing a meal together. I was meant to be obedient to the leading of Holy Spirit, and through that the powerful love of God and the redemption of the Cross would have been revealed to him.
It had been a “now” moment that God had set up for me, but since I was out of step with Holy Spirit and determined to do what I thought was best, I missed it.

The truth? Human compassion leads no one to the cross.

I never found either man that day, but what I did take away was this:

To truly minister and reveal Christ in the world, I can do nothing by myself – I must do only what I see the Father doing, by keeping in step with Holy Spirit. (see John 5:19, Galatians 5:16)

As an Army, if we continue to provide “Christian ministry’ based solely on what we’ve got in our warehouses and food banks, giving people what we think will best and most conveniently (for us) meet their needs and then leave it at that, then let us call ourselves what we really are – not a Salvation Army, but a Do-Gooding Group. (hat tip MR)

When The Salvation Army ceases to be a militant body of red-hot men and women whose business is the saving of souls, I hope it will vanish utterly.'
William Booth

Lord,
I pray that you would have mercy on us as an Army and as your soldiers. We repent for ministering out of human compassion towards the poor rather than the harder, better way of obedience. Please teach us in all circumstances to say ‘Lord, reveal to me where you are at work in this person’s life and show me how I can partner with You.”
Amen.

Pop pop goes the bubble wrap

2010-05-12T16:02:00.003-04:00

May 12/10

I have the best job IN the world.

Okay, let me take that back - because jobs change. I have the best calling IN the world. The best part about it is that it is "IN the world".

Now i'm not knockin' those who feel called to cloister themselves away and live their lives and worship separate from the world, because Lord knows that there are days that I'd like to go spend a weekend at their house for some peace and quiet!

But there is always the fight. The fight. THE FIGHT!
That is the calling that woos me out of my place of retreat as a lover calls to his beloved (see Song of Songs 2:10) but also as a Commander directs his soldiers to the battlefront calling: "To the front! The cry is ringing. To the front! Your place is there!"(see Salvation Army Songbook #702) I love my Jesus because He is a Lover and Friend, but He is also my Commanding officer, and He calls me forward into battle.

It sounds romantic to a salvo greatheart, or corny to a post-mod, but down here this Kingdom Advance stuff isn't complicated and it's not a mystery. This week my battleground was to pay special attention to a very lonely autistic homeless boy at our family shelter. It was to rejoice with women graduating from a life skills program and tcover them in the Lord's blessing as their chaplain. It was to weep with a community that mourned the passing of a 6 week old baby, as their friend and it was to share time and prayer with a dear comrade recently bereaved. And it's only Wednesday, praise God!

None of these activities took any particular special talent, schooling, funding or intellect. However, they DID require me to be attentive to Holy Spirit and then just to show up physically as well as spiritually and be ready to speak, or be silent, to listen or to act.

This is not sentimental nonsense or oversimplified Gospel - it is the Kingdom of God advancing in Charlotte, North Carolina and Kingdom Advance anywhere takes soldiers who don't love their lives so much that they shrink from death OR tears & sadness, awkward moments, strong emotions, injustice, brokenness and outright depravity. It's having JesusLife - and having it to the full rather than a lifestyle covered in 'bubble wrap' keeping me safe from harm but insulated from experiencing anything transparent, authentic, raw.

Indeed, since I've begun pilgrimage with Jesus I have walked through more hurt, rejection and hardship, made more difficult decisions, gone without and left loved ones behind when I've been called onward. But when I'm with the King, none of these sacrifices is damaging to me the way it was before my heart was His - because it's part of my salvation and my coveanant to share in His sufferings as well as His blessing. To share in His heart and when it is offered, to drink from His cup.

In Philippians 1:27, The Message I read:

"There's far more to this life than trusting Christ, there's also suffering for Him. And the suffering is as much a gift as the trusting."

I will receive every gift that comes from my Father with thanksgiving and consider it a privilege that He trusts me with some of his dearest here on earth.
And so I reiterate, that I have the best calling IN the world, because the One who has called me is gracious, merciful and faithful. Hall-le-lu-jah!

posted by:
HeatherWrighteous

I swiped it from a friend of mine - but it's golden and perhaps timely. Read On...

