Putting it off, baby, putting it off. Till what? The cows come home? The rooster crows? What are you waiting for?
Why do it now when you can wait till next week? Or better yet, till someone else does it for you? (By the way, when is that maid coming to do my housework?? Ha ha...)
Procrastination is something that I STILL struggle with. And you know what that's really called? Umm...sloth with a capital S. Otherwise known as laziness.
Eww. Ugly word. Can you relate? Do you have a huge final and you've yet to crack a book? Driver's test and you haven't even studied your little driver's manual? You want to go to college but you haven't bothered to fill out a single application yet?
Maybe it's something more personal like calling a long lost friend, writing a thank you note or reading your Bible. What if God didn't bother to get back to you on that last prayer request? Now that's a thought!
The Bible is pretty clear about procrastination:
Proverbs 13:4 (ESV): The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.
Colossians 3:23 (ESV): Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,
2 Thessalonians 3:10 (ESV): For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.
Proverbs 12:24 (ESV): The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor.
Proverbs 15:19 (ESV): The way of the sluggard is like a hedge of thorns, but the path of the upright is a level highway.
Philippians 4:13 (ESV): I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Yeah. Pretty clear. We've got to get to work, with God's ever present help.
Say out loud, based on Colossians 3:23: "Whatever I do, I work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men."
Friday, December 30, 2011
Give up your Wii!!
The first time that I heard about someone fasting, it was on the live reality show, "Real People" with Sarah Purcell, Byron Allen and John Barbour (1979-1984 NBC Television) . (Does anyone besides me remember that show?) One particular episode featured a guru type guy sitting in a glass box having not eaten or showered for something like a month.
At the time I thought, "Why on earth would anyone give up food for that long? What's the point? And doesn't that container he's sitting in stink by now?"
Later, I would watch the news and hear about people going on "hunger strikes" to protest things like college fee hikes and bad lettuce at the grocery store. I couldn't help but notice that the hunger striker always seemed to block the entrance to a college building or a bank whilst striking. (He didn't want to strike in a park, for example? Or the mall?)
I'm pretty sure that the idea was that by ceasing to enjoy culianary delights at a public level, the starving protester was hoping to motivate someone with clout to change whatever offensive thing was going on. (No one wants someone to starve to death on their watch).
Until about fifteen years ago, didn't really have even a nodding acquaintance with fasting as a way to get closer to God.
I had a relationship with sort of a general "god" but Jesus wasn't really on my radar yet. Sure, I had attended church and had gone to the altar, but I hadn't yet taken the leap from "sure, that whole Jesus concept sounds nice" to "yes, I believe that Jesus lived on this earth and died for me; that He was dead and buried and rose again on the third day and sits on the right hand of the throne of the Father."
I was surrounded at the time by people who either couldn't stay sober or were involved with practicing drug addicts and alcoholics.
My life was, quite frankly, filled with people that were dying and I was dying too--emotionally, mentally and spiritually.
A friend suggested that we do a 21-day fast so that I "could know who I was in Jesus". She may as well have told me that we were going to prick our fingers with toothpicks every day at 5am to find out "who were were in Texas." It didn't make sense to me at all, but I was miserable and desperate for something different.
We replaced a meal or two with a Slim Fast shake each day for several weeks and prayed that simple prayer during those times of hunger, "God, show me who I am in Christ." That was it. (That's something that you can test for yourself, by the way. Pray that prayer daily for 21 days and give up something that you love at least once a day...lattes, a meal, sugar, XBox, Facebook, you get the idea..). Keep a journal and get ready to experience God's love.
You know what's cool? It didn't take 21 days of fasting for me to figure out who I was in Christ. God began to show me almost immediately that I was His daughter, that He loved me and that I was special, worthy and precious to Him. There was a sweetness to my experience, a joy that filled my heart and inexplicable peace. Plus, I found out that I loved the feeling of being hungry, really, for Him.
The idea is to take that time and energy that you normally spend on (fill in the blank) and to focus that energy on pressing into God. Fasting allows you to get closer to God and to find out how much He is in love with you, His son or daughter. You're royalty, clothed in jewels and finery and He has the best for you. Find out what it is. It's worth your time and energy. (You can even go into fasting with a closed mind, and He'll still reveal Himself. Try it, I dare you!!)
You don't have to announce to the world that you're fasting. This is between you and God. Say out loud, based on Matthew 6:17-18:
When I fast, I put oil on my head and wash my face, so that it will not be obvious to others that I am fasting, but only to my Father, who is unseen; and my Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward me.
Health Disclaimer: You should not do a food fast if you're pregnant or breast-feeding; if you're a child or teenager (since you're still growing and developing); if you're a senior citizen; if you're recovering from illness, injury or surgery; if you are underweight; or if you have diabetes, liver disease, kidney disease, heart disease or any other chronic health problem. Always drink water during your fast and ask your doctor if you have any other health concerns.
At the time I thought, "Why on earth would anyone give up food for that long? What's the point? And doesn't that container he's sitting in stink by now?"
Later, I would watch the news and hear about people going on "hunger strikes" to protest things like college fee hikes and bad lettuce at the grocery store. I couldn't help but notice that the hunger striker always seemed to block the entrance to a college building or a bank whilst striking. (He didn't want to strike in a park, for example? Or the mall?)
I'm pretty sure that the idea was that by ceasing to enjoy culianary delights at a public level, the starving protester was hoping to motivate someone with clout to change whatever offensive thing was going on. (No one wants someone to starve to death on their watch).
Until about fifteen years ago, didn't really have even a nodding acquaintance with fasting as a way to get closer to God.
I had a relationship with sort of a general "god" but Jesus wasn't really on my radar yet. Sure, I had attended church and had gone to the altar, but I hadn't yet taken the leap from "sure, that whole Jesus concept sounds nice" to "yes, I believe that Jesus lived on this earth and died for me; that He was dead and buried and rose again on the third day and sits on the right hand of the throne of the Father."
I was surrounded at the time by people who either couldn't stay sober or were involved with practicing drug addicts and alcoholics.
My life was, quite frankly, filled with people that were dying and I was dying too--emotionally, mentally and spiritually.
A friend suggested that we do a 21-day fast so that I "could know who I was in Jesus". She may as well have told me that we were going to prick our fingers with toothpicks every day at 5am to find out "who were were in Texas." It didn't make sense to me at all, but I was miserable and desperate for something different.
We replaced a meal or two with a Slim Fast shake each day for several weeks and prayed that simple prayer during those times of hunger, "God, show me who I am in Christ." That was it. (That's something that you can test for yourself, by the way. Pray that prayer daily for 21 days and give up something that you love at least once a day...lattes, a meal, sugar, XBox, Facebook, you get the idea..). Keep a journal and get ready to experience God's love.
You know what's cool? It didn't take 21 days of fasting for me to figure out who I was in Christ. God began to show me almost immediately that I was His daughter, that He loved me and that I was special, worthy and precious to Him. There was a sweetness to my experience, a joy that filled my heart and inexplicable peace. Plus, I found out that I loved the feeling of being hungry, really, for Him.
The idea is to take that time and energy that you normally spend on (fill in the blank) and to focus that energy on pressing into God. Fasting allows you to get closer to God and to find out how much He is in love with you, His son or daughter. You're royalty, clothed in jewels and finery and He has the best for you. Find out what it is. It's worth your time and energy. (You can even go into fasting with a closed mind, and He'll still reveal Himself. Try it, I dare you!!)
You don't have to announce to the world that you're fasting. This is between you and God. Say out loud, based on Matthew 6:17-18:
When I fast, I put oil on my head and wash my face, so that it will not be obvious to others that I am fasting, but only to my Father, who is unseen; and my Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward me.
Health Disclaimer: You should not do a food fast if you're pregnant or breast-feeding; if you're a child or teenager (since you're still growing and developing); if you're a senior citizen; if you're recovering from illness, injury or surgery; if you are underweight; or if you have diabetes, liver disease, kidney disease, heart disease or any other chronic health problem. Always drink water during your fast and ask your doctor if you have any other health concerns.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Genuine Rodent Hide Leather Seats
Purity.
If that word is foreign to you, picture this. You go to the local dealership to buy your first car. You've been dreaming of this day for years--now it's finally a reality. You've had your eye on a shiny midnight blue sports car. Leather interior. GPS. Loaded interior and six airbags. 0-60 in .3 seconds.
Bomb car, right?
Here's what you don't know. This car has been used in six bank robberies, three dump runs and has been in multiple car accidents. The odometer has been rolled back illegally so many times that you have no idea how many miles there actually are on the vehicle. That leather that looks so nice? It's actually genuine rat hide. The GPS? A magic 8 ball.
Sound familiar? Let's switch the car analogy to the girlfriend/boyfriend scenario. You meet that "special someone" at a party. They seem amazing on the outside, but underneath, there's a whole lot of wreckage.
Or maybe you're the one with the past. If so, I can relate. My life before surrender to Christ was full of soul-scarring choices.
I had rat-pelt bucket seats.
The Bible speaks of a married couple as "two becoming one". One flesh. When you have sex with someone, you become "one" in the spirit with that person. When it doesn't work out, it's like tearing flesh--blood, scar tissue and pain are left behind. Every time you "hook up" with a new person, you're doing the same thing. After a while, you've got a whole lot of scabby scar tissue and hurt built up.
Imagine bringing your huge suitcase filled with guilt, anger, pain and broken promises to your wedding night. Is it any wonder that so few marriages work out--even Christian marriages?
Here is the Dictionary.com definition of purity: freedom from anything that contaminates, debases or pollutes. Freedom from guilt or evil; innocence. Physical chastity; virginity.
Notice that the word freedom comes up a few times. That's a promise from God. Purity equals freedom. Freedom from guilt, freedom from STDs (including sexually transmitted HIV and AIDS), freedom from the pain that comes from having premarital sex and freedom from fear of an unwanted pregnancy.
It also means having the freedom to be friends first, freedom to find out what you have in common with your crush before you go too far and the freedom to follow your own dreams and passions without being hindered by a complicated, emotionally-charged sexual relationship.
God doesn't want us to be pure to punish us, but to bless us.
He wants your wedding night and all of the nights thereafter to be amazing explorations of the gift that He has given us through marital sex.
Here's the good news--God is our redeemer!! If you surrender to Him and give your life over to Him by accepting salvation through Jesus Christ, you will be washed clean--sparkly, shiny, new car smelling clean!!
In addition to recognizing the futility of doing things your own way and asking Jesus into your heart, get rid of your old keepsakes from "ex's" and start fresh. Ask God to sever all soul ties with all of those with whom you've become "one."
It's never too late to start on the road to purity. Try it, with God's help, and see where it leads you. I think you'll be amazed!
Based on Romans 12:1-2 say out loud,
I do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but I am transformed by the renewing of my mind. Then I will be able to test and approve what God’s will is his good, pleasing and perfect will.
If that word is foreign to you, picture this. You go to the local dealership to buy your first car. You've been dreaming of this day for years--now it's finally a reality. You've had your eye on a shiny midnight blue sports car. Leather interior. GPS. Loaded interior and six airbags. 0-60 in .3 seconds.
Bomb car, right?
Here's what you don't know. This car has been used in six bank robberies, three dump runs and has been in multiple car accidents. The odometer has been rolled back illegally so many times that you have no idea how many miles there actually are on the vehicle. That leather that looks so nice? It's actually genuine rat hide. The GPS? A magic 8 ball.
Sound familiar? Let's switch the car analogy to the girlfriend/boyfriend scenario. You meet that "special someone" at a party. They seem amazing on the outside, but underneath, there's a whole lot of wreckage.
Or maybe you're the one with the past. If so, I can relate. My life before surrender to Christ was full of soul-scarring choices.
I had rat-pelt bucket seats.
The Bible speaks of a married couple as "two becoming one". One flesh. When you have sex with someone, you become "one" in the spirit with that person. When it doesn't work out, it's like tearing flesh--blood, scar tissue and pain are left behind. Every time you "hook up" with a new person, you're doing the same thing. After a while, you've got a whole lot of scabby scar tissue and hurt built up.
