What Are You Drinking?

     As we continue with Psalm 23, we see that the Good Shepherd leads His sheep to still waters. We see several things from this one statement. First, we see that like with protection from fear, it is the shepherd that leads his sheep to water. It is his duty to make sure his sheep has their need for water met. A sheep can become physically ill without water. Then they become weak and restless and will frantically search for water. However, a good shepherd always makes sure that a good, clean, pure water source is available to his sheep.
     The second thing we see is that the water is still. Have you ever tried to stand in a roaring river or rushing stream? It is difficult at best. Many adults and children have drowned in raging water they had no control in. Sheep have this problem as well. They become buoyant in water long enough to float away in any kind of moving water but will eventually drown. A shepherd always makes sure his sheep are drinking from shallow, still water.
     Lastly, we want to look at the water itself. A shepherd has three ways to provide water for his sheep. One is springs or streams. This is a great means of refreshment to the sheep but not always available. The other source is deep wells. However, to provide water from a well to your flock, takes a lot of hard work from the shepherd as he bails water in the heat of the day.
     The last way a shepherd provides water to their sheep is the most common. If the sheep will rise early and start to feed on the green foliage, they will get enough water for the day from the dew on the grass. They can survive for three months without water from the streams or wells. The shepherd arises early and leads his sheep to their field of nourishment.
     Though a shepherd leads his sheep to clean, pure, fresh water, often stubborn sheep will be determined to drink from dirty pools of infected water. This water can have urine, manure, and bacteria in it. Why would they drink from this when they have fresh water provided to them by their shepherd? They are stubborn, willful, stupid animals!
     Jesus, our Good Shepherd, leads us to still water each day. We have spiritual souls that need water. When we do not let our shepherd provide daily water to us, we will look to substitutes to refresh and satisfy our souls. Many will try knowledge, culture, travel, sports, social activities, hobbies, community effort, etc. But when all has been tried, they find themselves facing the same haunting, hollow, empty, unfilled thirst within. Only Jesus can truly satisfy. He leads us every day to a point of refreshment in our souls. Yet, so many 'human sheep' drink from dirty, dangerous, destructive pools of the world. 
     I have fought for my entire spiritual life that my time with God did not have to be in the morning. It is true that our time with God should not just be in the morning but for the entire day. However, scripture keeps showing us that there is something about time with God first thing in the morning. The majority of the sheep’s thirst was quenched with the morning dew. Scripture tells us that God’s mercy is new everyday; just like the dew! Testimonies of great men and women of God repeatedly point out that the secret of the success in their spiritual life was attributed to the ‘quiet time’ of each morning.
     At a feast in Jerusalem Jesus states boldly, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink.” In spiritual terminology, “to drink” simply means ‘take in’. We are to ‘take in’ Jesus to the point He consumes us.
     Are you drinking from the still, clean waters that Jesus alone provides? Are you drinking from the perverted water of the world? Do you ‘take in’ Jesus?

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures.  He leads me beside still water.

Psalm 23:1-2

Information taken from the book A shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller

What Do You Hunger For?

     One thing, we usually do not know in this country, is hunger. I have an abundance of food and it wouldn’t hurt me to experience hunger more frequently than the occasional 12 hour fast for blood work or surgery. I do not believe I have ever hungered due to the lack of food; I have never been ravished.
     The fourth and last reason a sheep will not lie down is hunger. They must be free from hunger to rest. If they are hungry, they will pace around looking for anything to satisfy their gnawing hunger. Their hunger drives them to a state of discontentment and dissatisfaction.
     It sounds like a normal procedure for a shepherd to provide green pastures for their sheep. However, it is anything but easy. Most regions that are known for sheep herding are semi-arid. They are dry and barren. A shepherd has to know how to cultivate the ground to provide the best fields for their sheep. They have to remove rocks, pull up dead roots, cultivate and irrigate the land, plant grains, and care for the forage. Lambs need rich milk to grow and nursing ewes need green grass for milk production. Without green grass, the flock will be weak, thin, and unhealthy.
     In the Old Testament we see how God provided the promise land. When this land is referred to as the “land flowing with milk and honey” it has an agricultural meaning. “Milk flow” and “honey flow” refers to the peak season of spring and summer when pastures are at their most productive stages. The livestock and bees that feast on these pastures are said to be producing a “flow” of milk and honey. So when we see this term “land flowing with milk and honey”, we know these pastures are the best of the best: rich, green and luxurious.
     For Christians the promise land is a picture of us moving from a life of sin into the life of victory. This life is provided to us from the unrelenting effort of Jesus Christ. “He clears the rocks of stony unbelief. He tries to tear out the roots of bitterness. He attempts to break up the hard, proud human heart that is set like sun-dried clay. He then sows the seed of His own precious Word, which, if given half a chance to grow will produce rich crops of contentment and peace. He waters this with the dews and rain of His own presence by the Holy Spirit. He tends and cares and cultivates the life, longing to see it become rich and green and productive.”
     Jesus, our Good Shepherd does this for us. He gives us green fields to find rest. However, because of our own perverseness, we often prefer to feed on the barren ground of the world around us. It comes down to a choice! Are you going to find rest and plenty in the green pastures that Jesus has provided for you or are you going to graze in the unsatisfying fields of the world.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures . . .

Psalm 23:1-2a

Information taken from the book A shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller

What Bugs You?

     We have two adorable dachshunds and we take care of Brittne’s miniature sheltie. We love our dogs very much but summers drive us crazy. Living in the country, it seems we can’t control the fleas. One of our dachshunds is allergic to fleas and her skin turns bright red where her hair is thin. The fact that their bellies almost touch the ground when they walk probably doesn’t help. The shelties coat is so thick fleas love to hide in his coat. It is hard to see them uncomfortable and scratching all the time when the fleas are winning the battle.
     Sheep have the same problem. They are acceptable to several kinds of flies and ticks which can torment them. Imagine how thick a sheep’s wool is: ticks would love it. There is no way for sheep to rest or lie down with these distractions and irritations. They constantly shake, move, or hide from the parasites.
     A good shepherd watches over his flock daily and at the first sign of parasites, he takes action. He uses oils and chemicals to rid these from his sheep. He moves them to bushy areas where the flies don’t follow. He does not allow his sheep to become stressed, irritated, or pure crazy with torment from parasites. He removes the problem and gives them rest.
     Life brings us many irritations. It is difficult to go to work every day and not have someone or something irritate you; and usually it is the same person or the same situation. I do not often respond Christ like. I seem to handle a crisis better than I handle an irritation! However, if the irritations are getting the best of us then we are not allowing the Holy Spirit to handle the situation or handle us.
     The Holy Spirit brings me to the presence of Jesus, my Good Shepherd. He brings quietness, calmness, serenity, and strength in the midst of irritation and frustration. When we take everything that bugs us to Jesus and focus on His presence, our response will change. We need to acknowledge that our situation is beyond our control, that we are totally irritated and frustrated, that we are bugged to no end, and we can’t cope or rest. We need to give Him control! Then His Spirit will wash over us His peace and calmness and before we know it, His soothing presence brings us to a place of quiet contentment. I am then able to lie down in a peaceful rest because He is in control of my parasites and of me.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures...

