tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1683563836902848092024-03-05T13:30:44.375+03:00A lump of clay in AfricaVikki Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094991951578393390noreply@blogger.comBlogger146125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168356383690284809.post-47559077102835625522016-01-21T11:25:00.002+03:002016-01-21T12:24:23.416+03:00My first time to be called a "religious zealot"...unfortunately it was because I stole somethingAs far as I'm aware, I've never been called a religious zealot before. Not to my face, anyway.<br />
<br />
Until the other day.<br />
On this very blog.<br />
By an irate reader.<br />
Whose picture I had stolen.<br />
<br />
I don't often get comments on my posts, but the few that come in are usually encouraging and full of kind words. Not this one.<br />
<br />
"M" wrote:<br />
<br />
<div style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>The photo of the beggar is </i></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>STOLEN</i></b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i> and violates my copyright as stated below the original photo on my Flickr page. Remove it immediately! First and last warning, otherwise legal action will follow!!</i></span></div>
<div style="color: #0433ff; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; min-height: 16px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i></i></span><br /></div>
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<div style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Just like religious zealots to use stolen property! </i></span></div>
<br />
My stomach did that dropped-off-the-edge-of-a-cliff thing and my face flooded with shame.<br />
<br />
My brain started flinging out excuses:<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000;"> It's a hoax. </span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"> There must be some mistake. </span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"> I didn't steal anything.</span><br />
<br />
I followed M's link to his Flickr page...there was the picture of the beggar, but I didn't recognize it. I scanned the blog post he had commented on that I'd written 5 years ago...nothing, nothing, nothing until right at the end...there it was...the last photo...M's beggar.<br />
<br />
Danggit! I so wanted to be right.<br />
<br />
But there was no doubt...that was M's photo and it was on my blog without permission.<br />
<br />
I highlighted it and hit Delete.<br />
<br />
Then I Googled M's name, found several other links where he'd followed others who had used his photos without permission. He employed the same threatening language with all the other thieves, too. It didn't make me feel much better.<br />
<br />
I plugged his name into Facebook, found his page and wrote him a message. I apologized for using his photo without permission. I explained I most likely Googled something like "spiritual poverty" (which was the theme of the post) and his beggar came up, that I probably thought it captured the essence of my post and I copied it onto my computer. I've never intentionally hacked or broken codes or overrode security systems to get photos. I assumed if they were on the internet without a watermark, then they were free game.<br />
<br />
You know what they say about "assume". I made a donkey's bottom of me.<br />
<br />
I told M I was sorry, that I truly admire his work and I honor his art. I asked his forgiveness and told him I'd removed the photo.<br />
<br />
I signed it, "Religious Zealot" with a smiley face<br />
<br />
M wrote back. The mood of his reply was much softer than his initial comment. He thanked me for my message and gave me some very interesting facts about using photos off the internet:<br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: #fefefe; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal;">
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-shadow: rgb(255, 255, 255) 0px 1px 0px;"><i><span style="color: blue;">I fully realize that most of the 292 illegal uses of this photo were not copied from my Flickr page, but from somewhere else where it was also illegally posted.</span></i></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; min-height: 17px;">
<i><span style="color: blue;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-shadow: 0.0px 1.0px 0.0px #ffffff;"></span><br /></span></i></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-shadow: 0.0px 1.0px 0.0px #ffffff;"><i><span style="color: blue;">As a rule of thumb, unless an image is specifically marked (by the original author) as public domain or creative commons, it is copyrighted.</span></i></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; min-height: 17px;">
<i><span style="color: blue;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-shadow: 0.0px 1.0px 0.0px #ffffff;"></span><br /></span></i></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-shadow: 0.0px 1.0px 0.0px #ffffff;"><i><span style="color: blue;">If the original author cannot be identified, chances are it is already stolen, and should not be used.</span></i></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; min-height: 17px;">
<i><span style="color: blue;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-shadow: 0.0px 1.0px 0.0px #ffffff;"></span><br /></span></i></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-shadow: 0.0px 1.0px 0.0px #ffffff;"><i><span style="color: blue;">In Canada (where I live), recent (4-5 years) changes in the law, state that a photographer cannot give or sell his ownership of a photo, it remains hers/his for life! She/he may sell usage rights to a photo but never the rights to it!</span></i></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; min-height: 17px;">
<i><span style="color: blue;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-shadow: 0.0px 1.0px 0.0px #ffffff;"></span><br /></span></i></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-shadow: 0.0px 1.0px 0.0px #ffffff;"><i><span style="color: blue;">In this case, I found my photo used illegally on 292 sites!! My photos are for sale, but how can I sell them if they are used illegally all over the place?</span></i></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; min-height: 17px;">
<i><span style="color: blue;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-shadow: 0.0px 1.0px 0.0px #ffffff;"></span><br /></span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-shadow: rgb(255, 255, 255) 0px 1px 0px;"><i><span style="color: blue;">Always consider that whatever you grab off the internet (photos, text, whatever), someone had to work to create it. I spent around 4-5 hours trying to track down those 292 sites! Some I couldn't do anything about, as they did not have a link to send a message or comment, others were in a language I couldn't understand so could not communicate with them, etc... Very frustrating.</span></i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-shadow: 0.0px 1.0px 0.0px #ffffff;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<br />
I appreciate M's information because I <i>am </i>a religious zealot in the sense that I want to do what is right in God's eyes. I don't buy pirated DVDs, even though those are the only types sold in Uganda, because I know I can get originals through Amazon and friends in the US. Yes, I have to pay more money, but I have peace that I'm not buying stolen goods. I don't feel comfortable sharing music, or copying DVDs from others' hard drives to my computer for the same reason...I feel like I'm stealing them.<br />
<br />
I know there are a lot of gray areas in the debate about what is legal sharing and illegal stealing, and this post is not meant to take one side or the other.<br />
<br />
I'm simply sharing my personal journey with God that has lead me to set a very high bar in anything media-related, because that is the area God has gifted me to serve. I need to be above reproach in order to have any spiritual authority through the written word and in other forms of social media.<br />
<br />
Of course I aim to follow God's ways in all areas of my life, living to please Him, glorify His name and be holy as He is holy. But I know when it comes to the area of media, the bar seems higher for me than others, and I'm okay with that. I don't mean to sound "holier than thou"...my point is that I believe my giftings and calling are tied to media, and in order to walk in the anointing, I have to be without fault in that area, especially.<br />
<br />
I wouldn't mind being called a religious zealot again some day, but my prayer is that next time it will be in the context of having done something that brings glory to God, rather than tarnishes His name.<br />
<br />
So to be on the safe side, I'm not even thinking about Googling "religious zealot" for a cool photo that someone else took. Instead, I leave you with an original snap of my own that has nothing to do with this post, but at least it's mine.<br />
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May God receive the glory.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #373e4d; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #fefefe;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Ji2cyLyJ4zUFrPMY6GIzt1HUnt7_vDTxr7LvdZUk9JCNGI_-b-E8aC4GijEKHQJoFApS4uKhJQ1okS8HkVgRnhG1P9zcycCaoSzkH9tKMSYlFunGy9NNqViyDysffDS4CHcnlNU7w6w/s1600/IMG_9458.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Ji2cyLyJ4zUFrPMY6GIzt1HUnt7_vDTxr7LvdZUk9JCNGI_-b-E8aC4GijEKHQJoFApS4uKhJQ1okS8HkVgRnhG1P9zcycCaoSzkH9tKMSYlFunGy9NNqViyDysffDS4CHcnlNU7w6w/s320/IMG_9458.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fefefe; color: #373e4d; font-family: "\22 helvetica\22 " , "\22 arial\22 " , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #fefefe; font-family: "\22 helvetica\22 " , "\22 arial\22 " , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">My pesto-cream cheese Santa hats made for a Christmas Eve party. If anyone wants to use this photo elsewhere, be my guest! :-)</span><br />
<span style="color: #373e4d; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #fefefe;"><span style="font-size: 12px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></span>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/378/20A40330DC00300360B123707BDBD894.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0;" /></a>Vikki Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094991951578393390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168356383690284809.post-11768031842517003762015-04-11T12:24:00.000+03:002015-04-11T12:33:10.751+03:00Who do you say I am?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMibFVb7hMeCpCICf7uXC4B8IzS1EyxyNH36hMzPP1np8wHgsgV_3cwGXi6hvF1z1X5o00HSuN51-QvSyyzXivM4jpbuGsY6bYzAkh-aCTINsx4Ma3eF02DeMqmRnYJ3E-vDM56-Yi34c/s1600/2-woodenstairs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMibFVb7hMeCpCICf7uXC4B8IzS1EyxyNH36hMzPP1np8wHgsgV_3cwGXi6hvF1z1X5o00HSuN51-QvSyyzXivM4jpbuGsY6bYzAkh-aCTINsx4Ma3eF02DeMqmRnYJ3E-vDM56-Yi34c/s1600/2-woodenstairs.jpg" /></a><br />
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<br />
The question arose recently in my Bible study asking how much I trust God. There was a staircase on the page with the top stair labeled 'Trust Him with everything' and the bottom stair labeled 'No trust.' We were asked to place ourselves somewhere on that staircase.<br />
<br />
<br />
I looked at those stairs and I realized there are areas where I have seen and experienced God's work in my life, and therefore I trust Him completely. Like the area of finances and provision. I have seen God provide in so many miraculous ways over the last 15 years that I now believe He truly is Jehovah Jireh, my Provider.<br />
<br />
<br />
But there are other areas where I have prayed and fasted for years, and not yet seen the breakthrough, the answered prayer. And so I doubt. Not that God can do it, but that for some reason He won't, and I guess somewhere deep down that doubt causes me to withhold my trust a little bit.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQuJ3I15duFXYGigMarIhSlwJw-Rc-I_U28PTxsRLuXiE1HHD6Lb1qxz7L5H5k6v7O32SzJKXeaLXsikx39mfEuLZMpIXYj5bhK78ndg2v6S-oY_-zrqLpvGCuuJLVurKof0ZnLTfE0b0/s1600/1-compartments.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQuJ3I15duFXYGigMarIhSlwJw-Rc-I_U28PTxsRLuXiE1HHD6Lb1qxz7L5H5k6v7O32SzJKXeaLXsikx39mfEuLZMpIXYj5bhK78ndg2v6S-oY_-zrqLpvGCuuJLVurKof0ZnLTfE0b0/s1600/1-compartments.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
So I find my trust in God compartmentalized into the areas where I've seen and experienced His faithfulness, and the areas I haven't. Where I haven't, it's like little sections of my heart have dried and withered in disappointment, in unfulfilled dreams, in failed expectations. In those places I've slowly stopped hoping for God's miracles; I've stopped trusting Him to do the impossible.<br />
<br />
<br />
Is that what they call a crisis of faith? Or is it just one result of years of waiting without reward?<br />
<br />
<br />
As I began processing this with God, He asked me, "If I don't answer the prayers in the areas of your life where doubts have crept in...then what? Will you withdraw? Will you become bitter? Will you shut down certain areas of your heart to me? Will you judge me by the unfulfilled dreams of your life?"<br />
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<br />
I realized that I could say, "No, of course not!" to all those questions, but the reality is that I have already been withdrawing, becoming bitter, shutting down, and yes, judging God. Ouch.<br />
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<br />
Then God asked me a challenging question:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>"Who do you say I am?"</b></span></div>
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I felt like Job, chastened. Faced with the hugeness of the Almighty God, I wanted to cower down and say, "Sorry, sorry." Who am I to withhold trust based on experiential proof? A modern-day Thomas, wanting to touch and see before believing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFLneZta925fvwaNqgsU435q8S0HfewnI70H5VG1QEVvx38SgKHSLdFotA2Q9P9WhEnQz-HJRBa16ZO857HUpFYajKoOzJsRXpKGRGxXhrz9BRmOx1ugmmGf_8OnI30g8TDERLJpNYNMo/s1600/pledgeoffaith.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFLneZta925fvwaNqgsU435q8S0HfewnI70H5VG1QEVvx38SgKHSLdFotA2Q9P9WhEnQz-HJRBa16ZO857HUpFYajKoOzJsRXpKGRGxXhrz9BRmOx1ugmmGf_8OnI30g8TDERLJpNYNMo/s1600/pledgeoffaith.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><br />
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Then God reminded me of the 5-fold Pledge of Faith that Beth Moore teaches in her Believing God Bible study series. The first part of the pledge starts with the thumb and declares, "I believe God is who He says He is."<br />
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So when God asked me again, "Who do you say I am?" I answered, "You are who you say you are."<br />
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He replied, "And who do I say I am?"<br />
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<br />
I've just been studying the names of God, and one by one they rolled through my mind:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Jehovah Rapha - the LORD who heals</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Elohiym - Universal Creator</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Jehovah Hoseenu - The LORD our Maker</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Jehovah Nissi - The LORD is my Banner</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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There are many others, but the one that struck me most was YHVH - the LORD, the Great I AM.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4_4rSOHuMEB7WDrGXPxUFtT16v5NbgK1wczmA4wd46nILksQk3sLtHt4kkevtSgUrCxwyr9Z4Y_Truq7Tke4KBpkqPpo5l9DxIt8enws5xjnJyi7J9DMvegx-rr-r2vGNjlWlJa5i3Mc/s1600/3-yhwh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4_4rSOHuMEB7WDrGXPxUFtT16v5NbgK1wczmA4wd46nILksQk3sLtHt4kkevtSgUrCxwyr9Z4Y_Truq7Tke4KBpkqPpo5l9DxIt8enws5xjnJyi7J9DMvegx-rr-r2vGNjlWlJa5i3Mc/s1600/3-yhwh.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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God said, "I AM who I AM. There is none like me. Whether you believe by experience or not, I AM not only Covenant-Maker but Covenant-Keeper. I fulfill my promises. Don't separate the Me you know from the Me you don't know. I AM who I AM. Just because you haven't personally experienced the fullness of every aspect of Me doesn't mean those aspects aren't real. You have to take All of Me or none of Me, but you can't have part of Me. One day you will see the fullness of every aspect of Me in all My glory, but for now...believe, even though you do not see."<br />
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And I was reminded of the verses in Hebrews 11:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Faith is being sure of what we hope for, </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and certain of what we do not see. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And without faith, </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
it is impossible to please God, </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
because anyone who come to him </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
must believe that he exists</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>...that He IS...</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.</div>
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I feel the world shift under my feet as I take in afresh the realization that God is all that he says he is, and though I may not see every prayer answered the way I would like, it doesn't change the nature of who He is. For now, the best I can do is ask Him to strengthen my faith and enable me to trust Him more and more until that Day when the Lord Jesus is revealed, and all my questions fade away in the face of his glory.<br />
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<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/378/20A40330DC00300360B123707BDBD894.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Vikki Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094991951578393390noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168356383690284809.post-79968936019810116412014-09-03T20:15:00.000+03:002014-09-03T20:25:43.194+03:00Charis - Grace: It really is amazing.I've had a fresh revelation of just what grace is over the last few weeks. I saw my sin from the perspective of time...I looked back over my shoulder and thought, 'Wow. God did <i>that</i> through me when I was like <i>that?!</i>'<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNjD70cgWfAxRmToxJq6SKgo-hZHeaf0DokB0qfNsca8EceKb0T3xj9v03apHJhae54SoYoIo_rDjRG0NKB2LxfMVAkRwh-XiJG0c_oJJWsvE4nzSmKyBc7k28OLCiVuyUoyfcffQx3Dc/s1600/fai-13-dirty-hands-arent+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNjD70cgWfAxRmToxJq6SKgo-hZHeaf0DokB0qfNsca8EceKb0T3xj9v03apHJhae54SoYoIo_rDjRG0NKB2LxfMVAkRwh-XiJG0c_oJJWsvE4nzSmKyBc7k28OLCiVuyUoyfcffQx3Dc/s1600/fai-13-dirty-hands-arent+copy.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a><br />
Contrary to what I always believed, God used me in my brokenness to build His kingdom. I climbed the mountain with dirty hands and an impure heart, yet He welcomed me anyway.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmvoxYrp5tx2O_9GtCsvRYsICD0-3Aox-u0L1ShWaQUyw-hcdi2C8gsI1y45Zjv1cQ75KcoKTcH3oPjqsk98HkUu8np7Tr02bgvilMKFX5VsK_SYCb5rFNxc3spGmcUDdj_bqt9q-C9Xs/s1600/love-quotes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmvoxYrp5tx2O_9GtCsvRYsICD0-3Aox-u0L1ShWaQUyw-hcdi2C8gsI1y45Zjv1cQ75KcoKTcH3oPjqsk98HkUu8np7Tr02bgvilMKFX5VsK_SYCb5rFNxc3spGmcUDdj_bqt9q-C9Xs/s1600/love-quotes.jpg" height="200" width="320" /></a><br />
I thought I had to get myself sorted out before I could do great things for Him. Now I know that, although He wants me holy as He is holy, it's not about being perfect before we can get to work.<br />
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I can't fix myself anyway.<br />
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That's where grace comes in.<br />
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I like what Zodiates dictionary says:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>"Grace is the absolutely free expression </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>of the loving kindness of God to men</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i> finding its only motive</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i> in the bounty and benevolence of the Giver."</i></span></div>
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It's about God's loving kindness, not my goodness or obedience or holiness. Sure God loves it when I'm walking in His ways, but even when I'm not, He's still full of overflowing grace.<br />
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My righteousness, or lack of it, doesn't attract or repel His grace. Grace flows from who He is, not from what I've done.<br />
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Trying to be perfect so God can use me is a slippery slope to false righteousness. It's so easy to put on the mask and be all smiles, like I've got it all together, when beneath it all is the messy truth that doesn't seem to go away despite my best efforts.<br />
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Yet Grace sees the sin beneath the mask, and loves me anyway.<br />
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Grace sees the Son beneath the sin, and says, 'I already paid the price for this. Walk in your freedom.'<br />
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Should I therefore go on sinning so His grace can abound more and more? Of course not. That's not the point.<br />
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The point is that I stepped back and looked at the last 12 years of my life, saw all that God did despite my sin, despite my brokenness, and I was humbled that He would use this fragile jar of clay to help build a Kingdom that will endure forever. Somewhere in that Kingdom I've placed a ruby here, a golden brick there, a sapphire gem somewhere else. Not because I deserved it.<br />
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Simply because of His amazing grace.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/378/20A40330DC00300360B123707BDBD894.png" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px !important;" /></a>Vikki Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094991951578393390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168356383690284809.post-5949311226250618992013-06-28T09:02:00.001+03:002013-06-28T09:02:06.724+03:00When the Promise becomes an IdolWhat happens when the Promises of God, whether fulfilled or unfulfilled, become idols in our hearts?<br />
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God promised Abraham a son through Sarah. That son was Isaac.<br />
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Next thing we know, God asks Abraham to sacrifice that very son, the Promise Fulfilled, on the altar. Not only did Abraham have to wait many years for the Promise to be fulfilled, but then God decided to take that very same promise away. What's up with that?<br />
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I went back and reread the story of Isaac and the almost-sacrifice on Mt. Moriah, and I discovered a little story I'd always overlooked before. Just after we read about Isaac's birth, there are a few verses describing the only information we have about Isaac's childhood.<br />
