Soapbox Moment - Definition of a Christian

I'm having a "soapbox" moment:

     I am so tired of anyone claiming to be a Christian being instantly labeled as a judgmental, hateful, racist, bigot, homophobe who wants to kick out all the immigrants and carry my automatic weapons down the street.  If you know someone who fits all these descriptions they are not a disciple of Jesus Christ and if they think they are, they are very, very mixed up.  Please don't put all who call themselves Christian in the same box. 

     The definition of Christian is: a person who exemplifies in his or her life, the teachings of Christ.  Now, in order to "exemplify the teachings of Christ" you have to actually KNOW what those teachings are.  His teachings are of love and forgiveness.  He is not in the condemning business.  He wants to restore even the most broken and wicked people.  His passion is to see the broken, sick and weak become strong, healthy and whole in His Kingdom.  He spent very little of His time on earth telling people why they were wrong and condemning them, but instead spent His time practically loving them and extending grace to the worst of them.  I'm afraid there are too many who call themselves Christian who operate on the assumption that it is their job to point fingers, and tell everyone else what is wrong with their lives.  We are ALL sinners.  Just because I am a follower of Christ doesn't mean that I am miraculously able to never sin again.  It means that, by the amazing and undeserving, unconditional, grace of Christ, I am forgiven.  That forgiveness is for ME, for my own peace, my own hope, my own eternal future, and has nothing to do with whether anyone else believes me worthy of it.  Jesus deemed me worthy.  He also deems YOU worthy.  He draws no lines as to who is worthy of that gift.  It is a gift He gave for every single person on earth....young or old, good or bad, every color and creed, because we all have that empty place in our hearts that longs for the One who created it.  We try to fill it up with all kinds of things...wealth, love, material things, work, drugs, alcohol. The list could go on forever.  The problem we all face is, there is only one thing that will fill up that void in our lives no matter how hard we try to fill it up with other things, and that is Christ.

     If you claim to be a Christian, I encourage you to be a follower of Christ...not the definition the world has given us, because it's completely wrong.   Loving people the way Christ wants you to doesn't mean you have to agree with their lifestyle or their choices.  We are to show His LOVE to the world, to be a lighthouse in the darkest, stormiest seas....helping, listening, having compassion and understanding for our fellow man so that they will see Christ in us and be drawn to His unconditional and eternal love.  

• “I have not come to condemn the world, but to save it.” John 3:17 ESV
• “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.”- John 8:11 ESV
• “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven..." - Luke 6:37 ESV
• “If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen." - 1 John 4:20 ESV

"Doubt Truth be a Liar, but Never Doubt I Love." What's the Secret to a Happy Marriage?

This post is dedicated to my soul mate, the love of my life, my gift from God, my husband.  

     I've had people ask me, "You've been married a long time.  So what's the secret to a happy marriage?"  That usually makes me laugh.  Not because mine isn't happy, because it usually is, but because I cannot fathom why someone would think I know!  I do realize that being married, and staying that way, is a bit out of the ordinary these day.  Let me begin by saying that I've had wonderful examples in my life.  My parents, grandparents & great grandparents all stayed together and they were happily married.  I never thought about divorce when I was growing up.  It was never an option in my mind when I got married.  Now, I will stop there to say that IF I had married someone who was abusive, that would have been a deal breaker.  So don't think for one second I am telling you that kind of behavior is OK to live with, because it's not.  I have been blessed with a very gentle man....often stubborn, yes....but gentle.  I'm very stubborn myself, so if we ever have issues it usually stems from that character trait.  If I had to say who is more stubborn...well I have to confess, it's probably me.  I have known my sweet husband since 1987 when he became Choir Director at my little church in Chattanooga, TN.  After knowing each other for about a year, we started dating, and 2 months later we were engaged. We were married 6 months after our first date and moved to Fort Worth, Texas for him to complete his Master's at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.  The rest, as they say, is history.  Twenty-seven plus years later, here we are.  Through those years we have raised 3 boys, lived in 5 different states, served at 7 (I think) different churches, and somehow managed not to kill each other!  Truly, we have had some very difficult times.  Things that, if not for the grace of God and our mutual trust in Him, could have driven us apart.  You have to come to terms with the fact that you are both imperfect.  Now I'll tell you a little secret.  I love my husband beyond measure, truly.  When I think about how much I love him, it makes my heart overflow.  To think of my life without him brings me physical pain.  Truly he can exasperate me sometimes, especially when he's being grouchy or impatient.  But I have learned that if he is being grouchy then I need to try to encourage him in some way.  If he is very impatient, I need to help him refocus and try to understand the situation...smooth the ruffled feathers so to speak.  You see, I am his polar opposite in many ways.  I don't always get it right.  Sometimes I snap back.  Sometimes I sulk.  Sometimes I grouch right back.  But these days, I do try to stop, take a deep breath and think about how I can smooth things out for him.  I'm a pretty relaxed person.  I take most things in stride. He's a bit more high strung, tends to panic and get worked up over things.  He's is a musician after all, haha!  I have a pretty positive outlook on life and like to dream.  He's more realistic and in the moment.  We are both pretty reserved, although I tend to be a little more outgoing once I get to know you.  We both require some "me" time each day to recharge our batteries.  I can get so overdrawn in the "me" time department that I simply cannot deal with social interaction on occasion.  When that happens and I start to shut down, he seems to know instinctively, whether consciously or not, and lets me stay home to regroup.  We compliment each other in so many ways.  I have found that when we are at odds it is because one or usually both of us are being selfish.  In marriage the two separate people become one.  You wouldn't slap your right hand because it got the cookie before your left one would you? (If so may I suggest professional help)  You wouldn't stomp your right foot because the left one got ahead would you?  Well...not on purpose! What do you do when you cut your left finger?  You use your other hand to sooth it, bandage it, help it heal.  Your mate is your other half.  Your mate is the right to your left.  You are one.  When my mate is upset or unhappy, so am I and I want to do what I can to sooth him, ease the hurt, and help him feel better.  That way we will both be happy.  All that said, the most important equation in all of this is our personal relationship with God.  If you're relationship with God is not at the center of your relationship with your spouse, you are missing the key to happiness.  We've had seasons where we were at peace, and we've had seasons where we were hanging on by a prayer.  Without a loving God to show us how to love each other, how to care for each other, how to forgive each other, we'd have lost the battle long ago.  So, what's the secret to a happy marriage?  I'm still learning, even after all these years, and I will still be learning on the day God calls me home.  But this one thing I do know, it would not be possible without God at the center of it all.  

Genesis 2:22-23
Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.  For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.  The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman for she was taken out of man."

Proverbs 31:10
A wife of noble character, who can find?  She is worth more than rubies.

Ephesians 5:28
So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies.  He that loves his wife, loves himself.



Proverbs 15:15
A miserable heart means a miserable life; a cheerful heart fills the day with song.

What's Your Story?

