Conversations on Purpose

Conversations on Purpose is actually the title of a book.  Katie Brazelton is the author.

When I look up the word conversation I find a definition like this one:  the spoken exchange of thoughts, opinions, and feelings; talk.  When I look up the word purpose, I find:  a result or effect that is intended or desired.

Today I had my hair done; multiple colors of red, a new cut, and style.  When I came home my youngest son, who is twelve, said; "I really like your  hair, it frames your face perfectly."  Who knew a twelve year old boy could take that all in; the framing of a face and all!  I laughed and said thank you.  Framing things is a bit of an art form.  Framing a thought or idea with words is too.  Perhaps they won't see it exactly the way you do. That's ok.  You still want them to look at it.  For every piece of art ever created, each viewer takes it in based on their own perception.  Earlier this year I attended a field trip to the art museum with a bunch of high school students. The guide asked each one what they saw.  Many had different answers, but once someone shared what they saw, others could see it too.  When you talk about the things of God, what does that look like?  How are you framing Him?


While I was sitting in the stylist's chair listening to her brush hit the color bowl and the foil bending around my hair as she painted on the color, I found myself telling her some things I had recently learned.   She took it all in. It seemed enjoyable enough for us both.  She left me sitting alone to wait for the color to do its magic.  She came to check on me and then took me to the rinsing bowl.  Neither of us said anything at that point.  I was too busy enjoying have my head massaged to even think about making small talk!  As she took me to her chair for the cut, she came back to where we had left off, and started asking questions.  We talked through some more things and asked each other things like, "Does that make sense to you?"  Or, "I never knew that before, did you?"  I was sharing information with her not really knowing what she would do with it other than she would find it interesting like I did.  Turns out as the conversation was coming to a close, she made a comment that let me know why our conversation had gone the direction it had.  She needed the information, and I didn't even know it.  How cool is that?

Conversations on Purpose can happen every day.   There are so many scripture about speaking, or holding our tongue, always reminding us how powerful speech is.  Ask God to go before you when talking to people.  Approach each encounter as a potential for bringing God glory.  God has called us to reconciliation.  To me that means each conversation has the potential to lead someone closer to Christ or not.  Why not make it count?

That Weird Love

Lord, I'm praying that weird love over and through the hearts of the people who are meeting at Hazelwood Christian Church today.  For that matter, I'm asking for anyone who claims your name to be a carrier and spreader of that weird love.That love that is only from you that every word fails to fully explain.

Your Word tells us to walk humbly before You and love others. God help us.  

We talked about religion,  consumerism, and materialism in Sunday School.  I love seeing hearts revealed in discussion.  Two things that keeps coming back  to me:  

1.  We are the remnant, Your Word says "Occupy 'til I come"  When we're tired and beaten up, we should keep on keepin' on for Your glory.  Learning to distinguish between religion and relationship.

2.  When I worked at the bank and went through classes to identify counterfeit money, we didn't study anything but the real thing.  We learned everything there was to learn about the real deal so that when a counterfeit came along we could see.  We never studied the counterfeit.  Reveal the real deal to us through Your Spirit.

Teach us to keep our eyes so focused on You that we are disgusted with religion.  Teach us Your ways and help us learn to hunger and thirst after You like a deer pants for water from a brook.  We are in desperate need of You.  

This world is so broken.  We can't be surprised when so many sit in the pews so broken that they can't themselves pray.  So many people pretend that everything is ok and it's not.  We get frustrated that  people sitting in church treat you like an afterthought in their everyday life.  What is our duty in this situation?   Love God and walk humble before you?!  That doesn't seem so hard, but yet we fell so often.

God, I cry out to you to help me.  Help me focus on us.  Me and you, me filled with You.  You and Your Word penetrating me to the bone.  Is that possible?  I know it is.  Lord when I get out of the way, there are no words for what the experience is.  Life can be hard and daunting, but the peace that is available passes all understanding on the human front.  You are enough, and so many people don't know that.  I pray that for this congregation today.  I hear them singing.  Give them ownership to their words.  Rub Your truth deep into their hearts.  Give them permission to grieve their losses and mistakes.  