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"The child (Isaac) grew and was weaned, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast. But Sarah saw the son who Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking, and she said to Abraham, 'Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.'" Gen 21:8-10<br />
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So Abraham sends Hagar and Ishmael away, and they wander in the desert of Beersheba.<br />
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Two things struck me about this short story.<br />
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1. <b>Abraham held a great feast when Isaac was weaned.</b> I don't know how long a child was nursed in those days, but presumably Isaac was still a toddler when he was weaned, yet a huge party was held in his honor. I wonder if Abraham went over the top a little? Could it be that his love for his son was threatening to put Isaac on a bit of a pedestal? Making an idol of him? Glorifying Isaac rather than God? Is it possible that Abraham was beginning to love the Promise more than the Promise Giver?<br />
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2. <b>Ishmael mocked; Sarah seethed.</b> Had Sarah's view of her son become overinflated? Is that why she was so offended when Ishmael mocked, because he didn't show the proper respect and honor she felt due her little toddler of a boy? Was that offense so great as to merit banishment into the desert...certain death? Had Isaac become an idol in Sarah's heart, and woe to those who didn't join her in worship of him?<br />
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What happens when a <i>promise</i> of God takes the <i>place</i> of God in our hearts?<br />
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Anything that takes center stage in our hearts</div>
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<i> other than God</i></div>
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is an idol.<br />
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And idols must be dethroned </div>
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if we are to remain in right relationship with God.</div>
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I wonder if that's why God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. The Bible says, "...God tested Abraham." It seems God wanted to see where Abraham's loyalty really lay. Who was Number 1 in Abraham's heart? Isaac or God?<br />
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I never thought before that this test may have been brought about by a possible drifting of Abraham away from God. It seems credible that Abraham had lost some of his awe of God in light of the awe of watching his only son grow.<br />
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<b>But God doesn't share His glory.</b> </div>
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Does that seem harsh?<br />
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Not when we understand the dangers of replacing God with any other idol in our lives. Nothing but sadness and destruction lie ahead of us when we push God to the side and begin worshipping people, money, fame, you name it.<br />
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God knew this, and in His great mercy He gave an order to Abraham that would force Abraham to snap out of it. The shock of God's command would have opened Abraham's eyes to the real state of his heart. He was going to have to choose whether to obey the God he loved, or protect the son he loved.<br />
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Talk about a crossroads moment.</div>
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It got me thinking. Have I so focused on the Promise, that the failure to see the promise fulfilled has affected my relationship with God? Am I willing to sacrifice the Promise, even before fulfillment, in exchange for greater intimacy with God? What is ultimately more important...the Promise, or the Promise-Giver?<br />
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Graham Cooke said: "Every promise is tested so that our faith can increase. Pursuing God's purposes in our situation is where we learn the business end of faith and walking with the Father. Do not chase the outcome, but pursue the heart of God."<br />
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Abraham passed his test and proved he loved God above the only son he also loved tremendously. He also demonstrated his belief that God is good and loved him back. He believed that even if God allowed him to go through with the sacrifice and kill Isaac, God could raise him from the dead.<br />
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Abraham's unshakable faith in God was credited to him as righteousness, and inspires me today. But this story also cautions me to keep my eyes on God and worship Him alone.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/378/20A40330DC00300360B123707BDBD894.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Vikki Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094991951578393390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168356383690284809.post-86426945417592255332013-06-23T16:41:00.002+03:002013-06-23T16:49:16.598+03:00(trying to) believe in the Promises of GodI'm sitting at the crossroads again, not sure which way to go. God made me a promise, but the fulfillment thereof is not yet.<br />
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In response to one of my many queries, God said that to wait for His promise is to receive Isaac, but to take another route to the fulfillment of God's promise is to receive Ishmael. In other words...do it my way and forfeit the true prize; let God do it His way in His timing and receive His promise.<br />
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The challenge for me at the moment is that there's a third way, a middle road between Isaac and Ishmael. And I can't decide whether it's a semi-Isaac or a semi-Ishmael or something altogether different.<br />
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Yet God was pretty clear in His promise. It's my puddle of faith that's muddy.<br />
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I know I'm not alone in trying to unravel the gnarled ball of yarn that is faith in God's promises. All sorts of things contribute to the tangled knot. The two I'm dealing with in this season are:<br />
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<ul>
<li><b>Questions of whether or not I heard God correctly.</b> This doubt goes right back to the Garden of Eden when satan craftily asked Eve, "Did God <i>really</i> say..."</li>
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<li><b>Questions of whether or not God's promise is actually my own desire masquerading as Truth.</b> When the Word of the Lord is something I would never have thought of or don't particularly enjoy (ie. 'do a one-day fast every week'), it's easier to believe it's from God because it certainly isn't MY idea. But when the Word of the Lord sounds very much like my deepest dream, it's easier to suspect the Word may be nothing more than my longings.</li>
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Can God do what He says He will do?<br />
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Absolutely.</div>
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Will He do it in my case?<br />
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Yes, if He said He would, then He will.</div>
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Did He say He would?<br />
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I think so. </div>
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But what if He didn't?<br />
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Therein lies the rub. </div>
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Therein lies the temptation</div>
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to doubt my ability to hear God, </div>
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which affects my belief that </div>
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God can make Himself heard.</div>
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If I believe God speaks, and I believe God can make Himself heard above the groaning of the world, and in the same breath I doubt whether I heard him or not, then it undermines my belief that He can make Himself heard, which undermines my belief that I can hear God, which potentially undermines my belief that God speaks. See the danger?<br />
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What I must remember is this:<br />
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God speaks.</div>
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God wants to communicate with me.</div>
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God is bigger than my ability to hear.</div>
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God can and will make His ways known to the one who is willing to know them.<br />
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And follow them.</div>
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Which is the harder part. </div>
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If God makes His way known, and I choose not to follow it, is the wrong with God for not opening the door sooner, or with me for not being patient to wait for the door to open?<br />
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Yes, that's how I feel. It's like I'm in a room with 3 doors: the door marked 'Isaac' is closed; the door marked 'Ishmael' stands fully opened; the door in the middle is ajar.<br />
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Which door?<br />
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"Wait for Isaac!" my heart cries.</div>
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"But what if the middle door leads to Isaac?" my brain counters.<br />
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"Is that what God is saying?" my heart asks.</div>
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So I sit on the floor in the room before the doors and wait.<br />
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Is this a test of faith?<br />
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Undoubtedly.</div>
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But even more to the point, I believe it's a test of faith<b>fulness</b>. God's faithfulness to fulfill His promise; my faithfulness to wait for Him to do it His way.<br />
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How painful is the waiting! In the beginning I had peace. Now hope wavers like a candle flickering in the wind. It struggles to stay burning, to fight the good fight, to never give up. But the wind blows stronger and the rain spits and the candle burns lower.<br />
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Does God know the length of my wick?</div>
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I want to please God with unwavering faith; I want it to be credited to me as righteousness. I've asked Him many times to increase my faith, and I suspect this is how He does it...by testing it.<br />
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By making it wait. </div>
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Faith isn't faith unless it believes in something only God can do and trusts Him to do it. But it's costly, that kind of faith. It separates marrow from bone and gets to the heart of the matter...what do I believe about the nature and character of God?<br />
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Corrie ten Boom said, "Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God."<br />
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Do I know God enough to trust Him with the future of my deepest dream?<br />
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I hope so.</div>
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Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen."<br />
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Have I seen God at work in my life?<br />
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Most definitely. Without a doubt.</div>
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Perhaps most compelling of all is the anonymous quote scratched into the cement wall in Auschwitz concentration camp by a Jewish prisoner:<br />
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"I believe in the sun, even when it's not shining,</div>
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I believe in love, even when I don't feel it,</div>
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I believe in God, even when He is silent."</div>
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I guess the real question isn't whether or not God is faithful to fulfill His promises; the real question is do I <i>believe</i> God is faithful to fulfill His promises.<br />
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Based on how far God has brought me, and the work He has done in my life, I have to say 'yes. God can do all that He says He can do, and He will fulfill His promises in my life.'<br />
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Let Your will be done, Lord.<br />
Amen<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/378/20A40330DC00300360B123707BDBD894.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Vikki Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094991951578393390noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168356383690284809.post-5037869341510405812013-01-28T18:50:00.000+03:002013-01-28T18:50:08.554+03:00Do not be afraid; just believe.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yesterday in church the Pastor was reading the story of 'The Dead Girl' from Mark 5:21-43.<br />
<h4>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><i>To summarize, a religious leader, Jairus, came to Jesus, fell at his feet, and begged Jesus to come heal his daughter. Jesus went with Jairus to his house, but before they reached, some men came and told them the girl had already died. "Why bother the teacher any more?" they asked Jairus.</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">But Jesus ignored the men and told Jairus, "</span>Do not be afraid; just believe."</div>
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When they reached Jairus' home, people were wailing in grief, mourning the loss of the young girl.</div>
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Jesus asked them, "Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep."</div>
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But they laughed at him.</div>
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After he put them all out, Jesus took the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!" Immediately the girl stood up and walked around.</div>
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</h4>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The first report that the child had died did not faze Jesus...the Word of Life had a plan to raise that girl from the dead. But first he had to encourage Jairus, the father..."Do not be afraid; just believe." I imagine Jairus' heart thumping in his throat as he hurried along next to the one man who hadn't given up...what would Jesus do? Jairus wanted to believe, but he was gripped with fear. Nevertheless, Jesus was his last hope. Jairus <i>had</i> to believe.</div>
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But did his faith falter as he got closer and closer to the wailing coming from his house? Did tears fill his eyes when he saw his wife sobbing? What went through his mind when Jesus told the mourners that the girl was sleeping? How did he feel when they laughed at Jesus?</div>
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'You fool,' the mourners said in their hearts when Jesus told them the girl was not dead. 'Are you daft? We know what death looks like. That girl is clearly dead.'</div>
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In their unbelief, they missed to see resurrection power. They were 'put out' where they couldn't see Jesus take the girl's hand and tell her to get up. They missed the joy on the father and mother's faces when their little girl stood and walked around. They missed the tears of celebration that soaked Jesus' shirt as the parents hugged him in gratitude. They missed the disciples awe and admiration as they witnessed their teacher raise the dead.</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
When logic overcomes faith we miss the miracles.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Is there anything that seems to be dying in your life? Maybe a dream, a hope, a desire? Have you brought it to Jesus? Maybe he's been telling you something is going to happen, but you haven't seen it come to pass, and you're losing faith.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Remember his words: <b>Do not be afraid; just believe.</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7r_FQ5dxbi5TdmHAcYwrvcP6uGv4Q3RfGEKrJFLYH2DZhIRhP8bFk5slGqLP4j_8dWwxxjfLYBxoy6W_XTsK_8tNR7K2qiwaHIDPLfTNXjYIaUSaxW5GR5gXIzszA-HWy7CAVBEaArZY/s1600/do+not+be+afraid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7r_FQ5dxbi5TdmHAcYwrvcP6uGv4Q3RfGEKrJFLYH2DZhIRhP8bFk5slGqLP4j_8dWwxxjfLYBxoy6W_XTsK_8tNR7K2qiwaHIDPLfTNXjYIaUSaxW5GR5gXIzszA-HWy7CAVBEaArZY/s640/do+not+be+afraid.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/378/20A40330DC00300360B123707BDBD894.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial !important; border-top-width: 0px !important;" /></a>Vikki Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094991951578393390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168356383690284809.post-13115700454514536032012-10-22T08:53:00.000+03:002012-10-22T08:54:04.915+03:00Treasure Island in land-locked Uganda<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8P5YELZMNYAjsTKUg0wagWUvmdX7qqO02MKrxL_pcF4M81PQFvvTSI9V_2PSxRkvf2jD52tnHv4qveG47a6evYBaXTPiES1iPLzNX7UDl4MzenTlZ9ll0zrdp68i1M0wja0g_PMmwZO0/s1600/IMGA0891.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8P5YELZMNYAjsTKUg0wagWUvmdX7qqO02MKrxL_pcF4M81PQFvvTSI9V_2PSxRkvf2jD52tnHv4qveG47a6evYBaXTPiES1iPLzNX7UDl4MzenTlZ9ll0zrdp68i1M0wja0g_PMmwZO0/s320/IMGA0891.JPG" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mama Caroline Odubo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I was at a birthday party yesterday in the village near our <a href="http://ywamarua.wordpress.com/">YWAM base</a>, and had the opportunity to chat with Mama Caroline Odubo. Caroline is the Vice President of the Local Council, and the 'Woman of Peace' God led us to when we were first looking for land to build the YWAM base. Caroline and her family sold us the first plot of land.<br />
<br />
Caroline told me more of her story yesterday, how her husband ran off with a <i>mzungu</i> from New Zealand and left her to raise the children on her own, how her father gave her a plot of land as an early inheritance, how she cut grass and tied it into bundles and sold it for those wanting to thatch the roofs of their houses.<br />
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"I paid my children's school fees through the grass growing freely around me," she said. "That was wisdom from God."<br />
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Caroline also cultivated the land, growing sweet potatoes, cassava, sorghum, and beans.<br />
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Somehow Caroline got hold of a copy of <i>Treasure Island</i>, and inside was a picture of Jim Hawkins sitting under a tree, contemplating his predicament. When Caroline saw that picture, she also happened to be sitting under a tree. Caroline stopped reading, stared at the picture, then looked up into the mango tree branches above her. <br />
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"This is my Treasure Island," she murmured. Caroline told her children, "We will get gold from this place, but we must work hard and not give up. From now on, we will call this place <i>Treasure Island</i>."<br />
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Caroline lived in a small grass thatched hut with her children, the chickens and the goats.<br />
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"All in one room?" I asked.<br />
<br />
Caroline nodded.<br />
<br />
"Even the goats?" I persisted.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhixMsnBAdWLzusjE4pf43cPhmtk6nDsG1pF_Wixl-7wtfpucLRV_C1JuR2Zl3AYOo0IsL-F2Aqq1TeTVGgN3wvttsLltwKknDiAOjWr8Gzv7FhN5OkAdZrGAi9yeu37b6XM4pfK1nlHe4/s1600/IMGA0529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhixMsnBAdWLzusjE4pf43cPhmtk6nDsG1pF_Wixl-7wtfpucLRV_C1JuR2Zl3AYOo0IsL-F2Aqq1TeTVGgN3wvttsLltwKknDiAOjWr8Gzv7FhN5OkAdZrGAi9yeu37b6XM4pfK1nlHe4/s320/IMGA0529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chobe National Park - Botswana</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
"It was very difficult," Caroline said, shaking her head, "but '<i>Lak lyec negu won ungo'</i> - the elephant's trunk, though it is heavy, cannot defeat the owner."<br />
<br />
Caroline painted the outside of her mud hut, then wrote the words of that African proverb on the wall. "Every day I read those words and they encouraged me to push on."<br />
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Even though the challenge of raising her children single-handedly was great, Caroline refused to be defeated. Today, her children are doctors, lawyers, teachers and businessmen.<br />
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Whenever you feel discouraged or weary, remember the elephant's trunk, and the brave Ugandan woman who set her sights on greater things.<br />
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With God, all things are possible, even an island in a land-locked country.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/378/20A40330DC00300360B123707BDBD894.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial !important; border-top-width: 0px !important;" /></a>Vikki Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094991951578393390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168356383690284809.post-58206725874766036172012-10-20T10:03:00.000+03:002012-10-20T10:03:05.249+03:00Seeking, or scared of, the Presence of God?Recently I heard a statement that literally shocked me into silence.<br />
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Our women's Bible Study group is working through Luci Swindoll's <i>Cultivating Contentment,</i> and we were talking about a statement Luci made that, "Our souls are restless with a longing to see God." (pg. 10).<br />
<br />
The discussion spun off from that statement to the question, "What does it mean to see God? Can we see Him? What about the warnings in the Bible where God said, '...you may not see my face, for no one can see me and live'?" (Ex 33:20)<br />
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And yet, earlier in that same chapter the Bible says, "The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, like a man speaks with his friend." (Ex 33:11)<br />
<br />
One of the ladies said that Moses was special, unique...the rest of the Israelites didn't get to speak with God like that. They used the example of Mt. Sinai to illustrate the point, showing that Moses went up the mountain to meet with God, while the rest of the Israelites stayed at the foot of the mountain, at a distance.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqbM2w_cVTraBJ_FlKKkGmkK3LkhSSIS4t1KOUZEDYco5R3r8LH9md1KUoJtM9lItQ1o0U6ny2FZWX0qKG84y1m-B7Rh0AemQybKuH2kCr3GfJSbsW0be8drl7lGEr5e7ZJy9_5AEnzhU/s1600/1938937068_e07b8984ba_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqbM2w_cVTraBJ_FlKKkGmkK3LkhSSIS4t1KOUZEDYco5R3r8LH9md1KUoJtM9lItQ1o0U6ny2FZWX0qKG84y1m-B7Rh0AemQybKuH2kCr3GfJSbsW0be8drl7lGEr5e7ZJy9_5AEnzhU/s1600/1938937068_e07b8984ba_m.jpg" /></a><br />