Imagine bringing your huge suitcase filled with guilt, anger, pain and broken promises to your wedding night. Is it any wonder that so few marriages work out--even Christian marriages?
Here is the Dictionary.com definition of purity: freedom from anything that contaminates, debases or pollutes. Freedom from guilt or evil; innocence. Physical chastity; virginity.
Notice that the word freedom comes up a few times. That's a promise from God. Purity equals freedom. Freedom from guilt, freedom from STDs (including sexually transmitted HIV and AIDS), freedom from the pain that comes from having premarital sex and freedom from fear of an unwanted pregnancy.
It also means having the freedom to be friends first, freedom to find out what you have in common with your crush before you go too far and the freedom to follow your own dreams and passions without being hindered by a complicated, emotionally-charged sexual relationship.
God doesn't want us to be pure to punish us, but to bless us.
He wants your wedding night and all of the nights thereafter to be amazing explorations of the gift that He has given us through marital sex.
Here's the good news--God is our redeemer!! If you surrender to Him and give your life over to Him by accepting salvation through Jesus Christ, you will be washed clean--sparkly, shiny, new car smelling clean!!
In addition to recognizing the futility of doing things your own way and asking Jesus into your heart, get rid of your old keepsakes from "ex's" and start fresh. Ask God to sever all soul ties with all of those with whom you've become "one."
It's never too late to start on the road to purity. Try it, with God's help, and see where it leads you. I think you'll be amazed!
Based on Romans 12:1-2 say out loud,
I do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but I am transformed by the renewing of my mind. Then I will be able to test and approve what God’s will is his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Friday, December 23, 2011
Genocide--Where Was God?
Imagine what it would be like if you went to an all-boys middle or high school where there were two categories of people--people with green eyes and people with blue eyes. That's it--just two types. Other than eye color, everybody looked the same--same race, same lifestyles, same morals.
Imagine what it would be like if the blue eyed people decided that they were the superior group of people simply because of their eye color and that in order to maintain their position of power in the school, they would need to kill all of the green eyed people? Worse, the high school administrators got involved and actually endorsed, sanctioned and encouraged the blue eyed kids to kill most of their green eyed friends.
Horrifying, right?
And to add to the insanity, mentally picture local radio announcers getting involved and calling for mass execution of the green eyed people--inciting riots and untold violence against not only the green eyed people, but against their parents, siblings and grandparents. Imagine that the blue eyed kids were encouraged to burn the green eyed kids' houses, to level their parents' businesses and euthanize their pets. In this scary scenario, The blue eyed kids would feel justified in their killing, because after all, they believed that they were the superior race. Their eye color, they believed, were given to them straight from God.
An over the top B-rated horror movie? A skit from Saturday Night Live?
Not quite. This scenario DID happen--in a little African country called Rwanda in 1994. Some 800,000 Rwandans, mainly Tutsis, were murdered during a 100-day period following the assassination of the Hutu president of Rwanda, Juvenal Habyarimana. Many of the Tutsis were killed by their Hutu neighbors with knives and machetes--in plain daylight. In some cases, money was promised as a reward for killing. (See the pictures below of a Tutsi and Hutu woman and note very similar outward appearances).
Here's the strange thing--the Tutsis
and Hutus
have more in common as a people than not. Their long-standing conflict has nothing to do with religion or language-- they speak the same Bantu tongues as well as French, and generally practice Christianity -- and many geneticists have been hard-pressed to find marked ethnic differences between the two, though the Tutsi have generally been noted to be taller.
Generally, the Hutu-Tutsi strife stems from class warfare, with the Tutsis perceived to have greater wealth and social status (as well as favoring cattle ranching over what is seen as the lower-class farming of the Hutus). The Tutsis are thought to have originally come from Ethiopia, and arrived after the Hutu came from Chad.
The international community (including the U.S. and the United Nations) did little to stop the killings and the slaughter was brought to end by the military defeat of the government by the Rwandan Patriotic Front, a Tutsi-led rebel group. It's been said that although the U.S. had intelligence of the genocide as it was happening, our government did nothing to stop the slaughter, as we had no interests there (Rwanda is without mineral wealth or strategic placement).
Where was God during all of this?
Right there.
Right there comforting the toddler who watched her parents being killed in front of her very own eyes.
Right there with the newlyweds whose neighbors suddenly decided that they were the enemy.
Right there providing hope to the grieving widows and orpans.
He says in His word that we are to care for widows and orphans. James 1:27 says: Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
God gave us free will and we have a choice about whether to trust our own finite thinking or to trust Him. He created us to worship Him, not our own limited viewpoints.
We are to love your neighbor and to pray for your enemies. We see the outward appearance, but God sees our hearts.
Seek to see hearts and not eye color.
Based on 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, say out loud:
With the Lord's help, I am patient, I am kind. I do not envy, I do not boast, I am not proud. I am not rude, I am not self-seeking, I am not easily angered, I keep no record of wrongs. I do not delight in evil but rejoice with the truth. Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
To help:
www.help-rwanda.com
www.worldvision.org/rwanda
www.womenforwomen.org
Imagine what it would be like if the blue eyed people decided that they were the superior group of people simply because of their eye color and that in order to maintain their position of power in the school, they would need to kill all of the green eyed people? Worse, the high school administrators got involved and actually endorsed, sanctioned and encouraged the blue eyed kids to kill most of their green eyed friends.
Horrifying, right?
And to add to the insanity, mentally picture local radio announcers getting involved and calling for mass execution of the green eyed people--inciting riots and untold violence against not only the green eyed people, but against their parents, siblings and grandparents. Imagine that the blue eyed kids were encouraged to burn the green eyed kids' houses, to level their parents' businesses and euthanize their pets. In this scary scenario, The blue eyed kids would feel justified in their killing, because after all, they believed that they were the superior race. Their eye color, they believed, were given to them straight from God.
An over the top B-rated horror movie? A skit from Saturday Night Live?
Not quite. This scenario DID happen--in a little African country called Rwanda in 1994. Some 800,000 Rwandans, mainly Tutsis, were murdered during a 100-day period following the assassination of the Hutu president of Rwanda, Juvenal Habyarimana. Many of the Tutsis were killed by their Hutu neighbors with knives and machetes--in plain daylight. In some cases, money was promised as a reward for killing. (See the pictures below of a Tutsi and Hutu woman and note very similar outward appearances).
Here's the strange thing--the Tutsis
and Hutus have more in common as a people than not. Their long-standing conflict has nothing to do with religion or language-- they speak the same Bantu tongues as well as French, and generally practice Christianity -- and many geneticists have been hard-pressed to find marked ethnic differences between the two, though the Tutsi have generally been noted to be taller. Generally, the Hutu-Tutsi strife stems from class warfare, with the Tutsis perceived to have greater wealth and social status (as well as favoring cattle ranching over what is seen as the lower-class farming of the Hutus). The Tutsis are thought to have originally come from Ethiopia, and arrived after the Hutu came from Chad.
The international community (including the U.S. and the United Nations) did little to stop the killings and the slaughter was brought to end by the military defeat of the government by the Rwandan Patriotic Front, a Tutsi-led rebel group. It's been said that although the U.S. had intelligence of the genocide as it was happening, our government did nothing to stop the slaughter, as we had no interests there (Rwanda is without mineral wealth or strategic placement).
Where was God during all of this?
Right there.
Right there comforting the toddler who watched her parents being killed in front of her very own eyes.
Right there with the newlyweds whose neighbors suddenly decided that they were the enemy.
Right there providing hope to the grieving widows and orpans.
He says in His word that we are to care for widows and orphans. James 1:27 says: Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
God gave us free will and we have a choice about whether to trust our own finite thinking or to trust Him. He created us to worship Him, not our own limited viewpoints.
We are to love your neighbor and to pray for your enemies. We see the outward appearance, but God sees our hearts.
Seek to see hearts and not eye color.
Based on 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, say out loud:
With the Lord's help, I am patient, I am kind. I do not envy, I do not boast, I am not proud. I am not rude, I am not self-seeking, I am not easily angered, I keep no record of wrongs. I do not delight in evil but rejoice with the truth. Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
To help:
www.help-rwanda.com
www.worldvision.org/rwanda
www.womenforwomen.org
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Courageous
Recently, I've had the song "Courageous" by Casting Crowns stuck in my head. For days. Autoloop.
(If you're not familiar with the song, check it out here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkM-gDcmJeM).
To be honest, I hadn't really been paying too much attention to all of the lyrics in the song...that is, until this morning. And when I finally listened to what Mark Hall and Matthew West had written, tears ran down my face.
I thought of my own courageous husband, working so hard each day to take care of his family and to maintain honor and dignity in an era where dishonest practices in his line of work might cause him to follow suit, or worse, to lose hope.
I thought of teenage boys who choose to wait to have sex until after marriage.
I thought of men my age who have stayed with their wives even when things got inconvenient or hard.
I thought of the husbands who have chosen to not cheat or lie or abuse and have chosen instead to lean on God.
I thought of the fathers who stuck around and have been good role models to their kids.
The idea of being courageous absolutely moved me.
This song is a call to action for the men of our generation to stand up and to go against the tide of complacency, selfishness and neglect.
Think of "Courageous" as your own personal mission statement.
Be the change.
Be Courageous.
You're never too young to start being honorable. Say this out out loud:
I was made to be courageous
I was made to lead the way
I could be the generation that finally breaks the chains
I was made to be courageous
(We were warriors on the front lines, standing unafraid. But now we're watchers on the side lines, while our families slip away. Where are you men of courage?)
I was made for so much more.
Let the pounding of my heart cry, I will serve the Lord.
I was made to be courageous, and I'm taking back the fight.
I was made to be courageous, and it starts with me tonight.
The only way I'll ever stand, is on my knees with lifted hands.
Make me courageous, Lord make me courageous.[ From: http://www.metrolyrics.com/courageous-lyrics-casting-crowns.html ]
This is my resolution, my answer to the call,
I will love my wife and children,
and refuse to let them fall.
I will reignite the passion, that I buried deep inside.
May the watchers become warriors, let the men of God arise.
God help me to seek justice, love mercy, walk humbly with my God
In the war of the mind I will make my stand, in the battle of the heart, in the battle of the hands. In the war of the mind I will make my stand, in the battle of the heart, in the battle of the hands.
Read more: CASTING CROWNS - COURAGEOUS LYRICS http://www.metrolyrics.com/courageous-lyrics-casting-crowns.html#ixzz1hJWU1jYX
Copied from MetroLyrics.com
(If you're not familiar with the song, check it out here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkM-gDcmJeM).
To be honest, I hadn't really been paying too much attention to all of the lyrics in the song...that is, until this morning. And when I finally listened to what Mark Hall and Matthew West had written, tears ran down my face.
I thought of my own courageous husband, working so hard each day to take care of his family and to maintain honor and dignity in an era where dishonest practices in his line of work might cause him to follow suit, or worse, to lose hope.
I thought of teenage boys who choose to wait to have sex until after marriage.
I thought of men my age who have stayed with their wives even when things got inconvenient or hard.
I thought of the husbands who have chosen to not cheat or lie or abuse and have chosen instead to lean on God.
I thought of the fathers who stuck around and have been good role models to their kids.
The idea of being courageous absolutely moved me.
This song is a call to action for the men of our generation to stand up and to go against the tide of complacency, selfishness and neglect.
Think of "Courageous" as your own personal mission statement.
Be the change.
Be Courageous.
You're never too young to start being honorable. Say this out out loud:
I was made to be courageous
I was made to lead the way
I could be the generation that finally breaks the chains
I was made to be courageous
(We were warriors on the front lines, standing unafraid. But now we're watchers on the side lines, while our families slip away. Where are you men of courage?)
I was made for so much more.
Let the pounding of my heart cry, I will serve the Lord.
I was made to be courageous, and I'm taking back the fight.
I was made to be courageous, and it starts with me tonight.
The only way I'll ever stand, is on my knees with lifted hands.
