Life as a Christian Woman

Every few days I check out a website called Christian News Headlines (ChristianNewsHeadlines.com). Headlines from around the world that pertain to Christianity or the Christian world can be found there, and a simple click will lead you to the full story.

Today a read a story that I wanted to make you all aware of. A few weeks ago I wrote an article on persecution of Christians in China (Christianity in China, August 11, 2008). While the nation of China put on a beautiful face for the world during the Olympics, and claims to have religious freedom, we know that is not true. For me, the story now has a face.

Two days prior to the start of the Olympics, on August 6, Pastor Zhang “Bike” Mingxuan (known affectionately as “Pastor Bike”) was arrested, along with his wife and a fellow pastor, Wu Jianghe. He was in a hotel getting ready to go pick up some medicine, when the electricity in his room was turned off. Using his cell phone, he called Bob Fu, president of China Aid.

“He told me that the electricity had been shut off, just in his room, nowhere else,” Bob Fu said. “He was talking to me when they came to arrest him.”

It is believed they are being held at Jing Ba Lu Branch PSB office in Zhengzhou City, the Capital of Henan Province.

Pastor Bike came to Christ in 1986, and immediately began doing missionary work in his hometown. But soon, his love for Christ combined with his love for the people of China pushed him to move beyond his hometown to minister to thousands. In 1998, Pastor Bike began riding his bike around China (hence the nickname!), spreading the word to all who would listen. He traveled 10,000 miles, and he passed out simple business cards that read, “Believe in Jesus. Be Granted Eternal Life.”

As you can imagine, he has been a constant target of the Chinese government. And despite opportunities to leave that country, he has turned them down, preferring to stay in his homeland to lead them to Jesus.

Pastor Bike is president of the Chinese House Church Alliance. You may remember that literally millions of Chinese Christians meet secretly in private houses all around the country. He is a bold force in that nation, and has never backed down in his desire to spread Christ’s name. He will cross borders to hand out Bibles. He will openly share the Good News with those under the age of 18, and has led thousands to be saved. In China, these are all crimes. He has also been a key to the creation of the China Prayer Bands, designed to let Christians around the world know of the persecution faced by their brothers and sisters in Christ in China.

The Voice of the Martyrs and China Aid Association have a website, “FreePastorBike.com” where one can sign a petition that will be forwarded to Chinese Ambassador Mr. Zhou Wenzhong. The message the two groups hope to send to the Chinese government is that the world is aware, and will not forget.

I don’t know if an online petition can help. But I do know that we can all join in prayer for Pastor Bike, and for the millions of Christians in China and around the world who are persecuted, who do not enjoy the freedom of worship that many of us take for granted. Christians who risk their lives and the lives of those they love to worship our risen Saviour.

Please take time to say a prayer today…

YouTube/BBC video in which Pastor Bike is featured about 1 minute in Click Here

There is no easy way to understand evil. Even our guidebook for life, the Bible, can’t begin to explain the evils that we can do to each other, that Satan inflicts on this world.

Sunday there was a shooting at a church. The sanctuary at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville, Tenn., was packed with more than 200 folks, there to see a children’s production of the musical “Annie.” Two people were killed: 60-year-old Greg McKendry, and 61-year-old Linda Kraeger. Seven others were injured.

The day began innocently. The production was taking the place of the normal service, and was the “grand finale” to a summer workshop at the church. At 10:18, 58-year-old Jim David Adkisson of nearby Powell entered the sanctuary and began firing his 12-gauge shotgun. Eyewitness accounts say that he apparently didn’t attempt to shoot the children, as he walked past a staging area where kids were gathered, but took aim at adults in the pews.

Accounts say that McKendry stood in front of the shooter and took a bullet, attempting to protect others. His 16-year old foster son, Taylor Bessette, who was a member of the cast, said he wants to make sure that everyone knows that his stepdad died a hero. (watch teen describe foster dad as hero)

Members sprung into action and tackled the shooter, binding him with belts. Witnesses say that children were within just a couple of feet of the killer.

My first thoughts jump straight to the children. How will they get through this? I can’t imagine the horror they feel, the things they witnessed in a place that is supposed to be safe. One small girl is described as being “covered in blood.” How does a parent explain what happened in a way to make the child feel safe again?

