GREEN-LIGHT revolution

Jenny Goin Green from Anna Miles on Vimeo.

Hey girls!

Sorry to do this, but because of scheduling conflicts Building Bridges #3 will be out later this afternoon/evening. Jenny McCutchan is up next! Stay tuned she is an awesome girl, and you don't want to miss her story!

Going Green,
Anna

Renee Going Green from Anna Miles on Vimeo.

Kate Going Green from Anna Miles on Vimeo.

*sorry about the background noise!

If I went back to who I know God to be and the nature of His word, (For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes forth from my mouth; It will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. You shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace. Isaiah 55:10-12 NASB), I realised that I must have the wrong perspective. God has actually planted an oak tree in my heart, that has different properties to the apple or the pear tree, but they are nothing less, and I haven’t got a bad deal. God hasn’t forgotten His word, or denied my desires or dreams, He IS fulfilling them, HIS way, in HIS time.

I am also so aware of “creating an Ishmael”, by snatching for myself what I want NOW, rather than waiting for the fulfilment of God’s promise. If I would only look to what He IS doing (rather than what I perceive I lack), and as I am thankful and choose to live in gratitude, joy and peace, I start to see more of His plan and purpose, and realise that my heart is more satisfied than I ever thought it could be. He really is the strength of my heart and my portion forever, and I can TOTALLY trust Him. Those who hope in Him will never be disappointed. I can CHOOSE to be happy. I can CHOOSE to thank Him, and I can CHOOSE whether I am going to walk in the realisation of my hopes and dreams, or wallow in self-pity or disappointment.

We are also called to “walk by Faith, not by sight” 2 Corinthians 5:7 NASB. I forget that sometimes and get frustrated or angry that I can’t see! But then I ask Him to give me the faith to keep walking, and He always does. I’m so excited for what God has for my life, and for yours, because we’re loved by an incredible God, who doesn’t settle for good – He gives us BEST.

Going green!

Catherine

Hello again! I'd like to introduce my 2nd guest blogger in the week. This lady has taken a special place in my life. She regularly serves Jubilee in worship leading, and she has encouraged\challenged\ and listened to me as the ups and downs of living in another country had me all over the place!

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Hi, I’m Catherine, a 25 year old Zimbabwean, living in Cape Town. I have had the privilege of getting to know lovely Martha Lee during her time here in Cape Town, and here I am sharing with you ladies from the other side of the world!

I’d love to share with you part of a season I’ve gone through this year. As long as I can remember, I have had ideas of how my life would turn out – the career I would end up in, the house I would live in, the man I would marry, the children I would have, the exploits I would do for God, then to add to the ideas or dreams, are prophetic words I have had over my life that have led me to believe certain things would happen in a certain way and in a certain time. Today, I don’t think one of these things have worked out the way I had envisaged. Were these ideas and dreams wrong? Or were they right, but God has got it wrong and disappointed me? I have seen that there have been many similar stories, feelings and questions amongst friends in my community, and the disappointment, disillusionment, offence and frustrated longing made me come to God to find His Truth about it all. I know that He is ALWAYS good, that He has plans to prosper us, not harm us, give us a future and a hope, that He always keeps His promises, and that He is a Father who gives good and perfect gifts. I asked God to show me what was going on, and this is what I felt Him show me.

I saw that He has planted in each one of us a seed, loaded with potential for life, fruitfulness, abundance. This is like the dreams, the promises, the prophetic words over our lives. Just as a seed is planted into the dark soil, out of sight, so with us, it often seems that after the dreams or words are spoken, they seem to “die” and we’re left wondering what that was all about. The glorious reality however, is that underground, the seed does die, so that germination can take place, and the life inside can be released and slowly push its way to the surface. We then get all excited, looking at little shoots poking through the soil, and think “I’m going to have an apple tree, JUST like hers” (looking at someone else’s life that has worked out the way you think yours should), or you think, “I KNOW this is a pear tree, I’m SURE of it – it’s what I’ve always wanted”. However, as the little shoot grows taller, gets some leaves, you compare it with the stages of the other apple or pear tree and think, “hang on, this isn’t right! What’s going on?” And so the process continues, with a looking, a longing, a frustrated, even jealous comparison with those around you, or the ideals you’ve held onto so tightly for so long. Unfortunately in this time, so much energy is spent in looking elsewhere, comparing and feeling disappointed, we fail to see what is emerging in our own hearts and lives. And here is the challenge….

