Tis the Seson

       As we get closer to Christmas, and we see all the lights and excitement around, we are reminded of the 'season' we are in.


The light shows, plays,shopping and musicals, fill up this wonderful season. We are so busy, that we often forget or just get caught up in the hustle and bustle that we truly just want to participate and sometimes just get through it.  We are just counting the days down to our day off at work to visit family or day off so that we can get into the mood, but the season is here, the time is now !!! 

Personally, I have to constantly remind myself that the season is a fragile season, for some it's a sad time of missing loved ones, for others it's a time of feeling left out or alone as they have no family or friends to make it special and fellowship with. 
Some people do not have gifts or money to buy gifts and though in their heart they want to give, they have no gift to give and they are oppressed by life. 

This is the time, we as Christians and Christ followers are to reach out to those that suffer, that are oppressed and alone. This is the season to show others there is more light in us than in that park down the street all lit up with holiday lights and excitement. We have a true glow, a bright light and the light that Christ gives is the never ending, always glowing, always bright light,  all year long not just at Christmas. This is the time to touch those fragile hearts that are breaking. 


What are you personally doing for Christ this holiday season?  We are reminded of the celebration that is coming. The gift of a Savior !! Pray and seek God and ask him, to put someone in your path to bless, to help, to pray for. 

Tis the season.........
                                 ......the time is now ! 

Pride forgets, Humility remembers: Commentary on Thanksgiving

"Be careful that your heart doesn't forget the Lord your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery." Deuteronomy 8:14 HCSB

Has God brought you out of a place of slavery? Enslaved to sin, oppression, depression, the world? If you are a child of his, you can relate. You can go back to that place of void, that lonely place where you once lived and re-visit the pain. Go back there right now and remember that place where your soul suffered and felt alone......

He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the [a]miry clay,
And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.
He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear
And will trust in the Lord. Psalm 40:2-3 NASB

When we think of where he brought us from, we are often thankful.
The children of Israel had a problem with remembering and being thankful. They had been brought out of a real place of oppression. They thought they wouls be much happier in the place they were because their reality at the time, was hard.
Isn't that how we all are, we want to tuck tail and run at the slightest bit of persecution, and hardship and go back to what we once knew even it it means being enslaved and oppressed. Why, because it's familiar and "our Normal".


Pride forgets, humility remembers: Pride is a product of our carnal man, of "self" and often that is the world we live in, but if we can concentrate on humility, humility will yield Thanksgiving, why?
When you think and concentrate on where God brought you from, you not only become humble, but Thankful, Thankful for a chance for a new life with him.

I am sure that is what the children of Israel thought too, can't we just go back to be enslaved where we are comfortable?
They were liberated, they were free....but often forgot and did not have a thankful heart and complained often about everything.

They never embraced a spirit of Thanksgiving, that spirit of humility, of humble Thanksgiving, submission and surrender to our Lord God.  They were given miracle after miracle and would forget so quickly because their focus would reside on "self" and pride and they would forget.......

Pride forgets, humility remembers..........

Where are you? Do you live in a place of humility and thanksgiving, or a place of pride and self that yields unhappiness and negativity?
Surrender today to him and what he can offer. Discipline yourself and concentrate on a spirit of Thanksgiving daily, not just the month of November but always.......

A Shack versus a Mansion

Why do we build for our souls a shack when we can live in a mansion?

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Eph 6:12

I used to dream of living in a nice home, large, spacious, beautiful... I can remember as a middle schooler, when I first started really thinking of my future and dreaming of escaping my present lot in life, I dreamt of a successful, career in business where I could dress up everyday. I would literally pull pictures out of Southern Living magazine with the blue prints and save them for my future dream home. I loved looking at the blue prints and still do at times. 

      Reality is I am a nurse, not glamorous at all(though some people seem to think it is) and due to decisions made and circumstance I may never get to choose a blue print to make my home. Those dreams were relinquished long ago when I was convicted after I was first saved when I read the scripture where your treasure is there will be your heart also, so I kinda gave over the desires of this world about 20 years or more ago. So I don't struggle with that much. 

I struggle with the more here and now, I struggle with being good enough, being enough, being present, being available with the people in my life, I struggle with helping my family and am I doing enough. I struggle with things that matter, but it's still a struggle, it is still a battle and often I allow my soul to live in a shack when, because of Christ and his promises I could live in a mansion, literally one day I will, but I could live in a mansion here on earth, right now, if I so chose to. Why do I still live in a shack ?  I can't say that I live in a shack all the time, that would be pretty depressing if I stayed oppressed, no the enemy just wants me to slum, he wants me to go back to that shack and stay there, hungry, hoping, and having a pity party at times, he wants me to stay there if I will, he wants me to concentrate and think of my failures... What is your shack? 

