December 31, 2011

Definition of FIRE

1

a (1) : the phenomenon of combustion manifested in light, flame, and heat.

I have been wanting to do a word study on "fire" for a long time. Even though I am just beginning that process, the things I read as I study cause a stirring in my spirit. There should be a fire burning inside of all who call themselves Christians. I want to take a moment and challenge you today. Do you have the 3 elements that it takes to be a burning fire? Is there REALLY a fire LIVING inside of you? Let's find out...

As of right now you are obviously (if you come from any sort of Christian background) being reminded of the fire that guided the Israelites. In Exodus chapter 13 we see that God Himself provided His people with a pillar of fire by night as they went forth to do what He asked of them. This is exciting and is an obvious look into the future of what the Holy Spirit/Helper is to us today. Even though this is absolute amazingness (I know thats not a word) to read about and everyone in their right mind would give anything to see God do such a thing today, this is not the exact direction I want to take with the word "fire".

Let me ask you something? Do you have days where you feel like the last thing you want to do is pretend to be happy? Do you ever pull up to the church parking lot and think something like, "I really, really don't want to fake a smile again today."? Do you ever walk out of a Sunday worship experience untouched by God and wondering what's wrong? Do I sound like an advertisement for an anti-depressant right now? Haha, ok, ok... moving on...

Seriously? How many Christians are living their lives in deep, deep depressive states? How many people who call themselves Christians can't remember the last time they shared their faith? How many of us can't accept the fact that we will have ups and downs in this human life, and so when the downs hit we don't know how to handle the emotions? Again, I ask. Seriously?

I am not saying that we are to live life above emotion. I believe this concept has been wrongly taught in the church. I believe God created human emotion for a reason. I also believe that God gave us opportunity to know Him through Jesus and to know His hand on our lives through the ups AND the downs because as Jesus (God Himself manifested as human) left the earth, He gave us the Helper (Holy Spirit). Why would he call the Holy Spirit "the Helper" (John 15:26) if He wasn't here to help us through difficult times? So, lets study this "Helper" a little bit...

The first time we see it stated in the scripture that the New Testament Church was touched by the Holy Spirit was in Acts chapter 2. You will notice that in verse 3 it says that as the Holy Spirit came upon them, He appeared as if tongues or flames of fire had settled on each person. In my word study for fire, I knew I would find the Holy Spirit right in the middle of it all, but the more I think about it, the more I actually wonder how many people who call themselves "Christian" actually let the fire settle on them in their every day lives.

Lets take this back to a word study for a moment, looking at what Merriam Webster has to say about the definition of the very word:

Definition of FIRE

1

a (1) : the phenomenon of combustion manifested in light, flame, and heat 

You will see, that in Webster's opinion, fire is a combustion (act or instance of burning) of three things: light, flame and heat.

I have to admit that when I saw that fire was a combination of three things, combusting to create something new and useful, I wanted to find a way to tie it to the Trinity. I haven't done a lot of study on this, so if you feel the same as I do, search it out. Get in the Word and ask God to reveal something to you today. That's your homework. Let me know what you find out. Moving on...

When I was a kid, I had this friend named Irna. We were soooo passionate about the things of God. We literally got school bullies saved and sang worship publicly in supermarkets at the top of our voice. As life moved on and things changed, I began to notice that this passion/fire I used to have seemed to slowly dim or even at times fully burn out. Part of my desire to research and do a study on the word "fire" was because I wanted to restore something inside of me. I wanted to remind myself of who I really am and of what I am capable of with God on my side. 2 Timothy 1:6 is a reminder to stir ourselves up in our faith. In the New Living Translation it even says "fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you..."

As I try to remind, build and stir myself up, I remember the fire I used to have. So, lets look again at the word fire...

Definition of FIRE

1

a (1) : the phenomenon of combustion manifested in light, flame, and heat.

Fire begins immediately when three things are combined: light, flame and heat. Where do we find these elements in our lives? How do we work these three ideas into spirituality? Obviously the light, to me, would be the light of salvation: Christ in me. I could get super deep just on this one point, but for the sake of writing a BLOG and not a book, I will refrain. However, if you want to know more about this salvation and how Christ can live in you, feel free to ask questions or to contact me in any way. 

