Called Out

As I prepare this morning to leave on a pre-project trip for my summer IWC assignment, I had to pause and spend a little quiet time with God. The house is quiet, I can hear birds singing outside, the sun is shining and God is here.

I picked up my book The Barbarian Way by Erwin McManus. I flipped the pages and came to this:

"Just do whatever Jesus calls you to do the moment it is clear to you. Do not procrastinate; do not hesitate; do not deviate from whatever course of action He calls you to. But I want to warn you, the closer you walk with Christ, the greater the faith required. The more you trust Him, the more you'll risk on his behalf. The more you love Him, the more you will love others. If you genuinely embrace His sacrifice, you will joyfully embrace a sacrificial life. Your expectations of Jesus will change as your intimacy with Him deepens. When you begin to follow after Jesus, you will inadvertently find yourself innovating. After all, Jesus is trasnforming lives, writing history, creating the future, and unleashing the Kingdom of God. If you plan to keep step with Jesus the Pioneer, you better expect some changes."

This really spoke to me this morning. This project this summer is very different than any I have done before. I have become comfortable in the projects I have done in the past--confident in the skills God has given me to carry out the ministry end of a project. Today, I think God was reminding me that I am going to have to be an innovator of sorts..trying new things..looking in new directions to be effective this summer. My encouragement comes with knowing that Jesus is an innovator and is transforming lives around me everyday. My church is innovative..changing our community everyday. IWC is innovative..impacting the lives of students.

Jesus- give me your eyes to see the needs around me; give me your heart to love these like you do; give me your vision for the local church and your work being done there; give me your creative and innovative spirit that I might find THE most effective means to share your name in all I do.

I want to be a risk taker. I want to impact the world for Your namesake and for Your kingdom. I want to love You with intensity. I want to be consumed by your presence.

I want to be a part of making Your name famous in Macedonia.

Hello...my name is GRATITUDE

It has been such a long time since I have posted anything here. I have been so busy here at the end of the year with the holiday and all things that come with it. But as we begin 2009, I have been thinking about 2008. No doubt that this year has brought it challenges! However, I cannot help but think of all the things that I have been blessed with..........therefore I have determined that my name is GRATITUDE.

Hello Anxiety....my name is Gratitude. While you try to dominate my life with your naggings of finances in a time of economic instability...I am grateful. Unlike many in the world, I have a roof over my head. I have heat. I have a switch that I flip and the lights come on. I have this big metal thing that automatically fills with clean water and it swirls around and my clothes come out clean. I also have this other metal thing that spins around and my clean wet clothes come out dry. I have yet another metal thing that has wheels. It takes me to a job, to the doctor when we are sick. It takes me to church, school, the grocery store, the park and to my Daddy's house. I also have a shiny silver thing that you turn the knob on and clean drinking water comes out.

MY NAME IS GRATITUDE.

Hello Fear....my name is Gratitude. When you try to paralyze me with your taunts...I am grateful. I am grateful for the peace that God speaks over me when I ask for it. When my youngest son travels halfway across the world in a big metal thing that cruises 37,000 feet in the air, I am grateful for a God who loves him more than I do. When my two other sons come and go back and forth from college and work, I am grateful that they arrive safely. I am grateful that they have big metal things with wheels. Fear....when you try and overcome me with your choking feeling over the loss of my husband's job--I am grateful that he had one in the first place. And that I still have mine. I think of poor children in Rowanda who break rocks all day to earn a meager wage to support their families...denied of an education to perform this job, they have no hope of a better life.

MY NAME IS GRATITUDE.

Hello Pride....my name is Gratitude. When you try to blind me and distort my thoughts...I am grateful. Grateful to a God who gently reminds me that pride has no place in our lives. We are who we are only because of Him. And because He loved us first. I am grateful for friends and family who can hold me accountable. When I begin to think that I am "all that"--I am grateful for ANY reminder that shows me that I am not. No matter how embarrassing the reminder might be. Because Pride, MY NAME IS GRATITUDE.

Hello anything that seperates me from God...my name is Gratitude. When I become romanced by your good looks and enticing ways, I am grateful. Grateful that I know the difference. Grateful that I have become mature enough to know your ways and to not succomb to them. Grateful that I can recognize you a million miles away--most of the time. And when I can't, I become acutely aware of the ONE thing for which I am MOST grateful. Matter of fact, I am overwhelmed with gratitude over this One thing. I simply cannot describe my gratitude for this One thing. This One thing IS my everything. This One thing is the axis on which my world pivots. This One thing gives me hope for 2009 and security for my future. This One thing gives my life purpose and meaning. This One thing is how I measure my life and my love for family. This One thing for which I am eternally grateful is this......

Jesus Christ.

The One.

The Only.

Hello Jesus....My name is Gratitude.