Joy in the Journey

Thu, 12 Jul 2007 07:31:59 -0700

I have always been a "hurry up and get there" type of girl. Life was about the destination. I remember many road trips constantly asking the dreaded question, "are we there yet", and mom always saying "5 more minutes". In school I was always more concerned about making the grades at the end of the semester than actually learning the subjects. It was about what can I accomplish, how can I arrive? God has been trying to teach me the lesson of enjoying the process for many years. He has much to teach us on our journey and the destination is not nearly as important as the lessons learned on the way. Imagine the lessons that Moses and the Israelites learned in their 40 year trek across the desert. I imagine most of them woke up in the morning and just groaned, "when will be get there". Or consider David, he was anointed King well before he actually was able to wear the mantle. In fact, for years he ran for his life and hid out in caves and foreign cities for fear of Saul. I imagine God had some valuable lessons to teach Israel and David. They needed to learn to trust God, to believe He is good and strong and He will lead. They needed to learn humility, how amazingly hopeless they were without God. They needed to learn community, what does it mean to walk alongside a band of men, or a people as we strive to follow after God? They needed to learn that God was a strong tower when all the arrows of evil were assailed against them. They needed to learn that God brings about the promises He makes in His timing and for His purpose. They needed to learn to surrender, to trust God with all of their lives, hearts, souls, and strength. I know that this time for Sojourn will be one that we look back on and say "wow God, You have been so good to us, You have brought us together, you have made us an intimate fellowship radically dependent on You. You have caused our eyes to look to you in reverence and worship. God, You have used every moment to prepare us for the the next step of the journey." I admit, I probably still have a tendency to want to sprint to the finish line, but not on this journey. Today, I am quite content to sojourn for a while. I think God is up to something. I think He is doing something new, something that goes beyond our fellowship and will reach a city. I might just walk through this one slowly, or perhaps, allow God to take us in His arms and lead us in a waltz for a while. I love you all. I am so glad we are in the journey together. For Christ and His Kingdom, Judy Webb __________________________

Love the Lord Your God

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 10:16:11 -0700

Thanks to Wendy, Joanna, Jeff, and Gina for bringing this to life for us last night. I was so blessed to see the words that God gave to me months ago used to bless the body. Much love, Judy Listen, O People of God! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, (monologue 1) My heart is beating so fast, full of passion, life, zeal, desire. For what, for who? Is it your compassion Lord that moves me to serve others, to weep with those who weep and to rejoice with those who are full of joy? Is it your heart O God that makes me more concerned with how I can bless you and others than how I can be blessed myself. Lord, is my heart a place where you dwell? Is it a place where you can take my self centered passions and transform them to reflect your desire? Honestly Lord, before I knew you, I was all about me. Pride, fear, self preservation were the ugly jewels in my heart. My heart was guarded and protected by my own devices. I had it under lock and key. It had been broken so many times. But in the brokenness Lord, you made a home, you made a dwelling place in my heart. You have filled it with love and joy, peace and passion, and hope, God you have given me hope. O God let me love you with all my heart Listen, O People of God! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your soul Monologue 2 The breath of life in me. My will, my identity. It seems like it belongs to me. It is the depth of my being. I don't even understand it. I can't grasp the concept of who I am, even what I am. O the mystery of being body, and soul-- intimately connected, intertwined, yet even when my body fails, my soul will live on-- I will still be me. O God let me love you with all that I am. With every breath of life within me let me be a praise to you. Let my will be transformed by you. Let me love you with all my soul. Listen, O People of God! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your strength, Monologue 3 muscle, flesh, bone, joints, body. The work of my hands is a joy to you. The sweat of my brow to you is a pleasing fragrance. My determination to work hard, to protect, to provide, is something you have placed inside of me. There is a strength inside of me which does not even seem like me. On my own, to be honest I often feel more weak than I do strong. I feel more like a failure than a champion. But you have promised, that even in my weakness your strength is made perfect in me. That strength that brings tenderness to my wife when she is hurting, or that faces up to a hard situations instead of running away. That is strength. It is your strength, Lord and with your strength in me I will love you. Listen, O People of God! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your mind Monologue 4 Numbers, thoughts, names, grocery lists, News casts, my mind is filled with so many things. All day long thoughts make their way through my mind. Some linger, they become a concern, an obsession even. Some just pass right through on their way to somewhere else. From the moment I wake up in the morning to the moment I close my eyes my mind is working-- planning, problem solving, fretting, wondering. Even in sleep my mind goes crazy with dreams. My mind is a busy place. O God, do you have a place in the busyness of my mind. If you whispered to me in the midst of all those screaming thoughts would I hear you? Could it ever be Lord, that your voice would be the loudest thought I hear in my mind. Could it be Lord that your written word would so fill my mind that in the questions of life I would naturally think the truth of your word instead of relying on the wisdom of man. Oh God, Your Word is the truth eternal. Speak a Word over me to quiet the static of the world. Let me ponder the truth of your word with intelligence and diligence. Let me love you with all of my mind. __________________________

