Life as a Christian Woman

This is probably going to be a pretty random blog today… kind of my rant against the world. Hang in there with me!

Non-believers, and those who would love to portray Christians in a negative light, are always on the lookout for examples to prove that we are all hypocrites.

Most recently, I have seen subtle comments made regarding the photos of Miley Cyrus, particularly the one taken by Annie Leibovitz that appeared in Vanity Fair.

In case you haven’t seen it, the photo shows Cyrus with what appears to be a satin sheet held over her chest, bare-backed, looking over her shoulder. Somewhat of a “come hither” photo, as my mom would say. There is no nudity, but it is implied.

Now, since Cyrus is a stalwart of the Disney Family (”Hannah Montana”on the Disney Channel), the media were quick to jump on the story. Oh, Disney’s sweetheart and current top-money maker is going down the Britney/Lindsay path to destruction.

Fair enough comparison, considering that path is pretty well-worn by now. And inappropriate photos which appeared online, where Cyrus is shown showing off her bra (while wearing it) added fuel to the fire, as it were.

People Magazine covered the “scandal,” alluding to the Cyrus family’s strong Christian faith… breathlessly wondering what went wrong… could she and her faith be phony? This is the same magazine that applauded the Cyrus family and their values a few short months ago.

Parents of her fans are being quoted as being “disappointed,” “saddened,” and worried about how this will effect their daughters

OK, I have a few problems with this whole thing.

First of all… we should all know by now that if we are allowing “personalities” to serve as the primary influence in our children’s lives, then we aren’t doing our jobs as parents. Sure, they will naturally want to imitate and emulate these “stars,” but our duty is to keep it in perspective for our children, and not let them become so involved that they are willing to give up their character to copy a “character.”

Second, if we want to raise morally-responsible, strong Christian children, we need to give them less Hannah Montana and more of Christ. When was the last time you had a devotional with your child? Knelt at the side of their bed at night and prayed? Went as a family to church? Those are the difference makers. Hannah Montana is here today, gone tomorrow. Christ is forever, and our children need to know that!

But here is the kicker, at least for me. I agree that the photos are inappropriate. I agree 100% that they should have never been taken, much less published. But I have seen worse. And not in Hollywood.

This past weekend my four year old daughter and I went to a dance competition. My friend had a four year old in the competition, which was for all ages and included all types of dance (ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, show as well as solo, group, and duet and trio). Emilee was so excited, and we had a blast. But my friend warned me when one category was about to start that it might not be appropriate. I poo-pooed her. Heck, they were four and five year olds, how bad could it be?

Bad.

Very Bad.

Moves that strippers would be proud to do, in fact. We headed out of the auditorium pretty quickly, coming back when that category was over. But it turned out that creative dance instructors and parents can work questionable dance moves into any type of routine (ok, ballet seemed immune). Even tap. TAP, for goodness sake!

Now, here is the amazing part (to me, at least… and I promise I wasn’t raised in a cave).

I didn’t see very much of this suggestive kind of dance out of the older kids or young adults. In fact, it was almost entirely performed by the 4-8 year old dancers. And when they would “bust a move” the moms and dads in the audience would go wild. These children were performing very sexually suggestive moves.

I wondered how many of these same moms and dads would have their children in church the next day. If so, talk about a mixed message. If not, are these the same parents who were so “disturbed” by the Miley Cyrus photos?

Here we are, as Christians, with the greatest example of parenthood in the world, and we forget to use Him. That’s right, God. He is our Father. Our relationship with Him should be the one we use to model our relationship with our children.

A comment you hear a lot in this world is how children don’t come with an instruction book. Yes, they do… The Bible. God’s word. You may have to study it, pray over it. But can you think of a better book to lead you in parenting?

Who is setting an example for your children? And is it the right example?

For wonderful insights into Christian parenting, visit Parenting and Religion

If you love God, and love to laugh, have I got a book for you.

Entitled God’s Blogs: Insights from His Site, it is a humorous look at what God might write about if He had His own blog. Written by Lanny Donoho and with recommendations from everybody from Andy Stanley (pastor, North Point Community Church) to Dolly Parton (I’m assuming you know who she is), this book is both funny and insightful.

