Well it's been awhile.
I'm on my second move of 4 in 3 months and God is good. Moving, packing, unpacking makes you clean out everything again, and again, and again! It's funny the things I deem "important" and those that don't make the cut.
And that is exactly how my walk with the Lord has been. I draw near and get rid of excess baggage living simply in the word. I somewhere along the way get comfy. I put my clothes in the dresser, hang some pictures up, and settle in. Then all of a sudden I'm seemingly "kicked out". So I need to pack but what happens when you settle in, even with your walk, is that you have picked up a few extra things. And I mean things. These aren't necessities, they can't even be deemed cute-semi-useful-decorations...they're baggage and you don't have any bags to put them in.
I'm so thankful God has called me to this life of sojourning. As much as sometimes I miss having my own place there's accountability in sojourning. There's freedom.
I think that's why God told the disciples to not pack anything when they left. Why the first church sold everything and pooled it all together - living as one. Relying on others is humbling. Humbleness rids us of pride and pride is straight from the pit of hell.
Acts 6:4 says "And we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word."
Isn't that a simple life mission statement? But it carries so much power. And that's exactly what I want to do. I want to devote my life to praying for those God places on my heart and in my path every day and every second. I never want to forget that my sole purpose in life is to tell others that they are loved by one who wants them to live forever with Him. I want to sacrifice my life and all that that means because Christ sacrificed more than I can fathom for my life.
I can get caught up so easily in jobs whether that's while I'm helping athletes or babysitting kids and I forget that God is giving me the chance to share His love through me. But when I don't have as much, when I live simply without all these things and I am made to depend on Christ, when I am a sojourner and am humbled...I remember. I remember that I am devoted to prayer and the ministry of the word.
Praying for and loving you all
RayLynne
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Desire
"Enlarge the place of your tent,
and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out;
do not hold back; lengthen your cords
and strengthen your stakes."
- Isaiah 54:2
I want to share a story that a wise woman told me recently.
A Father decided that on his daughters 6th Christmas it was finally time to get her a bike. He was so excited because he knew she was ready. He dreamed of this day - her eyes lighting up, her heart leaping for joy, and fulfilling a DREAM of hers. So he began asking her "What do you want for Christmas honey?" And she said "Well I really want a doll that you can feed and burp and..." The Father asked "Well what about a bike?" She replies "Well my friend Susy just got a bike and she fell off of it and scraped her knee and no I don't want that" The Father undeterred began over the next few months painting her a picture of this bike in her mind and heart. He began planting a desire and dream of a bike that was pink, with a banana seat, with a basket, and a bell! As Christmas morning came that little girl could ONLY think of this bike that was pink, with a banana seat, and a basket, and a bell! And as she came down the stairs what was in front of her? That very bike - a dream fulfilled.
You see like Christ this Father knew exactly what was right for his daughter. He knew what was best for her and put that desire in her heart. This, my friend, is what Christ wants to do for you if you would only let him. We think so often that we know best. We must know best because it's our life and we are in control...Oh we are so very wrong. When we allow God to put His desires in our heart we not only receive the very dream but we receive more than our hearts even thought possible.
"Let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called Him" - 1 Corinthians 7:17
Think back to when you were little and dreams were only a step away. Your imagination went to the moon and back. You could be exactly who you were made to be and who you wanted to be.
"Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it"
- Mark 10:13
Does Christ not want us to keep that faith? Remember beloved, Satan is called the thief, destroyer, and deceiver for a reason. Hope and faith are his enemy. He wants to smash that and kill ALL dreams of ours and he begins when we are little. If we would only rebuke and remain in ALL HOPE with Christ most of us wouldn't be in jobs that aren't fulfilling, in relationships and sadly some marriages with someone who isn't God's best. We can be walking by faith friends. God promises to be all our strength. Control is something we must FIGHT off. The world is something we must learn to ignore.
"Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over a stumbling stone." - Romans 9:32
When we become consumed with what the world thinks we immediately start walking a path that is made by us. Dreams change to what is realistic, jobs become something to pay bills and debt, and we lust after objects that in .5 seconds are out of date and we can't take them when we die; now can we? How big is your God? Because mine can pay off debt whenever he wants even when I'm not working. He tells me to move to a new place where nothing is physically promised but where I've found more life than ever before. He promises me a future with a man that was made FOR me - not someone I choose to settle for. I want to dream and dream big because without hope and expectation I am nothing. Why settle for what is good when you could have BEST!