The statement that made my mouth work like a voiceless guppy was this:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
"I'm with the Israelites. I don't really want to get that close to God. </div>
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When God comes near, the earth quakes and mountains tremble. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Let Him be over there and I'll stay over here and we'll get along just fine."</div>
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<br />
Pause for a moment and just take that in...<br />
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<br />
Then another missionary woman said, "Yes, I feel the same. Whenever I try to get close to God, it seems to cost me more than I expected. I'm afraid of what God's going to ask of me if I get too close."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGF_5dYf2kyw-ln53kDPHriuO54qAkSXfUj2mlSx4Bf9Ar3U4283ckQr7EGyFOnDVdjcyu9F2zdq8HQ3iML3hZEl2vpITGuEiX3b9gtQUzy0sKI_DJxqRN6IQTmRD3_5Igj9KQ1OPF6oQ/s1600/1_123125_123073_2111953_2120007_2121372_050628_ex_tigger_tn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGF_5dYf2kyw-ln53kDPHriuO54qAkSXfUj2mlSx4Bf9Ar3U4283ckQr7EGyFOnDVdjcyu9F2zdq8HQ3iML3hZEl2vpITGuEiX3b9gtQUzy0sKI_DJxqRN6IQTmRD3_5Igj9KQ1OPF6oQ/s1600/1_123125_123073_2111953_2120007_2121372_050628_ex_tigger_tn.jpg" /></a><br />
At that point, my jaw slammed shut and a deep sadness overcame me. These women, missionaries who had 'laid down their lives' to follow Christ, were afraid to get too close to God because of what He might ask them to sacrifice, to give up.<br />
<br />
<br />
Floored.<br />
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I've been pondering those statements for the last couple of weeks, and I've started to understand their fears. Yes, to follow Christ will definitely cost something. It will cost a lot. It will require us to lay down our lives, pick up our crosses. It's not an easy road. It's narrow, it's unpopular, it's a process of dying to self. Why would anyone want to do that?<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
Because 'those who lose their lives for Jesus' sake will find them' (Matt 10:39). </div>
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Find what?<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Find life. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Real life. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The life God purposed for you before the world began, before He formed you in the womb.</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
(Ps 139:13-16, Jer 1:5)</div>
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Why would I want the life God purposed for me?<br />
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Because those purposes are designed out of a heart of love so wide and long and high and deep that it's hard to grasp...His love surpasses knowledge...we can't even imagine the greatness of the plans God has for us. Instead, it's much easier to imagine the hardship, the suffering, the cost.<br />
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If only we could grasp that love! If only we could be like Moses and climb the mountain, reach out for His Presence.<br />
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<br />
I believe the Israelites missed their chance for close communion with God. Yes, Moses was special, chosen for a specific task to lead God's people out of slavery.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
But I believe God wanted to speak directly to the Israelites right from the beginning...</div>
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Moses said to the Israelites:<br />
<br />
"Remember the day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, when he said to me, 'Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children.' You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain while it blazed with fire to the very heavens, with black clouds and deep darkness. <b>Then the Lord spoke to you out of the fire</b>. You heard the sound of words but saw no form; there was only a voice." (Deut 4:10-12)<br />
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"<b>When you heard the voice out of the darkness,</b> while the mountain was ablaze with fire, all the leading men of your tribes and your elders came to me. And you said, 'The Lord our God has shown us his glory and his majesty, and <b>we have heard his voice</b> from the fire. Today we have seen that a man can live even if God speaks with him. <b>But now, why should we die</b>? This great fire will consume us, and <b>we will die if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any longer</b>. For what mortal man has ever heard the voice of the living God speaking out of fire, as we have, and survived? <b>Go near and listen</b> to all that the Lord our God says. <b>Then tell us whatever the Lord our God tells you</b>. We will listen and obey." (Deut 5:23-27)<br />
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The Israelites had an amazing encounter with the Presence of God, and survived! But they felt like they were pressing their luck to want any more. They were afraid that if God continued to speak to them directly, eventually it would cost them too much... they would die.<br />
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It was the Israelites who requested that Moses be their mediator...God was quite happy to speak to them directly, but they were too afraid. They chose to keep their distance.<br />
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But what good did keeping their distance do for them? While Moses was communing with the Creator of Heaven and Earth, the Israelites were building idols. They preferred to worship something made by their own hands, than worship the One who made them. (Ex 32)<br />
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Sad. So sad.<br />
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Why would any follower of Christ want to be like the Israelites, rather than like Moses? Are we afraid of what God is going to ask of us if we seek His face? If we yearn for more of His presence? Does that fear keep us at the foot of the mountain, standing at a distance, possibly worshipping idols that are 'safer'?<br />
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Do we think it will cost less to serve lesser gods?<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
It will cost more...it will cost us our eternal lives.</div>
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Yes, God is to be revered, awed, adored, glorified, feared...but we are not to be afraid of Him. He is our Father in Heaven, the Lover of our Souls, our Good Shepherd. He is our All in All. Without Him, we can do nothing of Kingdom value.<br />
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So don't settle for the foot of the mountain...seek God's face while He may be found. Hunger and thirst for His kingdom and His righteousness. His promise is true:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
"You will seek Me and you will find Me when you seek Me with all your heart." (Jer 29:13)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Be seekers of God, then taste and see that the Lord is GOOD!</div>
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<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/378/20A40330DC00300360B123707BDBD894.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Vikki Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094991951578393390noreply@blogger.com0Uganda1.373333 32.290275-2.6870215 27.236564 5.4336875 37.343986tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168356383690284809.post-74476307808152381712012-08-04T14:14:00.000+03:002012-08-04T14:38:39.102+03:00Never Give Up<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">About 2 years ago</span></b>, God impressed on our hearts the idea of doing a sabbatical. As John and I continued to pray about it and seek His will, we felt led to go to Cape Town where John would do the School of Biblical Studies, and I would finish a book I'd been working on for 4 years already. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdXRNnazs3xGkR_WzNg4t4MCCtTgOxjWvAOudb_70ZRBNwmdEQhRoBgV7DEZCRBFPqsaR1va59RkR82NxFsRcaE5DAg_csfecInLeLQbgDoPAijxhBoRGjbbrpBNRJjDxxYqQ86XJUYYk/s1600/jungle2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdXRNnazs3xGkR_WzNg4t4MCCtTgOxjWvAOudb_70ZRBNwmdEQhRoBgV7DEZCRBFPqsaR1va59RkR82NxFsRcaE5DAg_csfecInLeLQbgDoPAijxhBoRGjbbrpBNRJjDxxYqQ86XJUYYk/s320/jungle2.jpg" width="320" /></a>But the process of hearing God's call to do a specific thing, and actually <i>doing</i> that thing is not as straight forward as one might think. The <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">road of obedience</span></b> is more like no road at all. It's an <i><b>overgrown jungle path</b></i> that one must hack through with a machete while swatting at disease-carrying insects and fighting off poisonous snakes. It defeats many.<br />
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John and I made it through that perilous journey, not because we're super heroes, but because God kept speaking a refrain over and over that we took to heart: <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></b><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">"Don't Give Up</span>.<span style="font-size: large;">"</span></b></div>
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<b> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Back in July 2011,</span></b> when we were told by the South Africa High Commission in London that we had to apply for our student visas in Uganda, we thought God was closing the door on our sabbatical in Cape Town. We didn't have time to get back to Uganda, apply for our visas, and drive to Cape Town in time for the start of John's course.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
But God said, <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">"Don't give up."</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOEp7YyqRb_d-htqhEMdmmxZPtxy3k0KL01FwPT-gFZsAHW2E4rv9w9XNRATr-t4mMzkdwxVhxBhvEZc74sbPz7sM55l3-w9a4nCseIX_AZK2kXf6yc57UtqiO1wVCYylNjaJCPEeQ3fA/s1600/a.aaa-Never-give-up-D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOEp7YyqRb_d-htqhEMdmmxZPtxy3k0KL01FwPT-gFZsAHW2E4rv9w9XNRATr-t4mMzkdwxVhxBhvEZc74sbPz7sM55l3-w9a4nCseIX_AZK2kXf6yc57UtqiO1wVCYylNjaJCPEeQ3fA/s320/a.aaa-Never-give-up-D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
We got the visas in 48 hours, and arrived in Muizenberg 2 days before the course started. <br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">God is faithful.</span></b></div>
<br />
We awoke early the next morning in a house with no electricity, no gas for the stove, and no food. We were cold, hungry and discouraged. I couldn't even make a cup of coffee.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
But God said, <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">"Don't give up."</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpEOaSG_5Nv0O-bpRfnvydl_SKZRxa-_LCT54YlCC29SMoXKiwyuD4KdLMzM654uYkOSidu0WwnO_BNN9kimQmXTBNYdL59afTXjHCwHYrg9PdRyVrKFT3pWrfSBvlJqn3tn7GAfAm76o/s1600/01e-russians-never-give-up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpEOaSG_5Nv0O-bpRfnvydl_SKZRxa-_LCT54YlCC29SMoXKiwyuD4KdLMzM654uYkOSidu0WwnO_BNN9kimQmXTBNYdL59afTXjHCwHYrg9PdRyVrKFT3pWrfSBvlJqn3tn7GAfAm76o/s320/01e-russians-never-give-up.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I got in the truck, and just five minutes down the road found a place where we could recharge the electricity meter, refill the gas bottle, and buy some groceries, all under one roof. They even had a coffee shop with pastries. <br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">God is merciful.</span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">During the next 6 weeks,</span> </b>when John was busy with his course, and I was left to entertain the kids, shop for food, fix meals, look for a more permanent house, settle the kids in school, do the housework, etc etc, I felt frustrated. "What about my sabbatical?" I fumed. "I'm so busy running the house and family, I'm never going to get to write my book!" <br />
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But God said,<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> <b>"Don't give up."</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg50DlZVWugnjOVisR2p6HG0s0iWB_e3gHtJ3Cz8V8PAb7-LQXpQEoCRIlZXhoAkD5rIMKGPKVu2dEs-9HOthgXH1hbNsTs4AbTiytDL9z36W-nlq5_Pu0pRo8cxCUOERMxtntr7NUR3ug/s1600/never-give-up-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg50DlZVWugnjOVisR2p6HG0s0iWB_e3gHtJ3Cz8V8PAb7-LQXpQEoCRIlZXhoAkD5rIMKGPKVu2dEs-9HOthgXH1hbNsTs4AbTiytDL9z36W-nlq5_Pu0pRo8cxCUOERMxtntr7NUR3ug/s320/never-give-up-14.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We soon moved to a different suburb and finally got settled enough for me to begin working on my book.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">God is gracious.</span></b></div>
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But then I became overwhelmed at the challenge of rewriting a manuscript that was already 4 years in the making. The outline I had sketched out years before no longer seemed to fit, the characters kept doing things I didn't expect. Soon I ran out of scene ideas, and had to open the computer every morning with no idea what I was going to write that day. I felt like I was drowning in an ocean of words. <br />
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But God said, <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">"Don't give up."</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASrj9iwidgCIWnCXfJL52dedJoy57c3i-uaSPaCwWHRL9GYNuizcuJQNoyz596hWVUh3qNbQE8AVRsJJnOH2EJHNDizdYNGzYANckrt1DIkfKN-c2WiyKZgQWdZqRM3qwftbCe15R0gI/s1600/Never-give-up-444.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASrj9iwidgCIWnCXfJL52dedJoy57c3i-uaSPaCwWHRL9GYNuizcuJQNoyz596hWVUh3qNbQE8AVRsJJnOH2EJHNDizdYNGzYANckrt1DIkfKN-c2WiyKZgQWdZqRM3qwftbCe15R0gI/s320/Never-give-up-444.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Over the next few months,</b> </span>God guided my fingers until one day in April, I was finally able to write the words, <b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The End.</span></i></b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">God is a promise-keeper.</span></b></div>
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One of the Scriptures God used to encourage me during those months in Cape Town is:<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For, </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">"In just a little while,</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">he who is coming will come</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">and will not delay."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">And,</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">"But my righteous one will live by faith.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">And I take no pleasure</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">in the one who shrinks back."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.</span></div>
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Hebrews 10:36-39</div>
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I want to do the will of God at all times, but it's not easy. It takes stubborn determination to keep going against the odds. A quote I read somewhere sums it up nicely:<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><i>She must be prepared to beat to windward if she would reach her goal.</i></span></div>
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An easy goal that requires little effort to achieve is unsatisfying. Yet the dreams of God are impossible to achieve on our own. They require death to self-sufficiency, and acceptance of the fact that without God, we can do nothing of everlasting, Kingdom value. The only way to fulfill the dreams God puts on our hearts is to cling to him with all our strength and say, "Let your will be done." Each step of obedience, no matter how painful, is taken with Him right by our side saying, "You can do it. I am with you. With me, all things are possible."</div>
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I read a poem that thrilled my heart and made me long for more of the things of God:</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><i>I prayed for good fortune, </i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><i>God gave me dreams.</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><i>I dreamed of high places, </i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><i>God gave me wings.</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtYWD_XMTctLRBPUpJgVM_PoDggVxwgly5vate3klqa3ZuujVYllxxudLS3HVZcPhbuWsHzy8q2x6o9b7urhtz0z2T57RYV3njo_nJQybOvUpYiAgdwHy-XloPCsPAWEk1-rWzh4xgmhs/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtYWD_XMTctLRBPUpJgVM_PoDggVxwgly5vate3klqa3ZuujVYllxxudLS3HVZcPhbuWsHzy8q2x6o9b7urhtz0z2T57RYV3njo_nJQybOvUpYiAgdwHy-XloPCsPAWEk1-rWzh4xgmhs/s1600/images.jpeg" /></a></div>
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May God give you wings to fly to the heights and achieve the God-given dreams that burn in your heart. </div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">God is able.</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCA2lLLI1YdPR3g1H9OosrhSP4kLMgVnl9d6LFiQIEiRkOAgeCacbvOX72PdRtbniF1BY16osfvePIenoGkZ7DQ60bvFWHwvqFMsefpNqg_nsUVGOZZqPFs4t9hePZfXHRyWQkbeyhiNU/s1600/Persistence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCA2lLLI1YdPR3g1H9OosrhSP4kLMgVnl9d6LFiQIEiRkOAgeCacbvOX72PdRtbniF1BY16osfvePIenoGkZ7DQ60bvFWHwvqFMsefpNqg_nsUVGOZZqPFs4t9hePZfXHRyWQkbeyhiNU/s320/Persistence.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Never give up.</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<i>Watch this short video for more encouragement...</i></div>
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<i>a man without limbs who never gave up.</i></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/H8ZuKF3dxCY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Nick Vujicic</span></b></div>
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<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/378/20A40330DC00300360B123707BDBD894.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial !important; border-top-width: 0px !important;" /></a>Vikki Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094991951578393390noreply@blogger.com3Arua Ave, Arua, Uganda3.03 30.91-5.0727175000000013 20.802578 11.1327175 41.017421999999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168356383690284809.post-55807890700061553002012-03-10T21:08:00.012+03:002012-03-10T21:52:10.835+03:00It is finished! (Well, not quite ;)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPaPjt4T7mrClVXL5YCE4QM7L3MWOAYsCA18aeutXQK0vbsmd7TGqx8qTCwHgaLNMtC8ST1jr-h-yMgl9KssIzTOD-h98rnFdJf5SJsx8CwWdGy4NLa7VYV1SlTZL1zbUzskF8WrtY_tM/s1600/the+end+sign-resized-600.jpg" style="font-size: large; " onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 209px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPaPjt4T7mrClVXL5YCE4QM7L3MWOAYsCA18aeutXQK0vbsmd7TGqx8qTCwHgaLNMtC8ST1jr-h-yMgl9KssIzTOD-h98rnFdJf5SJsx8CwWdGy4NLa7VYV1SlTZL1zbUzskF8WrtY_tM/s320/the+end+sign-resized-600.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718334337367917394" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><b>After five long years</b>,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">on again off again, I’ve finally typed those two little precious words...The End.</span><br /></span><div> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><b>How did it feel?</b> Awesome. This book has been burning in my heart for at least five years. Every time I put it away, it haunted me until I picked it up again. I would become restless and unsettled just thinking about it until I had a chance to start working on it again.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "><b>And yet</b>, it felt anticlimactic at the same time. Ten minutes after I typed ‘The End’ I was in the shower and tho</span>ught of something I needed to add to that last scene, so still dripping, I reopened the file and wrote a few more sentences. I know very well that just writing ‘The End’ doesn’t mean it’s the end...in fact, I know of several gaps and loose ends that I ignored purposely as I focused on writing the key final scenes. There is a ton of rewriting and editing and more rewriting and more editing to do before I can really say, “It is finished.”</span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqJtJjqMT025REb0xeq3m0KPkKaHxiQWPu1ZclVr_qQ2SJgBJ1yirTC_e95kY84SLXGm8kcgk2XkiVhfEeqJHR8tOs1uA0CGQDkK5weZg1pJhAL-XYsAxFL3L1ZkQlg2t4LfszECvCXzM/s320/4-stone-pillar1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718332435311492818" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></span></span></p><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;font-size:large;">But DANG it feels good to have finally written the end! After all these years, I feel like I’ve finally done it. Time to set up another <b>Ebenezer stone...thus far has the Lord brought me.</b></span></div> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;font-size:large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "><b>And that’s another crazy thing</b>...when I started writing t</span>he book, it was part of a creative writing course I was doing on-line, and I had to map out the entire book, scene for scene, as part of the assignment.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><b>So when I started writing,</b> I had all the scene summaries there, and all I had to do was write each scene. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>But somewhere along the line</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>,</b> I started changing things which meant I had to scrap the last half of the scene su</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;">mmaries because they didn’t fit with the changes, anymore, which meant I didn’t have a plan.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg24iCss6iuEcLDbNQwTmPZ5RSqWfqXKEZ6jnLylMCmIfoSoy48lixRgjRbt5myc03XnT37pv9VcxP1nm2U-xpNvgB10Zz88-PBRvbJUsxu0ov34PWVDWlpoWwj6MOP1B4aIZNldtQHGOM/s320/no+plan+b.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718332134914946834" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 189px; " /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><b>Ack! No plan?!?!</b> I like having a plan.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><b>I prayed that God</b> would show me the way forward, give me the outline so I could rewrite the scene summaries, give me the ending. But nothin’ doin’. Instead, I felt God asking me to trust Him, to write the second half ‘blind’...just let the scenes come to my mind and write what I saw, what I heard, what I felt. