The Year of 16 Christmas Parties

It was the Year of 16 Christmas Parties. Yes...16!  Every adult Sunday School class in our church was having a party and had invited the entire staff to attend each one.   In their minds, they were honoring us.  But they also had expectations.  Expectations for us to attend—because they firmly told us so.  They were just as sure that we would bring life and fun to their party by coming.  We probably did—to the first two or three parties.  But all we brought to the other 13 was exhaustion.  By the end, we had dazed looks and could only implore, “Is Christmas over yet??”

We were young and didn’t have the sense to know that we could set Christmas boundaries—or make the breathtaking suggestion that we combine all 16 classes to have ONE GRAND adult Christmas party!   But believe me when I say that it was a Christmas experience we won’t soon forget—and one which taught us much.  We learned to say “no” in as kind a way as possible.  We learned to lead our church in putting their focus on Jesus during December. We seriously understood the value of fellowship, but learned to encourage it in a healthy way.  We learned that expectations kill.  And we learned to promote rest instead of frenzy.  

We survived the Year of 16 Christmas Parties.   But hopefully, what we gained brought life to all of us as we learned to celebrate Jesus and keep our hearts—and energy—focused on Him.

The Feast

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies...”

Years ago, I read the book, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller, who had actually been a shepherd.   Referring to this verse, he said the highest places you take a sheep are called mesas—or tables.  A shepherd has to go there—before he takes his sheep—to prepare it.  Sheep are prone to eat whatever is in front of them, so the shepherd has to remove dangerous weeds which could kill the sheep or put minerals or salt in areas to either promote or kill certain grasses. He will either scare away dangerous animals with his presence or kill them.  So before the sheep get to this table, the shepherd has prepared it.  He knows the sheep will eat well—and in peace.  

Are you chomping at the bits to get to a new place, a higher place?   Consider this...your Shepherd may be spending time getting rid of dangerous weeds, fertilizing grasses, and killing wild animals—so that upon your arrival the feast is ready!

Blind Bartimaeus

Blind Bartimaeus.  He was begging beside the road because it’s all he could do.  He’d heard about Jesus and the miracles he was performing.  Was he the Messiah—the long-awaited Deliverer?   Bartimaeus just knew he wanted to be healed.  He wanted to SEE!

It was time for the Passover feast and the crowds had swelled in Jericho as people were traveling to Jerusalem.  This meant Bartimaeus’ beggar’s cup would swell as well.  But then he heard it:  JESUS WAS COMING!   He began yelling, “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!” even as the crowd around him tried to shush him.  But that only made him yell louder!  And he kept yelling until Jesus stopped.  And then Jesus asked him, “What do you want from me?”

Shouldn’t that be obvious?  I mean...he’s BLIND!  But Jesus wanted him to name his request.  

It makes me think of the time I went to a dermatologist to have a growth removed from my head.  She sat looking at me and said, “Is there anything else you want done?”  I said, “No.  That’s it.”   And she left the room.  Later, I realized she’d been staring at two small benign skin growths on my face.  Why didn’t I ask her to remove them, too?   They just didn’t bother me that much, I guess.  And the doctor wanted me to name what was important to me.  

Jesus was like that doctor. What is it you want?  When all along Jesus knew Bartimaeus had a bigger issue—faith.  He needed to recognize his need for Jesus. Jesus said, “Receive your sight.”   And Bartimaeus believed...and received.  And Jesus told him, “Your faith has made you whole.”  

So...what do you want?

Boring Days in God’s Plan

After Christmas last year, we found out my mother-in-law, Liz, had cancer.  It became apparent in January that she could no longer live alone.  At that time, God called me to care for her...I mean, it was a CALL!   And I willing said “yes.”   She lived 45 miles away, so I moved in with her.  I tried going home on the weekends to attend our church and to help my husband with the ministry there.  

God did so many amazing things in the four months I cared for Liz before her heavenly homegoing!   But do you know what else I found during that time?   Some boring days.  Liz ended up in rehab for about 2 months after a hospital stay.  And while she was there, I was bored to tears on some of those days.  In fact, I’d ask God, “Are you sure this is the best use of my time?   Shouldn’t I be DOING something?”   I’d sit in a chair and do word searches as she slept.  I’d watch her game shows with her.  My bottom got tired of that chair.  Those were some of my day-to-day experiences. But then there were moments like in this photo when her young worship pastor came with his guitar and she worshiped Jesus from her hospital bed.  And as I look back on that overall 4-month experience—that call—it was an amazing time.  A healing time.  And worth every minute.  But it also involved some very boring days.  