2010-05-01T13:14:00.003-04:00

Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

My friend recounted to me a conversation with a cadet who doedn't believe a few of the doctrines.

Not a big deal, you say?

Well, this person has covenanted with God based on the doctrines. He has applied for officership based partly on his belief in these doctrines. He feels 'called' to officership, which is basically the vocation of establishing these doctrines in the hearts of every human on the planet. He has confirmed verbally and in writing his belief in the doctrines. And he avoids confessing his disbelief to his superior officers (not wanting, I gather, to jeopardize the free car and home- in the West- and tenure for life).

So here we are, The Salvation Army, stuck with a lying, deceitful, underhanded, misled (in beliefs) scoundrel. If things follow form, this lying, deceitful, underhanded, misled scoundrel will be a leader in The Salvation Army, maybe at your corps, in a matter of months. Here's one for you. He's not alone.

When do we draw a line in the sand? At what point do we say 'enough is enough'?
It is bigger than officership. It goes to all of soldiership.

I am asking a common courtesy, which may be naive in this situation. How about having the honour of quietly stepping out of the ranks if you don't believe what you covenanted that you believed? How about having the modesty to relinquish your soldiership if you are intentionally, habitually not living up to your covenant promises? How about helping us cleanse the ranks of compromising hypocrisy? Either that or repent.

Not only will it go better for you in eternity, but your resignation of your soldiership (and, for you officers who fit the bill, your offiership) could be the best thing you'll ever do for The Salvation Army.
I'd prefer repentance.
Much grace,
sec
PS feel free to invite your friends to read this one.

More from this author is just a click away.

4/20

2010-04-21T14:52:00.002-04:00

Wednesday, April 21, 2010.

So yesterday was 4-20. That may seem like just another day for many but if you are in tune with cannabis, Marijuana, Pot, Erb, Ganja culture it is actually national pot day. 4-20 is originally based on the time 4:20 p.m. where within the weed sub-culture it is the time where after a long days work you light up a joint to finish the work day. It is celebrated all around the world as a sign of unity and strength of the pot movement; and really lots of smokers will intentionally light up at that time for the purpose of being a part of something bigger than just themselves. because April 20th is 4-20 that is the day chosen by smokers to have a pot sit in of sorts in their local cities. Some places have as many as 20,000 people all come together and light up. The local law enforcement can't do much as there is such a show of numbers. It is also movements like this that have shaped the mainstream thinking of Pot as a relative harmless drug i.e. if 25,000 people are smoking it in the open it can not be that bad!

I was thinking what the spiritual significance of a prayer movement with this kind of boldness and tenacity could have. Not to say there are not currently huge prayer movements within the body of Christ, cause there are, but imagine one with such unity and strength of numbers. I mean far more people pray every single day than people who smoke pot, I hope, so just imagine if on say on 9/20 every Christian converged on their local urban front and began to pray out loud and read scripture. WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The earth would surely be shaken!

Amen!

Monday, April 19th, 2010

2010-04-19T13:51:00.003-04:00

I was listening to a worship song recently that said ... "Your hands reached into the depths of darkness ... Your arms pulled me to the light above." It had me thinking of how far Jesus really was sent out after me, and not only because I had strayed so far, but because of how far his Father had to send him. Wow! I was far, but regardless just because I was born into sin he had to travel through so much to get to me. I feel so victorious as I walk through my day reminding myself of this truth. It gives me an assurance of how pressing the call to reach others with this truth in their own darkness is. That may be the most amazing part of this; that when he finally does grab "me" he then calls me to join him in reaching others.

I love Jesus.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010.

2010-04-14T14:26:00.002-04:00

We recently had a Jr Soldier enrollment and it caused me to really look at the promise that these kids were making to God w/ accountability from their local body aka Corps.

Having asked God for forgiveness, I will be his loving and obedient child.

Because Jesus is my savior from sin, I will trust him to keep me good, and try to help others follow him.

