Are We as Intriguing and Intense as "LOST" and "24"?

So...many people are "caught up" in the intrigue of "LOST" and "24" on television. There is nothing wrong with that, because I am "caught up" along with everyone else.

I began thinking about this and several thoughts came to mind in how we can relate the two series to our spiritual life...

Do our lives, as leaders, give people the desire to "tune in" to us weekly? Think about this for a moment. Do we attract people? What do our lives say? What words come from our mouths on a regular basis? I know I like to be around people who can speak into my life positively.

If we are around someone who is constantly negative and draining us, it is not healthy for our spirit. Besides, we usually tend to stay away from them. That is exactly the reason I bring this point up. In order for us to be as intriguing as "Lost" or "24", our lives have to have the excitement, the enthusiasm, and the intensity as these shows.

We just celebrated Easter. Think about what Christ did for us, what opportunities He provided through the cross. That should be all we need to challenge us in our walk with Him and how we represent Him to others. Maybe we provide some of this intrigue in our churches, maybe not; but, if not, we should think about this in light of what we are doing to reach generations.

If we want to attract this generation and generations to come we must develop this intrigue in both our ministries and individual lives. We must be careful to not grow old in our thinking as we mature in our age. Stay young at heart, so you do not miss the opportunity to reach younger people. Besides, by staying young at heart you may just live longer.

Now, there will be some limitations. I would love to learn to kite board, but I remember my age and think it is not a wise thing to do. Plus, my arms aren't that strong! I have gone on a zip line before, but that was about 9 years ago. I still think I could do that, but the adventure hasn't arisen lately.

I say all of that, to challenge you to look at yourself seriously and ask some tough questions. Have you become settled in the way you do life? Are you predictable in how you relate to people, or how you do ministry? Maybe it is time to add a little adventure, a little suspense, to your life...to your ministry. When you do that people will not know what to expect the next time they see you. Hey, they may even start coming around more often, just to see what's going to happen next.

Staying Hydrated in the Race of Life

I woke up this morning with the thought: "Challenges we face are opportunities for us to grow stronger and see the hand of God in our life." Later in the afternoon as I was walking I thought of a lesson I learned from my son when he ran cross country in high school.

When you are training for a race it is important to hydrate the day before, because that is what will sustain you through the race. Now, Christine Caine has written a book called "Run to Win," which is an excellent read for any Christian. It relates running a race to the Christian life. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend the read. She talks about conditioning and all that relates to the runner.

I want to point out something else relating to a race and the Christian life...being prepared for the race by taking in enough fluids. Coaches will tell you to drink plenty of fluids the day before a race. As Christians we need to follow this example by staying spiritally hydrated with the Word of God...with Christ, who is the Living Water.

By staying in the Word and absorbing what God is telling us through Scripture we are preparing for the race of life...the race of a Believer. When the obstacles and challenges come at us, we will have what we need in order to stay in the race; just like a runner needs the fluids to make it to the finish line.

It is very important that we never think we don't need to read the Word or pray: "Oh, I can skip it today. I will do it later." We need to be careful to not take either of them lightly. They are what will sustain us through, to the finish line. When the obstacles and challenges come at us, we will be able to pull from the strength our training has given us.

If we have been slack in our training, it will be evident in the way we deal with difficult circumstances. It will be evident in the way we respond to our family...our friends...our collegues. We cannot lie about how much, or how little we have trained. Our lives will tell the truth.

So...how are we dealing with life? What are we going through right now? Are we running strong, or are we a little weary? Maybe all we need is this blog to remind us to pick up our Bible and read. Maybe this is a reminder to spend more time alone with God worshipping Him for Who He is, not for what He has done. Maybe we need to just be still and listen to the "still small voice."

As we do these things we are going to be replenished. We will be reminded that we can move forward; we do not have to stay discouraged.

The obstacle or challenge we are facing at the moment is just an opportunity for us to grow stronger and see God at work in our life!

Crossing into the Promised Land

Be strong and courageous as Joshua chapter one tells us. Don't be afraid to cross over into your promised land. You know, each one of us has a very different promised land. If we were all the same, life would be boring.

What is it God has called you to? Are you still standing on this side of the water just looking at the other side, dreaming? Be strong. Be courageous. Stand in awe of what God has in store for you. If it were an easy task it really would not be worth the effort. Thank God that He has given you the ability to have vision, to dream and set goals.

Ask yourself the following question:

"Am I living in my promised land, or am I settling for life as it is now?"

What is it you need to do to become more bold? Maybe you are in a place where God is telling you to sit still and learn at His feet. Some of the time that is the best place to be. To some that would be a bold move...to sit and be still. God may have you in a place where you are to soak in from others and not "do" anything right now. That is ok. He is preparing you. Believe me, I had to learn to accept that process.

To others, maybe you have sat too long and God is trying to get you to move, because you are ready. It is your time. Now get up and get going. The sky is the limit with you and God. Your imagination is the only thing that is holding you back. Cross over to the other side into your Promised Land and let God be glorified.

I would love to hear some stories of what God is doing in your life. Are you at the sitting still point, or are you crossing over? Share with us so we can learn from you.

What Does Your Life Say?

Today I saw a status on facebook from the daughter of a friend of mine. It read, "There's so much more at stake here than whether I live or die." It was a quote from the girls aunt, also a friend of mine. She had cancer and fought and overcame it; but it came back and eventually God thought best to take her home with Him.

That so illustrates the point I have made in past posts. What is the legacy that we are leaving to those who follow us? This woman would go and speak to people regarding her fight for life and minister to many who were touched by her ministry. I thought of the passages of 2 Kings about Elijah and Elisha.

What a legacy Elijah left Elisha. 2 Kings 2 tells us in The Messge that Elijah told Elisha three times to "stay here" and Elisha said "not on your life. I'm not letting you out of my sight." Because of this detemination Elisha received the request he had of having a "double portion" of Elijah's anointing.

Do we have the determination of Elisha? When we see other's with God's anointing flowing from their lives do we observe how they do life? Do we ask God to bless us and anoint us in that way or better? I do not believe it is wrong for us to do just that...ask God to anoint us, to bless us with His anointing and presence.

The key is to not use it for personal gain. We should strictly ask in order to advance the kingdom of God. When people look at us what do they see? A person totally captivated by God and His will, or a person totally captivated by selfish ambition and desires?

As we go throughout our day keep this thought in mind, "God give me an anointing so powerful others will see you in me in every decision I make."

Remember, "There's so much more at stake here than whether I live or die." Vicki Qualls. Thanks Jessica for posting that on your status. It brought back great memories.

God's Grace...Like a Man Opening a Door for a Woman

Hmmm...do men still open doors for women? Yes, they do...just not like in the past. In my opinion, it is mostly the woman's fault for this courteousness to have almost been lost. Women had the opinion they could do everything.

Women have the capability to do many things and be great multi-taskers; but, if not careful this ability will cause them to miss out on great relationships and blessings. It can cause them to forget their need to rely upon others for support and strength.As I was thinking about God's grace the picture of the man opening the door for the woman came to mind. The man is being kind and courteous to the woman, not because she is weak and incapable of opening the door, but because he respects her and wants to show her how much she is valued.

