A New Perspective - A New Woman!

"But because of his great love for us, God who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved. ...For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." - Ephesians 2:4-5, 8-9


I had the opportunity this weekend to see Beth Moore speak at the Tacoma Dome in Washington. It was so great - what a refreshing time to be away and be intentional about seeking the Lord's voice. Although I could pull so many things out of her message as impacting and encouraging, the most powerful moment for me when the first night ended with worship. We were singing one of my favorite worship songs, "In Christ Alone." I couldn't even sing because as I looked down over the 6000+ women worshiping, I was so struck by the beauty of all of those women standing before the throne, redeemed - made pure by Christ alone. There was such a spirit of joy, of thankfulness and of humility. What a gift! We each come to the cross with a lifetime filled with so much grief, regret, turmoil and pain. And yet, because of the love and grace of God through Christ Jesus, we have it all wiped clean. I am a new woman in Christ! Alive and free.

A few years ago, I was standing at a window overlooking roads and highways of downtown Portland. They were filled with cars - busy, everyday people with busy, everyday lives. Suddenly I felt this surge of love for them - there is no other way to describe it. It was as if God was giving me just a glimpse of His heart for all of us. I thought very sincerely, "God, I just love your people! All of them!" And I felt the Lord respond to me, "So, what will you do about it?" It knocked me off my feet. What will I do about it? That one moment set in motion a new path for my life. At times, I've lost sight of the purpose. In fact, if I'm honest, I have been struggling with how this very project fits in to His purpose - or if it fits at all. Am I striving to do or to be something he has not asked of me? Am I looking to fulfill my own agenda or give myself busywork instead of taking real steps of faith that make a difference? But Friday night in the Tacoma Dome watching the thousands of women stand with hands lifted in profound adoration for their Savior, I felt so fulfilled. I realized that when God gave me the word fearless, He did not give it to me as some sort of goal to attain. Instead, He was speaking it over me. Fearless. That is what I am to Him. My past of fear and shame was wiped clean at the cross. I believe every one of those women has been given a new name, just like I have - Clean, Innocent, Warrior, Child, Chosen, Faithful, Whole, New.

What has the Lord spoken over you? I'd love to hear it.

So - what does this mean for this blog? I've been praying about this and believe I am to continue, although in a slightly modified way. I will continue to give myself challenges but I'm going to look to the leading of the Holy Spirit and let them be more impromptu than planned. I think God probably has more interesting challenges than I could come up with anyway! By the way, I did complete my challenge #2 - I had a great conversation with a wonderful woman. It was a little awkward to get started, but worth it to get to know such a dear person. I'm going to try to make it more of a habit to meet and really get to know someone each week - an ongoing challenge!