I promise not to use intoxicating drink, harmful drugs and tobacco.

I promise to pray, to read my bible and, by his help, to lead a life that is clean in thought, word and deed.

This promise may seem simple or primary but I think it is fierce! What a foundation to lay in a young persons life. Even more so, what a legacy. I was recently speaking to a TC from South America and he asked me "How do you measure success?" I though about this a while and answered with several good, in my mind, explanations. He then looked at me and, with fervor, said "Membership is everything." I thought about that for a wile and have drawn a few conclusions from my own experience.

1. Everyone wants to belong to something and be a part of something bigger than themselves.

2. The opportunity for membership, all inclusive community with an all access pass if I may, gives to the enrolled the chance to walk out applied kingdom loyalty.
(Loyalty in the world is represented by what plastic grocery store card you have in your wallet to get the good deals - whereas Kingdom loyalty develops the character of faithfulness and commitment, two things lacking in the world.)

3. Membership measures success as it marks how many are willing to believe His message ,as you represent it, enough to throw in their lot and follow something of purpose and single mind.

I know that I am a member, a covenanted soldier, not only because of the spiritual leading but also because of the inspiration of seeing others around me who made me think "I want to serve Jesus like that." or "I want my life to count for something real." This is so often represented to us through the examples of our older brothers and sisters in the Faith and, the opportunity to join up not just talk up a purpose is a part of the application of our faith. In the SA I think there is even a deeper "joining" in holy purpose through our covenant. The idea of membership, in this context speaks to the greater idea of being sold out for the Gospel.

I also think that within the emergent/emerging communities we may be able to measure membership with different language.

Anyways I am enjoying this challenge from my brother.

Have you enlisted anyone lately?

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

2010-04-13T14:25:00.003-04:00

Have not been at this for over a month but jumping back in.

On the local front -- We have been blessed to start Sunday School at our local SA shelter. What a blast 20 plus kids every week just wanting to hang out. We do a monthly Pizza Party to welcome new kids and are slowly including regular Sunday school curriculum. RICH, RICH blessing.

I wonder how many of our local SA shelters have any spiritual youth programing at all. Some may and props! Scary thought though, whole untapped y.p. corps just waiting for someone to show up.

I have been contemplating our covenant lately ... more to come but man what a foothold the devil has on us trying to explain away covenant with such weak arguments like "is that even biblical. OMG!!! (seriously more to come)

Be blessed.

Happy, Saved and Free !

2010-03-02T10:53:00.002-05:00

Tuesday March, 2nd.

A friend of mine always seemed to answer the question "How are you?" with "Happy, Saved and Free!" followed up with an almost definite " ... and, hows your soul."

It is always interesting to watch and hear how people react. Some become automatically defensive, saying "Why do you want to know?" Some people get offended, some shocked and some just think you must be one of those religious nuts.

I have decided as a spiritual experiment to include this greeting in all my conversations this week. So far it is great. Most people I have spoken to ask me to repeat myself and then when they get it, they respond with a positive "good to hear!"

It may seem like a waste of time but why not try to add a God Bless you or like sentiment to your voice mail or conversations. God words are powerful and why not throw out blessings to as many as possible. It definitely disrupts the spiritual complacency of everyday language and opens a door for further conversation.

That's my challenge, add some blessing words to your everyday words or media and see what happens.

Any ideas?

Hows your soul?
RD

Pray for me!

2010-01-25T09:31:00.002-05:00

Yesterday when I arrived to our Community House, where we have Sunday worship cell. There was a boy waiting to talk to me. He pulled me aside and said "You have to pray for me right now!" This boy is 14 and often seems tuned out during spiritual discussions we have during worship or cell group, but here he was desperate for some prayer. It turns out he had a situation at school where he had a physical altercation with a teacher and is facing a suspension of 10 days for pushing past a teacher. He was hungry but was 2 minutes late for entering the breakfast room at school so was told to wait for lunch. He gets that there was a better way to handle the situation but now faces a 10 suspension. That being said after we had prayed I thanked God for having such a privilege ... to be available for a young man that wanted to pray so bad.

