come away.

"Come out from among them
and be seperate, says the Lord."
2 Corinthians 6:17

My beloved, you do not need to make your path, for I go before you. Yes, I will engineer circumstances on your behalf. I am your husband; I will protect you, care for you, and make full provision for you.
I know your need, and I am concerned for you: for your peace, for your health, for your strength. I cannot use a tired body, and you need to take time to renew your energies, both spiritual and physical. I am the God of battle, but I am also the One who said, "Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength" (Isaiah 40:31).
I will teach you, as I taught Moses on the back side of the desert, and as I taught Paul in Arabia. In the same way, I will teach you, and it will be a constructive period, not in any sense wasted time. Like the summer course to the schoolteacher, it is vital to you in order to become fully qualified for your ministry.
There is no virtue in activity in and of itself - nor in inactivity. I minister to you in solitude that you may minister Me to others as a spontaneous overflow of our communion. Never labor to serve, nor force opportunities. Set your heart to be at peace and to sit at My feet. Learn to be ready but not to be anxious. Learn to say "no" to human demands and to say "yes" to the call of the Spirit. These may sometimes be at variance. Do not be distressed by the misunderstanding of people. Let Me take care of them Myself. They too must learn this same important lesson, and you can help them by setting the example; but if you try to please them by answering every demand, you will both fall into the same snare.
I am a jealous God, and I am always at peace with Myself. I would have you also to be at peace with My Spirit within you. As you give Me My rightful place and do not allow others to intrude, you will be at peace with Me. Be very serious in this. I am not speaking to you lightly. I was never more earnest in any message I have brought to you. Do not fail Me. I have brought you this message at various times in the past. It was never more urgent then now.
For people are experienceing a new awakening, and they are searching for My Truth more than ever. I must speak through My prophets; and if they are not set apart for Me, how can I instruct them? Yes, I will nourish you by the brook as I nourished Elijah; and I will speak to you out of the bush as I spoke to Moses and reveal My glory on the hillside as I did to the shepherds.
Come away, My beloved; be like the doe on the mountains; and we will go down together to the gardens.

[frances roberts]

betel.

I miss our Betel kids. Every monday night, a bunch of us would go down to the park in the neighborhood adjacent to the Betel Spanish church in downtown Saint Paul and spend some time romping around the playground and open field with the kids. They are so beautiful and so curious about this 'Jesus.' I can't wait until next summer.

Diego reading his new Bible
Jaelyn, Aezhi, and I...watching the girls 'cheerlead'
Calia and Jaelyn

this present age.

Modern observations. I think we can all relate. 1. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is. 2. Shirts get dirty. Socks gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever. 3. Nothing stinks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong. 4. Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you're going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to be going? But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the direction from which you came, you have to first do something like check your watch or phone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you're crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk. 5. Do you remember when you were a kid playing Nintendo and it wouldn't work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQ's. We just figured it out. Today's kids are soft. 6. I think everyone has a movie that they love so much, it actually becomes stressful to watch it with other people. I'll end up wasting 90 minutes shiftily glancing around to confirm that everyone's laughing at the right parts, then making sure I laugh just a little bit harder (and a millisecond earlier) to prove that I'm still the only one who really, really gets it. 7. The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text. 8. Was learning cursive really necessary? 9. Lol has gone from meaning, "laugh out loud" to "I have nothing else to say". 10. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger. 11. Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron test is absolutely petrifying. 12. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear what they said? 13. Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using 'as in' examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today I had to spell my boss's last name to an attorney and said "Yes that's G as in...(10 second lapse)...ummm...Goonies" 14. MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood. 15. I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water. 16. More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can't wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that's not only better, but also more directly involves me. 17. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired. 18. If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible. 19. Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't be a problem.... 20. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't want to have to restart my collection. 21. There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to fall after leaning your chair back a little too far. 22. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to. 23. I hate being the one with the remote in a room full of people watching TV. There's so much pressure. 'I love this show, but will they judge me if I keep it on? I bet everyone is wishing we weren't watching this. It's only a matter of time before they all get up and leave the room. Will we still be friends after this?' 24. I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Crap!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away? 25. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste. 26. I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes. 27. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet my life everyone can find and push the Snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time every time.

Brought to you by the clever people at ruminations.com.

mankind.

I love people observing. (Understanding? Beholding?)

Like the boy who was burning something (I think) in a parking space outside Knutson and then randomly ran in a mad rush back into the dorms. And then back out. And then back in. And then back out to the parking lot. And then back in. I was going to roll down my window and ask him if he needed help, but we pulled away before he came out again. Weird? Maybe. Absorbing and entertaining? Yes.

Or when my confident physio professor meekly admitted that people have openly mocked him, his mannerisms, and beliefs before. And that it hurt. Didn't see that one coming.

