Discovering Imaginatively

Raise your hand if you have dreams? Ok, now put your hands down, because that's weird...especially if you're in public and no one knows what's happening. We all dream at night, sure, unless you're a robot I guess, but I'm talking about using your imagination to think up the craziest thing you can think up or the biggest future you could picture yourself in if there were no limits. Some of us have forgotten how to use that thing called "imagination" over the years, because we've been too busy "adulting," but Ephesians 3:20 says "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think..." Ok, that says, God is able to do above/beyond anything in our lives that we could ever imagine or dream of. For me that means I better start using my imagination a little more, because if I'm imagining or dreaming up things I can accomplish on my own, that doesn't really give God anything to work with. He's good at doing the impossible, so I think that's how I need to start dreaming - impossibly.

All that to say, God has been taking me on a journey of encountering Him through my imagination. If God created me, then He created my imagination, and if God is good and I'm made in His image, then my imagination is good, especially since I've been given the mind of Christ and my mind is being renewed through His word. One way this has helped me is in reading the Bible. I've been taking a class called "Loving the Word," and one thing that has totally changed the way I read the Bible is reading it as an actual book with stories/characters and putting myself in the stories. It's easy to get lost in a good novel, but for some reason that seems harder when we read the Bible. Or is that just me? Anyone? Ok, moving on. This has been a great tool for me in being able to really enjoy reading the Bible and seeing it in a new way, and one of our recent assignments in this class was to choose a passage and then respond to it in a creative way; I chose a short story.

Now before some of you  freak out and think this is blasphemy or "non-biblical," I'm not saying this is an interpretation of the Bible or that I'm adding to it or anything like that. I'm simply IMAGINING, what the story may have actually been like by putting myself in it. For me this creates an invitation to actually experience, study, and dive into the Bible in a greater way. So I'm posting my assignment below; I read from Acts 19:1-12 and chose a unique perspective from which to tell the story...just for fun. I know this is a bit long, but I'm posting the passage and then the story so you get the idea; I hope that the story creates an invitation for you to see the Bible in a different way and encourages you to dive in and start studying it more!

Acts 19:1-12

1 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions and came to Ephesus. He found some disciples 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? ”

“No,” they told him, “we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

3 “Then what baptism were you baptized with? ” he asked them.

“With John’s baptism,” they replied.

4 Paul said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people that they should believe in the One who would come after him, that is, in Jesus.”

5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began to speak in other languages and to prophesy. 7 Now there were about 12 men in all.

8 Then he entered the synagogue and spoke boldly over a period of three months, engaging in discussion and trying to persuade them about the things of the kingdom of God. 9 But when some became hardened and would not believe, slandering the Way in front of the crowd, he withdrew from them and met separately with the disciples, conducting discussions every day in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10 And this went on for two years, so that all the inhabitants of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the message about the Lord.

11 God was performing extraordinary miracles by Paul’s hands, 12 so that even facecloths or work aprons[fn] that had touched his skin were brought to the sick, and the diseases left them, and the evil spirits came out of them. (Taken from the HCSB)

Short-Story

To many he is considered a father; to some, he’s the opposition, the blasphemer; and to others he’s a friend. But I knew him before the crowd. As a young man learning and growing, I was with him. I remember the long nights of wiping away tears and the hard days of blotting up sweat that others hadn’t seen. I knew him as Saul, and through a long and wonderful journey, I not only saw his transformation, but was transformed myself through his mission.

⧫

The soft breeze blew through me and the scent of fresh air filled my fibers. Saul, who had now become known throughout the region as Paul, had once again brought me along in his journeys of traveling to different lands, engaging with different people, and showing them the Way. We had recently finished our journey through Corinth and had begun traveling through the interior regions when we came to Ephesus, a land of great intelligence, debates and discussions. The air was thick with thoughts and opinions from scholars and teachers of many different things.

As we were coming into the city we stopped at a market where a group of men were discussing baptism; you could always tell when people were part of The Way. There was something about their countenance that was different from others. Overhearing their discussion, Paul, as usual, took it upon himself to join the men. “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” Paul asked the small gathering.

“No,” they responded, “we haven’t heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” The excitement flickered in Paul’s eyes at their response for he knew what would come next as was his experience through our journeys.

“Then with what baptism were you baptized?” he asked them.

“With John’s baptism,” they replied in somewhat nervous mutters not quite knowing where the conversation was going. At this point the fire was bright in Paul’s eyes; he couldn’t help it. He was a changed man who had been gripped by love and now had a mission.

