Thankful...

I'm so thankful for everything I have this Thanksgiving! 


We are all so blessed! (If your having a hard time seeing that, here's a little reminder).

• We have running water in our houses that is clean and even safe to drink.

Well, some people don't: 

• We have plenty of food to eat, and never have to go hungry. 

Well, some people are lucky

 to get one meal a day,

or one a week, even:

• Most of us have a family.

Well, not everyone does. In fact,

there are 147 million children around 

the world that don't:

• Most of us have clothes to wear, and they are in good shape. 

Well, not everyone does:

• We all have a house to live in, and in most cases it's way bigger than we need it to be. 

Well, not everyone does:

I could go on and on and on. But, hopefully you get the point. We have so much as Americans, and we can still forget how blessed we are sometimes. 

God, help us to use what You have given us to bless others, instead of keeping it all to ourselves. 



"The thing that matters most is how we use what we've been given, not how much we make or do compared to someone else, what matters is how we spend ourselves." - Cray Love, Francis Chan

Crazy Love Blog Series- Chapter 10 (Last Chapter)

Chapter 10
The Crux of the Matter

Here are the notes from chapter 8 of Crazy Love: 


By now your probably wondering: What in the world does this mean for me? 

We (usually) respond with words like "Amen", "convicting sermon", "great book", and then are paralyzed as we try to decipher what God wants of our lives.


Philipians 2:12


 Should you put your house on the market today and downsize? Maybe. Should you quit your job? Maybe. Or perhaps God wants you to work harder at your job and be His witness there. Does He want you to move to another city or another country? Maybe. Perhaps He wants you to stay put and open your eyes to the needs of your neighbors. Honestly it's hard enough for me to discern how God wants me to live my own life. My suggestion as you think, make decisions and discern how God would have you live life is to ask yourself: "Is this the most loving way to do life? Am I loving my neighbor and my God, by living where I live, by driving what I drive, by talking how I talk?" 


I urge you to consider and actually live as though each person you come into contact with is Christ. 


 ... There is another path, an alternative to the individualism, selfishness, and materialism of the American Dream, even the so called "Christian version"... God works in a vast number of ways, and that He has more in store for you then you can really imagine right now.


Have you ever said: "I was made for this moment"? Do you believe you were crafted for specific good works, things that God knew even before you even existed? Or do you compare you life to others and lament what you've been given? 


I wrote this book because much of our talk doesn't match our lives. We say things like: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me", and "Trust in the Lord with all your heart". Then we live and plan like we don't believe God even exists. We try to set up our lives so everything will be fine, even if God doesn't come through. But true faith means holding nothing back. It means putting every hope in God's fidelity to His promises. 


Most of us use: "I'm waiting for God to reveal his calling on my life" as a means of avoiding action. Did you hear God calling you to sit in front of the television yesterday? Or to go on your last vacation? Or to exercise this morning? Probably not, but you still did it. 


Jesus said: "If you love me you will obay what I command". - John 14:15 Jesus did not say: "If you love me you will obey me when you feel called or good about doing so". If we love than we obey, period. 


And so we're at the end of this book... what will people say about your life in heaven? Will people speak of God's work and glory through you? And even more important, how will you answer the King when He says: "What did you do with what I gave you"? 

For more on the book visit: www.crazylovebook.com

*Quotes from Crazy Love by Francis Chan

Crazy Love Blog Series- Chapter 9

Chapter 9
Who Really Lives That Way? 


Here are the notes from chapter 9 of Crazy Love: 


1 Corinthians 11:1


The stories that follow are true. They tell of people who sought to live their lives fully surrendered to God. Some are still alive others have finished their race. Their examples differ vastly from one another, but each bares the mark of a person distinctly transformed by the beauty and reality of God's love, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. 


Nathan Barlow- A medical doctor who chose to utilize his skills in Ethiopia for more than 60 years. Nathan dedicated his life to helping people with Mossy Foot. It surprised me that such a man of God would faithfully serve for so many years despite minimal recognition. The work Nathan started continues through his website:
http://www.mossyfoot.com/index.html#/home/


Jamie Lane- When Jamie was 23 years old she flew from the United States to Tanzania with 2,000 dollars from her savings account. She planned to stay until she ran out of money, at which point she would come home. Jamie was overwhelmed by all the need that she encountered so she started praying that God would allow her to make a radical difference in one person's life. After about 6 months she met an 8 year old girl... who was carrying a baby on her back. Jamie learned that the baby's mother was ding from AIDS... Jamie began to buy formula for the little boy, Junio... Jamie fell in love with baby Junio... Because she had lived there for over 6 months she could establish residency (and be allowed to adopt Junio). When she finally came home (with Junio) she had been gone for a year and a half. Junio is now 5 years old, totally healthy, and HIV negative. Since adopting Junio Jamie has gotten married, had a little girl, and is moving back to Tanzania with her family...


