I Refuse, Not To Move!

Sometimes I

I just want to close my eyes

And act like everyone's alright

When I know they're not

This world needs God

But it's easier to stand and watch

I could say a prayer and just move on

Like nothing's wrong

But I refuse

'Cause I don't want to live like I don't care

I don't want to say another empty prayer

Oh, I refuse

To sit around and wait for someone else

To do what God has called me to do myself

Oh, I could choose

Not to move but I refuse

I can hear the least of these

Crying out so desperately

And I know we are the hands and feet

Of You, oh God

So, if You say move

It's time for me to follow through

And do what I was made to do

Show them who You are

'Cause I don't want to live like I don't care

I don't want to say another empty prayer

Oh, I refuse

To sit around and wait for someone else

To do what God has called me to do myself

Oh, I could choose

Not to move but I refuse

To stand and watch the weary and lost

Cry out for help

I refuse to turn my back

And try and act like all is well

I refuse to stay unchanged

To wait another day, to die to myself

I refuse to make one more excuse

'Cause I don't want to live like I don't care

I don't want to say another empty prayer

Oh, I refuse

To sit around and wait for someone else

To do what God has called me to do myself

Oh, I could choose

Not to move but I refuse

I refuse

I refuse

Josh Wilson ~ I Refuse

Album: See You

So....yesterday was a pretty exciting day for me & my family... I GOT MY DRIVERS LICENSE!!!!!
I'm just a little excited!!!
My mom & I met my dad at a restaurant to celebrate & my dad told me that I could drive home by myself!!!

So here are a couple pics my mom took of me...driving...without anyone else in the car... =)



Moi, driving out of the parking lot...by myself.





Becaue you can't tell...that's moi in the white car...





Moi...driving...with no one else in the car.



So as I was driving home (by myself =) ) I turned on the Christian radio station... (It's called The Fish...isn't that cute!!)  Anyhoo, I was listening to some people talking about "adopting" orphans in Africa by donating money.  Then the above song started playing.  I was so moved by the song...I had to share it all, with all of you.  

This song really made me think about my life as I continue to grow, physically & spiritually... Because now that I can drive, in my mind it kinda makes me think ahead, to more possible opportunities to be a witness for my Savior.  And I don't want to be a chicken & not talk to someone, when I know the Lord is calling me to do so.

I was in a Theology Book Club for about 2 years...I just had to stop recently.  =(  Well, one of the books we read was Forgotten God by Francis Chan.  It's about the Holy Spirit...  One of the points that fascinated me, was that the Holy Spirit is the one who whispers for us to go & talk to someone. 

One of leaders in the CBS ((Community Bible Study) that my mom & I go to) had an experienced a little while ago that reminds me of this song.  She was running (on a hiking trail) & she saw this teenage girl sitting up a-ways on the hill to the side of her...she kinda waved to the girl & kept running.  But then she felt the Holy Spirit telling her to go back & talk to that girl.  She admits that she tried to get out of it...she was going to look so silly running back & then trying to clamber up the hill.  Besides the girl might not even be there when she went back.  Someone else would probably come along & talk to her.  BUT this lady is a woman of God, strong in her faith & in the end she decided to go back & talk to this girl.

She talked to the girl for a little while, nothing "miraculous" happened, the girl didn't ask to become a Christian....BUT!!  the Lord can use many different people in one persons life.  Maybe another person did end up coming by & talk to that girl & because a seed was already planted about our Savior, the girl asked to know more.  I can think of many more scenarios that could have happened.  But the main thing is, this lady was emboldened by the Holy Spirit & she refused, not to move.  Afterwards, even though she probably did look silly, she felt spiritually satisfied, because she knew she heard the Holy Spirit, listened to the Holy Spirit & acted on what He told her to do.

I pray that the same thing will happen to me.  That when the Holy Spirit whispers...or shouts for me to do something; that I will do exactly what He asks of me!

Au Revoir...until next time.  =)

Many Blessings!

Tiffani

Busy, Busy, Busy...

Wow! Today is going to be a busy day!

I won't bore you by telling you my to do list...I'll just say between things to do at home & out of the house...this is the only time I have for writing today...

Personally, I like busy days...it makes me feel like I'm not being lazy, I have things to do, its a feeling I enjoy.

But the down side is...I don't feel like I have as much down time to sit at my Father's feet.  I'm reading a book right now called "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World".  (I saw the book in a book store a couple years ago & was really drawn to it, but didn't buy it.  Then about a year after that, my mom bought it & started telling me how good it was.  So of course I wished I had bought it when it caught my eye...)

In the book the author Joanna Weaver talks about the two hearts of Mary & Martha from the Bible.  Luke 10:38-42.  (I'm sure I'll be quoting from the book in the near future... =)  )

Unfortunately I don't have time to quote from the book now...I know...I'm not setting a very good example of being still...but honestly I don't have time.  (I have two minutes left to write...)