Now, we know we need light (the light of salvation, Christ in us). Where do we get the flame? I want to refrain to Timothy when God told him to "fan into flames the gift God has given". God has put a passion inside of every one of us, a calling you might even say. When you have Jesus living in you, begin to search out what God is really saying to you. What passions has He given you? As you begin to stir yourself up in that way, you will find that He has placed a boldness inside of you to accomplish the calling. Fan it into a flame. 

Next, we will see that we need heat. I struggled a little bit with what this might mean. In the end I came to this conclusion: you need a little heat in your life. You need the strength to speak up. To speak out against wrong. Don't let others dominate what you do and believe. You need the ability to speak with heat. Its like when you burn yourself on the oven. It likely isn't a burn so bad that it will leave a scar, but in the end... without even trying... the oven has taught you a lesson about what it is and how you treat it. We need to take the boldness God has put in us, and use it to teach others how to react to who we really are. This may be more difficult (and applicable) where family and friends are concerned. They have known you most of (if not all) of your life, and when they see that you have plans to follow Christ in a way that is bigger than what they had imagined for you, this is when you will need this heat. In a way that doesn't leave a scar, you will need the heat/boldness to proclaim the truth about every step you take. You will need the heat to burn when they tell you it can't be done.

Fan the flame. 

Unfortunately, you cannot (in any way) have fire without the risk of burn. I encourage you today to begin to ask God what passions and gifting He has put in you. Ask Him how He would like to use you in this world. It may be bigger than what you had expected. Then, begin to study His Word. Learn about Him. Learn Who He is. Let Him speak to you. Fan into flames what He has put inside of you. Don't let the world, family, friends, or even the church put it out. It will take boldness. Learn to burn without scarring. Learn to be refined inside the very flame you are stirring. Don't be afraid to let God change you. It will burn and it will hurt at times in the process, but something brilliant and blazing will arise, if you will only let Him do the work He WANTS to do in you.

Be a fire in the church. There are so many Christians who go to church every week, but are still only Christian by name. They find ways to bend the rules to fit their life and the way they want to live. If you wanted to be a firefighter, you would not show up to work in a clown costume and expect to be able to ride on the engine and do the work. Why do we show up at church (often times in theoretical clown costumes) acting like we want to be something that, if we were to look at the way we live, we really don't want to be. If you don't want to live like a Christian, don't go to church and tell the world you ARE a Christian. However, if you feel like there is something inside of you that God has placed that can be fanned into flames, then go to church, seek counsel, get on your knees before God. Ask Him to change the things in your life that you struggle with. Seek out accountability and practical guidelines to help you overcome whatever you are battling. IT IS POSSIBLE. Christianity is not a game. Don't treat it like one.

Fan it into flames.

Thanks for reading.

J

December 8, 2011

In the end, dear friend, it is always between us and God, not between us and them. ~Mother Teresa

Sometimes God puts people in your life just to prove a point. For me, He has brought an exceptional friend along my side in the past few month. She is someone who inspires me in so many ways. I can't even begin to convey how thankful I am to God for placing her in my life at this strategic time. I didn't realize it before I moved onto the mission field, but even though I was already saved and serving the Lord, He was pursuing my heart in a HUGE way... and He was out to prove a point to me.

Over my life I have had endless opportunity in every area, good and not so good. In times of decision, I can honestly say that I haven't always taken the righteous path. Sometimes I have even looked God in the face and said "No" to what He was directly telling me. It was in these times that I opened a door of sin in my life, and through this open door came much hurt and darkness that hid itself deep inside my heart over many many years. Not everything that has happened to me has been by fault of my own decisions, but for the things that were direct results of my poor choices, I held onto the pain and regret. Sometimes, I didn't even know I regretted the things I had done, thus allowing an icy wall to slowly build up around parts of my life, my heart and my spirit.