Psalm 23:1-2a

Information taken from the book A shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller

Are You Content?

     Do you care what people think? Do you try to stay up with the Jones? Do you push your children to be the best so you can be proud? Do you constantly feel you need to stand up for yourself to make sure nobody mistreats you? Do you strive to be the best at everything you do? Do you want the top spot in all you do?
     I wish I could answer ‘no’ to every one of those questions but shamefully I can’t. If I do not keep myself in check, I will fall into finding my identity through others or my job. When I do, I become stressed, discontent, worrisome, and even prideful.
     Sheep are just like us! They have a system of hierarchy within the flock. They obtain dominance by butting. There is usually an old, mean, arrogant, cunning, and domineering ewe that rules the flock and she achieved that spot by constantly butting other ewes and lambs. They can be resting or feeding in a quiet place and she will come over and knock them off their feet by butting them. She insists on the best eating spot and the best resting spot. It is not just her! They all do it and there is a totem pole of dominance.
     Because of this rivalry, tension, and competition for status and self-assertion, there is friction in the flock. The sheep become edgy, tense, discontent, and restless. They begin to show signs through their health by not getting enough rest and losing weight. They have to remain on guard all the time; they cannot lie down and rest in contentment. They must always stand up and defend their rights and contest the challenge of another.
     Once again there is only one thing that stops these foolish rivalries and fighting among the flock and that is the presence of the shepherd. When a shepherd comes into their view, it all stops! All of the games end. They understand that he is in control and that is all that matters. The shepherd will also discipline the butting sheep if they have hurt another sheep or was dominate with another’s lambs. It is not the dominate sheep that the shepherd is pleased with; it is usually the less aggressive sheep. The bottom rung sheep find favor because they are more content, quiet, restful, and humble.
     How many times have you experienced this kind of behavior among the human flock. Regrettably, I have seen this behavior in church after church. It destroys others, destroys the witness of the church, and sometimes destroys the church totally. The only way to alleviate this kind of foolish, selfish snobbery, and rivalry is for the flock to stay focused on Jesus.
    It is a humble heart walking quietly and contentedly in the intimate companionship of Jesus that we can rest, relax, simply be glad to lie down and let the world go by. Are you resting?

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures.

Psalm 23:1-2a

Information taken from the book A shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller

Freedom from Fear

     For the next few days we are going to take a deeper look into the requirements of the shepherd to provide rest for his flock. The first one on the list was ‘freedom from fear’! I do not believe we have ever lived in such fearful times. We fear losing our jobs, losing our house, not having money to pay the bills, not advancing in our careers, not achieving success, getting cancer or one of the other plethora of illnesses, divorce, unfaithful spouses, decisions of our children, war, bombs, financial ruins, poverty, identity thief, road rage, natural disasters, public shootings, food tampering, death of loved ones, etc. Finding any kind of freedom from fear is an almost impossible feat . . . unless you have Jesus.
     The smallest thing, such as a jackrabbit can cause panic and fear in a flock. The fear spreads and grows until you have a total disturbance within the flock. There is only one thing that will calm a crazed flock; the presence of their shepherd! This is one reason why a shepherd sleeps in the field with his sheep. His presence frees them from fear from their predators.
     As Christians we are the same as sheep. There is nothing like the presence of Jesus to dispel the fear of the unknown, the panic over the present situation, or the terror of the unexpected. We have all experienced watching a child work their way into a good fit when their parent was not present; but then their parent walks into their presence and the tears and the fit instantly stops!
     Whatever is bringing fear to you today can be gone when you stop, see, and feel the presence of Jesus. When we are aware of His presence, everything changes. We stop being terrified. Our outlook changes and there is hope. He gives us rest, relaxation, and a sound mind. A sound mind is a mind at ease, at peace, not perturbed or harassed or obsessed with fear. This is all possible because we recognize and acknowledge that God is sovereign over all things.  Nothing has power over God!  We trust God for His outcome and accept His peace.
     We live either in a sense of anxiety, fear and foreboding or in a sense of quite rest. Which are you going to choice?

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.

2 Timothy 1:7

Information taken from the book A shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller

He Gives Me Rest

     Does life sometimes bring so much anxiety and stress that all you want to do is to rest; to take a break from it? Yet, the more you try the more impossible it seems! It is at those times that we will never find rest unless we find rest in Jesus. He is the only way to have peace away from fear and worry; calmness within chaos!
     The next phrase in Psalm 23 is, ‘He causes me to lie down in green pastures’. Sheep are not calm creatures. They are easily frightened and stressed. The slightest movement in the flock causes panic to break out in the flock. It is not easy to get a sheep to a level of such peace and trust that they lie down. In fact, it is almost impossible for them to be made to lie down unless four requirements are met.

1) The must be free of all fear
2) Due to their social nature, they must be free from friction with others of their kind.
3) They must be free from flies and parasites.
4) They must be free from hunger.

     Rest is important to the health of the flock. Yet, they must be free from fear, tension, aggravations, and hunger in order to rest. The key element to these requirements is that only the shepherd can provide them: the sheep cannot create an atmosphere of rest on their own.
     We are no different! Jesus is the only way to find rest because only He can free us from fear, tension, aggravations. We cannot find true rest on our own. So . . . why do we try? Is fear controlling you? Do you have tension with others? Do you have parasites in your life that are driving you crazy? Do you have an unsatisfied hunger? Then you aren’t letting Jesus give you rest. Trust Him and let Him make you lie down and rest!

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures.

Psalm 23:1-2a

Information taken from the book A shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller

