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Monday, October 8, 2007
When Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down and taught his climbing companions. Do you ever wonder why the activity of God can draw a crowd, but the call from Him to be committed, draws only a few? People are ready to get in on the blessings, the buzz that often surrounds His activity, but only a few follow Him on the uphill climb to companionship. Companionship is defined as the state of being with someone. This communicates more than simply a mental knowledge or even fond feeling toward. One is not considered a companion if there is no consistent fellowship and time spent together. It is during this time of intimate fellowship that companions share their heart with one another. It takes work to follow Christ. It is often times a steep hill and can feel like a hard and strenuous journey, but only those that make the climb with Him, are blessed with the quiet place where He sits with you, teaches you, and becomes your dearest companion. God desires to share His heart with us, but it takes commitment and work on our part to follow Him to that quiet place that is conducive for Him to do so. Are you taking the time each day to climb to that quiet spot? Are you putting forth the effort and energy to get up early enough to sit with Him and hear what is on His heart? Are you a part of the crowd that is watching from the lower plains of life? If so, what is it that is keeping you from making the journey up the hillside to be with Him? Is it the lack of discipline to make the time? Or perhaps it is simply being unwilling to give up a little sleep and rise early enough to meet with Him before the rush of your day begins. Whatever it takes, start today with that first uphill step towards that quiet place with Jesus. Find renewed strength through His companionship and enjoy the new perspective and joy that comes from being up on the hillside with the Lord. Lord, give me the discipline necessary to make the climb today to meet with you. Draw me to the quiet place where you are waiting to share your heart with me. Give me ears to hear and the will to climb as high as you lead me today, no matter what the journey requires of me. Tammy... You can read more from Tammy by visiting Steps in our Journey Labels: Christian walk, commitment, Purpose, quiet time, relationship with Christ, Tammy Leave a comment... 0 Comments Links to this post I have gone through a thing or two in my life and have stood in awe at the fact that I am still sane. I have heard so many times from other people “You are such a strong woman.” This has always made me feel somewhat guilty and unworthy. I felt like I was taking credit for something I did not do and I never knew why until today. This morning I once again heard the words that make me feel shameful. I began to meditate on this and asked God why I feel this way. I could hear myself thinking out loud, “God, I am not strong. Why do people think I am strong? By the world’s standards I should be labeled as a strong woman but I DON'T FEEL THAT WAY! Why?” Then I felt that oh so gentle nudge tell me ever so sweetly, “You are right to feel that way. You aren’t as strong as others believe and you must tell them so.” What? OK that little spirit of pride started to rise up and I began to sense some queasiness coming on. Then thoughts started to roll around and around my head, “What does He mean I am not strong?” “I went through this and this and survived.” “I should be crazy but I’m not.” “I don’t understand.” “What do they see then God?” “What do they see?!” Then, God interrupts my thoughts. You know how he speaks to you over your own thoughts? Well that is what He did, somewhere between “I don’t understand.” and “What do they see then God?” He said, “They see me.” ….sigh. My eyes widened, my heart started racing, I felt joy swell up in the pit of my stomach and I began to laugh! I knew He was right, after all He is God, but still I always ask Him to show me in His word. And show me He did. Right there in 2nd Corinthians. And he said unto me, "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is madeI had felt this way because I am not strong. In fact, I am weak! God has many opportunities to show how strong He is because I have had so many weaknesses! It means I truly am dying to self and allowing myself to become more like Him. Wow! What a revelation! I do feel as though a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders and I certainly have a new perspective about things that I have gone through. So, if you don't like hearing people talk about how strong you are, from now on you can accept those words with a wink and a smile and say, "Thanks, I'll tell God He is doing a wonderful job!" Just know they see Christ in you. You are reflecting Him! We are being molded and shaped. We are on the potters wheel having our infirmities removed. God is so good! Now, we can gladly glory in our weaknesses so that Christ can be seen. Can I get an Amen?!  