You know “those” friends? Those special friends that somehow often come up in everyday conversation? People that left a mark (or several) on your life that have helped shape the way you live yours? Those friends who no matter how much time has passed you seem to be able to pick up right where you left off when you are able to get together with them?

Little did I know that a girl name Patience would have much more of an impact on my life later on than she did as my 2nd semester roomie at Liberty University. Don’t get me wrong, we always had great talks, she was inspiration, encouragement and fire. (Redheads usually are. =)

Over the last 8 1/2 years I’ve gotten to know Mrs. Patience Roddy Leino and her hubby Jordan. It’s hard to believe time has gone by that quickly. They have been friends, encouragers, fellow musicians and worship leaders.  We got to catch up with them a couple weeks ago and it was wonderful.

Somehow the funny stories, music stories, and moving stories involving the Leinos come up in conversation fairly often these days. I’m such a nerd, I’m getting teary-eyed right now as I type and remember a blog I wrote about them in ‘07. I recently sat down at Chickfila with some friends. And as I was bragging on how absolutely gorgeous their 5 month old baby girl Eliana is, pulling up Facebook pictures on my phone showing off the pristine blue eyes (just like her mom), I somehow started sharing a brief and probably muddied up version of their story, and almost was in tears. Again, I’m a waterhead when it comes to certain stories… A story about their firstborn son Isaac that lived to be about the same age as Eliana is now… he touched lives all around the world, and so did the strong faith and testimony of his parents.

These past memories, stories, and even weekly blogs of Patience’s still inspire me to live a Godward life today. They truly choose to live in such a way that God is at the center of everything they do. She’s encouraged and challenged me to be thoughtful, to seek the heart of Jesus, to always build up and honor my husband (especially in public), to be the same person at home as I am on stage, to be slow in speaking and quick in listening, to persevere in every trial and trust that God means for you to live your life on purpose for his glory no matter in happy times or sad.

I encourage you to read their story from beginning to end, here. (Or rather bottom to top on this blog.) It will move your heart and challenge where you think your faith is.

One of my closest friends has this Easy Vegetarian Dinners cookbook. And since she first made this dish, it’s become a staple at the King household. You can use any kind of mixed vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, zucchini, squash, carrots, etc.  It’s easy, low calorie, and quite tasty.

Lentil and Veggie Tostadas

Makes 6-8 tostadas, Start to Finish Time: approx. 25 minutes

Ingredients:

1 3/4 c water                                                           1 clove garlic, minced

3/4 cup dry red lentils, rinsed and drained             6-8 tostada shells

1/4 c chopped onion                                                 2 c assorted chopped vegetables

1-2 tbs snipped fresh cilantro                                  1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cumin                                               3/4 c shredded Monterey Jack or Mozzarella cheese

Directions: In a medium saucepan stir together water, lentils, onion, cilantro, salt, cumin and garlic. (Sometimes I use a little more garlic.) Bring to a boil, reduce heat.  Cover and simmer for about 12-15 minutes or until lentils are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Use a fork or potato masher to mash the cooked lentils into a paste.

Spread the lentil mixture on tostada shells; top with your choice of vegetables and cheese. Place on a large baking sheet and broil 3-4 inches from heat about 2 minutes or until cheese melts. *Sometimes I add grilled chicken for my man if he needs a little more meat! You could also use beef or shrimp if you like.

Nutrition: 285 calories, 11 g total fat, 20 mg cholesterol, 526 mg sodium, 33 g carbohydrate, 16 g protein

What a weekend. We got to spend time with some friends, the Bolduc family, in Kingsport, Tennessee. It was definitely a sweet time of healing, encouragement and spurning on for all of us. What precious hearts for God and for people. And I absolutely fell in love with their kids- they called me Miss Merbeka. We enjoyed seeing and hearing about all that God is doing at Grace Church. Pastor Michael Robison is such a compelling communicator and oozes broken heartedness for those hurting & in need- especially Haitian people. He got to partner with Safe Water Nexus, Dave Ramsey and many others in providing medical care, food, and hope. God truly has given him favor in matching him up with countless organizations and people to help, donate massive funds to make a difference in Haiti, and hopefully will be able to build a new orphanage there. Read more about his past 10 days in Haiti and what you can do to help at michaelrobison.com.

