It has been a lovely few days. Grandma is an 80-year bundle of spunk and love for the Lord. She is set with purpose for each day and carries in her heart many souls before the Lord. I spent one night in her home, enjoyed her roof-top terrace, sat on her front patio, ate at her table, and managed to sit on the floor beside her as she sorted vegetables (there is always much protest when I try to sit on a floor).
Tag: relationships
A Journey of Little Bits Adds Up to Much
Long years back I began keeping quotes from books I was reading and verses from the Bible, thoughts and convictions that resonated with me at the time. I still have these today, some sixteen years later. It is interesting to look back on the journey we have through life and to see the hand of God compelling and teaching us along the way.
Here are the first three quotes I wrote out in this way,
“Only when Jesus is the focal point; only when his suffering for souls, his love and wrestling for them moves our hearts, can we abide in peace, true joy and victorious faith, for then we are centred in him rather than in people.” Basilea Schlink in I Found the Key to the Heart of God
Sulha – Initiatives of Peace Run All Through Scripture and we Find are the Very Foundation of God’s Heart Toward Us
(Re-blogged from Capturing Courage International)
The son had asked for the inheritance from his father and had gone his way. Into the city and to nightclubs he had squandered his father’s wealth and lifetime earnings ending up broke and starving and sharing food alongside pigs at their trough.
Coming to his lowest point and to the end of himself he reasoned that being a servant on his father’s farm would be better than the pig pen where he now was and so he begins the trek home.
Wrestling Alongside Each Other
I’ve really come to appreciate those who can wrestle things through.
Over the course of my last years I’ve moved in ways, made decisions, stepped into things that have been challenging on a number of different levels for those around me.
Now these things were challenging to myself as well but I did my wrestling and due diligence before the Lord in secret really, just between myself and God is where my wrestling took place, and long before the effects began to show on the surface of my life.
Resting in God Today
The Lord changes us. When we come to the end of self-effort we take a risk to settle into the power of Christ to in fact transform and make all things new.
For years now, like skipping stones over the landscape of my soul, there have been moments, situations, circumstances that required I be stronger and wiser than I was. It was during those times that I learned to simply rest and wait in the presence of God for new clarity, fresh stamina, renewed capacity. And EVERY SINGLE TIME God works on me from the inside out and I am equipped and grown into what is necessary yes, but even more so, who I so desire to be.
In Sync with the Most High God
When God ordains our way and when we move in sync with him our days fall into place. It is an amazing thing to be in the hands of our living God.
Washed through with his presence we are made strong and bold and wise to meet our days.
Kept in love our courage is born.
God makes a difference.
Seek him today.
My Year in Review
I’m thinking about the things that stand out to me as I look back at my 2013 year. Here is my list so far:
– We welcomed a new baby grandson into the family – I love babies
– I packed up house and home in order to focus on international ministry – now I have two homes… how did that happen?
– At CCI we slogged through all the financial requirements to go forward on strong footing – thanks team!
– We found out that tens of thousands are being blessed by the Capturing God’s Heart volumes that I regularly post – speechless
– I made a trip to Mozambique – was amazing
– My children made many big movements this year as they each took hold of their lives – I’m so proud of them
– I got to sleep under thatched roofs in Africa – tickled pink!
– I got to attend church under a mango tree – a true delight
– I had open sky showers in Mozambique – stunning to say the least
– I wrote and wrote and wrote – and then wrote some more
– I led a trial group through my material Walking in Spiritual Authority – with success
– I learned to sleep on floors and benches – on the floor at JFK airport in New York, on a bench at Johannesburg in South Africa, on a bench at the train station in Mozambique, and on mats on dirt floors in Mozambique villages – something bold and daring about it all
– I prayed with my Pastor friend in Pakistan after the church bombing in Peshawar / I prayed alongside another friend directly impacted by the attacks in the mall in Nairobi – lives changed forever
– I was changed forever by eight weeks of interaction I had with a young man in Pakistan as he came to know God and how that impacted his life – there are no words
– I’ve been blessed more than can be told by the many, many individuals from around the world with whom I’m privileged to do life alongside – profound thanks to each of you
– My own focus was narrowed down and fine tuned, I stopped doing all that I wasn’t to be doing – phew!
– AND as we turn the corner into 2014 we celebrate Capturing Courage Int’l being 5 years old.
Needless to say, its been a good year. The future is now
