Mining for Gold

This has been a difficult, painful, emotional, and draining kind of week (or two) in so many ways. There were a lot of surprising, frustrating, and unexpected things that have occurred that have been very disappointing, shocking, and blood boiling. Though, there have also been good things that have also happened because of the unexpected. It's all a picture of how God truly does work things out for good for those love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). 

I'm glad I took this day off of work to rest; not only because I knew that I would get home late from last night's Casting Crowns concert, but because of the need to hit the "pause" button. I've been reflecting on everything with a lot of tears and intense emotions, but then it caused me to ask myself a few questions: Is this the lens I want to see this through? Is this what I want to dwell on and remember?

 

No, it isn't. In the mines of this current time, there are nuggets of priceless and precious gold. The dirt and darkness are part of the experience, but not the focal point. The objective is always to persevere through the tough stuff; the rock and the hard places. You find the gold when you don't give up and use the Light to banish the darkness. Jesus always illuminates the way when you carry Him with you and before you. He is the One that makes it possible for you to see, move, and push forward. Without Him, you're stuck; you can't get to the other side of the tunnel (and you certainly won't find any sparkling treasure to excavate). 

My daughter, Gianna, praising Jesus.

I'm choosing to look at the "haves" rather than "have nots"; the gems and not the pebbles and rocks. Yesterday, for example, didn't go as planned (over an hour jammed in traffic, among other things). We missed the first half of the concert. However, it really is about quality over quantity. The part we got to enjoy was so deep and rich. Our hearts were still full and the girls and I were blessed to share it with my Aunt Jennie. Apparently, she had had a rough day at the "mine" too, so we were all refreshed together by what we DID get to enjoy. We still heard some of the most touching songs ever; LIVE! I still got to see the peace and joy on my girls' faces as they soaked in God's presence and worshiped Him. I also got to unexpectedly share it with a family member that I love, treasure, and don't get to connect with very often (though, Gianna hogged her to herself as much as possible... but who can blame her lol?). Aunt Jennie is so much like Grandma; inside and out. The familiar warmth of her smile, hugs, and laughter was salve to my soul and her positivity and encouragement help lift the sadness from my day. That's what Grandma was always good at; she sure was a good "miner". I know that both of us strive to be the same way; and that only comes from the faith in Christ that we all share. Priceless and precious indeed!

Grace and peace to you, my friends! If you've been having a tough time in the mines too, I encourage you to focus on the gems rather than the dirt and rocks. Christ is the light! In Him, there is no darkness (1 John 1:5). Read the first chapter of 1st John today and be encouraged! There is light! There is hope, joy, and redemption! There is Jesus! God bless you!

What's Your Scarlet Letter?

Branding. It applies to almost everything. From companies and organizations, to food, clothing, and skin; we have logos, slogans, and labels for nearly everything under the sun.

The one kind of brand that some never see is how we brand ourselves inside. It's something that I was thinking about during Kent's message today (you can watch it when it's uploaded, as well as the rest of the amazing "how to be a neighbor" series by clicking here). I won't re-preach the whole thing for you. I just want to highlight his key point from 1 Peter 2:4-5:

As you come to him, the living Stone--rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him--you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 

Kent reminded us that Jesus, the perfect Son of God who did nothing but good, was rejected by humans. So, why should we be surprised that we too (as followers of Christ) are also scorned and rejected by others in this world? In case you haven't noticed, Christians are being treated with more contempt and hostility than ever before. We're "hateful" and we're "bigots" and whatever else doesn't fit some kind of liberal version of God that the world wants to portray instead of the holy, righteous, sovereign, UNCHANGING God of the Bible. Jesus said that the world would hate and persecute us just as they did to him (John 15:1, Matthew 10:22, Matthew 24:9, Mark 13:13, Luke 21:17).

BUT.....

Just as Jesus was chosen and precious in God's eyes, SO ARE WE!! In verse nine of 1 Peter 2, it is reiterated and affirmed:

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praise of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

We are NOT defined by how the world views us. We are defined by Christ. Our identity is in Him. We are who HE says we are! The world rejects us and tears us down, but Jesus accepts us and calls us "chosen" and "precious". He TREASURES us as a prized possession that belongs to Him!

I don't know about you, but that means everything to me! I have struggled with my own "branding" throughout my life. I kind of relate it to "The Scarlet Letter". Many of us had to read it in school, so you're probably familiar with it. The story is about about a Puritan woman, Hester Prynne, who had to wear a scarlet "A" for "Adultress" as her punishment for her sin. She even chose to make her letter a very large one and wore it prominently. She could have made it small, and put it in a more discreet place, but she didn't. She was punishing herself just as much as everyone else was.

Can you imagine wearing a letter which branded you with your sin forever; being judged and shamed by others (as well as yourself) and living with the constant guilt and reminder of your mistake? We don't see that kind of literal thing today, but I assure you that it still exists. We all have some form of a scarlet letter. It may not be visible, but we (and sometimes other people) know it's there. We feel it with us every day and it haunts us. So often, we can't forgive ourselves and let go of our negative branding; refusing to accept that Christ took the punishment for our sins. We punish ourselves for years (or forever) even though our sins have been paid for!

My biggest scarlet letters have been "D" for "divorce", "F" for "failure" (and "fat"), and no doubt there are others letters and words I could share about how I've felt and what I've dealt with in my heart. However, I am not defined and branded by these letters. Jesus has taken my "D" and given me the letter "R" for "restored" and "redeemed." That "F" now stands for "faith", "freedom", and "forgiveness". I have a "C" letter for "chosen", a "P" letter for "precious", and more than anything else, I am branded with a letter "G" for "grace"! YOU have these three letters too if you are a child of God because that is who you are, who you belong to, and what He calls you!

What scarlet letters are you holding onto? Are you ready to exchange them for pure, glistening, white ones? Isaiah 1:18 tells us that even though our sins are like scarlet, he will make them white as snow! That's an AMAZING transformation and He wants to do that for you! He wants to make you new and brand you with His love, mercy, and grace! Please, feel free to leave a comment (or message me) with what letters you're trading in and what letters He's giving you instead! When we share our stories, we can walk together and rejoice with one another!

Grace and peace to you, my friends! I felt like these were important thoughts to share today. If not for someone else, then at least for me. This is something that I will have to come back to and re-read because there are times where the old letters try to reattach themselves to my heart. The only way to prevent that is to remind myself of the TRUTH which can only be found in God's Word, as well as quality time with Him. It's a beautiful thing to have a relationship with the Almighty God; Creator of the Universe....and to BELONG to Him as a chosen and precious possession. It's no small thing to be a child of the Most High King and be an heir with His Son. Let's remind each other of that fact DAILY and delight in it; especially when others try to tell us differently. God bless you!

The Panera Bread Jesus Party

My kids dread dental appointments; as most kids do. However, the one thing that they look forward to is going to Panera Bread for lunch. It's become sort of a tradition. It doesn't even matter that the place is packed and insanely busy. The food is awesome and the staff and atmosphere is exceptionally terrific; which is why I'm composing this post. 

Contrary to what the media likes for you to believe, there is an abundance of Christian believers living their faith out loud (and unashamedly in the public). The first thing I noticed when I walked in the door was a man, wearing a Christian t-shirt, sitting at a table with another man having lunch. Ironically, my kids picked a tiny table close to these men and sat down. I told them shortly after we got our food that we probably should have sat at a bigger table for the three of us, but we decided to stay there anyways. I'm glad we did! 

It wasn't long before I noticed just how thick the place was with fellow believers in Christ. All around me, I heard mentions of God, faith, and a guy who was even mentioning the well-known Christian financial advisor Dave Ramsey. The Spirit was very strong in the room because the kids soon started having faith conversations with me too. 

As we were talking, I could hear the man in the Christian t-shirt talking about the Republican candidates for president. He mentioned that he liked Ben Carson and Scott Walker. I also heard him correctly identify the fact that Trump is getting all the publicity and the hype because he just tells it like it is and is resonating with some people because of their own frustration with the government. I agree. Who doesn't just want to run their mouth sometimes like Trump does no matter what comes out? 

I felt stirred by the Spirit to say something to this man as he went to leave. I barely had time to tell him how much I appreciated and agreed with his remarks because my kids immediately started telling him that they liked his shirt and the "More Jesus" words on the front. We learned that we both had recently married and were on the same journey of being blended families. He also shared that he is the proud father of a ten month old son and that his heart and desire for his son is for him to grow to know Christ. Amen! I couldn't agree more! I showed him the photo of Casey's baptism and Casey shared one of the verses he has memorized:  

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. - James 1:19-20 (NIV)

Gianna also shared a verse she knows (because she's had to write often when she disobeys and gets in trouble):

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother" --which is the first commandment with a promise --"so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth." - Ephesians 6:1-3 (NIV)

I was very delighted to learn that this man is Doug from the WFRN morning show. In fact, a Panera Bread employee recognized him as she was collecting dishes and heard our conversation. She had the brightest smile on her face and the light of Jesus in her eyes as she told him how excited she was to hear people talking about Christ and that she listened to his show every morning coming into work. I told her we were having a Jesus party at Panera Bread. ;) It's always an encouragement to me to encounter other strong and passionate believers like her (especially younger people her age which makes me feel hopeful about God's gospel continuing for many more generations). His love and His Word endures FOREVER! 

