Perseverance & Oswald

Came across this awesome insight on “Perseverance” by Oswald Chambers today in my reading. (excerpt taken from “My Utmost for His Highest” – by Oswald Chambers)

May it encourage you to press on as it has encouraged me. J

……………………………………………………

The Discipline of Spiritual Perseverance

"Be still and know that I am God..." (Psalm 46:10)

Perseverance is more than endurance. It is endurance combined with absolute assurance and certainty that what we are looking for is going to happen.

Perseverance means more than just hanging on, which may be only exposing our fear of letting go and falling.

Perseverance is our supreme effort of refusing to believe that our hero is going to be conquered.

Our greatest fear is not that we will be damned, but that somehow Jesus Christ will be defeated.

Also our fear is that the very things our Lord stood for - love, justice, forgiveness, and kindness among men - will not win out in the end and will represent an unattainable goal for us.

Then there is the call to spiritual perseverance.

A call not to hang on and do nothing, but to work deliberately, knowing with certainty that God will never be defeated.

If our hopes seem to be experiencing disappointment right now, it simply means that they are being purified.

Every hope or dream of the human mind will be fulfilled if it is noble and of God.

But one of the greatest stresses in life is the stress of waiting for God.

He brings fulfillment, "because you have kept My command to persevere..." Revelation 3:10

Continue to persevere spiritually.

WARNING: Heavy Rainfall!

NEWS: Weather Forecast

ALERT: Heavy Rainfall Warning for – insert your town here 

Wait a minute… heavy rainfall warning?

Oh please… like we haven’t endured raindrops before.

You know, they’re those little wet round things that plop… pretty sure I first saw those on Bambi.

If they had said hurricanes or flooding then there’d be cause for some warning… I’d even probably be pretty concerned.

But when the weather channel (or weather.ca – in my case) tells you that “heavy rainfall” is on its way… I say, bring it on!

I mean come on! Are we scared of some rain?

What month is it?

Oh right… it’s March.

In Ontario, no less.

Rain is welcome here… it’s beautiful, the snow is melting… poor hibernating Canadians (such as myself) start to get that glimmer of hope that spring could be just a month away!

After somehow surviving a long winter of nothing but snow-squalls, white-outs, and flurries (for my friends south of the border, a Canadian flurry is a ton of huge snowflakes falling out of nowhere. Could be sunny one minute, flurries the next. We don’t limit this to McDonald’s.) we see some harmless rain (as long as it’s not freezing) as a chance to relax and believe in miracles again.

BUT…

The weather channel proclaims: HEAVY RAINFALL WARNING!!!

Scary.

Apparently over the course of the next 24 hours we are supposed to get 10-20 millimetres of rain!

Do you know how much a millimetre is?

Yeah. A tenth of a centimetre.

Ooohhh scary.

It’s like this big -

That’s it.

Why are you listening to the weather channel’s scare tactics?

It’s just rain.

I know the guy who created that stuff… he loves me more than his own life. ;)

I was reading earlier today in my homework (shout out to Pastor Paul if you’re reading this! Yes, she does do homework.) about the grace of God giving us power to live out the lives we are meant to live. God has so much planned for us to do in life, but without his grace on our lives and his power working thru us, we can do nothing.

What does this have to do with rain?

Well… let me let you in on a secret.

I’ve just had a highly caffeinated Friday, I’m tired – yet wired, and I’m massively excited cuz my best Nova Scotia friend – Lori – is coming to visit me tomorrow! And I haven’t even seen her in like almost 2 years… so my brain is goin crazy and when it does this it jumps from one thing to the next at lightning speed… oohh I love lightning. Wish we had some right now… it goes well with rain… SQUIRREL!!

Ok. Back to where I was going with this.

There’s a story where Jesus and his disciples are going across the lake in a boat… massive storm comes up… they didn’t have the weather channel to warn them. Bet there was some heavy rainfall  tho.

So the disciples reacted the way any of us would when a storm takes us by surprise (or sometimes we react even when weather.ca makes us fully aware of warnings)…

They were SCARED!

Ok ok… I’m making a little light of it. It was definitely a bigger storm than the 10 millimetres I’m supposed to see tonight.

