Expressing God's Heart in Politics

Imagine a world without fear and lack.  Where governments make decisions based on love and abundance rather than fear and lack of resources.  Where people in communities embrace that they are their brother's keeper and they don't have to fear that there will not be enough to go around.  Imagine a world where perceptions do not dictate government actions, but wisdom and compassion guide their every decision.  What if all relationships, between individuals, communities, states, and governments, were defined by compassion, honor, and believing the best in one another?   Recklessly idealistic, I know, but I truly believe this is God's heart for humanity.
The dream that has been on my heart lately is to create a blog that expresses God's heart in politics and to explore the possibility of the world described above.  Christians have a pretty bad reputation of being dishonoring when it comes to addressing alternative political views.  I would like to create a space where people can come to learn and discuss political issues from a perspective that honors God and one another.  I want a place where those who have encountered the lavish love of God can explore how to engage with a world that has not fully realized that the Kingdom of Heaven is in its midst. 

Ultimately I will begin with the following premises:

About God:

1. God is all-powerful, lacks nothing, and is for the good of all mankind.
2. God loves every person on the planet infinitely and unconditionally, and is in a good mood.
3. Jesus is the ultimate demonstration of God's love for humanity.  His death and resurrection declares all of mankind "not guilty"; it is now the choice of each person whether they want to be in relationship with God or not for all of eternity.
4. God is in the business of convincing the world that He loves them; not coercively, but romantically.  It is this love that is the heartbeat of the Kingdom of Heaven.

About Christians:

1. The "job" of those who believe in and accept His love is to enjoy, demonstrate, and share that love with those who don't know about it yet.

About Government:

1. The United States of America and ultimately the World is a pluralistic society with persons of many opinions, beliefs, and moral codes.
2. The intended purpose of the US government is:

   “The purpose of government is to enable the people of a nation to live in safety and happiness. Government exists for the interests of the governed, not for the governors.”
   - Thomas Jefferson

For the purposes of the site, the premises are not to be argued with. They are the starting point for the rest of the conversation. There are many other websites that discuss the legitimacy of these premises, but this site is something different.  I hope to present issues in such a way that it communicates what I am for rather than what I am against.  I'm hoping people will post comments and feedback, however, they will be filtered to keep the conversation constructive and focused.  I look forward to seeing people respond to one another in such a way that engages the heart and mind. 

In some ways I feel completely inadequate in facilitating this sort of discussion, but God keeps reminding me that what I bring to the conversation is His heart.  He has told me that I will learn a lot.  I don't have all of the answers, but He does.  As we engage with the issues facing this world that are in contrast to His Kingdom (His love), He will provide us with the wisdom in how to move forward.

I'm excited to see where this goes.  It is just the beginning of a new journey and I have no idea where it will take me.  Check out the site at: http://HeavenAndPolitics.blogspot.com.

Thanks for reading.

Janet

Own A Sailboat

The next dream on my list is to own a sailboat.

I have loved being in the ocean my entire life. Growing up in San Diego and going to the beach weekly as a child deposited in me a deep respect and awe for the ocean. I remember at my dad's end of week work picnics at the beach I would go out into the surf, with no board what-so-ever, and try and ride the waves while dodging or being dodged by surfers. In high school when I needed time to think I would go to a small beach covered in rocks and watch the sun set behind the silhouette of the surf. During the summer between my junior and senior year I went through a program to become a certified beach lifeguard, and what a thrill it was to jump off the Mission Bay Pier!

I left for college at 17 and moved to San Luis Obispo. While the water temperature was noticeably colder, I was still within a few miles of the ocean where I could retreat for a run or find peace reading a book. When I moved to Redding, my biggest hesitation was that the closest distance to the ocean was four hours away. I was comforted by the fact that the city is surrounded by mountains, lakes, and rivers; adequate substitutes for the ocean when all three are present.

When I was 21, I had the opportunity to go with a group of young adults to Hawaii and help to build and establish adventure programs for a retreat camp. Basically we harvested coconuts, dug toilet latrines, set up heavy duty tents, and then went on adventures all over the island. One of these adventures included sailing on a sailboat down the Big Island coastline. In return for the owner's generosity, we cleaned the barnacles off of his boat. I can't remember if I had been on a sailboat up to that point. I remember hearing stories my dad told me about a catamaran he had when he was younger, but I don't recollect ever being on a boat with sails. I didn't really know what to expect. I had been in tiny aluminum boats and large fishing boats growing up, but those don't compare to sailing.

The day we went on our excursion, we drove down the coastal highway and pulled off the road in an unmarked location. There was a small bay about 200 yards from the road with no buildings in sight. The water was crystal clear and the sky was cloudless; a perfect summer day on the Big Island. About 100 feet from shore sat a little sailboat anchored in the bay. Our group made our way out of the back of the truck we were riding in and across the lava rock lining the shore. We adorned our snorkel gear and jumped in. There were all kinds of colorful fish swimming beneath us as we made our way over to the boat. The captain lowered a ladder for us to climb aboard. The boat itself was not very big, it held about seven of us at one time. We sprawled ourselves out over the boat and prepared for the ride.