For Sojourn, A warrior's robes

Fri, 13 Jul 2007 10:24:53 -0700

I wrote this for a friend's birthday a few years ago. I remembered it last night. Today is David's birthday-- brother, this poem reminds me of you, and of many of saints in Sojourn. In fact, it challenges me to try to see myself as the person being described in this poem-- it is true, but wow, does God really make us warriors? Be blessed. love, Judy On your knees, on your face, before a God of grace Crying out for mercy. Pleading for His heart Wearing the robes of redemption Dressed in purity white His beauty rests on you His joy bursts through you in glorious light Carrying His Sword Founded in His Word The armor of a warrior The protection of the Lord Crying for a miracle Believing God for one Asking God, please awaken your church Let us know the fullness of your Son Pouring out worship from a broken heart Rushing waters, flowing to the Father’s throne You are to God a pleasure and delight Joyfully dance, in His presence you’re home Beseech the Father with confidence in grace Ask for it all; let him show you His face You are a warrior, dear child of the Great King Do not lose heart; you are precious to Him. Dear friend, God’s chosen He delights in your heart Your passion, your joy, your abandonment complete On your knees in humble prayer you will not see defeat. God will arise! Do not grow weary in seeking. God will arise, and you will know the full joy of your King. __________________________

When God says yes

Thu, 14 Jun 2007 11:58:26 -0700

This little devo is close to my heart. It comes out of waiting in my own life-- I pray that even the words that I write will sink deep into my heart and give me peace, and peace to my fellow sojourners who are waiting for their promise. I love you all. Judy When God says Yes, but not right now A freedom to hope in an unchanging God. Have you ever had such a deep conviction that God was going to work in a special way in your life that you just knew it would happen soon. Perhaps God gave a promise to you and you are holding out hope that the promise will be fulfilled sometime next week. Maybe you have a loved one who is sick and you know in your heart of hearts that God will heal him but he hasn't been healed yet. Maybe you have a promise from the Lord that he will bless you with children and even after a year of trying you still have no baby, but you know that God gave a promise to you. You know he said he would give you a son. It may be a promotion at work, after all you have been working so hard and the boss seems to have noticed. Maybe it is that your children will follow the Lord with all their hearts but you still wait up late at night hoping she will come in without alcohol on her breath. Some time in the quietness of your prayer time with God or even in the busyness of waiting in line at the grocery store-- God gave you a promise. It was something you longed for, something you desired with all your heart and now you are just waiting. You are holding out hope. Your cries to God have become more fervent-- Oh Lord, won't you please make good on your promise! Some folks are able to keep their God given promises under their hat. They are able to hold them close to their hearts without letting others notice what they are holding on to. I am not like that. I don't know what it is but when I get a promise from the Lord I believe it will happen and I hold on to it with all my heart. I also tell folks. Well, I tell them because they ask those really personal questions, like when are you getting married or when are you having kids. How do you answer that question? Like a unmarried woman can somehow make a husband out of nothing, or a couple can decide, “you know this is a good day to get pregnant” and bam you are pregnant. What I think folks want to hear is that you are doing something about it. They want to hear that you are going to singles groups or they want to hear that you went to the doctor and you are fertile enough to fill a basketball team. They want to know that you are taking steps to do something in your life. I appreciate their concern. The only thing is that I don't think I am ever quite able to satisfy their questions. I only know the promise that God gave to me. When I was a missionary in Germany God promised to give me a husband. It happened in the quietness of my prayer time with him and was confirmed when a godly lady at the gym who I barely knew told me that I was going to get married when I went back to the states. That was enough for me. I believed God. I had to believe Him. What was tougher to swallow was that sometimes when God gives a promise, He asks us to wait. I am so thankful for Abraham's story. In so many ways I can relate. He was given an extraordinary promise from God and he had to wait an extraordinary amount of time to see it fulfilled. I am sure he was not thinking that it would be some 20 years later that Sarah would conceive a child. Abraham knew how the body worked, he knew that it was possible to be too old for having kids-- that certain processes stop happening. When he was told that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars he probably wasn't counting on years of barrenness. It would only make sense that his dear Sarah would conceive and have many children. After all, even when given the promise they were getting up there in years. It was time-- Abraham's time, but not God's time. Here is where the big mistake happens. Abraham decides after waiting a while for God to make the descendants come that he is going to help God out a little. He agrees with Sarah to allow his seed to pass through the Egyptian maidservant, and lo and behold, a son is born-- Ishmael. Although God and Abraham loved Ishmael, he was not the promise that God had in mind. God had another plan, a better plan. After Ishmael was born God gave to Abraham the covenant of circumcision, and then the promise of the son who would carry Abraham's family line. It is so amazing to me how perfect God is with his plan and timing. God allowed Isaac to be conceived through Abraham after Abraham was circumcised. Even the seed of Abraham passed through the broken flesh that was a sign of the covenant. Isaac was born miraculously, uniquely, and with a mark of God's blessing. That is the birth that God had in mind for Abraham. He wanted something extraordinary to happen. God had a perfect plan. Abraham had no idea how it was going to all happen. I can imagine Abraham's friends thought he was crazy when he told them what God had promised to him. I can also imagine they had plenty of advice for how Abe could start his population explosion. We saw the strife that occurred with Sarah's idea of having Hagar carry Abraham's son. Folks are full of good ideas, and even good intentions. How many nights did Sarah stay up weeping for her barrenness, or did Abraham toss and turn in frustration waiting for God to bring peace to his beloved wife's broken heart. How many times did they cry out, how many times did they doubt? We try to make things happen for ourselves, when God is saying to us, “wait, trust me, I have a perfect plan. I know what I am doing. I know the desires of your heart. I know what you are longing for. I know the promises I made toward you. I will not forget them, I will not forget you”. God always hears, He always knows, He always cares, He is full of compassion. We can trust Him. Even if you feel your faith is weak. If you feel weary waiting on the promises of God to be made manifest in your life. You can trust Him. At the very least, cry out to God “I believe, help me to believe”. God has given us many promises. He will fulfill them. He is working. Relax, take a deep breath, and trust. __________________________

