Wheelwork Living

31.01.2016 | As all the pieces of our socio-cultural world remain seemingly disconnected and scattered, the story of Jesus invites us to see our own hearts through the demonstration of sound character, sacrificial love empowered by the Spirit. Jesus’ primary passion was to restore divinely appointed relationships in our world. The most amazing part is that He still lives and promises to partner with us to put all the pieces back together. 

We're witnessing the very fall of Christendom. 

Can it be? Christendom, that huge body of humankind that claims spiritual descent from the Jewish carpenter of Nazareth (Jesus), claims to pray and adore a being who was a prisoner of Roman power, an inmate of the empire's death row?

 That the one it considers the personification of the Creator of the Universe was tortured, humiliated, beaten, and crucified on a barren scrap of land on the imperial periphery, at Golgotha, the place of the skull?

 I believe that the collapse (or renovation) of Christendom is happening. 

Example; pro choice vs pro life, red cups vs no cups, world politics, ISIS caliphate/understanding ISLAM, and rampant internet “slacktivism” just to pick out of few among the plethora of topics that ensnare not merely Christians, but all of humanity.

 I believe renovation means absolutely nothing if it does not also mean a return of the historical person of Jesus to the center. Jesus makes real and possible in the present truest truth about where and how the God revealed in and through Himself is summing-up world peace by the power of His Spirit given to those who follow in His steps. 

The power of the resurrection is real. The power of HOPE. 

VISION & TRANSFORMATION // I have found that the activity of our minds can be re-shaped and transformed by deepening our understanding of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. When that kind of thinking takes it’s proper human maturing place in a community, between what we worship and what we practice; only then can we experience the power of true Advocacy; life by the Spirit of God. This was Jesus' vision for the world we live in. 

This morning, as I was searching for encouragement and strength in what has been a trying couple of weeks of change and challenge. I took a fresh morning walk in the neighbourhood and ended up at the local Starbucks. Although difficult at times, I’ve been thinking about how thankful I am for life’s challenges and for all of it’s mystery. That at times it can be tough to deal with all the tension that life throws at me, or at us. Through all of it I’ve been learning daily to walk in step with the Spirit of Jesus, and it has helped me realize that I can always be deeply rooted in the life of Christ if I choose to acknowledge Him. Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth and life...”, and I’m thankful that when I do search for deep answers I get them in very clear ways. Jesus also says, “seek and you will find me, ask and it will be given to you”, and whether it’s through conversation, through the holy scriptures, or today through a Spirit inspired song; as I sat there in the Starbucks reflecting and searching, in the blink of an eye I found myself tuned into a song that was playing over the system, “Colours” by Josh Garrels.  Listen to these sweet words!

“Lift up your shoulders child Breathe in Carry the weight of love You’ve been given Storm is passing by Light breaks in As you learn to sing

Every color can Be unwound Woven into a wave Of beautiful sound Open the heavenlies and Shake the ground And change the world

So let all the creatures sing Praises over everything Colors are meant to bring Glory to the light

Voices might fade away And begin Become a tapestry We all are in No one will ever be Forgotten There’s a place for us

So let all the creatures sing Praises over everything Colors are meant to bring Glory to the light Glory to the throne

This is our story This is our song We’re telling it slowly all life long Of a Savior and what He’s done It’s a mystery.”

Thankful for those affirming words! I am thankful for a King that rules and reigns over His children by His Spirit.  That all things can hold together in Him, and I can be confident in Him who lives in me. There is a peace that surpasses all understanding, and it can simply be acknowledged through living into a loving relationship. There is nothing that can separate us from the love of our Heavenly Father, and it can launch us into a beautiful mystery that is on display through the life of His Son, by the power of His Spirit.

Today, I am thankful for Yahweh and for ALL who are loved by Him. 

Happy Thanksgiving to all! We are loved! 

SIMONÉ: The Father’s Heart for comfort & compassion. 

A few days ago, the Spirit whispered in my ear and said; "wake up early, go to this mountain with Victoria and seek the Father’s heart with all of yours." 

June 22nd (Father's Day weekend) early in the morning we slipped on our shoes and absorbed the brisk early morning air and headed towards the mountain. Victoria could not keep her hands to herself, she kept on picking dandelions along the way. In moments like this Victoria’s child-like heart always reminds me how God sees us as His beloved children.

