Finishing the Race

I may have mentioned here a time or two (or three or four or more!) that I can be easily overwhelmed with the day to day of life. You know... the school activities, and the work responsibilities, and the meals to cook, and the church activities, and the house to clean, and on and on and on. Find me on a week when it seems every day is packed and even the evenings are full and you'll probably find me trying to calm myself and doing alot of praying. I don't know why, but the "busy" in life is hard for me.

Over the last couple of years God has been showing me how to keep pushing forward during these times.  He has shown me that by simply trusting in Him I will get through it all and that all that "needs" to be done will get done. However, I still have moments when I just want it all to end.

Last week would have been one of those times. "Oh, why can't it be summer yet?" "Why can't school be out so that we can do away with the homework and school related activities for a few months?" (that one is more than a wee bit pathetic, too, since I'm not the one that actually has to DO the homework!) "Why can't we stop it all now?"

Did I mention that I may have been just a wee bit whiny about it? Well, I was... Ahem.

As God often does, He led me to just what I needed and 'Wow!' did it stop me in my tracks. My parents gave me a great little devotional book for Christmas, "A Woman of Faith", and this is what I read one morning last week:

"A well-lived life is like a marathon, not a sprint - it calls for preparation, determination, and lots of perseverance. As an example of perfect perserverance, we Christians need look no further than our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Jesus finished what He began. Despite His suffering, despite the shame of the cross, Jesus was steadfast in His faithfulness to God. We, too must remain faithful, especially during times of hardship. Sometimes, God may answer our prayers with silence, and when He does, we must patiently persevere."

Now that got my attention! Jesus carried out what God asked clear to dying on a cross for my sins, but I'm sitting here grumbling because I don't want to finish many activities because I'm just too busy and I don't have time, and I'm tired???  Kind of puts it all in perspective, doesn't it?

God really spoke to me that day last week. He gave me a message that I won't forget anytime soon.... a reminder that was much needed.

"Therefore since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and run with endurance the race that lies before us." Hebrews 12:1

Experiencing the Silence

This is such a special time of year. A time to remember and celebrate the birth of Jesus. A time to praise God for the gift He gave us in His Son.

But.... do we really celebrate in a way that is fitting of such an event? Do we really experience the season?

I've been thinking about this alot for the past several weeks. I think that, while I do celebrate and experience, I don't do so fully. I don't slow down enough. I don't pull my head up from my to do list enough. Through the noise and the activities of the season I don't listen for God enough.

This morning in church services, our pastor reminded us of the importance of taking time to be quiet.. to be still. He encouraged us to make an extra effort in this Christmas season to shut down the music, the TV, the activities, and the "to dos" and just be still and listen for God.

Oh, how very hard this can be sometimes! We live in a society full of noise and activity. For many, it is hard to just sit and do nothing but listen -- me included! I always look for times when all around me is quiet -- no TV, no radio, etc -- but I am not always quiet. I must be "doing"... reading, writing, housework, etc. All around me may be quiet, but I am not very quiet. For me, it is the activity that I struggle to stop.

Why is that? Do we have a need to always be entertained? Are we a little afraid of where our thoughts may lead us if that is all we have going at the moment? Are we even more afraid of where God may lead us if we stop and be still and really listen for Him to speak? Do we have some sort of experience in our lives that hinders us from fully letting go, putting aside all the activity around us, and being still with God?

Our pastor spoke today of Zechariah and Elizabeth (Luke 1:5-22). They both were believers and knew God to be real. However, years of being unable to have a child of their own had left its mark on them. In that time period, people looked down on couples unable to have children and felt it was a punishment. I can only imagine that after years of being treated in such a way that this was a sore and difficult subject for both Zechariah and Elizabeth.

When the angel Gabriel came to Zechariah and told him that his wife would have a child, he doubted. I can only imagine how a lifetime of experiences surrounding being unable to have children played into why Zechariah doubted. Even though Zechariah KNEW that God could give him and Elizabeth a child, his experiences led him to doubt. His experiences led him to question. And, because of that, he spent the next 9 months in silence. He could not speak a word. He was forced to do nothing but listen.

How many times do we allow our experiences to affect our behavior? My guess would be that our experiences affect our behaviors more than we realize.