He already had been praying all weekend himself but he said he remembered that he learned in cell group that if you prayed with other people it made the prayers stronger. I guess he has been listening.

I have the best job in the world.

You can join us in praying for Brandon.

The complicated path to the simple gospel

2010-01-11T16:37:00.002-05:00

I have been in thought these days on what, during my day, are the important things. The important things to glorifying Jesus and building his kingdom. The truth, as I am finding it, is that many of the seemingly important things in my day are not that important however great they may seem to me. I guess I am seeing that if I have not stopped to actually be with someone who needs Jesus than I have not fully walked out MY call. I am not trying to make a blanket judgement to throw on everyone else; I am only sharing where I find myself.

Here's the thing. There is a lot of administration and strategic planning that must exist to walk out mission, I am at the place these days where I am feeling less and less satisfied when I spend more of my day in "administering" it rather that flowing through it and joining with Holy Spirit to impact the lives of Gods children.

For me personally I am realizing that I can use administration and planning as protectionism from getting my hands dirty in relationship and touching a dying world. It is hard work to actually go get in the world, to not pass by the blind beggar without stopping and reaching out with pure love. Also the administration and planning can become tiresome so that I do not have very much energy left for actually ministering to the world and the body. This is a problem as the first should never prevent the latter.

So that being said, what are the important things? well, I am anew discovering a few.

1. Everyday there is somebody, somewhere in my day that needs to know that Jesus died for them and that he has a plan to bring freedom into their situation.

2. There is a brother or sister that needs encouragement.

3. The gospel lives in so many of the things that are unimportant to the world, and I have eyes to see it if I choose.

4. If I am planning my day and then administering it more than I am living it I need to do it differently tomorrow.

5. If I am not spending a significant amount of time in Gods presence and word than I am doing it on my own.

6. His grace is enough.

2009-12-22T14:33:00.002-05:00

I was listening to a "famous" christian preacher talk about "feeling God's love" today. She mentioned that we receive all things from God by faith. She mentioned that with maturity we know Gods love and presence as a deep truth, not necessarily something that makes the hair on our arms stand up and waves of sensational insensibility rush by. I agree. We do live by faith not sight, and we do know Gods love and presence as a deep truth that remains as a foundation in our spirits. I guess it struck me that maybe some of Gods children have never experienced a great, (physical) wave of sensation around knowing God's love and presence in their lives.
I suppose there are some that will say that it is pure emotionalism, which in my opinion the church is in no danger of, and that spiritual experiences like tangible manifestations of the holy spirit are not necessary components of a healthy relationship with God. I do not argue that it is not necessary to have tangible experiences with the holy spirit to be saved, or even that a believer could go many years with a deep faith that did not involve physical manifestations of the holy spirit.

I guess what I am saying is that, why would you want to?

Let me say that on a regular basis that I can feel God with me. There are times when I have to rely on my faith muscles to know that God is with me, or his word which tells me so and is perfect in truth. But I also must say that I can feel him physically with me, that at certain times I can feel the world around me shut off, the things of this earth fade and a greater presence, a tangible one surrounds me, speaks to me, comforts me, confronts me. It is God, he shows up. I do not intend on becoming someone who just jumps from spiritual experience to experience defeated in between strung out for the next rush. I know that faith is much deeper than that. I also love the word and how it, He speaks to me and shows up in my life. I love relationship with others that brings God nearer to me, but I also find a fullness in knowing his tangible presence.
I think of Moses that relied on the tangible presence of God to find direction and strength, he also experienced great trails on his journey but still had access even through that to Gods tangible glory. I love the Psalms that show mans reliance on Gods presence. Think of David who when in repentance calls out "take not your Holy Spirit from me, do not cast me away from your presence."

I know that I need his presence, yes by faith, but also by his tangible glory. He is my friend and I experience the fullness of joy through his touch.

Psalm 16:11You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

WHO is this KING???