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>This was a whole new process,</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> and a bit of a scary one, but at the same time, it was so exciting. Every morning I sat down at my computer not knowing what would happen that day. I had an idea of where I ultimately wanted to end up, but no clue how we were going to get there. I wrote my main character into corners without knowing how she’d get out of them, but God provided a way every time...just like He does in life. </span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>It was amazing</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>,</b> co-authoring with God. My characters seemed to come to life like never before in the first half of the book. Things happened that I didn’t expect. I laughed, I cried. It was very bizarre to be writing and reading at the same time. I can’t even explain the process, and it may sound crazy but that’s what I felt happened. My prayer is that that same partnership will continue through all the rewrites and edits, and that God will get the glory because:</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#990000;"><i>“Lord, you have established peace for us,</i></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;color:#990000;"><i><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>All that we have accomplished </i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;color:#990000;"><i>you have done for us.” </i> (Isa 26:12)</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"> </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I could never</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> have done this without God’s, but it has been a long journey of believing in what I cannot see. For any of you still waiting to see God’s promises in your life come to pass:</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#6600cc;">“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast </span></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;color:#6600cc;"><i>because they trust in You. </i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;color:#6600cc;"><i>Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, </i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;color:#6600cc;"><i>the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.”</i></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;color:#6600cc;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span>(Isa 26.3-4)</span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;color:#990000;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;color:#990000;"><i>“You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God,</i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><i>you will receive what he has promised. For</i></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 16.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;"><i>'In just a little while,</i></span></div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;color:#990000;"><div style="text-align: center; "><i>he who is coming will come </i></div><div style="text-align: center; "><i>and will not delay.'</i></div></span><p></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;color:#990000;"><i> And,</i></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 16.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">'</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">But my righteous one will live by faith.</span></i></span></div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;color:#990000;"><div style="text-align: center; "><i>And I take no pleasure</i></div><div style="text-align: center; "><i>in the one who shrinks back.'</i></div></span><p></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;color:#990000;"><i>But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, </i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;color:#990000;"><i>but to those who have faith and are saved.” </i>(Hebrews 10:36-39)</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;color:#990000;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;color:#6600cc;"><i>“If you do not believe, you surely will not last.” </i>(Isa 7:9)</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;color:#990000;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;color:#990000;"><i>Blessed is she who has believed that </i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;color:#990000;"><i>what Lord has said to her will be accomplished.” </i>(Luke 1:45)</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><b>Those were key verses</b> that I clung to during the dark moments of writing, and I’m sure I’ll need them in the days to come as I go back through the whole manuscript again and again and again. I can’t even think about what comes after that...I’m just concentrating on getting it to the best level I can. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><b>Whatever happens next</b> is up to God. And from what I’ve seen over and over in my life, I can trust Him with the unknown because His faithfulness endures forever.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 16.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Many thanks</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> to all who have been praying for me...please continue to do so as I enter this second phase of rewrites. I highly value your prayer covering!</span></span></p></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/378/20A40330DC00300360B123707BDBD894.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;" /></span></a>Vikki Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094991951578393390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168356383690284809.post-27998155030160207502012-01-23T13:08:00.018+03:002012-01-23T14:59:56.424+03:00Anointed, whether we know it or not<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPYNOLCM9lQ93g9JTSakupStDyce2ahwo9RUpZkk4i0eeXSQk4FPZHGYA-Q-GV9EFTDR5UVIkDL_wIAY502HpN0bGXk5-Q0H29dOLqcARygnR33LTiDVLDPvYImJ-5zlC_-OyrccJOrsg/s1600/353849051_jpcs7-L-25.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 210px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPYNOLCM9lQ93g9JTSakupStDyce2ahwo9RUpZkk4i0eeXSQk4FPZHGYA-Q-GV9EFTDR5UVIkDL_wIAY502HpN0bGXk5-Q0H29dOLqcARygnR33LTiDVLDPvYImJ-5zlC_-OyrccJOrsg/s320/353849051_jpcs7-L-25.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5700778393157438050" /></a><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">I'm starting to fall asleep</span> as I type a scene for my book...not a good sign. So instead of berating myself and whining about how boring my book is, I've come back here with another thought to ponder.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">A few months ago I read a comment by Priscilla Shirer</span> that stuck with me:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#990000;"><i>"An author can pen a book without the anointing, </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#990000;"><i>but only the anointed author can write words that carry the weight of God </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#990000;"><i>to accomplish eternal purposes in the lives of the readers."</i></span></div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0qITdcgxnmEI7i8Mo2ScNgX4xlk5hm7yKjBnn-Liq33ivgKydjrhFLA-wIjgcTNU2O291CbKHspaZQeyLkUH_r8z8gTDvm3bacxgwWclJc1cTysnXGRlNCyLrmH8Z-Bc452ycuE0VK4A/s1600/017d97e7a076837f750ab6af8e8d56aa.image.340x340.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0qITdcgxnmEI7i8Mo2ScNgX4xlk5hm7yKjBnn-Liq33ivgKydjrhFLA-wIjgcTNU2O291CbKHspaZQeyLkUH_r8z8gTDvm3bacxgwWclJc1cTysnXGRlNCyLrmH8Z-Bc452ycuE0VK4A/s320/017d97e7a076837f750ab6af8e8d56aa.image.340x340.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5700790946306454802" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">Like many Christians,</span> I battle between wanting to use my talents for fame and fortune and wanting to use them to bring glory to God. It's the struggle between flesh and spirit, the things of this world and the things of the Kingdom...it's age-old, nothing new under the sun. But it's still there.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">So when I read</span> Priscilla's words and think about the anointing, my first thought is, "Do I have the anointing to write this book?"</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;">Then I think, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">"Of course I do.</span> God told me to write it so I must have it."</div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixWL6xiX-b2ubF3JMCibIz3AtUMwIESeYpRzA3AhXjT1Zvi4x-gYvJWesITmHR3kuzmHUlbr9SyUmdCHsjgu9tDHDal-eybWcMf8wspPN3KK450YLtxyp5VwNJxPm7TnUr7tbnTxCIvZ0/s1600/biting.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 221px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixWL6xiX-b2ubF3JMCibIz3AtUMwIESeYpRzA3AhXjT1Zvi4x-gYvJWesITmHR3kuzmHUlbr9SyUmdCHsjgu9tDHDal-eybWcMf8wspPN3KK450YLtxyp5VwNJxPm7TnUr7tbnTxCIvZ0/s320/biting.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5700792523073756722" /></a><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">But then I worry.</span> "Maybe I lose it when my motives are less than pure, when I start imagining my book on the NY Times bestseller's list."</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">And then I fret</span> and say 'sorry' to God and remind Him (and me!) that it's all about Him, and I want the glory to be His alone. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;">(This scenario happens on a regular basis.) </div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">So does the anointing come and go?</span> Do I have it when my heart is right, and lose it when it's not?</div><div><br /></div><div>I did a little research (not much, this isn't exhaustive...don't quote me) and was encouraged by<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"> 1 John 2:20-21, 27:</span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#660000;">But you have an anointing from the Holy One, </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#660000;">and all of you know the truth. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#660000;">I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#660000;">but because you do know it </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#660000;">and because no lie comes from the truth...</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#660000;">As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#660000;">and you do not need anyone to teach you. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#660000;">But as his anointing teaches you about all things </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#660000;">and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit - </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#660000;">just as it has taught you, remain in him.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">God has anointed me</span> (and you!) through the indwelling Holy Spirit - the Anointed and the Anointing are One and the same. Therefore, everything I need to accomplish the task God has given me is available to me at all times through the Holy Spirit:</div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtRmK4ghGVlhmcM9Kkrfrx0Z7bXquwfrt2saoZrilXvfZtkQaBn6GW29Cz5W3HJKXBCOnxY98jsIbYNLBh5Rq-mYKpgaJD329xNbTx2FK_9AL-74TOYm27PB505EGqK-HAZ50IGdkTgIg/s320/african-drum-hands.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5700784573222788626" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 160px; height: 122px; " /><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;">the<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"> skill</span> (how do I 'show' the way the thump of an African drum bounces around in your chest), </div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKy97s_Z9vsYhGsrD1Q-9iUVxWl1FSD3fA9XpbjxILL9nNuyRP66nlGMBbOvJU3ese6Jj7qgTaEVbP56bTZTUR9JTCeHQSyZxki0V7oJJc64ewNVJd38ictthXfh_ZG1T8pNruEfcVnF0/s1600/28292-Happy-And-Energetic-Woman-Jumping-Above-Grass-At-Sunset.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 110px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKy97s_Z9vsYhGsrD1Q-9iUVxWl1FSD3fA9XpbjxILL9nNuyRP66nlGMBbOvJU3ese6Jj7qgTaEVbP56bTZTUR9JTCeHQSyZxki0V7oJJc64ewNVJd38ictthXfh_ZG1T8pNruEfcVnF0/s320/28292-Happy-And-Energetic-Woman-Jumping-Above-Grass-At-Sunset.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5700784428359617986" /></a><br /></div><div>the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">energy</span> (wakey, wakey! no falling asleep over the computer),</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFhd-pOsk43v2XFe15o5ruPBOvksFiioRm7NeiuUDNG7JMbUMkAXNDBh89G263hMEnkvloZzcbwmOYZrvKCiwJ87WfMPMq7-o4bJ7kXLieuPFYr4Nma03tEgzdqKne4fXxOFvIPW2izKw/s1600/Stork-and-Frog.Hope_.Never-Give-Up.-Have-Hope.Stork-and-Frog..jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFhd-pOsk43v2XFe15o5ruPBOvksFiioRm7NeiuUDNG7JMbUMkAXNDBh89G263hMEnkvloZzcbwmOYZrvKCiwJ87WfMPMq7-o4bJ7kXLieuPFYr4Nma03tEgzdqKne4fXxOFvIPW2izKw/s320/Stork-and-Frog.Hope_.Never-Give-Up.-Have-Hope.Stork-and-Frog..jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5700786785018773890" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;">the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">determination</span> (I think I can, I think I can),</div><div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCrdKFp3Lg25TmYrni7xWaf_JWqcg0qsjYWb9DMrbDf4ga2ILU4SJU1XaKi6AqXCTlRYOJ0k_fyhJsIj4bffOn6hP45LxVAabKsRdvdIkxPeUhy0mEEmfhjbkz40rUfRsfF0uuD4ygbUs/s1600/Do-Have-Faith.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 237px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCrdKFp3Lg25TmYrni7xWaf_JWqcg0qsjYWb9DMrbDf4ga2ILU4SJU1XaKi6AqXCTlRYOJ0k_fyhJsIj4bffOn6hP45LxVAabKsRdvdIkxPeUhy0mEEmfhjbkz40rUfRsfF0uuD4ygbUs/s320/Do-Have-Faith.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5700788771676083554" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">and especially the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">faith</span> (believe in what you do not see).</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">Isaiah 7:9</span> (NASB) says:</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#660000;">"If you will not believe, you surely shall not last."</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">So I am taking a stand</span> today to believe I have God's anointing for this task, and I am leaving the results in His hands. I want to be of the ilk that it's said,</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#660000;">"Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"</span> (Luke 1:45 NIV)</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">May <i><b>you </b></i>realize the anointing</span> God has given you through His Spirit to carry out the work He has called you to, and <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">may you be blessed</span> as you believe Him to accomplish it!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/378/20A40330DC00300360B123707BDBD894.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;" /></a></div>Vikki Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094991951578393390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168356383690284809.post-20690640216093406262012-01-19T21:52:00.003+03:002012-01-19T23:24:42.479+03:00Beating to windward<div>Some of you may be wondering why I haven't blogged for so long.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;">The <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:180%;">good news</span> is: I'm finally writing my book! </div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:180%;"> bad news</span> is: this is the hardest project I've ever undertaken in my entire life. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Helping pioneer a YWAM base in northern Uganda was easier than this. </div><div><br /></div><div>I decided to blog about this new journey to have a place to sound-off. That writing itch is kind of finicky...I can be fed up with my book but still needing to write. So be warned...a lot of what comes may be complete jibberish. It's just me slogging this out.</div><div><br /></div><div>Recently I read an article about <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:180%;">prayer</span> by <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:180%;">Evelyn Underhill</span> and she was discussing the necessity of exercising our <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:180%;">will</span> in our prayer life. One statement she made is written on a sticky note and fixed to my desk:</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#990000;"><i>"She must be prepared to beat to windward if she would reach her goal."</i></span></div><div><br /></div><div>Underhill was talking about prayer, but this statement spoke to me on <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#000099;">several levels:</span> </div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#000099;">Broadly:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><b>The life of following Jesus</b>, </span></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>praying 'Let Your will be done' on a daily basis, </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>taking time to listen to Him and go deeper in His Word, </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>and then being radically obedient to His commands...</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>...these are not easy things. </div><div><br /></div><div>This lifestyle takes sheer, teeth-gritting, vein-busting determination. </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>It takes that 'Never Give Up' attitude that separates the grain and the chaff. </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>It involves moments of terror when you <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><i>KNOW</i></span> God told you to do that thing, but it's <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>not working, </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>nothing's going right, </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>it feels like the whole world has conspired against you fulfilling that task...</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>...and finally, </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span>when you're sweating and</div><div> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span>your nails are bit to the quick, </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span>God shows up and saves the day. </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span>Again. </div><div><br /></div><div>And He gently asks, "What were you so worked up about? I told you it would work out." </div><div>Some of you know what I'm talking about. </div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;">Zooming in a bit:</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div>I've been thinking a lot lately about what it means to <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:180%;">Know God</span>. I'm studying Isaiah at the moment, and have been struck by the following scriptures:</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Isaiah 1:3 "The ox knows his master, the donkey his owner's manger, but Israel </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:180%;">does not know.</span> My people do not understand."</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Isaiah 5:13a "Therefore my people go into exile for their <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:180%;">lack of knowledge.</span>"</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Hosea 4:1, "Hear the word of the Lord, O people of Israel, for the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:180%;">no knowledge of God</span> in the land."</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Daniel 11:32 "With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:180%;">know their God</span> will firmly resist him."</div><div><br /></div><div>There are loads more verses which talk about knowing God, but even in just these few it is so clear how essential it is to know God. </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span>Not just to know of Him. </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span>Not just to pray once in a while. </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></div><div>But to really know Him, </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>to spend time with Him, </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>to learn what's on His heart, </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>to develop that intimacy with Him where you hear His voice </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>and He teaches you to walk in His ways. </div><div><br /></div><div>The scariest verse that shows the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">dan</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">g</span>er of <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:180%;">doing for God</span> <i>without taking time to</i> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:180%;">be with God</span> is in John 7:21-23</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;"> <span class="woj">“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;"><span class="woj">but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.</span> <span class="woj"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;"><span class="woj">Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;"><span class="woj">did we not prophesy in your name </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;"><span class="woj">and in your name drive out demons </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;"><span class="woj">and in your name perform many miracles?’</span> <span class="woj"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;"><span class="woj">Then I will tell them plainly, </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;font-size:medium;">‘</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:180%;">I never knew you.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;font-size:medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;font-size:medium;">Away from me, you evildoers!’</span></div><div><br /></div><div> Yikes!!!! How horrible to hear those words and be banished forever from the Lord Almighty.</div><div><br /></div><div>Knowing God is not something that just happens. </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>It takes time and commitment. </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>It takes a hunger and thirst to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>It's a steadfast pursuit on both sides.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#000099;">Finally, on a micro-scale:</span> </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Completing this book</b> will require serious beating to windward. It's been burning on my heart for about five years, but it refuses to write itself. </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Each scene is wrestled onto the screen, </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>each description freezes in my mind's eye and won't let me transform into words.</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>I'm pushing and pulling, cajoling and pleading. </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>I give up and go watch Master Chef USA for relief. </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>I recheck the word total and see </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>I've only added another fifteen words to the daily total.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's painful. It's like the marathon that never ends. </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Did you hear about that guy that ran a marathon every day for an entire year? </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>365 marathons in 365 days. </div><div><br /></div><div>That's kind of what I feel like at the end of the day...like I just ran another marathon and don't have the glutes to show for it. </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>(As if I knew what it feels like to run a marathon. I can barely do 10km!)</div><div><br /></div><div>No matter how fiercely those words dig in their heels and refuse to come to my party, I'm not giving up. That's one good thing about being stubborn...it usually comes with an extra portion of determination. </div><div><br /></div><div><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 222px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCywm5TZmcFbAdjgCY7jNB6fQIMqTPa7dB5BClfhmIsGLk3TqH1zefb4jgjRwwWh9OQDlHsW2lVfpj_fturCMT9NlmYvmoLUKxemkrn0-_pgS9kPw9RlXZmtbOPelFfm6XGUV3SBLwyM/s320/Homer_Winslow_Rowing_at_Prout-s_Neck.