Update #107

“And do not follow the customs of the present age, but be transformed by the entire renewal of your minds, so that you may learn by experience what God's will is--that will which is good and beautiful and perfect.” Romans 12:2

Kim and I in sari's with Ashwanthi who tied them for us (we are held together with saftey pins!).

The other day one of my team mates lead a devotional on Psalm 24. I thought I would share his thoughts with you – and expand upon it a bit.

In ancient days when the Ark of the Covenant approached the walls of a city the accompanying priests called out to the gatekeepers to open the entry “Lift up your heads oh gates.” And the gatekeepers responded with “Let the King of Glory come in.”

I love that. “Let the King of Glory come in.”

My team mate then went on to share about modern day gates – the ones in our mind; doors closeting our ideals, prejudices, impressions, judgments, beliefs, viewpoints, convictions, principles, opinions, attitudes. Then he asked the stinger…What gates have you invited the King of Glory into? What gates are you guarding? What gates are you hiding? Ah, um, well…I have some work to do.

The devotional made me reflect on areas of my life that aren’t quite lining up with God’s way of doing things. I get grouchy when tired, hot, and sweaty, when I haven’t eaten, and rude people are shoving past instead of helping me put my bag in the overhead bin. I get a bit testy when I explain clearly that my internet connection is disconnected and they tell me it isn’t. I turn cranky when I am in a room and most of the occupants ignore me because I am female. Irritation rises when I am on time and the people I am meeting are very, very late.

Instead of being willing to open the gate to let the King of Glory come in and change my attitude, my actions, my assessments, I hold my ground, justify my actions and batten down my “gates” (i.e. bad behavior) with excuses and rationalizations.

Romans 12:2 says that we need to let God transform us inwardly through a complete change of our minds. This enables us to know the will of God---what is good and pleasing to him.

Opening up the “gates of our mind” to God does just that. He goes in, cleans the proverbial closet, changes our mindset, transforms our thinking, and leaves truth behind. We go from being bigoted and prejudiced to loving; from greedy and stingy to a hilarious giver; from lust filled and raunchy to pure. We are freed from our old, antiquated thinking and moved further on the continuum toward abundant life and freedom. “Know the truth and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32

What areas of your life don’t exactly match God’s principles and ideas? What areas need God’s cleaning and restocking? What areas need the sword of truth to pierce through and dismantle them? What gates are you guarding? What gates are you hiding from God?

Updates:
Condo – Still for sale.
Work – I am in India for another week. We are praying for businesses this trip and God has encouraged, infused faith, and admonished. It has been amazing to be apart of. Check out the team updates: http://repurposing.biz/chennai-november-2009-blitz/www.repurposing.biz/chennai-2009-blitz
Travel – Traffic is scary in India…I am so glad that I am not driving! We have witnessed a motorcycle accident and several fender-benders. God has protected us thus far as we travel around the city. Thank you Jesus!

Requests:
Condo – It needs to sell!
Travel – I leave for San Francisco on the 7th at 3:30 in the morning, flying via Hong Kong. Please pray for safe travel, no nausea, and that my luggage will stay intact and arrive with me. Also, pray for our day to day outings out and about Chennai – traffic rules here are a mere suggestion vs. law!
Finances – I am raising funds for my trip to India. If you would like to donate, please send a check to Annie Gaudette, 3777 Fujiyama Way, Redding, CA 96001 – include a note in the envelope stating the funds are for me. Thanks in advance for your generosity!
Websites - If you would like to RSS my update vs. getting them by email visit my blog site http://www.denaandrews.blogstpot.com/. To find out more about rēp visit http://www.repurposing.biz/ for information.

Update #106

“All of us, then, reflect the glory of the Lord with uncovered faces; and that same glory, coming from the Lord, who is the Spirit, transforms us into his likeness in an ever greater degree of glory.” 2 Corinthians 3:18

Transformation is a process. I was reminded of this last week when I watched a touching short film entitled “The Butterfly Circus.” [i -see endnote]

The redemption focus the film is clear – almost in your face. The transformation message is a bit more cloaked and subtle; and I thought about it for days.

