The Call To Pour Out, However Messy...

Ney Bailey, from Cru, sent me a copy of Ann Voskamp's The Broken Way for Christmas. It's a buckle up and hold on kind of book. Very deeply personal and very deeply explorational. What she does share is the picture of our being made through broken bread and poured out wine for the purpose of becoming Christ to others- Breaking our bread and pouring our wine out for The Kingdom.

For the last year or so, I have been waiting to re-launch this website before inviting others to join us here. Reading Ann's book, and in a conversation with some friends this week... I felt like Jesus said to me, "So, why exactly are we waiting for this to be perfect before we invite others in?"

Well, you know how that conversation ended : )

In the next few days or this week, a new invitation will come, so watch for it and for today- The Call Pour Out, However Messy...

Water into Wine. Five Loaves and Two Fish. Bread and Wine with Friends.

Transforming the ordinary into the sacred. Nothing big or complex. Just Jesus.

Take a minute and wonder what thoughts and emotions would have run wild as our eyes took in Jesus- with just two fish and five loaves to work with: looked up to heaven, gave thanks, broke the bread and fed the five thousand, with twelve baskets of leftovers. An ordinary, would be public relations nightmare (big group, no lunch), and transforms into a display of God's desire

Our God takes the smallest of our gifts or available resources, gives thanks, breaks them and them pours out for His glory and purposes. This week, let's become more available to be five loaves and two fish : )

Praying Through The Swirling Waters

Sometimes, when I'm walking the beach, looking at the Atlantic Ocean, I wonder what my prayer would have been looking at the Red Sea. I picture myself stepping into the water growing deeper with every step... God could have dried up every drop of water and led the Israelites, and yet, He parted the waters and led them through the sea.

Thanks to Cecil B. DeMille we have a picture of what it was like to cross through the parting of the Red Sea. Universal Studios Hollywood recreated the event for years on their backlot tram tour : )

Through not from. God wants to show us His faithful companionship through the trials and tribulations of this life. We just want them to be over or taken away. Yet, if we look back over our lives in Christ, the times that led us closer to Jesus were the "through" times.

Whatever God may be leading us through today, let's lean in and take His hand.

Your path led through the sea,

your way through the mighty waters,

though your footprints were not seen.

Psalm 77:19

Preparing For A Miracle

So, how do we prepare for God to do a miracle? Joshua's words to the Israelites shortly before they were about to finally cross into the Promised Land:

Joshua told the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you." Joshua 3:5

I don't know about you, but when I'm about to finally arrive at a destination... my first thoughts are not "...need to take time to consecrate myself." And these travelers had been at it for 40 years in the wilderness, they were weary, they had been on God's simple manna and quail diet, they has been in big trouble with God, their loved ones and their friends had died along the way.

Yet, God knew a big day was ahead and had their Leader prepare them in advance to live it.

We are all praying for miracles. Let's consider if God is asking us to consecrate ourselves.

Consecrating by recognizing His sovereignty, responding humbly to His purposes, relinquishing everything to God (especially our need to control and boss Him around), revealing His glory.

Let's consider our minds, our spirits, our bodies, or something else that by symbolically or actually dedicating it and ourselves, for tomorrow, the Lord will do amazing things among us (personalization added) for His glory...