Make me courageous, Lord make me courageous.[ From: http://www.metrolyrics.com/courageous-lyrics-casting-crowns.html ]
This is my resolution, my answer to the call,
I will love my wife and children,
and refuse to let them fall.
I will reignite the passion, that I buried deep inside.
May the watchers become warriors, let the men of God arise.
God help me to seek justice, love mercy, walk humbly with my God
In the war of the mind I will make my stand, in the battle of the heart, in the battle of the hands. In the war of the mind I will make my stand, in the battle of the heart, in the battle of the hands.
Read more: CASTING CROWNS - COURAGEOUS LYRICS http://www.metrolyrics.com/courageous-lyrics-casting-crowns.html#ixzz1hJWU1jYX
Copied from MetroLyrics.com
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
If your parent is an alcoholic in recovery...
...then you've probably been through hell. You've watched your mom or dad slur their words, stumble around and come in late or not at all. You've probably been the target of verbal, physical, emotional and possibly even sexual abuse. If your parent has been drinking or doing drugs, you've probably been neglected in every way possible.
And maybe now mom or dad is sober and things at home are changing for the better but you're still hurt. You're used to hanging out with your friends all night, doing whatever you please and having no accountability, right? Suddenly mom and dad have rules and boundaries. Or maybe it's the opposite and you've noticed that the way they act in church isn't the way they act at home.
So now what? Maybe you've been smoking weed with your friends or sneaking some of your parents' liquor and your parents want you to clean up your act. Part of you loves your new home life, but another part of you resents the fact that all of sudden rules are a part of the game.
Look at this like an opportunity; an open door to new possibilities. Ask your sober parent to help you get signed up for Christian counseling, to give you a ride to attend free alateen meetings and to start work on college applications. Write them a letter letting them know what it was like to be in their care and suggest ways to mend the ties. If you're confused about where to start, spend a few minutes in prayer asking God for direction.
I'm not trying to sugar coat the pain that you've endured or the anger and resentment that you may still feel. There is a process to healing and a responsible mentor, pastor, youth leader, teacher or sponsor can help guide you through the steps to wholeness. Be encouraged! It can be done--healing can happen with your cooperation.
Gently remind your newly sober parent that recovery will take time for the entire family to achieve. Let them know that even though a part of you is resistant to change, a bigger part of you wants to be a part of a sober, happy family.
Seek out people to encourage you in your new life as part of a safe, sober household--people who want the absolute best for you and will help you to identify and achieve your dreams. Find who people who are strong in the Lord who will remind you that God created you, that He loves you and that He has great plans for your life.
Oh, and if your parents are still acting the fool at home behind closed doors, don't let that stop you from becoming the star that you were meant to be.
Instead of wasting your time and energy pointing out their faults and shortcomings, make a list of twenty dreams and goals that you have. Hide your list or put it up for all to see and trust God to fulfill them.
Say out loud, based on Isaiah 40:31:
I will trust in the Lord, and I will renew my strength; I will soar on wings like eagles, I will run and not grow weary, I will walk and not faint.
And maybe now mom or dad is sober and things at home are changing for the better but you're still hurt. You're used to hanging out with your friends all night, doing whatever you please and having no accountability, right? Suddenly mom and dad have rules and boundaries. Or maybe it's the opposite and you've noticed that the way they act in church isn't the way they act at home.
So now what? Maybe you've been smoking weed with your friends or sneaking some of your parents' liquor and your parents want you to clean up your act. Part of you loves your new home life, but another part of you resents the fact that all of sudden rules are a part of the game.
Look at this like an opportunity; an open door to new possibilities. Ask your sober parent to help you get signed up for Christian counseling, to give you a ride to attend free alateen meetings and to start work on college applications. Write them a letter letting them know what it was like to be in their care and suggest ways to mend the ties. If you're confused about where to start, spend a few minutes in prayer asking God for direction.
I'm not trying to sugar coat the pain that you've endured or the anger and resentment that you may still feel. There is a process to healing and a responsible mentor, pastor, youth leader, teacher or sponsor can help guide you through the steps to wholeness. Be encouraged! It can be done--healing can happen with your cooperation.
Gently remind your newly sober parent that recovery will take time for the entire family to achieve. Let them know that even though a part of you is resistant to change, a bigger part of you wants to be a part of a sober, happy family.
Seek out people to encourage you in your new life as part of a safe, sober household--people who want the absolute best for you and will help you to identify and achieve your dreams. Find who people who are strong in the Lord who will remind you that God created you, that He loves you and that He has great plans for your life.
Oh, and if your parents are still acting the fool at home behind closed doors, don't let that stop you from becoming the star that you were meant to be.
Instead of wasting your time and energy pointing out their faults and shortcomings, make a list of twenty dreams and goals that you have. Hide your list or put it up for all to see and trust God to fulfill them.
Say out loud, based on Isaiah 40:31:
I will trust in the Lord, and I will renew my strength; I will soar on wings like eagles, I will run and not grow weary, I will walk and not faint.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Greed...all that glitters is not gold!
According to a recent (October 11, 2011) Gallup poll, Americans will spend an average of $712.00 personally on Christmas this year.
Here's what $712.00 can do:
$8 could buy you 15 organic apples OR 25 fruit trees for farmers in Honduras to grow and sell fruit at their local market. So, $712.00 could buy 2225 fruit trees!!
$30 could buy you an ER DVD Box set OR a First Aid kit for a village in Haiti. $712.00 could purchase 23 first aid kits!!
$73 could buy you a new mobile phone OR a new mobile health clinic to care for AIDS orphans in Uganda. $712.00 could buy almost 10 mobile health clinics!!
$2400 could buy you a second generation High Definition TV OR schooling for an entire generation of school children in an Angolan village. $712.00 would take care of a third of that cost. (Check out www.globalrichlist.com for more info).
Wow.
Think about the fact that if you or your parents earn $50,000 per year, that you're richer than 99% of the world's population.
Please think and pray about how you can make a difference with your money. I dare you to do some research of your own. Make a difference.
Say out loud, based on Proverbs 22:9 (NLT) "Blessed are those who are generous, because they feed the poor."
Here's what $712.00 can do:
$8 could buy you 15 organic apples OR 25 fruit trees for farmers in Honduras to grow and sell fruit at their local market. So, $712.00 could buy 2225 fruit trees!!
$30 could buy you an ER DVD Box set OR a First Aid kit for a village in Haiti. $712.00 could purchase 23 first aid kits!!
$73 could buy you a new mobile phone OR a new mobile health clinic to care for AIDS orphans in Uganda. $712.00 could buy almost 10 mobile health clinics!!
$2400 could buy you a second generation High Definition TV OR schooling for an entire generation of school children in an Angolan village. $712.00 would take care of a third of that cost. (Check out www.globalrichlist.com for more info).
Wow.
Think about the fact that if you or your parents earn $50,000 per year, that you're richer than 99% of the world's population.
Please think and pray about how you can make a difference with your money. I dare you to do some research of your own. Make a difference.
Say out loud, based on Proverbs 22:9 (NLT) "Blessed are those who are generous, because they feed the poor."
Lame (one of my pre-Jesus stories of debauchery)
I titled this post "Lame" because that's what is is...lame. You see, I'm going to write about something a little less intense than the stuff that I've been posting. There's still a message in it, but hopefully it'll be a little lighter.
I've mentioned in the past that I used to be quite the lushy mess...let's just say that party was way over. The floor was mopped and the bartender went home kind of over. (As an aside, if you've got alcoholism in your family line, you might want to think about drinking say, diet coke instead of alcohol. Just a suggestion.)
So roll back the hands of time to big hair, Rob Lowe and Bush Sr. About six girlfriends and I flew (or drove, I don't really remember) down to Los Angeles to visit another friend who was attending UCLA. We all went to high school together and coincidentally, we all worked at Baskin-Robbins together. Lots of the trip was vague, but I do clearly remember deciding that we would all wear black, get really dressed up, spray tons of aqua net and go OUT.
Scary, right?
I can sort of vaguely remember going to one of those places with the velvet rope and hoping against hope that we'd get "picked" to go in. (Ridiculous then and ridiculous now.) After drinking what seemed like a fair amount of white wine, I started to get pretty drunk and knew that I had better find a way home immediately before I passed out or something terrible happened.
After hailing a cab and asking to go "home", I realized that a) I had no idea where home was and b)that I had the wrong person's ID in my pocket and c) I had no money--at least not enough to pay the cab fare. Things could have gone terribly wrong at that point. I was alone, broke, inebriated, and in a distant city.
But God had other plans.
Maybe He knew that I'd be sharing my testimony with you, some 25 years later. Or maybe I just got lucky. I choose to believe the former. Here are some of the 57 reasons that I KNOW that God was with me:
1) I told the cab driver to let me out and I'd figure it all out on my own. He said "NO, THAT WOULD BE TOO DANGEROUS."
2) This stranger drove me around for two hours until finally dropping off at my friend's house (the one whose ID I had.)
3) WHAT MADE ME TAKE HER ID? If I hadn't made that mistake, who knows what would have happened? That was before cell phones. WHAT IF HE HAD DROPPED ME OFF IN DOWNTOWN L.A.?
God watched over me, kept me safe, protected me and delivered me. God is real. If you don't believe that for yourself, believe that I believe. That's a start, right?
Drinking to excess is stupid. Seriously, it's like shutting off your rational thinking and letting an idiot make decisions for you, or even worse, letting a stranger make decisions for you that could affect you for the rest of your life.
My part in this story is lame, but God's part is AWESOME!!!!
Thinking about getting drunk? Say this out loud instead, based on Proverbs 20:1(MSG),
P.S. There are some amazing support groups in case you already think that you may have a problem with alcohol, like www.celebraterecovery.com and www.aa.org and www.teenchallengeusa.com.
I've mentioned in the past that I used to be quite the lushy mess...let's just say that party was way over. The floor was mopped and the bartender went home kind of over. (As an aside, if you've got alcoholism in your family line, you might want to think about drinking say, diet coke instead of alcohol. Just a suggestion.)
So roll back the hands of time to big hair, Rob Lowe and Bush Sr. About six girlfriends and I flew (or drove, I don't really remember) down to Los Angeles to visit another friend who was attending UCLA. We all went to high school together and coincidentally, we all worked at Baskin-Robbins together. Lots of the trip was vague, but I do clearly remember deciding that we would all wear black, get really dressed up, spray tons of aqua net and go OUT.
Scary, right?
I can sort of vaguely remember going to one of those places with the velvet rope and hoping against hope that we'd get "picked" to go in. (Ridiculous then and ridiculous now.) After drinking what seemed like a fair amount of white wine, I started to get pretty drunk and knew that I had better find a way home immediately before I passed out or something terrible happened.
After hailing a cab and asking to go "home", I realized that a) I had no idea where home was and b)that I had the wrong person's ID in my pocket and c) I had no money--at least not enough to pay the cab fare. Things could have gone terribly wrong at that point. I was alone, broke, inebriated, and in a distant city.
But God had other plans.
Maybe He knew that I'd be sharing my testimony with you, some 25 years later. Or maybe I just got lucky. I choose to believe the former. Here are some of the 57 reasons that I KNOW that God was with me:
1) I told the cab driver to let me out and I'd figure it all out on my own. He said "NO, THAT WOULD BE TOO DANGEROUS."
2) This stranger drove me around for two hours until finally dropping off at my friend's house (the one whose ID I had.)
3) WHAT MADE ME TAKE HER ID? If I hadn't made that mistake, who knows what would have happened? That was before cell phones. WHAT IF HE HAD DROPPED ME OFF IN DOWNTOWN L.A.?
God watched over me, kept me safe, protected me and delivered me. God is real. If you don't believe that for yourself, believe that I believe. That's a start, right?
Drinking to excess is stupid. Seriously, it's like shutting off your rational thinking and letting an idiot make decisions for you, or even worse, letting a stranger make decisions for you that could affect you for the rest of your life.
My part in this story is lame, but God's part is AWESOME!!!!
Thinking about getting drunk? Say this out loud instead, based on Proverbs 20:1(MSG),
"Wine makes you mean, beer makes you quarrelsome— a staggering drunk is not much fun."