Taking time for a photo with Casey & Gianna

Before Doug left, he knelt down and put his hands on us to pray. I felt incredibly blessed because public boldness is something that I love to witness as well as be a part of. It is uplifting to me because even though I'm not a shy person when it comes to faith and prayer in public, some people are (I've had people say to me, at times, when I've offered them prayer: "Right now?! HERE?"). 

I know that every single one of us was blessed by this God ordained encounter. I have no doubt that the Holy Spirit touched and blessed many hearts; and in a mighty and public way! God's Spirit is STILL alive and at work, everyone! My hope is that every believer was encouraged and that every non-believer was stirred with the kind of curiosity that will compel them to start seeking Jesus. The more we live out loud and share our God stories, the more we will witness the life-changing power of God in our lives, in others, and in the world around us. It is absolutely essential that we do this so love doesn't grow cold (Matthew 24:12-13) and our brothers and sisters in the faith are especially encouraged in these last days (Hebrews 10:24-25).

I am incredibly proud of my bold, enthusiastic, and loud children who don't know how to use their indoor voices no matter how often I remind them lol. Their testimonies about God (as well as random comments about Transformers and My Little Pony lol) was likely overheard by many who were blessed by it as a result. Maybe that's another reason why that verse from James is so important. When we take more time to listen, we have more time to learn and be blessed by what we may hear. When we are quick to speak, we can sometimes be less self-controlled and our emotions can burst like a dam (not just anger, but other things as well). It can often lead to uttering words we later regret. It makes me think of Mr. Trump because even though it feels great to speak our mind, it's not always very kind or wise (Proverbs 12:18). Doug and I agreed that a good-hearted, wise, and faith driven Christian man like Mike Huckabee would be a GREAT president. He's another guy that is bold and unashamed of his faith. Just like we've witnessed today, that's something that this world needs more of! I think it MIGHT have been in a Beth Moore Bible study that I once did where she said that God won't just change your life, He'll change your day (I found this old post in the process of looking for it and wow...do I need to re-read and apply this right now! This was no accident!). Yes, Lord, please! Change our lives, change America, but also change our days! Abundant, joyful, encouraging, and blessed days are for TODAY as well as tomorrow and every day after! 

Grace and peace to you, my friends! I encourage you to pass this story along to others, as well as your own God stories too (some of Casey's is in the video below if you want to watch his testimony from church!). Please, feel free to share this post on social media for others to read. Perhaps it may refresh a fellow brother or sister who feels that there's nothing good happening in the world and they feel weakened in their faith. Share your own stories in the comments below and/or post a link to your own God story from your blog! Maybe we can compile them into a future post or start a new blog where we're all sharing what God is doing! Giving praise and glory to God is POWERFUL, my friends! Spreading the truth of His power and goodness strikes mighty blows to the kingdom of darkness, so let's do some damage! Comment with an "Amen" if you agree and let's keep the Jesus party going! God bless you!

Ignite: Children's Sunday from Vineyard Community Church on Vimeo.

Kingdom Thoughts

You are the Kingdom encounter this world needs. - Pastor Derek Coy. 

Think about the words above for a few moments. Ponder it. Let it sink in. If you're like me, all the turmoil in the world has probably had you thinking, "What do we do? What's next?" The answer is in those words that our youth pastor shared with us today. As Christians, we need to live our faith bolder and louder than ever before! We need to rise up, get involved, serve more, and take our jobs as Christians more seriously. It's time to BE what we want to SEE in the world around us!


Nearly two years ago, I shared on my fitness blog about hearing testimonies at church. The youth of the church were sharing about how they were "Kingdom workers." It was very inspiring to me! We need to have that attitude; the attitude of servanthood. We need to be happily working to see the Kingdom come and God's Will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). After all, is there anything else that will yield as much fruit as laboring for the Lord? It's like another phrase that came to mind from another sermon I heard several years ago. It was something like, 'you can either build His Kingdom, or you can build your own.' Which makes more sense? Which one lasts? My friend, Karen, once put it this way, "What will weigh more in heaven?"

I'm blogging these thoughts and putting them out there today because I felt very stirred to do so. There was a time where I blogged very regularly. I enjoyed it and felt like God was inspiring and fueling me to write and share with others. My life has drastically changed since those days and I haven't blogged as much for a variety of different reasons. Aside from obvious factors (such as simply not having the kind of downtime that I used to) another big one has slowed me down: self-worth. Even though there have been times where God has had me encouraging and sharing with others that it's never to late to serve and be the kind of person He's called you to be, those very words have been hard for me to embrace for myself. I keep comparing myself to previous versions of who I was. I often reflect on my teen years (where I was growing in the Lord the most) as well as in the years right before my divorce. I think more highly of those Melissas than I do this one; even though I never thought I was good enough THEN either!


Derek's message today strongly emphasized that we need to embrace our identity in Christ and reject any lie that would contradict the truth of who we are in Him. I think the main thing that I deeply need to comprehend is the fact that I am NOT unusable by God! At every age and stage of my life, I felt like I never had the kind of faith or testimony to be the kind of person that I THOUGHT I should be. I have been like Moses; chosen by God but reluctant to be who He says I am because I don't see what He sees (or think that I'm "almost" there, but not quite and therefore can't do it). So many things have been on the back burner of my life for all sorts of reasons, but none of them more than the stupid lie of, "He can't use me anymore. My life isn't what I think it should be, so I'm done."

What I need to focus on now is not in who I was or who I think I should be. The only thing I should EVER be focusing on is who HE is and whatever HE wants to enable me to be! God brought the Luke 19:26 to my mind as I was pondering all the Kingdom thoughts during the service.
 
These words of Jesus have always been a little confusing to me. I have never fully understood the meaning until God showed me today how it directly applied to me. In the five years since my divorce, I have tried to wrap my brain around how God could still love or use me after I've committed my personal "unforgiveable sin" (divorce). To me, it doesn't make sense how he could forgive me when I don't fully forgive myself. Beyond that, how on earth could He be so GOOD to me when I still don't feel deserving? For three years, I was running and drowning in pain and grief until I made faith my foundation again in 2013. In no time, he was accomplishing the impossible for me: He found me the perfect job, a house of my own (right next to my parents), an amazing boyfriend (whom He quickly revealed to me was to be my husband), followed by a wedding, the selling of my new house for a profit, and another new and amazing job!

1st Wedding Anniversary Selfie 

 

 

Everything keeps getting better and better; and that's where that verse comes in! I truly believe that faith and thankfulness is what has brought about the blessings in my life! Just like Job, He didn't "take away" anything from me to punish me or anyone else, but to give me a better life; not because I deserve it, but because He truly loves me! He gave Chris and I to each other because we have content, grateful, and faith filled hearts. We appreciate what He's done and continue to give thanks for what He continues to do in our lives. We strive to pay it forward and bless others as we have been blessed. This is also where the other part of that verse makes sense as well. Chris and I were rescued from lives where His work was hindered by the bad choices and attitudes of the people we were with. They were not content with anything they had (including us) and so they lost the blessings that they never knew they had because it was never enough for them. They thought they had nothing, so that "nothing" was taken from them but has become EVERYTHING to us! Chris is a priceless treasure to me that I feel grateful for every day! It kind of feels like finding something precious or rare that someone else discarded; you just wonder how someone couldn't know what they had when it was theirs! Sometimes, they figure it out later on, but it's usually too late. God will give the blessings to the people who treasure and appreciate them!

Grace and peace to you, my friends! I hope that someone is blessed by reading this because I was certainly blessed today! Remember, be a Kingdom worker because that is the type of person and encounter that this world needs! We will begin seeing changes in our communities and all over the world if we continue to advance the Kingdom of God instead of just trying to build our own castles in the sand. We MUST put our time and energy into the people and things that will weigh the most in heaven! YOU matter to the Kingdom! God can and will use you to bless others and He will bless you right back as well! May your faith fuel and fill your heart with contentment and joy! God bless you!

Newness Under the Son

When you have the "be still and know that He is God" moments, you realize that nothing else compares to the awesome wonder you have for who He is, all He does, and how He loves. When you soak up the grace that He pours out, the sorrows melt away and He fills you; really fills you. Nothing and no one else can do that; or even remotely come close.

