Thoughts from Susan- Giving it up

If there’s anything that I’ve learned in the past 24hours it’s that life likes to kick you when you’re down. Yesterday started out pretty bad and though I was determined to keep a positive perspective, it just seemed that the hits kept on coming. For a while I had the typical woe is me mentality, I was so angry my stable little world was being shaken so fiercely, I wanted to react, to lash out, and to hurt someone as much as I was hurting. In another point in my life I would have gone that route...

Instead this time I chose to give it up to God. I laid it all down, the hurt, the rage, the helplessness and confusion. Even though I couldn't comprehend why any of this was happening, I trusted God was walking with me through this. I know he’s given me the strength to handle this with more wisdom and grace than I ever knew I possessed.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?...I would have lost heart unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait on the Lord” Psalm 27:1 &13-14

Thoughts from Kelly- Battling Contentment

Being content has been one of my greatest battles recently. I know God has brought me to a place in life where I am fully alive and happy but I never want to be satisfied with where I am! The only time I want to be satisfied in my walk with Christ is the day I’m with Him in Paradise.
I was strongly convicted during a prayer meeting early this week. The worship leader stopped one song into our corporate worship time and said he thought we needed to stop because we were just going through the motions. My intentional thoughts are not some I’m proud of, I said, “Who does this, I mean honestly, we just started worship!” I answered my own question later though: a godly man does, one who is eager for God to move in His people and is sensitive to the Holy Spirit.
I was lifting my hands in worship and singing because that’s what the normal thing to do is. I lost the passion and fiery love for God and was just going through the motions. My heart wasn’t alive, I wasn’t actually worshipping, I was just doing what felt right.
Since then I’ve been super intentional in my times of worship. I set my heart before God and pray He’ll spark it alive, that it would burn before His throne as something pleasing and holy. I don’t want to worship for the sake of feeling good about myself or because I like the music. I want to be so in love with God I couldn’t help but express my love in return to Him through my worship and my life.

Thoughts from Whitney- Respect

God is really teaching me what respect is. Growing up I made a lot of mistakes, and I never learned how to respect men. Other than my father, I never really respected men period. But I am learning that men just want to be treated like men, and that means respecting them.

I’m also learning that my emotions are a gift from God. God made women to be emotional beings so we can help/connect with others that are hurting. I used to be ashamed that I was like that, but now that I know it’s a gift, I am proud. There are going to be things in life that only a man can do, as well as there will be things that only women can do.

We have to be content with who we are, and be pleased with how God has created us. Embrace his love, and you will find yourself learning to love yourself just the way you are.

Thoughts from Curtis- Kingship

In desperation internship right now I am in a class called World View. The class explains about how different people have different views according to religion, Social status ECT. One of the issues that came up in the book was about The Kingship triangle. In this triangle it shows the connection Between Man and Creation, and how they Work together. The link between them is Stewardship.

I think that Stewardship is a big part in our walk as a Christian. In the bible Jesus uses the parable where the master gives his workers money as he goes on his journey, Two out of the three went and invested(not gambled) the masters money. The third on the other hand did not invest but buried it in the ground ther for not gaining any value. When the master returned, he praised the two for they had made more than what was given, but he rebuked the third for he did not use Steward what he had.

I believe that we need to be GREAT stewards of the things that God gives us so he can trust us with more. God says if we a faithful with little he can in trust us with more. I want to challenge you right now, if you have something little on your hands (like a small school prayer meeting, or meeting with one guy on a weekly basis to talk), don’t be discouraged. Just stay steady and be faithful with what you have and God will give you more.

Thoughts from Aaron- Kansas

I grew up in the country, on the plains of Kansas. Most people go through Kansas on their way to some place exciting, they look along the highway and see the most boring state there just might be. However, they don't see the side of the Kansas country that I do. I used to go outside in the afternoon and just sit on our hillside during the late summer when the wheat is tall; I would just go out and stare at it. I have only been to the ocean once when I was little, but this was just as good.

When the wind starts blowing through it, the wheat generates waves of texture; the birds diving in and out; it’s quite a spectacular site. The wind would whistle through the trees, and I could start to hear faint songs that feel as if God Himself was singing to me. And when its night, the view is amazing, I can see all the stars plain and clear, it’s so much more beautiful when you see more than just the major constellations. They fill the sky and you can see galaxies themselves. The ocean of wheat still waving with the wind, all of it would bring me an overwhelming sense of peace and comfort.

I love sit and watch and listen to the very creation God made, knowing that He desired me over all of it. This world can seem ugly, filthy, and boring most of the time, but I try to realize what it would be like without all of the industrialization, and constant mutilation we put it through. I like to think of what this world would look like in its original state, at the dawn of creation, the beauty that it was designed to be. Every time I get over-taken by the materials of this world, or I can’t find the beauty in the earth that I stand on; I think about my home. I can see myself on a hill side, staring at the handy work of God, and its helps to bring me back to my senses. It helps me realize that the work of God is far more creative and satisfying than the work of man. It’s good to know I'm in His hands.

Thoughts from Tiffany- Awakening

At the end of December 6 of us went to One Thing at Bardle Hall in MO and I was captivated by the passion in the leaders and the body of believers there. It was so encouraging to me and made the passions in my heart for the Body of Christ even stronger and even clearer. Like I mentioned at our class today, my passion for around 1 year now has been to help usher in an awakening in the Church, although now over the last 6 months it seems to have become more urgent in my spirit. This passion and urgency was burned deeper into my heart while I was there and my understanding of our position in the awakening in the church as well.

Corey Russell’s teaching at One Thing really brought more understanding of the blindness of the Church and how much more serious it is. He was also talking about our inheritance as God’s sons and daughters to, first and foremost, be in a place of intimacy with God that surpasses all we have known. It is this that we need to fight for, that the Church would be awakened to see their inheritance in Christ, and be completely free from the entanglements of this world. My heart has been stirred to a greater level to fast and pray for the Bride of Christ to also have a revelation in who She is, and to stand firm in that Bridal Identity to Usher in the Coming of the Kingdom of God.

Lou Engle was talking about the judgments to come because of the innocent blood we have shed of over 50 million babies killed from abortion, saying their blood cries out louder than that of Abel. During the Call, I was captured by the seriousness of the sin we have allowed in our nation and the blindness much of the world has toward these issues. Lou said “Abortion is not a political issue it is a Kingdom issue” , I had not thought of it in that way separating it like that although I knew (to the best of my ability) it was something that grieves the heart of God . As the Call went on, I continued to be awakened to see the true light of my life here on earth and finding that “I” don’t matter but it is all about Christ receiving the reward of His suffering. So I find it easier to lose myself to gain the joy of giving it all to glorify Christ…

Thoughts from Curtis- Jesus on Leadership

Hey Everyone
So I have been reading this book called Jesus on leadership and I love it. If you are or you think you are a leader I would highly recommend this book. One point of this book that I just love is that a leader is like a person on a soccer team, more then someone playing golf trying to win a tour. I love this because a leader is one that is not self focused but team focused. Instead of trying to see what the best is for you, you think of others and always have the end in mind. Golf players are in it for themselves; They train for themselves, motivate themselves and get all the glory when and if they win. Soccer players on the other hand, they have to be motivated together. If one person does not see the same as the others they can easily give the game away because of their lack of focus on the end result. We as leaders need to work together in this world and not be so caught up in ourselves that we don’t see how our team is suffering from our independence. And when we start to work together like a team we will see how easy it is to lead others.