P.S. There are some amazing support groups in case you already think that you may have a problem with alcohol, like www.celebraterecovery.com and www.aa.org and www.teenchallengeusa.com.
The Worst Kind of Loss
Last night I had a very real dream. In it, I had a stack of handwritten letters--long, heartfelt notes from people who were losing someone or had lost someone. The stories were varied but the pain was similar. As I read the notes, I couldn't help but cry.
I know that God was showing me in a tangible way that there are so many hurting people in the world. People who are desperately seeking answers and don't know where to turn.
One of the most powerful books that I've ever read was 90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper. In it, Don describes being in a terrible car accident and entering into an incredible experience of the afterlife. Beautiful music, incredible scents and smells and a reunion with loved ones were described in great detail. It made me want to get there fast.
Seriously, it sounded that good.
This earth is not our home. We can look forward to an incredible life here and for all eternity through faith in Jesus Christ.
God wants you to know that He cares and He wants you to experience joy even in the midst of your sorrow. He wants you to have the assurance that through Him, all things are possible.
If you've lost someone and you're grieving, know that God is grieving with you. You're not alone spiritually, but it's so important to find a supportive grief group to walk through the pain and into the victory together.
When there is a sudden death or tragedy at a school, teachers will often bring in psychologists to help the students deal with their pain. It's so important to have that experience but also to have a continual, biblically-based support group with whom to process and talk through the pain and ultimately heal.
There are so many instances of grief in the Bible. This life on earth is often referred to as a "vale (or valley) of tears." Know that grief comes in stages and that if you allow yourself to go through each one, you'll get through this season victoriously.
Find a support group, find a loving, Christ-centered church; read the Bible and pray. Don't keep your pain inside and say out loud, based on psalm 31:9:
"Lord have mercy on me in my anguish, my eyes are red from weeping; my health is broken from sorrow."
Please let me know how I can pray for you. Send me your story--anonymously is fine--I will share if you let me or I will pray earnestly for you.
I know that God was showing me in a tangible way that there are so many hurting people in the world. People who are desperately seeking answers and don't know where to turn.
One of the most powerful books that I've ever read was 90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper. In it, Don describes being in a terrible car accident and entering into an incredible experience of the afterlife. Beautiful music, incredible scents and smells and a reunion with loved ones were described in great detail. It made me want to get there fast.
Seriously, it sounded that good.
This earth is not our home. We can look forward to an incredible life here and for all eternity through faith in Jesus Christ.
God wants you to know that He cares and He wants you to experience joy even in the midst of your sorrow. He wants you to have the assurance that through Him, all things are possible.
If you've lost someone and you're grieving, know that God is grieving with you. You're not alone spiritually, but it's so important to find a supportive grief group to walk through the pain and into the victory together.
When there is a sudden death or tragedy at a school, teachers will often bring in psychologists to help the students deal with their pain. It's so important to have that experience but also to have a continual, biblically-based support group with whom to process and talk through the pain and ultimately heal.
There are so many instances of grief in the Bible. This life on earth is often referred to as a "vale (or valley) of tears." Know that grief comes in stages and that if you allow yourself to go through each one, you'll get through this season victoriously.
Find a support group, find a loving, Christ-centered church; read the Bible and pray. Don't keep your pain inside and say out loud, based on psalm 31:9:
"Lord have mercy on me in my anguish, my eyes are red from weeping; my health is broken from sorrow."
Please let me know how I can pray for you. Send me your story--anonymously is fine--I will share if you let me or I will pray earnestly for you.
Friday, December 16, 2011
I AM the TRUTH
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:32
"Follow your own truth."
"Whatever is true for you is OK."
"Are you telling the truth?"
"Truth or dare?"
Is truth relative? Are there many "truths"?
The definition of truth is, according to dictionary.com: the true or actual state of a matter; conformity with fact or reality; verity: the truth of a statement; a verified or indisputable fact, proposition, principle or the like: mathematical truths; the state or character of being true; actuality or actual existence.
Here's what else: Jesus said that He was the truth. In fact, He said this:
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 (NIV)
Jesus is the Truth. If Jesus is your plumb line, your measuring stick, your GPS, then it would probably be a good idea to run everything by Him.
Pray to Him. Ask God for direction, protection and knowledge of His will for you and the power to carry it out.
Check His word. The Bible. What does it say about your situation? Does your "truth" line up with the Truth?
Truth isn't relative. Jesus dealt in the truth--you can see it all over scripture. There was a time, for example, when He ran into this woman at the well. Picture in modern times--6 inch stiletto heels, too much makeup, bleached blond hair with three-inch roots, chomping her chewing gum too loud, hoisting a couple of 5 gallon buckets up to the well. When He asked her for a drink, she was shocked. Why would a man like him, a Jewish rabbi, speak to a foreigner with a questionable past like her?
Here's my paraphrase of what the conversation might have been like, based on John Chapter 4 in the Bible:
"Hi friend, I'm thirsty, might I have some water?" Jesus spoke gently in the hot sun.
"You've got to be kidding!! You're a Jew and I'm a Samaritan. How can you stoop so low as to ask me for a drink," said the Samaritan woman, ipod so loud that you could hear P.O.D. through the ear buds, trying not to expose too much as she knelt to hoist a bucket into the well.
"If you knew the gift of God and who it is that is asking you for a frosty beverage, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."
"Sir, I do not see a 32oz. super-sized cup in your backpack and this well is mighty deep. Where can you get the hookup on this living water? Are you saying you've got it going on better than our father, Jacob, who gave us this well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?"
Jesus answered, "You might fill your cup with a ton of this well water, but like all your buddies, you'll be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. The water I give them will become in them a gushing spring of water that will give them eternal life, man."
The woman, who's makeup was starting to run said, "Rabbi, fill up my boda bag with this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming up here to this dirt hole ever again!"
Jesus said, "Lady, go get your husband and then come back."
The woman blushed beneath her inch-thick foundation. "I have no husband."
"Yeah, you've had five husbands, and the man that you're living with right now isn't your husband. You spoke the truth there, sure enough." Jesus said kindly.
"Oh, so you're a prophet!! Well give me the lowdown on this: Our ancestors worshiped God at this mountain, but you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place for worship, right?"
"Believe me, woman, the time is coming when you Samaritans will worship the Father neither here at this mountain nor there in Jerusalem. You worship in a clueless kind of way; we Jews worship in the clear light of day. God's way of salvation (through me) is made available through the Jews. But I've got some killer news for you--the time will come when it doesn't matter what you're called or where you go to worship. In fact, the time is now. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in the truth."
So Jesus is the truth and He knows the truth.
This woman goes on to say, "I know that the Messiah is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."
You can imagine the look on her face when Jesus looks at her straight in the eye and says, "I, the one speaking to you--I AM He."
How cool is it that this gentle Rabbi aka THE MESSIAH chose to speak to a woman who was so ashamed of herself that she came to get water when she was sure that no one else would be around?
Not only that, but He chose to reveal the Truth to her, of all people.
He offered this woman a real solution to her problems, embarrassment, shame and hopelessness--faith in Jesus Christ. This is such good news if you feel worthless because you're a child of divorce, or you're a different race than the majority of people around you, or you've got a parent in prison or maybe you've made some poor choices in the past. This story demonstrates how much Jesus loves us all, no matter what our background.
Just come to Him, just as you are, and ask for forgiveness for your past, and say out loud that you believe that Jesus is Lord and that you want to receive the gift of salvation.
If you've said that prayer for the first time, please find a Christ-centered church, starting praying daily, read your Bible, and get involved with Christian fellowship. If you're in a remote place without access to fellowship, please visit www.teenhopeline.com or www.billygraham.org. Your life is about to change for the better. Watch and see and get ready for whatever God wants to do in your life. I'd love to hear your story!!
"Whatever is true for you is OK."
"Are you telling the truth?"
"Truth or dare?"
Is truth relative? Are there many "truths"?
The definition of truth is, according to dictionary.com: the true or actual state of a matter; conformity with fact or reality; verity: the truth of a statement; a verified or indisputable fact, proposition, principle or the like: mathematical truths; the state or character of being true; actuality or actual existence.
Here's what else: Jesus said that He was the truth. In fact, He said this:
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 (NIV)
Jesus is the Truth. If Jesus is your plumb line, your measuring stick, your GPS, then it would probably be a good idea to run everything by Him.
Pray to Him. Ask God for direction, protection and knowledge of His will for you and the power to carry it out.
Check His word. The Bible. What does it say about your situation? Does your "truth" line up with the Truth?
Truth isn't relative. Jesus dealt in the truth--you can see it all over scripture. There was a time, for example, when He ran into this woman at the well. Picture in modern times--6 inch stiletto heels, too much makeup, bleached blond hair with three-inch roots, chomping her chewing gum too loud, hoisting a couple of 5 gallon buckets up to the well. When He asked her for a drink, she was shocked. Why would a man like him, a Jewish rabbi, speak to a foreigner with a questionable past like her?
Here's my paraphrase of what the conversation might have been like, based on John Chapter 4 in the Bible:
"Hi friend, I'm thirsty, might I have some water?" Jesus spoke gently in the hot sun.
"You've got to be kidding!! You're a Jew and I'm a Samaritan. How can you stoop so low as to ask me for a drink," said the Samaritan woman, ipod so loud that you could hear P.O.D. through the ear buds, trying not to expose too much as she knelt to hoist a bucket into the well.
"If you knew the gift of God and who it is that is asking you for a frosty beverage, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."
"Sir, I do not see a 32oz. super-sized cup in your backpack and this well is mighty deep. Where can you get the hookup on this living water? Are you saying you've got it going on better than our father, Jacob, who gave us this well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?"
Jesus answered, "You might fill your cup with a ton of this well water, but like all your buddies, you'll be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. The water I give them will become in them a gushing spring of water that will give them eternal life, man."
The woman, who's makeup was starting to run said, "Rabbi, fill up my boda bag with this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming up here to this dirt hole ever again!"
Jesus said, "Lady, go get your husband and then come back."
The woman blushed beneath her inch-thick foundation. "I have no husband."
"Yeah, you've had five husbands, and the man that you're living with right now isn't your husband. You spoke the truth there, sure enough." Jesus said kindly.
"Oh, so you're a prophet!! Well give me the lowdown on this: Our ancestors worshiped God at this mountain, but you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place for worship, right?"
"Believe me, woman, the time is coming when you Samaritans will worship the Father neither here at this mountain nor there in Jerusalem. You worship in a clueless kind of way; we Jews worship in the clear light of day. God's way of salvation (through me) is made available through the Jews. But I've got some killer news for you--the time will come when it doesn't matter what you're called or where you go to worship. In fact, the time is now. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in the truth."
So Jesus is the truth and He knows the truth.
This woman goes on to say, "I know that the Messiah is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."
You can imagine the look on her face when Jesus looks at her straight in the eye and says, "I, the one speaking to you--I AM He."
How cool is it that this gentle Rabbi aka THE MESSIAH chose to speak to a woman who was so ashamed of herself that she came to get water when she was sure that no one else would be around?
Not only that, but He chose to reveal the Truth to her, of all people.
He offered this woman a real solution to her problems, embarrassment, shame and hopelessness--faith in Jesus Christ. This is such good news if you feel worthless because you're a child of divorce, or you're a different race than the majority of people around you, or you've got a parent in prison or maybe you've made some poor choices in the past. This story demonstrates how much Jesus loves us all, no matter what our background.
Just come to Him, just as you are, and ask for forgiveness for your past, and say out loud that you believe that Jesus is Lord and that you want to receive the gift of salvation.
If you've said that prayer for the first time, please find a Christ-centered church, starting praying daily, read your Bible, and get involved with Christian fellowship. If you're in a remote place without access to fellowship, please visit www.teenhopeline.com or www.billygraham.org. Your life is about to change for the better. Watch and see and get ready for whatever God wants to do in your life. I'd love to hear your story!!
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Don't Kill the Wrong Person
Chaos and disorder are not from God.