Caterpillars are self-centered beings…food, food, food is about all they think about or consider. They grow, shed skin, grow some more, shed another covering, and grow some more. Some grow to ten-thousand times their originating weight / size in twenty days! [ii - see endnote]

Then they hibernate – or go into their cocoon – withdrawing and “working on themselves.”

A butterfly eventually bursts forth and is very vulnerable because its new wings are not ready for flight. After everything dries and the butterfly takes to the air it becomes an important part of society. Butterflies are pollination agents. [iii - see endnote]

I am surrounded by transforming people. Some are in the caterpillar stage – me, me, me, and more me; some are hibernating away from the world “working on stuff”; some have had great revelation and are assimilating it; and others have learned, grown, and are giving back.

In what stage are you? Are you self-centered in your thinking – “if it doesn’t benefit me in some way I’m not interested,” “if it isn’t fun and light hearted I don’t want to go,” “if it stretches me to be aware of anything but pleasure and ‘oh so good’ feelings, I’m not interested”?

Are you hibernating away from the world shielding yourself from outside forces and change agents? This is fine if there is heart / mind / paradigm change happening on the inside…but sometimes I think people just hide (see paragraph above) and use the excuse that they are “thinking about things.”

Are you processing a discovery? Butterflies only hang out post-cocoon for one to three hours [iv - see endnote] and then act on what they have been given. How long have you been dwelling on your last great revelation? Months? Years? Decades?

Or, are you giving back? More importantly, who are you giving back to? Have you reciprocated towards the ones who selflessly poured into you (i.e. your leaves), stood by you while you hibernated and “worked on yourself,” listened to your revelations and ultimately helped you take off from where you were to where you ultimately need to be?

Butterflies are influenced by what leaves they eat [v - see endnote] and we are inspired, impacted and given insight by the people around us. Who are the people who helped / are helping in your transformation? AND, what have you done to thank or recompense them?

Updates:
Living – Blanche (my car) pulled through! She had to have her transmission rebuilt, and now needs an alignment, but she is running! Thank God. The same week Blanche was tenuously clinging to life my microwave died. It had been vacillating for weeks and finally went caput! Thank you to Amy Fritz who “recycled” her old microwave, post kitchen remodel to my place. Now I have one that matches my other appliances AND runs!
Condo – Still for sale.
Work – wrapping up last minute details / projects before I head out on the road for two weeks.
Travel – I leave for India at 13:30 Tuesday (20th); route through Hong Kong (yes the airport in which I have spent three nights…we are becoming fast friends), and arrive at 01:30 in Chennai – yes, that is an AM arrival!

Requests:
Condo – It needs to sell!
Living – Roof leak to be fixed.
Travel – That God will show up in big ways, that my luggage arrives with me (although I have taken precautions and packed a change of clothes in my carry on – hard lesson learned last year), and that unity amongst all team members (traveling and host country) will be present.
Finances – I am raising funds for my trip to India. If you would like to donate, please send a check to Annie Gaudette, 3777 Fujiyama Way, Redding, CA 96001 – include a note in the envelope stating the funds are for me. Thanks in advance for your generosity!
Websites - If you would like to RSS my update vs. getting them by email visit my blog site http://www.denaandrews.blogstpot.com/. To find out more about rēp visit http://www.repurposing.biz/ for information.


[i] http://www.thedoorpost.com/hope/The%20Butterfly%20Circus/
[ii] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caterpillar
[iii] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly#Habits
[iv] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly
[v] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly

Update #104 - Contact Info

Hi,

my "little" cottage above the garage

As you know I moved in August - here is the updated contact information:

PHONE NUMBERS:

Universal - will find me wherever I am (Stateside): 650 492 8229

Cell - 650 743 0151

Home / Office - 650 306 4100

Mailing Address (same):

171 Main Street #215

Los Altos, CA 94022

Physical Address (new):

15545 Quickert Road

Saratoga, CA 95070

Update #105

“Jesus Christ, the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8

Monterey Bay, California

“Either you’re crazy or I’ve been misled.” My blonde friend retorted.

“I’m not crazy.” I replied.

“I know; that’s what bothers me.”

