Changes

Change is in the air for us. Sunday morning we resigned our positions as area coordinators for the FUNatics at Oakton. We have served there for three years, literally founding the whole concept for the group. From it have come the Mountaineers (30's-40's) and the Faith Friends (40's - 50's). It has been an awesome ride for us, full of ups and downs. We still feel like each and every young adult is our "kid" and we know that will never change. It is time to concentrate our efforts into launching Revolution Ministries as we prepare for 2006 and the incredible things God is doing and is going to do. Our catering business has taken off and leaves us with little time to fulfill the demands of the area coordinator positions.

We are looking forward to having the freedom to teach and minister outside the confines of the church building. It is so sad how we as Christians have come to literally worship the organized church and it's facilities and programs and activities - how far have we come from the original church in Acts? Meeting together at all times - not just on Wednesdays and Sundays for the sake of the traditions of men. One thing we see in the original church of Jesus Christ is that people were bivocational - not just earning their money off the church - the money went to meet needs, not salaries. Men's agendas meant little because there was little to profit from them. How sad that man in all his "wisdom" put his finger in pot and mixed things up. Needs were being met - how opposite of today's organized church. People slip through the cracks because of the immense guilt of not being able to serve the structure of organized religion. Instead, why can't the structure change to serve the people? Why are we bound to traditions?

I had a talk with one of my girls last night about this whole issue of guilt and works and what makes a person a Christian. How limited in our thinking we are! We have made our whole existence about salvation - sin consciousness if you will. We feel like the hounds of heaven are breathing down our necks if we do not perform well and do all the outward things man says Christians should do. We put such high expectations on people which really amount to very little in the eyes of God. What He is after is relationship - relationship - relationship. It is about the unseen! Do we see the inner workings of an apple tree? No - we just know it works - apple trees produce apples with no effort. They don't have to try to produce them, or talk themselves into producing them, or spend certain amounts of time with the orchard tender appeasing and trying to convince him to help them produce apples! We do not serve a buddha God! Apple trees produce apples because it is what they are - they are doing what is in them to do. Same with us - God has saved us through His Son, Jesus Christ, and has placed His righteousness in us. Now, through no outward striving of our own, we are transformed into His likeness on the inside (in spirit). The more we get out of the way and allow God to be who He is through us, the more we produce fruit naturally. If we could only see that we do not owe God anything for what He's done for us - He did it because He loved us first. I would hate to think that because I chose Darrel for my husband, that everything he did from now on was because he felt like he owed me. Same with my kids. Same with me and God. I want to please Him because I love Him and I want to show Him that I love Him - just like my children will bring me a flower or pick up their toys without being asked or will just sit and visit with me in the evenings.

I hope I am getting my point across and not just babbling along. Today I feel like we have made the jump and have landed on new ground - fresh ground awaiting seeds to be sown and harvests to be reaped - not only with ministry, but in our thinking and beliefs as well. God is changing us so much. We are finding a new place of walking in Christ's righteousness consciousness. Getting out of the way - abandoning human and selfish ambition and agendas - not trying to be "good enough" anymore, but realizing that in Him we are. Living victorious and as a conquerer. Darrel and I were at Starbucks Saturday night and we saw this girl with a great t-shirt on. It said, "Stop bitching...start a revolution." How great is that? Let's be advocates of change and not sideline whiners. Let's jump in and join this exciting revolution of what we know to be the Church of Jesus Christ - the body! That is my invitation to you today.

By the way, if you are in our area and want to join the Revolution girls for our upcoming study (beginning in January) of the book "Captivating" by John Eldredge, let me know - I'm ordering books this week ($23 for book & workbook). We would love to have you!