Living the Vision, part 1: God Still Gives Visions and Dreams

A few weeks ago, I asked the question, "What if we finally awakened to the reality, that the vision (God has for each of our lives) was now?"

In that post, I promised to share more in the coming days. There's been a lot of snow, ice and freezing temperatures in our part of the country, so I had a week longer to prepare to speak at our women's Bible study. Now, as I committed to the ladies today, I'm ready to get myself out of this "winter distracted funk" and settle in to delving into this idea further.

I never set out to have a three-point sermon. It just so happens that when God was growing this lesson in me, He utilized three ideas that He had already been developing in my life. In early November 2013, He pulled all three of these together to present me with a choice of how to proceed in my relationship with Him and the way I approach discerning His will and even how I come to Him in prayer.

But more about this later. For today, I'd like to share the first lesson God had been growing in me for a long time:  He still gives visions and dreams.

Acts 2:17 reminds us of a prophecy first found in Joel 2:28:

"'And it shall be in the last days,' God says,
'That I will pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind,
And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
And your young men shall see visions,
And your old men dream dreams;'"

I'm not sure if you've noticed or not, but every day we are one step closer in the Kingdom calendar to the day Jesus returns to establish His reign on the New Earth. I have heard Beth Moore state in two different Bible studies, each recorded almost nine years apart, that we are in an obvious time of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. As she says, 'We didn't all the sudden just wake up and get smart and start studying God's Word.'

The almost insatiable appetite for God's Word, getting back to what really matters (i.e. not building massive churches, but investing massively in Kingdom work), and the current Millennial generation's willingness to forgo college and traditional jobs in order to serve the poor, the destitute and the downtrodden, are all beautifully amazing indications that we are living in a time of God's outpouring of His Spirit. If you need further proof, someone recently shared with me that an online Bible study (I think from Lysa Terkheurst) has 39,000 women from around the world participating in it.

That's just one study.

I hope you're convinced that we are living in a time of God's outpouring. If so, I'd like to press you further into embracing that because of this outpouring, young people "will prophesy".

For just a moment, I'd like for you to set aside your preconceived notions of what it means "to prophesy". It's not just the hairy man standing on the street corner shouting at cars and pedestrians that "the end is near"! The actual dictionary.com definition also includes "a declaration...as if by divine inspiration". There is even an archaic definition rendered as "to teach religious subjects". If you need further proof of this one, return and reread the third paragraph up. This Millennial generation is putting all others to shame in their desire to abandon all and no matter the cost follow the teachings of Jesus. I don't know what could more adequately demonstrate God's declarations.

And as far as visions and dreams...I've heard story after story in recent years of people who have grown up in cultures where Christianity is not even allowed, let alone promoted, and live under hostile religious regimes, yet they are willing to follow Jesus as Messiah because He comes to them in dreams and declares His love for them. Last year, I shared a review of a book written by two such women entitled Captive in Iran.

But here's the place that God was drawing me to last fall:  It's not just dreams, as in the Biblical sense, that He gives...He graces us with His vision for our lives too.

I've actually known this for quite some time. If you've been reading this blog very long, you know that about five years ago we began a financially downward spiral that was out of our control. "Downwardly Mobile" was no longer a cute catch phrase coined by Henri Nouwen to describe when a Christian walks away from the pinnacle of their career to embrace a life of servitude to the marginalized and forgotten. Downwardly mobile was our existence.

I won't rehash it all here, you can already turn to many of the early posts of this blog to learn more about my story. But this blog was started out of the fullness of my heart as God showed me piece by piece how He was reshaping me to be mindful of the "widow and orphans" (James 1:27) of our society. Single moms will always have a special place in my soul because of that time period in my spiritual growth.

God's faithfulness, provision and determination to get me through to His way of looking at life was nothing short of miraculous. But something else happened during that time that I don't think I've ever shared on here. Because of this "revelation" (for lack of a better word) in November, it is now time.