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699439948799744802" /></div><div>So I will keep beating to windward to write this book while seeking to know my God more and more because He is my secret weapon. I'm not writing this alone. I'm co-authoring with the greatest story teller ever. And that's enough to keep these oars slapping the water.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Heave! Ho! Heave! Ho!</div><div><br /></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/378/20A40330DC00300360B123707BDBD894.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;" /></a>Vikki Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094991951578393390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168356383690284809.post-1287349032796057772011-10-04T11:07:00.002+03:002011-10-04T11:10:40.250+03:00A little poem<div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Let not my heart be hardened</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">by stress or worries deep</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Let not my soul be cold and dark</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">but rather Yours to keep</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Let neither fear nor pride divert</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">me from the path You've laid</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">but rather peace should reign within</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">this masterpiece You made</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Each day to walk in faith with You</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">above life's troubled way</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Clinging tightly to Your hand</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">forever come what may</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">To hear Your voice...my heart's desire</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">to see You, greater still</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">To give you glory...all I ask</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Let it be done...Your will.</span></i></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/378/20A40330DC00300360B123707BDBD894.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;" /></a>Vikki Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094991951578393390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168356383690284809.post-29543483233184675562011-09-29T11:48:00.004+03:002011-09-29T12:07:25.366+03:00Drill Sergeant wannabe<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8P0QRbGoJKx1g8HaebxnVlBE30HwvG287dRsKrLiV-vCqCC2oQWrei75kM2jevCQ7pxJS-hNZJ60-QBNJXQUsPmhqY2-dSj6rgjPOh94zWLOcgVUBB4lfAkdk-ZR5UvvmEFrDdBNLT5Y/s1600/Girl+Soldier.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 219px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8P0QRbGoJKx1g8HaebxnVlBE30HwvG287dRsKrLiV-vCqCC2oQWrei75kM2jevCQ7pxJS-hNZJ60-QBNJXQUsPmhqY2-dSj6rgjPOh94zWLOcgVUBB4lfAkdk-ZR5UvvmEFrDdBNLT5Y/s320/Girl+Soldier.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657703754708363394" /></a><br /><div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I think I would have made an excellent drill sergeant. </span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span> My poor husband and kids experience the home version of boot camp pretty much daily, especially now that we’re on a tight time schedule and still trying to get into a routine.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i><b>Aidan! Get your shoes on.</b></i></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i><b>Noah! Brush your teeth.</b></i></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i><b>Kezi! Pick up your pajamas.</b></i></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i><b>Hurry up, kids. We leave in 3 and a half minutes!</b></i></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i><b>John! Grab the keys, we have to go now.</b></i></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i><b>Hup, two, three, four, Hup, two, three, four!</b></i></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i><b>FORWARD...MARCH!</b></i></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The only problem is,</span> no matter how authoritatively I bark my commands, nobody responds with military precision and efficiency.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>Aidan </b>wanders to the coat rack and puts on his jumper instead of his shoes...well, at least he’s getting <i>something</i> on.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>Noah </b>totally ignores me in his quest to find the charger for his gameboy.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>Kezi </b>just looks at me and sucks her fingers.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">And <b>John</b> picks up his book and disappears into the bathroom.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">FORWARD...HALT!</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">So I run around</span> barking more orders, getting in people’s faces, grabbing shoulders and steering little ones to where I want them to be. I don’t go anywhere near John and the bathroom. Slowly by slowly the chores get done, the family members get organized, and we get out of the house. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Then the race is on</span> to get the kids up over the hillside to nearby Fish Hoek in time for school. Here comes a school-run mom on a brand new course in a BIG truck...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">outta my way!</span> I still don’t know the area really well, so I race up and down side streets until I find the right one. Ooops...took that corner a little too sharply and ran the back tire up on the curb...3 kids’ heads bounce off the roof of the truck. Oh well, no blood. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Onward, soldiers!</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">There it is</span>...my freedom! Bay Primary School. Boot the kids out of the truck...”Come on, guys, out you get. Come on!” Drop ‘em off, quick wave, and I’m off. Yes!</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Not that I don’t love ‘em.</span>..‘course I do. But my sanity has been severely stretched after 11 days in the car with them and not one minute of alone time. I have a lot of catching up to do!</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Besides, their lack of response to my drill sergeant orders is wearisome, and I get tired of repeating myself, getting louder, issuing threats.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Maybe I need to get a whistle.</span></p></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/378/20A40330DC00300360B123707BDBD894.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;" /></a>Vikki Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094991951578393390noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168356383690284809.post-35039439105952693292011-09-19T19:43:00.006+03:002011-09-19T20:00:14.453+03:00Days 6-7 Kampala to Cape Town 2011<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAZr5_yQvlXuu-tZRiF6QxY8ZUhoJI55XoHJnAIfGqphG_RMHz8Hp06p4aJTgwexqg7k64HkuVtqDfRyEHoTfnLoM6iEy965poQM0WGkKkatefKqE3RmwWVML54MGd6usg6a9rWkc54Mg/s1600/DSC04999.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAZr5_yQvlXuu-tZRiF6QxY8ZUhoJI55XoHJnAIfGqphG_RMHz8Hp06p4aJTgwexqg7k64HkuVtqDfRyEHoTfnLoM6iEy965poQM0WGkKkatefKqE3RmwWVML54MGd6usg6a9rWkc54Mg/s320/DSC04999.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5654113880837884770" /></a><br /><div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Days 6 & 7 of Journey to Cape Town 2011</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Greetings from Livingstone, Zambia! Well, we completed our first week on the road today. I can’t believe we’ve been driving for 7 days! So far the journey has been farther and slower than we expected, no surprise there. For those of you into numbers, we’ve driven 3,846 km (2,390 miles) through 4 countries (Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Zambia). From the time we left in the mornings until the time we arrived at our daily destinations, we’ve been ‘on the road’ for 70.5 hours (that includes stops for fuel, food and potty breaks). When I averaged the distance we travelled and the time it took us to cover that distance, we discovered we are crawling along at a mere 54.5 km/hr (33.5 mph). Painfully slow!</span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We’ve learned that we can’t figure out the distance, say 500 km, and guesstimate an arrival time, ie. “if we drive 100 km/hr we should get there in 5 hours, 6 with breaks.” No, that doesn’t work here at all. You never know how many villages you’ll go through, since the main highway passes through numerous villages and towns, and at every one you have to slow down to 80, 60 or 50. There are always speed bumps before and after every town, and often many on the main drag through town. There are also frequent police checks where they check our drivers’ licenses and vehicle documents to make sure everything is up to scratch. So far we’ve been stopped by traffic police 11 times.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">But through it all...the long, slow journeys, the speed bumps and traffic police...God has faithfully protected us. Yesterday we had our first tire blow out. I was sitting in the middle with the boys, John was upfront with Kezi, and Yolam was driving. All the sudden I heard a <i>whoosh!!</i> and <i>thump thump thump thump thump.</i> The inner tube in the right rear tire blew and the tire went flat in seconds. Yolam did a great job keeping the truck on the road and gearing down to a stop. He managed to save both the tire and the rim, but the tube and the ‘gutter’ (?) were in pieces. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I ran down the road aways and set out our emergency hazard triangle and drag</span>ged a big tree branch into the road to divert traffic around us, and John and Yolam got to work changing the tire. Thankfully we were in a pretty deserted stretch of road...no other vehicles or people on the road when the tire blew...and it was straight and flat, so it was a perfect location to get a flat. We managed to get the tire repaired at the next ‘biggish’ town at the ‘tire mending tree’...literally these guys were fixing flats under a scrawny tree on the dust-blown side of the road with no building at all...just a portable air compressor powered by a generator. They did a great job, but all the delays turned our 9-hr journey into a 13-hr journey. Oh yeah, we also lost time when we pulled into Barclays bank to get money from the ATM, and there was a Zambian woman with car problems in the parking lot, and Yolam came to her rescue and fixed her car within about 30 minutes. It’s great to have him with us and awesome that he can be a blessing to others, as well!</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We slept at the YWAM base in Lusaka last night, and then headed out around 9 this morning for the 6-hr stretch to Livingstone. Today was uneventful with smooth, beautiful roads, hardly any traffic, very few speed bumps and only a few police stops. We arrived at Jolly Boys Backpackers around 3:30, and now John and the kids are enjoying the swimming pool while Yolam talks to some of the workers at the bar. Kezi is shrieking with joy having finally caught the knack of swimming without having to stop every time she needs to breathe. I would say today is the first day of her doing ‘real swimming’ on her own!!! Pretty cool place to learn that!</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We are about 10 km from Victoria Falls on the Zambian side, so tomorrow morning we’re going to go and check them out. Then we’re hoping to drive to the Botswana border at Kazungulu, cross with the ferry, and begin our journey south through Botswana on the eastern border. We don’t have a place booked for tomorrow night, and aren’t even sure how far we’re going to get, so please pray for God’s guidance to a good place to sleep.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Tomorrow is also the presidential elections here in Zambia, so please pray for peaceful voting and no problems. We in the West often take this for granted, but here in Africa elections can be dangerous times. Most of the locals we’ve talked to don’t expect any problems, though.</span></p><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp6W8pEnYJJrYcFVLK8FOIPXYwNQry2G09t5Z4eKEpYGlf80EIBVwu_AuP5aivGyo9cDkUx47w-vGzDBC9m0ZkzX6nIfPIkSjPR3Ykdh4g9QyUSwM8WkponM5rEqHjh5o4sQsc0X28j30/s320/DSC05009.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5654116288106668866" /> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The next few days are a bit unknown in terms of which cities we’re aiming for or where we’re hoping to sleep. Originally we thought the journey would take 9 days, but now it looks like it’s going to be 11. So we still have 4 more driving days to go. God has really been sustaining us, but I have to say...I’m feeling pretty shattered. Tonight is our second night of camping, and although it saves money, it’s tiresome to set up the tents, etc. Plus it takes ages to break ‘em all down and repack everything. Not sure how many more n</span>ights we’ll camp on the way.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">There are many more observations and things to say, but I’ll stop for now. Thanks again for all your prayers, and we’ll do our best to keep you posted on the journey.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Lots of love and many blessings,</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Vikki for the gang</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p><p></p></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/378/20A40330DC00300360B123707BDBD894.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;" /></a>Vikki Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094991951578393390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168356383690284809.post-1321408792747166212011-09-19T19:36:00.003+03:002011-09-19T19:42:44.861+03:00Days 1-5 of Kampala to Cape Town 2011<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhivYR3WHyKSmxmikiTuz6602oLf2IfEYGx6LTkKCNBCLXifmYO1ETwGo-PzjJSliVkhCbLOEoabeDMRhKBwjkQB8A9t-JKSSZKmU1I4n8j-S4r9fQDb_arLptGnSg6wsFkV1RIgC21U7c/s1600/DSC04880.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhivYR3WHyKSmxmikiTuz6602oLf2IfEYGx6LTkKCNBCLXifmYO1ETwGo-PzjJSliVkhCbLOEoabeDMRhKBwjkQB8A9t-JKSSZKmU1I4n8j-S4r9fQDb_arLptGnSg6wsFkV1RIgC21U7c/s320/DSC04880.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5654110960775456066" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; font-size: 12px; ">Dear friends and family,</span></a><div> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Greetings from Shiwa Ngandu, Zambia! We’ve been driving for 5 days now, and are at the halfway point on our journey to Cape Town. We left Tuesday Sept 13 at 5am from Kampala, and spent the 1st night in Nakuru, Kenya. That was a 12 hour day. On Wednesday we left just after 8 am from Nakuru and crossed into Tanzania where we stayed at the YWAM base in Arusha. That was an 8 hour day. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Thursday was a killer 16 hour day, driving 900 km from A</span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">rusha to Iringa via Morogoro (still in Tanzania). The things that slowed us down the most in Tanzania were the numerous speed bumps, traffic police (we got pulled over 5 times) and having to slow down to 50 km/hr for every small trading center we passed through. We figured we were averaging between 50 - 60 km/hr all through Tanzania.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Thursday night we camped at River Valley safari camp along a river, and decided to sleep in and let the kids run around in the morning before getting back in the truck. So we climbed the hills around the campsite the next morning and took our time getting packed up. We left there around midday, and drove to Mbeya, arriving at Karibuni Center about 6 pm. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We left Mbeya this morning around 7:30 am, crossed the border into Zambia, and drove on to Shiwa Ngandu, more specifically Kapisha Hot Springs at Shiwa Safari camp. We arrived here about 4:30, set up camp, and have been enjoying the lovely hot water in the springs for the last 2 hours, and are now about to enjoy pizza and burgers.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Tomorrow, Day 6, we have a 9-hour journey to Lusaka, still in Zambia, where we’ll be staying at the YWAM base there. So far in Zambia we’ve hardly seen any speed bumps or traffic police, so we’re able to average about 80 km/hr. </span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhodEc2sFjZ5BgT0yUqXW5JmX6pm1BW1YfCo8RCJsR67BsMZPrdwvzsgZ3S-b4dhKxCj0ik8h6ZuPzJ7z2LfENvUuvOG662zyR0J0Z6xqN7lud3dWkOmZvLBiROExqUpIJhd0rFdU0lieo/s320/DSC04988.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5654111507219749378" /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">All in all, it’s been a fantastic journey so far. The kids </span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">h</span>ave been doing absolutely amazing...hardly any whining or fighting. Yolam, John and I have been doing 2-3 hours shifts driving, and rotating around who plays with the kids and who rests a bit up front. Staying here and enjoying the hot springs has been a real treat, and makes the whole journey more like an adventure.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We so much appreciate your prayers, and ask you continue to do so! We’ve really seen God’s hand of protection, provision, and favor. We’ll keep you posted on the rest of the journey as often as possible!</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Many blessings and lots of love from us all,</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Vikki, John, Yolam, Aidan, Noah and Keziah </span></p></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/378/20A40330DC00300360B123707BDBD894.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;" /></a>Vikki Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094991951578393390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168356383690284809.post-64456538102409455692011-09-12T06:10:00.005+03:002011-09-12T06:46:30.180+03:00I feel like SHOUTING!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTOYdMBbmj3cMQxNC54sQAalYwa1KekFcf027kKY9pK-GHa6OLsacX2TB56FIxDIK313mjiLcRON2dutrelh_Awsp-dCEWJBgNkeOVIKUS0vXRYUwuF0ULggWnucpXQd94XYKL7WKzamw/s1600/34440695.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 223px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTOYdMBbmj3cMQxNC54sQAalYwa1KekFcf027kKY9pK-GHa6OLsacX2TB56FIxDIK313mjiLcRON2dutrelh_Awsp-dCEWJBgNkeOVIKUS0vXRYUwuF0ULggWnucpXQd94XYKL7WKzamw/s320/34440695.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651311757312243058" /></a><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><h4 style="text-align: center;"><br /></h4><h4 style="text-align: center;">Psalm 66</h4><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-14875" style="font-size: 0.65em; line-height: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; "><br /></sup></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-14875" style="font-size: 0.65em; line-height: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; ">1</sup> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><b>Shout for joy to God</b></span>, all the earth! </div><div style="text-align: center;"> <sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-14876" style="font-size: 0.65em; line-height: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; ">2</sup> Sing the glory of his name; </div><div style="text-align: center;"> make his praise glorious. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-14877" style=" line-height: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; font-size:0.65em;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-14877" style="line-height: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">3</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! </span></span></div></sup><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> So great is your power </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> that your enemies cringe before you. </span></div><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-14878" style=" line-height: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; font-size:0.65em;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-14878" style="line-height: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">4</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> All the earth bows down to you; </span></span></div></sup><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> they sing praise to you, </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> they sing the praises of your name.”</span><sup class="footnote" value="[<a href="#fen-NIV-14878a" title="See footnote a">a</a>]" style="line-height: 0.5em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">[</span><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ps%2066&version=NIV#fen-NIV-14878a" title="See footnote a" style="color: rgb(101, 19, 0); text-decoration: none; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">a</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">]</span></sup></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-14879" style="line-height: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">5</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Come and see what God has done, </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> his awesome deeds for mankind! </span></div><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-14880" style=" line-height: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; font-size:0.65em;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-14880" style="line-height: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">6</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> He turned the sea into dry land, </span></span></div></sup><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> they passed through the waters on foot— </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> come, let us rejoice in him. </span></div><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-14881" style=" line-height: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; font-size:0.65em;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-14881" style="line-height: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">7</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> He rules forever by his power, </span></span></div></sup><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> his eyes watch the nations— </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> let not the rebellious rise up against him.