Well, it is now 2012! I have been hearing a lot over the last few days about new year's resolution, changes people are going to make, things people are going to do differently, etc. And while I think it is always good to look toward the future, I think it's also good to remember where we've been. What things or people did God bless us with is 2011? What friendships grew stronger? What love grew deeper? What challenges did God lay before us? Did God call us to do things in 2011 that we didn't think we were prepared to do? If so, did we allow Him to use us even if we didn't think we had anything offer?
These are just some of questions we could ask ourselves about 2011. I am excited about the new year and what it holds. What opportunities God will lay before me, what challenges I will face, what things I will overcome and what things I will have to praise Him for in 2012. But I am also excited to see where I've been in 2011. To be reminded of the things I've overcome, the people in my life that I love dearly, the close friends I share life with, the tremendous blessings God has filled me with in the midst of sometimes terrible storms.
God is Good... Always! And whether I am looking at what God has brought me through or looking ahead to see where He will lead me next, I know that He will always be with me. I know that I will have faith through all circumstances. I know that I never stand alone.
May God bless each of you as move into 2012. May he fill you with the warmth and comfort of His love and may you remember what He has already done for you in 2011.
The last couple of years someone came up with the great idea on Facebook to post something you are thankful for every day during the month of November. I love the idea! I have participated in this the last 2 Novembers. This November however, as the end of November was approaching, I really began to think, "How thankful are we? Really..."
As I say that, I don't mean to take anything away from everyone posting things they are thankful for everyday. I LOVE the fact that so many do this. I love the way it makes me think everyday about things I am thankful for. But it also reminds of how many times I am thankful and yet don't acknowledge or praise God for His blessings.
There are so many things we take for granted every day. Things like water, food, shelter, clothing, even breathing. We tend to forget to thank God for these things. And I find that we sometimes sadly forget to thank God for the bigger thinks as well... when someone's surgery goes well, when that new job or promotion comes through, when a baby is born, etc. I know that we all pray and ask God for His direction, His strength, His courage, His ... fill in the blank; but when those things come to pass to do we always remember to "thank Him" for the outcome? Sometimes we get so caught up in our moment of need, that in the moment of relief or success we are so excited we forget to thank God.
So many things in our life, especially our spiritual life, have to be intentional. We live in a busy world, with lots of places to go, people to see and things to do. If we want to pray, we have to intentionally set aside time to pray. If we want to study God's word, we have to intentionally set aside time to study. And after this month of being thankful for something specific every day, I think it's time (for me at least) to start being intentional in my conversations with God to thank Him for something in my life every day. We are always thankful for the necessities... food, shelter, etc, and while those are wonderful things to be thankful for, I want to be more intentional in my thanks. I want to dig deep and find meaningful things to be thankful for. There is so much that goes on in our lives that we simply take for granted. I want to become more aware and learn to recognize those things daily so that I can be thankful to God daily instead of waiting until next November rolls around.
Even when days or times are tough, there is still so much to be thankful for. I think it's time I start acknowledging God more for those things, blessings and people that I am thankful for!
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks
in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you
I'm reading the book, "The Furious Longing of God" by Brennan Manning. I'm only about a third of the way into the book, but I read something a couple of days ago that I have continued to think about. He says... "The outstretched arms of Jesus exclude no one, neither the drunk in the doorway, the panhandler on the street, gays and lesbians in their isolation, the most selfish and ungrateful in their cocoons, the most unjust of employers and the most overweening of snobs. The love of Christ embraces all without exception."
While those are words that as a Christian should come as no surprise to us, why is it that we seem to look at people and make a determination about them based on what we first see. I think most of us when we see someone on the street, in a restaurant, in a grocery store and even in our churches base our first impression of someone on what we initially see. On whether they are dressed right, whether they look "proper", who they are with, and on and on. But how often do we look at someone and have our first impression be... Jesus loves them too!
After reading that a couple of days ago, I started "noticing" people when we went out to lunch. I looked around the room at all the different faces, all the different types of people, all the different races, all the different clothes and started trying to see each of them with the eyes of Jesus. I found myself wondering as I looked at their faces and their expressions, what was going on in their lives and reminding myself that Jesus loved them no matter what that might be.
We like to think we are always trying to imitate Jesus. And I think that most of the time we probably do a pretty good job. But when you think of the list of people described above, you probably don't think about those people actually being in our churches. But whether we realize it or not, they are already there. And those are the people who are coming to our churches to see if the people inside really are like Jesus. Do they walk the walk or do they just talk about it. And they are looking to see if we really will love them like Jesus loves them. And if we are supposed to be the representation of Christ, how are we going to show God's love to them if we don't see them as He sees them? How will they feel welcomed and loved by Christ if we are judging rather than loving?
The next time we look at some one who we think doesn't dress appropriately, I hope we remember that Jesus looks at them and says "they are beautiful no matter what they are wearing". When we look at someone whose lifestyle might not be what we would choose, I hope we remember that Jesus looks at them and says, "I love them even so". And when we see people, even in our churches, who may look or act differently than we think they should, I hope we remember that Jesus sees them and says, "I love you and I'm so glad you are here!"
I pray that we can all remember that Jesus excludes no one; we therefore, should not exclude anyone either. And I pray that we will see everyone through the eyes of Jesus and remember that He loves them, just as much as He loves us... no matter what.