As we were driving out of the mountains and back to North Carolina, I was thinking about how encouraged I was, but at the same time remembering our temp jobs that are now gone since they laid off everyone in our group last Wednesday. In beginning to head back to “reality” and how we will pay bills, rent, and figure out God’s next step for us, I looked to my left and saw the most beautiful picture. Out my window we passed a very deep, yet green with growth valley. It had been drizzly and overcast all week but blue skies were peeking out behind the sun. And then my eyes focused on a HUGE rainbow that stretched out over the entire valley! Isn’t life like that? No matter if it’s devastation in Haiti, a single mom barely making ends meet, a couple who’ve lost a child, or someone losing their job- there is hope. There is a great big rainbow over our valley. Even if you can’t see it because you’re in it, it’s there- God’s many promises are constantly over you just like that rainbow. Reminding me and you that he won’t leave us there or forget about us, that he has a plan, an escape route, a future. If you’ve forgotten, flip through the Psalms- there’s tons of God’s promises in there.

“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with JOY and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with CONFIDENT HOPE through the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13.

I was talking with some close friends about faith, struggles, life, and made the general statement that I felt I’d grown so much this year in EVERY aspect of my life. And they said “like what?” I was caught. I had thought of some things over time, but it was amazing to have to think quickly and verbalize them all.  So now I’m writing them down. This has been a year of pruning, stretching and maturing for me. I’d like to share some things I’ve learned this year through people, sermons, my daily bible reading, and just whisperings of the Holy Spirit in my soul-

• You’re either in a dip, were in a dip, or about to go thru a dip- the way we get thru that is to Receive God’s present activity, Remember God’s past faithfulness, Respond to God’s direction. (Steven Furtick)

• Like Elijah in 1 Kings 19 sometimes God tells us to go back the way we came so he can move us onto our next steps- we did that this year, moving back from Nashville, passed thru Clayton/C3 Church in Chad’s hometown, and came thru Lifepoint, and now onto this next season in our life whatever that is.

• Humility.

• Would I request a “do-over” of the past year? No, because despite some pain, I wouldn’t have learned anything, and I wouldn’t have the story I have now to impact other people in the future.

• I learned how to cook better and became a little crafty thanks to some good friends. A new found love for knitting!

• “Worship is not added to joy, and joy is not the by-product of worship. Worship is the valuing of God. And when this valuing is intense, it is JOY in God. Therefore the essence of worship is delight in God, which displays his all-satisfying value.” John Piper.

• People are messy. Relationships are messy. But those people, are just people. In need of grace just like me.

• I know the kind of friend, mother and wife I want to be- I’ve had some great examples this year.

• “Rebekah, when you finally release control of the things in your life you think you have control of, THEN will I pour out blessing on you, give you the things you dream of, and show you the next step. When you let go, and know me for Me, I will do things you can’t even imagine.”

• I prayed for friends closer than a brother, what I got was totally unexpected. I got 2 best friends, whom I would give my life for, that know me better than anyone, encourage me, challenge me, pray for me, and ask me the really tough questions about myself.

• We have GOT to get a handle on our finances- there is NO freedom in debt. NO fun in not being able to give generously.

• It is extremely dangerous and unhealthy to put any one person or thing in such a place that you think your bad decisions or unhappiness is caused by something they did or didn’t do- that puts the control in their hands, and OUT of God’s. This is very wrong and a tremendous burden on the person that doesn’t even belong there. You need to apologize to them if you’ve been there.

• “Worship ministry was like an iceberg. The part that people see onstage needs to be the tip, and beneath the surface has to be a deep, hidden life with God. That challenged and inspired me to go deep in Jesus and make sure the public part of worship ministry was just the surface and that much lies beneath.” Vicky Beeching.

• You have to get your feet a little wet and closer to the water for God to part the Red Seas in your life.

• My marriage has been strengthened and we are closer than ever thru learning how to depend on God.

• Even if the way God has provided for me isn’t my grand ideal way of providing, it STILL is provision and I aught not turn my nose up at it.

• I’d rather not sit in a dumb cubicle taking calls about an industry I know nothing about and I don’t understand why I’m there, but that job is God’s PROVISION for a season.

• We have made major decisions in the last 2 years, that weren’t necessarily good ones- decisions that I made and got Chad to go along with. I had to own up to this mistake and allow my husband to lead our family. And resist the urge to lead.

• I LOVE and BELIEVE in my husband. And he needs to hear it more often.

And the biggest ones:

Deuteronomy 31:8 “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

Circumstances (can) = Happiness. Joy = CHOICE.