For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. 1 Corinthians 14:33
God's not confused. He doesn't flip the script in the middle of the game.
God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? Numbers 23:19
If you're in the midst of chaos, confusion, and disorder, that's not from God. It's either from your own set of misguided choices and decisions, someone else's misguided choices (parents, siblings, friends) and decisions or from another source. It's not God.
The title of this blog post is "Teen Suicide" and I write of confusion and disorder because that is at the root of so many suicidal thoughts and plans. Never does God think it's a good idea for any of His children to take themselves out. Never.
There were so many things that I went through as a young person, including thoughts of suicide. The pain was so great at times (particularly when a group of students were teasing me at school) that dying seemed like the only way to get peace.
What I didn't know then was that this time period would pass and that things would get better, through Jesus Christ.
The truth is that if I hadn't found Jesus, even as an adult, suicide may still have seemed like a viable option and here's why: there is no hope apart from Jesus. Even if everything in your life is seemingly OK...you know, the white picket fence, the perfect family, the new car in the garage, etc. Stuff is going to happen in life that can't be explained away, people will die, divorces will happen, children will get sick. When all of those things happen, and even on a daily, hourly basis, I will need Jesus.
And so will you.
No matter what you think as a result of what's happened to you (you've been molested, abused, you've been raped, had an abortion, you've watched pornography, you've been hurt, you're confused by your parents, your clergy have misrepresented themselves...whatever has happened, it's not to big for God to handle and to love you through it), God sees the bigger picture. He sees the whole you and He wants you to know that you're worthy, special, and worth saving.
Before I came to Christ, my mind was clouded over with so many confusing thoughts. So many. My fears would get so huge that I couldn't see past them. I'd beg friends to tell me the truth about my thoughts. (How crazy is that? Like they knew.) I was bogged down with obsessions and anger and it wasn't until I went to the cross (in this case the altar at this amazing, holy spirit-filled church) many, many times that I felt this confusion lift off of me.
Imagine if I had committed suicide before I had a chance to be set free? I would have missed out on so much.
Please, if you're thinking about making the ultimate sacrifice (suicide), please do the following:
1) Pray. Ask God to help you sense His love for you, like this: "God, please let me feel your love for me. In Jesus name, amen."
2) Open your Bible and read the book of John to start. Read at least one chapter out loud.
3) Visit www.teenhopeline.com the website started by Joseph Rojas of Seventh Day Slumber.
4) Call 1-800-NEED-HIM.
5) Tell someone that you trust. NOW. Let them know what's really going on.
6) Talk to a doctor AND a psychiatrist, just to make sure nothing physical is going on. You might have a medical issue or a chemical imbalance that can be treated.
7) Say out loud, based on Philippians 4:13:
I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. 1 Corinthians 14:33
God's not confused. He doesn't flip the script in the middle of the game.
God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? Numbers 23:19
If you're in the midst of chaos, confusion, and disorder, that's not from God. It's either from your own set of misguided choices and decisions, someone else's misguided choices (parents, siblings, friends) and decisions or from another source. It's not God.
The title of this blog post is "Teen Suicide" and I write of confusion and disorder because that is at the root of so many suicidal thoughts and plans. Never does God think it's a good idea for any of His children to take themselves out. Never.
There were so many things that I went through as a young person, including thoughts of suicide. The pain was so great at times (particularly when a group of students were teasing me at school) that dying seemed like the only way to get peace.
What I didn't know then was that this time period would pass and that things would get better, through Jesus Christ.
The truth is that if I hadn't found Jesus, even as an adult, suicide may still have seemed like a viable option and here's why: there is no hope apart from Jesus. Even if everything in your life is seemingly OK...you know, the white picket fence, the perfect family, the new car in the garage, etc. Stuff is going to happen in life that can't be explained away, people will die, divorces will happen, children will get sick. When all of those things happen, and even on a daily, hourly basis, I will need Jesus.
And so will you.
No matter what you think as a result of what's happened to you (you've been molested, abused, you've been raped, had an abortion, you've watched pornography, you've been hurt, you're confused by your parents, your clergy have misrepresented themselves...whatever has happened, it's not to big for God to handle and to love you through it), God sees the bigger picture. He sees the whole you and He wants you to know that you're worthy, special, and worth saving.
Before I came to Christ, my mind was clouded over with so many confusing thoughts. So many. My fears would get so huge that I couldn't see past them. I'd beg friends to tell me the truth about my thoughts. (How crazy is that? Like they knew.) I was bogged down with obsessions and anger and it wasn't until I went to the cross (in this case the altar at this amazing, holy spirit-filled church) many, many times that I felt this confusion lift off of me.
Imagine if I had committed suicide before I had a chance to be set free? I would have missed out on so much.
Please, if you're thinking about making the ultimate sacrifice (suicide), please do the following:
1) Pray. Ask God to help you sense His love for you, like this: "God, please let me feel your love for me. In Jesus name, amen."
2) Open your Bible and read the book of John to start. Read at least one chapter out loud.
3) Visit www.teenhopeline.com the website started by Joseph Rojas of Seventh Day Slumber.
4) Call 1-800-NEED-HIM.
5) Tell someone that you trust. NOW. Let them know what's really going on.
6) Talk to a doctor AND a psychiatrist, just to make sure nothing physical is going on. You might have a medical issue or a chemical imbalance that can be treated.
7) Say out loud, based on Philippians 4:13:
I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Barbed Wire Fences
Pride (I'm the Mac Daddy) precedes a disaster (blowing it big time), and an arrogant (I got this) attitude (angle of perspective) precedes(happens before) a fall (losing face, getting locked up, being embarrassed).
Proverbs 16:18 (God's Word Translation)
Pride.
Home Pride bread. (Is that still on the market?)
Pride in your work. (Have you given 110% today?)
Pride. That thing that keeps us from truly experiencing God's grace, His presence and His mercy.
Pride (not the "I'm proud of the hard work that I've done" kind of pride, but the "I'm better than everyone else" kind of pride) is a block, it's a barrier, it's a fence actually.
A fence.
There are all kinds of fences--picket fences, barbed wire fences, electric fences.
The bottom line is that fences do a great job of keeping most people, good and bad, out of our lives. Fences may keep us safe, but they also keep us isolated.
Is that really what you want, isolation? If your ego (or pride) says that most people "suck" or that people aren't to be trusted, then it's completely understandable that you'd want to keep people out. But is what you believe to be true?
Or is it coming from another source?
What would God say about His children? That they "suck" because they don't wear the right brand or they sit in the smoking patio or they look different than you? Doubtful. In fact, I don't think that He would have bothered to send His only begotten Son to die an unbelievably painful death on the cross if He didn't think that we were worth dying for. All of us.
The thing about people is that God often uses them to carry His message to us. When we're prideful, all we are left with our own thoughts, ideas and experiences. We're limited by our own small, self-centered world.
Asking God to remove our pride lets the sunshine in.
Literally--the Son shines in and ultimately out--to other people. And then back to us.
As a noun, pride is defined by Dictionary.com as a high or inordinate opinion of one's own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc.
If you suffer from pride (and I'd venture that most of us do), ask God to remove it. Say out loud, based on Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NIV):
"...Let me not boast of my wisdom or if I am strong boast of my strength
or if I'm rich boast of my riches, but let me boast about this: that He is the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the LORD.
P.S. I found the following on a blog called www.truthinscripture.com/spiritual-pride, based on a sermon by Jonathan Edwards. Thought you might find it interesting.
The signs to identify spiritual pride: 1 It is actually a hindrance to the work of God (repels)
2 A most secret sin. You have a hidden agenda of self promotion
3 Best identified by the fruit it produces. Is it bearing fruit for God?
4 You are a pro at pointing out other’s faults and delight in doing so
5 One Possesses a boastful critical spirit versus loving humility
6 Ministers harshly without showing true love or gentleness
7 Pronounces judgments towards both wicked and true brethren in Christ
8 Becomes easily offended when criticized or rebuked by others
9 Takes great notice of any opposition and attacks instead of turning away
10 Presumptuous about people’s faith and showing of improper boldness
11 They themselves do not worship or minister reverently
12 Attention seeking, promoter of their own self righteousness
13 Thinks everyone needs help, they know it all and need no help themselves
Monday, December 12, 2011
Pushing a Shopping Cart down Santa Rosa Ave.
"And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7
Am I the only one whose worst case scenario is that I'll end up pushing the proverbial shopping cart down the avenue, hair knotted up in dreadlocks, living occasionally in my friend's beater Pinto that she has long since abandoned...you know the drill, or do you? Am I the only one? Oh, and the frightmare continues with my friend occasionally tossing me some cold spam sandwiches out the window so I'll have something to eat and her dog ends up getting to the scraps before I do. (OK, so I have a vivid imagination).
The Shopping Cart mentality. The worst fear. The bottom line. You know, fear that God won't really take care of me in a pinch.
I know anxiety--the kind that keeps you up at night, curled up in the fetal position, heart racing, mind spinning out of control. That panic that has to do with what ifs and unanswered questions and possibilities of disaster. The kind of fear that nothing can touch. I also know the free-floating, random, not having to do with anything in particular kind of anxiety.
None of that is from God.
I'll never forget a night when I was so full of anxiety and fear that I literally felt paralyzed. Couldn't move to pick up the phone because I was afraid of what I'd find out what was on the other end of the line. I couldn't talk about my fears because I felt embarrassed and ashamed to have such anxiety.
"God, help me," I heard myself whisper.
As clear as the wind I heard in my spirit, "I have not given you a spirit of fear, but of power, of love and a sound mind."
He spoke to my spirit and I was reassured. I was reassured that God was with me, that He saw that I was suffering and that He cared enough to let me know that the spirit of fear wasn't coming from Him, but from another source.
Once I asked Him to remove the spirit of fear, in the name of Jesus, I could sleep. The insane thoughts left me.
The more I study God's word (the Bible), the more at peace I feel. (By study, I mean taking a portion of scripture, asking the Holy Spirit to guide my time in the word and to take notes as portions of scripture "speak" to me). I see that God's word corresponds to His truth and not only that, to His actions in my natural surroundings.
In other words, He handles the stuff that causes me anxiety. He handles my business, so long as I am focusing on, trusting in and relying upon Him. 24-7.
My prayer is that someone will read what little I have to say and begin to experience freedom from anxiety, as I have. God's word and His promises are better than any pill, bottle of wine, box of cookies or any other random thing that we use to quiet our minds. This is huge for a woman like me.
Huge.
Say out loud, based on 2 Timothy 1:7:
For God has not given me a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
Am I the only one whose worst case scenario is that I'll end up pushing the proverbial shopping cart down the avenue, hair knotted up in dreadlocks, living occasionally in my friend's beater Pinto that she has long since abandoned...you know the drill, or do you? Am I the only one? Oh, and the frightmare continues with my friend occasionally tossing me some cold spam sandwiches out the window so I'll have something to eat and her dog ends up getting to the scraps before I do. (OK, so I have a vivid imagination).
The Shopping Cart mentality. The worst fear. The bottom line. You know, fear that God won't really take care of me in a pinch.
I know anxiety--the kind that keeps you up at night, curled up in the fetal position, heart racing, mind spinning out of control. That panic that has to do with what ifs and unanswered questions and possibilities of disaster. The kind of fear that nothing can touch. I also know the free-floating, random, not having to do with anything in particular kind of anxiety.
None of that is from God.
I'll never forget a night when I was so full of anxiety and fear that I literally felt paralyzed. Couldn't move to pick up the phone because I was afraid of what I'd find out what was on the other end of the line. I couldn't talk about my fears because I felt embarrassed and ashamed to have such anxiety.
"God, help me," I heard myself whisper.
As clear as the wind I heard in my spirit, "I have not given you a spirit of fear, but of power, of love and a sound mind."
He spoke to my spirit and I was reassured. I was reassured that God was with me, that He saw that I was suffering and that He cared enough to let me know that the spirit of fear wasn't coming from Him, but from another source.
Once I asked Him to remove the spirit of fear, in the name of Jesus, I could sleep. The insane thoughts left me.