A conservative, Midwestern-raised Christian guy slumped behind the steering wheel of his truck. His brow furrowing and unfurrowing, head shaking slightly as he argued with an internal thought, his eyes closing and slowly opening to look at me - revealing the confusion lying behind them.

He believes that all works of God stopped in Biblical times; that the miracles, signs and wonders, especially the New Testament, no longer happen today. And he was taught the only way God speaks is through the Bible.

Our whole discussion started with him asking about my last rēp trip. And I, per usual, started telling stories - stories that consisted of the miraculous, the awesome, and the incredible. Testimonies of allergies being healed, contracts eternally stalled in red tape being released, marriages supernaturally reconciled, father-son relationships restored after years of estrangement, sales occurring in one day to cover a month worth of business expenses after a long period of one to two sales a week, machines critical to business production “breaking” and then starting to work when the consultation was over…not to mention the products that just “popped” into peoples minds that are now organically cleaning large bodies of water, and a spice recipe packet to make a previously laborious Indian dish in less than 20 minutes without preservatives.

I watched my friend battle all the paradigms in his head. I watched him get angry, I watched uncertainty cross his face, I watched resolve creep into his demeanor. “How do I know this is real?”

Honestly there is no way for him to personally know that my stories are real. There is no way for him, outside travelling to Africa and conducting interviews, to personally experience what I saw, felt and heard. But, why would I lie? A lot of people think I am foolish and weird already…why would I give them more fuel for their fire?

His cross examination continued for over an hour – and as a courtroom attorney, he was good at it! But God always has an answer.

(Hebrews 13:8) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. That means his character, mode of action and way of handling things stay the same. He doesn’t do one thing for 2000 years and then change his mind. He is the SAME.

Jesus said that he would give us a helper who (John 16:13) will reveal the truth about God and would lead us. This is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will not speak on his own authority, but will speak of what he hears and will tell us of things to come. This means the Holy Spirit hangs out with God and then tells us what is going on…and what is to happen. Yes, it can be through the Bible, but it can be through thoughts, another person, circumstances, nature – God is creative – he uses EVERYTHING to communicate with us. We all hear his voice (John 10:27).

Our debate rounded out over the point that Jesus said (John 14:12) ANY of us who believe in him have the capability to do ALL the things he did on Earth…and even greater things are possible. Jesus said that if we (John 15:3) stay close to him, we will bear fruit. Jesus healed. Jesus counseled. Jesus raised people from the dead. Jesus loved the unlovely. Jesus read the minds of men. John 21:25 says that there were many other non-documented things that Jesus did – so what other things are we capable of?

I wish I could say that my friend went away with a new paradigm. He didn’t. In his book I am weird, eccentric, and one of the “few” who God chooses to work through and speak to. Sigh. I will keep praying Matthew 13:15 and hopefully one day his heart will realize that he too is part of the few, the chosen, the empowered; he too is part of God’s Kingdom and a very integral asset in winning the war.

Are you like my friend? What do you believe? Do you have stories of God’s dynamic power in your life or are you living off the testimonies of others? What will you do to get some stories of your own?

Updates:
Living – The car I have been driving is on its last little legs…its transmission gave out this week. The repairs are almost as much as the car is worth…will this be “Goodbye Blanche”?
Condo – Still for sale.
Work – Everyone who has been out of town starts to come in (Brett, Lyn, Gareth, Jodene) and those who have been here are going out (me, Kim)!
Travel – Visa approved and ticket purchased! I fly out on the 20th and will be back on the 7th of November. I am excited to visit a new country and I will be meeting several friends from South Africa, as well as reuniting with an Indian friend that I haven’t seen in 18 months! Got stickies Natchi?

Requests:
Condo – It needs to sell!
Living – Cars will be in high demand (and short supply) when I return from Chennai. Pray for clarity on what to do with “Blanche”.
Travel – Safety, protection, and that I grow a liking for curry! My flight lands at 1:30 in the morning in Chennai – I would love to be able to sleep a few hours after I land if possible; AND that my luggage would arrive with me!
Websites - If you would like to RSS my update vs. getting them by email visit my blog site http://www.denaandrews.blogspot.com/. To find out more about rēp visit http://www.repurposing.biz/ for information.