Today my husband is stepping out of his comfort zone and choosing to serve others in obedience to God.
You see, Wayne, the director of OurCalling, is out today and asked Reed what he thought about filling in to do the Wednesday Search and Rescue. Search and Rescue is an event that OurCalling does every week that involves Wayne and several other men and woman (some of which are homeless and wanting to help out) going out all day under bridges, behind liquor stores and through brush to find homeless people. This one of the first opportunities Reed has had to step up in a big way with the Search and Rescue and lead a group of men who are searching for homeless people to share the good news of the God who saves. Although passing out water and Made Ready to Eat (MREs) meals is part of what they do, the bigger and much more important piece is seeking to introduce many lost people to the loving King Jesus...the one who saves.
I'm so proud of Reed for stepping up this week when there was a need. Although he may not have felt super comfortable and like he knew what he was going to do, Reed did know one thing...That God will be with him and that He is the orchestrator of all things. And that at the end of the day, all our efforts are in vain without the Lord's help. Because of this truth, Reed just trusted and obeyed. It is so amazing to see the Lord using him in ways that neither of us would have ever imagined a year ago. Trekking through the woods (where people selling drugs are close by) looking for homeless men and woman to share the gospel with? Yeah, definitely wouldn't have thought that. Just shows that God has some crazy cool things He wants us to be a part of in His Kingdom business.
This morning, we both woke up early to get ready for our days and the first thing Reed did after his shower was go to the computer to look at the maps where they were going so he would get it right and be prepared. We also prayed right before Reed left that Jesus would be the prize that these men chased after today. That in every interaction they had, that Jesus Christ and the glory of the gospel would be magnified.
I just keep thinking how grateful I am to have a husband who so willingly gives up his time to let God use him to serve those who need it. The compassion in Reed's heart is amazing. I thank God every day for how He is working in Reed, thanking Him for the good work He started with his salvation and the work He continues to do in him. We're just so thankful for what God is teaching us through serving those in need.
Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
Jude 1:24-25
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Oh how He loves us
We were talking about the sin and distractions of life and how they separate us from God. When Wayne asked the ladies and gentlemen at the Bridge what they needed to let go so that they could be closer to God, we watched the video below. It's just a really neat picture of God's redemption story for us and how He rescued us.
I couldn't figure out how to get a video in the blog, so the YouTube link is here. I would watch this at least twice...I don't think I really understood what they were trying to convey until I watched it twice. Seriously. Watch it twice.
I couldn't figure out how to get a video in the blog, so the YouTube link is here. I would watch this at least twice...I don't think I really understood what they were trying to convey until I watched it twice. Seriously. Watch it twice.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Hello, My Name is Jessica
And I have not touched a cup of coffee or drank a diet Dr. Pepper in 11 days.
I actually have had no caffeine whatsoever (except last Friday night when I felt sick and headachy and I took an Excedrin) for those 11 days.
Oh and guess what, I feel fine. Actually I feel much better than I did when I was drinking caffeine, because I don't have the lows in the afternoons.
I still get tired (I guess that comes with the chronic mono), but it's just a normal tired that I think comes after working a 9 hour day. And to just add onto that, I've been exercising at least 2 days a week for the past 3 weeks.
This all may sound supremely ordinary, BUT for me, this is huge.
Every since I got mono a second time I have depended on caffeine to help me function. I truly didn't know how else to do it. Without caffeine, I would crumple midway through the day and need to take a two or three hour nap. After the third time I got mono, it was even worse and I started to exercise WAY less because this third instance was instigated by trying to train for a half marathon. I would try and slow down with my exercise and just do a little, but it always seemed to drain me so much. Even two years after the third case of mono, I still struggled with exercising. Just one day of exercising would take 3 days of recovering and by the time the 3 day mark hit, I just didn't feel like exercising because I wanted my 3 days back to be productive, not laying around feeling sick.
Enter Chlorophyll.
