Identity Crisis

I am currently reading this book.
It is changing my life.
K.P. Yohannan is the founder and international director of Gospel for Asia. My church is a supporter of this ministry & my husband & I support three of their missionaries. We are very passionate & full supporters of Gospel for Asia.

K.P. brings things up in this book that I would never have thought of. Its been amazing to read so far, I would encourage any follower of Christ to read it. I want to share a little about the first chapter. I love this chapter. Its how he starts off the book, and it definitely sets the tone for the rest of the read. I am just going to bullet some of the highlighted areas in my book:

-The foundation for our behavior and success comes from our understanding of who we are in Christ.

- The Gospels show us that Jesus never had an identity crisis. On the contrary, He knew - absolutely and without a doubt - who He was. (LOVE THIS! NEED THIS)

-Both Jesus' intimate relationship with God the Father & His earthly Father were rooted in His complete understanding of His identity.

- He lived by what he knew about Himself, not by what others thought or said about Him.

and then the kicker:

- Jesus found his IDENTITY in SCRIPTURE and always directed these people to the Scriptures and the prophecies that spoke of Him.

That just hit home for me...he found his IDENTITY in SCRIPTURE.....I don't do that. I want to do that. I encourage others to do this...but I have a hard time doing it for me too. I want that to be how I operate too, but so many times, ok like 98% of the time I'm like...what am I? Ok, I'm a wife, a mother, an admin...I work with youth....I serve on the Ethiopia team etc. etc, and then when one of those are rocked a little bit or God says not you aren't that anymore...its like well wait...well then what "AM I" ?? Janna wake up. Its time to find your identity in scripture, and when someone asks who are you I will be able to take courage & and be able to stand on the truth of who I really am.

Man. Good stuff.

Something Sweet

So its official...my hobby has a name.
It is called: Something Sweet. I have been getting a lot of people asking me about my cakes & if I had a name or a business card. For me the biggest hang up was the name....how do you name something but not be tied down to one genre? My husband came up with the name Something Sweet...at first I didn't love the name, but it sat well with me too...so I decided it was cute & it works. It also doesn't tie me into solely doing cakes either. If I ever decide to branch out I will be able to with this name for sure. I have no clue where this hobby will take me, if it only takes me as far as a hobby that is fine, if it takes me farther to where I can have an income off of it...that sounds good to me too...we'll just take it one cake at a time & see where it goes.

So if you need a cake or someone you know needs one, let me know!

You can find me on Facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Something-Sweet/124093994364994

or on twitter at:
http://twitter.com/SomethgSweet

Thanks everyone!!

Monday Moodies

Ok so here is my thing....I know I'm a morning person...I do better at mornings than others, I get that....but we all KNOW Monday is coming. We all know that we have to be at work in order to pay the bills...and well...live. So I wonder why some people chose to be grumpy? It is a choice you know...........................................
The more I sit here & think about what I was going to continue to write, the more the tone of this blog is changing. I started this blog off originally going to talk about how people need to just be in a good mood, Regardless of the fact that you want, or don't want, to be at work...we have to be at work...so...chose to be in a good mood, basically was the gist of why I started this post....then I was quicken in my spirit & remembered the very thing I learned this morning. Looking at Jesus & his example & how he lived, I was taught in my reading that he was not just this perfect example, but he was moved with compassion toward people. He operated every.day in humility. No matter what. No matter whom it was toward, no matter the situation. He conducted his life in compassion & humility. I was challenged in my reading to start to operate my life that way. In everything. I am supposed to be moved toward compassion & humility....I am to operate, think, move, breathe, every minute, second of the day in compassion & humility.....and now boy do I feel sheepish.
How quick I am to forget & to take up that old self & operate in pride...do you know what else I learned? That Lucifer, in all his beauty & perfection, decided to take the step & live in his pride...causing his down fall which has since lead people into a life of death & sin. Jesus did the opposite. He came to live in compassion & humility...and all throughout his life we see how living in humility & lowering our self brings life.
So for me...maybe if I take a step back & not look at "why are you choosing to be grumpy?" but rather, offer compassion & ask how are you? Or maybe take a step back, be moved with compassion & humility, and ask...I wonder WHAT is making them grumpy? There is life outside of work, you know? Maybe something at home is a struggle for them, how can I be the hands & feet of Jesus & SHOW them compassion today?