Dear Friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. I John 4: 7-8
Our latest sermon series at Highland Oaks was called Engage. While at first look it actually always makes me think of Captain Picard in "Star Trek the Next Generation" because that was the word he used when it was time to take off... :-) the sermon series was actually about engaging the people we come in contact with everyday; people from all walks of life. Our minister, Pat Bills, actually had a different person come in each week, all from a different journey in life and have a conversation with them about what they wanted "us" to know about them and their journey. It was a wonderful & enlightening series! You can actually check it out here if you'd like at hocc.org. By clicking on the Engage graphic you can watch the video of each sermon.
That series has caused me to want to be more aware of the people around me and their circumstances. I want to always be ready to Engage anyone. Whether it's with a smile, a kind word, a drink of water, whatever it is that God presents me with or asks me to do.
As you probably know, I work for Highland Oaks. This week while I had been thinking about the Engage series, I went out of our building to take the days mail to the mailbox. There was a lady sitting on the bench outside of our doors. I asked her if I could help her with something and she said "no, I'm just waiting on the food pantry to open". We then went on to have a wonderful conversation and she started asking me about our church. I gave her some general information and she asked me how long we had here at this location. She said "I have lived here for a long time and I have never noticed this building before this week". I told her God must have had a reason for her to see it now. She told me that she would love to come to church on Sunday but first she was going to have to see about her shoes because they weren't very comfortable. She was talking about her "Sunday" shoes. I told her she was great the way she was dressed and to come and not worry about her "shoes". She plans to come and I hope that I run into her again.
When I came back into the building as I walking to the elevator I saw this coming around the concourse through a stream of light. There was no one else in that area of the building except for me. After what had just happened with the lady outside I immediately thought, "that looks like the footprints of Jesus". It reminded me that no matter where we are or what we are doing, God is providing us with an opportunity. God is putting someone in our path. Not someone to preach to, or someone we need to convince to come to church, etc. Not that those are bad things, but sometimes God is putting someone in our path who just needs a smile, needs a drink of water, needs pleasant conversation and most of all needs love. Sometimes God puts people in our path so that we can touch them with the fingerprints and footprints of Him. I know that God had me go to the mailbox at that particular time for a reason. Because 9 times out of 10, I don't go to the mailbox. I take the mail when I leave. But that day, God had a purpose; and I was blessed because of it!
My prayer is that I will always be aware of the people that God puts in my path. I hope this lady comes to church on Sunday so that she can receive more of what God has to offer her. But that's not why I spoke to her. And if she doesn't come on Sunday, that's ok too. I did what God asked me to do in that moment. I'll let Him worry about the rest of it.
I pray that I will continue to see opportunities to be the fingerprints and footprints of God. And that I will be the kind voice, the drink of water, the smile that someone needs. May God be Praised!
God is so big... isn't He?? I ask that as a question because sometimes I think in our churches we forget just how big God really is. In our personal lives there are times when God calls us to step out in faith such as loss of job, requiring us to move, asking us to change something we've always done, etc. And, in our personal lives, we generally just do it, because we have no choice. If God closes a door, we have to step out in faith as we open another one.
Why in our churches is it so much harder to step out faith? If God calls our churches to move in a different direction, why do we generally resist that move? Is it because we don't have faith that God knows what He's doing? Or is it because it's different than we've always done it. If God's calls us to move out into the community and serve others rather than staying inside among ourselves do we move? Or do we stay in where it's familiar and comfortable? Sometimes we think different is wrong; but sometimes different, is just different.
I have learned over the years that God does not call us to be comfortable. He calls us to be obedient. If we stay where we are comfortable, are we being disobedient to where God is leading? Are we trusting God? Or are we putting our trust in ourselves?
My advice if you are feeling very comfortable, is watch out. I have found that when you start feeling comfortable, God is about to move you... again.
In our staff devotional time on Monday morning we studied in Numbers 9 and the cloud covering the tabernacle. When the cloud moved, they moved. When the cloud stopped, they set up camp; maybe for a day, maybe for a few days, maybe longer. But always, they followed the cloud and where it was leading.
Do we as churches have the faith they had to just pick up and follow God at a moments notice? If we don't, we should. And back to my first comment, "God is so big... isn't He"? We all know how big God really is, so why is it so hard to follow Him when He's calling us to something different, something that might have to make us move our of comfort zone?
I am very thankful to be a part of a church that is not afraid to go where God is leading. I am very thankful to be a part of church that is not afraid to let God out the box and just dream about the places God can take us. A church that is ready to get up and move when the cloud moves. A church that is ready to do more than take a hop of faith, it's ready to leap. I heard one of the speakers this past week at the Tulsa Workshop (I believe it was Rick Atchley) say, "We all know where we are going, but it's the journey that makes it exciting!"
Is your journey going to be one of excitement or one of fear? Are you ready to let God out of the box and find out How Big God really is? I'm thankful to be a part of a church where the journey matters; the excitement never ends and the fear of letting God out of the box is gone!
For I know the plans I have for you, "declares the LORD," plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and future.
We've been talking a lot at church about being the type of people God calls us to be; being Jesus to our community; being Jesus to those we come in contact with. I don't mean preaching to people, I just mean being Jesus to them. But for some reason that sometimes seems hard for us to do. It's hard for us to just except people where they are, except them for who they are. Could it be because we don't know how to be honest with ourselves? We don't know how to be honest about our relationship with Jesus and what He's done for us; so we really don't know how to be real with other people? Could it be that we are so worried about what others think of us, that we use that worry to judge others? That we judge others based on who we think we should be (therefore who we think they should be) rather than who we really are?