God looks at us and sees how valued we are as men and women and opens the door to His heart through His grace. We don't deserve it; but, we need it. He just might be looking at us and saying, "I know you can do this life on your own. You are perfectly capable; but, I want to do this life with you. I want to support you and make it a little less stressful." Too often we try to do everything on our own, when God is calling us to allow Him to help us.

We possibly think we have done too many bad things in the past and God doesn't want to help us. Maybe we regret where we've been and people we associated with. Nothing we have done in our lives will shock God. He is God. He has seen it all. It may hurt Him, but it doesn't shock Him.

If you have been following my blog you know I have been studying leadership in the Old Testament. For the past few months I have been in Kings and Chronicles, as well as Jeremiah. The one thing that has stood out in what I have been reading lately is how God compared the various kings to David. He states several times that because a particular king did not follow the example of David; following after God, obeying His orders with an undivided heart, the kingship would be ripped from him. In some instances the kings family would be destroyed because of their blatant sin.

David was not without sin. That is the point. He purposefully sinned and then tried to cover the one sin by doing another. (2 Sam. 11 & 12) He should have been put to death because of it; BUT GOD. We see those two words often in scripture. God's grace came through.

Why does David stand out so much? Because he had a genuine heart after God. He understood when he was wrong and deeply repented of the wrong. When you read what he wrote you can see the deep relationship he had with God. He spoke from his heart. He learned from his mistakes and allowed God to take him into a deeper relationship with Him.

There are some people reading that have allowed their past to hinder what God wants to do in and through their lives. God's grace is abundant. If you have a heart like David and have truly repented God wants to help you move on. He is opening the door for you now. He is the gentleman that is saying, "I value you. You are special to me. Allow me to show you what I want for your life. I want to do this for you, not because I have to, or I am suppose to, I want to."

So, as you go through your day allow the Holy Spirit to heal your soul and renew your mind. Give God the opportunity to use you in ways you never dreamed or thought possible!

God's Up to Something Bigger Than Me...

Even though the inside is covered up it needs to be just as spectacular as the outside. Solomon was having The Temple built. It took four years to gather all that was needed to just begin building. (I Kings 6) The chapter tells us about the process of building. Everything was the best of the best. Solomon wanted to build a sactuary to God that was spectacular.

We read in First Kings chapter 6 verse 18 that the stones used for building the temple were covered completely by cedar. No stone was to be seen. This did not mean the stone was not important, just the opposite. In I Kings 5:17 we read that men were instructed to get the best stone and dress it for the foundation of The Temple. Solomon was not going to have anything but the best for The Temple he was building to house the presence of God.

As I read that passage I thought of our lives. We are the temple of God; His presence resides in each of us. (1Cor. 3:19, 6:19; 2Cor. 6:16) Usually we have a desire to take care of the outside of our bodies because people actually see us. We have to have the best clothes, the best accessories, the best shoes (of course), the best car...the best everything, because we care about what others see and think of us. But what about our inner lives; the stone of our existance. Have we allowed only the best to enter our heart and spirit?

Because of the busyness of our lives we can often go through the motions of Christianity and leadership. We can act like we are serving; but is our heart really serving, or do we secretly resent what we are doing? This is very easy to do without realizing what we are allowing to happen. We may feel as if things should be done differently, so we harbor hurt feelings. That is not healthy.

Remember only the best for the foundation of our spiritual lives. We can learn this lesson from Solomon. He used the best stone, but then he covered it up with cedar. No stone was exposed. When we have spent time in the presence of God and allowed Him to carve us; to chip away the impurities and roughness of our lives, we will live blessed and fulfilled lives. It will not matter to us what is going on around us because we have been carved by God.

Our appearance on the outside is just as important. We learn that from Solomon as well. He was blessed with the friendship of the King of Tyre, and had all the best cedar and timber he needed for building The Temple. The overall appearance of our lives is so very important, but we do not start from the outside in. We begin from the inside out. This is how we are going to reach generations. Instruct them and influence them to get to know God intimately and develop a strong inner spirit. God will develop them into who He desires them to be.

What is going on in our inner spirit? Is God up to something? Do you feel as if you are going to burst? Maybe you have allowed your spirit to become complacent and settled. Maybe you feel as if God is trying to tell you something. He is wanting to take you to a deeper place in Him, developing strength and courage inside of you. Don't be afraid of change. It may even be chaotic. That is God doing something amazing in you. Allow Him to continue. Ask Him to give you the sensitivity to listen to what He is saying.

Many times people become afraid of that chaotic feeling; they turn away, not allowing their spirit to be quiet and hear what God is saying. I have inserted a video that explains this concept so well. Listen to it with an open heart. God is up to something bigger than you. Are you being still and letting God work on the stone foundation of you spirit? If you are then expect God to do awesome things for you in the very near future.

Whatever You're doing inside of me; it feels like chaos, but I believe.
You're up to something bigger than me; larger than life, something heavenly.
Whatever You're doing inside of me; it feels like chaos, but now I can see.
This is something bigger than me; larger than life, something heavenly. Sanctus Real

Shut the Door to our Past and Move Forward!

We may be going along in our lives and all of a sudden the direction of our lives change. That is definitely what happened to Noah. He was just living life. Walking with God. Doing what he knew to do.

One day God decides to change the course of his life. He not only changes the course, he shuts the door to his past. Genesis 7:16, "...Then, God shut the door behind him." The Message God knew what the human emotions could do...they feel sorry for people, they hurt, they want to make things better...

God shut the door so tight that no one could get in or out. When the people outside the ark began to cry out and scream the human nature of Noah and his family would have been tempted to open the door to assist those hurting people on the outside. We can be the very same way. God changes the direction of our lives, of our ministries and He wants us to allow Him to shut the door to our past.

Do not listen to those who are crying out saying, "Let me come with you." God desires for you to allow Him to "shut the door" and follow His direction into the future He has for you. Noah had no idea what was going to happen to him and his family. God was destroying all of mankind as Noah knew it...no more human beings, other than he and his family. What was that going to be like?

We may be going in a direction where we are alone for a season, while God trains us in the area to which He is calling us. Simply trust Him as Noah did and allow God to teach you awesome truths about yourself and the work you are going to do. Here is what God did for Noah and his family.

"Prosper! Reproduce! Fill the earth! Every living crature - birds, animals, fish - will fall under your spell and be afraid of you. You're responsible for the...You're here to bear fruit, reproduce, lavish life on the earth, live bountifully!" Gen. 9:1-7 The Message

As we follow God's direction he will prosper us in what we are doing. Our lives are to reproduce. What are we learning? What are we reproducing? Are we allowing the things God is teaching us to reproduce in our lives? This is very important for the health of generations to come. If we do not pass on what God has blessed us with we are not living up to our full potential in Christ. Make that a part of our everyday life. When other's look at the way we do life give them reason to say, "I want what she has," "I want to be like her."

Remember to allow God to shut the door to your past, so you will not be distracted and lose focus on His direction for your life. Seek Him with every part of your being and allow the Holy Spirit to mold you and shape you into awesome women of God, called for His purpose.

