Friday, December 15, 2006

fiery furnace

But these three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, fell into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire still tied up.

Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astounded and stood up in haste; he said to his high officials, "Was it not three men we cast bound into the midst of the fire?" They replied to the king, "Certainly, O king."

He said, "Look! I see four men loosed and walking about in the midst of the fire without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!" (Daniel 3:23-25)

As I reflect on my times in the fiery furnace over the past two years, two words come to the forefront of my mind - freedom and revelation.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego were bound when they fell into the furnace. After the fire had accomplished its purpose, they were free!

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego entered the furnace as three men alone together. Then Jesus showed up, "walking about in the midst of the fire" WITH them - Immanuel revealed!

Don't you just love the ways of the Lord? The fire that we think will utterly destroy us actually releases us into His glorious freedom and enables us to see Him more clearly. AND He doesn't just stand on the sidelines, guiding us from a distance. He gets into the midst of the fire WITH us. What did David say? "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are WITH me" (Psalm 23:4).

"When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you." (Isaiah 43:2)

- Lindsay

Live free! Live in Daddy's affection!

Sunday, December 10, 2006

short answer

While completing a questionnaire last night, I was asked to describe my religion. Here's my answer -

"It's all about relationship, not religion; following a Person, not principles; living from the heart, not by rules and regulations; loving and accepting, not judging and criticizing. Church is a people, not a building or a meeting."

How would you describe your "religion" in 40 words or less?

- Lindsay

Live free! Live in Daddy's affection!

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

the debate

In its November 13, 2006 issue, TIME magazine featured a "God vs. Science" debate between Christian genome pioneer Francis Collins and Oxford atheist Richard Dawkins. Last week, TIME published several letters in response to the debate. Below are two letters that rang true:

"Scientists will not find God unless they think outside the box, as Collins has done. Faith and miracles, so central to Christian thought, are anathema to the scientific method, as Dawkins reaffirms. 'Why am I here?' and 'Is there a God?' are questions that cannot be answered by science. God comes to those who have the insight to think in another dimension and have the wisdom of a child."

John S. Mackiewicz, Professor Emeritus, Biological Sciences
State University of New York, Albany, New York

"Science and religion seemingly cannot coexist because religion is all about the past and science is all about the future. Scientists and theologians need to stop making the mistake of equating the concept of God with religious doctrines. Every scientific breakthrough reinforces my belief that God cannot be contained by the confines of religion or science."

June Dordal
Moorhead, Minnesota

Live free! Live in Daddy's affection!

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

up close

What a breath of fresh air Divine Nobodies continues to be! Here's a portion of what I read today:

Now I knew why I had to visit Kit. God put me with someone who had enough confidence in the Spirit to let my visit play out as God directed. I've received a lot of "ministry training" from some of the best and brightest megastars in Christendom, but I learned my most valuable lesson from Kit: Sometimes it's just best to get out of God's way. Plenty of people were willing to offer "biblical counsel" concerning my continuing career and ministry, which would have served only as distractions from listening to and knowing God himself up close and personal in real time. I was one of those people Jesus referred to who had their nose buried in the written Word but somehow missed the Living Word. Arriving in Connecticut, I wanted a five-point plan for putting my life back together, but Kit's unplanned agenda allowed for moments where I experienced God in ways I never had.

Maybe getting there requires coming to the end of yourself and the things and people you're depending on, even if they are inherently good, like the Bible. My striving couldn't get me any closer to knowing God. He had always been there, waiting for me to give up and listen. Though those dramatic encounters don't happen every day, I'm starting to become more familiar with his voice. In all Kit's improvising, I got a taste of God, making me hungry for more of him. He is what I'm looking for. The risks are worth it. I can't control or predict God, but I trust him enough to allow this journey of knowing him to take me wherever it may lead, even if I don't know where that is until I get there.

- Jim Palmer, Divine Nobodies, p. 15.

Live free! Live in Daddy's affection!

Sunday, November 12, 2006

obx marathon

Today I accomplished one of my lifetime goals: I ran my first marathon - 26.2 miles in 4 hours, 11 minutes, 15 seconds. Three months ago I came across an online ad for the OBX Marathon while doing research on the Outer Banks, and my heart was stirred. The timing and location seemed so right. One of the Father's words to me this year has been "released to run" (set free to be me), and few places on earth inspire me quite like the coast of North Carolina. I sensed the Father's encouragement to "Go For It!" As I began to train and prepare, everything fell right into place, and the Holy Spirit coached me through training, minor injuries, last-minute preparations, and the race itself. I ran the perfect race - a steady pace and a sprint to the finish (the last two miles were my fastest). Thank you, Daddy, for an awesome experience!