2009-12-10T20:42:00.004-05:00

I love when I find a worship song that fits the season I'm in spiritually...check it out:

Highs and Lows

2009-12-09T21:36:00.002-05:00

Now I don't know where the idea of highs and lows was invented, but I was first introduced to it by a comrade CO who used it as a tool to provoke discussion and debrief after a major group experience (conference, mission trip, etc.) It has been so effective that it caught on down here in Charlotte, so we use it with the kids @ cell group, in Church and so on. It's a great way to get down to the bare bones of something - especially for chatty kathys like me. (!)

The past few days have been FULL to OVERFLOWING when it comes to activities and experiences, so it's hard to narrow it all down. So, I'm just going to give you my highs and lows. Here goes...

Yesterday

Lows

While moving a group of Christmas turkeys from the bottom floor of the Corps to the kitchen on the second floor, I leaked raw turkey juice on my uniform (shirt, pants AND shoes)

I let the myself get all frustrated about this.
For about 20 minutes. Until the juice dried and I forgot all about it. (!)

Highs

I facilitated a family of my favourite kids loving on a couple of men whose sexual orientation generally causes them to despised - the guys thought they'd bless the kids by donating a beautifully decorated Christmas Tree, but in turn they were the ones blessed up (isn't that always the way!) and moved to tears by the beauty, acceptance and Christlike love of children...

I had a very enjoyable lunch date with new friends who feel like old friends.

I connected with a family I hadn't seen in a long time and was able to hook them up with our Christmas program - the BEST part of this high is the testimony Ms. Lea shared with me. You see, we've always known her to move around from slummy run-down rental house to slummy, run-down rental house...and the house she's been in these past months isn't any different. Until she got a letter from her landlord's bank indicating that they were foreclosing on the house and that she had 8 days to collect her boys and their belongings and get out. Ms. Lea isn't a wallflower - she's feisty! She called up the bank and spoke with the manager, pleading for more time and asking if there was anything that she could do to avoid being evicted...jokingly he said "Well, if you had $1000 you could put down a down-payment" Ms. Lea told me that in that moment she only had $300 to her name - so she did what she could on a wing and a prayer and was able to scrape together the money -Ms. Lea is the proud owner of a slummy, crummy run-down house! It made my day!

Random Prayer

2009-12-03T22:45:00.003-05:00

Twice today I have had the experience to just stop and pray with two different people, not for any reason in particular, just because I wanted to enjoy practicing the presence that way. It has been a huge blessing. I often pray throughout my day but it has been a while since I stoped and prayed with somebody else just because God is good. I forgot that we are hard wired to do just that ... praise God for being so good - TOGETHER!

I think we can personalize our relationship with God so much so that we actually isolate our faith journey to exist just between us and him. I do not think that is a terrible thing but at best it means that our journey is one that we are on alone. I know that God is with us and that He will never abandon us but I also do not think that the fullness of joy, and Jesus said he came to make our our complete, can manifest without the fellowship of others.

The problem, my problem, is that because life can get so busy often we do not have time to just chill with other believers and share how amazing God is and what he is doing in our lives. I often live in this tension between serving others and serving "each" other. I see the example of Christ where he stopped to wash his brothers feet along side feeding 15,000 people. I am encouraged by the Acts 2 community that not only gathered in the temple courts together for prayer but also daily broke bread in each others homes.

I guess I want it all ... the fullness ... a completed joy.

I guess I will start with stopping tomorrow too.

2009-11-26T23:55:00.003-05:00

I have been thinking on The Word these days. I have always had a deep love for the scriptures, I was blessed that when I first got saved I was stuck in a very cold Canadian town with no money and not much to do ... oh and a brand new NIV study bible I had received for Christmas that year. I spent about 2-6 hours a day in prayer and reading the word for about a month; and it was rich. I miss that time and know it was instrumental in my spiritual development, it was my foundation and it was a solid one. There is no stronger foundation that a clear, impassioned understanding of The Word. So now that we have this foundation, what do we do with it? Let me share a quote from the founder ...

