I blogged a challenge yesterday to "drop our to do lists."
My day changed unexpectantly and when it did, the switch I needed to make didn't work for my energy level. I found myself longing to go to the lake to bask in the sun and to be by the water.
So, I took my own advice. I went to the lake and found so many gifts along the way: my daughter came for a bit and we had a wonderful conversation, I feel asleep reading a book, and when I awoke, my friend was taking out his boat and invited me into the party. So, I found myself doing the things I love to do, some of the very things that revive my energy.
I drove away knowing that God had given me these gifts because he is teaching me to follow his rhythm and to enjoy the good things he has put into my life.
Did I still have the same things to do when I got home?
I did, but suddenly I found new energy to tackle them. The time of abiding/fun/rest gave me the fresh momentum to get them done. Almost. I hit another wall after a couple of hours, so I just stopped.
I am learning to go when my energy level says go. To move in the areas where my energy and momentum lie, and to stop when it's time. This is a new place for me and I am loving it.
How about you? What's happening as you learn to live Jesus' rhythm of abide and bear fruit, abide/bear fruit/abide!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
R n R this Summer: Relax with People that are Important to You
Let’s Make Time for Some Rn’R this Summer: Relationship and Rest!
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself until it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in me. John 15:4
Refresh your relationship with Jesus; what does this look like for you?
Relax with people whom are important to you~enjoy the friends and family God has blessed you with.
Relish the opportunities for new friendships as you participate in Missio Lux activities.
Relinquish the summer to God~let him restore and revive you for the summer to come.
Rhythm: Jesus practiced a rhythm of life and as his disciples; so should we!
I just had the great privilege of hosting my very dear friend, Anne, from Denver. She came to experience Missio Lux for four days as she is longing for a different way of walking out her faith. She wants to take what she experienced in Denver and help others experience it too!
We had a busy schedule as she met with many of the different Missio Lux communities and Catalysts, but we also had those moments of being together, just the two of us, that bring the sense that “life can’t be much better than this!”
It is our relationships that bring life. If we think about it; it’s in our DNA from creation. God created us to have relationship with himself and one another. So, when we enter into it, we experience life as we were meant to live.
Think about yourself. Who do you love to be around? Perhaps it’s your family, but who else? Is it that friend from college that lives across the lake so you don’t see him very often? Is it a former co-worker that you have lost touch with because you don’t work together any longer? Is it a neighbor?
This summer is the perfect time for you to reconnect! Missio Lux recognizes that when we are living out our three values of knowing God, loving one another and serving the world, we are living the balanced life that Jesus taught us to live when he was on earth.
Relationships are like breathing to our body: they bring life and bring fresh energy. I believe that we feel so stressed and exhausted because we are ignoring this piece of our life as we seek to finish the forever mounting “to do” list.
I have a challenge for you this week. Throw your “to do list” away. Throw it away and just move in ways that bring energy to your life. And in the process, make a phone call to your dear friend that lives across the bridge, call your former co-worker and make a dinner date, get in touch with your friend across the country.
Give yourself permission to live life the way God created you to live. And, then take a nice deep breath as you realize that you are living the way you were intended.
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself until it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in me. John 15:4
Refresh your relationship with Jesus; what does this look like for you?
Relax with people whom are important to you~enjoy the friends and family God has blessed you with.
Relish the opportunities for new friendships as you participate in Missio Lux activities.
Relinquish the summer to God~let him restore and revive you for the summer to come.
Rhythm: Jesus practiced a rhythm of life and as his disciples; so should we!
I just had the great privilege of hosting my very dear friend, Anne, from Denver. She came to experience Missio Lux for four days as she is longing for a different way of walking out her faith. She wants to take what she experienced in Denver and help others experience it too!
We had a busy schedule as she met with many of the different Missio Lux communities and Catalysts, but we also had those moments of being together, just the two of us, that bring the sense that “life can’t be much better than this!”