Could it be that because of what we have experienced we have difficulty being quiet? We let the noise around us all day long block out what we don't want to address or what we fear. Or, maybe we are quiet, but we run from what God is trying to show us in those quiet times. We're afraid that if we really listen to what God is trying to say to us that we'll hear something that we don't want to hear or be led somewhere we don't want to go.

What we fail to realize is that, while running the other direction might get us away from doing something we don't want to do, we also are missing out on the experiences of a lifetime. God does lead us to places that are sometimes scarry... he definitely leads us outside our comfort zone. But... God NEVER leads us to someplace that is not in our best interst. It is always GOOD.

How about this.... whenever we want to turn the other direction, whenever we want to drown out the silence with noise... let's ask ourselves this instead, "What wonderful, life-changing experience am I going to miss out on if I decide to run AWAY from God instead of TO God?"



This holiday season, I encourage you to take the time to be silent. Take the time to listen. Allow God to move in the silence of this season as He did in the silence experienced by Zechariah. I'll be doing the same.

Whatever it is that keeps us from being silent -- whether it be life experiences, life habits, to do lists -- let's put it aside and experience God in the silence we give to Him.

Willing to Be Inconvenienced for God?

Originally posted May 11, 2008:

Last Sunday in church our pastor spoke of being inconvenienced for God. The questions he asked have stayed with me all week long and have caused me to do some careful consideration of what exactly I am willing to do for God. Or... how willing I am for God to move in my life in a great and mighty way.

When he first asked us the question "Are you willing to be inconvenienced for God?" I wasn't exactly sure what he was trying to say. I was puzzled because I had never thought of God as an inconvenience in my life. However, I quickly discovered the angle he was going with this sermon.

Yes, I want God to be with me wherever I go. Yes, I want God to be a part of my life. Yes, I want to have a relationship with God.

But, would I rather have God move in my life in a quiet way so that others may not notice? Or, do I want to be so joyful in the Lord that I openly and publicly praise His name wherever I go? When I do this, am I willing to open myself up to possible criticisms of those around me?

Do I just want God to be in our Sunday worship services and move quietly throughout the congregation? Or, am I willing for Him to move in such a way that the praises and the sharing continue throughout the day and we miss our Sunday lunch plans? Or, miss the Sunday afternoon football game?

Do I want to have God with me, spend time with Him, but continue to live my daily life of family and career according to what I think is right? Or, am I willing to take the risk of moving away from all that I hold dear in order to follow a different path that God has planned for me?

In the time I have spent this week on these questions, I have discovered that I am not as willing to be inconvenienced for God as I would like to be. I struggle with the thought of the unknown places God could take me and my family if we were open to anything He may have in store for us. I worry far too much about what people think of me to proclaim God's praises from the rooftops. I prefer to let people see God in my life in a quiet way. And, while that can be good... there may be people that don't see God in my life because I am TOO quiet in my walk with the Lord

In the weeks to come I will be praying about this very topic in my own life and the life of my family. I desire to have the type of willingness where it doesn't matter what God asks of me. I desire the type of willingness where it doesn't matter how He may move in our lives.

How about you? Are you willing to be inconvenienced for God?

Why Do We Doubt?

Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" Matthew 14:22-31


Have you ever had a passage of scripture that you had read over and over again but just seemed to completely “miss” a particular part of it for most of that time? This passage is one of those for me. I know, it seems a bit silly…. after all, most of us have heard this story since we were small children in Sunday School. However, for whatever reason, what I’ve always carried away from this is the part about Jesus walking on water and the fact that He calmed the seas. Somehow, I had managed to miss (or not focus on is probably more to the point) the part about Peter joining Him on the water, walking a few steps, and then beginning to doubt and sinking into the water.

However, a few Sundays ago in church it just suddenly jumped right out at me…. almost knocked me over in my seat. Our pastor has begun a series of sermons on this passage and, as the scripture was read on that particular Sunday morning, I suddenly realized not only that I had kind of glossed over this part for years, but that I am just like Peter. I call on the Lord, I turn it all over to Him and I trust and I feel as Peter did as he began to walk on the water towards Jesus. Life goes on great until something happens – maybe life gets too busy and becomes overwhelming, maybe I experience a difficult situation at work, maybe I’m just tired – whatever it is, it happens and I let that take over the trust I have put in the Lord and I begin to sink. At those times, I can imagine the Lord saying the exact same words He said to Peter that day on the water – “Melanie, you you have so little faith, why do you doubt?”.

