Hi Inspire Group!! Vu and I are so sorry we missed the last two small groups. We miss getting the chance to hear "live" others' stories and ideas. Here is my Day one homework, and I also posted my burning bush story. Any feedback would be appreciated. God Bless!
In spiritual life:
I see myself as a faithful servant of Jesus. Daily discipline in reading the Word, reflecting on it, and how I can apply it to my life today.
33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6;33-34
I will grow more comfortable with God’s word and speaking it openly from my own mouth. My faith will sprout out without resistance or reserve. And I will wear it as a cloak to shine, not as a cloak to cover.
In marriage:
I see myself striving to be a Proverbs 31:10-31 woman. One who takes care of her family, household, and husband. But, also a Godly woman who others can turn to.
As we enter our 2nd year of marriage, we strive to be more interdependent, to be more one. To communicate and reach decisions as one vs he/she wants to do …To put aside time alone and together to reach that decision.
I would like to see ourselves setting an example for our family and friends as a loving, Christian couple. One that has their doors open for friends and strangers alike.
In career:
I sees myself working to bring affirmation to myself as a woman, and one who can provide care and knowledge to those in need. In serving in the workplace, I am also setting an example to others. And they will see what a difference being a Christian is in attitude towards work!
In future:
We see ourselves having the home we desire, filled with God-loving children. Working to provide the income we need to maintain our lifestyle, but still allowing time for God and also His works that we need to do.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Thuy's Burning Bush Story
I’d like to tell you a glorious story about “that word” that I received or some prophesy that I was told, but my spiritual life’s been pretty unspectacular. No lightning bolts, no thunder, no fireworks. This story has been hard for me to write. I’ve racked and racked my brain and my heart and I can’t really come up with a fantastic moment I could relate to you. So, instead of a burning bush I tell you, I’ll have to describe to you a glowing ember instead.
I didn’t grow up as a Christian, but I can’t remember a time when I didn’t believe that there was someone more infinite out there, someone better than all of us, someone pure. And I grew up believing in that goodness, trying to live like that goodness, and in turn believing that that goodness was inherent in all of us and if given the chance and opportunity, it would manifest itself. I went searching down several roads, before finally turning onto the “true” road, the one that leads me to a personal relationship with goodness Himself – Jesus.
I am a servant. I serve my family, friends, co-workers, community and strangers, but especially I am a servant of Jesus. I believe He calls me to serve goodness, kindness, and patience and in doing good, I would know Him more. For the past several years I have toyed with the idea of starting a volunteer group. Many young people today don’t volunteer on a consistent basis because of jobs, family, or other commitments; not for a lack of desire. I would like to get people together and volunteer, but make it social and fun also. My thought is to create a calendar of events and one could sign up for an event without a weekly or hourly commitment. After the volunteering, the group could go have coffee or food, and this would be the time to debrief, socialize, talk, and a chance to disciple. I believe once given the opportunity to serve, one will be exposed to goodness, and in being exposed will come to know God and His call. I guess I believe in that line “open hearts, open minds.”
Scriptures pertaining to this idea/vision
8 The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. 10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, 13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. 16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s spirit lives in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred and you are that temple. 1 Corinthians 3:8-17
26 “Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave-28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20: 26-28
What has God put in my hand to do right now?
I believe God wants me to be planted at the City, start setting down stones for the foundation for me to move forward. I have the time now to be more involved, although I have to do it creatively since my schedule fluctuates so much.
I didn’t grow up as a Christian, but I can’t remember a time when I didn’t believe that there was someone more infinite out there, someone better than all of us, someone pure. And I grew up believing in that goodness, trying to live like that goodness, and in turn believing that that goodness was inherent in all of us and if given the chance and opportunity, it would manifest itself. I went searching down several roads, before finally turning onto the “true” road, the one that leads me to a personal relationship with goodness Himself – Jesus.
I am a servant. I serve my family, friends, co-workers, community and strangers, but especially I am a servant of Jesus. I believe He calls me to serve goodness, kindness, and patience and in doing good, I would know Him more. For the past several years I have toyed with the idea of starting a volunteer group. Many young people today don’t volunteer on a consistent basis because of jobs, family, or other commitments; not for a lack of desire. I would like to get people together and volunteer, but make it social and fun also. My thought is to create a calendar of events and one could sign up for an event without a weekly or hourly commitment. After the volunteering, the group could go have coffee or food, and this would be the time to debrief, socialize, talk, and a chance to disciple. I believe once given the opportunity to serve, one will be exposed to goodness, and in being exposed will come to know God and His call. I guess I believe in that line “open hearts, open minds.”