(to be continued)

Going Green!

Catherine

As I sit and reflect today, I have been back in South Africa almost as long as I was in India, four and a half years. Matt celebrates his twentieth birthday this week. Our transition wasn’t easy, but we can honestly say that God had already walked in all our tomorrows, and met us there. His thoughts and ways are so much higher than ours (see Isaiah55v8&9). I could never have imagined what He had in store for me. I came to realise that He used India to shape me, change me, and then planted me here to help pioneer something new - health care His way - starting with the heart lessons He had taught me far away.

And His promise of flowers has been happily fulfilled. God has surrounded me with wonderful women, each a beautiful flower. They have become special friends, daughters, sisters, forming a community of love, a safe place in which to grow in God. We meet to pray together, share life together, encouraging one another to love Him with all our heart and soul and strength. We cry together, laugh together, and have wriggled deep into each other’s souls where we sharpen each other (see Proverbs27v17), seeing God’s skilled surgical hand at work in our broken and wounded places, bringing healing and wholeness. We in turn are able to reach out to others – the lost and broken, fellow believers needing encouragement along the way, the outcasts of society, the misunderstood…We celebrate life, delighting in our Beloved and the fellowship of His people.

I have been challenged by my own weaknesses and vulnerabilities, which have become glaringly obvious in close relationship with others (it’s so easy to hide our true selves when our relationships don’t go deep!), and have learned that pride blinds me to my own sin and brokenness. It has taken courage to allow others into my heart, but it has been so worthwhile! I have learned to be loved and to love in ways I hadn’t dreamed possible. I have learned that selfless GIVING (I mean MUCH more than finances) is the way of life in God. After all, God so loved the world that He GAVE….everything. He calls us to love like that too.

And I have learned that surrendering to God’s ways completely - without trying to interpret what should happen, when, where, with whom – brings so much peace and so much joy. To me (who loves surfing), it feels like I’m floating blissfully in an ocean of God’s grace. It just isn’t worth trying to live any other way! Life in Him is truly more than we could ever ask or imagine (see Ephesians3v20&21). It really is a thrill to partner with Jesus, my Lover and my Friend.

Going green!

Caryn

Hey gals! Well, if you remember, I have currently spent the first part of 2010 in Cape Town, South Africa! In that time, I have met some incredible people and have gotten a much bigger understanding of how God is building His Church! I'd like to introduce to you one of my guest bloggers for the week, Caryn. This lady is incredible--she is the doctor at the health clinic that Jubilee runs, where I have volunteered at during my time here. She grew up in Cape Town, and spent 4 years as a missionary in India before returning to Cape Town. This lady has some serious wisdom, and I have learned whenever she is talking to LISTEN because God almost always teaches me something through her! Not only a doctor, she surfs, hikes mountains..I'm not sure if there is anything she doesn't do! So enough from me, enjoy!--Martha

Reflections on transition

A battle raged inside me as I walked along the familiar mountain path in the Himalayan foothills. I was leaving. Grief rose in my throat to choke me, and I tried to think of something good to look forward to. But all I could see was loss - loss of my Indian Family, loss of the beloved community of multinational friends who had willingly given their all for Jesus, loss of a job and people and place I loved…

I looked up the steep ravine to my left and stopped in awe. An explosion of colour – hundreds of glorious flowers, of every shape, size and hue – greeted me, overwhelmed me. And gently a familiar Voice spoke His love and hope into my heart, reminding me of a promise given almost a decade earlier – “You shall enter a season of flowers”. It had been spoken in a time of sadness, as my young son, Matt, and I waded through the aftermath of divorce. Matt was now 15, having spent the past 4 and a half years happily growing from child to man in a foreign land, while his mother served the people as a doctor in a mission hospital. After months of deliberation, counsel and prayer, we had decided to return to our native South Africa so that he could spend some time living close to his dad. I was so grateful that Matt and I would still be together, enjoying a treasured friendship, but struggled to relinquish the dreams held in my soul for half my lifetime.