I've lost track of precisely when...but sometime in 2010-2011, God gave me His "vision" for my life. It wasn't a divine billboard dropping out of the sky. It was more like whispers, refinement, unquenchable desires and abiding joy at a plan He was growing in me. I spoke this out loud to a group of people outside of my closest friends and immediate family for the first time today. Somehow it's appropriate that I put it out for the world to know too:

Some day...I would have a place where I can grow things, teach others to grow things (the current "it" word is "live more sustainably") and a place where the "weary traveler" can come, put up their feet, rest, be nourished, encouraged, grow in wisdom, discernment and knowledge, for however long it takes for them to be sturdier on the feet God gave them.

That's a mouthful.

At times, I have thought He has a place for me on the "back 40" somewhere. A place where I can have chickens, goats, orchards, massive garden sites and enough room to take in a herd of people too. I envisioned classes, seminars and relationship upon relationship, cultivated just as much as the ground upon which I would toil.

Other times, I've found it very appealing that maybe God's vision for my life would be in an urban setting. The work that groups like The Simple Way have done to live out love and relationship in the inner city is nothing short of amazing. A "beauty from the ashes" story is one I'd also love to live.

What I was able to share with the ladies this morning in our study of the life of Joseph, son of Jacob, is that while my "trials" by no means compare to his...I do know what it's like to be given a vision by God that looks nothing like your physical life exists.

How could I be confident and assured that His vision would become reality? That's the second part of the lesson He was growing in me. Come back tomorrow (or two days!) to learn why my confidence in His vision could not be shaken.

*************

More in this series: Part 2 This Life as We Know It...

Out of Their Comfort Zone

[Disclaimer: This post is not intended as a "gripe session". I am merely trying to express how God used this amazing opportunity to stretch and grow each of us!]

This will be the most difficult vacation post for me to write. It's complicated and yet thrilling to think of just how much I, Dale and our four children were all pushed beyond our normal limits by this trip to Philadelphia. 

The trip actually started an afternoon early. Dale and I both came home from church on the 9th of June and had individually "thought" we could leave and head for a hotel about half-way in Triadelphia, West Virginia. When something like this occurs, I've learned to recognize it as the Spirit's prompting that for whatever reason...He wants us to move and do whatever He's leading us to do. I may never know why, but the following day when our trip that should have taken about five hours, stretched into seven because of a tropical storm we were driving through...I had a good notion as to why He asked us to go a day early.

I had attempted to prepare the kids for what the neighborhood might look like. But how do you prepare someone for that which they have no frame of reference? Actually, the Kensington area of North Philly looks a lot like the areas we drive through to get to the Cincinnati Zoo. Except that this is where we would be staying...not just driving through to another destination.

We parked our rental van on this very street, although the park is much greener and looks far better than this now. but we were just a few doors down from the building in this photo. Potholes in the sidewalks, trash on the streets and curbs are not something our kids see everyday. I could tell they were nervous, but we all managed to get the van unloaded, met Coe, who showed us around the Hospitality House and then attempted to go out to get something local to eat.

The living room of The Hospitality House

But that same Tropical Storm that we'd driven through now hit Philly mercilessly. Yes...we were walking to Walgreens when the heavens poured forth their bounty. Evidently, it was the night before trash collection and everyone's bags where on the edge of the sidewalk as we passed. Pretty soon, water...at least 6 inches deep was flowing swiftly down the street. Sewers weren't backing up...but they weren't handling the deluge either. We had to purchase two small umbrellas in Walgreens and made our way back to our "home" for the week. I kept telling the kids, "At least you'll never forget this!" Stepping into rain water mixed with trash and street-dirt up past your ankles as your clothes are getting drenched is something that will stick with you for awhile. But I loved every minute of it!

Our first night and each subsequent one, we may have heard gunfire...but we chose to tell the kids it was just firecrackers. Who knows? Maybe it was a car backfire? 

