Close Encounter

If you read my last post, you got a glimpse into WHY we are planting RiverNorth Church.  It all comes down to the reality that people just want to be happy.  Those who don’t know the love of Christ will try to fill their unhappiness with things that will unfortunately leave them empty.

It is our desire to point people to what can truly satisfy. We want to introduce them to the ONE who has the answers to life’s questions and concerns.   We will walk alongside them as they navigate what it means to be a follower of Christ even before they accept Him as Savior.

I also introduced you to our three priorities.  We exist to help people Encounter, Experience and Engage with Jesus. I want to unpack one those three concepts today.  What do I mean when I say that RiverNorth Church will be a place for people to ENCOUNTER Jesus?

Let’s look at a story in Acts 3:1-11 that it think uniquely demonstrates our vision.

One day at three o’clock in the afternoon, Peter and John were on their way into the Temple for prayer meeting. At the same time there was a man crippled from birth being carried up. Every day he was set down at the Temple gate, the one named Beautiful, to beg from those going into the Temple. When he saw Peter and John about to enter the Temple, he asked for a handout. Peter, with John at his side, looked him straight in the eye and said, “Look here.” He looked up, expecting to get something from them.

 Peter said, “I don’t have a nickel to my name, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!” He grabbed him by the right hand and pulled him up. In an instant his feet and ankles became firm. He jumped to his feet and walked.

The man went into the Temple with them, walking back and forth, dancing and praising God. Everybody there saw him walking around and praising God. They recognized him as the one who sat begging at the Temple’s Gate Beautiful and rubbed their eyes, astonished, scarcely believing what they were seeing.

The man threw his arms around Peter and John, ecstatic. All the people ran up to where they were at Solomon’s Porch to see it for themselves.

Did you notice how the crippled man ENCOUNTERS Jesus? He didn’t expect to, but an encounter with the Messiah happened and changed his life forever. See how he knows when the disciples are about to enter the temple but does not look them in the eye. I am tempted to believe that the man doesn’t feel he belongs.  He feels unworthy to even make eye contact with those whose help he is asking.

Peter addresses the man crippled from birth saying, “Look here.”  Understanding humiliation, Peter fixed his eyes on the beggar and said, “I don’t have a nickel to my name, but what I do have, I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!”

What an unexpected surprise!  So many people today need to have a similar experience when they come to church or meet a Christian. They may come in contact with us and not feel they fit in. Are we willing to show them grace in the midst of their disgrace? Do they feel like they belong at our church even if they don’t believe what we believe?

It is our desire to created opportunities for those who come to RiverNorth to ENCOUNTER JESUS in an unexpected way.  The love of Jesus will be palpable!  The power of God will be undeniable! The commitment to help others, incontestable!

Because I’m Happy!

Have you been around a two or three-year-old lately?  They are so inquisitive.  Toddlers and preschool aged children, just starting to form their independence, love to ask questions and I think their favorite question is, “Why?”

Don’t touch that…        Why?
Don’t climb on that…   Why?”
Eat your vegetables…   Why?”

-Click to Watch Video-

They don’t simply obey when told they can’t have a cookie before dinner, they want to know the motive behind the directive.

As a teenager I would get extremely frustrated with my dad when he would answer my “why” with, “Because I said so.”  I remember once replying, “Fine I’m not going to the party, I get it, but can you at least give me a reason.”  He finally explained how he didn’t trust I would be safe and so I couldn’t go.”

I seriously had never considered my safety as his motivation. I felt very cared for in that moment.  There is power in the, why.

In these last months of church planting Steve and I are challenged to not only think about WHAT and HOW, but to include the question, WHY.  The WHY triggers our emotions and gets us excited.

SO,

• Why did we want to start a brand new church?
• Why did we feel called to move our family yet again, starting over in a new community?
• Why did we put ourselves in a position of extreme vulnerability, depending on friends to fund this endeavor, and strangers join us in making it all happen?

Although we have learned, through statistics, how new church plants are the most effective way to reach non-believers in the United States.  It doesn’t explain our “why”.

We are also aware that with a new church plant, we get to CREATE the culture.  We are not inheriting someone else’s vision and trying to adapt it to ours.  This is a bonus, but it too falls short to clarify why we are doing this.

While working in the church over the past 20 years we have experienced the undeniable fact, CHANGED LIVES CHANGE LIVES.  Steve and I have personally felt how those changed forever by the love of Christ, helped change our lives.