“John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people that they should believe in the One who would come after him, that is, in Jesus.” he said with a boldness and animation that I was use to hearing ring from his voice when he began talking about Jesus. You could tell that the group of disciples began to catch the life that seemed to float across the air with Paul’s words, and one by one the light came upon them. On hearing this, they were all baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, and as Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they began to speak with other languages and to prophesy. You could see and hear the surprise, excitement, and joy all in one from their faces and voices.

These were my favorite times from our excursions - the change was tangible and the name and person of Jesus was now known in a greater measure than it had been before this point in time. We met with the disciples regularly, and I listened quietly, expectantly as Paul daily taught these men about Jesus and living a life worthy of Him. We began meeting regularly in the synagogue. Paul would teach the Way and share about his experience of how Jesus changed him and the Truth about Jesus - that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life; He’s the only way to the Father. The disciples came and taught with Paul’s guidance. This continued for three months, but with little to no avail. There was something in the Jews’ countenance that remained unwavered by Paul and the disciples words and teachings. Paul perceived their hearts and realizing the people were immovable in their current state and desiring to protect the newly baptized disciples, we withdrew.

Paul, a brilliant man, had another idea. If the Jews would not listen, he would speak to those who would, but that required a change in our routine. Instead of speaking in the cool of the morning when most teachers do, and which we had been doing, Paul began working in the early hours as did the other laymen. It happened that one morning while working we encountered a man named Tyrannus. A man of small stature, but of great means and well-known throughout the scholarly community. He immediately took a liking to Paul and made his teaching hall available to Paul upon hearing that Paul was intelligent like himself.   

The next week, we were up early, and I sat and listened to Paul speak with Holy Spirit as he engaged in his trade of tentmaking. I watched as Paul carefully worked at crafting every part, and the detail and attention he gave to his trade was the same detail and attention that he gave to every person that he engaged with throughout the morning. When the cool, morning air began to grow warm from the sun and the heat became too much for work, Paul would leave his work and take up just what he needed to the day. We walked for some time down to the hall of Tyrannus, the generous intellectual who enjoyed his former conversation with Paul. As we came upon the theatre men began filling the halls for it was the time of day where men would break from their labors to engage in discussion and debates while resting from their work in the heat of the day.

We came upon a few men on the outer edge of the halls and Paul began to discuss their trades and inquire about their life stories. From that point he began to share of his own journeys and his transformation through Jesus. I noticed after sometime of discussing with these men that the few had grown to many, and the majority of the men in the theatre had filled the space where we were. There was something in Paul’s words - life -  that drew the gentiles near. From that day on we we would walk down to the theatre of Tyrannus as the sun rose higher into the afternoon sky to discuss with the men who were lounging their from their morning’s work. The many different men from all trades and backgrounds of all shapes and sizes began to bring others - colleagues, friends, family - to engage in discussion with Paul.

And this went on for two years, so that all the inhabitants of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the message about the Lord.I watched from the background as countenances changed, hearts grew and the miraculous took place. God was performing extraordinary miracles by Paul’s hands so that even facecloths or work aprons that had touched his skin were brought to the sick, and the diseases left them, and the evil spirits came out of them.

And this is where my story comes in. You see, I am a mere handkerchief that was touched by a mere man who was touched by a mighty God.I had the privilege of watching the transformation of a man, of seeing the miraculous released through his hands, and then one day, that miraculous power was transferred to me, and I was able to see and experience the power of Jesus first hand. I now understood what it was all about: the love and joy stirred in those that had been healed and set free; they finally knew the One who was and is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Crowned Project: Mattie D

THIS is Mattie D, also known as Matt Droguett - THE snowboarding, soccer playing, freestyle rapping, beatboxing, rattlesnake rounding, Canadian, who also loves Mexican food and wants ten kids. But on a serious note, this guy is the life of the party and truly loves Jesus and people. He is the extrovert of all extroverts, but the best part is, it’s never about him. Matt loves to run with people and do life with them simply because he loves them, which comes from his history with God.

His story with Jesus is basically that they’re amigos, BFFs, homies...well, you get the picture. Because of Matt’s deep connection with Jesus, he’s passionate about seeing others connect with Him too, and the best part is, he asks for nothing in return. Matt says, “The world says ‘I love you; do you love me?’ but I say, ‘I love you.’” Wow. Just wow. I mean, come on; we all know what it feels like when someone has an agenda for us and we know it. It doesn’t always feel great, because there’s an expectation that we have to reproduce or reciprocate or have something else to offer and we don’t always feel up to the challenge...or is that just me? I think others can join the group here. This is one thing I love about Matt - he loves without an agenda, which is the perfect example of Jesus. When we see Jesus in the Bible, He’s hanging out with all the people that the religious leaders of His time had looked upon as those not to be associated with, the untouchable, but Jesus came, said “I love you, let’s hang,” dined with them, AND THEN, instead of asking for something in return, He went a step further and gave all that He could - His life. I feel that it’s rare to meet people who will actually “lay down their life” for someone else. In a time where we can often appear to be focused on numero uno only loving those that are like us or agree with us, being able to love despite differences in beliefs, lifestyles, character, core values, political sides, career choices, parenting styles, etc. is HUGE.

