“I’m sure now I’ll see God’s goodness in the exuberant earth.  Stay with God! Take heart. Don’t quit.  I’ll say it again: Stay with God.” (The Message).

“Yet I am confident that I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living.  Wait patiently for the Lord.  Be brave and courageous.  Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.” (New Living Translation).

“I’m still confident of this:  I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.  Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord..” (New International Version).

So rejoice in the Lord and be glad all you who obey him! Shout for joy all you whose hearts are pure!  Psalm 32:11.

Those who  plant in tears will harvest in shouts of joy. Psalm 126:5.

…this is a sacred day before the Lord.  Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10.

What other joyful verses come to mind?

When it comes to destiny… the question is, “How will my time be spent until I see Him face to face?”

Deep in my heart a fire burns.  Cause I just can’t wait for Your return.  And when You call I’ll be finally free from me.  I’m holding on until the day I am going to see You.. face to face. ”Face to Face” by Mylon Lefevre and Broken Heart.

Every morning when I get to my office the first word I write down is the word “Destiny”.  Several weeks ago destiny caught my attention.  I started thinking about it… So, what does it mean?

I’ve consulted several dictionaries.  Webster sort of sums up all the dictionaries I have read: “That to which any person or thing is destined; predetermined state; condition foreordained by the Divine or by human will; fate; lot; doom.”

Every morning I start my day off reminded of God… reminded that God has a purpose for my life.  There is a plan… will it be His plan or my will?  Which will I follow?  My heart beats in order to please God.  I spend everday thinking, praying, reading, and talking about the things of God.  The very thing I was created for.

In this moment, I feel as though there is a fire within me that needs to be released.  A fire that cannot be contained by my skin.  Something that has been ignited by God’s Spirit for his purpose. 

God’s plan has not been lost but rather I’m being refined… purified into God’s destiny… his plan.  I’m still on a quest today to find out how this plan will ultimately unfold.  This is my frustration at times… yet I have hope and faith in God. 

My desire in life is to truly be a part of a movement.  McManus explains his plan for his church.  He states, “My goal is not to cast a vision that everyone buys into, but to create a visional community where everyone who enters in begins to have wild and God-sized dreams and visions.” (The Barbarian Way, 103).

That’s my prayer!

My prayer time in the past couple of weeks has been going to a place I have not been to in some time. Maybe it is due to the lessons that were put together for our small groups… they have all been pertaining to prayer.  I also think it has a lot to do with dreams God desires to see lived out in my life and those around me. 

For some reason, God has seen fit to lead in this manner.  I look forward to seeing the dreams God is going to unleash as a result. I am blessed to see how God has been working in the lives of several people around me and am deeply grateful for the opportunity to be a part it.

“Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? Did you take God into your mind only, or did you also embrace him with your heart? Did he get inside you?” Acts 19:2, The Message.

Paul’s questions of John’s disciples took them each to a deeper place that can only be found in Jesus.  They had a head knowledge as it pertains to life change but had not come to a place of heart knowledge… heart change… intimate fellowship. 

Once our hearts are changed by the power of God there is no limit to what God can do with us because of what He has done in us.   The dreams that He gives those who follow Him are limitless.  The only limits placed upon those dreams are those we impose. 

To be filled with the Spirit of God is to be filled with dreams and visions that are too compelling to ignore.  Live or die, succeed or fail, barbarians must pursue and attempt such dreams and visions.  The barbarian spirit dreams and finds the courage to live them… For the Spirit of God to unleash dreams and visions within our souls, we must become free to risk and to fail.  Every dream born of God is fueled by love. (Erwin McManus, The Barbarian Way. 100-101).

Saturday morning!  It’s finally here.  I had hoped to do some things in the yard today but it rained last night and the Weather Channel says it’s going to be a little cooler this weekend.  40% chance of rain today.  So, it looks like my plans are changing. 

I guess I could sit around and watch Lori clean… I’m sure that’s what I’ll do!  I just heard her mutter under her breath, “Not!”  Those plans just changed too.

As long as it doesn’t rain in the middle of the day I will be watching my children as the new t-ball and fast pitch softball season gets underway.  Based on how the week has already gone I expect it to rain and for those plans to change. I do have hope… there’s only a 40% chance of rain.  And if it rains that’s OK too – I know it is just a delay until the next game.

This week has been one of those weeks that has seen a lot of change.  It’s been a roller coaster ride full of emotion.  I guess the biggest drop on the ride was finding out Wednesday morning that Tim is leaving Oakleaf.  I’ve known Tim and Andrea both for a long time.  Tim and I actually went to Southwestern Seminary together in Fort Worth.  We were practically neighbors for the last year of seminary.

After having served on staff at several churches in 3 different states – I know what it’s like for God to call me to move and go somewhere else.  That has happened two times in my life where I had no idea of where I was going or how it was going to be once I got there.  I just knew He wanted me to move.  There was another time I knew God had called me to move and I knew where I was going only to find out once I got there I should have turned south toward Albuquerque instead of landing in Kansas. 

