SEE Them!

I've been questioned by non Christians how we hear from God. Is it an audible voice booming down from the heavenly clouds or is it something subtle like a breeze that comes out of nowhere, gently caressing your face and then it's gone. I would have to say it's both and probably more.

I believe when you are actively spending time with God, through morning devotions, reading your Bible, praying, and following in the path that He has laid out for you, it becomes easier to hear his voice. Sometimes it sounds like your own voice in your head and the way I can tell the difference is how it measures up to God's Word and my will.

Sometimes music can even lead us to something God wants us to address. For me, it has been extending my own world beyond the population of one. The song by Matthew West addresses the point perfectly. If you haven't heard the song before I would encourage you to listen to it. But more than that, let it move you to do something beyond listening and push you to the doing part. Here are the lyrics:

In my own little world it hardly ever rains
I've never gone hungry, always felt safe
I got some money in my pocket, shoes on my feet
In my own little world: population -- me

I try to stay awake during Sunday morning church
I throw a twenty in the plate but I never give 'til it hurts
And I turn off the news when I don't like what I see
It's easy to do when its population -- me

What if there's a bigger picture?
What if I'm missing out?
What if there's a greater purpose?
I could be living right now
Outside my own little world

Stopped till the red light, looked out my window
I saw a cardboard sign said, "Help this homeless widow"
And just above that sign was the face of a human
I thought to myself, "God, what have I been doing?"
So I rolled down the window and I looked her in the eye
Oh, how many times have I just passed her by?
I gave her some money then I drove on through
And my own little world reached population two

What if there's a bigger picture?
What if I'm missing out?
What if there's a greater purpose?
I could be living right now
Outside my own little world, ooh, my own little world, ooh

Father, break my heart for what breaks Yours
Give me open hands and open doors
Put Your light in my eyes and let me see
That my own little world is not about me

What if there's a bigger picture?
What if I'm missing out?
What if there's a greater purpose?
That I could be living right now

I don't wanna miss what matters
I wanna be reaching out
Show me the greater purpose
So I can start living right now
Outside my own little world, my own little world, my own little world!

So the point, opportunities for us to increase our own little world population exist every single day. But I warn you, you have to also question your motives. Are you doing it because you feel lead or simply to try and fill your heavenly warehouse with more rewards? God's going to test all the things we do to see if they past the fire test. Only those that fall in line with His perfect will, pass without being burned up.

God creates these divine appointments every day. They could be the fact you have a little extra cash laying around and it could really bless someone. Perhaps getting the man sitting outside the local Starbucks a cup of coffee and a muffin. Perhaps it is giving someone money who asks, or even offering to help someone out without expecting anything in return just because you can.

The thing that God brought to my attention yesterday was two simple words. My A-ha moment.
"SEE THEM." Which meant not simply noticing they are there but to look them in the eyes as the song suggests. How many times do we avoid eye contact, because they might just ask us for something and we simply don't want to give them anything. But we are missing something greater.

The ability to thaw and break our hardened hearts. To feel again, something more than what is in it for us.

One of my intuitive senses is to be able to look at someone and get an idea of what they are going through despite what they tell me. Sometimes I see pain, shame, anger, hurt, and a desperate need to matter. Yet we miss it because we don't see them. We don't want to see them, because then we would be accountable to God someday for why we didn't do anything.

These people are crying out not to be ignored any more. To matter. To know that not everyone will simply pass them by. Lord, let the ones reading this be impacted in the most amazing way to act as Your hands and feet today in some way. Like the words from Clarence in It's a Wonderful Life , Strange isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives, and when he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?"

Oh how I pray that each time, you come across ANYONE, you look them in the eyes. That you offer a simple smile, a kind word, a compliment. I hope God pushes you so far out of your comfort zone, to go out of your way to do something, that when you do, the emotion you feel afterward will be enough to leave you smiling for a long, long time and the memory never fades.