Just because you may be going through some slow times, some less-than-miraculous times, don’t think God isn’t using you!   It may only be as you look back that you see God’s amazing plan.  And it may have included some very boring days.

Masses to a Handful

Have you been discouraged by the masses of people coming to your church to hear the truth of God’s Word dropping down to only a handful of followers?  Jesus had that problem, too.  Or just maybe he created that problem.  I was reading John 6 where Jesus had just fed the 5000 men (not counting women and children) the fishes and the loaves.  They showed up the next day wanting signs and miracles.  Jesus exposed their true hearts—they wanted him to feed them every day.  And then he preached the morbid sermon that began to send the masses away:  you must eat my flesh and drink my blood.  Even the disciples were appalled!   And this is where it gets interesting. 

Jesus explains to his disciples (after the masses left) that he was talking about spirit and life.  In a side note, John explains that from the first day Jesus began to call disciples, he knew who would have genuine faith and who would betray him.  And then Jesus said, “No one comes to me without the Father’s blessing.”   After hearing these teachings, many of his disciples walked away and no longer followed him.  How many disciples did Jesus call?   1000?   100?   50?   We know he was left with 12—and he knew one of those was his betrayer.   

It’s so interesting to have 40+ years of ministry behind us to have some perspective.  Andy was in youth ministry a good many of those years.  We’ve had large groups of youth and out of those large groups, there was always a handful who chose to follow Jesus with all of their hearts.  Not even a big number of followers—a small number.  Out of each youth group (there have been four), we’ve watched those small groups invest Jesus’ teaching in others. We may long for the MASSES to follow Jesus.  But Jesus knew there would be small groups of followers and he was content with that.  He knew that each follower could invest in another handful of followers who would invest in another handful of followers...until the whole world had heard the truth and had a chance to decide whether to follow him or not.  Don’t be fooled by the masses.  It may be time to press ahead and see who’s following.  

Would God send us HERE?!?

All I could do was cry!  Andy & I had been invited to interview with a church 350 miles from home.  We’d spent the evening with a fun-loving committee—but after we got back to our motel room, all I could do was cry.  I told Andy that I didn’t know what it was—but there was something wrong with the situation.  He assured me we didn’t have to come to this church. 

The next morning, we met the pastor and his wife for breakfast.  We knew and loved and respected them both.  We talked a bit and then I asked them, “Why are you here?”  They looked at one another and the pastor replied, “That’s a good question. God sent me here to practice the things I’d been teaching in my last church.”  

We went home and prayed. And waited.  As the days passed, I tried to convince myself it wasn’t as bad I thought. I had nothing to base my reaction on. At the time, I didn’t even understand that I had a spiritual gift of discernment. We got the call and were asked to come to be presented before the church for a vote.  My heart was full of dread.  We went and sat in the pastor’s office as the church voted and I ugly-cried!  Andy assured me again, “We don’t have to come here!”  And I replied, “Yes, we do!!   I know God is sending us here—but WHY?!?”  We went out (with my red face) and told the church we accepted their call.  

We were there three years. And it was, by far, the hardest place we’ve ever been.  In fact, we were building a house and a man from our church told our builder to quit building—he was going to make sure we were GONE!   There was big, constant conflict because there had been a deep root of sin in the church which had been exposed.   And our pastor was dealing with it in truth.  I wish I could tell you I spent those three years quietly submitting to God...but I have to admit there was a lot of kicking and screaming on the inside of my heart. 

But...what we gained from that three-year experience was priceless!!!  Andy learned how to stand in truth and deal with conflict.  His ministry became very defined.  And we’ve never had such closeness with a staff as we did then—we were bound together!  And the people who were our friends became life-long friends.  Our youth group was amazing!

Will God send you somewhere you may not want to go?  Yes.  But will He have good reason?   Definitely.  And, if you’re like me, you’ll look back on that time as a life-changing, life-giving experience.  That was, in fact, God’s plan all along.

