When You're Lonely for a Friend
Hello there! Meet my friend, Christine Hoover. She's been with us before and I'm delighted to have her here again. She's a beautiful soul doing life in Charlottesville, Virginia as she invests in her church and community as a church planter's wife. She's delivering some powerful words on friendship as she has just released a book entitled, Messy Beautiful Friendship.
ONE life to live {an only God story}
A tweet one Sunday afternoon, particularly caught Ben’s attention. He reached out to the writer and they met over coffee. {common to meet over coffee} Ben got to know Alan Clayton’s story. Alan comes and goes across the pond between his homeland of Ireland, the United States, and Asia for business. {common} When he’s here in San Francisco, he comes to Epic.{becoming more common} He’s come over to our home for dinner. He’s a part of a small group. {Note: No matter how long or short your stay in a place, plug into a church community and small group.}
If our city had a gate...
If our city had a gate and I knew Jesus was about to come in,
I'd be there to greet Him, to welcome Him in.
I'd thank Him for coming
Shower Him with praise - stating the obvious to the Ancient of Days.
I'd tell Jesus that I know He heals, comforts and mourns. That He sits with the outcasts, has compassion, serves, breaks the chains of sin and bondage, sets us free, and loves everyone.
I'd show Him the beautiful places - all of which He made -
The bay, the hills, the cliffs on His ocean's edge.
The lavender, succulents, and calla lilies that grow wild.
The seals, the canyons, the overflowing fruit outside the markets, the tide.
I'd want Him to see what His people were doing -
adenoids {an only God story}
why did the chocolate chip cookie go to the doctor? because he was feeling crummy.
that's all that asher remembered before he dozed off and skipped into lala land while the doctor removed his adenoid.
ben and i took turns sitting with him in the recovery room, patiently waiting for him to wake up. a sweet nurse stayed by his side for a better part of an hour taking notes and ready to take care of him when he woke. ben was walking around outside with kavita for she was uncomfortable in the recovery room.
i had nothing to do but wait. asher rested peacefully. so when the nurse looked up, why not engage in some conversation?
sweaty palms {an only God story}
wide open space. it felt good to see the kids take off in sprints. the park was absent of sidewalks and intersections and traffic. the soft ground was a comfort to our souls that were accustomed to concrete. we'd only lived in san francisco for 10 months and our church plant was only weeks old. the city was still fresh and new and our family was experiencing many firsts.
only God stories
"let love and faithfulness never leave you, bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
then you will win favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man."
Proverbs 3:3-4
"I have loved you with an everlasting love;
therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you."
Jeremiah 31.3
i'm convinced that when we encounter Jesus and are awakened to the reality of His supernatural love for us, we choose to live in such a way that makes much of Him.
Who is Welcomed Here?
a door is symbolic of entry. shut.
closed.
open.
is a knock required?
and when the door is opened up, what happens?
an open door is symbolic of a welcome.
come on in.
How will America gather for Thanksgiving this year?
How will America gather for Thanksgiving this year? How did America first gather? In the fall of 1621, the Pilgrims gathered with the Massasoit Indians to celebrate the harvest. It wasn't anything purchased from the grocery store, but what was hunted and grown and greatly prepared after much sacrifice and hard work. It was a union of what had been taught and what has been learned. It was a friendship forged.
It was the white man who had come to America. It was the white man who was accustom to celebrating the bounty called a harvest festival. It was the local Native Americans who taught the white man how to plant and grow and reap in a new world. Together they gathered. It was the local Native Americans that made room. That welcomed. Like any relationship, I can only imagine the beauty and the mess that unfolded. To share the land. To learn from each other. To be patient. To let love win despite the differences or trials.