   What’s your story?  We all have one.  Some of them are happy stories, some of them sad, some of them simply miraculous, some of them very dark.  No matter what kind of story you have, one thing is certain; your story, your history, has influenced who you are today.  Our stories are powerful.  I don’t think a lot of people understand just how powerful they can be.  However, our story, our past, cannot be allowed to define all that we are today.  Some people who have a very sad or dark past allow that to define who they are, and use it to justify all sorts of bad behavior.  In short, they use it as an excuse.  That is not what God intended your life story to be.  It’s not an excuse for drug abuse or self-harm.  It’s not an excuse for bitterness.  It’s not an excuse for holding grudges.  It’s not an excuse for being difficult to get along with, prideful or overly sensitive. Your life story can be used to inspire others who have had the same experiences.  Your life story can be used to draw others to God’s unconditional love and acceptance.  Your life story could save someone’s life…..someone’s eternity!

 

   What are you using your story for?  Are you using it as a crutch?  Do you use it to justify the way you react to those around you?  I want more than anything for you to understand that no matter how horrible you think your story to be, God loves you without condition.  He is waiting to take that burden from you.  All you have to do is lay it at His feet.  You may already be a disciple of Jesus and you may have been for a very long time, but you never laid that burden down.  You never gave it to Him because you thought it was too dirty, too shameful or you had gotten so used to it being a part of you that you were afraid there would be nothing left when it was gone.  It’s not true.  Those are satan’s lies trying to rob you of joy; trying to keep you from ever using it to point someone else to Jesus.  God loves you.  Do you understand the significance of that?  THE one who hung every star in the sky, THE one who knows every one of those stars by name, knows YOUR name and loves YOU beyond measure.  He has seen it ALL.  He knows it ALL.  He wants you lay it down at His feet.....let go of it.....RELEASE it.  I challenge you today if this is you, to lay those hurts down at His feet once and for all.  Allow God to use your story to point others to HIM.  If you've never known a relationship with God, it’s quite simple.  Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, believe in it your heart, and you will be saved!  Once you've done that, there is absolutely nothing in your past, present or future that will ever separate you from His love!  

2 Corinthians 1:4
"He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us."

I swear.....

In Matthew, Jesus tells those wishing to follow him that they must make a difference in the world.  They must be the "salt of the earth".   The salt is "the flavor" or the good works believers are to do that are to shine like a light on a lampstand and offer a witness for Christ.  If salt loses it's saltiness, it's not good for anything.  But as we all also know, too much salt can ruin that "flavor" and is unhealthy.  And we must admit....sometimes we are all a bit too "salty".  

Do you swear?  I have to admit that sometimes I do, although thankfully it is infrequent.  I try very hard not to, but I am also very human.  That might shock some of you, knowing I'm a Minister's wife.  Others who know me very well will not be shocked at all.  My children certainly aren't.  Just because I married a minister, doesn't mean I'm something other than human.  I am nowhere near perfect as anyone who knows me will attest.  I don't know why we do it, I mean, there are so many other lovely words in the English language to describe our feelings...lovely words.  And yet, we seem to revert to some basic instinct to say disgusting words that shouldn't ever grace our tongues.  Now, I will clarify that I do not take the Lord's name in vain.  That is something I cannot do.  Do I think you're going to hell if you do it?  No.  We're human, and we sin.  The reason I am even writing this is because of my frustration with every single movie I have seen lately.  They seem to know only one way of expressing themselves.  It's almost like there is only one curse word left at their disposal.  I don't know the origins of the "F" word.  I really don't care.  It is a word that is used in epidemic proportions by everyone, in every situation it seems.  Why?  Is there a rule book out there that says unless you say the "F" word at least 100 times it's not a good movie?  We're becoming desensitized to it, hearing it over and over again until we just accept it as part of every day language.  Some would say, it's just a word.  Who cares.  If you are a child of God, you should.  Everything you say on a daily basis is judged by those who are not Christians.  If you say you'll pray for them in one breath and then proudly shout an explitive the next, don't you think that sends a bit of a mixed message?  I'm not one to curse in front of other people.  It tends to sneak up on me when I've injured myself or someone really scares me.  It's frustrating because I think afterwards, why is that the word that comes to mind instinctively?  Some people swear when they're angry, others when they're depressed, and more often than not it's done to look "tough" or "cool" in front of ones friends.  I've never been perceived as tough...or cool for that matter, so I always thought cursing just for the sake of cursing wouldn't do me any good anyway.  My point is, as disciples of Christ, we have to do everything we can to be a good, decent example out there in a very dark world.  Most of the time, that's not easy.  Most of the time, that's not cool.  But try to see the bigger picture.  What if your behavior stops someone from ever even considering coming to Christ?  What if you are so like a non-believer that they see no difference and don't see any reason to even think about what Christ could do in their life?  It doesn't just apply to cursing.  You don't have to think hard to come up with other examples.  1 Corinthians 8:9 says to "be careful that your actions don't become a stumbling block to the weak".  James 3:10 says "from the same mouths come blessings and cursing.  My brothers, this ought not to be so."  It's tough.  Why do you think the psalmist said, "Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth and keep watch over the door of my lips."  It is obviously something we have struggled with for ages.
That's my thoughts for this post.  I hope you can take something positive away from it.

Titus 2:6-8 ESV

Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.

This changes everything....

Christian is defined as a "person who believes in the teachings of Jesus Christ".  Ask anyone you know what a Christian is and you'll probably get a different answer from each of them.  They might say it's someone who believes in God, or someone who believes that Jesus is God's son, someone who goes to church a lot, or perhaps someone who has been baptized or has prayed to ask Jesus into their heart.  But, believe it or not, the Bible say much about being "Christian".  I've learned all this in the last few days from a bible study we're doing in Sunday School by Andy Stanley called "Christian, it's not what you think".  It has completely changed my perspective.  Stanley says, if we're honest, a lot of people would define  Christians as: "judgmental, homophobic, moralists who think they are the only ones going to heaven and secretly relish the fact that everyone else is going to hell."  That made me laugh, but it is truly what some people think, and I believe what we often fear that others will think about us.  The fact is,  a Christian can be defined in a million different ways.  The word Christian only appears three times in the bible and it's not defined!  It was actually a derogatory term used by people outside of the "Jesus community" to describe the ones who were inside it.  The people inside the "Jesus community" never used it to describe themselves!  Let me say that again, the followers of Jesus never called themselves Christians.  The bible does define the followers of Jesus, but it is not as Christian....it is as Disciples.  Disciple is defined in Webster's as "one who accepts the teachings of and who assists in spreading the doctrines of another.  An adherent follower."  That's very different from simply believing in Jesus Christ.  The bible says even the demons believe in Jesus.  They know exactly who He is, and they fear Him.  Anyone can believe.  But, believing is very different from actively participating.  It's very different from being an adherent follower.  So, the next question is....Are we disciples, or are we just Christians?  Are you a disciple of Jesus or are you a Christian?  Are you an active follower of Jesus, or do you just believe in Him?  It's a disturbing question isn't it?  It makes us uncomfortable.  It's very specific. Because if you define yourself as a disciple of Jesus, it requires something specific of you.  It's not broad like the word Christian.  Jesus gave specifics about being a disciple and it wasn't anything lengthy at all.  As a matter of fact, it was quite simple.  In Romans 10:9 it says if you declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  Declare it, believe it.  The evidence of that salvation is spoken of in John 13:34.  "A new command I give to you.  Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another."  Let's just imagine for a moment that all of us in the church who claim to be Christians, lived as Jesus asked the disciples to live and we LOVED one another the way Jesus loved US?! Stop...let that sink in....Blows your mind doesn't it? What if the people looking in on our "Christian" lifestyle looked in and saw us and said, "Look... how... they... LOVE!"  Wow!!  What a witness for Christ that would be if we treated each other with the same kind of love that Jesus showed US!  Jesus went on to explain it in  John 13:35 when He said, "By THIS, EVERYONE WILL KNOW that you are my DISCIPLES, if you LOVE one another."  Jesus wants other people to look at the relationship you have with your  brothers and sisters in Christ, and be drawn in by the way you LOVE each other.  He wants us to create a community of people who are characterized by that kind of  unconditional, generous, compassionate, giving, almost ridiculous kind of love.  Can you even imagine the transformation in our church if we loved that way?  What about the transformation in our families?  This is EPIC!  This is WORLD SHAKING!!  Do you understand how this could change the ENTIRE world's view of what a "Christian" is?!  We're not some broad spectrum of loosely based rules and beliefs.  We are to be Disciples of Jesus....not just believing, but actively loving each other the same way Christ loved us! We are to be adherent followers, striving to be like Him and HE... IS... LOVE.