"The Lord GOD is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds' feet." (Habakkuk 3:19)

- Lindsay

Live free! Live in Daddy's affection!

Saturday, November 04, 2006

divine nobodies

This week I started reading Divine Nobodies by Jim Palmer. The subtitle of the book is Shedding Religion to Find God. Jim writes with an honesty that is refreshing and challenging. Here's what one Amazon.com reviewer had to say -

Divine Nobodies will touch the deepest most intimate parts of your being as Jim meanders through life discovering God within and through everyday folks...the divine nobodies of life. You'll cry, giggle, hmph, chuckle and ROFL. Shedding religion is messy business, albeit foundation shaking at times. Jim tells of encountering the round pegs, those questions and life situations that just don't fit into the neat and orderly square holes of religion:

What is church? What does it mean to be the church? If a loving parent wouldn't send their child to eternal hell, how could God? Why do bad things happen? What is our journey about as a child of God...is it about living the 'perfect life' a striving for sinlessness? Just how far does God's grace go? Should believers do life with the "undesirables", homosexuals, adulterers, divorcees, alcoholics of the world or does being around "bad" apples spoil the whole bushel...just who are "undesirables" anyway? Is knowing about God the same as knowing God?

If you have an inkling there's something more to God than Sunday services and Wednesday night prayer meetings, pick up a copy of Divine Nobodies...Jim's story will fan that inkling into a knowing that will guide you to a deeper and more intimate relationship with God...and that 'is' what life's about.

- Rick Harris

Live free! Live in Daddy's affection!

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

soul surfer

Three years ago today, a thirteen year-old girl paddled into the pristine waters off Kauai, Hawaii for an early morning surf session. Minutes later, the unthinkable happened - a shark attack. The past three years have been an incredible story of triumph through tragedy for young Bethany Hamilton. Few stories have touched my heart quite like hers.

Here are some excerpts from Bethany's autobiography, Soul Surfer:

“My plans to be a professional surfer got hit pretty hard on that Halloween morning. It was my own personal tornado. In the days, weeks, and months that followed I had a lot of cleaning up to do. Often, it was scary or trying. And I won’t lie to you: in some ways it still is.

“But for me, knowing that God loves me and that He has a plan for my life that no shark can take away is like having solid rock underneath me. Look, lots of bad stuff happens to people. That’s life. And here’s my advice: don’t put all your hope and faith into something that could suddenly and easily disappear. And honestly, that’s almost anything. The only thing that will never go away, that will never fail you, is your faith in God.

“I don’t pretend to have all the answers to why bad things happen to good people. But I do know that God knows all those answers, and sometimes He lets you know in this life, and sometimes He asks you to wait so that you can have a face-to-face talk about it. What I do know is that I want to use what happened to me as an opportunity to tell people that God is worthy of our trust, and to show them that you can go on and do wonderful things in spite of terrible events that happen. I don’t think it does any good to sit around feeling sorry for yourself.

“What does God have in store for me? I really don’t know, but I do know one thing for sure: the adventure has only started."

Live free! Live in Daddy's affection!

Sunday, October 29, 2006

akeelah

"The Best Family Film Ever!"
"Absolutely Irresistible!"
"A Jewel!"
"Two Thumbs Way Up!"

That's what critics had to say about "Akeelah and the Bee" - a wonderful movie I watched on DVD this week with my fourteen year-old daughter. "Akeelah and the Bee" is the story of an eleven year-old girl living in South Central Los Angeles who dreams of winning the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Early in the movie, Akeelah reads a framed quote in the office of the UCLA professor who is coaching her for the spelling bee. Here's the quote -


Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our greatest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, “Who am I to be brilliant, talented, fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.

Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.

There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people
won’t feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

It’s not just in some of us, it’s in ALL of us.

As we let our light shine,
we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.

- Marianne Williamson

Live free! Live in Daddy's affection!

Saturday, October 28, 2006

wild ride

As a sixth grade teacher, one of the first books I read aloud to my students is The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. With each new reading comes a fresh insight into the heart of God. This year, Aslan’s post-resurrection romp through Narnia really stirred my heart. Here are some choice selections -

Aslan (to Susan and Lucy): “'We have a long journey to go. You must ride on me.' And he crouched down and the children climbed onto his warm, golden back.... And with a great heave he rose underneath them and then shot off, faster than any horse could go, down hill and into the thick of the forest.”

“That ride was perhaps the most wonderful thing that happened to them in Narnia. ...this is a mount that doesn’t need to be guided and never grows tired. He rushes on and on, never missing his footing, threading his way with perfect skill.... And you are riding not on a road nor in a park, nor even on the downs, but right across Narnia, in spring....”