We have never been happier.  Even though we are completely inadequate for the job ahead, we live each day at peace.  We can feel God directing us, providing for us, and empowering us to live each day for him and that has made us so happy.  People all around us though, are not happy.

They do not live with peace knowing that this all has a purpose.  Parents struggle with the best way to raise their children.   Our neighbors go to work each day living for the weekends, hoping that they can CRAM in enough family time, rest, or adventure in on Saturday and Sunday to make the other five days worth it.

The world is searching for happiness. There is even a popular song out entitled, “Happy” by, Pharrell Williams.

“(Because I’m happy) Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof
(Because I’m happy) Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth
(Because I’m happy) Clap along if you know what happiness is to you
(Because I’m happy) Clap along if you feel like that’s what you wanna do…”

People LOVE this song.  I love this song.  I dance every time I hear it.  The beat is even happy. My spirit lifts when it is on the radio.  The words remind me of a very old VBS song I learned growing up.  “If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.”  Although that song is totally outdated and cheesy it has the same message… “If you’re happy and you know it and you really want to show it, if you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.”

I believe that Jesus is the way to true happiness. We are going to create a culture that will reach those who are not yet overflowing with the happiness that comes through the saving grace of Jesus Christ, by investing in them and showing how WE have been CHANGED.

RiverNorth has three priorities it will focus on in order to see this outcome.  We are going to build an atmosphere where those who come,

ENCOUNTER Jesus, EXPERIENCE Jesus, and ENGAGE with Jesus.

In my next three blog posts I am going to unwrap how these three priorities will help people experience true happiness.  Please continue to pray for us.  Although I do not believe that, “happiness is the truth”, I do believe that the TRUTH of JESUS will bring happiness.

March Madness

March madness isn’t only for basketball! I wish you could get a taste of our experience planting RiverNorth church. Our days are now filled with more than we can accomplish and although we are busy, I wouldn’t change it for anything.

Our to-do list for March seemed never ending as we:

• Created a prayer team, specifically praying for protection and direction.
• Called numerous schools and conference centers seeking our Sunday morning meeting space.
• Opened a bank account in order to start fundraising.
• Activated an online giving option to simplify the process.
• Worked with a designer to make a logo.
• Launch our new website. Check out www.rivernorthchurch.com!
• Had family pictures taken for the site.
• Put together a launch plan with a detailed look at what God is calling us to. This information will be provided to everyone we ask to support us.
• Are in the process of creating a video for our website telling viewers a little more about our strategy for reaching the community we plant in.
• Are meeting with people, sharing our vision for RiverNorth church and inviting them to join us.

As we start recruiting for our launch team I am amazed at the response. We are lucky to have family near us who are supportive and willing to help us on this journey. It is nice to talk with people who understand us best. We don’t need to convince them we are crazy, they are already aware.

Reacquainting ourselves with old classmates is another blessing we’ve been experiencing. Many of our childhood friends live nearby. Encouraged by their support, no matter what their involvement, it is good to catch up.

Cultivating new friendship has been challenging, but by getting involved in our community we are meeting some great individuals and families. Evan (and Steve) started cub scouts this year, Steve and I go to the YMCA every week, and he is also one of the coaches on Evan’s lacrosse team this fall. The more people get to know us and the more we share, I am pleasantly surprised by their excitement and willingness to be a part of something meaningful and eternal.

There are even TOTAL strangers who want to hear our story. We met a couple at the park a few weeks ago who have helped plant three churches. What?! How cool is that? We also encountered a man at our local office supply store who, while he was printing something for us, asked if we were starting a church. He couldn’t help but be intrigued by what he saw. He gave us his business card and told us to call him.

It feels good seeing progress. It feels real seeing progress. September will soon be here and RiverNorth church will launch. As the momentum keeps building and our to-do lists grow, we would appreciate your continued prayers to keep us focused on God’s direction and the people we are called to reach.

A Fresh Perspective

Have you seen those photos that mess with your perspective?  Position yourself just right and it looks like the sun is in your hand, or you’re holding up the “Leaning Tower of Pisa”.  It’s fun to look at something familiar in a new way.

Steve and I recently had a change of perspective when thinking about planting a church.  During a conversation with a fellow ARC church planter, he compared what we are doing to a couple finding out they are going to have a baby.

