Running to the Darkness

Halloween -- All Hallow's Eve -- Trick or Treat -- Trunk or Treat

Tonight I started out at home treating while Gary  was at Indian Creek trunk and treating. It will be hard pressed as to who has more fun or gets more candy --us or the children! 

Of course my mind went back to the times when our kids were little and at home. Growing up as a pastor's kid, Gary wasn't certain it was legal or okay to celebrate this holiday. I convinced him that it was all about the kids and the candy and could be quite fun.

One year Gary took the opportunity to escort the kids through the neighborhoods and viola, he discovered that the streets were filled with people and he loved it! I never had to, I mean, got to, take the kids again! He loved the chance to connect with the neighbors. And suddenly, Halloween became a fun time to meet and greet!

I remember several years before Indian Creek had a facility, we joined with Olathe Christian Church to host a HALLELUJAH party as a safe alternative to kids! The students there really got into it and created an incredible journey through the Bible and the life of Christ which even adults enjoyed! Jeremy and Luke wore their Superman p.j.'s, Kristen was a ballerina and Megan wore a flower girl dress from Gary's brother's wedding that Kristen had worn! Little did we know Megan would be celebrating at the real HALLELUJAH Party in heaven the next year.  

I found a book, Halloween, Is It for Real?  when the children were young that told the story of the origin of the holi (holy) day. I read it to my children many times as well as to my three year old class on Sundays. We learned how that Halloween or as some call it, the devil's holiday, began in what is now Brittain and France. People called the Celts celebrated the end of summer wtih pagan rites. They believed that a lord of death sent evil spirits into animals, who then roamed around all winter playing terrible tricks on people. To escape, you had to wear a disguise so that the evil spirits would think you were one of them.

The book taught us that centuries later, Christians tried to change the holiday from a festival of fear to one of joy. October 31 eventually became All Hallow's Eve or All Saints' Day. The Bible says every Christian is a saint and on this day we celebrate all the saints who had loved God and died. Celebrate the joy those loved ones are experiencing in heaven and remember the good times you had with them when they were alive.

So in honor of our youngest daughter who is celebrating All Hallow's Eve in heaven we celebrate Halloween by giving out candy and joining in festivities like Trunk or Treat that might be a safe way for people to drive into a church parking lot for the first time. Who knows maybe they will find their way back to God and celebrate Halloween for real!

God With Us...God With ME!!!!

I know that it is not Christmas but I started thinking about this in a round about way! Lately, I have been acquainted with grief and death. I sat with a couple and planned the service for their dad's impending death in a few days according to hospice. I have many friends whose parents either just died or are in the process.

My dear friend has been holding a vigil around a loved one's bed all week long. It is so hard for the loved one to leave. . . and yet, it is so hard for her to stay! Why do we cling to this life so desperately? Perhaps it is because it is all we know and it is where our loved ones are! Being WITH our loved ones is so important to us! We value that highly! We long desperately to remain in the presence of those we love!

Where do we get that? I think from our Creator! I think about His longing for us to be with Him alone in a time of solitude (even Jesus stole away to pray to be WITH God) is inate within us! He longs to be with us and we with Him! And, guess what, He took care of that for us! Jesus returned to Heaven so that He could send the Holy Spirit to be WITH us, all of the time everywhere!

So the desire to be WITH those we love is within us! He created us that way because of His desire to be with us as well! And that is what Christmas is all about--God WITH us! What an amazing God!!!!!!! And He longs to be WITH me and is WITH me!

God, help me to be present enough in the moment to be aware of Your Presence!

21 Days to What's Next

It has been good to journey through the book of John together as a church body! Hopefully, if it seemed like Greek or Hebrew before it has made more sense.

I did restart something that I want to keep for the next 21 days, weeks, months and years and that is getting up extra early to insure I have my Bible study and journalling time.

As a church we are going to SHIFT together into a new study as we talk about the book of Acts and Life Shift. I am going to expect God to shift my life and positions! He is good at that for my good! I am certain that He will do the same for you.

Saving Amy?

  Gary and I went to the benefit tonight for Amy Tyler , a young mom involved in MOPS who was diagnoised with breast cancer at the age of 28. The first time mom discovered the lump when she was breastfeeding her infant.

J Murphy's was packed out as many came to demonstrate their support of Amy and her young family. I met her mother and she told me that she is very glad that Amy has recently found her way to God and is exercising her young faith to walk through these tough days.

The benefit was organized by Amy's sorority sisters and attended by friends and family and Amy has found some great doctors but it is her God who is truly saving her! 

'Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain.'

  I want to dance more in the rain! This morning at Daybreak Prayer at the cross we prayed in the rain. And it was awesome! It was a sweet downpour of God's blessing!

When my boys were little and even when they got bigger, they loved to play outside in the rain! Something about feeling it falling on your face and body makes you feel more alive!

I want to live my days even after these 21 days dancing in the rain, loving life and waling on water!

What about it? Wanna dance?

What is it about little boys (big boys, too) and puddles?

21 Days...Almost Over or Just Begun?

   Day 18, Chapter 18 of John, in just a few days we will have finished reading the book of John and completed the 21 Days to a No Regret Life. Are you there yet? Have you enjoyed the journey? I have loved the challenge and joy of blogging nearly every day! As a result I haved journalled daily in my Creek journal but on my blog.

 I didn't make it every day to pray at the cross at 6:30 at Daybreak Prayer but I have been greatly inspired by the times that I did. I think I will keep the practise of getting up early  and spending the first part of the day in prayer. I will continue daily blogging because it stretches me to think and be creative!

What will you keep for the next 21 days?

Check out Gary's blog for his last days. 

To Love and Be Loved

That's all I ever wanted in life was to love and be loved.

  I can't tell you how many times I have heard that from the tired lips of young women and older women!

Of course, everyone wants to love and be loved, it a basic need, the most common one! As I was thinking about that today, I realized that of course we have that desire, that incredulous longing that screams to be met! Of course we have that desire beause that was what we were created for! We were made to love and be loved!

And you know what I just realized this day, is that we get that desire and longing from our Father!!!!! Why not, let Him love you, today!

Time is Running Out for Jesus and for Us

I am struck today by today's 21 Day No Regret  reading of John, chapter 14, verse 30. Throughout the chapter is it obvious that Jesus is giving last days instructions to His beloved followers and friends, His disciples such as Don't let your heart be troubled. Trust in God and trust also in me. (vs.1).

If you love me obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father and He will give you another Advocate who will never leave you. (vs. 15, 16)

I am leaving you with a gift--peace of mind. And the peace I give you as a gift, the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid. (vs. 27).

And then He says in the last verse of chapter 14, I don't have much time to talk to you. . . (vs. 30)

It seems we always seem to say the most important things to someone just before we are leaving. The problem is we don't always know how much time that we have. I have sat with many who knew that they were drawing their last breaths and their time was spent expressing love, forgiveness and hope to their loved ones. But I have also been with people who never got the chance to say those last words. I didn't with my daugther who died in her sleep.

What if we spoke as if our words were our last words and that we knew we didn't have much time here? At best our life if a breathe on a window pane, a mere 80 plus years.

God, help me remember in the words that I say that they could be my last.

He's Got the Whole World in His Hands

  What are the odds that a girl from Kentucky would have the opportunity to have friendships that span the globe! Only God!

What a joy to sit in the living room last night and strategize and talk about how to connect people in China to the amazing grace and love of Jesus Christ! Project Partner held only its second board meeting since its rebirth to review the Good News spread in 2008 and plan how to help transform more communities in 2009.

Exciting to have my brother-in-law who is of the same heart and mind to reach the world for Christ as we are fly in for just that time. Also together with a couple of local compadres, a friend from the west coast and a couple of long time friends from Monterrey, Mexico to share life and ministry!

What a joy to pray with them this morning as Lidia offered to God a sweet incense of words in Spanish! Isn't God good!

Too Young to Die

Tonight Gary and I spent an hour in the home of a young woman, 28 years old who was told by her doctor to go home and prepare to die! She is a young wife and new mother! How can this be! Just a month ago she shared her recent diagnosis of breast cancer with a roomful of other moms with spunk and courage. . .and hair. Now she is considerably weaker but still as determined to beat this terrible disease that threatens to take her from her husband and young son.

The Bible says our lives are mere breaths on the window pane but some are so much shorter than others for no reason of their own making!

Today is the anniversary of the death of a young man who grew up at Indian Creek Community Church and who was preparing to graduate from Bible college and launch into ministry to students and youth. He was a newlywed of only a few months. He went to the gym to workout early one morning and never returned to his young bride at home in bed. He had stopped his truck and gotten out to help an injuried dog in the road when his truck was struck from behind causing it to strike him and killing him.

It is so hard to get, impossible to figure out, why, those who are so young, so passionate are not allowed to complete an average life span!

21 Days to a no regret life. . . what if we don't have 21 days and we don't even know that!