If only the reality of those moments of clarity would embed themselves so incredibly deep that you never forget it for a second; never to be deceived by a deception of Satan who tries to steal your joy. However, in this world, it’s all too easy to forget. It’s all too easy to wander away from the presence of God and forget everything that is important. Life gets “complicated” because we don’t remember to keep it “simple”. We become like Solomon and start searching for something new to captivate us and then realize the simple truth that the only thing that never gets old is the true newness that only God can give you. Everything under the sun is vain and meaningless; it all gets old sooner or later. There is only one thing that is continually new (rather SOMEONE). It‘s Jesus! He is always refreshing, restoring, and fulfilling. He’s amazing! The more you get of Him, the better! He truly satisfies your heart’s desire and doesn’t leave you empty.

For some time now, it’s been on my heart to re-read (and re-post) something that I wrote last year. I always feel weird saying “I wrote”, though, because I don’t really feel like “I” ever write anything. I have no ability on my own to write anything worthwhile. If any blog has an impact, it’s because God did it. I can’t even tell you how often I am blessed (and re-blessed) as I read over the things that end up getting typed on this screen. When you just KNOW that God is teaching you something, and that you couldn’t have possibly come up with it on your own, that’s simply the greatest thing ever! I think that’s why He’s been nudging me to repost the following blog because He knows that I need the reminder just as much as anyone. I confess that I have been very stressed and depressed. That’s pretty typical for me during the winter, which is why I always dread October through about February. This year, it has seemed to be a little worse than normal, but I think I am starting to “snap out of it” like I usually do. It just takes prayer and perseverance (and the support of TOTALLY awesome friends! Thanks to all who have, and are, praying for me! I deeply appreciate it! Thank you for carrying me and helping me bear my burdens!).

I hope the following blog helps you as much as it did me. I also hope that you will consider reading “A Simple Christmas” by Mike Huckabee. It’s a short little book, but it’s very touching (as well as humorous). I was deeply moved and encouraged by it, and it was a great boost for me. May we all remember that true peace and joy really does come from the simple things; the things that don’t come from a store and all wrapped up with paper and bows. Grace and peace to you all!!! Merry Christmas!!

***

"What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun."Ecclesiastes 1:9 (NIV)

Do you ever feel like Solomon, like there is nothing new and that everything is just the same old thing? Does it seem like everything just repeats itself over and over again? Such is the case with me the older that I get (and I am only 27!). I find that there is nothing "new under the sun" and that everything just cycles and repeats in a monotonous routine. It's how I felt when beginning to write because I struggled to come up with something beautiful, inspiring, and focused on the reason for Christmas.

Though, the more I tried, the more cliché it seemed. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing cliché about Christ's birth and the miracle of what God has done for us. What I'm talking about is the tireless beat of the drum at this time of year. The whole "in the midst of your shopping, get-togethers, etc. don't forget that He's the reason for the season." I mean, don't we all know that by now? We are reminded of it every single year. Yet, everything repeats. We get through the holidays, celebrate a new year, and the seasons change, holidays come and go, and everything just keep going and repeating.

How do we stay fresh in a world that has gone stale? How do we find the "newness" under the sun? Well, my friends, I think that we need to think about things a little differently than Solomon. He was probably the wisest human to ever live, and yet, he seemed so empty. That is why he came to the conclusion that there was nothing "new" and that all had been done before because he had "been there, done that" so much. Hence, he became bored and discontent when there was seemingly nothing new left to discover or experience. So, of course there was "nothing new under the sun" because nothing under the sun can fulfill! ALL of it will grow cold and lose its luster! This world cannot offer us anything that lasts.

Thankfully, since Solomon's time, we have been blessed with something truly new: the new covenant! Now THAT would have been something for him to discover and experience! Maybe he wouldn't have been so bored if he could have had the renewal that all of us can have in Christ every day of our lives! Though, even with all this "newness" at our fingertips, we STILL get bored because we are still searching for fulfillment under the sun rather than the SON!

This concept provokes deep thoughts in my heart. It stirs me because I know that I get "bored" a lot. Though, I don't suppose there is much excuse for that when there is so much joy, fulfillment, and LIFE in Christ (which is FAR from boring)! Yet, we still get stuck in the temporal things and wonder why we are wasting away inside.

Christ never gets old, and the newness doesn't lose it's luster. It's our desire for him that sometimes wears away. We get busy, distracted, and overloaded with responsibilities (and even the blessings) of our lives. Just like Solomon, we can have so much and still be so bored and discontent. Dear friends, this need not be! Jesus said that he came to give us life to the fullest (John 10:10). Life isn't found in the temporal things, but the things that are unseen and non-material (2 Corinthians 4:18). The unseen things are what last, and what will fill us and bring us joy. These are the things of the Spirit; the untouchables that we cannot get our hands on, but fill us beyond measure! It's the loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled moments that bring us unfathomable renewal, and keep us from getting bored, apathetic, and on a downward spiral in our lives (Galatians 5:22-23).

I pray that we would do more than just "survive" the season and breeze through all the traditions, rituals, etc. I pray that we will remember the "Jesus is the reason for the season" mantra, but that it will truly sink into our hearts. I pray that the newness the Son brings will fill us up with gladness as we focus on the freshness that Jesus can bring to each moment of our lives; whether we have experienced them over and over again or not!!

Grace and peace to all of you!! Have a truly blessed Christmas as you celebrate the Son!!

Drink Up!! :)

Today, the lesson I read in “The Lord’s Table” talked about truly drinking of the Living Water and what it means. It’s beyond metaphorical and I thought I would share a little bit of what I read and learned today. Drink up!! ;)

***

“Drinking implies taking something into your system, and receiving nourishment and sustenance from it. I can read that Jesus is the Bread of Life and not feed on Him, or that He is Living Water but still not drink of Him. Feeding and drinking are directly related to the application of Scripture in my life, and it is much more than mere reading. Mere reading of Scripture would be like reading the nutritional contents of a package of food; it does no good to the body until it is eaten and digested. When you read the Scripture, ask God to apply it to your heart and to change your life by the reading of it. This is what it means to drink the Living Water.”

To sum it up: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22) Read and digest. Be nourished and motivated by God’s Word! Faith isn’t faith if it’s not lived out!

If our sin nature didn’t get in the way so much, it would probably be a lot easier to live in faith. However, we continue to go to other water sources seeking for satisfaction because we are so often led by our flesh rather than the Spirit. This quote from the lesson describes just how difficult it can be: “The problem is that today’s society offers so many other ‘water fountains’: each one promising joyful satisfaction and delight.” Additionally, one of the course member comments in the lesson really stood out to me: “It is amazing that something which you know causes such anguish is at the same time so alluring. It’s like being addicted to an electric fence.” Powerful and maybe even “shocking” isn’t it? ;) Kind of “jolts” you awake doesn’t it? It makes us mindful of the fact that when we live to satisfy ourselves with other fountains and wells, we will never truly quench our thirst. Self-gratification never ultimately satisfies. It can’t and it won’t. What DOES satisfy is when we allow ourselves to be lead by the Spirit. Then, we WON’T gratify the nature of our flesh (Galatians 5:16). We will stop turning to other things to get satisfaction because we’ll already be filled up with Christ.

More and more, I am truly forsaking other water fountains. More than ever, I am drinking of the Living Water and feeding on the Bread of Life. My love for God and satisfaction in Christ is growing and I am leaving my “electric fences” behind! Praise God!!

**If you would like to feast at “The Lord’s Table”, visit www.settingcaptivesfree.com to take the course for FREE!**

Freedom From What Weighs On Us

Recently, I have begun a study with my small group called “The Lord‘s Table“. I first heard about it from Nae (one of my friends from sparkpeople.com) a year or two ago. I thought about doing it myself, but in my pride and resistance, dismissed the idea quickly. I figured I was doing well enough on my own anyways. After all, I already knew that in losing weight, it had to be all about God and I was aware (at least I thought) of the things I needed to be aware of to succeed (i.e. not making food an idol, watching the portions, etc.). Though, no matter how much you “know” you can ALWAYS afford to know MORE! And, if I “knew” so much, why am I still not at my goal weight after surrendering it to God over two years ago? Therefore, I figured doing this with my group could only enhance and help me on my journey; and I needed to be open to it. So far, it has proved to be a GREAT decision! I have been immeasurably blessed and am succeeding MORE THAN I EVER HAVE (and this is only week ONE)!

That is why I am blogging today. So far, I read about proper motives, fullness in Christ, the differences between physical and spiritual food, humility, fasting, and that food isn‘t the real problem. Today, I read even more about how we can be delivered from over-eating (and anything really - I find this course to be very universal in that). It focused on the cross and all that Christ did to not only save us, but heal us. Salvation is only the first step in our walk with Christ. As I read in Captivating (by John and Stasi Eldredge) Christ doesn’t just rescue us from tragedy only to leave us in an ICU. He wants to heal us and bring us to recovery!