What a great description of the wild, off-road, springtime ride I’ve been on these past two years. My journey has been unpredictable, unorthodox, and utterly liberating - a time of new beginnings like no other. As I wrap myself in the warm, golden folds of His loving heart, there is peace and exhilaration in abundance.

- Lindsay

Live free! Live in Daddy’s affection!

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

love prophecy

Twenty years ago when I was a young, unmarried twentysomething, a precious young lady gave me a single sheet of paper filled with words straight from the Father's heart. At the time, it was a challenge to receive the full impact of those words into my heart because my relationship with Father was very much based on performance - specifically, my ability to keep rules and follow principles. Even though I fancied myself quite spiritual (full of God's life), in reality I was quite religious (full of my own efforts).

Thanks to the Father's abundant mercy and grace, the words of this prophecy resonate far more powerfully today than they did twenty years ago. Although the prophecy was given directly to me, I believe it is a beautiful expression of the Father's heart for each and every one of us -


LOVE PROPHECY TO LINDSAY

My Delightful Son Lindsay,

I watched you last night while you slept - My heart was so overwhelmed with Love for you! I thought about you all night, excited to see you wake, and think of me. All day I have watched, and smiled, because you Lindsay, are such a joy to me! I have so much for you - I am constantly planning and bringing to pass things to bless your heart, and lift up your soul.

I want to remind you of my Love today - Love that you can accept and be confident in. Don't ever count yourself as not being worthy of my love - You are worthy, simply because you are my child. I proved my love, when I sent my son...Had I not loved you as deeply as I do, I could not have stood back and watched Him die - but when you Lindsay, understood and accepted what I had given, it was worth it all...and my heart was full of joy in knowing that my lost son had come home.

For I chose you, Lindsay! You can come to me with your daily hurts, frustrations, and joys - knowing that my hand of love will be upon you, doing what is best...I will be right beside you, when you feel as if your heart might break - when you're overwhelmed with yourself and the world - and I'll lead to the rock that is higher than you are - Which is me! I'm solid and strong, yet gentle and tender. In me you can find your strength.

I have made you new, Lindsay! I have ingrafted you in Jesus, and in Him you are new and fresh. Totally. Completely. I have drawn you to myself and invested in you the preciousness of my dear son...All that is His, is Yours - which is everything! So remember today Lindsay, that the old you has passed away. Do not carry the weight of it around. Be as a butterfly, just out of the cocoon - free and joyful in the new creature he's become.

Find your security in my Love Lindsay. Let your roots grow deeper each day. Press into the breadth, length, height and depth of it. For my love has no limits. I want you to experience it to the fullest. Be wholly filled and flooded with me! I have great plans for you, far beyond what you could ever imagine. I am at work within you each day, and am able to carry out my plans - All you need to do, is let me!

So today Lindsay, rest secure in my love. Seek me, for I have so very much for you, my dear son. And at the end of the day, fall asleep in my arms...Knowing that my eyes are on you, and I'm smiling!

Received February 6, 1986


- Lindsay

Live free! Live in Daddy's affection!

Saturday, July 22, 2006

daddy's love

Excerpt from an email to a friend this week -

It seems that so much of this walk with Father is about moving from the concept of His love in our heads to the reality of His love in our hearts. Several years ago, I prayed, "Father, show me your heart. Let me feel what's in your heart." He continues to answer that prayer on a daily basis. Many times He uses the simplest things to communicate His love - the song of a bird, a smile, a butterfly, a cool breeze, kindness from a stranger, an email from a friend or just a simple impression in my mind that I am loved with a love that cannot be quenched.

In all of these things, Father shows me that He loves me simply for who I am - the person He's created me to be - not for what I can do for Him or others. He doesn't love like the world loves. He simply delights in who we are - nothing more, nothing less. Nothing we do can make Him love us more. And nothing we do can make Him love us less. We are loved simply because we are His!

His love is tender and gentle, passionate and relentless. His love frees us from the expectations of ourselves and others. His love frees us from all our fears, whether it be fear of the future, fear of failure, or fear of rejection. His love frees us to walk free, living true to the dreams and desires He's put in our hearts, regardless of what others might think or say. His love is unfailing, always there for us.

So...in the quietness of your heart, just say, "Daddy, show me this incredible love you have for me. I want to feel the intensity of your love for me. I want to live in the reality of your affectionate love." He is faithful, and He longs to answer that prayer far more than you could ever imagine.

- Lindsay

Live free! Live in Daddy's affection!

Thursday, July 20, 2006

knowing him

"When I get in a situation now that creates anxiety in my heart, here's what I know - there's something about Father I don't know, that if I knew it, I wouldn't be anxious here. That takes me right to my prayer life - 'Father, what is it about You I don't know, that if I knew it, I wouldn't be anxious here?'"

