Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Missing You...........

I sat here tonight, thinking of you all. Yes YOU!! All my blogging peeps and regular visitors. You are my family. And I wished I could spend some time visiting with you tonight. I have missed you! I know that life is full and summer is winding down, and that many of you will get even busier for a bit. But I also know that many of you are just walking through things that may be a bit more pressing. I want you to know you are not alone. Many of you have situations that are trying to rob you of the joy of who you are and what you have inherited. Perhaps you are just trying to let this whole life in Christ, union life, sink in and just live. It can take you to a place of deep thought and meditation where you need solace and just get to know what it's like to be you and Him. I get that. I can relate. 
On the other hand, think about how beautiful it is when we all gather with our hearts aflame for pure truth. Purity that we now know, that has become so engrained in us that we know we will never be the same again. We know that we have something mighty powerful to speak of and we will speak bodly and loudly. And then picture this 20 and 30 times over. Each one shouting out the sweet truth of Jesus. It's exhilerating, encouraging, inspiring. It's ignition to our very spirit, soul and body to stand up and fight the good fight!! 
What I am trying to say, is no matter where you are and what you are going through, your voice is needed. Your voice matters. You may think you have nothing to say right now, but you do. You have a life to share - His LIFE as you!! And I know that the world needs to hear the Christ that is in you and in me. 
My heart longs for the sweetness of our fellowship, brothers and sisters. I want you to know you all have brought me joy and my heart has hurt for you as well. So to all of you, please hear my heart, but listen for His heart to speak to you and meet you right now, just as you are, where you are. Know you are missed, and you are loved.  Know that your circumstances do not dictate truth or who you are. But that Christ's finished work has dictated that you are indeed new, complete, righteous, perfect, holy, blameless, seated in heavenly places, and that you have the very life of Christ dwelling on the inside of you. That is who you are and that is well worth rejoicing about!!! 
To Dan, my brother I miss your passion and our conversations. To my little brother Matt, I pray you are happy, I love when you are happy and so does He. To Julie, I miss your fiery passion, but I know you are always a phone call away, yet still you add such a strong dimension and empower others more than you know. To sweet Cirra, you impart such a gentleness and ooze out God's love with every word you speak, you are precious and I pray you are feeling more refreshed. To Joel, well Joel, it just isn't the same when you are away (even though you aren't really, it feels like life is full for you), you are such a grace networker and have blessed so many, like a big brother to all - please know that my heart is with you and prayers are offered up for you to not grow weary and to not faint. You are strong in Him because His grace is sufficient for you. To Bino, I appreciate you for being so real and so honest, may your strength be renewed, may you soar on like wings of an eagle. Ursie, my fun loving sister, you are so full of joy and so confident in His love - may you adjust to the season you are in, and find Him holding you and carrying you so that you sense His yoke is easy, and that you can rest in Him!! Chris, you are such a gift to the body and your voice is like that of a coach teaching and encouraging and inspiring the team! Thank you for being so unique and for sharing all that you have learned for the benefit of others!! To Peter, I know you have a demanding job, thank you for all the times you have graced us with your wisdom and insight, it is well worth waiting to hear you pour out your heart!! Leo, so glad you came back to join us, you are a blessing and a wonderful comic relief, I so am blessed by who you are, really!!! To Jordy, I often wonder how you are, and honestly I miss you my friend, I pray that you are resting in Him and letting truth continue to saturate you and drench you until it is so stuck it won't go anywhere!!! To Phil, I miss your thought provoking discussions and I pray you are in good health and letting yourself be entrusted more and more fully unto Him, your Rock. (And of course I can't leave you out Jamie my dear friend. Although I don't miss you, since I talk to you just about every day, I do however miss our community discussions through our blogs - wow, we had some good times and some intensely wild and riveting talks - you are a natural at gracing others and knitting people together- you unifier you!!)
And to all the rest of you, to Alan (who only serves up the choicest meals ;), Sheila (full of hospitality, good laugh and wisdom), Aida (comforting and kind) Tammy (bold, honest, real, seeker of truth and fun to boot), Rich (insightful and rich wisdom into who he really is), Becky (just a natural grace lover full of life), Craig (bold proclaimer of truth),  to Nick, to Gregg, to John Fincher, Don Baker, Amy, Ellie, Shawna, Teresa (with the beautiful joy filled smile) and to anyone else who may stop by and visit from time to time - may you know more deeply God's amazing love for you, and may you come to know who you really are, and enjoy life more deeply in this wonderful union you have in Him and with Him. Be blessed everyone!!!!

