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Hello, I am a mother of three living with my husband in Africa. I have been blogging for seven years but still find myself very technologically challenged. I make lots of mistakes, but life is a journey. Come join me on the journey!

Saturday, July 12, 2014

"Frozen" Truths

Truths from Frozen? Really? I can hear some of you now, but stay with me.

"Let It Go" has become quite popular with many remakes already being made.  I love all the songs actually, and I should with how often I hear them around my house. (By the way, I never realized how often I say that phrase until it began constantly setting off singing in the house.) I like the song but not nearly as much as I love what is going on in the movie as Elsa sings it.

Let us step back a little to recap what has already happened in the movie. Elsa has a special gift to make things cold and makes it snow. Her younger sister, Anna, wakes her in the night to make a snowman. Amidst all of their fun, Elsa freezes Anna's head. The parents seek out a cure, which is relatively simple, however, they are told that Elsa must never let anyone know about her powers and must control it. As the girls grow, Elsa keeps herself isolated from everyone because she lets fear control her, fear that she may harm her sister again. After the death of their parents, Elsa is made Queen. Unfortunately, Elsa freezes their part of the world in the middle of summer on her coronation day because she cannot control her emotions.

After the freezing, Elsa runs away to the mountains to escape the people as well as try out her powers that she has kept hidden for so long. In watching the movie the first time, I was struck by how much like Believers that is. We have all the power of the Holy Spirit in us, but we never really use it. Whatever we are afraid of keeps us from displaying all that is within us.

In our meetings this week, we have been looking at Ephesians 4. Ephesians 1-3 talk about all that the Father has done for us through the Son and how we are filled with the Spirit from the day we accept the Son as Savior. Much like money in a bank account and using the bank card to access all that is within the account, we have all the Spirit that we are ever going to have. We do not have to ask for more patience, peace, mercy, and love because it is already in there. However, we can ask for Him to help us utilize wisely all that is within us.

Growing up when and where I did, I developed my own set of fears regarding this power that is within me.  We often let some of our brothers and sisters corner the market on the Spirit. But we all have it! Just like there are some who have gone too far one way, others of us have been too afraid to let It do It's work. (Grab the pendulum!) Living where I do now, I get to see more of what the Spirit can do. Let us as His people stop being afraid and let Him do the work He wants to do in our lives and in the lives of those around us. Maybe it will not be a giant ice castle, but it is sure to be something exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or imagine. Let go of the fear! Let it go!

"Set a fire down in my soul
That I can't contain that I can't control."

Friday, July 4, 2014

How is the Fasting?

How is the fasting going?
How is the month of fasting?
Yeah, the fasting is hard.
I'm not feeling well, it's the fasting.
The fasting is so hard in the hot season.

Almost all of the conversation these days when we are out is about the Fasting. It is one of the five pillars of religion of the people with whom we work. It is one of those things that they believe must be done yearly to have their sins forgiven. It is often not done, or at least carried out, in a way to actually grow closer to the Father or to know His will better, but rather as a penance for sins and a way to show everyone else they are doing the right thing.

(Lest, we become too pious in our own faith. Let us remember when we have been dramatic over things we have given up to follow The Lord. Even a couple of months ago, in a gathering with other expat workers, several of us began comparing how much harder life is where we are than the others.)

The Lord was pretty clear though in Matthew 6 of how we are to fast. We are not to dramatize how terrible we feel nor even let others know that we are fasting. It is to be done in secret for the One who sees in secret will see and repay. If we do it in such a way as to be seen by men, then we have our payment, and the Almighty will not answer. The Lord is the one who sees the heart.

Sometimes it can become wearying to have the constant chatter about the struggle of the fasting, that I can forget that The Lord also promised that those who seek Him would indeed find Him, when they seek Him with their whole heart. Even in going to a government office yesterday with a teammate, the subject was broached by the head of the office. It was an opportunity to share how it is that we fast, in secret, such that no one would know, for it is between us and The Lord. My teammate was able to share about having found truth in the Way.

It is easy to forget with all the chatter, that there are those who are earnestly seeking Him. My teammate was approached the other day by a man who returned the next day. On the second day, he shared with her that he had a dream of a white woman with a piece of paper. He sought a religious leader to explain the dream. The interpretation he was given was not accurate. My teammate shared some and will be sharing more with this man what the dream actually meant.

Ask that we keep our ears tuned for those who are actually seeking earnestly and to not grow weary in the chatter. Ask the Father for dreams and visions for those who are seeking Him that would lead them to know Him more.