--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Longing to Belong 10/26/2006
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Whatever else it means to be human, we know beyond doubt that it means to be relational. Aren't the greatest joys and memories of your life associated with family, friendship, or falling in love? Aren't your deepest wounds somehow connected to someone also, to a failure of relationship? That you were loved but are no longer, or that you never have been chosen?
One of the deepest of all human longings is the longing to belong, to be a part of things, to be invited in. We want to be part of the fellowship. Where did that come from?
So, too, our greatest sorrows stem from losing the ones we love. Byron lamented:
"What is the worst of woes that wait on age?
What stamps the wrinkle deeper on the brow?
To view each loved one blotted from life's page,
And be alone on earth, as I am now."
Loneliness might be the hardest cross we bear. Why else would we have come up with solitary confinement as a form of punishment? We are relational to the core. We are made, as it says in Genesis, in the image of God or, better, in the image of the Trinity: "Let us make man in our image" (1:26, emphasis added).
Meister Eckhart had it right when he said that we are born out of the laughter of the Trinity.
From the Heart of the universe come our beating hearts. From this Fellowship spring all of our longings for a friend, a family, a fellowship, for someplace to belong.
(Epic , 22-24)John Eldredge
In Epic we explore the Larger Story. Think of all those movies you’ve ever loved, the stories that have stirred your heart--there’s a reason they move you so. They’ve been trying to tell you about the true Epic ever since you were young. It is a breathtaking story, and you play a crucial role.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From The Ransomed Heart, by John Eldredge, reading 299
Ransomed Heart Ministries www.ransomedheart.com
OK, I was feeling silly and decided to straighten my hair for a change! I know you like it straight Beth, so this is for you! Check out the pic's below. Just click on the Pic! We had Twinkie night at the Palace last night and I had a couple of pics in there with some of our great Youth!
I was in North Carolina this past weekend for my uncles funeral. He was ready to go and that was what mattered. He had made peace with family that had been estranged (Praise God), and there was some great family time while there.
It was a whirlwind trip, we went from the Virginia boarder (Mount Pilot, Hanging Rock, Westfield area to see some family (on my Dad's side) and then on down to Salisbury to the funeral and see family that had come for that (Mom's side). Then we headed back home through Black Mountain, Asheville area. We pretty much saw most of North Carolina in one weekend. I have attached a photo album of the pic's we took of the mountains in most of those areas. What an amazing site, what beautiful blue skies. God always takes my breath with the splendor of His creation. I could stay out there in it forever and just Praise Him. How glorious!! I hope you enjoy the pic's as much as I was blessed looking at all of that beautiful scenery. Tam
Hi Everyone! Life has been very busy of late. I don't have any new pic's to post because my rechargable batteries are dead and my charger for them is packed in a box somewhere! Most of you know that I moved to Gallatin with 2 other roommates so condensing a 3 bedroom house down to 1 room, more or less, has been quite interesting. But hey.......it's just "stuff". I am sure I will eventually find the charger and then watch out!
I accumulated so much stuff over the past 5 years, I am still throwing stuff out (and I am not even a pack rat :)
Where I am living is in a great community with a beautiful lake (across the street and behind the other condo's) but I take the opportunity most days to walk down to the lake and watch the sunset, or if it is the weekend, some sunrises. You don't know what you're missing if you miss a sunrise or sunset. God is so amazing with His handywork and I just stand in awe. Sitting on the deck at night and looking at the moon listening to some awesome music is another blessing that should not be missed. These things are more important than "stuff". I also am getting into a routine of walking around the neighborhood each morning before work, right before the sun is coming up, and that gives you a lot of energy as well as some great quiet time. It has only been a little over two weeks, but it has been good.
Once I find my battery charger, I will take pic's of these things and post them. Have an amazing week! Much Love to all..........
Do Not Give Way to Fear
09/30/2006
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Of course this is scary. Responding to the invitations of Jesus often feels like the riskiest thing we’ve ever done. Just ask Rahab, Esther, Ruth, and Mary. Webster defines “risk” as exposing one’s life to the possibility of injury, damage, or loss. The life of the friends of God is a life of profound risk. The risk of loving others. The risk of stepping out and offering, speaking up and following our God-given dreams. The risk of playing the irreplaceable role that is ours to play. Of course it is hard. If it were easy, you’d see lots of women living this way.
So let’s come back then to what Peter said when he urged women to offer their beauty to others in love. This is the secret of femininity unleashed:
Do not give way to fear. (1 Peter 3:6)
The reason we fear to step out is because we know that it might not go well (is that an understatement?). We have a history of wounds screaming at us to play it safe. We feel so deeply that if it doesn’t go well, if we are not received well, their reaction becomes the verdict on our lives, on our very beings, on our hearts. We fear that our deepest doubts about ourselves as women will be confirmed. Again. That we will hear yet again the message of our wounds, the piercing negative answers to our Question. That is why we can only risk stepping out when we are resting in the love of God. When we have received his verdict on our lives—that we are chosen and dearly loved. That he finds us captivating. Then we are free to offer.
