Eclectic Waters

Archive for May, 2010

To [tag]grow[/tag] [tag]spiritual[/tag]ly: do the next right thing you know to do.

Notes from [tag]Dallas Willard[/tag] @ [tag]Catalyst[/tag] conference

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This statement sparked an “aha” moment for almost everyone in my group. We could see this truth in our past spiritual lives and it simplified the overwhelming questions of:

- what should I do? How can I grow? What is God calling me to?

These questions are broken into a simple bite sized statement. Do the next right thing. That’s it. Simple.

So the remaining question for us is: What is the next right thing you know to do?

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For me it is continuing to carve time out of my day to write. I’ve been given a gift and a passion for words. I don’t want to waste it.

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GRACE – God acting in your life what you cannot accomplish on your own. GRACE – does not make us passive.

Grace is not opposed to effort (action), it is opposed to earning (attitude). Discipline is God enabling us to enter into something good. There is a difference between training and trying.

Notes from Dallas Willard at Catalyst.

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Incredible. I had not heard Dallas speak before. I hardly looked up from writing my notes as his responses to the interviewer were articulate and each sentence held so much truth. Listening to him I took a deep breath as each sentence sunk in. WOW! I had not heard that truth articulated so clearly and powerfully before. I loved the sentence I underlined above.

I am inspired by action. I love to get things done. This is a strength, but sometimes I forget that my accomplishments do not define me. Willard’s statement about grace brought the truth to the center of my heart. God’s grace towards me means I do not have to earn his favor, or earn/prove my value. He has bought me with a price – the price of His precious son’s blood. My value is intrinsic and NOT dependent on anything I do or bring to the table. Willard’s statement examines the motivation for behind effort and achievement. Effort and achievement are not wrong – they can be great tools in God’s hands; however, it is my attitude I need to watch. If I am trying to EARN my value, worth and God’s favor, I am disrespecting Him and the tremendous gift He wants to freely give me.

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Thank you Lord for the wonderful gift you’ve given me. Thank you for your love for me – your grace towards me. Thank you for sending your son Jesus to die for my sins that I might be free, be healed and have a right relationship with you. Thank you for guiding me, valuing me and being God. You are worthy of all of our praise – you are worthy of each of our thoughts and actions and lives. You created us. We are yours. We are only home when we are in you. Thank you!

Sometimes [tag]God[/tag] says no because He loves you. Some of you don’t know why God is saying no, praise Him for that, because He loves you.

Notes from [tag]Mark Driscoll[/tag] @ [tag]Catalyst[/tag]

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The moment he said this I thought of being single. I feel stupid even typing it. But it’s what came to mind. I have no idea why some find the person they love and marry when they are 18, and why others do not find that person until they are in their late twenties, mid thirties or even later than that. Mark’s words were extremely comforting to me because they acknowledged that sometimes we will not understand. Sometimes there will be no logical reason, in our minds, as to why God is saying no.

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At my [tag]church[/tag], the Flood, we are finishing up a series called “Touch: Real Sex in an Artificial World” and today we had a panel with: Elaine Martens Hamilton, a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, Ryan Jackson, a Marriage & Family Therapist Intern, and Mike Dauphinee, a professional consultant, speaker and StrengthsFinder coach.

It was an amazing conversation. They answered questions the Flooders had submitted the week before and wrestled with them. Instead of slapping bible verses on the questions and trying to quickly define right and wrong, they spent time talking about the complexity and how to have integrity. They spoke about truth, but in an honest and loving way. It was incredible to be a part of the service. The moment that touched me the most was when the question came up, “Is masturbation wrong?” They gave this question to Mike.

He openly talked about being a 35 year old virgin and the conflicting messages he has received from people. One side says, “You should do it, it’s ok and especially being [tag]single[/tag] to survive,” while the other stated, “no, it’s a sin.” He brought up that pornography is definitely a sin because it involves lusting after someone, which is clearly articulated as adultery in the Bible. While he didn’t directly answer the question, he took the time to articulate what it was like being single and how most of his friends are married, and that it is extremely important to have people you can be honest with. He has friends he can call and say, “I need some family time.” They invite him into their homes and he gets to be a part of their family. BUT, he said, I’m not saying it’s not hard. There are nights where I drive home alone…

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It was so refreshing and wonderful to have him on stage, front and center, being honest about his life, struggles and thoughts as a single IN CHURCH. Unfortunately, sometimes singles are swept aside or seen as ‘less than’ in church (perhaps not overtly, but inadvertently) I left service feeling a part of the community here, feeling less messy and more human.
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Questions: Is there anything you feel God is saying NO to you about that you don’t understand why He is saying no? Where are you on the journey of accepting His answer?

I ran 11 miles [tag]today[/tag].

This week has been A LOT better than last week. I was in a funk last week. Finally over it!

I started a new blog… more to come on this in the future.

I am tired of blogging about [tag]Catalyst[/tag] – so my new goal is to have all my blogs/thoughts about it compiled by the end of May.

I’m meeting some really great new people.

I’m hoping to learn to swing [tag]dance[/tag] this summer.

I want to stop thinking about the difference I could make, and make it.

I want to stop thinking I am not doing a good job, and believe that I am because I am giving my best.

I want more time to be still. I’ve been really busy.

I’ve been relaxing more – i.e. watching more movies and 24 season 2.

I laughed a lot today. I like [tag]laughing[/tag]. This picture makes me laugh.
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We hear a great message. Take arduous notes, and a week later, the notes lay crumpled in the corner of our desk. Two weeks later we wistfully throw them away, when am I going to have time to read them anyway? Blogging on the messages I heard at[tag] Catalyst [/tag]is making me accountable to sit with what was taught and process it beyond the first time hearing of the words.

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The power in the message [tag]Mark Driscoll [/tag] preached was that it focused completely on [tag]GOD[/tag]‘s work in the [tag]church[/tag]. Being an achiever who loves to get things done, I focus on what I can get done. Usually this creates momentum & joy in my life, but when I forget GOD, this drive begins to lead me towards weariness and discouragement as I create long lists of things I feel I must accomplish, forgetting that the world does not rest on my shoulders. Thank God! Really! When I stop and think about the world resting on my shoulders, I shake my head, laugh a little, and say, what were you thinking Deanne? In that moment, I feel my hands opening up – releasing the need to do and releasing the control I fought to maintain that I never actually had. All I had were white knuckles and a neck bulging with knots.

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To breeze over Mark’s other points:

5. [tag]Jesus[/tag] encourages [tag]leaders[/tag].

6. The Holy Spirit speaks to leaders in the [tag]church[/tag].

I love that [tag]God speaks[/tag] today. While I do not hear an audible voice, I sense his words in my Spirit, as in my provision story last week.

7. God gives wisdom to leaders through the [tag]Bible[/tag].

His word is alive today.

8. (Mark skipped this one in the interest of time)

9. God answers the prayers that leaders pray for the church.

The church may be broken, mangled and not all that she could be but God still works within her midst. Let’s continue to pray for the church. While this verse in the Bible is not speaking about the church but of the tabernacle, it reminds me of his work in her today:

“God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.” – Psalm 46:5, NIV.

10. The Holy Spirit Falls upon the church.

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