Category: Christian Life

Christian Life · trials

Dealing with the Storm

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Yesterday the Jeep had just been pulled inside the garage and the groceries delivered to the kitchen when I looked out the kitchen window and saw a storm brewing.  The angry clouds were followed by huge pieces of hail bouncing onto the roof, windows and sidewalk, making me feel like I was inside a popcorn machine with hot kernels.  Then as quickly as it came, the storm was gone, leaving soggy grass and misplaced mulch as a reminder that it had indeed come.

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As I looked out the window at the now blue skies, I thought of how often my emotions can do the very same thing.  In an instant, I can go from “sunny skies” to torrential rains!  Sometimes it’s an accumulation of dark clouds that descend and eventually bring the emotions, the tears, the discouragement to my heart.

I obviously have no control over the weather, but there are things I can do to calm the storms that touch down in my heart!  During the thunderstorm, I did what I could to be safe – I stayed inside, I closed the door, I kept on the alert.  There are things we can do during an emotional storm as well and I’ve made a list to review when I see the dark clouds gathering around my heart.  I hope this will encourage you, too!

Dealing with Emotional Storms

  • Spend longer periods of time in God’s Word (especially the Psalms).
  • Look up Scripture about my particular issue and journal my findings.
  • Talk to the Lord about my burden more than I talk with others about it.
  • Get to church services to hear how God will encourage me through the Word of God being preached.
  • Don’t isolate myself – Spend time with people who will encourage me.
  • Reach out to someone who I know will give me biblical counsel.
  • Ask people to pray for me.
  • Listen to uplifting music that will turn my thoughts to Christ.
  • If I’m able, get out of the house and go do something rather than sit and dwell on my storm.
  • Turn off television – especially shows that are on the negative side – reality shows, crime reports, etc.  Not that you can’t be informed about current events, but don’t watch it if it discourages you!
  • Work on memorizing Scripture concerning my storm.

If you have dark clouds gathering around you, protect yourself from real, destructive damage by taking action.  Just behind the clouds, the Lord wants to warm your heart with His sunshine and encouragement.

Refresh your heart in your storm!

What do you do when your heart is discouraged?

 

 

 

Christian Life

Don’t Tell Anyone!

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Gossiping can cause ‘invisible gorilla effect, say scientists

I was a young pastor’s wives, and as green as I could be when an older teen girl came to me with a problem.  She began by saying, “I need to talk to you, but you have to promise not to tell anyone about this.”

Of course I would keep it a secret – that’s what pastor’s wives were supposed to do, right?  Well, sort of.  As she began to share her problem with me, I realized that the root of the problem was due to a sin in her life…one that her parents didn’t know about, but that they needed to hear.  Now what was I to do?  I had promised to tell no one! How I regretted having listened to her in the first place!  I felt stuck!

Recently in our New Members Sunday school class, the question was posed,

How could you stop gossip in your church?

One of the class members answered that by sharing a story that sounded very similar to my own.  He said,

A lady in a church had issues with her husband.  She came to the church leaders about it.  She told them they could not tell her husband what she had said, and they agreed.  When a third party was brought in to help resolve the problem, he listened to her for about 45 minutes and then said,

Every one of you men need to get on your knees and repent of listening to gossip because that’s what you’ve done.  Without being able to talk to her husband, there’s no solution, and this is only spreading gossip!

How I wish someone had told me that years ago!  The situation I was in with the teen girl taught me to always tell someone who came to me that they could share whatever they wanted, but if there was sin involved, I would take the necessary steps and talk to the people involved so that a biblical solution could be found.

If you want to squelch gossip, don’t listen to it if you’re not a part of the problem, or if you’re not able to help with a solution by telling the necessary people.  That will stop it immediately.  If you don’t listen to it in the first place, you won’t have to worry about repeating it!

I recently read this verse in Psalm 17:3 which could be applied to lots of ways we sin with our mouth, but it certainly applies to gossip:

I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.

I have said that verse OUT LOUD to myself since I penned it in my journal last week!  Sometimes it takes true, intentional and purposeful effort NOT to sin with my mouth by sharing words, and sometimes by not listening to it in the first place!

By the way, in case you’re wondering, the situation with the teen ended by my husband and I meeting with her and explaining that I had been wrong, asking her forgiveness, then letting her know it was her responsibility to tell her parents…or we would have to.  She did.  Whew.  I chalked that one up as a Lesson for Denise!

Refresh your speech and cease from gossip!

 

Christian Life · trials

A Refuge for the Storm

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Last night a storm rolled through East Tennessee.  I made a dash out to the back porch to rescue the pillows on the swing from being carried to Virginia!  The wind was blowing so hard and the rain had begun to fall in sheets.  I didn’t stay out on the porch any longer than necessary, but quickly made my way back to the refuge of my home.

I then gathered my Bible study books and Bible and curled up on the sofa to read and pray.  I opened a new favorite book of mine, “Praying Through the Names of God” by Tony Evans.  The name for the day was “ELOHIM MACHASE LANU” ~ God my Refuge.  How appropriate was that on a stormy evening?!

As I read the Scriptures that use this name for God, I was reminded of how often I run to other things or people before I run to my Refuge.  It’s sinful to allow something else or someone else be my Refuge when God is the One Who will do what none other can do!

When I stepped out into the storm to rescue my pillows wouldn’t it have been foolish if I would have run out to the arbor in the backyard for refuge from the howling winds?
What if I decided to make a run over to the neighbor’s house to protect me?
Or what if I just grabbed a bag of Oreos and munched away while standing in the pouring rain?
All these are foolish, and trust me, I didn’t think of anything but getting inside to the refuge of my own home – the closest thing to me!

