Stuck In Neutral

When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.

John 5:6-9

Anyone who has ever had car trouble knows that it’s never fun. But I have to admit that I was somewhat amused one of the more recent times that car trouble darkened my doorstep. You see, I’ve gotten to the point where I try not to worry about things that I cannot fix and simply wait (and expect) God to take care of matters. But I digress…this time, I was having trouble with the gear shift. The car was stuck in gear. Now, I know that doesn’t seem amusing, but the amusing part was when the Lord began to minister to me through the failed mechanics of my vehicle. You see, the car was stuck in NEUTRAL.

The motor was running fine and the car could drift wherever I pushed it, but it wouldn’t actually shift into drive. And I knew in my heart, that God was trying to get my attention and show me areas of my life where I had become stuck in a spiritual “neutral”—where I had become somewhat numb and allowed some of life’s ups and downs to dictate where I did or didn’t go. In the midst of my waiting season, I admit that apathy had begun in ways to set in. Just like my car, I was running just fine from the outside but had a glitch that meant I couldn’t go full steam ahead. It reminded me of the man at the pool of Bethesda who sat year after year waiting for something to happen instead of making it happen for himself.

At the end of the day, my car was an easy fix. One small part had gone awry. And God is saying to me and to you that it can be just that simple for us. How often in our lives do we allow one small element of our world to throw us completely off course or, worse yet, to stagnate us? Where is God trying to take you that has been hindered by a simple fix (ex. a different perspective, a new route, a different mindset)? Today, you have the opportunity to break out your tools and make a simple fix in your spirit. The Word of God and the fellowship with His children make all the difference in being able to move out of neutral. Be encouraged today to make the decision to surround yourself with the right folks and fill yourself with the right words. It can be as simple as that.

Blessings,

PastorA

New Way Home

There is a recurring lesson that has been coming at me recently-FLEXIBILITY. It's one that was driven home to me on a ride home one evening. After meeting a friend for dinner, I decided to take a different route home. I turned down a ride to the nearest subway station just out of a desire to learn something new. I didn't know the schedule of that particular bus but stood at the stop "on faith" that something would soon come along to pick me up. And, I was pleased at my choice as I gazed out of the windows to see the sun going down. It was a peaceful ride home filled with this weird sense of wonder. This new route was a winner, and the Lord began to remind me about the necessity for flexibility and courage in this season of life. So many of us are in spaces where God is pushing us to be a little bit more adventurous in this walk towards Him (i.e. "home"). We've been doing the same things and expecting different results (a.k.a. insanity) and God looking for more flexibility. You may feel like you can't bend any further, that you've been as flexible as you can possibly be. It's at that point that God pushes us to take one more step, stand at the new stop, and wait for him to take us away on a new journey. Be encouraged that when you stand "on faith", HE will be that very thing that very thing that you are seeking...that peaceful ride full of wonder awaits us on the other side of courage and faithfulness. Today, make a decision to take a new way home.

"I will bring the blind by a way they did not know..." Isaiah 42:16a

Anxious to Hear

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

Have you ever been anxiously awaiting someone's call? Perhaps it was a fine man or woman you thought might be "the one", the job you knew would take you to that next level of success, the doctor with test results in your favor, or any number of opportunities that awaited you on the other end of the line. We've all been there eyeing the phone like a watched pot that never seems to boil. And you think if you state hard enough, you can will it to sound. Or sometimes it is the other way around, and you are on the sending side--nervous about making a call out. The anticipation of the call is connected to your hope for the answer.

Similarly, there are times when we hesitate to pray, allowing time to get away from us or sleep to overtake us or "busy"ness to get in the way of making that outgoing call to God. Maybe He won't pick up? Perhaps He won't answer? Worse yet, perhaps He WILL? We remain silenced by our anticipation and fears.

But the thing to remember about God is that He is always on the other side of that line, anxiously awaiting your call. He WANTS to hear from you. He wants to be a part of your process and not simply an afterthought or consultant. He wants to give you PEACE and REST through your prayers. The scripture promises"peace that surpasses understanding" and compels us to "Come to (the Lord) all who labor and are heavy laden, and (he) will give you rest." (Mattew 11:28) You have been laboring and feeling the weight of the world (disguised as your life) on your shoulders. God is standing by in "ready mode" to tap in and take over that weighty feeling if you let Him. Unlike us awaiting the mate or job or tests, He doesn't NEED our call. But it is so much sweeter that He WANTS it.

Today, be encouraged to surrender your anxieties and fears and call Him up.

Blessings,
Pastor A

P.S. Today is the National Day of Prayer. Forward this blog to those who YOU are praying for and encourage them in the Lord.