Say What?

Has anyone ever told you to do something that really you thought was crazy? Maybe you had a desire to do something those closest to you thought was stupid or unrealistic. They may think the profession you have chosen for your life is not the best because you either don't have the ability, or it isn't a good way to bring in an income.

Maybe you have a dream that only you can imagine.What are you doing about it? Have you allowed what others have told you to stop you from proceeding and doing what is in your heart?

As believers God gives us dreams. He gives us vision. That is the way of life for the believer. He gives us purpose.

After God created mankind He became disheartened by what He saw happening to His creation. He was disappointed in what He saw when He looked upon earth, except when it came to Noah. Noah "found favor in the eyes of the Lord." Gen. 6:8 NIV The Messages says, "Noah was different. God liked what He saw in Noah."

When God looks at us does He like what He sees? It doesn't matter what other people see as long as God likes looking at us and sees the potential we have in Him. Noah was righteous and walked with God. (Gen. 6:19) Noah was human, so I know he made mistakes; so when we fail and make mistakes, acknowedge them and move forward. John Maxwell calls that "failing forward."

Noah also listened to God's instruction and did everything He told him to do. Try to imagine what it would be like to be Noah...you are living your life, minding your own business. You are having your quiet time with God and He tells you He is tired and fed up with the human race, so He is going to destroy it. What kind of a reaction would you have? That is hard to imagine, but first off I think I would be speechless and not know how to react. I might think, "Are you serious?" The Bible doesn't really tell us how Noah reacted, it is left for us to use our own imaginations.

So often when we read scripture we read it like it is just words on a page, with no personality. I believe in order to truly understand what we are reading, we need to look at the circumstances surrounding what we are reading, and put ourselves in the situation. When we do that we can understand it so much better. Now, with that being said, how would you react? What would you do or say?

Well, all we read is how Noah listened to God tell him to build a huge boat (an ark) that was to be 450 feet long and 75 feet high and 45 feet wide. Now remember, up until this time there has not been a boat that size, maybe not even a boat. God was asking Noah to build a cruise ship for animal's and a few people! God continues on by telling Noah He is establishing a covenant with him, he and his family will board the boat and will take on board all the animals he tells him to take. Genesis chapter six of The Message ends with, "Noah did everything God commanded Him to do."

Ok, now the Bible again doesn't go into detail on what happens while Noah is building the ark; but, again, use your imagination. It could be that Noah's closest friends came up and questioned him, saying he was being ridiculous, maybe even losing his mind. His sons and their families were more than likely ridiculed as well.

Do those closest to you talk down the dreams you have of doing amazing things and accomplishing awesome goals? DO NOT LISTEN TO THEM. GOD HAS CREATED YOU FOR A PURPOSE AND WANTS TO SEE YOU DO EXACTLY WHAT HE IS TELLING YOU. Do not allow other people's insecurities keep you from accomplishing what God has designed you for.

I did a google search on "They Said I Couldn't" and I found this story of a young girl from Tennessee desiring to be a country singer. Dolly Parton was her idol. She described herself as "dorky." Well, this girl attended a drama summer camp in upstate New York one year. Despite 3 years of singing lessons at the end of the summer camp her coaches told her to forget about singing. They suggested she think of another career. She was an impressionable young girl and took these "professionals" words to heart.

When she arrived home her mother would not let her feel sorry for herself and her dad encouraged her to achieve in school. That is what she did and was accepted at Stanford University. When she was 19 she got a part in a low budget movie Freeway, which led to a role in the movie Pleasantville. She decided that if she couldn't sing she would "play to your strengths" and "focus on what you're good at. Celebrate yourself." That is exactly what she did. This actress, Reese Witherspoon, was cast in the role of June Carter in the movie "Walk the Line;" where she played a country singer.

I know that story is not so spiritual; but, how much more should we do what she did as believers. When those around us tell us we can't do a certain thing and you know it is something God has placed in your heart...GO FOR IT! DO NOT GIVE UP! It may not come about the way you planned; but listen to God, follow His instruction and He will get you where you need to be, in order to fulfill the dream He placed within you.

What are you doing, right now, that is setting you up to do what God is calling you to? It may not look like you will ever get there, but do not stop what you are doing. What you are doing NOW is preparing you for when God brings about His dream in you. Listen to God's instruction. Follow His advise. Do everything He commands, even if it doesn't look like much. Do not lose hope. God is still with you, even though what you are doing may not seem like much. With God behind you it will be amazing.

Remember, "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." Phil. 4:13 NIV

Next post we will learn more from Noah's encounter with God and the ark.

Blessings!

Contentment vs Striving for the Goal

It is a wise person who knows how to be content in their circumstance; yet, striving to reach the goal, to which God has called them.

Our lives can be like a tug of war with contentment on one side pulling for our attention and stiving on the other side pulling for equal time.

Now, there are those who are content with where they are...they are comfortable and don't want to "rock the boat." Things are fine, so don't mess with a good thing.

On the other hand, there are those who can't seem to relax. They are always on the go, but are they doing anything?

I am reminded of a human video our youth did several years back to an Insyderz song. There were several teens on either side of a person in the middle...one side representing evil, negative things in our lives...the other representing good, positive things in our lives...the one in the middle having to make the decision on which way to go.

If we are in ministry, or just a person living the Christian life, we are the person in the middle of contentment of where we are and striving/reaching for the goals we set. They are both tugging at us, vying for our attention, pulling us to their side. In the end we need to make up our mind to balance our lives. it is so important to make sure we are content where God has us at this time in our lives; yet still striving to reach the goals He has given us.

Being content doesn't mean being lazy. Being content means KNOWING WE ARE IN GOD'S WILL and doing what we can, at this point in our life, to position ourself where we need to be, to reach our goals. We need to be taking in all we can to absorb what He is teaching us; doing a little at a time to get to where He is taking us.

Don't rush it. Be available and ready for when He say...NOW.

That is hard to do if you are a doer, or someone who has to be in the midst of the action. Sometimes God just wants us to be on the sidelines, observing and gathering information. During these times we need to do what we can; but soak up as much of what He is showing us as we can. That way when He is ready to "let us loose" with His plan we will be ready.

So, think about our arms being stretched in opposite directions by contentment and striving for the goal. Ask God to help us relax and do what we can, where we are, so we will be ready to do what He has called us to in His time.

Phil. 4:13, "I've learned by now to be quite content..." The Message

Phil. 3:12-14, "...I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ...I've got my eye on the goal...I'm off and running...I'm not turning back." The Message

Paul had learned both...he was content, but look what he did for the church world!

Rebuilding Our Lives!

"This is stupid!"

"I can't believe I have to do this!"

"Why do I have to do this? Why can't someone else? Don't they know who I am?"

We have all been in situations where we have thought those same thoughts, or something similar, before. Hopefully, we have matured past these thoughts. In our journey as leaders there will be days when we just don't get it. It seems as if nothing is ever going to be like we thought it would be.

