Category: Christian Life

Christian Life · God's character · joy · trust

I’m Not Going!

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Reflecting back on the retreat I was privileged to be a part of this weekend makes me shake my head in amazement once again at my great God.  That He would allow me to share His Word with ladies and teach them from the overflow of what He’s taught me, is absolutely amazing!  It is a  joy beyond compare!

It’s also the hardest thing I ever do.  There is such an overwhelming understanding of the responsibility to handle God’s Word correctly and lead ladies to Truth, and to do it in a way that God alone gets the glory.

If you could hear me before I go to speak, you might wonder why in the world God would send me!  Seriously!  I go through the agony of:doubting that what I’ve spent many hours preparing is what I should be doing.  I gasp and wonder what in the world I was thinking when I was sure this is what God wanted me to share!  My husband and close friends will hear me say,

I’m not going!

It’s then that they know they need to pray much for my weakness.  It’s also at that point that I fall on my knees before Him once again and give Him everything – myself, my words, my outline, my heart, myself.  It’s  a cycle that happens every. single. time.  But it’s necessary, you see, because it empties me of myself and makes me realize that I indeed do NOT have what it will take to go speak and help anyone.  I CANNOT make anything happen in myself.  I am totally nothing without God’s empowering.
My words are empty. My strength is weak.  My plans will fail.

But God…

  • is strong when I am weak.
  • is almighty.
  • is able to do exceeding abundantly .
  • is my all in all.

I sincerely believe that the Lord allows me to speak so that I will continually be drawn to Him in utter dependence.  I’m so thankful for that!  I don’t want what I can do because I’ve seen what He can do!!

What is it in your life right now that is making you realize that you are so very unable to do what is before you?  God gives each of us at least one thing to cause our eyes to look upward, pleading for His possible power when the situation seems impossible to us!

Lift your hands toward heaven and remember that He is your All in All!  He can do the impossible in and through you when you let go and trust solely in Him.

Do you have an impossible situation?  Will you allow Christ to be your All in All this moment?  He is enough. Take it from someone who knows because she DID go, and God did all the work.  Praise His name!

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Christian Life · temptation

Why I Choose Not To Drink Alcohol

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Recently while exercising and watching some You Tube videos, I saw a favorite Christian comedian’s routine.  She was describing her relationship with her mother and the phrases she used to say while raising her children.  She said,

“Mother thought everything led to beer.  ‘Don’t dance – that leads to beer! Don’t watch that movie – it leads to beer.'”

The crowd was laughing along as she teased her mom for the strict guidelines and principles she adhered to in mothering. As I listened to her, though, I sadly remembered that the comedian’s spouse died an early death, and most of the decline of his health was caused from alcohol.  The use of alcohol did lead to something more, just as her mom had warned.

My heart breaks for this dear lady.  I respect her for her tenacity and am saddened with her at the grief of losing her mate.  But as I continued listening to the routine, I realized that he had allowed a little bit of drinking, as is anyone’s liberty to do, to become a master in his life.  In other words, he eventually lived to drink.  He was a slave to it.  Did he start out that way?  Of course not.  He made the choice to have a beer or drink wine, but soon it replaced the need for dependence on Christ, and he became dependent on the alcohol. I choose not to drink because I want to stay committed to a dependence on Christ alone – not a substance.

Scripture gives us the liberty to make choices as believers.  In 1 Corinthians 6, Paul quotes a popular slogan in Corinth. The slogan was: “All things are lawful for me.” All things are lawful for me. And Paul says, “Yes, but, I will not be enslaved by anything. Yes, I can do—as a Christian—I’m free to do whatever God gives me the direction to do, but I’m not going to be enslaved by anything.” We may decide to “take wine for our stomach’s sake,” but have no desire to become an alcoholic.  But it does happen.  I choose not to drink because I don’t want to give myself the opportunity to become a slave to alcohol.

Don’t taste what you don’t want to hunger for.

`Ravi Zacharias

Sadly, I also have seen the terrible affects alcohol can have on others.  It happened several years ago when my daughter and son-in-law were hit head-on by a drunk driver going the wrong way on the Interstate. The pictures above show the results of the cars – what you don’t see is the horror of that night and the terror it left in their hearts for months afterwards.  I choose not to drink because I don’t want to destroy someone else’s life because of alcohol.

