What kind of things do you ask God for?  I usually have a list – prayers for healing, salvation, protection, and thanks.  But how often do I ask God to change me from the inside out. 

Teach me, O Lord, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end. 

Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it will all my heart. 

Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. 

Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. 

Turn my eyes away from worthless things; renew my life according to your word.

Fulfill your promise to your servant, so that you may be feared. 

Take away the disgrace I dread, for your laws are good.  How I long for your precepts! 

Renew my life in your righteousness.

The Psalmist is asking God for direction, understanding, and to be taught by God himself. 

What are you asking God for today? 

-Julie

It would appear that this is how businesses find success in a crooked system and how the people at the "top" get their BMWs without a care in the world.  I get it -- why be gentle and considerate when it probably won't benefit you?  Why should you worry about pleasing others when it often brings you no reward, or maybe even causes you to absorb some pain?

But then I remember the psalmist speaks of those who have carved their way comfortably to the "top" and says that they are like a dream that the Lord forgets (see Psalm 73).  

My soul is saturated with adoration for Jesus who never asserted himself for comfort or personal gain despite his unlimited power.  Something stirs excitedly inside my mind and heart and tells me this is the most captivating way to live.  Andrew Murray wrote, "I am sure that there are many Christians who will confess that their experience has been very much like my own - that we had long known the Lord without realizing that meekness and lowliness of heart should be the distinguishing feature of the disciple, as they were of the Master."

It is okay to be overlooked.  It is okay to be put in last place.  Would it be wrong to assume we should even be most content in such a position?  Maybe always getting our way should be a bit unsettling or uncomfortable!  I read somewhere, "If I cannot in honest happiness take the second place (or the twentieth)...then I know nothing of Calvary love."

Jesus says, "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth;" and Paul, remembering Christ's humility says, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.  Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others" (Philippians 2:3-4).

My deepest desire is not only that our nature would conform to the selfless nature of God, but that by doing so we might brush up against the sense of peace that comes with giving up our privileged position.  Perhaps we will find that we can breathe more easily.  A.W. Tozer says, "The meek man will attain a place of soul rest.  As he walks on in meekness he will be happy to let God defend him.  The old struggle to defend himself is over.  He has found the peace which meekness brings."

-Kelly

The purpose of his trip was to contribute to the exploration of the ocean’s extreme abyss and collect data, video, and specimens.   He spent six hours in a capsule in what I’m sure was the thickest darkness we could imagine.  What an adventure!

Here are some of the few creatures that are able to live in the desolate conditions of the Trench.  Not the kind of things I’d like to see in my dreams (or ever), but their less-than-attractive features are essential for survival in such a location.

It seems to me that the Mariana Trench is a good analogy to spiritual decay and darkness.  It is often a slow descent (like Cameron’s sub) and existing so far from the light has a gross affect on the soul.

For James Cameron, psychological and physical preparation was required before embarking on this endeavor:

“To prepare for the Challenger Deep descent, Cameron has been running several miles daily, practicing yoga to increase his flexibility, and immersing himself in deep-ocean science, MacInnis said.

"He's got a very quick-study mind ... and he's been talking to scientists for several years," MacInnis said. "But he's really been focusing for the past year.”

In the spiritual sense, this is what TCM is doing – preparing and sending people to minister in the spiritual “Mariana Trenches” of the world.

Later in the article, the writer quotes someone who says Cameron’s preparation “should be worth it” with regard to the scientific contributions it will provide.  What is exciting about TCM’s preparation is that we know it is worth it. 

Please help us pray for those who have been and will be embracing the adventure of offering light where there is dense darkness - the call of the Great Commission.  May they be given God’s greatest courage and may they inspire us to be passionate adventurers as well.

-Kelly

(Thanks to Kevin Kirk for exposing me to the Mariana Trench articles and inspiring spiritual comparisons!)

But as we all know, knowledge of chocolate cake is nothing like a bite of it. 

I returned a few weeks ago from my first visit to Haus Edelweiss.  During my two-week stay, I tasted just a morsel of what it is like to be surrounded by TCM students and I cannot adequately describe its flavor or effect.   Being among such a diverse yet concurrent group of people, who are all denying themselves in favor of living a more meaningful story in service to Jesus, is intoxicating in the most holy way. 