Why do we do that? Why do we let our doubts and our frustrations get in the way of the trusting God in everything? I would imagine it has something to do with the fact that we imperfect humans.

Regardless of our imperfections, though, we can ALWAYS count on one thing as we go thru our times of doubt and our times when we rely more on ourselves than on the Lord. We can always count on our Lord reaching out and grabbing hold of us and pulling us back in when we do cry out to Him (just as He did for Peter). As long as we make ourselves available, our Lord is there holding out His hand and taking hold.

To make it even better? We don't have to wait. Once we cry out and make ourselves available, the response is immediate. It doesn't mean we will get the answer we want immediately (or even the answer that we want), but we can be sure the God will take hold of our hand and walk with us through whatever lies ahead.

Practical Ways to Gain Margin #2

Last week I shared in this post 7 practical ways to gain margin in our lives. Today I want to share 7 more ways to gain margin. All of these come from a book entitled "Margin" written by Dr. Richard A. Swenson, M.D.

1. Thank God - If you have two meetings scheduled on the same evening, you obviously can attend only one. Don't overlook the possibility that this might be God's way of being kind to you.

2. Get Less Done but Do the Right Things - Busyness is not a synonym for kingdom work -- it is only busyness. All activities need to be assessed as to their spiritual authenticity. Again, if we have one hundred things to do and can do only ten, how do we select from them? We must have God-authored criteria with which to judge our activities, and we must be willing to use them.

3. Don't Rush Wisdom - Seldom is true wisdom a product of speedy deliberation. As a matter of fact, wisdom is almost always slow. Wait for clearness. The more important the decision, the longer the time you should take to make it. If life's pace pushes you, push back. Take as much time and prayer as you need for clearness to develop. And wait for your decision to be affirmed by peace.

4. For Type A's Only: Stand in Line - Cardiologist Dr. Meyer Friedman, one of the first to describe the type A personality, offered this practical advice to his patients: "Practice smiling. Purposely speak more slowly, stop in the middle of some sentences, hesitate for three seconds, then continue. Purposely say, "I'm wrong" at least twice today, even if you're not sure you're wrong. Listen to at least two persons today without interrupting even once.... Seek out the longest line at the bank. Verbalize your affection to your spouse and children."

5. Create Buffer Zones - If you have a busy schedule with nonstop appointments, consider creating small buffer zones between some of the obligations, a kind of coffee break for the spirit. Even ten or fifteen minutes can allow you to catch up, take a deep breath, close your eyes, pray, call your spouse, reorient your priorities, and defuse your tension.

6. Plan for Free Time - If God were our appointment secretary, would HE schedule us for every minute of every day? Time urgency was not only absent with Christ, it was conspicuously absent. Christ's teaching, His healing, His serving, and His loving were usually spontaneous. The person standing in front of Him was the opportunity He accepted. If He chose spontaneous living, isn't that a signal to us?

7. Be Available - Margin exists for the needs of the kingdom, for the service of one another, for the building of community. It exists, just as we exist, for the purpose of being available to God. Being useful to God and other people is a large part of what life is meant to be. And yet "usefulness is nine-tenths availability." When others need help, they don't need it two days from now.


I am slowly working several of these into my life and I must tell you that they really do make a difference. I'm finding that focusing on what REALLY needs to get done instead of every little thing on my list right at this moment helps temendously. Purposely slowing down and making myself be still is great. Creating buffer zones is working well for me, too.

Another area somewhat related to this (at least for me) is stress. Next week I'll share some steps to help in alleviating some of the stress in our lives. Can you imagine how freeing it could be to give ourselves additional breathing room in our lives AND alleviate some of the stress? WOW! :)

God Is All About Change

This month our pastor is preaching a series of sermons on "Resolutions that Matter". At first I thought we would talk alot about resolutions like strengthening our relationship with Lord, reading the Bible more, etc.

I was correct in my thinking, but there was a bit more. The "more" part has really made me stop and think. I have found areas that I need to pray about and seek the Lord's help and His guidance. Here, let me fill you in......

Last week we looked at change. In order to keep a resolution we need to do more than just say we are going to do it. We need to CHANGE.