It’s said that what we do in moderation, our children will do in excess.  In other words, if I moderately drink, my children will do more than that.  That’s scary.   I choose not to drink because I don’t want to destroy my testimony as a believer and lead someone else away from God.

Yes, you have the right to choose to drink, but you can’t choose the consequences.  Those are too steep for me.   I choose not to drink because the consequences can be severe.

This is my opinion – my standard – my conviction.  I’m sharing it because it has been heartbreaking to see the devastation of alcohol very near me.  I realize there are many vices aside from alcohol, and I want the Lord to keep me moderate in those areas, too.  I write this because I care.  If you choose to use it, be careful…it might lead to more than you anticipated.

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Christian Life · Christian love

Good Gracious – How To Develop a Gracious Spirit

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A woman had been standing in a long line at a busy grocery store. An over-worked cashier rushed in to open another check-out line and totally overlooked this woman, but instead pointed to another customer who had just walked up and said,”Sir, if you’ll come over here I’ll check your groceries for you.” How did the first woman respond?  She simply shrugged her shoulders and continued to wait.  She was gracious.

My husband, a huge fan of keeping up with the news, went out early several days in a row to find NO PAPER in the newspaper box. He wasn’t  too happy, so what did he do?  He called the office to calmly explain he wasn’t receiving a paper.  He learned that a new carrier was now delivering to our house.  She said,
“Sorry this has been a problem! You’re a paying customer  and you deserve to get a paper.” “Oh, it’s totally fine.”He responded, “The truth is, I don’t deserve anything but hell. It’s all of God’s grace and it’s totally fine.”  What kind of response was that?  Gracious.

A teacher at church was in a hurry to get things prepared for her Wednesday night class.  In the last precious moments, a child came skipping into the room to give her a hug and “chat.”  The teacher stopped, as though she had all the time in the world and gave that child her complete attention.  How very gracious she was!

Graciousness is a trait that seems to be slipping by the wayside. It seems everywhere we see people that are demanding their “rights.”   Here’s what it means to be gracious –

Gracious – pleasantly kind, benevolent, and courteous.

It’s times that you can’t really can’t prepare for that require us to show graciousness.  You cannot anticipate the situation, but it requires a pleasantly kind response.  If you can’t prepare for it, how can you be sure you’ll respond in a gracious manner?  You realize and understand every day that you don’t deserve anything.  Our society shouts otherwise, but it’s not true. Because we’re all sinners, our sin deserves hell, but Christ paid the penalty, and it’s by His grace that when we trust in Him, we are saved from eternity without Him! We’re promised heaven and a relationship with the God of the universe!  That salvation, and everything after that is an unbelievable gift of His grace. As we walk under the control of the Holy Spirit, we can be gracious, as we witness in the life of Christ at every moment of His life, and even in His death.

I wonder if it would even be helpful for us to look at that situation that we think should have had a different outcome, and mentally, and maybe even verbally, say,

I don’t deserve ____________!
(the next place in line, a newspaper, time alone…)

Graciousness is developed with a keen sense of gratitude for what we do have.

You and I can respond graciously even at times like these…

  • At a restaurant, even though my steak wasn’t cooked exactly the way I wanted.  Respond graciously
  • Another birthday, even though no one remembered to send a card. Respond graciously
  • A few minutes in a hot bath, even though a child is knocking on the door the entire time. Respond graciously
  • A trip,
  • a cup of coffee,
  • a spouse,
  • a child,
  • a computer,
  • a bag of groceries,
  • a day of vacation,
  • a home,
  • a dishwasher,
  • a job,
  • a friend,
  • a church…

you add the “even though’s” and then add “respond graciously.”

Let’s live a gracious life – one that realizes that everything we have, are, enjoy, get to do or experience, are all grace gifts that are going to be touched with something that will require us to respond with a kind, courteous spirit.  You’ll be a blessing to be near, just like my examples above.