And I think about the rest of us. This is an ugly illustration of how we are not safe from evil anywhere. Evil will seek us out, Satan wants to do us harm, and will use any agent to push through an agenda, his agenda, of sowing the world with fear, hatred and doubt. I’m sure at this moment Satan is relishing the people who are saying, “How could any God let this happen?” He is laughing at us, as he marches on in his battle against God.

But here is the truth. He will not win. Our God is an awesome God! Through this sadness, this evil, He is there. He preceded this event, and He will be there when the cameras leave. He will give the parents the right words, if only they will ask. He will be a comfort to the children.

We must hang on! We must cling to God, no matter what.

I don’t know much about Unitarian Universalism. The Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church describes itself as promoting freedom of expression, tolerance, reason, the search for truth and the dignity of each human being. According to the church’s website,

“TVUUC has a long and rich history of taking stands for social justice. Since the 1950s, our congregation has worked for desegregation, racial harmony, fair wages, women’s rights and gay rights.”

Don’t try to make sense of the attack… there is no sense to be made. It was a violent attack against a congregation that promotes peace and equality.

At this point, there is no known connection between the church and Adkisson. The Church is not close to his home, just over 12 miles away. There are many churches between Adkisson’s home and the church. What made him choose this one?

Adkisson is being held on a $1 million bond.

All that we can do at this point is pray… pray for the families of those who were killed. Pray for those who are injured. Pray for the children who witnessed this horrible tragedy.

And pray for Jim David Adkisson. This agent of evil is a child of God. Pray for healing of his soul, of whatever hurt drove him to commit this heinous crime. He is a child of God. He deserves our prayers.

Time for the Williams family to hit the road for one last trip before school starts. Today we head to visit my friend, Stefanie.

I met her Stef when she was a 17 year old high school senior trying out for the college cheerleading squad that I coached. But over the four years that she cheered for me, we clicked. Our relationship moved from coach/cheerleader to friendship.

After she graduated, Stefanie became my assistant coach. When I opened my own business, she was the first person I hired (I use the term loosely, since very little pay was involved). When I met Doug and moved from the area, she was the one person I missed the most.

We have been through some rough patches, but our friendship never faltered. Email became a lifeline for us. She was the person I knew I could rant and rave, or sob and cry to, and she would get it.

When we were both newlyweds and living about five hours apart, we would meet once a year to go to a Tennessee football game. Then kids came along. When my daughter was just a couple of months old, we loaded up and headed south so Emilee could meet her “Aunt” Stefanie. You see, my mother died while I was pregnant, and Stef and her family “adopted” me. Her mom (who is only three years older than I am!) sends my daughter cards and signs them “Grandma Doris.

Now Stef has two girls, and this trip will be a chance for them to get together and build what we hope will be a friendship that will grow over the years.

If you were to see the two of us walking down the street, you might not think we would be candidates for a strong friendship. You see, I am (ouch) 50 and Stef is 33. I’m white, she is African-American. But our friendship is priceless.

You see, friends are a special gift from God. Friendships are set apart from family, a fact that is acknowledged in scripture:

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” Proverbs 17:17

Friendships must be maintained and nurtured, or they wither and die. Jesus valued his friends, he needed to lean on them just as we must at times lean on our friends. He also knew how to be a friend. He held his friends accountable, he laughed with them, he worried about them. I guess you could say that, in addition to everything else he did, Jesus set the standard for friendship, too.

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you”
John 15:13-15

I once heard a saying: There are three types of friends, 1) Friends for a season, 2) Friends for reason, and 3) Friends for a lifetime.

I am blessed with so many great friends (and you all know who you are!). Some have come into my life for a short time, others for longer periods. Some came, left, and came back again. But very few friends are with you for years. Life changes, we move on.

When I first met Stefanie, I had no idea that God was placing her in my life to help me through times I would never dream of. But He knew. In fact, long before either of us was born, He knew that our friendship would defy the odds and last for nearly two decades (and still going strong!).

I guess I am a little more sentimental than usual because I am watching my own daughter at the early stages of building friendships… she is learning how she must treat people, and how she wants to be treated. It is all trial and error. And every night when I say a prayer for her, I pray that God surrounds her with Godly friends who will be with her through the storms and parties that life brings.