I've always thought I handled change pretty well. But, as our pastor continued, I realized I only handle change well when it is a good experience for me or something that I chose to change or when it doesn't directly affect me. OUCH! I can't tell you how painful that is to admit. Almost as painful as changing in an area I don't want to change.

Let me give you just a small example. Several years ago there was a series of organizational changes that took place in my company. My department began reporting directly to our parent company. As part of this, our benefits changed to match those of the parent company, including how our vacation time was accrued. Up until this time, we started with 2 wks vacation, after 5 years we moved to 3 wks, and then at 10 yrs we received 4 wks. The new plan is the same until you get to 10 yrs. No longer do I get 4 wks vacation at 10 yrs. I now have to wait until 15 yrs. At the time all this changed, I had only been with my company 8 yrs. I remember thinking "No big deal". There were much bigger things to be upset about.

Well, this year I've now been with the company for 10 yrs and I don't get that additional week of vacation. I bet you can tell where this is going, huh? It now affects me. I don't like it. I have complained about it..... more than once. I'm not handling that bit of change well at all. Funny how my "No big deal" attitude changed once it directly affected me, huh? I've had to re-adjust and pray for an "attitude adjustment".

When I look at this example and then several others, I have been forced to admit that I don't handle change as well as I should. And, unfortunately, I had always felt this was a strength for me. Hmmmmm..... I have discovered that it is just the opposite.

And, you see, here's the crux of the matter.... God is all about change. If we're truly going to live for Him we must change. If we're truly going to love others we
must change. If we're going to be witnesses to the world around us we must change.

If we look in the book of John in the 2nd and 3rd chapters we see stories, back to back, that all deal with change. The first is the story of Jesus changing the water into wine. Second, we read of when Jesus visited the Temple for Passover and was greeted with men selling doves and oxen. Jesus spoke at the time of our bodies being "temples of the Lord" and of how we must cleanse it -- change it from being dirty. Then, the third story tells us of Nicodemus. Nicodemus asked Jesus what one must do "to be born again when he is old?" Jesus' answer is "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven." In other words, we must change -- our ways of thinking, our commitments, and the way we live our lives.

So, here's the questions I must now pose to myself..... how do I learn to accept change that isn't pleasant? Change that directly affects me? How do I learn to embrace change... even the kind of change that is difficult and where I don't see the purpose?

And, finally, here's the big one..... do I daily turn myself over completely to God? Am I completely willing to accept the change that is likely to be required on that very day or somewhere down the road? A change that others may not understand? A change that could move me further outside my comfort zone than I would like?

How about you? Do you handle change well? Have you learned to accept that change is necessary and been able to move forward? Are you willing to change in any way that God may ask?

Back In His Arms Again

Thursday night was bringing an end to a long and frustrating week. Nothing major... just many small things. I thought I was doing okay and then the dam broke. I was irritable, short with my family, impatient with my son when he wouldn't go to bed easily. More impatient when he wouldn't listen. I raised my voice and my tone wasn't nice. In the midst of it all I even let what I'm sure was an innocent informational-type note from his teacher annoy me. She asked me not to send so much snack to school with him as it was too much for the timeframe they had allotted for snacks. And, while I'm still puzzled why this hasn't been an issue until now, there was no reason for me to take a personal afront to it. No reason to convince myself that it was evidence that she thought I was a bad mother because I didn't know how much snack to send. Just the fact that I would think that a note of this nature meant I was a bad mother shows that I was beyond any and all rational thoughts.

After both kids were in bed and asleep and the house was quieter I shared some of my frustrations with my husband. I apologized for the way I had acted. As usual, he listened and was sympathetic. He forgave me. I was still in "feel bad for myself" and "guilt" mode. He needed to spend some time working so I went downstairs and pulled out iPod for some quiet time with some good Christian music.

I had it set to shuffle mode, so had no idea where it would start. These lyrics from a Mark Shultz song were the first to play:

I believe that He loves you where you are
I believe that you've seen the hands of God
I believe that you'll know it when
You're back in His arms again

I believe that He never let you go
I believe that He's wanting you to know
I believe that He'll lead you 'til
you're back in His arms again

I can't tell you how much I needed to be reminded of that at that very time. I was tired and frustrated. I was guilt-ridden because of my behavior. And, while I had turned to Christian music, I really wasn't turning anything over to God at that very moment. I had spent an evening turning away from him... my very actions proved that.

