More than Surrender

The other day as I was walking I thought I was doing so well—using my walk as a prayer time. It sounds so simple but I have to be honest with you, for me it’s not. It takes focus and discipline. My natural tendency is to let my mind wander or better yet, moan and groan. So, I was feeling rather proud of myself for praying. I should’ve known better.

Like so many people, I like to use the acronym ACTS to keep me on track as I pray.
Adoration
Confession
Thanksgiving
Supplication

So as I was walking I started my prayer time with adoration—worship. Worship is an awesome thing. Taking my eyes off all the things I tend to watch and hold onto, and intentionally turning my eyes to God and His greatness and thanking Him and praising Him for who He is. It’s refreshing. It’s like hitting the reset button for me. That usually leads me to surrendering myself to Him.

Surrendering to God is good and it’s necessary to live a vibrant Christian life, but I tend to want to stop at the surrendering. I want to curl up like a cat and stay there at the feet of Jesus. I want to lay down in surrender…and then spend the day dreamily watching the clouds go by. Isn’t that what surrender is? Laying one’s self down? I can do that…

The thought had just barely flashed inside my head when I felt God’s nudge.

What about reporting for duty?

Really, Lord?
That takes work. A lot of work. And risk! I could get hurt, I could get shot down…even just being shot at is bad enough. I just want to lay here at the foot of Your throne and admire all You’ve done and sing Your praises. Can’t I do that?

I felt like I was in one of the Chronicles of Narnia movies when one of the children is standing before Aslan and the great lion says “hmmmmmmm.” I felt my shoulders fall and my chin drop.

Okay, Lord. I know You’re right. You didn’t save me to just to curl up and purr Your praises like a cat. You saved me to serve You. So here I am, Lord, reporting for duty.

Put on the full armor of God…

Really, Lord? Can’t I just sweep the floor and wash the dishes? Putting on the armor means battle and I’d really rather be a handmaid in Your house.

Put on the full armor of God. So that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Eph. 6:11-13

Mentally I started putting on each piece of the armor.
The belt of truth.
The breastplate of righteousness—not my righteousness, Jesus’ righteousness.
The shoes of preparation of the Gospel of peace.
The shield of faith to put out the flaming arrows of the evil one.
The helmet of salvation.
The sword of the Spirit.

Okay, Lord. Here I am. Reporting for duty. Ready to work.

A sober peace settled over me even as an anticipation and watchful readiness of what He had for me to do that day filled me.

It’s more than just surrendering to God, it’s reporting for duty.

Tweet

A Lesson From the Dogs

Gracie is the first to respond to each and every alarm that’s sounded—she quits whatever she’s doing and charges toward the point of concern. I’ve seen Puppers bark a warning, race toward the threat only so far, then fall back to what she’s watching over as soon as Gracie arrives. Gracie spends every night roaming, keeping watch on the perimeter while Puppers is the one who stays in the yard.

When Gracie comes home in the morning Puppers cares for her, whether it's licking her sore and sometimes bloody feet or pulling the burs from her hair.

Although we didn’t assign them, each dog has a job in our family—a job given them by God, one that fits with how they were created. If Gracie didn’t do her job, we wouldn’t have blueberries because the deer would eat the bushes as they did before she came to stay with us. If Puppers decided she was too tired or over worked to care for the needs of others, Gracie would limp and ache all night, making it so she wouldn’t be as effective as she is, not to mention the burrs and sticks that would get matted in her fur. Forcing Gracie to stay home at night by tying her up makes her miserable and Puppers is happiest when she’s nurturing someone, whether it’s Gracie, one of the cats, or one of us. Each dog not only does her job, but she takes great joy in the role she plays in our family.

As Christians we should be the same way. Some of us are assigned to the perimeter, roaming far from home, while some of us stay in the yard and minister to the others as they return or touch base. Each role is necessary and if one of us neglects our job for whatever reason, the whole family is affected.

I never see Puppers ignore someone who comes to her for nurturing—if it’s breathing, or supposed to breathe, she’s there, caring for their needs and showing her love and concern. She doesn’t seem to care that she doesn’t get out of the yard much, that she’s left behind and misses out on the exciting stuff. Washing feet is fine with her, even when they’re caked with mud and who knows what else. I’ve seen her spend an hour cleaning Gracie’s feet while the big dog sleeps, then lay down to rest and end up with a cat nestled in to her. She doesn't care that it's a cat and not puppy, only that she's there for the one who needs her.

Makes me wonder about myself. Am I doing the work God has given me to do? Am I taking as much delight in fulfilling my God-given job as my dogs are?

Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it. Colossians 4:17

Tweet

The Dangers of Self-Deception - James 1:19-27

We have two ears and one mouth so we can listen twice as much as we speak.
How often have we heard that in our lives? But how hard is it to put into practice? Super hard! And that's putting it mildly sometimes. But James doesn't stop there, he has to go and add that we are to be slow to anger too. That means that sometimes keeping our mouths shut isn't quite enough—especially if you're like me and emotions are often raging behind sealed lips. If we think that just because it isn't spoken we're safe, then we're deluding ourselves.

Thankfully, James gave us a reason to put the brakes on our mouths and our anger—because it doesn't accomplish the righteousness of God. In his commentary on James, David P. Nystrom said...

• Anger—the result of our reluctance to listen—is at odds with God's righteousness.
• Outbursts of anger do not produce the kind of righteous behavior God desires.
• Righteous action doesn't come from anger.
• Claiming “righteous indignation” is about like claiming to speak for God—something we need to think and pray about long and hard before doing!
• Venting is not righteous indignation.
• “The righteous anger of the prophets was directed at injustices that others were experiencing, not an injustice that they personally experienced.”
• Anger, even if left unspoken, influences our thoughts, what we do say, and our actions.

