Monthly Supporters

God talks and God moments







Okay, wow. God never ceases to amaze me. The ripples of your life go farther than the eye can see or the mind can know. You may never know how much your life is affecting those around you. And it has nothing to do with us and everything to do with God. So I wrote the earthquake blog the other day and I have been telling my friends and family about the dreams I had, and how God spoke through them and His Word. I woke up this morning to find a gratitude chain that my roommates daughter had written out. You remember those green and red construction paper links we used to make as kids to countdown to Christmas? It looks like that. Only it is about six links, and each one has a "thank you" to God. So precious. She is one of the sweetest nine year olds I have ever met. I see Jesus in her. She just got baptized about two months ago.






So back to the chain-- I read what she wrote on them. Maybe I shouldn't have. If so-- forgive me God, and forgive me Sophia. I would never want to breach her privacy. But I truly believe God had me find it on the couch this morning, and read it for a reason. Each one was so heartfelt, pure, perfect, beautiful. What really got me is that the first and last link said this:


First: "Bad thing- Paul and Silas were in prison. God sent an earthquake to set them free"

Last: "God sent an earthquake to set them free."


Holy moly. There are NO coincidences in God's Kingdom. None. So I have no idea how God has been revealing that to her heart, but the how doesn't really matter to me. I am just blown away. That me and this sweet daughter of God, Sophia, are on the same page. That Daddy God has been revealing to us the same message. Maybe she heard about my story from her aunt (my best friend) or maybe she didn't. The mystery is part of what is so beautiful about it and about God. One thing I do know- HE get's all the glory.





On another note slash things I have been contemplating:





So yesterday I had an epic talk with my mom at brunch, as usual. She sharpens me, and I hope I do the same for her. My relationship with her is so life-giving. Thank you Abba Father!!! I was saying that a lot of times we settle for shallow conversations and interactions with people and then wonder why we are feeling so empty. Especially for an introvert. Interactions are like withdrawals from the energy bank account. But they are also deposits into the spiritual account which can roll-over and go into the energy account, and obviously the JOY account. But I notice that the surface level ones can be more 'draining' than the deep or hard talks. I have just been noticing how much I crave- real, meaningful, deep conversations. I always walk away from them with my love cup FULL and overflowing. We must drink deep of the Living Waters. That comes from time alone with God, in His Word. It also comes from fellowship. That is what I have been desiring. And without even specifically asking God for it-- His Spirit has interceded on my behalf and interpreted that desire to God.





"They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor."- Isaiah 61:3


So we are like these huge oak trees, and we are only getting a cup of water poured onto our roots and into our soil. What we need is buckets upon buckets of the Living Waters. To be able to survive, thrive, grow…

"They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor."- Isaiah 61:3


So we are like these huge oak trees, and we are only getting a cup of water poured onto our roots and into our soil. What we need is buckets upon buckets of the Living Waters. To be able to survive, thrive, grow…etc. Sometimes I settle for a cup or two and then wonder why I am dehydrated, weary, and wilting. Fellowship with other Christ followers is essential. Have you ever noticed when you are around someone else filled with God's Spirit- you get fired up around them? You feel joy and you are excited to share what He is doing in your lives. Oh the sweetness of it all. Fight for those talks beloved. Sometimes it is scary to be the first one to be vulnerable or even put yourself out there like that. But you will never know until you try. I guarantee there is someone else in the room who is craving it just as much as you. They may be too shy to be the first one to go there. Once you open that door- it is only a matter a time before you are both deep-sea-diving with Jesus. Just start somewhere. The fruitful conversations and interactions that will flow out of that wellspring are innumerable and expansive. Take the first leap of faith. Be real, raw, open, honest, vulnerable.


"To love at all is to be vulnerable."- C.S. Lewis. So if we are to LOVE our neighbors as ourselves, let's be vulnerable and do this.


etc. Sometimes I settle for a cup or two and then wonder why I am dehydrated, weary, and wilting. Fellowship with other Christ followers is essential. Have you ever noticed when you are around someone else filled with God's Spirit- you get fired up around them? You feel joy and you are excited to share what He is doing in your lives. Oh the sweetness of it all. Fight for those talks beloved. Sometimes it is scary to be the first one to be vulnerable or even put yourself out there like that. But you will never know until you try. I guarantee there is someone else in the room who is craving it just as much as you. They may be too shy to be the first one to go there. Once you open that door- it is only a matter a time before you are both deep-sea-diving with Jesus. Just start somewhere. The fruitand expansive. Take the first leap of faith. Be real, raw, open, honest, vulnerable.


"To love at all is to be vulnerable."- C.S. Lewis. So if we are to LOVE our neighbors as ourselves, let's be vulnerable and do this.

Redeem. Rebuild. Restore. Root.