1 John 4:16 - And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.  GOD IS LOVE.  Whoever lives in love, lives in God, and God in them.   

"Christian, it's not what you think" by Andy Stanley

Watch the video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BK6Ohz5DH0o

Are You Out of Focus??

At Christmas time our focus often shifts to our frantic schedules of buying gifts, finding the perfect tree and getting it decorated, baking cookies, attending parties, getting pictures made with Santa, moving that blasted Elf on the Shelf every night, getting ready for Christmas Musicals and traveling to see loved ones.  It can be quite stressful in many ways and to the ones who’ve lost loved ones during the year or won’t be able to go home for Christmas, it can get quite depressing.  With a world so focused on “wants” and “getting more stuff” we can sometimes forget about the whole reason we celebrate to begin with.  

Just like the Grinch discovered, Christmas will come without packages and bows, without parties, decorations or feasts because Christmas isn’t about those things at all.  Christmas is about a Savior, sent to us as a little baby.  The only perfect gift ever given.  And, there were no twinkle lights, Christmas trees or packages with bows.  No one sang Christmas carols or drank hot chocolate or ate sugar cookies.  Mary & Joseph didn’t spend it with their families.  They spent it in a barn with the live stock.  But Christmas came….in a precious child, laid in an animal’s feeding trough and wrapped in a cloth.  What we celebrate at Christmas, what we need to focus on, is the fact that God loved each and every one of us so much, that He sent His only, beloved Son here to take all the sins of mankind, our sins, to the cross to pay the price for them…..so we, you and I, wouldn’t have to.  He sent Him in the most humble way.  

The way we celebrate these days couldn’t possibly we considered humble.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I LOVE all the decorating, lights, presents, cookies, parties and all that goes with it!  I LOVE to celebrate and I think if you don’t at least put up a wreath and a nativity for Christmas, well...you might possibly be related to the Grinch after-all.  It’s a GOOD thing to celebrate the awesome gift of Jesus!!  Go all out if you can!  But, in the midst of it all, don’t lose the reason for the season my friends.  Don’t let the stress of the holiday madness get to you.   Don’t let who you do or don’t get to spend Christmas with define your celebration.  

And one last thing….a challenge.  I challenge you to do at least one good thing for someone else every day until Jan. 1 (and then make it your New Year’s resolution!).  It can be big or small, but whatever it is, do it with a BIG smile on your face.  Do it with JOY!  Do it whether anyone sees it or not!  Because Love is always the perfect gift!!

What in the world....

Sometimes I wonder what this world is coming to.  I look around and see so much pain, so many people hurt and broken, so much hate and destruction.  I see people so empty that they will try anything to fill that void they have inside.  No drug, no cause, no person, no thing, no good work, no pleasure, no revenge, no amount of money will ever, EVER fill that void.  You cannot fill a God-shaped hole with a world-shaped peg.  No amount of pounding will make it fit.  In the end you're just left empty and cold.  What’s wrong with this world?  It is full of empty, cold people running from one thing to the next desperately trying to figure out how to fill that hungry, aching void inside of themselves.  They're frantic, terrified of not finding what they need to fill it up before it’s too late.  Sometimes they think they've found it, filling it up temporarily with fame, fortune, even rage or love, but it all drains out like water through a sieve and they're left cold, empty and alone...again.  I've seen some that have gotten to a point where they simply can't try anymore. Numbing their pain with drugs or alcohol. They've given up.  I saw many of those on the streets of New York City, shadows of their former selves, alone, disgraced, wishing for death, the light nearly gone from their eyes.  I've seen some filled with the fire of rage, standing on street corners screaming for their causes.  It fills them up for a brief time until the flames they spew at others, consume them instead.  There is but one thing in all the universe that can fill that empty void inside of every human.  It is the acceptance of a tiny baby, born in Bethlehem, who grew up to bring the good news of a Savior, who took all of our sins...yours and mine...and nailed them to a cross.  He is the answer.  He is what you’ve been searching for.  He is the one and only thing that will drive away the darkness in your soul and fill it up with His glorious light...forever.  All you have to do is ask! He is the only one who can complete you. His name, the one you've been looking for all your life to make you whole...is Jesus.  

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Christ, the Lord.” ~ Luke 2:8-11

“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” ~ John 3:17

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in faith so that you overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” ~ Romans 15:13

To write or not to write....there is no question.

We've been doing a study in Sunday School that has really gotten my wheels turning in terms of writing.  I really, truly want to be a writer, and not just any writer....I want to be successful.  I know that God has given me the ability to express myself through the written word.  I've enjoyed writing my entire life.  I find comfort in words.  I think it's because if you have taken the time to actually write something down, then you must have really thought it through and it must sincerely come from your heart.  It's a bit like singing, which I also love.  Julie Andrews, one of my favorite things, once said that "Singing is opening up your heart and pouring out your soul." and I think writing can be the same.  When God puts something on my heart, it's as if the words type themselves.  I can't stop until they're all out.  I think that I don't write as much as I should because I allow so many other things to get in the way.  Right now the writing comes in spurts.  A poem here, a short story there, an occasional blog post, but  I want to do more.  I want to write every day, but I don't.  Sometimes it feels impossible and I think I should just give it up.  Why bother.  I'll never be a successful writer.  No one in the publishing world even knows I exist.  I've sent stories off to publishers and been rejected every time.  But then I read one day that Agatha Christie was consistently rejected for five years.  J.K. Rowling was rejected twelve times and was told to "get a day job"!  C.S. Lewis' stories were rejected for years!  Beatrix Potter's "A Tale of Peter Rabbit" was rejected so many times that she finally decided to self-publish it.  It went on to sell 44 million copies.  Those are just a few!  So, maybe my name will never be in the company of these famous writers, but I'm not going to give up.  I have an idea I'm going to be starting on soon, and I feel really good about it!  So do me a favor....pray for me.  You know that old song, "I Just Feel Like Something Good is About to Happen", that's how I feel about my next project.  One thing I know for certain after this bible study I just finished....the ultimate in faith is thanking God in ADVANCE for what you've asked Him to do.  It's not denial of reality.  It's facing the facts, with hope!