- Wayne Jacobsen, Transition: Moving From Religious Thinking to Relational Living, Disc 6: "How God Changes Us"

Click the link above to listen to or download the Transition series - highly recommended!

Live free! Live in Daddy's affection!

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

the guardian

Last night, I went to see Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest with my fifteen year-old son. One of the coming attractions was The Guardian, a movie about a student and instructor at the Coast Guard "A" School (search and rescue training). Towards the end of the trailer, these words appeared on the screen:

“Your darkest hour can be your finest moment”

Those words really struck a chord in my heart as I thought about events in my life over the past twelve months. In the midst of some very dark hours, Father showed me a level of gentleness, comfort, and compassion that I had never experienced before. It's been a life-changing revelation - a further demonstration of the Father's loving heart.

- Lindsay

Live free! Live in Daddy's affection!

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

each day

More gems from So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore by Jake Colsen:

"The greatest freedom God can give you is to trust his ability to take care of you each day."

"Our worst moments result from grabbing for ourselves that which Father has not given us."

Click the following link to read the book online, download it, or order a copy - So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore

Live free! Live in Daddy's affection!

Monday, July 17, 2006

trust

"Ultimately, trust is the fruit of a growing love relationship. You trust somebody to the degree that you know they love you...."

- Wayne Jacobsen, Transition: Moving From Religious Thinking to Relational Living, Disc 6: "How God Changes Us"

Click the link above to listen to or download the Transition series - highly recommended!

Live free! Live in Daddy's affection!

Saturday, July 15, 2006

trust me

"Trust Me" - this has been my Daddy's constant invitation over the past 12 months in the midst of a failed marriage, strained relationships, and dwindling finances. When anxious thoughts arise, Father gently reminds me of His unfailing love and unlimited resources, and then invites me to trust anew. Through it all, I've seen this dynamic at work: the Holy Spirit makes the Father's love REAL (I can actually feel it), and as I experience greater and greater depths of this very real and personal love, it becomes easier and easier to trust Him with every aspect of my life. His love truly changes everything!

- Lindsay

Live free! Live in Daddy's affection!

Friday, July 14, 2006

mighty breakers

More than the sounds of many waters,
Than the mighty breakers of the sea,
The LORD on high is mighty. (Psalm 93:4)

Few things in nature express the power and majesty of God quite like the big waves that break off the north shore of Maui. Riding Giants (2004), a documentary on the history of big wave surfing, beautifully captures these waves and the men who ride them. Laird Hamilton, one of the film's main characters and the greatest big wave surfer of his generation, offers this perspective on the 60-foot waves of Maui - "How can you look at something like that and not believe in something more powerful than us?" (Men's Journal, April 2006)

Good question, Laird.

- Lindsay

Live free! Live in Daddy's affection!

surfing at Huntington Beach Pier

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

relax

"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes."

- The words of Jesus in Matthew 6:30-34, The Message

Live free! Live in Daddy's affection!

Saturday, July 08, 2006

indescribable

"When we see Christ as All in All then it will be impossible for us to ever again be reduced to the small, the trivial, the petty things which occupy us and waste so much of our time. Our only hope is seeing a Christ that fills us, a Christ that is greater than us, a Christ that is larger than we can fathom, an indescribable Christ that overshadows, overwhelms, and consumes us through and through!"

- Chip Brogden

Live free! Live in Daddy's affection!

Thursday, July 06, 2006

trusting

Conversation between John and Jake, two main characters in So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore by Jake Colsen -

John: "Our biggest messes come when we try to do something for God that we're convinced he can't do for himself."

Jake: "Then what do I do, just sit around and wait for God?"

John: "Who said anything about sitting around? Learning to live by trusting Father is the most difficult part of this journey. So much of what we do is driven by our anxiety that God is not working on our behalf, that we have no idea of the actions that trust produces. Trusting doesn't make you a couch potato. As you follow him, Jake, you'll find yourself doing more than you've ever done, but it won't be the frantic activity of a desperate person, it will be the simple obedience of a loved child. That's all Father desires."

Click the following link to read the book online, download it, or order a copy - So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore

Live free! Live in Daddy's affection!

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

coming home

"In the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32), there are two sons: the younger son, who runs away from home to an alien country, and the older son, who stays home to do his duty. The younger son dissipates himself with alcohol and sex; the older son alienates himself by working hard and dutifully fulfilling all his obligations. Both are lost. Their father grieves over both, because with neither of them does he experience the intimacy he desires.

"Both lust and cold obedience can prevent us from being true children of God. Whether we are like the younger son or the older son, we have to come home to the place where we can rest in the embrace of God's unconditional love."

- Henri Nouwen

Live free! Live in Daddy's affection!

