Sacred Fire

Growing up, my favorite singer of all-time was this amazing artist named Margaret Becker. Filled with powerhouse vocals, artistic lyrics, driven guitar, and heart-felt passion, her songs marked the chapters of my teenage years. One of her songs has captured the image of being on fire for God more than any other song I've heard. I'd like to share the words with you. As you read, may your heart be stirred and set ablaze.

Sacred Fire

by Margaret Becker

(From the album Never For Nothing)

Fire of separation

Fire of sacrifice

Fire of purifying heat

Burned on rocky altars

Through the ancient nights

Now that fire's burning deep in me

My heart is the altar

I am the priest

My life's the only sacrifice

This sacred fire needs

Sacred fire

Burn Your mark on me

With Your flame brand the Name

For everyone to see

Sacred Fire

Burn Your mark on me

I am honored to be set apart

So burn Your ownership into my heart

Fire of refining

Fire of discipline

Burn away all my impurities

Fire of consecration

Carefully define

The image of the Holy One in me

I know that I am priveleged

To bear the sacred light

So I will lay down everything

To keep this flame alive

Sacred fire

Burn Your mark on me

With Your flame brand the Name

For everyone to see

Sacred fire

Wait for Me

"I am waiting for you, praying for you darling, wait for me too, wait for me as I wait for you..."

~ from Wait for Me by Rebecca St. James

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NOBLE KNIGHT AND LADY FAIR

Knights in shining armor, princesses waiting in a castle, a heroic tale of romance and adventure...this is the story every young man and woman dreams of. Whether harbored secretly in the hidden corner of our hearts or talked about openly with our friends, this dream is the most sacred and the most cherished to us all. We want the fairy tale. We want the happily-ever after. We want to be the heroes and heroines in this beautifully scripted saga. But does the dream really exist? Or are we all searching for an elusive fantasy?

Along this road of singleness, so many of us have endured heartbreak, disappointment, or discouragement. Some have made mistakes while others have walked with heads hung low in unworthiness and shame. Too many hearts have been broken, beaten, chopped up, and spewed out. Our lives have been strewn with the carnage of broken relationships, shattered promises, and crushed dreams. Disillusioned, we wonder what happened to the story we once longed to experience. Deep within ourselves we question if it is too late.

But God-written stories are never too late...nor are they impossible. For the stories He writes are made of this stuff called faith...and faith works in the realm of the unseen. God is adept at making the broken whole and restoring shattered dreams. He is faithful to wash away the scarred memories of the past and renew a better vision within us. The heart is a matter of great importance to our Father God, and He longs to fulfill our every pure desire. Although few of us may truly realize this, God actually has a plan for our love life! He is the author of romance, and if we follow it His way, we will be blown away by its splendor.

But in order to live the dream, we must first release it...and wait on Him.

HOW LONG IS THIS GOING TO TAKE?

Waiting on the Lord is something our generation knows little about. We've grown accustomed to an instant-on-demand lifestyle. We want to have things our way right away. But if we want God's best in our lives, we must learn to surrender our ways to His and allow Him to script this story for us.

To many, waiting seems like a slow, inactive process. If truth were told, most of us hate waiting. DMV lines, airport terminals, Wal-Mart check out lanes, traffic lights, doctor's offices...all of these waiting places conjure up horrific images of boredom and wasted time. I wonder how many hundreds of hours we've literally spent waiting in line for something, someone, or simply OUR turn? If the waiting exceeds our little expected slot of time, we get restless and figety...shoe tapping and all. Too much waiting, and our patience evaporates into thin air.

But God's waiting room is different than waiting in line at the dentist's office while the generic radio-friendly pop plays over the loudspeakers. His waiting room is not a bland sterile enviroment filled with zoned out bodies. In this place of waiting on the Lord, the music is sweet, the sound is pleasant, and a lovely fragrance permeates the air. We are not waiting on "something" to happen, nor are we waiting for the next guy to enter the church to be "the one." We are simply learning to wait...on Him.

And those of us who wait will not be ashamed.

There is a most precious verse in Psalms that is written for the waiting ones: "None who trust and wait hopefully and look for You will be put to shame or disappointed" (Ps. 25:3 AMP). What a beautiful promise to those who are truly seeking and waiting upon the Lord. We will not be disappointed or ashamed! Our waiting will prove itself out in wisdom and a happy ending.

