An Inauguration by Lions, Plants, and Fruit...

Ok, I was talking to my mother the other day, and she says, "I see you are a blogger now."
I reply, "No, I'm pretty sure there's some blogger code, and you have to post more than one blog to be an actual 'blogger.' "
So here goes my "blogger inauguration"...
I've been reading In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson (its required by GMT for my Malaysia Internship), and the first chapter shook my world a little bit. Let me share a portion with you,
"I think the church has fixated on sins of commission for far too long. We have a long list of don'ts. Think of it as holiness by subtraction. We think of holiness as a byproduct of subtracting something that shouldn't be there. And holiness certainly involves subtraction. But I think God is more concerned about sins of omission-those things we could have and should have done. Its holiness by multiplication. Goodness is not the absence of badness. You can do nothing wrong and still do nothing right."
That's a little earth-shattering, eh? Mark Batterson goes on to explain a far more spiritual than the norm definition of the aphorism, "No guts, no glory." If we are not willing to step up and out of our personal comfort zone, our safety net; if we are unwilling to act in faith, gutsy/gut-wrenching faith, we are, in actuality, robbing God of His rightful glory. James 4:17 states, "So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin."

I don't know about you, but all of this makes me a tad bit uncomfortable.

Ok, that was part one, part two is a little more personal; I'm actually just going to write out of a journal entry. God laid this on my heart after I got back from LA.

"My responsibility right now is to disciple, which I think is the equivalent to 'Apollos watered' in 1 Corinthians. Some plant seed, some water seed-all of us have different purposes. I think I am a better planter than water-er. I don't necessarily have that shepherding heart like Pastor Stephen, that fervency to disciple like PD, but I do know the great importance of discipling...I do desire to spark something-to birth desire, to open eyes to the truth, to open hearts to love, to bring souls to life-not at all by my strength but by the Lord's. So I think maybe I am more of a planter that a water-er...but right now, I am in a season of watering, of discipling. That is my current responsibility, thus my current 'holy calling.' That means I need to be discipling with my whole heart. So, be it on the street, at work, or in a store talking with a complete stranger where I am more naturally passionate or be it with my AC [small group] girls, my apartment girls, girl's Sunday school, or in class-may I be sensitive to the Spirit's calling, to the Father's voice. May I have divine appointments even with those in SCSL; may I be filled with expectancy in the season I am in currently."
Basically I felt like God was stressing the importance of bearing fruit in season and out of season, of living with a level of expectancy, an intensity of passion, and a sense of urgency no matter the season or time. I may have discovered a hidden passion for street evangelism ("evangelism" in the sense of just being a vessel of God's love to whoever "happens" to cross your path); but I can't jip the people God has placed in my life to disciple just because I don't feel a certain way.
And that is why its all about Him and His power, strength and righteousness-His kingdom.

Wherever he puts me, in whatever position, I just want to work for His glory, and His kingdom's cause.

Sorry this one is so long, I have a goal to keep my posts short-ish; obviously I'm not being very successful!

Have a wonderful first day of Spring!

I have caved...

I feel as though creating a blog is akin to buying a bubble dress. They really aren't the most flattering thing in the world, but everyone has one and seems to pull it off, so you get one too. I can't say that I own any sort of bubble-esque clothing, but I here by am starting my very own blog. I'm not quite sure what my definite purpose is in establishing this, but I am hoping that purpose will evolve as time passes. I do know that the last 2 years of my life have sequentially gotten better, and God has been moving in greater, fuller and more incredible ways each and every day. I have received revelation, inspiration, confirmation, confrontation, restoration, and every other God-given "action or condition" ("action or condition" is what the suffix "-ion" means, haha) you could possibly think 0f as I seek to serve Him with all I say and do.
I guess you could say that I hope this blog inspires you to allow God to do the same in your life in whatever capacity He desires.
I returned from working with the Dream Center in LA yesterday, and what I learned from the trip is partially embodied in a story told by the guest speaker, Pastor Bill Cornelius, at Angelus Temple Thursday night. God had called him to pray for 100 hours straight. The first 10 hours were spent asking God to do something big; the next 90 hours were spent under the realization that God was and is doing something bigger than he could ever imagine and all he could do is ask God to allow him to be a part.
That's basically where I am right now, I am realizing how much bigger God, His plan, and His bride is each and every day, and I just want to be a part of it.
I am from Kalamazoo, MI, I live in Columbia, SC, I just got back from LA, and everywhere I go there is such a vast need for love, for life and for truth. My mission is to follow God's voice with radical obedience as I seek to be a vessel of His life,His love and His truth in whatever corner of the world I am placed. All of this is only possible with the infilling, anointing and power of the Holy Spirit.
Francis Chan said in His book Forgotten God, "I don't believe God wants me (or and of His children) to live in a way that makes sense from the world's perspective, a way I know I can 'manage.' I believe He is calling me-and all of us-to depend on Him for living in a way that cannot be mimicked or forged."
Mother Teresa (who is basically one of my role models, as cliche as that may sound) said, "I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world."
This life is the life I desire to live. This blog is hopefully going to be a tool for you who read it (whether its 1 person or 1000) to live a life that gives hope to a needy world and praise to a more than deserving God.

I think that's all I have for tonight. I hope really hope I don't sound too cliche or cheezy as I write this blog, but I guess that's just something I'll have to risk! Vulnerability just has such a high price sometimes, sheesh!

Good night, all and thank you for listening:)