There is a Casting Crowns song called "Stained Glass Masquerade". The first part of the chorus of the song has the following words:
Are we happy plastic people Under shiny plastic steeples With walls around our weakness And smiles that hide our pain
I think that sometimes, deep down we are hurting. Maybe hurting so deeply that we have no idea how to reach out to others. We pretend that everything is ok and put on our happy plastic faces because that's what we think we are supposed to do. We put walls around our weakness because we are supposed to always be strong. We can't let people see the real us because they might not like what they see. We have built up these walls not only around ourselves but around our churches. We can't reach people and show them Jesus because for those on the outside looking in, we all look perfect, we have it all together; because that's what church people do right? We don't want to looked flawed, we want to look perfect. What we don't realize is that by trying to "look" perfect, we are missing opportunities to show others what Jesus is really all about. We are missing opportunities to tell others how we make it through our imperfect lives. We are turning people away from us without us realizing it because they feel like they can never measure up to this perfection image that we've unrealistically created. We know we really are not perfect, we know we really don't have it all together, but what we do know is that because of Jesus that doesn't matter. Maybe if we quit trying to be so perfect and let down the walls around us, then those we come in contact with either personally or through our churches might see more of who and what Jesus is really all about.
The second part of the chorus says,
But the invitations open To every heart that's been broken Maybe then we close the curtain On our stained glass masquerade
If we begin to realize that God's invitation to us is to just come; to come and let Him heal our brokenness, maybe we can stop trying to be perfect. And maybe then we won't see so many flaws in those around us because we will realize more of our own flaws. There was only one perfect person and he died hanging on a cross for us. I think it's time we stop living for perfection and start living for Jesus and who He's called us to be.
May we all be a blessing to those we come in contact with as we show our imperfections and may we all be Jesus to those around us. If we can do that, God will take care of the rest.
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
We sang a song this past Sunday in church by the Zoe Group called "Let Your Glory Fall". I love that song. At Highland Oaks we are trying to be more intentional about being out in "our front yard". We want to be more intentional about being available to our community and being a good neighbor. I love that we are moving in that direction. It is what God has called us to be as His people.
The first part of that song says...
Let your glory fall in this room, Let it go forth from here to the nations. Let your fragrance rest in this place, As we gather to seek your face.
I have not been able to get those phrases out of my mind. As we sang that song, we sang it as a church. And while I am extremely thankful and grateful that is who we want to be as a church, I cannot help but look at it from a personal perspective. The phrase "let your fragance rest in this place"... I want that more than anything. I want the fragance of God to rest in me personally. If it's not already resting in me, it's going to hard for it to rest in us as a church. But when I/we are around others, is that the fragance they smell? Do they smell the fragrance of God? Do they smell the fragrance of hope, of peace, of compassion, of love? Or do they smell the stench of judgment, of anger, of hatred.
If we want to be churches where the fragrance of God rest, we first have to be people where the fragrance of God rest. We have to individuals where the fragrance of God rest. Only then will that fragrance of God not only rest with us and within our churches but it will go forth into the nations as we show the world and our communities what God smells like.
We have staff devotionals every Monday morning. A great blessing of working in a church! While Monday's are a drudgery for many people, I love Monday's because of our devotional time. This Monday, we started with the following quote from Parker Palmer, Leading from Within... And it again reminded me of our song from Sunday morning.
"A leader is a person who must take special responsibility for what's going on inside him or herself, inside his or her consciousness, lest the act of leadership create more harm than good."
So before we can have the fragrance of God as a church, we first have the fragrance of God within ourselves. Oh how I want to smell like him! Our minister Pat Bills is fond of saying at the end of our devotional time, "let those thoughts frame your week". My prayer is that the fragrance of God will frame me and then our churches always!
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; Let your glory be over all the earth. Psalm 57:5
Time... It's one of those things that is really hard to get a handle on. It seems like there is never enough of it; and it moves so fast we wonder where it went and then we wish we had more of it or could get it back.
The Rolling Stones sing a song called "Time is on my Side". While this song is more about a girl than it is time, the title does make me think. Because time really isn't on our side. From the moment we are born, our days are numbered. There is no infinite amount of time here on earth. There is no guarantee of how much time we will have or if we even have the time of tomorrow. Yet, I know I do not always make the best use of my time.
When you are young it seems like you have all the time in world, but the older you get the more you realize that time is fleeting. And time is such a hard thing to handle. If you work a full time job, work at home raising children, go to school full time etc., there are not many hours in the day that are truly your own.
How do we use the time that we call our own? I know that I don't always use my time in the best ways. It's really easy when you are busy all day to get home and really want to do nothing. To do what I call "vegging out" so you can just empty your mind and your thoughts. While that is definitely ok to do, I think sometimes we let ourselves fall into a trap of feeling like we just don't have time to do anything once we get home. We don't have time for prayer, we don't have time for bible study or reading books, we don't have time for exercise... the list could go on and on.
While I think it's very important to take time out to just rest & be still, it's also important not to let rest or "vegging out" take us over. We always find the time to do the things we really want to do. So even those things we say we want to do but we don't have time for, we really do have time for if it's important to us.
We have to be intentional about most things in our life that are important to us. Prayer, study, reading, spending time with our families, those are all intentional things. Time is no different. If we want to make the most of or even a better use of our time, we have to be intentional. Time is fleeting; and the older we get, the faster it goes. And if we aren't careful, one day we are really going to look up and say "where did the time go". We are not guaranteed tomorrow and only God knows how much time we truly have. I plan to be more intentional about my time and the things that are important to me. I wonder what life would look like if I was more intentional about my time every day. I wonder what it would look like if I started framing my day with what God wanted me to use my time for instead of what I want to use my time for. I don't want to miss anything God has in store for me and my time, so I plan to be more intentional and find out!