Ministry & Friends

What have you been taught about friendships as a pastor’s wife?  Were you told to not make friends with those in your church because it could create jealousy?   Were you advised to avoid confiding in parishioners because you could end up being the main course at their dinner that night?  Were you cautioned to spread yourself around and not limit yourself to one or two friends?   How have YOU handled friendships in the church?

I was given much of the advise above.  But it just didn’t feel right.  I HAVE to have friends.  And I need deep friendships—it’s just who I am.  So I decided to look at the life of Jesus and I was encouraged by what I discovered.  

Jesus chose twelve friends.  Actually, it was twelve men he wanted to mentor—but I think he knew or expected they would become his closest friends.  Out of those twelve, he had three closer friends—Peter, James, & John.  And out of his three closest friends (that he wasn’t afraid to call out for private times), he had a best friend named John.  John even called himself “the disciple Jesus loved.”

I was so encouraged when I understood Jesus and his friendships.  Of course, he reached out to many people and made himself available to the masses but he spent quality time with those he was mentoring—he wanted to give them a part of himself.  

Invest yourself in others and allow them to invest in you!  Make friends!  Have CLOSE friends.  It’s even ok to have a BEST friend. You’ll have to be vulnerable and you may even be wounded or sold out.  After all, Judas did that to Jesus.  But Jesus would have chosen Judas all over again. Friendships are worth the risk.

Scream!

In the law of the Old Testament (Genesis 22), God commanded that if a woman screamed when she was raped, her rapist was to be put to death. If it happened in the country where no one could hear her scream, the same thing happened—the rapist was put to death. God was empowering women to use their voice!!  If the man and woman were unmarried and the woman didn’t scream, the sexual relation was considered consensual and both were put to death. God was also pretty serious about sexual relations outside of marriage. It wasn’t that it was just immoral, but it was a threat to a foundational institute of Israelite society—the family.  

Then there’s the story of Potiphar’s wife in Genesis 39.  She tried her best to seduce Joseph whom Potiphar had put over his whole household. Now Joseph was a well-built, good-looking young man, the Bible says. Potiphar’s wife seduced him but Joseph refused her.  The Bible says she pursued him day after day and he did his best to just avoid her.  (This young man had already produced some pretty serious character qualities through the trials he’d been through.) One day, Joseph went into the house when no one else was there and she grabbed him by the clothes and tried seducing him again. He ran!!  And Potiphar’s wife was left holding his clothes in her hands. This rejection infuriated her. So she first went to the servants and told them Joseph had tried to rape her—and that she’d screamed and he’d run away!  When Potiphar came home, she told him the same story.  Her husband was enraged and had Joseph thrown into prison.  I believe Potiphar’s wife knew this law.  She knew she had to scream for rape to be punishable. So she said she screamed—knowing there was no one, besides Joseph, to contradict or substantiate her story. 

There has never been a more important time for pastors to flee from evil and every appearance of evil—especially in regards to sexual conduct.  Every pastor and associate pastor should make it a practice to never be alone with another woman. That also means a youth minister should never take a teenaged girl home alone in his car.  If there’s not a godly woman in your church available to help another woman needing counseling, then the pastor should always have his office door open with others within view or his wife included in the counseling session. Do whatever it takes to avoid being accused later.  

It’s imperative for women to find their voice to scream when they are molested or raped!!  God commanded it.  But we also need to be aware that not all women who “scream” (without substantiation) are innocent.  

Holy Disruption

Have you ever had a holy disruption?  Let me define it for you...

Holy:  set apart, dedicated to God, sacred, spiritual. 

Disruption:  an intense breaking away, the act of breaking or bursting asunder. Intensive force. 

So a Holy Disruption is a breaking away prescribed by God, being set apart in an intense breaking, or (my favorite) an interruption by God for His purpose.   

A holy disruption can rock your world and begin in a very negative way!  I think of Joseph being sold into slavery or Esther taken into the harem.  But it could also involve the supernatural such as Moses seeing the burning bush or Saul being blinded by a great light. Interestingly, there were several holy disruptions where women were told they would become pregnant with promise—Sarah & Mary.  Holy disruptions are life-changing and usually affect the rest of your existence. 

I want to encourage you today. Your world may have been rocked by what appears to be a catastrophe. But what if it’s a holy interruption which will result in God fulfilling His purpose through you?  Joseph didn’t know he would rule the nation when he became a slave. Be still.  Give thanks.  Look for God’s purpose for your life in this thing.

