CHRISTmas

My family has always enjoyed the Christmas season, baking goodies, family time, presents, etc. My father would, as we became older, had us read scripture and pray before diving into the presents. Having a daughter has allowed me the opportunity to continue with the heart of a child at Christmas. While I have played up the "fun" of what can be had at this time of year, I've tried to instill within my daughter the heart of Jesus Christ. Not just during this time of year should she only see or hear about our Blessed Redeemer and Savior. Yes, we have all heard it and probably said it,'Jesus Christ is the reason for the season'. While this is very true, my paradigm has changed to Jesus Christ is the reason period! For all occasions/life, this should be my thought process. It is a lifestyle we should aspire to live daily-the example of Jesus Christ. Our lives really should not change during a particular day, week or month-ever how one would define the Christmas Season. I believe Christians can enjoy Christmas and should celebrate our Lord's birth, life, death and resurrection. The challenge, at least for me, is to keep the commercialization into perspective and live obediently and enjoy the reason daily.
C-Christ, the reason, period!
H-Holy
R-Risen Lord
I-Immanuel, God with us
S-Savior
T-The King of Kings
M-Messiah
A-Almighty God
S-Sacrificial Lamb.....................Merry Christmas, Blessings in your pursuit.......TO   

The Guest List

When having a party or special event, whom does one typically invite?  The guest list probably includes folks such as family, friends, co-workers, etc.  I’m not indicating this is wrong, however, if this is all we ever do in our outreach attempts and social gatherings, is there something missing? Confession time- I am guilty of this!  As I read the parable of the wedding feast in Luke 14:8-14.   Verse 13-14 really gets to the heart of living a serving life, reaching out to those in need-physically/physiologically and/or spiritually.  Jesus says, “but when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed-this should not be our motivation, but love for others should convict us.   Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."  So, I challenge the collective body of Christ-all Christians, to re-evaluate our future fellowship activities and also include some of the following as invitees:  those we may not know very well, perhaps do not have much common interests, those that are hurting, lonely, poor, one’s the world considers  as social misfits. Christmas time is here, not that we should only express a giving/serving heart at this time of year, but 365/24/7.  Now is a great time to change our paradigm of our future guest lists for our social gatherings and daily walk. I recommend reading a book called 'The Hole in our Gospel', by Richard Stearns-  an awakening/compelling read on our true purpose in this blessed life provided by an Awesome God. Blessings in you future 'guest lists' and Blessings in your pursuit…….TO

Changing Parking Spots

All the trials we will or have endured…..what is our attitude? Where is our mind parked?  It’s natural and not necessarily sinful to ask ‘why’ to God.  It can be a sin if these questions cause us to lose sight of God, to decide it’s not worth it and flee God.  Conversely, after we ask ‘why’, we perhaps will not receive the response we would like.  The trials will not vanish.  We must change where we park our minds……from the ‘why’ to ‘what’.  What will I do now that this trial has happened and is a reality in my life?  Not the easiest or most natural response, but a godly one.  This mind set will allow us to draw closer to God, to stop trying to figure it all out, to believe that God is in control, and to trust Him.  Philippians 4:8 tells us where we should park our minds/thoughts…things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy.  Only then can we learn to better seek our God for what opportunities He has planned for us now.  I read a powerful analysis of what our attitude should be...... that we might process our trials through the filter of God’s love.  Isaiah 55:8-9 tells us that God’s ways and thoughts are higher than ours.  Blessings in your pursuit…….TO