(Captivating , 213–14)
From todays daily Ransomed Heart Devotional, I pray this makes a difference in your life as it has in mine.........Jesus come for me.
Turning from the Ways You’ve Sought to Save Yourself
09/29/2006
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Change a few of the details and you have my story—and yours. We construct a life of safety (I will not be vulnerable there) and find some place to get a taste of being enjoyed or at least of being “needed.” Our journey toward healing begins when we repent of those ways, lay them down, let them go. They’ve been a royal disaster anyway. As Frederick Buechner says,
To do for yourself the best that you have it in you to do—to grit your teeth and clench your fists in order to survive the world at its harshest and worst—is, by that very act, to be unable to let something be done for you and in you that is more wonderful still. The trouble with steeling yourself against the harshness of reality is that the same steel that secures your life against being destroyed secures your life also against being opened up and transformed. (The Sacred Journey)
God comes to us and asks, “Will you let me come for you?” Not only does he thwart, but at the same time he calls to us as he did to our friend Susan, “Set it down. Set it down. Turn from your ways to me. I want to come for you.”
Therefore I am now going to allure her;
I will lead her into the desert
and speak tenderly to her. (Hos. 2:14)
To enter the journey toward the healing of your feminine heart, all it requires is a “Yes. Okay.” A simple turning in the heart. Like the Prodigal we wake one day to see that the life we’ve constructed is no life at all. We let desire speak to us again; we let our hearts have a voice, and what the voice usually says is, This isn’t working. My life is a disaster. Jesus—I’m sorry. Forgive me. Please come for me.
(Captivating , 98–99)
I have been away for a while because I sold my house and have been packing furiously to get everything moved out in time. It is a Happy and Sad time all the same. I leave this wonderful home that God blessed me with to move to Gallatin where my friends, my extended family and church are located. This house has so many wonderful memories that I will always cherish, most especially the times that the Youth were here for get togethers, games, sleepovers, great food, Shania Twain and lots of fun. As most of you know I love to have the people I care most about, my friends, over and cook for them and hang out and talk and have a wonderful time together....this home has been host to many such gatherings. I will never forget those special times. I cherish those memories.
I am also happy to be moving in with friends for a while. It will be so nice to have others to come home to and do things with. I am sure we will have many friends ready to get together and I will still do one of the things I love doing for people....cook. Thanks to all of you, my friends, for the good times we have had, and for the wonderful times we will have going forward. I give what I have most to give to you all.......my love, with all my heart.
I love you,
Tammy
It was a fun night at the Football game as some of the girls wore their Cowboy hats and boots and of course in honor of the dance team I had to wear mine. Abbey Sue was there with her beautiful curls and smile; some of us topped the evening off at the Hendersonville DQ.
"What could I say, what could I do, but offer this heart, O God, completely to you. I'll stand with arms high and heart abandoned, in awe of the one who gave it all. I'll stand, my soul Lord to you surrendered all I am is yours."
"Everlasting, your light will shine when all else fades, never ending, your glory goes beyond all fame and the cry of my heart is to bring you praise from the inside out of my soul cries out. My heart and my soul, I give you control, consume me from the inside out. Let justice and praise become my embrace, to love you from the inside out."
"Falling on my knees in worship, giving all I am to seek your face. Lord all I am is yours, my whole life I place in your hands. God of mercy, humbled I bow down, in your presence, at your throne. I called, you answered and you came to my rescue, and I want to be where you are. In our life - be lifted high, In our world - be lifted high, In our love - be lifted high."
"Your love reaches out to me, your grace has made a way to you. Your word lives inside of me, your truth is life to all who hear. We live for you , live your truth. May your kingdom come, and your will be done, we serve your heart - serve your heart. Let salvation flow, as your people pray, Lord we long for more - long for more. In you death is overcome, no power can stand against your name, the power of your name. In faith we will rise to be your hands and feet to all the earth, life to all the earth."
"God of all the heavens, now and forever, high above the universe. God of our redemption, God of my surrender, The Glory is yours, Holy, Holy, Holy Lord."
8/18/06 from "The Ransomed Heart" by John Elderedge
"The deeper reason we fear our own glory is that once we let others see it, they will have seen the truest us, and that is nakedness indeed. We can repent of our sin. We can work on our "issues." But there is nothing to be "done" about our glory. It's so naked. It's just there - the truest us. It is an awkward thing to shimmer when everyone else around you is not, to walk in your glory with an unveiled face while everyone else is veiling his. For a woman to be truly feminine and beautiful is to invite suspicion, jealousy, misunderstanding. A friend confided in me, "When you walk into a room, every woman looks at you to see - are you prettier than they are? Are you a threat?"