  

“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 

I Thessalonians 5:18

Sheep

We are all like sheep and we have one Good Shepherd who paid a great price for us. But as God appointed pastors as under-shepherds, I thought it would be good for us to understand the nature of sheep.(Remember...we are one!)

1. Sheep are the only defenseless animal alive—which is probably why God chose to compare us to sheep. We need the defense of the Good Shepherd. The only defense sheep have is to flee and huddle together to protect themselves from predators.  You very much see the “mob mentality” in a herd of sheep. 
2. Sheep are followers. The young are taught to follow the elder sheep. Usually one ram rises as the leader of the herd. He will butt the heads of other sheep to demand dominance. In fact, he sees the shepherd as a sheep to be dominated.  A Shepherd never turns his back on a ram and children should never be allowed in a pen with a ram.  The shepherd must convince one sheep to go where he wants it to go—and then the others will follow.  
3. Sheep have poor depth perception. They have great peripheral vision which allows them to stay aware of predators around them. But many will fall off of a ledge because they can’t differentiate light and shadows. One shepherd tells the story of losing 400 sheep because they followed one after the other off of a ledge. After all...they are followers. 
4. Some sheep tend to wander.  Sheep have no homing skills.  They can’t find their way back once they’ve wandered off. The shepherd must go looking for the lost sheep. Many sheep have been found dead in remote places because they couldn’t find their way back and were killed by a predator. 
5. Sheep produce wool all the time.  The more it’s cut off, the more it grows. Fruitfulness is inherent in sheep. 
6. Sheep are picky eaters.  They won’t eat junk food. They eat grass and prefer fresh grass.  
7. Sheep have excellent hearing. They quickly learn the voice of the shepherd and are responsive to his voice.  They also recognize the calls of their enemies and quickly circle up to protect themselves. 
8. Sheep display an intensely outgoing social instinct that allows them to bond closely to other sheep—especially to related flock members. 
9. Males will physically challenge one another for social rank and breeding privileges.  Ewes tend to stay in their maternal groups for life, whereas rams may form unstable relationships—even remaining bachelors who quickly lose interest in one another.  
10. Sheep are the only animal which make no noise when they are slaughtered.  

A Shepherd

I decided to take another look at the natural job of shepherding after I heard of another pastor taking his life this morning to get some insight into the spiritual job of shepherding. What is happening?  Why has shepherding become difficult?  What has changed?   As I studied, I saw the following ten (or more) points.  I wonder if it doesn’t speak to the modern-day shepherd or pastor?  I’ll outline what I saw and leave you to your own conclusions.  

1. Son.  A shepherd was usually the youngest son of the family who was delegated to the task of caring for the sheep. A farmer didn’t have time to move sheep from pasture to pasture—so he chose his young son to do it.  A certain age was not a prerequisite. The father chose his son to do the job when he knew he was capable and ready.
2. Lonely Job. Being a shepherd, you were alone a great deal of the time. Shepherds were nomadic and lived set apart from society. They stayed with their sheep. In their alone times, they usually learned to play an instrument—for their own enjoyment (or worship) and to soothe the sheep. 
3. They Led the Sheep. They didn’t drive their sheep—they led them with confidence.  If the sheep resisted, the shepherd would convince that one favored sheep who kept close to him, to lead the way and the others would follow.  
4. Protected.  The shepherd protected the sheep from predators with his weapon.  He had lots of time to practice hitting a target as he watched his sheep graze. He was willing to lay down his life for his sheep.  If one sheep was missing, he would put the other sheep in a pen and go searching until he found the lost sheep. He loves all of his sheep!
5. Guarded.  Many sheep paddocks were circular walls with one opening. After the sheep were in for the night, the shepherd would lay across the opening to guard the sheep. In this way, he became the gate.  
6. Healer.  When the sheep got cuts from brambles, the shepherd would anoint it with oil to bring healing. If a sheep was injured, the shepherd would create a sling and carry the sheep. 
7. The Shepherd Knew His Sheep. He gave many, or all, of his sheep names.  They knew his voice because he talked to them and played with them. Whenever several shepherds ended up at the same field with their sheep, they would each call their sheep and they would naturally separate because they knew their own shepherd’s voice.  
8. A Shepherd Paid a Price.  The shepherd (or his family) bought the sheep.  It was an investment they didn’t take lightly. The shepherd guarded the sheep because they belonged to him. There was always a price to pay. 
9. A Shepherd Provides Freedom from Fear, Tension, Aggravation, and Hunger.  A shepherd would go ahead of the sheep to a new field to make sure there were no predators and to prepare the field—to free it of any poisonous or harmful weeds.  The sheep could not rest as long as it was fearful.  There’s also tension between many sheep, or especially, rams.  So the shepherd would grease the heads of the belligerent sheep so their heads would glance off of each other as they hit one another.  Sheep can literally beat their brains to death.  Gnats, flies, and other insects would aggravate the sheep until they couldn’t rest.  So the shepherd would anoint the sheep with oil. 
10. Lays Down His Own Needs for the Needs of the Sheep. The shepherd lives a life of self-denial. 