The shack of rebellion? Of despair,  of oppression, of broken dreams, of hopes not fulfilled, why do you choose to allow this world, this present situation dictate your living arrangements?

Sometimes I question....  Am I not spiritually mature enough to resist this? No, I am, I am strong enough to resist this to live above this through Christ, we wrestle against spiritual battles and the more of Christ we can put into our lives, the more fulfilled we become, the more at a peace and we don't have to live in a shack, we can live in a mansion. Often the battle is in the mind, I have never read the book Battlefield of the Mind, but I strongly feel if we can get our minds under subjection to Christ Jesus then our battle here on earth is  most won and we can live in that mansion. 

Keep striving, keep trying, don't loose hope and if you slum at times in that shack, recognize it and get back home, back home to the feet of Jesus Christ..... Keep putting more of him in your life, and go live in that mansion, here and now.... 

Work

Ephesians 6:7 

"Rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man." 

I heard a preacher preach on this once when I was younger and had not many cares in this world and I thought it was pretty interesting.  I remember how passionate he was about it. I think he was a bi-vocational pastor and if I remember correctly I think he did some type of clean up work whether it was for construction or maybe janitorial, but regardless he talked about using a broom and how menial but needed the task was. Someone has to clean up, that is a needed job. He went on to talk about how he didn't love his job, but he kept the mindset that everything he did, he did it unto God and not man. He went on to include how you not only should do it with a good heart, but with pride, and do a good job as if you are doing it for the Lord. He was very passionate and it really stuck with me . 

Recently I have been studying and  writing about ethics in the work place and in healthcare. Believe me, I have had to meditate on this scripture many times when I have had a difficult or hateful patient to take care of.  I coach myself"Remember you are doing this for the Lord, not man, remember, remember, remember. Remember, they are just sick, and mad at the world and you may be the only light they see." Yeah, I have pep talks with myself. 

I find it quite amusing that there is very long literature out there and in place regarding ethics while dealing with patients. There has to be a legal and binding document to hold nurses accountable, maybe because no one reads the Bible anymore. I mean you could know this scripture alone and be compelled to uphold a standard and do a good job. 

Enough talk about nursing, what about you? Can you honestly say you are working a job as to the Lord and not man? 

Man includes self. We often get so self involved about what we want and need, we forget we are not here to be inward, we are here to be outward and outward would include dealing with others. Why do we need to deal with others and be in this world? Because we need to show them Christ. We need to be that light that they see. We, you, Me, We are the hands and feet of Jesus Christ whether you want to embrace that or not.  If you want authentic, abundant life through HIM, you must submit to his will, his design for your life is not all about you, but all about HIM.  

Humility is the opposite of Pride

I know this, and you know this. Humility and pride are pretty much opposite of each other on the spectrum of virtues.

I think of Humility I think of Christ.

He came in the form of a servant, he was humble, he thought outside the box, why? Because he loved. He loved mankind, he came to show love, to be an example, to be a servant, ... to show us how to live.
Some people humility and a humble spirit comes natural. They do great things, and they want to stay under the radar. That person who gave money to buy a whole family's Christmas, anonymously, that person who gave up their family time to help out another, that person who spend a few extra minutes of their day blessing someone else.

There are other people that humility does not come natural, they are confident, boisterous and even obnoxious at times. But when you see that humble spirit, that humility come through to their character then you know Christ is in them, Jesus Christ is real and he is awesome !!!

I sometimes think of Paul that way in the Bible, I think God did a miraculous work in him on the road to Damascus, he changed him, but I think he still struggled even after that with pride and being arrogant. You can tell in his writings that he was very confident and self-assured that he knew what he was doing, but then you read what God did for him, not just his story, but over and over he reminded others of God's amazing grace.


Humility is being willing to set yourself aside for a more important purpose and Paul did just that, so did Jesus, but two very different individuals in contrast.

Are you willing to set yourself aside for a more important purpose? Your hopes, your dreams, your desires, "your goals in life" your money, your future, your home, your children, your parents, your career. Are you willing to set all that aside for a more important purpose? Ask yourself that, meditate on your motives, and examine yourself today.

