As I wait for my meatloaf to be done and read my July/August 2009 issue of Outreach Magazine, a few thoughts came to mind like…

Its good to reflect on how people in your life left an imprint on you: I think alot of us zoom through life sometimes forgetting what the last experience with a person did to us…intentionally but sometimes more of denial or wishful forgetfulness.

I recently returned from NYC where I met up with people from my college days and it was an experience that left me more lifted than I even imagined. Some of the people were sorority sisters, others were fraternity men who I partied with in college but most were people who had in one way or another touched my life and I hope vice versa. That Saturday in NYC was a moment that mattered for me. It mattered because I remembered how important our experiences are in our DNA; it was important because I connected with people that I was very tight with but for reasons that were not even good ones, stopped connecting with them. Finally it was important because we got to share the great things that life has given us and even the not so great. We grew up, we were happy to see each other and wish each other a better tomorrow and some of us promised to keep the connection going.

That was a moment that mattered because those people had an imprint on my life however brief our connection was in school. I’ve learned something from my connections with them and I can’t make believe that it wasn’t influential in my life. If we are honest, all the people who have crossed our paths left their mark. I guess this weekend for me I realized just how much and I hope that there were some there that felt the same about me.

In a very real way, we should remember that as we interact with people today. Its not about first impressions its about being a positive force in someone’s life. And no, don’t get crazy, you don’t have to make an investment of days, months or years, some people impact you in a few seconds, by their actions or the words that they say or even the spirit that they bring to the atmosphere.

I’m reflective right now because that moment mattered to me. It was supposed to be just a simple reunion, but it turned out to be a time where I looked in people’s faces and remembered how connected we were at one time. I am sure when you look at your life you will find moments that matter like this as well. Sure, they would be in different settings and with different people but the moment would still be the same…no one crosses our path without leaving their imprint on our life…good or bad.

To those of you who know who you are I am so glad we connected, I am so glad we are making an effort to stay connected and I am so glad you were in my life back in the day. A part of you stayed with me and I have no regrets. I am who I am because of the sum total of my experiences and you are too. Love who you have become and let’s continue to make moments that matter.

Paz!

Today my hubby preached at our church’s Weds service and I have to say he left me with this big nugget from the Word…He preached on the “crumb” aspect but he briefly touched a part that jumped out at me.

Matthew 15:21-28 (The Message) 

21-22From there Jesus took a trip to Tyre and Sidon. They had hardly arrived when a Canaanite woman came down from the hills and pleaded, “Mercy, Master, Son of David! My daughter is cruelly afflicted by an evil spirit.”  23Jesus ignored her. The disciples came and complained, “Now she’s bothering us. Would you please take care of her? She’s driving us crazy.”  24Jesus refused, telling them, “I’ve got my hands full dealing with the lost sheep of Israel.”  25Then the woman came back to Jesus, went to her knees, and begged. “Master, help me.”  26He said, “It’s not right to take bread out of children’s mouths and throw it to dogs.”  27She was quick: “You’re right, Master, but beggar dogs do get scraps from the master’s table.”  28Jesus gave in. “Oh, woman, your faith is something else. What you want is what you get!” Right then her daughter became well.

I thought to myself. Wow, God I want to have that something else kind of faith, the one that makes you say, wow, girl, “what you want is what you get!” The Word tells us that “without faith it is impossible to please God”. That means we could be busy doing a whole load of other things but without faith we can’t please him and without this something else kind of faith, we won’t get what we so desire.

He said Oh, Woman! I don’t know but that hit me hard in a good way. In this time of economic crisis, turmoil every which way we turn, we need to hold on to God and to His Word and not give in no matter what!! This verse is officially the next one I would love to hear Jesus tell me along with “Well done my good and faithful servant! My ghettoized Jesus would say ….Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaag Liz, you got that stu————pid kind of faith!

Yeah, I want my faith to impress God! Don’t you?

Ok so just in case you missed it…the first night of the Democratic Convention wasn’t looking too good, alot of the speakers were not saying much at all and most were there as a “thank you” for supporting Obama early on but then Kennedy took the post and things started to look up. Then, Michelle Obama spoke and well she rocked. It’s not that her speech was over the top exhilirating or informational, it was that she connected to what matters to the people…to me. My children’s future, dreaming of a better world and actually believing in that improbable dream…where the unlikely could happen if you work and try hard enough. Yeah, I liked the speech alot, there was even a point, she could have started to “hoop” what black preachers do as she started sharing on “it was strong enough…” towards the end of the speech.

I believe in team leadership. There are many, many models of team leadership. Leadership Magazine had an article about a church that really took a very different approach to team leadership. There are no Sr, Associate or Assistant pastors. There is a pastor of each function important in the church. I’d love to revisit them in a few years and see how it went. Of course, sometimes we want to try something because it “worked in Philly or Miami” or something but soon realize that it sounds better on paper.

Read this, what’s your take? Have you seen good team leadership?

Are you one of the folks highly addicted to Twitter? Are you a ministry leader as well? Well, check this out, yet another creative use of this new technology has popped up. Read about it here.

