Hospitality of the Soul

Recently I have been thinking about what it means to be hospitable. My mother taught me that it starts in the home. It usually includes things like asking if a guest would like something to drink, making nice conversation and always having an open door for them to return to. It is interesting how our culture never addresses the idea of hospitality that resides from the inside. This foreign idea was blooming inside my mind last night as i was going to sleep, thinking about the church I am going to be working with Garth at in Jamestown. I thought of the people we are going to be serving and how the congregation simply needs a loving shepherd who welcomes them with open and un-judgmental arms. As this idea developed it dawned on me that we are the body of Christ that has been promised the seal of the Holy Spirit which dwells in us as told in  Ephesians 1: 13-14 -

“¹³And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory”

This idea that we have the Holy Spirit on the inside of us brought me back to the idea of hospitality. We are told by God that hospitality to our brothers and sisters is a vital part of having a character that reflects Christ, but what about the environment that we create for the Holy Spirit. On the outside we may present ourselves in a very calm and collected manner, but on the inside we are hopeless, striving and selfish. Having the Holy Spirit live in you and being hospitable to the Holy Spirit is an uncommon idea taught in church. I am not saying that you have to have everything together to have the Holy Spirit reside in you, but wouldn’t it be nice if you treated him as a guest, and made the environment in your heart easy for him to work with as opposed to hard and callus. When we dwell on the love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self control that Paul talks about in Galatians we allow for our hearts to exude hospitality and an inviting place for the Holy Spirit to dwell. When he lives in us, he changes us, and the more he changes the temperature of hospitality on the inside of us, the more we will be inclined to change the way we treat and serve others on the outside I believe that through that welcoming and gentle nature towards the Holy Spirit in our heart, we inherit Gods kingdom. The Holy Spirit is a prized possession that those in the family of God receive. Make sure and treat him with even more respect and reverence than you would a guest in your home, he deserves. Can i take your coat?

Thoughts for the Middlebrooks

Here we go...another post that i have been thinking about for some time. It is dedicated to two special people in my life that have impacted me in such a way that the evidence is clear. The two out of three of my followers on this blog and people that believe are supporting what God has already ordained. Seth and Sarah Middlebrook, i thank and applaud you for the work you have done in the Switch Youth Ministry at New Hope. Recently I heard a quote from John Piper that goes like this "God is most glorified in you, when you are most satisfied in him." For you two i see that this glory is well obvious in the lives that you lead. Thinking back to the summer of 2008 it is amazing how far God has brought you two on your journey. From graduating from LIFE which is an amazingly scary thing in itself to getting married which also is hard in itself, to trusting God to relocate your lives to sunny Southern California for good, although the pains of missing the seasons overtook you at times. (that was for Sarah ;) You truly show the example of people who trust God enough to put it all on the line. The first time i met you guys i wasnt sure what to think, from my perspective you were two very polite LIFE students from Idaho, but as time passed I realized that you two are some of the most amazing people I have come across in my time at New Hope (Sonrise). Which says a lot considering I have been there for 14 years now. Anyhow, although our relationship has had its trials, i would like you two to know that i really respect what you have done with the ministry you have been given. With the grace of God, you helped heal the wounds so deeply inflicted in the past by the church and honestly gave us a sense of New Hope, no pun intended. Despite everything that happened i still consider you guys friend and i seriously thank God for all those hours you opened your home to me so you could pour into my life. If there was anything i truly want you to know before you take another leap of faith into what God has for you it would be this : to Seth- You are an amazing teacher and gave so much insight on the bible and practical application to go along with it. Your passion is so clear and i would encourage you to never be afraid to challenge the next generation in the things God has for them, it is amazing how much you impact them to do so when you do it with a smile on your face and time enough to hear them out. You truly were an impact in my life and thanks for always laughing with me about nothingness, they were some of the best laughs of my life; to Sarah: You seriously are precious to my heart. I see the gentle spirit of the Lord within you and the rightousness of a woman who does not compromise the Lords will. I cannot thank you enough for the hours and hours on any given Monday night that you gave to me, listening to my pain, my joy and my just plain random. You seriously helped heal a lot of wounds i had in my heart and poured a lot of wisdom and insight into my life. God uses you in such amazing ways and I know that you have a lot of love to spill over into this next generation as we all grow together. So to end this blog dedicated to the Middlebrooks... I love you guys and the impact you have made in the youth of Simi Valley is evident, we are all going to miss seeing your smiling idahoen faces! God bless you in your future together and I pray you l eave New Hope knowing that we love you and you were just what God wanted at the right time.

Peace and Love in Christ,

Courtney Farybaryer Harpoon a Deer Im gonna miss you guys Frybarger