When people ask me how do I know Jesus Christ is real, I can tell them I see him everyday. I see him transform people through HIS virtues, his love and his spirit and only God can do that !!! Have you ever seen God transform a prideful person into a humble person? I have.  I serve a living God !!!

Courage

I am reading my devotional and as I read it,  I am reminded of my purpose and place.

My devotion is about courage and standing firm.
"There are souls in the place of fear and desperation. Be always willing and ready to stand with them in that place and share your faith and courage."

When I read that, I think of myself. There are times when I don't want to stand.  I don't want to stand in this world and be pounded by reality and hurt and lies and the real world. I don't want to live in this hurtful world and stand with all that. I want to run, run home to my safe house, my warm bed, my relaxing back yard. I want to hang out at the beach and if by chance I meet someone struggling, then and only then when God leads that person into my life, then I will minister to them.  I want to get on my bike and ride and not think of this cruel world. But I was put in it for a reason... and that is to stand for the weak, to smile, to give an encouraging word, hope, help.
When I want to quit because it's toooo hard. I am reminded, I am here for a reason.

1Cor 9:22 
"To the Weak I become weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some." 

While I surely am not gonna save anyone, I am reminded of Danny's sermon Sunday


"Who will be better because of me?" 

If I am not in the world.. no one. If I hide in my home, yeah, I can make my kids better, and that is truly something I long for, spending more time, teaching and ministering to my kids, but God made us to be in the world, not of the world but in it and I pray I can help those along the way, if nothing more, but to have hope...... 


Then there is Paul, he had it figured out. There was no quitting for Paul, even when he had an out, he chose to continue, why?........ because he understood his goal

"Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News". Phil 1:27 NLT

Lord, please give us the courage to stand, to walk in this world with your strength as we know we cannot do anything of ourselves, but we can do all through you. 

Do you know your goal? Do you understand it? 
Do you have that hope? If not you can have it...

Spiritual Identity

  As I was doing my Gideon study, the writer asked about spiritual identity and wanted us to look closer at our own.
I began to ponder on that and think, well it's easy, it's something pretty straight forward if you are a Christian, you get your spiritual identity from knowing what a Christian is. Your spiritual identity is "Christ Follower". Pretty simple and straight forward. If only it were that easy to walk and believe in that and go forward.
    Often our own spiritual identity is based on baggage that we carry into our relationship with Christ, and then how we are developed in that relationship. It should be based on what we read in God's word, but often in that early relationship, we don't read God's word like we should, we rely on man to guide us, usually believing every word a pastor says or preaches. Or better yet, some book we bought because it sounded good and was interesting and now you beliefs are based on some created theology that doesn't even line up with the Bible.

  I want to stress to all new Christians or even Christians that have not studied God's word to get in there and study. Read it for yourself, find out for yourself and experience God for yourself.

Experience God

We all strive to feel good and look good, we work out, we read self help books, we meditate, we do yoga, and we read to improve our mind and for entertainment. So what are we doing for our Spiritual self? What are you doing for your Spiritual Identity?

I want to challenge you today to find God.
Don't rely on man, Find God, learn his character, his hope for you and his end for you. Find God  and enjoy the spiritual identity he intended for you and the wonderful, FULL life he intended for you to have!!!

People do what they want to do....

A wise lady once shared a very true statement with me and it makes such good sense.

she said "People will always do what they want to do"

You can take that several ways. Literally, people do what they want, things they like and go places they want to go.

You can look at it another way and see it a little more spiritual and deep, and you can actually see more clear. People do what they want, some do just enough to get by. Let me go to worship for one hour on Sunday, make myself feel good and for one hour a week spend worshipping God, it appeases the conscience enough to feel good about it.

Oh,  you feel uncomfortable going to the small group, men or women's Bible study... don't go, find an excuse, you do what your heart desires.
Just thinking about it, People do what they want. If you wanted go to a movie and you couldn't quite afford it this week, but went anyway...

**You did what you want, when you wanted and will pay the consequence when your money doesn't stretch quite far enough for those groceries you actually need.

You want to look good  and feel healthy, you go to the gym or walk or exercise, and watch what you eat. What about your Bible study? Are you skimping on that...
So you want to look good, but if you are skimping on your quite time, study and meditation, what about your spiritual self and emotional? Don't you want to feel good?
People always do what they want to do.....

Where is your heart and what it is that you want to do? Follow your own desires or follow his? Are you on HIS mission? 


It's all a matter of the heart, but is it? Maybe a little narcissism as well? a little selfishness. Do you see the bigger picture?  What do you give yourself to?