James 1:19-27.  Click so you can read it.

Therefore...
Anytime we see the word therefore in the Bible, we can stop and think “What's that there for?” We need to look at what the writer was just talking about so we're ready for how he's going to build on it.

How to prepare ourselves for God's word.

Put aside means to get rid of, the idea of total conversion, a complete change of life pattern.

What are we to get rid of? All filthiness and all that remains of wickedness. Every little speck of wickedness and filth in our lives.

Humility is meekness.
Meekness is not weakness. Meekness is a condition of the mind and heart which demonstrates gentleness, not in weakness, but in power. It is a balance born in strength of character. (The Word Study Dictionary)

Think of a stallion—strength under control and submitted to its master's will. (LoL, Patty's paraphrase.)

We are to receive the word implanted in us with humility. We aren't to argue with it, nor try to twist it to say what we want, but we are to simply accept it. Humility allows the word of God to flourish within us, producing fruit.

How to avoid delusion.

In today's information age we know a lot. But does knowing change our lives?

It is not the hearing but the doing that brings the blessing. Too many Christians mark their Bibles, but their Bibles never mark them! If you think you are spiritual because you hear the Word, then you are only kidding yourself. ~Warren W. Wiersbe

James 1:22-24 in The Message

Look in the mirror. They tell us things about ourselves. As Christians, God's Word is our mirror. A quick glance and it seems everything is all right. But when we stop and really look, we see that there are flaws—plenty of them. So then we have a choice. If we walk away, shrugging our shoulders and forgetting about it, we have deluded ourselves.

The only one we're kidding is ourselves. We certainly aren't fooling God!

But there's good news. If we stop and really look at God's Word, at “the perfect law of liberty,” and obey it—do what it says—God sets us free.

Like Jesus, James does not have in mind a new law, but rather the fuller expression or more perfect distillation of the Jewish law. For the Christian this law is still the will of God, but a more refined apprehension of that will. This is a law for which a purer cannot be imagined. The perfect law, the word implanted and allowed to take root, is, then the very teaching of Jesus. ~David P. Nystrom

Knowing is not the same as doing!
Blessing does not come from simply looking at the perfect law of liberty, nor from knowing it.

Blessing comes 

in the doing of it. 

Obedience leads to blessing.

Bridle your tongue. There are times when we just need to rein in our tongue. Thinking we do, when we don't is self-deception because the mouth shows what's in the heart. (Matthew 12:34-35)

So you think you're religious?

James ends this chapter by telling us what pure religion is: Seeing others and their needs. He reminds us to care for the orphans and widows—people who are often at the edge of society.

But he doesn't stop there. James reminds us that we need to be in the world without being polluted or stained by it. We are to live and work with those around us with intelligence and great thought so that we can keep our lives, our reputations, and our faith pure. Yes, we are to enter the surrounding culture but remains free from the evil to be found there.

Digging Deeper:

• Amos 4:1-3; What was Amos angry about?
• Keeping in mind how Jesus was treated by men, what was He mad about? John 2:13-17; Matthew 21:12-13.
• More for the trash can: Ephesians 4:25; 1 Peter 2:1
• How did these men respond when they looked in the mirror of God's Word? Job 42:6; Isaiah 6:5; Luke 5:8. How does my response compare to theirs?
• Read Psalm 19:7, 119:45 and John 8:31-32. How do they mesh with James 1:25?

Let's Chat:

• Stop and think about anger. Do you vent or stuff? What effect does stuffing have and does it make it okay since it's not verbalized?
• How does spending time in the Bible help us see ourselves?
• What happens when we continue to delude ourselves?
• How is it that the blessing is in the doing, not just the hearing?

For next week:

Read through James 2:1-13 several times.

Tweet

Children and Volunteering

My younger boys with some of the clothing room ladies.

A few years ago my daughters began helping in our church clothing room. It was to be for only three or four weeks, but it's grown into three years now and my boys have joined the team. It's been a life changing experience for all of them.

The ladies they work with could easily be their grandmothers and great-grandmothers, and the love that's grown between them is comforting to everyone involved. There have been times I've not been able to accompany the girls to the clothing room, but I've never had to worry about them. I know their adopted grandmothers keep a close, loving eye on them.

Through working at the clothing room my children have seen and heard things I would've protected them from. The attitudes, language, tattoos and dress (or lack of it) they've been exposed to is enough to make me cringe, but it has been good. They now see a different side of life than what they see within the safety of the four walls of our home. It's opened their eyes and help them truly see the difference God makes in a person's life. It's also given them compassion to temper and displace the judgment they once felt.

My older daughter with some Clothing Room ladies.

Volunteering at the church clothing room has been a conversation starter for topics I wouldn't have thought to talk about with my children. As we work there, we often over-hear conversations of patrons and get a glimpse into their broken lives. We've talked about what's gotten people into the situation they're in and how to avoid such things. The kids have seen a glimpse of the dross of the world as it is, not the shiny face Satan tries to portray, and it's made a difference in their lives.

Instead of seeing those times as unwelcome exposure to outside influences, we use them as teaching moments. They've convinced me of a few things we need to do for our children, things that aren't always comfortable.

We should provide our children with...

• ways to interact with others different than they are.
• ways to serve others, both those less fortunate and those “better off” than they are.
• ways to contribute meaningfully to the world around them.
• a view to see the difference God makes in lives.
• opportunities for volunteering, expecting nothing in return.

These opportunities are eye-opening for children and can help them develop into well-rounded adults who care about others and who are less judgmental of those who are different or less fortunate than they. It can safely show them the difference Christ makes in a life.