India had been my focus for so long, had crept into my heart and I into hers. God had clearly led us there, providing all we needed miraculously, keeping His promises to replenish all we had left behind for His sake (see Mark 10v29&30).

As God reminded me of His promise on that beautiful mountainside, He began to prize my fingers off my own plans and schemes, until I was freefalling….into His tomorrows, His love, His grace, His purposes. In those years in India, through challenges, tears and joy, I had come to know Him as kind, altogether good. And now it was time to walk in the reality of that knowledge, into an adventure of uncertainty.

What did the future hold? I didn’t know, but I knew the One who held it, and that needed to be enough for me.

(to be continued….)

Going green!

Caryn

I hope this week as been wonderful for all of you! I wanted to share one more thing with you before the week was up. This is from my friend Bailey, she is absolutely beautiful inside and out. When I first heard her story I was so encouraged, and I know you will be too!

Going Green,
Miss


Hey Ladies! My name is Bailey Tinsley, I am 20 years old and currently live in Joplin, MO. I’m soon to be married in July. My lovely friend Missy asked if I would tell a bit of my story, so here we go:

I work in the library on campus at MSSU where Shea (who just graduated) and I attend college. I’m a junior now, but towards the end of my freshman year I had gone through a really hard break up with a guy who wasn’t head over heels in love with Jesus and wasn’t passionate about much more than rock-climbing. Although I believe in commitment in the hardest moments, I chose to unhealthily commit to ignorance of the place I was really in, ignoring the advice of my family, my close friends, and accountability partner. I prayed for this guy a lot, believing that God would give this to me even though it wasn’t of Him, which was about the extent of my prayer life then. Nothing about the relationship modeled a serious love for Christ and the lifestyle He calls His kids to.

We broke up and believing I was truly heart-broken, I buried myself in the Word, selfishly seeking out comfort for my own needs instead of thanking God for stepping in and praising Him for taking care of me. Soon, however, by His grace, my trips to the Word turned into worship and abandon of self. I am a planner and I like to be in charge, but I learned to believe that God has purposeful plans beyond what we can try to do on our own. Job became my favorite book of the Bible (if you’ve never read it- do it!). I made the decision to be single and happy. I strongly believed that boys needed to be at the very bottom of my priority list. This was such a restoring turn in my relationship with the Lord, trusting that if I was supposed to be with someone, (which I have believed since I was a very little girl that someday God wanted me to be butt-crazy in love with my husband) then God would provide! My prayer for that hard time, and even now, was that I would submit to the Father and let Him be in charge—His will and not mine!

So a few months later, when I was working, Shea came to return a book at my counter. He introduced himself and made up a really cheesy comment about how we were both wearing yellow shirts and we should call one another incase it happens again. I thought he was weird and probably annoying. I was too holy to be talking to him, you know. Shea is persistent in everything he does, though—He came back to visit me a few days later before classes let out for summertime; I pretended to be busy so I wouldn’t have to talk to him. I went home (45 minutes away from Joplin) for summer, still praying for God’s will to be manifested in my life.

To shorten a long story, a friendship sprouted from his initial silliness. Come to find out, Shea had actually observed my actions and attitude from afar and talked with his Christian guy friends about pursuing me before he ever introduced himself. We ultimately ended up spending time together when I would visit Joplin for mission meetings over a trip I was taking that summer. I learned that he was really in love with Jesus and wanted to pursue what God wanted to show him in life, but I was super resistant to the fact this awesome servant of the Lord was wanting to be in my life. I thought I had already figured out what God was planning for that season of my life. Of course, I didn’t have God’s plans figured out and Shea waited on me patiently, even after I tried to push him away dozens of times. I prayed about Shea intently, begging God to make him go away or turn both my attention and his away from one another, but God didn’t do that. Instead, God’s provisions revealed a small part of His plan in a short time span. “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future…” Jer 29:11. Sometimes I forget this, but it’s a beautiful promise that God has humbled me with again and again, particularly now in my relationship with Shea.