But the concept of fear can occur to whomever fear wishes to grip its easy targets.

Whether it be tough fishermen, who have seen a storm or two… or a little baby girl, afraid of her first summer thunderstorm.

But… what can we cling to?

What did the disciples seek out during this storm?

They didn’t look to the weather channel and buy in to some scare tactic made up just to intimidate them into giving up.

No. they took their small, trembling faith to the feet of the Master.

“you wake him… no you! … come on, it was your idea! … we’re all gonna drown if we don’t wake him up… how can he sleep at a time like this?”

Finally someone gets up the nerve and pokes Jesus in the ribs.

“Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

Fear… doubt… many things were weighing on these guys minds.

Its like us… when all we can see is storms and opposition, it’s hard to remember that God is in control. It’s hard to see past the “10 millimetres” of impending rain, and believe that HE has a purpose for your life. You may not see it yet, and you may be “of little faith” that His dreams for you are even gonna come true…

But keep looking. The Master has spoken that we are “going to the other side”, and no matter what storms lie in between, he has the strength and power to get us there. If only we will trust that he is who he says he is.

That’s all I have for tonight… going to sleep peacefully with the sound of 10-20 millimetres of rain falling softly on my window, and Jesus watching over my life. J

PS. For the full, unabbreviated story on Jesus calming the storm, read Matthew 8 OR Luke 8. 

Facebook Fiasco

Today I’m thinking about relationships.

Our lives are driven by them, fuelled by love – or lack of – and often full of drama.

We centre our lives around relationships.

One thing I noticed, however, is that our current society is full of some whacked out different form of relationships called: SOCIAL NETWORKING.

Ring a bell?

Let me bring it down for ya.

Facebook.

Youtube

Twitter

Etc.

Even this blog is a form of social networking.

So don’t get me wrong, but I LOVE social networking… I have each of the things I just listed. 


Facebook: it keeps me in contact with my friends when they’re far away, provides an outlet for sharing important events in my life, I can upload photos so others can see them, I can look at OTHER peoples photos so I can spy on THEIR lives… the list goes on and on.

Twitter: basically I use this as an outlet for my slightly deeper thoughts, as many of you do. I also enjoy it for a form of hearing from other great people in ministry who provide great encouraging thoughts.

Youtube: well, I’ve heard you can upload videos, but since I have none to upload, never really cared. I have this account so I can play a “favorites” list of my favourite bands, or look up other inspirational stuff to share with others. (usually thru facebook) J

All this said, social networking is amazing. For the first time in history we can “log on” and be in contact with people from all over the planet! This is pretty cool. I’m a fan of this concept since my big sister moved to China a year and a half ago. And since I have friends all over the world that I’d like to keep in contact with.

But… (and you knew that was coming, didn’t you?)

I can’t stand the fact that our generation has become SO dependent on our facebooks! (insert favourite social networking program here)

I mean, can you even communicate in person anymore?

A lot of people I know won’t say two words to me in person, but we are friends on facebook. So that’s ok. I mean, they continually ‘like’ my status, <3 my stuff about church and youth, but If I talk to them at church or at youth or even on the streets all I can get out of them is:

Me: hey! how are you today?

Teen: good (clicking phone sounds insert here)

Me: that’s good… just good? Or really good? Why just good?

Teen: uh I don’t know

(here is where I peek over the shoulder to see if Teen is logged on to facebook thru cellphone, or just plain texting her friend across the room – also on her phone)

Me (in attempt at real conversation): ok, so how’s school?

Teen: good…

(clicking continues as Teen continues ignoring me)

I think we are messed up somewhere in our social networking structure. Somewere along the way we got so involved that we forgot that there’s a real world out there! Real people wanting real conversations… real beauty in a real friendship.

Again, I have a facebook. I love it. I go on it often… too often, I’ll admit.

BUT…

I would rather hang with you in person.

The problem, I think, with our generation is that we have gotten so used to communicating thru facebook and other forms of technology that we forget how to talk in real life.

Did you know that life isn’t about how many facebook friends you have or how many notifications you have when you get home from work or school?

Did you know that Jesus doesn’t have a facebook profile?

Yeah, he actually set it up that way so you’d have to turn OFF facebook in order to spend time with him.