Approaching the throne

Thu, 14 Jun 2007 07:13:52 -0700

From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another. John 1:16 Approaching a Gracious God I love the stories in the Bible when folks just run up to Jesus and beg him to help out. Visit the centurion with me as he comes barreling up to Jesus on behalf of his sick servant. Jesus had just entered Capernaum and here comes our friend with his passionate request. “Lord,' he said 'my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering.” (Mt. 8:6) Notice that the centurion greeted Jesus with a humble heart when he called him “Lord”. Even though he was a centurion and had authority over 100 soldiers he had perspective enough to call Jesus master. He did not try the old heavy handed attempt to force Jesus to help him. He did not pull the old “I'm a centurion and you are a preacher and I command you to come heal my servant.” I doubt that approach even entered his mind. Instead, he knew that he was helpless without Jesus. I bet he believed that Jesus was his last chance. Could we say that he was a little bit desperate? Jesus responded that he would go to heal the servant. He said “I will go and heal him”. It was that simple. The centurion waited for this day and it came. He was willing to get on his knees and humble himself and to do whatever it took to plead with Jesus to bring healing, and in that moment Jesus is more than willing. I am just a little overwhelmed by the look of compassion on Jesus's face as he responds to our friend. The smile perhaps that crosses his lips as he assures that healing will come by his own hands. The urgent request came to Jesus, and Jesus was ready to act. In the sermon on the mount that occurs just before the centurion's story takes place Jesus tells the people, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Mt. &7-8). You have probably heard this passage countless times but the question to you is “do you believe it?”. Do you really believe that Jesus will listen to you to and will provide for you? I love the analogy that Jesus uses after he tells us to ask, seek, and knock. He says “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” After you get over the shock that Jesus flat out called the people evil, let the second part of his statement sink in. He gives us good gifts. He is God! He gives great gifts, and just as we delight to give gifts to those we love, God delights even more so to give gifts to His children. God wants to bless you. God wants you to ask him for those gifts. The centurion asked Jesus for a special gift that day. He asked for healing for a very sick servant. The only thing is that when Jesus said lets go, he said hold on, Jesus. I do not deserve for you to come to my house. You can heal him from here if you only say the word, I know it will be done. I am amazed and challenged by this man's perspective. Why did he say that he was not worthy to have Jesus come into his home? He was a Roman centurion living in a Jewish city. He was a man of power, but was probably painfully aware of the distance between Jew and Gentile. Was it because he was not a Jew that he felt unworthy? Was it something silly like his home was dirty because he just had a party the night before? Perhaps they were in the middle of a building project and the house was not quite ready? I think it was something much deeper than all of those suggestions. I think the centurion had an understanding of what it meant when he called Jesus “Lord”. He knew that next to Jesus he was unworthy. He had an idea that Jesus was so much more than a nice preacher, he was divine. Jesus only had to send his word and healing would take place. The centurion had a special faith. He believed in Jesus and Jesus commended him. Jesus said that no one in Israel had faith like this centurion. Wow, what a complement! Here is a gentile Roman soldier being told by this Jewish Jesus that he had great faith. This is a glimpse of Jesus's invitation to all the gentiles to come to faith in Him. Jesus was pleased with this man's heart and humility. He was pleased with his faith. He was pleased that the centurion recognized that Jesus is Lord. The man's servant was healed the very hour that Jesus said it would be done. I can't imagine that was their last time to interact. I bet that centurion kept an eye on Jesus. Have you ever wondered what it would take to get your petition to God? I know that people often struggle with a great desire on their heart and they are just not sure that God will meet them in that desire. The centurion took his petition to Jesus and it was immediately answered. You have probably petitioned Jesus countless times on an important issue and have seen no glimpse of a light at the end of the tunnel. I have counseled with many women on their desire for a husband. I have talked to many youth on their desire for deep friendships. I have heard people lament about not being able to succeed in school or to please their parents. There are so many desires that just seem to burn a hole right into your heart and you lift them up to God and you see no progress. I want you to know that God is saying keep on asking! But in all of your asking, remember who I am. Psalm 37:4 says “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” People love to quote that verse to say that God will give them what they desire. They overlook the first aspect. God wants us to delight in Him first, then our heart's desire will be satisfied. Satisfaction is found in God alone. Delight yourself in God. The Lord taught me that valuable lesson when I was in my early 30s and still praying for Mr. Right to sweep me off of my feet. I was quoting that verse to him and taking consolation in it when God gently reminded me to delight in Him. He changed my perspective and instead of holding on tightly to my desire to be married I was able to open up my hands and allow God to fill them in His timing. About one year later I began to date my husband. It would not be long before God fulfilled that desire on my heart, but He did it in His perfect timing and with the right man for me. Dear friend, God is inviting you to ask Him. His Word says that we are to approach His throne of grace with confidence (Heb. 4:16). It says we are to cast all of anxieties on Him because He cares for us (1 Pet. 5:7). Be one of those people who go racing up to Jesus! Do not be ashamed about the desires of your heart or your deep struggle and pain. Go right on in to His presence. Jesus paid a great price to pay for your entrance into the throne room. Do not let those tickets stay posted on your refrigerator. Go on in. God is a good and gracious Father. He knows how to give good gifts to his children. He gives you freedom to come before him as one of His own children. You do not even enter his gates as a friend of the family, or like the centurion who entered as a foreigner. You enter His gates as His child (Jo 1:12). Go on in my friend. Meet up with your Daddy God and tell him you are struggling or you are longing. He will be tender with you and He will invite you to take great delight in Him. __________________________

Meditation - do I have to be able to sit in the Lotus position?

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 13:14:42 -0700

Okay, so the above title is a bit tongue-in-cheek (actually laughable for me, who could never get into any position CLOSE to what my yoga instructor was demonstrating), but how do we view the concept of meditation as Christians? I heard Ken Boa teaching this morning, and he mentioned the concept of meditation: "understand that you can all meditate. We’re doing it all the time. Usually we’re meditating about stuff we shouldn’t be thinking about like worries and fretting and anxiety. To meditate means to ruminate, to chew it over, and to mull over it. We’re always mulling something over. The best thing you can to do is not to stop thinking about something but rather replace that thought with truth. In other words you can choose what you think about. You can make a choice, a volitional choice, to set your mind on the things above and not on earthly things. So when you find yourself tempted and so forth instead of mulling that one over, because that will only make it worse, the better thing to do is to replace it with truth. I can’t stress this enough. It’d be very wise of you to carry a handful of 3x5 cards that have verses that have spoken to you in the past. Put them in your car and have one of them to be the theme of your day." Practical advice for we who are always too busy, and bombarded with "weeds" that threaten to choke the spiritual life out of us!! Cindy __________________________