The perspective he gave us was brilliant.  He pointed out that we have nine months until we “birth” this new life-giving congregation into the world.  During these next month’s we will be doing a lot of work to make sure we are ready to introduce RiverNorth Church (yup that’s what we are calling her) to the world.

We have spent much of our time thinking about how WE will lead this church and how OUR leadership will affect people. These are all good things to ponder, but what struck me, as our friend was talking, is what we can’t fully prepare for, and that’s how SHE will affect the world.

Just like a child forever changes her parents, we are now seeing how this thing that God is creating, will have the ability to change everyone it touches.  RiverNorth Church will leave an impression on those who come into contact with her.

Steve and I see it as our job to ensure that impression glorifies God.  We don’t have control over the impact she will have, but we have a responsibility to keep her focused on the Father.

A parent’s influence starts at conception. The food a mother eats, the stress she feels, and some would say the tone of her voice all affect the unborn baby. In the same way, the influence we have on RiverNorth Church starts now!  We are already molding her personality as we begin to meet with people who will be a part of our launch team.   If we want RiverNorth to be generous, we must be generous.  If we want her to be kind and gracious, we must model these same behaviors.

Another important part of getting ready for a child is making sure you have everything needed to take care of her.  You would never bring a baby home from the hospital without food, a safe place for her to sleep and resources to keep providing for her needs.  We too are starting to gather resources to make launch Sunday and every week following AMAZING!

Fundraising is a new challenge for us.  Steve and I have never had to raise support before.  We have been on the giving end, and totally understand that it is necessary and biblical, but fundraising is definitely an area where God is teaching us to trust in him more.

I could go on and on (and I will later).  I will post more frequently now that September is just around the corner.  We appreciate all of you prayers!  I hope you can sense my excitement.  God is moving!  He is preparing us for something big.  I truly believe that we have no idea what is about to happen.

In the same way we couldn’t grasp that a blessing like our son could affect us so completely, I believe that RiverNorth church will bless others in ways we cannot begin to comprehend.

Friend Requests

Have you been caught by the new craze invading houses across America?  Perhaps you too have tiny colored rubber bands popping up in strange places throughout your home.  The Rainbow Loom has made its way to the Sherrill home and it has got me thinking.

For those who don’t know what I’m talking about, children everywhere are making bracelets with tiny rubber bands and trading them with friends. When Evan first told me about the trend I asked him why he wanted the loom.  He clearly said, “I am new to my school this year and I want friends.  If I trade the bracelets I’ll get friends”.

Of course I went out that night bought the loom, watched several You Tube videos on how to make the various bracelets then stepped back and evaluated my motives.  I didn’t want Evan thinking trading bracelets equated getting friends, but I did enjoy him participating in this fun fad.

Steve and I saw this as an opportunity to discuss the idea behind the bracelets and talked to Evan about who he could give bracelets.  We suggested he look for kids who didn’t have any and share the fun with them.   We thought this could be a nice way to affirm those who may feel left out.

It wasn’t long before the spotlight move from collecting bracelets to giving them away.  Evan would proudly come home with empty wrists and ask me to help him make more.

Trends like these have been around for as long as I can remember.  In the 80’s it was friendship beads.  We would lace tiny beads onto safety pins and connect them to our shoelaces.  Just like with today’s bracelets, we would trade them.  The more safety pins you had on your shoes, the more friends you seemed to have.

When I worked in youth ministry in the late 90’s and early 2000’s kids wore colorful jelly bracelets.   These were also traded and collected to show your popularity.  This craze took a bad turn when some teens changed it to a sex game.  Teens would wear a certain color to communicate to others what sexual favors they were willing to provide.

Why do fads like this start?

Whether it’s harmless fashion or a dangerous game, we strive to show others we matter by what we have to offer. We yearn for acceptance, self-worth, belonging and validation.   We have stopped believing that we are, “fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139)”.  Suicide is the third highest cause of teenage deaths today.

It’s not just a problem children and teens face though the desire to feel valued is something we can all relate to.  When people don’t believe they are important, they can make tragic decisions to stop the hopelessness.

Evan overheard a news report Steve and I were listening to concerning teen suicide the other day. He asked us why someone would commit suicide.  I appreciate moments like this where we can share important life lessons with Evan.

We explained how it all comes down to believing God’s love.  We told him how some people have never been told how God loves them.   We also explained that some people have been told but for different reasons they don’t believe it.

