and the thoughts continue

*written Saturday, 10/9/10; posted Tuesday, 10/12/10... so goes my life*

I have a “free” Saturday… okay, well a couple free hours. We have a church youth group from Austin out riding horses and throwing tomahawks right now. Deborah and I spent the morning cleaning over in the guest house and we’re gonna be leaving in a few hours to sing at a Music Festival in Fischer. But right now, I’m going to blog my thoughts. Cause they’ve been many and need sorting.

It all is still coming from the verses in James and in Isaiah that I listed in my previous post: Caring for Widows and Orphans. Sharing your food with the hungry. Providing the poor with Shelter. Clothing the naked…

We sang a song the other night at a Concert that we sing all the time. “The Broken Ones”. I love the message of the song. I always take the opportunity in introducing it to share what the Church should be all about. About people. About serving, caring, sharing… as in the Isaiah and James verses. And so at this particular concert, I said a few things in introducing, same as always. But after we had finished, I felt compelled to say something different. Because every single time we sing that song, people nod their heads in agreement, some raise their hands, some close their eyes, some cry… but does anyone really do anything with it after the music fades? I told the audience that “The Broken Ones” is a great song… we really love it. But that’s all it is. Just a song. Just good lyrics and harmonies. Until we decide to act and do something with it. Are we just going to let Jesus’ words penetrate our ears? – or our hearts? Are we going to just pray and wish the world could be changed, or are we going to try to do something about it? I mentioned in my last post, “to give till it hurts…” Not just our money, but ourselves. Are we merely trying to survive, or are we ever trying to revive those we come in contact with?

The other day, I was browsing some of the blogs I follow. One in particular that I love is www.kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com and is titled “The Journey”. Katie is a girl younger than I who has left everything she knew and loved to follow the Lord’s call. Going to Uganda to serve and has adopted at least 12 Ugandan children as her own. A single mom in a foreign place among different people, in a different culture. But never am I so encouraged than when I read her postings. And yet I am so pained by the hurt that is so real.

While I was browsing “The Journey”, I found a blog titled “Be the hands and feet” www.servinghischildreninuganda.blogspot.com. As I read the stories and saw the pictures, tears welled up in my eyes. Pain and poverty… starvation… is so real. How many of us understand? I know I don’t. I can’t. I am so blessed. As I read these stories (and I so encourage you to do so as well) I was not only humbled by how much I have, but ashamed at how little I let myself be satisfied by it. I am rich and yet how often do I see it?! And it’s not just in money… but in food, clothes, shoes. We have multiple computers, cell phones, cars… If these people in Uganda… and other places around the world… had only a fraction of what I have, they would feel blessed and exceeding grateful. If they had only half of one of our meals every day, they wouldn’t be starving. The pain they face every single day is not fair! But it’s real. They are real people with real needs. Real pain. Real hunger. I want to be the eyes, seeing needs. The heart, loving and caring for those. I want to be the hands… reaching out to show hope. Or the feet, carrying the news of the gospel. Christ told us what to do. He said “Go into all the world.” He said to clothe the naked, feed the hungry. He told us when we do something for the least of these, we’re doing it unto Him. Maybe we can’t all sponsor. Maybe we can’t all go. But we can all pray. And we can encourage and support others who do go. Who do sponsor.

The other part of this is goes back to what I started on; because it’s not only the lost, the broken in poverty, the fatherless and homeless that need Christ and that need hope. It may be someone who visits your church regularly. Who sits beside you in class. Maybe who is teaching you, for crying out loud! You may be the heart of Christ used to make a difference, to encourage and offer hope to someone who’s lost theirs. Pray about ways you can share Christ’s love and hope to anyone around you. There’s nothing important on this earth than His people. Show them you care.

Hannah
http://www.hannahseale.blogspot.com/

I apologize, I got a little carried away...

So I have this burden and I'm trying to figure out what to do with it. I went to sleep last night trying to think of ways I can give more. I heard someone say a couple of days ago, to "give til it hurts". Do I do that? No. What does that look like exactly? I don't know, at least not for me...

I can't claim to know much about God and what He wants from me, but I believe He means what He says. And what He says in Scripture is what is important to Him and what should be important to us for life. God isn't interested in nice cliches and sweet words with no action. He isn't interested in what we look to others like we're giving or doing if we're not actually giving or doing it; and He's not interested in what we say we believe if we don't actually act on it. (James 2:14-26) (James 1:22) What is Religion? What is Christianity? Is it merely sitting around in our little circles talking about what would happen if someone one day would decide to act on Jesus' words? Is it only breaking down word structures and meanings in ancient text? Is it about going to Church Sunday morning, saying the prayers, singing the songs, listening to words and leaving it all behind in a stainglassed windowed building while you drive back home and back to work to face life again alone? No. I'll tell you what Religion is as Jesus intended...

