time away

Since the first of this year, the Lord has been challenging my heart to not only run hard and fast after Him, but to be faithful to find times to rest. The Father has been so gracious to remind me that I run harder, faster and further when I rest.
The Word is plain that we are to take a SABBATH. Time to regroup and refocus on Jesus. Not to play or entertain ourselves. Not to take naps or veg out. But days where we just get in His face and worship. While the 10 commandments set aside a day that we are to celebrate the SABBATH, Jesus was even more precious to set an example of more than that. Scripture tells us that JESUS, GOD HIMSELF, was faithful to take time AWAY and to spend it with His Father. He went to the garden, to the Mt and into the wilderness...to see HIS FATHER...to seek HIMSELF. And when He went away, He often took that inner circle of those He loved. Jesus knew and valued time AWAY. Jesus knew that He needed to set the example of sabbatical, Sabbath and time away pursuing the Father. This was more than just a daily quiet time or a trip to church. This was TIME...to linger...with Him and be AWAY.
This is a discipline that we as believers have chosen to disregard. Due to the fast pace of life, the responsibilities of our world and the lack of motivation, we rarely decide to choose to go away and just seek Him. It seems crazy. I mean when we have time off...or take time off...should it not be to go on vacation, to entertain ourselves, to spend time with our families? While all of those are great things, I am wondering why we will sacrifice to have time away for the things we want and yet we do not intentionally set aside time away-as Jesus did- to pursue Him. We will go to conferences, come to church and participate in camps or events, but what about following Jesus' example-of just going AWAY.
I have asked myself that question a lot over the past few months. Why is it that we think we can do without that which the very Son of God had to have? He set an example that we think we can do without. Or perhaps, it is not that we think we can do without it so much as we just neglect that due to schedules and business. We lean on our own abilities instead of trusting what He says we need....I have been the worst at this. While, trying desperately to pour life into people, filling my schedule so full that by the end of several weeks, I feel drained and empty..I just keep pressing on. I love that my cup is empty and that I have worn myself out for the Kingdom, but I am finding that it is in those moments that greatest temptation, sin, failure and flesh surface.
Jesus knew this. It is why He set up a commandment and set an example to spend time AWAY. He knew that we would/could get drained from all the pouring out and never take enough time to fully recharge. You can sustain that for a little while, but when people are constantly expecting you to keep on doing what you have always done on an empty tank, sooner or later, there will be a problem.
I wondering if we might consider such times as these, as times to fast from the WORLD. To realign, refocus and be sure that our hearts are set on Him.
The Lord told me last October that He wanted me to build into my schedule times to get away and do just that...realign and refocus, spend time just chasing Him. And so, I decided that for the first time in my life that I was going to go AWAY. No kids, no husband, no TV, no entertainment...I was going to spend time pursuing Him. And since then, He has been plain that I am to build that into my schedule regularly....dates with the "KING"....
And while it has been difficult to schedule, complicated to take care of my kids and people have not understood why, it has been the most amazing thing I have ever done with the Lord. And now, it is time that I crave...I hunger and thirst for Him and time with Him.
In fact, I have just returned from some time away. The Lord was precious and I had the privilege of meeting with Him. I am sitting at my desk right now...looking for my next date. Anxious about what He will share and give. Awaiting time with Him and excited, anticipating it as if it were just as important as any other appointment that I place on my calendar.
And to think...I have spent 37 years, merely satisfied with moments, when I could have had more. If only I had set that time apart. I am certainly not trying to applaud my own efforts in this area...for I have fallen miserably short...but what I do want to share is that I have discovered a vital discipline in my life that has been missing. It is Scriptural. And it is changing me. And perhaps...you have been missing it too.
Maybe, we should all make a date with the King and go AWAY. Take someone precious with you-as Jesus did...but run away and be committed to pursue while there. And see what it does. I promise you won't be disappointed. Wouldn't it be nice to stop the grind of life just for a moment and see Jesus, face to face?
Make it happen.
Doxa
ALL FOR YOU

blinded

There is an old song that says…blinded by the light. That was me today….Blinded by the Light.
The thought started in TREEHOUSE this morning. While leading the kids in worship, the spotlights shining down on us, I looked up to see the WORD’s and found myself blinded by the Light. I couldn’t see anything. I had looked dead into the Light and was absolutely blind as a result.
Of course, it passed and I was able to see again. I walked backstage and was thinking about how I was blinded by the Light, when it hit me. Funny, standing in TREEHOUSE, isn’t that what we want. To be blinded by the Light. To have His Light so shine down and overwhelm us that we can see nothing but His Light. To be looking for HIS WORD to us and have Him shine into us the Light of the knowledge of God in the face of Christ. To be blinded by Him, so that we can see nothing and be determined to know nothing but Christ and HIM crucified.

I think I want to be blinded by the Light….how about You?
ALL FOR YOU

Treehouse grand opening

ALL FOR YOU

in the light

Saturday was an EXTREMELY LONG day. We had been at the church ALL day long, setting up for the GRAND OPENING of TREEHOUSE in the new building. We had been working on lighting set up, sound and placement on the stage. We had been through a series of rehearsals already and I was sitting on the front row, watching the drama play out one final time, when Lindsey came and sat down beside me. We were both tired, but excited. There had been a moment in rehearsal where I watched the words that she was saying from the stage in a "role" she was playing become very real of her heart. She wanted to go to the party. We talked about that for a few minutes and then we began to chat about all the lights.
During the course of the day, we had to adjust the lighting because it was so new that it was almost distracting for us. It was hard to stay focussed because we couldn't get the Light to shine exactly where we needed it to. We had great help, who figured it out and by 7:30pm we had it all exactly where it needed to be. But in order to be sure that I stood in the light, exactly where I needed to be, they put a small piece of tape on the stage. A marker, where I was to stand, so that I would be sure to stand in the light.
As Lindsey and I were chatting about the lights, I looked at her and said, "I just have to be sure not to miss my mark. If I am off the mark, I won't be in the Light. Where I stand, determines if I am in the light or not." And then it struck me....the words spewed out of my mouth as I spoke of lighting issues, but they immediately pierced my heart...and hers. She just looked at me and went....wow...that was good.
While we were talking about lighting on a stage, my heart screamed with the truth that had just popped out of my mouth. Unintentionally, truth had pierced the darkness and my heart.
Where we stand makes a huge difference as to whether we are in the light or not. If we are off the mark, we will not be standing in the Light, but in the darkness. How easy it is for us to miss the mark. To sin and fall short of the glory of God. The Light shines in the darkness, but we can certainly choose to stand in the darkness instead of the Light. If I am going to stand in the Light, I must stand on my mark. And not move...or else I won't be in the Light. The choice of where I stand, determines if I am in the Light or not. So missing my mark...is not an option. ALL FOR YOU