Scriptures pertaining to this idea/vision
8 The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. 10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, 13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. 16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s spirit lives in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred and you are that temple. 1 Corinthians 3:8-17
26 “Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave-28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20: 26-28
What has God put in my hand to do right now?
I believe God wants me to be planted at the City, start setting down stones for the foundation for me to move forward. I have the time now to be more involved, although I have to do it creatively since my schedule fluctuates so much.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Stevey-Wonderfu!’s Burning Bush Story
From about the age of eleven I battled, what is diagnosed as, a chemical imbalance/severe depression/bi-polar 2. I had the luxury of trying to develop self-esteem in the vacuum of depression in a city where no one looked like me (children don’t try this at home). In spite of that, I was given the gift of exhortation/a cheerleader & lover of people, with the ability to find something good about most everyone. In watching my mom over the years, I developed a fearless ability to approach strangers and developed a habit of finding opportunities to compliment people. I noticed that people are starved for affirmation, and irrespective of how we appear on the outside, have something in us that longs to be acknowledged.
During high school, I had a friend tell me “you love Stevie (Wonder) so much we should just call you that!” Then in February of 2002, I was reading Psalms 139:14 and God highlighted the Words “I am…wonderful”. He began to minister His Daddy heart towards me, which was critical to me since I always felt like I was supposed to be daddy’s little girl, but grew up in a single parent household. First, He began to change how I saw myself, so then I could begin to effect change within my sphere of influence. In August of 2004, I trekked down to the courthouse to legally change my name, but as I handed the clerk my documents asked if I could have punctuation in my name, and had her write the “L” in wonderful as an exclamation point, changing my name to ‘Stevey-Wonderfu!’. It seemed rather random to me at the time, but over a short time God revealed that He wanted me to live my life as an exclamation rather than the tentative, purposeless question I had lived for so long.
Around that time I had one of those years where the answer to every prayer, complaint or question was “it’s not about you.” God began to show me that the blessing for so many others is on the other side of my instant & complete obedience to His promptings (Matt 8:13 I go, He does). In June 2007, reading Philemon verse 6, God revealed it to me this way: “the sharing of my faith in God, in people, and in His purposes for our lives may become effective because I acknowledge* every good thing that is in me in Christ Jesus!” It has became my personal mandate “to affect people I do not know and will never meet, by inspiring the greatness in the very few, out of 6+ billion on earth, that I have the privilege of encountering.
I met, my now husband of 14.5 years, Lyman during my sophomore year at the U. He is what I call vanilla covered (white) and I am chocolate (black/African+ American). We seem to attract, or are ‘set up’ with, couples that look like us. In seeing these couples get married and have children, I noticed that it was very difficult to find a gift or greeting card with people that looked like us. Then God gave me the idea for a greeting card company that would target this specific audience and a company name based on a childhood passion. Since I was in young I have loved pandas and thus began to collect them, which means pretty much every gift I received had something to do with pandas.> Every gift I received from God has something to do with my destiny in developing my business, “Panda-People”; the adorable black and white bear representing the unique, God-kissed, patchwork beauty of their amalgamation, as surely is God’s heart for all peoples.
As I began to ponder the concept in my heart, God began to give me a supernatural confidence in His ability to perform a great work through me. He reminded me that in developing a healthy self-image, how important it is for children, and even adults, to see themselves positively represented in cards or toys they may purchase or receive, as well as in visual images in society as a whole. My spirit was stirred and creative ideas birthed to incorporate other products that would build self-esteem based on a God perspective of the value of each individual. It was then that my company name changed to “Panda-People Greetings & Inspirations”.
The next facet of the vision for my business, in doing His business, was revealed to me by hearing some of the business people at the Prosperity with a Purpose Conference express a desire to live off a fraction of their income and give the rest away. It was reinforced around learning of my friend JoAnne’s annual ministry trip to a Ugandan church and orphanage. Although I had NO desire to make the trip my(germ-freak)self, a burning desire to finance such trips was birthed in me. God gave me an idea for a non-profit organization to which 51% of my business’ profits would go. I would serve as an example to the world that success isn’t based on what one gets but on what one gives; that I could be wildly successful by giving away more than I keep. The proceeds of my business would go to both secular and religious organizations, with a focus on children’s charities in the USA and abroad. Other businesses would also be able to contribute at whatever percentage or dollar amount that seemed reasonable to them. The foundation would have two distinct divisions, so that no one would miss the opportunity to participate in giving based on their beliefs.