Our lives are inundated with aspects of ministry, but is this really what God wants for us? The Israelites were in the midst of captivity for seventy years. The only thing that probably kept them going was knowing in seventy years this all would be over. Still, seventy years is a long time. Some of the ones who came into captivity would die before they saw God's promise fulfilled. To be honest, it was probably difficult not to get weary.

The promise was God's redemption. God says, "Once the seventy years is up, I'll punish the king of Babylon and the whole nation of Babylon for their sin. Then they'll be the wasteland...They won't get by with anything." Jer. 25:12-14 The Message

When it seems as if we are never going to get out of the situations we are in, we have the promise that God will come through.

The key is this:

We have to make sure we have set our eyes, our spirits, on seeking God and His will, not ours. Seek Him with all our heart. He says that when we look for Him we'll find Him. When we call on Him and pray He will listen. When we truly get serious about finding God and want Him more than anything else, He will make sure we are not disappointed. Jer. 29:10-14

Over the years I have pondered why we, as believers, do not see more miracles around us. Is it because we have so much going on in our lives we do not take the time to seek God with ALL our hearts? Are we so busy doing ministry we do not allow us to be who God so desires?

Take time to search our hearts and ask God to reveal to us what we need to do in order to become who He wants. When we do this He will show up. Pray for those who are giving us a hard time. Pray for blessings on them. God told the Israelites to pray for Babylon, that things would go well for, not only Babylon, but them as well. Jer. 29:7

We need to make ourselves at home, because God will restore and bless us in His time. Pray for those who are giving us a hard time. Pray for the parishoner that is always "on our case." Pray for our children who are "driving us crazy."

He says in Jer. 30:10, "...find life good, safe and secure." "I'll come with healing, curing the incurable." v17 "I'll compassionately come in and rebuild homes...things will get better and better...they'll thrive, they'll flourish..." vv18-21

"...You'll be my very own people, I'll be your very own God." Jer. 30:22

Jeremiah chapter 31 is awesome! God says he will restore and the people of Israel can resume their singing. Their lives will be like a well watered garden. He is going to make sure His people have more than enough. He is going to create a new thing. He will restore tired bodies and tired souls.

What is going on in our lives right now? Are we weary? Are our bodies tired and worn out? Have we been doing ministry because it is our responsibility and duty? Have we lost the joy of ministry? Are attitudes of people getting to us? Be encouraged and read through Jeremiah 24 through 31.

God is with us. We are where God wants us to be. Allow Him to speak to our spirit and restore our soul.

"'Be ready. The time's coming'-God's Decree-'when I will plant people and animals in Israel and Judah, just as a farmer plants seed. And in the same way that earlier I relentlessly pulled up and tore down, took apart and demolished, so now I am sticking with them as they start over, building and planting.'" Jer. 31:24-28 The Message

"This is the brand-new covenant that I will make with Israel when the time comes. I will put my law within them - write it on their hearts! - and be their God. And they will be my people...They'll know me firsthand..." Jer. 31:33-34 The Message

Wherever we are right now in ministry God is with us. If we feel broken and torn down; God is here for us, to rebuild and give us a new start. He loves each of us deeply. He knows the plans He has for us...plans to take care of us and give us a the future we hope for.

Be encouraged and blessed! You are on the edge of great breakthroughs with God!

Shut up! Let God Speak!

Last post was seeing God's purpose in our lives, even when circumstances are not so great. God's purpose prevails. This post we are going to read about God's intervention in our lives.

Again God was telling Jeremiah what to tell the people. Throughout chapters 24 - 28 Jeremiah is warning the people to repent and maybe God will hear them and not be so harsh. When we get to chapter 29 Jeremiah sends a letter to the exiles in Babylon explaining what God wants them to do;

"Build houses and make yourselves at home. Put in gardens and eat what grows in that country. Marry and have chidren. Encourage your children to marry and have children so that you'll thrive in that country and not waste away. Make yourselves at home there and work for the country's welfare. Pray for Babylon's well-being. If things go well for Babylon, things will go well for you." Jer. 29:5-7 The Message

Wherever we are in our lives...if we feel we are not going anywhere...if we feel we are suppose to be doing something other than what we are doing right now...if things just seem to be falling apart...take heart. Listen to what God says, "Make yourselves at home there and work for the country's welfare."v 7 Maybe we are sitting under the leadership of a ministry and we want to be on our own..."work for the country's (ministry's) welfare." God is with us.

Listen to what He wants to teach us. Glean from the ministry. We need to take in all we can, BUT also give our time and energy to help that ministry. Do life well. Allow God to mold us into the person He wants us to be; not what we want to be.

Jeremiah 29:10 tells us that Babylon is going to flourish and be blessed for seventy years...not a day more...not a day less. So the people of Israel had better learn to adjust.

Are we learning to adjust? Are we making it hard on ourselves? God doesn't want us to do that. That is not his plan. His plan is for us to be blessed along with the ministry we are in. Take in all we can. And when the time that God has for us to be in that place is up, and no sooner, we will be free to do what God intended in the beginning.

It is so encouraging; read what He says, "'I'll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out - plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I'll listen. When you come looking for me, you'll find me. Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed.' God's decree. 'I'll turn things around for you...You can count on it.'"" Jeremiah 29:10-14 The Message

So here is what we get out of all this. Israel did their own thing. Jer. 25:7 They did not care about what God wanted. They listened to the "prophets" that told them what they wanted to hear.

How often do we only listen to what we want to listen to, not what God is truly saying? We get caught up in what we think is God, but the reality is...it is our own desires. It is not wrong to have our own desires and dreams; the key is...have we been in touch with God in our prayer and Bible study? "Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track. Don't assume that you know it all. Run to God!" Pr. 3:5-7 The Message

We see in all these passages God's intervention. He knows what He is doing. We usually don't. In the ministry I am doing at this time I don't have any idea where God is taking me; but, I do know this...He is in control. I am taking one step (day) at a time and as He gives me ideas I plan them, pray over them, do what I can and leave them in His hands to bring things about in His timing.

Here is what we need to do in order for God to be able to intervene in our lives:

1- Change the way we're doing life - if we are not doing life the way He wants.
2- Change our behavior to conform to His, don't be rebellious and "do our own thing."
3- Listen to God's message and what He is telling us, not the message we want to hear.

When we begin doing these things we will see...God's redemption...which will be the next post.

Be Blessed!

Really? This is what God wants? This is His Purpose for Me?

Many times we are in the midst of life and wonder..."Is this really where I am suppose to be?"

We may even think God has made a mistake, or we have missed His direction. Hang on a minute, because that is not what Jeremiah tells us in Jeremiah chapters 24 - 29.

Many of us know the scripture, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jer. 29:11 NIV

Have we looked at the scriptures leading up to that scripture and really thought it through and applied it to our own lives?

God tells Jeremiah that He (God) is the one that sent the Israelites into exile to Babylon. But, He also says "...I'll make sure they get good treatment. I'll keep my eye on them so that their lives are good, and I'll bring them back to this land. I'll build them up, not tear them down; I'll plant them, not uproot them." 24:1-6 The Message

The other scripture we all know, "And I'll give them a heart to know me, God. They'll be my people and I'll be their God, for they'll have returned to me with all their hearts." Jer. 24:7 The Message

Up to this point Israel was doing their own thing...prophets proclaiming to be sent by God, but only telling the people what they wanted to hear. They didn't want to listen to Jeremiah, the one who was truly God's messenger.