It's hard to describe the emotions I felt as we sailed across the ocean. I was gazing at the endless blue sky, the sun was shining down and the wind was blowing over me in a perfect collaboration to moderate my body temperature, and a slight mist covered the surface of my skin each time the boat sailed over a swell. With ease, I was able to find peace in an instant and lean into in the presence of God. It was a drunken feeling encountering the fullness of goodness, peace and joy, and to top it all off, I was able to share the experience with some of my favorite people. We sailed in serene silence as we drank in the depth of His lavish love for us.

It was this experience that produced a longing in my heart to sail ever since, and why I dream to have a sailboat of my own. In the mean time, I'm perfectly content to go along with friends on their sailboats until my dream is fulfilled. Call me any time friends, call me any time...

With Love,
Janet

The little Hawaiian sailboat that planted a seed

Learn Arabic Fluently & Go to the Middle East

The next two dreams on my list are to learn Arabic fluently and go to the Middle East.

Ever since high school I have had a fascination with the Arab world. I'll give a shout out to my good friend Manal for being a part of this dream being planted in my heart. She is from Lebanon and in her home she spoke Arabic growing up. Whenever I went over to her house, I loved hearing them speak and also observe the unique cultural differences they had from mine. The hookah was always out, goat skins were on the floor, Arab soap operas were on TV, generosity and hospitality were their profession, and her mom often taught little kids Arabic in the garage. I always enjoyed spending time with her family.

When I started getting involved with restorative justice, community development, and reconciliation work, I quickly became attentive to how these skills could be useful in the Middle East. I have never been to the Middle East, but I know with certainty that I will spend extended periods of time throughout the Arab world and Middle East. News articles about Iran, Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Morocco and many more consistently catch my attention. I've had many friends who have spent short periods of time throughout the Middle East and I am always fascinated by the beautiful images and stories they bring home with them. It is nothing like the news portrays. I also have a grace and hope in my heart to see peace and reconciliation touch the hearts, communities, and nations in the Middle East. I know that the Lord is absolutely in love with every man, woman, and child that lives in this area of the world and I feel He has placed a piece of His heart into mine for these people, their culture, and their language.

That said, I also found in my travels that people are honored when you, as a visitor, come and can speak their language. As I finish my Masters degree in International Relations with a focus on Conflict resolution, I have begun studying Arabic so as to honor the very people I hope to be working with one day to find peace and hope in every area of their society. I can already tell that I have quite the challenge ahead of me, but the more you invest in something, the more valuable it becomes when you receive it. I can't wait for the days that I find myself traveling and working throughout the Middle East speaking their language and sharing life with those that Jesus loves so dearly.

Hope Always,
Janet

Zip-Line Through The Redwoods

In no particular order, I will begin with the first dream on my list:

Zip-lining through the Redwoods.

About a year ago, I was at church during a worship time and the Lord began speaking to me through a vision. He and I were in an orchard/forest walking around and exploring the various kinds of trees that were planted there. He was telling me that each tree represented the dreams He had for me in my life. There were trees with all kinds of different fruit and flowers, and a variety of scents filled the air. It was exciting to explore all that the Lord had in store for me. He seemed particularly excited to show me a specific tree and grabbed my hand and we began running through the forest. After a short time, we came to the base of an enormous Redwood tree.

The diameter of the tree's base had to be at least 15 feet and it was so tall that I could not see the top of it. The Lord said to me with a huge smile, "Let's climb it," and a rush of anticipation and excitement filled my being. He started to climb and quickly I was right behind him working our way up the tree with nearly no effort at all. At different points the Lord and I raced to the next branch and laughed away like little children as we climbed higher and higher up this giant Redwood tree.

I almost forgot that we were in a forest of my dreams as the whole experience of climbing up this tree with the Lord captivated my heart. Here was the Lord, the Perfect Father, my Best Friend, the Love of my life, joyously sharing this experience with me that would further define the infinite affection we have towards one another. If this was all we had done, I would be satisfied, but He had more to show me.

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. -Ephesians 3:20 MSG

Near the canopy, the branches began to thin out and the Lord brought us to a place where we could sit comfortably and look out over the view. It was magnificent. It felt like we were miles high and yet there was no end to the forest. There were other tall trees of various heights, but none like the one we were on, and there were a number of trees of all different colors, like how the trees change color in the fall. As we gazed over this forest, my forest of dreams, I was in awe of the mystery of His great love for me that He would create such a place as beautiful as this with me in mind. He truly is good and great.

After what seemed like hours confined to only moments, the Lord said He had one more thing to show me. I turned around and noticed we had been sitting on a platform. On the other side of the tree a cable was firmly attached that strung across the forest, all the way down to the forest floor, I could barely see the end of it. The Lord said, "I have this in store for you too." I knew exactly what to do. I strapped myself in and attached myself to the cable, and the Lord did the same. On the count of three we stepped off the platform, and what felt like flying, we took off over the canopy of trees with my heart full and hope renewed. I knew at that moment someday the Lord would work out an opportunity for this to happen in the physical world along with the fulfillment of all of the other dreams He has planted in that forest. This is where my dream to zip-line through the Redwoods was rooted in my heart.

Not long after this vision did I discover that there is a zip-line course in the Redwoods in Santa Cruiz, CA. I have yet to find the time, funds, and people to go with to see this dream become a reality, but I know in it's right time it will be fulfilled.

Thanks for reading,
Janet