Christians for generations now have been spending an enormous amount of strength upon the bible ... Christian scholars have translated, re translated it, and then translated it again. They have commented and printed and published it in every form ... They have explained and preached about almost every word within its covers. There seems to be only one thing left to be done with it, and that is to give it a literal and faithful and understandable translation of it in practice.
William Booth
The knowledge of, and belief in, this whole Bible, from beginning to end, if substituted for actual, personal salvation, will prove as great a mockery as any other sentimental belief.
Catherine Booth
So, if you have read the bible then it is time to go and "do" the
bible, and not just what it says to do but to accomplish the literal translation
of its meaning through your life. I am also challenged by the quote from CB
(above) that it is just not enough to know all the rules and dogmatics of the
bible but there must be a living relationship with The Word, Jesus. I could say
so much but I will leave you with a small/huge truth. While visiting a man
recenly, who so many would consider simple, he said this ... "The bible is
simple. You just read it and then go do it." Thats my plan tomorrow, whats
yours?

The days are rushing past - Christmas in a month!

2009-11-21T10:34:00.004-05:00

Wow. Almost an entire month since my last post...it's not that there isn't stuff going on - there certainly is! It's just getting back into the habit/discipline of putting my thoughts up on here in a way that opens up our local experience and makes it tangible and accessible to all you folks that love us and are interested in our lives.

So this time around living in Charlotte, life is deeper and wider because our family has grown - our son Jonathan is 16 months old, and because of our time spent here from 2006-2008, we have an extended spiritual family that was ready to warmly welcome us home. So it has the flavour of a homecoming with all of the excitment and open skies of a new adventure!
(We dig it!)

Ummm...

2009-10-29T14:15:00.003-04:00

This week some of the kids went on a school field trip - to the city water treatment plant. They really enjoyed themselves and were excited about what they had learned. Here is an example:

D.J. - Miss Heather, we had so much fun at the water treatment plant today!

Heather - what did you learn?

D.J. - we saw where the dirty water comes in and they add the chemicals to it to make it clean.

(there were further graphic details that I shall omit for our sensitive readers!)

Heather - wow...was it smelly?

D.J. - only on the outside. We learned that if your water tastes like chlorine, that's how you know it's healthy for you.

Meet Me In the Hood...it's goin' down...

2009-10-23T09:07:00.001-04:00

So here in J.T. Williams at the PlayHouse, we're a safe place for kids to come after they get off the schoolbus, to do homework, play games, hop online and read. We have small groups, do Church together and altogether anticipate basketball season. We enjoy spending time with the kids of this neighborhood, and they're pretty fond of us too.

In fact, this week while Rob's been offsite and I've been flying solo over there, it got to be snacktime and I didn't have enough of any one thing to offer. Those of you who have/work with kids will nod your heads with me when I say you have to give everyone the same amount of the same thing, otherwise, there will be drama.

:-)

So there's this box of candy on top of the fridge that they've been salivating over for a while now, but I think Rob is saving it for something special. Everyday, however, the kids ask me "can I get one of those?" with their hopeful little eyes and best "I won't tell - it'll be our little secret" faces on...but I know what'll happen, so I say "Nope, here's some applesauce instead of candy. Enjoy." Cuz I know that if I gave in to one of those cherubic faces, as soon as that candy was in their hot little hand, they'd be calling it from the rooftops (perhaps literally - these kids have no fear, and no proper playground) that they have something no one else has.

*Sigh*

In particular, one of the big boys - 15yrs old, 320lbs, 6'5 - wanted him some candy. He gave me the googly eyes and the boyish grin, but I stood firm.

" You know that if I gave this to you and the others found out that I would be shot in the street!"

I was mostly joking of course.

His facial expression became dead serious. He looked me square in the eye, and in a sober voice he said:

"Miss Heather, ain't nothing going to happen to you. All of us, we've got your back."

You know? I believed him...and I'm grateful.

So fast forward to MUCH later that night, I was working late at the PlayHouse preparing it for an Advisory Board walk-through the following day. I had been home to bring our two large dogs back with me - so that they wouldn't be lonely (don't cringe Steve!) and knowing that it wouldn't hurt to have the extra backup late in the evening hours.