God had enough! So, He did something about it.

How often do we do things "in God's name," but it is more our own initiative and not His? As minister's, women called by God, and leaders we need to be careful what we say is of God. We will have to be accountable for how we have led people.

God's purpose will be fulfilled. We may get caught up in how things are done or have been done and miss where God is taking us; where He is leading us. It may take some chaotic circumstance to get us back on track; but, again, He is leading. We may need to be pushed into hearing Him and seeing where He is leading. Be encouraged, though, because He did it with the Israelites in Jeremiah's time.

Where are we right now in our walk with God?

Where are we in our ministries?

Where are we in listening to God's voice?

Take time to seriously look at our spirit. Be open enough to hear the truth about where we are spiritually. Just because we are ministers and leaders does not exempt us from being led astray; in fact satan will try even harder to lead us astray. He is a deceiver and can make the decisions we make seem ok and of God, when really they aren't. Our marriages and our children are vulnerable to various kinds of attacks from satan. We need to be alert and "on guard lest you lose your footing and get swept off your feet." I Pt. 3:17 The Message

Be strong in spirit and how we deal with circumstances in our lives.

Remember, wherever we are right now, if we are seeking God honestly and sincerely (Jer. 24:7) He will be there for us.

This post has been focused on seeing God's purpose in our lives, even when things seem to be going wrong. In the next post we will see God's intervention in our lives.

Pattern for Christlike Living

As believers we can often get caught in the routine of doing life and just go through the motions of our relationship with the Lord. If we are leaders in our church we challenge people to accept the Lord into their heart and then teach and preach about giving our tithes and offerings. This is all true and good, but do we preach and teach fasting just as much?

Now, in the past, I would take our youth on weekend fasts in which we had nothing but water and broke the fast by sharing communion. Our focus was on prayer, worship, and reading the Word.

Recently I read a book on fasting by Jentezen Franklin titled, "fasting". It is a great book and he brought out a good point regarding Matthew 6. This is part of the Sermon on the Mount in which Jesus is teaching how we should live as believers. In Mt. 6:1-4 Jesus talks about giving, in Mt. 6:5-15 He teaches us how we should pray, and in Mt. 6:16-18 He advises us on how to fast.

Rev. Franklin says on page 11 that Jesus provided a "pattern by which each of us is to live as a child of God. That pattern addressed three specific duties of a Christian: giving, praying, and fasting. Jesus said, "When you give..." and "When you pray..." and "When you fast..." He made it clear that fasting, like giving and praying, was a normal part of Christian life. As much attention should be given to fasting as is given to giving and praying."

You see Jesus didn't say "if" you give, pray, or fast. He said "when." He was telling us this is our routine. This is the way we should live our lives...doing these three things. I have fasted over the years, but not regularly. I have been challenged in my thinking to make fasting a regular part of my life.

Fasting focuses us on God. If you can get past the 2nd day of a fast the 3rd day is not so bad and you will be amazed at how you can make it to day 7. I know of others who have gone longer, but the purpose is mainly for your walk with God. When I was a youth pastor I challenged my kids to give up sodas for a period of time, or whatever meant a lot to them; to help them grasp hold of the concept and build from there.

As women and as leaders I would like to challenge your thinking in regard to fasting. When was the last time you fasted? Have you ever fasted? Why would Jesus put it in the Bible and do it Himself if He didn't want us to follow His example?

When you begin to fast and avoid those meals spend time in the Word and praying. Go for a prayer walk. Seek God. He will help you through. It is hard when you have to fix meals for your family and you are on a fast, BUT YOU CAN DO IT. God will help you through. I have been there, done that:) He is faithful. You will be amazed at what He will do in your spiritual life, your family, your finances, your job. God honors what you give or give up for Him.

He loves us and wants the best for us. I am glad I can give Him a little of myself in the area of fasting to show Him how much He means to me. He doesn't expect it from us, but He will reward what we give.

This is not an indepth study on fasting. I just wanted to get your thoughts thinking about this aspect of our walk with Christ. If you get the book I am sure you will enjoy every word.

Let me know if you have thoughts or insight on this.

You are Significantly Important!

In the previous post we learned that Israel had not been taught effectively to follow after God. They didn't know anything about what God had done for their ancestors. Judges 3:1 opens up saying, "These are the nations that God left there, using them to test the Israelites who had no experience in the Canaanite wars. He did it to train the descendants of Israel, the ones who had no battle experience, in the art of war..."

Israel didn't listen, they lived among the people whom God wanted them to conquer and ended up serving them for 8 years. They cried out to God and God raised up Caleb's nephew, Othniel, who rallied Israel and God helped them conquer. Because of this the land was quiet for 40 years.

But, again Israel turned their back on God. Again they cried out to God and God raised up Ehud who was their savior. (Judges 3:12) Israel had no problem for 80 years.

Now we come to Shamgar in Judges 3:31. Only one verse was given to him...only one, but look what he did. "Using a cattle prod, he killed 600 Philistines single-handed. He too saved Israel."

Have you ever felt like you were getting nowhere, or insignificant, in what you were doing? Everything you set out doing seems to be for nothing?

Well, I am here to encourage you to keep going, keep doing what you're doing, don't give up. Who knows when it will be your time to shine?

We do not know anything about Shamgar except for that one verse in Judges 3:31, but what we do know is awesome. "He too saved Israel."

For 80 years there was no problem. Israel was quiet. We have no idea how long God had patience with Israel before Shamgar came on the scene, but when he came he made sure he was not going to be forgotten. With his bare hands he killed 600 Philistines. Can you imagine the anger inside of him? He was one angry man filled with righteous indignation...in other words he had the strength of God in him.

We may not know who you are. We are all individuals with God inside of us. Take encouragement from Shamgar. Do life like normal. Go through your routine. Seek God. Do what you know is right. There will come a time in your life when you are in the right place at the right time for God to do exactly what He wants you to do. The key is keep doing what you are doing, and leave the rest up to God.

Your responsibility is to seek God through prayer, reading the Word, giving, even fasting at times, and He will guide your steps. He will cause everything to "fall into place" when they are suppose to.

Shamgar was important enough to put in the Bible. In The Message he is only written about on 1 1/2 lines with a heading. He was not insignificant. He had a purpose and fulfilled it the way God desired.

Each one of us is significantly important to God. Do not ever think differently. When you begin to forget this think about Shamgar and the following scriptures.

"There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears." Phil. 1:6 The Message

"We're the best of friends, and I pray for good fortune in everything you do, and for your good health - that your everyday affairs prosper, as well as your soul!" 3 Jn 2 The Message

May you be blessed today understanding that YOU ARE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPORTANT to God.

Influence in Tough Times

Have you thought about killing 600 people with your bare hands? I know there are times when people can make you feel like you want to kill them, but I don't think any of us have ever even thought about killing 600 people. If we actually did we would be locked up away from people for the rest of our lives.

