Month 4

What a year! It started in Fiji, then moved to New Zealand, Australia, Home, Paris, and back to New Zealand. November particularly was filled with the Kiwi Quest, the Hui Gathering, the DTS overlap, and the Holiday season.

I'll be posting what maintenance is doing through announcements in the app...

https://apps.wix.com/place-invites/invite-lp/f0448328-ad1d-4f21-9b6e-f87386165606?ref=cl

I'd also like to share the books I've been reading this year. I was intrigued by C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia, which is a beautiful depiction of God's character and nature and a helpful tool for understanding the redemptive story of the Bible creatively. In joining the staff team, I was asked to read Darlene Cunningham's Values Matter, which helped me understand the foundation of YWAM as I listened to it on audible. Most recently it has been recommended to me to read Intimate Friendship With God by Joy Dawson and I've found it exhilarating to learn more of how I can strengthen that connection and deepen my faith.

We want to become fearless people who love like Jesus, and He designed us to grow. How do people change? Joy is the key ingredient for change to happen. "My situation doesn't affect who You are, so I will live by who You are!" Love assumes the highest of a person's heart. In a true relationship, you both get honored. Don't "should" on someone else's feelings, but also don't "should" on your own heart (connection over interrogation). We are the priesthood of all believers. Lacking intentionality is how you decline. I won't be bored, but I'll seek knowledge constantly. "I don't want to go forth unless Your presence is with me. You give me what I need in that moment."

We take for granted that God wants to reveal Himself to us. We are calling the people out of the muck, but we can't call others to do what we haven't done ourselves. Each piece in a jigsaw puzzle is different but fits. The answer to our problems isn't in politicians it's in our hands. Clean hands and a pure heart using the Holy Spirit to guide you like a magic carpet. There is no success without sacrifice. Paraclete is our advocate, counselor, and helper (John 14:16, 26). Secularism is a way of life that rejects religion, while the heavy yoke is burdensome and weighted down by self-righteousness and legalistic law-keeping. We do this for an audience of One, and that One gave us two ears and only one mouth.

Don't think of yourself as better than anyone else. Belonging doesn't mean "come and accept my ways." Love is different for everyone. God is more concerned with character development than how much we can do in ministry. Transparency and vulnerability are how you move forward. Don't just tolerate, that's passive.