Update #90

"If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples." John 13:35

When you read the word “unity” what pops into your mind? A bunch of flower adorned hippies, arms around each other singing songs of love? A group of radicals petitioning about some cause or another with signs and fists raised? A posed family photograph?

Today unity is a very rare thing. It is found in groups that unite around a cause (Save the Whales) or an initiative (Proposition 8) – but only for a short time – as soon as the campaign or event is over the group dissolves and the unity disappears. A few crusaders may remain but their unity isn’t usually far reaching.

Harmony is something God desires for us. Unity is something Jesus cultivated. If this is true, and it is so precious, why don’t we see it more? I’ll tell you why, unity threatens the opposition.

When Christians unify we are dangerous. When Christians unify and start working together the enemy knows he is in trouble. Or adversary will do anything to prevent this.

How do Satan and his minions keep us from harmony and one accord? Through playing to our pride. Through nursing unforgiveness. Through salting bitterness, strife, malice, and envy in our lives. Through creation of dissatisfaction, discontent, and dissention. Through jealousy, anger and ambition…get the idea?

One of the key tools in fighting fractured unity is forgiveness…it heals, it sooths, it unites. It causes resolution, restitution, and reconciliation.

Forgiveness is not always easy. Forgiveness may mean confrontation and truth speaking. Forgiveness might cause vulnerability and a chance that wounds be opened that you would rather have left alone. Forgiveness means letting go; letting go and letting God handle the situation; letting God handle the consequences in his way, his time, with his grace.

The ultimate battle weapon in the fight for unity is love. Forgiveness, in essence, means loving another more than yourself, your rights, your due; in order to restore a relationship, a situation, a wrong. Forgiveness is trusting God to make the best of a situation and, in spite of what has been done to you, loving the other person. Love is putting aside pain and past grievances, issues and differences, agendas and pride, gender and race in order to unify and advance the kingdom of God. This type of unity is powerfilled!

Where does the enemy have a foothold in your life? Where do you need to shine the love and power of forgiveness? Who do you need to forgive? What situation is God asking you to speak into and restore righteousness?

And lastly, how much has God forgiven you?

Updates:
Living – My Redmond, Washington condo will probably go on the market next week…
Work – Training begins on Wednesday! We are still seeking volunteers to fill several small roles (Can you cut cantaloupe? Slice bread? Help with scorecard coaching?)
Health – My ankle is better – even with the rain and blustery early-Spring weather.
Social – I am really enjoying hosting people in my new little home! Megan was my second houseguest and I made a Valentines Day breakfast for her and the Johnsons…note, don’t put sour cream into waffle mix weird things happen!
Finances – If you would like to sow into what I am doing see the footer info at http://www.denaandrews.blogstpot.com/ or contribute at http://www.repurposing.biz/ for more information.

Requests:
Work – That I would be able to discern the most important tasks and be ok with letting the rest of my “list” wait until later.
Intimacy with God – That I would carve out more time to be able to listen to what God is saying.
Relationships – God has my husband out there somewhere – please pray for him and his walk with God to be deepened, strengthened and made more robust!

PS Check out this AWESOME website: http://www.iamsecond.com/ – gritty, real, and well done!

Update #89

"But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy." James 3:17

Redwood Christian Park - Santa Cruz Mountains

A very small pebble is dropped into a pool. It is innocuous, it doesn’t harm the current occupants and they continue like it isn’t even there. But, eventually the pebble gets sucked into the filtration system and jams some motorized part or anther and the entire system is forced to a stop. If not addressed the pool gets murky, green and brown stuff starts to grow and the once happy users avoid the pool all together. To the casual observer that little pebble couldn’t harm a thing – but in time the consequences of its presence are revealed. Things stop working as they normally would.

Do you have areas of your life that aren’t working as they should? Are certain relationships out of whack? Do you struggle to keep or make friends? Do you become easily offended? How are your finances?

Do you have any closets in your life that you don’t want to open? A past relationship that, regretfully, went a little too far physically; a cruel word spoken in anger to a loved one; prescription drug dependence; an aborted pregnancy; a childhood prank turned wrong; a homosexual encounter / relationship; past illegal drug use; hatred toward a spouse, loved one or friend…Do you have a hidden past you don’t want exposed?

Why do I ask this? Because, I don’t think people really understand the full impact of sin. If they did, they wouldn’t even be tempted to do it. Big or small, white or black, sin spoils relationships, environments, cultures, and families - not only now but for generations to come.

The wrongs you have done don’t just affect you. Like the pool example, your sin affects all those around you – your spouse, your children, your friends, your parents, your coworkers. Sin is pervasive and subtle – seemingly mild and inoffensive – but the long term effects are extremely damaging.

God says that all things will come into the light eventually – and the far reaching affects of our sin will be disclosed.

Fortunately, there is a way to avoid the guilt and shame due to you. There is a way to become blameless and free of sin. Jesus.

God requires blood sacrifice to cover wrong-doing. Because Jesus was perfect, because he never had that “closet” of hidden wrongs, because he was tempted and resisted where we didn’t, he became the worlds sacrifice for sin.

Guilt gone. Shame lifted. Closet cleaned. Feeling good.

Whether you realize it or not, accept it or not, Jesus is the only answer to a better life. Will you let him take the pebbles out of your pool? Will you let him clean your closet?

Christians are afraid to be known to have sinned, thinking it mars their reputation, standing and witness. I have found the exact opposite to be true. When God works in your life, when he transforms a past wrong, it becomes an area of right – an area of strength and light – and he uses it for his glory. Gory equates to honor…I want the honor of God, I want his glory to rest on me – don’t you?

Here is a secret…the less pebbly your pool and cleaner your closet the greater the glory. Who doesn’t want that?

Updates:
Living– Due to an absurdly large special assessment ($46.6K) my condo is soon to be on the market. Yep, the season of home-ownership is over!
Work – Still looking for a bookkeeper, training volunteers, and recruits…we are calling this the “week of miracles” at the Home Office. Yep, praying for them to appear!
Social – I liked the new church I tried out – small, very friendly and CLOSE! I will definitely go back again. It is very “Seattle” - they have a 20 minute coffee break in the middle of the service!
Finances – My monthly needs have increased since I moved into my little place. If you would like to sow into what I am doing see the footer info at http://www.denaandrews.blogstpot.com/ or contribute at http://www.repurposing.biz/ for more information.

Requests:
Work – That I would be able to discern the most important tasks and be ok with letting the rest of my “list” wait until later.
Intimacy with God – That I would carve out more time!
Health – My ankle continues to improve as long as I “behave” myself. I just have to remember not to try anything too strenuous or taxing and it is relatively pain free.
Financing – I am sowing, sowing, sowing for my future harvest…

Thanks for reading,

Dena

PS I heard of a great Christian Conference in the Seattle area http://www.christiansinglesconference.org/ March 6-8th – beautiful location and incredible speakers...if you are in the area, I hope you can go!