So this is what Mattie D. offers to the world - Love without a catch; no agenda, no return, just love.

This is who I’ve chosen to highlight this week in hopes that you would catch his passion and be stirred with something you didn’t have before - a hope, a dream, a vision for love. 

He’s the cool, hippie model of the rastafarian-looking slouchy beanie for this week. If you want this beanie and to also help support both Matt and I financially through a suggested donation of $35, this beanie is yours! Simply comment on the ORIGINAL facebook post on MY facebook page. The first person to comment that they want it gets first dibs. I’ll connect with you from there on how you can make your donation. As a reminder, the donations are to just help out financially in my journey while here at BSSM, and 20% of the donation will go towards whoever is being highlighted each week to bless them as well; you will not just be sowing into our lives financially, but also our stories, testimonies and dreams. Thanks for the support and for hearing Matt’s story.

If you want to connect with Matt to hear more about his story, his passion for purity, bringing God into the “marketplace” and how he loves taking risks, find him on facebook - Matt Droguett.

PS. He also once caught a snapping turtle while fishing.

Crowned Project: Intro

So here's the thing...I've got this idea for a project, although that's not how it began, but I'd like to share this idea with you. I'll try to keep my usual long-windedness (Is that even a word?) to a minimum. I know, good luck, right?

Well, I'm at ministry school in California, I'm working part-time, and my bills are more than my income. No worries, God is good, everything will get taken care of, people are making donations...all is good in the world; HOWEVER, I believe God gives us creative ideas and resources as a means to bless us and others. So here is what has been stirring in me lately...

I really like to knit; I feel like an old lady as I say that, but it really is enjoyable. So I was thinking about something fairly easy, yet practical that I could make that people would actually want to buy while also supporting me in my journey. The outcome - beanies! Why not? They're cute, it's fall, and Christmas is around the corner; plus everyone here wears them all the time. I thought these would be a great idea that people could get for themselves or as gifts for others since it's the holiday season and also bless me in the process. And yes, the beanie in my picture is mine - handmade with love and everything!

However, from this point the idea sort of evolved into a project instead of a simple idea to help out a little financially. I actually want to be able to bless others (aside from myself and those that will receive the beanies) through this project, and here's what Jesus and I came up with; ok, fine, it was more His idea than mine. 

There are a lot of amazing people here pursuing their dreams, figuring out who they are, starting over or just starting out, but the truth is they each have a story to tell, a testimony to release, a dream to dream and something to offer to the world, and I want to highlight it. So what does that look like exactly? I'm glad you asked. This looks like me making a beanie, choosing someone I've met along the journey to share their story and "model" the beanie, and then bless them with 20% of the proceeds that come in from the purchase of the beanie.  

Logistics: I'm actually making this a donation-based project. There will be a suggested donation amount for each beanie (they will all be different) that will help to cover material costs, time, and shipping, if necessary, so please keep that in mind. 20% of the donation will go to whoever has been highlighted and whatever is left will go towards my financial needs at this time. It may not be much, but every little bit helps! And again, the donation amount is only suggested, so more or less can be given. The first person that comments on the original FACEBOOK post on my page will get dibs on donating and receiving the beanie for the week. I'll connect with the first person that comments and then direct them to a PayPal link that can be used for the donation, and as soon as it's processed that beanie will be on it's way.

Another aspect of this idea has come from a study of Psalm 103. I started reading this passage of Scripture a couple of months ago and couldn't get past the first few verses, because God was highlighting so much to me, and one part in particular is in verse four where is says, "[He] crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion." I began to think about a crown or being crowned and some things that came to mind were that it represents royalty, authority, government, a transference (of authority or power from one generation to the next), family/sonship, and covering. So here's where I'm going with that. A hat, or a beanie, will literally cover the crown of your head - the topmost part of your head and the first thing typically seen when you enter the world at birth. Before each beanie is sent out, it's worn by someone that has a story to share and a testimony to release, so if you want what they have, just receive it when you receive the beanie (or even if you don't get the beanie); also, each beanie will be prayed over and blessed so that it may bless whoever receives it. In the New Testament, people took clothes that had touched the Apostle Paul's body, and those who received the clothes were healed and set free (Acts 19:11-12)...who knows what God can use a simple beanie for? Maybe nothing, but maybe something. 

So this is the Crowned Project; you've been given the introduction, and the first person's story along with the first beanie to be offered is soon to come, so stay tuned!