I'd love for you to visit me at my personal blog: In Pursuit of Proverbs 31 Labels: Amy's Articles, Christian walk, Suffering Leave a comment... 7 Comments Links to this post "At the time appointed I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son" Genesis 18:14 That's another way of saying, "This is going to be a full-term baby." This means a little bit more waiting, doesn't it? And that's not the answer we're looking for! We don't want nine months of carrying a child...nine months of bearing a promise until it comes to the moment of delivery. We want to wake up in the tent one morning and have a crib in the corner with a baby crying in it. For that matter, we'd prefer that the baby be smiling and cooing. Or maybe standing up and walking and talking with a full vocabulary. We don't want to wait! We want roses, but we don't want to weed or prune or water or wait until they bloom in all their fullness. Nor do we want to acknowledge that God might be maturing those roses and bringing fragrance into our lives through some dark, rainy, overcast days. Can you remember the days when you actually had to dial a number with a rotary dial and stand within a few feet of the wall because you were attached to it? We need one-button, pre-programmed auto-dial. Speed! No Waiting! Immediate fulfillment! We are all schooled to instant gratification. We pray, "Lord, give me patience and I want it right now!" Yet the Lord said to that dear elderly couple, "At the time appointed I will return to you, according to the time of life." It was going to be a regular baby on a regular schedule born in the regular way. There is an "appointed time" for me as well. God has been faithful to His word, and He will respond to the heart's desire of His children. What He delivers may not be the very thing I ask for, but it will be the very thing I need. There is much about my life that I did not ask or that I did not plan. But I can see that He has brought fruitfulness to that place where emptiness has reigned, and He has caused my desert to blossom like a rose. Are you waiting for your "appointed time". It may not take as long as it did for Sarah, but however long it takes, it will be worth the waiting. In fact, while you go through the test of waiting, you will learn more about the Lord's miracle-working grace in your life than you would have learned if you had received a next-day delivery. The Lord said to Abraham and Sarah. "The miracle for which you have waited will come. But it will be something that grows in your life and comes forth in the fullness of time." (this post was taken from personal notes and quotes written from a study on The Life of Abraham by Jack Hayford) In Him...Chris Chris can also be found at her personal blog Come to the Table Labels: Chris's Articles, Faith, Hope Leave a comment... 5 Comments Links to this post My husband, who is a minister, had the wonderful opportunity to go on a mission trip to Africa in August. Needless to say it was quite a powerful experience. My words cannot adequately describe his time there, the impact of the beautiful people and breathtaking landscape. He summed it up in the word "perspective." In our country of prosperity and privilege, we often forget what is important--our calling and purpose as followers of Christ to reach others for the kingdom. I hope you enjoy these wonderful pictures my husband took. May they challenge you to pray for the many lost around the world and the amazing people who have dedicated their lives ministering to them. May we also be challenged to pursue God's calling on our own lives with abandon--may the good things not get in the way of the great things. Blessings! In Him, Kelly        Leave a comment... 3 Comments Links to this post  I work in a large youth ministry. Last Sunday night, 433 students came through the doors. Before you write us off as “too into numbers” or as a holding bin for teenagers stuffed with free pizza, let me say that big numbers don’t necessarily mean anything. Or, they can mean a lot. Actually, numbers do matter because people matter, and in that crowd of 433, there were 433 unique individuals looking for acceptance and a safe place to have fun. Certainly, the Holy Spirit can and does move through large crowds as well as small crowds, orchestrating circumstances and drawing people’s minds and hearts to Him.Case in point: a middle school student I’ll call “Bobby.” Sunday night, our youth pastor noticed Bobby at a video game. They had never met before, but our pastor engaged Bobby in conversation. It turns out that Bobby’s father had collapsed and died of a heart attack at 53 years old this week. The funeral was already over. Our pastor was of course moved by Bobby’s circumstance. He was able to establish the beginning of a relationship with Bobby and speak hope