Scriptures pertaining to the vision:
*Psalms 139:14* “I will praise You, for I AM fearfully and WONDERFULly made”
*Prov 13:16* “every prudent (wo)man ACTS w/knowledge, but a fool LAYS open his folly”
*Prov 3:26* For the Lord will be your confidence, And keep your foot from being caught (stuck)
*John 9:11* “A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and I received sight.””
What has God put in my hand to do right now?
*A smile, from the inside, that people can feel that I love them, which opens the door for me to share His surpassing love with them
*Freedom of not being tied down to a traditional job; Time
*Unlimited creativity and fresh & new, soul mending ideas --I AM a seamstress of the soul!
During high school, I had a friend tell me “you love Stevie (Wonder) so much we should just call you that!” Then in February of 2002, I was reading Psalms 139:14 and God highlighted the Words “I am…wonderful”. He began to minister His Daddy heart towards me, which was critical to me since I always felt like I was supposed to be daddy’s little girl, but grew up in a single parent household. First, He began to change how I saw myself, so then I could begin to effect change within my sphere of influence. In August of 2004, I trekked down to the courthouse to legally change my name, but as I handed the clerk my documents asked if I could have punctuation in my name, and had her write the “L” in wonderful as an exclamation point, changing my name to ‘Stevey-Wonderfu!’. It seemed rather random to me at the time, but over a short time God revealed that He wanted me to live my life as an exclamation rather than the tentative, purposeless question I had lived for so long.
Around that time I had one of those years where the answer to every prayer, complaint or question was “it’s not about you.” God began to show me that the blessing for so many others is on the other side of my instant & complete obedience to His promptings (Matt 8:13 I go, He does). In June 2007, reading Philemon verse 6, God revealed it to me this way: “the sharing of my faith in God, in people, and in His purposes for our lives may become effective because I acknowledge* every good thing that is in me in Christ Jesus!” It has became my personal mandate “to affect people I do not know and will never meet, by inspiring the greatness in the very few, out of 6+ billion on earth, that I have the privilege of encountering.
I met, my now husband of 14.5 years, Lyman during my sophomore year at the U. He is what I call vanilla covered (white) and I am chocolate (black/African+ American). We seem to attract, or are ‘set up’ with, couples that look like us. In seeing these couples get married and have children, I noticed that it was very difficult to find a gift or greeting card with people that looked like us. Then God gave me the idea for a greeting card company that would target this specific audience and a company name based on a childhood passion. Since I was in young I have loved pandas and thus began to collect them, which means pretty much every gift I received had something to do with pandas.
As I began to ponder the concept in my heart, God began to give me a supernatural confidence in His ability to perform a great work through me. He reminded me that in developing a healthy self-image, how important it is for children, and even adults, to see themselves positively represented in cards or toys they may purchase or receive, as well as in visual images in society as a whole. My spirit was stirred and creative ideas birthed to incorporate other products that would build self-esteem based on a God perspective of the value of each individual. It was then that my company name changed to “Panda-People Greetings & Inspirations”.
The next facet of the vision for my business, in doing His business, was revealed to me by hearing some of the business people at the Prosperity with a Purpose Conference express a desire to live off a fraction of their income and give the rest away. It was reinforced around learning of my friend JoAnne’s annual ministry trip to a Ugandan church and orphanage. Although I had NO desire to make the trip my(germ-freak)self, a burning desire to finance such trips was birthed in me. God gave me an idea for a non-profit organization to which 51% of my business’ profits would go. I would serve as an example to the world that success isn’t based on what one gets but on what one gives; that I could be wildly successful by giving away more than I keep. The proceeds of my business would go to both secular and religious organizations, with a focus on children’s charities in the USA and abroad. Other businesses would also be able to contribute at whatever percentage or dollar amount that seemed reasonable to them. The foundation would have two distinct divisions, so that no one would miss the opportunity to participate in giving based on their beliefs.
Scriptures pertaining to the vision:
*Psalms 139:14* “I will praise You, for I AM fearfully and WONDERFULly made”
*Prov 13:16* “every prudent (wo)man ACTS w/knowledge, but a fool LAYS open his folly”
*Prov 3:26* For the Lord will be your confidence, And keep your foot from being caught (stuck)
*John 9:11* “A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and I received sight.””
What has God put in my hand to do right now?
*A smile, from the inside, that people can feel that I love them, which opens the door for me to share His surpassing love with them
*Freedom of not being tied down to a traditional job; Time
*Unlimited creativity and fresh & new, soul mending ideas --I AM a seamstress of the soul!
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