Wow. Smack in the face.
Such good stuff. Thank you Holy Spirit for that blog I needed to write for myself.
I love you.

Nepal Update 2

Another amazing email from Jeremy! I love the part at the bottom where outside of the training they are having a hard time understanding each other, but inside the training sessions they aren't! ALL GOD! So amazing! May all our faith be increased because of it!

From Jeremy: So today has gone well...the kids seem to understand and be engaged....they have the walk through memorized. I can start anywhere and they know what's next...Dave and I have spent the last two days going all the way through the old testament unpacking major stories using the walk through as a guide....we are through the death of Solomon....I will be teaching the devotional in the morning and Dave will be teaching at the church service...then in the afternoon we will be teaching those who teach how to prepare for a talk...
So far the feedback we are getting from Dolma and the kids, I know best is this has been the most practical and most helpful training they have had...yay God...

One of the things we have been praying for and we asked everyone to pray for was the translation...we have not used a translator at all and the Holy Spirit is taking what we are say and giving it to the kids in away they can understand it...that is all God!! When we talk to them out side of the training we have a hard time understanding each other but inside the training we communicate fine back and forth...so God has been faithful.

Nepal Update

God is amazing.
We were praying specifically for these things...and read how God just answered! God is amazing, and HEARS us. I love that.

From Jeremy: For the devotionals (which are every morning and evening with all the kids) we are teaching through the first 8 chapters of Acts....

After the morning devotional we started into the bible training classes (35 of the older kids are apart of this training). In the first session I taught the walk through the bible. The kids really engaged with it, in fact we thought because of the language barrier it would take two full sessions to make it all the way through but they caught on so fast that we finished in one.

In the next session Dave started teaching through the book of Jonah, Truthworks style. Again not knowing how it would translate but with much prayer the kids caught on again very fast and we finished the book of Jonah in two sessions (we thought it would take at least 3) so for the last session I started a study of Abraham's life.

Good news is the kids are catching on and it seems like they are really learning how to study scripture and seeing how the bible fits together. The hard part is what we thought would take almost 2 days took less than one, hahaha....so we are adjusting on the fly.

We decided because the Old Testament walk through was so effective that this trip would be all about staying in the O.T. and really helping them see how it all fits together. So next we will show where the 39 books of the O.T. fit into the walk through and summarize each one. Keep praying because right now it feels like we are just one step ahead of them in preparation. Not a bad thing because it is making us really rely on the Holy Spirit.

Dirty little word

Self control…

Those dirty little words. It causes a lot of trouble for us, doesn’t it? Well I know it does for me a lot of the time. Here recently I have been revisiting those two little words…self control…just really seeking, what does it mean for me, and what does the Bible have to say about it. It actually says a lot about it.

So where I start when I want to learn more about a word is, I define it. There are a lot of different definitions of this word, all that say the same thing, just differently. So I chose this one to put in here:

Self control: Restraint exercised over one’s own impulses, desires, or emotions.

I don’t know about you, but that just hit me….lets read it again slower…Restraint exercised over one’s own impulses, desires, or emotions.

Let’s break it down a little:
Restraint: {a measure or condition that keeps someone or something under control or within limits}
Exercised: {Use or apply}
Impulses: {a sudden strong urge or desire to act}
Desires: {a strong feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something to happen}
Emotions: {a natural instinctive state of mind deriving from one's circumstances, mood, or relationships with others.}

Maybe I'm having an "ah-ha" moment, but this picture is just hitting me. When you read the definition of self control, and then read the breakdown of what the different words mean…it just brings a whole new meaning to it. For me it does at least.