The more I study God's word (the Bible), the more at peace I feel. (By study, I mean taking a portion of scripture, asking the Holy Spirit to guide my time in the word and to take notes as portions of scripture "speak" to me). I see that God's word corresponds to His truth and not only that, to His actions in my natural surroundings.
In other words, He handles the stuff that causes me anxiety. He handles my business, so long as I am focusing on, trusting in and relying upon Him. 24-7.
My prayer is that someone will read what little I have to say and begin to experience freedom from anxiety, as I have. God's word and His promises are better than any pill, bottle of wine, box of cookies or any other random thing that we use to quiet our minds. This is huge for a woman like me.
Huge.
Say out loud, based on 2 Timothy 1:7:
For God has not given me a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Negative Press
Can you imagine having every last seedy mistake that you've ever made make the headlines of the national media? Every transgression, every public argument (and to mention private), every foul-mouthed tirade recorded in infamy on the Internet? After a while it would be hard to leave the house, wouldn't it?
One might start to feel isolated.
Alone.
Depressed.
Perhaps even suicidal.
Michael Jackson comes to mind.
How much attention do you pay to negative press? How often do you read the tabloids? How much time do you spend keeping up with the Kardashians?
If you're like me, what begins as fascination turns quickly to scorn. When we focus on one aspect of a person's life, we fail to see the entire person--the good as well as the bad. We miss the fact that negative press sells newspapers, gets ratings and fuels competition. We fail to see that the more attention that we pay to the ugly side of human nature, the less spiritual we become. The less spiritual, the less happy. The less happy, the less chance of being a light for someone else.
A light to point a suffering person towards the light of God.
You can make a difference by refusing to give in to the lure of gossip. Refuse the read the junk or read it with an eye towards the truth--that we ALL sin and that we ALL fall short of the glory of God.
There has one perfect dude (or "cat" as folks said in the 70s) that has ever walked the earth and that guy's name is Jesus. (Talk about negative press!!)
Anytime we are judging, gossiping or mad-dogging someone else we are essentially saying, (to the tune of Michael Jackson's "I'm Bad"),
"I'm ALL that, a nachos bell grande with extra cheese and a side of chalupas!!!"
And truth is, you ain't.
And neither am I.
Say out loud, based on Matthew 7:5:
"...God, help me first take the log out of my own eye, and then i will see clearly to take the speck out of my brother's eye."
One might start to feel isolated.
Alone.
Depressed.
Perhaps even suicidal.
Michael Jackson comes to mind.
How much attention do you pay to negative press? How often do you read the tabloids? How much time do you spend keeping up with the Kardashians?
If you're like me, what begins as fascination turns quickly to scorn. When we focus on one aspect of a person's life, we fail to see the entire person--the good as well as the bad. We miss the fact that negative press sells newspapers, gets ratings and fuels competition. We fail to see that the more attention that we pay to the ugly side of human nature, the less spiritual we become. The less spiritual, the less happy. The less happy, the less chance of being a light for someone else.
A light to point a suffering person towards the light of God.
You can make a difference by refusing to give in to the lure of gossip. Refuse the read the junk or read it with an eye towards the truth--that we ALL sin and that we ALL fall short of the glory of God.
There has one perfect dude (or "cat" as folks said in the 70s) that has ever walked the earth and that guy's name is Jesus. (Talk about negative press!!)
Anytime we are judging, gossiping or mad-dogging someone else we are essentially saying, (to the tune of Michael Jackson's "I'm Bad"),
"I'm ALL that, a nachos bell grande with extra cheese and a side of chalupas!!!"
And truth is, you ain't.
And neither am I.
Say out loud, based on Matthew 7:5:
"...God, help me first take the log out of my own eye, and then i will see clearly to take the speck out of my brother's eye."
Tragedy
I believe that God would want you to know a few important things if you've recently gone through a tragedy--a sudden death of a loved one, a life-altering, impulsive decision; a terrible injury, or a life-threatening illness; perhaps a divorce.
First of all, God sees your pain and He weeps with you.
Second, you're not alone. God is with you every step of the way. He was with you when it happened, He is with you right now, and He'll be with you in the future days to come.
Third, He loves you and He's there to comfort you. Call upon Him often.
Fourth, He will send people to counsel you, to hug you and to cry with you. Watch for them.
Fifth, things will get better. The pain will lessen and with His help, you'll find peace.
Sixth, He understands and can handle your anger towards Him. Go ahead and rage at Him.
Seven, because God has given us all free will, sometimes terrible things happen. He is there in the terrible.
Eight, God wants to heal your broken heart, and He can. Seek Him daily. Pray, read the Bible (ask Him in your prayers for direction on which passage to read), and pray for direction to find a loving, Christ-centered church that you can be a part of.
When you find comforting scripture, read it out loud. You might want to start with a psalm of David that has given comfort to millions of people worldwide, including me.
Read Psalm 23 (NLT) out loud:
The Lord is my shepherd; I have all I need.
He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.
He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to His name.
Even when I walk through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
For you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.
You prepare a feast for me
In the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
Surely your goodness and unfailing
Love will pursue me all the days of my life,
And I will live in the house
Of the Lord
Forever.
First of all, God sees your pain and He weeps with you.
Second, you're not alone. God is with you every step of the way. He was with you when it happened, He is with you right now, and He'll be with you in the future days to come.
Third, He loves you and He's there to comfort you. Call upon Him often.
Fourth, He will send people to counsel you, to hug you and to cry with you. Watch for them.
Fifth, things will get better. The pain will lessen and with His help, you'll find peace.
Sixth, He understands and can handle your anger towards Him. Go ahead and rage at Him.
Seven, because God has given us all free will, sometimes terrible things happen. He is there in the terrible.
Eight, God wants to heal your broken heart, and He can. Seek Him daily. Pray, read the Bible (ask Him in your prayers for direction on which passage to read), and pray for direction to find a loving, Christ-centered church that you can be a part of.
When you find comforting scripture, read it out loud. You might want to start with a psalm of David that has given comfort to millions of people worldwide, including me.
Read Psalm 23 (NLT) out loud:
The Lord is my shepherd; I have all I need.
He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.
He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to His name.
Even when I walk through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
For you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.
You prepare a feast for me
In the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
Surely your goodness and unfailing
Love will pursue me all the days of my life,
And I will live in the house
Of the Lord
Forever.
Friday, December 9, 2011
I want MORE!!!
| Greed, according to the World English Dictionary is defined as the excessive consumption of or a desire for food; gluttony OR excessive desire, as for wealth or power. BP Oil, who after a massive oil spill occurred on the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, forbid the cleanup workers from wearing masks or respirators while raking up huge globules of oil and rescuing sick and dying animals. BP (British Petroleum) claimed that wearing masks (even after cleanup workers and fisherman complained of burning eyes, difficulty breathing and constricting throats) would cause hysteria, be a public relations nightmare and might cause people to boycott BP. What would drive an individual or a company to do such things? Greed. More, more, more. Obviously, these are both excessive examples of insatiability, right? You'd probably never, ever act in such an over the top, self-serving way, right? Ha!! :) What about grabbing that last piece of chocolate cake before anyone else grabs it? What about being all about getting that new XBox or the very latest iPhone? Xbox's and iPhones are lovely, and there's nothing wrong with them, but have you ever stopped to think about the family down the street that can't afford to buy groceries? Or Christmas presents? What about forgoing a few presents in exchange for making a donation to a great charity? All of those things counter greed. (And about the piece of chocolate cake, you could actually leave that last piece for your little brother. It wouldn't hurt.) Here are a few links to some local charitable organizations: www.srmission.org Santa Rosa's Redwood Gospel Mission Hope and Help for the Homeless www.srcharities.org Serving the Santa Rosa area with homeless services, transitional housing, immigration, and Alzheimer's Respite. www.cityteam.org CityTeam Ministries is a non-profit organization serving the poor and homeless in in San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, Portland, Philadelphia and we are training and planting churches in 82 countries around the world. Take time to look up a homeless shelter in your own neck of the woods and see how you can help. While you're at it, say out loud, based on Deuteronomy 24:17: "I will not deprive the foreigner or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge. I will remember that I was a slave in Egypt and the LORD my God redeemed me from there..". God doesn't care about us having more stuff at the expense of others. He has pretty clear instructions for us in Deuteronomy 19-21: When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. 20 When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow. 21 When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, do not go over the vines again. Leave what remains for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow. | |
Hope
Isaiah 40:31(New International Version Bible) "...but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint."
1 Corinthians 13:13 (Aramaic Bible in Plain English) "For there are these three things that endure: Faith, Hope and Love, but the greatest of these is Love."
Dictionary.com defines hope as both a noun: the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best AND a verb:
they will walk and not be faint."
1 Corinthians 13:13 (Aramaic Bible in Plain English) "For there are these three things that endure: Faith, Hope and Love, but the greatest of these is Love."
Dictionary.com defines hope as both a noun: the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best AND a verb:
to look forward to with desire and reasonable confidence; to believe, desire, or trust.
One thing that I didn't have as a young person was hope. In fact, all that I could see was what was right in front of me--and that wasn't much. Overweight, depressed, somewhat suicidal and picked on at school, my only hope was that junior high would end soon. I spent a lot of time in the school counselor's office, if for nothing else then to get away from my teasing classmates.
In retrospect, I can see that it was more than that. I was bored. There, I said it. BORED. Unchallenged, unmotivated, uninspired. With a fairly high IQ and a restless spirit, it took a lot to excite or motivate me. Add in teasing and voila--I was a bummed-out, carb-eating kid. I had no hope.
What I know today is that God sincerely wants His young people to know that they are loved, cherished, and important just as they are. In fact, I believe He is desperate to let His beloved children, middle schoolers, high schoolers and beyond know that He is the solution to their problems. He is their hope.
If you are seeking that hope that can only be found in Jesus, say out loud, based on Hebrews 10:23:
"Let me hold unswervingly to the hope I profess, for he who promised is faithful."
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Jacked Up Trees or WOLVES in Sheep's CLOTHING
Don't miss the beauty of the forest because you're diverted by the ugliness of some of its trees. (Anonymous)
Years ago, there were several scandals involving some well-known televangelist preacher guys. One was caught with a woman who wasn't his wife and another took the money from his own ministry and used it for himself. I remember those transgressions so clearly because I wasn't a Christian at the time and reasoned that their behavior was indicative of all of those "crazy Jesus freaks."
Their behavior didn't turn me off to Christianity, it confirmed my well-entrenched prejudice against the religion and all that went with it.
Clearly, things have changed. I discovered, with the help of the Holy Spirit and believing friends, that Jesus is real, alive and He is my savior. Everything changed once I developed my own personal relationship with Him.
Everything changed.
No matter how far off the beam I've gotten, no matter how great my sin, I know that Jesus loves me. We're human, and even Christians have the capacity to hurt each other. If you've been hurt, don't let that hurt be the reason that you stay away from Jesus.
I will make this message as simple as possible. Don't miss God's love for you because of the sin (or error) of some of the folks that claim to be His messengers.
Jesus warns us about wolves in sheep's clothing in Acts 20:29-30: "I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.
He tells us to keep our eyes open in Acts 20:31-32: Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified."
Monika translation: "There are going to be some bottom-feeding, opportunistic, downright liars that will show up to try to hang out and be your friend. Some may even claim to be godly and cool. Keep your eyes wide open and don't be fooled by the hype. You're with God now and He's got your back, and that's gonna lift you up higher than you've ever been before. Your future's looking bright as long as you keep close to God."
Bottom line--don't judge God by the people that represent Him, even if they're at the pulpit. Grow in your own relationship with the living God and see how good and gracious and loving He is for yourself.
Say out loud, based on Hebrews 12:1-3:
Years ago, there were several scandals involving some well-known televangelist preacher guys. One was caught with a woman who wasn't his wife and another took the money from his own ministry and used it for himself. I remember those transgressions so clearly because I wasn't a Christian at the time and reasoned that their behavior was indicative of all of those "crazy Jesus freaks."