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
There is a video on Youtube that is going viral everywhere. You may have seen it. It's a video of unsuspecting shoppers at a mall food court who are suddenly surrounded by people singing the Hallelujah Chorus!
In case you haven't seen it, take a look!
It's amazing to me how the joy of that song begins to cause almost everyone to stand up and to join in with the singing. It brings tears to my eyes to see the joy & amazement on everyone's faces. Even the ones who aren't singing are obviously filled with joy over what they are witnessing.
Isn't that just the way Jesus is... He's joyous, He's uplifting, He brings hope, He's contagious! There is just something about Jesus that makes you smile. Something else I think is really cool... there has to be many denominations in the room. But in those moments, no one was worried about where the person next to them went to church or what denomination they were. They were focused on singing and praising Jesus. Jesus was the reason for the joy in that room and it was simply amazing!
I don't know whether or not this was planned or just spontaneous, either way it should really give us something to think about.
How many times when we feel moved by the spirit do we act on it; how many times do we let that opportunity slip by only to realize later the blessing that we missed. This time of year more people are talking about Jesus and people are open to Jesus more than any other time of the year. I pray that I will not miss out on the opportunities that are brought before me; not only during this Christmas season but everyday. I pray that when I have the chance, I will have the courage to stand up; even if I stand alone. Because as we see in this video, if one person stands up, there will likely be more that follow. And that is just way cool in my opinion!
Jesus is the reason things happen. Jesus causes excitement! If we focus on being Jesus with skin on in this world, amazing things are going to happen! I'm excited I get the chance to be a part of it!
Blessings to you and your family this holiday season!
Sunday.... it's one of my absolute favorite days! I LOVE getting together with friends who are like family singing praisesto God and worshiping together. And hearing a wonderful sermon from God's word is just icing on the cake. There is just nothing like it! It's what gets me through the rest of the week!
I ran across this cartoon today. I've had it for a while and can't remember where I got it. It makes me laugh; but it also makes me very sad. God intends for us to come together to worship Him, to be built up, to just enjoy being together for the common purpose of being in His presence. How sad is it that sometimes there are those who come together just wondering what there is to complain about today. And like the cartoon says, they complain so much "they can't remember what it is they are not supposed to like".
I know that we all have our days where we do not like something as well other days. One of the songs we sang might not be our favorite, we may not totally agree with something someone has said, etc. But when those types of things take our attention away from the reason we are really there, we miss out on so much. How much joy & blessings do we miss out on because we are so upset that the song that was just sung, was not one of "our" favorites? How much joy & blessings do we miss out on when we are worried about what others are doing or how something looks or "did you hear what he just said"?
If we go to our worship services without the express intent of worshiping our God and if we allow "things" to distract us, we miss out. God is calling each one of us into relationship with Him everyday, worship is a way we can share that joy with other Christians. It's our piece of heaven on earth. How sad when we waste that small piece of heaven by bickering, worrying or judging others unjustly.
We don't know what may be on someone's heart; or the reason they are worshiping the way they are. We don't know what heartaches someone may be feeling or how badly they just need to be in the presence of God and other Christians. I pray that we all go to worship with the sole purpose of worshiping God and building up those we love and building up those who just need to see Jesus with skin on. If we don't, we are going to miss out on some of the most precious gifts that God has to offer us. I pray that we all learn to come together and share and rejoice in our differences instead of criticizing others because they choose to worship differently from the way we do; or because their view on a particular "issue" is not exactly the same as ours. Different is not always bad or wrong... sometimes it's just different.
There are those around us who are hungry and thirsty for a relationship with God. It's sad to me that sometimes those of us that have that relationship, spend more time focusing on the "things" we don't like instead of the precious gift we have in our relationship with God and the freedom we have to worship Him. Sure, things are not perfect; but they never will be. We are people, and people are not perfect. Let's not miss the most awesome gift of worshiping God by being concerned over things that really do not matter. Jesus came to save the lost, that's what matters.
May we all remember to find joy even in the small things! And may we all cherish our time of worship with God's family. Our attitude about worship is a choice. I choose to worship with my whole heart and not miss out on anything that God has to offer!
Blessings!
Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Pinball machines... kind of a weird title I know; kind of random. But random seems to be how my thoughts come to me sometimes. Or maybe not so random, because I always feel like God is laying something on my heart when it's time to write.
As I sat watching the Cowboy game today (by the way... Go Cowboys!!), the announcer made the comment on a running play that "Felix Jones bounced around for 10 yards". I randomly thought of a pinball machine when he said that. Again, maybe not so random; because that is truly how life sometimes feels.
Growing up we used to play a lot of pinball. Pinball used to be "the" game. A simple game with levers, small metal balls, flippers and lots of what I call "mushroom things" (I'm sure that's the technical term!) with rubber around them that would cause the ball to bounce all over the place. Sometimes as you pull the lever to release the ball it smoothly flows out of the shoot and begins a rhythm. Other times, it seems to shoot out like a cannon. And then it proceeds to bounce randomly from one side to the next and you never really know where it's headed.
Isn't that how life sometimes is... some days you wake up and seem to flow right into your day; and everything seems to fall into place. Other days you feel like you are shot out into the world through a cannon. Bouncing around from place to place never really knowing where you are going to end up. And like the pinball machine, just when you think things are about to slow down and you are headed to the end, something "flips" you right back out to where you did not really want to be!
