Tag Archives: Jesus

The Spirit Came Like A Gentle Flood

Posted on by

0

Kids Playing in Creek,oil on canvas,2009,45 X 36cm

This morning, baby Brook, the six month old that I watch, came over bright and early at 6 a.m.  He seemed content to play with some toys on the floor so I brewed a cup of coffee and decided to snuggle up in the big chair in my living room.  At first, I reached for one of the books I’m slowly reading through, but at the last second my hand made a quick right hand turn and landed on my Bible instead.

Sometimes it’s hard to pray, but this morning as I read my Bible and began to pray, the Spirit came like a gentle flood.  At first I was unaware, but as I continued, the water bubbled up, covering my toes then up to my knees and soon I was immersed.  The living water seeped into my pores, like it knew where to go and it sought out the places that needed God.

Of course, I’m speaking figuratively.  If my living room had actually flooded I would have been screaming in horror, but there are not literal ways accurate enough nor beautiful enough to describe what it’s like when the Spirit of God feels so close, so real.

Sometimes I feel like a lost cause.  A lot of times like I’m not living up to my potential.  But if I look back on my life, in every cold place or season of new blooms, I can see the arrows, they are everywhere, pointing me on toward Jesus.  The fact that I am who I am right now is in itself a miracle.  The fact that my life isn’t still a heaping pile of regrets and sadness is a miracle.  My life is a miracle.  And I know the arrows won’t stop.

The Spirit came like a gentle flood.  The living water seeped into my pores, like it knew where to go and it sought out the places that needed God.

How Stories Intertwine

Posted on by

4

It’s funny how stories intertwine.  People’s stories that is.  Life stories.

When I was in college two 20-something guys moved to town – Pullman, Washington that is.  They came from Texas and they definitely had the accents so nobody was mistaken.  Josh and Drew.  They were really cool in my opinion and they came to town to start a church.

Josh.

Drew.

At the time, Pullman had a lot of churches, but not any that really felt like home (to me at least).  As a college kid I visited a lot of churches in Pullman and the surrounding area.  All great churches, but it was really easy to church hop throughout college based on where my current friends or dorm-mates were going because I never stuck to any particular church.  Probably because while I always felt welcome in the churches, I always walked away from a Sunday morning feeling like a visitor – never like I was a part of something.

So anyway, Josh and Drew showed up and they started talking about starting a church.  ”But there are a lot of churches around here…so why start another one?” my brain asked.  They said they wanted to start a different kind of church.  I still wasn’t sure what that meant.

They spent their first year in Pullman talking to a lot of people.  Sharing their vision and hoping that people would align with that vision and want to join the team, so to speak.

At the time, I was already heavily invested in a campus ministry called CRU (formerly known as Campus Crusade For Christ).  So while I appreciated what they were trying to do, I guess I never really joined the team myself.

But a lot of people did.  Just a few at first, but more came later.

I did attend the church’s first ever service, in a nice modern event center.  The service was different than I’d experienced before.  It was artsy and maybe even a little bit hipster, years before anybody knew what hispter was.

Josh and his wife Amy.

See what I mean???

Josh played his guitar to lead worship and a guy named Keith shared a message.  It was good, but like I said, I never really got too involved during my time in Pullman.

I probably visited Resonate, that’s the name of the church, a few more times before I graduated, but really that was it.  Mostly, it’s been since I left Pullman that this church’s story has really caught my attention.  Because I left Pullman, but Resonate didn’t and it seems like many college students continue to find a home and find Jesus in this church and with these people.  I love that.  I’ve seen videos of baptism services online via social media and updates about things they’re doing and it’s amazing.  Because I remember when all of that was just an idea that two Texans came to town talking about.

Anyway, by now you might be asking, “Erin, how does this all relate to you?”  Well, two things:

One: It just so happened that Drew was the person who convinced me to buy a one-way ticket to California the day before I graduated.  Or I guess it was God through Drew, who convinced me to take that giant leap of faith, but you get what I’m saying.

It was the day before I graduated and I was working out on the main level of the student REC center when I ran into Drew.  I’d never bumped into him at the gym before, but that day I did.

Drew asked me if I had made a decision about California yet.  I regretfully told him that I had.  I told him that although the opportunity I had in California sounded great, I was going to be moving back home to Spokane and if somehow I got a job in California over the coarse of the next year, then maybe I would consider moving then.

Drew read my face and then said, “You don’t seem very excited about that,” (or maybe he said something else along those lines, but it’s been a few years so I don’t remember his exact quote there).

I told him I wasn’t, but that it’s what I needed to do for now.  Then Drew asked me two questions that literally changed my life.

He said, “Erin, if you take this big chance and move to California, do you think a few years from now you’d ever wake up and wish you hadn’t gone?“

“No,” I said.  ”I suppose if it didn’t work out I could always move back home.”

“Okay,” he said, “Then what about this: If you move back home to Spokane, would you ever wake up one day and wonder what could have happened if you would have just taken this leap of faith?  Would you ever wonder what God could have done in your life if you would have just trusted him on this.”