I read someones blog recently talking about Chlorophyll and how it is supposed to have all of these wonderful health benefits. I had been yearning for a while to feel healthy and energetic without the aid of caffeine or medicines. There is something invigorating and inspiring about being exactly how God created you and feeling healthy. With this feeling, I've decided to drop several regular medications that I've been taking as well as dropping sodas (because of all of the weird chemicals that are in them). I hadn't quite dropped coffee at this point, but when I read about chlorophyll, I decided, what the heck, I'll give this stuff a try and see if it works.
Oh. My. Goodness.
I feel like a normal person again! And there is no caffeine. No steroids (for anyone who knows, I've been put on steroids for my mono before).
It's just God's good nature doing its thing in me.
It feels so good.
Now, I am always leery about health stuff cause I just can't get over something that doesn't taste good and chlorophyll is the green stuff in plants...so I was definitely a bit worried about the taste.
I tried it last Tuesday morning with some juice and I honestly couldn't taste the chlorophyll at all. I just tasted the juice. Now, every morning, I take one tablespoon of chlorophyll with my juice and go on with my day!
Although this isn't the cure all, it has definitely helped me. And as with all things, there are some people who say that this doesn't work, etc. But I figure eating something natural from a plant is better than eating chemicals we made to make things taste better. Just wanted to put that disclaimer in there :)
There are still some days that I do feel tired, but I'm not masking it with caffeine and I can address what is going on (for instance, the allergens in town were going crazy last week and I was a little groggy). BUT there are many more days where I can function throughout the whole day and go home after work and still be productive instead of semi-comatose in the living room. Oh and just to let you know...Yes, it's REALLY green and it's not going to look pretty, but honestly, if you put it with juice it doesn't take away from the taste at all.
If you want to try it, I'm sure any health food store might have it. I bought mine from Sprouts, but I've also found the same brand I bought from Sprouts on this website for about the same price.
Also, if you'd like to read more about chlorophyll, here is a website that I found through the blog I read.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Last Friday Night at the Bridge
Every Friday night, Reed and I, unless we are sick or out of town, head downtown to one of Dallas' homeless shelters, the Bridge. We've come to love and cherish the time that we spend at the Bridge. When I talk to people about this, sometimes it makes them feel uncomfortable or like they could never be around homeless people, but it's really not too hard. Homeless people are people too. They all have different stories and reasons for why they are homeless, but in the end, they are broken humans, just like the rest of us. I'll admit, I was super uncomfortable when we first decided that this was something we were going to be obedient in because Jesus calls us to love and serve the poor. I kept thinking that I would have nothing to relate, nothing to say to encourage, nothing to share.
God showed me just how wrong I was. He's also shown me how His plan for His people in Dallas is far bigger than me. If Reed and I didn't go to the Bridge, God would still be doing amazing things to bring the broken back to Himself for His glory...we are just blessed to be a part of that.
On Friday nights we help teach a life skills class. Usually this is over a certain life topic that Wayne, the Director of OurCalling, picks. The really neat thing is that we teach biblically based life skills classes. There is nothing subtle about how we tie the class into what God says in the bible about that particular subject. Just being able to talk about God's Word is evidence of His sovereignty every week because the Bridge is a city run shelter and we're not technically supposed to have anything religiously affiliated. Yet ever week, we go inside the shelter and teach a class painted with the gospel. God truly is good.
This past Friday was one of those nights that God just took the reigns and captivated everyone. Wayne chose to talk about our purpose this week. What is our purpose on this earth. What will our purpose be this year? What about this summer? What about this week? What about today? We talked about seeking God's purpose for our lives because God loves each and everyone in the room and has a specific purpose for them. I remember as Wayne was emphasizing that point over and over (that God loves us exactly how He created us and that He created us for a purpose), that my eyes went around the room to all the people sitting around me.
I saw one man who had earlier confessed to me that he had taken 11 of his psych meds to give him a nice high. His hands were shaking and he was proud of the high he was feeling. God may not love his choices and actions, BUT GOD LOVES THIS MAN.