First, how I found it. A group of us moms go to Barnes & Noble every Friday night… I mean EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT. We bring our kids and let them play in the kids area, while we sit there solving the world’s problems and drink mocha frappuccino’s (ok, I just drink water, but my friend’s drink the frapps). Last week, this book “appeared” in front of me. Usually the only thing that appears in front of me at B&N is a peanut butter-chocolate cookie, so I was intrigued. Turns out the daughter of my friend had picked it up to have a look, and somehow it ended up in front of me.

Hmmm, what would God say to us if He could communicate by blog? That was an interesting thought. Sure would make life easier, huh?

The book opens with a “nondisclaimer.”

In case there are those out there who would have a problem with someone writing or speaking for God…
Try to relax.
This book is supposed to be an enjoyable look at the principles God put in the Bible… and they’re done with a twist. For some people it is easier to grasp the grace and truth of God if they feel like His word is personal to them…from Him…
Everybody has their ideas of what God might want to say to them.
These are mine.

One of the first pages I came to was called: Favorite stuff I have done. Some of the entries are;

• That Red Sea incident, • Surprise Lazarus! You’re back!, The whole Jonah episode…

You get the idea.

But when I began reading the book more deeply, an amazing thing happened. I began to realize that this was leading me into a place of worship! This silly little book was giving me a fresh look at God.

So many times religion is so serious… we can’t see the humor for the stained glass, as my childhood preacher used to say. I even wrote about it in a blog the other day (Did Jesus Laugh?)

But this funny little book touches on real life topics. Marriage, and what God intended it to be. Preachers, and their role in our lives. And funny little things like making it snow in Florida… and the resulting snowball fight (a true story interwoven into the “blog”)

The book talks about time, from God’s perspective, and about how we always claim that we don’t have enough of it. And about money and tithing, and about how all belongs to God.

Periodically in the book there are “blogjots,” or random thoughts. All are good, but one sticks out to me:

BTW… reflections happen best when you are standing near to that which you want to reflect. (That which you were made to reflect.)

That one has stuck to me like glue. If I want to check my makeup in the mirror, I move closer to it. If I want my daughter to behave, I pull her close to me.

So it stands to reason, if I want to reflect God’s love, shouldn’t I move closer to him? And there are so many ways to draw closer to Him… through study, music, and even laughter… after all, He invented laughter (it says so, right there in his blog!)

So I hope you will get a chance to look at (and maybe even buy!) “God’s Blogs” by Lanny Donoho. You’ll laugh a lot, and be blessed in the process.

As I’ve mentioned before, I love Christian music. It seems to take me to a higher plane of worship. One of my favorites is the worship song “Trading My Sorrows (Yes Lord),” written by Darrell Evans.

I’m trading my sorrow
I’m trading my shame
I’m laying it down for the joy of the Lord

I’m trading my sickness
I’m trading my pain
I’m laying it down for the joy of the Lord

Chorus:
And we say yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord
Yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord
Yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord Amen

I’m pressed but not crushed persecuted not abandoned
Struck down but not destroyed
I’m blessed beyond the curse for his promise will endure
And his joy’s gonna be my strength

Though the sorrow may last for the night
His joy comes with the morning

The words are taken directly from 2 Corinthians 4. Many believe 2 Corinthians to be Paul’s most personal letter. It was written to a young, immature church, which was questioning his motives and authority. Throughout the letter, he relates his experiences of pain, suffering, and overwhelming odds. But he reminds the readers that all this is temporary, that we are working for a greater good.

Paul exhorts the Christians in Corinth: “(17) For our present troubles are quite small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! (18) So we don’t look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.”

Some originally mistook the worship song as a “prosperity piece.” You know, if you honor God, you won’t suffer anymore. But that is not what the words are telling us; in fact, they are telling us the exact opposite!

We, as Christians, face persecutions both large and small. But we get up. We are struck down for our beliefs, belittled even by those close to us for our faith, but we get up. We are cursed on this side of Heaven, but we get up.

Why?

Because we are promised Christ’s joy. We are promised that at the end of the long night we call life on earth, we will have morning in Heaven, in Christ’s eternal peace and joy. Nothing this world can throw at us can take those truths away from us.