I paused.

And then after inhaling a big breath I sighed and replied, “Every day of my life…”

“Well I think you have your answer then,” he said.

Shortly following that I began to cry and it probably appeared to those standing by that some guy was breaking up with me in the middle of the gym.  That felt awkward, but I didn’t care because God had just done something in my heart and I was still processing it.

So that was that.  I thanked Drew for his time and I walked up the stairs and pedaled on the elliptical machine for thirty minutes while I daydreamed about what California would be like now that I had decided I would go.

The rest is history.  It’s a long story, actually too.  But through this decision to move to California and follow’s God’s leading a lot of crazy things happened in my life.  The day after I moved to San Luis Obispo I met my husband and as soon as I arrived the Lord started healing all the deep places in my life that I had needed him to for so long.

Secondly: the reason for me sharing this story?  It just so happens that one of the guys I mentioned, Josh, just wrote and published his first book!  It’s called Saturday Nothing: The Words I Wrote While Waiting On Jesus.  If 3,095 people buy this book tomorrow it would make his self-published, Kickstarter funded book by a no-name author a best-seller… and that would be a cool story too!

I pre-ordered my copy months ago when Josh started his Kickstarter campaign.  Basically he wanted to reach his financial goal of $4,000 to fund his book over the coarse of five months or so.  But there was a huge response, he raised more than his goal in only 24 hours.  Then, the financial support kept pouring in and he ended up raising over $10,000.

Anyway, it’s a great story and you can read about his Kickstarter campaign here or check out his blog if you want to check out more of his writing.

But mostly why I’m sharing this is so you have the chance to hear about Josh’s book and can purchase it tomorrow on November 1st on Amazon and help make history.

I don’t know about you, but I love grass roots projects and it’s fun to see people’s dreams come true in bigger ways than they even imagined.  I think the heart of God is like that too.  Anyway, you should buy his book.

In some roundabout way, Josh and Drew’s decision to move to Pullman, Washington to start a church resulted in my decision to move to California.  Wow.  It’s amazing how stories intertwine.

Stuck in Saturday

Posted on by

I read a great article in Relevant magazine a few weeks ago.  I know I said that Real Simple is my favorite magazine, which it is, but Relevant is my other favorite.  The article was called Stuck In Saturday and ever since I read it it’s been hanging around in my mind.

In summary, the article described how Holy Week teaches us about waiting.  I know Easter has already come and gone, but God doesn’t move according to my calendar so I’m just now realizing some things related to the purpose of the past couple weeks.

In church we focus a lot on what happened on Friday and Sunday because they both represent universe-altering events.  But what often gets overlooked is Saturday.  What was Saturday like for the disciples and those who were closest to Jesus?  Saturday probably wasn’t a very good day – and that’s the understatement of the last two centuries!  And why was Saturday even necessary?  Why didn’t God just raise Jesus on Saturday and spare everyone the pain and disillusionment that Saturday’s waiting brought with it?  Why?

I’ve been wrestling with my own Satuday lately.  That’s why it is 1:30 a.m. and I am still awake on a work night thinking.  Because while there are so many blessings and things going right in my life right now, there are a few blessings-in-the-process where the waiting feels painfully long and drawn out.  Things that are making the water muddy and thick and clouding up my vision for the good things I have.  Things that I’m attempting to face and have faith for.  It’s a slow walk to the alter sometimes, isnt it?

I’m being quite vague about what I’m referring to, I know, but it’s one of those cases where I’ll gladly share the story once I’m on the other side.  In fact , I’m sure I’ll be so eccstatic that I’ll be sharing the story with random strangers and anyone who will listen to me.

Isn’t it beautiful how it always turns out that way?  The Lord tells us that those who hope in Him will not be put to shame.  Saturday will not last forever.  The cycle will come full circle.  Death and mourning are naturally followed by new life and gladness.  Thank you Easter for this lesson.  Lord help me trust you in my Saturday.

The Art of Story Telling

Posted on by

0

This afternoon was peaceful and sunny and I got to spend thirty minutes of it driving down the 101 to Santa Maria to attend a seminar for my job.  About twenty of us gathered in the Radisson Hotel’s small conference room to attend a seminar called StorySelling for Non Profits. 

I was instantly jealous of the man who lead the seminar.  His job is to help businesses and people learn how to tell a story in a way that can produce a desired outcome.  He talked about what kind of stories to use and then broke it down even further describing what kinds of things are important when telling a story.  So his job title literally is “Master Storyteller.”  Again, I’m very jealous.  So as you can imagine, the seminar was highly entertaining as he, of course, constantly used stories to help teach us and relay his message.   

It made me think a lot about what I love to do.  I love to write.  To communicate things.  I’d like to be better at standing up in front of an audience and speaking, but I’ll admit that I’m much more comfortable communicating from behind a computer screen.  I have a lot in my head and sometimes it doesn’t all come out right when I don’t have the grace to type a sentence over three times before it sounds right. 