The Blessing of the "Net"

Sat, 09 Jun 2007 20:09:51 -0700

So I was on the web this morning, looking through some stuff for our Madison Journey Group and for a study on 1 Peter that I'll be starting with some friends tomorrow night, and found this really awesome site... www.bible.org. It's got stuff on there that I paid a mint for in a Bible program several years ago, and there it is all available on the internet - for free!! Check it out - I donated to the cause immediately, knowing I'll be using the site a lot in the future. Which brings me to my point - what an amazing blessing it is to live in a time when we can communicate and share information across the globe with such ease! Community is formed in some of the most unusual ways... like I've joined an e-mail group for endurance athletes, where people ask questions and discuss issues related to endurance sports. (And along the way I've found out that there are people a WHOLE LOT more insane than I am, racing their bikes across the country, riding 24 and 48 hour mountain bike races... man!!) And then there's our own Eric Atkins, who has people contacting him from national news websites about his gaming site - a community has formed with people interested in computer gaming. Now my question becomes... how can we bring glory to God in these communities?? Cindy __________________________

Half-Ironman!

Sat, 02 Jun 2007 18:36:29 -0700

Sorry for the long delay for this entry - my half-ironman went great!! Reading my previous blog, you'll see that I had been sick for the week and a half prior to the event, and had struggled mentally and spiritually in the days prior... but I really did enjoy the race (for the first time I really had fun at that distance!), and got to cheer on lots of my competitors as we passed each other back and forth. I ended up with my best time ever by 10 full minutes, and have to say I wasn't even really tired until about 5.5 hours into the event! So, lesson learned - sometimes I take my recreation WAY too seriously... God means for us to enjoy Him and enjoy His creation! Seeking Him, Cindy __________________________

Real Life Christianity

Thu, 03 May 2007 07:07:22 -0700

As I'm travelling for to North Carolina for my half-ironman triathlon, I was compelled by Amanda's comments a couple of days ago... Events constantly make me think about this question lately… saved to what? It’s so easy to become discontent in our daily lives, the sometimes tedium that we all endure, and that frequently makes me want to look for satisfaction in some event, activity or service, losing my focus on the Creator of it all. Forgetting to thank Him, forgetting to look up at all. Then He is gracious in sending reminders that draw our hearts and minds back to Him. (sometimes for me, those reminders come in the form of suffering or near-misses - I witnessed a bad accident right in front of me on the way out of town today!) So does this make me want to go back and get involved in the “right” activity - man, this would just make me really busy, but not direct my heart to Him. For me, it’s backing up and worshipping Him in the way He directs. This weekend, this worship will look like a half-ironman triathlon. God wrestled this race out of my hands this past week, using a stomach virus to do it. I (sort of grudgingly) gave the race back to Him, so mad and frustrated after training for 4 months for this, and then to get sick with something that’s been really difficult to shake less than 2 weeks before the event. (Yes, I am feeling better everyone - thanks so much for your prayers on Sunday.) And now, because I’ve given it back to Him, now it’s set to be worship to Him to be able to even compete. Man, what a turn-around! I’m excited about the race now, but for a different reason - because it’s going to be an expression of worship to be able to even compete. Isn’t that what every day should be?? This is what i think God calls a life lived well - giving Him the glory in all that we do. __________________________