But how often do you and I look to someone else – perhaps our spouse or our pastor or church leader to be our refuge when a storm hits?
Perhaps food is a source of comfort and we use it as a crutch to get us through.  We may think – “Another cookie, chocolate bar or bag of chips and we’ll be just fine.”
Maybe medications are the balm we use to calm us down and keep us from really noticing how difficult this storm really is.
List making and trouble-shooting could be another replacement for running to the One Who is our eternal Refuge. He has the answers we need, and we will only hear those answers in His Word and in prayer.

We must do what is wise – head to the Door – straight to our God,  ELOHIM MACHASE LANU, our Refuge and know the safety, the love, the protection He is.  He must be our first source as a Refuge.  Just like my house was the closest refuge, God is nearer to us than even our trouble is!  Running to anyone or anything else is sinful and foolish.  Let’s get out of the presence of the thunder’s rumble and run to our Refuge where we’ll find all we need.

Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God (Elohim) is our refuge (Machase Lanu).  Psalm 62:8

With love,

Christian Life · Uncategorized
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Recently while making my bed, I sighed and thought what a blessing to have a comfy bed and lovely bedroom in which to rest each night.  I thanked the Lord for His gift of rest and even of this bed that had once again, given us the sleep needed for the day’s activities that were ahead.

But you know, sometimes that same bed finds me holding my pounding head when I’m dealing with a migraine.  Other times the sheets have been twisted and strewn all over the place, due to a stomach bug.  On those days and nights, as well as the days when we jump up feeling rested, we can (and should) have praise on our lips to our God.  On a sickbed, we can remember:

~He has our days in His hands.

~He has grace sufficient for each trial.

~He will be with me.

~He will perfect that which concerns me.

~He will comfort me.

~He desires to use this time to conform me to His likeness.

It’s good on the days of health to think ahead and get a jump on praise for the sick days.  Store up praise in your heart by rehearsing these truths.  God never changes, and these Truths won’t either!  Whether we’re rising from a good night, from a fitful night, or even a very sick night, in our inner most being, let’s resolve to give God the praise that is always due His name.  Here’s what David said in Psalm 149:5

Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds.

Well-bed, sickbed or deathbed, God is always worthy of praise!

With praise,

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Christian Life · Uncategorized

How To Have True Peace

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The house is chaotic.  The grocery store is crazy.  Work is demanding and the traffic makes even your cup of coffee nervous.  Throw in the big city scene with all the violence, and you have many situations for a troubled heart.

Peace!  Where is peace?

As believers, our answers are all in God’s Word. Why would we even try to reason with all our chaos with the world’s phrases, techniques, masks or cliche’s?

First, let’s remember that Jesus said in this world we would have trouble!  That’s why He came.  We are desperate without Him.  Both Eternity and today are hopeless and lacking peace unless we come to Christ.  If you have no peace, could it be because you have never received Christ as your personal Savior?  He loves you and died to prove it!  His peace is yours when you come to Him for salvation from your sin.

Secondly, after we receive Christ as our Savior, we have peace with God and we can also have the peace of God. Philippians 4 reminds us in verses 6 and 7 that when we pray about our troubles, His peace, that passes all human understanding, will gird up our mind.

When we were having our new patio area done out back of our house, the guys put up supports all the way around the edge.  They said that if they didn’t do that, over time the bricks would move and the shape would not hold.  It was a step that was necessary to keep things looking good!  That’s what God’s peace does in our lives.  When we run to Him and trust every care to His keeping, our lives, our thinking and our emotions are all firmed up and He keeps our testimony as a Child of God looking beautiful!  Who believes that life in Christ is the best when they see us falling apart quicker than a brick building in an earthquake??! So if you have no peace, it may be because you’re not praying as much as you need to about those burdens in your life.

Lastly, we must seriously consider what’s in our mind.  Listen to Romans 8:6

For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

If you know Christ and you’re seriously praying about your burdens, yet still have no peace, consider your thoughts – on what are they landing? Are you saturating your mind with the things of this world? Do you spend more time thinking about television shows, media, texts, magazines, fashion and news reports than you do God’s Word? There is no substitute for biblical Truth!  You either know it and trust it and have God’s peace because of it, or your thoughts are earth-filled and troubled.

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Recently while we were working with a group on our church’s bathroom remodel, one of the men came to help with touching up a small area of paint.  When he walked in he was holding a railing that he was going to install in the handicap stall.  As he painted with his right hand, his left hand was firmly gripping the unattached railing.  I asked, “Are you holding onto that thing so you won’t fall down?!”  He didn’t even realize he was holding onto it – much less that he was gripping it so tightly!

We all had a good laugh, but you know, it’s a great picture of what it looks like when we fill our mind with earthly thoughts.  We’re wondering why we have no support, but we’re more attached to the world than we are to God!  We are wobbly, woozy and weak!  Peace will come when we think and meditate on spiritual matters. You can’t help but have joy and rejoicing when you do that!  Find a passage of Scripture to memorize.  Study a passage; dig and write notes about what you learn.  Listen to podcasts of preaching, or a CD of music that will turn your thoughts upward!

So, if you’re realizing that you could really use some peace, wisely consider:

  1. Is Christ my Savior because I’ve received Him as the sacrifice for my sin?
  2. Am I praying more than I am worrying about my cares?
  3. Do I have a greater spiritual mind than I do a carnal one?

These are the three ways to have real genuine peace in your heart!  And you know what?  When you have God’s peace NO ONE can take it from you!

Enjoy the peace that only God can give and

stay refreshed,

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