Chosen, Not Cheated - S1 Priscilla Shirer

Last weekend, I took the opportunity to go to another Priscilla Shirer Simulcast, and I'm sure happy I did! I've shared some points from these notes so many times this week, so I thought I might as well post 'em!

Session 1:

• Luke 4:27 "And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed--only Naaman the Syrian."
• 2 Kings 5:1 "Now Naaman, captain of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man with his master, and highly respected, because by him the LORD had given victory to Aram. The man was also a valiant warrior, but he was a leper."
• Naaman was highly favored, but was a leper
• We tend to downplay that ailment/hinge that robs us of victory, freedom, etc. We mask it. Worse than being a leper is being a functioning leper- keeps me from my potential. There's no time or energy for Kingdom work when we're so focused on keeping whats in the "frame" perfect. 
• What's the leprosy I've grown to mask? (My answer- not living to my potential, placing a high value on temporal things. My ailment- settling)
• Israel, where God's people were, was the only place where leper colonies existed- God's people ostracized the lepers because they judge & pushed away the ailed people. Doesn't this sound like the "church" world today? Judging with smirks and comments- pushing people to a world outside of Jesus to find open arms. 
• There is a way to accept people without compromising the Word of God

• Mark 2:17 "On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
• 2 Kings 5: 2-6 "Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”
  Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. “By all means, go,” the king of Aram replied. “I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.”
  • the girl taken captive was not tucked away in her fantasy life- but she was displaced to the perfect place-she showed the power of Jesus to Naaman through healing. She wasn't cheated out of a dream life, she was chosen for a more significant one. 
  • Feeling displaced? Get busy leading where you're placed. Get positioned for His purposes. And don't look forward to getting out of it because then, we lose power in it: steward. responsible. 
  • Stay where you are- you've been displaced to a perfect place.
   

Break time truths: Churches have GOT to start breaking huddle and get on the field & play!

Breathe out confusion, breathe in Truth...
In sickness, depression, all anxieties...They have no power over me.

The Austin Story

It's been almost 2 years since I've been in this blog space... this feels good.

Today, Austin Burnham & I celebrate an entire year together. I don't know if that shocks you as much as it shocks me... Austin and I met back in 2014, when I was his small group leader. Yep...

When Aus graduated, so did our friendship. We had always clicked super well with our similar personality types, but never did I EVER see this relationship coming. Plus, if you haven't done the math yet, I have 4 years on him. And an inch or two. Close friendship is what I saw and what I believed for us. Then March 10, 2016 (ish) happened.

Aus and I had our Thursday night Green Market tradition. There's a balloon animal professional who goes from table to table... this night in particular, I got a tiara and he got a crown. And with that stupid balloon crown on his head, he looks at me and asks what I think about our relationship becoming more than a friendship.

I think time stopped for a minute or two. I kind of panicked. I had no solid response to that. In my opinion, the odds seemed to be against us, but I have always admired Austin's relationship with God, so I couldn't just brush this off. That night, he prayed. And for the 4 months following, I prayed. Everyday. Prayed for external confirmations from God. Prayed for clarity on what He was leading me to do, along with some strength and confidence to follow through.

YOU GUYS. The next four months were some of the craziest of my life...

In March, we walked around the Dunedin Marina and at the same time, we pointed out this one specific boat. I thought it was cool looking, he was probably just copying me. We walk up to it... "Why Wait". Who name's a boat that...

In April, I was still living in my doubts and confusion on the whole thing, and I made up my mind to talk to Aus that night to tell him I wanted to just remain friends. But God redirected my mindset when I walked into work that morning to see these letters everywhere... We just so happen to have a wedding that day at the club between a Matt & Ashley (or something like that).

That same month, Austin went camping with a few friends on this random island off the Dunedin Causeway. As they're on their prayer walks, he's talking to God about us. A storm rolls in and the guys take cover under a tarp, seated on a makeshift driftwood bench. Aus looks down at the bench to see my initials carved next to my best friend, Allie's. We had been on this island years ago, on the same makeshift driftwood bench.

So it's getting weirder and weirder. In May, we're on a causeway date and find a wedding ring buried in the dirt. In June, we fasted over the relationship and took a 3 week break from each other. During that fast, the same woman sat behind me every Sunday in church. So finally the third Sunday in, I realized she was a prayer partner. I went up to her and told her I think I was supposed to ask for prayer from her over the Austin thing. Without knowing a thing, she stops me and says "Whatever it is the Lord is telling you to do, regardless of what people may think or what society view you may be holding onto, you need to move forward". And then proceeds to talk about her husband not being the type of guy she normally dated, but ended up being everything she needed to fulfill some of the missions the Lord has called her to since they've been married.

After that conversation, I had come to a point where, if I asked Austin to remain a friend, I felt like I was walking away from a calling. So when we came back together, we had Christmas in July, made Christmas cookies, and saw each other for the first time in 3 weeks. I was SO NERVOUS opening the door!!! That night, I told him all the things and our relationship continued, just with a lot more confidence and certainty and with an official title.

I've had a year with my best friend. And it's been great, it's been hard, it's been challenging, but my favorite, it's been countercultural. It's been wholly God's. We worship together- knees on the bedroom floor with Bibles, journals and a Crowder playlist. We pray together- every single day. We make mistakes together- still trying to understand and learn each other. I've had to stay Godependent to be in this relationship, we both have. And in my opinion, that's the best place to be :)

More on the handsome man later,
I love you, Aus! (not that he read this. he hates reading...)