The chorus of “Trading My Sorrows” is so affirming: “Yes Lord, Yes Lord, Yes, Yes, Lord.” If we only say “yes” to our Lord and Saviour, our sorrows will indeed be traded for the joy that only He can bring into our lives.

Listen to this music by clicking on: Trading My Sorrows (Yes Lord), by Darrell Evans

(all scripture is quoted from the New Living Translation)

At my small group the other night, one of our members questioned, “I wonder if Jesus ever laughed.”

That got me to thinking (not an easy task!). Did Jesus laugh while he was here on earth?

Nowhere does the Bible say, “Jesus laughed.” But Jesus was both God and man, according to Romans 9:5 (“Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all”). Accordingly, he did all the things that we do, but without sin (Hebrews 4:15 “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet was without sin”).

And we do have record that God laughs. In Psalm 2:4, God laughs at the nations, much as a parent laughs at a child who tries to beat him in a race.

Some say that, because it is never mentioned in scripture, Jesus did not laugh or smile. But since he was God in human form, we must assume that he did many things that aren’t mentioned in the Bible, such as bathe, brush his hair, etc. The Gospels were not meant to record Christ’s every move, but serve as a record of his mission to us, his saving grace, and his teachings.

Additionally, Jesus wanted his followers to be joyful, telling his disciples in John 15:11 “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

And there is much evidence that Jesus was fun-loving. In Luke 15, every single parable ends with a party. In Luke 7:34, the Pharisees criticized him for being a glutton and having a good time. And his standard greeting when meeting friends was “Rejoice.”

So my interpretation is, of course Jesus laughed! Everyone laughs, and he was no different. Sometimes we get so bottled up in the “religiosity” of faith that we fail to see Jesus as doing the things that we all do, short of sin.

And haven’t most of us, at one point or another in our lives, said “God must really be getting a kick out of that one!” Well, if God knows joy, if God laughs, and if God made us in His own image, are we to believe that when He sent His own son down to live as man among us, He would send him minus a sense of humor?

I doubt it!

Also read:

God’s Top Five Practical Jokes on Women

All scripture is quoted from the New International Version (NIV)

I don’t know about you, but when I see the word “manifesto” I get curious. And then I saw this headline. What in the world was a group of evangelical Christians issuing a manifesto about?

It seems a group of “prominent U.S. evangelical Christians” believes that other evangelicals are becoming “useful idiots” for political parties.

The statement, which was released last week, included the backing of more than 70 scholars, business leaders, and pastors, accusing others of becoming too closely related to parties or candidates, and claiming they are wrong to use their religious beliefs for political purposes or gain.

According to the article, about 25% of American adults consider themselves evangelical Christians, and the Republican party has long been able to count on this group as a base of support.

According to “An Evangelical Manifesto“, when religious groups politicize their faith, “faith loses its independence, the church becomes ‘the regime at prayer,’ Christians become ‘useful idiots’ for one political party or another, and the Christian faith becomes an ideology in its purest form.”

According to the Rev. John Huffman, Jr., senior pastor of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach, and also board chairman of the evangelical magazine Christianity Today, the document was not timed to the presidential contest, but was hoping that it would encourage those that have been more vocal to tone down the rhetoric.

“The evangelical umbrella is very large and I won’t try to detract from anyone who loves Jesus and has a biblical rationale for their views on any issue,” Huffman said. “But we hope some who’ve been more strident in their statements will be a little more cautious in the future.”

Michael Cromartie, analyst and vice president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C., expects the document to have little political impact.

“It’s mainly a warning to people not to confuse their personal faith with political convictions,” he said.

Let’s look at this on a more personal level, beyond the manifesto, and move it into our own personal lives. How does this relate to us?

I don’t want to go to church and be told how to vote. I don’t think most people do. I want to hear the word of God, pray, and allow God to speak to me as He sees fit. I need to know the issues, and I need to apply God’s word to those issues.

When my pastor preaches, I hope that he is speaking what God has put on his heart. But I am charged by God to study on my own, to find the truths that God puts in my heart. The only heart that I can be truly sure of is my own.

In short, we are to follow the teachings of our Lord, not the teachings of man. And until I can look into the heart of someone else, I don’t know their motivation.

