The Nazirite

Numbers 6. Talks about the Nazirite Vow. It was a vow of....well I think I'll let you read it for yourself.

"Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
'Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'When either a man or woman consecrates an offering to take the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the LORD...

.....'All the days of the vow of his separation no razor shall come upon his head; until the days are fulfilled for which he separated himself to the LORD, he shall be holy. Then he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow.....'"

Numbers 6.1-2, 5

A man or woman could take this vow and consecrate, set apart for a holy or sacred purpose, themselves for a set time that they would decide; for that time they were set apart for God and God alone. There were certain requirements for this time that you were a Nazirite; you couldn't eat or drink anything made of grapes, you couldn't touch dead things and you couldn't cut your hair. At the end of the appointed time you were to cut your hair.

About 8 months ago I decided I wanted to be consecrated to Him. A man or a woman could take the vow; so during the time a went to school and did EMT, until I moved I would be a Nazirite. Now in a sense we, the church, are Nazirites - we are set apart for God. But I wanted something more - that I wouldn't get sidetracked, I would lose the vision; what all this training was for, and I wouldn't stray. Not cutting my hair for 8 months wouldn't keep me from straying but it was there to reminded me; I wasn't one of them, I wasn't the world. Fun, work and adrenaline was great but it was getting me ready for what He had in store; the goal was Africa for God's glory. I didn't want to forget that. There were times when I lived and it wasn't all for the glory of God - to my regret today. A time when I explored rebellion - and wanted to taste what Babylon called "fun". But for those times when you come home empty; there is grace. Praise the Lord for that. It's been a time I won't forget - it's been a season unlike any other.

But, now it's time....Tuesday I'm getting it cut. It's coming off. That filth and yuck from walking and working side by side with the world is coming off - but it was there to reminded me who's I was and to who I really belonged and why I was here: for the glory of God.

"Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." - 1 Corinthians 10.31

Special Ops. Log 29 by SSAiC

09:30AM My Partner in Special Ops. Emily and I, SSAiC, got up

09:45AM The Chief and Cadet George left to go meet the people who wanted to look at K-9 Emma

09:48AM Sat at table drinking my morning cup of milk and partner Emily drank her decaffeinated, sugar free, non-fat, zero calories, tasteless beverage; water. In the quiet calm of the day when it struck us something was not right.

09:50AM My partner, Emily, stopped the enjoyment of her morning refreshment and said,
"Is that a car?"
"A car?" I modestly replied, and looked toward the OPEN front door and listened and realized...my cup was out of milk!!! No, no....I realized my partner was right! We calmly looked at each other and did the rational thing to do....HIT THE FLOOR! and stealth-fully army crawled in our jammies behind the breakfast bar.
We regrouped on the kitchen floor and methodically thought out our next move....as our trusted guard; Fluffers joined us on the floor.
"Who do you think it is?!?!?!" I suppressed the panic in my throat, and tried not to throw myself into a coughing fit.
My partner then spoke up and said, "I believe it was a dusty blue, Acrua, mini-SUV."
"Well WHOSE IS IT?!?" As we sat quietly in out thoughts and plan of attack, which were crowed by giggles of girlish giddiness; our thoughts were interrupted...KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK.Our guard in her cleaver K-9 approached charged the door! BARK, BARK, BARK!
In a unshaken voice I ask my partner, "wh-wh-what should we d-d-do!?!?!?" My partner pointed out that my courage jacket was on the chair and that I should put it on and move stealthily over to the denn where I would saunter out and approach the intruder. I gussied up the courage with my courage jacket and decided my partner was right.....popping up from behind the breakfast bar would appear a bit cowardly and appear a bit more than odd.
The plan was underway. I had crawled to the den and stood, and saluted my partner and marched to join our K-9 guard in mortal combat. I put on a happy face to fool the intruder and planed my explanation for jammies and my courage jacket. I went over my part in my head, 'oh hello, I'm sorry but I didn't hear you, I'm sick at home you see and have not taken a shower or anything...that you see is my reason for my slothfulness.' However, I reach the door and no one was there. I looked down the road and saw the intruders retreating in their dusty blue, HONDA pilot.

09:54AM I told my partner that it was safe to advance to the front and retreat to the back-pod, our bedrooms.
"Good grief, what are they doing here? It's only 9 o'clock!" As she observed the clock on the microwave. It read 9:54."Ok, so ten, but still...."
" 9 to 9...." I reminded my partner.
" That only applies to telephone." I was promptly reminded - as she trailed down the hall, I was calling Mobile Command HQ....and by HQ I mean....oh you know that, ok Mr. Smarty Pants. ;) I updated HQ on our lasted scenario and hung up the phone....and CLOSED the front door.
"Who do you think it was?"
"I don't know...." My partner replied.
"Do you think it was the Hahnulas? Hey! Maybe he wants his car back!?" ;)
"yeah!..wait, what?"
"I'm mean maybe they want their jars back."

11:00AM Mobile Command had come back from their morning mission to survey the situation at hand.
"You know it could have been the German Shepard people." Cadet George suggested. (K-9 Fluffer's eyes aren't as they used to be...)My partner and I looked at each other it somewhat embarrassment and bummer-age. "Great."
"It is Wednesday." The Chief stated while doing the dishes.
All three of us looked in bewilderment. "Labulay! Yes...I mean, Wednesday! I don't get it. What's Wednesday?" ;)
"It's the day that the JW's go out."
"Really?"
"Yes." Chief usually knows what she's talkin' about.
"They do drive nicer cars." My partner stated the obvious I had overlooked.
"True."
THE END

This is just one of the many encounters that happens here in Special Ops. So remember kids close the front door. We've hope you've enjoyed this little adventure with us -until next time.