Hebrews 11:1 - "Now Faith is confidence in what we hope for, and assurance about what we do not see."


http://www.literaryrejections.com/best-sellers-initially-rejected/

Who's Your Daddy...

The word "Abba" is mentioned 3 times in scripture.  In Mark 14:36, Jesus cries out to God, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You.  Take this cup away from me, nevertheless, not my will, but thine."  Paul wrote in Romans 8:15, "You did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, Abba Father."  Once again in Galatians 4:6, Paul wrote, "Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out Abba Father."  

When looking up the meaning of the word Abba, here's what I found;

"In Scripture there are many different names used to describe God. While all the names of God are important in many ways, the name “Abba Father” is one of the most significant names of God in understanding how He relates to people. The word Abba is an Aramaic word that would most closely be translated as “Daddy.” It was a common term that young children would use to address their fathers, like "Dada" or "Papa" is used today. It signifies the close, intimate relationship of a father to his child, as well as the childlike trust that a young child puts in his daddy."

Often we focus only on the fact that God is God, and lose sight of that fact that He is also our Father....our Daddy.  It is, of course, important to remember that He is the Creator of all things, the One who hung every star in its place, however, we cannot let that keep us from having an intimate relationship with Him.  "Abba, Father" has a double meaning.  The affectionate, intimate, Abba, expresses a child-like love, as well as trust and comfort.  The more formal, Father, conveys an understanding of our relationship to God the Almighty Creator.  When the two are combined, it encompasses our emotional attachment and intelligent comprehension of our heavenly Father.  

Many people believe that God is uninterested in us, that He simply watches us from a distance and isn't concerned about our individual lives.  But God has told us over and over in scripture just how much He loves us and wants a personal relationship with us.  

• He knows us by name. Isaiah 43:2 says, "Fear not for I have redeemed you, I have called you by your name; You are mine."  
• He knew us before we were born and He thinks about us all the time.  Psalm 139:13-18 says, "You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit them together in my mother's womb...You were there when I was being formed...You saw me before I was born...How precious it is, Lord, to realize that you are thinking about me constantly!  I can't even count how many times a day your thoughts turn toward me.  And when I wake in the morning, you are still thinking of me!"  
• His love for us will never end.  Jeremiah 31:3 says, "I have loved you with an everlasting love."  
• We are His beloved children.  1 John 3:1 says, "How great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we might be called the children of God." 
• Nothing can ever separate us from His love. Romans 8:38-39 says, "Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, not height, nor depth, nor any created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus." 
• Finally, lets not forget that the God of the Universe, loved us so much that He gave us His only Son to die on the cross to save us!  That's a love so deep I cannot fathom it!  1 John 3:16 says, "This is how we know what love is, because He laid down His life for us." 

Have you ever considered what all this means?  It means that you are the beloved child of the One who has ALL authority in Heaven and on Earth.  Our "Daddy' is the King of Kings!  What can we ever want that He cannot give us?  What can we ever need that He cannot provide?  He loves you, even if you don't love Him!  Jesus didn't die for just a select few, He died for ALL of humanity...ALL...Even the ones who don't believe in Him.  The choice is yours, and it's very simple. Romans 10:9 puts it as simply as it can be said, "If you confess with your mouth, that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved!" 
Revelation 3:20 says, "Look!  I stand at the door and knock, and if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in...". 

So let's wrap this up shall we?  

• God loves you with an everlasting love that nothing can ever take away.
• God knows you intimately, inside and out, and cares about every detail of your life.
• The one who has ALL authority in Heaven and on Earth, knows your name and wants a personal relationship with you.  You just have to let Him in. 

Bottom Line....

The King of Kings is your Daddy!

---

"What Does It Mean That God Is Our Abba Father?" GotQuestions.org. GotQuestions.org, n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2014.

"Looking Unto Jesus - Abba, Father." Looking Unto Jesus - Abba, Father. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2014.

Hear my Heart....

This post has been sitting in my "drafts" since last winter.  I had written it on my iPad, copied and pasted it here for later editing, and then forgot about it.  I do that sometimes.  Anyway, I rediscovered it today, and I think it has a pretty good message so I'm posting it sans editing.  I hope it hits home for someone out there.  Oh, and I still need to learn this song.  :)  Amy



I heard a song this morning that I had actually downloaded quite a while back with the intention of learning it so I could sing it at church.  But then, I got severe laryngitis, and before I could recover from that we all got the Flu, and then separately battled Bronchitis and Pneumonia.  I have been unable to sing much since the last performance of The Living Christmas Tree!  I've been a little bit paranoid, knowing that viruses can permanently damage, even paralyze vocal chords.  I've done a little singing, very carefully, in choir and praise team recently, but my full range and voice have yet to completely return.  I do feel it improving from week to week so I am quite certain it will fully return....soon I hope!  It is very hard, for someone who sings all the way to work every morning, to suddenly just sit there silently and listen to songs I normally enjoy singing along with.  As a matter of fact, it is often insanely annoying!  Singing is not something that has ever come easily for me for various reasons, mostly my severe allergies & honestly... fear.  I have always envied people who seem to be able to do it without any effort.  When I first start singing for the day, I sound a bit like a rusty old truck trying to start.  I have to warm up a while to get rid of the "cobwebs".  At any rate, difficult or not, I love to sing.  Being able to sing was, when I was in school, pretty much the ONLY thing that made me feel was special about me.  I wasn't pretty.  I wasn't outgoing.  I wasn't a genius.  I wasn't great a sports.  But, I could sing.  It gave me an identity and made me feel special during my teenage years when I really needed it the most.  Please don't think I'm saying that I think I am some phenomenal singer.  Not at all.  But I can carry a tune and get a song across to people without a lot of displeasure on their part, so I know it's not half bad at least, and I enjoy it immensely.  Because of my own childhood experiences, it has always been very important to me to help my kids find that "thing" that they were "really good at".  It has always been part of my prayers for the boys that they would find "it" and that God would give them the opportunities to use "it" for His glory.  Along with having a personal relationship with Christ, which is essential, it's also important for kids to feel special in some way, especially when navigating the rough days of their teens.  I think a lot of times we forget how hard it was when we were that age trying to "fit in", be accepted by our peers, and be successful in our social circle.  However, when we were kids, we could at least leave that pressure at school.  We could leave and go home and not think about it again until the next day back at school.  These days, the pressures are 24/7.  They cannot "leave it at the schoolyard".  With the internet, email, social media, cell phones and texting, that pressure goes where they go.  It never stops.  In Jr. High I was skinny, had frizzy hair, bad skin, crooked teeth and was painfully shy.  I was a perfect target for teasing, but as much as I was teased in Jr. High back then, I can only imagine how it would be amplified these days. I don't think I could have handled it 24/7.  I remember my only goal being to get through the day without being noticed, to be as invisible as possible, and I was pretty good at it most days.  Once I entered High School, and the miracle of hot rollers and flat irons were invented, I became a little more confident in my appearance, although not much, but I also discovered I had a voice.  I'm not sure what might have happened to me had I not discovered that voice, but I do know that discovering it changed me forever, for the better.  The name of the song I listened to this morning, the one I was going to learn, is called "Hear My Heart", and basically the message is this....I may be going through a really hard time right now.  I may be feeling very down and don't understand why it's happening. I may not even know what or how to pray about the situation so God....Hear my Heart.  This blog post has more than one message.  The first one is, it's very important for your kids to find that thing that makes them feel special.   It's essential that we as parents help them to discover what that special thing is, support them in it, and let them know you believe in them.  My parents and family members did that, and it really made a difference.  The second one is, in your teens, you can think that there is nothing special about you at all, that your world will never be happy, that no one will ever love you and nothing will ever change...but you are wrong.  God has given everyone a talent and/or gift, and we all discover them at different times in our lives.  Keep exploring, keep trying, keep going and one day you will discover it and I bet you will realize it's been there all along!  The third is, when you are at your wits end and you don't even know how to pray about the situation, simply ask God to "Hear your Heart".  He hears the groanings of our hearts when we cannot even utter a word in prayer.  He knows us by heart and He never, ever leaves us.  I could not have navigated my teen years without knowing that He loved me, even when it seemed like no one else did.  He heard my heart.  

