An Ordinary Radical

The gospel has ruined my life.

I know what you're thinking...."wait, what? What is this crazy lady talking about?" Yeah, I know. We're not supposed to talk about the good news like that....it's blasphemous! Let me clarify.

The gospel of Jesus has ruined my self-absorbed, red blooded American, commercialized life.

After honestly and prayerfully reading my Bible and such books as The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne, Seven: an experimental mutiny against excess by Jen Hatmaker and Radical by David Platt....my heart is being changed. I am learning so much about what it really means to take Jesus's words to heart and actually live them.

I grew up in church, so I've heard the words of Jesus my entire life. I went to Sunday School, I was in the church choir, I went to youth group. I know the Lords prayer and Psalm 23 by heart and all the words to all the hymns and worship songs we sing in church. I was a good Christian girl and I thought I had it all together. Well....I don't. Following Jesus is so much more than knowing what to say, or what to do. It's the attitude and the reason behind what you do, the love that propels you to give and to go. It's not about bigger and better but about becoming smaller, becoming more real.

Shane Claiborne puts it well in his book The Irresistible Revolution......"But we live in a world that has lost it's appreciation for small things. We live in a world that wants things bigger and bigger. We want to supersize our fries, sodas, and church buildings. But amid all the supersizing, many of us feel God doing something new, something small and subtle. This thing Jesus called the kingdom of God is emerging across the globe in the most unexpected places, a gentle whisper amid the chaos. Little people with big dreams are reamagining the world. Little movements of communities of ordinary radicals are committed to doing small things with great love."

If that is true, call me a radical. An ordinary radical who wants to get at the root of what it means to love, and to get at the root of what had made such a mess of our world. It is a contagious revolution that dances, laughs and loves. 

 "Conversion is not an event but a process, a process of slowly tearing ourselves from the clutches of the culture" Shane Claiborne

He satisfies my longing soul

"For He satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul He fills with good things."
Psalms 107:9

Longing- strong, persistent desire or craving, especially for something unattainable or distant: "filled with longing for home."

Do you ever at some time in your day get the feeling of longing, of desire for, something you can't quite name or describe? I often do. You go through your life, your work and activities and then out of nowhere...there it is. The nagging feeling that you're missing something, that there is a piece of your soul that has been misplaced. That desire for something to make you're life have meaning. So, we seek out things to fill that raging, incessant desire.

If only I could have some chocolate cake right now.....that sounds good.

The iPhone 6 is on sale! Maybe I can get it next week....

Only have to save a little more, then I can get that new mustang!

If only I had someone to love me, then I would be happy.


We try and we try, but it never goes away. Always seeking to fill that longing, and always coming up short. Well...I learned something today.

There is nothing on earth that can take that longing away. There is only Jesus.

I cannot depend on anything, any person to give my life meaning. My Creator is the only one that can. Who better to fill my heart than He who made it, and knows it intimately. All these years, this truth was right in front of me but I never saw this longing for what it was. It was HIM.
For my entire life my God, my Father, was calling me to Himself and I could not hear. I filled my head and heart with things that spoil, with things that moths can eat and thieves can break in and steal. My treasure was on earth, and not in heaven.

Speak now, Lord. Your servant is listening. This world has blinded me, but your love is now breaking through. Praise be to you, the God who breaks down walls and opens the eyes of the blind.

The God who fills the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with GOOD things.

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

If there ever was a song that I could sing every day as a hymn of thankfulness to The Lord, this would be it. Such richness of meaning is included in it's lyrics that touches my soul.

Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with thee,
Thou changest not, Thy compassions fail not, 
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be

Refrain:
Great is thy faithfulness!
Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see 
All I have needed thy hand hath provided 
Great is thy faithfulness, LOrd unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above; 
Join with all nature in manifold witness, 
To thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Refrain

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, 
Thine own great precence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine and ten thousand beside. 

Refrain

I love the refrain the most. For it is so true, each morning there are new mercies that 
He provides. From family and food, to my job and my church. Not to mention the knowing 
and feeling of his very presence that touches my own spirit.
All I have needed, his hand has provided. I lack nothing that I need, he has seen fit to give me all. And that which I do not have, He knows why I don't need it at this time. 

I also love the reminder that the Lord never changes. As he has been, as I have learned him, so he shall ever be. His grace, His mercy will never run out. His compassions never fail. What a promise!  


How great is our God! Great is his faithfulness! 
 

 

ISA 12:3-6 MSG

"Joyfully you’ll pull up buckets of water from the wells of salvation. And as you do it, you’ll say, “Give thanks to God . Call out his name. Ask him anything! Shout to the nations, tell them what he’s done, spread the news of his great reputation! “Sing praise-songs to God . He’s done it all! Let the whole earth know what he’s done! Raise the roof! Sing your hearts out, O Zion! The Greatest lives among you: The Holy of Israel.”

The next big thing

 I have some plans for the summer that I am going to be telling you about soon....for now these pictures will have to suffice. ;)

The Simple Life

I have been musing lately on how I can develop a life.....which is more than just "living". It seems cliche, but I believe there is much more to how I live than the activities I do in the minutes that make up my days. The rich, raw life is what I crave. Surrounding myself with the richest things that this existence has to offer, all the while keeping my thoughts on the things of the next. I pray that God will keep my eyes open to how much more meaningful it is to spend time with the people you love, doing the things you love, than anything this hollow culture can pitch to us.

"When we crave simplicity, we are not after an easier life. We are after life." Dave Bruno

Hello Again!

Wow! I have been slacking the last year as far as blogging goes. :P I guess there isn't much to tell from a missions perspective.  Earlier last year I considered going to a training in NYC for a year dealing with reaching the unreached, but that did not work out as planned. I do believe that it was just not the time for me to get into something like that yet, as I have not finished my education here. So, I decided to stay around this area for now, though I hope to use my summers for mission trips. I believe I have a trip lined up for this summer, but more on that later..... :)

Blessings!