Anything by Jennie Allen Wk 15: Blast Off Pages 137-144 Blog 15: It's All About RIGHT FOCUS!12/29/2016 “Just because we were willing didn’t mean it was easy. I still wanted God to be more clear, so we could be more sure. I asked a friend who had adopted if they were 100 percent sure when they adopted their two kids from Rwanda. I expected her to say yes; instead she laughed out loud, hard. She said, “Of course we weren’t sure. At some point you just jump, doubting, all the way down.” [Pg 144] I don’t ride big roller coasters. But if I did, I could imagine it would be exciting! I’d be giddy with anticipation as the shrill choruses of excitement trail off the coaster as it blows by. At every drop and tower that sound of excitement builds: Come on! Join in! When the ride’s over and the coaster rolls into place, satisified riders wobble off still roaring with laughter and tears. Some have bright red faces ~ others bright white. It must have been SO much fun. I get in. Check out the bar ~ grab hold! But what happens when that first cog grabs and we take a heart-stopping jerk forward? A bold thought announces itself. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” Doubt has now crept in as your focus. Why do we doubt in those moments when we should be the most assured? It's all about FOCUS. You ride a rollercoaster believing you are going to have fun. Maybe you're a novice, but you've watched others and you KNOW this is going to be great. Yet, in that first second, when the coaster lurches forward, you lose that "FUN focus." It's as if you realized that just because something's fun it may not necessarily be a good idea. (maybe that's never happened to you but I'm experienced at it) There are over 20 Bible verses that specifically mention focusing on God. Here's one: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 You want straight paths. A straight path is the way recommended by the Lord. Whatever He may see in what's to come, the straight path will be your best choice. The above verse can be summed up like this: 1. Trust in the Lord completely. 2. Throw away MY evaluation of circumstances. 3. Remember He is God and I AM NOT. 4. The result is RIGHT FOCUS (which is Him) producing STRAIGHT PATHS! If we are able to remember that whatever brings the fear once we have followed directions from God, it is ALL under his review. He knew it was there when he asked us to step out. He knew it was going to become an issue, and he also knew that we were ready to trust and FOCUS on him. Congratulations when testing has brought you to a time when focus becomes an issue. You were ready to say, "I trust in the Lord with all my heart..." My focus is there! ~ Andi
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"Today, like many other days, I have forgotten. I have forgotten my glimpses of God, the moments when I actualy taste and see him for a smidge of who he is, and the moments I would do anything." [Pg 131] I have God images tucked away. What are those? Those are moments when he visibly pokes his head into my world ~ like the one I mentioned last week. I treasure those memories of God peeking. I bet you have such memories too. But do we think about them, re-running them in our imagination very often? Why doesn't something so precious stay in the front view of who we are? Jennie's question is why aren't these moments with God, the times when he breaks through into our life and explodes our heart with his presence, why aren't those moments in our forefront? Wouldn't it be easier to live for God if they were? Wouldn't painting his glory everywhere become much more common? I think life is tricky. And it's very hard to see beyond this world and focus, even temporarily, on the next. This place, after all, is the only reality we have ever known. That's not an excuse, but a very real truth. We don't have a personal experience of heaven, although we might imagine one. But even if you could stretch your brain out that far, how close would we get? Perhaps the best we can do, as Jenni writes, is to remember those 'smidges' of himself and to place them front and center in our walk-about day. Here's how, I personally, could start building that habit. I say prayers before I get out of bed in the morning because I know once I'm up other things will dominate my thinking. Like coffee! Then there's doggies to care for. News. Plans for the day. A lot of other things needing my attention. If I take those first moments, when it's quiet and calm, to remember God peeking into my life, and how that felt, I believe that will eventually make a difference in how visible he is to me... ~ Andi Anything by J. Allen Wk 13: Spreading Insanity Pg 115 - 124 Blog 13: The Invisible Forces of God12/15/2016 "Until we believe in the reality of a spiritual war where spiritual beings exist and a spiritual plan is being acomplished, we won't need an invisible Spirit's help. This is ridiculous ... unless it is all real." [Pg 121] Why do we have so much trouble remembering that our life is lived out on a battlefield? Scripture tells us: "For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6:12) "... not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers ..." Sounds ominous, doesn't it? So even though these powers are not flesh and blood, they are real. In this week's chapter Jenni is talking about the movement of the Holy Spirit in their congregation ~ calling him the 'invisible' Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is also part of the realm we never see and we need him to win these battles! He is our guide. Our point man. Our rallying-cry! He is part of the invisible forces of God. Another one of God's forces is angels ~ who are occasionally visible. Scripture tells us, "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it." (Hebrews 13.2) That verse was highly significant to me many years ago when I cared for my mother who suffered with Alzheimer's. I had taken her out for a checkup, which was more than it seemed since she had become so unpredictable that opening the door of a moving car might be something she would do. That morning had been particularly difficult trying to convince her she must see the doctor again. It was an emotional roller-coaster. I had been giving care, 24/7, for a year and a half. I was so tired. Our truck was nearly too high for her and getting her in and out was scary since she was deaf and that made giving her direction difficult. After another disappointing assessment from the doctor, along with the exhaustion, I was nearly in tears. While trying once again to get her back into the truck I heard a voice coming