An Easter Tale

Fri, 06 Apr 2007 06:51:14 -0700

Imagine with me, life in the garden. God walked in the cool of the evening Man and woman by his side, sweet fellowship surrender to the heart of God How God must have enjoyed those walks with Adam and his dear wife, the fruit of His love, his masterpiece Can you see God showing Adam the fruit of the garden Hear his joyful explanation-- Adam these trees bear delicious fruit, enjoy them, they are for you. I made them for your pleasure. But Adam, do not eat the fruit of this one tree. It will bring you death. Can you even utter the word death when you are surrounded by such life. Everywhere you look things are growing They are humming with the newness of birth, joyful creatures praising their creator Life, worship, joy, perfection, beauty, not death, please not death In the fullness of time Adam's wife yielded to the serpents trickery She was deceived and believed a slimy snake instead of Her loving creator God Death came to Adam, and his wife whom he called Eve. Death was given an open door to lay it's ice cold talons into the souls of men They were evicted from the garden, and from those cool evenings of walking with the Lord It was in that garden that Jesus began his first steps toward the cross God loved them, even in their rebellion They were fruitful and multiplied in the harsh land of their exile God blessed them with sons and daughters and yet they continued to walk in rebellion He taught them how to offer sacrifices for the forgiveness of their sins They would come, offer their gift, and go about life only to fall again. God chose a man, Abraham and made a great people through him. They would be called Israel, the one who struggles with God. God blessed them, and for a time they walked in the ways of the Lord They followed, but then they were enticed by the pagans around them. God sent his prophets to warn them, to call them back to Him, to repentance and life, but they rejected the prophets, they killed and ridiculed the ones who spoke in the name of the Lord. And God kept reaching out, but the people chose death It was in the garden that Jesus began his first steps toward the cross and in God's longing to restore a fallen people, the road to the cross was forged by His own loving hand And so God's son came to Earth and walked once again in the cool of the evening He had a sweet fellowship with those who followed him He loved them, healed them, taught them, nurtured them God came near in Jesus Christ, to call a people back, to ransom them from death How the crowds surrounded Jesus They wanted something from him They were drawn to him like children are to candy They could not get enough He even tried to escape from them a few times to get a moment to think and rest, but they found him, so often they found him. Jesus, they would cry out, heal me Jesus, touch me, Jesus, if only I could get close enough to just touch the hem of your robe Jesus, his name, his smile, his strong voice, Oh the comfort, and majesty, and authority in His voice. The people rallied around him and his disciples were the body guards What a day it was when Jesus entered Jerusalem on the donkey's back All the crowds shouting out “hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” They were throwing down palm branches and even their own clothes to give him a King's welcome Jesus went to work. He had to teach them as much as possible in this week Time was running out He spoke to them in so many parables. He cleared out the temple of evil things Boy was he making the pharisees angry, they had enough of Jesus They would put an end to it. Jesus ate the passover meal with his disciples Those were sacred moments, Jesus lifting the unleavened bread and saying “this is my body”, lifting up the cup of redemption and saying “this is my blood”. Jesus getting up to wash his disciples feet Jesus dipping his bread and handing it to Judas, the one who would betray him Jesus tenderly leading his disciples through the last true passover feast, for soon Jesus would be killed as a perfect passover lamb After dinner they went to another garden, this one felt much different than the garden Jesus made at the beginning. Tonight Jesus was in true agony His friends slept and Jesus wept and pleaded before the Father, “If there is any other way, please take this cup from me.” But peace came to Jesus, He trusted His Father The soldiers came for Jesus The next hours were a blur of crooked trials and greedy pharisees Jesus was taken before the people for judgment The people who called out to him Hosanna were now calling out “crucify him” Jesus, beaten, torn, and bloodied, carried his cross up a road that was in his mind from the very beginning It had to come to this, Only Jesus could save the people from their sins The cross nails, nakedness, pain, despair He called out to God “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” A moment of God turning his back on the Son The sins of the world buried the Christ from the sight of God Darkness on the earth God mourns, the Son cries out, perfect fellowship broken in time and space And then a sigh “it is finished” The curtain of the temple torn from top to bottom “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” And the Son of God hangs lifeless on the cross A tomb could not hold the Son of God The story does not end with a Roman execution It begins again with an empty grave. Jesus, in full victory, dressed in white, fully alive Jesus offering a doubting Thomas the chance to touch his scars Jesus cooking a breakfast meal for old friends The icy cold talons of death that found their grip in the first garden have now been broken He rose again in body, soul, mind, and spirit. He rose again to his exalted place at the right hand of God He rose again to offer life abundant to each of us He has gone to prepare a place for me, and for you Come, believe, and receive this precious salvation __________________________