That’s what real God-given relationships are meant to be!

It’s not about logging on and filling your life with superficial ways to stoke your ego. That’s what this world wants you to think.

Think about it.

Is it about having a selfish craving to see how many people “like” your status?

Or would you rather someone take you out for coffee.

Would you rather have 1,000 friends that you never talk to in person (cuz you’re glued to your data phone)?

Or would you rather have 5 friends you could talk to about anything. Friends who will build you up and make you be more of who you really are. Friends who want nothing more than to see you succeed.

Can you imagine what would happen if we all just logged out of facebook?

What if we actually talked to eachother and were real? Honesty seems a little lost to our culture lately. We’d rather live thru our facebook profiles than live out in the open where people might see us and judge us for who we are.

Let me tell you this.

I do have a facebook profile.

But I don’t want to limit my friends to that.

I actually do have 5 friends I could talk to about anything… honest friends. I know them, they know me. We talk… but not usually on facebook.

I have outstanding spiritual leaders – my pastors, Loving parents, And an incredible mentor. All of whom know me and want to see me succeed in life and experience all that God has for me.

I know this because they tell me. But never thru facebook.

It’s not about selfishly seeking our own plastic facebook faces… it’s about having real relationships.

God wants to have that with you, and he wants you to have that with other people.

I love what Philippians 2:1-4 says in the Message version:

If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.

How can you be “deep-spirited” friends without personally seeing the person. How can you really know who they are?

I’m not asking these questions to get an answer… I just want you to think about it and reevaluate how you handle your relationships.

Are you the kind of person who will hide behind the facebook profile in order to obsess more about “your own advantage”?

Or are you going to use this form of technology to help others… be there for others when they need to talk. Put yourself aside, help others get ahead.

If you have a facebook account, great. But don’t use it to your own advantage. Try building others up through your status updates – if nothing else.

And after that, log off. Read a book. Have some Jesus time… cuz he’s always waiting for that.

Go out and spend time with real friends. People who have a good influence on you and want you to succeed. (and if you don’t know anyone like that,pray about it… God will send some. And then facebook me and I’ll invite you to my church and introduce you to my friends who will love you. J )

Life is more than just facebook and social networking… I don’t know about you, but I wanna go out and live a real life with purpose. I want to be a deep-spirited friend and live in community with real people.

I want to think like Jesus thought of other people…

_{Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.}

_{Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even those long ago dead and buried—will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11}

Now, if you’ll excuse me… I’m literally going to log out, have me some Jesus time, and then go spend some time with real friends in the real world. J

Valentines Day Ditto

So sorry my blogging has been a lil MIA (missing in action – for all of you who were wracking their brains for that one).

I’ve gotten quite busy lately, but have a couple great ideas I just need to sit down and write.

Now is not that time… but I wanted to leave you with this.

Today I was thinking of Valentines Day and how some of us love it and others hate it… and then I wished I could write exactly what I’m loving about V-day this year.

I am in love with Jesus. Not sure how it all happened, but I’m more content with just me and Jesus this year than I ever have been.

As I was trying to figure out a way to sum it all up and tell you all about it and then leave you with something profound to challenge you, I came across this blog from my friend JennyB.

And I figured… she said it so well, I’ll just have to blog and ditto that.

So here’s my valentines day ditto: http://jennybrashaw.blogspot.com/2011/02/relationship-status-loved.html

(All credit goes to Jenny Brashaw J)

And a heartfelt wish to all of you who I love and thank God for everyday of my life! (and if I don’t know you and you happen to be reading this by fluke, I love you too. Cuz I serve a crazy loving God who knows your name and loved you before you were born. Don’t forget that. In fact, that might be why you are reading this by fluke right now, cuz He just loves you that much! J)

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

♥Michelle Joy

Living in a 'Snow Globe' world

The snow.

The whirling swirling snow.

Sparkly and enchanted.

Mesmerizing to watch, yet powerful enough to cause injury or even death.

The snow.

Here it comes unexpectedly.

Destroying any plans. Leaving travelers stranded.

Wondering if God has abandoned us to freeze in this desolate mass of white…

Left to survive on our own… or die trying to find His Love in the cold-hearted drifts.

