Deep Fry

I don't know about you, but whenever I hear the word, " consecration ", I tend to let it wash over me. Not like I have anything against the word; I suppose I just grew up not finding it to be very relatable. Something about altars, memorials...ehhh. I'll be honest. I never gave it much thought when I was younger. But as I've found in recent years, consecration packs a pretty powerful punch!* 'Cause when we talk about consecration, what we're actually talking about is dedication...a celebration, if you will, of our  sanctification...and the privilege we have in  coming clean. But before you get all Hillary Duff on me, " selah " on this quick-hitter from Joshua 3:5 : “ Consecrate yourselves, for [this year] the Lord will do amazing things among you .” Whoa! That's pretty awesome stuff, isn't it? Knowing we can make an action a lifestyle...and in doing so, experience restoration and transformation through Christ. Le...

When we backtrack to Mary’s encounter with Gabriel ( Luke 1:28-38 ), we find a fascinating dialogue between the two. After Gabriel’s incarnational announcement to Mary, note her response in v. 34: "How will this be…?" Man...you talk about radical faith! I mean…Mary could have easily said, “Why me” or “ How can this be ”. But what does she do? She puts the emphasis on “will” over “can”…and I’m telling you, friends…the ramifications of what may appear to be a subtle variance is HUGE! For her response revealed a strong, anchored faith rooted in a God whom she trusted. Thus, by confessing, “How will this be” , she was essentially saying: “ I know this will happen. I just want to know how it will happen. ‘Cause all I know is what God says, goes …and I want to go with it !” So I believe this year needs to start and center on this heartcry (i.e. God is telling us: “ I have great things in store for you in 2015 .” We need to response: “ How will this be ?” --...

When you think back on 2014, what immediately comes to mind? LF : I really think 2014 was marked by clearing hurdles. The theme of mountains and valleys was huge. There were highs and lows, but the amazing thing is that every low was immediately followed by an awesome high. Overall, it was a good year with its fair share of challenges. CF :   I agree. To me, it was a “back to the drawing board” kind of year. Plenty of fine-tuning. If I had to sum the year up in two words, I’d go with “ successfully conquered ”. What were some of the highlights/defining moments? LF : The first thing that comes to mind is getting published on ‘ Darling ’ magazine's website. It was a poem I wrote for my mom for Mother's Day and it was exciting to share that. Also, seeing the youth engage in worship and leading by example, especially during November’s Wednesday Worship Experience, was amazing. Oh, and our one-year anniversary trip to Chicago...  CF : Yeah, our travels to Chicag...