I know that sometimes my life feels like that. Like I am bouncing around from place to place, from thing to thing, and from emotion to emotion. And sometimes just when I think I'm on the home stretch, Satan throws something else at me and throws me right back out into the bouncing around of the pinball machine in which I live.
While sometimes it may feel like Satan is winning the game, I have to remember that he is not winning; that he is not in control; that I am not in control; but that God who Is the Almighty God IS in control. I cannot allow things I cannot control to be in charge of me and how I'm going to live my life for God. The world is full of things that are going to bounce me around like a ball in a pinball machine. I could easily give up; but to give up is a choice. Just like to choose to believe in God and to believe that He is in control is a choice. I choose to believe in God; I choose to believe He is in control; and I choose to claim Him when life is bouncing me around. I've seen the end of the story... God wins!!
I ran across a saying this week; it had no name on it so I don't know whom to give credit but it said... Faith is doing the possible and letting God do the impossible! I just love that quote and I'm claiming it for me! No matter where life may bounce me around, I will work on the things that are possible and the impossible things I will leave to God. Because I choose to believe in God and because I choose to believe that God can do the impossible!
But Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible". Matthew 19:26
For nothing will be impossible with God! Luke 1:37
Faith.... it's one of the things I think comes to my mind the most. Do I have enough? Is it strong enough? Will it get me through when things are tough? I have learned that the answer to all of these questions is yes!! That doesn't mean that I sometimes still don't have doubts, that I sometimes don't still wonder if God is there? But it does mean, that even when I have doubts, I choose to trust in God; I choose to have faith no matter what circumstances might be.
My husband is fond of saying, "What about when there is no plan b? I have to just trust that God is in control." And he's right... Because sometimes, there is no plan b. Sometimes you have to make the choice to trust God. Sometimes you have to trust and have faith that God sees the bigger picture. And sometimes it's the hardest thing in the world to do. But having faith is a choice I choose to make. For me, there is no other choice.
I saw a quote on someone's facebook today and in researching it found it out it that it was a quote by Martin Luther King. "Faith is taking the first step even when you can't see the staircase." I LOVE that quote! I can so relate to that quote. There is so much in my life I have no control over. Really I don't have control over anything. No matter how much or how hard I try to control circumstances, it is God who is in control. And because I believe that God is in control, I can take that first step onto the staircase. Even though I can't see the staircase or don't have any idea where the staircase is leading; I trust and have faith that God is there waiting on me. And because of that faith, I have peace that can only come from God; because peace is the presence of God.
I'll leave you with some of my favorite scriptures from Romans which we are studying in our Bible class right now.
The Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. Romans 8:26b
If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31b
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Romans 12:12
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:18
And my favorite... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor demons, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Blessings to you as you take that first step onto the staircase!!
That was the way our preacher, Pat Bills, started his sermon this morning. "Come expecting to receive something". That one phrase has had me thinking all day. You always think about going places... Church, a friends house, the grocery store, etc. Going to me implies I am in the driver's seat, I am in charge. But to say "come expecting to receive something" has an entirely different meaning.
To go means I make the decision to do it; to come means to be invited. Do we really think about God inviting us everyday? Do we really approach every day with the anticipation of receiving something from God? In our busy and hurried lives, I'm afraid we don't. I know I tend to be so busying doing, I don't think I listen hard enough to God's invitation. How much do we miss, by doing. What blessings would we receive if we would simply come with expectation?
We realize we need to spend more time in prayer, more time in the word, more time in general with God. But when we are so busy doing; and I don't mean doing for God, I just mean doing in general; I'm afraid we are missing His invitation to just come. His invitation to come and be still; His invitation to stop and smell the roses as the saying goes; His invitation to come and be still and know that He is God. How much more blessed would our lives be if we started every day expecting to receive something? The blessings I'm sure would be more than we could ever comprehend.
To "come expecting to receive something" is an intentional action. There are so many things we should be more intentional about, but for now, I'm going to try and start every day by answering God's invitation to "come expecting to receiving something". I can't wait to see where He leads me!
Blessings!
I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it. Psalm 81:10
I love surprises! I love the feeling of knowing that something good is coming! Things like a vacation you are anticipating, surprising someone else, getting together with friends or one of my favorites, Christmas! Things like that are just exciting to me.
Something else that has begun to excite me is God working among us. I know that may sound a little odd, because God is something that should excite us all the time. And while God does excite me all the time, lately it's different. There is something different in the air, there is a new anticipation and excitement lingering. The excitement of... I don't know what's coming, but I can't wait!
When our kids were growing up one of the most fun things for us to do as parents was to plan vacations and not tell our kids where we were going. They loved waking up in the car to discover where we were headed or not finding out until we boarded a plane where we were actually going. We did that several times and even did that when our kids were pretty much grown for the last vacation we took with just the 4 of us before my daughter got married. They were just as excited about it then as they were when they were younger. The anticipation of them not knowing where we were going but knowing it was going to be good, was almost as much fun as the trip itself... Almost! There was nothing quite like the ultimate destination!
That type of anticipation and excitement is what I'm feeling from God right now! At Highland Oaks Church of Christ where we go to church, God is up to something! There is something different in the air... good things are coming, you can just feel it! The spirit among us is changing, growing, evolving into what I believe God has called us to be. God is calling us out of our comfort zones, out of church, out of the box we've put Him in (as Pat so wonderfully put it this morning) and into our community like never before. The people are excited, the people are ready... the people are ready to let go and let God!
