Thankful for friends and family that have prayed for me during these few weeks and for a completely devoted mother (mine) who sacrificed time, energy and sleep to make sure that I recover well...a mother's love, a love I have yet to understand until I become one I guess.
Thankful for a God who continues to meet me personally everyday, thankful to him for knowing everything about me and still despite loves me and encounters me in ways that I cannot understand.
Thankful for this time of rest...
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Friday, February 16, 2007
Friday, February 09, 2007
Fear...
Over the last few days I believe God has so closely dealt with the many issues I have with Fear. I meet so many people on a daily basis that are governed by fear...I by no means am free in that category. In the past I have let fear overwhelm, consume and cripple my life. I daily if not moment by moment have to leave all my fears past, present and future at the feet of Christ. Recently I've asked God to replace my fears with Truth...He is....
To the many people I know who deal with their fears everyday....here is a great deal of hope
God is faithful
1 Samuel 12:20-22
20 Then Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness; yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. 21 And do not turn aside; for then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are nothing. 22 For the LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you His people.
And
Isaiah 43
(The Message)
-4 But now, God's Message, the God who made you in the first place, Jacob, the One who got you started, Israel:"Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you. I've called your name. You're mine.When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you. When you're in rough waters, you will not go down.When you're between a rock and a hard place, it won't be a dead end—Because I am God, your personal God, The Holy of Israel, your Savior. I paid a huge price for you: all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in! That's how much you mean to me! That's how much I love you! I'd sell off the whole world to get you back, trade the creation just for you.
5-7"So don't be afraid: I'm with you. I'll round up all your scattered children, pull them in from east and west. I'll send orders north and south: Send them back. Return my sons from distant lands, my daughters from faraway places. I want them back, every last one who bears my name, every man, woman, and child Whom I created for my glory, yes, personally formed and made each one.'" 8-13 Get the blind and deaf out here and ready—the blind (though there's nothing wrong with their eyes) and the deaf (though there's nothing wrong with their ears). Then get the other nations out here and ready. Let's see what they have to say about this, how they account for what's happened. Let them present their expert witnesses and make their case; let them try to convince us what they say is true."But you are my witnesses." God's Decree. "You're my handpicked servant So that you'll come to know and trust me, understand both that I am and who I am.
Both of these text's are full of reasons not to fear...I'm sill processing alot of it.
Chris
To the many people I know who deal with their fears everyday....here is a great deal of hope
God is faithful
1 Samuel 12:20-22
20 Then Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness; yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. 21 And do not turn aside; for then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are nothing. 22 For the LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you His people.
And
Isaiah 43
(The Message)
-4 But now, God's Message, the God who made you in the first place, Jacob, the One who got you started, Israel:"Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you. I've called your name. You're mine.When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you. When you're in rough waters, you will not go down.When you're between a rock and a hard place, it won't be a dead end—Because I am God, your personal God, The Holy of Israel, your Savior. I paid a huge price for you: all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in! That's how much you mean to me! That's how much I love you! I'd sell off the whole world to get you back, trade the creation just for you.
5-7"So don't be afraid: I'm with you. I'll round up all your scattered children, pull them in from east and west. I'll send orders north and south: Send them back. Return my sons from distant lands, my daughters from faraway places. I want them back, every last one who bears my name, every man, woman, and child Whom I created for my glory, yes, personally formed and made each one.'" 8-13 Get the blind and deaf out here and ready—the blind (though there's nothing wrong with their eyes) and the deaf (though there's nothing wrong with their ears). Then get the other nations out here and ready. Let's see what they have to say about this, how they account for what's happened. Let them present their expert witnesses and make their case; let them try to convince us what they say is true."But you are my witnesses." God's Decree. "You're my handpicked servant So that you'll come to know and trust me, understand both that I am and who I am.
Both of these text's are full of reasons not to fear...I'm sill processing alot of it.