It is our relationships that bring life. If we think about it; it’s in our DNA from creation. God created us to have relationship with himself and one another. So, when we enter into it, we experience life as we were meant to live.
Think about yourself. Who do you love to be around? Perhaps it’s your family, but who else? Is it that friend from college that lives across the lake so you don’t see him very often? Is it a former co-worker that you have lost touch with because you don’t work together any longer? Is it a neighbor?
This summer is the perfect time for you to reconnect! Missio Lux recognizes that when we are living out our three values of knowing God, loving one another and serving the world, we are living the balanced life that Jesus taught us to live when he was on earth.
Relationships are like breathing to our body: they bring life and bring fresh energy. I believe that we feel so stressed and exhausted because we are ignoring this piece of our life as we seek to finish the forever mounting “to do” list.
I have a challenge for you this week. Throw your “to do list” away. Throw it away and just move in ways that bring energy to your life. And in the process, make a phone call to your dear friend that lives across the bridge, call your former co-worker and make a dinner date, get in touch with your friend across the country.
Give yourself permission to live life the way God created you to live. And, then take a nice deep breath as you realize that you are living the way you were intended.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
It's All About Relationships, Part 2
My good friend from Denver just left. She was here for four days; she came to experience Missio Lux because she recognized that her heart was longing for something deep that was not being fulfilled in her weekly church attendance.
I put together a weekend that allowed my friend to experience many different aspects of Missio Lux:
We met with Keith; a very kingdom minded leader whose deep desire is to see the Latino community of Seattle united and elevated.
We met with Scot, the co-owner of Adventure Teaching (www.adventureteaching.com) that brings teachers to South Korea and then gives them opportunity to be part of a Missio Lux Missio Community.
We hung out with Valerie, a mutual friend who has the amazing gift of finding her way into unique places to pray: we were ushered up the Space Needle at 7 a.m. and given the invitation to stay as long as we wanted.
We had a leisurely dinner with our Huddle Catalysts and ended up in an amazing prayer time for one another.
We had lunch with the Missio Lux Prayer Team and ended up experiencing kingdom breakthrough prayer for one another.
Right after that, we hosted 25 children and 25 adults in our home for the "Children of the Nations Party with a Purpose" (see last blog) and were able to pay for and assemble almost 4,000 meals as we served the world but also the families around us by modeling a lifestyle of service.
We met with various Missio Lux leaders; always coming to a place of deep relationship and prayer by the time we parted.
Last night we had dinner with the Missio Lux Healing Prayer Missio Community and then worshipped and prayed for one another.
No one wanted it to end, especially my friend as she stated over and over, "This is what I have been seeking. It's so simple but so profound. It's all about relationship."
I realized as I was driving home from the airport that God is doing something significant in how we will grow: it comes from relationship and a desire to be together; whether it is in Seattle, South Korea or even Denver.
What is God going to surprise us with next?
I put together a weekend that allowed my friend to experience many different aspects of Missio Lux:
We met with Keith; a very kingdom minded leader whose deep desire is to see the Latino community of Seattle united and elevated.
We met with Scot, the co-owner of Adventure Teaching (www.adventureteaching.com) that brings teachers to South Korea and then gives them opportunity to be part of a Missio Lux Missio Community.
We hung out with Valerie, a mutual friend who has the amazing gift of finding her way into unique places to pray: we were ushered up the Space Needle at 7 a.m. and given the invitation to stay as long as we wanted.
We had a leisurely dinner with our Huddle Catalysts and ended up in an amazing prayer time for one another.
We had lunch with the Missio Lux Prayer Team and ended up experiencing kingdom breakthrough prayer for one another.
Right after that, we hosted 25 children and 25 adults in our home for the "Children of the Nations Party with a Purpose" (see last blog) and were able to pay for and assemble almost 4,000 meals as we served the world but also the families around us by modeling a lifestyle of service.
