December 29th, 2005

Ustedes saldrán con alegría y serán guiados en paz
For you will go out with joy, and be led forth with peace
- Isaiah 55:12

I've been thinking about Faithwalkers, and this verse just seems to capture the week, and especially the events of the 29th. The day before, one of the pastors told us to pray before we open our bibles that God will show us something that we can use throughout the day to show Him that we love Him. I stumbled upon this verse on the 29th - I felt a need to be sent by God, but I didn't know where, or to whom, or how, you know? Well, this was a pretty awesome day, and this verse followed me throughout it.

Brent Knox shared with us an incredibly motivating and inspiring message about church leadership and our individual roles in that. Then Mark shared with us about church plants and God's revolution.

"Church planting spreads the revolution."

After these two messages, I could hardly contain my readiness and excitement for setting this revolution into action! I went to the church planting panel, and that was where something just clicked. I still don't know where God is going to send me, but I don't care! God gave me just what I needed, he took all my thoughts and plans and focused them in one direction.

Another thing I've been reflecting on for awhile is how much I lack the sort of real love I want to express. How can this revolution work without a foundation of pure love?

"It's the love that will soften the hearts of the world"
- Doug Brown

I want that love!



Other events of the 29th that were exciting: the Awakening conference via sattelite from Amsterdam, Hoops coming down from Columbia, hanging out with Jessie, playing Phase 10, losing my water bottle for the 9th time (and of course miraculously finding it for the 9th time), and my sister-in-law went into labor! (so on the 30th, my new nephew was born!)


As I was falling asleep the events of the day were swimming through my mind. God had shown me so much! So much more than I think I could write about in a blog - so many exciting things, but also a lot of hard realities. I'd had plenty of opportunities throughout the day to apply the verse, but it was lying there feeling overwhelmed and honestly a little bit...forlorn...when the power behind that verse really took over. I have to go out with joy and be led forth in peace, no matter if He's sending me to a place of utter destitution or a place of unending laughter and fun. That's how I must show Him that I love Him.