No Explanation Necessary

He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. ~ Psalm 1:1-3

There are times in all that we do when we feel that pressure to answer for our actions. Why did you do that? Where did that decision come from? What were you thinking? The questions about life's choices plague our ears from without and our minds from within. And the problem is that we don't often know what to say to ourselves or anyone else (for that matter) especially when the answer is based in God. The pressure to clearly articulate and explain our faith walk in a way that makes sense to those around us can be overwhelming.

As Christians there are times when the opportunity to attribute choices to God comes and goes with our silence. It's easier to not answer than to say "God said" and deahl with the skepticism and doubt that we at times may face. We think no one will fully understand the decision to be fully guided by the Holy Spirit. But this week's point of prayer is a simple reminder that you don't owe anyone an explanation for the things God is doing. You only owe God the glory. At the end of the day, your victory will tell it's own story...your testimony will shout of your faith and God's goodness from the rooftop. In the mean time, you don't have to explain yourself for doing what God said.

This week, choose to walk in the confidence of God. Let the Spirit guide you with freedom--standing like that tree planted with leaves that don't wither and whose fruit will be the ultimate explanation for Who God is in your life and all that He is capable of doing.

Be encouraged,
MinD

Seeing Through The Fog (Day 1 - Freedom Week)

I arrived in Washington, DC and was given a great room with a view. The clear night air gave an awesome view of the Mall with the grandeur of the Washington monument and US Capital in sight. And I was excited as I anticipated awaking in the morning before the meat of my mission there began, knowing that I would have a breathtaking view to start the day off.

However, as I opened my eyes to a heavy fog over the city, I quickly realized that spectacular sight would not be available to me on this one and only morning I was in town. And as I sat doing my devotional, I felt the Holy Spirit whisper something poignant into my spirit: Sometimes on a mission you will not be able to see clearly. And my favorite scripture came to mind, Isaiah 42:16, which says that the Lord will 'bring the blind by ways they cannot see and make crooked places straight' and in closing the verse reminds us that God will not leave or forsake us.

What an awesome thought! How comforting it can be to us that, on this journey where sometimes the fog settles in our lives and blocks the view of what we want to see, we can be assured of the fact that God is constantly leading us. He will continue to make the way straight. We may feel "blind" but God always sees. We mustn't get anxious that what we want (our dreams, the thing we are looking forward to, the pathway we thought we were supposed to be on...) has disappeared. The view never changes--behind the fog is still a famed view of monuments to greatness. Sometimes we simply can't see what is right there and have to trust that it didn't go away. Fog is temporary and cannot stop us from moving forward on our path.

Be encouraged, God WILL lift the fog when the time is right.

Blessings,
MinD

Faithful to Finish

For I am confident of this very thing, 

that He who began a good work in you 

will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. 

(Philippians 1:6 NASB)

There are times in our lives when we become discouraged. There are days when we look up and around and begin to lose sight of whatever God has said for our lives. There are seasons when the promise of God seems so illusive--where the reality of our circumstance and situation makes seeing the possibilities of God's will difficult. We are weighed down by life and responsibility. We are distracted by the twists and turns of day-to-day living and begin to forget that God is a God who can make it all straight.

I am in such a season. If you're anything like me, you begin to think you must have dreamed it all. I have pouted and thrown tantrums with God. I had even made a decision the other day that perhaps I should simply start trying to convince myself not to believe. In the interest of being content or satisfied, perhaps I should simply decide that I'm not meant to be or do any more than what I'm currently being and doing. I began to think that if I lower my expectations of what God said was to happen, the process would somehow hurt or fatigue me less when/if things didn't move as I would hope. I'm a person who shouts "YOU MUST HAVE FAITH!" from the highest mountain tops, but was facing a crisis of my own--thinking that it was enough to have faith in how powerful I believe God to BE without fully investing my heart in the faith for what He said He would DO!

I went back and forth in my mind the last few days about weather to embrace this shift in mindset. BUT GOD (gotta love when He puts his "but" in things), the lover of my soul, wrapped His arms around me in the form of an emailed video from a friend today. My friend had done me the favor of digitizing the video from my initial sermon. (I have only watched this sermon once and that was some time after at the taunting of friends.) But TODAY, I needed to be reminded and God was faithful to send me that reminder. I remembered that being content and satisfied were not one in the same. As I listened God reminded me that wanting what He has for me has nothing to do with not being content. If He doesn't do another thing for me, I will be content. But I refuse to live satisfied with less than what was His original intent when He fashioned me in my mother's womb. The Bible tells me to press towards the mark (Phil 3:14) and not just float our way there. There is action and intention in walking out the promises of God and we cannot lose sight of the destination while we are panting through the course!