Monday, July 03, 2006

relentless pursuit

Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth
Does not become weary or tired
His understanding is inscrutable. (Isaiah 40:28)

For many years in my relationship with Father, the majority of my focus was on my pursuit of Him. One of the most influential books in my early days was The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer. I was driven by the desire to be closer to God. Much energy was expended in religious activity designed to realize my goal. I prided myself in the level of effort I was willing to put forth to apprehend Him, but over time I became weary and tired.

Recently, I have come to realize how relentlessly and tirelessly the Father pursues us. Wherever we might be on our journey, He is in full pursuit of our hearts - ever longing to reveal greater depths of His love, ever desiring to bring us into sweeter and sweeter intimacy with Him. I am so glad that the depth of my relationship with Father does not depend upon my efforts, but on His. Isaiah 26:12 rings loud and clear - "LORD, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us."

- Lindsay

Live free! Live in Father's love!

Sunday, June 11, 2006

in christ alone

This song beautifully conveys the fullness of who Jesus has been for me over the past twelve months -

In Christ Alone

In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
‘Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
‘Til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand

- Keith Getty and Stuart Townend

Live free! Live in Father's love!

Monday, May 29, 2006

extravagant love

This is the heart of the Father - extravagant love. Love that is lavish, boundless, limitless. Love as a mighty, rushing river and a gently flowing stream. Love that energizes and exhilarates. Love that liberates and empowers. The Father delights to lavish His extravagant love on us!

- Lindsay

Live free! Live in Father's love!

Sunday, May 28, 2006

revolution

Last week in Los Angeles, I came across an interesting marquee on Hollywood Boulevard, just across from the famed Grauman's Chinese Theater. As I read the message, I couldn't help but think of the revolution the Holy Spirit is bringing on the earth - a revolution birthed in the Father's heart - a revolution of love. What are the foundational precepts of this revolution?

1. Our love for God and others originates in the Father's loving heart for us! (1 John 4:19)

2. As we embrace the Father's loving heart for us, we are empowered to love as He loves! (Luke 10:27)

3. As we love with the Father's love, our world WILL be changed! (1 Corinthians 13:8)

- Lindsay

Live free! Live in Father's love!

Sunday, May 21, 2006

freedom

"Jesus was truly free. His freedom was rooted in his spiritual awareness that he was the Beloved Child of God. He knew in the depth of his being that he belonged to God before he was born, that he was sent into the world to proclaim God's love, and that he would return to God after his mission was fulfilled. This knowledge gave him the freedom to speak and act without having to please the world and the power to respond to people's pains with the healing love of God."

- Henri Nouwen

Live free! Live in Father's love!

Thursday, May 18, 2006

father's blessing

This "blessing" was prayed over Henri Nouwen by his spiritual mentor:

"May all your expectations be frustrated,
May all your plans be thwarted,
May all your desires be withered into nothingness,
That you may experience the powerlessness and the poverty of a child, and sing and dance in the love of God the Father, the Son and the Spirit."

What an apt description of the blessing I have received from the Father over the past 12 months. What a stark constrast to the blessings we often seek from the Father. Thanks to Wayne Jacobsen for sharing this on The God Journey podcast - my favorite!

- Lindsay

Live free! Live in Father's love!

Monday, May 15, 2006

father's gift

"Uncommon love is the Father's gift to us in Christ. We are to be loved in a way that is healing, releasing and uplifting. In His love we see ourselves as the Father sees us. He sees the best in us. He loves our potential. He has a plan for our freedom and our welfare that is wrapped in His goodness and kindness. He has dealt with our past and He owns our future. Today while it is still called today let us live in the present moment, filled and surrounded by uncommon love."

- Graham Cooke, "Uncommon Love"

Live free! Live in Father's love!

Saturday, May 13, 2006

living relationally

"I love the term ‘relational’ when it speaks of how we live this walk. To me, it means to live out of relationships—the first one with the community of Father, Son and Spirit, and then to share that experience of community with people in our lives.

"I notice the term, however, is now being used by people to describe house church, small groups, or even large congregations that set to be more focused on relationships. People even write me telling me they want to be more relational so they are going to start a small group in their home.

"Living relationally is not about whether or not you go to a specific group. Living relationally means you recognize that God is a God of relationships and works through our relationship with him and our relationships with others. Those who are relational make room in their lives for relationships. They get to know their colleagues at work, their neighbors down the street and find time to encourage other believers, whether they are or are not on a similar journey. And when they find brothers and sisters who share their passion and hunger for the kingdom they take time to let those relationships grow, whether it is through face-to-face contact if that is possible, or even on discussion boards and email if it isn’t.

