I'm Burning Plows & Digging Ditches for Rain

Life is hard. I'd like to publicly make some goals:

I've started a Bible/book study with a very large group of amazing people. It's the Melissa Taylor study of the book, Greater, by Steven Furtick.

Funny chapter titles with deep meanings. I joined the study a little late, so over the past week I've read up on five chapters to catch up. They've hit me hard today, because today is my mom's birthday. I miss her so much. So what has the book taught me so far?

I have plows to burn and ditches to dig. Yes, the ditches are for rain, and NOT the Minnesota snow. These are analogies from the story of Elisha, who was approached by Elijah while he was in his routine of plowing with his oxen with a lack of a vision for what was "greater." When Elijah found him, he symbolically burned the plows as a sign of his radical faith in the greater plan for his life. Years later, he instructed a city in the midst of a drought to dig ditches for the massive amount of rain that God was about to provide.

My plows to burn:

• "what if" thoughts
• critical/skeptical spirit
• the grasp I have on my routine (work and personal)

The rain to come (after I dig some ditches):

• I have a hope and a future!
• I am blessed in the field, and blessed in the city
• He knows every hair on my head, and clothes the flower, He will take care of my needs and desires

Now it's time for me to remember this and put these thoughts into action.

Faith without works is dead.

It's good to be back,

V

להתפלל

In James 5, it says that the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.  I just finished Nehemiah That man's prayers are very effective. He is in fact, a righteous man who we should learn from. What makes his infamous prayer in chapter one so convicting, and so inspirational? What can we learn from it and apply from it to our own prayers?

What do people pray for God doesn't need us to do what He wants on earth. I think prayer is more than that. When you pray, God is refining YOU. and me. Prayer does not accomplish the external, prayer is for the internal. God uses our prayers to purge us of our grime and dirt and replace us with clean, pure hearts.

So then, our prayers are important. How we pray, when we pray, and what we pray for all reveal who we are. Here's what Nehemiah's prayer means to me:

He is direct. He prays for God to remember him multiple times. Also, his prayer follows a specific pattern. It begins with praise. That is followed by repentance. Then comes asking. Finally, Nehemiah yielded.

God will reveal things through prayer. Try spending more than two minutes in prayer one day. Push it. Double it, triple it. Try something new. I will too.

Much love,
V

What are you thinking?

1 Thess. 5: 16-18, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

What would you say the difference is between the flesh of a Christian and that of an existentialist? I say nothing. We were all born into this world from a mom and a dad. We wake up each day, we interact with the people around us, live the best we know how, and ultimately die.

We move, we talk, we learn & we love, we think & feel, we work, rest, and breathe. And things happen. Life is hard, and can be tough for Christians and non-believers alike. We come to our wit’s end and wonder if life is worth living. But wait, Christians have more than sinful flesh. We have a savior who has replaced our hearts of stone, so now the difference between us is great. Without a savior, in a difficult place we might say,

“I’m so unhappy today and nothing can fix it.”

“I’m in despair and don’t know what else to do.”

“I just want some joy in my life, because this life is it.”

“I want truth, but I can’t find it.”

BUT, with a savior, you and I can proudly declare the Word of God…

“I’ve had a rough day – but I choose joy because in 1 Thessalonians 5:16 it says, “’Rejoice always!’ I have Jesus on my side.”

“I don’t need to despair because in Isaiah 41:10 it says, ‘Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.’”

“I have joy deep in my soul because Jesus said to the Jews in John 8:31 & 32, ‘If you abide in my Word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”

We are believers, but there are days we wake up and feel like we could just have easily pass as an existentialist. Don’t let that happen. Today, I encourage you to cheer up because we have a Living God to glorify. Remember to choose joy; it’s worth it.

If I care, will you?