So I'm working away, enjoying myself and my 96.1FM when I heard something i hadn't heard in a while - a gunshot. Now...this is how I know I've been gone too long. Curiousity directed my legs over to the front window where the dogs where barking like crazy, and I looked out.

I looked out into the dark night from a lit room. *sigh* I'm so...well...anyways.

I didn't see anything, and as there was no screaming I went back to my work (don't cringe Rob!)

As I was finishing up my projects a short while later and packing up the dogs in the minivan, I heard a couple of voices down in the street. I could just barely make out two young men (twentysomething) talking with a woman in a car. The woman's voice was familiar - one of my kid's mom. She comes up to the PlayHouse from time to time to chat with us and check online to see if her current boyfriends has any warrants out for his arrest (yeah - you can do that online here, it's crazy and helpful) I didn't pay them any attention, but my ears perked up when I heard her say to the two men:

"No no, you just stop all that talk she's the pastor, and just leave her be. I'm sure she didn't see nuthin and anyway all y'all shouldn't be messin' around down here with no guns anyhow, so you just put those things away, and don't you mess with her or you'll have a problem with me and everybody else 'round here. Now go on, git."

What a beautiful gift, to know that I've been accepted as a part of a family that takes care of one another, and watches each other's backs. That's something I've experienced in a number of "rough & dangerous" neighborhoods.

There is a shield of protection that exists for me here , that's harder to find within the 'safety' of the walls of church community. Folks there will take you out with gossip, backstabbing, jealousy, factions and the like and the brother or sister who will stop someone short and call them to account when they're spreading that kind of mess about the pastor, the worship leader and everybody else is a rarity.

I still lean on my personal revelation and spiritual belief that when I'm in the place that God wants me to be, right in His Will - wherever that is geographically - it's the SAFEST place to be, cuz He's got my back, and so do the scariest people in the 'hood.

Amen to that.

Cookin' Up Somethin' Good...

2009-10-22T01:44:00.000-04:00

we've been baking crazy at the PlayHouse lately, and it's been delicious! The kids are getting pretty good and they're having a blast. It's no "Christina's Cakes" but it's a start!

OOps.

2009-10-21T01:12:00.000-04:00

Okay, let's try that again. Here's the video that goes with our last post:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wt995uv4f6s

2 Beautiful Church Experiences in One Day...

2009-10-18T20:59:00.003-04:00

It was a small crowd today at my Chapel Service at the Centre (small crowd is my way of saying me and two other people!) Regardless, I heard something that I'm going to ponder for a time.

In discussing life at the shelter with over 200 other women & their children, my friend (a young mother of 2 children in her 28th week of pregnancy) said this:

"Around here, I try to stay focused on where I'm going and what I'm doing and also to have patience. There can be so much drama with all these women, but drama brings confusion, and when you're confused you're blind and you can't see where you're at or where you're going and then you're stuck."

Wow...sounds a lot like how to have victory over a scheme of the enemy.

On a different note, Rob had the kids re-enact the parable of the Good Samaritan - I only caught the last bit on film, it's too bad, because the kids really got into the part where the traveler is waylaid in the 'cut', his money gets stolen and has the tar beaten out of him...

2009-10-15T16:16:00.000-04:00

I just had to post about this beautiful experience I had yesterday afternoon. I've been spending part of my time down at the Centre of Hope here in Charlotte, The Salvation Army's women & children's shelter as the chaplain. I'm really enjoying it and yesterday was just fuel for the fire.

Generally twice a month I show a movie - there's a monstrous tv in the Chapel - and with it being a rainy, grey day yesterday it was just right to stay in where it's warm, eat some popcorn and watch some Madea (the unofficial african-american matriarch of the south). The movies have a strong Gospel thrust, with some soulful Gospel and of course - a lotta humour.

ANYways, in the last scene, which you can watch here it just got so powerful in the chapel, and Holy Spirit just came down on us, and all the women started to sing, spontaneously in a deep, deep way, from that deep, deep place that exists in a woman when she's walked through the Valley of Baca and has places of brokenness that only the Lord can touch.