Upon taking a step of faith and making the permanent move to Albania, I began to see God work an array of miracles in my life and I saw Him put very specific things in order. One of those things was a place for me to live. Once I had made the final decision to stay in Albania, God opened the door for me to move in with a missionary friend who had been living in Albania for a little over 2 years already. Thankfully this allowed my financial situation to be much less stressful, as my cost of living would be only half of what I was expecting it to be. Little did I know what God was really up to. I knew that He had His hand all over the situation, because of the way He brought me and this roommate together. You see, she is a gal from South Africa who I met on a random trip to the ice cream shop on one of my short term trips in 2007 or 2008 (I really can't remember which year). God did a seemingly random thing when we met that night and hit it off immediately as the best of friends. Over the years, even from miles away, we kept in contact via internet. This is what opened the door for me to move in with her and split expenses as we both tackled the calling God had on our lives.

That being said, I knew God did something extraordinary in creating a special friendship between two people who had a heart for the same tiny nation, but I didn't realize that He wasn't done yet. In the first few months of rearranging your entire life, moving countries, changing cultures and trying to build a new life in a different place, your emotions can become a bit unsettled. Its not that I broke down or anything, but I began to see God using my vulnerability to reveal those icy places in my heart. As those things began to rear their heads, this wonderful friend God had already placed in my life allowed herself to be used endlessly to show me Gods unending love for ME. You see, I had always known of God's love, and of course I "knew" He loved me... but I was missing something. The funny thing is that I never knew I was lacking in this way, but God moved and showed me things that I am eternally grateful for.

In the end, I have seen a bit of a roller coaster in many ways since taking this move into ministry. However, I can honestly say that I know God has a plan for me here, and that I am following His ways step by step on a new journey, with a new realization for His love for me in my heart. Without this true knowledge of how He loves me, how could I have ever reached out to others? I am so glad that even when we think we have arrived, God has a new fire to put us through, and that He uses that to refine us to values we never thought we could reach. I am worth more than I know, and so are you.

In the end I am so thankful for the way that this special friend helped me through those hard times. Today is a special day for me, in celebrating a spiritual victory and freedom. I "raise my glass" to her for all the tears, hugs and love we have seen each other through. I know it is hard to do what we do, and I am so inspired by the way I have seen her live her life for God.

I want to set an example for the young people out there who think the world is too hard of a place to live in AND to truly live like a Christian. The truth is, this is a girl who is over 30 and is 100% pure in many ways, not just the one that you are thinking of. She has integrity in every area in life and I think you should listen closely and use this story to set "the bar" in your life.

This is a girl who seeks God on every decision, even things that may seem small. She sets boundaries in her life and abides tightly by them. It is easy to fall into sin, and to open the door to darkness in your life, but it is also easy to stay pure and to live as a Christian example in your family, school and even church. Imagine being a Christian who is so dedicated to purity that God begins to use you as an example to other people who are already living the Christian life.

It is as simple as saying yes to some things and no to others. It is as simple as living in God's Word AND taking His Word for exactly what it says. Live it out on a day to day basis. You can do it. Be encouraged. There ARE Christians out there who are living like it. Begin to pursue God on how to be one of them.

I want to take a minute and thank my bestie. I don't need to mention names, because she knows exactly who she is AND she knows why I am thanking her today. If it wasn't for the way God used her in my life over the past 8-9 months, I don't know if I would have been able to fulfill His calling in the equipped way I can today. I thank God for people like her who lay down their entire life and being for the sake of God and I thank her for taking time to care about my tiny and seemingly unimportant issues. It has made all the difference in my life.

Live you life in a way that you can show God to others and set in motions changes in their lives that will impact generations to come. This isn't about who has bread to eat and who doesn't. This is about eternity. We can feed people and build them houses, but in the end if they go to hell without knowing God, what have we really done?

Be inspired today to live life in a way where your decisions are based solely on what will matter in eternity. Anything else is frivolous and has a definite expiration date.

Thanks for reading,

Julie

October 16, 2011

Truth is, you're worth it all.

- God



I am going to steal a page out of my roommates book right now and talk a little bit about eternity. You see, sometimes, in the scheme of things, we forget to look at the real "Big Picture". We spend time worry about trivial things: I can't be late to church, they didn't sing my favorite song in worship today, the lady who is SUPPOSED to clean the church this week didn't show up and now I have to rush to get the church in order before service today, I would bring my friend to church... but Sunday is their only day off and I don't want to put another burden on them. These kinds of things, and many more, seem so important in the light of the very moment when we are dealing with them, however I think we need to ask ourselves a question. What do these things mean in the light of eternity?