Another man was sitting next to me, shaking his leg uncontrollably (could be a health issue, could be drugs, I'm not sure), and he smelled like he had been walking in the Texas heat (it has been over 100 most days in Dallas) for 2 weeks straight without washing himself or his clothes. This man who's story I do not know, GOD LOVES EVERY PART OF HIM.
One of the woman in the room is a lady that God has intertwined in my heart. By all means, she is nasty, rude, racist, manipulative and throws a fit if you don't give her money. But my heart has always ached to see the impossible come true with her because GOD LOVES AND CREATED HER TO BE EXACTLY THE WAY SHE IS. I know she wasn't created to carry the certain evils in her heart and that God does not love the, but there are moments when I see her sweet spirit come out and I praise Jesus for the hope of His salvation.
As we all sat there thinking of our purpose as God's children, whom He loves EXACTLY the way we are, poor or not, the whole room was silent. This may not seem that amazing, but on Friday nights we also hand out coffee and Gatorade during the class. We know that many people come solely for the coffee which usually brings LOT of side conversation. Some nights it is more of a distraction than others, but without fail there is usually some side conversation going.
Not this Friday. Every single person in the room was captivated by the message that Wayne was sharing. To know that God had a specific purpose for them captivated them. Each person in the room, including myself, was challenged to choose the purpose God has in store for us, instead of our own purposes.
I'm not sure how everyone else was affected by the message, but I was so convicted. We talked about how we were to find our purpose in Christ and that it may look different for each person as far as individual actions go but our purpose would be found when we continually run the race set before us, seeking diligently after our prize, Christ Jesus.
I cannot tell you how much that does not reflect my life. Ever since I began working last September, I have chased after nothing but my selfish desires. Work is so hectic that I feel sorry for myself and therefore I feel like I deserve my own free time all the time.
I know, not a good year.
I think the word that might define this last year for me is "purposeless". I just was kind of existing. Trying to get by with the crazy life of a public accountant and wife. Jesus wasn't my reason. He was always there and there were moments when I connected with Him, but He wasn't EVERYTHING.
I don't want to have my purpose this week to be to just get through the work week and then serve at the Bridge during the weekends. I want every second of my life to have a purpose in Jesus. To be pointed towards Christ. I don't want to waste my days just getting by and choosing my own selfish ambitions.
This past Friday night, while I was supposed to be serving coffee, I stayed seated with the homeless and I started praying for the woman I feel so intertwined with, for the man who admitted he was using his medication for the high and for the man who was kind of stinky next to me. In all earnestness, I prayed that they would be impacted with God's Word about their purpose and that they would gaze upon Jesus and know that He alone is sufficient. I prayed for a revolution at the Bridge, that the hatred and cut throat nature that is accepted there would dissolve and that Christ's love and peace would inundate this place. That Jesus would be magnified in this shelter. I prayed that the impossible can be done in the lives of the addicted, faithless, and lonely. I prayed that the homeless would rise up with more faith and resiliency in Christ than this city ever imagined.
The Holy Spirit is moving in the Bridge and although we may not see the fruits of God's work there just yet, I believe He is the Redeemer of all...not just the clean people at my church, but the dirty, smelly, broken people in the shelters, under the bridges and in the woods. He loves them just the way they are. And He has a plan and a purpose for each one of them.
God showed me just how wrong I was. He's also shown me how His plan for His people in Dallas is far bigger than me. If Reed and I didn't go to the Bridge, God would still be doing amazing things to bring the broken back to Himself for His glory...we are just blessed to be a part of that.
On Friday nights we help teach a life skills class. Usually this is over a certain life topic that Wayne, the Director of OurCalling, picks. The really neat thing is that we teach biblically based life skills classes. There is nothing subtle about how we tie the class into what God says in the bible about that particular subject. Just being able to talk about God's Word is evidence of His sovereignty every week because the Bridge is a city run shelter and we're not technically supposed to have anything religiously affiliated. Yet ever week, we go inside the shelter and teach a class painted with the gospel. God truly is good.