We are all indivdually special to God

Why do we spend so much time comparing ourselves with others-family members, friends, co-workers/bosses, church members, entertainers, etc?  We allow our own expectations and those from others to confine and often define us.  We need to trust God and accept that He created us purposely for a reason.  Our unique personality and talents are all tools to accomplish God's plan for us. What we see as flaws, He designed as potential.  God's design of you/me is intentional-we are specially made with purpose.  There is a song by Howard Jones I like, “Specialty”-part of the chorus says this: ‘spend your time worrying about what you could have been, can’t you like being who you are.’  Wow! I think we all have fallen prey to that thinking. Do we trust enough to simply be who we are(that specialty God made us) and embrace what we can offer through God.  The challenge today is to release the expectations we ,or others ,have placed on ourselves and explore God's amazing plan. Hopefully to discover that everyone has many great life contributions to offer.  Blessings in your pursuit…….TO

Available and Obedient

I loathe the thought of this, but if I’m honest, I must confess that I probably have practiced ‘Convenience Christianity’ too often.  Is God really first or do I schedule Him around life/things?  We live in a demanding ‘me’ society, taking care of numero uno, do what feels right and when!  May God grant me mercy as I have confessed/repented of not taking a firm stand for God and conforming to the world with a tolerant attitude.  1 Corinthians 16:13 says, "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.  Also, we see in Isaiah 7:9, If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.  Romans 12:2 tells us not to conform to the world-my translation-Don’t be tolerant, but bold and courageous for Christ.  God demands a life of total surrender, we cannot straddle the fence(Matt 6:24) and be obedient when we choose-when it’s convenient.  Christians must be available, willing to serve 24/7, that is why we are here, the reason God created us.  I am part of His body in the 21^st century to share the good news of Christ-obediently/faithfully.   I must ask myself, ‘Am I willing and open to God’s will/purpose for my life?’  Thus, being available and obedient!  Blessings in your pursuit…….TO

Stuck on the mat?

Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk" - John 5:8.  The invalid in this story allows circumstances to hinder healing-sometimes we feel overwhelmed and unable to overcome just as Luke 18:27 reminds us, "What is impossible with man is possible with God.  We need a bold faith to believe that God is in control, not us, and He will supply our needs.  However, we must get past the obstructions in life and take the first step off the mat of a complacent life to one that affords us to LIVE the LIFE.  What is challenging each of us from trusting God to take this step.  Don’t succumb to Satan’s pull-- paralyzed by fear, despair, isolation, or self-pity!   Pray for strength, wisdom, and a trusting faith to ‘Get up and walk/go/serve'…..as God desires/expects from us.  We are to be the hands, feet, eyes and ears  of our Risen Savior-we cannot effectively do so as long as we stay on our 'mats'.  Blessings in your pursuit…….TO

Just like at the movies

It happens in almost all movies, the good guys get the bad ones, right defeats wrongs, he gets the girl/she gets the guy.  Through all the twists and plots, when it comes to most movies,….there it comes-the happy ending.  While ‘real’ life probably will not unravel like a movie script, there is One that pursues/calls us to 'THE LIFE' , where victory can be ours eternally.  It is our Almighty God pursuing us but it's so much better than what happens in the movies. Even though He pursues us and desires us to be obedient/believe, the choice remains with each of us.  Our Creator and King is pursuing us-because He loves all. He gave up His life and paid the ultimate price to come and rescue us.  God considers each of us valuable and worth pursuing-He never grows tired of this either.  I'm reminded of a favorite Acapella song,  "Walking the line”-the line that involves committing to an obedient life.  Do you have the relationship with our Savior Jesus Christ-for the eternal happy ending?  Blessings in your pursuit…….TO

Distractions

We  each handle distractions  differently, some may use diversion such as using a calming sound device to drown out the ruckus that may keep them awake.  We can also attempt to avoid them, file them away in our mental storage to handle later.  Jesus gives us an example of handling pandemonium in our lives.  He found places of quietness to pray, rest, to focus.  In Psalm 85:8 it says,"I will listen to what God the LORD will say; he promises peace to his people, his saints — but let them not return to folly."  Ahh! Peace, focus……sounds good.  Psalms 46:10 tells us to be still and know that I am God.  Only by setting aside quiet time with God(prayer, study the scriptures, meditating, fasting) during our chaos, can we be enabled with the tools to experience this peace.  That means turning off the electronic devices(phones, Ipad, Internet, TV), getting away even if just a few moments a day from our jobs, bills, chores at home and devoting scheduled time with God and Him alone.  But the precursor to experiencing that peace is listening to what the Lord has to say. And for listening to occur, we have to be able to actually hear from God, focused and free from all that clamors for our attention. Drowning in so many daily distractions can keep us from hearing God's voice. Let's purpose together to drown out our distractions instead, and tune in to the life-giving Word. He is the only steady source from which we can ever find true and lasting peace.  Blessings in your pursuit…….TO

