Transformation; Change in form, appearance, nature and character
We here the word, "Transformation" a lot – at least I do... I receive Christian emails all day long; "Kingdom Transformation", "Missions Transformation", Transformation conference's, events, etc - so, why do I see all these "Non-Transformed" Christians roaming our Church's?!
"It is an amazing arrogance that allows Christians to so readily believe that their mental understanding of things is anywhere close to that of Jesus. Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life" (John 14:6). I think the intended effect of that often misused line is this: if Jesus is the Truth, then you probably aren't"! –Rohr-
Paul says it best for us in Romans 12:2 – "Be transformed by the renewing of your mind" We must get away from our narcissistic western religious views and renew our mind with the fact that Christianity is not about right and wrong, it is about life and death. For far to many people, no life journey is necessary because we think we already have all the answers at the beginning. "The bible says,... the Church says, etc"
One of the young guys that I disciple on a regular basis called me the other day with a crisis – he hates his job, could be loosing it and did not know what to do; This person has been struggling with integrity and finding himself for most of his 20something life; I said, "This is a perfect time for you to hover above all the chaos and be transformed. Not just changed or allow this to make you a better person; but, transform who you are and not only that, but embrace and find joy (life) in the transformation! Only Jesus can transform you, you cannot transform yourself; you get to sit, wait, trust, embrace, contemplate and renew... you cannot find it, it finds you!"
A large percentage of religious people become and remain quite rigid thinkers because their religion taught them that to be faithful, obedient, and stalwart in the ways of God, they had to create order. They are not bad people; they simply never learned much about wisdom, paradox, or mystery as the very nature of faith. When so many become professional church workers without going through spiritual transformation at any deep level, religious work becomes a career, and church becomes something one "attends". Real transformation is not called for or even desired. This has been going on for centuries, and in all religions. –Rohr-
I am tired of trying to change; I long to be transformed... continued...
I was fixing our printer today and as I was testing it... this printed off. Tyler is a few months away from being 19 now, not living at home and is well on his journey; re-establishing old relationships, finding the balance in honoring his parents - he will be headed to New Zealand to play Rugby this fall. He is truly a real man!
Life is short, and as your kids start leaving home, you realize you have but a breath with them... here is a piece of Lisa's heart; she wrote this on the night of his 18th birthday.
Tonight I threw an 18th birthday party for my son, Tyler...Through out the evening Tyler would put his arms around me, kiss me on the forehead, and say, "thank you for all this mom, this is a great party." Tyler is no small, feeble boy; he is 6'3 and 180 lb of solid muscle. His kisses, hugs and appreciation is literally air to my lungs. Tyler is not my biological son; he is technically my "step-son". He was eight years old when he entered my life, this of course was not his choice, he was heartbroken over the end of his parent's marriage, but he was always a perfect gentleman to me. Tyler was and is a strong, solid man. He took it upon him self the responsibility to protect his dad, his birth mom, and his brothers and strangely enough...me. My heart broke over Tyler's pain, and I vowed to never add to it, but to love him, support him, and be a true mother to him. Raising these three boys I began to understand how adoptive moms felt when they would say to their adopted children "you did not grow in my belly, but you grew in my HEART". Tyler indeed has grown deeply in my heart, I can not imagine loving him more, and I have never had to face my own fears more intently...Until now, Tyler has been with his dad, his brothers, his sisters and me...He has been safe...
Tonight the revelation of what "18" means by the worlds standard hit me hard as I washed the remaining food residue off my platters, I began to weep. Not, because I don't trust him, not because I am not confidant that we have not done all we could do to prepare him for the next season of his life. My tears did not represent anything other than grief over the ending of an era...our little boy was now a "man", and our everyday influence on his life was coming to an end. Now is the beginning of a great test, for him, and for us. Would he remember all the scripture his dad read over him every morning before he left for school? Would he remember all the camping trips we took by the lake, the boat, the stories around the campfire, the laughing until we cried? Would he think of all the long drives in the mountains every time he hears Tim McGraw or Bon Jovi, and picture all 8 of us singing every word? Would he remember Africa, the death, the pain, the beauty, the way we leaned on each other in a deeper way, because we were all we had there? Would he remember back to school shopping, Christmas Eve with the house busting with friends and family, and all the tears, praying and crying together as a family? Will he raise his family like we have raised him? The test is here, the time is now. How much pain awaits him, how much joy will fill his soul? It is all unknown, the chapters have yet to be written, and so all I can do is wait, trust, pray, believe....and be a mom. I will watch him walk out his journey, make mistakes, get bumped and bruised, turn away, and turn back...just like we all do. This much I KNOW, I will BE HERE, with open arms, loving him, and doing in all I can to not add to his pain, but to be a safe place for him to fall, no matter what. He keeps growing in my heart, every morning when I see his sweet smile, and everyday I am more aware, just how blessed I am to be his mom, or his step- mom, or just his fathers wife...the title does not matter to me, all that matters his my sweet and amazing boy, everyday I have had with him is nothing less than an extravagant gift, and every moment I spend is his presence I am more compelled to do be a true mother, and love him even more than I did the day before, with no expectations from him, except that he will be true to his self, and be the man of God he was created to be...and that is enough!
