GREEN-LIGHT revolution

"Life is tough. Decisions are hard. I wish I could stop the world and get off. I wish people would stop trying to "help" their way into my decisions. It's making it worse." Ever feel like that? Life gets confusing so quick, doesn't it? Decisions are rarely black and white. People are never exactly how you expect them to be. With everything seeming to shake where you stand, it can be difficult to hold your resolve.

I often find myself overthinking. Relient K has a song that says "I've been thinking over thinking, cause there's just too many scenarios to analyze, to think about..." I get that way a lot. I can think/talk myself out of so many things. It's easy to get caught up in the what-if's. It's easy to second guess choices and decisions once they're made. Was that really what God wanted me to do? Did I just screw that up? Maybe I should go back. If only I had a reset button.

It's hard to keep the faith. To keep resolve in those tough decisions that make your heart ache or make life different. To live counter-cultural.

Here are some verses about standing firm that are encouraging when life gets too rough, too confusing, too unknown or when decisions become too unsure:

"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast." 1 Peter 5:8-10 (NIV)

Isn't it great to know that we are NOT alone in our suffering and that even suffering has a purpose: to strengthen and make us steadfast?

"But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word." 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17

Wow, we get to share in the glory of Jesus Christ! And He, the Author of love and grace, wants to "encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word'. Incredible!

"So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he
will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." 1 Corinthians 10:12

It is easy to become shaken by the common, unseen things. BUT God is faithful! I never cease to be amazed by God's faithfulness. He won't give us too much to handle and He will make sure we have an escape.

"Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." 1 Corinthians 15:58

God doesn't let obedience fall unnoticed. His work is never in vain. The decisions we make have meaning and purpose. Hold fast! Stand firm! Let nothing move you! Stand on the solid foundation of Jesus. His truth means something.

Stand firm, my sisters! Hold fast to Jesus! Hold tight in your decisions for Jesus.

Going green,

Jenny

In the great Disney film Aladdin, a street boy asks a princess this question, "Do you trust me?" then proceeds to take her by the hand and... jump off the side of a building or step onto a floating magic carpet. I was thinking about this and found it very strange. I understand his motives, having seen the movie. Jumping off the roof was the only way to escape. Aladdin trusted Carpet to carry him and the woman he loved safely. Jasmine had to have had second thoughts before saying "yes". You want me to WHAT?!?!? But what if we don't land right? What if the rug gets caught and we start unraveling? What if...

You know that feeling that builds up inside that tells you that you are doing something you shouldn't be. That tells you not to start something that you can't finish. Some call it your conscience, I tend to believe it's the Holy Spirit attempting to guide my rebellious heart. I recently had an experience of ignoring this voice and it got several hearts tangled up and broken. I was recently in a relationship-without-titles with this guy who doesn't love Jesus. I knew it was doomed from the start. That little voice, that feeling told me so. But it felt so good to be wanted, to be held. I have never really been pursued by anyone, no man has ever stated affection for me outside of genuine brotherly-sisterly love. I didn't feel pretty or good enough to be wanted. And it was now happening... to me! I knew in the back of my mind it couldn't work, but I let myself believe the fantasy that flirt-to-convert just might work this time. I let it go too far. I let my heart get too deep... and Jesus had to wake me up... I had to end it. It was the hardest thing I had to do. I am still finding it difficult to forgive myself for hurting him. He truly is a great man, but without Jesus, not the one for me. I cried for hours; I cried myself to sleep that night; I held back tears all the next day. I was a wreck, but strangely enough I felt a peace about the decision I'd made. I knew that Jesus was in it. I had let this man become too much of a priority. He was distracting me from the TRUE Romancer.

One of my favorite verses in Song of Songs 2:7 “ I adjure you, O Daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles and does of the field, do not stir up or awaken love until its time” went ringing through my head. I knew I had forced love to stir a bit in its bed before it was ready to wake up.