</span></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-14882" style="line-height: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">8</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Praise our God, all peoples, </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> let the sound of his praise be heard; </span></div><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-14883" style=" line-height: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; font-size:0.65em;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-14883" style="line-height: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">9</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> he has preserved our lives </span></span></div></sup><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> and kept our feet from slipping. </span></div><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-14884" style=" line-height: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; font-size:0.65em;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-14884" style="line-height: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">10</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> For you, God, tested us; </span></span></div></sup><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> you refined us like silver. </span></div><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-14885" style=" line-height: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; font-size:0.65em;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-14885" style="line-height: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">11</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> You brought us into prison </span></span></div></sup><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> and laid burdens on our backs. </span></div><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-14886" style=" line-height: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; font-size:0.65em;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-14886" style="line-height: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">12</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> You let people ride over our heads; </span></span></div></sup><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> we went through fire and water, </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> but you brought us to a place of abundance.</span></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-14887" style="line-height: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">13</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> I will come to your temple with burnt offerings </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> and fulfill my vows to you— </span></div><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-14888" style=" line-height: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; font-size:0.65em;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-14888" style="line-height: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">14</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke </span></span></div></sup><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> when I was in trouble. </span></div><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-14889" style=" line-height: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; font-size:0.65em;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-14889" style="line-height: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">15</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> I will sacrifice fat animals to you </span></span></div></sup><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> and an offering of rams; </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> I will offer bulls and goats.</span></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-14890" style="line-height: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">16</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Come and hear, all you who fear God; </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> let me tell you what he has done for me. </span></div><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-14891" style=" line-height: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; font-size:0.65em;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-14891" style="line-height: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">17</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> I cried out to him with my mouth; </span></span></div></sup><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> his praise was on my tongue. </span></div><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-14892" style=" line-height: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; font-size:0.65em;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-14892" style="line-height: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">18</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> If I had cherished sin in my heart, </span></span></div></sup><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> the Lord would not have listened; </span></div><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-14893" style=" line-height: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; font-size:0.65em;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-14893" style="line-height: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">19</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> but God has surely listened </span></span></div></sup><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> and has heard my prayer. </span></div><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-14894" style=" line-height: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; font-size:0.65em;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-14894" style="line-height: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">20</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Praise be to God, </span></span></div></sup><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> who has not rejected my prayer </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> or withheld his love from me!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The faithfulness of God should not surprise me</span></b>...that is His nature! Over and over and over again He does what He says He will do...not like fickle me who sometimes forgets to do something, or just doesn't feel like doing it, or whatever. No, God never fails to uphold His promises.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">He told me</span></b> way back in the beginning of the year <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">not to worry</span></b> about the plans for South Africa, that He had it all sorted out, it would all come together...the schooling, the housing, the visas, the journey down by road. <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">So what did I do? I worried.</span></b> Yes, I worried about the schooling and the housing and the visas...oh, especially those visas and all that wretched paperwork. And did any of my worrying do any good? Of course not. And one by one, the giants before me were laid to dust as God arranged first an initial place to stay, then a school that would take all 3 kids, then the visas.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Now we are about to head off</span></b> on the journey down to Cape Town, possibly even leaving tomorrow, and when I went to bed last night we didn't have a place to stay for the first night on our 9 day journey. I spent hours on the web trying to find accommodation but to no avail. I don't know about you, but setting out on a massive long journey and having no idea where you're even staying the first night can be a little disconcerting.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">This morning when I woke up</span></b> I saw a text from a friend in Kenya with the phone number of a South African lady living in Nakuru who has offered to let us stay with her! Wow! How cool is that? I'm not sure if it will work out because Nakuru is 2 hours farther than where we were hoping to stop for the night, but it was encouraging to see that text anyway. It reminds me that God will keep providing for us, just as He always has, no matter how much I fret and worry. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">That's why I feel like shouting</span></b>...God has done so many great things for us. More than I can remember, more than I even know. And He will continue to, because that is His nature.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Not all of His great things seem great</span></b> to us at the time. Note verses 10-12 of the above Psalm...how many people can praise God for testing and refining them? For "letting people ride over their heads"? This psalmist knew God's blessings come in many shapes and sizes and are all for the good of His beloved children. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">It's hard to reconcile that sometimes</span></b>, especially in the midst of the fire, but as I look back on my journey with the Lord, I see that the pruning and the refining are actually more life-changing and greater blessings to me than things like provision. Those hard times when He faithfully guides me through the darkness, holding my hand and comforting me, shaping and molding me, those are the times that bring me closer to Him and result in making me just a little bit more like the woman of God He created me to be.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_IekgC9y4cCmQES0WuOTUtEvvyQ7d7OQ6oBD6JZkNefALHaGGvvtO8n250dXYjwijJD6YN1SBDTj10lI6ssCjM7zIuNcKFg3PVtldSzPRkoh0QaNZN8eUr4JiBvMt0KNbuJVncrstefE/s1600/kruger2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_IekgC9y4cCmQES0WuOTUtEvvyQ7d7OQ6oBD6JZkNefALHaGGvvtO8n250dXYjwijJD6YN1SBDTj10lI6ssCjM7zIuNcKFg3PVtldSzPRkoh0QaNZN8eUr4JiBvMt0KNbuJVncrstefE/s320/kruger2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651313138808310450" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">So today I shout for joy to God</span></b>...my Daddy, my Rock, my Joy. May His name be praised in all the earth.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Cape Town...</span></i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">here we come!!!</span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p></span></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/378/20A40330DC00300360B123707BDBD894.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;" /></a>Vikki Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094991951578393390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168356383690284809.post-47914382343558944692011-08-06T20:47:00.000+03:002011-08-06T20:47:04.568+03:00Check out the YWAM Arua/Yei promo vid!<iframe width="480" height="295" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/mgjdTNlMpII?fs=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><div><br /></div><div>We finally got the YWAM Arua/Yei promo vid uploaded...many thanks to Ashley, Carl and Jared for all their hard work in making it happen. </div><div><br /></div><div>Let us know what you think!</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/378/20A40330DC00300360B123707BDBD894.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;" /></a></div>Vikki Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094991951578393390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168356383690284809.post-76584491137596868232011-08-04T13:52:00.002+03:002011-08-04T14:25:59.830+03:00New Wine reflections: the refining fire<div>It's the second to last day for us here at New Wine Newark, and it's been an amazing week. Leave alone the lost child, tornado, busted water mains, 3 cut fingers in 3 separate Wrights and deflating air mattresses...even without all those things it's been an adventurous week.</div><div><br /></div><div>I've been hugely blessed by the challenging, in your face, not-so sweet talks of Simon Guillebaud, the main speaker of the week. The title of his series is "Back to basics: the gospel call." He started out with the Gospel Call to Authenticity, and basically said, "Look, we're in a war, life is no picnic, let's not pretend following Jesus is all sweetness and light. Life is hard, parts of it suck immensely, and the reality is that people need to hear an authentic gospel message that in this world we will have trouble, but we must take heart, for Jesus has overcome the world."</div><div><br /></div><div>I loved the straight-shooting of Simon's talk, and some of his quotes were seriously thought-provoking:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#660000;"><i>We're immortal until God calls us home.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#660000;">Until you know that life is war you cannot know what prayer is for. </span></i></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The second day Simon talked about the Gospel Call to Adventure and encouraged us to take risks for God. He quoted Hudson Taylor who wrote, </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#660000;"><i>"Unless there is an element of risk in our faith journey,</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#660000;"><i>then there is no need for faith."</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#660000;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">Simon said:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#660000;"><i>"We cannot settle for bumper stickers and slogans</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#660000;"><i>when God is calling us to scars and stories."</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#660000;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">No one really wants scars because that implies a wounding and pain, and I think most of us would rather dodge pain, where possible. But something Simon said today really made me think.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">He was talking about the Gospel Call to Abandonment, and being living sacrifices for the Lord. He exhorted us to resist being conformed to the world, but instead to embrace the transformation of God to become more like Him. Although I wish it were different, I believe through my own experience that God's transformational work comes through those refining fire periods when life is excruciating and we can hardly bear the pressure.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Simon told a story of a group of ladies who were studying the refining fire process in Malachi 3:2-4 where it says:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><i>But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears?</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><i>For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><i><b>He will sit </b>as a refiner and purifier of silver;</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><i>he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><i><b>Then </b>the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness,</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><i>and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem <b>will be acceptable</b> to the Lord,</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><i>as in days gone by, as in former years.</i></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>So one of the ladies studying this wanted to see for herself what the refining process truly looked like, so she went to a silversmith and asked if she could watch. And the silversmith said, "Sure, feel free."</div><div><br /></div><div>So the lady watched the silversmith do his work, and she asked him, "Do you have to sit and watch the silver while it is in the fire?"</div><div><br /></div><div>And the smithy said, "Yes, I have to watch it intently because as soon as it is done, I must take it out immediately so the refining process doesn't go on one little bit longer, otherwise the silver will be damaged. So I don't take my eyes off of it."</div><div><br /></div><div>And as the woman was leaving, the smithy called out, "Oh, there's one more thing I forgot to tell you. I know the process is complete when I can see the reflection of my image in the silver."</div><div><br /></div><div>So I'm sitting here thinking, "What an amazing God. What a loving Father! He sits with us through those fires, those times of trials, those heart-breaking seasons, and He waits and He watches and He poises, ready to grab us out exactly on time. Not too soon, else we won't be finished. Not too late, else we be damaged. But right at the perfect time when He is able to look into our spirits and see His own shining out at Him.</div><div><br /></div><div>I hate those refining fire seasons, but I love the finished product, and I'm desperate to reflect my Daddy more and more, to be made more and more in His image. I know it's not just once or twice...for some of us it seems to be a long string of refining fires. But if that is what it takes to make me a person who can bring God an offering of righteousness that is acceptable to Him, like those of long ago, then I readily offer up my life as a living sacrifice to Him yet again.</div><div><br /></div><div>Have your way in me, sweet Abba. Have your way.</div><div><br /></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/378/20A40330DC00300360B123707BDBD894.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;" /></a>Vikki Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094991951578393390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168356383690284809.post-8140144505976829792011-06-08T01:36:00.008+03:002011-06-08T03:18:09.606+03:00Two Kingdoms Collide<img style="float:left; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigHSeA3_Q-8t_7fLhqZFe74YfTc7WzIEpSkXSa4LtgQF-XGgRU1bycvGQKyPMs-oc2pfaEtQB7wyvF6GL4bi73XVhS6o7oGsLxVJ8n_EvlHT3DSKfypuHktYhDgnov_UlCFal-kI8Teuk/s320/IMGP7477.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615626983954180946" /><br /><br />We just spent 3 days with family at Disney Land in California. The weather was perfect, the lines were pretty short, and we all had a blast.<div><br /></div><div><br /><div><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 192px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL_x5zyThi0eDMCFmVMAc4oXsGhPVEahVrg4BKEAqDzgbNWqCK4TYlIjpyQFcKRwyd7LvvRCHq0X3Tb6kSSSAMJ5RCPmMLrgenyl47JakHGDf1nb6cB1yRPXrX_NXABF6_9nIQLzprJyw/s320/IMGA0873.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615626980316705154" /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;">We got to see Mickey</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><img style="float:left; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 192px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzsLdLZO6M_s7jZ6enn3KwaDYE71ecOG3Qjr92OwxRv0P26tnfAEW6TKkzeUk95Xp6y5lXyQTzq-_8cabbePS7LW1EB_mIiUmdqEvMHoYZQ7HstCc70b_AGN-VISid6ng_k5I5z49cLV0/s320/IMGA0863.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615626976852829954" /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div><br /></div><div> and Donald</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZqYBoSeWWEYHu-o8Vi-OGgWXI3A16zE8smfIWFIM8MBLnsDNXJ8HIWJFGuBonlrfVPpNDndaw9ntrRiP1RWhqz1jrkszRkkmq0ZWfCRkTBOd3x-zyeTKgIg5X5Ay2KbA21PegWGx5nUk/s320/IMGP7641.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615626993994655890" /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;">and Minnie</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><img style="float:left; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 192px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz408WLkPhEm-_oCBU5RpPChCzKdBFpOwKbax7nOVpwL7xAaki8myUVRLOJVpGYZiKdLJ7UW6iAGAPe3_N2GJekThyphenhyphen7iCvQSMKdhTCB47Im9Oo1hYijK4fZIBZfNv1EDqZFtEhBS6_Jkg/s320/IMGP7660.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615632420195036690" /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div> and Goofy</div><div><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 192px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzDPu4zvMpN0QaYKrv9dabEZ6AUCowwCkjo_JkIIpgvC0rNCr5jlNy3-8FOoNx7yVlrg-eeWZvz7DorKL1pC8Jok-_cBC6Mh8tDirLg0vE376JnLFxpe08MyMX8CLQeGHZPI51He22x8s/s320/IMGA0854.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615632408806935634" /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;">even Mary Poppins and her beau</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><img style="float:left; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 192px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0S7X2vam6YBlNGYgmqTn2_gsgJn6uz_cY-OY2LDCrjuZ9WAAh8WVkHyLKx7JbfJbEG2mkheC-fkO8ueiTeb8HODnaIogums_5ODCv1Lb5yFwz7DIL3bpGUjzo49MBfcbauJqo0NhaM3o/s320/IMGA0846.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615632423083432770" /></div><div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div> Kezi was in awe of Aurora (Sleeping Beauty)</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 192px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHoKyoKpJUHSDBi-ONMnpfnUkAGRKZvwqTvJYyLOBUOTWGpFM1RvheoEu8HzYgcoY64TDtOfImUqfd_1sj9muPFdZIuo79uF5b-BElXtwFlZMCLZR3B8v_s6tM57LcL9m-u56jPBaWUd8/s320/IMGA0843.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615626775984620658" /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;">and Snow White</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><img style="float:left; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 192px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPIFlf1COuKZiKFaFjRYloxwY7gJwD37JLTc9_d-TY9N9Ffo5PWnN9D26YHwdD1-ZPto6HCy07jtfOr-ozk64I8bd8ZrDGx0hpkrHXcUTzXU3XNZbMfOtJF0Neoivor_aIHx-q_W_EDsk/s320/IMGA0848.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615626783992679090" /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div> and Cinderella</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 192px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr3QOL8XJU7KjJOTBuHk3gVHVpDDfu3iBUvehsKbB0wXlzwVG1CcH-lfluUItTYUAyDUOZcmiEdueDHdrWG-FYCT7HANBN1Y88f5hNKIqY_hdYjZfA7rAOO8xV8pqe1LQTsynFCBrfsUQ/s320/IMGA0849.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615626785563483554" /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;">and Belle</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><img style="float:left; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmvPhW6T1SZpL5DsPxka0_PtPjkPl36pV6_JIsbK2oZi5MRGgsCE0j8iJy_folRLKQgXDajEH0ZZz2xK8KJow8gm1-uk-hITPHDcDKMDsD3ZC4o22tXmSQAu33k29ZwPv1HcRqWX1jpZY/s320/disneyland.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615634917663877682" /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Disneyland in California is often called "The Happiest Place on Earth" and the place "where all your dreams come true." </div><div><br /></div><div><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 208px; height: 218px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFZT6z669YgqfT_-OqmupPTGgYiiudSVDJdDm8PZNFqe5ez5hEhGaXyg1K-4Mv7BaSOvD4LHKjCf8RwFqi8_iI7TiU8V0-dkaCOZRP6t9Lb9k3TNhODct2-ZW5GJdI-dWXe0DXDcBQJ9Y/s320/Disney+Magic+Kingdom+Tickets.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615634912899033106" /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Disney World, in Florida, is also known as the "Magic Kingdom."</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div>And they DO make it look magical and wonderful...it's easy to imagine life being perfect and all my dreams coming true in that fairytale world.</div><div><br /></div><div>But God's been teaching me over the last year more about <i><b>His</b></i> kingdom and what that looks like here on earth. It's not picture perfect palaces and pretty princesses. It's not the amazing <i>World of Color</i> water spectacular or diverse unity in <i>The Small World.</i></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">The Kingdom of God is real.</span></div><div><br /></div><div>It's also contrary to the ways of the world, which makes living it out difficult, messy, painful. Take '<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#990000;">love your enemy as yourself</span>' for instance. That's not '<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC66CC;">happily ever after</span>' in most people's books. Most of us want to condemn our enemies, avenge ourselves on them, or at least cut them out of our lives. Forgive them? Forget it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then there is '<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#990000;">do unto others as you would have done to you</span>.' How many of us actually live like that? The tendency is '<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;">me first, and if there's anything left, I might share with you, if I feel like it.