Monday, July 29, 2013

A Boat With Yellow Sails

Out the window of our hotel, I watched a boat with yellow sails return to its moorings. We were in Half Moon Bay, California, near where we lived when we left California for Charlotte nearly 10 years ago. We had just purchased our new home just 2 blocks from the water. The view, the boat, the thought of leaving Charlotte and Stonebridge made me think about my Dad.

On the sidewalk near my window a dog barked. Not the yap a small bothersome dog or a ferocious growl from a guard dog, but a deep friendly sound from an Irish Setter. My eyes followed the cheerful side to side motion of its dark red tail, long and furry like the fringe on a leather jacket worn by a frontiersman like Davy Crockett or Daniel Boone - or even my own father who bravely forged his way into the high desert of Mexico at the age of 60. After pastoring a church for a few years, and ministering in a rescue mission on the Texas border for several months, he pursued his dream and settled into a small crossroads' town that had never seen a non-Catholic Christian before.

In his croaking bass voice, my father paced up and down the cobblestone streets, praying and singing the 1st Spanish song he learned, "Yo Ando Con Mi Rey," or "I'm Walking With My King." Little children followed him around, matrons stood in their doorways - aproned and amazed. Grown men on horseback taunted him, calling him names and threatening him with whips and pistols.

But Papa persisted. He learned to speak and preach fluently in their language, made many friends, and by the time he passed away almost 30 years after arriving in Mexico, he had started nearly 20 churches with local pastors. Over 200 people attended his memorial service - a joyous homecoming emblazoned with the theme of his mission, "Dios es Amor" which means "God is Love."

May God bless you all with both courage and love. I will miss you.  Barbara

Monday, July 22, 2013

extras

{via imdb.com}


extras. for the purpose of this post, "extras" should be taken in the movie sense of the word. an extra in a movie does not play a pivotal role. movies focus on the main character[s], not on the extras. ie: braveheart [above] focuses on william wallace, not on all the other guys with spears and sticks.

the main character pushes the story forward. THAT is who we follow, THAT is whose cause we care about. THAT is who matters at the end.

in life YOU are not the main character. God is. plain and simple.

i don't mean to sound cruel, or to treat you like you didn't know that already. it's just that i needed a reminder, and i didn't want to mince my words.

don't get me wrong. i'm not saying that the extras don't play an important role. some of us may even be minor characters, but we're not the main character. none of us trumps God in that role. at the end of the day, it's not about us.

and that is what we've been fighting against since eden. we wanted to be like God. and God is in control. he is sovereign. he is omnipotent, and omniscient. and we want that. we have been fighting for power and control ever since.

i'm the extra in the film who takes everyone to go see the film in theaters because i want to show them "my" movie. and as i drone on and on about how great my half-a-second screen shot was everyone else is trying to watch the movie. they're trying to see what happens in the story.

and i can't shut up about me.

do the extras matter? YES, of course. what would a movie be like without the extras? crowded streets would turn into barren wastelands. planes and trains wouldn't function. the villain would have no one to pick on, and the hero would have no one to save.
you get my point.

extras add to the story, but they do not drive the story.

and it helps me to think about life that way. yes, i have unique gifts and skills and talents, and yes, i'm absolutely called to use them. i DO have a role to play. but the story isn't about me.

i need this reminder a lot. and this metaphor is one of the best i've heard. do you have any go-to metaphors you use as reminders?

i'd love to hear them!

xo,
katie

Monday, July 8, 2013

Just Jesus!

It's late Monday morning, I begin my journey to Swaziland tomorrow and I have put writing this blog post off until the last possible minute.  I didn't forget...  I'm not overwhelmed, the packing is almost done...  but just honestly, I'm not feeling very 'spiritual.'  Wow, now I'm about to be really honest...  My quiet times have been sparse, my prayer life weak and dry and my mind wanders far too much on Sundays! 
I've been in a similar place before, but this time something is different...  I'm not feeling guilty about it...  I'm not worried that God is displeased with me and therefore I should make a renewed effort to be more disciplined.  I'm just waiting and praying a very simple prayer (I'll share that in a minute.)  One of our very wise pastors once said to me, "Sometimes God tears something down so that He can rebuild it again."  I'm pretty certain that's what is happening now!
My understanding of God for so many years was pretty (really ALOT) legalistic.  I knew I couldn't earn my way to heaven, but after salvation, I lived like I had to do a lot to insure God's acceptance and pleasure with me.  But a while back, a very wise friend (thankfully I have lots of wise people in my life) said, "Quit obsessing on sin and start obsessing on Jesus."
So I have stepped back from my list of 'to-do's and to-don'ts' and just started asking God to give me a desire to know Jesus more, and to only want Him.  And I'm finding with each passing day, that prayer is being answered.  Funny, as God grows the desire for more of Jesus, the desire for time in His Word, prayer and worship grows with it!  Now it's becoming a want to, not just something to be checked off my list of 'good Christian practices.'
So how are you?   How's your relationship with Jesus?  As Jesus prayed for us, before His death, He said, "And this is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent."  John 17:3  Jesus knew that all we need in this life is found in a relationship with Him and His Father...  Everything good and righteous and holy will be an overflow of that relationship...  So quit obsessing on sin (and your 'to do' list) and start obsessing on Jesus!

Monday, July 1, 2013

Keeping On


I've been thinking about perseverance lately, mostly because I've been reading the book of Hebrews. On Sunday, we heard a encouragement about God's preservation in the perseverance of the saints. When I look back over the 40+ years I've know Christ, I can only marvel at God's grace in helping me to keep on following him.

Some people learn about God's faithfulness at a very young age - and demonstrate remarkable endurance. I'm thinking of the 2012 Gold Medal Olympic gymnast, Gabby Douglas. She suffered loneliness, pain, rejection, and yes, eventual victory.
She worked hard for the sake of becoming the best at her sport. She practiced memorizing scripture and drawing strength from God's word, as well as working hard to train as an athlete.

In the 12th chapter of Hebrews we are told to "run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross . . . "

Gabby Douglas, a very hard working Christian, trailblazer and athlete, received the prize of a gold medal. She gives God the glory for her success. Jesus' prize was all of us - his people. Since he suffered and died for us, what a privilege it is to keep on walking with him.  ~ Barbara