Chris
Game On
Ever see the 90's movie Wayne's World? Well, there's this funny part in that movie where Wayne and some of his friends play street hockey...every time a car passes through they move their nets and scoot on over to the sidewalk and yell "Game off" Then when the car has passed they resume their places and yell "Game on!" Just a funny thought, my Doctor called this morning to tell me that there has been a cancellation and I'm on again for Monday, Feb 12.
Made me wanna yell...."GAME ON!"
Chris
Made me wanna yell...."GAME ON!"
Chris
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Gotta Wonder??
Not a good day today...why does everything seem to happen at the same time??
If anyone has the answer...feel free to answer!!
If anyone has the answer...feel free to answer!!
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Surgery Cancelled
Kinda sucks that you try to psych yourself up to have surgery and then they cancel...
After a day and a half in the hospital my surgery was cancelled. Once again out of my control...that's ok I really wasn't at ease with my doctor potentially operating on me after being awake for more than 24 hours. So it is what it is!!
Were back on Feb 26 2007
Chris
After a day and a half in the hospital my surgery was cancelled. Once again out of my control...that's ok I really wasn't at ease with my doctor potentially operating on me after being awake for more than 24 hours. So it is what it is!!
Were back on Feb 26 2007
Chris
Doubt...
Today I leave my situation at your feet Father...choosing to walk away at every moment where I doubt. Lord replace my doubts with an increased faith.
Teach me to continually turn...even when the whispers feel more like screams
Teach me to continually turn...even when the whispers feel more like screams
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
At the Feet of the Cross
At the foot of the cross is a symbolic place on my blog where I will lay down my heart...all that it hopes for, dreams for...Laying it all down to allow Christ to transform the innermost parts of me. It is a place where I pray God will reignite my passions. When I remember the sacrifice of Christ at the cross I can't help but imagine what my reaction would be at the foot of the cross...watching a blameless man...ultimately blamed for me. A love that loved me before I was even conceived. At the foot of the cross is where I am reminded of the grace that I don't deserve yet have accepted because I believe Jesus...I believe that his scars are deep because of the nails that I've put there. At the foot of the cross I am healed, transformed, strengthened and renewed...through the power of what happened on that cross and made new because the same Christ who died a horrible death...walked out of his Tomb.
Life begins here...
Life begins here...
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Surgery
Going for surgery tomorrow to remove something that should not be in my body....kind of a physical manifestation of what's going on in my life. I am on a path of removing things in my life that should not be there...Theses things like the thing that is in my body...simply put...should not be there. This for some reason feels climatic...as if it is the last thing that needs to happen before restoration happens. I mean restoration is happening...even though I don't deserve it...I'm restored through God's Grace.
For the first time in a long time I feel a sense of hope..it's kind of ironic that all my struggles with wanting to control the outcomes of my life, I'm totally not in control here...I really have no choice this thing has to go...it's destroyed a part of my body. So either I fight it and it continues to destroy me or I remove it and trust God to heal me.
Thank you Lord, even for this...I place my hand in yours....let's walk.
Chris
For the first time in a long time I feel a sense of hope..it's kind of ironic that all my struggles with wanting to control the outcomes of my life, I'm totally not in control here...I really have no choice this thing has to go...it's destroyed a part of my body. So either I fight it and it continues to destroy me or I remove it and trust God to heal me.
Thank you Lord, even for this...I place my hand in yours....let's walk.
Chris
The WestSide Gathering
I wanted to take the time today to tell you about a community of Christ Followers....
A few years ago God inspired a man with a vision. A vision to reach and impact the lives of people in the West Island. With a few stirring hearts under the leadership of David Manafo we embarked on this journey. We humbly met 4 of us in his home with hearts full of anticipation for what God was planning. Those four quickly grew to 6, later to 12 and so on. Every step of the way was a step in faith believing that God was moving in and through us. I often remember sitting in Dave and Franca's living room praying that we would become a community of grace. A community that not only existed to exist and be self absorbing...but a community that lived transformed lives through dependency on Christ, a community of Christ followers that embraced people no matter where they were in their lives emotionally, spiritually or physically. A community clothed in Grace, overwhelming love... determined to take on the great commission with passion for the Kingdom.