It was a perfect opportunity for us to explain to him again why we are planting a church in Ohio.  We were able to tell him that we, as Christians, must tell and show people God’s love.  We explained how everyone is, “God’s masterpiece Ephesians 2:10 NLT)” and no matter what anyone says or how others treat them they are made by GOD and he does not make mistakes!

It’s so important for all of us to recognize that BRACELETS and BEADS don’t give us self-worth. It’s only when we BELIEVE the BLOOD of Christ was shed for us that we can comprehend how much we matter.

Like Clockwork

It happens to me every year.  It happens the same time of year.  Like clockwork right around October it happens. The seasons change. The air gets cool, leaves fall to the ground; we may even get our first snow fall when it happens.

I get giddy.  Like a kid giddy.  I act so excited that Steve rolls his eyes and Evan starts to wonder what is happening to his mom.  I can’t help it. I love this time of year.  The holidays are approaching and there is a feeling of hope and joy in the air.

The Christmas season is my favorite. It always has been. The last three years have been rough though. In 2010 I received a phone call around the middle of November telling me my dad was sick.  My mom wasn’t too worried though thinking it was pneumonia.  It turned out to be cancer and he was gone seventy-seven days later. Christmas was rough that year.

The next year was obviously hard since it was the first Christmas without my dad.  I think as a family we tried our best to make it special, but it just didn’t feel right.  My dad loved Christmas and there were just too many memories that hurt that year.

2012 came and Steve was fired from his job in September.   October rolled around we still didn’t feel like we could breathe from the shock of what just happened, so no giddy feeling that year.

As Christmas approached we were worshiping with some amazing friends who were starting a new church, free from the shackles of what once bound us, but God was moving Steve and me in a direction we were not expecting.

I remember feeling the change approach and trying so hard to resist it.  I knew God was saying we would not be staying where we were and wondering where the joy of the season went.   I started to wonder if I would ever feel that giddy feeling again or if this was just how it is when life happens.

Now 2013’s here and I am happy to say it’s happening again.  I started playing Christmas music extra early this year because I am so excited about what God is doing.  I find myself wanting to worship that baby in the manger because He is the One who has made this all possible.

I hope I don’t sound too cheesy or cliché, because I truly mean what I am saying.

Christ is not just the “reason for the season”; He is the reason for everything.   He is the reason my dad didn’t just die and cease to exist.  Because Christ was born and died on the cross, my dad is still my dad and I will see him again.

It was also because of Christ that Steve lost his job.  Now I understand if that doesn’t sound like a reason to celebrate, but for me I find joy in knowing my husband put Christ before comfort. He wasn’t let go because of anything he did. He was told he was valuable, appreciated, and respected.  But when he stood up for what Christ came here to do, he was given the left foot of fellowship.

You see, Christ came to reconcile us to the Father.  He came to fix our broken relationship with God, and Steve stood up for that.  When the “powers that be” said sometimes reconciliation just can’t happen, Steve made it clear that we as Christians and as a church can never say something is too broken because then we are saying Christ death didn’t do enough.

And finally, it is because Christ told us to go, that here we are, in Ohio, planting a church.  How crazy is that!! God is blessing us daily.  He is giving us all we need.  He is leading us down a path that we know we can’t do on our own.  We are about ten months away from launching our new church and we are excited.  I feel God speaking to me, letting me know we are on the right path and that feels so good. It makes me giddy!

Puzzled

Do you like to put puzzles together? Evan brought a puzzle out the other night and wanted us to assemble it.  Puzzles are funny things; I find that people either love them or hate them.  I bet if you ask people who don’t like puzzles, why, they would tell you they feel overwhelmed by all the pieces.

The key puzzle happiness is all in having a strategy.  You cannot simply look at the picture on the box and start to successfully fit pieces together.  That would be like putting on a blindfold and digging your hand into a bowl of assorted jelly beans hoping to pull out a red one.

A strategy helps you break down the bigger job into smaller pieces.  I like to find all the edge pieces first.  I complete the “frame” and then work on the inside.  Evan likes to find an object inside the puzzle and find the pieces that have the same colors.  The puzzle we were doing was an Angry Bird scene.  Evan found a big yellow bird and put that together first.

Whatever your approach is, to be a successful puzzle constructor you have to have a strategy.

Steve and I have found that Church planting has to be approached much the same way.  If we focus too long at the big picture we get overwhelmed and paralyzed, the thought of succeeding is inconceivable.  But if we break it down into smaller more manageable parts we are able to see progress.