George Muller- (George's) life was transformed when he came to know Christ. He finished school and left for England to be a preacher. He and his British wife eventually settled in Bristol, England where they saw many orphans roaming the streets. Uncared for, unfed, often sick, and virtually guarantied death at a young age... George and his wife decided to start an orphanage that would be entirely free of charge, and for which they would never ask any money or support. When they had needs they would go to God alone, trusting that He would give them everything they needed... By the time George died in 1898 over 10,000 orphans had been housed and cared for in 5 orphan houses they built... After his death a British paper wrote of George that he robbed the cruel streets of thousands of victims, the jails of thousands of felons... Another newspaper noted that it'd all been accomplished by prayer alone. 


Susan Diego- When Susan was young she told God that she would do anything He asked her to, but that she hated speaking in front of people... However recently Susan felt like God was moving her to speak, and that she needed to say "yes" if an opportunity came up. It did... Susan, her husband, and her 2 youngest children went to Uganda. There Susan was in charge of leading a conference for the women... She has said "yes" to God, to the one thing she hoped she'd never do. 

* To read more of the stories found in Chapter 9 of Crazy Love, you'll have to get the book. :)


I hope these life stories have done more than encourage you, I hope they have eliminated every excuse for not living a radical- love-motivated-life. I hope they have challenged the multitudes who feel called to the rich and ignore the poor. If biblical examples seem unattainable, hopefully these average everyday people will give you hope that you too can live a life worth writing about. 

For more on the book visit: www.crazylovebook.com

*Quotes from Crazy Love by Francis Chan

*Photo by me

Crazy Love Blog Series- Chapter 8

Chapter  8
Profile of the Obsessed


Here are the notes from chapter 8 of Crazy Love: 

Obsessed: to have the mind excessively preoccupied with a single emotion or topic.


There has to be more to our faith than friendliness, politeness, and even kindness. 


Luke 6:32-36
Luke 14:12-14


Do you give to those who cannot repay you, to those who would do  you harm if they could, to those who have already done you harm, this is Christ's love. He gave us something for which we can never repay Him, and then He asks us to keep giving like He gives. 


People who are obsessed with Jesus give freely and openly without censure. Obsessed people love those who hate them, and who can never love them back. 


Risk-takers


Haven't we all prayed the following prayer? "Lord we pray for safety as we travel. We ask that no one gets hurt on this trip. Please keep everyone safe until we return, and bring us back safely. In Jesus name we pray, Amen." 


We are consumed by safety. Obsessed with it actually. Now I'm not saying it's wrong to pray for God's protection, but I am questioning how we've made safety our highest priority. We've elevated safety to the neglect of whatever God's best is. Whatever would bring God the most glory, or whatever would accomplish His purpose in our lives and in the world. 


Would you be willing to pray this prayer? "God, bring me closer to you during this trip, whatever it takes."


People who are obsessed with Jesus aren't consumed with their personal safety above all else. Obsessed people care more about God's kingdom coming to this earth than their own lives being shielded from pain or distress. 


Friends of All


People who are obsessed with Jesus live lives that connect them with the poor in some way or another. Obsessed people believe that Jesus talked about money and the poor so often, because it was really important to Him. 

Crazy Ones


When people gladly sacrifice their time, their comfort, their home it is obvious that they trust in the promises of God. Why is it that the story of someone who's actually done what Jesus commands resinates deeply with us, but then we assume we could never do anything so radical or intense? Or why do we call it radical, when to Jesus it is simply the way it is, the way it should be?


Obsessed people are more concerned with obeying God than doing what is expected or fulfilling to status-quo. A person who's obsessed with Jesus will do things that don't always make sense in terms of success or wealth on this earth. 


Givers


Tears come to my eyes when I think about some of God's people I've had the privilege to meet in the past few years. These are people with families, with dreams, people who are made in God's image as much as you and I are. And these people are suffering. Many of them are sick, some even dying, as they live out their lives in dwellings that we would not consider good enough for our household pets. I'm not exaggerating. 

Much of their daily hardship and suffering could be relieved with access to food, clean water, clothing, adequate shelter, or basic medical attention. 

Photo by: Rosie

I believe that God wants His people, His church, to meet these needs. The scriptures are filled with commands and references about caring for the poor, for those who cannot help themselves. 


