Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Wacky Wednesday Video

My days often consist of tight or cramped things. Too close to payday, too "bonded" with folks who are a bit of a pinch. Schedules too tight.... well, you get it. But none of what I experience comes anywhere close to this crazy pinch!

Serials and Scenarios ~ Steve Schaefer's Living in the Overlap

Living in the Overlap by Steve Schaefer Did Jesus already establish His kingdom on earth? " Living in the Overlap explores the challenges and benefits of living in a kingdom that is both "already" and "not yet." If you want a deeper understanding of Jesus' kingdom message, and if you want to explore the kingdom's implications for your life today, let this provocative and enlightening book be your guide. The kingdom of God was the central message of Jesus, yet so few Christians understand what it means to live in that kingdom. Many of us think of the kingdom of God arriving with the second coming, but Steve Shaefer asserts that Jesus already established His kingdom on earth. Some of the blessings from the coming kingdom are available to us now, while we live in the overlap between the establishment of the kingdom and when it comes to its fullness. Those blessings can help us walk by faith, deal with temptation, and love others.

About Steve Schaefer Because of his fascination with Scripture and its message, Steve Schaefer has repeatedly explored the land of the Bible. His experiences include hot-air ballooning over eerie Cappadocian rock formations in Turkey, trekking through the ancient "rose red" city of Petra in Jordan, sloshing through Hezekiah's serpentine aqueduct in Israel, and scaling Jebel Musa (traditionally identified as Mount Sinai) in Egypt. But he now invites readers to embark on a different kind of biblical adventure in his new book, Living in the Overlap: How Jesus' Kingdom Proclamation Can Transform Your World. Steve holds a Master of Arts degree in Biblical Studies from Regent University's School of Divinity. He has traveled the globe as a Managing Producer in the International Programming Department of CBN WorldReach, and is a popular speaker and teacher. Reviews If you have ever prayed, "Thy Kingdom come,..." then Living in the Overlap is must reading for you. Terry Meeuwsen Co-host, The 700 Club Ample Scripture, careful explanations and helpful illustrations make this book painfully convicting, yet delightful to read. Pastors and disciples will welcome this book. David Mundt CBA Retailers + Resources magazine My Review is not ready yet. But it's on my pile and caught my interest.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Valentine Greetings

Great attitudinal gift idea for your Valentine. : )

When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves.

William Arthur Ward

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ God Sighting

I experienced a sweet and weird God moment yesterday. A woman, whom I've not had a comfortable relationship with, and I got together for lunch. This happened because I felt like I needed to thank her for being a blessing to my family. She is one of those very spiritual women who sometimes do the uncomfortably odd things like approach someone and tell them that she feels called to pray for them. She has been one who I have felt intimidated by, for that reason, and other reasons like my own failures and the timidity that I struggle with at times.

I, because I was supposed to tell her I was grateful for her obedience, sent her a thank you note.

A couple of weeks later she told me it had caused her to experience an interesting God encounter. And if I wanted to hear about it I should let her know. So I suggested lunch.

Turns out that when she received the thank you note, she couldn't understand it. It unsettled her. And she had to spend time in prayer over that unsettledness. And when she worked through the feelings she said she felt a physical reaction and finally, a peace. But the night before we met she couldn't sleep, and she felt queasy in the morning. I, on the other hand, felt anticipation, which is weird because, like I said, our relationship is awkward at best.

As we discussed this I remembered that this note came out of a time where I was burdened to write out notes to my near dear ones. Notes telling them that I loved them and appreciated them, etc. And she came to mind as someone I owed gratitude to. While I was writing the first notes I sobbed my way through them which was weird because I didn't think I had anything to really sob about. I was dry and at peace when I got to hers. And then I didn't see her for a few weeks and so I finally put it in the mail.

Our conversation was rich and comfortable yesterday.

We crossed a barrier of miscommunication or awkward communication that we hadn't been able to cross before. After an hour of talking, my bladder started screaming at me so I asked her to excuse me. She said she could go so I could get on with my day. I asked her to wait, told her I'd like to pray with her.

When I returned we got right to it and prayed for our families, thanked God for whatever reason He was crossing our paths, and prayed for the body of Christ. I went first and she finished. Then she said that she had gotten confirmation that this was something that God was doing, and it might be something big because her lack of sleep, her unease and her nausea told her that Satan didn't want us to work through our differences. And she had known that if she prayed with me, she'd know both where I stood, and whether or not we were going to be able to walk this new path together. That I had told her I wanted to pray completely pulled all of it together for her.

And now. I'm staring out the window at melting icicles and pondering how such a massive God Who can keep planets spinning and oceans roiling, would care so much about me, and my friend's lives and our concerns. And I don't even have a clue what He's doing. What is He going to heal, restore, fix or rework? Wow. Is He Awesome or what?

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Lesson 5

5) Asking God to reveal things that don't please Him, weaknesses I'm unaware of, deceptions I live as truth....WHAM...those requests have painful consequences...at first. But the truth does set free and the truth is bedrock.

I would rather have the ugly truth than a sanitized, be-ribboned lie. And the ugly truth turns beautiful in the hands of the God of grace and mercy. His truth is worth seeking.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Lesson 4

4) Praying for someone, the kinds of prayers that ask for blessings of awareness and spiritual health, and knowledge of how big our God is...those kinds of prayers stir things up.

It's very different, and not very costly, to say, "Dear Lord, please bless so and so." So general, so little in the ripple department. After six months of focused prayer we saw relationships twist and turn as God moved in those lives. And even better, we saw God change the way we looked at things, circumstances and other people.

Prayer works. Not as a magic wand. Not exactly as we laid out on our request lists in every case, but in all situations, according to God's big-picture plan. And faithfully praying gave us the opportunity to be blessed by being involved in God's plans.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Lesson 3

3) Relationships do not need money or expensive pursuits to be relationships. Tea at home, a phone call, praying for someone, loaning them a book, reading out loud from a book, a walk in the sunshine, a drive, a quick note, speaking blessings into lives, smiles...the list is endless.

Relationships are built through time, love and connectedness. Money is icing on the cake and icing is often overkill.