Cultivating Joy Through Gratitude

I have to be honest. This is really difficult for me to do right now, which I think is all the more reason that I need to focus on gratitude and being thankful.

34. God's crazy love for me; a broken, doubting, fallible, weak human.
35. Brisk winter weather but with blue skies and sunshine.
36. Veggie subs with friends.
37. A clean house.
38. Time to journal and prayer.
39. Juicy Avenue.
40. A full service again and the need for more chairs.
41. Seeing people connect and form new friendships.
42. Praying for Madrid and a heart of love for this city.
43. Rend Collective Experiment.
44. Sharing my life with friends.
45. Videos of my dance performances in high school and having a better perspective now.

Crazy Love - Profile of the Obsessed

I am in the process of reading Francis Chan's book "Crazy Love". I just read chapter 8, Profile of the Obsessed. He starts the chapter by say, "The idea of holding back certainly didn't come from Scripture. The Bible teaches us to be consumed with Christ and to faithfully live out His words. The Holy Spirit stirs in us a joy and peace when we are fixated on Jesus, living by faith, and focused on the life to come." Through out the rest of the chapter he addresses what it looks like for us to live lives that are centered on (obsessed with) Jesus. Here are some of his points. I really resonate with these, that's why I felt it important to re write them here on my blog. I want to remind myself of these things and I want my life to be defined this way:

-People who are obsessed with Jesus give freely and openly without censure. Obsessed people love those who hate them and who can never love them back.

-People who are obsessed with jesus aren't consumed with their personal safety and comfort above all else. Obsessed people care more about God's kingdom coming to this earth than their own lives being shielded from pain or distress.

-People who are obsessed with Jesus live lives that connect them with the poor in some way or another. Obsessed people believe that Jesus talked about money and the poor so often because it was really important to Him.

-Obsessed people are more concerned with obeying God than doing what is expected or fulfilling the status quo. A person who is obsessed with Jesus will do things that don't always make sense in terms of success or wealth on this earth.

-A person who is obsessed with Jesus knows that the sin of pride is always a battle. Obsessed people know that you can never be "humble enough," and so they seek to make themselves less known and Christ more known.

-People who are obsessed with jesus do not consider service a burden. Obsessed people take joy in loving God by loving His people.

-People who are obsessed with God are known as givers, not takers. Obsessed people genuinely think that others matter as much as they do, and they are particularly aware of those who are poor around the world.

-A person who is obsessed thinks about heaven frequently. Obsessed people orient their lives around eternity; they are not fixed only on what is here in front of them. (I would say obsessed people are kingdom minded - the kingdom is now and not yet!)

-A person who is obsessed is characterized by committed, settled, passionate love for God, above and before every other thing and every other being.

-People who are obsessed are raw with God; they do not attempt to mask the ugliness of their sins or their failures. Obsessed people don't put it on for God; He is their safe place, where they can be at peace.

-People who are obsessed with God have an intimate relationship with Him. They are nourished by God's Word throughout the day because they know that forty minute on Sunday (or an hour on Saturday night) is not enough to sustain them for a whole week, especially when they will encounter so many distractions and alternative messages.

-A person who is obsessed with Jesus is more concerned with his or her character than comfort. Obsessed people know that true joy doesn't depend on circumstances or environment; it is a gift that must be chosen and cultivated, a gift that ultimately comes from God. (So what does it mean to cultivate joy? I've been thinking about this one a lot!)

-A person who is obsessed with Jesus knows that the best thing he can do is be faithful to his Savior in every aspect of his life, continually saying "Thank You!" to god. An obsessed person knows there can never be intimacy if he is always trying to pay God back or work hard enough to be worthy. He revels in his role as child and friend of God. (That's GRACE!!! Help me accept it!)

Thanks Francis Chan for these great reminders!