It reminds me of those surprise vacations we took with our kids.... except now, we are the kids waiting in anticipation of where God is leading us! We have no idea where we are headed, but we know that God is in control; so wherever it is... it's going to be amazing! God is challenging us to stretch beyond ourselves, beyond what may be comfortable, beyond anything we could ask or imagine. God is challenging us to have faith in Him and just follow His lead. He's telling us to trust in Him completely. While the anticipation of where we are going is exciting, it's nothing compared to the destination! I can't wait to see where God takes us... I know it's going to be an amazing journey! I'm ready for the ride... I hope you'll join me!
With God's power working in us, God can do much, much more than anything we can ask or imagine. To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever. Amen.
During the past several years, we have really felt that through many prayers and tears God has been silent. We decided a while back that the only thing we could do, was to completely put our trust in God. To trust that God could see the big picture. To trust that God is there, even when we don't think that He is. To trust that God will work all things out for good. I'm not saying that at times we don't still struggle, but the thing we do differently is, we don't worry, we don't stress, we simple TRUST God.
This morning as I prepared for worship, I felt so strongly the whispers of Satan. Do you really trust God? Do you really trust Him? We'll see... he kept saying. I kept telling myself, that yes, even through the whispers of Satan... I still and will trust. Even in the darkest of times, when I think God isn't listening, when I think he doesn't hear me cry out... I trust.
We got in the car and headed to church. Something we do every week and something I do almost every day of the week since I work for the church we attend. I travel the same way every week to church and almost every day to work. This morning I noticed something, that I have never noticed in 4 years of driving this path, and yet it has always been there. At the last stop light before turning onto the street where our church is, right dead in the center of the median, was a tall, full, large tree. Actually, the tree wasn't tall as in towering but it was definitely a full sized tree. I travel that way almost everyday and have never noticed this tree before.
But this morning, I noticed it... it was if God was saying to me in that moment, I am here. What I noticed even more that they size and fullness of the tree was the trunk. The trunk of that tree almost seemed larger than that particular tree needed. It was a very round, very strong, very thick trunk. I sat through that light and stared a that trunk and all I could think about was God. Is was if God was saying to me in that moment, look at the trunk of this tree, and remember that I am here. I am stronger than Satan. I can withstand anything he throws at you. Do not forget that the victory is mine!
It was at that moment, that I knew... I really knew, I really DO completely trust in God. No matter what happens, I know that He is in charge. That no matter what Satan may throw my way, I will TRUST in God. God will ALWAYS be my dwelling place, He will be my refuge!
May the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ fill your lives today and always! Because... He is RISEN INDEED!!!
The LORD is my Rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my Rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalm 18:2
He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields it's fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Psalm 1:3
This will not be a typical post. For the past almost 3 weeks, our dear friend, Jenny Ross Bizaillion was fighting for her life. In the words of her husband on Monday, February 22nd "Jenny Bizaillion. The most beautiful, wonderful friend, perfect mom, best wife a man could ever have. She loved more than I could comprehend. Jenny decided heaven was a better place than earth. Thank u for ur love, support, cries and memories."
Jenny was 31 years old. She went to the doctor a little over 2 weeks ago. She had been diagnosed with the flu and after several days of not getting any better and getting worse she was rushed to the ICU. Jenny's body fought hard and God gave us several miracles, but God decided Jenny had had enough.
But this isn't about Jenny's illness, this about who Jenny was and is. Jenny is a daughter of the King. Jenny's entire life was devoted to her loving husband David, her precious daughter Malaya, her parents Rick & Beverly and her brothers Josh & Jonathan and their families. But even more than that, Jenny was devoted to God. And if you knew Jenny's family, you would know that each one of them are devoted to each other, but even more completely devoted to God. This is about a family's trust in God. A family who refused to blame God for anything happening. A family whose example during a crisis showed there complete faith & trust in God.
Throughout the last 2+ weeks, not one of them ever blamed God for anything happening to Jenny. In fact, just the opposite. Of course there were questions of why and questions of not understanding, but through it all, through every victory and more importantly through every obstacle and heartache, God was praised! This is who the Ross's and the Bizaillion's are... faithful believers that God is always there. That no matter what, God is victorious, and through Jesus Christ we too are victorious. Death cannot take us!
We watched as a husband read lovingly to his sweet Jenny every day, every post on her facebook page and every post on her care page as he cried out to God for Jenny's life. We watched as a mother literally tried to breathe for her precious daughter as she cried out to God, we watched as a father stood over his family protecting them as he cried out to God; we watched as 2 brothers prayed over their sister while crying out to God. As Jenny's brother Josh says, not only were they crying out to God, God was crying with them. And through it all, through every circumstance, they praised God almighty!
We have known the Ross's for over 15 years. We watched their kids grow up. Their son Josh even performed our daughter Ashley's wedding ceremony. We have prayed over each others children for years. We love them dearly.
Jenny was what I would call an angel here on earth. She literally had the voice of an angel. I had the privilege of singing at a wedding with her many years ago. I still think about it to this day. Jenny's smile brightened a room as soon as she entered it. She just radiated God's love. Anyone who met Jenny, got to experience a little piece of God's love and compassion. She was Jesus with skin on to many people. Jenny loved her husband David and her daughter Malaya more than anything in this world. Her family was everything to her.
Jenny loved children. In fact when my daughter was in 6th grade Jenny led her and a group of kids from church at a church convention in chorus. She loved them so much that when she got married she had all of those kids sing a song together at her wedding. I know that Jenny has already gathered all the little children together have gone on to be with God. She has them gathered around her telling them stories and singing over them. And I can guarantee you she is telling them, "Look, do you see Him, do you see Jesus! Come on, let's go sit at His feet!"