When someone endorses a candidate, no matter who it is, we should take it for what it is, an opinion, and then pray about the matter and form our own opinion. It may be the same as the one who endorsed, or it may be different. But it should always be what God wants it to be.

Even in an election year.

Hello all!

Today is the day we celebrate our mothers, and for those who are mothers, we get to be celebrated… never a bad thing in my book.

We have been led to believe through the years that Mother’s Day was originated by the card companies to increase revenue… nothing says “I love you, Mom” like a business decision, huh?

But the truth is, mothers have been celebrated for centuries. Christians initially began celebrating Mary, the mother of Jesus, on the fourth Sunday of Lent, but the day was later modified in England to include all mothers, and was called Mothering Sunday.

In the United States around 150 years ago, Anna Jarvis organized a day to draw attention to the poor health conditions of the Appalachians. Believing that mothers would be in the best position to lead the charge, she called it “Mother’s Work Day.”

Jarvis died in 1905, and her daughter wanted to memorialize her mother’s work. According to legend, the daughter (also named Anna) remembered her mother saying that she wished there was a day to honor mothers, saying “There are many days for men, but none for mothers.”

Anna’s hard work paid off in 1914. President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill making Mother’s Day a national holiday. But sadly, years later Anna (the daughter) was said to have regretted pushing for the holiday, as it had become so commercialized and she believed that the true spirit of the day was lost.

But Mother’s Day survives… and here are some interesting statistics. The second Sunday of May, when the day is traditionally celebrated, is the most popular day of the year to eat out, and the phone lines are busiest on this day, as well.

Another interesting side note… many of you may remember the tradition of wearing a carnation on Mother’s Day, white if your mother had passed away, red if she was still living. This tradition actually began early in the last century. As daughter Anna lobbied politicians and businessmen, she passed out white carnations, her mother’s favorite flower. Just a few years later, the House of Representatives adopted a resolution that officials of the government should wear white carnations on Mother’s Day.

So there is your history lesson for the day. I hope you get a chance to visit with your own mother today, but that may not be possible. Some of us have lost our moms (me included). But we can still honor them, even if they are no longer with us. We can honor them by honoring God, by raising our sons and daughters to become the men and women that God intends them to be.

Happy Mother’s Day!

I was reading the top stories on ChristianHeadlines.com, when one caught my eye: Two Rivers Ouster Falls 4 Votes Shy

I clicked on the link and proceeded to read a very sad story of a church torn apart.

Now, I don’t know all the issues. It is obvious that both sides are passionate about their positions. To give a short summary, a vote was held to dismiss 71 members of Two Rivers Baptist Church in Nashville, Tenn. A two-thirds majority was required, but fell four votes short. The vote was 663-337 to dismiss, based on “damage done to the witness, reputation, and welfare of Two Rivers Baptist Church.”

Evidently, there has been a feud between the “dissidents” and the senior pastor, Jerry Sutton, and other church leaders since July 2007, when a church trustee was removed from his position. A suit was filed in September for access to financial records. A website listing concerns was launched by the group.

Sutton, who has served as pastor at TRBC since 1986, survived an attempt at ouster by a vote of 1,101 to 286 in October. And yes, there have been numerous court papers filed.

But things turned brutally ugly on May 4. At a business meeting where the vote was to be held, the group of 71, along with dozens of supporters, stood in front of the congregation, asking that the members look the “plaintiffs” in the face before the vote. “They are not troublemakers,” said Carolyn Lehning. “They’ve been faithful members of the church.”

The group began to sing “Amazing Grace.” The church responded by piping in music to drown out their voices.

I know that this church is not alone fighting splits within its membership. As a child, I was a member of church where infighting led to a fracture, and I’ve heard of others.

I’m not here to judge. As I said, I don’t know the issues beyond what I have read. I don’t know who is right and who is wrong, and the truth is probably somewhere in the middle. But what I do know is that the mission of the church is lost, it’s ability to lead badly damaged. I believe that those who have filed the lawsuits believe that they are trying to save their church. And those on the other side of the fence believe that they are defending the church from attack.

But there is one thing that I am brutally, sadly sure of.

At the right hand of His Father, as He watched brothers and sisters in Christ devour each other in anger…

Jesus wept.