My comfort zone was pushed beyond my norm when I attended 8 a.m. prayer with the people of The Simple Way. I was ecstatic to attend, but had no clue what to expect. I was greeted out the front door by an amazingly hot and sticky morning and by the time I walked a block to get the the Village House and went in the wrong door (!) I was sweaty and embarrassed and then during prayer I had to read the longest passage of Scripture. But it was absolutely fantastic! Love is not a big enough word to describe that feeling of sitting with brothers and sisters in Christ, whom you have never met before and sharing faith and prayer with each other!

That same day pushed the kids' limits again, as we rode the train from the Allegheny Station down to the Old City area to look at the historical sites. The train starts out elevated above ground and then goes under as you approach the Old City...so they got to experience both. I don't think they ever liked the train...but we definitely grew accustomed to it. Dale and I actually like public transportation and wish Northern Kentucky had a better system for getting around. 

I had been uncertain if there would be laundry facilities or not. There weren't and that was fine, but I didn't want to spend a day at a laundromat either since we were short on time to begin with. So on our second day, I began washing out clothes in the bathroom sink and hanging them to dry in the small closet we had in one of the bedrooms.

All seven of us (our family and Coe) shared a small bathroom. Believe it or not, there was never anyone standing outside the door banging on it for the occupant to hurry up. Everyone was kind and considerate, worked out showering schedules and all went smoothly. Coe was by far the one that had to give up the most and he was always gracious, flexible and laid back about it all! I guess communal living can work!

Apparently, I had terrified the two youngest girls with my descriptions of the crowds in New York City. I don't think I over-exaggerated...I think they were just more confident than they thought they would be. Our recent experience at Taste of Cincinnati may have been fantastic preparation for what they would encounter in Manhattan. The Megabus trip was awesome...proving that I can let go of some control and let someone else drive!

The last test of some of our "comfort" was when Thursday morning, Dale, Noah and Leah attended 8 a.m. prayer with me at the Village House. I was so proud of the kids for getting up after an exhausting day in New York City and thrilled that Noah even participated in the readings we shared as a group. 

The rest of the trip which included driving and a stop over at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, were no stretch beyond us. But what I just can't let go of is how God can continue to use this trip for the rest of our lives to remind us not only of poverty and its effects, but also how He has chosen to compel His children to respond with love, compassion and mercy. And lest you think our children are perfect and never complained about any of the inconveniences they had to endure...like no TV or WiFi (except in a few public places for very limited periods of time)...at one point I responded to them and said, "You know what...even if you hate absolutely every moment of this trip (which they didn't) at least you will see that the rest of the world doesn't live like us and the conditions some have to live in." I know God will grow His seed of mercy for the poor in their hearts for His glory! [And they actually got along fabulously without any media to fight over. We played lots of card games. Thanks to the Bulars for teaching us "President"!]

So yes, it was quite the experience for all of us. You might get six differing opinions about the trip if you were to ask each of us the pros and the cons...but this is my blog and my conclusion is that this was just the beginning of another chapter of God calling us out of our comfort zones! I can't wait to see where He leads us next!

Amen!

**End note: All of the photos in this post where obtained online from either The Simple Way's website or Google Images**

The Simple Way, Philadelphia PA

For a few days now, I've been mulling over what to write about this group of people that want to live "simply" but whose impact has such significance that it reaches around the globe and even right into my life.

The first time I ever read anything about The Simple Way, I think it was in Donald Miller's Blue Like Jazz. But I can't be certain now without skimming the entire book (which honestly, at this late hour I don't want to do). I know I once read an article about "New Monasticism" in Christianity Today and TSW was a central focus. Thanks to the internet, I even found the 2005 article available online.

The thought always intrigued me...what if we could live like the early church fathers (and mothers) taught us...collectively...taking care of each other, so that no one who called God "Abba" would go without food, clothing, water or shelter. This particularly hit close to home in 2009 when my husband lost his job. I remember frequently suggesting (half serious/half joking...but mostly serious), that the five or so families that were then unemployed in our church of about 75, should try to pool together with others to form a commune. [Yeah, that idea didn't go very far!]