FIRST-LOVE FIRE

Something truly magnificent happens in the process of waiting. In additon to our natural understanding of waiting, the word "wait" also means "a binding together" (Strongs Concordance). While we wait upon the Lord, we are being bound together with Him.

In this particular waiting room, our hearts are dregged of any impurities, any other longings, any selfish inclinations, and filled with the reality of our Lord. The waiting serves us one purpose: To become completely enraptured with our First Love. The waiting room is also a test of our character, integrity, motives, and purpose. Daily we learn to die to ourselves and our fleshly desires while taking up the cross of the Kingdom. It is a place where discipline is forged, hearts are purified, and purposes examined. Waiting is not for the faint of heart, for it is a process of fire and battle. It is a place where we lose ourselves and find all that we are in Him.

For a love story to have the signature of romance's true Author, we must first fall in love with the Author Himself. Everything we do and everything we are must be about Him and for Him. There is no room for "me" anymore. For a story to have Eternity's stamp of approval, it must be about Eternity's purpose. We're not just knights and princesses in a fairy-tale; we're knights and princesses in service of a King. There is Kingdom business to attend to, and we are the ones who must answer the call to arms.

So if it seems you've been waiting forever for your knight in shining armor to come sweep you off your feet, or if it seems like every woman you've met is not a true princess, don't become discouraged in your season of waiting. If you've experienced disappointments or heartbreak, simply give it to the Lord and allow Him to restore and renew His dream within you. Don't allow the opinions of others to determine your value; find out your true identity as a son or daughter of God. Dust off the dream of that incredible love story and live unihibited for your King. Learn the art of waiting on the Lord and becoming infused with His wonderous Presence. Pursue the King and run with fire fulfilling Kingdom purposes.

May we be the generation of young men and women who not only believe God for His best in our lives, but wait for His best as well. As our God-written love stories unfold, may we run hand-in-hand, shoulder-to-shoulder, united in heart and vision, pursuing the Kingdom's call and purpose. May we become true knights and princesses waiting passionately upon our Lord and King.

The Legacy of True Friendship

"You will never find a perfect friend, but you can choose people

with a good heart."

~Jim King

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In our instant on-the-go, paper-cup-coffee, grab-a-breakfast-bar-for-the-morning-commute society, we are programmed to choose things quickly, on demand, and disposable. Drive-through Starbucks, microwaveable dinners, downloadable music, and online shopping have shaped our generation for instant gratification without a close examination of quality and value. If we can't get our need met within a few minutes or days, we lose our patience and go on to something faster and more convenient.

With the incredible advances technology has made in recent years, it is no wonder we are unsatisfied with things that don't work our way right away. We're productive, tech-savvy, and quick on our feet, but sadly many of us have lost the ability to endure. We're quick to give up on things that often require an investment of our time, our efforts, our energy...and ourselves.

When it comes to friendships, we are more apt to disregard those who've disappointed us, left us, or don't appeal to our ego. We love freely, but only for a moment. Too often, we give up on people the Lord has placed in our lives and go for something shinier, prettier, or cheaper. But friendships are not like the breakfast bar you run out the door with in the mornings. They can't be consumed in a moment with the wrappings tossed in a trash can. Because of their richness and depth, real friendships take time to develop...and to be a true friend, we must learn to endure.

True friends are indeed a rare jewel in this day and age. We're constantly barraged with social contact every day, but acquaintances come and go. In the multitude of faces we meet on a daily basis, we need to discern between the facade and the reality, the temporary and the longlasting, the superficial and the deep. And once we find a true friend, may we determine to never let go regardless of the cost.

This week during my church's annual missions conference, one of the ministers talked much about the quality of relationships in the body of Christ. At 60 years old (or somewhere in that vicinity), he had some wisdom to share on this topic. A missionary and a minister for nearly 30 years, he has developed some quality friendships with other like-minded men and women of God.

Being a preacher's daughter myself, I have watched the same careful enduring friendships shape my parents' lives as well. Years ago, these men and women began friendships with other people who were of the same vision and purpose...and through the challenges of life, ministry, and marriage, these couples have kept each other encouraged and accountable in their race and calling. They have continued to pray for each other, financially support one another, and love each other through decades of good and seasons of hardship. These men and women have learned to value the preciousness of God-ordained relationships. And when the going got tough...well, they just got more determined to stick together.