One thing I learned through my studies is that many families have to hire someone to care for their sheep.  They are called hirelings.  They have nothing invested and when predators come, they easily abandon the sheep.  Also as things have become more modern and there is less open land to pasture the sheep, fences have been put up to corral the sheep. Many modern shepherds ride the fences on horseback to check their sheep. The sheep no longer know their shepherd intimately.  

Another important thing a shepherd must do is first be a sheep and be led by the Good Shepherd. He must hear His voice and obey Him. 

*I highly recommend the book, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller

Tomorrow, I’ll talk about the sheep...

Ask for a Priscilla & Aquila!

Paul arrived at Corinth and met Aquila and his wife, Priscilla. This couple constructed tents—just like Paul. Being a tent-maker in those days was much like being a house builder. Both had to understand the need, dimension, fitting things together, and quality construction—all things which helped in ministry.  Paul joined forces with this couple to make tents (even moving in with them) but he taught at the synagogue on the Sabbath. Within time, it appears that Paul was spending more time teaching than constructing tents—probably at the encouragement of his partners. 

It’s obvious that these three formed a strong bond. Conflict began to arise among the Jews over Paul’s teaching and they attacked him and took him before the proconsul who then told the Jewish leaders to deal with the issue themselves. The leader of the synagogue was publicly flogged for allowing Paul to preach. Eventually, Paul left Corinth for Syria—in the company of Priscilla & Aquila. 

Attacks against the preacher are nothing new. Many of the early preachers were martyred—because Satan wanted to stop the beginning flow of the sharing of the gospel. I believe as the return of Christ draws near, attacks on the preacher of the gospel are increasing. 

God once asked me to speak His message openly in a congregation and I obeyed. I was crucified. But guess who stepped up in my defense?  My Priscillas and Aquilas. The amazing thing about a Priscilla & an Aquila is that they don’t blindly defend YOU. They are a defender of the truth and will lovingly correct you, if necessary. 

Find your Priscilla & Aquila.  They will work hard alongside you.  They will follow you as you preach the gospel. They will even become strong teachers themselves!  Priscilla & Aquila taught Apollos the rest of the story when they heard him teach the teachings of John. Some scholars even believe Priscilla was the author of Hebrews. But most importantly, they will stand with you to defend the truth.  Every good warrior needs someone covering his back. Ask God to bring your Priscilla & Aquila alongside you. 

Happiness

Since I’ve been in Borger the past few weeks, I’ve heard the same thing over and over from people there:  “You and Andy seem so happy in Groom!”  We are!!  Oh my goodness—are we ever!  There are several reasons and it’s taken me awhile to think about it and give voice to it. 

•I chose to be happy. I remember on our way into Groom, I told God, “God, I CHOOSE to love these people and this place!”  I honestly thought it was going to be a hard adjustment—but the people of FBC and Groom made it easy. They are amazing people. After our first year here, I told Andy, “What if we’d missed out on knowing these people??”

•I’ve continued growing and changing since I moved to Groom. In fact, I’d say some of the most significant changing has taken place as I’ve come to understand who I am. But that couldn’t have happened without God plowing up the ground of my heart in Borger. Borger was the place where we grew up!  

•FBC Groom has taught us community. In a small church, it takes everyone to make something happen. And in a small community, you know everything that’s going on with everyone. After serving in a church of every size, I choose small. Relationships are so important and it’s so much easier to build strong relationships in small communities. (Which is also why large churches work to create small communities!)