This past Friday was one of those nights that God just took the reigns and captivated everyone. Wayne chose to talk about our purpose this week. What is our purpose on this earth. What will our purpose be this year? What about this summer? What about this week? What about today? We talked about seeking God's purpose for our lives because God loves each and everyone in the room and has a specific purpose for them. I remember as Wayne was emphasizing that point over and over (that God loves us exactly how He created us and that He created us for a purpose), that my eyes went around the room to all the people sitting around me.
I saw one man who had earlier confessed to me that he had taken 11 of his psych meds to give him a nice high. His hands were shaking and he was proud of the high he was feeling. God may not love his choices and actions, BUT GOD LOVES THIS MAN.
Another man was sitting next to me, shaking his leg uncontrollably (could be a health issue, could be drugs, I'm not sure), and he smelled like he had been walking in the Texas heat (it has been over 100 most days in Dallas) for 2 weeks straight without washing himself or his clothes. This man who's story I do not know, GOD LOVES EVERY PART OF HIM.
One of the woman in the room is a lady that God has intertwined in my heart. By all means, she is nasty, rude, racist, manipulative and throws a fit if you don't give her money. But my heart has always ached to see the impossible come true with her because GOD LOVES AND CREATED HER TO BE EXACTLY THE WAY SHE IS. I know she wasn't created to carry the certain evils in her heart and that God does not love the, but there are moments when I see her sweet spirit come out and I praise Jesus for the hope of His salvation.
As we all sat there thinking of our purpose as God's children, whom He loves EXACTLY the way we are, poor or not, the whole room was silent. This may not seem that amazing, but on Friday nights we also hand out coffee and Gatorade during the class. We know that many people come solely for the coffee which usually brings LOT of side conversation. Some nights it is more of a distraction than others, but without fail there is usually some side conversation going.
Not this Friday. Every single person in the room was captivated by the message that Wayne was sharing. To know that God had a specific purpose for them captivated them. Each person in the room, including myself, was challenged to choose the purpose God has in store for us, instead of our own purposes.
I'm not sure how everyone else was affected by the message, but I was so convicted. We talked about how we were to find our purpose in Christ and that it may look different for each person as far as individual actions go but our purpose would be found when we continually run the race set before us, seeking diligently after our prize, Christ Jesus.
I cannot tell you how much that does not reflect my life. Ever since I began working last September, I have chased after nothing but my selfish desires. Work is so hectic that I feel sorry for myself and therefore I feel like I deserve my own free time all the time.
I know, not a good year.
I think the word that might define this last year for me is "purposeless". I just was kind of existing. Trying to get by with the crazy life of a public accountant and wife. Jesus wasn't my reason. He was always there and there were moments when I connected with Him, but He wasn't EVERYTHING.
I don't want to have my purpose this week to be to just get through the work week and then serve at the Bridge during the weekends. I want every second of my life to have a purpose in Jesus. To be pointed towards Christ. I don't want to waste my days just getting by and choosing my own selfish ambitions.
This past Friday night, while I was supposed to be serving coffee, I stayed seated with the homeless and I started praying for the woman I feel so intertwined with, for the man who admitted he was using his medication for the high and for the man who was kind of stinky next to me. In all earnestness, I prayed that they would be impacted with God's Word about their purpose and that they would gaze upon Jesus and know that He alone is sufficient. I prayed for a revolution at the Bridge, that the hatred and cut throat nature that is accepted there would dissolve and that Christ's love and peace would inundate this place. That Jesus would be magnified in this shelter. I prayed that the impossible can be done in the lives of the addicted, faithless, and lonely. I prayed that the homeless would rise up with more faith and resiliency in Christ than this city ever imagined.
The Holy Spirit is moving in the Bridge and although we may not see the fruits of God's work there just yet, I believe He is the Redeemer of all...not just the clean people at my church, but the dirty, smelly, broken people in the shelters, under the bridges and in the woods. He loves them just the way they are. And He has a plan and a purpose for each one of them.
I have so much to tell you...
I have around 3 blog entries that are drafts (not for real drafts, but drafts in my head). I really want to share what God has been doing in my life over this past week. The problem is that I will think about what I want to share during my drive to and from work.