Tweet

Bench Time

For the first time in over two years, I'm not teaching Bible study. I really needed the break. My husband knew it. My bff knew it. My study group probably knew it. But I was in denial. I didn't want to accept that I needed the break. When my husband asked me to take the summer off, I did, and I'm glad.

But I'm ready for the summer to be over! LoL.


Here's some things I've learned while sitting on the bench this summer...

The bench is a good place to rest and regroup. 

I played basketball in high school so I knew that from experience—but I needed to experience it again. I was worn out emotionally, spiritually, and physically from trying to keep up with all I was doing.

Room needed to be made for other work and other things I needed to focus on. My priorities were way out of balance and this summer on the bench has helped me get them closer to how they need to be. We've also had things come up that I couldn't have handled if I wasn't on the bench. God knew that and sidelined me for my own good. Not only did I not teach Bible study this summer (and part of this coming fall) but I went mostly offline. I've been absent from here on my blog, from Facebook, and even from some of the loops I'm a part of. And it's been sooooo good for me.

Whining will land you on the bench. 

More than just for resting and regrouping, I landed on the bench for discipline and instruction.

I had begun to whine about everything important. Seriously whine—not the tongue-in-cheek whining we often do as we laugh about something. My perspective was skewed and it affected my attitude and my service. More about how God brought this home to me later.

When God gives you a spiritual gift, you better use it. 

If you don't, you'll feel unfulfilled, frustrated, and even miserable at times.

Never in my life would I guess how much I've come to love teaching. I still don't like being in front of people, but I've accepted and learned to deal with the fact that it's par for the course if I'm going to teach. That's where stepping into my persona has come in handy.

Recently I've hit the point where if I don't get to teach something soon I feel like I'm going to explode—and it still cracks me up. Who'd a thunk? But still, I needed this time on the bench, and not just because life overwhelmed me.

In many ways, it's not been an easy summer. May was an emotional tsunami for me. June slammed into me with family... stuff. July brought big changes in my routine and life. Not bad, but enough to leave me standing in the middle of my kitchen staring at buckets and trying to remember how to do things I used to do all the time, all the while juggling my “new” life. It's been interesting! God knew all this was coming and He prepared me for it—even though I didn't necessarily like how He did it at the time.

Being benched isn't fun, but it's necessary sometimes. And I've learned to be thankful for the bench.

So tell me, how do you use the time when you're on the bench?

Tweet

The Service of Worship

Each week at Living by Grace, a devotional discussion Facebook group, we post a memory verse and this week's is Romans 12:1...

Therefore I urge you brethren,

by the mercies of God,

to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice,

acceptable to God,

which is our spiritual service 

of worship.

~Romans 12:1

Be sure to check the Cafe for more links to WFW

Won't you join me memorizing Romans 12:1 this week at Living by Grace?



*Photo by courtesy of sxc.hu

Tweet

Burning Bones

My life is lived on Easy Street and yet, there was a time I ignored God's call to me because I wasn't comfortable with what I felt He wanted me to do. Even now, I feel overwhelmed and under qualified, and wish I could crawl under a rock and whistle a ditty to tune out God calling to me. If I were to do that (and I'm speaking from personal experience here, unfortunately), I'd be thoroughly miserable.

But if I say, “I will not remember Him or speak anymore in His name,” then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire shut up in my bones; and I am weary of holding it in, and I cannot endure it. ~Jeremiah 20:9

The task God called Jeremiah to do was not an easy one. It completely changed his life and made him 'stick out' from the general population—something that makes so many of us cringe. Not only that, but the job God called him to do put his life in danger and caused him great physical pain. Is it any wonder that Jeremiah says he would walk away if he could?

How many times have we thought about walking away? How many times have we tried to walk away, even though our lives are lived on Easy Street? Was it a happy time full of peace and contentment? Not even close! It was miserable.

That's what Jeremiah is talking about. When God calls us to a task, He puts a fire within us, one that will burn us if we try to keep it within ourselves and not act on God's call. We become miserable. I love how Jeremiah put it, 'I am weary of holding it in'.

Are you growing weary of holding something in? If God has called you to a task, He will enable you to do it. Does that mean it will be easy? No. Will you have to work at it—study, practice, conquer fear, and countless other things so you can obey that call? Yes. Very likely, you'll have to step far outside your comfort zone to obey. But just because you're outside that comfy, cozy little box you had all padded and decorated, doesn't mean that you'll be alone.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord you God is with you wherever you go. ~Joshua 1:9

Go in this your strength...Have I not sent you? ~Judges 6:14

Where is the better place to be—in your comfy, cozy, decorated box, or outside the box, free and with God? The quick and easy answer is a no-brainer: free and with God. But when it comes to action, it's much easier said than done. It's hard leaving our comfort zones! But all too often those comfort zones are actually jail cells, padded and decorated to give us the illusion of comfort. There's not much freedom in them to move around, and sometimes no freedom to do things God asks us to.

If your bones are burning, and you're weary of holding things in, cling to God and step outside your comfort zone. That's where you'll encounter true freedom and peace.

Won't you come by Living by Grace so we can chat?

Tweet

Time to Defrost?

There have been times at our house when the freezer door didn’t get closed properly and stood open long enough that everything was spoiled. It was really discouraging to unload and throw away shelves of fish and fruit. Other times food hasn't spoiled, but the freezer frosted up bad enough to need defrosting.

I have a tendency to put off defrosting the freeze because it's one of my least favorite jobs. One time I’d been putting it off for over a year, so it was really bad. Many things were frosted to the shelves and had to be pried or chipped loose. Other things were completely buried in frost and needed to be dug out. I was appalled. When I finally confronted the true condition of the freezer I felt chastened.