Stress...

Stress is not about what happens to us.  It's about how we react to what happens to us, and our reaction... is a choice.  You can choose to react negatively, get angry, pitch a fit, or you can choose to react calmly with the understanding that it is only temporary, and it will eventually pass.  The way we as Christians react to situations or to others who have made us angry or just plain gotten on our nerves and stressed us out, says more about our walk with Christ than any words we could speak.  Simply put, "actions speak louder than words".  Any Dr. will tell you, stress is a killer.  It causes high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, cancer.  I believe the secret to handling any kind of stress is in keeping a constant, open dialog with God.  1 Thessalonians 5:17 says "pray without ceasing."  I remember hearing a pastor quote that verse when I was much younger and thinking to myself, "Yeah, right.  There's no way I could pray all the time."  But what that actually means is, keep the dialog open during your daily life.  Talk to God like He's sitting in the seat beside you... He IS with you always.  It was hard at first, but now it's second nature.  I whisper little prayers all throughout the day.  I thank Him for victories and happy moments. I praise Him for the beauty I see around me.  I seek His comfort when I'm upset or angry.  I ask Him for help.  Just that simple act in a moment of anxiety, stress, anger, or panic of whispering to God, "oh help" releases a hundred pounds of stress from my shoulders because I know He IS my help.

Psalm 54:4 - "Surely God is my help.  The Lord is the One who sustains me."

Psalm 121:2 - "My help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth."

Ray of Sunshine or Little Gray Cloud?

When people see you coming, what is the first thought they have?  Is it, "Oh great, can't wait to hear what's got her riled up today." or "Well, here comes Mr. Sunshine (NOT)." or how about, "Here comes the latest gossip, whether I want to hear it or not."  We're all guilty of having a bad attitude sometimes.  We all get down, and we all get upset occasionally.  But when we let that dominate our personality, when we turn our thoughts inward and constantly think about what's wrong with our lives, we end up sad, depressed and lonely.  No one wants to be around someone who is always fussing about things, always complaining.  The best thing to do when you start feeling this way is to go and do something nice for someone else.  Proverbs 17:22 says, "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."  I've been around people that made me feel like my bones were drying up while they complained, hahaha!  Ephesians 4:29 says, "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."  Are we "giving grace" to those who hear what we have to say?  I know I fail at this frequently.  I'm not saying we can't talk to our friends about our troubles sometimes.  We all need someone to talk to, who can give us good advice when we're having a problem.  But, when it becomes the ONLY thing we talk about, we need to stop and re-evaluate our focus.  I see it in little children at school all the time.  Several times this year I've been in the mail room/nurse's office, on a day the nurse is out, when a child has come in crying with a small cut on their knee.  All they can think about is the cut and the blood and the stinging pain.  But, if you talk to them, and give them a little something to smile or giggle about as you clean the cut and put a band-aid on, they start to forget about the cut, dry their tears and end up leaving with a smile.  I'm not quite there yet, but that's the kind of person I want to be.  The kind of person that people see coming and think, "Oh good, here comes my friend who makes me feel good inside and makes me smile."  There are always going to be days where you have to look for the good.  But as the saying goes, "there is always, always, always something to be thankful for!"  You can either be a ray of sunshine or a little gray cloud.

1 Peter 4:8-10
"Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.  Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.  As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's grace."

Mother's Day Reflections...

I've been extraordinarily lucky. When I was born I had 6 grandmothers!  I had Great Grandmother Beulah Helton, Great Grandmother Daisy Lee Pitts, Great Grandmother Lily Hartman, Great Grandmother Lona Mae Harper, Grandmother Mary Helton & Grandmother Mae Nell Hartman and of course, my Mom.  The only one I don't remember is my Great Grandmother Lily Hartman. She died when I was a baby, but I was always told how much she loved me. The rest I have wonderful, rich memories of.  From Great Grandmother Beulah Helton I learned gentleness.  From Great Grandmother Daisy Pitts I learned graciousness.  From Great Grandmother Lona Mae Harper I learned joyfulness. From Grandmother Mae Nell Hartman I learned determination. From Grandmother Mary Helton I learned compassion, and from my Mom I learned perseverance.  From all of them I learned unconditional love, fortitude, patience, ingenuity, creativeness, thoughtfulness, confidence, honesty, loyalty, a love of music and nature, I guess a bit of stubbornness, hope and most importantly faith in God.  I can't imagine why God chose to bless me with so many wonderful women to help raise me, unless perhaps He knew I was gonna need a lot of help to be molded into what He had planned, but I am overjoyed that He did!  Without them, I wouldn't be the person I am today.  I can only hope that I have made them all proud and that one day my children, grandchildren, and hopefully great grandchildren will remember me and the positive things I taught them.  More than anything else, I hope I teach them about God's unconditional love for each of them, because that is eternal.  Happy Mother's Day! 

If You Died Today, Do You Know Where You'd Go?

I am, unashamedly, a Christian.  I attend a Southern Baptist Church, but that is not what defines me as a Christian.  What makes me a Christian isn't being born into a Christian family.  It isn't what I do, how I act, where I was born, or where I live.  Being a good person, helping others, giving, caring, loving, believing there is a God, doesn't make me a Christian and won't get me into heaven when I die.  Even the demons believe in God.  The only thing that defines me as a Christian and will assure that I will go to heaven when I die, is believing that Jesus died for me on the cross so that my debt could be forgiven.  He took my place.  My sentence was the death penalty, but He stepped in and took it for me.  He died in my place because He loves me that much.  Accepting that precious gift given to me by the One who hung every star in place, God himself, is all I have to do to assure my place in Heaven. I've seen a lot of people try to prove that this is all false.  Their scientific minds, needing proof of everything they see, cannot seem to grasp that there could be an intelligent being who created our universe, much less one who cares about each of us as individuals.  The only thing I know to say to someone who believes that there is no God is, "For your sake, I hope you're right."  The problem is, you won't know until you're dead...and that will be too late.  I choose to believe, and if I'm wrong I loose nothing, but if I'm right, I gain EVERYTHING.  You are not promised tomorrow.  You are not even promised your next breath.  Please don't turn down this precious gift.  You may not get another chance.