Let’s see what the Bible says about it. There are a lot of different verses on this word, but I took just a few to look at today.
Take the context of the words that we just defined & reading scripture through the filter of the definitions:

Proverbs 25:28
Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control. (I think about all the pictures we see of people overseas, in just rampages, burning things, just complete chaos…those city walls have been broken down for sure…due to a lack of self control.)


1 Peter 4:7
The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self controlled SO THAT you can pray.
(I love in this verse that there is a “so that” in there…which is a commonly used phrase at my church. I love that there is an application…we are to be clear minded and self controlled, (considering the definitions), so that we can pray. Anyone with me? Wow. I love this.)

Galatians 5:22-24
The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control – against such there is no law. Those who BELONG to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with is passions & desires.
(So this verse is for us, Followers. We belong to Christ so….as we mature & grow we should be seeing more of these fruits in our life – not less of them.)

In my study of this word, self control, I came across this commentary of the word. It gave such a great word picture of this word & the lack there of it, that I wanted to share it with you. I put the link on there so you could read it for yourself if you wanted to.

http://bible.org/seriespage/mark-10-self-control

The mention of the term self-control undoubtedly brings to mind different images for people depending on their particular circumstances. Many probably think of combating dominating habits that can range from the simple to the more complex and debilitating. It may be as simple as a poor diet or a tendency to overeat at Thanksgiving, or to talking too much. It may also be something far more serious like chain smoking, drunkenness, drug abuse, sexual sins (pornography and adultery), a quick temper, a pattern of exaggerating or lying, etc. Others may think of dealing with an abusive spouse, parent, or employer or of dealing with their own tendencies toward losing control and becoming abusive. Others need self-control because they are lazy or have poor work habits while others are workaholics and need self-control to back off and learn to relax.

Regardless, self-control is very much an important part of maturity. One of the basic characteristics of infancy is a lack of self-control. Not only do babies need diapers, they must be carried because they lack the necessary control and muscle coordination to sit up much less walk or run. If a babies are healthy and normal, in time they will develop more and more self-control—a sure sign of growth and maturity

The importance of self-control can be seen in the news media which graphically portray how the lack of self-control, because of man’s various inner cravings, impact our society for evil. Plainly, when men and nations turn away from God and seek significance, security, and satisfaction through the desires of the flesh, it leads to a blatant absence of self-control. This will then manifests itself in hundreds of ways with devastating results on individuals, families, on certain groups in a society (the fatherless, the widow, and the poor [see Isa. 1:21-23]), and on society as a whole.

I just love the picture he paints of a baby…he says a basic characteristic of infancy is a lack of self control…..and in time they will develop more and more self control – a sure sign of growth and maturity.

This just spoke volumes to me. When you go back to Galatians & read the fruit of the spirit…isn’t this one the hardest? I know for me it is….it’s the restraining of the impulses & desires that is the hardest for me. Whether it manifests itself in food, in thoughts, in actions….It is just such a task to deny those thoughts/feelings/emotions/wants/impulses that come up all throughout our every day….but its obviously important to God.

So how do we do this…how do we become “self controlled?” How do we live out a life that starts producing these fruits that are a sign of growth and maturity? Because isn’t that the goal as Followers? To become something that we weren’t before? To start to live & look like Jesus the older we get or the more mature we become?

What is it for you, how can you start to look more like him? Maybe it’s starting with something smaller, maybe it’s starting with love? How can you love more? How can you have more peace? How can you have more patience? Whatever your dirty little word is, I would challenge you to move into it. Be bold enough to move & to actually CHANGE….so that you can become more & more like Him…and the world will know there is a difference in us, the ones who are Followers of Christ.

I leave you with my favorite verse….on that nails this self control word in the head, and one that I can’t live without:

Genesis 4:7
“If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must MASTER it.”

May we become people who master this word self control!
God speed friends.