- Special Secret Agent in Charge: SSAiG

It's only September 1 and it feels like Fall. It was August and it felt like Fall, but then that's the North West for you. I miss summer. I miss all the kids - I miss my co-workers. I miss the silliness and the giddiness we'd get and the days when it felt like nothing went right and we were just running on adrenaline, instinct, the Banana song and Fishy Crackers.

I'm going to write a story - dedicated to them. I've already started it, I got the idea from Brandon; he got the idea while they were suppose to be evaluating new Youth Staff to replace us. I don't know what I'm going to call story yet. But I think I'm might try to work in personalities, different things, stories - memories. It will be a children's book.

Farewell friends of summer - and let us venture into out new season with a piece of life that we've learned from this summer.

To: Scott, Ashley, Brandon, Chris, Matt, Drew, Taylor, Jessica, Alex and Crowsen - I love and miss you all!

DAY 2 personal pharaohs [NAMING OUR PHARAOHS]

2 Kings 17.7-8

#1 I was talking to my mother about that. How in today's world it's really all around us, it's even in the way we think. Beth touched on it in her Daniel study; the Babylon mentality, 'I am and there is no other.' It's the world we live in; convenience, meet your needs, all about you, your time, what makes you happy...etc.

#2 "hand" or "house of" or "power of"

#3 I'm not sure Lord. Would you show me? (looking over these again - I'm beginning to see some personal pharaohs; from people to emotions, a feeling or even a state of mind.)

#4 Something I've noticed in Exodus 1 was the children of Israel multiplied and grew and even grew "mighty", 3 times it was listed after it was recorded what Egypt did to snuff them out. At this point they still feared God in their bondage and He still blessed them in numbers and might.
a. Oppressiveness - taskmasters. Someone that governed their day; and for us it can be a someone or something that governs our day and our lives. (agendas maybe)
b. Not only were their agendas taken away but their freedom in their personal lives as well. (mid-wives) No longer were just their agendas being changed and manipulated but their personal lives were being manipulated, but the mid-wives feared God and God blessed them. However the people of Israel were now controlled not only with their work lives but their personal lives as well.

#5 refer to above

#6 Just one of many is the image of my body; what I think it should be; it dictates how confident I am in everything I do. How i act and the way I think and what I view my worth and value. Fantasy, can put you in a blue funk or pull you out of one any day.
The attention I was getting from guys and when it all slowed down to a stop my self-esteem went down too. The lack of attention, lack of worth and so on.

#7 My image, my worth, attention - they governed my day, my emotions and they started to dictate my personal life. And sometimes I felt no control over it. Jesus free me. Whatever the oppression is or was - Now I need to know I'm secure in who I am, and secure in my identity. The children of Israel were known for the God they served, they weren't secure in it, they went their old ways. Please Lord free me and may I know with-out a doubt who I am and whose I am, that I may never turn back to my oppressor to find my easily identifiable identity. Jesus make me Your's

"It won't be easy, you'll have to learn My ways - walk with Me, watch Me and see my business as I do it. See my people from My view - your Mine; I made you." - God

DAY 1 personal pharaohs [DEFINING OUR TERMS]

exodus 20.3

#1 Idol doesn't have to be something material. It can be a feeling, prospective, a motivation (thats a big one).

#2 I'm not even sure..."professed", pronounced? functional; what works for us at the expense of something or others.

#3 "Functional". Something that worked for us. Works for our desires, what convenient. Examples...media, all the advice you need only a click away - (all from a scewed prospective), MySpace maybe? Not really sure.

#4 For me, I guess it would be the image of what I believe my body should look like. It governs my choices, from there; my wardrobe, and to what I believe my worth should be when I don't mirror that image. A guy; everything in me wanted to see him again. I wanted company, I wanted to be beautiful to someone, to know that I was worth something to someone.

Exodus 20.1-6

#5 He is "...a jealous God...'

#6 He loves us. I honestly would hope that my lover would be jealous for my attention and service.

#7 Other than the fact that He is God and God alone and there is no other? The children of Israel had just come out of the house of bondage where many gods was the norm. He wanted them to know that, 'No, it wasn't ok and that Egypt's gods didn't save her.' But also if we can get the first one who kinda got a good chunk of the others taken care of.

#8 Worshiping God and serving idols that was big. It made sense though. And a "functional god", that whole thought was kinda daunting.

This isn't going to be easy; I have several seasons worth of weeding and rooting out to do and I'm a little overwhelmed on where in the world to start. But it's a small step maybe somewhere and someday I'll stay caught up. Wishful thinking maybe, a goal; gotta start somewhere, so lets start here.

NO OTHER GODS

I started this Bible study by Kelly Minter, called NO OTHER GODS (NOG) at the beginning of the summer - summer happened but the Bible study didn't. I'm going to try to finish it. I'm feeling a little less than 'determined' but a little more than 'if it happens it happens' attitude. Jesus give me diligence to finish this!
Beth Moore and her 'sisestas' did it with blogging. Most of the time you won't usually share everything you wrote down - but I have no small group to share it with so I'm going to share it with you. Every other week Beth would post a video to go over some key points and questions. I'm gonna attempt to answer them when I hit my 'every other week mark'.
Kellly has a site for her "living room series" as well : http://www.livingroomseries.com/ Check it out.

Lord Bless!

Here is the link to Beth Moore's blog : http://livingproofministries.blogspot.com/

A: (write in) God's grace

I found it.