“The Lord’s Table” makes it abundantly clear that the failure of other diets (and our own efforts) are because of one clear thing: they don’t deal with our sin. Consider this quote from the course: “Dear friend, beware of any teaching, program, or method of finding freedom from sinful eating habits that does not have Jesus Christ at the center, for there is no other way to solve the sin problem than Jesus.”

That statement is absolutely true! And, if you honestly think about it, you KNOW that! Whom among us hasn’t tried some special diet or exercise plan only to ultimately fail (even if we initially lose all or some of the weight we want). The failure of diets is extremely high. I believe I’ve read that it’s over 90%. And, most gain back their weight (and then some!).

Many of you know that I use sparkpeople.com as a tool to help me on this journey. Though, this isn’t my “source” for success. Even though spark has been a great help to me (and the support/friends I have there are awesome - and I wouldn‘t trade them for anything!) NOTHING helps me more than Jesus! NOTHING else can accomplish what Christ can! No “diet” can deal with the true issues that fuel our obesity in the first place because Christ is the only one that can deal with sin. So, like the quote I shared earlier, don’t expect to truly succeed in weight-loss (or in conquering any bondage) if you’re not dealing with the root. Even some of our churches miss the boat on that one. Don’t you think? Pause for a moment and think about this nation in which over half of us are overweight. Now, of that 50-60%, what percentage are Christians? According to an article I found, it states that: “one percent or less of those embracing the Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist or other non-Christian religions qualify as obese, the numbers of the markedly overweight rise dramatically the further one goes toward the Christian fundamentalist end of the spectrum: around 17 percent of Catholics, 18 percent of Methodists, 20 percent of Pentecostal and Assemblies of God parishioners, and a striking 27 percent of Baptists, including the Southern, North American and Fundamentalist wings.”

I find that to be very sad, don’t you? Why do you suppose that’s true? I think it’s because over-eating has become the casual and acceptable sin. This sin has been so minimized that we are immune to feeling true repentance over it. Even some of our own pastors that are shepherding the flocks are even ensnared (I can think of a few well known ones that have a little “bulk”. I’ll bet you can too; whether they’re notoriously well-known or locally famous). For them (or ANY of us) to be callused about that sin or ANY sin (no matter how “minimal” we humans deem it to be) is something we should be concerned about (yeah, I’m preaching to myself too ya‘ll!).

If you need more “food for thought” consider this: A food addiction is more obvious than a vast array of other addictions. Therefore, shouldn’t the issue of food abuse among Christians be treated as a greater problem rather than a lesser? A problem with weight is far more obvious than other addictions that can be more easily hidden. We don‘t always know when Christians have a drug, alcohol, or pornography problem do we? Yet, a Christian with a food abuse problem is beyond obvious. This isn‘t to say that the other issues mentioned are less of a sin than this is (all sin is sin). What I‘m saying is that this one is often more apparent and, therefore, more likely to deter anyone who observes the Christian faith from practicing the faith themselves. Though, it’s not to say that we aren’t all responsible for our own choices to believe. I choose to believe no matter how many hypocritical Christians are out there (and, in all actuality, we are ALL hypocrites because none are perfect - Romans 3:10, 23. So, there goes THAT excuse!). Nevertheless, as God’s ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20) we ought to be concerned about the fact that we are making it clear that God is second in priority next to food (as evidenced by the “extra” on our body). We are supposed to seek the fullness that is in Christ (Colossians 2:9-10) and not the fullness of a stomach that never truly satisfies. How is a nonbeliever or baby Christian going to understand that they need to make Christ Lord of their life if our body is screaming the contrary?

Herein likes my primary motive for losing weight (just as “The Lord’s Table” states): that I will glorify God. Personally, I don’t feel that I bring glory to God when I wear my shame/idolatry on my body. Having a love affair with food instead of Christ isn’t going to help me or anyone else and it will only diminish the kind of example I can be when I treat my temple as a garbage disposal. All things in moderation, not in exaggeration. `

Thankfully, there is hope and freedom; and it’s attainable through Christ!! That is the hope I wanted to share today! In fact, I will post what I originally wanted to share in my next blog. It’s in regards to the fresh perspective and understanding that I acquired about grace when I was reading the course lesson today. I hope and pray that it will mean as much to you as it does to me because it absolutely blew me away and left me in awe!! I’m just loving “The Lord‘s Table“ and I highly recommend it! You can find this course, as well as courses for other addictions (cutting, drugs and alcohol, sex), at www.settingcaptivesfree.com

Grace and peace to all of you!! I pray that whatever stronghold you are struggling with (whether it be food or something else) will be surrendered to Jesus. He died to make us free from whatever weighs on us (no matter how big or small we deem those things to be)! That freedom is offered to us through Christ; with whom all things are possible (Matthew 19:26, Philippians 4:13). Victory will come when we humbly surrender, give up our pride, and get real about our own callousness. May the Lord abundantly bless and free you as you seek Him!!

Not Taking the Bait: How to Be "The Fish that Got Away"

Last Sunday, Chad talked about what’s great about Jesus; the fact that He loves us and is crazy about us! This Sunday, he talked about another aspect of Jesus that is great: His protection.

Everyone wants to feel safe and protected; especially since there’s someone who ISN’T so crazy about us: Satan. Christ passionately loves us, but Satan passionately HATES us!! The only thing he’s crazy about is destroying us. His aim is to lead the world astray (Revelations 12:9) and to kill and destroy (John 10:10). He does this by any means possible and has a whole list of tactics he employs to distract, destroy, and bring us down. Galatians 5:19-21 lists a few: “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Josh Hamilton knows what it’s like to be beaten down by Satan. You might recall that I mentioned the website www.iamsecond.com (and a link to Josh’s testimony) in my last blog. Once again, Chad featured this site in his sermon. Today, he shared Josh’s video with the congregation. In his testimony, Josh talked about all the things he did to cope with his pain; drugs, alcohol, and tons of tattoos. He said it all changed after he had a dream that scared him so badly that he woke up and asked his grandma if he could sleep in her bed (he noted he was 25 years old at the time). What could have possibly scared a grown man so much that he couldn’t sleep by himself? It was a dream he had where he was fighting Satan. No matter how much he beat him down, he kept getting up and had this cold smirk on his face. He said that he just couldn’t beat him and he was so worn out from trying. It was after that that he decided to get right with God. And, through Christ, he was able to defeat Satan and his addictions. He even said that later on, he had a similar dream. Only this time, he knew that Christ was beside him because Satan fled and they started chasing him. It’s like Darrell Waltrip said in his testimony. He said that anything we do is done through Christ. It’s not us that has the success. Jesus owns success. We’re selfish and we want to keep it all to ourselves, but Jesus wants to share it. We do all things not WITH Christ but THROUGH Christ (Philippians 4:13)!!! Without Him, we are nothing (John 15:5)!!

You got to know that that’s true, because there’s no way we can conquer anything on our own!! Paul talks about his own struggle in Romans 7:22-24: “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”

We’re at war (Ephesians 6:12)! The devil is stalking and prowling like a lion (1 Peter 5:8). Chad illustrated it by showing us his fishing pole. He said that Satan has all kinds of bait. He knows what works for us and what doesn’t. Not all bait catches the same kind of fish. What hooks and reels you in may not do the same for someone else. He had a doughnut on the end of his hook (oh no! Doughnuts!! LOL). I got to admit, that is my kind of bait! Like he said, just the smell or slight taste of sugar can draw you in. That doughnut table at church sure is hard to resist (but I say “no” more often than not - glory to God for that!!). And, moving along from doughnuts, he stuck some money in the hole of the doughnut. He admitted that money used to be his bait for a long time. These two things, and more, are all lures from Satan. Sometimes they look really good and can seem harmless; after all, Satan masquerades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). However, they’re not good at all when they are taken out of context. Things like food and money aren’t TOTALLY evil (well, I can vouch for doughnuts being totally evil LOL) but it’s easy to get sucked in. Like a friend of mine says, Satan knows our “tweaks.” We should be aware of them too. We know when we are falling into an old pattern or cycle. It’s best to avoid those things before we end up being ensnared again.

Food and money are only a couple of the “lures” that Satan uses to bait us into sin. Chad put on a hat with a bunch of “lures” hanging from it: a beer bottle, a naked Barbie doll, jewelry, etc. All these temptations can lead you to the “box” that Chad showed us next. He said his “box” had such appeal, but it was a love/hate relationship. He wanted in the box, but he hated being in it once he was there and all the pain he brought to himself and others while he was in it (and getting out of it). We hesitate to throw away our boxes because of that love/hate relationship. He said we don’t realize that we’re destroying ourselves. He mentioned that it was like how an Eskimo catches a wolf. They take a knife and dip it in blood a few times until it freezes. They stick it in the ground and when a wolf comes to it, he licks it. It starts to melt a little and he keeps tasting a little more. He’s not realizing that the knife has cut his tongue and that he’s drinking his own blood and bleeding himself to death. That’s so much like the cycle we get in! We don’t know that we are eating ourselves alive (James 3:13-15).