We met with various Missio Lux leaders; always coming to a place of deep relationship and prayer by the time we parted.
Last night we had dinner with the Missio Lux Healing Prayer Missio Community and then worshipped and prayed for one another.
No one wanted it to end, especially my friend as she stated over and over, "This is what I have been seeking. It's so simple but so profound. It's all about relationship."
I realized as I was driving home from the airport that God is doing something significant in how we will grow: it comes from relationship and a desire to be together; whether it is in Seattle, South Korea or even Denver.
What is God going to surprise us with next?
Monday, July 13, 2009
Children of the Nations Food Assemblies Continue to Ripple Out
This was a big weekend for Missio Lux as we continue to live out our desire to see everything we do multiplied, much like when one throws a pebble into a lake and watches the ripples continue to circle out!
We had a Children of the Nations Food Assembly at our June Celebration and it was such a gift to see people of all ages and from 8 different countries come together to assemble the food. But even more exciting was that 15 different people committed themselves to host a "Party with a Purpose" for Children of the Nations in their own spheres of influence.
This weekend three of these "Parties with a Purpose" took place! Between them, we put together as much food as the June Celebration, doubling our 8,000 meals to 16,000 meals! Many more of these will take place through the rest of the summer and even into the fall as we continue to move towards our goal of 40,000 meals!
Our Missio Community did this for our weekly gathering. My neighbor Nancy and I both sent out emails to our neighbors, friends, and Missio Community. When 4 p.m. hit, families began to stream through our door, until there was 25 kids and close to that many adults. I didn't even know several of the families because they came through Nancy's friendships. Many of our neighbors would never have come to the June Celebration but because they know us as neighbors and trust us to have their best at heart, they came!
The great thing about taking them outside the building and into our homes and work places is that we can expand the ripples and keep them going. We challenge others to host the "Parties with a Purpose" so that more and more people can experience the fun and purpose that comes with serving others.
It's always fun to see who God brings as a surprise. One of the best ones last night was the parents of our Danish neighbors. They loved it and couldn't wait to go back to Denmark to tell their friends about what they got to do, and observe their grandchildren doing something so powerful to shape their hearts of compassion and bring a more expanded worldview beyond our life in Sammamish, WA!
Right as we were finishing our food assembly, the rain began to fall. (I know it, it's not supposed to rain in Seattle in the summer!) We came inside and it was mass chaos as we gathered behind the 15 boxes to get a picture of the group, as well as eat the dinner that everyone brought to share. But, it was the chaos of life together, friendships being formed, and a joy over reaching out to care about the rest of the world.
Over and over, the parents told me how grateful they were for this opportunity. It is hard to shape our children's characters in this place of great affluence and social pressure. Anytime we can do something that helps us to care for others, our heart is expanded and our lives are shaped.
I can't wait to host another one. I have a "Party with a Purpose" scheduled for August 18th, so if you are in the area, come on by and experience the joy of serving!
Here is a video of our June Celebration Packaging Event. For more information visit http://www.missiolux.org/ or The Children of the Nations Website.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Our Sudanese Brother Arok Goes to Africa
Yesterday our Sudanese brother, Arok Garang, left for Africa. He has been in the states since year 2000, and has been back to the continent of Africa once, but has never returned to village, Palliyou, in Sudan.
His dream is to go back to the village to see what remains from the destruction that took place over 20 years ago when the Jinjaweed came and burned their village, raped the women and killed everyone; except the young boys in the cattle fields.
These young boys, between the ages of 3 and 7, began to walk and find one another. They eventually became known as the "Lost Boys of Sudan" and 15,000 walked over 1,000miles, without adults, to Kenya, where they lived in the Kakuma Refugee Camp.
Arok was a leader at Kakuma, having responsibility for over 500 of the boys. He is a leader who takes initiative, putting himself through college at Colorado University, without help. He is a man who grabs my compassionate heart because of how he is stewarding his life.
