Where do you stand?
So here is the question…
Is everyone doing the best they can?
Do you believe that every person you meet is doing the best they can and why?
Think about it…
…. the grocery store clerk?
… the homeless at the bus stop?
… your spouse?
… your children?
… that Danish man that spat off the bridge at the Syrian refugees?
… your pastor?
…abusive people?
… your political leader?
… the person you least enjoy?
You don’t need to answer for each of those scenarios…. just in general…
Are people doing the best they can and why?
How you accomplish anything in this life…..
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You show up with your little bit.
You could be smaller than everyone else and your entry could be barely noticed.
Beside you, on both sides, could be giants.
But with a little bit He can do a whole lot.
Your mistakes from last time are making you better this time.
As you enter in… remember that at least you are entering…some never try.
As you enter in… remember by your example others will follow … some will try because of you.
With your little bit…. and His big bit… you can win the whole thing.
But it is about the showing up.
Showing up to the daily practice.
Showing up to the learning.
Showing up to the evolution.
Showing up with your little bit.
~It’s been a great show season for the girls. Yen finished the season with winning Grand Champion for the Series. Mer , started later, but had a tremendous finish with the miniature horse. We are so happy. They worked all summer and quickly flew through the ranks. ~
Your Migration
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How about the fact that you are here?
How about that?!
You have come so far and you have overcome so much.
Some of it was pretty crappy…. some of it was down right traumatic.
But here you are.
Right here.
Take a second and think about that.
You have 100% success rate of surviving really hard shit.
You have prayed for things… for people… for situations…
and here you are.
and “here” is not too bad…
and “there” ,right up there in the future, is going to be even better.
but “here” is where you are… so thank Him.
Because of all that has come and gone… He was and is.
I mean there were times where you were pretty unenjoyable… and He stayed with you.
There were times where you thought it was all you… and He stayed right with you.
There were times you wanted to give up…. you wanted to just be a slave again… But He knows who He created you to be.
Sure you still have a ways to go… you still have some slave patterns… but right here He is….
and He whispers to you because He is that close…
He does not need to shout at you… because He is right next to you and always has been….
So when you look back right now and see how far He has brought you…. think about this….
He is taking you somewhere… and He will be with you that whole way,too.
He will be whisper close.
Dear Justin Bieber …
(source: September2015 Cosmo)
Dear Justin Bieber,
At Sunday Dinner they talked about you liking our friends. I didn’t believe it. But there in Cosmo you are quoted as liking Jonathan and Melissa Helser. Well I guess you don’t know them but you did say you like their song, “No Longer Slaves.” I hope you have since listened to their other albums… specifically their earlier live album, The Awakening…it’s one of my favorites. Some argued that it was just a P.R. move… but I say no… I think you actually like them. I think if it was a P.R. move you would have picked someone a bit more recognizable. Either way it is endearing. I can’t say I know too much about you other than old people mispronounce your last name regularly ( and the obvious celebrity factor)…. and you most definitely do not know me or even what Sunday Dinner is…. But you are officially invited. Many musicians , including the Helsers, have come to Sunday Dinner and they can vouch that you can just be a person here…. in fact if you try and “perform” I will hand you a plate of food or direct you to a comfy chair. I am sure you have won numerous awards out in the world, others who come here have done the same , some have won grammys… but at Sunday Dinner you will just be a person in a process of evolution. You can just sit at a table and be family …. and you are officially invited…. because it touched my heart to hear you Searching. It made me want to reach out to you and include you when I read you applauded my friends. It is a good song. You sound like a smart guy. If you need anything let us know.
Be Blessed,
Everyone here at Sunday Dinner.
(if reading this in email please click here to see the video)
Baptized in vision and dreams….
Years ago when he was a boy running through the fields between the farm and school he would look over and wish there was a pool right here. He was just a skinny boy but he didn’t have asthma like his brother and he wasn’t as young as his other brother… so he was in charge of the bulk of farm work. Back when farm work made you strong and the tractors were a dusty mess…. if you even had a tractor. So he would sweat it out and dream of a pool and a front porch where he could watch his family swim. It would all be worth it he would tell himself.
Just keep baleing …
Just keep plowing…
Just keep sowing….
Just keep harvesting…
Fail or succeed…
Just keep showing up….
Just keep at this same land…
He would marry that girl and they would build a family on this land…
They would chop down the trees and build a home…
Just keep at it…
Fail or succeed…
Just keep showing up….