What a good stripper can do

Mon, 26 Mar 2007 07:05:26 -0700

For years I was a youth minister at a local church. I loved my ministry and I loved the girls and guys that I got to share to love of Jesus with. I remember there was one message that I spoke to the girls in my Sunday School class over and over again. I told them about how Jesus called the Pharisees white washed tombs-- that although they were polished and shining on the outside, they were dead on the inside. I did not want my girls or me to be like those tombs. I wanted us to be fully alive in Christ and not just pretend that we were alive when in reality we were dead. It was a good message and one that I think we needed at the time. Lately I have been thinking about "white washed" in another sense. When my husband and I bought our house it was a redecorator to say the least. The carpet was green, the walls yellow, with wall paper every where. The one thing that really blew my mind was that they had painted the fireplace white- mantel and bricks. It is a huge fireplace and a focal point in the den and it was completely painted white. Jeff and I decided when we were buying the house that we would strip the paint to uncover the brick. We went out and bought a stripper that was labeled "non toxic" and went home and covered the fireplace in the green slime. Over the next 6 months we worked on removing the paint from the fireplace. It was a very tough job of scraping, scrubbing, more stripper, washing, etc... I had no idea it would be that tough, but when it was done Jeff and I sat down on our couch and just marveled at the beauty of the bricks in our fireplace. It was amazing. I still look at it and have no idea why anyone would want to cover it up with white paint. The bricks vary in shades of browns and reds, with prints of leaves, shells, and paws on them. It is a shame to cover up such beauty. At Sojourn I feel like God has applied a good stripper to all of us. Many folks know what it felt like to be painted white. If you showed a little too much color elsewhere folks would have thought you were weird-- at Sojourn you are seen as beautiful. I tell you what, I don't want to be white washed (except by Christ in the forgiveness of my sins). I want God to be able to display me as I was intended to be and I want to see others in the same beauty and diversity. Lord, my prayer is that at Sojourn and in your churches here in Huntsville, you will keep us from that temptation of painting ourselves white to hide our beauty. Let us just shine in all the beauty you have given the church, and if folks needs to wear sunglasses to shield their eyes from the radiance of your church then let it be so. Let us be trully beautiful. __________________________

A practical theology

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 13:28:22 -0800

I have often asked myself the question- If I really believe that Jesus is who He says He is, how would I live my life differently? It challenges me. This last week I went on a ski trip with my husband. We had a great time on the slopes and being together for a solid week without work and the everyday routine. Despite the seemingly perfect environment I struggled with some nagging fears through out the first part of the week. I have gotten pretty serious altitude sickness in the past (temporary memory loss, migraine) and was concerned that it would happen again, eventhough we did not stay at such a high altitude. This worry at times made it hard for me to really enjoy being on the slopes. In my struggle to move past this fear God sweetly reminded me that this trip was a blessing from Him and He wanted me to take every bit of it and enjoy it. He graciously brought me to a place where I could embrace the blessing and trust Him with our time. God continually reminded me of something my husband had said about the Israelites in the desert-- how they dependeded on God daily for the manna and how God so faithfully provided just what they needed for that day. They could not store up their manna in jars for the next day (unless it was the Sabbath), they had to trust that God would provide again. So how does this answer my first question- believing God for me meant that I could trust Him with the blessing that He gave. God wanted me to enjoy every bit of "manna" he laid before me. I could trust Him with my time on vacation. I can trust Him with my husband. I can trust Him that He is good and He will not abandon the work of His hands. Believing God is who He says He is means that I would live my life with a perfect abandon to the heart and will of God. Oh God, let me see the things in life that I hold on to so dearly, and open my hands up to you so that I can place them at your throne. And in my open hands Oh God, place your tender blessing. __________________________