“Let us not measure the church by the number of its members or by its material buildings. The church has built many houses of worship, many seminaries, many buildings that have been taken from her.  They have been stolen and turned into libraries, and barracks and markets and other things. That doesn’t matter. The material walls here will be left behind in history. What matters is you, the people, your hearts. God’s grace giving you God’s truth and life. Don’t measure yourselves by your numbers. Measure yourselves by the sincerity of heart with which you follow the truth and light and our divine Redeemer.”

–Oscar Romero “The Violence of Love” pg. 25

As you may know, my church the Pursuit Christian Church is hosting Craig Gross of XXXChurch.com this Sunday at the 10:30 a.m. service. I am hoping people come out to the event to get educated on the issue of Porn and how they can either help others in bondage or get themselves out of bondage.

The team at the church put this video together…check it out

On another note, I just got this email from XXX Church and I am hoping we can all band together and help this sistah out.

We have an Esther Fund applicant who is in great need of our help. She is a single mom of 4 who left the sex industry a year ago after giving her life to the Lord. She was an adult film star as well as porn producer running websites for 7 years. She has given up all royalties to her work, traded her expensive car in for an older less expensive vehicle with lower payments but still has many needs unmet.She recently lost her employment when her kids became sick with the flu and could not go into daycare. She is 30 days late on a car payment, has utilities that are scheduled to be shut off and is in the interviewing process for a new job but needs gas to put in her car as well. Please help us to help meet this woman’s need.
1. Power Bill - cut off date is April 17th $137.84
2. Car payment $280.00 (March and April)
3. County Taxes on  car $44.41
4. Tag Renewal $25
5. Sprint $145.
6. Gas for vehicle $150.  (should supply 3 tanks till her first paycheck in two weeks)
 
$782.25  Immediate Assistance Needed

>>>>DONATE TO THE ESTHER FUND NOW

Just in case you were thinking what the heck happened to Liz’s 28 day challenge through the book of Matthew…its on a separate page now and on my blogroll.

Day Three

Note: all my reading is from The Message/Remix

Read: Matthew 3

What verse stood out to me? Verses 7-10 especially where John the Baptist declares “It’s your life that must change, not your skin! And don’t think you can pull rank by claiming Abraham as father.

Why it spoke to me and how it relates to me: I think the longer we have been “serving” the Lord or shall I say, the longer we have been in the Kingdom of God, the more we fall into the trap of thinking it’s all about who we know, what we do, titles, etc. But John reminds us that its your life, period. Nothing else. How does this relate to me? Hmmm. I think simply I can’t believe the hype. When people think I have made it because someone knows my name or heard of me, I have to keep it real and remind myself its about my life and nothing else matters. If my life doesn’t shout Jesus then everything I do is a waste and it don’t impress God much!

My prayer: Lord, keep me humble. When people think highly of me, let me remember that the opinion I seek is yours only. Help me not to be impressed with myself or let others think I am perfect (cause I surely am not). May the mention of MY name bring glory to YOUR name.

My church is on a 28 day journey through the book of Matthew. I decided to listen to the pastor and take on the challenge. When he announced it on Sunday, Hiram and I were actually excited about doing it. So as I do with all my “stuff” I’m putting my reflections out into the blogosphere,  I am letting you in on what I’m doing and how this journey will impact me. There will be a format to all this as was given to us.

 Day One

Read: Matthew 1

What verse stood out to me? Beside the wonderous birth of Jesus, what stood out to me was what I usually would find boring, the genealogy –this person begat that person and so on verses 1-17.

Why it spoke to me and how it relates to me: As a mom it made me think about legacy and how everything matters especially how I raise my children because I don’t know who I gave birth to nor do I know who they will bring into this world and what impact the future generation of the Rios lineage will in this world. None of the people in the verses above gave thought to the mundane act of having kids, raising kids, teaching kids yet after generations that family tree produced the savior of the world. So I thought to myself, what will our family tree produce?

My prayer: Lord, help me take my role as mom as the most important role on this side of heaven. When I want to pull my hair out as I homeschool my son, let me remember that I have the honor and awesome privilege of pouring Jesus into everything I teach him and do with him. Remind me that there is also purpose in lineage. Me being mom to Sam was no accident Lord, help me to remember I could be raising a boy that will stand up against darkness one day.

Side note: This kind of reminded me of the new series The Terminator. The mom in the show Sarah Connor has to do all she can to make sure her son learns and lives because in this show, the mom is the warrior and her son will be a hero in the future. 

Day Two

Read: Matthew 2

What verse stood out to me? 2:14, 2:21

Why it spoke to me and how it relates to me: Those verses state that “Joseph obeyed.” He didn’t ask questions, he didn’t think about comfort, he just did what he was told. I think of the many times I rather choose to obey only those things I feel the Lord is telling me to do that I actually like. It’s never easy to say yes, to do something that looks absolutely crazy because most people don’t understand obedience.

My prayer: Lord, help me to be obedient all the time not just when I like what you are telling me to do. Help me to not ask a million questions (I usually do) or think through possible ramifications (I usually do that too). Help me to learn from Joseph’s example. That my life story could also be one that shouts and “Liz obeyed.”