False Adverting

Have you ever noticed that some TV commercials mix just enough truth with their product to make it believable? While that's called false advertising, the product still comes off convincing. It's not until we purchase the product, and it fails, that the deceit is exposed.

In the same way, Satan specializes in false advertising. He's good at making our fears look real when they are not. Does that mean all fears are untrue? No.  He does in fact seduce/trick us into thinking that God is not loving nor cares for us when we are facing challenges-Of course the opposite is in fact the Truth.  There is a song I like called ‘Voice of Truth’ by the Christian group, Casting Crowns.  It’s chorus says, “But the voice of truth tells me a different story--And the voice of truth says "Do not be afraid!"--And the voice of truth says "This is for My glory"--Out of all the voices calling out to me I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth.  Let’s not be deceived by Satan’s influence like Eve and Adam and so many others-including those times in our own lives.  May we always seek to listen to God/Jesus-the voice of truth.  Blessings in your pursuit…….TO

. Moral Character/Integrity

Integrity has been defined as a steadfast or firm adherence to a strict moral or ethical code.  Also,  the state of being unimpaired/ soundness.  Thus, are my  actions and words consistent with the way I live-especially when others are not around?   Do I live/act according to the situation/setting, or am I firm/constant?  We can fool humans, but will not dupe God.  What do our children/family/friends see in us(when we think they are not or did not hear/see something?  Sadly, trust and positive influences are hard to re-establish once lost.   Jesus had both authority and influence because His character and actions completely matched His words.  Twelve disciples watched His every move.  Because they found no inconsistencies, they grew to trust Jesus.  This gave Jesus a moral authority that superseded the authority of any other religious leader of the time.  What an awesome example!  I once heard a minister say that there are a lot of characters in this world, we should strive to be ‘of character’.  I challenge us all to live consistent, godly lives so that  others will notice the reliability of our character that portrays our Savior Jesus Christ.  Isaiah 7:9, If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.  Psalm 139:23-24, Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.  Blessings in your pursuit…….TO

A WOW Faith-Get out of the Boat

I recently heard a sermon that challenged me to consider my faith. The climatic point was this, do I have the type of faith that captures true discipleship- a Walking On Water faith. When Peter stepped out of the boat and walked to Jesus-yes he did waiver during this walk- yet he had the courage to step out of the boat-a sort of ‘gut check’ for me as many times I simply do not have the faith to ‘get out of the boat’. I challenge us all to have the WOW faith God deserves and desires us to have, each and every day, the courage and be bold for our Lord. Blessings in your pursuit…….TO

Broken.....but not defeated

Brokenness, although painful, is one of God's means of showing His all-surpassing power in our lives. A disciplinary way of refining us/challenging our faith. I have experienced what seems like a domino effect of major trials within a short period of time. Totally unexpected, but when are trials of a convenience nature. We will all experience trials-yet we possess treasures from our God and He loves us so much. When we look through scripture, we see that we contain peace (Philippians 4:7), the forgiveness of sins, redemption, the riches of God's grace (Ephesians 1:7), joy (John 15:11) and the resurrection power of Christ (Philippians 3:10). Even in our imperfections and brokenness-God loves us and will use willing servants. I like the saying that God uses ordinary folks for extraordinary results. A song that I like is title Broken, by a group known as Seether. Part of the chorus says this; ‘Because I'm broken when I'm open--And I don't feel like I am strong enough -- 'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome--And I don't feel right when you're gone away.  Our God is strong enough-He will make us strong. He will not leave us/go away.   Broken-crushed-injustices-hurting……absolutely……but still a blessed life full of hope from our Almighty God. Blessings in your pursuit……TO