The good news is that Christ broke the power of sin and bondage. Chad used a great word: disarmed. He said that Jesus’ death on the cross DISARMED the powers of evil. When we become a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), that deposit of the Holy Spirit inside us (Ephesians 1:14) helps us overcome all things (Philippians 4:13)! The Holy Spirit goes to work inside our hearts; convicting and conquering the sin nature on the inside (James 4:5). Hallelujah!!

The key to victory is in the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18). Chad mentioned the sword of the Spirit - God’s Word. The devil is a liar (John 8:44). To combat the lies, you’ve got to know the truth! How else are you going to know it if you don’t read it? How did Jesus fight Satan in the wilderness; with the words “It is written.” Do you KNOW what “is written”? If you don’t, you are fighting without a sword. How far are you going to get in hand to hand combat when the enemy has weapons in his hand?

Chad said we need to make firm and level paths (Proverbs 4:26).We do this by remembering the verses that Josh Hamilton cited: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” (James 4:7-10). Through submission and repentance, you gain the discipline and power to resist temptation and through Christ, you put the devils on the run!!!!

Grace and peace to all of you!! And remember, just as Chad reminded us at the end of the service, we are here as brothers and sister to pray for each other; for protection, deliverance, for everything!! If you need someone to walk with you, pray with you/for you, contend and fight for you, I’M HERE FOR YOU!! Arm yourselves of course, but remember that you have brethren fighting alongside you; WITH you!! We’re watching each other’s backs (the only part not covered by armor). ;) God bless you!!

CrAZy About YOU!!

What’s so great about Jesus? Have you ever thought about that? That’s the current question that Chad began delving into last Sunday. Whether you’re a new Christian, mature Christian, or not at all, you’ll hopefully see in a very real and beautiful way what is so “great” about Jesus.

Above any other “god” or “religion” Jesus is a cut above the rest; not solely because the gospel is true, but because of His love and passion. It’s all about this point that Chad really drove home: He’s crazy about us!! Do you know that? He’s crazy about you!! He loves you and loves you deeply!! He sacrificed His own life for you and is (at this moment) preparing a place for you in heaven to join Him. He came once to save us and to spare us from condemnation (John 3:16-18) and is coming back AGAIN to take us home! Is there any other “god” that pursues like that? Is there any other “gospel” that speaks of such passionate love? Is there anything that promises and delivers like Jesus does? Is there any other that has sacrificed his life for you and is coming back for you (and that is WITH YOU in the meantime)? Jesus said He is always with us (Matthew 28:20). His presence comforts and sustains us in this world as we wait to be with Him.

You want to know how crazy God is for you? Consider the story in Luke 15:8-10: “Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”

The last verse is the kicker; about how there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. Think about that. Someone is rejoicing like crazy in the presence of the angels. That someone is GOD Himself!! The Father in heaven is celebrating like CRAZY when a lost one is found!! He is CRAZY ABOUT YOU!!! It doesn’t matter if you have been lost a little while or a long time. Whenever you come home, there is rejoicing! He loves you; and it’s an amazing and passionate love like nothing else!! Unconditional, sacrificial, beautiful, perfect love!!

How do you feel about knowing that? Is it hard to take in for one reason or another? Maybe you feel like what Chad described as he held up a t-shirt; the dirtiest shirt he said he had seen. His son was wearing it one day and he commented about the filth. His son brought his arms inside his shirt, flipped it around, and put his arms back through the sleeves. So often, we do the same thing. Our lives are filthy. No matter how much we flip it around, or even turn it inside out, it’s dirty. How are we going to clean it? “We” can’t. The shirt (us) needs to be washed. Who’s the launderer? Jesus. His blood (detergent) washes and purifies that shirt. Ah, a clean shirt! Doesn’t that feel good?!! Chad said Jesus is just like a clean shirt. Indeed, He makes all things new!! Your life can be a clean shirt!! Come home! Surrender the “shirt.” Let Him wash it! Don’t be ashamed by the filth. He welcomes you and rejoices over you no matter how “dirty” you are! Every single one of us needs a clean shirt, and Jesus is there to provide it. That love on the cross is what washes us!

Isn’t that a beautiful and refreshing thought? Or, are you still not convinced? Is the idea of God’s craziness for you just plain foolishness in your mind? 1 Corinthians 1:18 says that the gospel is silly to those that are perishing but POWER to those who are being saved. Two perspectives based on two different choices; salvation/life or condemnation/death. If it’s foolishness to you now, know that it’s not too late to make a new and better choice; a choice of salvation, life, and power. Why miss the power of God NOW and for all eternity later?

Even if you are already a Christian, maybe it’s still a little “foolish” to you because you can’t comprehend how much He loves you. Whatever the case may be, perhaps you need a little more proof. Chad shared a website with us called “I Am Second”. It’s full of amazing video testimonies from people talking about their stories of how Jesus became first in their lives (and now they are second). In fact, Mitch loves the site so much that he’s watched nearly every video by now! Some of the videos that will likely catch your eye are those of Joe Gibbs, Josh Hamilton, Stephen Baldwin, Jason Castro (former American Idol contestant), Darrell Waltrip, and Brian Welch (former member of the band “Korn” - and fellow band member Fieldy has converted as well!). There are also many non-celebrity testimonies too, like the one of Richard Ellis that they showed during service last Sunday. I wish I could talk about each and every one of them, but I wouldn’t know where to begin!! They are all AMAZING!! I encourage you to visit the site for yourself and watch as many as you can whenever you can! Let them tell you their own stories (it’s better hearing it from them rather than me anyways). ;) I really liked Brian’s and Josh’s. They had some amazing stories and profound statements as they talked about the junk they went through, the turning points in their lives, and how Jesus changed it all!!! I also really liked how Chris Plekenpol talked about how he could have saved the life of a suicide bomber in Iraq, but that he wasn’t willing to risk his life for his enemy. Yet, Christ died for all of us; whether we care for Him or not. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

I hope that through those video testimonies (and even your own story) you can see what’s “great” about Jesus. There’s no one and nothing else like Him!! Maybe I’ll make a short video sometime and share my story as best as I can. As they all said in theirs, so I’ll say now, “My name is Melissa, and I am second.”

Grace and peace to all of you!! I would love to read (or watch) your “I am second” story!! Feel free to share!! God bless you!!

Weighing Self-Control

In the last video session of Beth Moore’s “Living Beyond Yourself” (a study on the fruit of the Spirit), I was deeply touched by the things that she shared on self-control. I have enjoyed the duration of the study with my small group very much (and wish I could share every detail of the numerous things I have learned) but it’s a much richer experience if you can undertake the study yourself. However, I was eager to share some things from the last video because it was so powerful to me!

The first verses that Beth Moore highlights at the start of the video are these:

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23)

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30)

She says that the Holy Spirit wants to be comfortable in our skin. Isn’t that a neat concept? To be comfortable in our skin, we ought not to grieve Him (Ephesians 4:30) and we should listen to Him. We need to have the self-control to know when to restrain ourselves and stop when we need to. She also made a point of telling us that the process of discipline is a “one day at a time” thing. Yet, so many of us expect instant maturity rather than being just as patient with ourselves as God is with us.

Beth particularly focused on the aspect of loving God with all of our strength; controlling the body that the Holy Spirit dwells in. She makes several important points and the first one is this: “Deeply absorbing a biblical perspective of our physical bodies would free us from the horrific stress our culture has placed on us.” Beth reminded us of just how media-driven our culture is. Though, I hardly doubt that comes as a shock to anyone reading this. ;) She says that we have a hard time reaching a point of balance. We are either one extreme or the other - either neglect or obsession. We either care too much or too little about caring for ourselves. She says the middle ground is a place called respect; where you neither obsess nor disregard yourself to either extreme.

I got to tell you, that had me nodding my head the whole time because I know what she’s talking about!! It resonated with me all the more as she shared the story of a woman who shared her testimony with her regarding this second point: “From a strictly biblical point of view (as opposed to medical), physical fitness is probably more about freedom than size (Galatians 5:1). Keep in mind that extreme conditions call for focused measures. The ultimate goal for most of us, however is freedom from obsession so that God rather than the body can be glorified. This goal is most often realized through recapturing the lost art (practice) of moderation.”

