God

When my husband told a kid that he’d also have a strong wife: another adven-nurture moment come to life!

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My husband is a truth-speaker. He loves to proclaim his love for me as well as my great value. He also loves to inspire others toward the power of marriage. My heart exults over these things about him. 

A couple weeks ago, we were in San Francisco, walking with my parents. Along the sidewalk where our feet were finding their way, pleasantly parallel to the embarcadero, there was a wooden curb of sorts to our right. It was essentially a 3×3″ piece of timber, about 8 feet long, used to keep people and things from negatively effecting the construction project underway to our right. We noticed a boy, about eight years old, trying to figure out a way to walk on that beam. My husband encouraged him that it was possible and hopped up on it, using my right shoulder for balance.

“See!” he said, “It’s easy! You can do it too! For me, my wife gives me the strength and support I need to do this and many other things in life. One day in the future you can have a strong wife too, who helps you accomplish great things you couldn’t do on your own. Right now, your mom might be able to help you walk on the beam though. Okay, bye!” 

 

The moment was priceless. 

Travel is innately better with this man by my side. We give each other great strength, supernatural strength even. Whether navigating Qalqilya in the Palestinian Territories or enjoying the sunny wind of San Francisco, we get to bring our co-strength and inspire others, even whole cities, with it. Ah, travel! It nurtures our souls, yes; however, we also get to nurture souls wherever we go. 

There is adventure, which we love; and there is ADVEN-NURTURE, which we thrive in! 

Go find some adven-nurture today! Let us know what happens! 

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World WReligion Wednesday: Misconceptions about Hinduism

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“Are Hindus polytheistic or monotheistic?” 

This is a question I am often asked, particularly by my students. Typically, Hinduism is popularly perceived as being polytheistic (that is, worshipping more than one god). However, I think that is somewhat inaccurate. In fact, Hindus worship various expressions of the same god. Granted, many Hindus may not perceive this, but I think theologically it is accurate. There is almost always variance between core theology and the way people live out their theology. Some Hindus may align themselves as worshippers of Lord Krishna to such a measure they are not thinking of Brahma, the ultimate creator. This is where the disconnect is. At the top of Hinduism is the Trimurti, a trinity of sorts, consisting of Brahma (creator), Shiva (destroyer), and Vishnu (preserver). Thus, it comes down to one god. 

For more understanding of Hinduism, check out this helpful CNN article:

9 myths about Hinduism — debunked

 

 

 

BELIEF

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BELIEF

Today is day four of Advent.

Last night I went to our monthly Resurrection Life meeting. It’s good to be on the leadership team of a group that is focused on raising the dead and bringing fullness of life to people and places. I very much look forward to the time when dead raising becomes more common – when lives are restored toward their destinies and people get to see the love of God powerfully displayed therein.

As I point the footsteps of my heart toward Christmas, I remind myself to stir up belief. In the words of my pastor, “You know your mind has been renewed when the ‘impossible’ becomes logical.” Today, I choose again to train and discipline my heart toward seeing the “impossible” happen.

For me, this includes families living free and powerfully united for kingdom purposes; peace in the Middle East; an end to slavery, child abandonment, and human trafficking; and a world where ecstatic encounters with God and the like (trances, levitation, transportation like Philip in Acts 8, genius ideas downloaded) are commonplace.

I am really excited to see heaven come to earth with increasing measure.

What are you excited about in this advent season?

LIGHT

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LIGHT

Yesterday was day three of Advent.

I thought about light.

You see, there is truth everywhere, but we must allow ourselves to see it. We must allow the light of God to reveal it to us. There are truths about how to serve. There are truths about healing. There are truths about getting out of our powerless mindsets and into the authority we have in God. Yesterday, I brushed off some of the dust of bad perception, and re-welcomed God’s light to show me true reality. And in our friends’ house, in worship, I felt the warmth of that light. Ahhh… it feels great.

Today, let there be light. “LIGHT!”

1 John 1:5
“This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.”