IF we desire to continue to call ourselves Christians, I think its about time we started to act like it and weigh things out on a different scale. The truth is that the lady who is supposed to clean the church might not have shown up to church today because she is battling severe depression and just couldn't handle the thought of living one more day the same old way. Therefore, when she finally does show up and gets shot a "Where were you?" look by you from across the room, it does nothing but dig her hole a little deeper. In the end, what did you miss out on by cleaning the church for her anyway? Lunch at Wendy's with your buddies?

Ok, so maybe my examples are a bit radical, but the truth is that it will take a radical generation... a radical race even... to change the world and to make an impact that is eternal. Why don't we begin to befriend the ones who have treated us unjustly? If they don't want to be befriended, pray for them. Why aren't we lifting up the Christians who are hurting? Why aren't we training up leaders to counsel instead of people to point their fingers?

In the end, the only thing that will matter for the people who have known you is whether or not the things you did pointed them to Jesus. Lets not get legalistic about this and think every little tiny decision through until we give ourselves stomach ulcers. However, lets instead make time for Jesus in our morning routine. Take 5 minutes and invite Him into our day. Invite Him into our decision making, so that we don't have to worry so much, but only listen to His leading.

When the cleaning lady stands before God one day, all that will matter to her is whether or not Christ was presented to her. Will you be the one to take a stand, sacrifice yourself and maybe even a little pride? I'm gonna be bold right now and call you all out. If you claim to be Christian, stand up and walk for Jesus, or go home. Its a rough thing to say, but truth is that you already KNOW the truth. God thinks you are SO worth it. Will you let Him live in your life? Will you trust Him with YOUR circumstances so that He in turn can trust you with others?

Go big or go home.


Thanks for reading,

Julie

September 30, 2011

Yesterday was a special day for me, a day to celebrate in fact. You see, as of yesterday, I have been living in Albania for six months. Wow! Time flies. So, I bet you'd like to hear a little about what I have been up to during this time. Well, here you go:

Honestly, I can say that things did not happen exactly the way I had planned them out. I came here in hopes of starting a youth group in a church where there were no youth interested in that kind of thing. Moving on from that experience and finding new ministry opportunities that God had in mind for me, I started to realize that He was using this experience to reach out to me in a unique way, just as much as He was using me here in Albania to reach others. Over the past six months I can truly say that God has shaken my world up, and turned my life up-side-down. That may sound like a tragic thing, and at times I can tell you it felt that way, but in the end He has shown me so much more of Who He is. I see Him in a whole new light now and I can say that my relationship with Him has reached new peaks. 

Now, with all that said, let me tell you a little bit about what I am doing here. First of all, I am still involved in the church I came to start a youth group in. I work there Monday through Friday helping to make lunch for the kids in a preschool that they run. I even support one of the little girls, financially, because her mom couldn't afford to send her. I have to admit, as much as I have always shied away from kids ministry, I am loving every minute of what I do at this preschool. The kids smiling faces warm my heart every single day, no matter what else is going on. It is such an honor to be involved in forming the life of a future Christian at such a young age. I know these kids love God now and I pray as we use Christian preschooling to shape them through formative years, that they will have the strength it takes to continue down the straight and narrow path that is a TRUE relationship with God and to live the lifestyle that goes along with it.

On another similar note, I have sort of fallen into what seems to be a street kids ministry. I am still waiting to see where God takes me on this particular adventure, but I know He has a plan. You see, there are many children sent out to the streets to beg in Elbasan, and they can get very pushy and have even been known for theft. Somehow, my roomate Kerri and I have ended up befriending a large number of them. We have been able to pray for them, buy them food and speak Jesus into their lives. Recently two or three of them have been showing up to church. However, it has been a rough transition, since without proper clothing or shoes, they seem to be feeling a little embarrassed by their appearance. However, I am very happy to say that as of last week, we have been able to get them a bag full of clothes and shoes to keep at the church for them to wear. Hopefully, they will no longer feel embarrassed. We have also found out that one of the younger ones is going to a preschool. We have secure a few small school supplies and a bag for him and are just waiting till we see him again and can give them to him.