It is no use either saying that if there is a God of that sort--- an impersonal absolute goodness--- then you do not like Him and are not going to bother about Him. For the trouble is that one part of you is on His side and really agrees with his disapproval of human greed and trickery and exploitation.
You may want Him to make an exception in your own case, to let you off this one time; but you know at bottom that unless the power behind the world really and unalterably detests that sort of behavior, then He cannot be good. On the other hand, we know that if their does not exist an absolute goodness it must hate most of what we do. This is a terrible fix we are in.
If the universe is not governed by an absolute goodness, then all of our efforts are in the long run hopeless. But, if it is, then we are making ourselves enemies to that goodness every day, and are not in the least likely to do any better tomorrow, and so our case is hopeless again. We cannot do without it, and we cannot do with it. God is the only comfort, He is also the supreme terror; the thing we most need and the thing we most want to hide from.
He is our only possible ally, and we have made ourselves His enemies. Some people talk as if meeting the gaze of absolute goodness would be fun. They need to think again. They are still only playing with religion.
Goodness is either the great safety or the great danger--- according to the way you react to it. And we have reacted the wrong way...
C.S. Lewis – from Mere Christianity
1892 J.R.R Tolken, Lewis's long time friend, colleauge, and fellow inkling (a group of friends who met regularly from about 1930 to 1963 to share writings, good conversation, and the odd pint), is born in Bloemfontein, South Africa
I've been following Seth Barnes's blog about what's happening in Haiti. It's devastating; here's what he just posted:
Last night on a Skype call from near the
Haitian border, we heard the tragic story of a mother with three
children. Her three year-old had her crushed leg amputated at the hip.
But even as she clings to life, her mother has to take her on the hard
ride back to Port-au-Prince to search for her two siblings who are
still lost and possibly dead in the rubble.
She represents the hundreds of thousands, still in a state of
shock, trying to cope with the trauma. They desperately and urgently
need our help. And we have to ask, how does the Church respond?
AIM is mobilizing the Church to respond to this disaster with integrity and boldness. Here's how we can join what the Lord is doing in the nation of Haiti:
Pray. We need to cover Haiti in prayer. Pray for the people, the AIM missionaries in the Dominican Republic close to the border, and the mission teams being sent out.
Give. A great way to make an impact in Haiti is to donate to the Haiti Relief Fund. You can give through AIM by clicking here. These donations are tax-deductible and will be stewarded well; I can vouch for that! This money is being directly sent to people on the ground who are using it to for supplies and food.
Go. AIM will soon be sending mission trips into Haiti. This week, though, a group of World Racers is headed into the midst of the chaotic situation as forerunners for coming teams. They're going to identify key ministry contacts and set up logistics for coming teams. For more about their trips and other opportunities to go, visit the Haiti blog.
Share. Tell the stories. Get the word out. Let's believe that the Lord WILL transform this land for His glory.
I talked to our country director, Miguel Shaul. He just returned from Port-au-Prince with this report:
Miguel passed by a school that was full of students at the time of the earthquake that completely collapsed, killing most of the students. He said the stench was unbearable.
They had turned the large cement slab in front of the school into a triage center for the living right next to that place of death because there was no more space to put them.
A pickup truck with four crushed but living people showed up. There was no room for them there. The man driving it said, "Where else can I take them?"
There was a woman crying beside the body of her sister who couldn't get treatment and had just died.
A mass of people is fleeing Port-au-Prince. It was hard to move. People are being tended for medical needs all along the way from the capital to the D.R. border. The capital is becoming like a war zone.
Last night, for example, according to unconfirmed reports, there were five D.R. police officers there to keep the peace who were murdered. The tension between the two nations is going to be exacerbated. It is possible that missionaries going in could be killed. We as a ministry will not be sending groups in until we have better assessed the security situation.
Miguel describes the situation as "on a knife's edge." But he adds that this can push the country to a place of dependence on God. The pastors are saying that people are turning to God in an unprecedented way.