Confidence and Pride

This post inspired from a sermon of my good friend Toney Stowers. I am perplexed sometimes when differentiating between confidence and pride. God loathes the prideful(1 Peter 5:5-6, Prov 11:2, James 4:6-7). I typically do not demonstrate or perhaps even possess a confident attitude. I do not want to be seen as prideful/brash/arrogant/egotistical. 2 Cor. 3:4-5, ‘Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God’. I now believe the prevalent factor to be in recognizing the source or origin of confidence. If we are narcissistic and see ourselves as in control and haughty of our abilities, we indeed minimize the true source. Appropriate confidence is realizing that God is the source, we praise/thank Him, and use the abilities given to serve Him. Perhaps the term ‘quiet confidence’ is applicable. A humble confidence that is in our God and Creator, not self. God enabling us to work through His power. No matter your level of confidence-it is not about you. I am an introvert that is quiet, laid back and reserved. The confidence I have is not outwardly expressed. I have been guilty of allowing my personality to direct my spiritual actions by not being bold and confident in sharing a precious gift that has been entrusted to me as a Christian-Jesus Christ. Shame on me! A lifelong work in progress. Blessings in your pursuit…….TO

Blessings

I recently read an interesting take on blessings-probably something I should have long heard/realized. We should never looking at a blessing as something given just for me. Perhaps we should always think two things...
1. Thank You God for entrusting this blessing to me. I know it is a gift from You.
2. How can I use this as an opportunity to bless someone else? The blessing will be more rewarding if it's not all about me.
Do these things come naturally? Not at first. Not in a 'me first/mine kind of world’. But we aren't called to live according to the norm, doing what comes naturally. We are called to rise above. Be set apart. Be different. Be pure in every way. "Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure" (1 John 3:3). Philippians 2:3-4 says, Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. What blessing do you have that might need to be shared today? I know of the ultimate gift/blessing that I have that I need to better share with others-a relationship with Jesus. How often do you/I share this precious gift? Blessings in your pursuit…….TO

Secret

We should keep secrets that are told to us confidentially. Most folks are not the best at doing so though. Why is it so easy for us to tell of secrets that we promise the source that we would not do so? Yet, the most powerful secret/truth of all, the message of the Good News found through Jesus Christ, we become mute and do not share with those we come in contact with. Colossians 2:2-3, “I want them to be strengthened and joined together with love so that they may be rich in their understanding. This leads to their knowing fully God's secret, that is, Christ himself. In him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are safely kept.” Several passages make reference to secrets being revealed to us…… these secrets are found through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. God never hides truth from sincere seekers. In fact, He came to earth in the person of Jesus to ensure that we’d learn His secrets and understand His ways. Our task is to open ourselves—ears, eyes, and heart—and listen intently to Him. My challenge is for all to become more bold. May we all have the desire to obediently share this secret/truth……the message of Jesus-and less interested in spilling out secrets told in confidence/gossip. Blessings in your pursuit…….TO

Biblical reminders to our dependence on God

We live in an ‘I/me’ society. We are lead to believe we control our success/destiny-be self sufficient/reliant. Here are a few noteworthy examples of our dependency upon God. The first two we perhaps do not think about enough.
1) Daily Manna-the bread of Heaven. A forty year lesson to the Israelites to not store up but to trust/depend on God to provide(Ex.16). 2)Tithe- belongs to and is Holy to God(Lev.29:30-33). Money can compete with God as it provides power and feelings of self-reliance. Matt 6:24 says we cannot serve both God and money. When we freely/joyfully tithe, a bold statement that demonstrates, ‘money has no power/control over us’. Trusting/depending on God’s promise to sustain us. 3) Faith- That what we believe, yet unseen. Dependence upon God is integral to faith. “I love the recklessness of faith. First you leap, and then you grow wings.” -William Sloane Coffin. Wow! Blessings in your pursuit…….TO

