Blessed or Cursed?

Blog Post by Wendy Kauffman                            

These last few days I have been reading more of Henri J.M. Nouwen's "Life of the Beloved" I know God brought this book to me at this time in my life so that I would know and understand His Great and magnificent love for me.

Today when I was reading though, It really hit me hard why we need to so desperately understand who we are and how God see's us. Henri writes this in his book,
"Not claiming your blessedness will lead you quickly to the land of the cursed. There is little or no neutral territory between the land of the blessed and the land of the cursed. You have to choose where it is that you want to live, and that choice is one that you have to keep making from moment to moment."

Really? Like who would actually make a conscious choice to live in the "land of the cursed," are there people who wake up and say today, I will live in the land of the cursed, tomorrow, maybe believe what God says about me and live in the land of the blessed. How do we really do this to ourselves? How do we let other people do that to us? How do we do that to other people? Does not make sense on any human level, but yet we do. We go back and forth as if this is what we deserve.

Then Henri goes on about this, "I must tell you that claiming your own blessedness always leads to a deep desire to bless others. The characteristic of the blessed ones is that , wherever they go, they always speak words of blessing. It is remarkable how easy it is to bless others, to speak good things to and about them, to call forth their beauty and truth, when you yourself are in touch with your own blessedness. The blessed one always blesses, and people want to be blessed! This is so appearant every where you go. No one is brought to life through curses, gossip, accusations, or blaming. There is so much of that taking place around us all the time. And it calls forth darkness, destruction and death. As the "blessed ones" we can walk through this world and offer blessings."

What would it look like if we could wake up everyday and remember what God calls us? Remember how he sees us? Remember what he has done for us? How much more could we affect change in our homes, our work, our towns, our cities and nations.

Today if you are reading this, Know that God loves you! He really loves you! You are His blessed child! He wants to know you. God sees you as beautiful and wonderful. He has great plans for you. He wants to prosper you. He takes Pride in you!

Now go bless someone else!

Upside Down!

So it has now been 5 months since we moved to Miami to start an outreach to the homeless and a church for people who don't like church and are very far from God. There have been ups and there have been downs. There has not been more of one than the other. God has proved his faithfulness through it all. We have learned so much, lost so much and worked so hard.

There have been many people over the last week or two, calling, e-mailing, writing, just to let us know that they are praying for us and that they support what we are doing. I don't think I could have made it through these last few weeks without the prayer, love and support of so many. It has really made a difference!

One thing that I have learned in the last 2 weeks is that the way I think things should happen are not at all the way they normally do. We live in a world that is upside down in so many ways. We meet so many people who are upside down in their finances, upside down with their houses, upside down in their relationships. Upside down is a term that many people use to describe what is going on in their lives.

A friend of mine posted a verse on her facebook wall this week. It is out of James 1:12
¹² Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

With everything we have gone through these last few weeks, with all the hurting, broken, lonely, sick, addicted people we meet daily, I have come to understand one thing, Everything on this earth looks upside down, but Jesus came to show us a different picture.

Jesus says we may be tried, we may be stolen from, we may be taken advantage of, we may be slandered, we may be accused, we may be persecuted, we may be taken to the brink, but, if we perservere, we will receive the crown of life.

The way we think things should be, the way we want victory, may never come, but if we believe in the one who came to free us from ourselves and our old life and give us life new again, we have a promise that no one can take away.

Please pray that as we walk through these earthly trials that we can hold onto the hope of the promises that God has made to us so that we can spread the message of hope that a new economy is coming. One that takes us from upside down to right side up!

man for hire

This last Saturday morning, I got up early and cooked up a couple batches of the worlds best gravy to serve to the hungry out in the park. Like many times in the past, during the week leading up to the new tradition, there were doubts about if we would even be able to serve. So many times we've come to the realization that we couldn't do it, but, held on to the belief that if God wanted it to happen, it would. Every week that we've stepped out in faith, God has provided what we needed.


Not far from the park is a Home Depot store, where guys will gather in the morning waiting to be hired for the day as laborers by contractors, movers, landscapers, etc. They are not guaranteed a job, but, go every day hoping someone will stop by needing help. This is how they survive, this is how they pay their bills. They go expecting and are often rewarded, however, there are times when there are more workers then work and they go home empty handed. You would think that when this happens, it would deter them from coming back, but, it doesn't. Instead, they head out looking for a job the traditional way, filling out applications. The next morning, they're back at Home Depot.