For more information:

Two Rivers Ouster Falls Four Votes Short

We adults can take the simplest things and make them into huge deals; mountains out of mole hills, as my mom used to say.

Look at weddings… what should be a happy union in front of family and friends becomes a stress-fest: what dress are you wearing, will the tuxes match (and fit!), how many are you inviting, what will you serve, what will the music be, traditional or more modern, etc., etc., etc.

Recently I got a lesson in keeping it simple from my daughter. This year at church, her age group has been studying missions and missionaries. I have enjoyed talking with her about it, because I remember (barely!) being her age and being in Mission Friends. I remember meeting missionaries, hearing their stories of exotic places, people and animals. It was all so National Geographic comes to Tennessee.

My daughter has been having the same experiences this year, although with a twist. The missionaries that she has met are members of our church who have given their lives in service to the Lord. She met two separate young couples, one couple serves in Niger, Africa, and the other couple in Southeast Asia. They tell the children stories of the people that they share the Lord’s love with, and the relationships they are building.

Then came the news…

One of our closest friends, a young woman I will call Karen (not her real name), was leaving to go overseas as a missionary. She would be serving in a country that does not welcome missionaries, where it is a crime to renounce the religion of the nation to become a Christian. A country where women are second-class citizens, yet she (and others like her) were called to talk to the hearts and minds of these people.

This didn’t come up suddenly. The entire process takes about two years (from application through training). But suddenly the day was here. Karen sat down with Emilee and explained she would be leaving and wouldn’t be able to see her for several years. She told her we could email and Skype (camera phones to talk to the other side of the world!), but there wouldn’t be any more playdates for awhile. And she told her why she was going, that God had called her into service.

There were a few tears, then the goodbyes.

That’s a lot for ad four year old to understand, isn’t it? Well, not really. It seems that Emi grasped the message quite well, thank you!

I was prepared for questions later that night; after all, when Karen had told me where she was going, I was filled with questions (is it safe, what will you take with you, how will you communicate with the native people, what will you wear, where will you live, is there a McDonalds nearby, etc.).

But Emi didn’t have any questions. I worried she was holding it all in (when was the last time a four year old held ANYTHING in?).

So I kept prodding her, gently, over the next day or two. Finally, I guess she got tired of me giving her the third degree. She turned to me, sighed, and in her very grown up four year old voice, said, “Mommy, it’s really very simple. God told Karen to go tell the people about Jesus, so they can go to heaven.”

Hmmm…I guess it really was pretty simple after all.

It Is Well With My Soul
When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain:
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

Horatio Spafford

I admit it. My favorite part of church is singing. I love the old hymns and the new music. Christian music can touch me so deeply, so personally. It can lift me up and enrich my relationship with God.

One hymn in particular has long been a favorite of mine, “It is Well With My Soul” by Horatio Gates Spafford. Spafford was a successful attorney in Chicago in the mid-1800’s, with a strong faith in God. But that faith was soon to be tested.

In 1871, his only son passed away (he also had four daughters). Soon after, a terrible fire struck Chicago, and the city was ravaged by the flames. In all, 300 people died and another 100,000 were homeless. Spafford was ruined financially, as he had invested much of his money in the downtown Chicago real estate market. Yet he spent the next two years trying to help the people of Chicago get back on their feet, assisting the homeless, poor, and grief-stricken.

About two years after the fire, Spafford decided to take his family to England to join evangelist Dwight Moody, who was a close friend. There, the family planned to go on one of Moody and Ira Sankey’s crusades, then travel in Europe. But when the time came to board the ship, Spafford had to stay behind due to business. His wife, Anna, and four daughters (Maggie, Tanetta, Annie, and Bessie) would go ahead and he would join them later.

The ship, the Ville de Havre, collided with an English sailing ship (the Loch Earn) off the coast of Newfoundland, and sank in only 20 minutes. While his wife survived after clinging to a piece of wreckage, all four Spafford daughters were lost.

When she arrived in Cardiff, Wales, Anna sent her husband a telegram containing only two words… “saved alone.”

Spafford immediately left for Europe to be with his wife. While aboard the ship, the site where the Ville de Havre sank was pointed out to him. Upon reaching England and meeting up with Dwight Moody, he told his old friend softly, “It is well the will of God be done.”