Quick Tips for the Exercise Beginner

Tue, 19 Dec 2006 19:56:46 -0800

As we enjoy all of our Christmas parties (and goodies at the office!), I know that in the back of many of our minds is, “at the beginning of the year, I’m going to get back to the gym and go on a diet!” Below are some tips for beginning your exercise program from my experience through the years as a physical therapist and avid exerciser, with mistakes that many people make: 1. Get the word “diet” out of your vocabulary once and for all! (yes, that is my number one tip!) Concentrate on healthy, wholesome food. As a confirmed fat-o-holic (I love fatty foods!), I can truthfully tell you that the past few months have been a revelation to me in eating healthy. While recovering from my bike accident, I could not eat all the things I normally eat. I began to eat more healthy food, and I experienced a new phenomenon for me: I don’t crave the fatty food as much anymore! Changing your eating habits really can make a difference, and “dieting” only messes with your metabolism, causing it to slow down and not burn as many of the calories that you are desperately trying to cut from your diet. Talk to me about this sometime face to face (or e-mail me!) for further info. 2. Specific tip – cut out food after 7 pm! I’m sure you all already know this one, but I wanted to throw it out as a reminder – this is a huge mistake that many of us make, and usually an easy correction to make. 3. Start your exercise program in a manageable fashion! Most of us have a habit of heading full-bore into an exercise program, and getting sore and/or burned out quickly. This is a tendency I’ve seen over and over again with my patients, and I’ve learned now to warn them against it. Start your exercise program in a way you can sustain it over the long haul… otherwise you will get discouraged when you start to miss days. In other words, if exercise isn’t already a part of your life, then pick something that you enjoy, and do it 3x/week for about 20-30 minutes (you may have to start with 15 minutes if you’re truly a beginner), and feel good about your accomplishment!! Once you’ve worked this into a habit, then you may want to add more to your frequency, but I would recommend at this point (or maybe before!) that you start mixing your activities up: add a second type of exercise to your schedule. In fact, I always recommend the “cross-training” concept, as it keeps you interested in what you’re doing. 4. Be an educated exerciser! When you take up an exercise program, you need to know what that exercise is going to help you achieve. If you have a goal of weight loss, doing cardiovascular exercise (such as cycling, swimming and walking/running) is your ticket. Your metabolism is revved up by these activities. And know that intensity of your cardiovascular exercise makes a difference – not always is faster better! Some studies have shown that exercise at 60-70% of your maximum heartrate (this is pretty easy going, just beginning to feel like you're doing something) burns fat at a faster rate than harder efforts! Another forgotten area for weight loss, however, is strength training. Light strengthening exercises build the muscle that actually use the calories we are trying to burn. 5. Stretching is important! Don’t leave this important part of exercise by the wayside. Healthy muscles are flexible and strong. Some of you may have read some of the studies lately saying that stretching isn’t necessary – that it doesn’t prevent injury. Did you know that those studies were conducted on teenage athletes?? My connective tissue at 40 years of age is a lot different than that of a teenager, and I know that I have to stretch to prevent injury when I exercise. Hope you all have a healthy Christmas and New Year!! Love, Cindy Colossians 3:23 __________________________

