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

Genie In A Bottle

Currently I am reading the book of Exodus, and have been in the story of Moses and all of the plagues on Egypt. Chapter 9 verses 27 -30 & 34 - 35 just rung in my heart.

27 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,” he said to them. “TheLord is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. 28 Pray to the Lord, for we have had enough thunder and hail. I will let you go; you don’t have to stay any longer.”

29 Moses replied, “When I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands in prayer to theLord. The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so you may know that the earth is theLord’s. 30 But I know that you and your officials still do not fear the Lord God.”...

34 When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again: He and his officials hardened their hearts. 35 So Pharaoh’s heart was hard and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the Lord had said through Moses.

You see all I could think about was how when we're going through something and our lives are a mess we tend to cry out to God. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. God wants us to cry out to him. It's the second part of this scripture that rings so loudly. After Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail had stopped, then hardened his hearts again.

How many times have we been going through something in our lives and we desperately want God to step in and intervene and clean everything up. He does, then we take back control. We only want to surrender our mess to him, not our entire lives. This whole mindset of God as our own personal genie in a bottle is so upsetting.

Have you ever had a friend or knew someone who was bad about using people? Maybe they used you to help them out of a situation or circumstance and just as soon as everything was all better they bolted. You probably won't hear from them again until there is another problem. How does that make you feel? Used. Worthless. Unimportant. That is the same thing that we do to God so many times.

Thankfully enough our God is a God of grace, love and forgiveness. He holds no grudge against us and only wants the best for us. So if you can relate to Pharaoh and you know you haven't completely surrendered over your life into the hands of the one who created it, there is no better time than right now to do so!

All you have to do is talk to him. He knows your heart. Be encouraged! Be set free! Be awakended into your destiny!

~Awaken Us~

Brenna Stanford

Awakening: An Open Book - Unify!

You know, I am not "educated" in theology or anything like that. I do not even have a college degree. What I do have is a personal relationship with my Father, Savior and Comforter. I gain the majority of my knowledge from the Bible, the book that is alive and active and speaks to me.

One thing that I have seen and heard over the past several years of being in church is the great dispute between discipling and saving all people. My question is why on earth is there even a dispute between them?! Both are biblical. What I've seen are the 2 types of people, the 2 different callings and passions. There are those who are called to go out and to speak to whoever they can wherever they can and the goal is to bring forth an encounter with Jesus Christ and in that reap a soul into the kingdom of God. Then there are those whose purpose is to take those who have encountered Christ and teach them how to grow and mature spiritually. Both of these types of people are right! Neither is wrong! Jesus came to seek and saved the lost. He also commanded us to go make disciples in all nations, meaning of all people.

What I am getting frustrated with is the competition or "I'm right and you're wrong" bickering that is going on between the 2 groups of people. If you are called to teach are you telling those who are called to sing that they're wrong?... NO! We are the body of Christ. 1 body, many parts. That's it. God created us all specifically to have different callings.

So why don't we please get over ourselves and our pride and stop worrying about someone else's calling and worry about our own? If we can do that then we can glorify God in the calling that he has placed on our own lives. If you are called to speak to thousands in order to seek and saved the lost than do that with all that is in you!!! If you are called to disciple and teach a smaller group, than do that with all that you are!!! Quit fussing at each other and bringing division into the body of Christ!

God is calling each and every single one of us to awaken into our destinies. He wants us to rise up and move! Move in what you've been given. Move toward his goal of reaching and loving all people. Do it in the manner that he has called you to! Let's unify together under Christ and really make an impact!

~Awaken Us~
Brenna Stanford

Awakening to Grace

Awakening: An Open Book 

I have recently been reading in Genesis. Over the past couple of days I have read Jacob's story. In this I have realized that God's grace is shown even in the old testament. 

I am a new testament girl, Jesus says do this, don't do this, show love, serve others, etc. The old testament is hard for me because it's just stories. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that, it's just more difficult for my comprehension. But God has used Jacob's story to show me a new realization of something I already knew.

Don't you just live when that happens?! It's like a bookshelf. The shelf is the foundation and what holds the things. Overtime if we don't take everything piled up on the shelf and wipe it off, dust can settle and we can forget what the shelf looks like, it's true color. God does this to me all the time. He takes off all of the other beliefs and ideas I've piled on top of my foundation and gets all the dust off so I'm reminded of the real color of the fundamental truth.

I was saved only by God's grace through his son Jesus Christ. So that fundamental truth of grace and it's awesomeness is inside of me. A part of my personality that has existed for as long as I have has been my very black & white, right & wrong understanding. Even though I received grace, I hadn't ever fully understood it. I still don't think anyone can fully understand grace. But one area that I have struggled in is viewing actions and wondering why God doesn't react in a certain way. Reading all of the mess-up's and mishaps of Jacob I began to question and ask God why he still blessed him and why Jacob was still prosperous. I just could not understand.

Through all of that and some situations and circumstances in my life God began to show me that his grace is bigger than any sin we can ever commit. That he will continue to pour out his grace on everyone so that those who don't know him will know him and those who do will be taken care of. We are all his children that he loves so dearly. Yes God does HATE sin and we get punished for our mistakes, but the punishment does not equal the end of our lives or the end of God's love for us. Grace, it's our second chance, our third chance, our ga-zillionth chance.

If you are struggling in accepting God's grace today, then please let this be a reminder of the true meaning of grace, LOVE. Let us all be awakened in our souls of how much we are loved and looked after. Let us accept this grace and go forward with our lives and our hearts seeking after God and all his desires!

Have a great day!

~Awaken Us~
Brenna Stanford