Monday, March 26, 2012

Clarity - Clear the Decks by Mary Hagle

As I prepared for the Lenten season this year, I anticipated that I knew what God would be asking me to go without, given my non-ending struggle with eating sweets. So easy to identify, as it’s "ever before me".

Imagine my amazement when instead He asked me to give up my "to-do" list! This invitation came at the end of a series of events and reflections that helped me to see that I was trying to "force God’s hand" to do what I wanted done, not what He had scheduled for me.

I got instructed to be obedient, instead, in surrendering my will once again. This resulted in getting my hands off of my life, giving it back to Him, and experiencing a Lenten season of "play" and "reflection". I can meditate, study and journal, but the rest of my "free" time is to be spent "playing" with several art projects I’ve been postponing while I pursued what I thought was His plan for my life right now.

If you’re a compulsive list-maker, like me, you will know exactly what I mean. I can make those lists, baby! I can whip out ten things "to do" in a second, with a little square box in front of each item, so I can check them off when they’re done.

No big deal, you say? What’s wrong with being organized? Shouldn’t we be diligent?

Sure. But, what if I told you that when I surrendered compulsively making to-do lists, and my uncommitted time felt wide open and empty, and I was "playing" and "meditating", the realization came that I was unconsciously bringing all those completed tasks to God as a way of earning His love and approval.

Trying to earn His love is an impossible task. He cannot reward my motive, because it would keep me from his unconditional love.

When I can sit quietly, working on my current stained glass painting project, enjoying the creative process, losing track of time and making dinner preparation late because of it, I can recognize that I haven’t done anything today (or any day) to earn His love, acceptance and forgiveness.

What a blessed season of surrender are these Lenten days. My prayer for you is that you have been led to letting go of whatever you need to in order to prepare your hearts for Good Friday so you can really celebrate Easter.

We grow as we share.

Mary Hagle

Editor, The House

An Urge to Focus on Christ


One recent morning during my "quiet time," my eyes were drawn to the small corner of the window that actually has a view (the rest of the window is obstructed by a storage trailer). I noticed some movement and discovered a deer eating in our yard. I watched her as she stayed for an hour or more. Later in the day I happened to look out as two more deer walked through the yard. Since moving to our country home, watching the deer and recognizing how God cares for them has been a great joy and comfort for me. But in the last few months the deer seemed to have vanished. I missed them and wondered how they had fared through the winter. Especially in the last few days, my heart had ached to see them. So when God planted the deer in the only space visible from my perch in the family room, I was immediately overwhelmed with a sense of his care and compassion for me and his desire to speak to the needs of my heart.
You see, several years ago I experienced four major losses in a two year period, including the loss of my son and the loss of a job for which I was sure God had designed me. And, although God was my comfort and sufficiency during those times, over the last few years I had begun to feel less intimacy with my Creator and Savior. I sensed myself withdrawing and attempting to protect myself; not losing faith in a sovereign, loving God, but also not trusting him to fully care for me. I hungered for the intimacy I once felt and prayed for God to draw me to himself once again. My prayer had been Psalm 41:1, "As the deer pants for streams of water, so I long for you, O God."
So when Pastor Nick suggested a Lenten experience, I was immediately on board. What to give up was a no-brainer. Being unemployed and a procrastinator, I had spent hours playing free cell and spider solitaire on the computer instead of listening to God or filling out job applications. As a compulsive problem solver, I knew the computer games gave me a sense of control; "If I don’t win this game, I can play it again and win it the second or third time." And control makes me feel safer. So, I decided whenever I had the impulse to play a game, instead I would turn to God and willfully submit to his solutions for my life. Meditating on and trying to grasp the grandness of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice as the solution to my broken relationship with God would replace the mindless puzzle solutions. Focusing on his past faithfulness and provisions would confront my need to control. Choosing to trust him completely and become totally vulnerable to his control would lead me to intimacy with him. This Lent season I am intentionally and diligently on that journey.
It has not been as easy as you would think and I have not done it perfectly. Waiting for something to download on the computer provides time for a "quick" game, and there are all kinds of other puzzles that call for my solution: jigzone.com, daily crossword, and Sudoku. But as I say, "no" to the puzzle and, "yes" to spending more time focusing on the Easter message and God’s past mercies, I am experiencing more and more of God’s presence and love. The deer outside my window (and God’s nudge to look out the window) was a wonderful expression of his love for me and his desire for me to fully experience that love. My heart is being drawn more and more to intimacy with him. Psalm 42:2 and 11 go on to say: "I thirst for God, the living God. When can I come and stand before him? . . . I will put my hope in God. I will praise him again – my Savior and my God."
And so, I am excited to celebrate Easter this year, not because Lent will be over, but because of the hope of the resurrection; because the tomb is empty and my God can be trusted. Life will continue to have pain and the future to be uncertain, but I will continue to focus my eyes on God and his past mercies to me. Sarah Young in Jesus Calling (p.54) speaks in Jesus’ voice when she says, "Keeping your eyes on Me is the same thing as trusting Me." So I am thankful for the urges to play a game because they remind me to refocus my eyes on Christ. The journey to deeper trust and intimacy will continue long after the Easter Sunday and praise will be my companion.