Or the girl who sits towards the front of the class and always has a sweater, shirt, or otherwise falling off one shoulder revealing an alarming amount of tank tops layered beneath and a bit too much skin. I just want to help her out and zip her jacket closed every day.

I've noticed people on sidewalks have a lot of trouble maintaining or making eye contact. And then it gets real awkward when you sort of know the person but not really. I've found that being deliberate is the best bet...none of that hesitating stuff.

The shuttle drivers, security guards, and maintenance men at Northwestern could possibly be the sweetest, most pleasant people on campus. Especially the big, Russian security guard with the white, fu man chu mustache and the fur bomber hat. He's about four times my size, and he gave me a piece of candy yesterday when I got on the bus. No words...just handed it to me.

Some faces just look so lived in, so cultured and grounded in existence. I feel really safe with these people because they'll always know what to do.

i will give you rest says the Lord.

I visit these mountains with frequency. And I stand here with my arms out. Now somedays they'll last longer than others but this day by the lake went too fast.

unlit

Today I found out one of my dearest friends has been clinically diagnosed with narcolepsy. We died laughing. I just bought sock monkey slippers. and they are the best thing ever; It's not everyday that you have footwear that is happy to see you. Target has been out of Splenda for approximately three weeks. Don't worry I've been checking. twice a week. I dreamt about an important decision I needed to make, decided what to do in the dream, and then carried that out in real life. Is that okay to do? If you don't bring things to the Lord,

hourly,

you may become disheartened. That was made quite clear to me two hours ago. In Physio Psyc today, I learned that it's detrimental to your health to sleep with the light on. You wont produce enough melatonin. I'm not going to explain that, just Google it and make sure your room is unlit.

scribbling

This is an excerpt from Heidi Baker's Compelled by Love. I like it. It's real, it's truthful, and a wonderful picture of our grace-filled and loving God. Our attempts to minister to others may be feeble to some, but they are precious to God. We may minister like a three-year-old drawing their first picture, but we try as hard as we can, and with great joy we scribble our picture for God. We may mess it up or rip the page. But when God our Father looks at what we have done for Him, He says, "It's amazing; it's fabulous!" If God had a fridge in heaven, our pictures would be on it.

i got raspberry chai.

Check out Uncommon Grounds on Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis if you’re looking for an phenomenal place to study. It’s jazzy and Victorian at the same time, and if you sit by the window you can see city residents walking their dogs by the wrought iron fence and smoking cigarettes in the cold.

Elsie, Gwen, and I were sitting at one of the green velvet booths earlier today, working on finding articles and writing, when we noticed this couple sitting a few feet away. They were definitely on a first or second date; he in a nice plaid and she in a brown peacoat. We couldn't help but overhear their conversation since they were literally within reach. The couple approached the end of their time together, packed up and left, and we watched out the window as they ambled down the porch steps. He pulled her close in a slightly awkward hug and then they turned their separate ways on the sidewalk and walked away.

"She could do better than him," Gwen said right away.

"Agreed," I nodded.

"Did you hear what he was saying?!" Elsie raised an eyebrow. 

"Yeah. Seedy," Gwen nodded. 

Needless to say, most of his conversation was pretty unwholesome and the woman was constantly trying to accommodate his lack of taste and manners. We went back to our typing when all of a sudden the man came back into view, walked up the porch steps and back into the coffee shop. He hurriedly strode to the back of the store and went out the back door.

"What is he doing?" Elsie whispered.

"I don't know," I said, "Weird."

He didn't return so Gwen got up to go get another Zoom (coffee with a shot of espresso and a shot of chocolate or whipped cream). As soon as she sat back down, the back door slammed and he walked back through the coffeehouse and out the front of the door. This time, instead of walking to the left, he turned to the right and followed the same path the woman had walked.

"Silly man," Gwen said. 

We three thought this was sketchy and wanted to record it for all of cyberspace to see.

spain

Check out my friend Jessie's blog!She's adventuring in Spain and experiencing everything from the poop patrol to traversing the Spanish countryside and coastal towns completely on her own.

the rain in spain falls mainly on the plain

 

its been a strange week.

So there are these two prayer groups that each meet once a week that I've been trying to go to this year. One meets on Tuesday mornings in the Student Center to prayer-walk the campus on the way down to class and the other meets at 3am Thursday nights/Friday mornings (also in the Stu) and then we branch out from there to pray over specific rooms, dorms, or other places. Most of the time, I am a thorough failure at both. I'm one of those people who needs like ten hours of sleep to be functioning somewhat competently throughout the day, and I cannot tell you how many times I've slept through my alarm and missed these precious times to gather and pray. Most of the time, it really bothers me when I do this and I end up slightly upset with myself for missing something that I've made a commitment to attend and for missing an hour to spend with the Lord. However, sometimes I really am selfishly glad I slept through my alarm and got to stay in my warm, cozy bed and sleep a few extra hours (my bed at school is unbelievable, it beats all). This is my flesh at its best.

