Old folk like me...
For whatever reason my lower back is a-aching, which makes me feel like I'm pushing 60! No 24 year old wants to exclaim "oh, my back!" (To be fair, I suppose most 60+ers don't particularly enjoy such exclamations either). Come on youthfulness, do your thing!
LOVE...
Last Sunday the subject of plantain frying (and eating!) came up between Jay and I.
Jay is a super cool Wildfire dude who faithfully studies the Word and encourages his peers week by week. Now, it turns out there's a woman in the church named Lizzie who makes a mean plantain, and I just so happened to participate in a bible study with Lizzie on Women's Day 2 weeks ago. I remember noticing her clear understanding of her identity in Christ and her gratitude for salvation and restoration...beautiful! So, deciding that I needed more friends in the area and with the pure intention of blessing her by engaging her in a chat about what she does well, I hunted Lizzie down and inquired as to how to make the best plantains in the west! (er, of England.) She joyfully told me and I went on my merry way. Then, last night at Wildfire I was met with a very excited Jay who was holding a bag of 3 enormous plantains, telling me that they were from Lizzie for me. Oh Lizzie! Thanks for your kindness! We fried them up "right quick"and enjoyed serving them with toothpicks. Ah the ways our Lord shows us his love!
Alone...
I am feeling alone, so to speak this week. Really missing home and not particularly enjoying life over here. I so wish this weren't the case! I pray that Jesus reveals to me His heart for me today, as well as the idolatry in my own heart, which is robbing me of the joy I'm meant to have in Christ.
Inspired...
I was reading Jeremiah 13 this morning, all the while chewing on the idea of my "purpose" here in Liverpool. To be honest, I was mainly intrigued by: "The Ruined Loincloth," which is the subtitle for this passage. I'm thinking fashion-wise, this will not be applicable. However, knowing the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the symbolism will most assuredly hit home with blatant conviction and truth. So, basically (and I mean basic) Jeremiah is told to put on a loin cloth without dipping in into water. Then he is told later on to hide the loincloth in a rock cleft and leave it there. Then after some time God tells him to retrieve the loincloth: "And behold, the loincloth was spoiled; it was good for nothing."(vs. 7) I was inspired by the redundancy of verse 7 because it defines what is precisely meant by the word 'spoiled = good for nothing.' When we are worshiping other gods and using what He's given us and gifted us with for evil and prideful purposes, we are truly spoiling ourselves and we become like a ruined loincloth. We are of no use to God separated from His will and holy purpose for us. You've done it again God of Abraham! Finding my purpose in anything more specific than clinging to you and allowing your Holy Spirit to move with me and through me renders me good for nothing.
For whatever reason my lower back is a-aching, which makes me feel like I'm pushing 60! No 24 year old wants to exclaim "oh, my back!" (To be fair, I suppose most 60+ers don't particularly enjoy such exclamations either). Come on youthfulness, do your thing!
LOVE...
Last Sunday the subject of plantain frying (and eating!) came up between Jay and I.
Jay is a super cool Wildfire dude who faithfully studies the Word and encourages his peers week by week. Now, it turns out there's a woman in the church named Lizzie who makes a mean plantain, and I just so happened to participate in a bible study with Lizzie on Women's Day 2 weeks ago. I remember noticing her clear understanding of her identity in Christ and her gratitude for salvation and restoration...beautiful! So, deciding that I needed more friends in the area and with the pure intention of blessing her by engaging her in a chat about what she does well, I hunted Lizzie down and inquired as to how to make the best plantains in the west! (er, of England.) She joyfully told me and I went on my merry way. Then, last night at Wildfire I was met with a very excited Jay who was holding a bag of 3 enormous plantains, telling me that they were from Lizzie for me. Oh Lizzie! Thanks for your kindness! We fried them up "right quick"and enjoyed serving them with toothpicks. Ah the ways our Lord shows us his love!
Alone...
I am feeling alone, so to speak this week. Really missing home and not particularly enjoying life over here. I so wish this weren't the case! I pray that Jesus reveals to me His heart for me today, as well as the idolatry in my own heart, which is robbing me of the joy I'm meant to have in Christ.
Inspired...
I was reading Jeremiah 13 this morning, all the while chewing on the idea of my "purpose" here in Liverpool. To be honest, I was mainly intrigued by: "The Ruined Loincloth," which is the subtitle for this passage. I'm thinking fashion-wise, this will not be applicable. However, knowing the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the symbolism will most assuredly hit home with blatant conviction and truth. So, basically (and I mean basic) Jeremiah is told to put on a loin cloth without dipping in into water. Then he is told later on to hide the loincloth in a rock cleft and leave it there. Then after some time God tells him to retrieve the loincloth: "And behold, the loincloth was spoiled; it was good for nothing."(vs. 7) I was inspired by the redundancy of verse 7 because it defines what is precisely meant by the word 'spoiled = good for nothing.' When we are worshiping other gods and using what He's given us and gifted us with for evil and prideful purposes, we are truly spoiling ourselves and we become like a ruined loincloth. We are of no use to God separated from His will and holy purpose for us. You've done it again God of Abraham! Finding my purpose in anything more specific than clinging to you and allowing your Holy Spirit to move with me and through me renders me good for nothing.
Oh that we might be for Him "a people, a name, a praise, and a glory." Amen.
"Then the word of the Lord came to me: 'Thus says the Lord: Even so will I spoil the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who stubbornly follow their own heart and have gone after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be like this loincloth, which is good for nothing. For as the loincloth clings to the waist of a man, so I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, declares the Lord,that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory, but they would not listen."
Jeremiah 13:8-11
"Then the word of the Lord came to me: 'Thus says the Lord: Even so will I spoil the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who stubbornly follow their own heart and have gone after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be like this loincloth, which is good for nothing. For as the loincloth clings to the waist of a man, so I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, declares the Lord,that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory, but they would not listen."
Jeremiah 13:8-11
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