</span>'</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm not judging anyone here...just observing life. I'm right in there, too...trying to bring God's Kingdom to come in my life, failing miserably, falling at the feet of Jesus once again and saying, "I can't do this without you. Would <b>YOU</b> bring your kingdom to come in my life. Would <b>YOU</b> let your will be done in me."</div><div><br /></div><div>It's not about my best efforts...it's all about God's grace, and me walking in faith knowing He can do it in and through me as I keep my eyes on Him and let Him be my shepherd.</div><div><br /></div><div>I was thinking about the idea of Disney being the place 'where all your dreams come true.' It was the last day of our 3-day pass, and we were just about to get on the roller coaster for the last ride of the day, when I heard some commotion behind me. I looked back and saw John carrying Noah, both of them covered in blood, and Noah crying, "I'm dyyyyying, I'm gonna dieeeeee!"</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0rco65A7nUJqMZNGOtWUGUtzmRP2HBAraJW6zqwOjMdjQNrkHOHGzPcOShXeHCp9MH0Xf4vv9ovdRqy2sM7EcZ3Vdrha6pirACHaAOwI5tW61g_cZp39WkmRAeZPBi2ujDWDdAlTOXwE/s1600/IMG_2166.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0rco65A7nUJqMZNGOtWUGUtzmRP2HBAraJW6zqwOjMdjQNrkHOHGzPcOShXeHCp9MH0Xf4vv9ovdRqy2sM7EcZ3Vdrha6pirACHaAOwI5tW61g_cZp39WkmRAeZPBi2ujDWDdAlTOXwE/s320/IMG_2166.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615626761568925010" /></a><br /></div><div>Noah had tripped on the stairs and landed forehead first. Blood was pouring down his face. One of the ride attendants was spinning in circles going, "Okay, it's gonna be okay, alright, okay, what do I do, okay, it's gonna be okay." One of the others was a little more proactive and brought a stack of paper towels and some ice cold water, so after several cold compresses we were able to stop the bleeding and assess the damage. It turned out to be a pretty small cut, but you know how head wounds bleed.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6umZC1B7kXmeISdzZtlPke9t2dFkIg7l0sotFs0o6waiZjxqDWJOr2NBxD87yPoNBDlwqa-X0dA5fSFs-zy19KpxFuLlSOC1NbyYL3r1k0VawT5os-wvnm1pDps2zQAbRQKc2fBFeA9A/s1600/IMG_2168.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6umZC1B7kXmeISdzZtlPke9t2dFkIg7l0sotFs0o6waiZjxqDWJOr2NBxD87yPoNBDlwqa-X0dA5fSFs-zy19KpxFuLlSOC1NbyYL3r1k0VawT5os-wvnm1pDps2zQAbRQKc2fBFeA9A/s320/IMG_2168.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615626765055586034" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>They brought a nurse who cleaned it up a bit better, put a bandaid on and pronounced us good to go. Noah was allowed to go on the roller coaster since it was our last ride, and we managed to get home without further mishap.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>My point is, it wasn't our dream to have our little boy crack his head open and bleed all over the place on the last ride. It wasn't the Grand Finale we had in mind. And there's no guarantee that anyone anywhere can make all our dreams come true.</div><div><br /></div><div>But when we live in the Kingdom of God here on earth, letting Him be King in our lives, and letting His dreams become our dreams, then it IS possible to see our dreams come true. The plans of God will never be thwarted.</div><div><br /></div><div>May He give us the grace to let Him put His dreams in our hearts, and give us the faith to trust Him to make them come true. And may we all see the Kingdom of God coming more and more in our lives.</div><div><br /></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/378/20A40330DC00300360B123707BDBD894.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;" /></a></div></div>Vikki Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094991951578393390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168356383690284809.post-16341060264670777832011-04-02T10:37:00.014+03:002016-01-04T21:46:37.469+03:00Wilderness lessons: 3 – Blessedness of Spiritual Poverty<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf0a2wb4RWZMntnBVcLcCP5lBapQ7gbUE6NPCuaS_nkU6U7nzzPvKvAUqE3n-qoqoxat4Uq1zC5gI2pqUB4ln1OS-cRwDs3n2cj_8rA_URZnXOZnMKya2dTVrKCocA3FSsuMifZDq9r-Q/s1600/blessed_are_the_poor_in_spirit-1152x864.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591131216281443298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf0a2wb4RWZMntnBVcLcCP5lBapQ7gbUE6NPCuaS_nkU6U7nzzPvKvAUqE3n-qoqoxat4Uq1zC5gI2pqUB4ln1OS-cRwDs3n2cj_8rA_URZnXOZnMKya2dTVrKCocA3FSsuMifZDq9r-Q/s320/blessed_are_the_poor_in_spirit-1152x864.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 240px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 130%; font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />As I experienced the brokenness of God</span>, and came face to face with the ugliness of my heart in His <span style="font-size: 130%; font-weight: bold;">“holiness mirror,”</span> <span style="font-size: 85%; font-style: italic;">(see lesson 2)</span>, I gained a deeper understanding of the term <span style="font-size: 130%; font-weight: bold;">“poverty of spirit.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 100%;">Jesus said, </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">“Blessed are the poor in spirit,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;">(Matt 5:3) </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 130%; font-weight: bold;">Jesus</span> had just been moving throughout Galilee, teaching and preaching The Gospel…the good news…<span style="font-size: 130%; font-weight: bold;">”the Kingdom of Heaven is near!”</span>…and healing the sick, and now He sits down to teach His disciples just what that Kingdom of Heaven is all about, and His first recorded words are this:<br />
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“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”</div>
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<span style="font-size: 130%; font-weight: bold;">Darrell Johnson</span> says that poverty of spirit is the first mark of a “gospelized” person because it shows we have truly encountered Jesus. “When we encounter Jesus as He really is, we automatically see ourselves as we really are…woefully falling short of who He created us to be.”<br />
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<span style="font-size: 130%; font-weight: bold;">This realization was incredibly painful</span> to me, as it can only be. I had thought far too highly of myself, until God showed me the true colors of my heart. Then I went into a tailspin, agonizing over the junk I saw in myself, and wondering how on earth I was ever going to become like Jesus with all this rubbish in me.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibpixdkqwQT5MLdzwQx1aN7BTh1DbM7c1vum6OqJVtLD2juzPMerMUjFidBnoyYRfJAMkFW9GgofeVKVIyujJ4nKBCCjdsjl9WuUPH_Xcd2m7WY9KRDAYUBENMqtdhkxWYyo8jU6XRTck/s1600/shipwreck+survivor.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591132001461467522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibpixdkqwQT5MLdzwQx1aN7BTh1DbM7c1vum6OqJVtLD2juzPMerMUjFidBnoyYRfJAMkFW9GgofeVKVIyujJ4nKBCCjdsjl9WuUPH_Xcd2m7WY9KRDAYUBENMqtdhkxWYyo8jU6XRTck/s320/shipwreck+survivor.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 320px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 222px;" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Brennan Manning</span></span> wrote, “The poor in spirit are like <span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">survivors of a shipwreck</span></span>. Out at sea, all the things they used to rely on no longer matter. All that matters is this passing plank to which they reach out with the desperation of the drowning. Adrift on an angry sea, the shipwrecked never ask what they did to merit the plank…they simply receive the plank like a gift knowing there was absolutely nothing they did to deserve it.”<br />
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<span style="font-size: 130%; font-weight: bold;">The plank…the cross. </span> When I saw the true nature of my heart, I had to accept that there was nothing in me that merited the cross, and still nothing that deserves God’s daily grace over my life.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTU5LmR2yRjm67PgQwQbZp71B505F-bLj3rU4Yr_iv95eE-PMfxqALU4azrempe5Okf3l7sgwDsmqt4_SL1RpK8Quqrxi1uRpmDOJk0WHa30fiZ4_PWC1utmyO4a9KkMgQOJGjVCL0jKk/s1600/destitute_vangogh.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591132955629738530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTU5LmR2yRjm67PgQwQbZp71B505F-bLj3rU4Yr_iv95eE-PMfxqALU4azrempe5Okf3l7sgwDsmqt4_SL1RpK8Quqrxi1uRpmDOJk0WHa30fiZ4_PWC1utmyO4a9KkMgQOJGjVCL0jKk/s320/destitute_vangogh.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 268px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: 130%; font-weight: bold;">“Poor” in the Greek</span> translation used for this beatitude is <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">ptochoi</span> which means abject poverty, or destitution. Standing before God, the poor in spirit know that they bring nothing in their hands that God needs and nothing in their hearts that compels God to accept them. They bring their poverty, hoping for sustenance. Their <span style="font-style: italic;">ptochoi</span> –– poverty of spirit –– has broken them, making them fertile soil to receive God's blessing.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">I came face to face with my destitution.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqr7EW0d4VygBANonVL_f2UHNOUGZVSHuRtcVsjDH7CuOJY3EZikoNItnuCzB8_sHeq4AOgy6d6y2OQGXdkSQ_QvTTWeNDoDmeJxC5IKBPj4oDvWTM_0RSKyMK0maotiCm8CPEHhqX3A/s1600/broken_chains_01-264x400.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591133596467259058" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqr7EW0d4VygBANonVL_f2UHNOUGZVSHuRtcVsjDH7CuOJY3EZikoNItnuCzB8_sHeq4AOgy6d6y2OQGXdkSQ_QvTTWeNDoDmeJxC5IKBPj4oDvWTM_0RSKyMK0maotiCm8CPEHhqX3A/s320/broken_chains_01-264x400.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 320px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 211px;" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: 130%; font-weight: bold;"><br />Watchman Nee </span>describes this process as the <span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">discipline of the Holy Spirit </span></span>and says it is the<span style="font-size: 130%; font-weight: bold;"> greatest means of grace</span>. When all kinds of problems and all sorts of people are pressing in from all directions, God is at work trying to break the things to which we are bound, that quench His Spirit and hinder Him from working in and through us.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 130%; font-weight: bold;">Nee says,</span> “The supply of the Word, the grace of prayer, the fellowship of the believers – none of these can substitute for the discipline of the Holy Spirit. This is because you need not only to be built up; you need also to be destroyed, to be delivered of all the many things in your life that cannot be brought over into eternity.”<br />
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<span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The discipline of the Holy Spirit</span></span>…the greatest means of grace. And now we understand, as Johnson pointed out, the heart behind the famous lyrics of <span style="font-size: 130%; font-weight: bold;">Amazing Grace</span>:<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">“Twas grace that taught my heart to fear”…</span></span>because grace first helps us see how wretched we are apart from grace. Yes...the holiness mirror. God’s grace showed me what I am really like apart from His grace.</div>
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Yet, in His amazing love, He doesn’t leave us there…<span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">”twas grace my fears relieved.”</span></span> God shows us the poverty of our spirits and says, “Those who recognize that apart from me they can do nothing are the very ones to whom I will give the Kingdom of Heaven.”<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1QKjwdMn5rXIweJZoJXoSd5bhUt2WeUcqw7fW6QXwicj8AcRAnNArx3cf6aq9_2miLcA0pPZmllqe8rukRVll4op015g9uBrGuTqUNcw7-wECGnIDFOsP_3sEj7_el-wTPONnW7a6Mo8/s1600/empty-hands.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591134227643879826" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1QKjwdMn5rXIweJZoJXoSd5bhUt2WeUcqw7fW6QXwicj8AcRAnNArx3cf6aq9_2miLcA0pPZmllqe8rukRVll4op015g9uBrGuTqUNcw7-wECGnIDFOsP_3sEj7_el-wTPONnW7a6Mo8/s320/empty-hands.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 175px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-size: 130%; font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br />Johnson says</span> the poor in spirit die to self-sufficiency and self-saviorship, but since self-sufficiency and self-saviorship are illusions, this death is a birth. The poor in spirit open up their empty hands in gratitude, and God gives them the Kingdom.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 130%; font-weight: bold;"><br />I love that Jesus</span> starts His teaching with this first beatitude...to be like the "kingdomized" people of God that He describes in the rest of the Sermon on the Mount is only possible when we have reached that place of destitution. We finally give up leaning on our own understanding, trusting in our strengths and behaving as if we have a better plan than God. We finally say, "Let Your will be done, let Your kingdom come, in my life, and on this earth, just as it is in Heaven."<br />
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<span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />May God’s grace</span></span> enable me to walk in that place of recognizing my desperate need for Him, today and always, so that His Kingdom may fully come in my life, and He may reign in everything I do and say.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 130%; font-weight: bold;">There is none like Him</span>, and He is worthy of my life laid down.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 85%; font-style: italic;">(Highly recommended resources:<br />Darrell Johnson, “Living in Sync: Studies on the Sermon on the Mount”, Regent College audio series, www.regentaudio.com<br />Watchman Nee, “Release of the Spirit”</span><span style="font-style: italic;">)</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/378/20A40330DC00300360B123707BDBD894.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></a>Vikki Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094991951578393390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168356383690284809.post-47195961006263447152011-03-29T17:13:00.015+03:002011-03-29T18:56:26.047+03:00Wilderness Lessons: 2 - Brokenness<span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >The distilled essence of brokenness</span> is simply this…<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >apart from God I can do nothing</span><br />(John 15:5).<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirdZzBUL3afGXLzJqkc3LB2n8oe_6x0STcSLYKxv5eAguv1BKpBeXeG3Z3yBlOzBZAYkJsJzOkMQQuD0_tDpAkRMUzC5LG63Kj2xgghe3P7fMbKLBSdsyy14oA142I7tLxvdw8UhcbXDc/s1600/sand+castle.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirdZzBUL3afGXLzJqkc3LB2n8oe_6x0STcSLYKxv5eAguv1BKpBeXeG3Z3yBlOzBZAYkJsJzOkMQQuD0_tDpAkRMUzC5LG63Kj2xgghe3P7fMbKLBSdsyy14oA142I7tLxvdw8UhcbXDc/s320/sand+castle.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589518960631580530" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Nothing of any lasting value. Nothing that will go through the test of fire and survive (1 Cor 3:13-14).<br /><br /><br />In my own strength, with my own wisdom, I am simply <span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >building castles on the sand.</span> One minor storm washes them away.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Brokenness is the place where I realize all my efforts without Christ are futile.</span> My ‘great intellect’, which I once prized and believed was somehow better than many others (this idea highlighted by years of winning contests, receiving scholarships, etc.), really IS foolishness in the Kingdom of God.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAYXrRhofC-haBST2sMqRL59CEsWLwVuTHIaNbuS-niT32AIkA_uICx3dVx50CUn8H8k7ohymyGDdGiucOGH2yOwz4Zuzu20IILUYFRw2ihVaWWsnAVnZogbAELQNfz7F_oEt0eN4j9jc/s1600/crying+mask.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAYXrRhofC-haBST2sMqRL59CEsWLwVuTHIaNbuS-niT32AIkA_uICx3dVx50CUn8H8k7ohymyGDdGiucOGH2yOwz4Zuzu20IILUYFRw2ihVaWWsnAVnZogbAELQNfz7F_oEt0eN4j9jc/s320/crying+mask.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589506504174772738" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Towards the end of last year,</span> God led me down a path towards this revelation, but instead of seeing it for what it was, I strove harder, pushed myself more, gritted my teeth and will-powered my way through, refusing to ‘give up’, refusing to concede defeat. Sheer stubbornness, that was.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >But my strength gave out,</span> my emotions capsized, my mask of capability melted into streams of tears running unchecked and unexplained. I was finished.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >And then God showed me</span> the most frightening thing I’ve ever seen…He showed me my heart apart from Him. It was as if He lifted my covering of grace and held a mirror to my face and let me see the depth of depravity in my soul. No love, hard heart, selfish, hateful, vengeful, bitter, critical…utterly petrifying.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjDfKqEvk6L4jf7ooe2przdidhVxFRLwLRSY9M5mAAgyN6NXZXguZZYe3Do5QZ4cjcE_r_ATdbN-QcWge40TUH_JXs3daNGvYdO_3DkKhaCjDGKF8lTpLfi41UUUyZfJWBeEpLRQx6AXY/s1600/ugly-reflection.png"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 241px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjDfKqEvk6L4jf7ooe2przdidhVxFRLwLRSY9M5mAAgyN6NXZXguZZYe3Do5QZ4cjcE_r_ATdbN-QcWge40TUH_JXs3daNGvYdO_3DkKhaCjDGKF8lTpLfi41UUUyZfJWBeEpLRQx6AXY/s320/ugly-reflection.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589511894778041698" border="0" /></a>I found a description of this experience in R. Loren Sandford’s <span style="font-style: italic;">Renewal for the Wounded Warrior</span>. He called it the <span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >‘holiness mirror’</span> and, referring to St. John of the Cross’ ‘dark night of the soul’ said:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >“The dark night of the soul will expose</span> everything about you as defective. You will appear stripped of every virtue. The dark night enables a complete and accurate assessment of your own total depravity that sharply accents the depth and magnitude of God’s grace to cover it.”<br /><br />Oh, so that was what that was all about. Well, scary as it was, I felt relief that God had a purpose in showing me the nastiness of my heart…brokenness.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >“The dark night of the soul brings you to the cross</span> where you cannot escape until you learn that you have nothing in yourself and that He has it all. The dark night burns away the flesh until you know that only the Spirit makes you live.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5MTuqviPfKcccdjPefVTDLCf2DG4Aa1bnU5OBiOgq9chCuFrO4bn9otl5zbp1cGe9fcUxribUgKhMvSWh8SeP3-4S66rm9sqQL1E7ZORETl0tjNW9wNmhIp0n28MaUubHOY48X5ThaaQ/s1600/the-dark-night-of-the-soul-robert-donaghey.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 249px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5MTuqviPfKcccdjPefVTDLCf2DG4Aa1bnU5OBiOgq9chCuFrO4bn9otl5zbp1cGe9fcUxribUgKhMvSWh8SeP3-4S66rm9sqQL1E7ZORETl0tjNW9wNmhIp0n28MaUubHOY48X5ThaaQ/s320/the-dark-night-of-the-soul-robert-donaghey.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589512192531267538" border="0" /></a>"<br /><br />“<span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Until that point,</span> you can do little more than hold your heart open to the searingly bright light of His presence and choose to endure the pain and brokenness his purity creates in your flesh. When you know your condition and understand God’s grace in relation to it, nothing remains to be threatened. You can fully rest in Him only when you have despaired of yourself.”<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Watchman Nee said,</span> “Anyone who serves God will discover sooner or later that the greatest hindrance to his work is not others, but himself. He will discover that his outward man and his inward man are not in harmony…his outward man is unable to submit to the spirit’s control, thus rendering him incapable of obeying God’s highest commands.”<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >There is only one process</span> that can enable man to be useful before God: brokenness.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >But going through this process isn’t easy.</span> At first, the person being led into brokenness doesn’t know what’s happening; friends and family struggle to know how best to respond.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcNP7nopHiEdZ8aey9oINarNxgrA3APZ3bPSaRbrPpx0HASssaCkGp9R0QkUt1cqt7YBei3ZpXPDx8qNFup67AspHfnGrKawIvMqcspCJoiZxdb2wOUW7EFXHytYcDJTB7Frpfp5RbdZw/s1600/brokenness.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 292px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcNP7nopHiEdZ8aey9oINarNxgrA3APZ3bPSaRbrPpx0HASssaCkGp9R0QkUt1cqt7YBei3ZpXPDx8qNFup67AspHfnGrKawIvMqcspCJoiZxdb2wOUW7EFXHytYcDJTB7Frpfp5RbdZw/s320/brokenness.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589514733793961314" border="0" /></a><br />Sandford explained:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >“Profound loneliness</span> fills the dark night. No one understands. No one hears. Well-intentioned fools give shallow advice based on hurtful misunderstanding and shallow theology. To avoid the sting of their misguided wisdom, you begin to hide from people. Friendships gradually erode. In the face of their own powerlessness to help, people flee.”<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Alone, misunderstood, avoided</span>…finally I got a little piece of understanding about what it means to share in the suffering of Christ. Just a little, tiny piece.<br /><br />Sandford says:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >“</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >These people have been driven into the wilderness</span> while everyone else was having fun. They have worked through a personal depth of sharing in the cross of Christ and His resurrection, becoming more one with Jesus both in His death and in His life than they had ever before understood or experienced.”<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVrPlKCKvIImqmXlJndyjFGneKIR4ScVxB75jtexGJ7cSS96vAOav07Od4CtFCc6CKs4iGDqTNsVoUwYpi8LU7-F_cYYbf3CEMhMWBs2B1btMNYrj3pm-NqCAY7X2CZbZ4m1xps6yzA-k/s1600/i-promised-land.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 182px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVrPlKCKvIImqmXlJndyjFGneKIR4ScVxB75jtexGJ7cSS96vAOav07Od4CtFCc6CKs4iGDqTNsVoUwYpi8LU7-F_cYYbf3CEMhMWBs2B1btMNYrj3pm-NqCAY7X2CZbZ4m1xps6yzA-k/s320/i-promised-land.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589515050564680578" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Madame Guyon </span>wrote, “The true land of promise always lies beyond a vast wasteland.” In this wasteland of loneliness and confusion, God does the purifying work of brokenness.