In my grieving, Jesus made time for a little romance one morning. He told me to read Song of songs 4 “Behold, you are beautiful, my love, behold, you are beautiful! …You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you.” WOW!! The Perfect Creator of the universe told me I am perfect, beautiful, wanted. And you know what? It clicked! I had a revelation. I AM beautiful! I AM a catch! I AM someone worth pursuing, worth waiting for! It was a wake up call like I couldn’t believe!

Some days it’s hard to get out of bed and face the day. Some days it’s hard to wake up in bed alone. And some days, Jesus wakes you up with a kiss saying, “My sunshine, come, face the day with Me.”

Going green!

Jenny J

I'm ticking off my week days, my work days, my task days, like business cards in a rolodex. Since when did my life change from just that, life... the joy of living... to work? How many responsibilities can I hold, how many things can I get done, how many tasks can I complete, how many deadlines can I meet, how quickly can I maneuver through the traffic jam, how many pages can I read, how many people can I please, can I impress, can I find acceptance in, approval from... etc, etc, ETC.

I'm still ticking off my week days when I'm blindsided by the stomach flu. Suddenly, I'm down and out for the count.

My soul and my mind and my body cry out: "UGH... ENOUGH REBEKAH!! I can't live like this any more! You keep sending me in for the next round and I keep getting beat up, and when I sit for a break in the corner, all I hear are the lists of things, places, people that need to be checked off in the next round.... NO WATER?? NO REFRESHMENT?? How do you expect me to keep going in, round after round after round, and have the strength to fight the next fight? To do the things you're asking of me?"

I explode. I re-collect the pieces. I process them. I reply: "I don't know. That sounds like a lot of work to me, and an awful lot of work for the wrong reasons. I don't know why anyone would want to do it. Who the hec is your COACH? He sounds awful. You may consider switching teams."

I lie on the floor in a heap. Covered in my own sweat, my own blood, my own hot tears. I'm down for the count and I can't get up. I don't have the will to get up anymore...

My eye catches the Coach in the opposite corner, and He looks so familiar. A wise, kind, gentle, gracious, loving man. His name badge says Jesus Christ. He's motioning me to come over to His side, into His corner. It all starts coming clear.

How did I end up on the other team?!! At what point did I wonder away from the refreshment of Jesus, into the corner belonging to Coach Striving Works. I get the feeling this isn't the first time it's happened.

I begin to move towards Jesus Christ, and instead, He comes out of His corner, into the ring, to move me... for He says, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Going Green and Finding Rest,
blogger bek

Today is one of my favorite kind of days….. a rainy, Autumn one! There is something about fall that ignites my soul. But I digress..

There are so many neat things that happen when it rains. The colors on the trunks and leaves of the trees darken and pop against the contrast of the cloudy sky. The water drops make a soothing sound against the roof and windows of the house, acting as a natural alarm clock, causing my waking up to be more pleasant than painful (haha). The wet, cool atmosphere makes hot coffee more warming to my bones, a fuzzy jacket more comfortable. I’m huddled up in my car on the way to work, in my own little space as the fog and wind shield wipers surround me from the outside. I don’t feel like I’m missing out being under a florescent light bulb inside at work all day, since the sun isn’t shining. Granted I’d prefer to be at home snuggled under some covers with a good book, but again I digress…

There is something else that happens when it rains: lots of especially slow moving traffic. I adjust. I take a different route to work… a more scenic route. Surprisingly, there is hardly any traffic going this way this morning. Ahh yes, I can breathe.

It is a road I’ve driven many times, usually coming from the opposite direction, on my way home from work rather than to it. I’m driving down the road, drinking my coffee, enjoying the rain, and I notice a house on my left… a house that I realize I’ve never taken notice of before until this very moment! The irony is that I must have driven past this distinctive little house a million times (not too far from the truth).

