Favor Ain't Fair

Acts 8:26-40. Philip and the Ethiopian

I LOVE this passage! The whole way through it,start to finish it is just AWESOME! There are so many things that are fabulous about this scripture and my favorite is at the end when the dude is like well why shouldn't I be baptized?! Then they get out and dunk him but when he comes up Philip disappears! Say what?! How awesome would that be to be in one place and the next minute you're in a completely different place!

This morning as I was reading this scripture something a little different jumped out at me. Like I said I love the whole passage and there have been times where my focus was on the miracle at the end and times where my focus was on the preaching in the middle, but I've never really kept the thought on the beginning more than just to recognize that Philip went as soon as God told him to. But today verse 27 was the first thing that caught my attention: so he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, AN IMPORTANT OFFICIAL IN CHARGE OF ALL THE TREASURY OF CANDACE, QUEEN OF THE ETHIOPIANS.

If you know me it's things like this that I adore and that give me hope. My husband and I were just talking last night how I have always wanted to make history. When I was younger it was out of selfish reasons, but now I don't even care if my name is remembered I just want something I am a part of to make history. Example, our church's mission trip this year is with missions.me 1Nation 1 Day. The trip itself is already making history, it's the biggest mission trip ever taking over 2,000 missionaries. Recently we found out that after this trip the Honduras will actually change it's name to New Honduras! How awesome is that?! (FYI if you want to be a part of that I think there may be a fee spots open go to missions.me and look up One Nation OneDay) Anyway, back to business what stood out to me this morning was that when you obey God he gives you favor. Not only that but favor with ALL kinds of people! This guy was a very important person, it even says so right there in the verse. And God gave Philip favor with him so now his life is different and he can go back home where he has influence with the QUEEN and share what has happened! Most people won't understand it, but you know what?! FAVOR AIN'T FAIR!

Moral of story: believe and be confident in the favor that you have been given! Change your world, one step of obedience at a time!

Have a great day!

~Awaken Us~

Brenna Stanford

Give What You Have

So as you know I am reading in the book of Acts. This morning I started chapter 3 and the very first story is the one about the beggar at the gate called Beautiful. Now I've read this story before, multiple times, and I've heard it used in sermons, but when I read it this morning something new jumped off the pages. When Peter and John looked at the man this is what they said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk."

The words 'but what I have I give to you' jumped right off the page at me. I felt my spirit wondering am I giving what I have? You see just like Peter and John you may not have money that you can give out or use to buy people things, but you do have a smile that can brighten someones day. You do have the ability to have a good attitude and be nice to someone. You may even have a Jesus who is the conqueror and redeemer, who is the restorer and healer, who gives peace and hope, who gives joy in the midst of any circumstance. You may just have Jesus that you can give to someone.

Today's post isn't some long 12 point message with a ton of creative or profound thoughts that will blow your mind. The moral of today's post, give what you have. See if it doesn't make someone's day a little better. Hey it may even make your day better!

~Awaken Us~
Brenna Stanford

Devoted

I started reading the book of Acts. At the end of chapter 2 we are told about the fellowship of the believers. The first thing it says in verse 42 is that they devoted themselves to... At this my mind began to wonder what would it look like if we really devoted ourselves to something? What would your life look like, how would it be different if you really devoted yourself to your family? To your work? To being nice to others? To having a good attitude? To your relationship with Jesus?

(I feel a 30 day challenge coming on!...)

I'm sure all of our lives would look a little different if we actually put time, effort and devotion into something. What is an area in your life that could use some time and attention, some devotion? It can be anything from spending more time with your family to being more healthy! Now that your thinking of it, write it down on the middle of a piece of paper. Draw a circle around it, then begin to write down the obtainable ways that you can actually do it. Write down what your overall goal would be, what would your life look like if you were completely devoted to this? Write the steps to getting there. (This is mind-mapping and it is awesome!)

Then challenge yourself over the next 30 days (today is actually the 1st day of May so you have this entire month! I didn't even plan this! Lol) to be more devoted to this area. To do something everyday to reach that goal.

Lord, I pray that you will lay something, some area on the heart of every person who reads this. I pray that we can live lives devoted. Devoted to something. That we can live lives of purpose on purpose! Help us today to live according to your will. Lord we surrender over this day to you, giving you complete control. Let your will be done. In Jesus' name, Amen!

Have a great day y'all!