Shut the enemy down.  In the name of Jesus I pray to cast out any interruption.  Let it be them and You Lord.  Lift them up, dust them off.  They are singing about You being a healer, do they believe those words?  Some do.  For those who don't I pray You will show them Your truth.  Only Your Holy Spirit is capable.  

Yes, we offer that weird love to them that only comes from you.  There is now NO condemnation for those who are in Christ.  Let that penetrate to the marrow of their bone.  The enemy must flee.  God lift them up to You.  Love them in ways  that the world can't offer.

If we as a church aren't different than the world, then we should close the doors.  If we can't offer love and a sanctuary from the rush outside these doors, then let's just go home.  

Lord, I love coming to Your house.  I know there are things we do here that embarrass You.  Please show us, how to clean ourselves before Your thrown and love like we never have.  Help us come here to corporate worship and be fed and nourished, but let us go out those doors filled with a love we can't even fully explain.

I stand amazed, only Jeus, only Jesus.  Those are the words filing the air in Your sanctuary, truly fall on those in the pews and let ownership of standing in amazement of who You are enter their hearts.  

I pray that those in attendance today will be so disgusted with what the world offers that they can't stand it in their lives.  Clean us up.  Lord we are so dirty.  Let us offer ourselves, our whole selves, to You.  God You are so capable, only You can do this for us.  Why do we not ask for more of You?

Help us.  Be with those who serve in the service today.  Whether it is holding a baby, teaching a four year old, preaching the sermon, holding a door, it's all the same to you.  Let us all do our part, filled with  the Holy Spirit.

Lord, we love You, but we are so weak.  Be our strength.  Be our everything.  Lord we do love You, in our brokenness.  You are so beautiful to us.  We are desperate.  We need you, more than we even know.

Distracted

Sometimes I get distracted.  I don't mean to.  I just do.  Am I ADD?  Maybe!  It gets pretty interesting in my head sometimes;  colors, thoughts, impressions, memories, questions, zinging all over the place at once.  I've never lived  any other way.  Too much organization up there would seem dull.  I can entertain myself for hours trying to sort it all out! Although, I have to admit on occasion, I get on my own nerves.  For instance, appointments kick my butt.  I hate them.  Doctor, dentist, hair, it doesn't really matter.  I have tried to develop a system over the years.  One that will help me not forget to show up;  alarms,  big neon post-it notes taped to cabinets and windshields,  writing on my own hand with permanent marker,  and yet on occasion, I still forget.  For the last year or so I have felt like I was missing an appointment.  Right here at this keyboard.  I got distracted.  If you are reading this, it is very possible that God has used you as an alarm,  a reminder, a big neon post-it note, or a Sharpie to the back of my hand!  I've had many requests this year to get this blog started.  So here I am.  I'm showing up!!

Here I am with all these colors, thoughts, impressions, memories, questions flying around.  I have many weaknesses, a few strengths maybe, that's about it.  But here I am, showing up at this keyboard.

For me, writing is one of the places I meet God.  I look at Him sometimes when I'm sitting here.  Writing slows me down, calms me, soothes me.  My relationship with God, is like that.  Is yours?  We're together all the time but sometimes I don't stop to look at  Him. You can live with a person everyday and not stop to look at them.  Do you understand what I'm saying? Some times you have to pause and look at them. 

Really look. 

No words. 

Just look.  

Pause.  

Really Look.  

Listen.  

Really listen.

Touch. 

Then speak.
   
But not just words, 

chosen words. 

That's how God and I meet sometimes.  Looks exchanged.  Pausing.  Listening.  Touching.  Then, Chosen words.  I love Him with every word I place on the page.  Can you understand?  I look forward to inviting you to see what I see when I sit at this keyboard.  Until then...

I   W.R.I.T.E.

W orship
R evealed,
I nwardly
T ouching
E ternal things