A few decide to take the risk, while many forsake the quest and claim His warmth is useless folly. Preferring to freeze in inevitable loneliness.

The hopeful ones, bundled bravely against the harsh wind, set out. Their eyes searching in watchful expectancy.

The snow. Only snow. Was there ever anything but the twisting flakes of white? As if God had shook up the whole world into a swirling snow globe of wonder for the travelers. Never being able to see what’s in front of them.

Its just a blur now… was the warmth but a dream?

Once in a while the sun drifts thru, casting a deceitful glow and causing the traveler’s hopes to crash in despair.

Perhaps they were right, and abandonment tugs at their hearts. Maybe it would be better to return. At least it would feel more ordinary than this uncertain wasteland.

A few of the faint-hearted fall, struggling for breath.

Will they die even now? Cold and alone… so afraid of this unknown place. Fear cuts their hearts.

They have failed Him.

“NEVER!!!”

The cry shot thru the cold and the darkness.

The weary ones gasped as a single, small child stepped forward.

His face shone with a light of hope many of them had long forgotten.

His eyes held a memory of warmth… a reason to keep going made his footsteps strong and sure.

Bending, he carefully clasped the hand of one of his comrades. Softly he placed a strong arm around him.

They continued on, a gentle warm light of hope radiating from the young one’s garments.

Then one by one the others followed.

The sronger carrying the weak…

Following the warm, hopeful light of the courageous one who risked so much to lead them to the promise that awaited them.

Still surrounded by the relentless, blinding snow, they trudge on. Keeping their eyes on the Child, with their hearts dreaming of the promised land. A land that is full of warmth and light. Where the cold, frozen wasteland is but a distant memory. Where the love of the Father reigns above all.

They are following the Child’s light… the light of the world.

They carry each other, helping each other along the rocky, icy terrain. The only other option is to give up, perish, freeze… never knowing true love and warmth.

But they never give up.

For they cling to the hope the Father sent in the form of a child leading them… they press on. Never losing hope.

Now and then the child points to the heavens, clouds parted for a moment revealing stars, bright and powerfully shooting. Sending diamonds reflecting on the snow.

Thru the beauty in the midst of their chaotic lives, they are reminded to take heart.

They plod on…

 A few still lost their step and felt the bitter cold press their hearts. But one piercing look from the loving eyes of the Child, a faithful prayer from one of the weary troops, and a steady hand to raise them up.

And still we go on and on…

A band of misfits trudging through this cold and weary snow-globe world. Searching for answers, and finding them in the life and love of the Christ child.

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus… our hearts beat his name as we climb mountains, endure valleys, and wander through the cold, dark, world of snow.

The world will try to manipulate us and make us fall, exhausted, in a weary heap… but we are not given a spirit of fear. So we trudge on. Refusing to give up and give in. refusing to freeze and abandon the love we’ve found in Him. Refusing to give up the life He has called us to… the loving relationship we have found in Him.

For if we abandon this calling… then what hope have we?

Even in the cold, dark nights, we can still follow His light.

For He will never abandon those who seek Him.

For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

- Hebrews 13:5

(written December 15, 2007. Revised, December 12, 2010)

♥Michelle Joy

Snowflake Details

I have thought a lot about small things… small moments with Him, lately.

I need more of Him. More of His presence.

He’s beautiful… sometimes so much so that I can’t take it.

I am so small in comparison.

Small, but loved… small, but noticed by Him.

Its only cuz of Him any of us can do what we are doing these days. Living out this calling from Him. The highest, most wonderful calling… to serve Him and be in relationship with Him.

Something struck me today, during my average day at work. In the midst of Christmas shoppers/customers at my workplace, orders coming and going, rushing out on my lunch to do some errands (and get some yummy tim hortons tea J). A quiet little something hit me harder than usual. Actually quite literally hit me hard… it was, in fact, a very large snowflake.

Now I know what you’re thinking, “snowflakes aren’t large!”… yes, yes… well this one WAS! Or, for a snowflake. It was still small (like me), but on my black glove, it was huge! And so detailed. You could see the intricate delicate points. A perfect miniature replica of the kind we all made as children and hung in windows (as if there wasn’t already enough snow outside J).