Now, I don’t know about you, but when I’m working on a cleaning job I start praying. Not the usual list of “gimmee’s” but more along the lines of “What am I missing, Lord? What’s the next step?” That time, because I was feeling so chastened it was, “What can I learn from this, Lord?” I was aggravated with myself because it seemed my mind was wandering instead of praying and seeking God, but I suddenly realized it wasn’t aimless wandering, it was God-directed wandering. I saw my life as my freezer, in the same condition, too and that was an awful sight.

Just as I have stocked my freezer, God has stocked me. He’s given me gifts, talents and resources to be used in my life for Him. But, because I hadn’t decluttered and defrosted my life recently, many of those things He’s given me were buried under layers of frost and ice. Sure, in a freezer you want frost and ice—but it has to be in the right place or it makes the freezer labor harder to do what it was meant to, and it makes it harder to get to or even find what’s hiding within.

That day as I unloaded the freezer so I could defrost it, I found all sorts of things I’d forgotten I had available to me, as well as things I hadn’t been able to find in a long time. I kept thinking, “Rats! I just bought some more because I couldn’t find this.” And, “Where was this when I needed it the other day?”

The same thing goes on in my life. God has equipped me to do the things He’s called me to do. If I take care of things well, I can easily put my hands on everything I need. I’m efficient and I run smoothly. If I do not take care of things, then I spend all my time trying to find things, then the time is gone and I wasn’t able to do what God called me to do.

Many times I've said to God, “Lord, I can’t do that! I don’t have what I need to do that.” I’ve said it hundreds of times--and I was wrong. If God wants me to do something, He’s given me all I need to do that task for Him. The real question is, where did I put it?

My freezer had lost all its previous organization. Everything was simply crammed into any spot that would work and nothing could be found. It was a constant source of irritation to every family member who went to find something in there, and my life had deteriorated to the same point.

So, do I throw up my hands and walk away? Do I scrap the old one and buy a new one? Or do I get down to work, freeze my hands off, and get it cleaned out? Lives need cleaning out occasionally, too—especially mine.

Paul told Timothy...

Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you... ~1 Timothy 4:14

For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. ~2 Timothy 1:6-7 NAS

God has given us gifts to use for Him, not to set on a shelf and forget about. Not to be lost amongst everything else. Not to be wasted and thrown out.

I don’t want to reach the end of my life and be like a freezer stuffed full of freezer burned, bad food—food that is no longer usable because it wasn't used when it was meant to be. I don’t want God to have to go through my life and throw everything out because it’s no longer valuable.

The things He’s given me—the gifts, the talents and skills, even the interests—are given to me for a reason. I’m to use them for God, for furthering His kingdom, not just to let them sit on the shelf and go bad.

So tell me, does your freezer need defrosting?

And more importantly, does you life need defrosting?

p.s. These pictures are not my freezer. ;-)

Tweet

Learning Curves

They can be painful sometimes, yanno?
(This is one of my favoritest pictures! My husband often says to eat your frogs first so you can enjoy the rest--meaning, do the thing you're putting off  so you can enjoy the rest of the day.)

Last week I ate my frog—something I've put off several times—and I installed Wordpress on a site. That was the easy part. (Which had me wondering why I let something so minor stop me.) Then, when I finally figured out how to get to right place, I installed a new template, which was also easy. THEN I opened up editor (admittedly, with fear and trembling) and that's when the learning curve shifted from gentle to steep. Ay yi yi.

I love Blogger. Really and truly. It's so user-friendly and easy to work with. I've learned how to work it so it does most everything I want from it. But Wordpress has a whole 'nother level to it—one that's needed for my husband's website, and Adding Zest's new site and... yeah, you get the picture. SO, I've been banging my head on the wall learning how to manipulate Wordpress. And it's given me a headache, eye strain, and completely stalled out almost every area of my life, especially my blogging. (Hear me whining? Think I'll scrounge up some cheese to go with it.)

So what's a girl to do? Shut up and work. (Hehe. Mercy is not my strong suit.) I have a deadline—two weeks from yesterday. By then the site needs to be functional. We can fine tune and tweak it as we go after that. Since it's my husband's site, it certainly won't be girlie! Nor will it look how I want it to look. After all, it's not my site, I'm simply building and designing it for my husband, so it will look how HE wants it to. A site that will be pleasing in his eyes. And I'm good with that. Even if it's beige and brown and doesn't use the blue that I think looks so nice. Even if I think placing something there is all wrong. (Are you getting a taste of how things are going?)

This has been a good reminder to me that just like I'm not the owner of my husband's site, I'm not the owner of my life. I might be doing the decorating, but I need to keep in mind that since I'm not the owner, I need to listen to what the owner, God, wants for me and work accordingly. That means that even if He says He wants colors that I consider ugly or ugly features or things in places where I don't want them, that I need to listen to what HE wants and build a life that will be pleasing in His eyes.

Because after all, my life is not my own. When I'm done, I want my Lord to be happy with the work I've done. I want to be able to hear a “well done” not “that's not what I asked for”. Besides, God sees the big picture of my life while I struggle with even seeing the here and now clearly.

What about you? How's the decorating of your life coming? Are you listening to the Master even when it's tough?

Tweet

Ugly Crops

Some of the fields we drove past today were oh-so ready for harvesting and I noticed a few things about them.

They're UGLY!
Scraggly, scrawny stalks with their ears hanging down.

But those ears would be a thing of beauty to a farmer. They were fat and plentiful. And that, my friends, is the purpose of planting field corn, or any kind of field for that matter. The harvest is the important thing, not the beauty or location of the field, or anything else. It's all about the crop.

We can learn from those ugly fields.

