Motivational

We All Struggle With Forward Motion

Posted on by lainamunoz

To be salt and light in the world//

to bring life to the dead in heart//

and see things change//

to be less so you can be more//

This is our POSITION Lord.

That many would serve You and know Your glory through the way we live. That we live consumed.

This is our DESIRE G-d.

To follow Your call and move mountains. To move when You tell us and stand when You command.

This is our RESPONSE Jesus.

To draw close to You when our emotions and circumstances are trashed. To seek You BEFORE we don’t see another way.

This is our MOVEMENT Father.

To be broken beyond the point of repair so that something new HAS to happen for us to continue.

This is our CHANGE.

I charge you to be different, to CHANGE. To not let another day pass that you see things as hopeless. But, to grow up, go on and be responsible for the MOVEMENT that is taking place. That your actions might be pure and what has been stirring inside of you would move from being your opinion to your action. That what you feel inside would move from being your thoughts to your RESPONSE. Let your passions arise and don’t be afraid of your DESIRE. Fellow warrior, what is a pain on your heart for your classmates, co-workers, family, and friends has been placed by the living G-d. He NEEDS you to rise and take your stand on who you are (who are you?). Let your POSITION on the outside reflect that which has been placed on your heart. G-d is ready and waiting. Lets get there friends. Go on.

“Therefore let us leave the elementary teaching about Christ and GO ON to maturity, not laying AGAIN the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in G-d,”

– Hebrews 6:1

17 February 2010

26 March 2014

I love reading old writings because it’s almost a personal history book. I get to think back and remember the points in my life where I was passionate, where I was deeply hurt, the adventures I was blessed enough to go on and the people I was fortunate enough to meet. Recently I was talking with a flatmate about journaling and I remembered that I brought one of my journals along the way to Australia with me. I flipped through the beginning of it remembering Ireland in 2010, how close my friends got and how we truly got to see the Acts church lived out. We ate breakfast together and did devotionals around the table and we served together. I got to fast forward in my journal to the three week tour that I was blessed to be apart of: traveling with our worship team and drama team to Wisconsin and New York to do ministry. Again, I saw my friends get closer to form this family that (at the time) had no idea what was coming. I got to record Reggie’s words of wisdom when he told us this group would never be the same again, and it never has been.

I continued reading to find the day I got engaged. I found the journey of almost breaking off the engagement and the marriage and the divorce. The back 30% of my journal is walking through being alone. At this point Hine pointed something out that again solidified my passion for writing. She explained that G-d knew the season I was about to walk into which is cool that He allowed the front half of my journal to be filled with some of my most memorable and life changing travels that I’ve been on yet. He knew that I’d take a bit scattered hit to writing and that the few times I would sit long enough to get my heart out would be filled with depression and pain. He prepared me before even though I didn’t recognize it until 4 years later in a simple conversation about journaling.

I learned a few things from glancing over those writings:

  • I got to see how much G-d has done in the last 4 years of my life.
  • I saw my prayers answered as He drew near to me.
  • I remembered to pray over my little traveling family as we are and have been ALL over the world since that point.
  • I found a chunk of G-ds faithfulness that I didn’t let myself see

  • I got to place point my growth, knowing that I haven’t started over again but I have (by G-d’s grace) GONE ON from immaturity.

I had no idea that when I was writing these words (about a year before I got married) that I would be giving myself a mandate to continue in Christ. To let my actions move me forward and not sit where I’ve been. G-d was preparing me then, He is with me now. What a wonderful thing to look back and be challenged and realize you’re not where you’ve been.

Move Forward

G-d never left me

Ephensetical and Ephesiastical Thoughts (Revisited)

Posted on by lainamunoz

Please enjoy this revisited post from 15 August 2012, I know I (re)learned some things about living with the LORD and realizing how BIG my savior is. He has excellent plans for us and He also has commands for us to live out. He is good.

“As a prisoner for the LORD, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; bearing with one another in love.” Ephesians 4:1-2 (NIV)

Well, dang… The Gospel just cuts straight to the point there. Paul urges us to LIVE. Not to wait around or get by – but, to take the ‘todays’ and live them out in a manner that is worthy of what we have been called to. We’ve all been given titles and responsibilities that we don’t deserve, as well as given the chance to do our best with them. While we are doing all of that we are told to be completely humble, not just a little bit but with all of who we are. We are told to be grounded and to be level minded. I think the second verse here is completely to remind us to fight human nature – being patient and bearing together in love? Really?