It makes me think how we, as followers of Jesus, could learn a real lesson from the day laborers. What if we made ourselves available every single day to be used by God? What if every morning we got up and went to a place and just waited, saying, "here I am God, need some help today? I'll build or maintain or clean or whatever you want, I'll do it, I'm your guy." One thing that's sure in God's economy is there is more work than workers.


Idealistically this sounds great and maybe someday we'll try this out, when we have more time, but, more often than not, our own schedules and agenda get in the way of going to God on a regular basis and saying "use me God! I'm a hard worker!" But, what if our survival depended on it? Jesus made it a point to say he doesn't do anything unless he sees the father do it. The only way he could see the father do it, was if he went to a place where the father was and look to see what he was doing that day.


If we just sit back and wait, we'll never get anywhere. If we do as Jesus did and go to that place where we can see what God is doing, then we put ourselves in the position of availability and we won't go home empty handed.


As we continue this mission God has put us on, please pray that no matter the fires we walk through, that we always take the time to see what God is doing.

Shattered!

Blog Post by Wendy Kauffman

So this last week has been as trying as any time in my life. As I blogged earlier in the week, I had some trouble with tremors and seizures, which have since resided. The week before I worked almost every day cleaning other people's houses and I think it kicked off some of those health issues.

Instead of getting better though, our week got worst. It brought challenges we never expected to face. I know I can truly testify to God faithfulness and how he watches over us every minute of every day.

Every person that I talked with this week could tell me a story of something crazy going on in their lives. Things they never expected to happen or decisions they never expected to have to make. It definitely makes you realize that you have to be on your game and pray for protection over your family and friends constantly.

In the last few weeks I have been reading Henri J.M. Nouwen's book, "Life of the Beloved" Honestly, it is rocking my world. It covers some very simple truths or so you would think. It should be a simple truth but honestly for me, and for that matter most people, it is not. In this book, Nouwen sets out to help us understand one thing. You are loved. Not only are you loved, but you are God's Beloved.

Beloved: It means a person who is greatly loved; dear to the heart. That you are someone that matters most. Most of us either walk around not knowing or just don't believe that we could be His Beloved. I wonder what would happen if we would walk around in the freedom of knowing that the God of the universe calls us His Beloved.

Long before any human being saw us, we are seen by God's loving eyes. Long before anyone heard us cry or laugh, we are heard by God who is all ears for us. Long before any person spoke to us in this world, we are spoken to by the voice of eternal love. This is the the truth of our lives. Do we believe it? What would happen if we did believe it and acted on this truth?  I wonder if we started really grasping this truth in the core of our being, how would things be different?

From the moment we claim the truth of being the beloved, we are faced with the call to become WHO WE ARE. When we know we are the Beloved we can let go of fear because perfect love casts out fear(1John 4:18). We can be who we're created to be. We can walk confidently and laugh at the uncertainty of the future. We don't have to look to other people for affirmation because we are loved by the only One who is constant. We can see others for who they are despite themselves-the Beloved. There's a shift that happens within us. We are set free. Free from striving to earn peoples affection. Free from all the lies and deception that plague us. Free from self-rejection. Just one word from us could shatter a thousand lies-Beloved!

Knowing the truth that we are the Beloved should become embedded in everything we say, do or think. We should be be able to let go of the doubt and insecurity that holds us down. But, does this happen? Do we hold this truth to be true? God wants us to know it and believe it. What do we believe? We usually believe the lie that Satan tries to tell us. We are hurt and we hurt and so we usually walk around with our head down believing the lie. We become o.k. with other people speaking that lie in our hearts and minds and before it is over with our butts are dragging the ground. Then we start speaking that lie into other peoples hearts and minds too. We can't help it, we are just putting on them what we believe about ourselves.

When we moved to Miami we prayed that God would give us his heart for each person we meet. What I am learning this week, is that in order to see people as God sees them, I have to first see myself as God's sees me. HIS BELOVED!

What can bring you down?

Blog Post by Wendy Kauffman

So these last few days have been pretty hard for me, Both Mentally and Physically. I was feeling like things were finally getting back on track. Things were finally coming together and then bam all of the sudden, once again I was hit with some reality.