 When we arrived at the park, as we sat on top of the hill, there was a group of adults immersed in aerobics, there was a basketball tournament happening by the courts in the back of the park, and the superintendent was preparing the baseball diamond. As we sat on the mountain and observed our surroundings, we reflected on all of life's challenges ahead of us and quickly recognized our need for divine intervention on just about all the challenges ahead whether deeply practical or deeply personal. We prayed, pleaded and petitoned with our Father to direct our steps and attitudes towards this map before us. Time to trust. We submitted to the reign and rule of Jesus in our lives and almost immediately His Spirit directed our hearts outwardly as we prayed for our surroundings; for the Church, the persecuted, the homeless and the fatherless.

As we prayed we noticed a lady off to the left side of the mountain sitting alone picking at the dandelions. We felt The Spirit speaking words of comfort over her. In the blink of an eye, Victoria being the bravest and most courageous  (brownie points!!!) immediately went over to talk to this lady.

 Victoria quickly summoned me over to translate this word from english into french;

"These dandelions that you are picking are everywhere---as far as the eye can see! At the surface you can't really see them, but when you look closer there is so much detail to these dandelions, and there's so much more to these dandelions that meets the eye at the surface. Today, your Father sees you like this flower, and comforts you with this word; know that I see you and love you deeply, as in the beautiful detail of this dandelion--know that you are not alone, I am with you."

It reminded me of this passage; 

How difficult it is for me to fathom your thoughts about me, O God! How vast is their sum total!  If I tried to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. Even if I finished counting them, I would still have to contend with you.  -Psalms 139:17-18

We quickly found out that her name was Simoné; she had very recently lost her Father and was sitting, grieving and remembering him. She expressed feeling alone and sadness. She wept as we prayed a covering over her as she received the knowledge of God's heart for her in this profound manifestation of God's comfort and compassion over her. He was weeping with her! What a beautiful moment!

As always, these words came to mind; 

Jesus began to weep. John 11:35

And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has in us. God is love, and the one who resides in love resides in God, and God resides in him. -1 John 4:16 

In a far-off land the Lord will manifest himself to them. He will say to them, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love. That is why I have continued to be faithful to you. -Jeremiah 31:3 

In reality, the backstory to this encounter with Simoné we cannot even begin to grasp---unpacking it could potentially be a short novel. The providence of design is a beautiful gift that as humans we can celebrate by the grace of the One who created us to be directed in our steps to reconciled, and connecting the world back to God’s Father heart. Truely this was a Fathers Day memory that was initiated by compassion, sustained by faith and pointed to hope directed by the Holy Spirit. (recently coined by http://citybeautiful.ch)

To finish off pointing to hope;

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Look! The residence of God is among human beings. He will live among them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them.  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will not exist any more – or mourning, or crying, or pain, for the former things have ceased to exist.” -Revelation 21:3

<3

Grandma Doris Faulkner-Hodges went to meet her Maker face to face June 10 at 12:15 am. She kept courageously fighting her cancer right up until her last earthly breath. What an amazing time surrounded by friends and family. We sang, prayed, celebrated and reflected on her life lived. Grandma really paved a way for courage and kindness in other peoples lives and gave so much of herself unto others. I assure you, all of your prayers and words of encouragement were shared and received with joy. 

This phrase and these following song lyrics came to mind as I weaved through reflecting on tragedy and suffering;

“Jesus’s cross is his alone making possible a people who do not need an explanation for inexplicable suffering. Love, not explanation, is required when we are faced by the tragedies of life.” - Stanley Hauerwas 

“Death, where is your sting? Your power is as dead as my sin The cross has taught me to live And mercy, my heart now to sing.

The day and its trouble shall come I know that Your strength is enough The scandal of grace, You died in my place So my soul will live...”

What an amazing woman. Faithful in all of her ways. Doris, brave until the end for the joy set before her, she endured. 

Gonna miss her. 

@westsidemtl - These young people can and will impact many lives. They’re so unique and set apart. It truely is a breath of fresh air getting to be around them.

My prayer unto their lives is this;

“May our sons flourish in their youth like well-nurtured plants. May our daughters be like graceful pillars, carved to beautify a palace. May our barns be filled with crops of every kind. May the flocks in our fields multiply by the thousands, even tens of thousands, and may our oxen be loaded down with produce. May there be no enemy breaking through our walls, no going into captivity, no cries of alarm in our town squares. Yes, joyful are those who live like this! Joyful indeed are those whose God is the LORD.”

-Psalms‬ ‭144‬:‭12-15‬ NLT

#MorningBlessing // The Lord bless you and protect you. 

The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. 

The Lord lift up his face to you and grant you peace. ‭