Jenny wrote on her blog a couple of years ago that she longed for the day when Christians of all religious walks would unite together. Here is a quote from her blog...
"God began developing a passion in me the past 15 years about the unifying of Christians. I know it seems an impossible thing to happen especially when I read blogs and sorts that do nothing but divide Christians and throw hateful words back and forth to ANYONE that doesn't agree exactly the way one does. I pray we can become a body that can work in "the streets" together, that can do outreaches together, that can do mission trips together, that can do youth rallies together, that can truly be the hands and feet of Jesus TOGETHER. So there goes my naive, dreaming rant:) God is faithful and graceful! Festivals allow people to come together as a FULL body of Christ and not under a specific church name. I LOVE it!!"
While this would not be the way we would choose, Jenny, through her illness, united people of different faiths and walks all over the world. I, along with many others, were posting updates about Jenny on our facebook pages and people everywhere, people who didn't even know Jenny were touched by her story. People who didn't know Jenny got to know the loving person she was, the child of God she was and people were united. Over 10,000 people united over Jenny's care page. I know thousands more were checking facebook pages. Jenny's story touched the hearts of thousands. And many people who didn't know Jenny got to know her and in turn know God & experience God through her story. Jenny's dream became a reality. It is my prayer that Jenny's dream will continue and Christians all over the world will continue to unite and that we will continue to be the hands and feet of Jesus. After all, that is what God has called us to be.
Tomorrow there will not be a funeral; there will be a celebration of Jenny's life. Even though Jenny is gone and we will all miss her, there is much to celebrate. She has gone home to be with God! I am so thankful for the blood of Jesus. I am so thankful that He died, so that we could live! While Jenny is no longer here on this earth, she is alive and whole! And I am thankful for the promise that we will one day meet again.
We love you Jenny, but this is not goodbye... we will see you again! I pray that we all learn from you and your family and ALWAYS remember to give God the Glory in ALL things! Lord come quickly!
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,I will fear no evil,
for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. Revelation 21:4
....Even though it sometimes feels like He is. Do you ever feel that way? Do you ever ask the question....God where are you? I know that sometimes I do. There are times in my life, when things just keep happening that I don't understand. I find myself asking, "God, where are you?"
You pray and you pray, sometimes for days, sometimes for weeks and sometimes even years and nothing seems to change. You go to church and sit in Bible classes where people talk about prayer and relying on God and they respond with all of the pat church responses and inside you want to scream and say "live my life, and then tell me how much all those pat answers mean to you." Have you ever been there? I have...sometimes I still am....
It's during those times that I think I sometimes forget that God never leaves us. I don't believe I ever lose faith, but I struggle sometimes with how strong my faith may be. I find solace during those times mostly in my worship to God, in singing praises to Him. I have prayed scriptures before and one of my most favorite things to do now is to pray songs during worship. I insert names or circumstances into songs during worship and those songs take on a whole new meaning. They comfort me in ways that nothing else can. But even though I feel God's comfort through my worship sometimes I still find myself asking, "God, where are you?"
I've been realizing lately that God has been trying to get through to me, that I'm not alone. Pat has preached several sermons lately that have brought that to my attention again, but still I seem to push it aside. I know He's there, but sometimes I just need to feel it in a more profound way.
While getting one of our bedrooms ready for our kids to stay in while they were here for Christmas, I ran across a note-card that I didn't even know I still had. It was a comment I had written down from Rob Bell when we saw him a few months ago. It says "God came into the world and screamed along side of us. The cross is God's way of saying, I know how you feel."
When I read that, I thought wow... all those times I am crying out or even screaming out to God where are you, He's right there screaming along side of me, saying to me I know how you feel. I know that in my darkest times, I am really not alone, that God is always there, but there is a different kind of comfort in thinking about God being there screaming out with you.
As we celebrated Christmas with our kids, family and friends, I thought about the love we all share. I am so thankful for the special times when all of our kids are here and we are together and it reminds me that God is always here. Even when we feel alone, even when it seems like He's not there or He's not listening, He's always there, crying with us and telling us He knows how we feel.
I'm sure there will still be times when I'm screaming out, and maybe even still asking the question "God, where are you?" But I pray that I will remember that I am not alone... that God is there... and that's He's screaming along with me reminding me that He knows how I feel.
I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief Mark 19:24
Breath is one of those things we typically take for granted. We wake up every morning breathing and sometimes even taking a deep breath before we get out of bed and we start our day. We never really think for a minute that another breath won't come. Breath is just one of those things we go through our day using, but never really thinking about. At least I didn't... until recently.
I recently watched a Rob Bell video on breath and I've been thinking about breath more often ever since. I love the scripture in Genesis 2 that says "then the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." Rob Bell talks about how every breath we take is God's breath. I know that God breathed life into us, but I had never thought about God literally being there in my every breath; or every breath I take being the breath of God.
Wow! To think about breath in those terms puts a whole new perspective on taking a breath. With every breath I take, God is there. Every breath I take is a breath from God.....is God's breath. With every deep breath I take in frustration or exhaustion, God is there, breathing new life into me. It has made me think about those everyday breaths in such a different way.
It also makes you think about what you are doing with every breath you take. Because with every breath you take you are breathing God's breath. How are we using the breath God is filling us with? Are we using it to speak kind words of love or are we using it to speak words of anger and condemnation? Are we using God's breath to build someone up or to tear someone down? Are we using God's breath to serve others or are we hoarding God's breath and keeping it only to ourselves.