John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Don't know how to accept this gift from God?  Just pray -

"Dear God I know I'm a sinner, I know I am not where I want to be, and I want your forgiveness! I believe that Jesus died on the cross to pay the price for my sins. 
Please wash me clean from all sin, shame, and guilt, come into my life Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. I ask this in your name Jesus. Amen!" 

For more info go here -->  http://peacewithgod.jesus.net

To React or Reply? That is the question....

I have little notes taped all around my computer and desk.  For example, on the edges of my monitor I have “interruption=opportunity”, “Suck in, Tuck in, and Smile!” and “Just Keep Smiling!”.  On my file cabinet I have “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples. ~ Mother Theresa” and “But as for me, I will sing about your power.  Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love.  For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress. ~ Psalm 59:16”  And,  right next to me I have “One kind word can change someone's entire day.”  The trouble is, one unkind word can also ruin it.  Ever have one of those days?  I’m having one right now.  Sometimes, when you are distracted, trying to solve several problems at once, you don’t always pay close attention to the way your words or actions are perceived.  Sometimes you can unintentionally be seemingly short with someone and not even realize you’ve done it.  I’m not the rude sort.  I care about people’s feelings deeply. I dislike confrontation immensely and generally try to avoid it when at all possible. So when communication goes wrong, and someone thinks that I have insulted or been rude to them, it really upsets me.  I guess what bothers me most is that someone who knows me, could think I would actually act that way, on purpose.  In my Sunday School class this past week our teacher said something that really stuck (one of many things).  He said when faced with an accusation or a false perception we need to reply….not react.  It really made a lot of sense and honestly, I did already know this.  I mean you can’t be a Minister’s Wife for 26 years and not understand the value of well thought out replies to criticism.  I guess I just hadn’t thought about it in a while.  You see, to “react” to the situation is not always the best idea.  Reactions are often instant, not completely thought through and can escalate the problem.  When you stop, try to understand where the other person is coming from, and then "reply" in a respectful way, it can completely change the situation for the better.  You have to lay aside the blame game.  You have to lay aside making excuses and really look at why the other person feels the way they do.  It’s terribly hard to be calm and kind when someone is being difficult.  But then, I look back at my favorite quote by my desk, “Leave everything you do, every place you go, everything you touch a little better for your having been there. ~ Julie Andrews” and I think, ok…how do I turn this situation around so that I leave it, and the person involved, feeling even better than before.  That is my ultimate goal.  I don’t always succeed and that bothers me.  But, I try very hard, and in the end I guess that’s what counts, to leave more happiness than distress at the end of the day.  

So, the newest addition to the words of wisdom surrounding my desk….

Proverbs 15:1 “A gentle response defuses anger, but a sharp tongue kindles a temper-fire.”

Blessings,
Amy

Time to Restore

I wrote this post on the way to Tennessee last weekend.  This Sunday our lesson was pretty much along the same lines.  I don't think that was an accident, I think it was God speaking.

Time to Restore

I'm a computer tech.  One of the chief complaints I hear from people is that their computer is "running slow".  You see, after a while your computer can get so bogged down with unimportant things like old files you've downloaded, documents you created and no longer need, old programs you installed, and junk files, that it just can't work efficiently or properly. Sometimes you even have a virus you accidentally downloaded, or a corrupt file causing problems.  Sometimes you even download what you think is a helpful program that ends up being a Trojan horse, delivering malware to your computer which can cause serious security issues. The way to fix these issues varies from running anti-virus software, to physically searching for and deleting the bad files, reinstalling the files that have become corrupted, cleaning up the registry, updating the drivers and sometimes the only thing you can do is to just restore the whole system back to the factory settings.  In other words, start over from the beginning, wipe it clean.  With a clean start their computers usually work just like new, happily humming along, speedy & efficient, getting the job done.
People are a lot like computers. We can get all bogged down with daily struggles.  We get sick. We get slow. We stop doing the job God put us here to do in an efficient manner because we can't see past the clutter of junk we fill our lives with.  Things we thought we needed, that we thought were important, that we thought were good, but turned out to be a Trojan horse filled with disappointment and misery.  It's time to get rid of all those junk files, viruses & malware.  In other words, it's time to lay down your differences, forget what's not really important to the Kingdom of God, lay aside selfishness, throw off the warm blanket of ambivalence, forgive, & WAKE UP, it's time for a FULL SYSTEM RESTORE!!  What we've been doing is no longer working.  Beating a dead horse does you no good.  It's still gonna lay there and be dead. It is time to come together as God's children and make a new plan.  It doesn't matter if you've never done it that way before!  Imagine what the world would be like if no one ever tried anything new. We've been sleeping.  Lulled to sleep by satan's sweet song of complacency....comfortable.  Our church should be full! But it's not. You want to know why?  Brace yourself...it's because we....don't....care.    We don't care!!!  If we DID care, if we DID forgive, if we DID serve, if we DID make a new plan, if we DID love, if we DID wake up.....our church couldn't hold all the people!  So, let's put in that restore cd.  Let's get back to the beginning.  Let's start off in a new direction, with purpose, with love, AWAKE & ready to serve and ready to do whatever it takes to bring people to Jesus in 2014.  WHATEVER IT TAKES, whether we've ever done it that way or not.  Are ya with me?

If you are, then right now decide a place you want to plug in and get started. What's your gift? What's your talent? What's something you enjoy? What's something God has been speaking to you about?  WAKE UP, GET UP, AND DO IT!!

Need ideas??
A/V ministry needs camera operators - training provided
Adult Choir needs singers - 18 and up - we REALLY need men!
Nursery - we need reliable, loving care givers - grandmas & grandpas welcome!
Children - we need energetic people, 18 & up willing to work with our children.
Helping Hands - anyone willing to help with odd jobs at church members homes.  These are those who cannot help themselves & whom we are commanded to take care of.
Welcome Center - we need people who love to smile & welcome people in the Welcome Center, and other key locations.
Coffee Ministry - we need people to help prepare the coffee & greet people at the coffee center.
Prayer Warriors - we need everyone to be prayer warriors, but also need a special group who are willing to pray for the requests brought forward on Sunday mornings, and at other specified times.
Ushers - we need men to be ushers on Sundays. Training provided!
Homebound Ministry - we need people willing to go visit those who are homebound during the day on a regular basis.
Hospital Visits - we need people to visit members when they are in the hospital.
Couple Care - we need older, experienced couples to mentor younger or recently married couples, especially those who reach out for help.
VBS - we are always in need of VBS Workers, every kind of job. Volunteer ahead of time!
Youth - we always need volunteers for the Youth Ministry. Come hang out with them, chaperone events, bring snacks, just be there for them. Be a mentor! You're never too old!
Sanctuary - we need volunteers to pick up old bulletins, straighten the hymn books, make sure the pencils are sharp & there's plenty of envelopes.
Write cards- birthdays, anniversaries, illnesses, loss of loved ones, encouragement....there's a million reasons to send someone a card or note to show them someone cares.