As I was reading in Judges; getting a little background on what took place in Israel, before Deborah came on the scene as judge, I came across Shamgar.

Now here is a little background of what took place with Israel before we hear of Shamgar. Joshua 24:28 & Judges 2:6 tell us that Joshua dismissed the people to his own place of inheritance. Joshua 24:29-30 & Judges 2:6-9 tell us of Joshua's death and that he was 110 years old when he died.

The people of Israel served and "worshiped God throughout the lifetime of Joshua and the leaders who survived him, leaders who had been in on all of God's great work that he had done for Israel." (Joshua 24:31 & Judges 2:7 The Message)

In Judges 2:10 we read that the entire generation that had come through with Joshua died. There is something to learn in this next statement, "Then another generation grew up that didn't know anything of God or the work he had done for Israel." The Message

Joshua was a great leader and God used him in an awesome way, but he was not successful in passing on leadership to the next generation. He may have influenced and taught those directly following him, but he did not impress the importance of passing on what God had done for this people.

God told Israel to "Write these commandments that I've given you on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street...When God, your God, usheres you into the land he promised through your ancestors...you're going to walk into large, bustling cities you didn't build, well-furnished houses you didn't buy...when you take it all in and settle down...make sure you don't forget how you got there - God brought you out of slavery in Egypt." Deut. 6:6-9 The Message

Israel did not pass on what God had asked them. They got caught up in living...in doing life...and forgot to talk about what God had done for their grandparents and those before them.

How are we doing life? Have we become so busy we forget to pass on the goodness of God in our lives? Our children are watching us. They are watching how well, or not so well, we do life. It doesn't matter how old they are, they watch.

An example of this happened over Christmas, right before we were to leave for our vacation. The day we were to leave our son, Daniel, had blood in his urine. We weren't sure what we were going to do. Our oldest son, Jon, didn't want to go on the trip if Daniel was back in the hospital. None of us did because we couldn't relax and enjoy ourselves. So, I got everyone in a circle, held hands, and started praying. I was rebuking satan...really taking authority, and telling him he had no right to come against us. I prayed for Daniel to be ok and the bleeding to stop. When my husband, Stan, took Daniel to our doctor there was no blood in Daniel's urine. He was fine.

Now, I didn't think anything of this. I just did it. While we were away, our daughter, Catherine, made comments like, "watch out mom's going to do an exercism," and laugh about it. Any time we would pray we would make a light hearted joke about what happened. After Christmas, when their cell group at church met for their Bible study, Catherine spoke. She used that example of prayer as one of her examples in her study.

While we were on the trip in the Dominican Republic we came across a group of school children from a local church. Our kids, we all, were amazed to learn they knew of my husband's mom and dad, who were Assemblies of God missionaries there years ago. That is a legacy to leave.

My point is this: you never know when, or how you are going to influence your family, so live each day with that thought in mind. Make it second nature to you. I am certainly not one to say I have done everything right, because I haven't. We all have areas in our lives we need to work on, but there are also those areas that are positive and encouraging to our children.

Remember we are leaving a legacy for them. I do not want to be like Israel and forget to mention what God has done for our generation and those before. I do not want to have my kids have to have God intervene because they have not followed after Him, because of my neglegence.

As we read on in Judges chapter two God's anger blazed against Israel. (v20) There is so much to take out of Judges 2:11-15, so take time to read it.

Ok, we haven't heard much of Shamgar...so that means you'll just have to stop back by. I promise I will write about him next. I think you will be blessed by him. There was just too much that happened leading up to him...so stay tuned.

Blessings and come back...for the rest of the story!

Purposeful Positioning

What are you expecting in 2009?

Better health? More exercise? Better diet? More income?

These are all good things, but they deal more with our physical bodies. We have a desire to take care of our physical bodies because everyone sees what we look like. Others can see if we have put on a few pounds...or shed a few. They notice if we have done something different with our hair or bought new clothes.

It makes us feel good when we have taken care of our bodies. When we need a change we either go a different color with our hair or new style. We especially like to go shopping for a new outfit.

What about our spiritual expectations for 2009?

What do we have in store for our spiritual health? What spiritual exercise regime are we going to begin? What spiritual food are we going to partake? What spiritual deposits are we making?

God has blessed Mentoring Women in Ministry this past year. It has gone in a direction I never really thought possible. But, there is a ministry I want to get started on so badly, but it is not the right time. It will come, and I am patiently preparing my spirit for when the right time comes. One thing I have learned is God will cause events to happen in His timing.

So when you are thinking about 2009 and what God has in store remember if He has placed something in your spirit, do not give up on it. It may take time, but it will happen.

Remember Joseph...there were dreams he had, but it wasn't until he was 30 years of age the dreams came true. It took all those years for God to work in Joseph's life in other ways. It was two years before the cupbearer remembered Joseph. (Gen. 41) In every circumstance Joseph was in he kept a good heart toward God. He didn't allow the situation he was in to cause his spirit to harden and close toward God.

He patiently endured each "trial" and God came through.

It is hard to keep trusting God when everything around you is saying the opposite. My son Daniel is 21 years old. When he was 15 months old he contracted spinal meningitis, was in a coma for 15 days, in the hospital for 6 weeks and went home in a semi-comatose state (according to the neurologist.) While in the hospital chapel one evening I knew God was telling me Daniel was going to be restored. I did a word study on restore and wrote down all the things I wanted God to restore in Daniel. I still have that list, a little yellowed with age, but I still have it. Some of the things God has restored, but some He has not.

I believed Daniel was going to go home from the hospital well. Easter Sunday I thought, "Oh great! God is going to healing Daniel today"...but no, not right timing. Over the years there have been dreams about Daniel's healing to keep our faith going when I was ready to give up. There have been times when I tell God I don't want to believe anymore. It is taking too long. I just want to live life. He reminds me that I do need to just live life, but live it with the expectancy that God will restore Daniel. One day He will. My part is to continue believing and let God decide the timing.

What is it that God promised you? Have you been ready to give up? Is it taking too long? God's time is perfect. 2009 could be your year of fulfilment. But, if it isn't don't give up on what God wants to do. It is going to be awesome.

Imagine if Joseph would not have been sensitive to God and didn't listen for the interpretation of the dreams of the cupbearer and baker. He would not have been in the position to be ready for when Pharoah needed him. In fact, even after he interpreted the dreams of the two men they forgot about him. But God was faithful and brought Joseph into a place of prominence.

As you begin 2009 think of where God wants to take you. What does He want to do IN you. Now, a most important part is this...POSITION. You need to position yourself where God can work in you. Position yourself around those people who can help you grow in spirit and knowledge of what God is doing. This is a very important part of your spiritual health.

If you position yourself around people who are always negative, you will get discouraged. If you position yourself around those who are always complaining about how things are done, you will find yourself falling into the same mindset.

When you purposefully position yourself around positive, uplifting people you will become a positive and uplifting person. If you are in ministry and your church is going through difficult times, you need to find a pastor who can encourage you and help you through. Glean wisdom from others. So many times those in ministry pull away when ministry gets tough. Please do not do that. POSITION IS SO IMPORTANT.