This past month we have been breaking things down.  First, we started working on the legal end of church planting.  We decided on a name and formed a board that can make decisions.  Now we are going through our Articles of Incorporation, Constitution and Bylaws, etc.

We also started working on our Vision.  We have begun brainstorming who we believe God is calling this church to be, who we believe God is calling us to reach, and how we see that structured.

We have also started to network.  Yes, we have moved back to Ohio where Steve and I both grew up, but we really don’t know anybody.  We have signed Evan up for two different soccer programs, and Cub Scouts hoping to not only provide ways for him to meet new friends but we are also hoping to meet some parents.

Finally, we have been going to several different churches to see what they are doing, and who they are reaching.  Steve is going to meet with a few of those pastors regularly to learn from their experiences in church planting.

If we look at the big picture we still have a LONG way to go, but by breaking it down, I feel like September has been a pretty successful month.

The Chase

Steve and I have been back in Ohio for about 40 days now, and it’s impossible to miss the buzz centering around the 2013 Buckeye football team and their theme this year, “The Chase”.

Urban Meyer, the Buckeye head football coach, explains how they are relating this concept to their journey as a team.  On one hand the team feels as if they are on the chase, in order to catch up to their opponents.  Last year’s bowl ban eliminated 15 practices the buckeyes could have had; the team feels like it is starting the 2013 season behind teams who were able to have the extra time on the field.

Coach Meyer also explains that many on the team are pursuing goals like; starting spots, a bowl game, or perhaps even an NFL contract. I think everyone would agree that they are chasing a National Championship.  Whichever way you look at it, THE CHASE IS ON!

Dictionary.com had two similar definitions of chase.

1) To pursue in order to seize, overtake, etc.: The police officer chased the thief.

2) To follow or devote one’s attention to with the hope of attracting, winning, gaining, etc.: He chased her for three years before she consented to marry him.

One definition gives the image of catching something trying to get away and the other is about working at a goal or a dream.

Steve and I are feeling this same urgency!

As we dive further into church planting we see that we too are on “The Chase”.  We are both chasing after a culture who is running further and further away from God, hoping to catch them with the love of God and a message that will cause them to stop running long enough to hear the hope they could have in Christ.

And we are also chasing after a goal of starting a church that reaches the lost. Steve and I are noticing how people keep running to things they think will give them peace, or purpose. King Solomon, in the book of Ecclesiastes, calls it chasing the wind.

We have a goal of introducing church in a new way for many people.  We hope to shatter the misconception that God and the Bible are both boring and irrelevant.  We see an opportunity to help people experience the power and love of a very real God.

This excites us.  We see the hard work ahead and just like the Buckeyes, we are getting in shape for game day.

Do you have any Kingdom minded aspirations?  We all need to chase after something that will reach those who don’t know Christ.

If you don’t have any God centered goals right now, set one.  Do that thing, or start that ministry God has placed on your heart.  It doesn’t have to be as big as planting a church.  If it’s from God it will have eternal effects!

The chase is on!  Let’s do this thing together!!

The Best Laid Plans…

Have you heard the phrase, “The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray”?  Steve, Evan and I lived that phrase just recently while moving to Ohio.

I actually Googled the phrase to better understand the poem that Robert Burns wrote.  It describes the despair a farmer feels after plowing through a mouse’s home just before winter.  The farmer realizes that even though the mouse thought it had thoroughly prepared for winter, it couldn’t account for the unexpected.

Steve and I are planners. We like to make sure all bases are covered before we move forward. When planning a big event in our lives we are NOT like the optimist who says, “Look at how amazing this will be.”  We are the pessimist who says, “What are the possible ways this could go wrong?”

You can imagine our surprise Monday morning when and as we finished our breakfast; we walked out to the U-Haul preparing to head over to our new home, and saw the flat tire on our 26 foot, fully packed, moving truck. This was going to be just the first unexpected event we encountered that day.

After the tire was fixed, we drove to the half of a duplex we were renting so we could start unloading. Arriving at our new address, Steve and I venture in to take our first look inside.  You see, we were not able to see the property before we rented it because rentals in Ohio are gone before they even end up on the market.  We were fortunate though, to have Steve’s brother and our sister-in-law go through the place for us.