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27

"Shout it aloud, do not hold back.

Raise your voice like a trupet.

Declare to my people their rebellion

and to the house of Jacob their sings.

For day after day they seek me out;

they seem eager to know my ways,

as if theyr were a nation that does what is right

and has not forsaken the commands of its God.

They ask me for just decisions

and seem eager for God to come near them.

Why have we fasted, they say,

and you have not seen it?

Why have we humbled ourselves,

and you have not noticed?

Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please

and exploit all your workers

Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,

and in striking each other with wicked fists.

You cannot fast as you do today

and expect your voice to be heard on high.

Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,

only a day for a man to humble himself?

and for lying on sackcloth and ashes?

Is that what you call a fast,

a day acceptable to the Lord?

Is this not the kind of fasting I have chosen;

to loose the chains of injustice

and untie the cords of the yoke

to set the oppressed free

and break every yoke?

Is it not to share your food with the hungry

and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-

when you see the naked, to clothe him,

and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

Then your light will break forth like the dawn,

and your healing will quickly appear;

then your righteousness will go before you

and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.

Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;

you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

"If you do away with the yoke of opporession,

with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

and if you spend yoursleves in behalf of the hungy,

and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,

then your light will rise in the darkness,

and your night will become like the noonday."...

Isaiah 58:1-10

How can we read theses verses... and others... and still go around thinking the best we can do is go to Church on Sunday and Wednesday nights? ...Go to Bible Study for 9 weeks on Tuesday nights and finish completely unaffected and unchanged? No! It's not meant to be this way! His Word is life!

Church is a place for several things. 1) A place of Christian fellowship. A place where we can come together and encourage one another... to spur one another on to love and good deeds. 2) A place of building and growth. Where you are held accountable and where you can study Scripture and be taught Scripture by other wise persons who have been there and learned through it. 3) A place of worship, praise and prayer. 4) A place of acceptance. 5) A place of supporting send-off for believers to "go into the world and preach the good news to all creation..."

So let me ask, what good is working out and building muscles and strength if you never lift anything weightier than a pen? What good is studying and training to be a doctor if you're never planning on actually seeing any patients? When we accept Christ, we receive the Holy Spirit who gives us power. And we will be His witnesses. (Acts 1:8) What good is the power of the Holy Spirit if we're only going to sit in our Bible Study classrooms only discussing the lexical meaning of the word "hungry" instead of actually going out and doing something about it?

Ouch.

And so that's what I'm struggling with. That's what I don't get. I want to *do* something more. Am I giving of myself, of my monies, of my time, until it hurts? And then, am I giving for the right reasons? Am I giving because that's what He's asked me to do? Or because I know that's what a good little Christian girl should do? Am I trusting in myself? - in my own capabilities? Or in His power. His strength? What are your thoughts?

Hannah

hannahseale.blogspot.com

To Know You...

This perfectly sums up exactly what has been consuming my thoughts through this past summer and into this fall.

influence

I've been thinking about the word, "Influence" a lot recently. Not neccessarily using the word in my musings, but just pondering the whole concept of influence and everything it entails. Over the past few weeks, looking at what I've been doing I've seen how many opportunities I've had for influence, and for leadership... I've been working in a church office, planning for summer camp, leading girls' ministry and singing and serving in churches all over this area. "Leadership" and "Influence" to me, seems to walk hand in hand, for leading is simply guiding or influencing the way of another.

So, I was browsing on our Digital Bible Library, looking up references in Scripture having to do with influence and I was overloaded with information. But, time and again, I've seen that you don't have to be thrown into a major leadership role in order to have influence on those around you. We've been studying Missions and Missionaries in King's Daughters recently, and I've told the girls over and over again, you don't have to be an overseas missionary, a pastor or teacher in order to "be a missionary" and to influence others. Just the fact that you are living and breathing gives you permission to influence and lead. I read somewhere, that Leadership is not a responsibility afforded to only a few but a privilege given by God to all. And Jesus asked every believer to participate in showing others the way to eternal life. So now, as believers, our permission has been changed to responsiblility. And what a responsiblilty it is. Now, I am one who will often find myself bent out of shape over the responsiblities and expectations I believe have been laid on me. But I have seen that with whatever He has placed before me, He will give me the means to fulfill and He will, Himself be there to help me carry out.