Aside from that, I have been playing drums in church on Sunday and, of course, designing media and helping where I can. Right now I am transferring an entire song database into a new digital system for a church in town so that they can be more up to date and use their digital projector with the proper, video-enabled software. I have also made a support video for this same church that is, at this moment, circling the globe to all of their contacts. 

Needless to say, I have been busy, that's for sure. God is so good to me in enabling me to live out my calling. As I said before, He has done just as much work INSIDE of me as He has done through me. I have come to the amazing conclusion that He would have sent e all the way to Albania even if it was just to catch one more soul for His glory. And He would have done that even if the one soul was my own.

Know that God loves you more than you can imagine. Begin to ask Him to show Himself in bigger and better ways in your life, and don't be surprised when He does. 

Thanks for reading,

Julie

September 28, 2011

I found this in an old Myspace blog I was reading over today, and I quite enjoyed reading it again. I thought you might enjoy it too. From June of 2006:

I heard a very strange statement this morning. It is a statement that many of us have heard over and over again. It is a kind of saying in these current times; one of the little things we say, that when analyzed, does not make much sense at all.
The saying is "I have lost faith in...(you fill in the blank)."
LOST YOUR FAITH? So, then, how do you get faith in the first place? Do you FIND it? Did you happen to stumble upon faith one day while walking in the grocery store? Is it just a random substance, appearing out of no where at the will of something higher than us? If you cannot simply "find" faith,  how then do you "lose" faith?
My personal belief is that faith is a choice. Faith is when you CHOOSE to believe in something that you may not have any sort of physical or logical reason to believe in.
For example: I am a Christian. I CHOOSE to believe in the life, death, burial, Resurrection, and current position of Jesus Christ. Now, you can try to talk me out of it all day long, and circumstances may not always be favorable towards my belief, but that is where faith comes in. I CHOOSE to continue in my faith. It is not some physical object that can be conveniently misplaced or "lost".
I don't mean to get on a soap box about this, but I now see why the term 'Think BEFORE you speak' is relevant. If we thought about what we said more often, would we even say it? I wonder how often we say things that make no sense at all. I am sure it is many more times in a day than we will ever realize.
All this to say, you cannot lose your faith. You did not lose your faith in the oil industry. You have CHOSEN to no longer believe in its integrity. You have not lost your faith in man kind, you have CHOSEN to belief that man is basically evil, instead of good.
You simply cannot "lose" your faith. You are not a puppet at the beck and call of the puppet master. You are a human being, making choices daily to form who you are and where you will go in this life.
We cannot waltz through life and expect everything to go our way. Everything we do and everything we are and everything we belive is what it is because we have made it that way through our choices. You are who you are because that's who you choose to be. You believe what you believe because that's what you choose to believe.
I hope this encourages us all to think before we say/do things, realizing that life is only about our choices. Choose faith, don't lose it.








I hope you enjoyed that as much as I did. Stay tuned for an exciting blog tomorrow!!!


Thanks for reading,


Julie

September 19, 2011

Wow, I haven't written anything in a REALLY long time. Not a single word. Well I guess I should get on with it then...

If you haven't kept up with me much, then you might not know that I have been living in Elbasan Albania since March. It has been a wild ride to say the least. I stepped out to pursue a dream and what I have always considered a calling. Sometimes, things are not easy. The truth is that any time you start to walk a new path in life, you will come against challenges you have never faced before. I have been there, done that and got the t-shirt. That's not to say everything is bad. I would have to say, actually, that the majority of the time I feel so blessed.

Every morning I get to wake up. Not only that, but I get to wake up in a nation that I absolutely love, where the land AND the people are beautiful. When I say the people are beautiful, I'm not really talking about appearance. There is something so basically human about the fact that, even if you are a stranger passing through their village, the people will always ask you to come to their house for a visit and a drink, if not a meal and to stay the night. It is almost completely offensive to not say hello to someone you know as you walk down the street, which might sound difficult, but in the end is very respectful and relational in my eyes. What a lovely people who will love one another so much as to go out of their way, even if they are late for work, just to greet me.

