His Love – A Blog from Cheryl P.

Here’s another blog from an intern here at the G42 Leadership Academy.  Cheryl’s only been here about a month, but she’s getting it!  She is jumping into her dreams while she is here, you can read more about them at http://cherylpenner.wordpress.com.

The topic of the past week has been “What’s God’s Point?”

1)   God has a point

2)   He is self-existent

3)   He is motivated by LOVE

4)   He is pre-existent (not created)

5)   His is LOVE

6)   Human beings are the only thing that look like Him

Our homework this week has been to address the question of EVIL.  If all these things are true, which we can find biblical basis for all of them… what is EVIL and more importantly… DID GOD CREATE EVIL?  (I will be doing a follow up blog on this- it’s something that has brought up sooo many questions about truth and I am glad to be searching through things even if I’m not sure I’ll come up with definite solutions)

We were studying Genesis 1 a little bit… talking about how when God created he faced three things: EMPTYNESS – DARKNESS – CHAOS ~ out of these things he brought FULLNESS – LIGHT – ORDER.

This movement from a thing of death to a thing of life speaks volumes to our purpose and calling as children of God, followers of Him.  Andrew Shearman related this concept using the example of “lust of the flesh”.  Lust is a hunger, a perceived need that we try to fill, he mentions how inevitable failure is to that need when we try to legalistically ignore it.  So often Christians are perceived as abstainers, people who shut themselves off to things because of religious beliefs.   I know people have looked at me and thought, “naïve” “boring” and really let them think what they will, but I like Andrew’s way of putting it, that we are called to indulgence, not to abstainance.  We conquer sin by living a FULL life, a life full of purpose and full of the Spirit.  (which I know is easier said than understood, but I think the goal is to realize that it’s not simple, but it is attainable).   I think of my life and I realize that I am NOT an indulgent person… here in Spain, everyday having the time (generally), the freedom and the intentional community to be indulgent in Him has made my heart just totally agree with this notion.

Indulge in this:

The #1 Reason I am On the Planet is to BE loved.

It sounds kinda cliché and even maybe a little bit fluffy to me actually… but think about it.  God does not need us to love Him, He does not need us to bring Him glory, He IS glory and He IS love.  Think to how God walked through the garden with Adam in the cool of the day… think of how He provided for every need and made everything so good.  Adam was lonely, God provided, Adam didn’t need to plead and beg either, it just happened while he was asleep.  It’s love, it’s goodness and I think as I’ve been resting in that, I’ve felt a huge weight off my shoulders.  When I mess up and fail God which I do often and really just felt like a total failure spiritually which has happened a lot in the last year… His love is still why I am here.  I’m trying to think how many times I have been told that and why I am seeming only to really be resting in it now after an 24 year journey.   Well… I’m glad I’m here.

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I feel like I should take this free time I have this lovely Saturday evening to explain a little about what I’m doing here.  Basically Monday to Thursday are classes during the day.  Different speakers will come in each week basically equipping us to go out and do whatever ministry the Lord has placed on our heart.  Thursday afternoons are supposed to include a practicum component basically where each of us (21 of us in total, 11 in the Villa and 10 at San Sabastien house) starts a ministry, or finds one to hook into and continue developing.  It looks like I am working on a few different options.  One is spending some time at a hospital with a few other girls who feel called to work with children.   Another is working with a girl here from Brazil who wants to start a little youth group for young teens in the area, mostly from South America.  And one that I have found is starting something with the social services office here.  They have a program called Banco de Tiempo (time bank) which is very community development oriented and considering I did my social work practicum in community development I think might be a good place for me to use my skills.  The other thing that excites me about this program is the ability to practice spanish )!!!  as well as the fact that there is no church in Mijas and G42 is on its way to starting one for the community, but obviously in order to do so they/we will need to get to know the community.  If we can get involved in this time bank thing, I think it would be an excellent way of meeting people.  Thats the schoolish aspect of it… the rest is living as a community.  11 people in one house, from outside the house I would think it impossible… we’ve got a married couple, 6 girls and 2 guys in our house.  I love it!  We eat together, clean together and well we’re just together a lot of the time and of course there is always someone from San Sabastein house over too.  When I felt super sick last night… Steph was right there in my room so I didn’t even have to get out of bed to ask for prayer!  (by the way please pray for my health to be guarded, I’m uninsured here since I didn’t plan on being here this long).  It’s different being in community like this, but so far it has been really smooth.  I am in the more relaxed house, it is generally quieter which is really a relief considering my trouble sleeping.    I feel like I’m starting to ramble, so that’s all for now, thanks for listening!

This is the wackiest picture I could find of Cheryl. She’s the one with the ax.