While the dynamic of the group was captivating, I found myself even more intrigued by their individual stories.   I was so grateful to make a friend close to my age (mid-twenties).  We struck up a conversation during lunch and I quickly realized how fortunate I was to meet her.   Over the course of our time together at the Haus, I learned about her family and difficult culture, what led her to become a Christian, and how that journey is unfolding in her life today.  She is ministering in the midst of the global disaster of human trafficking.  She is courageous and resolute.  Because of her history, she lives unreservedly – ignoring selfish concessions.  She wants to learn how to be effective and is confident God will provide what she needs.  And she laughs with joy even after a sobering discussion about the areas where she will need prayer.  She is inspiring.

My new understanding of TCM is colored with thoughts of her story and encounters with others equally determined to make a difference in the world.  They are the substance that wins the heart and the bite of cake that floods the senses.  Words cannot compete with the experience of seeing their faces, sharing at meals, and joining them in walks through the mountains.  Still, we pray that all who hear about TCM could be filled with deep excitement as they imagine these people and the work God is doing through them!

Kelly

It is called “Cosmic Love.”

A falling star fell from your heart
And landed in my eyes;
I screamed aloud as it tore through them 
And now it's left me blind.

The stars, the moon, they have all been blown out;
You left me in the dark,
No dawn, no day, I'm always in this twilight
In the shadow of your heart. 

And in the dark, I can hear your heartbeat;
I tried to find the sound
But then it stopped, and I was in the darkness,
So darkness I became.

I took the stars from my eyes, and then I made a map
And knew that somehow I could find my way back;
Then I heard your heart beating, you were in the darkness, too,
So I stayed in the darkness with you. 
 

The Bible is full of suffering songs like this one.  Here are just a few that I thought mimicked the song above.

Your wildfire anger has blazed through my life; 
I'm bleeding, black-and-blue. 
You've attacked me fiercely from every side, 
Raining down blows till I'm nearly dead  (Psalm 88 Message).  

My eyes have grown dim with grief;
My whole frame is but a shadow  (Job 17 NIV).

All my hopes are snuffed out—
My hope that night would turn into day, 
My hope that dawn was about to break  (Job 17 Message).

You have taken from me friend and neighbor— 
Darkness is my closest friend  (Psalm 88 Message). 

But he most surely did listen…
he stayed with me, loyal in his love  (Psalm 66 Message). 

I believe that God welcomes and hears us as we cry out with suffering songs.  Like the one above, we may not realize until the end that he has joined us in our despair. 

When suffering abounds, may we remember that He accompanies us there.  And let us always pray for our Christian family that suffers in shadowy places we cannot imagine.  May they find solace in the presence of God.

(Listen to "Cosmic Love" here)

Kelly

I’ve always been interested in animals of all kinds, but I’m particularly fond of foxes.  I still possess a tattered copy of my favorite chapter book from my eleventh birthday – a story about the survival of a young fox.

Apparently, a red fox lives (or at least has shown itself to two people I know) in the field behind my house.  My husband saw it bounding across the field in front of the pines early one morning.

A photo of the field behind my house where my fox may roam

I have looked for that fox every single day.  Multiple times a day.  I am so enthusiastic about catching a glimpse of it.  And every time I find myself gazing out the back door, God reminds me to be looking for Him the same way I am looking for my fox.

I may never see the fox, but I am reminded of Peter’s words every time I look for it:

“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy…”

God is as captivating to me as my red fox, and for that I love Him.  Though I do not see Him, I will search for Him – not because I ought to but because he is exquisite and alluring in every holy way.  And even though I know His presence is with me, one day I will see Him with my own eyes and the search will truly be over.

It is good to be a part of TCM, an organization committed to this lifelong search - and committed to sharing it with others.

-Kelly B

Then, there are about two or three letters he wrote during his “spiritual limbo” in which I find rare and precious glimpses into his conversion . . .

In one such letter, he writes:

“You will be surprised to hear that my outlook is now definitely religious.  It is not precisely Christianity, though it may turn out that way in the end.  I can’t express the change better than by saying that whereas I once would have said ‘Shall I adopt Christianity,’ I now wait to see whether it will adopt me: i.e., I now know there is another Party in the affair – that I am playing poker, not Patience, as I once supposed.”

