11.25.2006

Matthew 23:12
For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

James 4:10
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

1 Peter 5:6, 7
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Hello everyone,

How are you all? So Thanksgiving has come and passed, and I hope that you all had a very splendid holiday that in turn you can be thankful for. There are so many things to be thankful for; and although you may have this heard from sermons and other places, I hope we can all remember to give thanks every day of our lives.
Between being sick for the first half of the week, and then spending the rest of the week with friends and family, I’d been unsure of what to write about this week. But, I think I’ll share something I noticed this morning in my Bible reading… I recently hopped into the book of Judges, and today I read the story about Gideon (Judges 6 & 7). Here’s the skinny on what had been going on up to the call of Gideon: Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord; Israel’s enemies came against them; they cried out; He saved them through a judge; judge dies; they do evil in the sight of the Lord again.
Rinse. Wash. Repeat.
So Gideon is called on to as a tool to save Israel again, and the calling isn’t one that the man readily accepts. He describes himself as being of the weakest clan around and that he’s the least in his entire family. God’s response is to remind Gideon that He will be with the warrior… and yet throughout the entire story, Gideon still feels the need to double check to make sure God REALLY wants to use HIM of all the people of Israel. God turns out to be very patient, faithful, and in the end He uses Gideon to save Israel from their enemies.
Now, if you back it up and replay 6:11-23, I know I can relate. God comes out of the blue with a calling, and the appointed party can only respond, “Uh, are you really sure you want to use me? I’m totally unable to do that…” (Like we know better than God). Ever felt like God was calling you to do something that you weren’t even really sure you knew how to do? Or, ever had someone suggest that you pray about doing something that you have little to no experience with -- or worse yet, you are terrified to do in the first place?

Personally, I would say that our Father is in the business of tossing his kids out into the water in order to teach them how to swim. Sounds cold, doesn’t it? But keep in mind that although we’re floundering around trying to figure out how to keep afloat, God’s there the whole time, making sure we’re safe.
What’s equally amazing, though, is the fact that God really does use those of us who feel like we are weak and nobody. He uses us when we acknowledge the fact that we’ve got nothing to offer, and He’s the one we’ve got to depend on for everything. I think that Gideon knew the whole time that what he had to offer wasn’t going to cut saving Israel, especially when his army was cut from a 32,000 swarm to a handful of 300 men – to fight an army whose men were “impossible to count!” Talk about being tossed out into the water! But, Gideon chose to trust that God even though he was afraid (7:10-11).
I don’t know about you… but that sounds like a hard thing to do. I don’t mean just trusting God, but trusting God and saying, “I don’t have a thing to offer.” Yet, we are called to do this very thing: come to the Lord in humility.

Humbleness is a hard thing to learn, and I pray that each of us learn humility. I pray that each of us would come before other human beings in humble ways, knowing that we are no better than the other. I ask that the Holy Spirit would work in us a humble heart and a child-like faith, so that we may put down our sinful pride and short-sightedness. Not just this, but I also pray that we hear his voice and his calling; rather than being afraid I pray that we would find our confidence in the Lord and follow through with his call.

In love and in Him,
Your sister,
Yvonne

11.16.2006

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Hey everyone,

There has been so much going on lately that I am unsure of where this Weekly will go. My apologies of this one seems a little scatter-brained.
God is amazing, in so many different ways, and I just have been floored with how good He is.
This may come as a suprise for some of those that go to my church, but this past Sunday was the last service I will be attending... not forever, as I will come back and visit, but it's time for me to start transitioning. This transition is hard, believe me. It is so easy to be resistant to change, but you know, change is not a bad thing. In fact, if change weren't essential to growth (physically as well as spiritually), then we would all be in a mess of trouble. Right? Think about how much we would not have learned if our circumstances did not change at all. We wouldn't be forced to get out of our comfort zone and take on challenges put before us, learning perhaps in a stumbling sort of way to adapt to our new circumstances.
Getting ready to move sometime in the near future (not sure when) means a LOT of change. Looking for a new church means a lot of change too, and new people to connect with. I won't be able to see my friends or church family very often... and that's a hard truth to accept. Like I mentioned above, it would be so easy to resist this kind of change. But, this is God given. Any new circumstance forces us to grow -- and I don't know if you've noticed, but I think that God is the kind of God that likes to see us grow. Just like an earthly mother or father likes to see their child grow and mature, so the same is with our heavenly Father. We are His children, and we've all got to mature somehow.