I Shall Not Want

     What do you want? In our culture, we are taught to always want more. We are taught to strive for something bigger and better. We have goals, dreams, wants list, secret desires, and even a bucket list. We live in a world that teaches us to be discontent and many Christians have followed the teachings of the world.
     In a time that David was on the run for his life from Saul, he made the statement, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want”. It is a profound statement that declares no matter what hardship, poverty, or anguish of spirit he might endure; he was satisfied with his Owner’s management of his life and he was content with the Good Shepherd’s care and consequently did not crave or desire anything more. Stating that we shall not want is not about wealth and prosperity; we see many great people of God walk through hardships and trials, not just in Biblical times but also in current times. It is about being content spiritually with the care we get from our Master; it is being content in our spirit. Phillip Keller states in his book, “No matter what strata of society someone is in, it is the boss—the manager—the master in people’s lives who make the difference in their destiny. I have known some of the wealthiest people on this continent intimately—also some of the leading scientist and professional people. Despite their dazzling outward show of success, despite their affluence and their prestige, they remained poor in spirit, shriveled in soul, and unhappy in life. They were joyless people held in the iron grip and heartless ownership of the wrong master. By contrast, I have numerous friends among relatively poor people—people who have known hardship, disaster and they struggle to stay afloat financially, but because they belong to Christ and have recognized Him as Lord and Master of their lives, their Owner and Manager, they are permeated by a deep, quiet, settled peace that is beautiful to behold.”
     Jesus says it is impossible to serve two Masters. Are we so content with His care, His management that we do not want to ever cross back over to the field of Satan? Phillip Keller shares a story about one of his prized sheep. She was beautiful and almost perfect. She bore sturdy lambs that matured rapidly. She had an excellent coat of wool. He loved her. She had beautiful green pastures to eat from and he took great care of her. She had everything she needed. However, she was a fence crawler. She was always looking for a way out of safety to the other side which was barren and dangerous. He called her, Mrs. Gad-about. She was more trouble that the entire flock. He spent a tremendous amount of time retrieving her and fixing her escape routes. If that wasn’t bad enough, she started teaching her children and the other sheep in the flock and they soon started following her on her path of danger. Finally, he had to choose the safety of the flock over her and he killed his prized and loved sheep, all because she was never satisfied. The grass was always greener on the other side, even though in reality it offered her nothing.
     Are you content like Paul, or are you still attracted to Satan’s fields like Mrs. Gad-about? Are you a fence crawler? As a Christian, are you still attracted to the pleasures of sin? Do you want to rest and sleep in the Good Shepherd’s field but play in a field of sin such as adultery, pornography, materialism, bitterness, addiction, an uncontrolled tongue, lack of discipline, self-centeredness and self-satisfaction, etc. Each time we cross over to Satan’s field we are saying that we are not satisfied with the care from Jesus’ field. We cannot serve two masters and we can’t sleep in one field and play in another. What field are you going to choose? I want to stay in the Good Shepherd’s care. I want to stay away from the fence and in His field continually! I want to proudly and boldly proclaim that ‘The Lord is My Shepherd and I shall not want!’
Which side of the fence are you choosing?

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.

Psalm 23:1

Information taken from the book A shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller

The Lord Is My Shepherd

     Over twenty years ago, I did a study that has laid a good foundation for my Christian walk. It was the study of Psalm 23. I feel the need to review this passage and so I am going to take you with me! I get very frustrated when I attend funeral after funeral and hear this passage. It has become the ‘funeral passage’ because of the lack of understanding about this passage. I studied this passage from a book which I encourage you to read: A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23. Ofter,for us to really understand something, we need to be taught by someone who has done it. Phillip Keller, author of the book, was a shepherd, so he can give us insight into the role of shepherd.
     The first words are ‘The Lord Is My Shepherd’. This is stated as a proud, positive, bold statement by David. He was known as the “Shepherd King” of Israel and yet he proclaims that the “Lord (Jehovah, the Lord God of Israel) is his shepherd. Jesus confirm this when He declares that He is the Good Shepherd.
     There are two kinds of shepherds: those whose sheep struggle, starve and suffer endless hardships and those whose sheep flourish and thrive contentedly. Jesus is the good Shepherd. His sheep have the best care. We will learn that it is no accident that we are referred to as sheep. The behavior of humans and sheep are very similar. Our responses, fears, timidly, stubbornness stupidity, and perverse habits all have parallels of profound importance.
     He earned the right to be our Shepherd three times. First, He created us. Two, He died for us. Three, He is continually interceding for us, He is ever guiding us by His gracious Spirit, and He is ever working on our behalf to ensure that we will benefit from His care. For these reasons, we are obligated to recognize His ownership of us.
     Do you proudly, verbally, proclaim that Jesus Christ is your Shepherd, your owner, your manager? Do you do so by your behavior and actions?

The Lord is my Shepherd

Psalm 23:1

Information taken from the book A shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller

He's Never Failed Me Yet!

     When Dwayne and I were attending First Baptist Church in Broken Arrow, before we went to seminary, we were in the choir. We sung many songs but I actually only remember one. However, it is one song that has been played through my mind more times than any other song. For the last 20 years, when fear and doubt hits my panicked heart, God whispers the words from this song to me. The words are, “He’s never failed me yet”. When I was stressed over money, I would hear, “He’s never failed me yet”. When I was petrified to move my children to the ‘not so safe' area of Fort Worth, I would hear, “He’s never failed me yet”. When I was scared to move 1500 miles to Montana without having a place to live, I would hear, “He’s never failed me yet”. When I was worried about leaving Montana and being as close to a new church, I would hear, “He’s never failed me yet”. When we were called to start a new church with no guarantee of a salary and many of the ones we cared for were upset with us, I would hear, “He’s never failed me yet”. When my daughter called from Peru overwhelmed with losing her apartment and her comfort away from home due to an explosion, the words I told her were, “He’s never failed you yet”. And today, when Dwayne did not win his election yesterday and my heart is full of emotions such as disappointment, I hear Him whisper to my heart, "I have never failed you yet!" 
     I will tell you the same thing. No matter what you are going through, stressed over, petrified of, scared about, worried about, or overwhelmed with, He has never failed you yet and never will!

Below are the additional words to the song, do you believe them? Does your action show it?
I will sing of God’s mercy
Every day, every hour, he gives me power.
I will sing and give thanks to thee,
For all the dangers, toils and snares that he has brought me out.
He is my God and I will serve Him,
No matter what the test.
Trust and never doubt,
Jesus will surely bring you out.
He’s never failed me yet!

Total Trust

     In the last few days, Dwayne and I keep getting asked two questions in regards to the election, “Are you nervous?” and “Are you going to be able to sleep?” The answers are ‘no we are not nervous’ and ‘yes we will sleep fine’! I can vouch for the fact that we both slept great last night. We are anxious to see what God has in mind but we are not nervous; we are not worried.
     I have learned many things through this process. One of the greatest things I have learned about myself is that I am not as obedient to God publically as I am privately unless I am confident of the outcome. When Dwayne felt God telling him to run, I once again wasn’t too happy to hear it. I couldn’t argue because I could see how God was stirring him but his odds of winning were not very good. This was before the wave of political frustration swept our country and he was running against an incumbent in a non presidential year. Someone gave him a one in ten shot of winning. I wanted to say, “don’t do it if you can’t win!”  To lose is hard enough for me but to do it publically is horrifying to me.
     Well, it is two years later and I have grown from watching the faithfulness of my husband. He has faithfully walked door to door in the rural areas, he has met thousands of people, and he has received the blessing of ministering to many and praying with several hurting people. He never quit being faithful to what God called him to do.
    Tonight we have the last campaign event: our watch party. I must admit, I think this will be a fun time if Dwayne wins.  However, I haven’t conquered my weakness totally because if we lose, I would like to do it at home privately!   Either way, tonight we will celebrate the completion of Dwayne’s God given task. He did not call him to win, He called him to run. Dwayne was faithful and has completed his orders. When the votes are in, we will see if Dwayne has an additional set of orders!
     What about you? Are you so afraid of failing that you are not faithful to what God is telling you to do? We never know how things will turn out but we are either faithful to follow God or we are not. If we say we trust God, then we need to trust him for the directions, the path He takes us on, and the destination He takes us to. Trusting Him for one and not the other isn’t really trusting. Are you going to totally trust Him?

Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.

Proverbs 3:5-6

November Is Here!

    November is here! I love November but this November will be life changing for me. First, I find out tomorrow if I am going to not only be the wife of a pastor, but be a wife of a state representative. Either way, I get my husband back on the weekends and I am very excited for that. I turn fifty in three weeks and I also become a grandmother for the first time. I have a special family member coming for Thanksgiving and one of my most special friends is getting married and Dwayne is conducting the wedding. Also, I have Brittne home for the holidays for the first time in two years.
     Now, all but the election will happen in the same week. Though it is all very exciting, it could be very stressful. Will Dwayne win the election? Will my grandbaby be born during my friend’s wedding? Am I really turning 50? Have I really lived 2/3 of my life? How will we work around a birth of a baby with Thanksgiving? How will I have a guest and maybe be running to Texas to see my new granddaughter?
     I am so glad that I live my life letting God figure out how to orchestrate it all together! If I didn’t, I would drive myself crazy. He knows the exact moment my granddaughter will be born. He knows if Dwayne is supposed to be a state representative or not. He knows how many days I have left in my life and maybe I won’t even see 50. He knows what will happen during the wedding that is happening the day before the baby’s due date. Also, he knows how we will juggle it all with the visit of a loved one.
     Saying we trust God, means trusting Him for all of it and not falling into the worry state of mind. We need to constantly rest in Him and let go of our worry. You can not worry and trust at the same time. Which one are you doing?

Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concern. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

Philippians 4:6-7

Pride Comes Before the Fall

     Pride is a funny thing. It has this line down the middle of it. If you step on one side, it is a good thing. Step on the other side and it is sin.
     When we are young we are told to take pride in our work, and then we’re told to take pride in our appearance. We are to take pride in our country and our heritage. Personally, I am proud to be the daughter of my parents, and I am proud to be the wife of Dwayne Thompson, and I am proud to be the mother of Bryce and Brittne Thompson. I am proud of the home we have created and I am proud of myself when I reach a personal goal that took work and discipline!
     There are two common factors which determine which side of the line these things fall. If it is on the good side, we see ourselves as humbled recipients of God’s blessing. We acknowledge that everything we have comes from God. Every ability, every relationship, every accomplishment. Two, our blessings are not to be used to elevate us above others. They do not make us superior. When we stop seeing our blessings as things God provided for us and start seeing them as things we deserved, we achieved, we created, we earned, or we accomplished, then we have crossed the line of sin. When we stop seeing blessings with humble eyes and start seeing them as reasons that make us superior to others, we have crossed the line. Once we cross that line, pride can make us so self seeking we can’t humble ourselves enough to fix broken relationships, we can’t admit error, and we can't apologize when we are wrong. It makes us strive to keep ahead of the Jones'. At this point, it shows itself in revenge, gossip, unforgiveness, murder, lying, etc. Actually all sin is rooted in pride because sin is us choosing our way instead of submitting to God’s way.
     Satan had a problem with pride. It is still hard for me to grasp but Satan started out as an angel. Not just an angel but a perfect angel. However, he allowed pride to enter his heart and God threw him out of Heaven.

We get a glimmer of who Satan was in Ezekiel:

You had everything going for you (he was complete, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty). You were in Eden, God’s garden. You were dressed in splendor, your robe studded with jewels: carnelian, peridot, and moonstone, beryl, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald, all in setting of engraved gold. A robe was prepared for you the same day you were created. You were the anointed cherub. I placed you on the mountain of God. You strolled in magnificence among the stones of fire. From the day of your creation you were sheer perfection and then imperfection—evil! – was detected in you. In much buying and selling you turned violent, you sinned! I threw you, disgraced, off the mountain of God. I threw you out—you, the anointed angel-cherub. No more strolling among the gems of fire for you! Your beauty went to your head (you were proud and lifted up because of your beauty). You corrupted wisdom by using it to get worldly fame. I threw you to the ground, sent you sprawling before an audience of kings and let them gloat over your demise.
Ezekiel 28 12-17
The Message (The Amplified)

We see his pride clearly in Isaiah 14 13-15 (The Amplified)
You said to yourself, “I’ll climb to heaven. I’ll set my throne over the stars of God. I’ll run the assembly of angels that meets on sacred Mount Zaphon. I’ll climb to the top of the clouds. I’ll take over as King of the Universe!”

    
     Pride came with a great consequence for Satan. Scripture warns up that pride comes before destruction. We need to be on the alert to make sure our pride does not become sin. It can happen quickly, and unnoticed. There is nothing I hate more than when pride creeps undetected into my heart. I need to tie a ribbon around my finger to be a constant reminder to evaluate my heart for pride. Maybe the word “I” could be my ribbon. Every time I use the word ‘I” it could remind me to check my heart for pride. If I am being prideful, I will be using the word “I” more than the word “God” and I will be using the word “I” when I should be using the word “God”.

Satan is a liar!

     One thing that is hard for many of us to get a handle on is our self talk. Self talk is the thoughts we constantly tell our self. This talk is influenced by many things; our past, our insecurities, our fears, our circumstances, our beliefs, our assumptions, and our opinions. If we really took time to listen to our self talk, we would realize there is a lot of negative untruths bouncing around in our heads. Those thoughts can end up directing our actions and our lives. So in the end, we are allowing lies to set the course for our lives.
    Satan is called the father of lies. Satan is void of good and thus he is void of truth. One of Satan's tactics of  attack is to get us to buy his lies. He loves to tell us things like:
· Does God really love you?
· Does God really exist?
· You are worthless.
· You deserve more.
· You aren’t good enough for God.
· You are a failure.
· Why try.
· Nobody likes you.
· Those Christians would never accept you if they knew the real you.
     He lied to Eve and he lies to us. It takes discipline to recognize the Voice of Truth over the voice of lies! Then after we recognize the Voice of Truth, we must learn to stand on it and let it shield the lies flying our direction.  Like everything, it comes down to discipline.  Discipline in who you are going to listen to and discipline in what you are going to stand on.
     What are you listening to? What are you standing on?

You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

 John 8:44 (The Amplified)

Extra: Take a day and journal your self talk, it will be very enlightening. Also listen to the song, “Voice of Truth” posted on the side.

We Have a Real Enemy!

