muster the mustard seed

 I had a hard time keeping up this weekend, but we're all tired GOOD tonight...

From Daddy coming home at 3 am Saturday morning from a GREAT week in Haiti (I don't know if he's ever enjoyed being in Haiti so much!)...to the girls last day of The Friday Program (what an awesome supplement to homeschool this has been...rich and relational!)...to dinner with friends Saturday night, to Matt preaching for the first time at our church this morning, kicking off a series on Spiritual Warfare...to two different birthday parties today for three different daughters' friends, to a family dinner with tears of painful-rib-laughter tonight at the end of a crazy day.

We have challenged our dear neighbors to all see who can go the longest without falling, because they are not doing great in that department. What a gift God has given us in this crazy street...when Matt was trying to help talk Lady Jane through some computer issues tonight, and she kept accidentally confusing "Microsoft" with "Microwave"...oh my goodness.  ANY street you're on tonight, get out there. Your street is made of two kinds of people:  God's people, and people He's pursuing.  They are both the perfect ones to be in community with.

It was awesome to hear Matt teach on the Biblical basis for spiritual warfare this morning, especially when he got into the "Sons of God" in the Old Testament being fallen spiritual beings, and the "Sons of God" in the New Testament being the Christ's-death-and-resurrection empowered ME.  This week he'll be sharing at a few different small groups on the topic in people's homes, and we're just so thankful for the rich, Jesus-desiring community we're getting to know...the Lord truly helped us find a church that is doing transforming, messy, transparent life together. 

If you want to listen in to this Spiritual Warfare series, here's the link: for this week: https://www.facebook.com/thisisfoundry, or, join us in person at First Wesleyan "University" June 6, 7 and 8 at Bridgeton First Wesleyan in Bridgeton, New Jersey!  (Yes, we are heading yet another "home" to preach, speak, see friends and family and be at Haylie and Braden's wedding celebration June 3rd-14th-ish.)

Final little thing: I've been praying with several people lately who KNOW what they need to do, who KNOW what the Lord desires, who SEE His truth and what needs done, who know the only way to break free of toxic cycles and any chains is through obedience...and who can't...quite...just...DO IT.  There are lots of reasons, lots of unknowns, lots of comforts in those cycles, lots of fear holding them back from the freedom in Christ, from His best, that He is offering...and they know it's time to LEAP and to leave Him with the details, and they can't quite DO IT.  They know He's got BETTER for them. They know there is freedom in obeying. But they can't quite muster the mustard seed, or trust Him to HELP them obey.

If that could also be you, can I counsel you with something Oswald Chambers has been teaching me for so long? Decide to obey, burn all your bridges, put it all out there, and never look back. No more thinking, no more praying, no more considering, no more worrying. 

Once what needs to be obeyed is clear, stop thinking, don't hesitate, and GO...OBEY in ways that are impossible to go back...and dare to WATCH how the Lord will provide and care for all the reasons keeping you right now from obeying.

Past those I am praying for already, I don't know who you are...but I'm PRAYING for you to have 20 seconds of Godly COURAGE and to forgive. To break. To go. To stop. To confess. To heal. To move past that thing that cripples and controls and keeps you from living the resurrected life of His power that He came for. 

love and prayers