In our spiritual lives, our beauty isn't important. Sometimes it's seemingly the ugliest ones that have the biggest harvests. Have you ever noticed that? They're more concerned about having a bountiful crop for their Farmer than they are about being beautiful to those driving past them.

Our culture today is all about beauty and location and position, but we have it all wrong. It's just hard to remember sometimes when it's all around us. I'm tempted to glean an ugly stalk of corn after the harvesters have gone through and bring it home for my deck post, just to remind me that the harvest is important, not the beauty.

Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest. ~Matthew 9:38

Did you see whose harvest it is? It's not ours! It's God's harvest.

So tell me, how's your crop looking?

Tweet

Smoothness

Ocean waves Uploaded by Krassenceto

Is it only the crashing surf of the ocean that wears a stone smooth? No, it's not, but it's one of the first ways we think of. Times of great storms in our lives are also the times we remember the longest, times we know that God is working on us. But it's not the only time.

When David fought Goliath look what he did...
He took his stick in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd's bag which he had, even in his pouch, and his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine. ~1 Samuel 17:40

Tranquil Stream Uploaded by bsmith4815

Those stones hadn't been beaten smooth in the ocean, nor even a great river. They were in a brook. There's nothing fierce about a brook, but the water was enough to wear stones smooth. In Jeremiah 2:13 God calls Himself “the fountain of living waters.” God and His Word is like water in our lives—He smooths our rough edges with His constant movement in our lives.

Sometimes our life might feel like we're caught in the surf, constantly being pounded as storms lash us. Other times life is more like a river, or even a little brook, meandering and mellow. But even during those easy times, God is wearing the rough edges off us, making us smoother and more fit for His use.

stormy stone beach Uploaded by H o g n e

In Sunday School this week, Brad, our department director, said, “God's always working in our lives—it's just whether we recognize it or not.” He didn't know it, but he simplified and summed up in one sentence something I've been mulling over for a few weeks. Just because life is mellow at the moment doesn't mean that God isn't working in our lives. The Living Water is always moving, wearing away the sharp angles and smoothing us so we're more fit for His service.

Let the Living Water flow over you and polish you smooth.

Tweet

Shallowness

I'm not a deep thinker and I've had a relatively easy life. To be honest, I feel like a very shallow person living a life of ease. As I read through the Bible and read about the lives of those great saints, and then read biographies of missionaries, my feelings of shallowness increase and I'm more convinced than ever that I'm living a dream life in my own little bubble.

Just this morning I read in a devotional that “God never uses anyone to a great degree until he breaks the person completely.” I understand this and know it to be true, but I'm left wondering if God will use me at all since I have such an easy life and am not a deep thinker. I know not everyone is called to be a Matthew Henry, a DL Moody, or a Nate Saint, and I know they were ordinary men used by an extraordinary God. But what about those of us who really want to be used by God yet live a life that seems to only skim the surface?

Please understand, I'm not looking for pats on the back or excuses for shallow living on easy street. This is something I've been mulling over for a couple of weeks now and I want to hear your thoughts on this.

Does depth of character only come from great trials and tribulation? Is it possible for God to use someone who leads an easy life?

Tweet

Free to Be...

Today is Monday Manna at An Open Book and Joanne gave us another short verse that packs a whallop.

Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. ~1 Peter 2:16

This verse seems to be the culmination of several verses just above it...

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; ...Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation. ~1 Peter 2:9, 12

We are God's people.
Our lives are to proclaim Christ.
We are to live above reproach.
Our lives are to glorify God.

Yes, it's true, we no longer live under the law, but rather under grace, but that doesn't mean we can use it as a blanket excuse for doing things we shouldn't. Just because the Bible doesn't say 'thou shalt not' do a certain thing, doesn't mean that it's okay for us to do all things. We have to look and see what the Bible tells us to do and how we're to live our lives. We are not free to do anything we want.

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? ~Romans 6:1-2

In our freedom (provided through Christ's death, burial and resurrection) we are to give our lives totally to God. We are to willingly and joyfully become His bondslaves. Jesus did not die so we could go on our merry way claiming His grace and mercy as an excuse for our selfishness and self-centeredness. He freed us from our sin so that we could live our lives in such a way that God is greatly glorified. Always.

A life lived out of love for God will glorify God.

If a behavior or action will not glorify God, we shouldn't do it.
How do we know what will glorify God? By being in His Word on a regular basis and by living in a state of constant communication with Him.

Use your freedom to live for God and to be a willing and joyful bondslave of God.

Tweet

Plagued By a Piece of Cake

This week Sherri is hosting Fiction Friday for us over at A Candid Thought. Join us there for links to more fun fiction! Also, Cara Putnam is in the author spotlight here this week she's giving away a copy of her new release, A Promise Kept. Be sure to leave a comment on Tuesday's or Wednesday's post to be entered in the drawing.

Now that our Vacation Bible School is over for our church, our eyes are fixed on the upcoming World Changers trip. This year 3 of my kids will going with 60+ others from our church youth department for a week of work. This is a highlight of their year and they're excited!

Throughout the summer many others are going on missions trips, and as you know, missions and missionaries are near-and-dear to my heart. So, for today's Fiction Friday, I'm posting a piece to remind us to pray for those going on missions trips.

Plagued By a Piece of Cake
***Thursday***
I'm so excited I can't sleep. Tomorrow we leave on our missions trip and I can't wait. Cindy, my team leader, keeps asking me if I'm sure I want to do this. I keep telling her I love people and new experiences. This is going to be a fabulous two weeks, I just know it.


***Friday***
This place is beautiful! Palm trees line the streets and snow capped mountains are in the distance—just gorgeous! We're spending the night in a dorm that missionary kids live in during the school year and it's not much different than my college dorm. There's even a t.v. in the living room area, and we had meatloaf for supper. I don't see what the big deal was about and why we had to sit through all that orientation. Tomorrow we travel to Chillanes where we'll work on their church. This is going to be a piece of cake.