How refreshing! Something new to take notice of, something new to wonder about, to investigate, to think on, to enjoy. Some of you may be thinking: “Rebekah, it’s a house… for real, is it really a big deal?” And you’re right, the house itself is not a big deal… but I ask myself “how could I just be noticing this for the first time?” …And God turns a little thing into a big deal. He speaks:

“It’s because there’s been a change in your perspective, Rebekah… a change through which, the house has been revealed to you.”

How often in life do I get tunnel vision? Things become mundane, routine, repetitive... until God breaks in and changes my perspective... and suddenly I’m refreshed, I’m in awe, I’m in wonder, I’m intrigued, I’m interested, and I’m in love with the One who breathes Life into my bones. Oh how His Spirit is like rain to my soul.

All for now and going green,

blogger bek

This past spring, Tim Chambers gave a talk at Christ’s Church inspired by the old hymn, “Rock of Ages.” He told us the story of the Hebrew nation passing through the Red Sea as God held back the water and all its slimy creatures with his mighty, invisible hand. He told us about their wandering through the dessert, about flakes of manna falling like dew and a rock that, when struck, gushed with streams of water where it was cleft. The story is rich with symbolism.

If you flip past Exodus and turn to Numbers 20, you’ll find Moses still leading the people through their long dessert wanderings. They are thirsty, and God instructs Moses to speak to the rock so that water will flow once again. Instead, he yells at the people and strikes the rock twice with his staff. Water does flow out, but Moses loses the privilege of going with God’s people into the Promised Land because he forgot Who was holy and who was human.

When Tim talked about this story, he suggested that there might be another reason God was upset with Moses. 1 Corinthians 10:4 says, “For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.” The rock that was struck symbolized Jesus Christ. In the same way that Jesus was struck once so that Living Water would gush forth, the rock should have only been struck once. Now that Jesus has been struck, crucified, all we have to do is speak to Him and water is released. That should have been the case with the rock in the dessert, but Moses messed up the symbol.

While I listened to Tim’s talk, I wondered if the lesson could apply to our lives, too. Does God give us instructions which make very little sense at present, but which will be revealed as hugely significant when the story unfolds? I know God has a plan for my life, but I’m beginning to think it’s not just a sequence of prearranged events. It seems that with every twist and turn, he is telling a story about himself that is meant to reveal his perfect wisdom and unfailing love. There have been sorrows and circumstances I wouldn’t choose, instructions which don't make a lot of sense. But I want the story of my life, God’s story, to be told exactly the way He has imagined it. I don’t want to mess up the symbols. While I do have a few questions, I think I’ll save them for the day when I can step back and survey the whole beautiful tapestry of his will and the thread of my life woven in. I suspect at that point, though, my questions will dissolve into wonder and worship.

Going green!

Lynn

Recently, I attended the Newfrontiers-USA Equipped for Mission Conference, and one of our guest speakers was Ed Stetzer. Ed believes that gender roles are a huge issue in culture right now and that Christians should engage in the discussion. I also read William Bennett’s controversial article this week, “Why Men Are in Trouble,” and last year I caught Hanna Rosin’s article in The Atlantic, ominously titled “The End of Men.” It seems like American culture is collectively asking, “So what’s the deal with guys?” I wanted to pause and think through my response to this question, and to ask for your thoughts, too, GLR readers. Here’s where I’m at so far.

First, I don’t think men are the problem. I think sin is the problem.

Secondly, all the failures of men and women were paid for by Jesus Christ at the Cross. The sinful nature we inherited from Adam died with Jesus, and now we live a new life in Him. We wear His righteousness, embrace His mission, and enjoy His reward. We also have the Holy Spirit, transforming our minds, bodies, and hearts from instruments of sin into instruments of right living and right relationship with God. Despite the stats, I am not hopeless about the future of men because I think that God will continue to win the hearts of those caught in downward spirals and give them purpose.