I hope that when you see someone, that you simply pray and ask God how He wants you to handle it. I guarantee it won't be nothing. So my goal for you today, is for you to increase your own little population to include a whole lot more people. This is the time to make a difference, but remember, check your motives. But I promise you, it will be worth more to you, than what you do for them.

Remember what the Bible says in Hebrews 13:2, "Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it."

Do Something!

Just looking at the title of this post, what did you think it would be about? I'm curious what your first impressions would be?

When I looked at it after I wrote it, I thought it sounded a bit harsh. Like someone yelling at an inconsiderate driver, or should I say what appears to be an inconsiderate driver to them?

While I get ready in the morning, it's habit to take my Kindle and put on my Pandora station, Christian Contemporary and listen to whatever songs God brings my way while I get my hair and make up ready. I wasn't feeling in the most joyful mood because I wasn't happy about my attitude last night when I went to bed. I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the travel my hubby has been doing and it's been H & G, Hi and Goodbye with him lately. So chores, errands, and everything else has been falling in my lap along with helping him pack and unpack between his trips.

I came across a song I hadn't heard before from Matthew West called Do Something. If you haven't heard it, I have included the video below and would encourage you to listen to it and see how or if it impacts you at all. I convicted me big time.

The words convey the simple truth the no matter what is happening in the world, we watch the news or listen to the radio and simply shake our head. Why isn't someone doing something to stop these things from happening. Homeless people continue to add to the growing population and we get our charitable moments in when we hand them some money hoping it will alleviate their burden to do something to help.

Now don't get me wrong it is something, but on a bigger scale, can't we as communities, churches, cities, states, do something much larger? Find solutions to help them get off the street and get back on their feet again. I look around and see all empty vacant buildings and wonder why we can't lease some of them out with the promise to start working around them to clean up neighborhoods and contribute to making our cities more pleasing to the eye.

I've read that if all the churches in every city took in one homeless person, there would be no more homeless people anywhere.

If all the people who could adopt a child, simply opened their homes, there would be no more adoptable children in the world. No more orphans.

If all the people in the world simply shared what God has blessed them with already, there would be no more hunger in the world anywhere.

So why don't we?

Because we are all waiting for someone else to do something.

We are all waiting for God do something.

But God has!

He created YOU!

YOU CAN DO SOMETHING.

What will you do to make an impact?

We all want to leave behind lasting legacies, imagine what would happen if we all did what we could, step outside of our attitudes and did what we could. If we ALL did what we could.

The possibilities are something!

I would encourage you to make a personal declaration like Andy Andrew's created in his book The Final Summit to "Do Something!"

"Knowing that all those who "arrive have to begin where they are. I choose to begin now. At this moment, I will do something.

For too long, I have allowed fearful thoughts to dominate my life. Now I recognize fear as a misuse of the creative imagination that has been placed inside me. In the past, I have allowed fear to shove all hope aside. No more! Fear no longer has any power to stop me from doing what I know to be right and true. I am no longer afraid. I am courageous. Right now, I will do something.

The person who faces hardships gains no strength. Though I do not look for hardships, I am grateful for its results, for I have grown mighty in soil mixed with troubles. My roots are not deep. My mind and heart have become powerful A beautiful flower cannot be created without fertilizer. A dazzling gem cannot be polished without great friction and am better because of it. Now it is time for me to do something.

I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I can do something right now. Never again will I allow what I cannot do to interfere with what I can do. Circumstances are rulers of the weak. I am not weak. Neither discouragement nor despair will stop me from doing something and doing it now. I am strong minded. I can make myself do something I would rather not do, in order to get a result that I do want. I will do something. And I will do it now.

My life, which was once a question mark, is now a statement. Stormy seas do not scare me, for I am the calm in the storm. My past is behind me and my future is bright because I now know the secret of the present. I will do something and I will do it now.

Right now. I will do something for my family. Right now. I will do something for my friends. Right now. I will do something for those who do not even know my name. For my family, my friends, and the strangers of the world are valuable in my Creator's sight. I will let them know that I recognize that fact by my actions. I now know that my smile, my words, my attitude are actions. They are all under my control. I am prepared to run my race. I am ready to hit the mark. I will now do my part in restoring humanity to the pathway toward successful civilization.

