The Girl Who Cried Abba Father

I found a poem written by Brennan Manning. I wrote it down on a little piece of notebook paper years ago. Every time I read I can hear my heart just calling out "Abba Father."

The road that I have traveled is pockmarked by disastrous victories and magnificent defeats, soul-diminishing successes and life-enhancing failures. Season of fidelity and betrayal, periods of consolation and desolation, zeal and apathy are not unknown to me. And there have been times...

when the felt presence of God was more real to me

than the chair I am sitting on;

when the Word ricocheted like broken-backed

lightning in every corner of my soul;

when a storm of desire carried me to places I had

never visited.

And there have been other times. . .

when I identified with the words of Mae West: "I

used to be Snow White--but I drifted";

when the Word was as stale as old ice cream and

as bland as tame sausage;

when the fire in my belly flickered and died;

when I mistook dried up enthusiasm for gray-haired

wisdom;

when I dismissed youthful idealism as mere

naivete;

when I preferred cheap slivers of glass to the pearl

of great price.

If you relate to any of these experiences, it is time to reclaim your identity as Abba's Child.

401k's and invest firms

The decisions you make today will affect generations tomorrow.

These are my grandparents. They have got to be some of the most extraordinary people I have ever met.

Here's a thought: why not sow into generational blessing. I am not talking about setting up your 401k, investing in different countries, buying your burial plot so the fam doesn't have to worry about the cost...I am talking about cultivating a sphere of honor, humility, trust and love around you. Going after loving the Lord your God with all your heart NOW so that generations to come are blessed to walk in greater fullness.

I believe that we have two options every day. We can choose to align with the Kingdom of God or we can choose to agree with the kingdom of darkness. When you choose to give extravagantly, you set yourself up to receive extravagantly. Every decision you make agrees and aligns with life or death. The thoughts that you think either agree or disagree with the word of God.

here's the point: My grandparents have set up my mom and her brothers and sister to succeed. Responsibility, desire, joy, LOVE, laughter...those were not just taught by my grandparents, but they were modeled. And so they have also been passed down to the grand kids. I get to look around and see the favor that the Lord has had on my grandparents, and by generational blessing it has been passed down to me. Look at your family and trace God's blessing. Find the root of it. A hint: it starts with agreeing with life. Make decisions today that will affect generations tomorrow.

Also, love on your grandparents.

Humility

I am reading "The Supernatural Ways of Royalty" and my gosh it is rockin' my world.

I can't put it down. I was at work the other day and one of my friends came into the break room and asked what I was reading. So I showed her the cover and she gives me one of these, "ohhh ohhhh wow...so how's your day." haha funny. BUT anyone who knows they are called to be royalty in the kingdom of God. To co-heir with Him and live an outrageous life should read this book. OHH wait, that's everyone! COME on! read it.

When someone compliments you how do you respond? Do you get uncomfortable? Do you dig for compliments so when they finally come it is a relief? Do you immediately pass the credit on to something or someone else? You see this scenario often...someone will come up and give a compliment to a pastor or worship leader, etc. and usually the response is, "well, it wasn't me it is Him." And then you want to say, gosh Honey, you weren't that good!

But am I right? yes, I am. The church has weakened its members in the name of humility. So now we have a bunch of mighty warriors walking around in paupers clothing not having a clue who they are! I have so been there. I thought that if I continued to humble myself then God would get the glory. It is not about ME but it is about Him. And that is SO true. But picture this:

You are the artist who carved this magnificent sculpture. And then I came around and started telling you everything that is wrong with your work. "The hands are too big. The nose is too flat. Where's the hair? Why did you choose this color? Gosh, this sculpture will never get sold." Ok, so did bashing and tearing down the sculpture bring glory to the artist. No way!

And are we no different? Our Father sculpted us so perfectly and the best part is that Jesus was the model. We were created in the image of God. Who are you to demean the handy work of your Father? That is not humility, that is dumb.

When we buy into this lie of false humility we compromise our full identity in who Christ made us to be. You really think God wants any army of insecure dumb-dumbs or an army confident in who they are BECAUSE of who their leader is. Here is the difference: Pride enters because you are ohhh so happy with your own achievements. "Oh look at me. I'm the best, prettiest, bang bang bang." But true humility roots from a confidence that we are great and carry authority because of the ONE who made us righteous. See the difference? I can walk around in confident assurance that height nor depth nor present nor future can stand in the way from loving my God because it was all defeated.

Once we begin to get WHO we are and understand our identity, our life in Christ will be launched into greater destiny!

"The truth of God's grace humbles a man without degrading him and exalts a man without inflating him."

Peanuts! Water! Rockies!