Wow!! Isn’t that powerful?!! She told us about a lady who said she has been everything from a size four to a size fourteen. She said that at a size four, she was not free because she had to work so hard to maintain it. She had to count every calorie and obsess about every detail in order to stay a four. She also said she was not free at a fourteen because at that size, she didn’t care much at all and food was her friend, comfort, and idol. Though, Beth was quick to point out that either one of these sizes could be the point of freedom and balance for someone else (everyone’s body is different). Though, for this lady in particular, she said her freedom is in being a size ten. She neither has to focus too much or too little about it and she’s free from both extremes of bondage.

I found that fascinating and so very true! As most of you know, I have been struggling with my weight for a long time. In the last couple years, I have lost some (and gained some back when I quit focusing on God as my “coach”). I don’t know what my ideal size is yet (because I haven’t gotten that far) but I hope to reach that place of balance as well. I know that at my highest size (18/20) was not freedom for me and I was neglectful of my body. I also know that obsessing too much over losing weight is not good either. So, I am patiently waiting and working to reach my goal without becoming too consumed with food at either end of the spectrum. I expect my place of freedom will be much like hers. I think the size that my height and frame can be will probably be around a 10. I KNOW that I am not built to be anything too much smaller than that!! I think anything below a six would NOT be for me. It’s like what she said, we just need to ‘learn to do what we need to do, then get on with living.’ We should focus on whatever needs taken care of, but it shouldn’t be the focal point forever. It goes back to that verse of Galatians 5:1 about Christ setting us free and not being burdened again by another yoke of slavery. When it comes to losing weight (or anything else) don’t trade one bondage for another! Don’t become free from being overweight just to become enslaved to becoming too thin!

Beth used Romans 12:1-2 as the scripture for her next point which is: “The most transforming and freeing way we can approach the care of our physical bodies is making fitness one way we worship God.” She talked about listening to praise and worship as she walked, and just praying and fellowshipping with Him as she took the time to maintain her body through exercise. She said our bodies were meant to be active. It wasn’t until the inventions of modern appliances/equipment that we lost the reason to keep our bodies moving. (LOL Isn’t that the truth?!). Technology and “labor saving devices” (as Mr. Lunt from Veggie Tales would say LOL.) are great! However, we don’t want to lose the benefits of physical activity just because we are enabled to be sedentary.

So, what do we do now? Beth made a very profound statement in saying that “radical restoration follows radical repentance.” Amen!! That’s true no matter WHAT you’re dealing with!! Amazing results are the product of first taking some radical actions! If the results in your life aren’t what you want, you got to change the steps you took to get there. “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always got.” ;)

Beth concluded by having us celebrate our own Hanukkah. Does that sound odd to you? Well, she explained that the word Hanukkah was from the Hebrew word hanak which means “dedicated.“ She said our Hanukkah is about dedication/rededication and a reestablishment of worship. She said: “The time has come for us to take our positions. Before we do, let’s rededicate our temples.”

We are now a little over a week into the new year. For most, the new year symbolize a new start. Though, the new year isn’t the only time we can have a new start. We can have that each and every day because God’s compassion and faithfulness is new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). Every day can be a new start and a day of restoration as we surrender and rededicate ourselves to Him. Like the phrase Tom Felger said that has always stuck with me: “Surrender is a lifestyle.” Indeed it is!! We daily take up our crosses and lay down our lives before Him (Matthew 16:24) and He lifts us back up (James 4:10)!! How glorious and wonderful is that?

Grace and peace to all of you today, tomorrow, and always!! May this new year, and every year, be blessed!! God bless you all!!

The Promise On The Other Side

**Sorry I haven’t been around to blog much. I know I haven’t blogged several of the church sermons (and I don’t think I’ll get caught up). If you’d like, can always listen to the ones you missed at www.missionoflife.com**

Last Sunday, Craig preached about being “hard-pressed” in our faith. He asked: “What do you do when you’re a Christian and life’s a mess?“ He started off by talking about the testimony of C.S. Lewis. I’m sure many of you know who he is. He is the author of “The Chronicles of Narnia” books as well as many other renowned books like “The Screwtape Letters“ and “Mere Christianity.” (If you want to read more about C.S. Lewis, you can look him up on www.wikipedia.com where they have all the details). Though, for the sake of this blog, I will just tell you a little bit about him: 

C.S. Lewis was raised in church, but turned his back on his faith and became an atheist when he was fifteen. He later returned to his faith in his thirties. I remember watching a documentary about him in the bonus features of “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe”. I remember how they said that he had ideas for Narnia before he was saved, but that it didn’t come to life until after he had dedicated his life to Christ - as if God had unlocked his mind. I just LOVE that because there are just so many things we DON’T know or can’t accomplish until we are totally opened and surrendered to God. THEN, he unlocks our mind and shows us all that we’re missing and all that He wants to accomplish in us and through us!! That’s exactly what He did with C.S. Lewis! 

C.S. Lewis eventually fell in love and married a woman named Joy later in life. She had cancer, and he hoped and prayed that she would recover. After being in remission for a while, the cancer came back and she died. It was devastating for him. 

Craig said that C.S. Lewis was able to get through his pain through realizing how much pain God’s own Son had gone through. Jesus wasn’t spared hardship and pain, even though He’s the one and only perfect man to ever walk the earth and the Savior of mankind. We live in a fallen world full of sin, so bad things are bound to happen to everyone.

The question we all have, though, is “why?”  It’s a question with no easy answers - and sometimes no real answers at all. We may never know the “whys” behind everything, but Craig pointed out the scripture form John 9:1-3 in which the disciples asked Jesus whose fault it was that a man was born blind. Jesus said that it was neither the man’s, nor the parents’, fault that he was blind but that the power of God could be displayed in Him. This is the same scripture that has always personally touched me because my son was born hearing impaired. I had the same thoughts of “fault” at first. Craig says that we do that because we are too “past and causal.” We are so focused on the past and what mistakes and bad things have occurred to “cause” what happened that we miss out on the fact that God is going to shine through the circumstance. It’s ok to wonder and ask “why”, but if we remain stuck in those “whys” we will never move forward. That is why I resolved to move on quickly once I found out that Casey had hearing loss. We prayed that maybe it was a temporary thing and that God would heal him and make it alright, but when that didn’t happen, we let go and moved on. The verse that was on my mind at the time was Job’s response to his wife’s urging to “curse God and die” (that phrase sums up Satan’s ultimate goal for all of us doesn’t it?!) Job told her: “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" Faith is a piece of cake when everything is good isn’t it? But, the minute anything goes wrong, is God suddenly not good anymore? No, of course not! James 1:2-4 says: Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” Any hardships we go through tests our faith and builds our character. Does anyone develop a mature faith without experiencing tests? Does a doctor become an expert without demonstrating  and perfecting his knowledge and skills with each medical crisis he is faced with? How does one learn without being tested and disciplined? God disciplines those He loves (Proverbs 3:12). 

I know that no matter what, God is going to do mighty and wonderful things through my child! He has chosen him to be a shining example of His power and glory; whether that‘s ministering to others as he is or whether God chooses to miraculously heal him for all to see and believe in!! In my son’s life so far, he has been a blessing to everyone that knows him! He’s the sweetest most compassionate child you would ever meet and melts the hearts of those around him. What God has allowed to happen in Casey’s life is all for His  glory and the purpose to which my son is called (Romans 8:28). 

We all go through pain and struggles. It’s hard, and sometimes there’s no good reason or explanation. Sometimes, we go through times like Job did. Like Job, and like my son Casey, things will work out for good (Romans 8:28). There is a promise on the other side of our suffering if we will walk through it and persevere. And, we are not alone! There are those that have gone through the same things and know our pain. We have friends to walk through our struggles with us (and of course, we have Jesus). Whatever hardship you are going through, you’ll make it!! If you need someone to “make it” with, let me know!! I’ll walk through it with you as best I can!! 

God bless all of you!! May His grace and peace be with you today, tomorrow, and always!! 

True Christmas Joy!!

Christmas is all about God's gift to His own creation; sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem His children from their sins. Salvation is available to all who choose Him. Today, I am proud to rejoice in the fact that a former lost sheep has been found and has chosen to follow the Good Shepherd!! He officially announced his loyalty to Christ and I am overwhelmed with joy and thanksgiving at the news!! It is certainly cause for rejoicing!! Ashli, from the S.I.C.L.E Cell blog, stated it brilliantly in her blog entry today (which I encourage you to read!).

I never tire of hearing the blessed testimonies of a person's journey to the Lord! It's always a joyous blessing to me!! Matthew 19:26 comes to mind today: "Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." AMEN!!! It reminds me of Saul's conversion after his encounter with Jesus. When you experience Jesus, you are never the same! Saul/Paul was forever changed!! Likewise with my friend, The Raving Atheist, who is now called The Raving Theist. Praise God for another "Paul" who has seen the light!! The world will look forward to all the ways his testimony will minister to others and win more Sauls to Christ!!