If you'd like to get regular updates about Haiti, subscribe to the Haiti Updates Blog.
As most of you know, our oldest is at our G42 leadership school in Spain... (Suffering for Jesus on the Mediterranean Sea)! Here is here blog and what is already going on in her life...
My
biological father passed away when I was four years old. It was a
tragic loss making it hard to cope with everyday life. It was just my
mom, my sister, and me for five years.
When
tragedy, loss, or desperation strike a house hold, it is natural for
people to run to a comfort zone. People always are looking for a god to
rely on, whether it is Christ Almighty or an idol.
Growing up, missing
a father, I grew an attachment to food. At a young age I was gorging to
fill the void in my heart. This 'Food god' became a habit for years to
come. When my parents would confront me on this issue, I was quick to
deny it, or become offended. As I grew older i ran to food every time
something made me uncomfortable or sad.
Finally
I hit a wall, I did not want to be a slave to that god anymore. I was
unhappy, unhealthy, and even more depressed than I started out.
Sunday
night i cried out to heaven and hell "I DO NOT WANT TO DO THIS
ANYMORE'. It was then when i realized that this was more than an
addiction, it was a demonic stronghold. Admitting that to myself was
the first sign of redemption, I had been lying to myself for years
because i didn't want to be the girl who had the 'eating disorder'.
Coming
to G42 Leadership Academy was not an attempt to find myself, it is to
prepare myself and set the bar for my journey ahead. In this experience
I want to be completely real with myself and those around me. When this
revelation came to me Sunday night i had planned to tell my best
friend, Alaina,
and my mentor, Stephanie.
During class that morning, we were talking
about being full in the Holy Spirit and shutting down strongholds. We
began going around being honest and open about what we were dealing
with and how to be 'full' anyway. Sure enough my heart began pounding
like crazy and my face became hot. I did not want to share this with 20
people i had only met a week ago, I didn't even like to share it with
myself. I heard God say clearly to confess it with my mouth and declare
it gone.
So
I told everyone about this stronghold that had taken over my life, my
voice shaking and face turning red. I ended with, "but I'm done, so i
am saying right now to Heaven and Hell that this has no more control
over me and i am free." The moment i said that, I literally felt a
heaviness lifted off of me; Demon gone. It's amazing the authority you
have in the Lord, Amen.
The people i had confessed this to supported me
and loved on me. Of course, right after i felt vulnerable and naked,
regretting telling everyone. After the class, people came up to me
thanking me for sharing and being honest, which shut the enemy down
once again.
This
is not hard to share now because I AM DELIVERED IN THE NAME OF JESUS
and will never deal with that again. Thank you Jesus, Praise Jesus.
This Demon has lied to me, abused me, and manipulated me for 14 years,
and I am free.
I know that saying, "Merry Christmas" is not politically correct, but... for those of us that still believe , for those of us that still have faith in America, our dreams and traditions – for those of us that want to bring hope to our neighbors, our family and the poor of the earth – I say, Merry Christmas!!
As Lisa and I council young married couples and listen to their struggles – as we listen to our friends going thru financial troubles, some of them destitution – one of our spiritual kids mother just took her life this week - as we struggle with our own family's issues – (some pretty major ones this Christmas)!
We all get to stop these next two days and remember one thing... A man took all of our burdens, all of our sin, all our triumphs and all of our confusion and placed it on a cross.
If you believe or not; if you insist on saying Happy Holidays and not Merry Christmas – it doesn't change what this man did and what He will do for you – This man, Jesus, was born and died for you, period. He didn't die for you because He needed you to perform; He didn't die for you to be perfect or go to church – He died for you with one thing on His mind... just you.
You are loved and sought after by the greatest man whoever walked the earth – He is desperately in love with you and your family – and all you have to do in return is say "Yes" I believe. That is all He asks...
So, Merry Christmas, and even happy holidays from the BlackTribe!
This is from Tom Davis blog today - this is where we need to put our energy, period.
As you read this letter there are over 2 million children forced into prostitution and sex slavery.
This can be prevented and we can do something about it. These girls need our help and there isn't time to waste.
Right now, pimps and prostitution rings are targeting our precious, young girls. They wait for them to leave the protection of the orphanage, and then offer them a "job."
Many of the girls simply disappear: never heard from again by their friends. But sometimes you glimpse this horror.
Like the girl who was flung from the cab of a truck once her "client" was finished with her. She was paralyzed, never to walk again.
Or the young woman the police found in a ditch on the side of a busy road. Killed at the truck stop where she worked as a prostitute.