And that is why living from your glory is the only loving thing to do. You cannot love another person from a false self. You cannot love another while you are still hiding. You cannot love another unless you offer her your heart. It takes courage to live from your heart. A friend said the other day, "I desperately want to be who I am. I don't want the glory that I marvel at in others anymore. I want to be that glory which God set in me."
Finally, our deepest fear of all. . .we will need to live from it. To admit we do have a new heart and a glory from God, to begin to let it be unveiled and embrace it as true--that means that next thing God will do is ask us to live from it. Come out of the boat. Take the throne. Be what He meant us to be. And that feels risky. . . really risky. But it is also exciting. It is coming fully alive. It's a risk worth taking."
__________________________________________________________________
I have been getting these daily devotionals from this ministry for a couple of weeks now and I am very moved by what I get each day. This particular one had a major impact because 1) I start teaching the "Captivating" Bible study in a couple of weeks and part of that talks so much about "not hiding, not striving, becoming naked and vulnerable" which brings so much freedom. 2) Because the Lord showed me a vision about this very topic earlier this year and this was confirmation of that. I never cease to be amazed at how God talks to us, reveals Himself to us, is always talking with us if we will just listen. He desires to "romance" us which is something you will see more about in the new book coming out in October by John Elderedge. Don't be afraid to let "your truest self" shine.
I saw this T Shirt at the Mall last night, worn by a teenager, and I took a picture of it. Could not resist telling you about it! The Tshirt says "NO ONE CARES ABOUT YOUR BLOG" Thought it was funny............ Comments, comments, comments.............?
Our first night of the conference started off with a huge, massive, eye opening message from John Bevere. Wow......did God really show me some things and impacted me in a way that it changed me and how I look at all aspects of life. John taught on Destiny and fulfilling our Destiny. He talked about "remember God in the days of your youth". The youth are the church of today. He said that God only see's 3 age groups, Babies, Children, Adults and I see that from His word. He kept talking about the Eternal focus and not to lose site of it. 2 John 8, it is an endurance race we are in, not a sprint. A full reward is what we want, not to have rewards taken away from us at the judgement seat. Phil 3:14, the prize is the full reward 2Tim 4:6-7. We all have a course that we have to run. 1Corinth 9:24, 2 Corinth 5:8-10 We are to initmately know Jesus, to follow Jesus as a bride that gives herself to her husband, totally, completely abandoned to him. He asked the question, have you truly given yourself to serving Him?
One of the major things that he said that really hit home was that we will not be judged for "what" we did, but for what we were "called" to do. Driven by Eternity. The way we live as believers determines how we spend eternity James 4:14. How would you spend the next 24 hours if you knew that how you spent eternity depended on it? Ephesians 3:10 He said everyone has a call of God on their life. that calling was given before the foundation of the earth. Jeremiah 29:11 He talked about how most people do not fulfill their Destiny. They do what is convenient, what is easy, what "they" want to do instead of what God wants them to do.
Ecc 3:11 "It is my time" God has spoken this to me through several preacher/teachers over the past many months, and now once again He has confirmed it to me. He has made everything beautiful and out of the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses let a thing be established. This has been established in my life....."it is my time!"
He talked about 3 ways to know the plan of God for your life...................
1) Security: Seek God earnestly Hebrews 11:6, ask God to give you glimpses of what you are to do, your destiny. Prov 20:5 Purpose, you have a calling, if you don't fulfill it, God will get someone else. My prayer after this conference was Lord, whatever you want, whomever you want, wherever you want, my life is yours, totally surrendered to you.
2) Plant ourselves in the local church Psalm 92:13. The successful churches are the ones that have the youth as active in the church as the adults. He talks about when you go through a famine, the battle, the desert over and over again, it gives you the character you need to do what God has called you to do. You will grow into your destiny. This is one thing that really ministered to me and opened my eyes to several things and I am still chewing on it. He said: "The seed- you have an outer shell, it has to be broken (God truly broke me at this conference). God puts you into where you are planted for your shell to be broken so the seed can grow and produce fruit, so that the roots will grow deep and wide. YOUR PRESCRIBED SOIL. Only the Prescribed soil will cause the pressure that is needed to break open the outer shell. So if it is hard where you are planted, don't fret, God is moving. He used the example of him and Lisa and when they got married. He said they fought and fought and thought they were going to kill each other the first 4 years of their marriage. They were looking at divorce. But then God showed them, they were the prescribed soil for each other. Both John and Lisa in their teaching time admitted that neither would be the man or woman of God that they were had it not been for the other one. John said he would not be the man of God he was if it were not for Lisa, his prescribed soil. Lisa said she would not be the woman of God she was if it were not for John, her prescribed soil. Iron sharpening iron. Do you have the character to handle the call?