So many dreams and memories fill his 80something head and he can not quite remember his original baptism. All summer we have been discussing her baptizing their oldest three great grandchildren. He wanted to know if it would take away from their experience if he also was baptized that same day… by his wife of 61 years. I laughed choking back tears to think of him being baptized literally in the vision and the desire of his heart that God gave him decades ago. This pool and the family he envisioned in it, “No I love it! I can think of nothing better!”
The atmosphere changed as she brought the first one back out of the water.
With the next child’s commitment my eyes teared up and I could hardly believe how blessed I am.
As my strong son declared his love and commitment… I almost forgot to take the pictures.
“How is this my life? Thank You that this is my family!” I prayed silently as my aunt prayed over each child.
As my best friend slowly brought my grandfather out of the water I watched the moment imprint upon my long line of children.
Just keep plowing…
Just keep sowing….
Just keep harvesting…
Fail or succeed…
Just keep showing up….
Just keep at this same land…
He is creating family in a new way.
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What do you desire…..
To ponder over the weekend…..
Allow your mind to wander… Listen to this a few times and send it to all your friends. There are desires that are so ready to come forth all you need is to try… step out and try. Allow yourself to follow the dreams that He reminds you of embedded in your heart. As you listen let Him tell you all the gifts He has imprinted upon you. There are desires in your heart… He put them there and no matter how squashed by the world they can still be brought back into the Light and the dust can be shook off. Delight in the creation of you that He has wonderfully and fearfully made… I would love to hear about them… I would love to encourage you. If we all start moving towards the desires He put in us.. if we all go after the things of Him… we can bring heaven to earth. We can show the world what He is doing in us.
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(If you are seeing this in email please click HERE to go to the youtube video)
4 Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.Psalm 37:4New International Version (NIV)
14 I will offer You my grateful heart, for I am Your unique creation, filled with wonder and awe.
You have approached even the smallest details with excellence;
Your works are wonderful;
I carry this knowledge deep within my soul.Psalm 139:14The Voice (VOICE)
Elevation of Ten Years.
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A few months ago when some of my kids had head colds my HusBen said, “since we aren’t going to our church this morning, lets watch this church I sold a guitar to .” He pulled up the live feed on the computer in my studio and we settled in with our morning tea.
I love Jesus. However, the modern day man made (man centered and wound centered) church is not my cup of tea. The visions and verses He has given me (and everyone else) about what church should look like do not line up to what I see. I could think of many things I would rather do then sit and watch a live broadcast of a church somewhere else…. regardless of their fine taste in custom guitars.
I had never heard anything like it before. To think that ten years ago this Elevation Church was just in Steven Furtick’s living room. It makes sense when you hear him speak. No one is talking about the revelation he is talking about. No one is empowering people and moving them forward like this church. Handing out the idea of forgiveness and telling people to pick up their mat and get moving like this church models. I actually sat there and listened to the same Mat Man sermon twice, it is the best sermon I have ever heard in my whole life. I could not get enough. It had to be a fluke. But the next week that I stayed home I tuned in again …. and He spoke through this Steven Furtick about Reaching The Goal… and it was awesome. Some nights my kids will sit and watch this church’s archives inlieu of evening tv! I mean come on!!! Steven Furtick seems all “seeker sensitive” in his delivery but the messages are practical, relevant and empowering.
Ten years ago this was just a church in a living room some where.
Ten Years.
They did a worship night the other night at the Time Warner Cable Stadium. They sold it out. I looked it up… that is over 20,000 people.
They played a NYguitar... of course. The live recording album comes out in February 2016. I am so proud of my HusBen. Like very very proud. Lot’s of celebrities buy my HusBen’s guitars these days…. this one seems extra special. This church has given me hope for the modern day church. I feel like somewhere people are hearing the same God that I listen to… and they are fearless about putting what He says into action.
Five years ago my husband was made fun of, “You think real manhood is strapping on a guitar… but that isn’t how the real world works.” I could not be more proud to see some one strap on one of my HusBen’s custom guitars and change the real world.
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Inspire Identity
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Just go after it.
Those dreams in your heart.
Fail or Succeed … just go after it.
Other people are watching.
It makes them step forward and think that maybe… just maybe they could try something new too.
Maybe they will try what you are attempting… and maybe that step will allow them to learn something about themselves.
They will find out they love it.
…or maybe…
They will find out that they will leave that dream up to you.
But they may be so inspired that they step out into their own identity.
Because we are all just trying to figure it out.
And when was the last time you tried something new… just to hear Him talk in a way you had not heard Him before.