He lives to help his village and the people of his village. He took on responsibility for half of the orphan children when the Kakuma Refugee Camp closed.
We met Arok through our Sudanese friend, John Kher, who lives in Seattle. Arok and John divided up the children, each taking on 35 children to help find homes and to educate.
This is when Seeds of Hope Missio Community was born. It was birthed alongside, Missio Lux, and has provided boarding school tuition for 34 kids through generous sponsors.
Arok is going to see those children in school at Roots Academy. He will be able to film them and bring back their stories so we can continues to be inspired by the privilege of helping children whom the world has long forgotten.
This is what Jesus loves to do: to come alongside those that the world has made invisible. When we care for them, provide basic necessities such as housing, clothing, food and education, Jesus is delighted with us. When we help provide an avenue for education, we are moving in an area of justice, beyond compassion, when true transformation begins to happen.
Arok is also going to meet up with Angie, the Seeds of Hope Missio Community leader, and accompany her to Kodera, Kenya, where they will come alongside the village of Kodera. Pine Lake Covenant has befriended Kodera and has the privilege of being part of an enormous community transformation.
We are excited for Arok to see Kodera because this is our dream for Palliyou. I will keep you posted on Arok's travels and story because this is one story of Missio Lux where God is at work in a miraculous way.
His dream is to go back to the village to see what remains from the destruction that took place over 20 years ago when the Jinjaweed came and burned their village, raped the women and killed everyone; except the young boys in the cattle fields.
These young boys, between the ages of 3 and 7, began to walk and find one another. They eventually became known as the "Lost Boys of Sudan" and 15,000 walked over 1,000miles, without adults, to Kenya, where they lived in the Kakuma Refugee Camp.
Arok was a leader at Kakuma, having responsibility for over 500 of the boys. He is a leader who takes initiative, putting himself through college at Colorado University, without help. He is a man who grabs my compassionate heart because of how he is stewarding his life.
He lives to help his village and the people of his village. He took on responsibility for half of the orphan children when the Kakuma Refugee Camp closed.
We met Arok through our Sudanese friend, John Kher, who lives in Seattle. Arok and John divided up the children, each taking on 35 children to help find homes and to educate.
This is when Seeds of Hope Missio Community was born. It was birthed alongside, Missio Lux, and has provided boarding school tuition for 34 kids through generous sponsors.
Arok is going to see those children in school at Roots Academy. He will be able to film them and bring back their stories so we can continues to be inspired by the privilege of helping children whom the world has long forgotten.
This is what Jesus loves to do: to come alongside those that the world has made invisible. When we care for them, provide basic necessities such as housing, clothing, food and education, Jesus is delighted with us. When we help provide an avenue for education, we are moving in an area of justice, beyond compassion, when true transformation begins to happen.
Arok is also going to meet up with Angie, the Seeds of Hope Missio Community leader, and accompany her to Kodera, Kenya, where they will come alongside the village of Kodera. Pine Lake Covenant has befriended Kodera and has the privilege of being part of an enormous community transformation.
We are excited for Arok to see Kodera because this is our dream for Palliyou. I will keep you posted on Arok's travels and story because this is one story of Missio Lux where God is at work in a miraculous way.
Friday, July 10, 2009
"And the Lame Shall Walk"
The Healing Prayer Missio Community went to a prayer conference a couple of weeks ago with Global Awakening. The reports of healings taking place around the world are just extraodinary. Ordinary people are praying for healing and the blind are seeing, the deaf are hearing and the lame are walking. In the process, hundreds of salvations also take place as people see the power of God rising up within their midst.
But, what about the US? Is healing taking place here?
One of the first things we did at the conference was wait on God for a "word of knowledge." If he gave us a picture, a feeling in our body, a written word in our mind, a thought, a vision or a dream, we were to go to the front and give our "word of knowledge." About 50 of us did. What happened next was amazing. When we spoke what we got, people stood up if they had that ailment. Then we came together and prayed. Many people got healed. The teaching that the leaders gave was that if God shows it to a person as a "word of knowledge" it is his stamp that he intends to heal it!