    Though I love many things about Fall, there is one thing I hate: Halloween!  It always brings up a question that demands our attention: How much should Christians participate in Halloween?  Everyone has to answer that for themselves because we each will be accountable for our answer.
     For 30 years, I have tried to figure out where my line is.  I wish I could put on blinders and ignore it all together. Since that is not possible, I need to figure out how to live in this world that celebrates Halloween but not be of this world. I must admit it is easier now that my children are grown.  I can totally stay in the 'Fall Harvest' theme.
     One thing we need to be aware of during this time of year is how we portray Satan. We see cute little red devils everywhere. We make jokes about him like saying, “ The devil made me do it”. We act like he is nothing more than a cartoon character. We need to realize he is no joke. The world's fun levity about Satan is exactly what our devious enemy wants. We do not need to fear him but we need to understand who our enemy is. We need to realize his ultimate goal is to oppose God by devouring as many of His children as possible.
     We can understand him more by understanding his names and what they mean.
Satan = Adversary (he is our enemy)
Lucifer = Light Bearer (he portrays himself as an angel of light to deceive the children of God)
Devil = Slanderer
    Unless we lock ourselves up in our homes this week and keep our TVs turned off, we are not going to be able to escape the events of Halloween. However, we can commit to making a special effort to stay more focused on Christ, to pray more, and to stay mindful of the truth of who Satan is.

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

1 Peter 5:8

Remember Your Salvation

     When I got married over 29 years ago, I couldn’t find a garter to wear with my dress. I simply didn’t like them. They were just ribbon sewn on elastic. So, I made my own. I hung it on my bedpost for 29 years and that bedpost has been in twelve homes. Occasionally, I would make one for a friend and recently I have been making them for my children’s friends. While I am not currently working, I have made forty garters as the first step of creating a garter business. They are all different in color, style, and embellishments. Last night, I spent some time inspecting them for flaws. I pulled out ten that had some little things wrong. The center embellishment was off a little, or I needed to flip the garter, or a pearl had fallen off, or I found a little dirty spot, or I just didn’t like it and needed to work on the design more.
     It made me very thankful that I have been marked with the blood of Jesus which takes away my sins because I have accepted Him as my Savior and Leader of my life. Now, because of that mark,  I am not going to have to go through an inspection by God.  If God picked me up and inspected my life, He would find many flaws. It is who I am, a flawed, sinful, person.  However, I am now a child of God who has been recreated by grace into a beautiful daughter of the Almighty God. Without that grace, I would be inspected for sins and would be discarded into the hands of the one I once served, Satan.
     We often live in our salvation without remembrance of what an amazing gift it is. It is like many things in our life, we love the gift when we get it but then we soon stop thinking of its specialness and its value. Let’s spend today remembering the most special gift we have ever received, grace from God through faith in Jesus Christ. May we never forget its value or forget to cherish it each and every day.

God marks us with grace and blessing! Smile!

Psalm 67:1

Fantasy vs Reality

Dwayne has always teased me about the fantasy world I live in. Things work perfectly in my world and all the crap and unfairness of life isn't present in my wonderful little world. The problem is, reality always drags me back kicking and screaming. One thing I have tried for years in my fantasy world, is to try and wish things to be better without having to put in any effort. I wanted to have a great marriage, but I wanted it to just happen. I didn't want to do the work it took to get it. I wanted to be healthy and skinny, but I wanted to eat what I wanted, when I wanted and I sure didn't want to be a slave to exercise. I want my house to stay perpetually clean, without having to clean it, my weeds not to be in my flower bed without having to spend a day pulling them and I wanted perfectly behaved children without having to discipline them. I want to be a godly woman without having to go through valleys in life and without having to find time alone with God. However, this really does not work in the real world. All it does is keep us stuck. I wasted many years waiting for all of my goals to just happen and they never did. It all takes sacrifice and work. You will not achieve anything without it. TRUST me! I have tried. If you want to be healthy you have to eat better and exercise. If you want a good marriage, it will take effort every single day. If you want well adjusted, behaved children, you will have to discipline them, even if they say they hate you. If you want a growing relationship with God, you have to submit to Him, spend time with Him, and be obedient to Him. You have to surrender your will for His will. Your goals will never be reached until you do some work. That is reality. Satan will try to keep you in the fantasy world. Watch how many products are sold by promising you "no work, no sacrifice!" We are drawn to those words. But anything worth having does not come without effort. Like everything, it comes down to a choice. Which world are you going to live in?

But easy street is a dead-end street.
 Philippians 3:19   (The Message)

True Colors

     Fall is in the air and I love it!  My favorite thing is the changing colors of the landscape. I think it is amazingly beautiful and it fascinates me. While living in Montana, the thing I missed most was the multiple colors of the trees in Fall. The yellow Aspens were wonderful, but I missed the purple, red, gold, and orange trees. When I was younger, I always thought the green leaves were turning random colors in Fall, until I read a children’s book to Bryce about why the trees change colors. Let me remind you of something we all learned in science class: it is the chlorophyll process that turns all trees green. In the Autumn season, our part of the world is turning away from the sun. With the onset of the fading sunlight, the demise of green pigment unmasks the true colors of the leaves. The leaves begin to return to their natural colors. That is why all aspens are yellow and all oaks are shades of red.  Now doesn’t that make you appreciate the Fall colors more?
     People are like these trees. We start at a young age conforming to the expectations of society. We strive hard to be like everyone else. We become fearful of letting people see our true colors. We build walls and function in the state of formalities. We wear green masks. I wish that I could say that Christians do not participate in this process, but I think Christians have a tendency to wear masks the most. We present ourselves like we have it all together, like we are the perfect Christian, living the perfect life. Satan convinces us we wouldn’t be accepted by other Christians if they knew what we were really like. So we keep on striving to be pretty green trees, masking who we really are.
      I encourage you to be real. Drop the mask. Let your true colors shine! God didn’t make this world in one color and He didn’t make people in one color. Also, I encourage you to stop seeing others as a pretty green tree. We have co-workers, fellow church members, friends and family which we view to be just like everyone else. We don’t really take time to stop and care enough to inquire about their lives and their struggles or to share love with them and truly listen to them. If we would, we might see walls come down, formalities go away, and masks drop off. When that happens we can see one another for who we are, our uniqueness, our beauty, our true colors. How colorful is your world?