God will always make a way for the performance in your Life of His will to be made manifest.
Once you set your goals on the things that are important to him, get ready to see amazing things.
God wants obedience in your life. Part of that is a giving over to him, submitting and giving yourself. Your desires won't be so selfish and self-inward anymore, but your desires will be what he wants in your life.

"But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word." Acts 6:4

What are you giving yourself over to? 

Why we want our ears tickled...

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.(2 Tim 4:3-4)

I used to think this meant watered down preaching. 

I used to think if I couldn't feel something when I went to church, then I wasn't in the right church. 

I used to think that the church as a whole was legalistic, and lived a life of formalism like the pharisees. 

I used to be a real good Christian but now I know I was narrow minded, pious and basically a pharisee who thought because I could feel the Holy Spirit, and had a close relationship with the Father, I was somehow better than others. 

Now I know the truth.... 

True religion is all about Love, of course covering the scripture in James about taking care of the widows and fatherless, but it's about relationship. 

Relationship with others, but most importantly a relationship with our Father, and Lord Jesus Christ and submitting to his authority in our life through prayer, and reading his word. 
I am not perfect, I make mistakes, but God is awesome and he is my potter, molding me and making me into what he wants me to be. 

Love: 
A new commandment I give to you,that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.(John 13:34)

For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”(Galatians 5:14)

Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;(Romans 12:10)

Submission: 

I could go on and on about submission and what God has revealed to me about submitting to him but here is what the scripture say.

Romans 8:7 - Because the carnal mind [is] enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.   

Romans 13:1 - Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

Hebrews 10:26 - For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,

Why are all the large churches just overflowing with members? They enjoy the worship, it gives them an hour or more of feel good, I went to church feeling. But that's just it. They are going for worship service and no more.  Most people don't want to really get involved and find that group, that Bible study to go to because then they have to share themselves with others and it's hard to share yourself with another, because what if they see the real you, the one that is imperfect and struggles? Well that is ok, if it's just barriers you have up, take them down and enjoy God's grace. But if you are hiding and you want to continue the secret sins and you are staying away because you refuse to repent(which means turn from) well we have a bigger problem.... you are afraid to give it over to God and submit to the higher power. Read Hebrews 10:26 again... 
God loves you and he desires you, 100%, he wants your life, he wants your light to be so bright, that others will want some of that light, because look around, there is  a lot of darkness. 
You will never be satisfied and fulfilled with giving over just 1hr of your time weekly, it's a relationship.... He wants to give you abundant life here on this earth in this hard day and age.... just submit to him, come to him. He wants all of you !! 

What is your purpose in life?

I have heard it said many times, "What is my purpose in life?" Well I can tell you one big purpose in life is that you are to give back to others... 
Your wisdom, your time, your things, your money, your help, your hope........ 

The harvest is ready.... the harvest is plenty.... what is your mission? Where is your heart? 

Are you consumed with yourself?  Have you ever tried reaching out to others? I don't mean "oh let me go and serve food at a soup kitchen" and you do that once a year and feel like you have done something great. I don't mean let me donate my used clothes to someone who needs them. No, i mean have you taken someone under your wing and discipled them? Not even conscientiously but have you invested in someone other than your own children ? No, I am not talking about a friend that you have fun with and get your nails done and go to the movies and have coffee with. I am talking about a meaningful, intentional relationship where you talk about life and spirituality and getting closer to Christ and having those intentional conversations about Jesus Christ and actually being accountable to someone for your walk, or their walk.  I am talking about that child or tween or teen that looks up to you and thinks you hung the moon and you walk right past them, and they are longing for  10 minutes of your time. I am talking about that young mom, young married adult, young career minded person who right now in their life,  they don't know how to do everything they need, or are suppose to do or want to do and they can't seem to balance it all-  They need discipling, they need your wisdom and knowledge.  How about that person that you kinda know, an acquaintance, that you don't really know because they are not cool enough for you, but you know they are hurting or their family member is hurting, what about the least you could do is send them a card?

ARE YOU ON HIS MISSION OR YOUR OWN? 

If your heart is aligned with HIS heart, your mission will be HIS mission. 

Step outside your comfort zone, reach out, reach in, find someone to love on, to pour into, to help, to talk to, to be accountable to-- because in the end, even when you think "you are helping someone" , at the end of the day, you realize.... oh they really helped me and you will find yourself getting closer to our Lord and Savior .... Why ? 
Because your mission will be HIS mission ----and what is His mission?  People !!!! 