If I'm going home, we cook dinner, get stuff ready and then I take time in the Word and prayer getting to know Jesus better (this is not normal for me, sadly, I've let myself get consumed with the business of life...I'll share more when I publish my drafts). By that time, it's almost 10PM and all I want to do is read Prince Caspian and figure out how the Old Narnians are going to ever defeat Miraz!
If I'm going to work, well I can't really write a well thought out entry (I can only write little ones like this one) because, well, I have to work.
All of this to say, I have things to write and I'm hoping I can write at least one post tonight.
For now, I will leave you with this verse that has been on my heart:
Colossians 1:13-22
13For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,
14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
16For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him.
17He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
18He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
19For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him,
20and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made (peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
21And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds,
22yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach--
“What I believe about God is the most important thing about me.” - A.W. Tozer
Our pastor shared a quote with us this weekend and this, along with the verse above, has opened my eyes to the realization that what I believe about Jesus truly is the most important thing in my life and will shape my future actions...
If I'm going home, we cook dinner, get stuff ready and then I take time in the Word and prayer getting to know Jesus better (this is not normal for me, sadly, I've let myself get consumed with the business of life...I'll share more when I publish my drafts). By that time, it's almost 10PM and all I want to do is read Prince Caspian and figure out how the Old Narnians are going to ever defeat Miraz!
If I'm going to work, well I can't really write a well thought out entry (I can only write little ones like this one) because, well, I have to work.
All of this to say, I have things to write and I'm hoping I can write at least one post tonight.
For now, I will leave you with this verse that has been on my heart:
Colossians 1:13-22
13For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,
14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
16For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him.
17He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
18He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
19For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him,
20and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made (peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
21And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds,
22yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach--
“What I believe about God is the most important thing about me.” - A.W. Tozer
Our pastor shared a quote with us this weekend and this, along with the verse above, has opened my eyes to the realization that what I believe about Jesus truly is the most important thing in my life and will shape my future actions...
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Marlene
I was perusing on facebook this morning (as I'm waiting for a meeting with a client) and I saw an article posted from OurCalling saying that my friend Marlene has moved into Cliff Manor!! I think a couple of posts ago I had asked you to pray for the situation and God has provided!
Go here to read the article on the Dallas Morning News website.
This is such a blessing for these men and woman, BUT it's only the beginning of their journey. There is so much more prayer and guidance that these guys are going to need. It's hard for them to just go pick up and function. They are still going to need support in budgeting their money, in how to spend their time wisely (and stay out of trouble), in finding a church and especially in their walk with God (just like we all need community and shouldn't be left on our own without support). Not to mention the fact that their community, their "family" is at the Bridge. They are going to be separated from the people they feel comfortable around and they may feel lonely at their new place if they can't travel back to the Bridge. I know this is a HUGE step forward, BUT I am hoping to continue our fellowship and ministry to these ladies so that they don't feel forgotten because they now have an apartment. I still love Marlene just as much as I did before and I want my actions and pursuit of her to reflect that. She is my sister in Christ and I'm excited that she is beginning this new journey :)
Thanks for all the prayers!
Go here to read the article on the Dallas Morning News website.
This is such a blessing for these men and woman, BUT it's only the beginning of their journey. There is so much more prayer and guidance that these guys are going to need. It's hard for them to just go pick up and function. They are still going to need support in budgeting their money, in how to spend their time wisely (and stay out of trouble), in finding a church and especially in their walk with God (just like we all need community and shouldn't be left on our own without support). Not to mention the fact that their community, their "family" is at the Bridge. They are going to be separated from the people they feel comfortable around and they may feel lonely at their new place if they can't travel back to the Bridge. I know this is a HUGE step forward, BUT I am hoping to continue our fellowship and ministry to these ladies so that they don't feel forgotten because they now have an apartment. I still love Marlene just as much as I did before and I want my actions and pursuit of her to reflect that. She is my sister in Christ and I'm excited that she is beginning this new journey :)
Thanks for all the prayers!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)