I will do something. And I will do it right now!"

But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? (1 John 3:17)

True servants are merciful. They care. They get involved. They get dirty, if necessary. They offer more than pious words. And what do they get in return? What does Christ promise? "They shall receive mercy."

Those who remain detached, distant, and disinterested in others will receive like treatment. But God promises that those who reach out and demonstrate mercy will, in turn, receive it---from other people as well as from God Himself.

One Last Christmas

I have to share this amazing and beautiful story that Matthew West created a song and video for, and be warned, you will cry!



Isn't it time we focus on what's important everyday? I challenge every blogger to donate something to this dream and make it happen.

You can read more about Dax on the link below:

http://www.daxlocke.com/

The Best Day of My Life in 2010!

Matthew West at Church

Happy Tuesday to everyone and I am sincerely hoping you all had a great weekend since blogging traffic all weekend long was super light.

Here's a recap of our weekend.

Saturday was family chore day! We got the whole house involved in getting the house spring clean to a degree and since everyone was helping it was done in a couple of hours. We had some mild temps on Saturday which was super nice and the kids went in the Jacuzzi in the evening while we BarBQued.

Sunday was off to second service at church since Matthew West was the musical guest this weekend. He was amazing and played two acoustical versions of the Motions and Moment of Truth. We thought Kailee our youngest would join us in the main service as I didn't want her to miss out, but she loves her Junior High group.

Little did we know that Matthew West came to their class and sang just for them, a mini private concert and shared his testimony with them. She came flying out of her service telling us that she happened to pack her camera and got a personal picture with him. It was smiles for the rest of the afternoon. The bad news is that she took it with a camera that we can't upload the pictures. Darn!



Later that day Caitlyn and I accompanied Steve and Kas to their bowling league and we all had a great time. We were the cheering section while they bowled. After that we stopped by the house long enough for a quick change and it was back to church for the full Matthew West concert. I can't say enough about his testimony and his music. It is truly a God given gift and he is using it to bring so many to God. After the concert, we had time to visit with him personally and talk to him. Something our kids were blown away by because this doesn't happen to concerts of the world.

Matthew's personal testimony is captured in the video at the end of this post. At the height of his career he was informed he had to have vocal cord surgery and wasn't sure if he would be able to sing again. He gave it to God and after two months of recovery, well God has blessed him immensely!

Some of the highlights of the concert were that Steve and Caitlyn got to sing with Matthew in the song, You've Got Something to Say. We got front row seats in our church to see him in concert which Kailee loved. Her very first concert too! She was dancing, singing and clapping along. At the end of the concert, I even got to tell Matthew that his music from the song, The Motions really spoke to me at the lowest time of my life. I needed him to know his music is really reaching down to the hearts and souls to people!

Kailee and Matthew West

They got pictures autographed and had their pictures taken with him and even Caitlyn's BFF, Katie came with us, she was personally touched when Matthew West sang Save A Place For Me, a piece he wrote to sing at his grandmother's funeral. Katie just that day lost a close friend, so it was so inspiring that God touched her right there in church that night.

Katie, Matthew West and Caitlyn

Monday was up early as we had to drive into Laguna to drop Caitlyn off as she starts her new intern job today, Tuesday. We visited my mom and sister for quite some time and then decided to make a start home early due to holiday traffic with everyone coming home. Turns out our decision was a sound one and we made it home so Kailee could go swimming at a friends house.

In addition to my weekend news, I have winners to announce for the two book reviews from last week.

For the winners of the book Broken, they are:

Jolanthe at No Ordinary Moments
Vicki from Here in My World
Brenda at Quilting Along Life's Way

and the winner of Leaving Unknown is:
Allison from Life in The Z Lane

I was fortunate to get in touch with all of them but please congratulate the winners while I leave you with a video clip of the song that he sang that ministers to those we have lost. This is the song that really spoke to Katie and I hope you enjoy it.

If you want to visit Matthew West's website, click here!