When it was very real to me that in a few months time we may not have a place to live, I remember conversations with my "brothers and sisters" that often ended with one of them saying something like 'well, I don't think I could ever take someone into my home...but I could put them up in a hotel for awhile.' I do not speak of everyone I knew during that time, but this was a prevailing theme in conversation after conversation about poverty and what God may ask of any Christ follower.

Fast forward to a few months ago when I finally read Irresistible Revolution. I wasn't blogging much at the time, so I didn't review it. But right before we left for Philadelphia I wrote a post about the book and how it tied into some of the current sermon series our pastor had begun. Needless to say, the book impacted me enough that I wanted to "come and see" as the author puts it. And so I dreamed that some day we would...and this vacation was partly that: an opportunity to "come and see".

TSW asks that when you visit you be mindful of the delicate balance of the neighborhood and that they not become a place for "poverty tourism". I wanted to respect what they do and the people they serve, so we took no photos of the neighborhood or the different locations TSW now maintains in the Kensington section of North Philly. But you can take a virtual tour of the neighborhood online.

There are a few ways to connect with TSW that they open up to everyone...8 a.m. morning prayer and if there is a Thursday evening "Midrash", anyone is invited. I attended morning prayer twice. Dale, Noah and Leah went with me the second time. It was definitely different from anything I have ever experienced...and in a good way. As we were driving home, I was reminded that any Monday through Friday at 8 a.m., I know I can pray for them as they are praying with each other. That bedrock of prayer is obviously important to them.

Since I knew going into our visit that I might not get to see all that I wanted, I was looking forward to chatting with Coe from The Simple Way. He's the Office Manager, but also lives in and cares for The Hospitality House where we stayed. Coe was gracious and kind to have six people invade his space and I did enjoy the time we had to talk with him. Sometimes we feel like the oddball couple with a different set of priorities and resources than most people we know. To hear Coe speaking aloud some of the very same things our hearts have expressed was a beautiful gift of peace and grace that we are not alone.

One thing I really, really wanted to see was their new aquaponics green house. Dan kindly took some time out of his busy day to show us and it was pretty cool. Coe said the afterschool kids on Thursday of our trip had a chance to eat some of the produce growing there. The disconnect between nature and the inner city is huge...this is one small way to bridge the gap. That and the green spaces that TSW maintains in the neighborhood.

I left Philadelphia ready to return. It's not only a city with more venues and historical sites to see...but I know I could learn a lot from the people of The Simple Way. I've already been asking God, "How do we implement the principles of what I did see and I know they are living where you have us placed for now?" It looks easy when you're surrounded by intense poverty. I know it's not easy...but when you can see the needs everywhere, it seems you can just dig in and go. In the places where we are...home, church, work, neighborhood...how do we, The Barthauers, live out the Love we know He wants us to share?

I don't need to look to The Simple Way...I just need to start where they did...asking the question: How did Jesus do it...and what's stopping me from doing that now?

Amen!

The "Starting" Line

What we all like to envision when we think of school.

Dale, Noah, and I had a great conversation with one of the guys that lives in Philadelphia with The Simple Way the last night of our stay. Coe perfectly summed up what frustrates me with this blind spot toward poverty that most U.S. Christians have. He said basically, "We have this misconception that we all begin at this same starting line and that this is some big race to the finish. We think that 'you should be able to pull yourself up by your bootstraps because I did'...neglecting the fact that they were mostly likely born to a mother that was maybe 16, who was desperately looking for something that was missing inside of herself, isn't educated and doesn't have the means to care for them."

Later in the conversation, I remarked that sometimes we forget that maybe they can't pull themselves up, because they never had the boots to begin with.

Then yesterday, a Facebook friend posted this article, from BillMoyers.com discussing how all of the reforms for schools that are spreading like wildfire are doing nothing to actually help students. Instead, it's lining the pockets of corporate America and making the disparity in education even worse.

The reality for TOO many children. The photo description says these are children at an East St. Louis school. Possibly recess?