from the car beside us. I didn't clearly hear what was spoken, so I turned (and likely with an air of exasperation) I asked, "What!" There in the car sat an older lady with the window down. Evidently, I thought, she was watching the show. Then she spoke gently, asking, "Is that your mother?" "Yes," I replied, wondering why are we having this conversation now? Then she spoke the words that turned my heart around. "You must love her very much." In the confusion of the moment I turned to help mom ~ but in my head I kept hearing, You must love her very much. I realized she didn't say that because she had seen even one ounce of calm and composure from me ~ no tidbit of patient affection. She was addressing the suffering in my heart. It was almost as if she understood the choice I had made, the choice to care, and suffer with my mom. When I turned to ask who she was, her car was gone. Later that day I realized she was not an ordinary woman. She was an angel. I sincerely believed, and do to this day, that God's force, in the form of this tiny old woman, had been sent to intervene in my life. To help me see again what hope was, even a little sliver of it. God had sent an angel to encourage me with a message that only he could have known I needed. Why do I bring this story up now? Because in every moment of everyday God is aware of YOU. He is aware of your joys. Your sufferings. Your hopes. Your angers. And your heart. And to the extent that you are willing to see, you may find his intervention, his FORCE, boldly alive in your life. Our life is lived out on a battlefield where we daily engage with the forces of evil. But DON'T EVER FORGET that God is greater! He is, and was, and will be EVERYTHING you need. Amen? ~ Andi Anything by Jenni Allen Wk 12: Dominoes Pages 107-114 Blog 12: Shouldn't It Always Go Well?12/8/2016 "Somewhere in my life I picked up the idea that if things did not feel right or fall perfectly into place, God was not in them. ... For instance, if God was calling you to Africa, then he would have a buyer for your house in two weeks; and if not, then he likely isn't in it." [Pg 107] There was a time when I too believed that if something went well then God was in it. It was a kind of barometer gauging his leading in my life. If God had a job for me, wanted me to get involved in something, or even presented a challenge, I believed that if, IF, he was in it everything would fall into place. But if things went sideways it was time to bail. I have to laugh now because how ironic would that be? Would God give me an experience, an assignment or challenge and take all the character-building elements out of it? Isn't that like the ballerina on this tightrope? Does it look like she's going to fall? Does there appear to be any challenge for her as she walks on tippy-toes? It seems like she's risking nothing ~ like she's got it all handled ~ and then some. Am I saying when God asks that it is always unpleasant or contains risk? I don't know? What do you think? Has God ever asked you to do something, to put yourself out there ~~ way out there? Did that all go wonderful? Was it risky? Has God given you a challenge? Did it end up costing you anything? Has he given you wisdom without expecting you to use it? And are you looking forward to the next tough patch that results in earning more wisdom (because the last time was so much fun)? We know that God has a distinct purpose in all life experiences, and that they involve risk and growth. The following testifies to this. "Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ... And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint..." Romans 5.1, 3-5a [emphasis mine] So we are here to testify about our faith. When does that testimony matter? When we're at peace and all is going well? NO. When things stink! That testimony gives encouragement, inspiration and truth about faith to observers. But is there anything in it for us who suffer? Yes. We develop deeper character through those elements of faith which we hang onto for dear life! It's all a win ~ win! So when I say now that it's funny to think that God would only be in something if it all went well, I give you the above as to why He is in those things that often go south. Then the reasonable question becomes: How do I know if God wants me to do something or not? Well, now we're back to last week's post and the topic of RELATIONSHIP. 'Cause without good ears and a willing, flexible, obedient heart, YOU WON'T KNOW. So draw near, pull in close, hang on for dear life, and follow Him ~ follow what you hear in your heart. ~ Andi Anything by J. Allen Wk 11: A Thousand Problems Pages 99-106 Blog 11: It Takes a Little Time12/1/2016 Most of my life I was looking for God to lead me loud and clear as he had for Mary with the angel. I had listened to sermons and read books about how to know the will of God. ..." [Pg 105] Can hearing from God feel like work? When your energy levels are low and free-time is short ~ your to-do list is backing up leaving you scrambling, does finding his comfort feel like work? What can we do to help? When I ask women to define 'prayer' most of the answers are similar. They say that prayer is a request to God for intervention of some kind. And it's true that we too associate that immediate need with prayer. But prayer is also hearing from God. Prayer is sitting silently with God. Prayer is praising God when his glorious creation blows your mind once again. Prayer is quiet when all you have are tears because he feels so real, and so close. Prayer is an argument angrily litigated before the Creator of all things who listens with patient silence ... waiting for you to see in yourself what he already desires to heal. Scripture encourages us to be prayerful (1 Thessalonians 5:16-17), but this scripture means more than just asking for help. “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” That admonition directs us to involve ourselves in something much larger than just asking for help. This verse is about relationship. Any growing relationship takes work, it takes time, it takes commitment. Prayer is no different from any relationship we desire to keep alive and well. Does God show up when we need him? Absolutely. You all have likely experienced that. But there is a treasure-trove of love and grace (RELATIONSHIP) waiting to envelop you when you regularly find those minutes for him ~ because as the omnipotent God, he does not need anything from you, but instead, YOU are the key beneficiary of that added depth of Divine love and KNOWING. ~ Andi |
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