The third conclusion I’ve come to is that I don’t need to spend much time dwelling on the problems that Rosin and Bennett point out. I know that many women, single or married, are frustrated by the extended adolesence they sometimes observe in men, especially those in their 20s and 30s. Honestly, me, too. Sometimes I get this idea that it will help me to talk about it. But I also know that my tendency to nag and complain is always looking for an excuse to make an appearance. I want to say things like, “Finally! Some stats to back up what I’ve been saying all along!” That’s really, really not helpful. I don’t need to keep reminding myself that men have problems. (As stated before, their biggest problem is the same as mine: sin.) What I need to do is find a way to respond that glorifies God and encourages men toward all that God intends for them.

Today, I read Genesis 2-3. Adam was given dominion over the garden, and Eve was uniquely made to help him function in that role. He wrote the first love song for her in Gen. 2:23. They tended the garden together and enjoyed daily conversation with God as they carried out their assignment. Sounds ideal to me. But somewhere along the way, things began to break down. Eve started hanging around the wrong tree and eyeing that forbidden fruit. Her conversations with the serpent started to make more sense than her conversations with God. Adam didn’t interfere, and she didn’t ask his input. Eve was deceived; Adam followed her lead. The issues that arose between the first man and the first woman are not very different from the ones discussed in the articles above.

Both Adam and Eve failed to obey God. Both men and women still fail in that respect.

Sisters, if we are frustrated by men who appear to be reluctant, apathetic, or immature, let's humbly consider the path that Eve went down and firmly decide not to go there. We have a perfect example of how to respond to the "problem with men" in Jesus Christ. Our Lord reacts with compassion (not anger) when he observes weakness; He hasn’t given up hope but is fully confident in His ability to make disciples of all men; and He intercedes constantly on the saints’ behalf. Who cares about the statistics?! Let's remain gracious, hopeful, and prayerful, because we want to be part of a vibrant church where men and women are fully embracing what God has called us to together.

The theme of progress through pain has been rumbling around in my heart lately. It all started to unfold when I used it as a sign off for a work project the other day…and BTW that project is about to kill me. In that magical moment I started to think about how progress through pain applies to my life and the stories of those that I love.

One very dear friend of mine in particular has been battling depression and several other very painful medical issues for the last few years, yes I said years. I don’t mean pain like, “ooh ouch I scraped my knee,” she has been suffering without relief and yet through it I hear her growing closer and deeper to God in ways that I’ve never seen in her life before and it makes me think, now that’s serious progress through pain. Another childhood friend of mine is in the process of coming into relationship with Christ while facing the pain of sexual abuse from her past and this I think is the ultimate progress. And as I think of my own journey the things that have been the most painful God has used to bring me to a better place in Him if in the midst of the pain I will draw close to Him. Hardening my heart is a choice I’ve come to realize.

Good friends of mine have a beautiful dining room table that has an amazing knot in the middle of the wood, which apparently is a scar from some massive infection. Without that knot, the table wouldn’t be special. The knot gives the table a beautiful element of character and makes it a very valuable work of art. The furniture maker found that scar and turned into something beautiful. In a similar way God has demonstrated to me that if I yield painful things to him, He turns them into something beautiful that He will then use to help others.

Joseph’s life is an example of someone who did not allow the pain he lived to cause him to withdraw when he could’ve. He was betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused, unjustly sent to jail, forgotten by those he helped and yet he was not consumed by the pain he’d been through. The words he shared with his brothers in Genesis 50 ring through my heart often, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good to bring it about for many people." Joseph’s life reminds me how God will take the snarly, ugly things and turn them around so He can use them for the better in our lives and for the better of others.

I wonder what pain God might be asking you to give to him; that scar, that infection, the thing that you don’t want to face that He would like to help you through and bring you to a better place. Like Joseph, we have the same access to the healing power of the one who makes things right so that we can say with confidence, “I am in the place of God and these things that are ugly are now being used for good!”

Going green!

Ginger Price