HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OLIVIA MUNN!!!!

My night last night involved teen lust, broken windows, drunk guys coming to my house at odd hours of the morning needing a place to crash, and very little sleep. Clearly, not the ideal Saturday night. Today, I was pretty discouraged by it all, not hopeless, but definetly discouraged. The events of the night (like the broken widows) were not at my house and after talking to a friend of mine today was reminded how important sacred space is. How important a place of refuge, a safe place, a holy place is. A place that can be respected and a place to feel safe in. He went on to say how eventually that place becomes you. Right now this place is our home. Our friends know that our home will not be a place for sex or a place of drunken parties or a place to get high or a place to disrespect. After this conversation, the events of this evening showed me again how important sacred space is.

Tonight I am at work, and I have a friend of mine spending the night at my house alone. This same freind who I wrote about last post, and this same friend who was involved in the events of last night. I got a text message from her about an hour ago telling me what she thinks of me and what Jesus had to say to me - for the record it was bang on stuff. Then I got another text message a few minutes ago asking me to pray for her. So I did (which Ill share in a bit becuase I think it is something we can all hear). I called her back to share some pictures and words with her, and we talked for quite a bit about what Jesus was saying to her and stuff. Then she went on to say how if she went home tonight she wouldnt have prayed (by the time I called she had been at it a couple hours allready) and wouldnt have gotten the healing or freedom she beleives she recieved. Yup, my friend has it right - theres something important about sacred space.

Jesus and my friend were riding horses. The were comeing to a mountain and Jesus was ahead climbing it with ease. My friend was struggling the horse was slipping and she couldnt control the rieghns. She kept thinking "I dont want get too far behind Jesus, I dont want to miss him" But when she looked up He hadnt left. He was right in front of her waiting. He said "Ill never leave you alone I want to go up the mountain with you, come ride with me" She got off her horse and went on his with him, wrapped her arms tight around him and rode to the top of the mountain.

Friends, its the same for us. We must recongnise we cannot control our "horses" or our lives. If we try to we will stumble, fall behind and struggle. We must surrender control and allow our good sheapard to take the reigns.

He waits. While we in our stuborn pride try to do it ourselves and catch up - Jesus in his humility and love waits. His love doesnt change...He just waits, then when he has us he rides away!

God is here.