Chronicles

I'm lying in bed at 5:30 A.M., wondering why I cannot sleep. I went to bed at 12:30...I think I should be tired. Usually when this happens, God has something planned. It's happened before and I kinda trust Him. :)


So I decide to read my Bible and I feel like I'm supposed to read about David. I decided I'm going to read Psalms. (Despite my being a PK, I'm AWFUL at knowing where stuff is that include certain people...so I always turn to Psalms.) Well, I open my Bible, and there's 1 Chronicles 27. Has anyone read Chronicles? When I've read it before, I was bored outta my mind. But for some reason I decided to read it. Yeah. It's a list of the officers of Davids army and who did what for Davids kingdom. That got me fascinated. I mean, I know there's a lot in the Bible about David, but this made me smile. So I read further. I read into Chapter 28---I was actually fascinated by 1 Chronicles...that never happens. ;-)


I don't know why, but this passage just struck my heart. Leading up to it, David is talking to all of his officials and officers in his kingdom. He's saying how, despite him spilling blood and not being able to build a house for God (for the ark of the covenant), God chose his family to rule over all of Israel forever. From the house of Judah, he chose Davids family, and from his fathers son, God chose David. And from Davids sons, God has chosen Solomon to sit on throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. 


Mmkay. Here are the verses that just...I dunno...it just made sense to me. 


"Solomon your son is the one who will build my house and my courts for I have chosen him to be my son and I will be his father. I will establish his kingdom forever if he is unswerving in carrying out my commands and laws, as is being done at this time. 


 So now I charge you in the sight of all Israel and in the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God: Be careful to follow all the commands of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land and pass it on as an inheritance to your descendants forever.


And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart, and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you."


(1 Chronicles 28: 6-9) 


If you got lost during that, please read it again. Especially the italicized and bolded. I have no idea why this just struck my heart. 


Maybe it's because I feel like it's a promise from God for my family. For my siblings. My dad is a godly man. He taught us six kids so much about God. And...Jesus is the God of my father, yes. I feel like God is saying that he's going to become so much more real to my siblings and become their God instead of our fathers God. My siblings, I love them to death. They know about God's love...about God's intimacy with His children...they've been taught their entire lives. I feel like God is going to make it more real to them than ever before and grab ahold of them. They just need to seek him. 


I love little nuggets of truth and awesomeness to be found in places you didn't expect. I definitely did not expect to be inspired..and given hope from 1 Chronicles. 


The next step is praying this forth. Praying that my family does grab ahold of Jesus and never lets go. That we will serve him will wholehearted devotion and a willing mind. Not just a willing mind. A mind and heart that longs to serve Him, that is lovesick when we're not in His presence. And that we will never have to become lovesick, because we never leave his presence. God has a destiny for my family, and it is GREAT. And wonderful. and perfect. And according to His purpose. 


God, encounter my family. Give them encounters with you.


Encounter this generation


Encounter this country!


AMEN.

Love Offensively.

Love offensively.


Best advice I have ever been told.


What does it even mean? 


I'm going to find out.


Down to the very core.


I'm going to find out.


and then I'm going to live it.


Love offensively. 


Don't stay away from the prostitutes and drug dealers until they come to you. Go to them. And love them. With Christ's love.


Love offensively.


don't stay in your little bubble and think the world is going to rush at you, asking you to love them.


Take the initiative. 


Love offensively. 

I miss

I miss the old days. I miss New York City. I miss traveling. I miss days when your friends would have stayed your friends, no matter what. I miss movies that show the innocence of life. I miss Grand Central Station and two story McDonalds in New York. I miss old school Christmas plays. I miss going to Duluth with my whole family, just for a day. I miss Superchurch camp.


But...


I'm loving these days. I love the new renewal that God is bringing and that I'm a part of it. I love the new friends I have. I love the long talks I have with them. I love these movies like "Finger of God" that show His complete and absolute love for people. I love that I'm going to California and I love that we're going to change the world. I love that God is changing my family into the people they are meant to be...the people that are going to fulfill their destiny. I love going on ministry trips. I LOVE being a couselor at Youth Alive Camp. 


Remember the old days. Don't long for them. Stop dreaming about yesterday and start doing things for today. Don't live in the past. It's not worth it. LEARN from the past. Don't dwell on it. Make plans for the future. Live in the present. Live every day with the fullest of passion. 


Make a difference.

Thoughts

Some random things and some thought out things. First the random.


1. Josh Groban. Rediscovered his music and still absolutely adore it. That man can do no wrong with his velvet soft voice. ;) Ok so only one random thing. 


Ok. I realized today, as much of a realist (sort of) as I am, I'm such a romantic too.Hopeless romantic. Old school romantic. Not the kind who sees these stupid new movies and goes "ooo that's so sweet that they had sex, they're sooo in love!" 


Nah son. I'm the kind of hopeless romantic where I sigh and stare at that couple that came into Kohls today. about 80 years old. And as they were going out the door, he offered her his arm and they walked out together. I couldn't help but just smile. That kind of adoration and love and commitment. I love it. I see it in so many amazing couples I know.


I'm the kind of hopeless romantic that reads army love stories (Good ones) and loves it when they admit they wanna do stuff, but they love each other enough to wait until they're married. I adore that kind of love.


I'm the kind of hopeless romantic that loves watching Pride and Prejudice, Anne of Green Gables, and Sound of Music. 27 Dresses is funny, but puh lease, it's not that romantic. 


Anyway. Yes. I scoff at silly girls who giggle and gaggle and blaaaah blah blah. But I love watching older couples and learning from their lives and love. This isn't coming out the way I want it to. Oh well. I did my best. :)

Offense, not defense

      I had the most vivid dream last night. In this dream, I felt like my heart was God's, breaking and tearing and shattering at the sight of his children hurting. I felt His pain. It was heartbreaking and life changing and it just makes me more determined to start my ministry.


    I was driving into what was a new school for me (I later recognized it as my old school, Princeton) As I was driving, I saw these two girls walking along the sidewalk, blank stares on their faces and they were cutting themselves with razors as they walked along. It looked as though they weren't in any pain...as though they were in bondage and they were so used to it that it didn't hurt anymore. 


   I stopped my car and ran to them, screaming for them to stop. My heart was breaking and tears were flowing down my face. I ripped the razors away from them and as I did that, the blank stare left their face and they looked at me in surprise. I told them that Jesus adores them, loves them so much, why are they doing this? It is a bit unclear what I did with the razors, I think I threw them away. They walked away from me, staring at the blood and scars on their arms, and in pain, wondering why they were doing that. 


   That was the most vivid part of my dream. And it impacted me like no other. I got a couple of things out of that, but the main one is this: we, as Christians aren't supposed to be playing defense. We're supposed to be playing offense. We need to rush at the enemy and take back what he has stolen. Now is not the time to barricade ourselves in and wait for the inevitable. The victory at the cross is already won and now we need to win back this generation with His LOVE. Fancy words aren't going to catch their attention. We need to show them His true adoration for them. 


    Another thing was, after taking away their razors, they were living. No more blank stares and numbness. They were in pain, yes, but they were ALIVE. Those wounds were going to heal and they were going to go on and become testimonies to God's absolute love and power.


Vivid dreams...they get your attention. Tell them to people, get their attention. But do it in LOVE. Just words...they're nothing. Faith and action baby. Let's take this world and turn it upside down.