No New Years Resolutions, Only New Life!

I have been reading the Bible in the Message lately, thanks to the technology of my iPhone app I am able to jump between translations, love it!

Besides loving technology I also love the living Word of God, and that is really truly what it is, living. Through reading the Message His Word has been speaking to me in new ways, this is very exciting! So I guess my first point of this spiel is that I would recommend mixing it up, reading different translations to have a fresh reading.

This morning I was reading Romans 12 in the Message, and God spoke so clearly and beautiful to me. His message was simple, not easy, but simple.

I only got as far as reflecting on verses 1 and 2, His Word is so deep and rich...

In my own words:

God helping you, take your everyday, ordinary living and place it before your God as an living offering.

Yes Jesus all that I am is yours, do with me as you will... your will be done not mine. Amen.

Jesus, today I have my "to do list," please have your way with it. May I walk in step with your Spirit, and not get tripped up by my lists. Jesus, please continue to give me the grace to be a living sacrifice. I confess I do not feel like I have been much of a sacrifice lately, not at all actually. Please forgive me for my selfish, and self-centred living. Oh Jesus, please help me to fix my eyes ever on you, and to follow you all the moments of this life you have given me. Amen.

A new day, new year, and new message? No, this is a message God continues to speak to me year after year. I am not in the habit of making new year resolutions, and this is not a blog about breaking that habit.

What this blog is about is new life. Come and make a new life resolution with me, let us together take our everyday, ordinary lives and offer them to God as a living sacrifice, and in dieing to our "to do lists," letting him have His will, and we will be truly living! Amen.

I challenge you to take a moment every morning to offer up your "to do list," your everyday and ordinary lives to Him, it can be as simple as "your will/to dos" be done not mine. Amen."

Here is to NEW LIFE! Amen.

Not Alone

Beyond the pain and suffering there is something deeper, there is Truth.
The God of all joy and peace is found in the tears of the afflicted, for He has endured the greatest pain of all,
He bore all creations suffering on the cross.
He is with us in our screams, His louder than our own.
As we suffer, He suffers.

Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
He is not alone, and neither are we.
Together, with God at our side we face the horrors of hell, knowing He has been victorious!

I hear the Father whisper into my soul "Be at peace and know that you are my chosen beloved."

I AM the eye of the storm,
everything whirls and swirls around you,
in the chaos I bring you peace.

I AM your anchor,
cling to me and I will hold you still, giving you rest.
Be still my dear child and know that I AM your God,
forever and ever.
Amen.

Christmas Madness

God became human
the Creator became the creature
the Word became spoken.

The most powerful being in the whole universe and beyond it, became weak in the form of a little baby human.

Why you ask? for love's sake is the only answer I can come up with.

They say love makes you do crazy things, and it appears to be true even with God.

All love. All mercy. All good. All powerful. Praise be your Holy Name, you picked us to love.

Why? I don't know. There is no rhyme or reason to this madness we call Christmas.

the Word became spoken
the Creator became the creature
God became human...

all for the love of you and me.

Merry Christmas

Hunger Games - Share the Wealth

I have been reading through the Hunger Games trilogy, I am not going to review the books, all I want say in relation to them is that they have caused me to think a lot about the injustices between the “haves” (which I am one of them) and the “have nots.” I am outraged by the abuses and neglect of the Capitol (for those of you have not read the books they are the “haves”), while coming to the realization of my own participation in these very injustices. How many times have I stuffed my face full to the point of pain and then complained that I feel so fat, while there are millions of people around the world starving to death! Really!? It is one thing to enjoy the blessings God has given me, and quite another to be glutinous. It makes me sick, but yet I still do it. I am so accustomed to my indulgent lifestyle, and I use the excuse that it is not nearly as “bad” as other people, that I often do not even recognize it as a twisted and sick as it is. It took a teen drama to remind me and shake me up a little. There is something so disturbing about seeing yourself in the “villain” characters of book, and what is even more disturbing is when we do not recognize our own evil in them.

OK so this is all sort of depressing. I have been praying about this for the past couple days. I asked God how am I to live knowing there are people dying from hunger? What do I do? and I heard “you are blessed to be a blessing.”

This morning I asked Him “What do I live out ‘blessed to be a blessing’.” I started by making a list of how I am blessed: money, family/home, a voice etc. Then I prayed about how I could use those blessings to bless others: give money, open up my home, speak up against injustices etc. The catch phrase I was left with for me was “share the wealth.” I really recommend you trying this; it was a very helpful exercise for me.

Next I just wrote down some words of encouragement I heard the Lord speaking into my heart:

• Focus on what I place right in front of you.
• Do what you can do, do not stress about what you cannot do.
• Take it all one step at a time, trusting in my faithfulness and goodness.
• You Maria are not called to save the world, I already did that, it is my job. You are called to follow me, by being me in your little corner of time and space, do not let yourself get overwhelmed, that is a tactic of the enemy to cripple and distract you.
• You can do this, because in your greatest weakness I am at my greatest strength! Together Maria, you and me. Amen.