With every move God was there to see me through.  God was there to provide.  It was not always easy.  Sometimes I wish I could go back to the first church I worked at right out of seminary.  I loved the people there so much!  And they loved me too. 

God does have a purpose for each of us.  I do believe wherever He places us that is where he wants us to flourish.  I think it was Oswald Chambers who wrote, “Wherever God plants you – bloom!” 

My prayers are with Tim and Andrea this weekend.  I know God is with them – no doubts about that at all. Jeremiah 29:11, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’” (NLT).  Much better forecast than 40% chance of rain.

I am still thinking through all of the processes that go on into “The City” (my churches children’s ministry).  I was asked to take on the task of overseeing “The City Crew”.  This will be a team of 4th and 5th graders who volunteer to help within the Children’s Ministry at our church.

Yesterday all of my children were helping out in some capacity.  Jacqueline was with the 2 and 3 year olds (I don’t recall the name of their area).  But the other four (Valerie, Alexa, Lucas, and Walker) were helping out in The City as greeters.  I am loving the enthusiasm of my own kids right now as they get involved in the ministry. 

I had one of those priceless moments yesterday and I don’t want to let it get away from me.  Walker is standing out there greeting.  (He is a kindergartener that looks more like a 2nd grader). His wording for greeting goes something like this: “Good morning, hey, how are you?”  It’s all one big statement that runs together.  I told him he didn’t have to say all of that… Just say, “Good morning and welcome to Oakleaf.”  He started working on it.  So, the next family to walk up came and went.  He said, “Hey!”  And there was no response back to him from those he just greeted.  They were still close enough to hear what he said next, “I’ve got to get better at this!”

The next family walks up and he states, “Good morning!”  Everyone smiled back and said, “Good morning!”  His first words out of his mouth were, “See, I can do it.  I’m already better.”

It thrills my heart to see him work at something like this.  It’s a thrill to see him want to get better.  It’s amazing that after the next try he already felt like a success!  I’ve wondererd about how as adults sometimes we get so timid and afraid to venture out and do new things.  We may try something once and think, “This is not for me.”  When maybe our response needs to be, “I’ve got to get better at this.”

I’m real proud of the leadership I see in The City.  My hat is off to Michelle who has pulled off a great team of people to serve each week.  I’m amazed at the talent of those I have watched these past couple of weeks.  I’m blessed just to watch God’s gifts at work as they each communicate to reach these children!

The greatest thing I could imagine would be for my children to grow up to intimately know Christ.  As teens and young adults I would love for them to know and hear God when He speaks to them.  There have been times in their young lives they have talked of the things of God and asked questions. 

If they grow up to be adults who are known as “good, church-going, people”- I’m not sure I would have succeeded.  My desire… my heart… and what I believe God desires is that we raise kids who will grow up to be passionate followers – living wrecklessly abandoned lives to Christ.  As a parent, I need to live my life in a way that sets the stage for this to happen.

We were sitting around the table last night over dinner.  Jacqueline was talking about the books she is reading.  Then Valerie mentioned, “I read my Bible this week.”  Much to my own disappointment I didn’t respond to it.  I didn’t say a word.  Then this morning I got up and walked back to her bedroom and both Valerie and Alexa were in their room reading their Bibles. Over breakfast again they talked about reading their Bibles until they fell asleep last night. 

I look at these two (10 and 9 year olds) and pray they continue to walk this way… that God will meet them and speak so they can recgonize His voice and respond in obedience – knowing and doing the will of God.

I love any kind of stormy weather that comes our way.  I always have for some reason.  No matter what the season.  I guess it’s the excitement of it… the change in weather… or something.  I tend to watch the Weather Channel a bunch too.  I have my house marked on the weather map so I can see just how bad it is going to be where I live.

Living in the South I’ve seen my share of turbulent weather.  When the weather starts to change drastically life kind of changes for a bit.  The senses are alerted and the milk and bread sells out.  Just a few weeks ago we had tornadoes.  And the alarms all over the county were sounding.  And right now as I type the weather is looking pretty severe. 

I know when things in my personal life seem turbulent and stormy I don’t really like those times as much.  I do put a lot of focus on my life during those times trying to answer the question ”why?”.  The thing about it is there are normally some warnings that pop up prior to the storm – unfortunately I tend to ignore those early alarms.  And the really sad thing is that I tend to ignore the more serious alarms. 

I’m thankful to God for the storms I have had in my life.  I don’t brag about them… and I don’t long for more of them… but I do recognize His hand who has guided and led me through each storm to the other side.  God is so very faithful and full of mercy.

At the beginning of each month I have decided to revisit Hebrews 12:2-3.  It has become my theme verses in 2008. 

“Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in.  Study how he did it.  Because he never lost sight of where he was headed- that exhilarating finish in and with God – he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever.  And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God.  When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through.  That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!” (Hebrews 12:2-3, The Message). 

I have never been as challenged in life as I am now.  I’m thankful God has seen fit to raise the bar with me (so to speak).  I’m thrilled to know He is alive and at work in my life.  I know where I am today is not where I will be next year. 

Keeping my eyes on Jesus!