3) Luke 9:57-58. I make the decision to follow the call of God, even if I don't see the provision. Luke 10:1-2, appointed = chosen, Matt 22:44, this it the Joshua generation.
I know there was a lot in here and I just wrote from my notes, but it was a message that impacted me and moved me to a new place in the Lord. To question if the things that I do are for me or for God. It is His purpose, His plan, the Destiny that He has for us that is important. I poured my life out to him, before Him that night, totally surrendered and it has been my prayer since that night, whatever you want Lord, all of me, I am yours. You can handle my life much better than me, you can handle my heart much better than me. Your plan, not mine. Be blessed my friends, allow God to show you your destiny and then commit to fulfilling it...........
Desperation......what a worth while trip and conference. So much happened in everyone. God moved in so many ways and everyone has a different testimony. We went White Water rafting on the Arkansas river, played football, kickball, frisbee and hiked into the hills and what a glorious view it was! God's handywork for all to see. We stayed up until the wee hours of the morning talking, laughing, sharing, playing cards and games, checking email and just bonding. We downloaded pics every night to my laptop and started fresh each day, which is why we ended up with over 400 pics and video's. Matt man made a great video from some of the shots and clips. We attended breakout sessions for Youth Leadership, praised and worshipped the Lord, had our picture made with an archangel, jumped on beds, struck a pose in the wee hours of the morning. I can honestly say this 8 days brought everyone that went closer and created new friendships and strengthened old ones. We had a time of prayer with everyone in a circle the last night after the conference and it was an amazing time to watch God use these kids in praying for one another and praying for their Pastor. God started a work there that is just the beginning, you are going to see wonderous, amazing, fantabulous things out of this Youth group like never before. It was an awesome group to be with for 8 days, no fights, lots of sharing and laughs. I would go to the ends of the earth with these guys.........in a heartbeat. Love you guys so much!
Where do I even start! Man.......this was such an amazing trip to Colorado. I think it met and exceeded everyones expectations....I know it did mine. I have so much to blog about that you will see several post over the next few days. We came back with over 400 pics between Pomai and myself! United is in the first pic here and then the second is a pic of the audience, there were 6000 people there! All rockin' and worshipping the Lord with United, Watermark and the Desperation Band, and there was such a Freedom! Total, no holds barred, surrendered worship to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! We jumped and shouted and cried and poured our lives out in total surrender. I wish everyone of you could have been there. Our Youth, as well as the entire Youth Staff lives were changed and so many testimonies are coming out of this conference. God took us to the next level and challenged us to move forward and do more, be more, to fulfil our Destiny! Who You Are was the theme. I want to blog about John Bevere next and what a huge impact his message had on me. Oh yea.........the guys at the United table gave me a T Shirt! Oh yea! Love it! More to come...................................
Have the courage to appear foolish, because it is sad for those who never attempt anything. Have the courage to make mistakes, for they can teach you like nothing else can.
Have the courage to take action. For even though your actions carry the possibility of failure, if you never act then you are certain to fail.
Have the courage to live each day fully, with enthusiasm and a generous spirit. Though there are many problems in this world, there are a whole lot more positive possibilities.
Have the courage to do what is right instead of what is easiest or most convenient. It will earn you the respect of others and, even more importantly, the respect of yourself.
Have the courage to see and accept things for what they are. That will put you in position to make a real difference.
Have the courage to love, to speak your mind, to follow your curiosity and your passions. Have the courage to give of yourself, for the goodness you give will come back to you over and over again.
Author: Ralph Marston
Hi everyone! It has been a very busy week. I was blessed to be able to help some friends from church pack to move last week, and then went to my parents in East TN over the weekend to help them move and unpack, and then came back to help my friends unpack from their recent move. Many of you called me to check on me over the weekend since I was not at church and I love an appreciate all of you so much for that! My church family is my family and I don't know what I would do without you all. You are the best!
We will be heading to Colorado in a few days with our Youth and there will be lots of pictures and stories to tell when we get back. It is going to be an amazing time! Be blessed my friends...........be blessed!
We went to see "Pirates of the Caribbean" and it was great! Johnny Depp was very funny. Here is one scene from the movie which is actually towards the end, and then..........wait a minute.............where did those other guys come from?! I almost didn't recognize them with those eye patches! Why it's Pirates III.............The Next Generation!!!!!!!!!!
It was hot..........but it was fun! Our church went out to the Montgomery's farm to grill hamburgers and hot dogs with lots of great side dishes! We played volleyball (with the megaball), and some threw the frisbee, the guys played football and there were fireworks to top it all off when it got dark! Everyone had a great time! You should have been there!