and courage into Bobby’s life. But God didn’t stop working there. Later that night, our guest speaker was Stephanie Arnold, a former Olympic archer who uses her skills to enhance her talks about her faith in various venues. This past year, Stephanie’s father was killed in a motorcycle accident. She told the crowd Sunday night that this was the first time she had been able to talk about her loss without breaking down. She talked about how God had helped her through this hard time in her life. Do you think that one little 6th grade boy in the crowd was hanging on every word? It took a lot of time, work and resources to make last Sunday night happen, and God receives the glory. It is by him, in him and for him that nights such as this happen. And yes, it was an elaborate event. Some might say over the top, too "worldy," too many bells and whistles, not deep enough, not churchy enough--but I know how the staff would respond; I feel sure that they would do it all again, even just for Bobby. Because he’s worth it. He matters to God, and he matters to us. Do you recognize times in your life when God arranges moments and circumstances to meet you at your point of need? Do you realize that you matter so much to God that he always sees you in the crowd, even a crowd of 6 billion people? May you feel his watchful, loving eye on you as you move throughout your day. Whatever trials touch you, they are only passing through by his permission, and he will give you grace to face them. And if you should happen to remember Bobby today, please pray for him. It’s been a tough week, but God’s eye is definitely on him. He’s a V.I.P..  Please come by and visit my personal blog at 2nd Cup of Coffee. Labels: grief, Holy Spirit, Linda's Articles, teenagers, trials, youth ministry Leave a comment... 12 Comments Links to this post I am shy. I admit it. Freely. It’s better to just get that out in the open, for I struggle daily to move beyond my safe place and into that arena of mild discomfort, riddled with the pitfalls of drawing a blank and saying the wrong thing. But God must have thought I needed a “So, what are you two going to sing?” The waiter leaned over the booth and ruffled Micah’s hair. “Sing?” my husband asked. “Sure – they can stand up on the bar and sing a song, and we’ll give ‘em a card for free drinks-er-soda for the rest of their lives!” Corban and Micah looked at us excitedly. “Can we, Mama, can we, Daddy?” Corban begged. My husband smiled at him and said, “Of course!” I caved in on myself. Are you kidding? Stand up on that bar and sing a song in front of (gasp) people? I could never. Not now. Not ever. For the rest of the meal at O’Dougherty’s Irish Pub in downtown Spokane, Corban and Micah whispered to each other. Visions of silly nonsense songs I’ve composed being sung to the entire restaurant flitted through my mind, but I fought the urge to offer suggestions of “suitable” material, and I even refrained from asking repeatedly, “Are you sure you want to do this? There are going to be people watching you, did you know that?” When our fish and chips, Irish stew and soda bread were finished, we gathered up the stroller, jackets, toys and sippy cups, heading to the bar by the door. There were only about six people gathered around it, all eating quietly and not really looking up. Until… “We’ve got a treat for you today, folks! Corban and Micah are going to sing you a song!” And the waiter swung first Micah, and then Corban up onto the wooden countertop. I frantically grabbed for our camera, my heart pounding. My hands shook as I opened the lens, avoiding looking at anyone but my boys. I prayed silently, God, please don’t let them be humiliated! There was a pause as they conferred in a whisper, and then, the sweetest sound fell on my anxious ears. Oh God, you are my God, And I will ever praise You! Oh God, you are my God, And I will ever praise You! I will seek you in the morning, And I will learn to walk in Your ways, And step by step You’ll lead me, And I will follow you all of my days! And I will follow You all of my days, And I will follow You all of my days, And step by step, You’ll lead me, And I will follow You all of my days!  