One thing this minister said that really caught my attention was this: "I started my race with these guys and I'm going to finish with them." As I considered his words, I began to examine the relationships the Lord has placed in my life over the years. Many of the young men and women I've had the privilege of knowing have an incredible call of God on their lives for some specific service in the Kingdom. Now, more than ever, I am determined to hold the ropes for them and their ministries. Thirty years down the road, I want to look back and see an overflowing richness in this area of my life. Despite the challenges we may face in the future, I want to be the kind of friend that endures throughout all seasons of life.

So in the quick-get-it-now era, take time to invest in other people. Look for quality, not quantity. Run with those who are seeking after the very heart of God. When frustrations ensue, don't let it tear you apart from those strategic connections in your life. Allow love, not strife, to permeate your friendships like the most fragrant perfume. Learn to cherish the genuine instead of the trendy, the rare for the popular, and the profound for the surface. As we support one another in true Christ-like fashion, we will have relationships that can't be dumped out once the coffee gets cold. Instead, we'll have authentic friendships that are treasured for a lifetime.

Compelled

It has been said that missionaries think in terms of nations, while pastors think in terms of cities.

Growing up a missionary's daughter, I can attest to the fact that missionaries do indeed think in terms of nations. When people ask me where I grew up, I don't say "Falun" or "Plaisir," but rather "Sweden" and "France." Nations were a part of my identity as I traveled the world with my missionary parents.

During my teenage years, cultural complexities were a daily part of my high school experience. As a student in an international highschool in the Paris suburbs, I would hear a dozen languages every day as I sat in class. My classmates came from a plethora of mixed nationalies: Sara, who was half-Panamian-half-French; Petra, a Checzh national who wrote in her diaries in Swedish; and Arina, the half-Russian-half East German blonde who had once lived behind the Iron Curtian. Then there was Caroline, who was from a Mexican mother, a German father, but was born in France and grew up in New Zealand. She was enrolled in the British section at our school and later went to the US to study at the university. There were a handful of Portugese and Italians, Dutch and Spanish kids who also attended the Lycee....along with an Asian or South American included in the mix.

I would imagine that on our bus alone, at least 20 different nationalities were represented on the 45-minute drive into St. Germain-En-Laye. Flags outlined the silouette of our school, gaurding the students like a miniature UN. Graduation day was the most unusual, for every international section had its own ceremony stemming from its own culture. As an American, I graduated twice that day: once from the American section, and once with the French school.

Indeed, I grew up with an international mindset.

Over the last year, however, something of a paradigm shift has occurred in my little European-educated brain...I've begun to think in terms of cities...American cities to be exact. And what I once saw in nations, I now see in cities. And the average American city is in need of a huge spiritual overhaul.

I sometimes wonder what has happened to the America I knew as a little girl before we moved overseas. Where are her family values, her morality, her stand for God? In the last year or so, with the historical Presidential campaign, our nation lost even more strength as racism, politics, and economics endeavored to tear our nation apart. I'm not intending on getting into a political diatribe here, so I will stop at this point to say that America is in dire need of the revival we missionaries have so longed to see in our respective countries. I honestly believe America has an assignment to finish, and until she has fulfilled her God-given purpose, we as praying Christians must continue to stand in the gap and intercede for our great nation. But I digress...

What has captivated my attention as of late are the cities of America. What once was pleasant, simple, or even glamorous has degraded to violence, hatred, and complacency. I am horrified at the increased crime rates, the random acts of domestic violence, the intrusion of gangs in the city streets, and the absolute shattered home life of these individuals. These cities have become broken in all respects...broken individuals, broken lives, broken homes, broken mindsets, broken societies, broken cities.

It's time for the broken to become whole.

There is so much more I could write about this topic, but my little cafe is closing. I hope to return to the topic of restoration in the American city in a future blog, but for now, let me leave you with a short peoetic verse I wrote earlier this year:

Compelled

I am compelled
To give of what I have most
To those who have so little

Wholeness, happiness, peace
Restoration, redemption
Endless Unconditional Love

Generations of broken lives
Keep filling my eyes with tears
It’s time for restoration

Epidemic overtaking nations
Glamorous cities forsaken
Countless broken souls

I cannot stand by
Simply watching anymore

A Lady in Wating

About five years ago during my tenure as a Bible school student, I had one of those amazing seasons with God. All you young ladies will understand that waiting and growing up process, for it happens to all of us who are truly becoming women of God. Anyway, during the fall of that season, the Lord had given me this picture in poetry. The story and season of that time were so sacred that I kept this little poem hidden away in my one of my journals for the past few years. As I was visiting with a younger friend a few months ago, the Lord reminded me of this piece of poetry. Dusting it off from the recesses of my journal, I shared it with her. Noting the tears that flowed from her lovely eyes, I realized this bit of poetry should be shared with all young ladies who are in that season of waiting. So, in hopes of inspiring courage and patience in your process of becoming, it is with humble grace I submit to you A Lady in Waiting.