"I believe that He loves you where you are"... I love that phrase. I can't tell you how many times in my life it has brought such great comfort to know that God loves me no matter where I am at that very moment. I wasn't acting very loving Thursday night, but God still loved me. He was still right there with me. As the song goes on to say, "I believe that He never let you go". Yes, He was still holding onto me even if I wasn't recognizing that fact at that moment. And, oh what a wonderful feeling it is to know that I am "Back in His Arms Again".

While I am sure this song is probably referring to much worse situations than I was in last week, I think it is true for any situation whether it be big or small. Almost daily (at least for me) I walk away from God... if only briefly. Regardless, though, of whether I walk away or not He doesn't leave me. He is still holding on to me. Lovingly and patiently waiting for me to turn back to Him.

Here's the full song. I pray that it will bless you as it has me over the last few days.

A Perfect Mess

"...Together, you and I, we have been working with a purpose in your heart. And it is wild and beautiful and perfectly in process. To you it seems like a mess, but to me, I see a perfect pattern emerging and growing and alive -- a living fractal."

excerpt from The Shack by Wm. Paul Young


fractal - [frak-tl]: (n) any of various extremely irregular curves or shapes for which any suitably chosen part is similar in shape to a given larger or smaller part when magnified or reduced to the same size.


I have recently completed reading the book The Shack. I cannot even begin to explain how much this book has blessed me. Although a work of fiction, it brings to life so much about the importance of our relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The author has such a beautiful way of describing God's love for us and the way in which He moves and is working in our lives.

The quote above is one of many that really spoke to me. Quite often I do see my life as a mess. I don't feel that I have it together well in my relationship with God, in my relationship with others, I don't feel that I always have my priorities straight or that I show God's love to others. Many days I'm not sure I am a good wife, mother, friend, or employee.

However, regardless of how big of a mess that I feel I am... that is the complete opposite of what God sees. God sees the bigger picture and He knows that while I may not have a strong relationship with someone today, I am learning something from the struggles on-going at the moment. Maybe someday that relationship will be great. Or, maybe someday I will be better prepared for another situation because of what I learned from the current relationship struggle. Because God is looking down on it from above He sees it all and He knows how all the pieces fit together.

As I was recently discussing this quote with several friends of mine, a picture came to mind (partly because of the setting in which this quote takes place in the book). Imagine that you are standing in the midst of a garden that is filled with many different kinds of flowers and grasses and trees. While beautiful, at the same time it is unorganized and there is no apparent rhyme or reason to how it all fits together. However, you then have the opportunity to fly over the garden and see that what appeared to be unorganized when standing IN the garden is now seen as the shape of an animal or a tree or some other object when looking down at the garden from above.

That is what God sees from above... the way the picture of our lives fit together to form the perfect pattern.


Thank you, Lord, for being able to see how my puzzle fits together. Thank you for seeing past the "mess" and being able to see the beauty that is in me. Thank you for standing beside me and never leaving me. Thank you for encouraging me to move forward even when I can't see past the present moment and all the messes that I feel have taken over my life. Thank you, Lord, for taking our messes and fitting them together into the perfect puzzle. Amen.

God Uses Each of Us

Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberius), and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick. Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. The Jewish Passover Feast was near.

When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

Philip answered him, "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!"

Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"

Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world." Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

John 6:1-15 The Word from the Bible New Revised Standard Version


Over the last 6 weeks or so, our pastor has been preaching about spiritual gifts and how God uses each one of us. Oh, my.... I wish each one of you could be a part of this time in our church. God is moving strongly thru our congregation and thru me... I feel each and every week.

This last week the sermon was based on the passage of scripture above. I must admit that at first I was a bit puzzled. However, I quickly began following and our pastor opened my eyes to view this very familiar story in a whole new way.

You see, I had always read this story and thought of it as one of Jesus' many miracle-performing times. I looked at what Jesus did in the feeding of the 5000. And, while that is VERY important part of this story, there is another person that is just as important.