Why Lent? by Nick Stumbo

Last year, our church decided to observe a season of Lent for the first time. Everyone got into it so much that we decided to have a second go around this year.

The idea of Lent can be confusing, especially for those of us that may have come from either non-traditional or non-religious backgrounds. The idea of intentionally going without something that we enjoy really runs counter to the way the rest of our life works. I talked to one gal, though, who actually told me she couldn't wait for Lent to start. Her comment was, "It's so different from everything else I do. Everywhere else I am looking to add things and maximize my life. Lent is a way that I let go and simplify in order to find more of Christ."

Her statement rings with truth. We live in a day and age where we are encouraged, if not instructed, to get as much as we can that will add joy, comfort, ease, or satisfaction to our day-to-day experience. In a world of iPads and Apps, Tablets and tweets, we are programmed to ask "Can I?" and rarely do we ever pause to say, "Should I?" And so when we intentionally choose to deny ourselves something, it feels...well, for lack of a better word...weird. We are so hooked into the world around us that disconnecting can actually be described as painful. (My sister-in-law posted about this experience recently. I think you'd enjoy her post: http://www.elliestumbo.blogspot.com/2012/02/i-sold-my-life-to-social-mediaand-i.html)

Ironically, instead of asking "Why Lent?", we should be asking, "Why everything else?" Why isn't every day, every week, spent in a deep focus on the life, suffering, resurrection and glorification of Christ? Why do I need a special season to concentrate on this? Shouldn't this be a powerful suggestion to my soul that I have allowed too much "stuff" to creep in and sponge up my energy, my time and my attention? Why am I so geared to gaining for myself that the practice of denying for Him seems foreign?

So we have chosen to observe Lent, not because stuff is bad, but because Jesus is so good. And unless we walk daily in an awareness of His goodness and in constant communion with His love, we miss out on all the goodness He wants to pour out on us.

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all His glory. (Colossians 3:1-4)

May Christ be at home in your life as you journey on-
Nick

No Longer Driving Through Drive Through!

My first reaction to observing Lent was, "great,. What am I going to give up this year?". Being a perfectionist makes that a difficult choice. It has to be the right thing!

But then it came to me, "Fast Food"? I wrestled with that for a few days. Was it good enough? Did it make sense? Was this what I really needed to do?

The answer…. YES!!!!! See, I was getting into the habit of eating out for breakfast and lunch almost every day of the week. So, I decided this was it and went for it. On February 24 I had a Whopper Combo Meal for dinner, saying goodbye and all that; it tasted okay but was nothing special. I quickly decided that I needed to add that anything that had a drive through counted. No espresso drive through!

What have I learned these past 3 weeks? Eating fast food is very expensive and makes it all that much more difficult to make ends meet. I don’t feel as bogged down or sluggish by all the salt intake so I have more energy. I have also noticed that if I am not driving to or sitting in a drive through that my gas tank doesn’t empty quite as fast.

This Lenten year, I feel like God is showing me just how badly I have been treating the house my soul is trying to live in. What kind of example am I setting for my teens? OUCH!!!! That He has so much He wants to give me, but if I am burying everything under all that garbage, that He is under there somewhere. This year God has given me strength to think about what I am putting in my face. Am I eating to live or living to eat? As I am writing this, the Holy Spirit is whispering to me… how great would it be to have a new body here on earth as it will be in Heaven? I am thinking…..BRING IT ON!!!!!!!!

Thursday, March 08, 2012

Intentionality - I can really identify with those sleepy disciples! by Mary Hagle

Mark 14:36-38

36And He was saying, Abba, [which means] Father, everything is possible for You. Take away this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You [will].