Although it is not known exactly when he penned the words to “It is Well with My Soul, ” it was during this time of grief and prayer that the words came to life. The words caught the eye of Phillip Bliss, who was a composer. Shortly thereafter, Bliss wrote the music for the poem and published it in one of the Sankey-Bliss Hymnals, Gospel Hymns No. 2.

When listening to the hymn, what jumps out is the obvious fact that Spafford, while acknowledging the pain and suffering, didn’t dwell on them. The third verse talks of God’s redemption through Christ, and the fourth is a stanza of victory, anticipating Christ’s triumphant return. Imagine… through his own pain and suffering, Spafford takes us through a lifetime in one song, ending with Christ returning for us!

The song has long been a favorite of ministers, from Billy Graham to Martin Luther King. It has been sung for well over 100 years in churches around the world, and is often sung at funerals.

These words, written in pain and suffering, will live forever, as long as Christians have a voice.

1) Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. 2) Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. 3) And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4) The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5) For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6) For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 7) But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

2 Corinthians 4:1-7 (New International Version)

This is an amazing and humbling piece of scripture. As background, Paul is writing to the church in Corinth. In this intensely personal and autobiographical letter, he is writing to affirm his own ministry through Christ, as it is under attack in Corinth from false teachers. These passages are so important to us in our daily walk in this world. Paul exhorts us to remember that we are blessed to be able to spread the word of Christ, and that with this blessing comes the awesome responsibility to be cautious, and not distort the word or message from God just to please the audience or get the response that we want. God is listening to us, and we must remain faithful to the message.

Paul goes on to remind us that the “god of this age” (Satan) is blinding non-believers to the light of Jesus’ love. Satan can use so many things to get between us and God… money, jobs, power, sex, the drive to have more “stuff”, even our own families. Anything that interferes with serving God blinds us to what He is asking of us. We have His light in us, and we must let it shine.

But the most compelling verse for me is verse 7… God has taken all of this wonderful light, this glorious knowledge of who He is and His wondrous works, and put it into mere jars of clay… us.

We are chipped and broken as human beings. We are flawed, far from perfect. Yet God has chosen to place the Light of His Son inside each of us, and we must let that light shine for all to see. God has entrusted in us his message of salvation in Jesus Christ. While our containers are weak and will perish, our contents are valuable beyond silver and gold.

Our responsibility? To let others see God through us.

Has God spoken to you lately? More importantly, have you listened and obeyed?

God speaks to us in many ways, yet we rarely hear Him. Our daily busy-ness chokes out His voice. When we do hear Him, we tend to dismiss it as inconvenient, or even ignore it. It’s easier to maintain the status quo.

You see, God’s speaking to us is really a two-part issue. First He speaks, then we must follow. Example: If you tell your child to clean up her room she may hear you, may even acknowledge you. But if she doesn’t actually clean up her room, then the message is worthless.

Many folks look for grand signs from God… think Moses and the burning bush. But God will use whatever method works for the person He is trying to reach, and often those messages may be subtle. I’m reminded of the old journalism adage “know your audience, and write to them.” God knows his audience, each and every member. And He tailors His message to get through. But it is still up to us to listen!!

A friend of mine, Jon, along with his wife, felt a pull to mission work. Jon had it all mapped out. You see, he heard the call correctly, but was going about it on his own terms.

About two years into the preparation, he “freaked out” (his words!), and said he just couldn’t do it. He and his wife stopped the process of entering the mission field. But God spoke to him. How? Sleepless nights (a lot of them). And through music. Jon has a marvelous singing voice, and every time the choir director chose a solo for him, it either related to missions or to obeying God’s voice. Finally, he gave in to God’s call once and for all, and this summer his family begins final preparations to enter the field … and they are all sleeping well now!

But God doesn’t just speak to us over life changing events. Remember, He loves us deeply, and cares about EVERYTHING that we do. So His voice can be heard in the little day-to-day things, as well. He is with us everywhere, ready to lead us, guide us, and prove His love to us over and over again.

God will show Himself to you and lead you in His path by making you uncomfortable where you are. He will put up roadblocks in an attempt to get you to move closer to Him and His will for you. He will open your eyes to things you have never noticed before. He will put people in your life who have needs that only you may be able to fill, or that can fill needs in you.