This last week, I slept through both. I fully intended to get up, but I woke up hours after my alarm was supposed to go off. I was upset at first but definitely sank straight into a, "Well, oh well I got to sleep more" attitude.

I blew it off at first, but honestly, this last week was one of the most confusing and strange weeks I've had in a long time. Never before this year had I ever attended something on a regular basis specifically to pray. I've always had a short attention span and I'm impatient by nature, so praying for long periods of time has never been a strength. If I can pray for even ten minutes, I consider that a great achievement. But this year, I've learned to walk and talk out loud to God with others for hours...and it's amazing. It's changing me.

It was a subtle difference at first...I didn't even notice it. If you asked me last semester if I felt any different, I probably would have denied it and claimed it was sheer will that made me wake up in the morning (or in the middle of the night). Something kind of like running the last part of a four-mile jog (or marathon if your my roommates and drew), when you're body is aching and your lungs feel like their going to burst, but you keep going simply so you can finish and claim that for yourself. That was me last semester.

However, this morning, by the grace of God (and I really think it was) I woke up to my alarm. I was a little irritable and tired walking over to the main dorms from South but mostly just pleased that I had actually woken up. I wanted to be near Him too; the last week had been so dry and confusing without any quality prayer with fellow believers.

I met the group in the Student Center and we started walking down toward Maranatha, spouting off our thoughts, praises, and petitions to the Lord. I didn't expect anything to be different this morning, but it was. I felt His presence... and this morning, the only word I can use to describe it is fresh. It was like jumping into a pool after you've been in a hot tub too long. Or something like that.

 I'm definitely the type of person who over-analyzes most everything and I can be way too critical about things. But the Lord is changing and softening my heart about prayer. It's way more important than, "Dear Lord, thank you for this day and thank you for this food. Amen."

Regarding Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham bargained with God to not destroy the cities based on the number of righteous men he could find. He bargained his way all the way from if he could find fifty men down to ten. Although ten men could not be found in the cities, we are left with the fact that Abraham quit asking before God quit granting. 


Prayer is so, soo powerful.

"Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or more are gathered together in My Name, I am there in the midst of them." -- Matthew 18: 19-20

lets do this.

While America is disobedient and stubborn in so many ways, in the words of Pastor John Piper this morning, "...we also have an incredibly tender country."

On average, starting on the day after the Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti, major American charities have received donations at the average rate of $1.64 million per hour.

And this is wonderful...the fact that we can text in money to Haiti in a total of seven seconds or go online and enter our Visa number in two minutes to help the poor and needy is truly incredible. it's just so easy.
"Therefore, as we have opportunity [and we do], let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." Galatians 6:10

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esUu2C6kLu8&w=474&h=270]

lovers

New lovers are nervous and tender, but smash everything. for the heart is an organ of fire. - The English Patient

m pa bliye ou (i didn't forget you)

This is the blog of a Minnesota couple who moved to Haiti four years ago with their family. They are doing incredible work under incredible circumstances. A close-up view of the efforts toward help and recovery in Haiti...

 the livesay [haiti] blog

the children

"...[the wicked man] lies in wait like a lion in cover; he lies in wait to catch the helpless; he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net. his victims are crushed, they collapse; they fall under his strength. he says to himself, 'God has forgotten; He covers His face and never sees.' [but] You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; You encourage them, and You listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more."

Psalm 10:9-11; 17-18

This picture makes me sick. So much about trafficking is still unresolved and unknown..it feels paralyzing to me. But the Lord knows about all of it. "The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed," Psalm 103:6. He hasn't forgotten. He knows their names.

He holds the children  throughout the night He is love.

all that is needed for the triumph of evil, is that good men and women do nothing. edmund burke

Tonight this is weighing so heavily on my heart. I feel like I have a 10 lb. rock in my chest. I want to cry. I want to punch something. I've been sending out emails. I've been watching clips. I've been trying to get a hold of the documentary. I've been trying to get a hold of the Call + Response team. I'm frustrated. I want to change this. These are babies. These are four-year old girls. These are mothers. This might be literally in your neighborhood. It's in St. Paul and Minneapolis for sure. The least we can do is educate ourselves. There are more slaves today then there have been in the history of the world. 33 ways to respond educate yourself take action FREE BOOK And please don't forget the power of prayer. God decided not to destroy a city because of prayer. I don't know about you, but there have been so many times when I say 'I'll pray for something' and then it just gets lost in the everyday and I forget. Pray right now that the Lord will keep it on your mind and keep you aware and willing.

And then pray urgently and desperately for this.

can't help but quote him

"Poetry and Hums aren’t things which you get;
they’re things which get you. And all you can do is go where they can find you.”
– Winnie the Pooh