Their behavior didn't turn me off to Christianity, it confirmed my well-entrenched prejudice against the religion and all that went with it.
Clearly, things have changed. I discovered, with the help of the Holy Spirit and believing friends, that Jesus is real, alive and He is my savior. Everything changed once I developed my own personal relationship with Him.
Everything changed.
No matter how far off the beam I've gotten, no matter how great my sin, I know that Jesus loves me. We're human, and even Christians have the capacity to hurt each other. If you've been hurt, don't let that hurt be the reason that you stay away from Jesus.
I will make this message as simple as possible. Don't miss God's love for you because of the sin (or error) of some of the folks that claim to be His messengers.
Jesus warns us about wolves in sheep's clothing in Acts 20:29-30: "I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.
He tells us to keep our eyes open in Acts 20:31-32: Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified."
Monika translation: "There are going to be some bottom-feeding, opportunistic, downright liars that will show up to try to hang out and be your friend. Some may even claim to be godly and cool. Keep your eyes wide open and don't be fooled by the hype. You're with God now and He's got your back, and that's gonna lift you up higher than you've ever been before. Your future's looking bright as long as you keep close to God."
Bottom line--don't judge God by the people that represent Him, even if they're at the pulpit. Grow in your own relationship with the living God and see how good and gracious and loving He is for yourself.
Say out loud, based on Hebrews 12:1-3:
"Since I am surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let me also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let me run with endurance the race that is set before me, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of my faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Let me consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that I may not grow weary or fainthearted."
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Greasy Donuts
1 John 5:21 says, "Dear Children, keep yourselves from idols".
And no, that doesn't mean that if you happen to run into a contestant from American Idol at Starbucks that you should moonwalk out the door in a hurry, thereby keeping your distance.
Keeping yourself from idols means to not let your devotions, pursuits, dreams and desires block you from God. (And be sure to avoid resentments, petty arguments and road rage...all of those will block perfect fellowship with God too.)
We can set up idols (a great way to find out what or who you worship is to scan your thoughts) without even meaning to. Maybe it's the state track championship that you're hoping to win. Perhaps it's getting that perfect SAT score that would get you into a great college and thereby set you for life. Or maybe you have your heart set on Mr. Perfect.
But what happens if things don't work out? What if your track team's bus runs over a greasy box of donuts with a fork stuck in them and gets a flat tire on the way to the meet and your team has to forfeit?
What if the SAT administrator is a frustrated stand-up comedian and he tells bad jokes to you during the test and you blow it?
What if Mr. Perfect turns out to be so into himself that he spends more time spray-tanning, eyebrow waxing and staring at his own reflection than he does with you?
Will your reaction to any of these disappointments be depression, anger, or fear? Have you been spending a huge amount of time thinking, obsessing, or focusing on these things? They may have become an idol to you.
God is not into idols. Why? Imagine that you're trying to have lunch with your best friend. You drive 100 miles in a hatchback with no air conditioning and a bald set of tires to spend time with him or her and all they can talk about while you bite into your chimichanga is how much they hate their math teacher, or how devoted they are to their new pair of jeans, or how depressed they are because their track team never made it the state championship.
You'd feel like your best friend didn't really want to spend time with you, right? Not only that, but you'd both miss out on the fellowship that you could enjoy if nothing were blocking (i.e. Idols) that.
God isn't some crazy despot in the sky who is so insecure that He has to have your attention. Quite the opposite, in fact. He loves you and He doesn't you want to miss it because you're too hung up on something meaningless.
Based on 1 John 5:21, say out loud: "God, keep me from idols."
And no, that doesn't mean that if you happen to run into a contestant from American Idol at Starbucks that you should moonwalk out the door in a hurry, thereby keeping your distance.
Keeping yourself from idols means to not let your devotions, pursuits, dreams and desires block you from God. (And be sure to avoid resentments, petty arguments and road rage...all of those will block perfect fellowship with God too.)
We can set up idols (a great way to find out what or who you worship is to scan your thoughts) without even meaning to. Maybe it's the state track championship that you're hoping to win. Perhaps it's getting that perfect SAT score that would get you into a great college and thereby set you for life. Or maybe you have your heart set on Mr. Perfect.
But what happens if things don't work out? What if your track team's bus runs over a greasy box of donuts with a fork stuck in them and gets a flat tire on the way to the meet and your team has to forfeit?
What if the SAT administrator is a frustrated stand-up comedian and he tells bad jokes to you during the test and you blow it?
What if Mr. Perfect turns out to be so into himself that he spends more time spray-tanning, eyebrow waxing and staring at his own reflection than he does with you?
Will your reaction to any of these disappointments be depression, anger, or fear? Have you been spending a huge amount of time thinking, obsessing, or focusing on these things? They may have become an idol to you.
God is not into idols. Why? Imagine that you're trying to have lunch with your best friend. You drive 100 miles in a hatchback with no air conditioning and a bald set of tires to spend time with him or her and all they can talk about while you bite into your chimichanga is how much they hate their math teacher, or how devoted they are to their new pair of jeans, or how depressed they are because their track team never made it the state championship.
You'd feel like your best friend didn't really want to spend time with you, right? Not only that, but you'd both miss out on the fellowship that you could enjoy if nothing were blocking (i.e. Idols) that.
God isn't some crazy despot in the sky who is so insecure that He has to have your attention. Quite the opposite, in fact. He loves you and He doesn't you want to miss it because you're too hung up on something meaningless.
Based on 1 John 5:21, say out loud: "God, keep me from idols."
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Stinky Fruit
Weird title, right? You know what happens when you leave a banana in your fruit bowl for too long? It turns black, starts to rot and out of nowhere a bunch of random fruit flies start to show up. Seriously, where did these little buggers come from? Everything seemed fine a week ago when you first bought the banana.
Here's the deal with the banana. If you had used it right away, when it was ripe and flavorful and full of banana-y goodness, all would be well. But you waited until it was too late. The banana was no good and had actually started to sort of, well, stink.
OK, so take the nasty fruit concept and connect with our spiritual life. When we're right with God, filled with His Holy Spirit and living it out (you know, not watching crazy Showtime videos all night long and then preaching a sermon on Sunday morning or driving on a suspended license and teaching DMV traffic school), then our fruit won't stink.
Some of the fruits of the spirit (or the result of living by the Spirit of God) include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Do you have those things in your life or are they elusive (meaning impossible to grasp)?
I'd like to be all politically correct and nice and have you all like me, but there's more to this concept than flowers and puppies and showtunes on "Glee". The opposite of living according to God's will and plan is living according to the flesh (your own plans, desires, lusts, etc.). Ehh. I know, I can hear the "that's kind of judgmental, Monika." Hey, I didn't write the Bible. I'm just here to report the news.
Here's a nice list thanks to Paul in the book of Galatians of the results of living by the flesh: Sexual immorality (pornography, sex outside of marriage); idolatry (worshipping things that aren't God--people, stuff, your looks, their looks, cars, purses, your money, your designer jeans); participation in demonic activities (Ouija boards, runes, tarot cards, psychic readings); hostility (anger and sarcasm); selfish ambition (it's all about getting to the top); and drunkenness to name a few.
Now before you completely freak out, here's what I know about God. He wants the best, the very absolute best for us. For example, there's something amazingly spiritual about entering into a marriage covenant with God at the center. I'm speaking from experience. I haven't always followed Christ and I'm not too proud to tell you that I've had many meaningless relationships prior to getting married to Jeff. Where are those fine gentlemen now? Every time you enter into a physical relationship with someone else, you're becoming one flesh with that person. And every time you break up with someone that you've been physical with, it's like tearing flesh spiritually. It's no wonder so many people have a hard time letting go of their ex. It's like you're bonded to that person in the spiritual realm.
If you're in that situation and you want to be completely free to be available to whomever God has for you, get rid of everything that you still have that belonged to that person. Burn the pictures, the cards, and the letters. Delete the texts, the postings and the tweets. Ask God to sever the soul tie that you have with that person. ("God, sever the soul tie that I have with De Andre. In Jesus' name, amen.")
I'm sure that God will have me write more on this subject, but in the meantime if you don't want your fruit to stink, pray. With God's help and direction, you can be free of all that junk that comes from living by the flesh.
Say out loud, based on Galatians 5:22-23:
"My life is lead by the Holy Spirit, and as a result, I produce the fruit of righteousness."
Here's the deal with the banana. If you had used it right away, when it was ripe and flavorful and full of banana-y goodness, all would be well. But you waited until it was too late. The banana was no good and had actually started to sort of, well, stink.
OK, so take the nasty fruit concept and connect with our spiritual life. When we're right with God, filled with His Holy Spirit and living it out (you know, not watching crazy Showtime videos all night long and then preaching a sermon on Sunday morning or driving on a suspended license and teaching DMV traffic school), then our fruit won't stink.
Some of the fruits of the spirit (or the result of living by the Spirit of God) include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Do you have those things in your life or are they elusive (meaning impossible to grasp)?
I'd like to be all politically correct and nice and have you all like me, but there's more to this concept than flowers and puppies and showtunes on "Glee". The opposite of living according to God's will and plan is living according to the flesh (your own plans, desires, lusts, etc.). Ehh. I know, I can hear the "that's kind of judgmental, Monika." Hey, I didn't write the Bible. I'm just here to report the news.
Here's a nice list thanks to Paul in the book of Galatians of the results of living by the flesh: Sexual immorality (pornography, sex outside of marriage); idolatry (worshipping things that aren't God--people, stuff, your looks, their looks, cars, purses, your money, your designer jeans); participation in demonic activities (Ouija boards, runes, tarot cards, psychic readings); hostility (anger and sarcasm); selfish ambition (it's all about getting to the top); and drunkenness to name a few.
Now before you completely freak out, here's what I know about God. He wants the best, the very absolute best for us. For example, there's something amazingly spiritual about entering into a marriage covenant with God at the center. I'm speaking from experience. I haven't always followed Christ and I'm not too proud to tell you that I've had many meaningless relationships prior to getting married to Jeff. Where are those fine gentlemen now? Every time you enter into a physical relationship with someone else, you're becoming one flesh with that person. And every time you break up with someone that you've been physical with, it's like tearing flesh spiritually. It's no wonder so many people have a hard time letting go of their ex. It's like you're bonded to that person in the spiritual realm.
If you're in that situation and you want to be completely free to be available to whomever God has for you, get rid of everything that you still have that belonged to that person. Burn the pictures, the cards, and the letters. Delete the texts, the postings and the tweets. Ask God to sever the soul tie that you have with that person. ("God, sever the soul tie that I have with De Andre. In Jesus' name, amen.")
I'm sure that God will have me write more on this subject, but in the meantime if you don't want your fruit to stink, pray. With God's help and direction, you can be free of all that junk that comes from living by the flesh.
Say out loud, based on Galatians 5:22-23:
"My life is lead by the Holy Spirit, and as a result, I produce the fruit of righteousness."
Teasing a skunk with a stick
Sometimes King James English cracks me up: Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose
bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife. Proverbs 30:33 (KJV Cambridge Ed.) That's a lot of "bringeths!! :)
Monika translation: If you hang out with a bunch of wild poodles, you're gonna get fleas; if you tease a skunk with a stick, you're gonna get sprayed; and if you put grease in your Uncle Bubba's hot rod fuel tank, you're gonna get hollered at.
Even more simply put: if you're angry, ask God to help you calm down. Breathe. Count to ten. Sing "Silent Night." Don't let your anger get the best of you, because left unchecked, it will.
Think of anger as a mob of bees. If you leave them alone, they won't (no pun intended) bug you. They go about their bee business, right? Making honey, creating wax, saving humanity with their pollinating ways. Bees are cool but they don't like to be bothered. The minute you cruise up to a group of bees and start say, sticking your face in their hive, they're not happy. They sting. They're defending their territory.
So it goes with anger. When it (anger) rises up, leave it alone. Walk away. Keep the peace.
Say out loud, based on James 1:19-20:
"I am quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for my anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires."