25 comments:

Dan Bowen said...

Awwwwww :)

The feeling is so mutual gorgeous, precious Lydia!!!

Love you, honour you and value you so much!!!!!

The Lewis Family said...

Well, Hi to you too! Of course I haven't really been away - ha ha. But, gee, that sure is a lot of people you meet in one place! Wow. You're just a grace blog snuggle bug. . . :)

Love B

p.s. can you just imagine heaven?!!

lydia said...

Love you too Dan :) Thanks you are always near and dear to my heart!!

Becky ~ I know you haven't been away, haha - but I feel like I have ;) regardless, I miss the dynamic of close rich fellowship that has been had on all our blogs, it just feels like a season of people being stepped back for whatever reason, and I long for that dynamic to shift to more sweet times shared - Heaven, aah yes, but hey why wait, let's enjoy a piece of heaven on earth together now!!!!! Much love

Jamie said...

OH! What sweet blessings you bestow on us all, Lyds, Full of JOY!

I think we are feeling the effects of living on the "frontlines" of speaking grace...all in different ways but all taking shots, so to speak. So, we stand and continue to declare TRUTH knowing no weapon formed against us will prosper. Why? Because the shield that protects us is not just of wood, our resources, but SKIN, HIS!! By being in-Christed we are kept by the STRONGEST FORTRESS: God Almighty! Huh. I am so aggravated. I'm sick of being deterred and waylaid by CIRCUMSTANCES! God makes MOUNTAINS FLAT for me. He rolls back rivers for me to cross on dry ground. He lifts me from miry clay and sets my feet on high ground...the ROCK.

I, too, miss our long discussions...time to give our adversary a good, stiff finger and laugh in his face. The game IS OVER AND WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERERS!!! Not because of our conquering but HIS! Time to start pointing to the CROSS.

Thanks, Lyds! I NEEDED THAT! LOL

Chris Welch - 07000INTUNE said...

One of the reasons I never bothered setting up my own blog for over 12 months after finding Dan's site was because of the interaction. I sensed something was going on that was really alive, more alive than each one of us on our own.
That is one part of what is happening on Facebook, the other is the ability to make loud shouts into a limited but wider marketplace. However it seems that blogs are a great vehicle for really tackling issues that are particularly current in the Body of Christ.
Maybe the thing would be to do more of Joel's synchroblogging, or setting up a more communal blog/project that Google allows.

Had no idea Lydia, you were an encourager to so many. You certainly are to me.

Aida said...

Lydia, I was amazed when I read your post this morning. It goes along perfectly with the one I posted yesterday.

I recently got involved with Facebook and got hooked. Although others may have a different point of view, I personally don't see life being generated through Facebook like I do on our blogs. For me, it's the difference between a large mega-church and a small intimate group that meets over a meal.

Also, IMO, Facebook is a lousy place to develop strong relationships and in one case, a budding relationship with a group that I had met on another site was destroyed when we all moved over to Facebook.

So, I'm not dropping out of Facebook but, as Leonard pointed out, blogging is my first love and I'm re-adjusting my priorities and Facebook is not very high on it.

I've missed all of you too and when I started reading everyone's blogs again a couple of days ago, I could feel strength returning so I'm definitely back.

If anyone is interested in reading my post, follow this link.

silent wings said...