Have you ever thought about the little boy that gave up his two small fish and five loaves of bread? Have you ever thought "What if that little boy had not been there?" or "What if that little boy would not have given Jesus his fish and loaves of bread?" What would have happened? We don't know. But, I can tell you this -- Jesus would not have fed five thousand people on two fish and five loaves of bread. There may have been a miracle that day, but it would not have been the miracle in this story that showed five thousand persons how Jesus can feed us all and would not be the story that still speaks such a powerful message to us today.

Of course, this leads me to think, "How does God use me?" and "Have I withheld something that kept God from moving in a particular circumstance?" Unfortunately, I'm afraid the answer to that last question is Yes. I have not followed every time I felt God leading in a particular direction. Sad, but true.

As I've thought through all of this over the last week or so I have found that my way of thinking is starting to change. I'm finding that I am looking more openly at the events of my days and looking for the doors the Lord may be opening along the way. I'm noticing more the people around me and seeing ways in which I may be able to help them... even if is just opening a door for someone when their hands are full or allowing someone to move in front of me in traffic.

I am so thankful that God made sure I was in this particular service. It has spoken so very strongly to me and I have a feeling that it will for some time to come. I don't want to be a hindrance to God in any way. I want to fling the doors wide open and be a vessel for Him wherever He may lead!

Serving God is AWESOME!

Sunday morning on the way to church we were listening to Steven Curtis Chapman's "Speechless" CD. This is a favorite of mine and my son absolutely LOVES the song "Whatever" that is on this CD. I've lost count of the number of times over the last couple of months that we've been in the car and he has requested this song. This morning was no exception... we hadn't even gotten to the end of our street before he made his request.

As the song began to play, the following conversation took place:

JOSH: "Mom, this is a really great CD, isn't it?"
ME: "Yep... one of my favorites!"
JOSH: "Aren't these all church songs?" You know, all songs about Jesus, right?"
ME: "They sure are... every one of them. This song talks about how we should always be willing to do WHATEVER God wants us to do."
JOSH: "Wow, Mom... that's pretty awesome, isn't it?!"


Yea... that IS pretty awesome, isn't it? Every one of us has the opportunity to serve God is so many ways! But, how often do we really see it as awesome?

Sure, I know I need to be willing to do whatever God wants. Sure, I know that I should be willing to do so no matter how difficult the task. But, do I really realize how truly awesome it is that God gives us the opportunity to do so very much for Him and for the furtherance of His Kingdom?

For me, personally, I must admit the answer is "No". I am willing but I don't actively think about the "awesomeness" of being able to do so. I'm thinking that if I actively DID think about it in that manner that it might completely change how I go about serving God and how I go about following His will for my life and the lives of my family. It probably wouldn't change the direction the Lord leads, but I'm guessing it would change my attitude and that I would be a more positive testimony to those around me.

As I type this post, I am making a very real and very conscious decision to regularly remind myself and thank God for the awesome opportunity He has given each one of us to serve Him and to follow His will for our lives. I'm excited to see the change it will make for me in the way I follow and seek the Lord.

In closing, below are the words to the chorus of the song "Whatever". I pray you would join me as I seek to follow the Lord's will no matter the task. In doing so, I pray that we would never fail to communicate to others how awesome it is to do all this for our Lord and Savior.

Whatever, whatever You say
Whatever, I will obey
Whatever, Lord, have Your way
'Cause You are my God, whatever

The Fourth of the Four Habits of a Disciple

Habit Four: Fellowship

"Let us not give up the habit of meeting together, as some are doing. Instead, let us encourage each other." Hebrews 10:25

Reasons for Fellowship

Reason 1: I belong in God's family with other believers.
"So in Christ, we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others!"

Reason 2: I need encouragement to grow spiritually.
"Let us think of one another and how we can encourage each other to love and do good deeds." Hebrews 10:24

Reason 3: I need accountability to grow spiritually.
"Every day... keep encouraging one another so that none of you is hardened by the glamour of sin." Hebrews 3:13

Reason 4: Jesus is present when we fellowship together.
"For wherever two or three have come together in my name, I am there, right among them!" Matthew 18:20

Reason 5: There is great power when people pray together.
"Whenever two of you on earth agree about anything you pray for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven." Matthew 18:19

Reason 6: Fellowship is a witness to the world.
"My prayer for all of them is that they will be of one heart and mind...so the world will believe you sent me." John 17:21

Reason 7: I am obligated to every other Christian.
"God has given you some special abilities; be sure to use them to help each other." 1 Peter 4:10

This was taken from a Discipleship Study my husband and I recently participated in at our church. I thought it was such great stuff that I just had to share!