Yesterday morning, I woke up having tremors/seizures. For those of you who don't know about 6 years ago, I was diagnosed with a tumor/cyst on my spinal cord. Since then I have undergone numerous treatments including radiation therapy and neuro stimulation therapy. If you asked my neuro doctor he would tell you that I am pretty much a walking miracle because most people who have this condition can't walk or eventually lose their ability to do so after a few years. My treatment was very successful and for the last 3 years I have only had 1 episode like yesterday. I normally need to get neuro-stimulation therapy to keep every thing at bay.  Since leaving Missouri I have not been able to get plugged into a neruo doc here to get them done yet. It is always really hard when I have these and they really mess with my head. My anxiety level goes through the roof.

I also got some bad news today that really sent me for a loop. There are days when I ask, Why God? Most of the time the answer is a resounding "So that my glory can be revealed through you." Honestly, I know that is true but in reality, who wants to be the person that has to go through stuff, usually bad stuff so that God's Glory can be revealed. I know most of the time we are not lining up for that.

I also know that this last year has been a revelation of God's glory in our life. What he has done, what he has brought us through and how His love has come through over and over again for us. Why would I not want people to know it. Isn't this the way people are going to come to know about God and how much he cares for us.

Today I am reminded of how much God has sacrificed so that we can know Him, so that we can have a relationship with him. I am reminded that He will and needs to use people like me, someone who makes mistakes, someone who messes up, someone who worries way too much, so that other people can meet him too. So that others can have a relationship with him too.

Please pray for me, as I go through these difficult days, that I will keep my eyes on this. That I will not let this bring me down today! That our enemy who is alive and well and trying to take us down gains no ground!

Where do lonely hearts go?

Blog Post by Wendy Kauffman


Since we have been back in Miami, Jeff and I(with Joel's help), have been working pretty tirelessly to make an income to get things back on track for our family financially. God has been very faithful to provide work day after day. Jeff is doing 2-3 moves almost every day since getting back at the first of the year. We spend probably an hour or so every day posting ads for jobs on craigslist. He posts for moving and assembly of furniture and I post for house cleaning.


When we first got back, I was not getting any calls. Before we left for a few weeks in December I was doing a job or two a week. So this past week it picked back up again all of the sudden. I guess everyone was through the Holidays and ready to get back into a routine.


So this week I got a call from a lady that lives on Hallendale Beach on the 36th floor of one of the nicest high rise apartments in the area. Her apartment is beautiful. When you walk in all you can see is ocean for miles and miles. If you could jump from her balcony you would land on the beach. On the other side of her apartment is an amazing view of the intercoastal and the city. Either way you look there is beauty! The kind of beauty that would seem to make you happy no matter who you are.


I guess I was wrong. No sooner had I walked in and was swept away by the beauty, was my moment stolen by the incessant complaining of this lady who wanted me to clean her apartment. She could not stop talking about how messed up everything was. How nasty the tile was, how aweful the appliances were, how unusuable the kitchen was and how terrible it was that you could see the Master Bedroom from the front door. She did this for about 45 minutes. 


What was most interesting about this whole situation was how clean her apartment was. Now if you know me well, you know that I am pretty OCD. I do like a clean house, I do like things organized, and I do drive my family nuts by the amount of cleaning that I tend to do.  So for me to say this ladies apartment was clean is a big statement, but it was clean and I was looking around for anything that I could possibly clean.


After about an hour of following her around while she explained what I needed to do, I realized something very important. She is a very lonely lady!  She pays someone to drive her everywhere, she pays someone to come make out her checks to pay her bills, and now she pays me to come clean her already clean apartment, twice a week!  That's right, twice a week, for 5 hours each time I go. This is a small apartment that under normal circumstances would take me about 2 hours to clean.  She is lonely!


The hard part is, she thinks she has to buy her companionship. So many people here in Miami are very lonely. We see it all the time. Many of them just lock themselves up in their house and decide that it is a way of life and they need to get used to it. This lady, has, at least figured out she needs people around her. She understands that she needs to have a community of people to help her live life. I just feel sad that she feels like she has to pay for it.


So many are searching for that authentic community that will bring their lonely hearts out of hiding.


Please pray for us, that as we meet people who are lonely that we can help them meet the one who is a true friend. That we show the love of Jesus in such a way that they crave a relationship with him and that they will find the real community that they are looking for. Please pray that we can be an authentic community for the people around us.