A Lady in Waiting


I am in a small room somewhere in a palace
Some say I am a woman, yet others see me as a girl
I know I’m neither - only changing from one to another
It is my time of becoming

Others do not know this for how can they see
This girl inside growing in divine beauty?

I have become that lady in waiting
But an earthly princess I am not
It is a heavenly transition
For I am shedding my girlish design
And becoming a woman of God

There is so much He is at work in me doing
Altering, changing, forming
Completely transforming all within
A living sacrifice He has demanded of me
My life to Him I give unreservedly

A surrender of my will
Is how this first started
But a flood of other burnings
Came crashing into my world
Changing this small tiny girl
Into a wise woman of God

The preparation digs deep
Not concentrating on outward appearances
It has lit a fire in my heart,
The deepest core of my being
Has been touched and loved
I am now a lady
A lady waiting upon her Lord

My Lord is most precious to me
For He has overseen this change in my identity
With great care and utmost skill
He has shaped this girl becoming woman
My love for Him runs as deep as the seas,
As far as the skies
It is He alone who can hold and shape my heart
To Him I alone belong
He is the King upon my heart’s throne

Through all this change He is simply creating me to be
What is most pleasing in His eyes
A woman of wisdom and kindness, love and devotion
Is the lady He’s preparing in me
I am just a lady who’s becoming
Becoming one like her Lord

But in the distance over the forest and across the sea
Is a young knight dressed in armor
He too serves my Lord - he is neither boy nor man,
Like me, he is becoming wise

A preparation time is reserved for him too
A castle he is not residing in
But the forest where the enemy lies
He is out slaying dragons
Learning lessons of spiritual manhood
Right before my eyes
The fight he must endure
For this qualifies him as a true knight
But one day he will come walking
Dented armor, into my sight

“It was a harsh battle,” he will say
“But I learned to delight myself in our Lord
The lessons He taught me though hard I had to fight
Are golden and true
His words alone are what brought me through
Trust in Him I did learn
And His love for me kept me on my way
He has been faithful through this test
In His Lordship, I know I can rest.”

My knight once in shining armor

Now with blood spotted hands
Stands before me in earnest truth
He has fought hard and won the battle
While I have been through my fire
I stand before him with clothes marked in soot and ashes
We have both been tested it seems
Yet our Lord was wise
For in His faithful eyes He saw
Not a boy, but a knight,
Not a girl, but a lady
In Him we are both becoming

Artistic Perfection of the God-Kind

How often are we in awe of perfection? How much more are we disappointed in a lack of perfection - especially in something we hoped would be perfect?

As humans, we desire and aim for perfection - the perfect job, the perfect house, the perfect day, the perfect person. Yet, despite all our efforts and struggles, perfection is something we see and perform in finite moments. After all, human nature is itself imperfect. No matter how hard we strive for perfection, we rarely attain it.

Those of you who are artists will understand the creative tension for perfection. Musicians spend literally hours upon hours practicing a piece of music. The notes must all be played in cadence and rhythm, while the chords, pauses, and emotional balance swirl together to create syphonic sounds of beauty and perfection. Actors rehearse for weeks on end to nail their performance on stage with precision. Dialogue, actions, and facial expressions must all be practiced to deliver a perfect presentation. Writers (of which group I most closely identify) may sketch out dozens of drafts before creating that perfect sentence or story. Every word is tenderly and skillfully chosen to create the perfect vehicle for conveying a message. But even when we execute our art perfectly, we still find areas of fault and criticism.

No matter how hard we try, we still fall short of perfection.

Perfection is something only a Perfect Being can achieve.

While I was reading my Bible this morning, something caught my attention: the perfection of God's ability to perform. Whatever He promised, whatever He said He would do, He does...it's part of His character as a Faithful Father and Friend. But there's something even more than His ability to follow through on something...and that is His perfection. He's not just a person of His Word, but He is also the Perfect Performer. In His delivery, His action, His creation, His timing, His beauty...He is perfect. And when He says He'll do something for us, He does it in the most perfect way possible.