Much of the conference was designed for the attendees to pray for others to be healed. There were several present in wheelchairs. One couple had a story that takes one's breath away.
On their one year anniversary, the husband had a stroke. He has been unable to move anything beneath his mouth for 24 years. His wife is his main caregiver. Many of our team spent all their prayer time praying for this couple. The first night that they prayed, he was able to move one hand, one arm, one leg was kicking away and his mouth was able to move at will. He was able to kiss his wife! This motivated our team and they kept praying; staying for hours after the conference actually finished.
This is the very exciting part! His pastor, not knowing that they had attended the conference, had a dream: a "word of knowledge." In this dream, the lame man was totally set free and was walking all around, completely healed. The couple is already proclaiming healing and looking forward to the day when he will be completely free. In the meantime, they have a strengthened faith, new hope, and a closer relationship with one another.
Healings are taking place in the US and they will increase. This is God showing us his love and power and that he is the ONE TRUE GOD!
We have a testimony every month at our healing prayer service. Guess who called and asked to give their testimony? The couple. I can't wait to hear it and to have my own faith strengthened through their experience. If you are in Seattle, we meet the fourth Tuesday at 7 p.m., July 28th this month, at the PL Sanctuary, 1715 228th Ave, Sammamish, 98074.
If you are out of town, wish you could join us, but look forward to my blog after it happens.
But, what about the US? Is healing taking place here?
One of the first things we did at the conference was wait on God for a "word of knowledge." If he gave us a picture, a feeling in our body, a written word in our mind, a thought, a vision or a dream, we were to go to the front and give our "word of knowledge." About 50 of us did. What happened next was amazing. When we spoke what we got, people stood up if they had that ailment. Then we came together and prayed. Many people got healed. The teaching that the leaders gave was that if God shows it to a person as a "word of knowledge" it is his stamp that he intends to heal it!
Much of the conference was designed for the attendees to pray for others to be healed. There were several present in wheelchairs. One couple had a story that takes one's breath away.
On their one year anniversary, the husband had a stroke. He has been unable to move anything beneath his mouth for 24 years. His wife is his main caregiver. Many of our team spent all their prayer time praying for this couple. The first night that they prayed, he was able to move one hand, one arm, one leg was kicking away and his mouth was able to move at will. He was able to kiss his wife! This motivated our team and they kept praying; staying for hours after the conference actually finished.
This is the very exciting part! His pastor, not knowing that they had attended the conference, had a dream: a "word of knowledge." In this dream, the lame man was totally set free and was walking all around, completely healed. The couple is already proclaiming healing and looking forward to the day when he will be completely free. In the meantime, they have a strengthened faith, new hope, and a closer relationship with one another.
Healings are taking place in the US and they will increase. This is God showing us his love and power and that he is the ONE TRUE GOD!
We have a testimony every month at our healing prayer service. Guess who called and asked to give their testimony? The couple. I can't wait to hear it and to have my own faith strengthened through their experience. If you are in Seattle, we meet the fourth Tuesday at 7 p.m., July 28th this month, at the PL Sanctuary, 1715 228th Ave, Sammamish, 98074.
If you are out of town, wish you could join us, but look forward to my blog after it happens.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
R n R this Summer: Refresh Your Relationship with Jesus!
Let’s Make Time for Some Rn’R this Summer: Relationship and Rest!
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself until it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in me. John 15:4
Refresh your relationship with Jesus; what does this look like for you?
Relax with people whom are important to you~enjoy the friends and family God has blessed you with.
Relish the opportunities for new friendships as you participate in Missio Lux activities.
Relinquish the summer to God~let him restore and revive you for the summer to come.
Rhythm: Jesus practiced a rhythm of life and as his disciples; so should we!
