Jun 12, 2012
Almost every day I go to work at Customer Service. Among other things it involves helping people with their questions, taking returns and keeping items tagged and ready to be sold. There are days when Customer Service is clean and organized. There are no piles of things to do and equally wonderful all the people are pleasant and easy to help.
Inevitably however there will come that day when disorder and chaos take over . Your once clean counter is collecting a pile of returned clothing, and the small back room becomes smaller because broken coffee makers are dangerously stacked. And guess what that same chaos has hit the rest of the store. No one can seem to keep up, so all your carts are full and there is no where else stick the stuff people keep returning. In addition to that bundle of “fun,” all those once happy customers have turned into angry people who are dissatisfied with the store.
To me it is like a mirror image of life. One day there is unity among family and friends, your health, job and house are all in tip top shape and your breathing easy. Then much like the chaos that erupts in the store you find out you have some painful health condition, your car brakes down, and there is drama and discord among you and your friends.
James 1:2 -4 says
“Dear bothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, let it be an opportunity for great joy. For when your faith is tested your endurance will have a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is full developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything “
James says “when” not “if.” We are assured that troubles will come and our faith will be tested. However we are also told that these are opportunities. Life here on earth as a believer was not meant to be some easy, pleasurable experience. We will face trials and pain.
Now our struggles here may not seem as massive as that of someone else, but they are our struggles. The enemy knows how to drag us down and make us useless, but more so our Heavenly Father knows how to use those same things for good. So next time troubles come your way, be joyful! and thank God for allowing you be refined. Then endure by the power of the Holy Spirit and the guidance of God’s Word and get ready to grow.
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Feb 14, 2012
Today one in 200 American women suffers from anorexia. Simply put anorexia is someone who starves themselves.
In the same way the body of Christ is filled with millions of spiritually anorexic Christians.
There are many ways this happens.
1. By not reading and studying the Word of God daily.
2. By not spending time in Prayer (communion with God) daily.
3. By not fellow-shipping with our brothers and sisters regularly.
Unlike the eating disorder that is so obvious in the bodies of people today – Spiritual Anorexia is not something you can clearly see by looking in the mirror. However it is reflected in the words and actions of those who have it.
So many times we get caught up in work, ministry, school, and decide to condense or forgo the things of God.
Then one day we wake up and realize we are weary of life and wonder why God left us or where He is. When in reality the reason we are weary is because we haven’t gone to the Word for our nourishment, haven’t spent time with Jesus who said His yoke was light, have not met with brothers and sisters would encourage and edify us. We truly are a foolish bunch : D
This is a truly dangerous thing, it effects not only our own walk but also the body as a whole. When we don’t live all the things listed above we are
-easily deceived (there is a world of false teachers out there and a roaring lion ready to kill)
-easily discouraged and beaten down by life
-handicap in the minstry God has called us too
etc etc etc……
So I encourage you to spend time in the Word of God – IT IS ALIVE AND ACTIVE. It is like sitting down in front of God and listening to Him to speak to you!!!
Spend time in prayer both communing with God and interceding – YOU GET TO TALK TO THE CREATOR AND KING!! As well as being used by Him to change people and situations around you.
Spend time with believers – They have so much to teach you and vice-versa, they are so encouraging – and you might as well because you’ll be with them forever
May we not be Christians made up of only skin and bones – may we truly live life to the fullest in Christ, and for Christ.
Jermiah 15:16 When your words came, I ate them;
they were my joy and my heart’s delight,
for I bear your name,
LORD God Almighty.
Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.” But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?” “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.”-
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Oct 20, 2011
The Mariana Trench is 1,580 miles long and at one point called the Challenger Deep reaches down 35,768 ft.
That is the deepest known point of the ocean. It was on Sunday that my thoughts took a turn towards the vast H2O that takes up most of our Earth’s surface.
In church we sang Matt Redman’s ” You Alone Can Rescue” One part of the songs says
“Who, oh Lord, could save themselves,
Their own soul could heal?
Our shame was deeper than the sea
Your grace is deeper still”
It was the perfect picture of God’s love. It goes further than our minds can even fathom.
What’s more it is not a pathetic ‘hugs and kisses’ love purely sentimental. It is passionate and all consuming.
It is because of His love that He sent His Son to the cross. I too often forget all of this .
Thank You Lord for your Love!
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Aug 29, 2011
The dictionary is filled with hundreds and thousands of definitions. However, I can’t pick up good old Webster and ask him to define me.
Recently I found myself thinking I was defined by my circumstances, my job, my ministry and my abilities. I then began to compare those definitions of my life to the expectations, ideas and opinions of others. The results from doing that were completely negative. Not only was my focus on myself , I sought to put others opinions over that of God. That led to self pity. Needless to say I allowed myself to become distracted and discouraged.
(sidenote: when the theme of your life is SELF there is only misery and grave disappointment)
Thankfully God reminded me of His beautiful Truth is: I am defined ONLY by Him (His work in me and His purpose for me) and that at times others can’t see or understand what He is doing.
So next time anyone seeks to put you in a box of their own making , try’s to define you with flat and pathetic words, measures your success with their short and crooked measuring stick; or when you find you’ve done it to yourself-Remember the One who knit you in your mothers womb and knows the number of your days. Keep all focus on Him and all value on His opinion , because in Him all joy abounds.
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Jun 15, 2011
I just spent most of my day at Martin Memorial North a hospital in South Florida.
My morning started with prayer and afterward I planned what I do with the rest of my day.
Those plans were put to a stop with one phone call. Our family friend and sister in Christ Catherine T. had collapsed and was on her way to the hospital. Her family needed our support and so off my mom , sister and I went. Cleaning the kitchen and buying paint for the walls seemed so pathetic in light of it all.
Later that morning I drove to the hospital with food and liquid, my mom was already there and my sister had stayed home.
A short time later I sat in a chair next to her husband Matthew and listened as he talked about whatever. He was in a haze of heartache as he waited knowing his wife was in critical condition. Around me sat other families waiting for their loved ones to wake up or get out of surgery.
I can’t imagine how hard it is for all of them but what I do know is that they were not alone in it all.
God was with them and so was His Bride, the Body of Christ! That morning I texted all the people I knew. Many from my beloved Gospel For Asia, others from previous churches, and still others in different states. These people are all separated by space but we are one in Christ coming together in prayer for a sister. How completely beautiful is that?!?
Then at the hospital a brother in Christ-Will-he does the power point at church and drove down to support them
A little later our Pastor-Greg came, then another sister Jen (from a different church!!) came to sit with the family.
I sat there in complete awe of our God. No other family in that waiting room had non-family members come to sit and pray with them.
As we neared the end of our time there Elaine called and asked if she could do anything. Tonight she is bring all of us Chicken dinner.
Walking out to our cars we were met with Ted and Cindy Joe a couple who had come to encourage Matt and hug him.
Finally home we were met with a note from my sister who had left for work. She had prepared the house and bedroom for Matthew and his girls (he was too shook up to go back to his house). Crazy amazing!!
That my friends is the body of Christ at work. The Bible says they will know us by our love for one another-I praise God that we could function like we were supposed to.
I pray that it doesn’t always take an emergency for us to work like that.
Please pray for Catherine and her family.
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