"Being relational is an active lifestyle, looking to engage relationships, even at the most rudimentary level to anyone that crosses their path. It may only be a greeting in passing at an airport, or a conversation in the grocery store line, but it says that people are important to Father and to me and I’m going to make room in my lives for others, and watch what God does with the relationships he gives me…

"Don’t go this alone, or wait quietly in your home for fellowship to break out. Just live each day open-handed and gracious to everyone you can, without any agenda, and watch what God will do through you to bless others, and through others to encourage you."

- Wayne Jacobsen, Living the Relational Journey

Live free! Live in Father's love!

Saturday, May 06, 2006

endless love

“'Love one another as I have loved you.' Not just a command but a glorious possibility. It tells us the extent of our freedom. Such love makes God glorious. He shines with love. He radiates with the splendor of His love and when we are touched by the magnificence of such love our selfishness is burned away. It is wonderful to be loved in return but our hearts are no longer defined by what we receive. Love is who God is and who we are becoming in Him.

"Think of it. A life full of possibilities in the endless love of the Father. His love is enthralling. It captures us, ravishes our heart and then joyfully commands us to do the same. We have permission to love outrageously.

"In God, all things are possible."

- Graham Cooke, "Uncommon Love"

Live free! Live in Father's love!

Friday, April 14, 2006

boundless love

"In our failures the depth of God's love compels us to see ourselves as the Beloved. Our hearts are broken by kindness, and we weep our way into romance. We love as the bride; powerfully, beautifully, unconditionally. We give ourselves to intimate love without fear because the love of the Bridegroom is stronger than death. We become charged by His love; energized towards a loving disposition to others. Love knows no bounds. We are fully loved and therefore loving."

- Graham Cooke, "Uncommon Love"

Live free! Live in Father's love!

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

steadfast love

"His grace is the empowering presence within that enables us to feel good about ourselves. We are learning to live as much loved children before the Father. Grace sets us up to succeed at loving God with all our hearts.

"Grace empowers us to receive love and return it to the father heart of God.

"His mercy is His total favor given gladly to the undeserving heart. Jesus stands with us in our struggles. He never leaves us nor forsakes us. He knows our frame. He remembers that we are dust. He is not ashamed to call us His brethren. He is not embarrassed by our failures. His mercy makes us clean because His blood washes over us continuously. Jesus stands in the credibility gap between our capacity for sin and our hunger for God. He weans us off the former and establishes the latter as He daily occupies Himself with our growth and development.

"He is the kindest person I have ever known. His goodness is so outrageous and shocking… it is actually disreputable to the religious minded. Only Pharisees would distance themselves from human failure. When we need Him the most, Jesus steps in close. Loving kindness is a hard thing to learn. All our conditioning leans us towards rewards and punishment which often means we withhold love when it is most needed. Uncommon love never ceases, it is steadfast. It endures to the end of all our circumstances no matter how recalcitrant we can be. Love never fails.

"Because uncommon love is continuously present and fully available, we may become saved to the uttermost. Uncommon love is the Father intentionally doing His utmost to empower us to be loved and to respond to love by loving."

- Graham Cooke, "Uncommon Love"

Live free! Live in Father's love!

Monday, April 10, 2006

scandalous love

"Jesus has an immense, immeasurable and eternal compassion. His compassion is always greater than my sin. He is scandalously forgiving. His mercy burns as He destroys shame. There is not an ounce of condemnation within Him. He loves the fact that He has bought our freedom, paid the price for our sin nature to be redeemed.

"He has unbounded patience. He is full of unending goodness. The glory of God is His goodness. He will cause His goodness to pass before us all the days of our life. The good News is that He is eternally good. His goodness stretches beyond infinity. What He is; He is forever.

"His love is so compelling… it heals us. It strips away all of our pretense and restores us to happiness. Only God can love God effectively. The First Commandment came from God not as a command only, but as a revelation of His own intention toward us. He will love us with all His mind, heart, soul and strength. God does not measure His love to us; He does not mete it out according to our performance. His love is not a reward. It is not based on a loyalty program like frequent flyer miles.

"God’s love is scandalous and disreputable to Pharisees.

"It is poured out in the context of grace, mercy and loving kindness. It is lavished upon us gladly. A price has been paid and now we are free to be fully loved by the One who knows that love covers a multitude of sins."

- Graham Cooke, "Uncommon Love"

Live free! Live in Father's love!

Sunday, April 09, 2006

uncommon love

"Life is funny, often sweet, and occasionally deadly. It comes at us real fast or painfully slowly. It rains, it snows, it’s cold, it’s warm, it’s too hot, it’s nice and cool; it’s wonderful.

"It’s lovely because of who we have with us on the journey. I AM is with us. Smiling, laughing, embracing, nodding, shaking His head at us in merriment. He is comforting, patient, faithful when we don’t get it; optimistic, full of possibilities.