Join with me in giving thanks to God for His love and grace. Thank Him for His sacrifice for your sins and for your redemption!! There is nothing greater to celebrate!! And, if you have a moment, encourage and welcome the reformed RA (now RT) into the family of God!!

Grace and peace to all of you!! Merry Christmas to you all - and happy birthday Jesus!!!

Newness Under the Son

I wrote this for the Mom Life Newsletter at church. My hope is that the meaning and hope of Christmas will be fresh and new in our hearts!! God bless you all!! Merry Christmas!!

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"What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun."

Ecclesiastes 1:9 (NIV)

Do you ever feel like Solomon, like there is nothing new and that everything is just the same old thing? Does it seem like everything just repeats itself over and over again? Such is the case with me the older that I get (and I am only 26!). I find that there is nothing "new under the sun" and that everything just cycles and repeats in a monotonous routine. It's how I felt when beginning to write because I struggled to come up with something beautiful, inspiring, and focused on the reason for Christmas. Though, the more I tried, the more cliché it seemed. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing cliché about Christ's birth and the miracle of what God has done for us. What I'm talking about is the tireless beat of the drum at this time of year. The whole "in the midst of your shopping, get-togethers, etc. don't forget that He's the reason for the season." I mean, don't we all know that by now? We are reminded of it every single year. Yet, everything repeats. We get through the holidays, celebrate a new year, and the seasons change, holidays come and go, and everything just keep going and repeating.

How do we stay fresh in a world that has gone stale? How do we find the "newness" under the sun? Well, my friends, I think that we need to think about things a little differently than Solomon. He was probably the wisest human to ever live, and yet, he seemed so empty. That is why he came to the conclusion that there was nothing "new" and that all had been done before because he had "been there, done that" so much. Hence, he became bored and discontent when there was seemingly nothing new left to discover or experience. So, of course there was "nothing new under the sun" because nothing under the sun can fulfill! ALL of it will grow cold and lose its luster! This world cannot offer us anything that lasts.

Thankfully, since Solomon's time, we have been blessed with something truly new: the new covenant! Now THAT would have been something for him to discover and experience! Maybe he wouldn't have been so bored if he could have had the renewal that all of us can have in Christ every day of our lives! Though, even with all this "newness" at our fingertips, we STILL get bored because we are still searching for fulfillment under the sun rather than the SON!

This concept provokes deep thoughts in my heart. It stirs me because I know that I get "bored" a lot. Though, I don't suppose there is much excuse for that when there is so much joy, fulfillment, and LIFE in Christ (which is FAR from boring)! Yet, we still get stuck in the temporal things and wonder why we are wasting away inside.

Christ never gets old, and the newness doesn't lose it's luster. It's our desire for him that sometimes wears away. We get busy, distracted, and overloaded with responsibilities (and even the blessings) of our lives. Just like Solomon, we can have so much and still be so bored and discontent. Dear friends, this need not be! Jesus said that he came to give us life to the fullest (John 10:10). Life isn't found in the temporal things, but the things that are unseen and non-material (2 Corinthians 4:18). The unseen things are what last, and what will fill us and bring us joy. These are the things of the Spirit; the untouchables that we cannot get our hands on, but fill us beyond measure! It's the loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled moments that bring us unfathomable renewal, and keep us from getting bored, apathetic, and on a downward spiral in our lives (Galatians 5:22-23).

I pray that we would do more than just "survive" the season and breeze through all the traditions, rituals, etc. I pray that we will remember the "Jesus is the reason for the season" mantra, but that it will truly sink into our hearts. I pray that the newness the Son brings will fill us up with gladness as we focus on the freshness that Jesus can bring to each moment of our lives; whether we have experienced them over and over again or not!!

Grace and peace to all of you!! Have a truly blessed Christmas as you celebrate the Son!!

Who Will Catch You When You Fall?

Today, the series on tough questions continued as Chad demonstrated how to answer the question of “faith.” How can we just “have faith”? How do we believe?

Faith, though a small one syllable word, often seem big and intimidating to a lot of people. However, if you really break it down, faith really is a simple thing. And, ALL of us have faith!! The only difference from one person’s faith to the next is who/what the object of faith is. We are all able to believe. “Faith” is just another way of saying “trust”.

For those that question the mere existence of God, Chad illustrated some scientific examples of God’s handiwork in order to present the evidence of God. There are many that “believe” in the THEORY of evolution (and boy does that EVER take a LOT of faith to believe that all you see here was caused by a “big bang” and poof, something out of nothing was made!). As Chad pointed out, evolution is ever “evolving” itself because those that promote it keep changing it to fit their ideas any time they run into a snag in the theory. Evolution has been proven a farce many times, but still, they cling on to false ideas because of their pride and stubborn refusal to acknowledge that all the complexities of everything around us was carefully and intricately designed by a designer! NOTHING just “happens.” ANYTHING so complex HAS TO have a designer!! Think about the very computer in which you are viewing this blog. Did this computer just “happen” and “evolve” into the complex piece of machinery that it is now? No, of course not!! All of its tiny little microchips, wiring, and programming had to be configured by someone who designed it. My friends, if even a computer has a designer, than how much MORE designing does a human being (or anything else in this vast universe) have to have?! How much MORE complex are we than a computer?!!!

Chad told us about all the little “machines” we have working in our bodies. And, all those machines are within machines, and within machines!!! They just keep getting smaller and smaller!! Inside the tiniest one is LOTS more machines, and in THOSE machines are MORE machines!! ALL of which work together to keep us running!! We are so infinitely complex!! There is NO WAY we could have just “happened” along one day!! There is no randomness!

Evidence of God is all around us. Paul describes in Romans 1:18-20 that we can understand God by seeing all this evidence around us. We have no excuse not to believe!! Even though the world may try to dismiss the evidence, how can we possibly argue with it? As technology advances, we see more and more just how intricate and amazingly complex we are; and we STILL don’t know all there is to know about the workings of our own bodies! However, God does!! He fashioned us!! He knit us together in our mothers’ wombs (Psalm 139:13-15). All those endless complexities and inner workings were configured and made by Him.

When considering these things, does it make it easier to believe? For me, it always leaves me in awe, and it strengthens my belief in my object of choice: Jesus. I keep in mind how He said that we are to be humble like little children. For them, faith is easiest because they are open and receptive. They soak up all they learn and all they are told, and they believe so easily! That is how we need to be when we ponder the things of God. We need to take it in and drink it up! We need to look at all the wonders He created and remember that everything has His fingerprints all over it! Speaking of fingerprints, that’s yet one more things that proves His existence. There is no cookie-cutter person; we are all UNIQUE - right down to our fingerprints!

So, do you want to know Your Creator? Will HE be your object of faith? Or, will you put your hope and trust in persons or things that cannot catch you when you fall? Chad showed us a video of him catching his little boy as he jumped into his arms. In order for him to take that leap, he had to trust that his father would catch him. In that same way, God is there to catch us. Money can’t catch you (just look at the economy!). “Stuff” can’t catch you. Even PEOPLE can’t catch you (because all people are subject to their own falls and need catching too!). There is only ONE that is always prepared to catch you; who NEVER fails or falls Himself. He is steady, unchanging, and strong!! Those everlasting arms will never let you down! He will always lift you up! Fall on Him! Know Him! Have FAITH in Him!! Grace and peace to all of you!! Amen!

Hell? NO!

Last Sunday, the “Sink Clips” series on tough questions continued as Craig talked about Hell. If you want to hear the message for yourself, you can go to the church website: www.missionoflife.com

Many common questions regarding Hell were addressed; including why there is a Hell and why God would “send” us to Hell. Well, first of all, Hell was not created for US and God does NOT “send” us there! Hell was created for Satan and his demons (Matthew 25:41). We were never intended to spend our eternity there. The only reason that some of us do is because we CHOOSE to!

I know that many will say that no one “chooses” to. After all, if Hell is so terrible (and eternally permanent!) why would ANYONE “choose” it? Well, if we are going to address this issue, we have to understand the concept of free-will. God created us with a free-will because He didn’t want to force a relationship with us. Regardless of if we love Him or not, He’s always going to love us and want to be with us. However, He’s not going to “make us” choose to be with Him. Either you want to be with Him or you don’t. And, you can’t sit on the fence. Not to decide IS to decide!!! To illustrate this example, think about any given relationship you have had in your life. In order to HAVE a relationship with that person, you had to CHOOSE to do so. No one “made” you engage in a relationship with that person - and if they tried, that likely caused problems. No one wants to be forced to be with someone that they don’t want to be with. That causes resistance and rebellion as well as a lack of genuine reciprocal feelings. The relationship is no good if it’s “robotic.” That’s why God gave us the ability to choose because God is love and wants us to choose to be with Him out of genuine love and desire for Him like He has for us. He doesn’t want a bunch of “robots” who are forced to be with Him.