From the top of that sticky wooden bar, surrounded by half a dozen people, praise to the God of creation flowed. A declaration of two little boys’ faith, seven and four; they knew no shame, and at the top of their lungs, off key, off meter, they belted out the words to their favorite worship song.I looked at my husband out of the corner of my eye; yes, he was crying, too. He caught my eye and laughed through his tears. See, Beloved? They sing when you cannot. But teach them. Lead them. And they will only grow in their boldness. I know I don’t need to stand up on a bar to proclaim my love for Jesus. I don’t even need to sing. But I do need that nudge once in awhile. I freely admit it. Pulling my boys down from the counter afterwards, I looked in their eyes to see what was there – but instead of relief, disappointment in their performance, or even pride, I simply saw… happiness. We left the restaurant, and Corban grabbed his daddy’s hand as they walked ahead of me, but I could still hear their words. “Corban, I am so proud of you! You just told those people about your love for God!” And Corban said, “Really? I was just singin’!” Whether we're talkin’, or singin’, or even just livin’, may our love for God and His love for all of us be as evident as if we were singing it from the mountaintops. Or a wooden countertop. “O, Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise.” (Psalm 51:15)  You are always welcome at my little place - A Path Made Straight Labels: Boldness, Elise's Articles, Faith Leave a comment... 10 Comments Links to this post Once a year the school district where we live in Southwest California does something unusual. Every Wednesday in the last week of September they schedule a “non-student day.” The teachers work but the students stay home. This is a big deal around the Donovan home. It is the only day in the year, when we travel an hour to Disneyland. We spend the day enjoying the park minus the crows and long lines. There are benefits to living in California. Never mind the earthquakes, the fruits and the nuts, and the over priced real estate. *grin* Now let me remind you I was with my daughter, my twelve-year-old daughter. Do you think she wanted to ride the Teacups or leisurely sail through, It’s a Small World? Oh no, it was a fast-paced, head-jerking, bouncing, weaving, convulsing, scream your head off, dawn-to-dusk, thrill ride, marathon. We rode every single ride, in both parks mind you, where you panick then grab the safety railings with white-knuckled fingers and hang on for dear life. Every ride enticed us at least twice and sometimes more…. Can you see me running around to get in line again? I did! After arriving home that day with a ton of great memories, laughs and a small crick in my neck, my daughter and I collapsed into bed. The next morning is when I realized my folly. I could barely move. I was stiff all over and suffering from a king-sized headache. My shoulders were permanently stiff and gathered up around my poor neck. I hurt from the top of my head all the way to my big toes. I dragged myself to the coffee pot then shuffled to my daughter’s room to get her out of bed and ready for school. She moved slow as well, and then complained about her sore shoulders. That is when I had a V-8 minute. You know this. It’s where you smack yourself on the forehead and a distant memory dawns on you. That miniute I remembered last year’s visit to Disneyland and how the next day was horrid. I recalled my pinch-in-the-neck, headache had lasted for three days. Why, oh, why do I not remember the price I paid last year? Sometimes those unpleasant experiences I endure just don’t stick. Don’t get me wrong, spending the day with my daughter was a blast. But, why didn’t I think to bring along one of her 12-year-old friends? I have thought about this V-8 moment many times this week as I gulped down asprin. Why didn’t I learn the lesson the first time? Then I started to remember all the revisits to the Lord’s classroom. Why, oh, why can’t I get it right the first time? How frustrated God must be. For example, repeating Finances 101 is a recurring habit. God is always there to instruct me about trusting Him. He reminds me, “Lynn, remember when you were a single parent? You learned to live on $25 a week after I helped you pay the bills. Also let me remind you of the time I supplied the exact amount of money you needed to pay the mortgage and how it came from an unexpected source.” Another “do-over” course I attend regularly covers the danger of pride. He also schedules repeaters with regard to James 1:19. I think I am finally getting that one down. However, the Lord’s patient instruction over the years is priceless to me. A treasure I store in my heart. He never fails to show up even when I mess up for the third, fourth, fifth, etc. etc.…… His protection, wisdom, and love never fail. 1 Corinthians 13:4a (NIV) As for the most recent lesson learned, next year it is Dad’s turn! Have a blessed and beautiful day! See you in the classroom.  I would love to visit with you over at my place:  Spiritually Unequal Marriage.Labels: Humor, Love, Lynn's Articles, trust Leave a comment... 