It has been over a year and I’m looking at the last two weeks study notes. I’m afraid that I have covered this material before. I have two markers in my study notes so skip if this sounds familiar! My next YWAM entry will cover December 2022. If I wanted to convey what the sessions taught me, I should’ve written right away but I have a few compulsions and one is to finish what I’ve started. In the week of November 16, 2022, I have copious notes on the parable of the seed and on reaching one’s full potential for Kingdom benefit and not my own. How anti-world does that sound? Then a statement that the journey of a seed is the journey of the heart. Scriptures are Prov 4:23, Ps 51:10, Eccles 3:11, 2 Cor 3:14-15, Jer 17:9, Rom 2:15, Eph 3:17, and Heb 10:22. Each gives a feature like focus and purity and then the drawing below (in the photo). What are my idols? The seed forms the roots first and is the heart of the tree – beliefs. The trunk is a person’s world view. holding up the branches are my values, resulting in the growth of the tree – actions and behavior. My conclusion is to relax and open my hands. God has much to say to all of us. God has entrusted me with this life because He already loves me. He is a good and faithful God so I will abide in Him and not be deceived. I will get practical and love in deed and truth. Greater is He Who is in us with the power of Holy Spirit. Finally, guard our hearts from idols that will surely take us off message. Cleanse us, oh God, so we can be yours. More gems…
Injustice is God’s offense to deal with. Our hearts can be open, secretive, and blind to the unknown. November 17th was about striving and doing. Carolyn is a brilliant instructor. We should stop basing our faith on string and doing. Jesus is on His throne and He is an Original, not a copy of God. We love Him completely with our heart, soul, and mind. He is our living water and suggests rest for us in Isaiah 61 (Everlasting joy will be theirs) and Luke 4:18-19 (Jesus’ calling). James 1:5 tells me that I need wisdom. How are we delivered from striving? Meditating on the Psalms is a good start; 100, 84, 56, and 46. Begin praying from the inside out by doing more listening than requesting.
Next, Carolyn spoke about who we are (I Pet 2:9-10, Rom 8:37, Phil 3:20, 2 Cor 5:20, Rev 21:9 and 19:7-9) and “who’s” we are (Jer 31:3, Col 3:1-3, *Isa 64:8, Col 1:27, and Gal 2:20). We discussed our upcoming outreach effort and she reminded us that love never starts with us but always begins with God. Jer 29:11 gets the best verse award from me, “For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope”. I then wrote this in my journal: I love my children because I love God. I love God because I love my children. I don’t have to give them up to do missions travel. This is how I came up with the plan to travel part of the year and be grandma the rest of the year. God is refining me with a safe plan.
The next day was extraordinary. Carolyn drew a house on seven pillars. The scripture was Matt 7:24-27. There was a list of God’s character and our command…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. I drew a house that I once owned. There had been a fault line, (not the San Andreas fault), between a seller-built addition and the original home. We paid ~$17,000 to install seven pillars. On the drawing round the house I drew beautiful forest and have happy memories there. We even sued the previous owner who caused this expense and never received compensation. It is too easy for people to do the wrong things. The pillars lasted but the foundation of the marriage was marred. I no longer live in that house. The seven pillars Carolyn instructed on are: worship, gratitude, faith, forgiveness, holiness, prayer, and hope. God is the builder and makes us builders. If you are unequally yoked there are two building styles. Make sure you remain faithful to God’s design. Finally, in this home (life) we build are rooms. Rooms generally have four corners – love, respect, trust, and understanding. There is also a roof to ‘crown’ the house and scriptures to lend direction. In the end, I drew a tall crown and explained why.
