2010 Update #1

Reflections of Praise

Happy New Year! Hope you were able to enjoy the Christmas season as much as I did! In His own way, God taught me a little more about celebrating His presence and intentionally seeking Him out during a packed schedule and during times alone when I don’t know what to do with myself. Definitely feel refreshed and ready to face the new year at His feet and by His side.

Please Pray

• for clear vision and greater faith for the next step: get the sense this year isn’t going to be easy, but not in a bad way! He’s given general direction toward which to move, but it might not be a straight shot from here to there. Just another reminder to us He is not just about results, but also about spiritual growth. That usually happens one step at a time…
• for 2010 participants: with Urbana just finished and Passion 2010 happening right now, we need to position ourselves to receive from God His ways to connect us with the ones He has chosen from these venues to send through WFI to the nations…while they are still thinking about it!
• for big picture vision in the “little things”: any organization needs to cover a lot of little details in order to grow and move forward…need to use our time wisely to balance the stuff people see with the foundational tasks people don’t see
• for Martin (WFI president), who is in India: here’s his first post…please pray for his health and safety as he travels, fellowship among his team, and spiritual eyes and ears to observe and receive what God is doing there

Looking Ahead

The day after Christmas, our worship team was hanging out while we were waiting for people to arrive for practice. Having just finished the Christmas Eve service less than 48 hours prior, we started talking about how it went, and then about other Christmas Eve services we had before we were on our current property. The one most of us remembered was the one we stood outside as we lit the candles (and how we didn’t even know each other at the time even though we were all there!).

Besides being really cold , I remember that service because the speaker put forth an idea that has stuck with me ever since: based on distance and the speed at which light travels (and some other stuff I don’t know), the star the wise men followed to Bethlehem was estimated to be birthed about 6000 years ago, right around the time of Creation and the Fall. Not being an astronomer or even remotely scientifically gifted, I have no idea how to validate that suggestion, but the concept instantly captured my imagination. Doesn’t that just sound like our God to infuse a natural occurrence with so much intention and to time it so perfectly? From the moment we first sinned, God had every detail of His salvation plan worked out.

Whether or not this can be a scientifically proven fact is not nearly as important as the fact our God has perfect, creative, intentional purpose in things we often take for granted. Sometimes the hardest thing for me to do is realize God in the little things. As we look ahead into 2010, as we make our plans and surrender them to Him, isn’t it a relief to know He is able and desiring to infuse Himself and His heart into what may seem like just another day (even when it is “one of those days”!)? And to know this life, too, is a part of His salvation plan for us as He prepares us to be face-to-face with Him.

May God bless us as we live each day with an ever-enlarging view of Him!

I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? Jeremiah 32.27