***Saturday***
I thought we were going to die on the bus ride here! The driver was a madman! He flew around hairpin curves and wove in and out of traffic. He used his horn more than his brakes and he couldn't even stop someplace decent for us to use the restrooms. I have never seen, or smelled, such a disgusting place! The toilets were overflowing, there were no toilet seats, and you had to bring your own tissues in with you. When I started gagging Cindy led me around a hill so I could squat. If I hadn't been so desperate I would've waited for someplace with clean toilets.

It turns out Chillanes is a dirty little town. We're staying in rooms at the school where there's no glass in the windows and no running water: only a smelly outhouse.


***Sunday***
When I mentioned the accommodations to Cindy today, she said, “I kept telling you this is how it would be and you kept telling me you could handle it.” She makes me so mad! There's been dirty kids hanging on her, and she acts like she loves the food. At lunch we got potato soup and bread, and supper was a huge plate of rice and beans with some cooked bananas thrown across the top. Of course, Cindy smiled and cleaned her plate. Everyone loves her—I just don't get it. Tomorrow we start work.


***Friday***
I am so tired I don't know how much I'll be able to write.
The work is harder than I thought it would be and people are always nagging me about being too stand-offish. I work hard, but I can't stand the food, and I'm starving. The dirtiness of the everything is just gross, too. I'm glad the kids don't pester me anymore--their sticky, grimy hands give me chills just thinking about them! The adults are better, but they don't try to talk to me anymore, either. I smile at them and say, 'hola', but they just smile and go talk to someone else. I don't get it.


***Sunday***
We went to another church today, even higher in the mountains and dirtier than this place. I forgot my candy bars and didn't get to eat anything all day. One of the old ladies there gave me some of those baby bananas. I smiled and said thank you, but I couldn't eat them after seeing her dirty fingernails. I threw them out as soon as I could. Later on she wouldn't even look at me but went and sat near Cindy. Of course Cindy put her arm around the lady and gave her a hug. How can she do that?


***Wednesday***
I shared a candy bar with one of the cleaner girls today. She laughed and ran off to share it with her friends. I was so weak I stayed in bed almost all day. Two more days here and then we go back to the city to fly home. The other girls are talking about how much they'll miss the people here, but I don't know why. I tried making friends with them, but even tonight they didn't want anything to do with me. And they say I'm standoffish!


***Friday***
Finally! We're back in civilization! I almost ate myself sick at supper. They served hamburgers and nothing ever tasted so good!

The people here are so much cleaner and friendlier. Why couldn't that village be like this? They don't treat me like I have the plague here-- I don't understand why the village people did.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~

This was great fun to write because I wove bits of real events in with the fiction. Chillanes is a town in Ecuador, although my description here is NOT accurate of the town, but I wanted to use that town name because two of my favorite missionaries live there--they had a profound influence on my life, whether they know it or not, and I love them greatly.

This sort of thing happens quite often on missions trips--unfortunately--but it doesn't have to! Loving people speaks through our actions and crosses all language barriers. I've seen missionaries kill the language but still have a great ministry because of their love for the people. It all comes down to love--God's love in and through us.

Remember to pray for the missionaries you know, as well as those going on missions trips this summer!

Tweet

Quiet, Please!

Welcome to Fiction Friday! We have a technical change for Fiction Friday linking up procedures. Due to technical difficulties others have experienced, we will not be using "Mr. Linky" any longer. When participating in Fiction Friday leave your url in a comment on the host's Fiction Friday post (which is right here today).

This is one of my early stories that I wrote for Faithwriters Weekly Writing Challenge--one that I really enjoyed. Since so many of us are involved with Vacation Bible School during this time of year, I thought it'd be a good time for this particular story, especially since I'll be in VBS all next week. :-)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Quiet, Please!
Melissa’s head was pounding as she made the circuit around the church building gathering children. In addition to her own 2, she was playing taxi driver for 5 others, giving her a total of 7 between the ages of 5 and 12. The hallways were noisy with the sound of the ‘musical instruments’ the kids had made in crafts that morning. There were oatmeal canister drums, soda bottle maracas, paper plate tambourines, and rubber band harps all being played exuberantly, emphatically reminding her why she worked in the kitchen during Vacation Bible School and not with the kids themselves. Children were not her cup of tea. In fact, she didn’t even really like children.

Finally having all seven children they headed for the van, at least until they left the church building, at which point the kids scattered in seven different directions.

“Stop!” Melissa shouted. “Walk this way.” She made a wide sweeping arc that pointed toward her van and watched in amazement as the kids laughed and fell in line behind her with their arms out, pointing. Shrugging her shoulders and shaking her head, she started off for the van. Behind her the kids shrugged their shoulders and shook their heads, but followed.

Melissa suspiciously looked over her shoulder and almost tripped when she saw the kids look over their shoulders and giggle at each other. Stopping, she turned, propped a fist on her hip and asked, “What on earth are you doing?”

More giggles as the kids propped their hands on hips and innocently batted their eyes at her. Finally Meggie, the five-year-old couldn’t contain herself, “Mommy, you said to walk this way, so we were walking just like you said!” The older kids dissolved in laughter.

“Oh, I see!” Melissa said. “So, if I walk like this,” she turned around and walked like Frankenstein, “you’ll walk that way, too?” Looking over here shoulder she saw they were following her, so she flapped her arms like she was flying and, sure enough, they flapped too, amid much giggling and jiggling from their instruments. Well, Melissa thought, I DID say it!