It's time to reboot, restore, and get busy for God!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1 Peter 4:10
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace.

Philippians 2:1-11
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.

Col 3:23:
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.

No Excuses...

We've been studying Joseph in our Life Connect sunday school class at church.  Today we studied about how dyfunctional Joseph's family really was.  His father Jacob, lied to his father Isaac and cheated his older brother out of his birth right.  He had children by many different women.  He showed favoritism towards his son Joseph which caused his other sons to all hate Joseph, conspire against him, and sell him into slavery.  How messed up is that?  I've heard this story over and over but today something new struck me.  You see, there are no perfect families.  We've all got a certain amount of dysfunction going on.  Even in the most loving families things go wrong.  Over and over again God proves that no matter what you've been through, no matter what you've done wrong, no matter what someone else has done to you, God can still use you.  God can still turn it around for good.  I don't know about you, but this is an encouragment to me.  We may be imperfect, but God loves us anyway, and He can use us to touch other's lives.  He can turn our mess into something good.

The next time you feel like GOD can't use you, just remember...

Noah was a drunk 

Abraham was too old

Isaac was a daydreamer

Jacob was a liar

Leah was ugly

Joseph was abused

Moses had a stuttering problem

Gideon was afraid

Sampson had long hair and was a womanizer

Rahab was a prostitute

Jeremiah and Timothy were too young

David had an affair and was a murderer

Elijah was suicidal

Isaiah preached naked

Jonah ran from God

Naomi was a widow

Job went bankrupt

John the Baptist ate bugs

Peter denied Christ

The Disciples fell asleep while praying

Martha worried about everything

The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once

Zaccheus was too small

Paul was too religious

Timothy had an ulcer...

AND Lazarus was dead!

No more excuses now!! God can use you to your full potential. 

Besides you aren't the message, you are just the messenger.

Dealing with Difficult People...

As a Christian, how are we supposed to “deal” with difficult situations or difficult people? Usually our first reaction is to try and “get back” at the person or persons that caused our grief to begin with.  We feel like we need to make them pay for what they've done.  But the way God wants us to react is completely different, and doesn't come naturally.  We want the person who has wronged us, or someone we love, to be punished.  We want vengeance, but God says vengeance is His, and His alone.  We are to “love each other like members of our family”, “bless people who harass us” and “be the best at showing honor to each other”.  We are to never “pay back anyone for their evil actions with evil actions” or “try to get revenge for ourselves”.  God wants us to defeat evil with good. 

Romans 12:9-21Love should be shown without pretending. Hate evil, and hold on to what is good.  Love each other like the members of your family. Be the best at showing honor to each other. Don’t hesitate to be enthusiastic—be on fire in the Spirit as you serve the Lord!  Be happy in your hope, stand your ground when you’re in trouble, and devote yourselves to prayer.  Contribute to the needs of God’s people, and welcome strangers into your home. Bless people who harass you—bless and don’t curse them.  Be happy with those who are happy, and cry with those who are crying.  Consider everyone as equal, and don’t think that you’re better than anyone else. Instead, associate with people who have no status. Don’t think that you’re so smart.  Don’t pay back anyone for their evil actions with evil actions, but show respect for what everyone else believes is good.  If possible, to the best of your ability, live at peace with all people.  Don’t try to get revenge for yourselves, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath. It is written, Revenge belongs to me; I will pay it back, says the Lord. Instead, If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. By doing this, you will pile burning coals of fire upon his head.  Don’t be defeated by evil, but defeat evil with good.

God also wants us to forgive each other.  Sometimes, well, a lot of times, that’s easier said than done.  Holding on to a grudge, and to anger, only weighs your heart down.  Forgiveness is a choice, and it’s not for the sake of the one who wronged you.  It’s for YOU. 

Colossians 3:13
Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

Matthew 18:21-22
Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.

I didn't write this so I could point a finger at you or anyone else.  I didn't write it because I thought you  needed to read it.  I didn't write it so that we could all think of people whom we believe “need” to read it.  I wrote it because God put it in front of me today, more than once, and said Amy, YOU need to remember this.  So I thought I’d share it, just in case you needed it too.  Blessings!

How Will You Be Remembered?

As I sit here at home, recovering from a minor surgical procedure, I'm wishing I could be with my sweet husband who had to fly home to Tennessee because his sister passed away unexpectedly.  My surgery was already scheduled and didn't need to be delayed.  I am so thankful for the wonderful friends I have here in Wilmington who have been so willing to take care of me and the boys while Scott is away.  His sister Beth was only 46 years old.  We went to High School together.  I knew her long before I ever knew Scott.  She had a very tough life, but this one thing I do know, she really loved her big brother and her nephews.  It's made me reflect on my own life, and how I will be remembered. Will the life I have lived point others to the love and salvation in Christ?  I jotted down some things I'd like to be, that I strive to be.  I don't always succeed, but I do try.  God's not done with me yet! These are also things that I truly hope I have instilled in my children.  So here they are, in no particular order.  I hope in some way this touches others lives as well and makes them think about what kind of legacy they will be leaving behind.

Honest - to remember the value of honesty, that honesty and trust go hand in hand.  Once trust is broken, it's nearly impossible to get it back.

Kind - everyone appreciates kindness.  Saying please and thank you, holding a door for someone, helping when they drop something, making eye contact and smiling, and having a good attitude.  Do your best to show kindness in every situation, wherever you go.

Compassionate & Empathetic - showing real concern for others suffering, and acting on it, being sensitive, warm & tender, helping another person who cannot help themselves. Understanding & identifying with another's suffering, listening and comforting them.

Forgiving - forgive others when they hurt you.  You don't really know the path they walk, the things that cause them to act the way they do.  Pray for your enemies, that God would help you to love the unlovable.  Carrying around a grudge is like carrying a huge boulder around YOUR neck, not theirs.  Refusing to forgive only hurts YOU.

Patient - Being impatient with people is an immediate turn off.  It makes you seem like an insensitive jerk.  Think about how you would want to be treated in a similar situation. Take a deep breath, understand that God has probably delayed you for a higher purpose. Look around and see what that opportunity might be.

Persevering & Brave - keep on trying, don't quit.  Work hard, despite difficulties, in spite of

opposition.  When you fall down, get back up, dust yourself off, and keep on going.  Be a good example to those around you.  Failure only happens if you quit trying.

Positive in Attitude - to be encouraging, to see the glass half full instead of half empty, to look on the bright side of life and find humor in my daily struggles, to stop complaining and look for the good in situations and in people.

Respectful - to receive respect, you have to give it.  It cannot be demanded any more than you could demand someone to love you.  It is something that is earned by exemplifying all of the above traits.  

Proverbs 20:11 - "Even a child is known by his deeds, whether what he does is pure and right."

