Our Radically Exciting July!

Wow! We cannot believe that July is already gone! And how fruitful it was!

It is now that time of the month where I tell you how well I have lived up to my Radical challenge and what I am learning from it!

First, and possibly the most exciting, Mr. J and I picked up our applications for Full Circle!! Full Circle is, now, a global organization that does work with the homeless. Mr. J has been very excited to start work with the homeless and I have always wanted to serve with them. For Mr. J, more specifically, this is an area that he feels very called to. Let me tell you, there is nothing better than being part of the work God is calling your husband to do and watching him live out his gift.

"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen" (1 Peter 4:10-11, NIV). 

So this is a very exciting step in our spiritual journey!

Also, very exciting as well, I finished Deuteronomy! There was so much to learn and take away from the book of Deuteronomy! Mr. J and I actually read a few things that have changed the way our time together everyday. I quoted before in my May post Deuteronomy 6:6-9 and explained how Mr. J and I were planning on using these verses in our lives. As a result, while we may not come together as often as we should to dwell on scripture, we are more and more making it habit! Mr. J also bought a couples devotional book that we use as well to keep our discussion's Christ orientated on focused on Him.

We have so enjoyed these precious talks because not only do we grow closer together as a couple and come to love one another even more so than we thought was possible, but most importantly we purposely sit down and dwell and converse about our God, our Savior. This is such a blessings for husbands and wives, and even family and friends. We highly recommend it! (JOHNSON APPROVED!)

Reading through Deuteronomy, there were so many verses that just opened my eyes and that I fell in love with that I adopted the habit of memorizing scripture! Yes, sounds a little kindergarten, but if these verses are to dwell in our hearts (Deut. 11:18) then, for me at least, a little(...ok ok, a lot!)  repetition is necessary! If we are to properly serve our Lord, our goal is to obey Him, and the best way to prepare ourselves for success in this area, is to carry the Word in our heart.

"How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You" (Psalms 119: 9-11, NKJV). 

The book of Joshua even starts out with God telling Joshua not to let the Book of Law stop being something he dwells on (Joshua 1:8). You do not even get through one chapter in Joshua before God tells him to daily be surrounding himself in the Law of God!

On that note, yes I have started the book of Joshua! What a wonderful book it is! Very excited for all God has in store for me to gain from reading Joshua!

Now, a new section of this post that God introduced to me this morning is in regards to giving. Before, I have refrained from discussing on tithing and I still am. However, I have decided to introduce a new version of the idea. For those who enjoy giving to charities, I have decided that every month, I will post a charity for a good cause. Now,while we are called to give,  (Prov. 21:26; Deut. 15:10; Deut. 16:17; Acts 20:35, to name a few),  these are charities and organizations that are dear to my heart, and they are only my personal suggestions.

For the month of July, I have decided that Kidds Kids is the organization I want to promote. For those who do not know or who did not get to listen to the Kidd Kraddick in the morning show on their local radio stations EARLY in the a.m., Kidd Kraddick was a AM talk show host that had such a big heart! He not only won awards for his radio show, but he also founded the organization Kidds Kids. Kidds Kids is an organization that raises money throughout the year to send terminally ill children to Disney World in Florida. Now, while that may sound like no biggie, let me remind you that these are terminally ill children, and what better place on earth for a child to go than Disney World?!

Sadly, this past July, Kidd Kraddick died unexpectedly, but his organization continues on! So, this is my Charity of the Month you could say! You can give or you can purchase a shirt from the website. The shirt I am stoked about is a new one that has Kidd Kraddick's slogan "Keep Lookin' Up 'Cuz That's Where It All Is". I mean come on, how true is that! And, for those Kidd Kraddick lovers, it's a good way to remember him!

Chris and his sis were able to meet Kidd last summer at a local Bend Elks game!

Well, that's all for this month as far as the Radical post goes! Keep looking for more blog posts, I have one in the works for this month that I am pretty excited for!