The good thing is, that I can talk to my Abba Father anywhere...of course I'd rather it be in my "special prayer spot".  Alone, with no distractions.  But there are some days where it can't always happen.  But tomorrow is another day...another day that isn't as busy, so I'll be able to spend that time with Him.  Today might be a bunch of scrambled "thought prayers" that jump from one topic to the next...but I think as long as our mindset is right...we can be at the feet of God wherever we are.

Au Revoir...until next time.  =)
Many Blessings!
Tiffani

Play the Play...

But You give Your love to me

You open up Your heart unselfishly

Lord, in Your embrace now I can say, I surrender

CHORUS:

Everything I held so precious

Everything I kept away

I give it up, give it up

All for You, I give it all for You

Everything I held as treasure

I give it all for You, I give it all for You

Joy Williams ~ Surrender

Album: By Surprise

I recently heard the author Francis Chan give this great spiritual analogy that spoke to me so much, it inspired me to start this blog… (I will be paraphrasing it (adding some details that pop into my head), because I don’t have the video in front of me.)

So you’re at a football game (please keep reading even if you aren’t a sports fan…=) In my opinion, this is one of the greatest analogies I’ve ever heard!)

So you’re at a football game…you’re so excited! You’re there to root for your team & you’re sure they’re going to win. They’ve got the best coach, the best assistant coach, the best uniforms, the best equipment…how could they lose?
You wait with growing excitement as both teams huddle up & discuss their plays. You can tell even from where you are that your team is excited…they’re like horses chomping at the bit, pawing at the ground ready to go. They do their “On 3, go team” thing. Then the whistle blows…and instead of getting in their formation your team goes & sits on the bench. Naturally the other team is surprised, but they don’t miss the opportunity to score a touch-down.
Then comes time for the next huddle. You can tell that your team is really excited again, then the whistle blows...and again instead of facing off the other team they go off to the benches.
This goes on for so many points that soon it becomes time for your team to make a serious decision. They need to start playing the play their coach is calling or they’re going to lose. They need to be unified, listening to their coach & courageous…or they might as well not play at all…

I’m sure some of you’ve already seen the connection to our lives, but I’ll go ahead & explain…

We as the body of Christ are the team…we have the best coach (our Lord God, Abba Father), the best assistant coach (our prescious Savior Jesus Christ ), the best uniforms (we are clothed in God’s armor Ephesians 6:10-18, God’s), & the best equipment (the Holy Spirit is our Comforter & Helper). What more do we need???

We get in our huddle as we go to church & Bible studies, small groups. We get excited as we pray and feel the Lord’s presense with us. We make a plan or hear the Lord’s voice telling us to do something. BUT, then “the whistle blows”, it’s time for us to go out into the “real world” & actually do something. Challenging things that take strength, courage, boldness, we don’t. We take the easy way out…& sit on the bench. We who should be on fire! We who can do all things through Christ who gives us strength! (Philippians 4:13) We who house the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God!

The “other team” whether it’s a pre-believer who we’re being called to talk to or Satan, attacking our life straight on or anyone in our life who opposes our spiritual or moral beliefs; they will not wait for us to sum up the courage…we need to be ready.

How many times though do we as believers take that easy way out. Sit on the bench, because we’re scared.
The Lord is SO willing to give us the strength we need…all we need to do is ask for it!

We as believers need to realize the cross-roads ahead of us. We need to take the road less traveled, pray for the strength & play the play.

Please do not think that I claim to be perfect in this. I constantly find myself in times that I’m not surrendering…ugh!!!! I don’t expect to be perfect…BUT perfection is the what I’m striving for…

My mom & I have been reading a book by Andrew Murray called Absolute Surrender. It’s a great book so far & I know I’ll be quoting from it in the near future. Aaannnd…now that I’m flipping through it…I see a section that goes right along with this analogy:

“You know in daily life what absolute surrender is. You know that everything has to be given up to its special, definite object and service. I have a pen in my pocket. That pen is absolutely surrendered to the one work of writing, and that pen must be absolutely surrendered to my hand if I am to write properly with it. If another holds in partly, I cannot write properly….

“And now, do you expect that in your immortal being, in the divine nature that you have received by regeneration, God can work His work, every day and every hour, unless you are entirely given up to Him? God cannot. The Temple of Solomon was absolutely surrendered to God when it was dedicated to Him. And every one of us is a temple of God, in which God will dwell and work mightily on one condition—absolute surrender to Him. God claims it; God is worthy of it; and without it, God cannot work His blessed work in us.

“God not only claims it, but God will work it himself.” ~ Chapter 1

I will say farewell on this note…this section is a lot to think & pray over (I know it was for me…=) ); so I will let you…

Au Revior…until next time. =)
Many Blessings!
Tiffani

PS: I heard Francis Chan tell this analogy in the Study Guide DVD set for his book Forgotten God.