One of the most crucial things that the Father has lovingly taught me in my in my life so far is patience in the belief His plan is better than anything I can concoct on my own. Looking back now, I wish I had been more obedient immediately when I understood I was doing something that didn’t glorify God. Naturally, Shea and I aren’t perfect. I do wish we had started a little slower and surrounded ourselves with more friends when we began ‘dating’. That is not to say that life hasn’t been so very good together, though! We have both learned immensely about God’s good grace, understanding, and patience from one another. Shea is constantly helping me understand the love Christ has for His church through the love he shows me. Love for other people should be from the overflow of the love you have for the Lord. Psalms tells us that if we delight and commit to the Lord, He will give us the desires of our hearts. Believe this! God is the ultimate Maker—He knew you before you were a thought and sees the innermost longings of your heart. May your first and most important longing be for Him. God's timing, not our own, is so good.

For those who have wondered why this blog was named GREEN-LIGHT revolution, here is our first attempt at breakin' it down blog-style...

Gender: Girls
Origin: Singleness
Meaning: Yes
Pronunciation: (Green Lahyt Rev-uh-loo-shuhn)
Form of: Jesus Christ
Rating: ★★★★★

when we say GREEN we think
ENERGY | growth | LIFE

when we say LIGHT we think
BURDEN-FREE | truth | VISIBILITY

when we say revolution we think
CHANGE | orbit | TURNING-POINT

when we say GREEN-LIGHT we think
GO | movement | UNRESERVED

when we say GREEN-LIGHT revolution we think
INSPIRATION | encouragement | RELEASE

Our hope is that through our testimonies and the recognition of the life Jesus Christ offers, you will find yourself inspired, encouraged, and released by His Spirit into the overwhelming victory and love that our Father has had in store for you.

Going green!
the authoresses of this crazy blog

Home for Christmas My name is Abi, I'm 22 and living in St. Joseph, Missouri...I'm from England! When people ask me where I'm from I tend to respond in the most tangled way: "Well....I grew up in this one place, and then my parents moved to this other place when I moved away for college and well, now I'm in the middle of America - so I guess I'm kind of from here now."

A few weeks ago I began thinking about 'home' more than usual. There are various triggers, but this time it was due to a trend I noticed in Christmas songs... 'Drivin' home for Christmas', 'Please come home for Christmas'...'I'll be home for Christmas'. I thought: "Well, I'm not going home for Christmas! OK?!" The first step is admitting. Haha. So for the first time in 22 years, I'm not going home for Christmas.

I wanted to look at what 'home' actually is to people - what is its definition? (I was considering this in the shower - the place where I think too much, but also enjoy a strange kind of clarity!) To some home is a place of rest, security and belonging, to others it's just where you keep your stuff. I guess it's the difference between: 'home is where the heart is' and 'home is where you hang your hat'! One of the conclusions that I came to, (around the time of shampoo application) was that home is about boundaries; the ones that are set for us and the ones we set for ourselves.

When I found out I was headed for St. Joe for FYT last year…it wasn’t quite what I had in mind…I had never even heard of Missouri. I admit, I panicked and prayed 'God this is crazy, I'm not going there unless you give me the big thumbs up!' That night I got the thumbs up pretty straight and fast in Psalm 16:

'Lord you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant placesSurely I have a delightful inheritance.' v5-6 I

went to bed with the biggest smile because in giving God the reigns I knew that He was taking me on an adventure. I had no idea what to expect. A year an a half later and I'm making St. Joseph my home...for now :-). I never imagined that I would be sitting in an apartment in America at Christmas, writing a blog and wearing crazy-festive PJ 'pants' (for a giggle...we call them PJ bottoms). God has certainly been redefining home for me and showing me the 'more' that He has.

I want to encourage you to ask God what He wants to say to you about 'home'. I pray that He would let you loose in your hometowns this Christmas and also in the nations!! Let God redefine home for you and set your boundaries, because I think when you do this, you will find that His far exceed your own. I don't think this will mean moving to Mongolia for everyone ;-) It might just involve stepping over the fence!

Whatever it means, we know that our security is in God and our rest is with Him. On this earth we are just passing through - our home is in heaven worshipping Him! Let God guide your steps - He has an amazing inheritance for you!!