At the van she counted the kids and checked their faces, making sure she had the correct ones; it would be awful to get home and find she had the wrong ones. By the time they pulled out of the parking lot there was a cacophony of musical instruments as they all tried to out-do the other. This is why I only have two, Lord, Melissa prayed. Kids really do drive me crazy. Even working in the kitchen is too much, so please show me where I can serve You, without having to deal with children.

Britney twisted around in the front passenger seat and called out, “Ok, guys, I’m Miss Sherry. Let’s sing ‘If You’re Happy and You Know It!’” Melissa hadn’t thought the noise could be any louder than it had been, but she was wrong. The volume increased when they began singing.

“Sing it out, Gang!” Melissa smiled at Britney’s imitation of Miss Sherry, the song leader. “I can’t hear you!” Britney called out just as Miss Sherry did during the morning singing. The kids all belted out the song while getting more noise from their instruments than Melissa had thought possible, her head beating in time with the canister drums.

Maybe they’ll quit after this song, she thought desperately, wishing she’d taken the time to take some aspirin before getting the kids.

Rather than quitting Britney called out, “Again!” at the end of the song and they kept rolling.

In desperation Melissa held up her hand, trying to signal for quiet. “That’s not music! That’s noise!”

“That’s part of our verse today, Miss Melissa.” Jason, the seven-year-old called out. “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord.” The kids all happily went into a jam session leaving Melissa to her thoughts.

Ok, Lord. It may be a joyful noise, but it’s driving me crazy! Melissa gripped the steering wheel and prayed for patience. Lord, I need help here. You know I’m not one who loves children…

“Quiet! I can’t handle any more!” Melissa commanded. All the children fell silent and looked at her in amazement, all but the five-year-old who was lost in her own little world.

“Jesus wuvs da wittle chill-dwen, all da chill-dwen of da wohrld.”

“Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.”
~Psalm 100:1 (KJV)

~*~*~*~*~

This is fiction! Truly. But I've been whammied like this many times by things from a child's mouth. I think it hurts more when the message comes through a child. sigh.

This week's spotlighted author is Trish Perry and she's giving away a copy of her new release. Be sure to leave a comment to be entered in the book drawing, which will be open until Saturday evening. This book Trish is giving away sounds wonderful!

Tweet

Hearing Range

This week Janet Dean has been with us here at Patterings and she was giving away her new release, Courting the Doctor's Daughter, and Renee is the winner! Congratulations, Renee! And thank you, Janet!!!

Coming up this week is Adding Zest's Grand Opening! It might even be tomorrow. Might.

Also, Lisa Lickel will be in the author spotlight, and she's giving away not just one book, but TWO!! Be sure to join us!

And now...
~*~*~*~*~
Hearing Range

I just went out to call my son and as I stood at the edge of the deck I realized it was hopeless. He'd never hear me. He was inside the barn tinkering with the go-cart and it was running, causing a racket in there. Rather than calling him, and hollering for nothing, I simply came back inside. I'll call him later, when the noise stops.

I think God does the same thing with me. He may go to call me and see that I'm in a barn where it makes it harder for me to hear His call, but not impossible—He just has to yell louder. Other times He may find that not only am I in a barn, but that I also have lots of noise around me. I think those are the times He does something like I did. He waits until the noise stops.

Sometimes the noise goes on for too long and I miss what He was calling me for. Other times I turn off the noise in time to hear His call, but the best times of all is when I can easily hear Him. Sure, I can be in the yard or in the barn, but as long as my ear is always listening for Him I'll be able to be like young Samuel and run to Him and say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”

It's more than being within hearing range, it's listening for the call.

Tweet

Testify!

Today is Monday Manna and Joanne has chosen a wonderful verse for us to blog about! For more thoughts and links be sure to join us at An Open Book. We'd love to have you join us in posting your thoughts, too!

For you will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard. ~Acts 22:15

God has given us work to do! We are to be a witness for Him. It's something that every single person can do—tell others what Jesus has done for us personally. It does not take any special training or special anything. Simply telling others what Jesus is doing in our lives—in my life.

In Matthew 11:4 says something similar. “Jesus answered and said to them, 'Go and report to John what you hear and see...'”

How about when the Gerasene demoniac asks to accompany Jesus? What does Jesus say to him? “Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.” (Mark 5:19)

This is something that we can do even as we balance babies on our hips, or run a taxi service, or care for aging parents. Whatever time of life we're in, we can testify. God has done so much for us! Let's follow the Samaritan woman's example and run and tell those we know. As a result of her testimony, many people in the city came to Jesus and believed in Him. And all she did was tell them what Jesus had done for her. Nothing fancy. Simply testifying.

We can do that! Let's take every opportunity that's presented to us and let's diligently watch for every opportunity so that those around us may know God, for there is none like Him.

Be sure to join us at An Open Book for more Monday Manna.
Don't forget that tomorrow is an interview with Cheryl Wyatt and she's giving away a copy of her new release, Ready-made Family.

Tweet

Chosen

The first two kings of Israel were chosen by God and anointed by Samuel. Neither man was looking for honor, let alone looking to be a king. Both men were going about their father's business. Saul was searching for his father's donkeys and David was tending his father's sheep. Sounds rather everydayish to me.

When Samuel anointed Saul king in I Samuel 10, he also gave him very specific signs as confirmation from God—right down to how many loaves of bread and young goats men would be carrying and the specific instruments the prophets would have along. God made it abundantly clear to Saul that it was He who had chosen him as king. He gave Saul solid evidence of His hand.

But Saul, as he was, wasn't ready to be king. God took care of that detail, too.

The the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you mightily, and you shall prophesy with them and be changed into another man.
~I Samuel 10:6

That phrase jumped off the page to me—and be changed into another man. God equipped Saul to assume a king's responsibilities just God enabled those chosen to judge Israel before Saul's reign.