The Third of the Four Habits of a Disciple

Habit Three: Honor God With Your Giving

"Just as you excel in everything else... in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness... see that you also excel in the grace of giving." 2 Corinthians 8:7

7 Benefits of Giving

1 Giving makes me more like God.
"God so loved the world that He gave his only Son..." John 3:16
You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.

2 Giving draws me nearer to God.
"Where your treasure is, there your heart is also." Matthew 6:21

3 Giving is the antidote to materialism or greed.
"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to be generous and willing to share. In this way they may take hold of the life that is truly life." 1 Timothy 6:17-19

4 Giving strengthens faith.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Honor the Lord by giving him the first part of your income, and he will fill your barns to overflowing." Proverbs 3:5,9

5 Giving is an investment in eternity.
"Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life." 1 Timothy 6:18-19

6 Giving blesses me in return.
"A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." Proverbs 11:25

7 Giving makes me happy.
"There is more happiness in giving than in receiving." Acts 20:35

How do I give with the right attitude?

~ Giving willingly ~
"Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under pressure." 2 Corinthians 9:7a

~ Give cheerfully ~
"For God loves a cheerful give." 2 Corinthians 9:7b

~ Give generously ~
"They gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service..." 2 Corinthians 8:3-4

~ Give expectantly ~
"... whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly; and whoever sows generously will reap generously." 2 Corinthians 9:6





This was taken from a Discipleship Study my husband and I recently participated in at our church. I thought it was such great stuff that I just had to share!

The Second of the Four Habits of a Disciple

Habit Two: Prayer

Approach prayer with the right attitude

Be Real
"When you pray, do not be like these hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men." Matthew 6:5

Be Relaxed
"But when you pray go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." Matthew 6:6

Be Revealing
"Don't recite the same prayer over and over as the heathen do, who think prayers are answered only by repeating them again and again. Remember, your Father knows exactly what you need before you ask Him!" Matthew 6:7-8


Use the Model Jesus Gave Us
Jesus gave us the Lord's Prayer as a model of how to pray. The below looks at the "parts" of the Lord's Prayer and how we can use it as a model when we pray.

Praise
"Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy name..."
We begin by expressing our love for God. Two types of praise that we could consider here are adoration (praising God for who He is) and thanksgiving (praising God for what he has done).

Purpose
"Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven..."
Pray for God's will to be done... in my family... my church... my ministry... my job... my future... my city... my nation... the world. Then let go of the outcome.

Provision
"Give us this day, our daily bread..."
We ask God to provide for our daily needs. There is nothing too great for God's power to take care of and there's nothing too insignificant for His concern. God knows what we need. He knows everything about us -- but prayer is our personal declaration of dependence on God.

Pardon
"Forgive us our trespasses..."
We ask God to forgive our sins. Consider the following steps in the process of seeking forgiveness:
~ Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal every sin.
~ Confess each sin specifically.
~ Make restitution to others when necessary.
~ By faith, accept God's forgiveness.

People
"...as we forgive those who trespass against us."
It is important to remember that God is working in the lives of the people we pray for even when we can't see it. If there's someone you've been praying for, even for a long time, and you don't see any evidence of change, you don't want to give up... God certainly hasn't.

It is also important to understand the critical importance of forgiving others. Consider these steps below in the process of forgiving others:
~ Experience forgiveness from God for yourself.
~ Accept that you will always need the forgiveness of God and others.
~ Accept you will always forgive others.
~ Understand that forgiving others is a process of daily choices to forgive, the difficulty of which depends on the offense.
~ Forgive because you need forgiveness.
~ Forgive because you want to be like Jesus
~ Forgive because you want to be emotionally and psychologically healthy.
~ If you do not forgive, the resentment and bitterness will destroy you, not the other person.
~ If you are unable or unwilling to forgive, surrender that powerlessness to God, asking Him to do for you what you cannot do for yourself.
~ Communicate openly with a safe person, and seek help when needed.

Protection
"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."
Believers face spiritual battles every day. Satan wants to defeat us through temptation and fear. We need protection as we face daily temptations from the world, the flesh, and the devil. By praying for protection, we can have the confidence to face every situation during the day.