“I have loved you with an everlasting love;
I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.
I will build you up again,
and you, Virgin Israel, will be REBUILT.
Again you will...go out to dance with the joyful.
Again you will PLANT vineyards...

the farmers will plant them
and enjoy their FRUIT…"

OKAY let me just start here-- So we went over earthquakes and burning down and tearing down yesterday. Now God is sharing the REBUILDING part. He is so encouraging and affirming. He doesn't waste any time in giving us even more HOPE. I love that He is saying over and over again that He will build us up again, rebuild, plant and root us in His love. That we will be fruitful for Him and for His Kingdom and others to enjoy our fruit (His fruits in us). The only way a plant can be fruitful is to be first pruned and cut back. That's where we were at yesterday-- going through the fire and earthquake to shake away and burn away anything that is not of Him. Anything that will not bring Him glory. We are trees of righteousness planted for His namesake to display His splendor. What an honor!


"See, I will bring them from the land of the north
and gather them from the ends of the earth...
They will come with weeping;
they will pray as I bring them back.
I will lead them beside streams of water
on a level path where they will not stumble,
because I am [her] father,
and [he] is my firstborn son…

‘He who scattered Israel will gather them
and will watch over his flock like a shepherd.’


That is just so beautiful that God is constantly bringing us back to the fold and pursuing us. He gathers us after we have been scattered. He lovingly leads us beside still waters to refresh us and watches over our every step so that we do not fall. What an amazing Father we have. We may flee to the dark, distant, lonely places-- but even darkness is as light to Him, and where can we flee from His presence? He is ever-present, always near. (Psalm 139).


"For the Lord will DELIVER [you]
and REDEEM [you] from the hand of those stronger than [you]...
They will be like a well-watered garden,
and they will sorrow no more. (v.12)
Then young women will dance and be glad,
young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into gladness;
I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.
I will satisfy [them] with abundance,
and my people will be filled with my bounty (generosity, inheritance, plenty, reward,'declares the Lord." -Jeremiah 31:3-14

I mean. Wow. We get to be like a well-watered garden for God. He is the LIVING Water. His Spirit in us. Well-springs of life. He loves to turn our sadness into JOY and mourning into dancing! I just love the way He wants to satisfy us with His goodness and abundance. To FILL us with His reward. Not just 'meet our needs.' No. Above and beyond our needs and desires. To the FULLNESS of CHRIST. It is like a husband who goes to fill up her wife's gas tank and then comes back with a NEW car, full tank and all. That is how God lavishes His love on us.










Hope in the earthquakes of life

As I was reading my Bible this morning God was speaking this so powerfully and intimately to me.

This is what I heard Him saying

He broke down the walls, he set fire to the temple, every important building he burned down.- 2 Kings 25:9-10

When I first read this I just thought-- okay God is tearing down to rebuild the temple.  But at a closer glance-- WE are that temple.  And Yes, HE is tearing down to rebuild, from the ruins, to the rebirth.  God is breaking down our walls, setting fire to the temples (our bodies are the temple of God- 1 Corinthians 6:19).  He is putting us through the refining fire to purify us and make us more like Him. He is burning down every important "building" (high, lofty, proud thing or thought that sets itself up against the knowledge of God- 2 Corinthians 10:5).  
That is powerful.  I see God's hand moving and doing this in my life, as well as many of my closest friend's lives.  What a promise that He gives us BEAUTY from ashes.  A new creation from the rubble, the pain, the trials and the ruins of life.  I had a crazy dream last night about an earthquake.  It was a dream within a dream.  I was running from the earthquake in the first dream.  Then I woke up in another dream trying to awaken, thinking the first dream was God warning me of a REAL earthquake.  I could not, however, get myself out of bed (in the second dream).  But I felt the quake all around me and couldn't run outside, or away from it.  I was in the midst of it.  Then when I actually woke up this morning my devotional was about God shaking the earth to BREAK all of my chains off.  Amazing.  He was preparing my heart in those dreams.  I read about Paul and Silas singing and praising God with theirs voices and the earth quaking all around them and breaking their chains.  Their worship set them free.  God shook the earth and everything around them, until it anything that was not of Him fell off.

*Interesting side note: did you know that there are earthquakes happening around us, all the time, that we don't even notice?!  So I checked out this website and found out there had been one only forty minutes ago.  Check it out: http://earthquaketrack.com/us-ca-san-jose/recent

Then I continued on with reading, and this popped out to me. 
2 Kings 25:28-30
He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat of honor higher than those of the other kinds who were with him in Babylon.  So Jehoiachin put aside his PRISON clothes and for the REST of his life ate regularly at the king's table. DAY BY DAY (ODAT) the KING gave him a regular allowance as long as he lived.

WOW. That's a Word.  Dad by day, one day at a time, the KING of KINGS is providing for us.  Our every need.  He granted us grace and true freedom to truly take off our prison clothes for the rest of our lives.  Whom the Son sets free is free indeed.  He has given us access to His inheritance and set us at His royal table.  Spoken kindly to us and given us a seat of honor.  This is just my human opinion and what I felt God speaking to me through these verses.  The Word of God is living and active- Hebrews 4:12.  Ask Him to speak to you through His God-breathed Word, and HE WILL. 

Turn to the Lord with all your heart, soul, and strength- 2 Kings 23:25