Let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren’t.
Romans 12:6 (The Message)

The Perfect Parent

     There are two people whom God has used and continues to uses in my life to grow me spiritually: they are my two children.  Now that I am a month away from becoming a grandmother and I am getting to enjoy Brittne before she goes back to Peru, I have been reflecting on how God has blessed me with the son and daughter He gave me. I love them more than I ever thought was possible and walking through the last 25 years with them has taught me more about God than anything else in my life. They have been amazing children. From the moment they were born I felt an amazing love for them that never dimmed, no matter what challenge I was experiencing with them. My lack of ability to parent kept me dependent on God for help and He used them to teach me many things.
· I learned how to give grace when mistakes were made.
· I learned to discipline because I cared more about who my children were to become than I did making them happy at the moment.
· I learned to totally depend on the Lord for His protection over them because I soon realized that I could not protect them every moment of their life.
· I learned how to put them in the hand of God and what it felt like to get my hand slapped when I reached to take them back.
· I learned what it was like to withhold from them things they so desperately wanted because it was not good for them to have or it was not the right time for them to have it.
· I learned the complete joy of giving them gifts and seeing their happiness upon receiving it.
· I learned what it feels like to hold your child when their heart is broken and have your heart break with theirs.
· I learned what it feels like to be consumed with the desire for them to listen to me and not make mistakes they would have to pay for later.
· I learned what it feels like to have pride pour out of your pores because they are seeking God’s direction for and in their lives.
· I learned what it feels like to let go and watch God work in their lives for His glory.
    As I look back over my years of parenting, I realize that no matter how much I thought I loved and cared for my children, God loves and cares for them more. He is more faithful than I am. He has more grace than I do. He is more proud than I can be. My children are His children first! He has never had to depend on anyone else to protect them, guide them, discipline them, and teach them other than Himself. Followers of Jesus are all His children. Parenthood only gives us a glimpse of how perfect, complete, and amazing our Heavenly Father is. He gives us grace and discipline. He gives and takes. He hurts with us and rejoices with us. He has a plan for us and He is working it out in our lives, if we let Him. What an awesome Father He is!

If your child asks for bread, do you trick him with sawdust? If he asks for fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? As bad as you are, you wouldn’t think of such a thing. You’re at least decent to your own children. So don’t you think the God who conceived you in love will be even better?
Matthew 7:9-11 (Message)

Little Things Are Big Things!

     I am sure you have heard the saying, “It’s the little things that count.” Though I believe it is true, I don’t know if I like that statement. It means: I can clean my house but if my closets and dust boards aren’t clean then my house really isn’t clean. It means: I can tell Dwayne I love him until I am blue in the face but if I don’t do things that mean love to him, he isn’t going to feel loved. It also means: I can go to church, read my Bible, and pray, but if I don’t live out my beliefs in my day to day actions, I am not showing my love to Jesus.

Gently encourage the stragglers, and reach out for the exhausted, pulling them to their feet. Be patient with each person, attentive to individual needs. And be careful that when you get on each other’s nerves you don’t snap at each other. Look for the best in each other, and always do your best to bring it out. Be cheerful no matter what.
1 Thessalonians 5:14b-16

     I think it is easier to go to church, read my Bible, and pray than to live out these verses. If these scriptures were rewritten to match my actions, then I am afraid they would say:  

“Impatiently and truthfully encourage the stragglers, and pull up the exhausted onto their feet, if you feel like it. Be patient with people who are your friends and who don’t test your patience continually, and when you get through with seeing to all of your needs, see to the needs of the people you love. And be careful that when you get on each other’s nerves you don’t snap at people you are trying to look good for. People you never see again won’t matter and it is understandable that you can be hateful to the people you live with everyday, after all, we all know children can drive you crazy! Plus, hateful people deserve a little hatefulness back! If you can find something good in someone, be sure to tell them about it. Make them feel good about themselves. Some people have so much bad in them it is impossible to find anything good in them. Keep your distance, leave them to their misery. Be cheerful when life is going good, or you're having a party, or you're putting on a show, or it's not Monday, or it's not first thing in the morning, or everyone around you is being nice.

If scripture only said that . . . I could easily be obedient. The problem is that the my version is a version straight from the flesh. There is nothing special, loving, or holy about it.
      If you want to be a follower of Jesus, you need to strive to be like Him and reflect His love and His holiness to the world around us!  Let’s work on ‘the little things’ that are really the big things! Looking at the scripture again, we can see some things we can ponder. 

• Gently encourage the straggler
• Reach out for the exhausted, pulling them to their feet
• Be patient with others
• Be attentive to the needs of others
• Be careful that when you get on each other’s nerves you don’t snap at each other
• Look for the best in others and always do your best to bring it out
• Be cheerful no matter what

Endure to the End

     While we were serving in Montana, God gave me a friend in a very unique kind of way.  I got a call from my good friend in Oklahoma.  A mutual friend of ours from the church we had attended in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma had a brother who lived in our town in Montana.  Her brother had left his wife and three children in a very bad and hurtful way.  She had asked our mutual friend to call me and see if I would be willing to call her sister-in-law and minister to her. It was hard to say no, but it was hard to say yes!  Since I realized that saying no would be totally from my flesh, I agreed to call her.  So, I called a complete stranger to ask her if there was anything I could do to minister to her during her heartbreaking time.  Luckily, she wasn't home and all I had to do was leave a message!  On the hurting woman's side, she was struggling with the fact that her situation involved the church she had been attending. She didn't know if she could go back and had just asked God what she was going to do when she walked over to her answering machine and listened to the strangest message she has probably ever heard. For some reason, probably because she felt obligated, she called me back.  We met and have been great friends ever since.  What was unique about our friendship was we shared so much.  We were both southerners in a northern world.  We shared church because she changed to our church shortly after we met.  We had children the same ages.  We even shared work.  She was working in IT at the Department of Revenue while she finished up her teaching degree.  She got a job at a private school in Helena and I took over her job in IT at the DOR.  I moved into change management and we were looking to hire an additional person at the end of her first year of teaching when she knew she could no longer raise her family on what she had made at the private school.  So, she came back to work at DOR and worked with me in Change Management.  Then I developed and implemented a training department and she did a lot of training with me and when a position came open in training she moved to my department and then took over my position when I left to move to Oklahoma.  We always had so much to talk about; work, church, and family!  We ended up spending every Thanksgiving and Christmas together for five years because we didn't have family in Montana.
     That was over fifteen years ago!  This friendship blessed me more than having a great companion.  I learned so much from her spiritually.  Her personality and demeanor is totally opposite than mine.  She processes things internally and quietly.  The divorce in her life taught her a total dependence on God and that became a beautiful strength in her.  I have watched her as she dealt with the hurt of divorce and became ready to move on.  I have seen dating relationships not work out for her.  Through it all she stayed totally dependent on God and His plan for her life.  She sought Him constantly for the direction He wanted her to go.  It has been a long journey for her but I have never seen anyone travel it so faithfully devoted to the Lord as she has.  And now . . . she's getting her reward!  In four weeks, she is getting married to a wonderfully kind, Christian man.  Watching the wedding ceremony will be a very emotional time for me.  Not just because I am so happy for her, I can't stand it: but because of the beautiful witness she has been for the Lord, for the lesson she has taught me, for this long journey in her life to come to a close, and for the goodness of God to be revealed once again.

     I tell you this story as a testimony to you that no matter what you're enduring on your journey, stay dependent on God, stay faithful to Jesus, and you will endure.  When you have completed your journey, you will know in an indescribable way, the goodness of our Lord!