We are focusing on R and R this summer. As we live into the rhythm that God created us to follow, we will experience a life that is more fulfilling and fruitful than we ever imagined.
So, many of you have asked, abiding is a good idea, but how do we actually do it? What does it look like? How do we know when we are accomplishing it?
Great questions. My reflections for the next few weeks will include simple tips on how to live into the abide/bear fruit rhythm and to make the most of our summer plans to live into relationship and rest.
The best starting place is with Jesus. He taught his disciples, that’s us, how to live life and when we follow him, we tap into that deep place within us that releases joy so that even our bodies become better equipped to go through each day.
Here are a few simple tips for how to start spending time with Jesus on a daily basis, or to do something different which changes up your regular habit so that it feels refreshing and new:
Take the Spiritual Pathways Quiz and then identify ways to live into your preferred way of connecting with God. (http://common.northpoint.org/sacredpathway.html After you discover your highest preference, go and live it out! Reflect on what took place as you lived into that part of you that is brought alive by connecting with Jesus in ways that reflect how you are uniquely created.
Read through one of the Gospel books through the summer: Matthew, Mark, Luke or John.
Set a goal for each day on your calendar and ask the Holy Spirit to direct your understanding of the what you read. Journal about your reading. How did Jesus meet you in each passage?
If you desire to dig deeper, use a Study Bible or Commentary to assist you. (On line Commentaries available at : www.Biblegateway.com )
Do something active, but do it alone with an intentional desire to connect with Jesus.
Take a hike, a bike ride, sit outside on your deck, but get outside and enjoy the beautiful sights, sounds and smells of Seattle summer. Reflect on how your spirit came alive to God through the experience, and then tell someone about your experience.
After you engage in these abiding activities, leave me a comment and let me know what happened, that way we can build on our relationship!
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself until it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in me. John 15:4
Refresh your relationship with Jesus; what does this look like for you?
Relax with people whom are important to you~enjoy the friends and family God has blessed you with.
Relish the opportunities for new friendships as you participate in Missio Lux activities.
Relinquish the summer to God~let him restore and revive you for the summer to come.
Rhythm: Jesus practiced a rhythm of life and as his disciples; so should we!
We are focusing on R and R this summer. As we live into the rhythm that God created us to follow, we will experience a life that is more fulfilling and fruitful than we ever imagined.
So, many of you have asked, abiding is a good idea, but how do we actually do it? What does it look like? How do we know when we are accomplishing it?
Great questions. My reflections for the next few weeks will include simple tips on how to live into the abide/bear fruit rhythm and to make the most of our summer plans to live into relationship and rest.
The best starting place is with Jesus. He taught his disciples, that’s us, how to live life and when we follow him, we tap into that deep place within us that releases joy so that even our bodies become better equipped to go through each day.
Here are a few simple tips for how to start spending time with Jesus on a daily basis, or to do something different which changes up your regular habit so that it feels refreshing and new:
Take the Spiritual Pathways Quiz and then identify ways to live into your preferred way of connecting with God. (http://common.northpoint.org/sacredpathway.html After you discover your highest preference, go and live it out! Reflect on what took place as you lived into that part of you that is brought alive by connecting with Jesus in ways that reflect how you are uniquely created.
Read through one of the Gospel books through the summer: Matthew, Mark, Luke or John.
Set a goal for each day on your calendar and ask the Holy Spirit to direct your understanding of the what you read. Journal about your reading. How did Jesus meet you in each passage?
If you desire to dig deeper, use a Study Bible or Commentary to assist you. (On line Commentaries available at : www.Biblegateway.com )
Do something active, but do it alone with an intentional desire to connect with Jesus.
Take a hike, a bike ride, sit outside on your deck, but get outside and enjoy the beautiful sights, sounds and smells of Seattle summer. Reflect on how your spirit came alive to God through the experience, and then tell someone about your experience.
After you engage in these abiding activities, leave me a comment and let me know what happened, that way we can build on our relationship!
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