Update #74

“I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD. They are plans for peace and not disaster, plans to give you a future filled with hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe...through a forest fire smoky haze

When someone says “sold out” what do you think of? Some words that come to my mind are: depleted, empty, no more, all gone, used up, finished, and bare. Usually this term isn’t a positive one – “I’m sorry, we are sold out of that product.” “We don’t carry that product any longer and we are sold out of the back stock.”

Today in Christian circles I have heard this term blithely used, in a positive manner, to quantify a person’s relationship with Christ. (“I’m sold out.”) But, are you really?

Are you really depleted of yourself – your fleshly desires no longer hold you; you are empty of selfishness; you have no more self-centered tendencies; your ability to love in an un-Godlike way is all gone; your pride is used up and finished; and you are a bare tomb in whom Christ can come live, take over and use?

It is like someone buys a house and the previous owner stays on as a tenant. The new owner has all rights to every square foot – all rooms, drawers, cabinets, and closets. But the tenant refuses to hand over rights to certain parts of the house. It is like they say “You can paint, remodel, refurbish everything but this closet, these drawers, and the attic…I don’t want them changed.”

So we approach God. We want to be “sold out” and follow him – as long as he doesn’t:

1. Send me to a third world country to live
2. Make me dependant on him for monetary / material support and provision
3. Have me trust him to pick my mate (I know what I like and don’t like)
4. Have me make a fool of myself by doing things people disapprove of and don’t understand
5. Put me in uncomfortable places where I don’t feel sure of myself and don’t know what to do.

And the list goes on…we have an “agreement” with God on how this relationship will work –what we will and will not participate in or be party to. It is a control mechanism we use to “protect” ourselves. And God honors it…to a point.

Then we cry out to God – asking to experience more of him, to grow in our faith and have a greater degree of “sold-outedness”…and God will honor that by asking to have access to a “closet, drawer, room” of your life you have previously denied him access to.

Only when God has full owners rights to your “house” can true “sold outness” take place. Only when we fully obey his every command, relinquish and surrender our every thought and action can we be authentically “sold out.”

What hinders God from moving forward with your remodel? What drawers, closets, and rooms do you have him sealed out of? What is in your unconscious “agreement”?

Updates:
Living – I am living with my relatives, the Johnsons have made an offer on a property in Los Gatos and so I may be moving in the next few months. We are actively fundraising for the property…$2million is due August 15. Check out the blog for details http://campus.inst.net/
Work – working mainly from home and commuting to meetings. It is such a blessing having a home with Wi-Fi, a printer, copier…and AIR CONDITIONING!
Travel – heading to ??? for my birthday weekend…my boyfriend Greg won’t tell me where! This is so fun!

Requests:
Housing – a little space somewhere close to the Johnsons will soon be needed! I would love a little cottage!
Work – for the upcoming training – we need a coordinator and recruits! Also for perseverance through this transitory time – it is hard being scattered, working virtual, and trying to stay on top of “the next thing.”
Purpose – I finished the class I was taking and am now applying for “Facilitator” status…and writing a proposal about introducing an e-learning platform to their training method – pray for favor!
Relationships - deepening of present ones, start of new ones and that God will be present.
Financing - If you are interested in contributing, please see ‘Contribute’ at http://www.repurposing.biz/ on the left of the page, or visit http://www.denaandrews.blogspot.com/ and read the footer for additional info.

Dena

PS Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes!

Update #73

Love one another as I have loved you…if you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples." John 13:35-36

Downtown San Francisco

What are you known for? A friend of mine in Japan is known for his kanji characters, another for her pastry, another for her floral arranging, another for her clean house, another for her photo albums, another for his zest for color and ability to create, another for his culinary concoctions.

A more intimate, question would be “What do you want to be known for?” Most of us want to be known for our character attributes vs. what we yield. We want to be known as compassionate, empathetic, caring, thoughtful, generous, sympathetic, considerate, openhearted, honorable, trustworthy, charitable, unselfish, selfless, attentive, understanding, and/or supportive (to list a few).

The Bible says, as Christians we are to be known by our love. God defines love as patient, kind, not envious or boastful, not arrogant or proud, not rude, not insisting on its own way and not irritable or resentful. Love rejoices with truth, is long-suffering, has hope, endurance and is eternal and unending. This is how Christians are earmarked - through our loving treatment of others. Does this describe you and your every interaction? How well do you align with God’s way of treating others? I didn’t do favorably.

I like things neat and organized (i.e. my way). I have difficulty tolerating abrasive people. I am not very patient with those in sin – those who know it but don’t want to change. I can be rude when in a hurry. I can be irritable (especially when it is blazing hot and I am tired) and can become resentful when hurt. And, unfortunately, my love isn’t eternal and unending…it can be conditional at times.

Where do you falter? What areas of love’s definition cause you to stumble and fall? Why do you wobble? For me it is plain…self-centeredness; I am more concerned about me, my needs, my wants, and them being met - than I am about others. Ouch.

I don’t think I am alone. I know this because the Christians surrounding me don’t always love me, treat me, consider me as God would. We get into ourselves, our mess, our needs, our desires, our hurts, and become blind to others around us. We navel gaze and our world becomes very small – very small indeed – where the only concerns worth addressing are ours.

Fighting self-centeredness, selfishness, and an ego-centric lifestyle is hard and can only be won with God. Try to do it on your own and you will exhaust yourself.

Where to start? Where can you start consistently showing God’s love to others? At work? At home? At play? Start anyplace where can you put others before yourself and treat them as God would…

Updates:
Living – I am living with my relatives, the Johnsons have made an offer on a property in Los Gatos and so I may be moving in the next few months.
Work – working mainly from home and I commuting to meetings. It is such a blessing having a home with Wi-Fi, a printer, copier…and AIR CONDITIONING!
Travel – heading to Tahoe over the 4th of July holiday weekend to meet with friends from Seattle who are coming down for a conference

Requests:
Housing – a little space somewhere close to the Johnsons will soon be needed! I would love a little cottage!
Work – for the upcoming training – we need a coordinator and recruits! Also for perseverance through this transitory time – it is hard being scattered, working virtual, and trying to stay on top of “the next thing.”
Purpose – I really feel part of my purpose is intercession and am taking a class that is quite in-depth. Pray that I can assimilate what I am learning and figure out how to best share it with others.
Relationships - deepening of present ones, start of new ones and that God will be present.
Financing - If you are interested in contributing, please see ‘Contribute’ at http://www.repurposing.biz/ on the left of the page, or visit http://www.denaandrews.blogspot.com/ and read the footer for additional info.

Dena

PS Happy Fourth of July to you Americans and Canada Day to the Canadians!