11 January 2012

This is for the 9th, 10th and 11th of January. Each day I thought about what I have been grateful for, but am struggling to figure out what time of day is the best to write these down. Do I write at the end of the day, or first thing the next morning for the day before? I guess I've got the rest of the year to figure it out!

25. Marie Mossner (the 9th was her birthday!)

26. Thai peanut sauce in a jar

27. receiving good news from afar

28. vegan friendly restaurants

29. chats with elizabeth

30. ginger peach tea

31. surviving and enjoying my new dance class

32. skyping with 2 great women and planning for ways that our CA community can enter into worship together

33. arranging a new mentoring opportunity

Year of Gratitude, Grace and Joy

I've recently seen a few people joining in the challenge of spending the year focusing on gratitude, grace and joy. I feel as though, this is a wise challenge for me to join in. The goal is to write or photograph 3 things each day for which I am grateful, have brought me joy or are gifts of grace. As it is now the 8th, I have a few days to catch up on.

1. Celebrating New Years at our church space with friends above Puerta del Sol

2. Brunch with friends.

3. Fresh squeezed orange juice.

4. Sunshine on a January day.

5. A healthy relationship with my parents.

6. Laura from Romania who cleans our church locale.

7. Al, Elizabeth, Jay and Carolyn - I know that is technically 4, but I wanted to list their names instead of just say, my team.

8. Time to relax and watch silly movies.

9. Skype to talk with family and friends.

10. Falafel at Maoz.

11. Picking up a Christmas/birthday package from the post office, even though you do have to walk past about 3 other post offices to get to the one where you can pick up packages.

12. A Better exchange rate.

13. The receptionist at my dance school saying that they've missed seeing me and am glad I'm starting classes again.

14. 10% discount at Starbucks and free wifi access.

15. Cabalgata del Reyes on TV, Dr. Pepper and roscon with Tep.

16. Family time with the Crulls.

17. Love from a 5 year old.

18. Finding Wally and his friends with Chris.

19. Curry with my bestie!

20. Talking about seeking and finding God with good friends at a fun new bar.

21. Starting the year in prayer with my church family.

22. Finding more than 3 things a day to be grateful for.

23. Candy canes.

24. Motivation to blog after 3 years.

Breathing Eden's Air

Take a moment to breathe Eden's air.
How I long to taste something so sweet and so crisp.
Filled with holiness and perfection.
Giving life to it's fullest.
Inhale.
Exhale.
To breathe Eden's air is to breathe in the presence.
Taste and see.
It is good.
It is now and not yet.
The not yet will be even sweeter.
How I long to taste the air of Eden yet to come.

Solitude, Silence, and Prayer

Disciplines worth exploring! This is a picture I took at the Cathedral here in Madrid. It makes me think of these things. May you find the time to be in His presence!

Changes

Sometimes I really like changes. New seasons, new clothes, living in a different place, rearranging my room or house, meeting new people. Right now I am in the midst of too many changes to really appreciate them or even want them.

-Everyone on my team is in transition, therefore, I am in transition.
-Lots of friends have left Spain and lots of new people have arrived.
-I'm attempting to get into a new Spanish class.
-My community group is different.
-My schedule has changed.
-The economy is changing, thus so is my support.
-One roommate moved out, another is here for just one more month, and hopefully one will be returning soon.
-My visa process.

Last month I was in the US for a few weeks and I think the fact that I am facing all of these changes really hit me because it felt so comfortable there. I was able to meet up with friends like I used to. I knew how everything worked and could understand everything around me. I realized how crazy my life in Spain really is. When it was time for me to return to Madrid, I was excited, but also not ready to jump back onto the moving train that is my life here. I miss the normalcy of the US and my life there. But, I'm choosing to trust that God has me here for a reason and all of these constant changes will only draw me closer to Him and mature me more.

Amidst my changes I follow the One who never changes! Thank you Lord!

1 Thessalonians 5:24 "The one who calls you is faithful..."
Malachi 3:6 "I the LORD do not change..."
James 1:17 "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."