You can go to Him when you are lonely, scared, hurting… in fact, He yearns for us to come to Him in those times. In Matthew 23:37, Christ says “… how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.”

Listen for God’s voice. Hear Him. Talk with Him. And then honor Him by obeying Him. I can’t promise you it will be easy. It may even be challenging. But it will be rewarding. And there is nothing better in this life than walking in God’s will and purpose for you.

Hi Everyone!

It’s the weekend, and I hope that all of you are enjoying a little time off, maybe even a beautiful, sunny day to get outside and enjoy all that God has given us.

Weekends are a great time for reconnecting with family and friends, or taking a little down time to just relax and rejuvenate. Whether you sleep late or wake up early to get a head start on the day, make it yours.

Jesus taught us that relaxing and resting were a necessary part of our lives. In Mark 6:31, when He saw that the apostles were tired and hungry, He removed them from the crowds, telling them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” (NIV)

So take a guilt-free nap, sit in your jammies and read the paper (if you can!), go out and kick a soccer ball around with your kids. But don’t forget to honor the One who is above all. Take some downtime to meditate on the Lord, and be thankful to Him. Seek Him out in prayer, praise Him in song. Immerse yourself in the word of God, even if it is just for 10 minutes. Whether you worship in a church setting or on a more personal level, take time to remember all He has done for you, thank Him and praise Him.

After all, He will be thinking about you this weekend!

This is my Father’s World*
This is my Father’s World, and to my listening ears,
All nature sings and round me rings the music of the spheres.
This is my Father’s World, I rest me in the thought,
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas, His hands the wonders wrought.

*Words by Maltbie D. Babcock (1901)
*Music: Terra Beata, traditional English melody, arranged by Franklin L. Sheppard (1915)

I have a great friend who recently left to be a missionary. I am amazed and awed by her. I could never imagine myself picking up and moving to a place where I can’t speak the language, and where my religion is banned, leaving family and friends behind.

But anytime I remarked to her that I couldn’t do what she is doing, she pointed out that I wasn’t CALLED to do what she is doing.

Fair point.

Which brings me to last week. Our church was putting on a musical dinner theatre production to raise money for missions. I volunteered to help where needed, and on the day of the dress rehearsal I wound up scrambling to try to make a fake barbell for one of the characters. Our children’s ministry pastor stopped by to see how I was doing (and to gently make a few suggestions on how to do it better!), when we started talking about my friend. I laughingly said, “she was called to a foreign land to spread the word of God, and I am called to make a dumbbell!” We had a laugh, I finished my project, and the play was a big success.

But it got me to thinking. I had minimized my small part in the production, but there are no small parts in God’s world.

Follow me here:

I made a dumbbell that was used in a play that raised money for missions that makes it possible for my friend to spread the word of God in a foreign land.

Hmmm. Maybe my part wasn’t so small after all.

And that brings me back to all of us. We tend to look at ourselves as everyday Christians, separated by training and calling from pastors and missionaries. But we are all called, maybe not to the pulpit or the field, but to grow where God has planted us.

The reality is that God has placed us exactly where he wants us to be, and we must find our purpose in the place where He has put us. And wherever we are placed, we can share the love of God in ways both unique and understated.

If you are a mom, your family is your mission field (wow, that is powerful!). You are called to be a woman of God and help raise your children to honor Him.

OK, that one was obvious.

But what about at work? If you are living in His will, God has planted you in your job. Grow your seeds there. Place a Bible on your desk (if allowed), to serve as a “silent testimony” to your beliefs. Bow your head before a meal to thank the Lord for his bounty, and that, too, will speak volumes to those around you without saying a word.

And be aware of those around you, those who may be hurting or in need of some love. A young woman named Kelly was on her collegiate cheerleading squad. Lori, another member of the squad, was moody and irritable on a day to day basis, and no one wanted to be around her. One day, out of exasperation, Kelly asked her friend what was wrong. Lori said that she felt alone, believed she was an alcoholic and just didn’t know where else to turn. Kelly ministered to her, got her into rehab, and helped her learn about God’s love for her. Lori accepted Christ, and is doing great these days.

God planted Kelly on that squad long before she knew her purpose there… but He knew. He was already there.