God doesn't choose those who are qualified
...He qualifies those He chooses.

How many of us have stood before God with our knees knocking and said, 'I can't do that!'? If God calls you to do something He will enable you to do it! Rest in that.

Even after God confirmed His anointing, Saul slips back into his everyday life. When Samuel calls the people together to choose a king, and Saul is chosen, the man is hiding in with the luggage. We do the same thing! God chooses us for a task, and we say 'I can't!' and then run and hide, forgetting, or refusing to believe, that God will enable us to do what He has called us to.

When it was time for Saul to step up, it says “God's Spirit fell on Saul” and he was able to rally the people and lead them as a king. God enabled him to do what he had been called to do. God does the same for us.

He will enable you to do what He called you to do!
Rest in that knowledge
and get to work.

He who began a good work in you
will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
~Philippians 1:6

Tweet

Windows of Opportunities

Welcome to Fiction Friday! This week is hosted by Josh at Just Joshing. Be sure to join us there for links to some fun fiction.

Exhaustion has settled in this week, but that's okay. This too will pass. Until then, here's an old Writing Challenge...

Windows of Opportunity

“That's quite a load you've got there, Kylie,” Mable White called from her front porch where she sat with her feet up. “What are you up to today?”

Kylie parked her wagon at the bottom of the steps. “Can I wash your windows for you, Mrs. White? Mom says I'm a good window washer and I've brought everything I use to clean our windows.” She waved her hand toward her wagon of supplies, which included a step stool.

“Well, my goodness, child, you've surprised me! I'd love to have you clean my windows,” Mable said.

With a big smile Kylie grabbed her bucket and roll of paper towels, went up the steps, and got right to work with her squeegee.

“So, what are you saving up for this summer?” Mable asked as she watched Kylie work.

“Well, I'd like an mp3 player.”

“A window washing business is a great idea. You should be able to save enough fairly quickly. You could even call your business 'Windows of Opportunity'.” Mable chuckled at her own pun.

“Oh, I'm not doing this to be paid, Mrs. White,” Kylie hastened to assure her.

“You're not? Then why are you washing my windows?” Mable asked, perplexed.

Kylie bit her lip as she worked. “In Sunday school yesterday, Miss Beth told us that we could serve God by doing things for other people. She said serving God isn't something we have to wait to do until we're grown-up; we can do it right now. And she said there's always something we can do to serve Him, but that sometimes we need to do things we're not used to doing.”

Mable chuckled, nodding her head. “Miss Beth is right. Serving God is important and it is something you can do at any age.” She gazed up into the maple branches, thinking about what Kylie had said.

Lord, I'm not used to being the one who's on the receiving end of being served. I'd much rather be the one serving.

“So why aren't you serving instead of feeling sorry for yourself?” came the silent reply.

Because I'm stuck in this chair with a lame knee!

“And there's nothing you can do while you're there?” Before Mable could respond there was more. “Did you even stop to think that maybe you're there for a reason? That maybe it's time for you to do something other than the things you're used to doing?”

Mable looked over at Kylie.

“If a child can find a way to serve Me with her seemingly limited resources, don't you think you can find a way to serve me from your chair?”

Mable's eyes slid closed as the truth hit home. I'm sorry, Lord. You're right--there are many ways that I can serve You from right where I am. Help me to have a good attitude about this adjustment in my life. Bless Kylie, Lord. Her willing and sweet spirit have been an encouragement...” Mable's eyes popped open.

“Kylie, would you run in the house and get me a few things?” she asked.

“Sure, Mrs. White. What do you want?”

“That little lap stationery desk my son gave me, my Bible, and the church directory; that should get me going.” Mable smiled as she watched Kylie hurry into the house, feeling better than she had in weeks.

While Kylie washed windows, Mable wrote a few notes, praying as she wrote. She was just putting on her fourth stamp when Kylie lugged her bucket and step stool back around to the front of the house.

“You've been a tremendous blessing to me today, Kylie.” Mable said as Kylie climbed the stairs.

“For washing your windows?” Kylie smiled as she sank down into a matching chair.

“Yes, but not just that. Not only did you wash my windows, but you encouraged me, too—and that was also serving God.”

“Encouraging people is serving God, too?” Kylie asked.

“Yes, it is. Serving God can be done in many ways, and sometimes we just need to look around for windows of opportunity to serve Him.” Mable tapped the small stack of envelopes and smiled.

Kylie giggled. “And those windows don't even need washing!”

Tweet

Serving Reverently

Welcome to Monday Manna! This week Joanne chose Psalm 2:11

Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. (NIV)
Worship the Lord with reverence and rejoice with trembling. (NAS)

This has been on my mind since Joanne posted it last Thursday, and I'm just now getting to sit down with it. I had to laugh because my thoughts focused on the first half of the verse, and hers were on the second half.

Serving God is one of our reasons for being here—something I'd often like to forget because I'm so self-centered and me-focused. What jumped out to me is that yes, we're to serve God, but even more, we're to serve reverently.

I think this is something God is really trying to get through to me because it keeps coming up.
Reverence for God.
Entering His presence reverently and now serving reverently. Often I'll go about the things I do and although I'm not flippant (although, sometimes I am), I'm not reverent either.

But as for me, by Your abundant lovingkindness I will enter Your house, at Your holy temple I will bow in reverence for You. ~Psalm 5:7

Serving God is an act of worship. If-- no, since God can use my service, even when I'm not necessarily reverent, just imagine what He might be able to do if I were serving reverently. Wow. That's what I want.

Thanks, Joanne. Be sure to join us at An Open Book for more Monday Manna links.

Tweet