He is the Perfect Author of our life story.

As a writer, I understand and relate to words and stories. Composing any written piece is a delicate procedure of creating the perfect sentence, the perfect plot, the perfect flawed characters, and the perfect retelling of process and journey. As a reader, I appreciate well-written stories that keep me turning pages until the gray hours of early morning. There's nothing more satisfying to the heart of a writer than capturing words of elegant description and purpose on a blank page. Nothing compares to the reader's imagination than the thrill of reading a captivating story with an unexpected ending. The relation between writer and reader is one of satisfaction and fulfillment. The writer creates for the purpose of delivery; the reader absorbs the story for learning and pleasure.

At this very moment, the Perfect Author is crafting our story. He knows where to take us in our journey, He knows what lessons need to be learned to mature us, and He knows what other characters are involved in the process. He saw the battles in our future and gave us the equipment needed to fight them. He knows the steps we should take, for He already had them mapped out ahead of time. He knows the right people to connect us with, and He knows the wrong people who will deter us from our purpose. He already wrote the plot. The climax He's already directed. The ending He crafted from the beginning. He is the perfect writer. Every word, every person, every step, every chapter...everything He wrote in our script was for the purpose of fulfilling our story.

We are the honored participants in this riveting saga. Our primary responsibility is to simply follow the Author's cues. We read, we listen, we receive, we digest... We walk through each day with the satisfaction and wonderment of knowing that something greater than our little plans are at work. We submit to the Author's purpose and walk out His script. The journey becomes a surprise to us, and we may find ourselves awake with anticipation in the middle of the night.

As the Perfect Author, God performs Perfectly. His stories for us include an array of the simple to the design of the miraculous. The pages of our lives are filled with quiet moments in His presence to supernatural events only He could orchestrate. His story is never boring, for His artwork is always perfect. There are no flaws in His story, no thoughtless dialogue, no side journeys without purpose. Every sentence, ever paragraph, every moment....He wrote in exquisite perfection.

Perfection is truly divine. Not disappointing in its effects, presentation, satisfaction, or precision, the perfection of our Father God's performance in our lives is absolutely perfect. Astounding us with its creative detail and clarity, His perfection leaves us in breathless wonder. Once we see it, taste it, hear it, and watch it unfold in our lives, we are forever transformed by this artistic perfection of the God-kind.

On Listening and Waiting

Have you ever looked around outside of yourself and wondered, "What am I doing?" Maybe you've watched family and friends move on, move forward, and make progress, while you, on the other hand, seem to be standing still. Perhaps you're in that season of life where everyone and eveything around you are in chaotic motion while everything within you is quietly still and waiting...

And in all that waiting and vacuum of sound, you begin to listen. As the clamor of others' voices, plans, opinions, and your own soulish desires fade to the background, one Voice begins to arise. It starts off ever so softly - barely above a whisper - and with each passing moment of stillness, it becomes louder and clearer. Always gentle, always firm, always sweet... it beckons you to listen and cherish its sound.

That Voice has become so familiar to me in this seemingly uncelebrated chapter of life. So many others are moving and progressing, yet for this moment in time, my Father God has me standing still to listen. Observing life and excitement all around me, I sometimes wonder when it will be my turn. But something inside says, "Cherish these days, for you are receiving of My heart."

There is something to be said about making time to hear the Father's voice, to know His plan, and to be driven by His desires. These quiet, unnoticed, and hidden times are often uncomfortable, for they place us in direct contact with ourselves and the will of God. Sometimes, the picture isn't as pretty as we would like, only because we see flaws in ourselves that the Holy Spirit is working in us to overcome. Other times, the small glimpses we get of our future are breathtaking as we realize we are about to encouter greatness. And everytime that Voice is heard, we are forever changed.

Yes, it is my quiet season in life. My job is in transition, my friends are moving on in life with their own families, and the dreams in my heart sometime seem so far away. To those who know me well and know me little, it may seem like my shoes are melted in sticky ooze that hinders my running. But if you'll take a deeper look, you'll notice a priceless movement...listening.

This listening season, however quiet and outwardly motionless, has left me forever transformed. Purified desires, new dreams, deeper compassion, surprising direction, and the revelation of the most precious secrets - these have been the rewards of taking time to immerse myself in that quiet season of listening and waiting. The days in this season are numbered, for it will soon be time to start putting motion to what I've heard. But in the hours that remain, I will listen intently, closely, and with passion... and then I will run with fire.