Yes, Lord!

Three women standing in a parking lot.
All different. One in her thirties with small children.
One in her fifties with grandchildren.
One in her forties with teenagers.
United by Christ.

Three women standing, talking, laughing and one says, "Did I tell you about the service I attended"?
The other two listen intently.
At this service the pastor starts and says, "YES, LORD. He says, YES, LORD; yes, Lord; yes, Lord." For half an hour the pastor says, "Yes Lord" in every way that it could be said.
And all that were listening were in agreement. They echoed back, "Yes, Lord".

The two listening stare wide-eyed. They even laugh at the thought of a thirty minute, two word, repeated message. In jest, they lift arms and say, "Yes, Lord".

And then the end of the message is shared.
After 30 minutes and all those being led to a united agreement the pastor prays.

"Now that you know the answer Lord, tell us the question".

I can hear the pin drop now.
The chills as they realize the point.
A spirit of willingness.
A spirit of YES. Yes, Lord.
No matter what the call; no matter what the question.

"Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."

Psalm 51:12

 

 

The two in the parking lot listening to the third agree. Yes, Lord. Yes, we must be willing no matter what the call; no matter what the question. No matter what the impossible looks like, it is possible for YOU.

 

Three women standing in the parking lot.

All different.

Part ways...united in Christ.

Ready to say, "Yes, Lord"!

 

Is your spirit willing? Willing to say yes, Lord? No matter what the call?

Christ sacrificed His life for you and I.

Consider the answer you will give to whatever question He may ask you today!

 

~because He lives! Jodie

 

"Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts." Isaiah 26:8

 

Blown Away!

Most Wednesdays we give a challenge. Just a little encouragement to stretch ourselves further in our faith and fitness endeavors. When I started to write today's challenge it was no different than any other Wednesday. I had an idea. I began the research and then I was BLOWN AWAY!
God does that sometime.
Sometime to let me know that I am on the right track, sometime to let me know that He has other plans and sometime to remind me that He is awesome!

I set out to explore a song and to challenge you to do the same.
For those who have never worked out with this stitched together bunch we call Faithfully Fit let me take a moment to tell you about the music we use to work out. It's not just music. It doesn't just have the right beat. It has a message. A message to direct our minds, thoughts, praises and conversation toward Christ! Our first song this session is called Build Your Kingdom Here by Rend Collective Experiment.

It's catchy...it sticks in your head...it has twang. After hearing it a few times in class I heard it on the radio. I turned it up, I rolled down the windows of my orange jeep, and I listened.
I listened and I got excited. I was blown away!
Blown away by the meaning I heard in the lyrics. I knew had scripture backing! Scripture from the Word of God was flowing through this song. I wanted to run to my bible and find a verse for each line! I shouldn't be surprised. Much thought and time goes into the selection of each song. But this morning God BLEW ME AWAY as I studied.

First I wanted to see the lyrics. Then I looked at the artists behind the song. I found this as I read their bio:

“We’re all handmade people created by our God who is not safe or small,” Gareth shares. “Our heart was ultimately to make music that was sonically creative and pushed the boundaries, but we also wanted to write something that really served the Church. It’s not us trying to do something crazy and different for crazy and different’s sake, it’s our response to a truly magnificent God with a wild imagination.” - Rend Collective

And then I listened to their story (http://rendcollective.com/bio/) and I had tears and a heart swelling with praise to God. The God they sing for, is the God I sing for and they see, they see the need for UNITY. They see God's people and they see the need for unity. They see the body of Christ joined as ONE to worship Christ.

And then they collectively do something!
My challenge was going to be study the lyrics of a song and search the Bible for it's backing. But it is now changed. I challenge us to see the need for unity, to join as one and worship Christ! Let Christ set your heart ablaze with hope.........and then Share it with ALL that they may be ONE in Christ!

"We seek your kingdom first

We hunger and we thirst

Refuse to waste our lives

For you're our joy and prize

To see the captive hearts released

The hurt; the sick; the poor at peace

We lay down our lives for heaven's cause

We are your church

We pray revive

This earth"  ~Rend Collective, Build Your Kingdom Here

 

Blown Away~ Jodie

Delight in Difficulties

GOOOOOD Morning friends!

Praise the Lord for another day! A new day....new mercies!

At 6:01 this morning me eyes opened, a small glimpse of light was coming in the bedroom windows through the closed curtains of yesterday. I closed them around noon when I went to bed with a migraine. I hesitated for a moment before deciding to get up...Donna and Allison are not starting their run until 6:20...I have time! Sending a quick text to say I would meet them along the road I slowly lifted myself out of bed and headed toward the bathroom. Groggy and grumpy...whew...they may not want to run with me. Sitting to put my shoes on I felt the need for my prayers to be NOW, not after the run. I bowed my head and began to talk to God. My phone buzzed...my friends would not be running. Perhaps God sent them a message of my grumpiness?! Well, why should I go? With a little determination I thought, I am already up...and I did eat ice cream last night (drat!). I took time for my bible reading, a confirming message from God that we are on the right track for our fall Faithfully Fit session (thank you God). Fixed my husbands tea and out the door I went. At the end of the drive I pondered just a moment before deciding to turn left. No need to go right if I am not meeting anyone. Beautiful, cool morning, perfect. My heart readied for running and more prayer. Time to lift others I know who are hurting. Making my way around the loop I knew that I was in the right place, there along the road, by myself, time with God, to praise, to intercede.

My turn was nearing. I was hearing a rush of water...what is that? The river? No, too far from it now. The storm drain? Hmmm...I think it may be rain. My house was within view, the "short-way" home was in sight. No. I turned to make my normal loop back. God had heard me say, I will just walk this one out today, no need to run. But He knew. And He sent the rain. Turning on my heel, picking up the pace, anticipating the sprinkles to turn to the full-blown rain I was hearing in the distance. Ahhh. Refreshing. New mercies every morning. God with me. Near me. I smiled, I laughed, I thought, "you knew I was going to walk this one out and then be disappointed". With determination I ran. The cool rain a sweet reminder to me that God is always near. In His goodness it was light and cool, no thunder, no lightning, just right. As I rounded the corner it was harder, the rain dripping from my eye lids and my nose (thank goodness I picked the dark purple shirt instead of the light pink!). Three gifts in difficult. I already knew today's Joy Dare topic. The verse I read in my closet last night..."for when I am weak then I am strong". How true the Word of God. The truth penetrating my soul. Every run on the road has taught me that my strength is not mine on my own, it is from God; "for when I weak then I am strong".

Are you able to even begin thinking of gifts that come from difficult? Do you even like the word difficult? As much as we may wish to avoid difficult, it is there. In all shapes and sizes. Difficult rears it's head. Cancer, loss of life, job-loss, strife in marriage, rebelling children, rise in cost of living, loss of pay, loss of love, abuse, addictions, the list is long and DIFFICULT. " I delight in my weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Cor 12: 10). Paul delights in those things that I may cringe at...delights. Two verses previous he pleads with the Lord. Pleads. Take it away, take this thorn from me, take it Lord. What are you pleading for the Lord to take away? What difficulty do you want, desire, need to have removed? Trust that God knows. Trust that in your weakness He is strong. Delight in the hardship knowing that God will send the refreshing rain that you need to know that He is near. You are not alone in your struggles, you are not running alone. He is near.

Delight in your difficulties. Look for the gifts. Have a heart of gratitude because joy is the result.

I pray that today you are able to see a gift in difficult, perhaps even three.

Rejoice! Be glad in it,

Jodie

Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Cor 12: 8-10