And in case you're reading this and you're thinking,
"That's nice, Monika, but I'm a calm, easy-going person. I'm not really one of those anger management type of people," just know that this applies to the barista at Starbucks who gets your order wrong, to the clerk at Sears that insists upon calling in backup so she can go on her break right as you walk up to the counter, and your family member who keeps leaving huge piles of laundry in the middle of their bedroom floor.
Breathe.
Monika translation: If you hang out with a bunch of wild poodles, you're gonna get fleas; if you tease a skunk with a stick, you're gonna get sprayed; and if you put grease in your Uncle Bubba's hot rod fuel tank, you're gonna get hollered at.
Even more simply put: if you're angry, ask God to help you calm down. Breathe. Count to ten. Sing "Silent Night." Don't let your anger get the best of you, because left unchecked, it will.
Think of anger as a mob of bees. If you leave them alone, they won't (no pun intended) bug you. They go about their bee business, right? Making honey, creating wax, saving humanity with their pollinating ways. Bees are cool but they don't like to be bothered. The minute you cruise up to a group of bees and start say, sticking your face in their hive, they're not happy. They sting. They're defending their territory.
So it goes with anger. When it (anger) rises up, leave it alone. Walk away. Keep the peace.
Say out loud, based on James 1:19-20:
"I am quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for my anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires."
And in case you're reading this and you're thinking,
"That's nice, Monika, but I'm a calm, easy-going person. I'm not really one of those anger management type of people," just know that this applies to the barista at Starbucks who gets your order wrong, to the clerk at Sears that insists upon calling in backup so she can go on her break right as you walk up to the counter, and your family member who keeps leaving huge piles of laundry in the middle of their bedroom floor.
Breathe.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Teen Bonics 3-False (aka "Fake") Friends
Teen-bonics Definition: Fake (or False) Friend: Someone who claims to be a friend with someone they've only met once and might not even particularly (i.e. the chronic Facebook friend-adder) like or add friends of friends on facebook or myspace just to boost their numbers or to stay in the "hater" gossip loop on said "friend."
Also the types of people who freely throw around the word 'love' or become affectionate too early in a friendship.
Also the types of people who freely throw around the word 'love' or become affectionate too early in a friendship.
Example: "Oh my gosh, we just met five minutes ago and I'm inwardly hating on your outfit and I'm buggin' on your man, but I love you!!"
A fake or false friend can also be someone that might even be in your inner circle and can't stand you. That's right, I said it. You may have folks around you that have nothing nice to say about you behind your back. The minute you walk out the door, the tongues start wagging, and not in a nice way.
Proverbs 18:24 (NIV) says, "A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."
Interesting huh?
Most of us think "the more the merrier." The bigger my number of friends, the better. After all, isn't more always the best?
Not necessarily.
There are only a few people, outside of my immediate family, that I know are true friends. The kind of people that would be there no matter what. Just a few. The rest are probably acquaintances. Don't get me wrong, my acquaintances are people that I'm happy to see when I see them, I'm sure that many would pray for me if I asked, and we all want good for each other. But as far as the people that would sit by my bedside and pray for me when I'm in the hospital and offer to feed my cat (if I had one) for example, are few and far between.
So back to the whole idea of false friends. Have you ever had someone in your life that outwardly seemed cool, but something inside your gut told you that something wasn't right? Maybe you couldn't quite put your finger on it, but you just didn't completely trust them? If you're like me, you probably even fought yourself on it.
Here's an example: "She seems so nice. Maybe I'm just being paranoid. It's just then when I told her my good news, she acted kind of funny. She didn't seem to happy for me. The other weird thing is that she seems to almost hope that I have personal problems. Even when I don't have anything going on, she digs until nothing becomes something and I start to question my own happiness. Odd..."
Don't second guess yourself. I have to admit, I still struggle with this even today. Occasionally, a wolf in sheep's clothing will sneak into my life.
Matthew 7:15 (NIV) says, "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves."
Here's a suggestion. Pray and ask, "God if this person isn't from You, move them along. Set me free." What's cool about that is that you don't have to get up in this person's grill and tell them to hit the road. All you have to do is ask God to handle it. And He will. He'll probably even bring in new friends to fill in the gap that you've created by asking Him to move to the wolf out of your way.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Suicide Used to be an Option...
Recently I was asked to tell my "story" to a group of relative strangers. There were a few friends in the group, but mostly folks were just hearing my tale of "woe" to "glow" for the first time.
I laughed and giggled as I shared instances of wanting to drive my compact car into a freeway abutment; the only thing keeping me from completing the task was fear of not finishing the job. I slapped my knee with glee as I retold stories of drunken debauchery, cow-tipping attempts and petty thievery. I chuckled at the loneliness, despair, and the misery of living without God, without hope and without joy.
What's hilarious about living a desperate, ridiculous cry-for-help kind of life? Really, absolutely nothing, because by the world's standards (and quite frankly, my own), I was a complete failure. While my college friends were graduating and going on to graduate school, getting married and moving on, I was stuck in the muck, sold on the "mold", on a one-way flight to nowhere. Ha!! My life amounted to nada. I was less than zero.
But here's the good news and that's why I'm laughing and chuckling and giggling, even now!! God took my pile of rubble, my mess, my distress, my less-than-blessed life and turned it around for His glory!! How, you ask? When I cried out to Him, He answered. When I begged Him for help, He showed up. Yes, it's that simple.
"God help me!!!!" I was on my knees, in the bedroom--morally, spiritually, and financially bankrupt, on the floor, sobbing, no hope, and He answered.
The answer came through a friend. A friend who answered the phone when I called, crying and hysterical.
She brought me lunch (who does that??), some tapes (Prison to Praise www.foundationofpraise.org and Joyce Meyer www.joycemeyer.org) and hope. There was something different about her and I asked her about it. She said that she went to church.
CHURCH.
I had been to church before, but the churches that I had attended were a little, how can I say this politely...Free Willy. Anything goes. Do what you want. It's all good. Nothing stuck for me in those places. I had searched for God for years, but up until then I hadn't found Him.
I listened to the Prison to Praise tapes (which, in essence, were about praising God for all things, based on 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus) and by the time I had listened, I literally felt the Holy Spirit directing me to go to church.
Her church.
And I wanted to go NOW.
I knew nothing about this place prior to pulling up in the parking lot. I had no idea that it was an amazing, Holy Spirit-filled, Bible-teaching, beautiful church in Rancho Cordova, California. Felt like I was walking into Heaven. The choir sang, the ushers welcomed me, and even the air inside was clearer, crisper and brighter.
As soul sick as I was, I knew that I had found what I was looking for.
Don't get me wrong, it took time for me to fully accept the Lordship of Jesus Christ. At first, I just
sensed that whatever was going on there was real and that I wanted a part of it. Every time there was an altar call (and there was at each service), I was there. Repentance was my middle name.
Pastor Lovelace (Bishop now) had a way of talking about Jesus in a very down to earth, very accessible way. He would weave in humor (not only is he anointed, but he's Comedy Central HILARIOUS!!), and spoke with truth and compassion in such a way as to have me locked on the pulpit. All of that was perfect and exactly what I needed to stay glued to my seat so that God could begin to heal me, one service at a time.
One of the first things that I noticed after accepting Jesus' call to love me was that I felt clean from the inside out. Weird, funky thoughts left me. I was no longer controlled by despair. Hope and joy and laughter replaced my depression and suicidal thoughts. There was a ton of work to be done in my thought life as well as in every other part of my life, but the work had begun.
I was on my way.
So here it is, years later, and my life has radically changed. I've studied the Bible, prayed, attended church, and have cried out to God numerous times over the past 15 years. I know who I am in Christ (more on that later), and I know that Jesus is Lord. He runs my show, finally. (Unless, of course, I get in the way, which I do from time to time. We all do that, we're human. And it's OK. We can get back on track at any time.)
He has blessed me and my family in tremendous ways. One of the biggest blessings is peace.
And joy.
And laughter.
Even as I speak of how spiritually lost I used to be.
God has taken the failure and has turned it around for His glory. For that, I will be forever grateful and you'll excuse me while I shout it from the mountaintops (and the cul de sacs). There are too many people suffering in silence not to.
Say out loud, based on Psalm 30:5 (NKJV)
"...My weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning."
I laughed and giggled as I shared instances of wanting to drive my compact car into a freeway abutment; the only thing keeping me from completing the task was fear of not finishing the job. I slapped my knee with glee as I retold stories of drunken debauchery, cow-tipping attempts and petty thievery. I chuckled at the loneliness, despair, and the misery of living without God, without hope and without joy.
What's hilarious about living a desperate, ridiculous cry-for-help kind of life? Really, absolutely nothing, because by the world's standards (and quite frankly, my own), I was a complete failure. While my college friends were graduating and going on to graduate school, getting married and moving on, I was stuck in the muck, sold on the "mold", on a one-way flight to nowhere. Ha!! My life amounted to nada. I was less than zero.
But here's the good news and that's why I'm laughing and chuckling and giggling, even now!! God took my pile of rubble, my mess, my distress, my less-than-blessed life and turned it around for His glory!! How, you ask? When I cried out to Him, He answered. When I begged Him for help, He showed up. Yes, it's that simple.
"God help me!!!!" I was on my knees, in the bedroom--morally, spiritually, and financially bankrupt, on the floor, sobbing, no hope, and He answered.
The answer came through a friend. A friend who answered the phone when I called, crying and hysterical.
She brought me lunch (who does that??), some tapes (Prison to Praise www.foundationofpraise.org and Joyce Meyer www.joycemeyer.org) and hope. There was something different about her and I asked her about it. She said that she went to church.
CHURCH.
I had been to church before, but the churches that I had attended were a little, how can I say this politely...Free Willy. Anything goes. Do what you want. It's all good. Nothing stuck for me in those places. I had searched for God for years, but up until then I hadn't found Him.
I listened to the Prison to Praise tapes (which, in essence, were about praising God for all things, based on 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus) and by the time I had listened, I literally felt the Holy Spirit directing me to go to church.
Her church.
And I wanted to go NOW.
I knew nothing about this place prior to pulling up in the parking lot. I had no idea that it was an amazing, Holy Spirit-filled, Bible-teaching, beautiful church in Rancho Cordova, California. Felt like I was walking into Heaven. The choir sang, the ushers welcomed me, and even the air inside was clearer, crisper and brighter.
As soul sick as I was, I knew that I had found what I was looking for.
Don't get me wrong, it took time for me to fully accept the Lordship of Jesus Christ. At first, I just
sensed that whatever was going on there was real and that I wanted a part of it. Every time there was an altar call (and there was at each service), I was there. Repentance was my middle name.
Pastor Lovelace (Bishop now) had a way of talking about Jesus in a very down to earth, very accessible way. He would weave in humor (not only is he anointed, but he's Comedy Central HILARIOUS!!), and spoke with truth and compassion in such a way as to have me locked on the pulpit. All of that was perfect and exactly what I needed to stay glued to my seat so that God could begin to heal me, one service at a time.
One of the first things that I noticed after accepting Jesus' call to love me was that I felt clean from the inside out. Weird, funky thoughts left me. I was no longer controlled by despair. Hope and joy and laughter replaced my depression and suicidal thoughts. There was a ton of work to be done in my thought life as well as in every other part of my life, but the work had begun.
I was on my way.
So here it is, years later, and my life has radically changed. I've studied the Bible, prayed, attended church, and have cried out to God numerous times over the past 15 years. I know who I am in Christ (more on that later), and I know that Jesus is Lord. He runs my show, finally. (Unless, of course, I get in the way, which I do from time to time. We all do that, we're human. And it's OK. We can get back on track at any time.)
He has blessed me and my family in tremendous ways. One of the biggest blessings is peace.
And joy.
And laughter.
Even as I speak of how spiritually lost I used to be.
God has taken the failure and has turned it around for His glory. For that, I will be forever grateful and you'll excuse me while I shout it from the mountaintops (and the cul de sacs). There are too many people suffering in silence not to.
Say out loud, based on Psalm 30:5 (NKJV)
"...My weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning."
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