"He is strong, fierce and immoveable, implacable against the enemy. He is stern, holy and unapproachable in His purity. Only His mercy enables us to stand before Him on the ground of grace. He is sovereign, supreme and unknowable except by the Holy Spirit. He is imminent and transcendent. You don’t mess with the Father. You obey. You surrender. You don’t take liberties. You live in the paradox of delight and reverent fear.

"You come before Him with open faced joy as a child to a beloved Father, and you also stand before Him trembling as a fully mature son. Grateful for Jesus. Always grateful for Jesus. That you can stand in Him; be included in Him; live your life in Him. Because of Christ, the Father comes to us and breathes life into our seeking heart.

"Always truthful, He imparts a grace that is frankly astonishing. His mercy has no place for judgment. Jesus has been punished (thank God!) so I can find clemency. The sheer beauty of God is marvelous to behold. This is the Christ that I have personally encountered these past few years of my journey into Uncommon Love."

- Graham Cooke, "Uncommon Love"

Live free! Live in Father's love!

Monday, April 03, 2006

his glory

Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" (John 11:40)

"Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken." (Isaiah 40:5)

Do you believe?

Live free! Live in Father's love!

Saturday, March 25, 2006

surrounded

When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" the servant asked.

"Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them."

And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. (2 Kings 6:15-17)

Over the past weeks, I’ve experienced some of the same emotions as Elisha’s servant must have felt in being surrounded by the enemy. Each time I've begun to feel overwhelmed, the Holy Spirit has faithfully reminded me to lift my eyes heavenward for a fresh glimpse of the Father's wondrous glory. In the light of His glory, all of my fears are dispelled.

Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident. (Psalm 27:3)

Live free! Live in Father's love!

Monday, March 20, 2006

gentle power

See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power,
and his arm rules for him.
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.

He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young. (Isaiah 40:10,11)

I love these two verses in Isaiah 40 because they so beautifully illustrate how two seemingly incompatible characteristics, gentleness and power, are perfectly united in the Father's loving heart. Over the past months, the Father has gently gathered me in His arms and carried me close to His heart while manifesting His power in the midst of some very painful circumstances. In my weakness, His power has truly been perfected. As David said, "Your right hand upholds me, and Your gentleness makes me great." (Psalm 18:35)

Live free! Live in Father's love!

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

passion hunger desire

Excerpts from an email I sent to a friend this week -

At the beginning of last week, three words started resonating in my spirit - "Passion, hunger, desire!" As I sought the Lord, I sensed that these words represented His heart longings over His bride. I also sensed that just as we love because He first loved us, we have passion, hunger, and desire for Him because He first has these longings for us. When we see and receive these heart longings from Him, we will in turn have them towards Him.

Live free! Live in Father's love!

Tuesday, February 28, 2006

tender kiss

Jesus, your tender kiss
- has ravished me
- has captured my heart
- has changed everything

Fantasy and reality have become One!

ravish: to fill with delight
capture: to attract and hold
change: to make different

"May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!" (Song of Solomon 1:2)

Live free! Live in Father's love!

Monday, February 27, 2006

exhilarated

"Exhilarated: feeling God’s affection brings pleasure and exhilaration to our hearts. The inheritance of every believer in Christ, includes being exhilarated by feeling God’s affection and pleasure for us and in feeling it back for Him. We were created to delight in the feeling of being loved by God. Our spirit craves this. God desires to release this to us. We are too often content with a Christianity that is devoid of feeling, or a Christianity that is mostly an intellectual exercise and not a heart experience. He wants our hearts ravished because His heart is ravished. He feels such intense feelings towards us and desires that we have intense feelings for Him. We do not base our experience on feeling, but they do enhance our experience of Jesus. God is glorified in us when we are exhilarated with Him (His emotions, wisdom and power)."

- Mike Bickle, "Beholding God's Beauty - Encountering God's Personality"

Live free! Live in Father's love!

Monday, February 13, 2006

immeasurable

Excerpts from an email I sent to a friend today -

This thought keeps coming to me - "I don't even begin to grasp the full grandeur of who He is." I have a very dim glimpse. When He pulls back the veil of our human frailty and gives us the smallest little peek into who He is, we'll be blown away. He's just so enormous and expansive in who He is that He completely swallows up everything. We can't even begin to imagine because we have no reference point with which to adequately compare Him or measure Him.

And yet, this infinite, immeasurable God is my Father - the one who loves me intimately and delights in every part of me. I, Lindsay, am His constant joy and delight, and He is mine! This is simply too good to be true - it's the fantasy of all fantasies, the epic of all epics. Such knowledge is truly too great for me! And yet He continually confirms the reality of it all by the sweetness of His presence within.