Merry Christmas!
Going a festive shade of green...
Abi

Hey gals, for my last post this week before I turn it over to the lovely Andrea Boll, I am honored to introduce to you a guest blogger who is an incredibly amazing woman of God that I admire so much and who I am so blessed to share life with..my older sister, Shannon Hein!--Martha
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"There is no thief like a bad movie". When I first heard that quote, I thought, "So true! I loath getting to the end of the movie and thinking 'What a total waste! I can never get those two hours of my life back now and I can think of a dozen things I'd rather have done.'"

Of course, there are other things that are a thief of time - an unsuccessful shopping trip, for instance. If I can’t find what I want/need I’m more bothered by the wasted time than not getting what I’d hoped to find.

Then, there's facebook. I love getting updates on my friends and seeing how things are going . . . but, you know . . . enough said.

Wasted time. It annoys me to no end! Which is why I'm so grateful for a lesson Jesus taught me when I was in jr. high. Every girl in our class had a crush on this one guy. He had a crush on my best friend, and oh! the agony of the love triangle! When I "fell out of love with him" after, like, a month, I wondered what was the point of that whole thing. Was I really supposed to do that whole "have-a-crush-on-a-guy-and-see-if-I-can-catch-his-eye-and-oh-crap-he-likes-someone-else-I'm-devastated" thing over and over again through my teenage years?

I felt God say very clearly, "No, you don't." Rather than this being a chastisement from Him, it was an invitation to avoid wasting time. That's not to say that relationships are a waste of time necessarily, but rather the time spent daydreaming, pining, and being discontent was; I could never get it back. I’m so grateful to Him for pointing that out because He then began to train me to capture “rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5, NLT). Often they weren’t even thoughts of a specific guy, just general thoughts of being discontented with where I was in life. He showed me how much time I can quickly waste by entertaining such thoughts, how those thoughts wiggled their way into my mood and then firmly grounded themselves in my outlook on life in general. Rather than setting my “sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand” I was being trapped in the moment, and therefore wasting that moment (Col. 3:1, NLT).

Due to His help, I can look back at my years of being a single gal and say, “Ah, I loved that time in my life; it wasn’t wasted.”

Now if I could just pick better movies . . .

Going green!
Shannon

Surprise! Amie here. I'm back with another guest blogger! This lady friend is someone I get the privilege of spending almost everyday with. Today she offered to write for us, and now I have the honor of presenting to you a part of her life that's deeply impacted my own...

Ladies, here's the last post for my week--written by a dear friend. She's also single, and quite a woman! Be encouraged:

Introductions are the best way to start, hello my name is Ginger Price; I am the embodiment of my name—spicey and full of life. Ten years ago at the age of 26, God brought me to St. Louis to be a part of Jubilee Church.

When I packed my car to move, a set of expectations about God’s plans came with me. It has been tempting to lament about the dreams that haven’t come to pass. Doing that would reflect the focus back on me as they were my wants and desires. This is not right thinking; I am here to serve Jesus and a purpose that goes beyond me. My actions and choices count for generations of people to come.

God has shown me that when I give my whole heart to Him (which if I’m honest it is on loan from Him to begin with) I will not be disappointed. He promises that He will give us the desires of our heart; for me this has involved reshaping those desires.

I would not trade the last decade for anything—it’s not been easy—and thankfully He didn’t give me what I wanted. He has changed my thinking and the vision I have for my life. He has not let me wander from Him, He has continually renewed my heart and removed hard places and through the process continues to write my story into His wonderful plan.

I have seen many friends that have wandered from Him because they were discouraged or wanted their own desires and for this I am sad, but I am here to say that God will not disappoint, if you set your heart on Him and you will be satisfied.

ee cummings is one of my favorite poets and recently I read a portion of i carry your heart with me that is a picture of how our hearts become one with His. I’ve included the last stanza. I love it, but the last lines are the ones that I think are beautiful.

i carry your heart with me

here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows

higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)

and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

You can read the rest of the poem here, http://tinyurl.com/3b5psh.

When God gave me a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26); I made the choice to lay down my desires, hopes and dreams and take on His vision, His grace and His compassion—that is when I become fulfilled. I look forward to hearing the stories of how you’ve carried His heart for the Kingdom.

Going Green,
Ginger Price, also known as The Ging