An Explanation

I think my last posting may require an explanation. All I can really say is I am struggling, wrestling really. Because if you have not noticed we live in a broken world, and I feel this very strongly, not just around me, but in myself! Which may be the hardest part, knowing that there is more, better, yet still being dragged down by the bitter darkness that I know Jesus has already conquered…

I am frustrated; the post was me kind of screaming… I am in a stormy place, but God is comforting me, with the constant reminders of his love and nearness, but things are still hard, living in between times is hard, the here but not yet kingdom! In my post I was letting out some of my frustration… I thought maybe someone out there could relate, life is not all sunshine and rainbows, but God is still good, all the time! I believe this, I know he is my hope, but often my knowing of the sunshine gets clouded by my feelings...

I am restless because this world is not a place of peace, I feel the brokenness and my soul cries out in frustration! Come Lord Jesus Come! Jesus does give me rest, but I think I am meant to feel and experience this frustration, I am not satisfied, nor should I be, I think I will never be completely at rest or satisfied till he returns...

I do not think any of this is a bad thing; actually I am convinced that this struggle is part of God’s refining process. This does not change how much it hurts, but it gives me hope and a certain sense of peace that I am the clay in the Potter’s hands; it is all going to be OK, actually better than OK it is going to be amazing… divine… holy! PRAISE THE LORD ON HIGH.

Please don't be too concerned, just keep praying for me.

God bless you all. Amen

Need

Disclaimer: Life is a b!tch and then you die! Yet, God is good all the time, so I will praise His Holy Name for He alone is worthy. Amen.

I need thee, I NEEEEED…

broken, lost, angry, confused, happy, and at peace. I live in a paradox and call it life?

Whose life is this? NO, it can’t be mine… can it?

Full, abundant, and purpose driven.

Not mine.

Empty, abandoned, and mad with envy.

That is who I am.

NO! This just doesn't measure up. WHAT THE F#CK!

God is near,

He is right here, in my heart and my head.

Than how is it that I…

Oh Father, Son, and Holy Ghost please come and rescue this little lost soul, once again,

over and over again.

Like a bad dream. I live life as a single sigh of grief…

NOT SO! Not forever, there is coming a New Day!

I hear the Father whisper into my heart's ear, “hold on tight dear girl…

I am near, I am coming home, I will take you away, I will renew, revive and release,

all will be well with your soul.

Be not in fear anymore for I am with you Maria, till the end of time… and beyond.

You are my girl and I am your Father.

Be loved, by me forever and ever

Amen.” 

BAM! POW!

The Lord speaks, what is he saying to you today? He speaks in and through all sorts of things and persons…

Creation - the breath taking sunset and the pouring down rain.

Situation - getting a free coffee on your way to work and falling hitting your head on the edge of the coffee table.

Things - that gorgeous new cocktail dress that you saw in the window and a yummy new recipe you made from scratch.

I think you get the idea – This list is as endless as the stars in the sky.

So I ask you again what God could be saying to you, that you are missing?

Situation - Just over a month ago I was getting off the bus coming home from a lovely encouraging dinner with a couple friends. It was a dark wet night, but I was happy, as I bounced off (quite literately I was bouncing) off the bus and making my way up the street POW! Out of nowhere a lady hit me in the face. I was completely blindsided!  I put my hand up to my injured cheek bone and slowly turned around exclaiming “oooooooouuuccch.” I noticed that she was wearing very little in the way of clothing, as she stumbled away not even caring to look back I decided that if she wanted to she could probably beat me up, so still clutching my cheek I walked home bewildered and a little scared.

I am not telling you this to try and make you feel sorry for me or to think I am hard core.  I am also not trying to make any kind of theological argument about “why bad things happen to (relatively) good people” or anything of the likes. I tell you this because it happened to me, and I am choosing to hear God speak to me in it. So what am I hearing you ask?

Although I do not know this woman, and I cannot say anything about her for sure, I can imagine that she in one form or another has been abused, used and beaten down. I am quite sure she was drunk or high or both and probably feeling pretty good or at the very least numb. And then BAM! I enter, in my bright blue pants, blond hair and large hat, into the dark dreary picture chipper and bouncing! Oh gosh can you imagine? I am sure she took one look at me and thought “what the fuck is she doing in my neighbourhood?” In many ways I probably represent all that has been stolen from her, through the years of misuse and neglect. I do not blame her; I think in a small way I understand why she would have lashed out at me in anger, and ultimately pain.\

I believe through this situation God is teaching me how to love my neighbours. That is a pretty broad statement, so let me break it down for you. I am a loud and vibrant woman, both in volume and presences.  This is how God created me, and I know that this is not a negative thing. That being said I stick out in the DTES like a sore thumb. Not only do my bright pink and fancy hats shout out but also the way I carry myself with confidences and I’ll bet some pride.  As I walk these streets I can only imagine how I am perceived by those around me. I represent wealth and power. I represent the world that has rejected and even worse stomped all over them. I know God is not asking me to erase my personality, but I do think he is asking me to lay down my right (to be flamboyant) for the sake of my neighbour. I hear God asking me to walk these streets in humility and respect, to have a quiet and gentle spirit that welcomes people in, not one that is loud and pushy. I think I have been walking these streets offensively. I am still wearing my pink and hats, but I am trying to tone it down when I am walking the streets of the DTES. With the help of God I am walking with humility, praying as I go, trying to not yell out “I am here! Look at me go! Aren't I fabulous?” I believe that in this way I will walk theses streets in love. 

Jesus you hear us, you see us, you love us, please by the grace of your Holy Spirit give us your eyes and ears, please teach us to walk these street on which you have placed us with joy, love, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, goodness, and self-control. Amen.