Simplify!!

Tue, 05 Dec 2006 08:47:25 -0800

There isn’t anything that frustrates me more than being too busy. And I think there is a reason for this: God doesn’t want it!! One thing that characterizes my “busyness” is a schedule that is crowded with much activity, but without focus. Busyness creates an attitude in me of getting from one activity to another, and ruins my focus on the people involved in that activity. And this is God’s objection to our busyness: we lose our focus on Him and on His mission. Simplicity is a word that comes up over and over again in our conversations and teaching in our Sojourn gatherings. What does it mean to simplify? During the past few months, as I was recovering from my bicycle accident, I was forced to miss many activities that would normally fill my schedule. I had to look at each activity and discuss with the Lord, “Is this what you would have me do with the certain amount of energy that I have to spend today?” I discovered that I had to make choices that sometimes I didn’t like (and sometimes others didn’t like!), in order to make it through the week. I had to simplify my schedule. But you know what I found? I was much more “present” at the activities that I attended. You know what I mean… my heart was there, I could focus on the people I was with, and on what God might want to do in that situation. What a cool feeling this was, though – in contrast to my normal distractedness!! Anyone else out there struggle with simplicity? Let’s discuss it!! Sojourning, Cindy __________________________

Flat On My Face

Tue, 17 Oct 2006 07:40:37 -0700

Since my bicycle accident 2 weeks ago, during which I landed flat on my face, God's been up to some pretty cool stuff in my life that I think is so important in the life of our church. I've discovered how hard it is for me to allow myself to be served by others. I mean, theres certainly a reason for this independence in my life I live by myself, and out of necessity have had to learn how to do most things for myself. I am a self-diagnosed independent woman, and proud of it!!! But there are several ways that this independence can be a problem. The first problem that independence causes is in my relationship with God. God created us to be dependent on Him, and to me there's no better example of this than in our bodies. One of the most amazing things I learned during my medical training is how incredibly small, insignificant problems in the chemistry of our bodies can lead to serious health issues, or even death! This is just one small example of how dependent we are on God to keep us ticking. In my independence, I don't intentionally snub God, but I tend to go around doing things, making my own decisions, and, because of my independence, end up doing many things without involving Him at all. I am dependent on Him whether I realize it or not, and whether I acknowledge it or not in practical ways in my life. Living in dependence on Him is the way God created us to live, and life is much more full (John 10:10) when we live it that way. The second problem that independence causes is in the community of Christ. When I try to do everything myself, it robs others of the joy and responsibility of serving. This is a concept that is so hard for me to practically apply that I have a hard time even writing it here but it's so true!! When we talk about community, its easy to talk about the ways we need to serve each other and give to each other but what about the ways we need to be served and given to?? So I want to challenge you all today examine yourselves as the Lord leads you. Do you live independently, or do you live your life in God's design, dependently on Him? Examine with me not only the ways you need to serve, but also the ways you need to be served; examine not only the ways you need to give, but also the ways you need to receive. I'm sure there will be more to come from this experience I can already see it coming. Seeking His Face, Cindy __________________________

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