Have you witnessed graciousness? I’d love to hear about it!  And if you leave a response, I’ll promise to respond graciously.  =)

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Christian Life · friends · ministry

Being Your Friend’s Best Cheerleader

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Years ago a kind woman took me to lunch.  I was new to the area, and she had reached out to me in friendship.  We had a fun time just chatting, enjoying lunch and getting to know one another better.  I was truly refreshed by our time together.  The next day I sent her a card thanking her for being a Onesiphorus (On-ee-sif-or-us) to me, for this man had “oft refreshed” Paul.

The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain: II Timothy 1:16

My kind friend came up to me after receiving my card and asked,

“Who is “Onesie for us?!”

I explained to her that he was a friend of Paul’s, who had been a blessing, and refreshed his spirit in the ministry. We both had a good laugh over the misunderstanding.

But you know, she really wasn’t too far off base with her mispronunciation!  How does a person encourage and refresh another?  They show by their actions, words and prayers that they are one person who is all for us! It’s like having your own personal cheerleader!

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I’ve been on the receiving end many times of people who have refreshed me!  I understand what Paul is talking about!  Life in general can be so disheartening, can’t it?  Ministry can also be so overwhelming that a person can feel like they’re drowning while trying to meet the needs of others.  We could all use a cheerleader from time to time!  It’s often easy to get so focused in on our own needs that we fail to see that others could use some cheering up, but how does that happen?

Here are some ways that you can refresh others and be their “Onesie-for-us!”:

  • Stop to ask about a burden they are carrying.
  • Write a note to tell them you are praying for them.
  • Stop and pray with them about the burden.
  • Stop in for a brief visit.
  • Send a text or email with encouraging Scripture.
  • Drop by a little treat you know they’ll love – a candy bar, their favorite kind of apple, or beverage.
  • Ask if you can  ____________.  Ask specifically.  Can I bring supper?  Can I watch your children?  Can I come clean your house?
  • Invite them out – lunch, coffee, over for a meal.

I got that list from a list of my “Onesiphorus friends” who have refreshed me over and over again!  I have to ask the Lord to turn my attention away from myself to others to see their needs.  I feel I fail so often, but I do desire to be a Onesie -For- Us! How about you?

What do others do for you to cheer you on in your Christian life?

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Christian Life · God's character · Godly Character Traits · trials

Jesus Sees You

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The picture above is Mt. Arbel in Israel.  We had the privilege to drive up most of the way, then hike up to a high point when we were there recently.  As you can see, the views are incredible.  As I stood looking out towards the Sea of Galilee, my mind went to the passage in Mark 6 –

45 And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people.

46 And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.

47 And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land.

We don’t know what mountain Jesus went to to pray, but it could have been this one.  I pictured Jesus coming up to a place like this to talk to His Father, perhaps about the miraculous feeding of the 5,000 that had just taken place, and then also praying for the disciples, who were at that time out in the boat, getting ready to encounter a storm.

No matter if it was this mountain or another, Jesus could see them because He is God.  He knew they were rowing as it says in verse 48 –

And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them:

Last week when I was on Mt. Arbel, I could see the water, but it was too far away for me to see people and they certainly couldn’t see me.  When the disciples were on the Sea of Galilee, they couldn’t see Jesus.  I wonder if they asked themselves where Jesus was?  Did anyone say, “Why didn’t He come with us?!”  It doesn’t matter, because

He saw them.  

He cared about their storm.

He came near.

When He came, He revealed Himself as Who He was – the One who had power over the storm.  He was the only One that could help them and He did, at just the right moment.

Do you feel today as though you’re in a storm-tossed boat?  Are you wondering where Jesus is?   Are you wondering if He’s forgotten you?  He hasn’t!  He cannot!  He is God.  He sees, He cares, and He is nearer than you even understand.

And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.

51 And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure…

Jesus comforted the disciples with His voice.  He encouraged them by telling them He was there.  You have His Word on it too – Hebrews 13:5  I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. See also  Isaiah 43:2 – Joshua 1:9.

The world and your flesh may say that Jesus doesn’t care, but you must turn a deaf ear, and listen to the Truth of His Word instead.

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Acknowledge His presence and watch to see what He will do as the God Who is able to do exceeding, abundantly above what you may ask or think.

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