And somewhere along the way, I hope she has a friend like Stefanie.

I’m frustrated… very, very frustrated. Someone is trying to set me apart, make me question my faith and my road to God. I feel under fire, angry, defensive, and frustrated.

I have never understood why Christians feel the need to belittle other Christians. This “my theology is better than your theology” attitude gets none of us anywhere. It hurts us to fight against each other, and yet we do it so well!

I have a friend who seems to enjoy making others doubt their own beliefs, even though this person is an active Christian. If one disagrees, or questions, then somehow the questioner is wrong, or worse - dumb for not knowing in the first place.

This person is beginning to have a negative effect on me. Times that I am supposed to be in worship, now I’m angry and my mind is nowhere near where it needs to be to spend time with God. I’ve prayed for peace, for understanding, and yet I get angrier and more upset each time I am involved with this person.

So what do I do?

We are commanded as Christians to live in unity, to present a fellowship of Christian love to others. In Phillippians 2:1-2, Paul says “Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and sympathetic? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one heart.”

Hard words to live up to! But in the midst of our frustration, we must first and foremost remain obedient to God. When faced with those that bring out the worst in us, we should look for ways to act against it, and trust God to lead us in our efforts.

We should also avoid making big decisions in the midst of our frustration. Wrong assumptions can lead to wrong conclusions. Take time to sit back, calm down and review the situation. Is it as bad as you think? Or are you being overly sensitive? See if some greater good could come from the situation, don’t assume the worst.

Make sure that you are not the source of frustration in others. I have to look inward to see if I am egging this whole thing on, what is my part in this situation. Seldom is anything all one person’s fault. Often, if we look deep within ourselves, we will see that we are complicit in the problem.

Finally, if the situation is untenable, then remove yourself from it. Don’t destroy the group that is in place just to satisfy your own means to an end. Perhaps the greater good is that God is making you unhappy where you are so he can plant you elsewhere, where your gifts and talents are needed.

I don’t know yet what I am going to do. I need to pray, reflect, and ask God for His direction, for His discernment. It is a hard lesson, and we all must open our hearts to hear from God in these times. But His words, and His words only, will lead us where we need to be to follow Him.

Isolation.

The word conjures up some ugly pictures. Prisoners put in isolation because of bad behavior. The ill put in isolation wards because of their illness and the risk to others.

No, isolation is not a happy word. We were born to be around people, to be a community. To be separated from that community can be painful and lead to depression and anxiety.

But isolation from God? Nothing could be more painful, more gut-wrenching, than to feel that you are not connected to the Lord. But it is at these times that we can reach out to God and realize that we can’t be isolated from Him if we seek Him. He never leaves us, we isolate ourselves from Him!

From the depths of despair, O Lord, I call for your help.
Psalm 130:1

The psalmist cried out to God at his lowest point, and God answered. When we feel lonely, sad, hopeless, He is there to befriend us, cheer us, and give us life.

But what about isolation from God that occurs due to sin? We feel ashamed to enter His presence, but this is when He has His arms open to receive us. He does not abandon us! Our sin may cut us off from God, but He stands ready to forgive us when we repent of our sins. To restore our relationship with God we must simply confess our sin to Him, obey Him, and remain in fellowship with Him.

Finally, we must all do our best to avoid spiritual isolation. We are a community of faith, bound by one God and one Savior. We must seek each other out by whatever means necessary, to join in fellowship of spirit. We cannot isolate ourselves from others of faith! That defeats the purpose of God’s community.

For me, the internet is a wonderful thing. I can fellowship with other Christians right here in front of my computer. For some Christians, that may be the only way that they can fellowship. Some of us have the ability to go to church weekly and fellowship, to meet in small groups. Others can’t, whether due to health or other reasons. But God will provide a means if we will only listen to Him, obey Him. He will plant other Christians in our path, whether they are next door or a continent away.

God doesn’t want us to be isolated from Him or other Christians. Reach out. He is there.

Ah, the weekend. In theory, that is when we relax. In reality? That’s when we do some of our hardest work!

Today, my four year old has her annual dance recital. We will be there early for dress rehearsal, photos, hair and makeup. After a break, we will return for the real show. There has been a lot of work leading up to the recital. Lots of sewing, practicing, you name it. Our week has been packed.