And right along with that, recently also, it's been a burden and passion on my heart for the church to understand we are the body of Christ, wherever we are. And I'm saying this just as much to myself as to any of you who may read this... You may be all alone in your work place, or at your school, the only Christian around, but you are the body of Christ in that place. You may not feel like it, but you do have an opportunity to reach people, to minister to people that your Pastor, your small group leader, your mentor cannot, and quite possibly will never reach. The Lord has given that responsiblity to you. And dear friend, redgardless of how you feel about it. He will equip you to do it.

I heard just this past week, someone talking about our being the body of Christ wherever we are. So often, she was saying, we wonder why He even allows us to participate in His plans for His people. He puts before us a task, that He is completely able to do - without us. And yes, of course He is. But, my friend, He want to use us... with all our weaknessess and failures and downfallings to bring about His purpose. So that we will give Him the glory.

So let's get busy people!! Take this to heart. "You may be the only Bible someone may ever read. You may be the Jesus someone may ever see." Let them see HIM in you!

Can I hear an AMEN?!

Hannah

hannah.blogspot.com

this close to summer already?

Summer is sneaking up on me so fast!!! Seriously? Seriously! Where did March and April go? After I realized what a short amount of time I have left, I went directly home from work at Mt. Calvary yesterday and spent the rest of the day confined to my home office... trying to organize staff, find crafts, come up with creative games and think of Campfire Stories and Bible Studies.

So. Stinkin. Much. To. Do.

Hey... which reminds me. Two things we need this summer. Maybe you can help me out...

1) If you know of anywhere we might could purchase cheap or know of ways to build bleachers for our rodeo arena... I've looked on craigslist and found only a construction/supplier. We'll be looking into that, but if you have experience in bleachers, please call me or my dad! Elisabeth will be leading all our morning Bible Studies with the horses, teaching spiritual life lessons by using her horse training as examples. In years past we've drug picnic tables over, but it's time to take a step up. We also need the bleachers for our rodeo day for parents and families to sit.

2) This might just be a shot in the dark, but I won't know unless I try. I would love, love to find a vine to use for an object lesson this summer. I haven't taken a hike in the woods yet, looking, but it's on the to-do list. Maybe you could too? So. This vine needs to be strong and keep it's curly shape. And it needs to be able to wrap around a branch/stick.... preferrably one I can take in and out... but if they're wound tightly together and unseparate-able, that's okay too. The idea I'm going for is "I am the vine, you are the branches... if you abide in Me...." get the picture? If anyone comes up with anything close, let me know! You'll definitely be my hero! :)

As a side note, I am supposed to be working for Mt. Calvary from home this summer through June and July. I'll be preparing bulletins from my home computer and emailing them to the church by Thursday each week so they can be printed before the weekend. I know it can be done... well, as long as my computer and software don't give me major issues. But I just need the sanity to be sure it is done well with everything else going on at the camp.

So anyhow... I would definitely love love any prayers you might be able to offer up for me, for my family, for our staff and for our camp this summer. God is always amazing during the summer months. I know 2010 will not be an exception. I'm really looking forward to what HE is going to do! - And I really want to be prepared on my end!

Blessings and love!

Hannah

hannahseale.blogspot.com

ponder anew

Prayer. Such a beautiful thing. Such an awesome privilege. And yet there’s something about it that I just can't wrap my mind around.

How often have I put God in a little box and "thought" I knew how He should do things? I've taken Him for granted at times and used the "prayer button" when it makes me feel better. I've been guilty of using the right words, saying the right things, praying the right prayers... but not putting my heart 100% behind it. - Not really understanding the power of prayer. You see... I tend to limit God to what I have seen and what I have experienced. I tend to pray what looks like is already going to happen. I pray the probable and it's so easy to forget that God is bigger than the obstacles I see. He makes the impossible, possible!

What would happen if we "got it"? If we just believed Him and took Him at His word. What if we realized that the things we really want most is what He's already promised us. What if we understood that the things that, at the end of the day, that we yearn for, are what He's already told us we can have! You and I both know He holds the bigger picture. He has more for us than we can imagine. – than we can even dream to know. What would happen if we stopped trying to tell Him what we want and let Him tell us what He knows. Seriously people. We know His plan is going to be better than ours anyhow. So step out of the way and let Him do it already!!

Last night I stood in the First Baptist Sanctuary in Houston with several hundred other women, worshiping from the deepest part of my heart. As we sang, "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty", a phrase in the lyrics suddenly hit me and I knelt down to grab my pen and wrote these words on the palm of my hand, "Ponder anew... what the Almighty can do..."

