I want more of You, God!

Lately, I have been listening to the song “Set a Fire” over and over again. The song is a beautiful and passionate cry for more of God.

There’s no place I would rather be.
There’s no place I would rather be.
There’s no place I would rather be.
Than here in your love, here in your love.

So, set a fire down in my soul.
That I can’t contain and I can’t control.
I want more of You, God.
I want more of You, God.
Will Reagan – Set A Fire

Set a fire down in my soul that I can’t contain and I can’t control. I want more of You God!

I love how it’s a cry for GOD to set a fire within us. How He loves to hear and answer this prayer! A fire for God that can’t be contained or controlled. We are left wanting less of us and more of Him.

This echoes John the Baptist. He says of Jesus “He must become greater, I must become less” (John 3:30)

Listen to how David cries out for more of God in Psalm 63. It’s one of my favorite passages of scripture!

“O God, You are my God, I earnestly search for You. My soul thirsts for You, my whole body longs for You in this parched and weary land where there is no water. I have seen You in Your sanctuary and gazed upon Your power and glory.

Your unfailing love is better than life itself, how I praise You! I will praise You as long as I live, lifting up my hands in prayer. You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise You with songs of joy.

I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on You throughout the night. Because You are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of Your wings. I cling to You, Your strong right hand holds me securely.”

Oh, may our hearts cry out for more of God! May we be filled with such passion for Him. May God set a fire in us that can’t be contained or controlled.

His Presence has the power to radically transform our lives. His love has the power to heal and bring greater freedom in our hearts. He alone satisfies! 

 

 

Jumbo Raisins and Doing Good

 

I discovered the Jumbo Raisin Medley at Trader Joe’s a few years ago. I love every kind of fruit, including raisins. These raisins are colorful, plump, and delicious.

I shared my discovery with my friend Anne. I remember sitting in her apartment, talking and eating jumbo raisins. A very random memory indeed.

Last week, I picked up a bag of Jumbo Raisins during my shopping trip to Trader Joe’s. It has been a year or two since I have bought a bag. I thought of my friend Anne as I ate my Jumbo Raisins this week. And I took a moment to pray for her.

I love how God reminds us to pray for others. How He can put a certain person on our heart and mind at different times.

Sometimes I am too busy or distracted to follow God’s prompting.  This time, I took a moment to pray for my friend. If God intentionally put my friend on my mind, I can take the time to reach out. A quick email of encouragement.

I recently heard a message about not putting off doing good. When God speaks to us, do it immediately. Don’t delay following God in doing good.

I can procrastinate on doing good. I think “that’s a great idea, I will do it later”.  Somehow later never happens. The good deed ends up being a good intention. I miss out on what God is doing. When I take time to do a random act of kindness, God uses me to encourage and bless someone else. Yet the beauty is that God also blesses and encourages me.

It can be easy to excuse or question God’s prompting. “Really God, jumbo raisins? You are using jumbo raisins to tell me to pray for my friend?” I can easily dismiss the thought. Or I can thank God that He uses  anything to remind us to pray for one another, even Jumbo Raisins!

How is God prompting you today? 

Congratulations dear husband!

I am one proud wife! A week ago my husband graduated from Emerson College with a Masters degree in Broadcast Journalism.

When I told my second graders that Mr. Nyakairu was graduating on Sunday, one little girl said with great surprise “your husband hasn’t graduated yet?!” Her surprised reaction changed to an impressed “wow” after I explained that it was in fact my husband’s fifth graduation.

1. Shoreline Community College

2. Bachelors degree in Religious Studies at Seattle Pacific University

3. Masters of Divinity from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary

4. Masters of Theology in Preaching from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary

5. Masters of Broadcast Journalism from Emerson College

My husband loves to study, learn, and grow. He is constantly listening to podcasts and books to grow as a leader.

When Stephen was in seminary, he would get up early in the morning to eat breakfast in the cafeteria. He knew that Haddon Robinson, a professor of preaching and interim president of Gordon Conwell, would be there. Stephen would join Dr. Robinson for breakfast. My husband surrounds himself with great leaders. Dr. Robinson would give Stephen tapes of his sermons. Stephen would listen to these tapes to learn and grow from a great preacher and leader.

My husband is a pastor. Why did he get a degree in Broadcast Journalism? Dr. Robinson was actually the one who suggested this degree to Stephen. One logical step after the seminary degrees would be to continue on for a PhD. Yet another option that Dr. Robinson suggested was to pursue a degree in communications. Stephen learned Greek, Hebrew, and studied the Bible in great detail in seminary. Even after graduation, he continued to go back  to seminary each semester for one free class.

My husband’s passion is for people to experience a changed life through knowing God and His Word. His desire is to preach and teach in a clear, compelling manner. This Broadcast Journalism degree allowed my husband to grow as a communicator in his speaking and writing.

Graduating from Gordon Conwell and Emerson College allowed my husband to have strong credentials in both the secular and christian world.

I am proud of my husband. I am proud of who he is as a pastor and leader. I am proud of his accomplishment in graduating from Emerson.

What I love most about my husband is his heart. His prayer and desire is that God uses all of his life experiences, education, and knowledge for His glory and to further His kingdom. I look forward to seeing how God continues to use my husband!

 

Side Note: Now that my husband has graduated, he will have more time to write on his blog. You can check him out at stephennyakairu.com.

A big thank you to all of our family and friends who joined us for this celebration! I am grateful that Stephen continued to go back to school so I could finally be at one of his graduations as his wife!

 

spring cleaning!

I recently spring cleaned our home. I was pretty amazed at all that I found to clean considering that I clean our place each week. As I was cleaning the baseboards, vacuuming under the coach, and scrubbing the inside of our fridge I started to think about how these places aren’t cleaned every week. The little bit of dirt or dust slowly starts to accumulate until months later, some serious cleaning is needed.

As I was cleaning away, God spoke to me. In the same way, if we let little things accumulate over time in our heart some serious cleaning needs to be done in our life.

Little things. A poor attitude. Unforgiveness.  Doubt. The little lies that feel like truth. Distraction. It’s easy to rationalize the little things away.

The little things can build up in our hearts. Slowly our hearts can become harden. How God loves us.  He can examine our hearts and do a little “spring cleaning” in our lives.

I don’t want to miss His voice. I don’t want to miss all that He has in store for my life. I want my heart to be sensitive to His Spirit.

How God loves us! He is quick to forgive. Our sins are completely forgotten. He remembers them no more! God can cleanse our hearts and lives by His mighty power at work within us.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”

 

 

Stillness in the midst of busyness

Today was one of those days. I woke up with a million things I wanted to get done. I knew my to-do list was unrealistic yet I still tried to tackle it. When I noticed the sunshine and warm weather, I also wanted to be outdoors. 

As the day went on, I found myself frustrated because time was slipping away. There was just not enough time to enjoy the day and get everything done.

Later in the evening, I went for a run. The sun began to set over the ocean. It was a warm, beautiful spring evening. I stopped running and sat looking out at the ocean.

I allowed myself to be still. 

I had read my devotional this morning. My husband and I prayed together. Yet the busyness of my day had distracted me from simply being in God’s Presence.

In the beauty of nature, my heart became quiet. As I enjoyed the loveliness of the evening, I sat listening to God speak to my heart. 

Refreshment to my soul. 

I looked at the vastness of the ocean and I remembered how very small I am. I gained a larger perspective on what is truly important in my day.  I remembered God’s goodness in my life. How great is His love for me!

How do you find stillness in midst of busy days?