As Chad and I are breaking our 10 day Daniel fast today, I am encouraged by our experience. On the physical side, the first 3 days truly are the worst- just a bit of some headaches and light headedness as we were de-toxing. More than that I am excited that we actually completed it and gained a more consistent spiritual discipline through it that will only continue. We have never done a fast like this. Sure, we’ve fasted a meal, or a day, or tv/internet/twitter/facebook… All trivial things, I know, but let’s be honest- those were never really true sacrifices to us. I think doing a complete but shorter fast of all foods almost would’ve been easier than fasting from certain foods like on the Daniel fast. Next time I also want to journal, or go ahead and start now- I wish I had, don’t know why I didn’t.

But I found myself more in constant conversation with the Lord God and found that my sustenance truly came from him that after a couple days, I didn’t even feel like I was missing something. I have a stronger hope for what is to come for my family. A sense that breakthrough, healing and clearer vision is on the way for my family. I haven’t a clue what that looks like exactly, but I am beginning to see myself a player in God’s grander story. I have a better perspective on the essence of kingdom minded things, not just the work of doing it and the daily grind. I look forward to one day doing a 21 day fast.

We also went through the 21 chapters of John and here are some of the takeaways for me:

Jesus wants me to love him with everything that I am.

Jesus wants me to picture his beautiful yet brutal death and resurrection much more often.

Jesus was constantly thinking kingdom minded, not the trivial of this world.

Jesus gave me another Counselor that is even better. One that we should be careful not to grieve by our actions. (more on this later)

Jesus wants me to believe because of who he is, without seeing, not just what he can do. Those people are blessed.

Jesus chose me, wants me to bear fruit and remain in him. Pruning is painful, but more fruitful because of it.

Jesus wants me to love what he loves- the church, people, the weak, the broken, the poor and lonely. The messy, because that’s what we all are.

Jesus is who he says he is.

I just had to re-post this. My dad got it in an email from his former pastor Raymond Horne who just retired this summer… He doesn’t blog I don’t think but sends devotions and writes alot. I can really relate to this, I’ve found myself wanting to do things my way in the past, reaped the consequences and the pain of it, and come full circle wanting my desires to become God’s desires.  There’s some great insight to this passage, an incredible truth to his words.

Old Blue Eyes, Frank Sinatra used to sing, “The record shows, I took the blows and did it my way.” Sometimes God will let you do things your way – then let you deal with the consequences! When you insist on having something that He in His wisdom has withheld, He steps back and says, ‘O.K., have it your way.’ The Bible says that because of how the Children of Israel  ”quickly forgot what he had done, wouldn’t wait for his counsel… he gave them what they asked for, but he sent a plague along with it…” (Psalm 106:13-15 NLT) That’s the formula for spiritual barrenness!

When God called Moses to deliver the Children of Israel, he decided to do it his way. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave, but instead of consulting God he took matters into his own hands by killing the abuser. Before he did, the Bible says he ‘looked this way and that… ‘ (Exodus 2:12 NKJ) – but he never looked up! He was more concerned about ‘audience response’ than ‘God response’. God had to teach Moses that his orders came from Him! After Moses dug a hole and tried to hide the work of his flesh, God allowed it to be exposed. Why? To show Moses that by doing things his way, he couldn’t keep a single soldier buried in sand, whereas by doing things God’s way, he was able to bury a whole army in the depths of the Red Sea! So today, make up your mind to do it ‘God’s way’!

Chad and I have an app on our iPhones called Words With Friends. It’s basically Scrabble. We play this ALOT in Cubeville, also known as work, especially when the call center phones are quiet like they have been lately. For Christmas we also got our own Diamond edition Scrabble board at home. (Chad kills me usually, btw.)

Life is alot like Scrabble. You have to play what you have. You’re given 7 letters at a time to make a word out of. You’ve either gotta make it happen or adjust. If you can’t make a word and make something fit, then sometimes you have to pass on your turn or swap some tiles for some other random ones. In life we have to evaluate what we’ve got and try to do well. Much like if the opponent plays on the double letter or triple word you wanted to play next, you’ve got to make opportunities out of the setbacks or disappointments. You can’t just sit there (in self-pity or doubt) because then the game can’t go on, doesn’t do any good, and that’s no fun for anybody.

So make the most out of your letters or re-strategize in a positive way, seek the Lord’s counsel in what you should do. You can do it, God says we can in Christ’s strength (Phil. 4:13). So press on. Play on!

