BlessedRoot

blessedroot — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 15:14:18 +0000

“If we don’t offer ourselves to the unknown, our senses dull. Our world becomes small and we lose our sense of wonder. Our eyes don’t lift to the horizon; our ears don’t hear the sounds around us. The edge is off our experience, and we pass our days in a routine that is both comfortable and limiting. We wake up one day and find that we have lost our dreams in order to protect our days. Don’t let yourself become one of these people.”

- Kent Nerburn, Letters to My Son

right here, right now

blessedroot — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 16:26:47 +0000

This blog serves as a link into my place within the ministry.

Now that I’m a married woman (smile) I am again evaluating where God is writing my story and the spaces He’d have me be. One of the amazing thingts about the ministry is that the heart of it is people, not just those we “serve” but in a way that we serve each other. The desire to not, “put round pegs in square holes.” They/we have a heart to let pepole get into a space they can grow and let God move through them.

For the summer, I am resting. I am learning to be a wife, we are learning to be married. I/we are cultivating & growing relationships with community. And desiring to live presently and in a healthy rythym.

I desire to blog more, though I’m not sure the reality of this.

I will leave you for now, with these thoughts by C.H. Spurgeon, promising to try and visit this space more. Does anyone read this, what would you like to hear about? I’m all ears!

“I have nothing else to rely upon but the fact that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, lived, died, was buried, rose again, went to heaven, and still lives and pleads for sinners at the right hand of God.”  – C. H. Spurgeon

blessedroot — Wed, 19 May 2010 01:39:38 +0000

I know I’ve been away for a while. oh, so busy with a wedding in 11 days!!

Constantly reminded about the fragility of life….this will move you, it must change you. It must make us conscious of how we live and what we do with our “love.” This love we have, this love we say we have.

Next Five Minutes from David Platt on Vimeo.

Saw this verse aptly tied to the video…
Psalm 71:20-21 Though you have made them/me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore their/my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring them/me up. You will increase their/my honor and comfort them/me once again.

blessedroot — Wed, 05 May 2010 12:49:58 +0000

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
- The above speech for Nelson Mandela by Marianne Robertson

Monday…

blessedroot — Mon, 03 May 2010 16:37:34 +0000

Subject: prayers, praises and requests at FCC

blessedroot — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 16:38:12 +0000

Hi friends of FCC (Freedom Covenant Chruch) and worship team members,

I am just sending an update on the Harris family who lost their daughter this past week.

Reva Harris is one of our faithful moms at FCC. She faithfully brings as many as will come of her 12 children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to church. We have often said that when Reva is not there, the church would be only half full!! Sadly, this past week an asthma attack took the life of one of her daughters. She was 21 with 4 young children, one who was born just two weeks before her death. Please pray for Reva and her family of many new believers as they walk through this grief. Pray also for Bruce and Melvin as they pastor them through the details of the next few days and weeks. Pray for the finances to come for the funeral costs. She had no insurance or coverage. This is an amazing opportunity to show the church in action and bless them.

We are going to start collecting money to add to the family’s givings to provide what they want in a funeral and burial. The cost that we know of now is $3200. There is some already pledged. Please feel free to share this story if you feel that there are people who would want to participate in blessing the Harris family. You can make the checks out to Freedom Fire. PO Box 270061 Kansas City, MO 64127

There will also be some sort of after funeral gathering that we would love to have help in the meal prep and serving. Let me know if you are willing to provide food or help to serve. (Funeral is Saturday, contact me for details if you would like to help out).

Bruce has been asked to go to the prison to tell her brother tomorrow. That will be hard. (UPDATE: Bruce went yesterday and it was difficult) Please pray for wisdom and the Spirit’s comfort for him as he hears about his sister.

INCREDIBLE
On an incredibly good note of praise… this past Sunday, even while all this was going on with the Harris family, FIVE people accepted Jesus at FCC. A homeless man, Gary, (who was initially brought to church by Reva’s son who just became a Christian) brought two teens that he picked up on the street. That in itself is awesome!!! Bruce shared the gospel and one of the teens accepted Jesus. They were part of a group of friends heading out to CA and were robbed at the train station and left with nothing. While that was happening, upstairs in the children’s time, the leader talked about Jesus’s love and that He would love us more than the person on earth that they thought loved them the most and the best. The five children who did know Jesus prayed with the 4 children who did not. Joy….. in the midst of sorrow….. God is good!!!!

Love to you all. Thank you for lifting up this precious family.

{1 Peter 4:8-9}

blessedroot — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 22:24:20 +0000

“And above all things have fervent love for one another, for ‘love will cover a multitude of sins.’”

I always want to put a disclaimer in there and say, yes but…

yes love for one another but those that hurt me.
yes love for one another but those who I don’t know.
yea love for one another but those that make me uncomfortable/annoyed/impatient.
yes love for one another but those who I work with.
yes love for one another but for those who don’t love me.

Gosh, that seems like it would be a safer place. But, HE calls me to a radical place of love. He doesn’t call me to it, without first setting the example.

And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” (emphasis mine)

I could list a multitude of sins, those that make people ‘unloveable’ for me, or justify my unloveable attitude…but something happens and that list that I could create, it descirbes me. wow.

It gives reason that HE shouldn’t love me. Yet, HE was radical in HIS love for me. Bearing my shame, that I might live with HIM. I. am. humbled.

And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” (emphasis mine)

I’m eternally grateful that He fervently loved me and covered my multitude of sin.

Daily Reading

blessedroot — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 12:28:24 +0000

His Word to you….”My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”

Be Still

blessedroot — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 16:36:08 +0000

“Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”

I’ve always been moved by this. I have been reading a lot of blogs this morning, and ran across one that was challenging. It said, take part of God’s word, His promise to His people, and claim it. Pray that for my unique situation. Don’t wander what He is saying, learn what He is saying. It was challenging. But good. Oddly, this was the verse I came to. One I’ve come to over and over, one that is such a good reminder for me, and now holds such fondness because of one that also loved it. My grandmother loved this verse, I think I’ve blogged that before. But she did. And oh how in my life she lived that. Doesn’t mean that she was perfect, but in my eyes she was pretty stinking amazing! And I look back and in her presence, I felt this. I felt one who lived out “stillness in His presence.” He didn’t exactly agree philosophically or on dogmatics; but all the same, I think she is a great source of wisdome for me. I am going to pray this verse over my life situations, which is funny because to me it seems like the answer. I think my prayer is to practice this instruction.

Bless You

blessedroot — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 17:08:50 +0000

I started a short personal study this morning on the idea of “blessed.” One motivation is I’ve been thinking of getting that as a tattoo (but recently wondering if “be still” would be a better permanent reminder). Anyway, the other is it’s such a COMMON used term for the Christian vernacular. I see great value in understanding it more!

Be blessed.
Blessings.
God bless you.

The verse that I read this morning was found here.

“The LORD bless you
and keep you;

the LORD make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;

the LORD turn his face toward you
and give you peace.” ‘

I like these words. I don’t have much of a formulated response just yet. But I like how this verse feels as it washes over my soul.

Found some commentary here but still exploring for more…

Thoughts? Anything will do…would love for this to become a place of dialogue.