For years and years I dreamed of living this life. It was almost painful to live life the way I was back home. 9-5 in my meaningless job, going nowhere in a large company. Coming home, eating dinner, checking Facebook and once in a while having some hang out time with my friends was just not cutting it for me. Its not that my friends and family didn't make me happy, and its not that I don't have the deepest love for all of them (even if they don't believe me). Its just that every day I would wake up to a meaningless life, knowing I was created to do something different. It was an impossible way to live.

I remember coming on "short term" missions trips and after two weeks I would have to leave the land that I love and go back home. I remember sitting in the back of a car on the way to the airport, on several occasions, sobbing silently as I knew that I was doing the wrong thing by leaving. Since I was eight years old, I knew I was called to this nation, before I had even had an opportunity to set my own eyes on the land. God had a plan for me, a masterpiece painting of what my life could be, if I live in His will as a Christian. I see this masterful painting unfolding every day before my eyes. I feel like my life in America was on "pause" while I got older and older with nothing to really show for myself. Now that I am here living in Elbasan, I feel like God has really pressed the "Play" button.

As I said in the beginning, it has not all been easy. When you set out to be a better Christian and to live a radical life, God will always begin to show you areas of your life in which you can grow in and be better in. It is not always easy to have a light shone on the dark spots of a spirit. The secret, hidden pains made aware and anew. The bandaids from old hurts not dealt with ripped off and wounds re-exposed. Its not all easy, but it is all worth it.

See, what I have learned from all this so far, is that if I hadn't begun to deal with all the hurts in my own life, I would never be able to minister effectively to the street kids I love with all my heart, who are kicked out of their own houses and told not to come home until they have begged a certain amount of money. I also would not be able to minister in the correct way to the girl who is now leaving for college in a new and big European city. I would never have been able to give her the right advice at the right time, because it would have been from my mouth rather than the heart of God speaking through me.

Sometimes change is unbearable. Sometimes change is the hardest thing to deal with. Sometimes change can break a person. Thankfully, the path of change that God has laid out for me has been safe, even though I have had to face the refiners flame now and again. I am happy to say that I am doing well here in Elbasan, and I do not plan on coming home (other than for visits) or giving up on this mission any time soon. I want to thank all the people out there who have supported me with your prayers, finances or kind words. Every little word of encouragement, prayer and conversation mean more to me than you will ever know.

If you learn anything from this tonight, I would want it to be that you should take that leap of faith. Do what challenges you. Go where God calls you. Face your fears. If you don't you will never be able to fully experience the life that God intended for you.

Don't get me wrong, this isn't all about doing the right thing in the right way at the right time. It is about relationship with your Heavenly Father. Real relationship, not just church. Its about knowing Him and loving Him so much that you no longer WANT to sin. Its about being so intertwined with His desires that you don't have any problem resisting temptation, because you know the relationship He has with you is worth more than any affair or drug could bring you.

Take this one for free: Try Jesus. You will like Him.

Let Him melt the icy walls inside your heart. Let Him expose your hurts so He can bring restoration and healing. Lean on Him to bring you accountability so that you don't have to go through life alone.

Thanks for reading,

Julie

August 17, 2011

There's a piece of ice I've kept in me
I hide it away so no one can see
Its made of walls I've built inside
That mask my troubles and show my pride
And every time someone gets close
I push them away and on I go

People cannot melt this ice you see
I put it away buried in me
It keeps something hidden deep inside
That was given to me by my Guide
I do not let anyone come near
Because it is their love I fear

How can someone love me at all
When every day I try and I fall?
I mean the best in all I do
But again and again it all falls through
You cannot melt this ice that hides
Away inside a secret prize

Oh but what is this I see?
Someone gave their life for me?
He has shown His perfect love
And He still holds me today from above
My eyes looking up are filled with tears
And I no longer know where to find my fears

I grasp my chest as my heart is filled
My insides no longer are chilled
He melted the ice that lived in me
He made me who I am to be
He took away every single fear
Now the ice is melting into tears

As I look deep within a prize I find
He has put a precious jewel inside
A diamond He made so perfect and rare
Put it inside of me how He dare?
He loves me more than I can know
And with this diamond that He shows

I will show my diamond to the earth
So they can know of the birth
That saved the world from its own sin
The punishment we deserved to live in
I will show my diamond with humble pride
Because He has changed me from the inside.