This weekend comes on the heels of my step-daughter’s graduation last weekend. Company in town, parties to plan, gifts to buy.

It seems like it never stops!

We are all so dedicated to our lives, to the things that go on. We live in service to our husbands, children, parents. And we put service to God on the back burner.

We push Him to the back, figure somebody else will do it. It is so easy to know what our families need. Food, clothing, sleep. Taking and picking up. Love. And if we skip something, they will let us know!

But God isn’t quite as “there” as our families. He doesn’t physically walk into the room and say, “Hey, time to pray to me!”

Or does He?

New parents often joke, “I wish there was a handbook for raising kids.” Women will say, “I wish my husband came with instructions.” And yet God has given us a handbook for life (the Bible). He has laid it all out. He tells us exactly what He expects of us. And if we listen with our hearts, He is talking to us, leading us, every day.

Spend some time listening this weekend. Spend some time talking to God and listening for His answer. Carry on a conversation with Him. Remember, prayer isn’t a one way talk, it is a two way conversation.

He’d love to hear from you!

We women can take guilt and turn it into an art form. Working moms feel guilt for not being attentive enough to their kids, while stay-at-home moms feel guilty for paying too much attention and possibly spoiling their kids. Wives can feel guilty for eating out too much (I’m “guilty” of that one!), daughters can feel guilty for not spending enough time with their parents.

The list can go on and on!

But there is the guilt that nags at us because we expect so much of ourselves, and then there is the guilt that we feel when we sin… truly sin against God.

But should we feel guilty? After all, we are forgiven, so should our feelings of guilt linger? What does the Bible say about guilt?

First, let’s look at the source of guilt. Guilt comes from sin, when we give into temptation. And temptation often begins with putting ourselves into situations that could be explosive. For instance, if you are married, there is no such thing as “innocent flirtation.” It is the first step in temptation and sin.

Guilt can be compounded by bringing others into the sin we are committing. The effects of sin spread. After Eve sinned by eating the apple, she offered it to Adam and he joined her in sin. Sin spreads.

And sin makes us feel guilty.

But guilt can be good! In fact, it is a gift from God. Guilt is a red light, a warning signal, that we are on the wrong path. When we feel guilt, we can stop, repent, and correct ourselves with God’s help. We feel this guilt when we fail to live up to God’s expectations, but the good news is that God allows us to come to Him and repent.

However, remember this: The absence of guilt in your heart does not mean you are not guilty. Jonah felt no guilt, his actions didn’t phase him initially. We can deny reality, but that will not keep us within God’s standards for living. Romans 2:23 says, “You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor God by breaking it.”

So, how do we get rid of our guilt? Through Christ’s blood! In Romans 3:21-22, Paul gives us the wonderful news: “Now God has shown us a different way of being right in his sight — not by obeying the law but by the way promised in the Scriptures long ago. We are made right in God’s sight when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, no matter who we are or what we have done.”

Paul goes on to say “Now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1). What great joy there is in that verse! And Christ can relieve us of our guilty conscience. In I John 3:19-20, we are told that “It is by our actions that we know we are living in the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before the Lord, even if our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and He knows everything.”

For Christians, there will be no fear when we see God face to face the first time. We will be confident, because we have been bought with the blood of His son.

So guilt is an inevitable part of our lives, because sin is inevitable. But, for Christians, forgiveness is just a prayer away!

Rather than hit on any particular topic today, I would like to share an experience I just had at my church.

The church that I attend is a fairly large, predominantly white church. We have developed a relationship with another church in our city, a predominantly African-American church.

I’m not sure how the association began, but I am quite sure of the results. And they are fantastic.

Several times a year, our churches get together for worship on Wednesday night. When the service is at our church, they lead the service, music, preaching and all. And when it is their turn to host, our pastor preaches and we lead the music. Yesterday, the members of State Street Baptist came to lead our service, and it was wonderful.

Our churches worship differently, but not dramatically so. We sing the same songs, but with different style. We hear the same preaching, but with different inflection.

And we all worship the same God, the same risen Savior.

The service Wednesday night was wonderful. I get tickled when we have what I call our “meet and greet” part of the service… you know, where we all shake hands and say hello. Well, on Wednesday night there was so much greeting going on, it was hard to get the service back on track!