When i embarked on this journey a few years ago I assumed that all these things we had prayed for would be for others, Our families and friends who didn't know Jesus personally. Maybe my heart was to proud, to think that I would ever need these things, maybe I was naive, maybe I thought that I could give these things, love, compassion, grace without receiving them...This is all to say that this last year and a half which was filled with awful decisions, which led me away from God, from my community, from my deepest passions and desires to serve. I have never felt God's presence, God's love more. I never experienced Christ more. I experienced him through the love and grace of my community of simple people who simply loved me because Christ loved them. I experienced Christ through friends who never gave up on me, although many times I disappointed them time and time again. I was hard to love this past year but they consistently reached out to me, believed in me, prayed for me, interceded for me. When I was tired, broken and spent they carried me...encouraging me to turn my eyes back to Christ. Scripture speaks about loving each other deeply...."above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." 1 Peter 4:8...It was that kind of love that turned me from my path. Thank you WestSide for your commitment to love "above all else" Thank you for demonstrating God's grace and embracing my brokenness. I am blessed to be part of community that upholds these values...but I am more blessed to know that our community exists in a world where we have a chance to offer hope...hope to a broken world with the promise of a fulfilled, whole life through Christ. I am thankful that I belong to a community where scripture comes to life through actions, where lives are transformed, the broken and wounded are accepted, nurtured and challenged to follow Christ, to live him, to make a difference because of the Good News.
Thank you WestSide...I wonder if we realize the impact that we could have armed with this kind of love...??
Chris
www.thewestsidegathering.com
A few years ago God inspired a man with a vision. A vision to reach and impact the lives of people in the West Island. With a few stirring hearts under the leadership of David Manafo we embarked on this journey. We humbly met 4 of us in his home with hearts full of anticipation for what God was planning. Those four quickly grew to 6, later to 12 and so on. Every step of the way was a step in faith believing that God was moving in and through us. I often remember sitting in Dave and Franca's living room praying that we would become a community of grace. A community that not only existed to exist and be self absorbing...but a community that lived transformed lives through dependency on Christ, a community of Christ followers that embraced people no matter where they were in their lives emotionally, spiritually or physically. A community clothed in Grace, overwhelming love... determined to take on the great commission with passion for the Kingdom.
When i embarked on this journey a few years ago I assumed that all these things we had prayed for would be for others, Our families and friends who didn't know Jesus personally. Maybe my heart was to proud, to think that I would ever need these things, maybe I was naive, maybe I thought that I could give these things, love, compassion, grace without receiving them...This is all to say that this last year and a half which was filled with awful decisions, which led me away from God, from my community, from my deepest passions and desires to serve. I have never felt God's presence, God's love more. I never experienced Christ more. I experienced him through the love and grace of my community of simple people who simply loved me because Christ loved them. I experienced Christ through friends who never gave up on me, although many times I disappointed them time and time again. I was hard to love this past year but they consistently reached out to me, believed in me, prayed for me, interceded for me. When I was tired, broken and spent they carried me...encouraging me to turn my eyes back to Christ. Scripture speaks about loving each other deeply...."above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." 1 Peter 4:8...It was that kind of love that turned me from my path. Thank you WestSide for your commitment to love "above all else" Thank you for demonstrating God's grace and embracing my brokenness. I am blessed to be part of community that upholds these values...but I am more blessed to know that our community exists in a world where we have a chance to offer hope...hope to a broken world with the promise of a fulfilled, whole life through Christ. I am thankful that I belong to a community where scripture comes to life through actions, where lives are transformed, the broken and wounded are accepted, nurtured and challenged to follow Christ, to live him, to make a difference because of the Good News.
Thank you WestSide...I wonder if we realize the impact that we could have armed with this kind of love...??
Chris
www.thewestsidegathering.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)