9 Comments Links to this post Hello. My name is Lisa and I am Cooking-Challenged. This realization is one that has actually been simmering - pardon the pun - since the first months of my married life. The Quiche Incident is one that will forever be remembered in McKay Family Lore. Let's just say it involved some very underdone eggs in a graham cracker crust. In my defense, when a recipe says 'pie crust', it should specify the particular flavor or lack thereof required to make the finished result edible. I'm just saying. Clarity, recipe people. It is essential. Now that you have a bit of back story I can now proceed with telling you about my Harry and David's Chicken Enchilada Soup Harry and David's has this signature Pepper and Onion Relish that makes the most wonderful cream cheese dip appetizer so anytime I am near the store, I generally buy a jar or seven. However, this time there was an extra treat on top of the jar - a recipe for Chicken Enchilada Soup. I read over the recipe and it sounded somewhat simple so, seeing as how I am already guilt-ridden over the lack of home cooking here lately, I decided I would WOW my family with a batch. Here's where the trouble began. The recipe said I needed 'cream'. No other explanation, just cream. When I think cream, I think dairy so I went to the Dairy Dept. and bought cream - Heavy Whipping Cream. I got home, started making the soup and hubs came in. I should have known disaster was brewing when the first thing he said when he hit the door was, "What smells like a skunk?" Retaining my Preacher Wife composure, I lovingly explained it was the garlic in the soup. He came in to the kitchen, saw my cream, and said, "That's not the kind of cream you use for cooking is it?" I not so lovingly told him to get out of the kitchen and that obviously he knew nothing about cooking. I then snuck to call his sister who confirmed I indeed had the wrong thing. Rats. I was not about to let this little set back keep me from this great soup so, deciding I could get the right cream the next day, I put the beginnings in the fridge and took the kids to the burger joint for supper. The next day, I went to the store and bought Pet Milk like my SIL instructed. Note here: Nowhere on the can does it say 'cream'. How's a girl to know? Really, how?? To make a long story endless, I went home, pulled out the soup, and added the cream. My thought was, "Wow, this looks awfully milky. I read the recipe again and realized, oh the horror, I had misread the amount and instead of 1/2 a cup, I had added 1 1/2 cups times two for the doubled recipe. The result? 3 TIMES the amount of cream I needed. The only way to fix it at this point was to triple all the other ingredients which would require returning to the store and also using my last jar of relish which I knew I could get no more of for a few months. So I did what I had vowed I would never do - I quit. Have you ever tried so incredibly hard to accomplish something, to resist temptation, to make amends and find no matter what you did, it still turned out badly? I'm reminded of Peter who experienced this very thing. Peter with the foot-shaped mouth. Peter who removed people from their ears. Peter who denied Christ when he swore that would never happen. We can learn an important lesson from Peter's retreat to fish after Jesus' death - sometimes the best thing we can do after failure is back off and regroup before we try again. The benefits are a fresh perspective, fresh information, and fresh faith. Peter returned to pen 1st and 2nd Peter which in my estimation are some of the richest books of the New Testament. What a come back! So back to my soup - petty compared to what some of you are experiencing but it is a great visual for me as to the importance of trying again! Next time, I'll remember what I've learned from my mistakes and work out all the kinks beforehand. And hopefully my hubby will be none the wiser.   Please come visit my personal blog, The Preacher's Wife. Labels: Encouragement, Endurance, Lisa's Articles Leave a comment... 17 Comments Links to this post
Monday, October 1, 2007
The pain: The joy: Where is God in all of this? Do we not accept pain but only joy? But why Lord do you bless a family with a daughter who only lives one week? Why did Amy have to go through so much suffering? Why did this college son decide killing himself was the only answer to life’s problems? Why…. should be a word that is erased from my vocabulary, unfortunately it is not. The Lord led me to read a passage from a John Piper book titled The Pleasures of God. John’s Mom was killed instantly in an accident when John was a young man, it shocked everyone who knew and loved her. Also there were many painful times he shared also, and now the loss of his granddaughter. John said in his book: “As I knelt by my bed and wept….I never doubted that God was sovereign…and that God was good. I do not need to explain everything. That he reigns and that he loves is enough for now.” We don’t have the answers, and no matter how much it hurts we may not understand this side of glory. But to stand on the foundation of God’s sovereignty and the tremendous love He has for each one of us….IS ENOUGH FOR RIGHT NOW. And enough to face this next week, and whatever may come. Labels: Laurel's Articles, life Leave a comment... 9 Comments Links to this post
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