But today also made me think a lot about the Gospel Story.  Sometimes I’ve heard it referred to as the gospel, and other times it’s called the gospel story.  But after experiencing this seminar today, I think that “gospel story” makes more sense because when we as Christians simply state facts about what happened: 

  • Jesus came to the earth for us, he died for our sins, he rose again and now we can believe in Him and live our lives for him…

I think a lot of times we lose our audience just after we say “Jesus.”  Not that anything I stated above is false.  It’s just that no matter what the topic is, listing off facts or information about something isn’t very interesting.  Facts allow your mind wander and by the time you’re done telling someone about how the Son of God died for them they are already thinking about what flavor of smoothie they are going to order on their lunch break.

But on the other hand stories captivate an audience.  They pull you in.  They tug on your heart strings and leave you bubbling with emotion by creating a metaphor in which the listener can see himself within the story. 

So what does this mean in terms of how I present the gospel?  I don’t really know yet.  I need a lot more time to think about it than the thirty minutes I had driving home from Santa Maria.  But I do know that I don’t ever want to talk about my Lord and Savior in a way that’s boring.  Because the gospel story is riveting!  It’s dramatic and like we as Christians know, it illicits an immediate response.  However I think sometimes we tell it, I tell it, in the same fashion that we would use to talk about what we ate for lunch yesterday; it’s not very exciting. 

So maybe in the coming days I will craft a story that tells the gospel in a way that when I am talking with someone and the Lord gives me an opportunity, instead of saying “Have you heard about how Jesus did this for you…?”  I will pause and say, “If you have a moment, I would love to tell you the most amazing story you have every heard.” 

In the meantime, I thought I’d share a section of my notes from the seminar today.

5 Secrets To Becoming A Master Story Teller

1.      Listen Before You Speak

  •         Know who you’re talking to and what they care about

2.      Tell What’s True In You

  • people see through smoke screens.  Tell a true story.  People can feel when they’re being lied to.

3.      A Hero With A Problem

  • Make sure you have a problem or conflict point in the story.  There must be an “overcoming point” or conflict resolution in each good story

4.      Get Hooked On A Feeling

  • People are more motivated by how they feel about something than the logic behind it
  • So use details
  • Pause and see it (aka: act it out in your facial expressions and body language)
  • Feel it (you must “feel your story” as you tell it.  Otherwise people will see that you don’t really believe it yourself)

5.      And Your Point Is…?

  • Know your point in advance.  What do you want your listeners to do after hearing your story?
  • Throw out what doesn’t contribute to your overall point
  • Keep it short and sweet

Truth or Dare, Or Maybe Both

Posted on by

3

Some books give you that fuzzy, feel good all over feeling.  You know, the ones you read all snuggled up in a blanket on your favorite chair with some pistachios and a glass of wine in hand?  The ones that tell of romance and true love, that bring a deeper understanding about God’s grace and acceptance in our lives, and the kind that spur our hearts to dream magical and enchanting dreams.  The book I’m reading now is, unfortunately, not one of those books. 

I hesitantly cracked open the paperback book with the orange cover that my boss handed out to our entire staff at work two weeks ago.  About three pages in I felt like I was lying helpless on the floor, exposed, and hurting.  Big questions began floating around my mind, bumping into one another and my head began to hurt.  Sure makes you want to read this book, huh?  

This is not a book review because after sitting down at BlackHorse Espresso for forty-five minutes today on my lunch break I only made it through the first chapter and I am not sure I even want to continue reading.  I’m not sure I know how to answer the big questions and I’m not sure how to put literally anything from the first chapter into action.  However, just like in The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, once you know that there’s something real on the other side of the wardrobe, it’s impossible to continue playing hide-n-seek in the house pretending that you aren’t at least curious about what’s on the other side.

 But enough suspense already.  The book published last year is called “Radical” by David Platt and the subtitle states: “Taking Back Your Faith From the American Dream”.  I told you, this is not a fuzzy kind of book.  Yet the reason I trust what is written on the pages of this book is that it is a message that has increasingly emerged from small and humble pulpits around America over the past few decades.  It is also a topic that my favorite preacher Paul Washer has passionately and respectfully been yelling at people for most of his ministry.  And like this book points out, the most convincing and gut wrenching reason why I should care about this is because the tough words I’m being laid out on the floor by are not those of David Platt but they are the unblemished, unbiased, swear your life on it, truthful words of Jesus Christ himself.

 So send me a card, buy me a latte or maybe just read the book along with me because I’m in need of some TLC as I let the words of Jesus rip apart my perfectly outfitted American Dream life.  I pray I have the strength to not fight back too hard and to let him have his way in me.

I want the truth and I’m daring to try and find it.  Are you?

______________________________________________________

Click to see the You Tube book trailer for “Radical”

Click here to buy the book or submit your email address to receive the first chapter of the book for free