(and while I’m on the topic of playing on, you gotta pick up Carrie Underwood’s new album Play On- it’s fantastic and she’s a fave!)

Sorry it’s been since like July that I blogged. I just hadn’t felt inspired to blog. Or lazy. Or unwilling to admit how God is at work in my life. Sometimes it’s hard to see God at work thru the pain, uncertainty, uncomfortableness, and just flat out DRYness. Because going thru it isn’t something YOU want. This past year has been one of pruning and stretching. But more on that in another blog. I want to talk about the Design of a Decade. And no, I’m not talking about Janet Jackson’s greatest hits album (a fave)!

Since we just rang in 2010, I’m talking about about the past ten years and the timeline of grace throughout it…

2000-2001: my senior of high school was the best ever. I can’t tell you what an amazing experience I had when it came to the arts. I had the coolest teacher, and thru the program I learned how to sing and perform many styles of music. I grew up with godly parents in ministry who led me to love the Lord and love the church. In the youth ministry I grew to have a passion for worship leading and participating in the process of ministering to others thru music. I became an adult.

2001-2003: after graduating I got a partial scholarship to Berklee College of Music in Boston but I knew it wouldn’t make much of a dent in the crazy $30k tuition. God had something else- at D-Now a band called Orayi from Liberty University came and a guy Daniel Floyd spoke. (Daniel is now pastor of Lifepoint Church in the Fredericksburg, Va, small world!) A cd I recorded was passed onto the dept of ministry teams and eventually I auditioned and became a part of the Sounds of Liberty. I got to travel every weekend and break to churches, schools and events all over the east coast. I also fell in love with the guitar player on the group and married him in summer of 2003! I also got a great education and firmed up my roots in the wonderful theology and bible classes I took.

2003-2005: as newlyweds we really didn’t know where or what we were supposed to be doing but we knew we felt called to worship ministry. We applied to a few churches and even interviewed at one but God seemed to close those doors. We plugged into Chad’s home church C3 in Clayton, NC and served in as many areas as we could, learning so many valuable lessons about ministry, life and leadership. During this time Chad also sliced his left hand in the kitchen, leaving us with a fun $10k surgery bill that forced us to snowball our credit card debt in an effort to maintain our lifestyle. Bad idea.

2005-2007: we began praying and fasting the beginning of the summer of ‘05 and a stirring in our hearts for a new adventure came. It was then that we felt God nudging us to step out on faith, move to Wilmington, NC to be a part of Lifepoint Church. It was an incredible time of growth, seeing people start a relationship with Jesus for the first time, and being a player in a grander vision. Although we had ups and downs, financial difficulty, irresponsibility with our own money, we were stretched in a good way. We also learned that real ministry, people and relationships are messy and we all desperately need Jesus. Oh yeah, bought an unnecessary Honda Element that we could’ve done without. Especially when an unexpected layoff happened. What is saving anyway?

2007-2008: we got antsy. Running away from dealing with some things in our personal lives and running toward selfish ambitions, we moved to Nashville, TN to pursue music. God allowed us to have some fun, meet some cool people, perform and record music, but we still hung onto past wounds, disappointments, missing our friends and family, and all the while driving our debt deeper. We learned alot at the LifeChurch.tv campus where we lived, and God gave us a wake up call thru the financial series. I also learned that God can use me in other areas besides music ministry and volunteered in kids ministry all year. My most favorite job ever went to pot by September of 2008 and after being mostly unemployed Chad’s new job was going nowhere due to the economy. Do I think it was necessarily in God’s will for us to move there? Not sure. Because in spite of myself and my mistakes God revealed more about himself and rocked me on the inside. Oh and in November 2007 we attended a Joe Sangl seminar and cut up all our credit cards.

