ThrowBackThursday

Obey: Journey and Heart

Posted on by lainamunoz

I think this one is hitting home for the last #ThinkBackThursday this season. It’s now been a year; 52 posts of old material that G-d used to once again locate me and challenge me. This blog was birthed out of obedience, and while I didn’t want to be THAT Christian-Hillsong girl who writes a blog about my journey… I am. And I LOVE it because it’s what G-d has put on my heart and in my hand to do. So dang it – I’m going to do it well. I’m going to do it out of obedience and trust and I’m going to do it out of self-reflection and self-location because I’m going to want these things written; I’m going to want these stories that I get to live with others retold because I have enough faith to believe that Jesus will turn up in the midst of them.

The biggest THANK YOU to those of who you have read my blog faithfully, inconsistently, never read it but always intended to and to those who’ve stumbled upon it now.

THANK YOU for reading… not because it’s my blog but because I’m honoured that you somehow might believe in my story. Thank you because your time is valuable and spending 5-10 minutes, twice a week to catch up with me means heaps to me. You are so treasured.

I have such love for you all.

5 November 2008-

“G-d, I’m listening, and I don’t know what to do-
I’m doing my best to listen to what you tell me to.
Putting actions with my words has become the hardest thing
When I cannot speak anymore, LORD, you’ve taught me how to sing.”

All I’m hearing lately is “OBEY”; Even though I have NO idea the outcome or the process that He will lead me though. Sunday night G-d surprised me and just told me to obey… it hurt worse than anything I’ve ever felt (thus far), but I did. I have no idea when He will mend what he’s asked of me or how many days it will last. But, I’m learning that it’s not about me anymore.

G-d has something amazing in store for those who seek them, and He’s leading me beside the still waters so that I can.

I watched “Everything Is Spiritual” by Rob Bell, with our leadership core on Sunday afternoon, and throughout all of it what really stuck out to me is “Sitting on top of the mountain”.

*G-d called Moses to Obey… Exodus 3.11-14 ((EDITED))
(a)
11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go ((Insert G-d’s resolution to a personal problem here))?”
12 And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have ((Fixed your problem the way I TOLD you to)), you will worship God on this mountain.”
13 Moses said to God, “Suppose I go ((Oh, I dunno… OBEY, what then should I tell people?)), ‘The God of your fathers has sent me…’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”
14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am… ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”

(Actual Verses Cited below)

Something that I couldn’t get out of my head is the thought that all He’s asked us to do is obey. Just to sit with Him, hear Him out and obey the words He has given to us. Moses was instructed by G-d to go up Mount Sinai and meet Him there.

– (b) “The LORD descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain.”

Just to meet Him. Just to spend time with Him. Just to listen to Him.

I attend The University of Tulsa (Community College) ha… Ahem, anyway I have classes every Tuesday and Thursday from 8-9.20am, and then another class at 11am. I was given a book called “Practicing the Presence of God”, so I thought I would read it during break. There is a hallway at TCC that everyone refers to as the ‘breezeway’, because it is a hall of windows, and I suppose seeing the outside is just as good as being there nowadays? I sat in the breezeway staring out until a bench outside caught my eye. It was tucked away underneath two trees no taller than a one-story house and decently shaded, and still allowing enough light to keep whomever was underneath warm. I gave G-d a sarcastic look in my head and thought, “Why do you want me outside? I could just read in here and not have to move.” G-d has a funny way of returning my cheeky favors, so a little more clear and for no particular reason I get a nudge to get off my rear and go outside. I start down the breezeway when I realize that I’ll have to walk through the smoking area to get to my little picnic table that G-d wanted me at, and I begin to think “I don’t want to go through the smoking area, I hate the smell of smoke it’s bad for you.” As I make my way to the Library G-d pulls all the more hard telling me to go to table and reminding me that sometimes he takes you through something you don’t really want in order to get you alone with him.
I sat and read and didn’t really understand why I had to be there. But it’s not about me… G-d just told me to obey and I’m trying my hardest to do so.

(c) “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.”

G-d, do you really think that of me? Am I really a treasured possession of YOURS just because I listen? That’s enough for me – it has to be enough for me.

So I’m stuck, at the top of the mountain waiting on the Lord to come find me. I can’t do this alone because I wasn’t created to be alone, and right now trusting in G-d is all I need to be leaning on.

Just some thoughts of a Follower of Christ trying to find whatever He needs of me.

“And I’ll praise you in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For you are who You are
No matter where I am
And every tear I’ve cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise you in this storm”

Exodus 3.11-14 (a)
11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
12 And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”
13 Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”
14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”

Exodus 19.20 (b)

Exodus 19.5 (c)

Scrabit : Renew

Posted on by lainamunoz

Growth is a beautiful thing, I have no one but G-d to thank for increasing consistency in my life. Passion will take you far and people will push you forward but I actually have no idea how I’ve remained consistent this semester apart from Jesus actually just allowing me to speak and think and write and grow. I’m so thankful for the growing even when it’s painful and lacking in beauty. Jesus do what You will.