Those in ministry who are doing well need to understand this and keep their eyes and spirit attentive to those who may need an encouraging word. Walk with them through this tough time. God will bless you for it.

Remember to purposefully position yourself for greatness in God's kingdom in 2009

Being Blessed to Be a Blessing

As we come to the end of 2008 I would like to share a testimony of God's blessing.

My husband and I have been in ministry for over 25 years and have preached tithing and have seen the benefits of giving faithfully tithes and offerings. We have been attending a local church while my husband is finishing up his Doctorate in Virginia Beach.

Last December during the church's yearly building campaign I felt God impress on me to pledge for my real estate business (while Stan is working on his Doctorate I am bringing income in by selling real estate.) Now the real estate business is not the greatest right now, but right after I filled out my pledge I was invited to be part of our company's relocation team. In order to be on this team you have to complete a certain criteria. I had not reached that criteria and they asked me to be on the team under a mentoring program. I was with another company the previous year and had not had any sales and had only been with my present company for 6 months.

That was a blessing from the Lord. I began receiving clients through this relocation program. Over the past 12 months I have closed 10 transactions. I have faithfully given my tithe on every transaction, and have tried to keep up with my pledge. At the end of November we had extra income I put toward my pledge. I debated on whether to do it or not because of the cruise we were going on in two weeks. I told God I was giving this money toward my pledge and trusting Him to provide the rest of my pledge by the end of the year.

As soon as I put the money in the envelope I received a phone call from a woman, in California, I had been in contact with since April. They were suppose to come to Virginia Beach in October and wanted me to help them find a house. I had not heard from her in a couple of months. She called me, said they were in the area and had decided to rent, but they wanted to purchase the house and wanted me to represent them. We closed on the house on the Monday after I returned from the cruise. The money to fulfill my pledge came from that closing, along with money for Christmas for our kids.

The reason I am writing on giving is to encourage each of you reading this article to faithfully give your tithe, and trust God as you pledge above and beyond what you think you can give. If you give what you know you have, you are robbing yourself of being blessed by God. I would like to challenge you to get out of your comfort zone of giving and pledge to give God a certain amount this year to some ministry. An amount in which you have no idea where it will come from. I am not just speaking about financially. I am speaking more importantly about being blessed spiritually.

As you step out in faith, trusting God for the impossible, your faith is challenged and growth is inevitable. It is my opinion that Christians, for too long, have just trusted God for what they need to just "get by." That is wonderful! Think about this for a moment...what about trusting God to meet your needs and bless you with more than "just getting by" so you can be a blessing to someone in need?

It is so amazing and fulfilling to see what God can do with what you give Him to use. You may not be able to be actively involved in ministries like A21 Campaign or Project Rescue (both of these ministries help rescue girls and women from human trafficking) but you can help them by giving financially. This is just an example. There are many ministries in your individual churches that can be blessed by your giving.

"Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse - the whole nation of you - because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." Malachi 3:8-10 NIV

Ok the previous verse was Old Testament, so here's what the New Testament says,

"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Luke 6:38 NIV

Throughout the Book of Acts you will find examples of people giving to those in need.

If we are barely getting by how can we help those in need when we feel a tug in our spirit to do so? We need to carefully look at our lives, especially during this time in our nation and world. Economics is not all that great, but we serve a great God. Trust Him to meet your needs. Do what you can do to help your family. Give the tithe on what you are receiving. Trust God to bless you. Give a little extra when you don't think you can and see God bless.

Now you have to be careful to not just start giving in order to get for selfish reasons.

I believe the correct way to look at this is...give out of the goodness of your heart, knowing God will bless you, in order for you to be a blessing to others.

In other words...

Be Blessed to Be a Blessing.

God is Amazing!

Since we have moved back to Virginia Beach we have been able to receive nursing care for our son Daniel. One of our nurses is from the Virgin Islands. I was talking to her about her family and where she grew up; and mentioned we had some good friends, Pastor James Bell and his wife, Ailene, as well as St. Claire Mitchell, that were from Dominica. She got so excited because Pastor Bell was her pastor as a child and her mom knew him well.

When she heard we were going to St. Thomas she was excited because that is where she went to high school and her mom is still there. While we were in St. Thomas I called her mom and she met us and took us to her church and introduced me to her pastor, Ashley Estrada. Her mom is very proud of what their congregation has been able to do. The congregation built their church and it is debt free. It is a beautiful church.

I am including pictures for you to see. They view is awesome...you can see the ocean from the balcony of the church!

The old saying, "It is a small world," is so true. There have been many times we have run into people who know people that are friends of ours. God's family is so big and awesome. It is amazing.
It could be a glimpse of heaven.

I will be posting again soon...until then enjoy the pictures of Kingdom Life International Christian Center in St. Thomas.

Off to the Virgin Islands!

I just wanted to let everyone know I will be offline for about 9 days or so. Didn't want you to think I had forgotten to blog. Our family is off for a special vacation that God has blessed us with and I am going to devote my time to the fam. Hopefully I can convince my teenage daughters to devote their time and thoughts to the fam and not their friends...we'll see.

May God truly bless you as you live life this week and as Jeanne Mayo says, be "Jesus with sking on."

Signing off for now.

Cheryl

Oh How He Loves Us

I am posting the video of "Oh How He Loves Us." This is the song I posted the lyrics to from Extravagent Love of God a few days ago. It is an awesome song...such passion...which we all need...ENJOY AND BE BLESSED!

God Gets the Last Word!

I am sitting in the hospital with my son, Daniel. He is the one who had meningitis at 15 months of age and left him totally dependent on others for his survival. Now, that is a story in itself, and one day I know God will restore Daniel. If Lazarus' dead brain cells can be recreated God can do that for Daniel's dead brain cells caused by disease.

Our family has been blessed to go on a nice vacation, starting next Friday. In all our years of ministry, every time we planned time away from our church something would happen to try to discourage us from taking it...when Stan was working on his Master's Degree and ordination Daniel was put in hospital with meningitis and not expected to live through the night. One year while on our way to Oklahoma the gas we filled our van with was mostly water. Someone we didn't even know paid for our hotel and the work done on our van. What an angel in disguise. Many times while away we would receive calls that someone in our congregation had passed away unexpectedly, or some other traumatic incident.

Now, while planning our big cruise excursion for next week, in addition to Stan trying to finish his assignments due today for his DMin, Daniel is once again in the hospital. He is happy and in no pain, but because he has a g-tube we noticed blood in his stomach. There is so much blood the endoscopy procedure could not see in his stomach. We have had to do 2 endoscopy procedures and are scheduled for a third Sat. morning.

Last night I was settling in to sleep on the chair in Daniel's hospital room and couldn't sleep until I turned the light on and wrote down what I felt God telling me. I wanted to share a portion of what He was saying to me, "The first 30 years of our ministry had a purpose (and He reminded me of those things), but the second 30 years of ministry IS GOING TO BE BETTER THAN THE FIRST (and he gave me a little insight to what that might be, but that is between me and Him right now.)" That inspired me and this came to mind,

"Satan has tried to thwart our calling and mission, but we are coming back with a vengeance, declaring war in the heavenlies and victory for the cause of the King and His Kingdom."