I remember it all -- oh, how well I remember -- the feeling of hitting the bottom.  But there's one other thing I remember, and remembering, I keep a grip on hope. God's loyal love couldn't have run out, his merciful love couldn't have dried up. They're created new every morning.  How great your faithfulness!  I'm sticking with God (I say it over and over). He's all I've got left. God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits, to the woman who diligently seeks.
Lamentations  3:20-25

What Are You Hearing?

     Ever have God teach you something and then have it confirmed to you right after?  Yesterday, Dwayne was preaching on knowing God’s will. He stated that to know God’s will, you have to hear God’s voice. To hear God’s voice, you have to recognize it among all the voices we hear and sometimes listen to.
     An hour earlier the music team was trying to get their headsets balanced during practice. We have moved from monitors to ear sets that are run through the main sound system. At first, I was finding it a little comical as the drummer would say, “I need more guitar in my ear”, then “I need less guitar in my ear.” Others would need more or less of each of the three singers, or more or less drums and guitars. As the process continued, I began to think about how I wish I could wear a ear piece and tell someone to turn down all the noise of life and Satan, and to increase the volume of God so I could hear Him more clearly.
     In reality, I don’t get a spiritual ear piece. Sometimes, I wish God would yell over the other sounds but He doesn’t; He whispers. If you want to hear Him, you have to learn discipline. You are going to want to hear Him enough to quiet the noise around you. It doesn’t just happen, you have to want it!

Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;

He's the One who will keep you on track.

Proverbs 3:6

Appreciate Your Pastor

And now, friends, we ask you to honor those leaders who work so hard for you, who have been given the responsibility of urging and guiding you along in your obedience. Overwhelm them with appreciation and love!

1 Thessalonians 5:12-13a

     October is pastor appreciation month. Though I tease around and proclaim I do not have a pastor nor have I had one in fifteen plus years, I realize that I do have my very own pastor. I have received a front row seat in watching what a pastor does throughout their ministry. At times, I have wanted to be an announcer and make sure everyone sees what a great job my husband is doing and how long he worked on that event. Sometimes, I have wanted to be the referee and throw a few penalty flags for misconduct by others. I have tried to be the coach occasionally and tell him what to do. But in reality, my position is on the bench; watching, observing, learning and when called upon, to serve alongside him as his teammate. There have been wonderful times of victory and there have been challenging and discouraging times when we wanted to call it quits and head for the locker room.
     My husband, and pastor, has served with obedience to the call God has given him. Throughout his ministry, I have seen him do many things including hauling a piano, baby bed, toys, and boxes to the church every Sunday for four years. I have seen him work on building projects until he couldn’t move, be the first to arrive and the last to leave, clean bathrooms, take out the trash, vacuum, straighten classrooms, put out chairs, pick up trash in parking lots, and make the coffee. I have seen him study and prepare over a thousand sermons, teachings, funerals, and weddings. I have seen him come home so tired, sit down, and get a phone call and leave to make a hospital visit. I have seen him go help with domestic violence involving a gun at two in the morning. I have seen him visit many people in jail. I have seen him pour his time and love into helping someone only to have them not speak to him when the crisis is over. I have seen him take criticism lovingly, praise humbly, and unkind behavior kindly. I have watched as he is always the last to go through the dinner lines. I have seen him cry with the brokenhearted, laugh with the joyous, pray with those in need, stand up for those being attacked, lovingly correct those who are causing hurt, encourage the discouraged, love the unlovely, befriend the lonely, father the fatherless, and genuinely care for people. He has hauled people’s trash, ministered to people's friends and family, moved many people, driven people to other towns, had people live with us, and worked in their business when they needed help. I have seen him hold people’s hands as they are dying and tenderly love them and the family through the process.
     Through all of this, I have never seen him complain, be full of anger towards someone, be revengeful, expect to be paid back, try to elevate himself, tell others what he does, or expect to be treated different. I have learned many things from him: a true servant’s heart, unconditional love, humility, obedience no matter what the cost, and Godly wisdom. I am sure that I am not the only one that has learned these things from him.
     Now, don’t get me wrong; my husband is not perfect; he is still an everyday man. However, there are far more good qualities in him than imperfections. I am sure that your pastor has great qualities as well. I am sure that there are people you know who would rather see his imperfections than his goodness. The question is what are you going to focus on?
     There are lots of events happening in churches this month honoring their pastors. It is a time we remember to be grateful for their service to us, which we so often take for granted. Let me encourage you to not only do something for your pastor corporately but to also take time to tell them how they make a difference in your life. Maybe you could write a card to an old pastor or a pastor friend as well. There is no better encouragement you can give a pastor than to let them know their hard work matters in leading people to a closer walk with Jesus!

Thank you Dwayne for the pastor you are and

 for the way you reflect Jesus to the world around you!

Who Are You Reaching For?

     Yesterday, we saw history in the making! We saw 33 miners rescued from a collapsed mine in Chile. They were there for 69 days. Imagine what it would be like to be stuck in a small, rock room, the length of three football fields below ground. For 17 days, they did not know if people would know where to find them and they had no way of letting them know they were still alive. Families assumed the worse and considered them dead. There was even a mass held in their memory. Then a 12" inch hole was drilled and hit the room where they were. They were able to tell their families they were alive. However, they then had a 52 day wait to be rescued. “Would they be able to hold on while rescue supplies were created, made, and implemented?” seemed to be the question everyone wondered. Yesterday, we saw all of them rescued with no fatalities. God is good!  When one of the first men was rescued he made an interesting statement, “I starred at God and the Devil, and I reached out for God!” 
     Often we find ourselves in pits. We can’t see clearly and we have no idea how long we are going to be in the situation. In those times, we are face to face with the Devil and God. Satan tries to use the situation to draw us away from God. He makes us question, worry, and fear. He will drive us insane if we allow him. God tries to draw us closer. He offers us trust, rest, and peace. He will be our Rock and our Light. He will make us stronger for having endured. Both stand before you in your situation. Who are you going to reach out too?

God can’t break his word. And because his word cannot change, the promise is likewise unchangeable. We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It’s an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God.

Hebrews 6:18-19

Are You Ready?

     I have love/hate feelings with visits from people when I only have approximately an hour notice! I love it when they arrive but the hour before they arrive I am usually running around like crazy cleaning. All the things I have put off doing, I cram into this hour. I end up doing a day’s work in only sixty minutes. At the end, I light some candles which always make things appear homier than what they may actually be! When I am done, I am always glad I got it all done and then I say, “I wish more people would pop by so I could stay motivated in getting the house clean in an hour!”
     Sometimes we have a tendency to think this way with Christ returning. We know what we need to do but we keep putting it off. We have this warped thinking that we will have time to get it done before Jesus comes, but in reality we may not. Jesus could return before you finish reading this. We hear those words so much they tend to lose their urgency and we become numb to their warning. We stop living with the expectancy of Jesus coming today, maybe right now!
     Every day, we need to tell our self that Jesus may come today! We won’t have an hour notice to get things in order, we must be ready at all times! Are you ready?

