The shearing of wool!

So, this summer I was introduced to a song written by Brooke Fraser called The Desert Song. The first time I listened to it, it touched my heart so much that I cried... call me a sap, call me a baby, I don't care... the song engaged my heart and soul! When it comes to Brooke Fraser I truly believe the Lord works mightly through her to write songs that sing His praises and glorify His name. Anyway, there are four verses to the song, but the last verse is what makes my arm hairs raise... here is what it says...

"This is my prayer in the harvest,

When favor and providence flow;

I know I'm filled to be emptied again,

The seed I've received I will sow."

So, last night I was reading J.I. Packer's book Knowing God

(which is incredible by the way) and he was talking about knowing God personally. He began talking about John 10 when Jesus is explaining who he is by referencing himself to a shepherd and believers to sheep. Jesus says in John 10:27, "My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me." So I began thinking about sheep. We know that they are the only animal (as far as I know) without a defense mechanism. We know they are lacking intelligence. We know they live on farms. Now, why do they live on farms? Well, they provide wool for the farmer. The farmer shears their wool twice a year, once in the summer to prevent the sheep from overheating and again in the fall during the harvest. Hmm... I began to think how would I feel if I were that sheep and all my wool was gone? That thick coat that had grown so lovely around my now naked body... I had become so attached to it... grooming it... taking care of it. Hold on a second... I'm naked! I 'm an open book! Other sheep are seeing my flaws and imperfections! Now I'm vulnerable! I'm broken and incomplete!

Then I remembered John 10:27. Jesus is my shepherd. His sheep hear His voice, He knows them, and they follow Him. I run to Jesus when I'm broken... when I'm vulnerable... in need of restoration and confession. He's my shepherd! He's the wool!

We all go through times of brokeness. Times when we feel we are distant from the Lord. Times when we feel naked, vulnerable, and alone. This past year has been an interesting time for me. I've felt distant from the Lord and was having a hard time pursuing Him as I should. My life felt out of focus. This summer has been a sweet time of rest and rejuvenation for me. I've read a lot and really have been pursuing the Lord more faithfully than ever before. Last night as I laid in bed reading Knowing God and meditating on John 10 I was thinking about sheep and their wool. Yes, it is taken away but it always grows back. It's never gone... it is always inside them. Same with Jesus. In times of brokeness He may feel far away but He's not gone. There is always restoration! AMEN!!! Amen that we have a Heavenly Father who loves us! Amen that the God we serve and worship wants us to know Him! Amen that Jesus died so that we might experience life with a Shepherd whose blood was shed on behalf of those whom He loves! I sit hear typing this with tears in my eyes hoping that you who are reading this know my loving Father. I have been rescued from my sin and restored because of His grace and mercy on my little life. Amen! Praise His Name!

"I know I'm filled to be emptied again, the seed I've received I will sow."

Selah.

What an interesting bird!

Okay, so I've being thinking a lot about the expression, "He/She is an interesting bird." I've started saying it quite a bit lately and it literally came out of nowhere. I don't know if it is something I learned from my precious mother, the southern queen bee of silly expressions, or a movie, or an "interesting bird" of a friend, or created it myself, however, I think I would be proud of myself if I did create that phrase and would definitely take the credit for its brilliance. Anyway, I was thinking about what it means... I know it has been used in gossip when one is talking about another person dissapprovingly. I must admit I'm pretty confident that I have referred to someone using that phrase but not with kindness in my heart... therefore I'm confessing it to you now. But again, as I examined the phrase I thought to myself, "I think I would like to be called an interesting bird." If I use the phrase like I believe it has been used in the past it must mean that I am set apart. I am outside the social norm. I must not worry about what people think of me. I must not submit to the temptations and materials that this world has pushed upon me. I must have my hope set on something greater... Wow... WOW!!!... and then I got to thinking about Matthew 6:25-27.

"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value then they?"

Ahh... anxiety... how you control my emotions sometimes. I sometimes wonder how much time I spend worrying about silly things... worldly things... I don't know about you but growing up a girl is hard (I'm not discounting the difficultly of life as a male but I can only give a woman's perspective on life and believe me it is hard). We take ourselves so seriously and tend to lean on the world to tell us what is cool and what is chic. We tend to measure our value by how others perceive us. For instance, right now, being the nonwriter that I am, is nervous about clicking the publish post button at the bottom of this page afraid of what people will think of what I have to say. See how I'm worrying about silly things... worldly things. Like Matthew 6:26 says, "Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap not gather into barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them." I'm going to change a few words and see what happens. Look at the girl over there: she neither conforms nor allows the world to tell her of her beauty, and yet the Heavenly Father loves her. Hmm... I want to be her. I want to be set apart. I want to be outside the social norm. I want my Heavenly Father to tell me I'm beautiful. I want to be and interesting bird.

From now on I'm going to use this expression as a praise!!! What an honor it would be to be referred to as an interesting bird. I'm going to be set apart and conform my heart and mind to be more like my divine example, Jesus Christ! Thank you Jesus for not conforming to the world. Thank you for setting yourself apart. Thank you for not joining the social norm. As cheesy as this may sound... I'm going to put on my big girl wings and fly!!!!

Hi from the Youngers!

Hi! Welcome to the Youngers blogspot! Matt has been after me to start a blog for us and I, not the writer in our crazy duo, refused for quite some time, until I saw all the beautiful blog pages and decided I would like to have one. I know that might sound silly but if you know me at all you would know my love for pretty things which means you knew I would start blogging with the bandwaggon. Now that I have my pretty blogpage I'm thinking about what Matt and I will write about as we continue this page... hmm... as I think about our life and the fact that we are newly weds, living in Coppell surrounded by families with money, not fitting into the mold of our wealthy community, starving for community and fellowship with believers, eagerly pursuing the Lord and His will for our lives, finishing seminary and moving on to pastor the flock God has planned for us, we just might have something to interest maybe a few folks; heck, maybe we will have things in common!!! I must warn you that Matt and I are very silly people which is one of the many things we thank God for when we pray for each other, so I cannot prepare you at all for what might be said or talked about on this blog. We hope that you see our lives as funny, whimsical, down-right random, passionate, missional, and above all else faithful to our Heavenly Father.
Thanks and love, Matt and Dana