Dear and precious Lydia,

I just read your FB message and wrote you back. And then I read your blog post...

I had no idea that conversation had quieted for a season around the bogsphere. I thought I was alone in my retreat. I have missed it greatly myself and I agree absolutely with Aida in the differences between FB and the Blogs...I don't know that I even have much of a relationship with you all through FB. Is that weird? The blogs have provided real community for me. You have been family to me as have many of the others you mentioned. The past two years were such a sweet gift from Pappa to me and I treasure the relationships He gave me.

Learning to walk this revelaion of grace out with the people in my home and in my neighbourhood is another dimension...another gift. Thankyou for thinkig of me/us and blessing and exhorting me/us with your words. You continue to encourage us.

Love you my sister and friend. Praying you are likewise drinking deeply of His refreshing love.

Phil said...

Just dropped by and saw me mentioned. That was sweet,thanks. I'm very tired with all the thinking and reading etc,but I just wanted to drop you a line. Love to you and yours.

lydia said...

Jamie ~ Love your enthusiasm it's incredibly contagious!

Chris - aw shucks!!! Glad to be able to encourage you!!

Aida ~ Great minds think alike!! (wink, wink, we do have the mind of Christ!!!)

Sweet Cirra ~ Love you too!!

Hey Phil, great to have you stop by! Be refreshed my friend and enter in to His rest!!!

lydia said...
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lydia said...
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Daveda said...

Hi there, blog hoping a bit this morning and came across your blog. I just wanted to say hello, it's nice to "meet" you.

I see you have some Joseph Prince clips on your blog..AWESOME! I love the grace and truth that comes forth in his teaching, sets you free!

Please stop by and say hello sometime.

Many Blessings!

Grace said...

Hi Lydia.

I have not been blogging for a bit.
Things have been crazy busy at work and home.

The first night back and I read this post. Wow. Thanks you for your heart and being in tune with your Kingdom family.

Bless you
Love
Gregg

Bino M. said...

Lydia - This is such an encouraging post! Thank you!

Shawna said...

Hi Lydia - deep affection welled up inside of me as I read your post. Your words are always like living water to me, so refreshing. It's been a challenging summer...when you wrote "Know that your circumstances do not dictate truth or who you are." That was for me. Thank you for sharing your life with us through this blog, and for living on the "frontlines" for grace, as Jamie wrote. You are so appreciated!

Phil said...

That's the desire,Lydia. Thanks

lydia said...

Daveda ~ Hello and Welcome!! Yes I enjoy Joseph's passion for pure grace!! I hope to stop by and visit you soon!! Grace and peace to you!!!

lydia said...

Gregg ~ So good to hear from you!! Life is full 'eh and about to get fuller!! Congrats on your new little one on the way!! Grace and peace to you my friend!!

lydia said...

Thank you Shawna for your encouragement! I am so glad this blessed you. I can't think of anything more wonderful than being built up together in brotherly love!! Love it!! Peace to you!!

Craig Glenn said...

hey Juls...

thanks for the encouragement...i been so busy myself. I don't really have to pray for Gods blessing to you cause you already have it!!!....

and i KNOW you believe it!!

Leonard said...

Sniff,, sob..
Comic relief ??? listen lady, I know that but looks aren't everything...

lydia said...

Craig - You know Julie and I get mixed up all the time, I tell ya, must be we are both fiery women or something, but I take it as a a compliment none the less !!!!

I am so glad He wants to pour out His blessings all over us too, I receive them.......

lydia said...

Leo - Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and He considers you all fair and lovely my dear!!! Tee hee!!

Making people laugh is a great blessing in the BODY my friend.............HUGS!!

Anonymous said...

Hey, I was reading thru your blog after not being here for awhile and I found this post, Lydia. Thank you so so much for including me in your list of peeps. :)
Love you!

Ellie

lydia said...

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{E L L I E }}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

Always good to have you stop by! Miss you, hope you and yours are well!! Peace!!