Prayer

Oh, my goodness! God wants to stir our hearts; He wants to do great things in, through, around us... but we have a really clear-cut mission... and it starts from our knees!
There is something really humbling about prayer that really puts us in exactly the place that we need to be in order to really access the heart of God.

• Our knees: coming to God in humility... now I have to admit right now, that I rarely actually get on my knees when I come to God in prayer, at least not literally. But in my heart, my will is bent, my mental knees are bowed to a God who is so much more powerful, and holy, and just, and wise than silly little old me! When we are coming to God with this kind of humility, He promises to hear our pleas. "The sacrifices of God are a broken and contrite heart".
• Our eyes diverted: blocking out distractions... now, once again, I seldom actually close my eyes when I am actually praying. I like to pray with my eyes open, (kind of an extension of the thought of looking for God to act even while I am praying). Usually I find that I can pray when I am reading His word for inspiration, or if I am just looking off into space, (often His creation). I think that there is real benefit in prayer walking and praying for everything, everyone that you see as the Lord leads, but I also see benefit in closing out everything around you and communing directly with my Savior.
• Our hearts broken: its almost impossible to come to God without feeling a certain degree to dependence, brokenness, insufficiency, etc... Mostly I think that is because the healthy don't need a doctor, and Christ came specifically to minister to those of us who need a crutch for our broken leg. (and aren't too proud to admit it!) When I go to prayer without this heart, my pride puts up walls and I might as well be yelling into my pillow, because when my heart is not right before God, I don't feel that He is even inclining an ear to my prayer, plus my own heart isn't in it. When we come before God with broken and contrite hearts, we find that He is willing and ready, even eager to hear the cries of our broken hearts.

I am sure that there are dozens more ways that God brings us perfectly into prayer, but I just wanted to point out and highlight a few that have been really important to me in coming to know how to better converse with my Savior.
Feel free to add other points to the comment board...

Priorities

Did you ever notice how when you have something that really needs to get done and it needs to be first priority on your page long list... that it is the last thing on the whole darn list that you even attempt to do?
I think that I read an article outlining this very thought once, so my apology's if it is highly unoriginal. The author of the article outlined a very clear way to procrastinate and still get things done. His theory was by putting something really not urgent at the top of your list, and focusing all your energy on convincing yourself that it needs done today... then you are free to complete all the other items before even considering working on it!
I don't know how many times I have come back to this principle in life. Like the fact that right now, I shouldn't even be on here, but I should be working on a project to go in a package that I need to ship out tomorrow... yeah, I don't think that it is going to be done...
So instead of getting busy, I am sitting here typing about how I should really be busy... anybody else see an oxymoron happening here?

Scattered Thoughts for the Day

1. Okay, so the 2 jalepenos in my salsa, instead of the usual one, may have been a huge mistake... and the fact that I decided to leave some of the seeds in the peppers... yeah, cause its not like that is the absolute hottest part of the pepper!!! Brilliancy Joanna!
2. I think your computer runs smoother/faster if you complete the defrag on a schedule...
3. Random people that add you on facebook, and you have no friends in common, and you don't know what their connection with you is... yeah, do you add them as a friend, and then ask them who they are? or do you ignore them? or do you assume that you just forgot them accidentally and wait for them to say something that would remind you that you do indeed know them?
4. Hillsong United -- uhm, yeah, check out their music!
5. IM-- the most absolute best way to waste ridiculous amounts of precious time. Must participate in at least 5 conversations at the same time to get the full effect.
6. Procrastination and complacency are so easy. Live each day as if on purpose.

Diverse a' Teas!