The crazy part about God's heart is that he doesn't just ask us to give, He desires that we love those in need as much as we love ourselves! That is the core of the second greatest command "to love your neighbor as yourself" - Matthew 22:39. He is asking you to love as you would want to be loved if it were your child who was blind from drinking contaminated water...

... to love the way you would want to be loved. If you were the homeless woman sitting outside the cafe...

... to love as though it were your family living in the shacks slapped together from cardboard and scrap metal.

Non church-goers seem to see Christians as takers rather than givers. When Christians sacrifice and give wildly to the poor that is truly a light that glimmers. The bible teaches that the Church is to be that light, that sign of hope in an increasingly dark and hopeless world. 


Matthew 5:16


People who are obsessed with God are known as givers, not takers.
Obsessed people genuinely think that others matter as much as they do, and they are particularly aware of those who are poor around the world. 

While these descriptions combined don't necessarily answer the question of what it looks like to be holy surrendered to God, they represent important pieces of the puzzle. Hopefully your beginning to imagine and pray about what this looks like in your own life. 

For more on the book visit: www.crazylovebook.com

*Quotes from Crazy Love by Francis Chan

*Photos by me, unless stated otherwise.

Crazy Love Blog Series- Chapter 7

Chapter 7
Your Best Life Later


Here are the notes from Chapter 6 of Crazy Love:


Do you understand that it's impossible to please God in any way other than whole-hearted surrender?


What does running towards Christ and pursing love look like in daily life? 


Hebrews 11


These people were far from perfect, yet they had faith in a God who was able to come through in seemingly dire situations. 


Noah spent 120 years building an ark, and warning others of the impending judgement. Suppose the flood never come? Noah would have been the biggest laughingstock on earth. 


Having faith often means doing what others see as CRAZY. Something is wrong when our lives make sense to unbelievers. 

If eternity doesn't come, and God does not exist, then as Paul says: "If only for this life we have hope in Christ we are to be pitied more than all men."  - 1 Corinthians 15:19


But since God is real Paul and the martyrs should be envied more than all people. Their suffering was worth it. 
If we allow ourselves to live recklessly for Him, then we too will see His glory. We will see Him do the impossible. 


Christians today like to play it safe. We want to put ourselves in situations were we're safe even if there is no God. But if we truly desire to please God, we cannot live that way, we have to do things that cost us during our life on earth, but will be more than worth it in eternity. 

Matthew 25:31-46


How would I change my life if I actually thought of each person I came into contact with as Christ? 


If we believe that, as Jesus said, "The two greatest commands are to love the Lord your God will all your heart, soul, and mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself", than this passage has a lot to teach us. Basically Christ is connecting the command to "Love God" with the command to "Love your neighbor". By loving the least of these we are loving God himself. 

"I tell you the truth, whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."  - Matthew 25:40


Jesus is saying that we show tangible love for God in how we care for the poor, and those who are suffering. He expects us to treat the poor and the desperate as if they were Christ himself. 
Ask yourself this: If you actually saw Jesus starving what would you do for Him? 

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need, but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children let us not love with words or tongue, but in actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the Truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in His presents whenever our hearts condemn us."  - 1 John 3:16-20

Photo by: Hayley Catt

In this passage we see that John questions weather it is possible to truly have God's love in you, if you have no compassion for the poor. He uses as an example Christ's love manifesting itself through the sacrifice of his very life. 


God didn't just give a little for us, He gave His best. He gave Himself. John is saying that it is no different for us. True love requires sacrifice. And our love is shown by how we live our lives. 


One of the clearest ways we love "with action and in truth" is through giving to others. By giving I don't mean just money, although that is certainly an element of it. Another important element of giving is with our time. 


One of the most memorized verses in the whole bible says: 
"For God so loved the world that He gave..."  - John 3:16
Right there we see the connection between loving and giving evidently established.  
Giving results not only in heavenly compensation, but also gives us great joy in our lives here and now. As we love more genuinely and deeply giving becomes the obvious natural response. Taking and keeping for ourselves becomes unattractive and imprudent. 


Remember the story where Jesus fed thousands of people with one boys small lunch? In that story, according to Matthew, Jesus gave the loaves to His disciples and then the disciples passed them out to the crowd. Imagine if the disciples had simply held on to the food Jesus gave them, continently thanking Him for providing lunch for them. That would have been stupid, when there was enough food to feed the thousands who who were gathered and hungry. But, that's exactly what we do when we fail to give freely and joyfully. We are loaded down with too many good things. More than we could ever need while others are desperate for a small loaf. 

