Our Assignment for this Week

On Sunday, Pastor Wes asked us to answer a question, well.... actually finish a sentence in Home Groups this week.  In relating the story of Jacob wrestling with God (Genesis 32), Pastor Wes said that one of the steps we needed to take was to name what and who we are; to finish this sentence: I am a(an)________________.  For Jacob, his name meant Deceiver.  When God asked him his name, He was looking for a confession of who Jacob was.  God was looking for Jacob to get real with himself and with God.

As we started into the discussion of this last night in our Home Group, there was a part of me that was struggling with the idea of focussing on the negative.  At least that is what it felt like.  I understand the 4 steps that Pastor Wes was talking about and have lived them on different levels as I have grown in Christ throughout my life.  The four steps being: 1- Admit that the struggle is with God, 2 - Refuse to let go, 3- Admit that you are the problem and 4 - Get a new identity. I so desperately want to be walking by faith in the calling God has placed on me (the new identity) that the idea of looking at the sin that is in me seemed like a step backwards.  The reality is that those thoughts were just another deception to keep me from looking at the sin in my life!

As we started praying about taking these steps, the confessions came. One by one the areas of neglect and rebellion were named and a release came - not just for me but for others as well.

Then I read this blog this morning by John Piper.  I really want to encourage you to check it out. John Piper is one of my favorite bloggers! God is so amazing that He confirms His word to us so faithfully.  To see that God is dealing with the same issues with someone else that I have never met in a different part of the country at the same time is really encouaging to me.

Thank You, Father, for your faithfulness!

Wearing the shoe on the other foot

I got a taste of what it is like to be in a place where people do not speak your language. Last night Angel Barios spoke at LCC and he spoke in spanish. With my limited french and 5 years of helping my kids through latin class, I was able to pick out enough to get an idea about what he was saying (and then it helped a lot when he started translating some of it!) but not enough to really comprehend the entire message. This was a very enlightening experience.

For me, when someone is speaking about Jesus, I want to know and understand what is being said! Any new thing I learn about my Savior is water for my thirsty soul. As I was listening, I knew Angel was talking about Jesus, and that in itself brought warmth to my heart, but at the same time, I was hungry and frustrated.... wanting more. How frustrating it must be to so many spanish speaking people in our area to go to church week after week, wanting to learn more, wanting to converse, wanting to have relationships with people and yet being held back by lack of knowledge of English.

There has to be more we can do for this segment of the population. I have to admit, sadly, that I never really thought about the difficulties the hispanic community faces on a daily basis. I am glad for this opportunity to walk a few yards in their shoes. I like being made to think. It is a wonderful thing to be lead by someone with the heart to reach people by any means, that thinks outside the box and is constantly challenging us to reach the next level.

I am going to look into what it takes to get an ESL class going. Maybe that could help. I might even look up spanish tutorials on the web :)

What a Privilege it is to be in a Family

5 years! Congratulations LCC!
It was truly inspiring yesterday as I watched the one word testimonies parade across the front of the church. As a whole it was an awesome thing to see how God has moved in so many lives. On an individual basis there were several word choices that surprised me. Surprise, not in that I was unaware of the history of the people but, in only knowing them in the "after" state, having the realization of the depth of change and a new appreciation for the level of gratitude expressed in those word choices.
I think we can sometimes overlook the intensity and depth of someone's heart when we do not take the time to understand (rather than just intellectually know) where someone has come from.
I am glad to be a part of the LCC family. I am glad to have had the opportunity to get to know some of my brothers and sisters a little better yesterday and I am glad that I get to look forward to getting to know them all better in the next 5 years.
The most exciting thing is: What and who is God going to bring our family in the next 5?!?!