((Yeah, because we all know we are naturally awesome at that…))

Again, this is grace – we use up what we should and then some and we are given another chance AND love and encouragement to try again.

We’ve been given to give it. We have been show how and told to repeat it and G-d’s gifts are the only way we can accomplish this. His love is SO BIG.

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of G-d. Now to Him ((all of it… all praise and honor and glory that is in His son, let it be given to Him)) who is ABLE to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:17b-21 (NIV)

Thats a meaty mess of intensity.

(Thur. 19 Mar 2015) – G-d has been reminding me of this constantly lately. That He is ABLE to do more than I can imagine or ever think. He has so much good in store for me and His good is beyond my greatest thoughts. I’m learning how to receive, I’m learning how to ask and expect things from Him. His plans are always better and I get to be apart. I don’t want to step on my own toes and talk about what is rattling in my brain for tomorrows post… But dang. G-d is just good. (end)

G-d, I want to be able to grasp the bigness of Your love.

His words are wiser,

His ways are better. LORD, teach us.

Scrabit: Confidence

Posted on by lainamunoz

G-d, thank you for my housemates; You have blessing, provision and healing in store for them. You have favor, a calling and a complete plan for their lives – May I always pray over them in faith, watch in expectation and encourage them in love.

Amen. Let it be.

Jesus, change us this week open our eyes and hearts to new moments with You. Help us to give more than we knew we had in us and learn what we didn’t think we needed to know. You are powerful, holy and refining and my excitement is through the roof with what we will look like after two weeks of intense serving and seeking. Lord, bring a beauty that comes from walking with You. Bring a G-d-radiance that shows others we have been marked; that we have sat in Your presence. I am so excited that I don’t know what to expect, but take my expectation and blow it out of the water. Do what You do. Turn up and change us. Help us love You more.

 

Bible Thoughts:

“because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 1:5-6 (NIV)

My source of confidence comes from my Father in heaven ((and HIS goodness and faithfulness)). He has plans and I get to be apart. This confidence comes from spending time with Him and in His word. THIS Confidence says that He has a plan and even in the seasons I feel forgotten I can hold onto the promise that HE WILL CARRY ON THE GOOD WORK IN ME UNTIL COMPLETION. This isn’t just for my ideas of where I want to be, but this is a journey He will take me on until the day of Christ Jesus. G-d will move me forward and complete good work(s) in me, in my roommates, my friends and family until He comes back.

Praise Him. What good things He can do.

More Jesus Time:

“This is the confidence we have in approaching G-d: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of him.” – 1 John 5:14-15 (NIV)

So alongside this confidence conversation…

Lord, when I bring my requests before You – You answer them. You answer me. Your word tells me so. You have perfect in Your plans and I want in. I want to be apart and I can have confidence in You that because of Your words – I will be.

Why pray if you aren’t going to believe that it will come to pass? And where does doubt come from anyway?

                       Old Age.

“If you have faith and do not doubt… you can say to this mountain, “Go throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” – Matthew 21:21-22 (NIV)

G-d, I’ve asked you to show up. I’ve asked you for hearts healed and mindsets changed and I believe You hear me. I know You see me and love me so now all I can do is praise You for what You will do and leave my expectations with You (Psalms 5:3). Teach me to speak Your word over my life and walk into the callings You have for me. Teach me how to love people with all of me. Guide my conversations and fill them with GRACE for I have been shown much. Lord, Create in me a mind that is productive and give me new revelations to give. I want to keep writing and keep commitments and watch You grow me and change me. I have a dream that LORD willing will come to pass but I need Your creativity. I NEED YOU.

((If you don’t show, I’m screwed.)) 

Why are my prayers important? *Because the Lord hears my prayers. Why do I pray for my housemates? *Because I get to live out the change with them. It’s a faith builder. I speak live and love into and over them and get to see a harvest of the Lords strength and ultimate plan come forth out of their lives. Some concluding thoughts: If you aren’t praying for your roommates, why the heck not? If you aren’t bringing some expectation to your days, why are you wasting your time living them? That sounds wicked boring… I’ve been there. If you aren’t approaching G-d with confidence then what happened where you stopped seeing Him as faithful? as just? as forgiving? as holy?

I never know who will actually read these or when they will read it or what season they will read it in. But I do pray every time that when and if you do come across this that it will be just what you need. Something to challenge you to expand your faith and draw you to the creators heart. But, these are only words. 

G-d, let me be useful. Let me be open to learning what you need me to and even more than that, let me share what I know with those around me.