So, as my friendly wait staff at the best coffee shop in the country have duly informed me... there is more to the world than Chai tea!
Shocking, I know! I had formerly been completely convinced that there was only one kind of drink to be had at any coffee shop, and while Chai still holds a very dear spot in my heart, I have discovered the beauty of many different tea lattes here recently. Yesterday it was a peppermint, lemon, honey tea latte! Amazing, and very therapeutic... imagine if you had a cold! Then today it is a tropical tea latte, which has hints of citrus! Also delicious and fruity!
So, what does discovering different kinds of teas have to do with anything? Great question... I had a discussion with one of my good friends the other day about how we are similar and how we are different, (and let me tell you right now, there is probably more on the different end of life.) We were actually talking together and questioning how we were even friends at all, because our lives are so opposite. At the time, I told him that I would have to write a blog post about it, but when I got back to the computer nothing was coming.
Now, as I am sitting here enjoying my diversity in teas, I think back to the conversation, and realize that God gives us so many different people in our lives, (even those who are strangely different from us) for specific reasons. Sometimes we learn the most from people that we are really, really not similar with at all! The way they look at life gives us insight into our own all to often; and their zeal for new causes, leaves us questioning our complacency in our own. How often do they introduce us to new loves, new passions, new ideas, new joys?
Now, think for a minute about how often you shut down people that are really different than you. How often do you completely disregard them as a person, or discount what they have to say about an issue because it is something that you are not familiar with. Are we resisting the diversity that will bring growth? Are we shutting out exactly what God wants to pour into our lives?

Are You Real?

When you tell me to put my heart out there,
You make is sound so good,
But how do I know you won’t take and break,
Like all these others would.
What makes you so different than the one before,
You sell something special; you have something more?
What do you have to offer?
-I’ve already given it away
Security, what can you offer?
-A genuine heart that will stay
What do you have to love me with?
-A dying love, but pure
Why would you want me anyway?
-I made you, I know you, but sure
-Doubt that I’ll really fulfill you,
-Question My motives of love,
-Spit in the face that is bearing your thorns
-Laugh at the One hung above
-Strung like a thief on a cross of rough wood
-Naked, and battered and scarred.
-Tell me that no, I can’t love you enough
-Convince Me that it’s just too hard…

Be Strong and Courageous

So, I was at prayer meeting yesterday, and we were just praying for campus ministries here in town. During the course of prayer, we kept coming back to God raising up leaders that would be full of courage and boldness.
With my lightning sharp Bible skill reflexes (uhm, so not!) there was one verse that came to mind, (cause sometimes God likes to impress upon our hearts something through scripture). Anyway the passage is from Joshua, where God is talking to Joshua, and telling him what is up.
So God is going along telling him, "Be strong and courageous... you're going to lead the people... be strong and very courageous... obey all the commands that I gave you... don't depart from my law... Have I not commanded you: be strong and courageous... Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." --
So I was just reading through and praying this verse over the leaders lives, even those whom God would raise up. (and let me tell you right now, I dislike praying that God would raise up people, because all too often, He wants me to be the one raised up... and the pressing on my heart to pray for it is merely His way of preparing my heart for the task! So I am constantly praying these prayers with a full understanding, that I need to also be willing to be the answer as well as the pray'er.)
Just thinking how often people go to the "great commission" passage as God's promise to never leave or forsake us, but I wonder if most people realize that it is also just as clearly stated here? The thing about God raising up people for Himself is that we don't need to be afraid (like I always am!) that God is going to get us into some sort of situation that we can't handle... (Seriously, what can we handle?)
He has commanded us specifically to be strong and courageous! Not terrified, not discouraged, He is with us! No greater power ever stood behind a single human being! It makes me think of Aragorn in LOTR (sorry for the silly analogy) when he was hopelessly in defeat at Helm's Deep, and yet when others would have given up "What can men do in the face of such reckless hate?", he responded, "Ride out and meet them!". Because there is no timidity, no doubt in Christ. Our hand may tremble with the sword, but it does not drop!

Why?

I really want to know why the beautiful moments and conversations in life always happen when you are supposed to be doing something else? Then, when you actually have time, nothing is going on, no one is free, no one wants to talk...
The most beautiful conversations happen when I am supposed to be doing homework. I have the best fun with my siblings when I should be getting ready to leave. And people call me on the phone to talk when I am at work. Kinda like it never rains, but it pours!
Is there some sort of magic equilibrium that I have yet to find, where you can balance out everything that needs to be done, but still be able to drop everything to spend time on what really counts in life?
Or maybe it is just God tugging on my heart and telling me that I need to be finding all my joy in Him alone, regardless.