I looked up the game “Patience” and it is the equivalent of what we would call Solitaire – a single-player game.  The spiritual journey is a multi-player game, not Solitaire! 

This is so exciting.  How easy it is to maneuver myself through life as if I am the only player making the moves!   It is a relief, a thrill, and a humbling matter to be reminded that God is making moves as well.  Without a doubt, I ought to pay more attention to those moves.

God – we are so appreciative and humbled that you reply, engage, and join.  How could life be bearable otherwise?  May we have in our minds a picture of a game of interaction when we despair that we are playing Solitaire.  Help us be aware of and searching for evidence that You are in the game with us.

-Kelly B

Paul and Barnabas were partners together in spreading the gospel; traveling long distances, spending countless hours teaching and discipling new converts, and enduring persecution together.  Certainly a deep bond was forged between these two men of God.  And yet at one point in their ministry, they "had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company."

How is this possible?  How could someone as supremely in love with Jesus as Paul part ways with his partner in ministry on bad terms?

When an argument or disagreement occurs among believers, do you typically take sides?  Do you find that your natural inclination is to determine who is right and who is wrong in the matter?  If so, you are not alone.

Surprisingly, it may not be possible for us to ever determine who was right and who was wrong in this scenario.  But what if there is a deeper message?  What if they were both right?  What if neither Paul nor Barnabus were simply being selfish, or foolish, or stubborn?  Instead, what if the Holy Spirit was directing both of them, but in opposite directions?

Paul and Barnabas had done great things for God together.  Perhaps it was time to go their separate ways, each with a new disciple to mentor, and to reach a greater number of people than they could ever reach by staying together.  It would not be surprising if through the course of time, Paul and Barnabas were able to see the hand of God in their dispute, and to acknowledge His plans are always the best.

If we become aware of a dispute in the body of Christ, before we decide who is right and who is wrong; before we jump to conclusions and start passing judgment; before we take sides and try to persuade others to our viewpoint; let's seek God and his purposes.  By the power of the Holy Spirit, we can be led in all circumstances to bring glory to the Father. 

1) Holidays are over and none are on the horizon
2) Post-holiday debt
3) Failed resolutions
4) Gloomy weather
5) Low motivation levels
6) “Hibernation” effect ( eating and sleeping more)

. . . and there are surely more.

A few days ago, I was wearing my “Blue Monday” mindset and thinking rather negatively about the current January weather when I stopped myself in my kitchen to listen to birds chirping!  It had to have been only 25 degrees outside.   If anyone should be sour about the January weather, birds certainly have the right.  Instead, they burrow their tiny heads in their wintery feathers to the best of their ability and congregate in the trees making sounds that decorate the silence of winter.   (I snapped a photo of them in my yard!) 

In light of the January blues, I’m asking God to help me be like the birds -- to be ignorant of the insignificant things in life that cause frustration and accept everything with a song.  May joy be completely unrestrained and unhampered by Blue Mondays!

“Sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth” (Psalm 96:1).

-Kelly B

The night Jesus was arrested, He was pouring out his heart to his Father, and do you know whom He included in his prayers that night? YOU!  Just after praying for his disciples, he prayed for "all who will ever believe in me through their (the disciples') message" (John 17:20). Do you believe in Him? Then that's you. And guess what He prayed then? That we would be ONE.

Jesus was about to face an excruciating death and his prayer was that we be ONE. As we leave behind 2011 and move into 2012, let us be mindful that it is important to Jesus that we put aside petty differences, critical attitudes, judgmental spirits, and be united to one another in love.

Let's remove our masks of righteousness because there is no one without sin. In fact, it is the admission of our struggles and sinfulness that makes Jesus all the more attractive to those around us. It is also what makes us effective in relating to a hurting world. What do we have to offer to others who are hurting and grieving or to those struggling to overcome an addiction or sinful behavior if we go around pretending to have perfect lives? We have received the message of hope. And His name is Jesus Christ!

Heed the call today to be authentic and unified in Him so you can sympathize with others, love the unlovely, be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.