My whole point in even mentioning these things is to encourage each of you reading this blog. When you are doing what God has called you to and you have positioned yourself where He wants you, satan will try his best to keep you from succeeding. Some things will be obvious and some things not so obvious.

God gets the last word...

"Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You're not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It's the same with the Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won't last forever. It won't be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ - eternal and glorious plans they are! - will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word, yes, he does." 1 Peter 5:8-11 The Message

Keep moving forward, into all God has for you! He is right there with you all the way.

Extravagant Love of God

Eph. 3:14-19, “My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit – not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength – that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all Christians the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.”

What do these phrases mean to you?

• Glorious inner strength
• Extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love
• Reach out and experience the breadth
• Test its length
• Plumb the depths
• Rise to the heights
• Live full lives, full in the fullness of God

As I read these scriptures I was overwhelmed with how much God loves me. How much He loves you. It is not a surface love. It is a love that goes deep into our innermost being.

For some of us that might be hard to comprehend. For others we might have become accustomed to it and quite possibly might take this love for granted. I want us to honestly search our innermost being and try to grasp, just a little, of what Paul is trying to get us to understand. When we begin to grasp hold of this truth we will start developing the “glorious inner strength” Paul talks about.

The dimensions of Christ’s love spans every aspect of our lives: our self worth, our family relationships, our jobs, our leisure activities, our worship, our ministry, the list goes on, to whatever your life encompasses. Do we allow God to love us in every aspect of our lives, or do we only allow Him to love us in the areas we feel worthy for Him to love. Are we ashamed of some of the places of our lives? God wants to be a part of those places.

There is so much in these words! It can be overwhelming, especially if we do not understand fully who we are in Christ. There may be women, who are in ministry even, that have a low self worth. They may feel inadequate for what has been placed before them. There may be wives of pastors who have been beaten down with negative words from their congregations. These women are trying to do what God has called them to, but the congregations do not understand the precious gift God has given them in their pastors.

In the midst of all these circumstance God’s love is extravagant! I looked extravagant up on the Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary. Here is what it means: exceeding the limits of reason or necessity, lacking in balance, moderation, or restraint, extremely or excessively elaborate, spending much more than necessary, (and I love this next one) extremely or unreasonably high in price. Wow! What higher price than Christ’s life?

God sees us, just where we are right now, and loves us. We may be hurting. We may feel dirty and used. We may wonder how we got to the place we are in now. Everything in our life may be going well. That is so wonderful. In each of these areas God’s love is great. We need not forget that.

Several years ago I got to a place in my life and ministry where I felt God had abandoned me. I allowed circumstances that happened in our church and life crowd out God’s love for me. Because of the circumstances I felt as if God didn’t love me. How could He let things happen to me that did if He loved me? Why wasn’t He helping me through all this instead of having everything taken away? I was allowing negative thoughts like this to crowd out God’s love. He didn’t abandon me. I was not thinking right. At that point in my life I was exhausted, hurt, and discouraged and not allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to me. The negative was speaking louder than the positive and I was listening.

It took several months for me to recover from all that. God loves us enough to place people in our lives to restore and strengthen us just when we need it most. That’s his extravagant love. He will never let us go. When we are hurting and don’t quite feel His love, He is there. He will not abandon us. HE LOVES US AND WILL GET US THROUGH THE TOUGH SITUATIONS WE ARE GOING THROUGH.

Again read what Paul is saying, “take in with all Christians the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.”

Meditate on those words: breadth, plumb the depths, rise to the heights, live full. Wow. If we just grasp a little of what those words mean in our lives we would be awestruck. How magnificent is God. How amazing. Reach out to Him and allow Him to love you in your circumstances, at this point in your life. Close your eyes and imagine crawling up in His lap, allowing Him to speak into your life and strengthen your spirit.

The words to a song just popped into my mind…

He is jealous for me
Love's like a hurricane, I am a tree
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory
and I realize just how beautiful You are and how great your affections are for me.
Oh, how He loves us
Oh, how He loves us
Oh how He loves.

So we are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes
If grace is an ocean we're all sinking
So heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss and my heart turns violently inside of my chest
I don't have time to maintain these regrets when I think about the way

That he loves us,
Oh how He loves us
Oh how He loves us
Oh, how He loves

View song on Youtube

Just Being Thankful

I am so thankful for my heritage and being surrounded by people who speak into my life and my family's life. After doing some research on the human trafficking my heart aches for those women and girls who are not as fortunate. My husband and I couldn't believe that human trafficking is in existence today. It seems unreal, yet the statistics are there. If you haven't read the stats check the previous posts, you will be astonished.

I know Paul was writing to Believers in Phil. 1:3; but what if we read it and think of those less fortunate...those who are trapped in a lifestyle needing help to break free? My prayer is that I thank God for what I have, but keep an open heart for those less fortunate...keep a prayerful, glad heart, knowing I can make a difference in someone's life...someone who may be crying out in desperation, looking for the least little bit of hope that there is truly someone who cares.

Phil. 1:3, "Every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God. Each exclamation is a trigger to prayer. I find myself praying for you with a glad heart." The Message (bold emphasis mine)

Some of us may not be in a position to physically help someone like this, but can help by supporting causes that do make a difference. If you have a heart for this then there are two ministries you can help, just check previous posts.

In addition to this ask yourself what you can do to help women and children in your local area. It may not be as drastic as human trafficking, but there are women and children trapped in abuse, trapped in addictions, and trapped in dysfunctional homes. You can be a light to their world of darkness. In your prayer time ask God to reveal to you ways in which you can help those in desperate situations.

Often times we purchase gift cards, help the Angel Tree in our area, and various other things; but what about "getting our hands dirty?" Volunteer to help in a soup kitchen. Find out what ministries are available and offer our service once a month. It will change our life dramatically.

Ask God to bring women and children to mind who are being abused and say, "Thank you God for showing me a way in which I can help set them free." It is very easy to surround ourselves with the comforts of our home and church, but let's ask God to stir our spirits. Lift these women and children up in prayer. We may not know them personally, but God can give us burden to pray for their freedom.

We are here for a greater cause. Are we living up to that cause? There is so much we can do with God's power behind us. Sometimes it is hard to see all the potential God has for each of us, because we are insecure in our relationship with Him. That is not bad...but God has so much more. He loves you and wants to use you to do amazing things for Him. Open your heart and ask God to fill it to overflowing with His love and compassion.

I use to tell those in our youth ministry to let "your lives ooze Jesus." In other words be so filled with Jesus that Jesus is all others see when they see you. Jeanne Mayo says be "Jesus with skin on." Think about that this month and begin asking God how you can be filled with more of Jesus in 2009. What can you do to help other women and children be free...be able to accept Jesus as their savior?

So...Yes, I am thankful for my heritage. Because of this heritage I understand that God has great things in store for each of us. We can...Live like:

- we love Him with all our heart
- we care about a kingdom cause
- Jesus is returning tomorrow

In other words let Jesus "ooze" out of you.