It was beautiful - man, I love Holy Spirit. She's the best.

In The Abiding

2009-10-14T07:55:00.005-04:00

In my daily reading, I came across these words from Oswald Chambers:

"All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations." Matthew 28:18-20

"He (Christ) does not say the heathen will be lost if we do not go; He simply says - "Go ye therefore and teach all nations."
Go on the revelation of My sovereignty;
teach and preach out of a living experience of Me." OC

Love it, love it, love it!

It is a demanding text, and I love a challenge. In those words I read that I MUST be having a LIVING and ever-evolving daily experience of Christ to be able to teach, preach and especially LIVE powerfully & effectively for the Kingdom of God.

So what kind of living experience can I testify to?

I don't mind being real with y'all, my Christian life has been a series of seasons - ranging from a forward surge in passion, purpose and precision, followed/preceded by seasons of pause, leaning in more closely to the Divine and often times of "whoa. slow down Dad, I need to stop and take this all in."

I'm not ashamed or embarassed about that, it's been my process. It has been my relationship with the Eternal maturing over time as He shows Himself faithful, compassionate, no-nonsense and adventuresome.

I've been married coming up 5 years this May. Even though I knew Rob before we were in marriage covenant, I've discovered over the years - as the emotions of our wedding day fade -that there are depths to him, and to me and to the two of us together that were hidden to my understanding beforehand. That is to say that as we grow in knowing each other in the everyday, experiencing 'life together' I know him more, and come to know myself more as well.

I've been a Salvation Army Soldier coming up 8 years this June. Even though I knew God before we were in covenant, I've discovered over the years - as the emotions from the night I got saved fade - that there are depths to Him and to me and to the two of us together that were hidden to my understanding beforehand. That is to say that as I grow in knowing Him more, in the everyday circumstances, experiencing 'life together', I know Him more, and come to know myself more as well.

"If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you..." - that is the way to keep going in our personal lives." OC

When my husband and I spend time with one another in a quality way - giving one another our full attention, listening carefully, and making ourselves available to one another, it strengthens and safeguards our marriage relationship.

In the same way, when I am feeling 'far' from the Lord (plunk in whatever imagery you like - dry, lukewarm, stale, stalled) I take myself aside to a quiet place and firmly, earnestly ask the question, "am I abiding?"

Today, beloved of God, I am.

*quotes drawn from 'My Utmost for His Highest' Oswald Chambers, October 14th

Let Them Eat Cake! (then send them outside to play)

2009-10-13T21:54:00.003-04:00

We decided to do some baking at the PlayHouse this week, in fact, there was a group of boys that were begging to bake a cake. The rest of us were hankerin' to eat some cake, so it was a win-win situation. (!) We did a bit of improv (note the 'cake pan') but in the end, not only was the cake delicious (chocoate with chocolate icing) but it was just what the rest of the kids needed - more sugar. haha. No seriously - shortly after chowing down on cake (with a double layer of frosting) the entire Playhouse erupted in a serious, take-no-prisoners pillow fight. It was all fun and games until someone hit Miss Heather up the side of the head with a super-bouncy-ball.

Interestingly, I was chatting with one of the guys about baking and his viewpoint about it was: "Why not just go to the store and buy a cake already made, then you don't have to do all this work?"

My response? I think baking is fun because of the satisfaction that comes in creating something from nothing and inviting other to join in eating whatever I've made. And let's not forget the whole 'licking the bowl' thing. I really really dig that...

It's nice to just have some fun though, I'll think we'll bake every week.

sorry it's sideways. i'm technomalogically challenged.

Loving That Sunshine

2009-10-08T15:09:00.003-04:00

One of the things that I love about living in the South, is that in mid-October I can hang my laundry on the clothesline in the backyard and they'll be dry within the hour.

That's a beautiful thing.

I've got a t-shirt on my line that mysteriously appeared in my van this past week, so I thought what the heck? and I threw it in the wash...I wonder though, how it got there, and who it belongs to?