These were kids that could have been helped by our programs.
One of these stories is too many...2 million children is unfathomable. This is a direct result of evil having its way on the earth.
As Peter tells us, "Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." I Peter 5:8
We can't let him continue to destroy lives. You can stop this, and help reclaim a child's future.
HopeChest stops sex trafficking before it starts. In Russia, we are taking girls into residential living centers and community centers to actively protect them from the commercial sex trade. We identify girls early, while still in the orphanage.
Our staff form meaningful relationships to role model what successful living looks like. And when that girl leaves the orphanage, she knows exactly where to go for help--to HopeChest. She is not alone.
Amongst our girls, there is no sex trafficking. In fact, our transitional living homes have a 90%+ rate of helping girls find true independent life. This is the reality of God's Kingdom in action.
Seth Barnes blogged this today; if you have not read Adam's Return by Richard Rohr - I strongly recommend you do; both women and men; my daughters know who they want to marry and my sons are learning about initiation.
Gary Black and his family have been on a fascinating journey these past three years. At some point, I hope that he'll be able to share it with you. He's learned some great lessons (helped along the way by Richard Rohr) along the way that have cost a lot. We all get to learn these, or get bloodied and bruised because we couldn't learn them.
1. Life is hard
Being a Christian is not supposed to be easy all the time. We are going to suffer, get hurt, fall down. All great spirituality is about what we do with our pain. Embracing pain and learning from it will make you conscious, awake, and alert. God comes in and wounds our wounds and then starts to heal them...and we should embrace it, not turn and run the other direction when things are hard.
2. You're not that important
Either we are made by another or self-made, but all of us are transformed by people that are already transformed, and we can't do something until we see other people do it. Though our souls need meaning as much as our bodies need food, we can't give meaning.
3. It's not about you
Life is not about you but you are about life. You are about a universal and eternal pattern, and you don't have to figure it all out. We should be satisfied with being a part and only a part of the bigger picture.
4. You are not in control
You just get to BE, even if you can't wrap head around it. Everybody tells you to take control of your life and it sounds so godly and spiritual, but our bodies, souls, and especially our failures teach us that we are not in control. All God wants is the "yes" in our spirit - allow ourselves to be used despite the evidence against us. When we realize we're not in control we begin to care about other stuff, and become part of the huge mystery that helps change the world.
5. You are going to die
The most courageous thing you'll ever do is accept that you're just yourself, but we must die to self-image and small egos in order to become our real selves.
If these themes seem to hit you where it counts and you'd like to dive deeper in exploring them, I recommend reading Max Lucado's It's Not About Me.
Transformation; Change in form, appearance, nature and character
One of the young guys that I disciple on a regular basis called me the other day with a crisis – he hates his job, could be loosing it and did not know what to do; This person has been struggling with integrity and finding himself for most of his 20something life; I said, "This is a perfect time for you to hover above all the chaos and be transformed. Not just changed or allow this to make you a better person; but, transform who you are and not only that, but embrace and find joy (life) in the transformation! Only Jesus can transform you, you cannot transform yourself; you get to sit, wait, trust, embrace, contemplate and renew... you cannot find it, it finds you!"
It is no use either saying that if there is a God of that sort--- an impersonal absolute goodness--- then you do not like Him and are not going to bother about Him. For the trouble is that one part of you is on His side and really agrees with his disapproval of human greed and trickery and exploitation.
Miguel passed by a school that was full of students at the time of the earthquake that completely collapsed, killing most of the students. He said the stench was unbearable.
Last night, for example, according to unconfirmed reports, there were five D.R. police officers there to keep the peace who were murdered. The tension between the two nations is going to be exacerbated. It is possible that missionaries going in could be killed. We as a ministry will not be sending groups in until we have better assessed the security situation. 
I know that saying, "Merry Christmas" is not politically correct, but... for those of us that still believe , for those of us that still have faith in America, our dreams and traditions – for those of us that want to bring hope to our neighbors, our family and the poor of the earth – I say, Merry Christmas!! 
If you believe or not; if you insist on saying Happy Holidays and not Merry Christmas – it doesn't change what this man did and what He will do for you – This man, Jesus, was born and died for you, period. He didn't die for you because He needed you to perform; He didn't die for you to be perfect or go to church – He died for you with one thing on His mind... just you.
Gary Black and his family have been on a fascinating journey these past three years. At some point, I hope that he'll be able to share it with you. He's learned some great lessons (helped along the way by Richard Rohr) along the way that have cost a lot. We all get to learn these, or get bloodied and bruised because we couldn't learn them.