So, what is the point of this Weekly? What am I getting at? Honestly, this email is very very different than any other Weeklies because I'm on the cusp of uncertainty and excitement, just waiting to see what God has in store for me next. There are so many new and different things coming into my life that I am just at a loss of words (and yet I seem to have so much to say).
I suppose the point is to assure you, as my brothers and sisters in Christ, that any change in your life that has the appearance of the negative doesn't have to be taken negatively. There are certainly real things in our lives that will break our hearts and cause us some degree of pain. These things grow us too, and through that pain we can still praise the Lord for whatever it is He is trying to teach us. It may not be until after the change has happened that we can praise Him for what He taught us, but that's okay. There are also changes that are just really hard to get through, but they're still good because they stretch our faith in ways that we could never have been stretched without it.
Call me a persistant optimist, if you like; I know I can be, but it's because God is so amazing. Pray that I can keep that kind of focus when the real hard times come knocking on my door - and they will come. There is a time for everything, good and bad, and our attitude and response to these can either give to our growth or take away from it. Really, it comes to how we choose to respond. Will we acknowledge the Lord for the very good things, and also the very bad? I hope so. I hope He gives us all the strength to kneel before His grace and say, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord," regardless of what is happening in our lives.

I pray that each of one of us, as God's beloved sons and daughters, will learn and grow continually. I ask that the Holy Spirit refine us more and more into the likeness of Christ, so that when in all circumstances we can praise the Lord for His goodness. I also pray that the Lord would bring things into our lives that DO teach us, and do cause us to be stretched in our faith in such a way that we can understand and love Him more. In addition to this, I pray that we would always bear with one another in love and forgiveness, knowing that each of us are under construction.

In love and in Him,
your sister,
Yvonne

11.07.2006

Psalm 34:3
Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt His name together.

1 Corinthians 10:31
So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Hey everyone,

Sorry that this is coming up a few days later than expected. It seems as though being in the middle of a whirlwind is becoming more and more common… and there aren’t any signs of the weather letting up any time in the near future. But, that’s okay, because the whirlwind has been good.

The thing that has been on my mind over the past week (and a half) is worship and praise. There is so much that God has been doing in my life recently, and quite honestly I don’t understand why He’s been so good to me besides the fact that goodness is a part of who He is. It’s just… awesome. Words cannot express it.
Thinking on it now, and the nature of worship, questions come up. What does it mean to worship? How do we, as children of God, worship the Father? How do I praise God? What do I praise God for?
Generally speaking, when people hear the word ‘worship’ as a verb, they think of music. In our tidy Christian bookstores, we have whole sections dedicated to “worship music.” But, music that isn’t labeled specifically as ‘worship’ can also be worshipful music. Worship is also something that is well beyond music, and can be done through art, chores, or simply just sitting and appreciating the beauty of nature. Ultimately, just about anything and everything in our lives can be done in a worshipful way to God. When we worship God, it isn’t about what we do. Worship is about the heart and attitude we have… pouring out praises and love, adoration and awe, obedience and humility. And really, there’s a lot that we have to praise God for. The very fact that we wake up each morning with breath in our lungs and a soft bed under our bodies is a pretty darn good reason to praise the Lord. (I may complain about my mattress, but I’m sure glad that I have one.) The fact that God has made us with hundreds of taste-buds to enjoy food is another way I praise the Lord. Being able to worship God freely without persecution is another good reason to praise Him… and so many, many other things that happen every single day that we take for granted.
With that in mind, I’m mixing something a little different into this Weekly. I’m giving you a homework assignment… you can send it back to me if you like, so I can praise the Lord with you.
What is it that you praise God for? Really think about it. In what ways do you see how God has been good to you? Praise Him for it!
Journal it. Sing about it. Be inspired by it. Think about it during the rest of this week; turn it over and let it simmer a while. Talk to someone about it. Bring it up. Ask someone about how they praise the Lord. Whatever you do, do not let this opportunity pass you by. Seize it and give it back to God.
This is what we at my home-church like to call “Bragging on God.” So; brag on God. He’s been good to you, right?

In love and in Him,
Your sister,
Yvonne