Preparation

We prepare for many things in this world; school, careers, choice of spouse, kids, retirement to name a few. John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus. God is preparing a most heavenly, eternal dwelling for those who are obedient followers. I have now learned, albeit the hard way, that scriptures will prepare us for the trials we will face in this life-and we will face them! I was cruising through a blessed life, probably becoming too content as if life would always be good. Oh if I had only PREPARED more by steeping my life with God’s word instead of it usually collecting dust through the week-only to pick it up for church services! I would have been better equipped to face a series of trials that have been very hurtful. As I said earlier, I have learned the hard way-sort of back tracking and now reading the Bible regularly to fill my life with a comforting peace in order to better handle the existing challenges and those that will follow. The scriptures tell us that God knows what we need and will not place on us more than we can handle. Sometimes I feel as though God finds me capable of handling more than I think I can withstand. The little things that frustrated me in the past seem as folly now. While God disciplines because He loves us, just as we do our own children, it is painful-yet will make us better(1 Peter 4:12-13, "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed", see also James 1:2-5). The past three years have been a much needed spiritual awakening for me-while difficult, scripture says to count these trials as blessings and be joyous-that God cares enough. A tough love from above! Are you preparing for life’s trials? Take it from me- do not wait until they hit, I’m confident that your PREPARATION will be a blessing. Blessings in your pursuit…….TO

Time to sow

Time…..a precious gift that I often take for granted!!! We live our lives as if there will always be more to follow. Scripture tells us that we are not guaranteed a tomorrow. As I have gotten a little older, I reflect on how I have spent my time in the past and how I can do better. My biggest area of concern has been-‘how many people am I showing/sharing Jesus?’ Our lives here are given by God to serve others and worship Him. Am I sowing as God would have me? Are my actions of sowing/sharing Jesus pleasing in His sight? A constant battle. Time is fleeting, I desire to be a faithful/obedient and productive child of God as I strive to sow. I hope this is a gentle reminder that causes each one to reflect/re-examine things that are temporary-yet chew up our precious time, versus those that have an eternal impact. Plant some godly seeds each day!!! 2 Cor. 4:18, "There's far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever." Blessings in your pursuit.......TO

The Wait

Picture a common waiting room: cushioned chairs, an assortment of magazines, soothing music easing the mood, perhaps an aquarium of fish. Why provide such a calming environment? Because, by and large, we do not like to wait. Truth is, we don't much like to wait anywhere for any length of time. Often more than any other kind of waiting, we cringe at the mere idea of waiting on God. Usually, His time is not discerned by the human mind. We don't want to learn patience by experiencing waiting. Why do we struggle with this if in fact we believe scripture and have the faith that God provides and His plans for us are good? We should be experts at waiting as statistics show we spend a lot of our precious time engaged with the inevitable----the ‘wait’s ‘of life. We wait at: traffic lights or traffic in general; restaurants; in lines for various things, test results, and other life events. Psalms 37:7 instructs us to be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him and do not fret. Galatians 6:9 says, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. " WAIT!!!-it’s all about heart/attitude, faith and trust. God is the creator/master of all things. He is patient as He WAITS on us to follow Him. Why can’t I trust and wait for my glorious, compassionate God. Blessings in your pursuit…….TO

Fear(Respect/Reverence)=Obedience

To have no fear(respect/reverence) for God, will probably lead us to live a life that lacks respect and obedience. Read Romans 3:11-18. Verse 18 culminates the reason for living in sin-No fear! I believe a parallel lies within our school system and perhaps many homes. Students and our children simply do not fear/respect authority(teachers, administrators, principals, parents) because the repercussions do not exist or are minimized. School administrators hands are tied through legalities and the kids learn this quickly. What results is disobedient behavior and at times destructive violent acts-a less nurturing/learning environment. We as God’s creation are oftentimes no different in our spiritual walk. When authority is disregarded, attitudes and actions are often ungodly. Our awesome God is all knowing, loving and powerful-deserving of our respect/reverence and obedience. Fearing God does not mean to be horrified, but simply having a wholesome and pure reverence to our all powerful Creator. Blessings in your pursuit…….TO

Caution: Answers from God often require action on the requestor’s part!