I was walking around downtown Denver the other night. Just taking pictures and doin my thing. I walked by this woman yelling,"peanuts, water, soda...50 cents..." She must've been 65 years old. about 20 minutes later I happen to walk by her again. We make eye contact this time and for some reason I stopped. She says, "water?" I thought yea that sounds real nice. So I'm digging and digging in my suitcase of a purse for a single dollar. And I got nothing. Not a single cent. So I asked if she took debit cards. She blankly stared back at me. So then I said, "Well can I write you a check?" Ohhhhhhh nooo she says. Then she begins insisting that I take the water for free.

Sweet Lady: Here take it.

Me: no, let me just keep digging. I'll find some change.

Sweet Lady: no, take water.

Me: So who should I write the check out to?

Sweet Lady: handing me the water

Me: what should I put in the 'memo' section?

Sweet Lady: take water, please? please take my water.

Me: walking away richer than when i got there.

"A plan in the heart of a man is like deep water, but a man of understanding draws it out." Proverbs 20:5

My sweet lady friend was wearing clothes that were torn. She sells peanuts for a living. The only english she knows is peanuts, water and rockies game. And yet she met my need. She has very little, but yet was able to give me exactly what I needed at exactly the right time. She doesn't even know my name. I don't know hers. She gave me the only thing she had. Incredible!

What a picture of edification. When people come in contact with you, they should always leave better than when they got there. Not because of who you are but because of who is INSIDE of you. A leader does not act out of jealousy or pride. The highest compliment is when those around you rise up to a higher place than you. What an honor we have as friends to be able to discern God's carefully crafted qualities and treat each other not as they are but as God created them to be.

Many a times we buy into the lies of the kingdom of darkness. And as friends, we get to rally behind each other, call out the lie the and speak LIFE abundantly over each other. THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING.

so gooooo and love on people. build up! speak truth and love! prophecy over someone's life!

Dance with Me

Hollywood, hot pink, kissy face, hard-to-get, catch me if you can love has got nothing on Jesus.

Seriously. He is a true gentleman and will never force Himself upon anyone. But when you extend an invitation for His love, brace yourself. He will romance you "to the song of all songs." Think about it for one second. The King of the entire universe...He is madly in love with you. This changes everything.

ahh, how sweet it is to be loved by Him. And I can honestly say for the first time in my life that I am in deep love with the One whose face I've never seen.

Forgetful Ferguson/Forgiven

I am a huge phone screener. meaning if I don't know who you are and why you are calling I probably won't pick up...especially if you're a number I don't recognize. But then I realized something. I will get anxious about people calling that I don't know who/why they are calling. Let me play out a typical scenario that happened just the other day: Me walking into starbucks. Phone rings. AH! i don't know the number. My brain has a field day. Who is it? why are they calling? Oh gosh, I bet I'm supposed to be somewhere right now. Where am I supposed to be? Oh shoot, I forgot to....blah blah blah.

I am not paranoid, by the way. Not for one second.

There was a time in my life when I was quite forgetful. I was forgetful ferguson. I'm not sure why. Probably didn't know how to manage my time. too much going on, etc. I would forget to be certain place, or call certain people. or do this, that...I remember answering the phone to some not so happy people. So during that time I would get truly anxious to answer the phone. That was at least two years ago, though. Why is it still an issue.

FORGIVENESS RESTORES THE STANDARD.

When you forgive someone, you give away your right to act angry, mad, bitter...because forgiveness restores honor. It brings you right back to "the pinnacle, the high place." that is what repentance is. When you choose to not forgive, you choose to allow yourself to stay in a place of bondage and captivity. How? we waste our time trying to get even or redeem the situation instead of walking in the freedom of who God called you to be. It is an honor to forgive YOURSELF and others.

This may seem small, but I have never forgiven myself for my forgetful ferguson years. NEVER. So all I remember are angry phone calls and missed appointments. That is my standard. So of course my body is going to react in a topsy turby anxious way. But as I have allowed God's grace to cover all. His redeeming blood to go deep, all is wiped clean. all is restored. I can answer the phone knowing that I am the righteousness of Christ and by His glory I am set free. I don't have to live in a prison of torment.

I encourage you to forgive. Forgive those around you. That does not mean you have to trust those who have abused, abandoned, rejected or wounded you, but it does mean you have to release them from your grip. And as you do, chains will be broken off your life and you'll be able to jump a little higher, dance a little longer, sing a little louder.

Blogger Fever!

What fun life is! truly. I know from first hand experience. My life is so blessed and so full of goodness. And so are the lives around me. I was thinking that it would be fun to share life together in a different sort of way. a blogging way. I don't quite know exactly why I wanted to start a blog. maybe because everyone I know is doing it. Ahh, the peer pressure. But what I do know is that we only have one of these best lives to live. SO come ALIVE in this LIFE! let freedom be your banner. Awake, awake!