What we didn’t plan for was everything that they couldn’t see. When our family went through the home, it was seemingly clean and well kept. But now that all the furniture was out and packed boxes removed, we could see more clearly the mold and water damage that was hiding from our sight before.

Panic and anxiety rose in us like mercury on a thermometer.  What are we going to do? We cannot live in this place. We absolutely cannot allow Evan to live in a home filled with mold! Steve and I began to talk.  My mom, who was with us, began walking up and down the street praying.  Feeling helpless, I decided all we could do was make the best of it.  We were stuck in a lease and so here we are…

Steve reluctantly agreed and we began to unload the first pieces of furniture which happened to be our backyard lawn chairs.  Carrying them over to the gate we came to a halt when the latch to the gate would not budge.  Our sister-in-law informed us that the latch worked perfectly fine yesterday and to just tug a little harder.  Still it did not budge.  It was as if God was saying, “You shall not enter!”

That was enough for us. Steve immediately got on the phone to our landlords telling them all of our problems and informing them that we wanted out of our lease.  Surprisingly they did not fight us.  Although very surprised by our request, they return our entire security deposit and first month’s rent.

Steve and I suddenly found ourselves homeless in Ohio.  We thought we had considered everything.  We were sure the details were covered, but we had not planned for the unexpected.

My mom was kind enough to let us store our furniture and boxes in her garage and Steve’s parents opened their home up to us until we could find a place to stay.

Steve and I tried to laugh off all of the unexpected events that had occurred, calling them a bump in the road.  Both of us knew though that there will be many more days like this ahead.  Planting a church will not be smooth sailing.  We were just getting a taste of what the future will look like.

I was immediately reminded of the passage in, Proverbs 16: 9, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.”

Steve and I had a plan.  We did everything we could to make sure our future was secure, but God could see what we couldn’t.  God was not surprised by the events of Monday, July 1^st.  He was not shocked when we didn’t move in to the duplex.  He was not even caught off guard by the flat tire.

He also knew we would find a wonderful condo two days later and that it would be move in ready within the month. We were surprised but God wasn’t.

As we unpacked boxes and rearranged furniture in our new home this week, we feel blessed. We are in a great location, very close to where we feel God calling us to plant. We have met some of our neighbors and Evan has even met three boys who he will be going to school with this fall.

We are happy.  And although we understand that all our planning is part of who we are, it is the Lord who establishes our steps.

Cleaning House

We are moving once again and have started the packing process.  I say process because with us that’s what it is. In order to put our house on the market we have a check list:

1) Is the house clear of clutter?
2) Have we made necessary home improvements?
3) Is our home clean?
4) Finally, maintain the enhanced condition.

As I have been reflecting on this process I can see that spiritually I have been doing the same thing in this season of my life.

I have noticed an accumulation of unnecessary stuff and just as de-cluttering my house removes barriers from potential buyers, removing disorder from my life eliminates barriers from my relationship with God and others around me.

As people, we pack our lives with emotional litter we just don’t need.  We hold on to unrealistic expectations, disappointments, and doubts when God wants us to clear them out.  We tend to fill our lives with busyness that complicates and distracts us from focusing on God and the needs of others God has called us to serve.

When I take a look at my home and see the need for some home improvements I can also see areas in my life that need repair.  We recently hired a crew to come out and paint our gutters and trim.  Wow! It has made a huge difference on our homes curb appeal.

I have also seen how in my life the time I spent in prayer and in the word needed improvement.  There is a clear difference in my attitude, energy, and desire to serve after only a few days of quality time really focusing on God and what His word is saying to me.

This new energy has driven me to take the next step and clean up my mess.  Just like I am cleaning my home, making sure the clutter free place is neat and tidy, I want my life simplified and neat.  It is so easy to leave that book bag of regrets around or to forget to dust away my suspicions and fears.  I need to do some deep cleaning. I can’t be afraid of the mess. I must address it, throw away the garbage and prioritize!

Finally, just as I must maintain the new and improved state of my home, I need to maintain the progress I have made spiritually.  I must keep looking for ways to improve and be diligent to make sure I don’t go back to the state I was previously.

***On a side note, one of my favorite tools to use when doing the deep clean in my home is the Magic Eraser.  It gets everything!  I can remove marks on walls, floors, doors, and even carpet that my normal cleaner won’t touch.  Don’t we have that same thing in Jesus?  He is our Magic Eraser.  No matter how hard we try we will never remove the sin and junk in our lives, but in just one moment he washes us white as snow.***