"Our vision must align with His, so that our hearts will align with HIS"....... 

Oceans deep

Ok, I must blog about this great song by Hillsong and how it spoke to me and speaks to me each time I listen to it.

"Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever you would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
and my faith will be made stronger....."

It goes on to say ... I will keep my eyes above the waves...

I often think of how I am down in a foreign land(yes foreign) for the Love of my Lord and Savior and how often I feel like I am drowning, but here it says I will keep my eyes upon the waves... making an intentional effort to stay afloat, and look ahead and trust.

Sometimes we must make a choice to live for him, go for him and continue to go for him.

Don't get me wrong Salvation is free, salvation is easy.... but when you choose to walk that path, trust and faith come along with it too. It's all about choice... God isn't gonna cram anything down our throats. Choice was give to us long ago in the garden. Salvation is a choice and fellowship with our Lord is a choice... what have you chosen?

Then it goes on to say take me deeper than my feet could ever wander..... hmmm who goes into water  and then when you can' t touch just continues to go on... not many people, I mean if you have a purpose and you are doing something yeah, you may swim on out there, but I mean when you are just in the water, you usually stay somewhere close around where you can touch or right near where you cannot touch the bottom so that you can swim back over to safety quickly. Who wants to wander deeper?

When I listen to this song, I think of my Lord and Savior and his love, and his goal for my life, but I also think about how I must choose to keep my eyes above the waves, I must yield to him, trust him and apply my faith to the life I have been given.

Yeah, I could choose another way, but who would want to go another way, when you are in his will ?
I am thankful he chose me, blessed to be one of his and grateful that he put a desire in my heart to go for him, and continue to go....

Thank you Lord for Oceans deep, Sometimes I feel like I am in over my head and it's hard to keep my eyes above the waves, but Lord, I am willing for you to take me deeper than my feet could ever wander, so that my faith could be made stronger in the presence of my savior.



(Oceans, Hillsong)

Purpose

I have been doing a study on purpose, as well as we talked about it in the Women's meeting. Danny is also doing a Sunday morning study on God's will for you life, Titled, God's blueprint. So there seems to be a lot of talk about purpose and I wanted to go deeper into it, so here goes. 
     I want to say for me, purpose is easy. It's to be a blessing to others, share Christ, and make an impact. As you get deeper though, purpose can be a job, a volunteer opportunity, a ministry, etc… 
You can look at it in three ways, our Eternal purpose, which is easy- Matt 28:19.
Our Earthy purpose, wife, mother, nurse, ministry leader, etc. Then there is our personal purpose.
 On a deeper level what is my purpose: How can I be more intentional about my purpose. It can be broken down even more.  What can I do to make the world a better place. Well, go back to the earthly purpose, make your own list,and look at it, study it. Isn't the earthly purpose good enough? No, we were not created to just be mom(according to today's standards), we have to be the stay at home mom,  who home schools, has a business on the side, and oh yeah, writes a book or gets their blog published.  We can't be the ministry leader who just leads a hum-drum life and blesses a few people and invests in others, we must get published or better yet, has a speaking engagement or two. I guess they have obtained their personal purpose or what they think makes them valuable, important or achieved in life. 

Let me tell you, it's all about perspective. 

Go back to your eternal purpose, write down Matt 28:19. How about telling others about God, discipling, isn't that good enough? That could be your whole life's purpose according to God's will for you life. You could be in a cubicle job for the rest of your life working to makes ends meet and survive this world, but if you are telling others about Christ and discipling, then you have met your eternal purpose. Wow, how simple it is, yet so hard. 

All the other stuff,  is stuff the world has told us makes us successful, worthy, important, and achieved. From a child you learn what success looks like whether it's from looking at your parents or grandparents, and you begin to make goals for your life.  Then you go to college and your perspective may change and maybe your parents success isn't what you mold your success by any longer, but someone you met at college who is changing the world other ways.  Your perspective changes, but you still feel you must meet certain goals to be worthy,achieved and important. You are molded by your family,  and your peers no matter if you are financially driven,or even Godly driven.

It's all about perspective

Go simple, Go back to your Eternal purpose. Meditate on that, get that down to a fine art, allow God to mold you into THAT person.  You will change your immediate environment, then your community, then the world. 

You will find your purpose when you put God first, look around you, live in the moment, now, here, what can you do to make your immediate environment better, there is work all around you, it's right in front of you.