So grow where you are planted. God will use you in unique and awesome ways.

Even if it is making a barbell!

Disappointment.

Have you ever had someone you loved let you down? Been promised a promotion at work, only to see it go to someone else? Have you ever looked forward to something, but when the big day arrives it doesn’t nearly live up to your hopes and expectations… or worse yet, it was forgotten by those you care about?

We have all lived through disappointments, both large and small. Some are just minor bumps on the road, others can be heartbreaking and leave you feeling alone.Even the disciples experienced disappointment when things didn’t go the way they had planned. They envisioned being the leaders of the movement, winning praise and adulation. They weren’t prepared for the suffering and humiliation that would be heaped on them by the masses.Disappointment is a way of life. But disappointment can lead to discouragement, which can then lead to depression, resentment and anger. And all that flying around inside of you can tear you up.The problem is that we look to get our validation and “atta girl’s” from those around us… mothers, fathers, husbands, children, friends. We look to this earthly group to reward us and lift us higher, but the reality is that only God can provide that service.When we look out horizontally, we see the world with all it’s pitfalls and sorrows. But when we look vertically, and get our validation from God, He will never disappoint. Plans and goals are all well and good, but without God they mean nothing.It’s so easy to fill our lives with our families, activities and day to day chores, and leave God to the few minutes here and there. But how empty a life that is! When you add God to that list, in fact let Him LEAD the list, watch the abundance that will follow!Below is a link to an article by Jack Zavada regarding how Christians can handle disappointment:http://christianity.about.com/od/singlesresources/a/disappointment.htm

Perhaps you have heard of the new Ben Stein movie, Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed. A friend of mine emailed me about it several weeks ago, and Christian radio had been promoting it, so my husband and I decided to check it out last weekend.

The movie, which is actually a pseudo-documentary, follows Stein as he travels the world interviewing educators and scientists who have been denied tenure, or perhaps even been fired, over their views that the universe might not be random, but could have been created by design. In short, these scientists appear to be questioning Darwinism. As you can imagine, this isn’t the most popular idea in the scientific community.According to Walt Ruloff, co-executive producer and co-founder of Premise Media (which is producing the film), “People will be stunned to actually find out what elitist scientists proclaim, which is that a large majority of Americans are simpletons who believe in a fairy tale.”And that is what came across. University spokespersons and department heads who were interviewed seemed to have an air of “let them eat cake,” never quite calling the masses that believe in one god or another foolish followers of a fairy tale, but the interpretation was there. And those who were fired were sympathetic characters, telling their tales of how colleagues told them to just let it go, stick with the party line.I’m not sure what I went to the movie expecting. Maybe I thought it was going to be a “rah rah, our side is right, your side is wrong” kind of victory for those of us that believe that God created the heavens and the earth, as it is written the Bible. Ben Stein is an intelligent man, perhaps I thought that finally those who deny God in the creation of the world would have met their match. And, indeed, Stein did succeed in making many in academia look foolish, close-minded and egotistical. But something just didn’t hit me right.The movie took too much at face value for me. There wasn’t much investigating into why some of the professors were let go. The universities themselves couldn’t comment (privacy issues), and usually in these cases the truth lies somewhere in the middle. It felt like I was only getting half the story. And later, I found out that those who agreed to be interviewed had been told it was for a movie called Crossroads: The Intersection of Science and Religion, and only later found out the movie’s intentions in relation to ID.Towards the end of the movie, a connection is made between Hitler’s Nazi Germany and Darwinism. Indeed, much of Mein Kampf speaks of the strong defeating the weak and of “lower” races of humans. There is much footage of Jews in concentration camps, and Stein himself makes a trip to a camp where Jews were put to death.I think I know where Stein and the producers wanted to go with this movie. I believe that initially their intent was to show that the halls of academia aren’t as open to oppositional thinking as many would have us believe. But I think the movie lost it’s focus at some point, and instead of delving deeply and giving us the meat of the issue, it was more of a touch and go process, spread out to thin. And I think they didn’t give the audience enough credit, stooping to attempts to entertain rather than thoroughly flesh out the topic.The movie made some wonderful, eye-opening points. I think that many would enjoy it, and can learn from it. I just wish that there had been less “infotainment” and more plain old information.