In short - Live your life in such a way that if someone were to speak badly of you, no one else would ever believe it. 

And finally a quote from one of my favorite people:

"Leave everything you do, every place you go, everything you touch, a little better for your having been there." ~ Julie Andrews

Oh no you didn't......Oh yes....I DID!

I'm going out on a limb.  I'm just gonna walk right out there to the tip of it.  Scott & I have been on a church staff for about 26 years now.  We've been around the block.  This isn't our first rodeo, as they say.  So when I say what I'm gonna say, I say it having had years of first hand, front line experience.  When something happens at church that you personally dislike or don't agree with and then you get angry and decide to quit everything and leave, who do you think you are hurting?  You aren't hurting the person or people you disagreed with.  They probably don't know or possibly don't care.  You ARE hurting yourself.  You ARE hurting God's church.  You ARE hurting your church family.  I know all about getting "fed up".  I know all about being "talked about".  I know all about being "the last man standing".  I know all about "disagreeable people".  Been there.  Done that.  Bought a million T-shirts.  If you quit now....you are letting satan win.  Plain and simple.  There, I said it....yep, I walked right out there on the very tip of that fragile limb and said it.  Let me tell you what I'm gonna do.  I'm NOT letting satan win!!  I'm NOT quitting!!  I REFUSE to let satan have his way.  I CHOOSE to forgive anyone who has hurt me.  I CHOOSE to let it go and give it to GOD.  He is the only one who has any business carrying that burden.  He is the ONLY one who has any business judging the hearts of others.  Not you, not me....God.  God sees the master plan and He holds the future in His hands.  He knows what tomorrow holds.  He already knew about what we are going through right now, and He is busy working in and through it my friends.  It's not your job to walk away when the going gets tough.  It's your job to stand up WITH God and go about His work more fervently than ever!  If you throw it all down and walk away, you are essentially throwing it down at God's feet and walking away from the work He asked YOU to do.  God works ALL things for good.  We HAD to go through EVERY bit of this in order for GOD'S plan to come about.  All of it, the good parts and the bad parts.  He's not just working in one person's life here....He is working in ALL our lives, weaving it all into a beautiful tapestry, one thread at a time.  You and I have no right to judge how or why He's doing it the way He is!  Listen, the only thing God is concerned about right now is whether or not YOU are gonna fulfill your part!  We've got to stop pointing at the splinter in our brother's and sister's eyes and get the plank out of our OWN!  What are you doing?  Where are you going?  Stop....Listen to God....and get back on track.  Stop letting satan pull you away from God's work.  Satan is having a party right now.  He thinks he's winning.  What he doesn't know is that Pastor Chuck & Raquel are doing God's will!  They are going to go to Brazil and they are going to win thousands to Christ!  They are going to change village after village.  They are going because GOD has called them to go and He used circumstances in their lives to show them the direction He wanted them to go!  It had nothing to do with you, with me, or with anyone else!  It is what GOD wanted to happen.  Who are we to question His actions or how He did it??  It had to be this way because that is how GOD wanted it to be.  Scott and I have actually been in a situation like this before.  We were "the last ones standing" on a staff in Tampa, Florida many years ago.  It wasn't easy.  As a matter of fact, it was one of the most difficult times in our lives!  Our boys were very small and I didn't work outside the home.  Scott was NEVER home because he was doing practically every job in the church.  It was very hard and I remember wondering why God would put us, and that church, through such a difficult time.  Perhaps it was to prepare us for this?  Who knows.  My beloved friends, you have got to get your focus back on what is important to God, and that is doing HIS work.  It's not gossiping about what's happened.  It's not seeking revenge on anyone you feel is responsible for our situation.  It's not holding grudges and despising your fellow church members.  It's not quitting and walking away.  You have no right to say that you can't stay in a place as long as this person or that person is there.  How are you any better than anyone else?  How is your sin any better than someone else's sin?  To God it's all the same.  He loves every single one of us lowly, dirty, unworthy, unwilling, whiny, sinners.  He looks at us through Jesus' blood and to Him, we are ALL His beloved children!  Now, I feel that tiny tip of a limb I've walked out on shaking a bit and it may be close to breaking so I'll step back now.  But know this, I love this church, and I'm not backing down to satan.  Even if that means I offend someone by saying so.  So let's get our eyes back on Jesus, pick up what we've thrown down, and get back to God's work.  It's not a sin to be angry.  But allowing anger to cause you to sin is a different story.  Carrying around grudges and anger towards someone is like taking poison and expecting it to kill the other person.  It only hurts you.  I challenge you this very minute, right where you are, to CHOOSE to forgive the ones who have hurt you or made you angry, no matter what they've done.  Forgiving them doesn't let them off the hook, it's not YOUR hook my friend.  It's God's.

Proverbs 24:10
If you faint in the day of advesity, your strength is small.

James 1:2-4
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

2 Chronicles 15:7
But you, take courage!  Do not let you hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.

1 Peter 4:12-13
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.  But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed.

To Love & to Be Loved...

More frequently than not, my morning reading hits circumstances in my life right on the nose.  This morning it hit these circumstances right in the face.  Our church has been, and continues to go through, some very rough times.  Though I don't always understand why or how these things happen, I do know that God does allow circumstances to happen in our lives, good and bad, in order to help us grow into what He wants us to be.  It's our choice whether we allow God to mold and shape us through these circumstances.  We can choose to become bitter and hard and ignore what God has planned.  We do have free will to resist.  I fully admit to trying to do it my way many times, but it never turns out like I've planned.  Being a computer geek, I often turn to my computer and Google to help me find specific bible verses to deal with certain situations.  I type in, What does the Bible say about this.... What does the Bible say about that... and up pops the verses I was trying to find.  Today, at a loss for how to cope, I typed in, "What does the bible say about coming together.", and I was taken to 1 John 4:7-21.  I sometimes find a scripture that has so many commas in it that I lose the main point.  Does that ever happen to you?  I mean I know it's hiding in there somewhere in that beautiful King James verse, but for the life of me cannot separate it all out into something my brain can comprehend.  It's at those times that I turn to The Message.  It's a translation that speaks in modern day language, and although some may think it's not quite a accurate, it does hit the nail on the head 99.9% of the time.  Pay close attention to verses 11-12 and 20-21.  Those hit these circumstances we face right on the nose.  So here it is below.  I'll let it finish up this blog post because, I couldn't say it better myself.
Blessings.

1 John 4:7-21
The Message

God Is Love

7-10 My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God.

11-12 My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us—perfect love!

13-16 This is how we know we’re living steadily and deeply in him, and he in us: He’s given us life from his life, from his very own Spirit. Also, we’ve seen for ourselves and continue to state openly that the Father sent his Son as Savior of the world. Everyone who confesses that Jesus is God’s Son participates continuously in an intimate relationship with God. We know it so well, we’ve embraced it heart and soul, this love that comes from God.

To Love, to Be Loved

17-18 God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we’re free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ’s. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love.

19 We, though, are going to love—love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first.

20-21 If anyone boasts, “I love God,” and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won’t love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can’t see? The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You’ve got to love both.