It’s still amazing to me that He would be so remarkable to give us the choice; knowing full well that we would rebel and many of us would break His heart by saying “no” to Him. As soon as Adam sinned, that fellowship with God was compromised and broken. Because God is perfect, just, and holy, sin and injustice cannot be in His presence. The only way that we can stand before Him and have fellowship with Him is through Jesus Christ. He is the only spotless and blameless man, and the only one that could have paid the penalty for our sins so that we have that covering; that filter of grace that exempts us from the wrath and judgment of God. All we have to do is believe and accept it. If we don’t, we have no redemption and therefore, we have to pay for our sins ourselves because justice demands that sin be paid for. God cannot act against His own nature. He simply cannot accept anyone that hasn’t accepted Jesus’ payment for our sins. Jesus is the ONLY way. There is no back door, and there is no way we can “earn” our way in or cover our own sin debt. It’s insurmountable! God can’t look at us and say, “Ok. You weren’t that bad. I think I can let you squeak by.” Sin is all the same to Him. We may judge sin and offenses as more or less than another, but sin is sin and we are ALL guilty of it! ALL SIN equals separation from God and the only way to restore fellowship is through payment for that sin. No one is “good enough” to get to heaven. Only Jesus can make us “good enough” because HE is MORE than “good enough”!!

So, what is your choice? If you are not choosing Him, you are choosing a life without Him (both now, and in the life to come). Either you accept Jesus’ payment for your debt, or you pay for your debt yourself. If you choose Him now, that is an eternal “yes” for later. But, if you reject Him now, you are rejecting Him later as well. When it comes to the question of Hell, just say “NO”!

Craig told us all to come down to the dimly lit smoking “pit” that they had made to symbolize Hell. He told us to take a stone from it to remind us to help rescue others from it. In Jude 1:21-23, the Word says: “ Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.”

I know that there is so much more I could talk about. This blog merely scratches the surface of all the endless questions. If you need more answers about Hell, there is a book that I saw recently entitled “Hell” by Bill Wiese. I haven’t read it, but it looks very informative. Also, if you would like to talk about any questions you have, I am here for you. I will do my best to answer them. If I don’t have an answer, I have pastors and friends that I can ask. Though, of course, no one has ALL the answers; only God does. Ask Him; He knows!

Grace and peace to all of you!! I’m hoping and praying that all of us will work together to help “rescue” others who are headed down the wrong path. May we all be diligent about pulling people out of that pit and I pray that they will be willing to be pulled out!! If you need a hand to pull you out, give me a holler!! God bless you all!!

"Does God Care?"

Today, Chad began an introduction to a new series he's entitling "sink clips." If the name sounds strange to you, join the club!! LOL Since I'm a woman, I don't often relate to or understand home improvement stuff very well (and from how Chad described it, neither does he!). He said that sink clips are strange and complicated things that hold a sink in place and that they are really difficult to deal with! Therefore, he found "sink clips" to be a very fitting title considering these tough questions he will be tackling! (For more information on these topics, he said we can check out www.mosaic.org/podcast):

"Does God care?"
"What's the deal with Hell?"
"What about sex?"
"Is Jesus the only way?"
"Is faith nonsense?"
"Is God in your future?"

Tough questions indeed!! Though, as he pointed out in Colossians 4:5-6, we need to be prepared to answer them when they are asked of us! He acknowledged just how hard that can be sometimes; especially with people we meet our match with! He said he had that problem with an atheist lady he used to work with. He wanted to witness to her, but never attempted it because he knew how sharp and smart she was in arguments. He said that she was better about defending why she DIDN'T believe than he was about what he DOES believe!! Atheists (or any non-Christians for that matter) are very hard to convince because to them, the things of God are foolish (1 Corinthians 1:18-31). But, as it also says in those verses, we don't have to be educated and wise by the world's standards in order to win a soul to Christ!! The Holy Spirit gives us the wisdom we need. Still, we need to be prepared to gently and respectfully give answers for the hope that we have (1 Peter 3:15).

So, to start off the series, he began with the first question that I'm sure all of us have asked ourselves many times: "Does God care?" Have you ever wrestled with that in your darkest of moments? I know I have!!

I'm sure that if we look in God's Word, we will see lots of opportunities for that question to be asked. Did God care about Job in his suffering? Did Jesus care that Lazarus died? Of course He does!! God's heart breaks just as much as ours does - and even more so! He doesn't want us to suffer. However, He sometimes allows us to endure the consequences of our own actions/choices in order for us to grow. After all, the Lord disciplines those that He loves (Proverbs 3:12) just like any parent does a child. No one WANTS to see their children suffer, but every now and then, you have GOT to let them learn by making their own mistakes if they are to learn and grow at all!! It's just like a podcast I listened to yesterday in which it was pointed out that the prodigal son's father didn't even argue with the son about getting his inheritance. I'm sure the father knew how foolish and unwise it was, but he knew it was a sacrifice he had to make in order for his son's eyes to be opened to what true riches were. So, he just gave him his portion, and when he hit rock bottom and came back, the father just dusted him off and loved him just as much!!

That also reminds me of a particular time in my life where I had a "prodigal" moment. It concerns the last guy I dated (the boyfriend prior to Mitch). I knew that going out with him wouldn't be a wise use of my time, and God knew it too! In fact, I remember driving in my car and praying about it. I remember that God told me not to go out with him, but I had it in my head that it would all work out and that if anything, I would be a good influence on this guy (back then, I always wanted to "save" the "bad boys"). God told me that he would only cause me pain and break my heart, but I bluntly said that I was going to do it anyways. I'll never forget when God whispered to me, "Ok. I'll be right here waiting for you when you come back- after he breaks your heart." I had tears in my eyes because I knew I was making a very stupid mistake, but that God was stepping aside and allowing me to make it. God doesn't force his will on anyone. We wonder why he doesn't prevent or stop our suffering, but we don't even realize how much he really does prevent (or tries to prevent) if only we would listen!!! Think about how much I could have avoided if I hadn't arrogantly thought that I knew better than God and that "this time, it will be different."

So, to make a long story short, I picked a real winner (NOT!). He was never there for me. He always had an excuse for why he couldn't hang around me. He was totally disinterested and lazy when it came to having any kind of relationship, and he made absolutely no effort to be around me. I was always the one chasing him down, and always finding dead ends when he wasn't where he said he was going to be. It was such a waste of time! My earthly father even spoke up and voiced his concern about this particular boyfriend (which amazed me because he never really said anything about who I went out with). So, I finally woke up and broke up!!

The greater point of all of this is that God isn't the source of our misery, He is the CURE for it!! Satan (as well as our own selves) are the ones that cause pain and misery, not God! He is not to blame. He is the one who wants to restore! Why else would He care enough to send His Son to die for our sins in order that we could be with Him for all eternity? Why else would He walk this earth and experience/empathize with His own creation? Why else would He choose to suffer on our behalf and not spare Himself the humiliation, agony, and death for US? GOD doesn't cause pain, WE DO!! WE inherited the sin bloodline from Adam. We inherited the selfishness, pride, and sinful nature that demands our independence and our own way apart from God. We picked our poison and are living in the consequences. Satan also helps aid in our self-destruction because he wants to cause the most misery and hurt to God's heart as possible. He gets no greater pleasure than to say, "Ha! See God!! Your children hate you!! They blame YOU for all of this!! I am pulling on their strings and influencing them to act out in their flesh rather than that blasted Holy Spirit you gave them - which I hate!! All these horrible people created in your image are spitting in your face…..and I LOVE IT!!!"

How long will we wonder if God really cares about us? How long will we sit in our "ashes" before we trade them in for beauty? That's something else that I heard in a podcast yesterday, and that concept is found in Isaiah 61:3. We may have gone through a lot of junk in our life, but God sees and God cares. He feels our pain and He hates to see His children hurting each other. The day will come when He will restore all things. Many are the people that wronged us, and they can never undo or repay what they have done, but GOD will repay! He will repay THEM (Romans 12:19) and He will also repay us (Isaiah 62:11)! He will most assuredly work all things out of our good (Romans 8:28) just as He promises! He will rebuild and restore us if we allow Him to heal us!! Like a phoenix, we can rise out of the ashes and trade them in for beauty!! Just as we witnessed the restoration of Job, and the resurrection of Lazarus, so can we have newness, restoration, and healing in our lives because of the fact that Jesus really does care!!!

No matter what you have been through or how much you hurt, God is there for you. Maybe it's hard to understand or accept, but He does love you and wants nothing but good things for you!! Bask in the glory of His love and grace this week!! May His grace and peace be with you!!