What do you do when things take longer than you expect?

What I am doing right now?

Right now I’m on a 30 day challenge that is taking me more than 30 days… sometimes a challenge turns more into an adventure and might just take 45 days, or maybe 60. But, the challenge is what will always be there; to create and produce and meditate and give 30 days of yourself.

If you’ve been following anything I’ve posted you’ll realize that I am not daily. I am an inconsistent person. I will never admit I’ve reached perfection and please never have that mindset for me. I am human. I will fail. I will be forgiven.

NOT because I’ve earned it but because G-d sees me as worth it.

So what then? I’m left feeling a little less of myself because I can’t be consistent with something I love doing anyway. But why am I doing this? Is it to have a month of scrabits* for people to read? Or is it to have a goal to set and make, no matter how getting there looks like?

I’m now in my 5th semester of college (my 5th semester of community college) my Junior year and I’m still finishing my associates because well… I stretched my 2 year challenge into a 3 year adventure. And quite frankly, I hated it for a while. Yet, I’m here for a reason. There is a reason I still walk the halls at the North East and Southeast campus and there in a reason I will be there for one more semester after this. It can get discouraging when you don’t exactly know the reason but knowing that G-d still has the master plan is quite a bit comforting.

The Israelites wandered the desert for 40 years waiting on their view to change. I don’t believe G-d is calling me to TCC for 40 years but while I’m still there I’ll be working on giving my art, on giving myself and on looking for the people who might need me. Or the ones I need.

I’m not sure much of what else this is other than a confirmation that I’m still in. Sometimes I think I just need to remind myself of that.

            … let the journey continue.

Psalms 51.10 “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

*Scrabit – a blurb; a short document of developed or underdeveloped thoughts; a conglomeration and combobulation of random thoughts that have intentions of letting you know you’re not the only person who’s thought that way.

Scrabit: Art

Posted on by lainamunoz 

#ThinkBackThursday
20 October 2010

“Most artists can’t draw, but all artists can see.” – Roy Simmons

“He said, “Go and tell this people: “‘Listen hard, but you aren’t going to get it; look hard, but you wont catch on.’ Make these people blockheads, with fingers in their ears and blindfolds on their eyes, so they wont see a thing, wont hear a word, so they wont have a clue whats going on and, yes, so they wont turn around and be made whole.”

 Isaiah 6:9-10 (MSG)

It seems like G-d might have wanted us to understand something here. Art isn’t just about ability; it’s about seeing what needs to change and creating something that can make a difference. And G-d’s art is to make us whole through giving us the vision to see what needs to change.

I was reading a delightfully short book by Seth Godin called Graceful where he took a full section to talk about Art. He defines art as this: “Art is anything that’s creative, passionate and personal… Art is a personal gift that changes the recipient.”

G-d’s art is revealed in the everyday continuation of what He started long ago.

“First this: G-d created the Heavens and Earth – all you see, all you don’t see” Genesis 1:1(MSG)

G-d was the original creator and the only one by which we may LEARN what He wants to do with our lives. The beauty of His art is there is still life yet to be revealed. Some things in creation we are still waiting on, there are things and colors in heaven that we still haven’t experienced ((and I cannot wait)). He set the heavens in place, His majesty is seen in all there is and He holds my heart and molds it everyday into something reflecting Him.

G-d is a passionate G-d, He is a compassionate G-d, a G-d who thinks about us and has purpose for us. He is a wonderful, powerful master who sees us in the state we are in and calls us His. He is a personal G-d who cared so much about the people He created that He sent His one perfect thing He had left – His son so that He might be reunited with us.

I can’t help but think through a few things…

First.     Are you letting G-d’s art CHANGE you? When was the last time you admired the sunrise or sunset and couldn’t focus cause the presence of G-d was so thick through your thoughts that you broke out in praise with your entire being?

2nd.     Are you letting G-d direct your art that He has for you? Some of you have read these posts and thought, “oh that’s nice, but I don’t have art to give”…how selfish… You have a gift that only you can give, you have an art that only you can perfect FOR HIM and you don’t care enough to search it out? Maybe it doesn’t look like messy hands from painting, or like a keyboard to type stories into. Maybe it looks like buying a bag of food a day and driving till you see someone who might need it? Maybe it looks like having a conversation everyday in which you remind someone of how much they mean to you? Possibly you could take 30 days to spend time perfecting listening to G-d? Maybe G-d has given you a heart for missions but you’re in a different season where you can’t leave yet? What if you were to passionately pray for a different location or people group for 30 days? What if you were to check up on the area to see what G-d was doing with your prayers?

“The more people you change, the more you change them, the more effective your art is… If there is no change, there is no art. IF no one experiences it, there can be no change.” –Graceful

What has changed around you lately? Have you inspired the change?