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Yes, it’s painful.</span> Yes, it’s scary. But without this process, our spirit will not fully yield to the Spirit of God within us. We will not produce the fruit of righteousness we so crave. We will always be doing what we don’t want to do, and not doing what we want to do.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLuyyX-n6xz0w9J1OJdCD-uHTWycecMnFdY6VA2iUYLxy9fJOLnE-DIMyg5rm-qe_aEtl17VNM6T1eK3EmfIVCHDCVWQKhNBG2aD3mwLXP3DHX6ntLpvKEpmtdjyZXL8jM15uDJQc7dL8/s1600/Broken%252BVessel.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 248px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLuyyX-n6xz0w9J1OJdCD-uHTWycecMnFdY6VA2iUYLxy9fJOLnE-DIMyg5rm-qe_aEtl17VNM6T1eK3EmfIVCHDCVWQKhNBG2aD3mwLXP3DHX6ntLpvKEpmtdjyZXL8jM15uDJQc7dL8/s320/Broken%252BVessel.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589518011526818066" border="0" /></a>Watchman Nee says, <span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >“It is vital that we be broken by the Lord.</span> It is not that the life of the Lord cannot cover the earth, but rather that His life is imprisoned by us. It is not that the Lord cannot bless the Church, but that the Lord’s life is so confined within us that there is no flowing forth. If the outward man remains unbroken, we can never be a blessing to His Church, and we cannot expect the Word to be blessed by God through us.”<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >I imagine this is not a popular concept</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">. </span></span>Most people don’t pray to be broken…actually, we pray quite the opposite. Like the prayer of Jabez. We don’t like pain. And brokenness necessarily involves pain…that’s just a fact.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >But don’t forget the Promised Land</span> waiting on the other side of that pain. We must lose our life in order to save it.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >If we truly hunger and thirst for righteousness; </span>if we seriously seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, the only way for His Kingdom to fully come in our lives is to allow Him to break down the things in us that are contrary to His kingdom.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Those who retreat</span> from the refining fire will wander in the wilderness, griping and complaining and wishing they were back in slavery.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuo6vlR_bgLgJmJdqIx8-ppkxJY2y4fwQGeGNz81MDOCop0ObR_amsIYbHIjCdpJXl-jcuUmDI-ZQrUoa4nkv4S_iRiMjmoCZHu0FkOqRzf7zI_cCuzR9R-8NwjtAxTqYXnVl-ZhxoDr8/s1600/cracked+ground.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuo6vlR_bgLgJmJdqIx8-ppkxJY2y4fwQGeGNz81MDOCop0ObR_amsIYbHIjCdpJXl-jcuUmDI-ZQrUoa4nkv4S_iRiMjmoCZHu0FkOqRzf7zI_cCuzR9R-8NwjtAxTqYXnVl-ZhxoDr8/s320/cracked+ground.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589518317922586834" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Those who surrender </span>to the process and allow God’s gentle hand to lead them through this wilderness will rejoice in the joy and abundance of the Promised Land. They will be set free from striving, competing, and manipulating, and will be a tool in the hand of God, set apart and useful for noble purposes.<br /><br />May God give us the grace to trust His tender hands.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/378/20A40330DC00300360B123707BDBD894.png" style="border: 0pt none ! important; background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;" /></a>Vikki Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094991951578393390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168356383690284809.post-55778264751251334122011-03-22T15:01:00.020+03:002011-03-28T21:14:12.058+03:00Wilderness Lessons: 1 - What it means to care<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrSPEwto3obwS1BBd2AdAVsvYY_ohQa_00OLNiHOhm8m971w13Td2O5ttmy4uCnFKOoSjKul1-OjsnZKixFtJIfAuR5tDs1ywbK40EKCwz5yeqUKHZovKccwvy8N4yQDlAZx5ZBwHGUdY/s1600/sitting+in+darkness.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrSPEwto3obwS1BBd2AdAVsvYY_ohQa_00OLNiHOhm8m971w13Td2O5ttmy4uCnFKOoSjKul1-OjsnZKixFtJIfAuR5tDs1ywbK40EKCwz5yeqUKHZovKccwvy8N4yQDlAZx5ZBwHGUdY/s320/sitting+in+darkness.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586874095921916850" border="0" /></a><br />Towards the end of last year, <span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;">I lost my vision.</span><br /><br />Not physically, but spiritually.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;">I felt no love</span> towards anyone. I didn’t really care anymore. I had reached the bottom of whatever well of compassion there was in me, and nothing came in to fill it back up.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;">I was just empty and dry.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;">And then I became angry</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;">.</span> I don’t know why exactly, but everything made me mad. Or irritated me. And I couldn’t be bothered to work up the patience and tolerance to deal with people or problems.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;">I was finished.</span><br /></div></div><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;">People call it a wilderness season</span>, a time in the desert, a mid-life crisis…whatever the name, the symptoms are the same…depression, doubt, angst, exhaustion, grief.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieJbw0g-JYfugK_qDmhA2I6mQbzPO-MgReYf_qFX_hPxYeC8-0ZxWcILdgjNWmSfETYo-nc1w3mDP4_Pup_GN0MpVzWXNSJ1it0aQfWMddDDtmoywYgngxFlinK4mEUKLlo0QJX6qiHQo/s1600/tear+drop.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 218px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieJbw0g-JYfugK_qDmhA2I6mQbzPO-MgReYf_qFX_hPxYeC8-0ZxWcILdgjNWmSfETYo-nc1w3mDP4_Pup_GN0MpVzWXNSJ1it0aQfWMddDDtmoywYgngxFlinK4mEUKLlo0QJX6qiHQo/s320/tear+drop.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586874461758748674" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;">I cried easily</span> for no particular reason...rather embarrassing, really.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;">The only possible way forward</span> was to withdraw…take time out with God…<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">go into solitude.</span><br /></span></div><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;"><br /><br />So I pulled out</span> of the leadership team, out of ministry, even out of team meetings. The only commitment I held onto was being a mom and a wife, but every other thing I put on the back burner for about 2 months.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRk4WH46FOS9of25mNSkmlVGEdOnVEHu7Rd0twZFXqb7mdbMEbAMtZ4CvA9sxXsWozMBNDoxePQwFnQnFPPgtefxaXUMxiYYfUv93n6wd6ohyRMP-1H54DQRKbpxeVVedO_u-BccNWlxA/s1600/kilimanjaro-sunset.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRk4WH46FOS9of25mNSkmlVGEdOnVEHu7Rd0twZFXqb7mdbMEbAMtZ4CvA9sxXsWozMBNDoxePQwFnQnFPPgtefxaXUMxiYYfUv93n6wd6ohyRMP-1H54DQRKbpxeVVedO_u-BccNWlxA/s320/kilimanjaro-sunset.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586881767039360994" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;">One of the things I am most grateful for</span> during that time was the nearness of God…I never felt like He wasn’t there. He didn’t go quiet on me. Rather, He was the One who called me to <span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;">‘go up the mountain’</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>and spend time just with Him.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;">I learned many things</span> during that time…God was extremely faithful to teach me His truths on multiple levels. Some of them I will share on this blog in the days/weeks to come,<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">others are for Him and I alone.</span><br /></div><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;">But one of the first things I learned about was ‘caring’.</span> Our society is programmed to cure, not to care. We want quick fixes. We want people to try this or try that to get over their depression, be free of their anger, come out of their slump. We find it hard to wade through pits of despair with people…we just want them to pull up their socks and get on with it.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifKURUno_zrN9FbJ7i2r0zplOJ2H3r8VZfA9TLN9oeuTSVRAPV2yhv0uQbxvE_EKJSDgtNbDDXpm9iziIFfsZOcV-SDFfxh7bxcnDffqmekBRlNdc63O8ITC_x0d8J-oI1zfaSevPigyk/s1600/dark+pit.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifKURUno_zrN9FbJ7i2r0zplOJ2H3r8VZfA9TLN9oeuTSVRAPV2yhv0uQbxvE_EKJSDgtNbDDXpm9iziIFfsZOcV-SDFfxh7bxcnDffqmekBRlNdc63O8ITC_x0d8J-oI1zfaSevPigyk/s320/dark+pit.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586882724422728850" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;">And yet, sometimes God has a purpose</span> for those pits that won’t be realized unless the pit-dweller remains there for a season, embraces the darkness and confusion and pain, and allows God to minister to her in that place. There is a refining process that can take place in the pit if we will surrender ourselves to the Lord, trust Him to do what He needs to do, and allow Him to bring us out of the pit in His perfect timing. It’s a tricky balance between wallowing when God says, “Come out,” and climbing out before His sanctifying work is done.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;"><br /><br />And the key lesson</span> I learned about ‘caring’ as it relates to 'the pit', is that the people who really care are the ones who climb into the pit with you and just sit there, holding your hand, assuring you with their presence but refraining from fixing it all and trying to pull you out. I just read a passage from Henri Nouwen’s <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Out of Solitude</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>which summed it up best:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglxc1D3DZcHJOUvv4oRHuMic9E0nwb4wew0oTNwwKAzlHko4OgAiJCXJnwcX-PvO94cQm_5xpxr-DOrM5YQ2tcXwN9wRQpSu-wuXojCilQrFRViZRlg4DOoXxlGUjh-XICc8whmxSsybg/s1600/holding-hands+spanish.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 290px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglxc1D3DZcHJOUvv4oRHuMic9E0nwb4wew0oTNwwKAzlHko4OgAiJCXJnwcX-PvO94cQm_5xpxr-DOrM5YQ2tcXwN9wRQpSu-wuXojCilQrFRViZRlg4DOoXxlGUjh-XICc8whmxSsybg/s320/holding-hands+spanish.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586874898181943330" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />“…when we honestly ask ourselves which persons in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving much advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a gentle and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief or bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness,<br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">that is the friend who cares.”</span></span><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><br />This pic says: <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">"To be with you is all I can do."</span><br /></div><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;">I am blessed to have friends</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>who, although having their own challenges in life, willingly agreed to walk through this wilderness with me, to read my rantings and ravings, my musings and doubts, my questions and ponderings. They held me up with their prayers, they didn’t shy away from the dark places I wandered, they didn’t judge or criticize the ugliness of my heart as I laid it all out there. They were safe, faithful, present. They were the friends who cared.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqUUYQwg3SK9RymLZvutVu4tXpqcLi7ayNrF04JMcFef63D9SAUBrRUIPR1vlYs58ljvWMo0Fc28LkaYunrbiA-9dlwyBU-8wKOp_APbqFjesciDlo1RQRYE0JDyTgQurZtULVTwinCoY/s1600/People-Holding-Hands.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 215px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqUUYQwg3SK9RymLZvutVu4tXpqcLi7ayNrF04JMcFef63D9SAUBrRUIPR1vlYs58ljvWMo0Fc28LkaYunrbiA-9dlwyBU-8wKOp_APbqFjesciDlo1RQRYE0JDyTgQurZtULVTwinCoY/s320/People-Holding-Hands.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586877592834164786" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;">I’ve learned</span> from this walk in the wilderness <span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;">what those suffering in the dark places of their souls need most</span>…a caring friend to share in the fellowship of suffering with them. Not one of Job’s unhelpful advisors, not abandonment… just the simple presence of a fellow sojourner who acknowledges her own inadequacy to fix the problem, but trusts God’s unfailing love and is ready to stick with her aching friend through the long haul as God works out His good purposes in her life. After all, God's Word says that sorrow may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning. However long that night is, the friends that are with us in the darkness will celebrate with us that much more in the joyful morning.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;">Care.</span><br /><br />It’s really rather simple when you experience it.<br /><br />And now having experienced it, <span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;">may God grant me the grace</span> to extend that same level of care to whichever hurting friend may need it next.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/378/20A40330DC00300360B123707BDBD894.png" style="border: 0pt none ! important; background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;" /></a>Vikki Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094991951578393390noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168356383690284809.post-10119661467326918732011-02-15T11:52:00.010+03:002011-02-15T12:39:08.487+03:00A mobile zoo in Arua!<div><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:180%;" >Aidan came out of school</span> last week saying, "Mom, there are animals at the golf course! They have <span style="font-size:130%;">lions and they're going to let a goat loose</span> and let the lions chase and kill the goat!"</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Yeah, right, I thought.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>"Who told you that?" I asked.</div><div><br /></div><div>"The teachers. They said we should go see the animals and it only costs 1,000/=. Can we go? <span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >Pleeeeeeaaaaase</span>, Mom?!"</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>"Well, let's drive by the golf course on our way home and <span style="font-size:130%;">see if there are any lions chasing goats</span>," I said. So we made a slight detour and went the longer way home. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:180%;" >All along the edge of the golf course</span> there was nothing but the usual cows trying to find something green in all that dried brown grass, and women washing their clothes at the little stream.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:180%;" >When we got back up to the main road</span>, I said, "Sorry, Bud, but it doesn't look like there are any animals there."</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:180%;" >As we headed home, though</span>, and passed the top part of the golf course that borders the main road, sure enough we saw a long stretch of tarpaulin that wasn't there before, and just peeking over the tops we could see the <span style="font-size:130%;">edges of cages</span>.<br /><br /></div><div><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:180%;" >"There they are!</span>" Aidan shouted in my ear and then practically dove out the window trying to get a better look.<br /><br /></div><div>"<span style="font-style: italic;font-size:180%;" >Alright, alright...get back in here!</span>" Sure enough there was a big sign saying that the <span style="font-size:130%;">Ugandan Wildlife Authority</span> in conjunction with <span style="font-size:130%;">Entebbe Zoo</span> had brought a <span style="font-size:130%;">mobile zoo to Arua.</span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG5L8eQh8Oj-26q2GVgKJcDGk-iBgl3aVycmltamsrh3h-wyUtq8N5fE_KNzaC3BfXK_Bj_LmL8CQYrCo68T7LtnFmuKq79nC25Xr_hIqEgBZoyMGI-wo5VDAC7yxS5OEHtbsmDIfxUpo/s320/ostrich.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573842363389588370" border="0" /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:180%;" >I couldn't believe how excited my kids were</span> to see these animals in cages, especially when we get to see them in the wild regularly on our way to Kampala as we pass <span style="font-size:130%;">Murchison Falls National Park</span>. But hey...there's not much excitement in Arua so this was a big deal.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>And actually, <span style="font-style: italic;font-size:180%;" >I was quite impressed </span>with the mobile zoo. Not in terms of its grandeur or variety, but <span style="font-style: italic;font-size:180%;" >because of the heart behind it</span>.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgirsQfDAlIdOFoa7Tt-RoZr5BY2HSE7afIqpT9Vnud4LxsKuSAV4wasNA6XEQ3iNp3jMuXtbO4cuz4whX25i7E-RV-jvZu9lcdUdR_yS58Kh03OsFSQwNvrpWdh6hE4kvp310Fm6xEjM/s320/uwa+educating.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573842123395893970" border="0" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:180%;" >Talking to one of the animal keepers</span>, he told me that many Ugandans still don't see the value in conserving wildlife. He said, "They ask me <span style="font-size:130%;">why we keep these dangerous animals alive</span>...why don't we just kill them! So we have to start at zero to explain the importance of wildlife conservation in nature, and also the benefits we gain in tourism."</div><div><br /><br /><br /></div><div>Huh..<span style="font-size:180%;">.pretty cool, I thought</span>. And in order to do this they set the entry fees very low so everyone can come and see...it only cost 1,000/= Ugandan shillings (about $0.50) to get in and another 1,000/= to see the animals.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiORx8LHeWfg80H_ACtOyuPfJxU_3f3OCagZdkl1uq_koCP0vfH_w_qc4XBDksq5mTWVoBzny2cvAcangFmkFOpyVAAFP3LBgn4ecamsJH2ymJXrHl6C2ZFibBZBMsRFQRSTIQzWTDEa3M/s1600/lion.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiORx8LHeWfg80H_ACtOyuPfJxU_3f3OCagZdkl1uq_koCP0vfH_w_qc4XBDksq5mTWVoBzny2cvAcangFmkFOpyVAAFP3LBgn4ecamsJH2ymJXrHl6C2ZFibBZBMsRFQRSTIQzWTDEa3M/s320/lion.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573847052552362882" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:180%;" >The lion was a big attraction</span> and always had big crowds around it, although in that small cage and the heat of dry season...this is how it looked most of the time.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:180%;" >The highlight for us, though</span>, was the <span style="font-size:130%;">massive python</span> that they brought out several times a day. First they gave an educational talk about it, and then 2 handlers carried it out and allowed people to touch it and take pictures with it.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjeyYhn9Szaf0iBwA0MXWTo6woQFs4ZY6_7diLO0eiZouKPU_1zisJNhPJt-xtKVH3sQZaC8_S_s2UjtUGks5SOONfM7XW35nJ2G67lijKJLxkf8lDgIUlFhpUJDyS6FASS6QOA8_4l2Y/s320/Aidan+and+Noah+with+python.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573843211057620274" border="0" /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY_B9EgcOeHYYQmFqggL56qKl1q_ThQB7gV1McpndO0iUAEu0GrUL7NErhx5qSi0p2keA2AMknJ3rev6Jryua3PfNZZoa9NcILvxsPftlwbQZ7U2k_Piu8M78CjlIInuo7r2kwsmSl5OI/s320/Aidan+w+python.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573843215292115762" border="0" /><div style="text-align: center;"></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHY95hxDpsRpF3MWubqom49gJqxRisQA0hA-UM-ve2tEtlx54_WNR6AKwicdGmNrjMLamy8NlNeO1gk7TGpQwCTuBb-lZTafpjI8q4j7OUI99QtCBdfjXu3chZcAd4jeJoPGH6YOMzkV0/s320/noah+w+python.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573843218800417522" border="0" /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:180%;" >Aidan and Noah were absolutely stoked</span><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">!</span></span> John felt sorry for the snake. Kezi watched from the safety of Daddy's shoulders. I took the pictures and tried not to get crushed as the crowd pressed in around us.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha5cKdV5ioS3XvjAvzdcUBPCh1nq4uzR9JQo7F5QkhYX1SEBPhsQCOJFFNwp6LM2RGHHMt6EAL9HEX6GWkGF07pNNvWesGB9O0rknvlGl-qjN_r4zP8j36vr2aFjXXwgI2MXSEAeWvsaM/s320/crested+crane.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573840367762656242" border="0" /></div><div><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:180%;" >So kudos to UWA and zoo keepers</span> for taking another step forward in wildlife education and conservation! Well done, guys!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><--- Uganda's national bird = the Crested Crane</span><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/378/20A40330DC00300360B123707BDBD894.png" style="border: 0pt none ! important; background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;" /></a></div>Vikki Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094991951578393390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168356383690284809.post-70154197417529217712011-01-26T17:30:00.004+03:002011-01-26T17:46:54.929+03:00Chasing Fireflies<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyd3Jelg9S9s2hTAZE5iqqfTbybLPs1A2G8PuTxVxKvu6lKLMR7VyiOx8cTsFt3snHP9rGKI0QOG8qBKGJI6OvARRgRaXeL1a2DU9m9svTuSkbKH-bNLIeV6nbNIeJisz99eaoR1tNBx4/s1600/chasing.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 210px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyd3Jelg9S9s2hTAZE5iqqfTbybLPs1A2G8PuTxVxKvu6lKLMR7VyiOx8cTsFt3snHP9rGKI0QOG8qBKGJI6OvARRgRaXeL1a2DU9m9svTuSkbKH-bNLIeV6nbNIeJisz99eaoR1tNBx4/s320/chasing.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566504587908494418" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:180%;">If you're looking for</span> a really good, uplifting Christian novel...<br /><br /><--- <span style="font-size:180%;">read this one.</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">Thanks, Kathryn!!</span>)<br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;">Chasing Fireflies</span> is about 2 little boys...one the narrator now grown up, and the other, a little orphan who has had a heart-breakingly rough childhood.<br /><br />It's also about the narrator's foster dad, Unc, and his foster cousin, Tommye (I still don't know how to pronounce that...I kept calling her 'Tommy-ey').<br /><br />Anyway, it's a great story with a <span style="font-size:180%;">strong mystery</span> to solve, <span style="font-size:180%;">3-D characters</span> that you can smell, and <span style="font-size:180%;">enough heart</span> to temporarily put the worst depression on the shelf. I immediately started hounding my husband to "read this now." He'll love it, when he gets around to it.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;">I'm hugely envious</span> of this guy's writing ability, and already looking at what else he's written to see how I can get my hands on it! If you're interested, check out <a href="http://www.charlesmartinbooks.com">www.charlesmartinbooks.com</a><br /><br />Highly recommended...you won't regret it.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/378/20A40330DC00300360B123707BDBD894.png" style="border: 0pt none ! important; background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;" /></a>Vikki Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094991951578393390noreply@blogger.com0