And I thought to myself. Hannah, you've been putting God in that box. There's no need to pray the probable when your God is so much bigger than that! His plan for you will more than likely take you somewhere you can't even begin to dream!

Ponder: To reflect or consider with thoroughness and care.

Anew: In a new and different way, form, or manner.

Almighty: Having absolute power; all-powerful.

My point exactly.

~Hannah

hannahseale.blogspot.com

I don't understand

Last night at Bible Study, Beth said something that really hit home with me. She made the comment, that so many times people, in the midst of deep, real pain and tragedy will ask, "Where is God?!" But in turn, God replies by asking, "Where are my people?! I am where My people are!" It started me thinking... It's so true! There's a lot of hurt outside the four walls of our Churches and so many of God's people aren't giving everything they have to serve and to love that world unconditionally. Instead they're arguing amongst themselves over spilt kool-aid on the carpet and next week's bulletin. I don't understand! When did the Christian life become all about us and our stainglassed Church buildings? We're wasting our time becoming enemies with our own family instead of working together to strengthen and grow it! The Church building should be the place for our send off into a hurting world. We are friends and family meeting together in the Lord, and meant to be a tremendous encouragement to each other so that we can BE the body He wants us to be. HIS body - reaching to HIS world - to the people HE loves. When we get sick and our physical bodies don't work the way they were made to, we feel miserable and all our energy is put into healing what is hurting. My friend, when the body of Christ spends so much time in strife and frustration against itself, it seems to me that it is acting in sickness! It pains me that we would act so amongst ourselves. The battle is not between believers! - That's what Satan wants! We've got to overcome! We've got to stop fighting against ourselves and turn against Satan's schemes. The real battle is out there! Let's ask the Lord to help us heal His body, and put our energy first to do our part to mend relationships within so we can then TOGETHER build relationships without!

My Pastor loves to say, "We are never more the Church than when we are outside these four walls..." Do you agree?

Hannah

www.hannahseale.blogspot.com

Confession

I have a confession to make...

Most times when I sit to write a new blog posting, it's for me. Kinda like writing in my journal. So I can sort out my thoughts and understand a litle better what I believe God is trying to tell me.

Today is no exception.

Earlier this week I felt completely overwhelmed. I knew there was a lot God wanted from me, but it was hard for me to hear His voice and clear direction. I took plenty of time in prayer, I payed close attention to His Word and during Bible study and church, and I sought the wisdom of my Pastor. But just now I was browsing through my blog... looking for updates from my favorite blogsters. I came across two postings that caused me to stop and to think, "Yes. He really does care. He sees me, He's listening to my questions and He knows."

One post was just completely amazing, encouraging and all around inspirational, and really has nothing to do with this post. (The Great Adventure... http://www.traviscottrellministries.blogspot.com/)

The other was a posting from Living Proof Ministries. (http://www.livingproofministries.blogspot.com/)

Beth Moore posted the mp3s to the sessions from the Siesta Scripture Memory Celebration last month. Yes, I was there at the time, but I couldn't resist opening one up and listening as I addressed newsletters this morning. Towards the end of the session Beth read from Psalm 119:105 and I stopped in my tracks, pushed the newsletters aside and pulled out my pen. God knew this was what I needed to hear. "Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Okay, I hear you... you grew up in church and know this verse forward and backwards. What's the big deal? Yes, I know. I did too, but Beth was talking about how the psalmist wanted to paint a word picture and then proceded to show what it might look like....

...Imagine standing in a dark cave. You are holding a lantern out in front of you at arms' length. You cannot see the whole path out of the cave. But you can see just where to plant your next step. What really jumped out to me in that moment was this: If we are seeking Him, listening and trying to walk in obedience to what we do know He wants from us, He will show us where to plant our next step. When it's time. And in His time, He is only going to show me the next step. The right now. What right now do I have in front of me? That's all I need to know. And then listen to this, because, if we knew the whole story or could see the whole path, we would not need Him.

Why is it that the little words are the hardest to grasp?

t-r-u-s-t

Hannah

www.hannahseale.blogspot.com

Busier

About a week ago, I was visiting with my brother and sister-in-law. We were trying to find a weekend that was available to go up to Dallas and spend with them. I flipped through my date book a while and finally found a date in May that was open... However, I didn't have a pencil handy, so I made a mental note to add it later when I found one. The next day I was at the office and I took a minute to check my emails and remembered a booking that I hadn't yet put on the calendar. The day looked vaguely familiar. Yep. You guessed it. It was the same one that I *thought* was still open. Negative on the still open.

Busy.