37And He came back and found them sleeping, and He said to Peter, Simon, are you asleep? Have you not the strength to keep awake and watch [with Me for] one hour?

38Keep awake and watch and pray [constantly], that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Amplified Bible



I long for purpose and direction. I want it to matter, that I’ve been here. I get some clarity, and the excitement of confirmation. He DOES has a plan for my life! I share my insights with a trusted friend or two, and look for confirmation in my daily study and walk, and get it.

I make plans around His plan, and I have my marching orders. And then, the work phase comes. (I am remembering Chevy Chase in "Funny Farm". He is a newspaper sports writer who takes an advance on his unwritten novel, quits the newspaper, and moves to Vermont with his wife.

There are a lot of hilarious scenes as they try to "settle in" but let me fast-forward to his having done all the busyness of setting up his writing space in his new home. The desk is by the window; all the pencils are sharpened, the paper is in the typewriter.)


And then, the work phase comes.

The inspiration and excitement to begin is done. It’s just me, God, and the task He’s given me. And, my rebellious will sets its proverbial feet, and doesn’t want to do the work, or pray for "dunamis" (from dunamai = to be able, to have power.) It refers to intrinsic power or inherent ability, the power or ability to carry out some function, the potential for functioning in some way (power, might, strength, ability, capability), the power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature, or be obedient.
I find a myriad of "other" "good" tasks, and get them done. Then, I meet with my friend, who knows about my assignment, asks about my progress, and I am undone.

J. Hudson Taylor affirmed this axiom for every Christian worker... "Depend upon it. God's work done in God's way will never lack supplies. All God's giants have been weak men who did great things for God because they reckoned on His being with them. God uses men who are weak and feeble enough to lean on Him."

So, there’s nothing for it but to press forward, to acknowledge my weakness and rebelliousness, and fall helplessly before Him, ask forgiveness, and get over the fact that trying to do work inspired by Him is NEVER going to be done well in my power and strength, but His.

If you are facing a similar circumstance, my prayer for you is that you get alone with Him, restore the right order of this process, and find yourself here: The Lord God is my strength,
and he will make my feet like Hinds’ Feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine High Places. Habakkuk 3:19

Like the disciples, we have available God’s power to be used for His glory and purpose. I am determined to be intentional in the opportunities I have been given. Google dunamis . . . there are 37 pages of description at this website of what God’s power means for the Christian: http://www.preceptaustin.org/2_timothy_17.htm

Mary Hagle

Editor,
The House

We grow as we share.

Is My Christian Experience Normal? by Jim Venable

I have asked myself that question often throughout my life in reference to a number of different stimuli. One of the first times was years ago when I read Watchman Nee’s book. "The Normal Christian Life". If you have read this, or any number of other books, I imagine you have joined me in my painful awareness that my day-to-day Christian experience does not, in most instances, align with the Christian walk God intends us to experience as normal or average.

About a year ago Lora and I were jolted once more with the realization that what we are living is a faint shadow of what God desires, perhaps demands. This is after years of walking a disciplined life, while recognizing and trying to share the insights God has deposited in us regarding hunger for spiritual maturity. In general, we were, and are, students under His tutelage.

On the heels of the "Monday Night Live" series studying "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan our daughter pointed us in the direction of another book with a similar focus. The book is called "Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream" by David Platt. The journey initiated by our reading this book has been both scary and exhilarating. We are learning to use the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19, 20) against the backdrop of Matthew 10 as God’s plumb line for us as we become disciple-making disciples. If we are not serious disciples and serious disciple-makers, is it possible we are not disciples at all?

Three examples from the book stand out to me:

David Platt’s large Birmingham, Alabama church conducts what they call "Secret Church" patterned after clandestine house-church meetings in Asia. They meet every Friday night from 6:00 PM to Midnight to study the Word. There is no coffee, no music, no sound system, no publicity, and no computer aided materials. They apparently must turn away people and never finish on time (pages 27-28).

At an Indonesian seminary senior students must plant a church with a membership of 30 converts as a prerequisite for graduation. Two members of a recent class were martyred (page 43).

As David teaches in Sudan believers record every word to accurately share the teaching in order to reproduce their faith in others (pages 101-102).

As a result, we have accepted the challenge extended in the book. We have embarked on a one-year journey to do the following:

Read the entire Bible in a year

Pray for the whole world in a year

Give sacrificially towards a specific disciple making objective

Go on a mission endeavor aligned with the financial giving

Be intimately integrated in a faith community dedicated to taking disciple-making faith risks.