~Awaken Us~
Brenna Stanford

Kale is like Money, or Whatever Else You Are Greedy About

As I was cutting back some of my kale this morning my brain began to do that thing where it wonders and spiderwebs itself from one thought to another. Who knows where it will end up! lol So this morning my thought is titled,

Kale is like Money, or Whatever Else You Are Greedy About

I was cutting back the kale to bag up and take to a couple of people at the office. This is a nice sized plant that grows well and my husband and I have not yet acquired the taste for it enough to be able to eat all that was there. So I thought there are probably a couple people who might enjoy having some, not to mention from what I hear it is pretty pricey at the store.

Naturally my brain begins to weave itself a pretty little web as my thoughts jump from 'I bet so & so would like this' to 'Look at some of these stems!' I couldn't help but notice how some had gotten so big that they had fallen over and onto the ground. I could see some stems that needed to be trimmed back because they were left too long from the last harvesting. These stems, now fading to a yellow color and dried out, were in the way of the new little sprouts budding through. Some pieces were smaller and hadn't been able to break out from the bigger leaves and grow to their full potential. And still some had become food for whatever bug that had decided to snack on some kale.

As I noticed all these things and then step back to look at a mostly bare kale plant now I could remember what it looked like before the 1st time wee harvested any of its leaves. It was this great big, full, green plant. Very pretty. Then when we got right down onto it we noticed how the leaves were pretty much fighting for the room. Most were dead and no longer usable and needed pulled out, others were so little and flimsy that they were just drooping right over.

So how did my brain end up on Kale is Like Money, or whatever else causes you to be greedy? Well let me tell you. I heard a voice this morning saying 'Why are you taking all of that kale to the office? Take only 1 bag and put the other 2 in the fridge at least. If not just put it all in there!' Then I started to go back and forth with this little guy. 'There's no way my husband and I would eat all of that. It would ruin and we'd have to throw it out.' And so on and so on. This happened for a moment then I remembered some things that I had heard said and that have always stuck with me. 'Money only becomes poisonous when you can't let go of it.' I remembered about the rich young ruler wanting to follow Jesus and he told him to go and give all his possessions then he can come follow him. I remember the woman and the alabaster jar, pouring out all of her best most expensive perfume on the feet of Jesus. I remember the 1st generation church, after the Day of Pentecost they all met together daily and ate with each other and were doing life together 'sharing everything'. This was so much so that a man and his wife sold their land and 'gave all the money' to the church, but because they lied and tried to deceive the Holy Spirit they literally dropped dead.

My mind was full of all of these stories when I remembered one more thing. The kale plant at the beginning, with so much of the plant dying and wasting away. I also remembered how it looked the next few days after we harvested it and cleaned it up. It was just as big and just as full, but this time it was full of new life.

At this moment I have no other option but to pose the question, What is it that you have in your life that is keeping you from new life? What is is that you are holding on to, not wanting to share, give away or let go of that is like this kale plant; struggling, withering, dying? You see we can either harvest that kale and give some away or we can let it set there and wither and rot away. Then no one gets any use of it. What is your kale plant? I challenge you today to just let go of some of it, in some form or fashion. As long as what you possess becomes a little less...

This might just be your first step to new, more abundant life just like the kale plant!

~Awaken Us~

Brenna Stanford

Beautiful Awakening

Beautiful Awakening

Today I was driving to my house for lunch and I couldn't help but notice how beautiful green the grass is. Here in southeastern Oklahoma we've had some stormy weather over the past few days. It's been like looking at a picture in black and white then again in color. Today I couldn't help but notice how blue the sky is, how bright and green the grass is and how the trees are filling out. The pastures had some of those weeds that have a purple bloom on them and it made the grass look like someone had painted it. It was so pretty! Mother nature is awakening and oh how beautiful it is!

I also noticed how there were remnants of dead grass from the winter. How exciting it is to see the fresh new green bursting through the old dead brown! It's the story of seasons. Of new times. Of changes. It's an awakening! While I was driving home it was almost like watching a dramatic movie. But this is one movie I've seen before... I can't help but to think of the dream and vision God has given me about an awakening in his people.

It was so exciting to see the new, green life bursting through the old, brown death because all I could see with my Spirit is God's people bursting forth with new life! I work in our youth group here at Life Church and last night we had a great turn out of people, about 25-30 more than we have been having. But the amount of students in there wasn't what moved my heart and made me get all excited. What excited me was getting to pray with some of them and knowing that God was working and moving in their lives. I know that there were people who left last night a little different than they were when they came in. I know that there were some who woke up this morning with a little more hope and have gone through their day with a little more peace. I know they were awakened last night!