Yesterday we were able to be a part of a trunk or treat event at local school. We were there helping faculty and parents of that school host a trunk or treat in their local neighborhood. We didn't do it in the name of our church, we did it in the name of God. What a blessing it was not only to those who were there for the candy, but what an even greater blessing it was to those of us who served. It's always such a great blessing to give to others. I would like to think that while we were being blessed by an opportunity to serve others, we were able to breathe at least a little bit of God's breath into the lives of the children and families we were able to serve.
There are many definitions of the word breath, but there were 2 that stood out to me. One is life; vitality. Another one is a trivial circumstance. It is interesting to me that one word can mean to completely different things. One means everything, the other is as if it doesn't matter. Breath matters, without breath there is no life. God is life! There is nothing trivial about it!
God created us to be living, breathing beings. If we aren't living and breathing for Him and being aware of His every breath in us, are we living life the way we were created to live it? My prayer is that I will look for more opportunities to use God's breath for others and not hold on to it for myself.
Praise the LORD Praise God in his sanctuary praise him in his mighty heavens.
Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre,
praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute,
praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with the resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.
Desire...it's one of those words that when you hear it, you're not quite sure where it's going. It can be something simple, something innocent or even something provocative. There are even numerous scriptures telling us to be careful of our desires.
But this weekend, something brought to mind an old youth group song. I hadn't thought about that song in a long time, but the words of that song I can still recite.
Lord my desireIs to be like youSay the things you sayDo you things you doLet me hear your still voiceThrough all the other noiseSo I can beJust what you want me to be
When we think of the word desire, how often do we think of the word desire in this context? I admit, for me probably not often. When we think of desire, we generally think of wants. What we want or desire, what appeals to us. The world we live in is constantly telling us to go after whatever we desire, whatever we want. But how often are those desires and wants the same as the desires and wants that God has for us? How often do we even think about what God desires, or about what God's desire is for us?
Our desire should be the same as God's desire for our life. But if we aren't listening to God, how can we know what those desires are. Most of the time God's voice or desires are not going to hit us over the head. Most of the time His voice is a still, quiet voice. Which makes me think of a faint voice, something that's there, but you yourself have to be still and quiet to hear. Just because the voice isn't loud doesn't mean it's not powerful. The wind is generally pretty quiet, relatively speaking of course. But the wind is also one of the most powerful forces on this earth.
If we're not careful we can let ourselves get comfortable. And to me, comfortable is not a place to be with God. Comfortable may mean we've lost our fire. Comfortable may mean we are no longer searching. Comfortable may mean we don't want anything to change. We are happy just the way things are. For me, you cannot let your relationship with God get comfortable. You can take comfort in that relationship, but that relationship is always changing and growing and becoming more and more exciting. And to me that just doesn't sound like comfortable; it sounds like a wonderful adventure!
If our desire is to truly be like God, to say the things He says and do the things He does; and if we want to hear His voice through all the other noise, we have to spend time with God. We have to spend time in prayer, we have to spend time in the word, and we have to spend time in worship. We sometimes have to just be still and let the overwhelming presence of God surround us. Take comfort in the presence of God, but don't get so comfortable that you miss out on all the excitement, adventure and blessings God has in store for you if you just listen and become a part of what God desires for your life.
Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts. Isaiah 26:8
This weekend was a great weekend. Chris and I put about 550 miles on our bikes and the weather was perfect. Never a drop of rain, cool wind blowing, perfect riding weather.
I love the rides we take. While we have headsets so we can communicate with each other, there are also many times when we will ride for miles and never say a word. It's such a great time for reflection, a great time for enjoying the wonders of God and a great time for not only talking to God but for listening to God.
Today on the way home was no different. We were riding along just enjoying the quiet time with God and a thought struck me. We were riding on a 2 lane road and had several diesel trucks pass by us. That happens all the time but what struck me this time was what happened after they drove by. You would think that as they passed you would feel blown around. But today I noticed, it wasn't when they were driving by that I felt the rush of wind, it was actually after they passed by. It may always happen that way but I've never noticed it before. I asked Chris if he felt the same thing and he did.
As I thought about how weird that was, I began to think that sometimes God passes through my life in the same way. While there are times that He is obviously there, there are other times when I think he just blows right by; or at least seems too. I've learned that what I don't always realize is, it's not the moment God rushes by that he's trying to get my attention; sometimes, that initial rush is just a prelude to let me know that something else is coming. I wonder how many times I miss what God is really trying to show me. I wonder how many times God does something that seems to come out of nowhere and I'm so busy saying what was that, that I miss what comes after the initial rush.
I believe that sometimes God sends us those "what was that" type of moments to warn us that something greater is coming. We may not have any clue what it is, but God is trying to get our attention so we don't miss what comes after the rush. God is always working in our lives. And while we may not always understand what or why things happen, God is always working and I believe that sometimes what comes after the rush is the best part of what God has to offer. And I for one don't want to miss it!!
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 on not be faint.
I am a wife, the mom of 2 beautiful children, a son-in-law and the Nonna of a beautiful grand daughter; I am the assistant to the lead minister at Highland Oaks Church of Christ as well as the office manager; I am an avid motorcycle rider, a huge DALLAS MAVERICKS, TEXAS RANGERS, DALLAS COWBOYS and DALLAS STARS FAN; a friend and first and foremost I am a daughter of the King!
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.Isaiah 40:31
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