So let Christ write His desires on your heart. They're more than you could hope for and it will ALL come into fruition. Why put someone in a box when you can't even begin to describe all that He is. Don't limit God because you're only limiting yourself. Or are you afraid of what you could become in Him? Because He'll raise you up, He'll take you places you've never been and lift you up to a place that is completely surrendered to His cause.
"As we look NOT to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are ETERNAL." - 2 Corinthians 4:18
"For we walk by faith and not by sight" - 2 Corinthians 5:7
"And he died for all, that those who live might NO longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised." - 2 Corinthians 5:15
So enlarge your tents for the Lord's blessing. Do not hold back anything and He will hold nothing back for you. Be prepared to surrender everything for a dream that IS exactly what you want and ALL that you need. Don't look back because you can't live in the past. Live those last 2 verses. Live in faith.
Praying for and loving you all,
RayLynne
and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out;
do not hold back; lengthen your cords
and strengthen your stakes."
- Isaiah 54:2
I want to share a story that a wise woman told me recently.
A Father decided that on his daughters 6th Christmas it was finally time to get her a bike. He was so excited because he knew she was ready. He dreamed of this day - her eyes lighting up, her heart leaping for joy, and fulfilling a DREAM of hers. So he began asking her "What do you want for Christmas honey?" And she said "Well I really want a doll that you can feed and burp and..." The Father asked "Well what about a bike?" She replies "Well my friend Susy just got a bike and she fell off of it and scraped her knee and no I don't want that" The Father undeterred began over the next few months painting her a picture of this bike in her mind and heart. He began planting a desire and dream of a bike that was pink, with a banana seat, with a basket, and a bell! As Christmas morning came that little girl could ONLY think of this bike that was pink, with a banana seat, and a basket, and a bell! And as she came down the stairs what was in front of her? That very bike - a dream fulfilled.
You see like Christ this Father knew exactly what was right for his daughter. He knew what was best for her and put that desire in her heart. This, my friend, is what Christ wants to do for you if you would only let him. We think so often that we know best. We must know best because it's our life and we are in control...Oh we are so very wrong. When we allow God to put His desires in our heart we not only receive the very dream but we receive more than our hearts even thought possible.
"Let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called Him" - 1 Corinthians 7:17
Think back to when you were little and dreams were only a step away. Your imagination went to the moon and back. You could be exactly who you were made to be and who you wanted to be.
"Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it"
- Mark 10:13
Does Christ not want us to keep that faith? Remember beloved, Satan is called the thief, destroyer, and deceiver for a reason. Hope and faith are his enemy. He wants to smash that and kill ALL dreams of ours and he begins when we are little. If we would only rebuke and remain in ALL HOPE with Christ most of us wouldn't be in jobs that aren't fulfilling, in relationships and sadly some marriages with someone who isn't God's best. We can be walking by faith friends. God promises to be all our strength. Control is something we must FIGHT off. The world is something we must learn to ignore.
"Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over a stumbling stone." - Romans 9:32
When we become consumed with what the world thinks we immediately start walking a path that is made by us. Dreams change to what is realistic, jobs become something to pay bills and debt, and we lust after objects that in .5 seconds are out of date and we can't take them when we die; now can we? How big is your God? Because mine can pay off debt whenever he wants even when I'm not working. He tells me to move to a new place where nothing is physically promised but where I've found more life than ever before. He promises me a future with a man that was made FOR me - not someone I choose to settle for. I want to dream and dream big because without hope and expectation I am nothing. Why settle for what is good when you could have BEST!
So let Christ write His desires on your heart. They're more than you could hope for and it will ALL come into fruition. Why put someone in a box when you can't even begin to describe all that He is. Don't limit God because you're only limiting yourself. Or are you afraid of what you could become in Him? Because He'll raise you up, He'll take you places you've never been and lift you up to a place that is completely surrendered to His cause.
"As we look NOT to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are ETERNAL." - 2 Corinthians 4:18
"For we walk by faith and not by sight" - 2 Corinthians 5:7
"And he died for all, that those who live might NO longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised." - 2 Corinthians 5:15
So enlarge your tents for the Lord's blessing. Do not hold back anything and He will hold nothing back for you. Be prepared to surrender everything for a dream that IS exactly what you want and ALL that you need. Don't look back because you can't live in the past. Live those last 2 verses. Live in faith.
Praying for and loving you all,
RayLynne
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