Photo by: Kayley

2 Corinthians 8:13-15


Paul was asking the Corinthian believers to give to the impoverished saints in Jerusalem. The goal being that no one would have too much or too little. 
This idea is pretty far fetched in modern day culture where we're taught to look out for ourselves, and are thus rewarded. 
The gap is so extreme in our world, that we have to take lightly passages like Luke 12:33: "Sell your possessions and give to the poor". How else can I walk out of a mud shack and back into my 2,000 sq. foot house, without doing anything? 
The concept of downsizing so that others may upgrade is biblical, beautiful, and nearly unheard of. We either close the gap or we don't take the words of the bible literally. 

Dare to imagine what it would be for you to take the words of Jesus seriously. Dare to think about your own children living in poverty without enough to eat. Dare to believe that those really are your brothers and sisters in need. 


Anyone who has ever taken God at His word when He says: "Test me in this, and see if I will not pour out so much blessing, that you will not have enough room for it" (Malachi 3:10), probably has a similar tale. 

When it's hard and your doubtful, give more.

When Jesus sent out His 12 disciples, in Luke 9:3, He told them to take nothing for the journey... Why do you suppose he said this? Jesus was forcing His disciples to trust Him. God would have to come through for them, because they had nothing else to fall back on. 


God wants us to trust Him with abandon. He wants to show us how He works and cares for us. He wants to be our refuge. 


Life is comfortable when you separate yourself from people who are different from you. 

God didn't call us to be comfortable. He calls us to trust him so completely that we are unafraid to put ourselves in situations where we will be in trouble if He doesn't come through. 


Isaiah 58


The thing that matters most is how we use what we've been given, not how much we make or do compared to someone else, what matters is how we spend ourselves. 

For more on the book visit: www.crazylovebook.com

*Quotes from Crazy Love by Francis Chan

*Photos by me, unless stated otherwise.

Orphan Sunday, November 7th

Why Love Orphans? from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.


Orphan Sunday is November 7th, to find out more about Orphan Sunday visit: http://www.orphansunday.org/. There is a DVD available to order or watch online. It's called Answer The Cry, and it features: Steven Curtis Chapman, Francis and Lisa Chan, and Mark Shultze. I can't wait to watch this, and I hope many others will watch it as well and allow it to minister to them on behalf of the orphan. Many churches and people are holding Orphan Sunday events, (You can look on the map under: events) so make sure you get involved in some way. 


Go here to find out more (and watch) Answer the Cry: http://www.cryoftheorphan.org/Promote.aspx

Crazy Love Blog Series- Chapter 6

Chapter 6
When You're In Love


Here are the notes from Chapter 6 of Crazy Love:

Have you ever met someone who is utterly and desperately in love with Jesus?


When you are truly in love you go to great links to be with the one you love.


"The critical question for our generation, and for every generation, is this: If you could have heaven with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict, or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven if Christ was not there?"  - John Piper


How many of you will read those words and say "You know I just might be OK with that"?


Isn't it what God wants of us: to crave this relationship with Him, as we crave all genuine love relationships?


Galatians 5: 13-14


Is loving God, and by extension loving people, what you are about? Is it what being a Christian means to you?


When loving Him becomes obligation, one of the many things we have to do, we end up focusing even more on ourselves.


God wants to change us. He died so that we could change. The answer lies in letting Him change you.


James 4:8


As we begin to focus more on Christ, loving Him and others becomes natural. As long as we're pursuing Him, we're satisfied in Him. It's when we stop actively loving Him that we find ourselves restless, and gravitating towards other means of fulfillment.

There is nothing better than giving up everything and stepping into a passionate love relationship with God. The God of the universe, who made galaxies, leaves, and laughter, and me and you. 

Lake Victoria, Uganda

It turns out that the Bible is right, it is better to give than to receive. God is the only true giver and He needs nothing from us. But still He wants us. He gave us life so that we might seek and know Him. 

Photo by: Hayley Catt

Jesus, Servant Not Beggar  


Right now 100 million angles are praising God's name. He certainly doesn't need to beg or plead with us. We should be the one begging to worship in His presents. 


Malachi 3: 10


...No one can out give the One from who all things come. If you really want to experiences God's supernatural provision, than do as He says, test Him. Give more than you can manage, and see how He responds. 

Photo by: Hayley Catt

For more on the book visit: www.crazylovebook.com

*Quotes from Crazy Love by Francis Chan

*Photos by me, unless stated otherwise.