2008-Present: we made the decision to move back home at the end of ‘07. Sometimes you have to “go back the way you came” in order to understand how God is working in your life and see his provision, much like Elijah. We wanted so much to be back in Wilmington with our friends and our church but for whatever reason God kept us in Clayton living with the in-laws. This wasn’t ideal, I wanted to be on my way, have a job and settle down independently, work on debt. I am extremely grateful for having 2 sets of parents who have supported us thru our crises. We were encouraged by the people of C3 and got to serve at All Access conference. We finally made it back on some temp jobs but those ended abruptly. I can say one thing, this past year has felt very unstable. I don’t like it. It sucks. Middle of the summer was a real low point. Knowing all that’s happened the past 2 years were partly because of our own bad choices and attitudes, partly because God just allowed us to go thru things that are completely beyond our control! I’m TypeA ok? I’m a planner, I need structure. I want so much to hold onto control of my life, but when God takes you thru things you don’t understand, when things happen that don’t make any sense, when you face disappointment and shattered dreams, you have NO choice but to rely on God the Father in humility. I talked about going thru “The Dip” in an earlier blog (based on Pastor Steven Furtick’s messages when we visited Elevation Church). Boy have we gone thru it. Do I wish I didn’t make alot of stoopid decisions? Yes. Would I request God give me a do-over? No. I wouldn’t take back ANY of our journey, as painful as it may have been, because I wouldn’t have LEARNED ANYTHING. Sometimes you can’t see what God wants you to see until you’ve gotten outside the situation. And sometimes God can’t change or impact someone else’s life thru you until you’ve gone thru it. We also have been blessed by some amazing friends who speak truth, encouragement and the hard questions in our lives….And something Furtick said once is that “even if God never does a thing for you (a good thing in your eyes), he’s still been good to you. And given you far more than you ever deserve.” This decade has been one of truth, grace and mercy. I look forward to experiencing God’s design of this next decade.

WHAT’S NEXT?? I have no idea. We are nowhere near out of the woods yet, especially financially and emotionally. But I’m in complete surrender here. I’ve learned alot about grace as you can see. Every step of the way God has provided for us in some way, just as God sent ravens and a widow to provide for Elijah, he keeps reminding me. And although it’s taken me some time the hard way, I can see God’s hand on my life. And I’m better for it. I am being molded into the person God wants me to be. I pray God gives us grace in the form of a real positive breakthrough this year in 2010. There is an unsettledness in my heart stirring. Something God has been quietly telling me is that Chad and I are made for something grander than our imaginations. Whatever it is, I want to experience him in a new, real way. The more I read Forgotten God by Francis Chan lately, the more I realize the Holy Spirit really has become forgotten to many. I want to not just know that he exists but I want to see and feel and touch the work of the Holy Spirit in my life like never before. And that comes with knowing him more intimately. I have big expectations for this year- “confident hope, and the great rewards it brings.” (Hebrews 10:35)

“God can do anything, you know- far more than we could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.” Eph. 3:20

So Chad and I are doing a 10-day Daniel Fast as of Monday. It’s our first one. For those of you who know us real well, you know food has always been a big struggle for both of us. To deny yourself food and really rely of the Lord as your daily sustenance, this truly is a big sacrifice for us. We are “all the time eaters”- celebratory eating for happy occassions, comfort eaters for sad and stressful times, and any time eaters for pure boredom. And we love all the worst kinds of foods and soda! Not only will it jumpstart a healthy diet and good habits for the new year, it’s just as much spiritual as it is practical. We are reading thru the book of John together and praying for the Holy Spirit to move in our hearts and lives in a big way. We are desperate for clarity & wisdom in some decisions, peace, and breakthrough for 2010. Something’s gotta give, get our attention…In a way that the only way to describe it is that God did it. I’m excited about what he reveals to us thru this step of faith and spiritual discipline of focus and listening. May God soften our hearts, make our spirits repentant, and our ears open to hear what he has for us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As Pastor Jeff & Brad  and Daryl have twittered or blogged today about their remembrance of the early days at Lifepoint, it is ironic that I came across a Q&A on Holly Furtick’s blog. It sounds all too familiar of our own humble beginnings. WOW. I just read something pretty profound as a wife, ministry leader, and most importantly a Christ follower-

 

I think the same is true for ministry work (and really life in general).  It doesn’t get easier, it just gets different.  To all of you church planters out there who are thinking, everything will be better once we reach X amount of people, you are deceived.  

The good news is, God’s grace is sufficient no matter what stage of ministry (or life you) are in.  And you still need to be your husband’s main source of encouragement no matter how long you have been married or what his profession is.

~excerpt from Holly Furtick, Elevation Church (read the rest of her blog post here)

 

It’s hard to believe almost 4 years has passed. And granted Chad and I skipped out on this last year, and have recently moved back, the vision and the message is still the same. 

 

Jesus.

Love God. Love Others. Serve the World.

 

Life change never gets old, the power of God never gets old, and Jesus glorified never gets old.

We may have a few more material things than back then, but something Chad King said- 

“We are just as much ‘tools’ as all our fancy equipment is….Jesus will draw man unto himself…we just have to be obedient to His calling!”