You know as well as I that the day of the Master’s coming can’t be posted on our calendars. He won’t call ahead and make an appointment any more than a burglar would. About the time everybody’s walking around complacently, congratulating each other—“We’ve sure got it made! Now we can take it easy!” – Suddenly everything will fall apart. It’s going to come as suddenly and inescapably as birth is to a pregnant woman. But friends, you’re not in the dark, so how could you be taken off guard by any of this?

1 Thessalonians 5: 1-4

Be An Encourager

     Do you have people in your life that make you feel good every time you see them or talk to them?  I do and they tend to be some of my dearest relationships. I have a friend from seminary who is amazing at being an encourager. When I started holding retreats in Montana, she was the first person I had come and speak. The same is true when I started doing them in Oklahoma. I wanted to share her love, sweetness, and encouraging spirit with others. She impacts every life she touches.
     Brittne and I called her yesterday and it once again inspired me. I need to call her more to refocus my spirit. She never talks to you in an ‘Eeyore’ tone; she makes you feel like she has been waiting diligently for the event of talking to you! While you are with her or while you are talking to her, she ministers to you and her spirit overflows onto you like a refreshing shower.
     I always end our time together wanting to be more like her. The fact is I can be! We both have the same Holy Spirit living in us; I just need to surrender to it more! My prayer is that I become a better encourager with my words, my enthusiasm, and my delivery. Maybe that will be my spiritual goal for 2011!

(Speaking of Paul) Traveling through the country, passing from one gathering to another, he gave constant encouragement, lifting their spirits and charging them with fresh hope.

Acts 20:2

Need to Refocus?

     I encouraged you months ago to set some spiritual goals and focus for your life this year! How are you doing? In a few short months, it will be time to set new ones. The busyness of life can so easily steal our focus from what we want to do and become. It takes constant refocusing and evaluating.
     What we want to be has to be more than words. It has to have action behind the words. This weekend I was able to attend a breakfast banquet. They spoke about their commitment to health and wellness and they are even trying to raise money to build a facility. I was impressed. Then we went through the line for food and it was bacon, sausage, fried potatoes, eggs, biscuits, and gravy. The majority of people were seniors and I am sure most were on some kind of restrictive diet and this is the breakfast they were given. There was no fruit, whole grains, turkey bacon, cereal, or oatmeal. I understand that not every place is going to provide healthy options for meals. That is the world we live in. What bothers me is that they spoke of being committed to wellness but gave no healthy options. Their actions did not match their words.
    What about you? Are your actions supporting your words? Is your behavior demonstrating your goals? If people watched a video of your daily behavior and it had no sound to it, what would they say about you? Is it time to refocus on your spiritual goals and God? Don’t let busyness rob you of what you really want to be and how you want to live for God!

Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more of self than God. That person ignores who God is and what He is doing. And God isn’t pleased at being ignored.

Romans 8:7-8

Pull Up a Chair

How is your prayer life?  Are you comfortable talking to God?  Are you comfortable praying publicly?
      One thing that all new Christians struggle with is praying.  They are unsure how to privately pray and they are terrified to publicly pray.  Their reason for the struggle is always the same, "Everyone is so eloquent", or "their prayers flow so beautifully, I stumble over my words"!  Yet, to me, there is nothing more moving than a prayer from a child or a young Christian.  They are heartfelt and sincere. To me the most moving kind.
     I must admit to you that I am not into eloquent prayers.  It doesn't feel like me.  Nor do I connect with public prayer that is too eloquent, too rambling, or too personal.  Please forgive me if I sound judgemental.  Regrettably, I probably am.  If I am with someone that is going through a situation and we pray together, then I am very comfortable for them to pray whatever is on their heart no matter how personal it may be.  However, in a corporate prayer, when someone moves from the 'we' word to the 'I' or 'me' word, I start disconnecting.  It is like I am ease dropping on their private conversation.  
If my heart is not joined in with the corporate prayer, then one of two things is wrong.  My heart is not in the right place and I am not wanting to pray, or the person praying isn't praying from the heart but meerly saying impressive words.
     I remember a story I read many months ago.  A pastor went to visit a sick elderly man.  They began talking about prayer and the man explained that at one time in his life, he struggled with praying.  Then he started pulling up a chair and he imaged Jesus in that chair. He talks to Jesus as if he was physically sitting there.  He had been talking to the chair for many, many years. Not long after the pastor's visit, the man died.  The pastor went to visit the family.  He was talking to the daughter who stated that her dad had died in unusual position.  They found him knelt down by a chair with his head lying in the seat.
What a beautiful picture of what prayer should be like! Don't get wrapped up in the words, get wrapped up with the heart.  Talk to Jesus about what is going on in your heart.  Pull up a chair, pretend Jesus is sitting there, and just start talking!

And when you come before God, don't turn that into a theatrical production either.  All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat? Here's what I want you to do: Find a quiet secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God.  Just be there as simply and honesly as you can manage.  The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.  The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant.  They're full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don't fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with and He knows better than you what you need.

Matthew 6:5-8

It's Not Really Lost

     Tonight, Brittne and I went to the park to walk and run. She runs much faster than I do, so we go our separate ways until we are done. After almost four miles, we were finished, met up, and went walking to the car. Brittne asked me for the keys. I panicked because I didn’t remember her giving me the keys. I questioned her about her certainty because I had no recollection of having the keys. However, I know my memory gets me into a lot of predicaments, so I accepted the fact that my twenty-four year old daughter’s memory is better than mine. We figured that I had put the keys in the pocket of my jacket and they fell out when I was running. We each went different directions on the loop to look for the keys and agreed to meet up in the middle. When we met up, we discovered that neither one of us had found the keys. We agreed it was too dark to find them and started making a plan as to what we were going to do. Our purses and phones were in the car so we figured we were going to have to find someone with a phone and see if we could call Dwayne to bring us a key. I decided that since the key had the model of the car on it maybe someone dropped the keys off at the car. It was worth checking into. We did not find the keys around the car but for some strange reason Brittne reached over and tried to open the car door; it opened. The keys were in the car, along with all of our belongings! I must admit, I was more happy to know my mind wasn’t completely incompetent than I was to find the keys!
     Have you ever felt like you lost your relationship or your closeness or intimacy with Jesus? Often we go on a scavenger hunt to try and find something to help us restore our relationship. We frantically wonder, "Where did I loose it?" I heard great advice on this topic many years ago and have found it to be true and helpful. Jesus never moves away from us. We move away from Him. If you want to restore your relationship remember back to when you veered away from Him and return. Was it when He told you to do something and you ran the other way? Then return to Him in obedience and watch how fast you find what you have been missing. He hasn't left you, you left Him! Return with a repenting heart to the place you left Him and you will find Him there with open arms!

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ . . . Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’

Luke 15:19-21, 23-24