The author points to the real issue though...poverty! Because I know not many will take the time to read the article, I'm sharing several quotes below. But one question has been persistently nagging me for the last week as I, albeit briefly, interacted with Christ followers who have chosen to live in the ghetto and love "the least of these": When did we...as the people of God...decide to swallow the lie that corporate America has fed us? That somehow because a person is desperately poor and ill-equipped to care for themselves, it must entirely be their own fault?

I know those questions may offend most Christians I know...shoot...they offend me! But the Holy Spirit is patiently calling me to let go of trying to please others so I can have friends and instead, listen to His Voice, crying out for those who can no longer cry!

• "Are we really expected to believe that it’s just a coincidence that the public education and poverty crises are happening at the same time? Put another way: Are we really expected to believe that everything other than poverty is what’s causing problems in failing public schools?"

• "In 2011, for instance, Stanford University’s Sean Reardon released a comprehensive study documenting the new “income achievement gap.” The report proved that family income is now, by far, the biggest determining and predictive factor in a student’s educational achievement."
• "One way to appreciate this reality in stark relief is to just remember that, as Barkan shows, for all the claims that the traditional public school system is flawed, America’s wealthiest traditional public schools happen to be among the world’s highest-achieving schools. Most of those high-performing wealthy public schools also happen to be unionized. If, as “reformers” suggest, the public school system or the presence of organized labor was really the key factor in harming American education, then those wealthy schools would be in serious crisis — and wouldn’t be at the top of the international charts. Instead, the fact that they aren’t in crisis and are so high-achieving suggests neither the system itself nor unions are the big factor causing high-poverty schools to lag behind. It suggests that the “high poverty” part is the problem."
• "For corporations served by the existing economic paradigm and for the politicians and activists those corporations underwrite, such a conversation is simply unacceptable because changing the policies that create poverty and inequality potentially threatens their existing financial power and privilege. Thus, those corporations, politicians and activists in the “reform” movement do whatever they can — bash teachers, scream strong-but-meaningless words like “accountability,” criticize public school structures, etc. — to shift the education conversation away from poverty and inequality."
• "With poverty and inequality intensifying, a conversation about the real problem is finally starting to happen. And the more education “reformers” try to distract from it, the more they will expose the fact that they aren’t driven by concern for kids but by the ugliest kind of greed — the kind that feigns concerns for kids in order to pad the corporate bottom line."

Reading Terminal Market, Philadelphia PA

Thanks to Abbey's insistence that we find it, Reading Terminal Market was a fantastic surprise right in the heart of downtown Philly. The produce stand pictured above is what greeted us when we walked through the doors.

The dozens and dozens of stands were overwhelming to take in, but we managed to gather our senses long enough for a sweet treat. Flying Monkey even sold vegan chocolate chip cookies and flourless cookies.

I attempted to take a photo of just one of the many aisles, but pictures can't convey the variety. From Pennsylvania Dutch, Cajun, Sushi, Irish Pub, salad bar, ice cream...

to amazing desserts...

gigantic jaw breakers...

and even chocolate Liberty Bells...

and yes, chocolate lungs...because "you take my breath away"...

you just may find whatever you want here...even for a Superhero Geek like me!

We found so many great options the first day, that we went back a few days later, and yes...I had the chicken shawerma!

Okay, even though I hyped it up a bit with my kids because of The Avengers, I didn't taste much difference from a gyro. It was good, but so filling that I could only eat half.

Noah had another Philly cheesesteak on the second visit.

And Rebekah opted for a yummy veggie foccacia. Dale and Leah both wanted crepes and Abbey chose a traditional gyro from another Mediterranean place, just across the aisle from where I bought the shawerma.

I saw a lot of large groups here, I'm certain because if you can't please everyone in a place like this...they aren't going to be pleased anywhere!

This Thing We Take For Granted

Abbey and Noah standing in Independence Hall Plaza

All over Philadelphia, we encountered people from multiple countries, speaking as many languages as you can imagine. I fully expected this when touring New York City, but Philadelphia?