This small thing hit my gloved hand and I noticed its perfect beauty at the very instant a soft voice I’ve heard so often lately spoke a few small words.

“I care about small details”.

What’s that? What did He mean?

I looked at the snowflake again. Its lacy prints melting in the warmth of my hand.

Details… if He cares about making a snowflake as detailed as that, and if its true that no two snowflakes are alike… how much more does He care about the details in my life?

How much more does He care about the little things… like how much money it takes in a month to live off of (with gas prices soaring and the economy faltering). Or how to balance life’s busyness. Or any of those little details on our lists of things to do…

Or what about dreams? Does He care about that too?

My dreams get pretty detailed… I dream big. Future stuff. The kind that might take a lifetime (and part of eternity) to accomplish.

So there I was… rushing thru my busy day. Running back to work after my errands were done… and this unusually large snowflake lands perfectly on my gloved hand.

“I care about small details. I care about YOUR details! As small and insignificant in your hand as this snowflake seems, so are you in the rest of the world. But I made you detailed. I gave you gifts. I gave you a name. I have called you my own daughter. I care about where your life is headed. And if I can care about the details of a snowflake, how much more do I care about your life, your dreams, your passions. I will never stop caring about the details.”

Wow.

Give me an entire blizzard of snowflakes, if that’s the kind of stuff He’s gonna teach me today.

I won’t mind the cold Canadian winters and the snow squalls and closed roads… cuz each of those crazy snowflakes are made so intricately different. And God cares about them… and He cares about me… and He cares about your details too.

So let Him in … trust Him with the details. He can be trusted you know. He created the details in you… and He knows how to make things happen in your life. He is desperately wanting you to ask in faith for the details.

And don’t worry… He’ll take care of things. Ask in faith, and fear not. He has such plans for the future. Don’t miss out!

Luke 12:22-34

Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?

“And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.

“Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Love your neighbor?

Cold November days…

The school semester is winding down… my life has been increasingly more and more busy with final exams, last papers, Christmas shoppers flooding my workplace, etc. etc. etc.

People are what make me slow down and listen. Thank God for the people in my life.

You’ve often heard that people are put in your life for a reason or a season. Sometimes the reasons are not always good. We are all of a fallen human nature. We all need to learn to have patience, grace, and the Love of God with eachother. Sometimes I can be a pain to live with… and sometimes you can too (not gonna lie). But we are all learning and we are all, as Christians, changing by the grace of God to be more and more like Jesus.

A dear friend and mentor of mine once said, “We are all still learning… even I am still learning to love people more.” (Irene Dooley)

So I figure, if she’s still learning… then so am I. And as far as I can tell, so are you, and him, and her, and them… all of us.

Don’t think I ever told the blogging world what I do right now. I am an intern. Crossroads Community Church is my home away from home (and I’m usually there more waking hours than at my house J). As an intern life is consistently busy serving others. Whether people deserve it or not. This year as I entered my 2^nd year of the internship, I embarked on a new lesson of love.

Is it easy to love people even when it feels like the world is against you? Or when you’re exhausted past comprehension from a week of being at work everyday and church every evening? No. not easy at all.

BUT! (great word to insert here)

It is all SO worth it… cuz the most fulfilling things in life aren’t the things that come easy. It’s the things that you need to work at. The things that build character. The dreary mundane things that build determination, commitment, patience… and above all else, LOVE!

I LOVE my church.

It’s not cuz it’s always easy to get along with people or even that people like me all the time.

But we’re all still learning.

And when I’m tired and frustrated and wanna give up… God picks me up, dusts me off, wipes the tears… and if I’m smart I’ll lean on Him. Cuz while everything else in life can break down, break your heart, or break your confidence… God is unbreakable. 

Don't forget this, dear friends... God will never give up on you. So don't you give up on Him. Keep running this race... cuz the reward is greater and bigger than you can imagine. And at the end of it all... Jesus is there. At the end of your long, weary day filled with stuff that stresses you out or weighs you down... He is there to lean on and love on you. 

So lets keep going. :)

I feel I have so much more I need to write here... but I am so tired from my busy life, I really must sleep. 

Goodnight! 

‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” – Matthew 22:37-40 

♥Michelle Joy