•God is here. Of course...he’s everywhere!  And he wants to do something through all of us to impact the kingdom of God. We’ve never felt the significance of that like we do here. So much of our ministry we’ve only been able to see the results in hindsight. But we feel the urgency and excitement here.  Unity unleashes a limitless God!

Am I happy?  Absolutely!! I’m sure part of that is because I’ve matured. So much of my life I’ve struggled over “the next thing.”  I’ve finally learned to be content. And maybe the most beautiful thing is the connectedness we have with four different churches—Amarillo, Broken Arrow, Borger & Groom. It just feels like I’m in the perfect place physically and spiritually to see God do abundantly above all I could ask or think!

A Dried-Up Palm Branch

A lady at Caprock has had this palm branch hanging on her door since Palm Sunday. As I’ve walked by it each day and watched it dry up, so many thoughts have run through my mind. All of those palm branches from the triumphal entry of Jesus were lying forgotten on the road as the week progressed. People’s emotions turned from exultant joy to being terrified, angry, or even murderous. 

But Jesus?  I think those palm branches were a memory he clung to. Have you ever had something sweet happen and immediately entered into a trial?  That happened to me in January 2018. My sister and I went to Pawhuska, Oklahoma to visit the Pioneer Woman’s store and tour her lodge. On our way home, we stayed in Oklahoma City and shopped at the outlet mall. We had a BLAST!!  We talked our heads off and just relaxed. Upon coming home, Andy’s family & I began the journey of my mother-in-law’s cancer. It’s been over two months of treatments, hospital stays, and rehab—with no end in sight. My mind keeps taking me back to that trip with my sister. What a gift!!  

I kind of think Jesus hung on to those waving palm branches as he faced the cross. Those palm branches weren’t a flippant thing—even though the people misunderstood. He knew he would become King after he paid for the sins of the world. Not just a king...the King of Kings.

Who Are They?

I’ve been caring for my mother-in-law who is in rehab. She’s there trying to regain her strength so she can resume chemo treatments. This particular rehab is a combination nursing home and rehab. Yesterday, God instructed me to SEE as I went to spend the day with my mother-in-law. I wasn’t sure what he meant, but I asked God to open my eyes to see what he sees. 

As I walked the halls and stopped to talk with several people, God began to open my eyes. If I could have seen these same people 50 years ago who are now shuffling, walking with walkers, wheeling themselves in wheelchairs, or sitting and looking at me blankly, I would have seen someone completely different. I would have seen young mothers hanging their clothes on the clothesline and cooking meals from scratch. I would have seen strong-backed men working on power lines, building houses, or working hard at a carbon black plant. I would have seen teachers, nurses, secretaries. I would have seen pastors, musicians—family men who loved to make their families happy, men who opened doors for women. I would have seen serious, lighthearted, emotional, fun-loving people—friends and neighbors. I would have seen leaders of thriving churches and growing communities. I would have seen heroes who survived a war and their wives who survived the separation. These people are a part of what is called the greatest generation; people with wills of iron. And they all have stories. 

One lady, who was a wonderful teacher, dresses smartly and walks the halls every day. She has no idea she is a resident—she believes she’s there to visit these people. I love her!

One man endured a life of highs and lows as a builder in a day when money was hard to come by. He lost his wife a few years ago but has sweet family who come to encourage him and meet his needs as he goes through rehab. He hopes to go home next week. 

One woman advises us all that she has Alzheimer’s. Her husband comes at 5 in the morning and stays until 10 at night just to be with her. He eats all of his meals there. Andy says it reminds him of the movie, The Notebook. 

And there are residents who only have the quiet visitors of memories in their minds. Their bodies are now tired and worn out and their minds frail. They are alone after a lifetime of giving, I imagine. Most long for home; some don’t even remember. 

If God asks you to SEE....look closely.

2018

What will 2018 hold?  

There’s only One who knows. And He’s already gone before us into our future. That’s my confidence. 

But it doesn’t mean I won’t ask. I’m asking for change—a change in my heart, a change in my capacity to give, a change in my understanding, a change of perspective, a change in habits, change....

I want to see God do amazing things. Things that blow my mind. Miracles...often.  

I want deeper relationships and broader influence. I want to know God in ways I’ve never known Him. I want to be his friend...His very good friend!