We are about half way through this life altering trip. We have experienced incredible connections. We have made some serious, perhaps long term, changes to our family financial planning. We have had to re-think what the rest of our lives might look like.

It is possible that finally our lives are beginning to look "normal" from God’s perspective.

Pastor's Corner by Nick Stumbo

The theme of this month’s HOUSE is about being intentional. How do we stay spiritually awake and vibrant in a day and age where lethargy and consumerism of the soul are commonplace? I appreciate Jim Venable very much for his willingness to share about the journey that they have been on; a commitment that forces them to be intentional. I know that many others of you are on a journey where you have intentionally built great discipline into your life, and for that I applaud you!

As I think about intentionality, two thoughts come to mind. First off, I believe that all of us, on some level or another, really want to be intentional. We want to move with precision and purpose, knowing what to do and when to do it. We desire that sense of each new day fitting into the greater picture of an overall progression in our life, like a series of musical notes moving together in harmony. If our kids are out of control, we want to be intentional to create the kind of structure they need to succeed. If our finances are upside down, we want an intentional plan to right the ship. If our life of faith feels dim, we want patterns and spiritual disciplines that draw us close to the Savior.

I say we want these things. We desire to be intentional. But then, we actually attempt to be intentional. And as my experience usually reveals, we find a most interesting dynamic at work. This led to my second observation: being intentional is hard work! All of these ideas and thoughts we have about intentionality look good on paper and sound great over a cup of coffee, but put into practice…well… that requires effort, energy, and perseverance, doesn’t it? Everyone wants financial peace, but to actually quit spending in order to get there can be a real pain. We want our children to behave, but to actually say "no" to them and set hard boundaries is a real challenge. I want my spiritual life to be vibrant and bright, but to actually get up early or make space for it disrupts my happy routine! What to do?

As we live in this tension between the intentionality that we desire and the ability to actually put it into practice, let me offer these four words of advice:

1. You have to be CLEAR. Plans fail more often than not because of too much ambiguity. We know in general where we want to change, but this will not create change. As you can see in Jim’s article, the book Radical gives a very clear plan. Your plan doesn’t necessarily need to be specific to the last detail, but it must be clear. So, for example, if you want to grow in your faith, it is far too vague to say "I will spend more time with God." Okay, great. When? What does "more" mean? It would be far more helpful to say "I want to spend 20 minutes each morning reading Scripture and in prayer." Whether it’s parenting, finances, or faith, a clear plan will get you going.

2. You must have SUPPORT. We tend to have very individualistic mindsets. This means, we think that if we make up our minds to do something, this will be good enough to get it done. Not necessarily so. Think of the frustration that will ensue if one spouse has made a parenting or finances plan, but the other spouse is either unaware or unsupportive. This is where we get the phrase, "beating your head against a wall." The significant people in our lives, particularly those who will be affected by our decisions, must be aware of and on board with our plan to be intentional. Do you need to get up earlier? Then make sure your spouse or kids or friends are a part of the plan and can help you carry through.

3. You need to be ACCOUNTABLE. We might be tempted to think that support and accountability are one and the same. They can be, but that’s not always the case. Let me put it this way. If I have a plan to get up at a certain time each day, I will definitely need my wife’s support. But it may not be healthy for her to keep me accountable. This could create an unhealthy dynamic in the relationship where her questions or accountability might feel more like judgment or criticism. You need to give someone the permission to keep you accountable and be very specific about what their role will be. One other note: it is not good to tell someone else, "Check up on me and see how I’m doing." In this statement, we put the responsibility for accountability on them, rather than on ourselves. We need to take the personal responsibility for our own change. It is far better to say, "I will call you on such and such a day and tell you how it’s going. Would that be okay?"

4. You must have GRACE. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard of people’s change efforts coming to a screeching halt because they failed one time. Why do we think that as flawed human beings if we decide to change, it will happen immediately? The reality is, we are still the same flawed human beings, and even our attempts at change for the good will be flawed! That’s the nature of change. Pick yourself up and start over again. Realize that God sees your heart and loves your desire to do what’s right. Set aside guilt and shame and keep moving forward after a misstep. Change is the result of consistent, intentional effort made in the same direction over time. Perfection is not required.

May God bless you and strengthen you during this Lent season. Whatever change goals you are pursuing, may you find his Presence giving you all that you need.