Today can be the start of a new season for us too. We can encounter a God who is with us always. A God who remains God through every season of our life. We can be the green bursting forth through the brown. We can have new life bursting forth through our old life. We can change our eternity and the eternity of others right now. We must simply believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and that God raised him from the dead. All we do is ask that he comes into our hearts and awakens something inside of us. Guess what, he will! He is waiting for you!

If you already know Jesus as your savior and yet you've been the dead grass taking up space, now is the time to allow God to put some green in your life! It's not always easy for the new sprouts to burst through, but it is always beautiful!

~Awaken Us~
Brenna Stanford

An Open Book

Today you are getting a look inside my prayer journal.... An Open Book

I find myself just so full of questions and wonder. God has been showing me a side of him that I've never seen like this. He has been showing me grace and love and giving. This isn't a new character of God, this isn't even a character that I was unaware of. It is simply a new depth.

It seems as though I cannot get enough of God. I cannot understand enough of his grace and his love. The legalistic side of things I can understand. My brain can comprehend do this and don't do that. I would never ever be able to live according to the law in such strictness and harshness. No one could that is why Jesus came, but I could understand it. What my brain cannot process fully is grace or love. Not grace and love as we know it, not how we use and feel toward others, but GOD'S GRACE, GOD'S LOVE.

I am at a point in my faith and my relationship with God, my faith, that I know and am at peace with the fact that I will never ever fully understand these things. That is what faith is, the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen. (Hebrews 11:1 NKJ) Side note: substance is defined as the real physical matter of which a person or thing consists and which has a tangible, solid presence. Evidence is defined as the available body of facts or information indicating whether a belief or proposition is true or valid. Just so everyone can understand this, you have something that you only hoped for and there are facts for things that you cannot see! This is faith. This is why it is so hard to answer the questions about faith that are "well if this happened then what about that?" or "If they do this then they should get that in return..." Faith doesn't work like that. It is like the wind, you can feel it and see the effects of it (swaying trees, tumbling leaves, ripples on the water) but you cannot see the wind itself.

So my heart cries out because I want to be better at living in that balance of the higher calling of living Holy and the grace of knowing I will never be able to fully live a Holy life. My heart also cries for those who are far away, who don't know God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. For those who do not have a relationship with God, who simply try to live under the law and follow all of the rules but inside their heart is cold and calloused. My heart aches for those who use God's grace as an excuse to do whatever they want whenever they want simply saying "I don't feel convicted of this or about that." or well all I have to do is ask God to forgive me."

God I just pray right now that your spirit will be accepted by people all around the world. People right here in my hometown in southeastern Oklahoma, by the family members I have. I pray this over every portion and spec of your earth. You have already poured out your spirit, and made the Holy Spirit available to us. I simply pray an acceptance of your gift! I pray that your passion and love will consume people and we will see an awakening of your children. Your children rising up to follow after the dreams and visions you have placed in them and called them to! I pray for your anointing! God use us! Use me!

~Awaken Us~
Brenna Stanford

Awakening/An Open Book: Let's Make History!

It is so hard to put into words what all is going on inside of me. God is stirring up something that is so excellent and out of the norm in people in this area for people in this area!

I live in a very divided area. My community struggles when it comes to uniting for something. There have been times of tragedy that my community has faced and the people have come together, but that's it. It is only when tragedy strikes and even though I am thankful that in that moment we do pull together, it is so frustrating that it takes something that bad to bring us together.

Do you remember the new thing scripture from the post Awakening: Something new!? Well, it's starting! God has already began to set it into motion. Here is this area he has brought people from all over to move and live here and he has started stirring up things in people who are natives to this area. It is all about a sense of community and unity! Giving back and pouring into our community! Being givers and servants, not consumers! This is only the beginning. There are people expressing their dreams and visions to see these types of changes in our community. Now we get to start looking for the how's, how will we achieve these goals, how can we make this happen...

I don't know what the New Thing looks like for where you are. Each part of the globe is different from each other, just as each part of the body of Christ is different. But today I want you to be encouraged. If God is stirring up something inside of you to do or say or anything, DO IT!! Recently I heard a pastor speak and he said this, "If the dream does't make sense, it just might make history!"

So let's make history!

~Awaken Us~
Brenna Stanford