I saw a quote today from an unknown source…….”Sometimes I would like to ask God why He allows poverty, suffering and injustice when He could do something about it.” “Well, why don’t you ask Him?” “Because I’m afraid He would ask me the same question.” –Anonymous. Wow! Yes, it’s true God is all powerful and is in control. Beyond comprehension! I do not profess to know the WHY’s (we all have them in our lives). But I do know one thing. If I expect or desire a perfect earthly life, I will be miserable, disappointed and self-focused/reliant. God made it clear we would have problems here. He loves us, cares and is with us- John 16:33 says, I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. Look at James 1:2-4, Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete. Troubles cause me to humble myself to God, to depend on Him solely. This results in spiritual growth, another step towards maturity and completeness(not perfect as in sinless). An imperfect/temporal earth should draw my heart towards a perfect /eternal home with my Creator. Back to the quote/question….while we cannot supernaturally stop evil/suffering like God could, we can stand united as humanity(especially we that wear the Christian name) and make a difference. Can I sit back and expect only God to be at work? Today, we are to be His hands and feet-vessels and instruments. Faith and obedience will draw us to action. When it comes to suffering and the poor, God has given us the resources to help. Do I have the will to serve/take action? It is what we are called to do. Let us go be the salt and light unto the world in obedience to our God (see Matt 5:13-16). Blessings in your pursuit…….TO

Success

How do we/society view success or even failure? Is it simply a certain prominent career/job? There is nothing wrong with earthly achievements as long as we are obedient to our Almighty God. Oftentimes, we can easily get caught in evaluating success with a title, salary, possessions, etc. If that is the main/only metrics used, the potential difference between God’s view of success and a worldly paradigm, can be quite chasmic. God looks from the inside first and foremost. If our hearts are not Christ focused then what we gain here on earth is futile (Mark 8:36-For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? See also, Matt 16:26). We are to work hard and provide for our family and help those less fortunate. God is more interested in our heart, and less with our title and salary. In I Peter 3:3-4 we read, Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. Also, look at what 1 Samuel 16:7 says, But the LORD said to Samuel, Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart. I need to ask myself a few questions regularly: How do I define success in this precious life that God has given me? What is my purpose? What does God expect from an obedient child? Blessings in your pursuit…….TO

Moral Courage

Injustices……..life is full of them. It will rob of life’s joy if we focus on these and how they affect us unjustly. Only a heaven/Godly focus can provide us with the spiritual armor to effectively combat the ‘wrongs’ of life, allowing us to trust in God’s divine plan for each of us and experiencing the peace that passes all understanding. 1 Samuel 17:37a, "The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." God is the great deliverer and in His time He will right all wrongs as He is faithful to his promises, righteous and just. Do I believe and live it??? A challenge for each of us, yet achievable!!! Blessings in your pursuit…….TO

Faith Barometer

Faith-believing in an unknown/uncertainty/something unseen. In today’s visual society, a strong faith in anything can be challenging. To see or experience something makes belief/faith much easier. Jesus tells us in John 20:27-29 while proving to a doubter ( Thomas), blessed are those that have not seen and yet believe(vs 29). What a powerful example to gauge our faith upon. Do I truly believe without seeing? If I open my eyes and heart-while I cannot physically see God- I can see God’s creation and his Spirit at work. Where is the mark on your/my faith barometer? Blessings in your pursuit…….TO