I knew various ethnicities and nationalities lived there, but watching Australians, Indians, Germans, Russians, Koreans, Chinese, French, Japanese and more, queuing up for U.S. historical sites left me asking: "Why are they interested in our history?" 

I didn't ask anyone, but the answer that resonated with me was this: You see...there's this thing called freedom.

It's irresistible isn't it? Just ask someone who doesn't have it. They'll most likely salivate at the very notion of living a life that is free to choose their own path.

As I pondered this thought, I realized just how much I take it for granted. But here's where I may differ from what most Americans equate with freedom...while I may not join you in your protests to defend what you deem to be the most important part of the Constitution...I LOVE that I live in a land where for now, you can. But what I'm thinking of is Freedom of the Soul. That is the only freedom that can never be taken away. Amen!

The clock and bell tower of Independence Hall

So while thousands every year flock to the monuments and parks that commemorate a human copy of liberty...what if instead...we where building lives that shouted out to this freedom-thirsty world, "You can't find freedom in a building or even old documents, but I know the One that can give True Freedom that will never end!" 

That, my friends would indeed be a Revolution!


"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Freedom." (2 Corinthians 3:17, NIV, emphasis mine)

Christ Church Cemetery, Philadelphia PA

This will be a quick post, as there is not a lot to say. Ben Franklin was interned in this cemetery and his final place of rest can be seen through a section specifically cut out of the brick wall. In other words, we would not have had to pay to enter the cemetery if I had noticed this as we walked by it.

But, it only cost $8 ($9 with the map we purchased) for our whole family to enter and oddly enough, I enjoy visiting cemeteries. My dad used to take me as a kid to our town's and I loved to hear the stories of people he'd known through the years.

Looking around in a cemetery was one of the many things that was out of our kids' comfort zone (post coming soon), but I tried to explain repeatedly that "death is a part of life", all to no avail. Evidently, it's "creepy".

A few years ago, I determined to offer our children opportunities to become more comfortable with aging, death and dying. After all...it's the only thing we're guaranteed in this life. As I have become unafraid of death, God's Spirit has challenged me to teach our kids that because we have faith in Him, there is nothing to fear. So while I probably wouldn't hang out and have a party there...for its historical significance and a chance to push my kids a little outside of their safe bubbles...it was worth the $9 to see it.

Revolution House, Philadelphia PA

We found another great place to eat in Philadelphia called Revolution House. It's also located in the Old City area where we'd had lunch the same day. We had walked miles on that day of sightseeing and just wanted someplace to sit, cool off and eat. Sadly, because I answered that we'd like to eat inside in the air conditioning, we apparently missed a beautiful view on their deck. I found all of the photos in this post on their Facebook page.

The food was delicious but was a little high-priced for us. It was dinner, so I'm not certain what their lunch prices were. Abbey, Leah and I ordered their guacamole appetizer which is served with malanga (aka eddoe) chips, which was a nice twist from the usual tortilla chips. Dale ordered an "small plate" meal of Meatloaf bites for his main course. It was $9 for three large meatball sized pieces with no sides, but he said they were good. 

I ate the Caesar salad with parmesan tuile which was delicious and satisfied my need for a thirst-quenching meal. Abbey also had a salad wedge which was far bigger than any I've seen before. It was actually more than she could eat. The two youngest were able to share a "small plate" macaroni and cheese that was homemade, ooey, gooey, cheesy goodness. It was fairly small, but was so rich they were both full with only half. Noah was the big eater of the day. He ordered the 1/2 pound American Burger with fries. It was on what appeared to be a homemede bun that wasn't very thick. Because it wasn't mostly bun, he was almost able to finish the whole sandwich. Of course, we all had a sample of his yummy fries.

The food was good, it was a nice quiet place (at least while we were there), but for our family of six, the prices were a little higher than we would normally like to pay. All in all though, for a locally owned restaurant with delicious food, it was worth the extra walking to get there.