Here's the story:

You hear about this incredible mission trip. In this trip is a chance to see desolate places, meet the most impoverish people, and witness firsthand how spiritually deprived the world is. People whom you would never ordinarily speak with would pour out to you their secrets and struggles. You would learn about hunger, abuse, and disease; maybe even have the chance to work to build friendships or a school or church. You hear you have the opportunity to give a large amount of money to send someone on this trip or the chance to go there yourself.

One issue: you don't feel passionate about it.

Not that you don't care, it's just not something that directly affects the course of your every-day life.

Other people have been dreaming about going to Africa, Vietnam, NYC, India, Mexico, Chicago, the slums, Oklahoma, New Orleans, Brazil, Russia, Canada (fill it in) for months or years. Their "heart for missions" has been impressed in them ever since the age of 9 when they first met a missionary family who transferred to the church from Zimbabwe, Nicaragua, Haiti, (fill it in, again). You know it'd be great, and you would love to support people who are actively feeling passion from God. But maybe, since you aren't getting the "being called" vibe about doing/going to (fill in the blank), it must be something God is leading you away from.

Welp, guess you aren't cut out to be involved in God's plan...not.

Here's what I've been enlightened with lately:

Just because I don't have a constant, fire-y desire from the pit of my soul, even my being, to sponsor a Compassion child, join the Mocha Club, go on a mission trip, or donate $200 to support a ministry does not give me an excuse to not do it.

I agree that God does not call us all to fly to South Africa to translate the scriptures into an otherwise unknown language. What I'm saying is, if I ever feel discouraged that deep down, I don't have a passion to save the world: that is okay. Sometimes it takes training.

We don't have to feel called from the depths of our souls to give money towards a cause. The important thing is that out of obedience, we do it. God calls us in Matthew 28 to make disciples of all the nations.

Here's a link with a BUNCH of scriptures about it, just in case you don't already believe me!
(link is over here)

Test it out. Pick something that you know is in line with scripture that you don't necessarily feel "called" to and join. Start giving money towards this ministry, or showing up, and pray that if it is something that the Lord has been seeking your obedience in, that he will give you a desire in your heart for it. I've been praying that what it is that I'm doing will lead to some fruit (of the spirit, i.e. love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, ect) showing up in my life as proof that it's something that God really has for me.

I hope this means something to you today, especially as we enter the season of Thanks & giving :) Have a blessed weekend, and I'll be back soon!

Much love,
V

Photo compliments of The Mocha Club

Staring at a Maple Leaf

Like the title? I hope so. Don't get it? Look up those five words in google. Still don't get it? You don't know me well enough yet.

Anyways, hello. I wrote this first paragraph back when I created my blog in 2009, amazing how it still can relate:

"As I begin to see the changing colors of the leaves, I also begin to reflect on my year. What did I do? Where did I travel? Who did I date? What new inside jokes do my best friends and I have? Time flies. I wish I could say that I am excited for fall to come along with the changing of seasons, but I absolutely love summer, and I never want it to end. Fall is beautiful, but just reminds me of what is to come, when it gets to winter all I see is ice and cold. I live in Minnesota, I should be used to bundling and just sucking it up, but I can't seem to get over how much I just wish it was still summer when I was free to lay in the sun..."

[funny, I just moved to Nashville, guess I solved that problem for a while.]

Now that we have been able to fast forward two years, we're still seeing fall colors change, time still flies, and there is still much to look back on about this year. How have I grown? What in my life has changed? Where am I looking to be next year at this time? So much life happens. It is insane to me how quickly it can travel. Blink your eyes, and it's a new season, even a new year.

A maple leaf is so distinctive because of its shape. Not only do the Canadians recognize it as their nation's symbol, but the rest of the world knows it from any other leaf out there. It's officially fall when the maple leaves change colors, and the crunching of the leaves is a benchmark of the path to winter.

Today my point is this, where do you want to see yourself a year from now? We know how time flies, so if you want to see a change in yourself when you reflect on the past year, you better start now. Before you know it, another year will have gone by, and you'll be looking back on the future (if that makes any sense.)

I hope this finds you at a time when you can relate and take something from it. Blessings always & much love,
V