Goatsy.
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Have you ever heard of the phrase, “Oh man that really gets my goat!”… After my recent experience I think that should be a compliment. Like, “Thanks for really getting my goat!… I had a dumb goat… but now you came along and “got it” and now everything in life is easier!” See doesn’t that make more sense?
I got the wild hair to get a goat. Emphasis on “wild”. Did you know you can rent them? Yes, you can rent a goat to come in and eat the weeds out of your pasture. Sheep do not really like weeds. I would like to think they are too cool for weed. I had the brilliant idea to rent not just any ole stinky goat… but specifically an Nubian dairy goat. My logic was that I am already milking a bunch of sheep what is one goat. I called about the goat weeks ago… they even had the breed I wanted…. however it was already being rented out. They told us they would get back to us if she came back. I sort of forgot about it…. or at best, figured it was not going to happen.
Of course the goat guy called to drop the goat off soon after the Chinese girls got here.
Of course he had to drop off the goat right away.
Of course she needed milked immediately. Like right away. Like she needed milked that morning and this was 3:30 but the previous renter was done with her and didn’t milk her… This should have been my first clue.
I call her Goatsy. She is a rent-a-goat… so no need for an official name. Let’s face facts she is not listening anyway…. and if she is listening she has no plans to obey me.
She is pretty crazy. It is like milking a rodeo bronco mixed with a tap dancing caberet dancer. She is completely nuts. She is so crazy that I now understand why God calls us sheep and not goats and I am forever thankful to Him for that…. He is a good God. I would never want to be thought of as a goat… sheep I can handle.
She is not like milking a sheep. Did I mention she is crazy? However her milk is the best goat milk I have ever experienced. That is why I was looking for an Nubian goat. They have the sweeter milk of the goats. It does not compare to the sweetness of sheep milk, not even close…. but it is much better than average goat milk. I think I will write about that in the future…. a taste test of cow, sheep and goat.
Every day that she is on the lesser side of crazy I cup her little goat face in my hands and tell her she can stay another day. But that goat guy is on my speed dial…
Talls and Smalls.
The Chinese exchange students timidly walked through our home. Eight kids was kind of blowing their minds. I started to think this was a bad idea. I could not imagine a whole week of these quiet people tip toeing through our home. My mind started to reel at how exactly I could back out of this. Every interaction between us and them seemed awkward. I told my HusBen that I was getting overwhelmed and I was doubting this whole adventure. A few hours after they unpacked their bags they ventured down into our music room…”Excuse me… I play your guitar please?”
I looked up confused. But truthfully I was just glad they were talking.
The tall one pointed at the wall of guitars.
“ummm… you play?” I wondered if perhaps she had never seen one and just wanted to try it out.
Talls nodded and I handed it to her. She sat down and she blew our minds and expectations away….”Hold…Hold on a second… let me get you a better guitar….,” my HusBen went into his special stash of guitars in humid proof cases….”here this one is a 1956 Martin.”
It turns out the Talls is a classically trained guitarist. It turns out Smalls is an amazing singer… like an angel that one! At the farewell performance Talls was the host of the evening and she worked the crowd making jokes in English and in Chinese. She also did a guitar solo that wowed everyone. Tiny little Smalls sang in Chinese with another guy who was no match for her talented range. Only five of the 40 students performed… and our Chinese girls did most of it!
Needless to say they were a perfect fit. I miss them already. I learned so much. Talls and Smalls visited New York City, Washington DC and Philly while they stayed with us… but when I asked them about their favorite part of America they both answered, “Being here… staying with you and going to the pool.”
Things I am forever grateful for from our time together…
- Talls reading the Jesus StoryBook Bible during church…each page read can never be undone.
- Evenings with all TEN kids playing kickball in the backyard
- Placing my two year old daughter onto the hip of the Chinese chaperone who has always wanted to have more than one child… but isn’t allowed.
- Smalls always trying to teach me how to pronounce her last syllable in her name… which I still can’t do.
- Being proud as any mother when the girls performed at the show.
- The kids hanging out and playing UNO and watching America’s Got Talent.
- Our conversations about how things really are for women in China.
- Teaching them to swim and all that goes with it.
- How He always brings just the right people to our home.
- Instagram and social media and how Talls and Smalls and our family get to stay connected.
- Every single Word that He told me to covertly speak into their lives.
- Teaching them the ancient American art of s’mores and then glow stick hide and seek on our last night.
A Seed Inspired 