No, worse than busy... Yesterday I had the *privilege* to watch the super bowl with my sister's youth group at our church... Do you remember the commercial... haha and I don't even remember what it was for, but at the end, it stated: Awesome + Awesome = Awesomer...? So, yeah. Worse than busy... Busier? I'm digressing... sorry.

Anyways, I was flipping through my Bible a little bit ago and I came across an index card with this quote written across it: "What God is seeking from us is not more activity, but a deeper relationship."

And so please tell me why we continue to add things to our lives?! - Good things, by all means! - Things we believe the Lord would be proud of us for doing! And yet, He is not so much interested how much we are doing for Him if we are not spending as much time with Him.

Let's be His followers first, then a daughter, son, employee, speaker, singer, wife, husband, mother, father...

Hannah

www.hannahseale.blogspot.com

How much do you love Jesus?

So, I was sitting in the church office looking for a new thought provoking one-liner for next weeks bulletin. I have pages of them to look through. I skimmed around and flipped the pages hoping something would catch my eye. About page number 12, I came across one that made me stop...

...If Jesus were to ask you, "Do you love Me?", most of us would probably respond as Peter did in (John 21), "Lord, You know I love You!" But then if Jesus were to look at you in the eye and ask, "How much do you love Me?", what would you say? Maybe you'd be one to say, again like Peter (Luke 22), "Lord, I'm ready to go to prison and to the death for you."

Take half a minute to reflect on the truth of this statement...

"You love Jesus, as much as you love the person you love the least."

Ouch.

Jesus said, "“I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me…whatever you did not do for one of the least of these you did not do for me.” (Matthew 25:36, 45)

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God somthing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking on the very nature of a servant…he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross." (Philippians 2:3-8)

What is holding us back? Bitterness? Pride? Let's take that step to learn to die to ourselves... our own selfish desires... our own feelings... our own pride; and learn to love as Christ would have us to love - unconditionally.

It could be that the Holy Spirit is whispering in your ear, “So you’ll die a martyr’s death for me, but, will you die to yourself to love ____________?"

So, how much do you love Jesus? Who have you loved the least in the last week? Can you sense God calling you to die to yourself in order to love this person with the love of Jesus?

Hannah

http://www.hannahseale.blogspot.com/

Haiti

You’ve all heard the news already. Haiti lies in the wake of unfathomable chaos and devastation. But before we just turn our backs after saying the dutiful prayer that lies far from our hearts, let’s take a minute to think about it. Really think about it. These are real children, feeling real pain. If not from physical wounds, most definitely from the pain in deep loss. Haiti is already one of the poorest countries in the world; and now, after the earthquake, hundreds of thousands of children and families have been sent whirling into a state of shock and unknown futures. What can we do - and especially those of us who have no extra money to give, even if we’d like to? You all know the answer. Pray. And then pray some more. It’s not a trivial thing you’re doing while you’re on your knees. It’s not something that will be easily overlooked. In fact, it’s what they need more than anything right now. The generosity of people’s money, and certainly they are in desperate need of money (– if you can give, *please* do so!!), can fill the stomachs of a few for a short while, but the generosity of a person’s prayers fills more needs than we can fathom and changes more lives than we know completely.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.." Philippians 4:6-7

"Oh I love Him!"

So, I was doing some thinking last night. Reflections of 2009, I guess. I was thinking about how through every season of 2009, God showed Himself to me in a different and perfect, loving way.

January... I was really needing... and craving a spiritual pick-me-up. So God led me randomly to the LPM website where I discovered Beth Moore's Bible Study in Houston. So, there I was, packed up in my little Blazer driving to Houston every week and God really spoke to me... Through Worship. Through the teaching of His Word. Such an awesome time of Spriritual growth for me.

March... We joined Second Baptist Church of La Grange. At a time when we were feeling slightly alone and unsupported, we became part of the family at a church where we felt wanted and needed and at home. The blessings from that decision have never stopped.

June-July... Two months of the most amazing summer camps we've seen here at Camp Winchester. Our campers were wonderful... Our staff were amazing... and our God - Awesome! I could not have asked for anything more!

August... found us tucked tightly and happily in our Expedition headed for Orlando Florida! We hadn't had a "real" family vacation since Abigail was born and this was purely for fun and relaxation. We did both. :)

September... once again needing a spiritual refill after a busy summer... I found myself again at 1st Baptist Church of Houston, sitting under the Bible Teaching of Beth Moore up to my ears in the study of Revelation.

And all the way through December - Singing, Praising, Worshiping.

Flipping through the pages of my journal from this past year I find this one common theme written over and over again...

"Oh, I love Him!"

www.hannahseale.blogspot.com