Live free! Live in Father's love!

Saturday, February 04, 2006

his hands

Excerpts from an email I sent to a friend today -

Your words really cause me to pause, reflect and look at my heart. The first thought that popped into my head was "Wow, this doesn't even feel like 'discipline' anymore!" As I think about that thought, I have to believe that the Holy Spirit has dropped "a gift of faith" into my heart that gives me the grace to see all of this from the Father's perspective. There are two overriding convictions that have continued to light my way over the past several weeks - 1. the Father is going to be glorified in a truly awesome way, 2. the path I am on is the result of the Father's intense love and delight in me.

I can't even begin to describe the joy and exhilaration I'm experiencing. Sometimes I almost begin to feel guilty about how good I feel inside, and then the Father gently encourages me not to underestimate the power of His love and comfort. Yes, there is still sadness when I think about the reality of a failed marriage and its potential impact on my children, but then the Father comes in and gently asks me to continue to trust Him and release it all into His loving hands.

Whatever "theology" I had before this all happened has been completely blown away by the events of the past seven months. It's almost as if I never really "knew" the Father as He truly is. Of course our knowledge of Him is unfolding and progressive, but I believe there are watershed events in our lives that take our understanding of Him to a completely different level. I don't know that there's anything we can "do" to make it happen. It's all about His timing and purpose.

I ultimately see the events of the past seven months (and my whole life, as well) as the result of His indescribable, unfailing love for me. I am not a victim of anyone or anything. The Father has a very specific and unique destiny for me, and each moment He is gently guiding me into its fulfillment. Nothing comes into my life that He doesn't work out in accordance with the dream and destiny He has for me. To "fight back" against anyone or anything would be to hinder His purpose.

"Staying under the knife" sounds kind of scary, but painful though it may be, the knife is ultimately an instrument of love in the hands of an incredibly skilled and gentle Physician. Pain has become my friend in the sense that it serves to open up my heart to receive a greater revelation of the Father's love, comfort, tenderness, and mercy.

As I look to the future, I am filled with tremendous hope and excitement. In some ways, I feel like I am just beginning to live. This moment-by-moment heart knowledge of the Father's love and delight in me simply changes everything. Life for me has become an incredible journey into the unfathomable depths of the Father's heart, filled with adventure at every turn! Knowing that He holds me gently in His hands releases me to run into His purpose with unbridled joy and wild abandon.

Live free! Live in Father's love!

Thursday, January 19, 2006

my confession

Excerpts from an email I sent to a good friend today -

Your statement - "Life will be harder in the coming days" - was a good "heart check" for me. In the past, a statement like that would definitely have given rise to fear, apprehension, and speculation, but due in large part to what I've experienced over the past 6+ months, that statement is now cause for excitement, anticipation, and expectation over the wonderfully creative ways in which the Father will continue to reveal His infinite love to me. By the grace of my Daddy, the deepest, most devastating pain in my life has resulted in the deepest and most wonderful revelation of who He is and the depth of His feeling for me as His special child.

As a result of what I have been through thus far, I feel like I have a completely different relationship with my Daddy. I feel like I see His heart and feelings for me as never before. I have never experienced the degree of "inner freedom" that I am now experiencing thanks to the work of His Holy Spirit in me. The crushing, the breaking, the burning have all been by His hand - motivated by His deep love for me - so that I may truly know Him and His love for me in a fuller, richer, deeper way.

I know that great tests lie before me, but I am also more convinced than ever before that I am so securely in my Father's hands and that no one or no thing can snatch me away or separate me from His wondrous love. Strip everything in my life away, and I still have Him. And having Him, I am the richest, wealthiest man alive. Every other consideration pales in comparison to Him.

A year ago, a brother at Lancaster House of Prayer prophesied that I would be going through the refiner's fire in preparation for God's future purpose in my life. That word rang true then and it has certainly played out in my life over the past 12 months. I know there is more refining ahead, but having gone through the past 12 months and having seen and felt the Father's incredible gentleness, tenderness, mercy, compassion, and nearness, I have a different perspective.

Come what may, I know that I am in the Father and He is in me. Knowing the depth of His love for me and delight in me, I am not afraid of what the future holds, because I know who holds me. The coming fires, trials, challenges, and difficulties will only serve to bring me closer and nearer to the One whom I love the most and want the most - my loving Daddy.

So...in many ways, "harder is better" because it only serves to deepen the most wondrous love relationship I have ever experienced in my life. When I am weak, He truly is strong - STRONG in love, strong in compassion, strong in tenderness, strong in gentleness, strong in mercy, strong in passion, strong in comfort, strong in nearness. Wow! "I can only imagine...."

Live free! Live in Father's love!