Poverty/Brokenness
"For thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory forever. Amen."
We accept our weakness and powerlessness as we acknowledge and surrender to our genuine source of strength and power.

This was taken from a Discipleship Study my husband and I recently participated in at our church. I thought it was such great stuff that I just had to share!

The First of the Four Habits of a Disciple

Habit One: Daily Time With God

Why is it important to have a daily time with God?

We were created to have a fellowship with God.
"So God created man in his own image..." Genesis 1:27, 2:7, 3:8

Jesus died to make a relationship with God possible.
"God has invited you into this wonderful friendship with his Son, Christ our Lord." 1 Corinthians 1:9

Personal time alone with God was Jesus' source of strength.
"Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed." Mark 1:3

Every effective disciple developed this habit.

Healthy, maturing Christians spend time with God.
"...I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food." Job 23:12


What is the purpose of a daily time with God?

We are to give glory to God. (being grateful)
Give to the Lord the glory due to his name. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness." Psalms 29:2

We receive direction from God.
"Show me the path where I should go, O Lord; point out the right road for me to walk. Lead me." Psalms 25:4

We learn to delight in God.
Delight yourself in the Lord; and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalms 37:4

This was taken from a Discipleship Study my husband and I recently participated in at our church. I thought it was such great stuff that I just had to share!

What are the Four Habits of a Disciple?

As I have the last few weeks, I'm going to share some more that we learned in a study we participated in with our church. Below are the four habits of a disciple. Next week I'll begin going into more detail on each of the below 4 Habits.

Habit One: Daily Time with God
"If you continue in my Word then you are my disciples indeed. And you will know the truth and the truth will set you free." John 8:31-32

Habit Two: Prayer
"If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, then you will ask for anything you wish, and you shall have it. In this way, you become My disciples." John 15:7-8

Habit Three: Honoring God thru Giving Money
"None of you can be my disciple unless he gives up all of his possessions." Luke 14:33

Habit Four: Fellowship
"Love each other just as much as I love you. Your strong love for each other will prove to the world that you are my disciples." John 13:34-35

How Do You Develop Good Spiritual Growth Habits?

7 steps for developing good spiritual growth habits --

Step 1: Must have a DESIRE

Step 2: Must make a DESCISION
"If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done." Ecclesiastes 4:11

Step 3: Must make a DECLARATION
"Make vows to the Lord your God and fulfill them." Psalms 76:11

Step 4: Must have DETERMINATION
It take 7 to 21 repetitions to learn something new.
It take 3 weeks to become comfortable with a new habit.
It take 3 to 4 more weeks (doing it daily) for it to become part of your life.

Step 5: Just DO IT!

Step 6: DOUBLE UP with others
"Two are better off than one, because together they can work more effectively. If one of them falls down, the other can help him up." Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Step 7: You must DEPEND ON GOD
"For the Spirit of God has given us... fills us with power, love, and self-control." 2 Timothy 1:7

A simple prayer that might help? First, pray "God I can't do this by myself." Second, acknowledge that God can do it. Third, pray "God, I'm going to let you."

Five Ways to Improve Your Hearing of God's Word

Are you trying to improve your time alone with God? Trying more than ever to hear the words that God is saying to you?

Here are 5 tips that I received in a recent study I was doing with my church. I hope you find them as helpful as I did. I'll be working on improving in each of these areas in the months to come.

1. Be ready and eager to hear God.

"He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" Luke 8:8

"How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" Psalm 119:103


2. Address attitudes that prevent you from hearing God.

"Consider carefully how you listen..." Luke 8:18

* A closed mind lets fear, pride, or bitterness prevent one from really hearing God
* A superficial mind is not really serious about wanting to hear God
* A preoccupied mind is too busy and concerned with other things to concentrate on what God has to say.


3. Confess the sin in your life.

"Get rid of all moral filth and humbly accept the Word." James 1:21


4. Take notes on what you hear.

"We must pay more careful attention to what we've heard, so that we do not drift away!" Hebrews 2:1

Studies show that writing down what you hear greatly improves knowledge retention.


5. Act on what you hear.

"Do not merely listen to the Word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." James 1:22

"Whoever does not simply listen and then forgets it, but puts it into practice that person will be blessed in what he does." James 1:25