The pastor, Freddie Brown, gave a great sermon, filled with God’s truth… and a little humor. My favorite part, the part that got me thinking, was when he spoke about Jesus on his mother’s side, versus his Father’s side. Many of us look into our own genealogy, but it was interesting to look at it from the Lord’s perspective.

After the service, many of us stood around and talked. We talked about our faith, we talked about our kids, we talked about sports, whatever. But we talked as one body of Christ.

And that is what I take away from this service. We are all different in how we worship. We are all uniquely and wonderfully made. But we are all bound by the love that our Savior has poured out on us.

We are family, family of the highest order, family of the greatest Father.

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)

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.

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

Here I am, Lord. Use me.

 With these words, I am beginning my first blog on this site. I am humbled to think that God has chosen me to be an encouragement to other Christian women, or perhaps at times a sounding board. Whatever God’s purpose, wherever he leads me as I type, I know the journey will be blessed.

Throughout my writings, I am sure you will see a thread of joy and praise… I love the Lord, and look for joy in everything. Granted, there are times where the joy is well-hidden, but I try to find it, to find the positive within the negative. And I want to be able to help you see that joy, too. I want us to be able to praise God in the lowest points of our lives and be thankful in the highest points.   May He work His miracles in us and around us.

I am excited to be here. I have been praying for something that would allow me to work from home, so I could continue to be a stay-at-home mom. But I also wanted to use the gifts that God has given me, and writing is something I feel passionate about.

Our topics may run from the mundane to the magnificent, but hopefully we will always learn a little, laugh a little, and grow a lot.

As I type here in bed (I love having a laptop!), my four year old daughter is sleeping next to me, and my husband is on the other side of her, snoring away. I’m reminded of what an older friend of mine once told me. I was complaining about my husband’s snoring, and she got a far-away look in her eyes. “My husband used to snore, too,” she said. “It used to drive me crazy… I would give anything to hear him snore one more time.” You see, her husband had passed away a few years earlier. From that time on, my husband’s snores have taken on a different meaning to me (other than my own lack of sleep). His snores mean that God has chosen me to be the wife of this God-fearing man. God chose us to be husband and wife before we were ever thoughts in the minds of our parents. What’s a little snoring and lack of sleep when you know that the man who is behind it all is a gift that God selected just for you?!

I think I will join the rest of my family and get some sleep. Have a blessed day.

Jesus liked to teach his disciples by using parables as illustrations of his lessons. Sometimes, for both the disciples and today’s Bible readers, it can be frustrating trying to determine exactly what lesson we are supposed to be learning. Prayers can be answered by not answering them; we may fail to recognize a person or situation God has placed in our path for a purpose; we may get ourselves so deeply embroiled in a complex mess that we can’t see the small steps God is using to lead us out of it.

Then there are times when the Lord’s voice is as loud and clear as the person sitting next to us. Fellow writer Sally Andersen experienced just such a time. Her story shows that God doesn’t always speak in parables, and prayers can be answered exactly as we asked for them.

As my year term as president of the Panhellenic Council – the Greek Life governing board, and the largest women’s organization on campus – came to a close, I was trying to decide if I should run for reelection. It would mean serving during my senior of college: I feared this would be too stressful.

I battled constantly with weighing the options. The night before elections this was my prayer: “Lord, please give me a clear direction.”

The next night, at elections, I lost. I did not receive one single vote. Not even my own sorority chapter had voted for me. My answer, my direction was clear.

I cried and cried.

“Not one vote, Lord? Really?” I questioned.

I imagined him shaking his head, as father would do, perplexed over what his daughter wants. “Sally,” I felt him saying to me. “You asked for a clear answer. I gave you one that left no doubt in your mind which direction I see as best.”

It is not always this literal; sometimes we don’t realize that the answer we have received is exactly what we wanted. Other times, of course, we don’t recognize the answer at all, if it even comes in a form that we can comprehend.

The fact of it all is, without prayer, we would be more lost, more confused, and more upset than we are with it. If I hadn’t prayed before that election, who knows what would have happened. I might have won – and been so stressed out that year that my studies suffered. Or, I might have still lost miserably – and had no comfort whatsoever that this was master plan of someone who was guiding my life.

Sally Andersen

answered prayers, prayers and praise, God’s voice