Hope ya'll had a great weekend and had a chance to get outside. It was near 80 here in the Carolina's yesterday which is just delightful for being still February. I'll take these days when they come thats for sure.
A couple of things that I am excited about that I will share.
* I am excited with all that God is teaching me and how our church, our rock group families and in my own personal walk with Christ seems to be in step these days. Even with a tough week last week - as I will share more about John 9 - I was blind, now I can see. There is such light shining just down the road and the journey ahead is going to be just awesome.
* Plans for our mission trip to Jamaica is moving forward and folks are committed to going and that pumps me up. For what did not look possible as far as folks being able to afford to go, God has moved some mountains for us to experience all that He has for us on this trip. Lots of work still to do but things are moving forward
* I have been enjoying leading LOL on Wednesday nights. I look forward to the new building and the chance of things. Change is good sometimes - I am feeling good about what God is having on my heart to lead these students with. Sundays, I just dont have that same feel but I know God will break that soon as well.
* Relationships are deepening together with the folks around me. The last week or so God has really been pushing me in this place where hearts are at in just being like Jesus and loving the people around you. I mean less of us and more of Him and that means sometimes we need to love the hard to love. Love the ones who suck the energy from you, the heavenly sandpaper people and even those students who are just tough at times. I never used the word ANNOYING in middle school, at least to my knowledge but I hear it all the time now. Since when did everything and everyone become annoying in middle school? I laugh thinking about that because chances are if everything and everyone might be annoying to you - LOL - then you are probably the one thats annoying. Im just saying :)
* Carol is making plans for us to head to the beach for Spring Break. Kate will be joining us for a few days on her spring break. I cant tell you how much I miss that girl and I have really enjoyed the conversations with her the last few weeks. I am so encouraged by the path she is on. We all need to learn something from all this. Its not about where you are today but sometimes its ok to say you know what? - Look how far I have come! - Thats the important thing, not feeling down because you have a long way to go... but dang girl - you have come a long way! Keep it going!!!
* I am looking forward to upcoming weeks of rock group as we study "prayer" together. I plan to stretch every single person in their prayers during these coming weeks. Not sure what that looks like yet but I just feel it - this growth spurt about to happen and as we prepare for Jamaica.

I want to talk a little bit about John 9 today. I wont type it all out but if you would just pause and break away from this for a few minutes and read John 9 - I will pick it up from there.
True Blindness ~
Jesus while walking down the road, probably traveling from city to city along with his disciples, he came across a blind man. Blind from birth and never being able to see, his only occupation was to beg for money. Not being able to use his hands, kept this man from being able to work. During this time manual labor was the normal in terms of employment and what options does anyone have who cannot see? So as Jesus passed this man, He reached down and made a clay paste from his saliva and he rubbed it on this mans eyes. Imagine what this man was thinking because he couldnt see what Jesus was doing. He just had to feel it. See this man as the disciples asked Jesus who was to blame for this mans blindness - Jesus said that nobody was to blame but that his glory would be shown because of his blindness. The man got up, with the help of his friends and took him to the Pool of Siloam. This pool meaning "Sent" and the man got on his belly and washed his face. He saw. He could see. Could you image seeing for the very first time in your life. How you thought things looked was now real. Imagine the excitement in this man as he could match up a life time of things he only could imagined what they looked like. He was now seeing them. Colors, and textures, what clouds and the sun looked like. What people looked like and finally being able to see his friends and what they really looked like. The town buzzed as they started seeing the man all over town. Recognizing him as the blind beggar but now he sees? They wanted to know how this happened. In revealing his story that Jesus healed him it made the religious leaders angry. They couldnt deny that this man was healed - they were looking at him. The only fault they could find is that this healing took place on a holy day. This man didnt care at all about that because he could see. They called his parents in to testify the story and what exactly took place. They told him to ask their son, he was old enough to testify on his own behalf. So this blind man shares with them that its well known that God isnt at the beck and call of sinners but listens carefully to anyone who lives in reverence and does his will. That someone opened my eyes, a man who has never seen, if this man didnt come from God he would be able to do anything. Being angry now, they threw the man into the street. Jesus heard the story and went and found the man. He not only saw Jesus this time but he also recognized his voice. Jesus told him that he came into the world to bring everything into the clear light of day, making all things clear so that who have never seen will see, and those who have made a pretense of seeing will be exposed as blind. Jesus told some of the Pharisees who were listening that if they were really blind, they would be blameless but since they claim to see everything so well, they were held accountable.
Friends, often times we are blind to the things that God is doing in our own lives. What seems like a loss of everything, maybe a business failure, a loss of your job or home, what seems hopeless just might be God setting you up for something big. Maybe a restored relationship - a friend that was lost years ago or one that you really want to get off the ground just hasnt had any traction to step forward and now God is opening doors. His work is changing hearts and setting things up in peoples lives in order to bring folks together. I said yesterday while teaching on forgiveness - its a way to move forward in any relationship. It keeps the past from poisoning the future.
So much in life is in the past but if we focus on that past it will keep you from moving forward in life. Life is ahead of you and its a place where Jesus is because he goes ahead of you when you have things lined up in your life correctly. The things that once you didnt notice become full spectrum when Gods plan is revealed and you get a front row seat into what God is doing. Last week was a tough week for me. Lots of hurting people needing my time and prayers. Relationships just not working and as I ended my week last week. God spoke and I wrote it down on my calendar here on my desk. "I can't Lord, but YOU can."
Perspective is a good thing and when we can step back and get the Lords perspective on things - It opens our eyes so that we can see things clearly, differently and with his eyes. Tapping into the power that Christ has for us is all in his power. Not in our own. Not in our own timing but in his.
Psalms 22:24 God does not ignore the suffering of the afflicted. He does not hide his face but listens to the cry for help.
Thank you Lord that we can see your face. As the insider goes - LUVURFACE Lord. I am just thankful I can see it - though more clearly than other times - when asked, he reveals.
I got to share a great heart story this morning from a dear friend. She and her family are going through some tough times and yesterday after church she sat in the backyard and had her talk with God. She had a peace come over her and the sun came out. She knew right then that all things were under His control.
Loved ones, sometimes you have to lean on the faith of others, until you can stand on your own. We are in this together, sharing, learning, leaning, holding each other accountable, loving, smiling, laughing - Oh I want to laugh more on my journey. Laughter is the universal language and something we all could use some more of it. Who has ever laughed too much in their life?
Do you have some laughter people in your life? You know the ones that always bring a smile to your face?
I hope I am that person for someone today in my life.... this just might be a GREAT week ahead :)

Lonnie~