Just has He did for me, it is His intention for you to understand that He IS a Promise Keeper! You were starting to feel like you must have dreamed what God said or like He has forgotten, but He sent me today to remind you in love that He's not a man that He should lie! He sees you and knows your path! HIS WORD IS BOND!!! He's a FINISHER and will begin what He started in you. Beyond your tears and the realities of your circumstance lies your PROMISE. Today, be encouraged to keep your eye on the prize and keep pressing. He's well worth it!

Blessings,
MinD

P.S. I've posted this in my personal blog as well and have uploaded a clip from my initial sermon on YouTube (http://youtu.be/2E6hVj0Hotc). If you have 7 minutes, please take a look and stand in agreement with me for the promises that God is bringing to pass and be encouraged to share that encouragement with those you think may need a bit of a boost today.

It's Not Automatic

I woke up this morning with a thanks to God on my mind. But, just as quickly as I said "thank you", my mind began to wander--thinking about that guy I was talking to last night or the bill I need to pay this week or the tasks I need to accomplish today. I had to keep bringing it back in so that I could get through my morning devotion--reading verses multiple times in order to really absorb what it was saying. I was frustrated with myself for my lack of focus (which happens often). And, if I'm being truthful, many days, it's the other way around. I wake up with my mind already going at full throttle, preparing for the day or recapping the dream I just awoke from once the fog of the new morning lifted from my brain, and then I think "Oh shoot! Thanks God!" As guilt floods my spirit, I begin my devotion for the morning intertwined with trying to get to wherever it is that my schedule is dictating. At some point, I settle down and have some REAL quiet time, but what I've found to be true for me is that it's not automatic. My afterthought of praise often gives me a gut check. I really want to automatically wake up speaking in tongues and singing old spirituals. It just doesn't always happen that way.

As a young Christian, I used to believe that I would come to this day when it would--when my brain would suddenly switch from manual to automatic and fall in complete sync with my personal commitment to Christ--and I would roll out of bed everyday with an automatic praise and prayer. But today, I got some freedom as I read Amos 5:4, 14 where it says,

“'Seek (God) and live...Seek good and not evil, 

That you may live; So the Lord God of hosts 

will be with you, As you have spoken.'" 

The key for me was in that word "seek". I thought of the key verses of faith like Matthew 6:33 that says "Seek first the Kingdom of God..." or  Colossians 3:2 telling us to "Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth." The mere fact that the Lord uses an action word in His instructions to us is poignant. Seek. Set. DO something. They both imply that God understands that our worship and praise and prayer are NOT automatic. They imply that God knew that when we were "shaped in iniquity" (Psalm 51:5) we would have to approach Him with intention and purpose. Even the 12 disciples asked Jesus to 'teach them to pray' (Luke 11:1) and they were with Jesus in the flesh!

No. It's not automatic, but that means that in this day as with every day, we have the opportunity to expressly look for God in new and astounding ways. We have the opportunity for greatness in each and every day. We have the opportunity to take action and turn on our Jesus switch with purpose. And what we know in the end is that, He will meet us there, He will be with us and He will guide us through and through.

Be encouraged to manually turn on your Jesus switch and seek Him in this day. He's got something waiting just for you!

Blessings,
MinD

Promises Beyond Inadequacies

But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.  For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness,  and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” 

Hebrews 8:6, 12

On the way home one day, I began thinking about the season that I've been in. It's not always been easy and has had me asking God to clearly reveal His purpose in these life tests so that I can pass and not have to revisit them. Unlike those who are more righteous than me, my desire to move out of the season is not always altruistically motivated. I am not always focused on Christ the way I would like to be in theory. And that was the center of my thinking on the way home. I began to berate myself about not doing better, thinking better, and just plain being better. I began to feel inadequately human and selfish in my thinking. That familiar motto "W.W.J.D.?" (What Would Jesus Do) played in my mind as I wondered how Christ would have handled being in my shoes. My brain began to overload as I thought of all of the "shoulds"...you know the things that you feel you "should" do like pray more, eat less, exercise more, love more, and so forth... I knew as I stepped into the house that my condemning thoughts were not of God (Romans 8:1) and that I needed to turn to The Word for answers. As I re-read Hebrews 8, I was struck by the 8th and 12th verses that reminded me that God is merciful and not as concerned with my works (a.k.a. deeds). While He does want me to pray more and love more, etc., He also knows doesn't condemn me when I don't. At the end of the day, His promises go beyond my inadequacies. His covenant is one of forgiveness and grace...not to the end of sinning more but to the end of living more. Truly it's God's desire for us to lead lives that are focused on Him. However, as God, He also fully understands that we are simply unrighteous humans. And sometimes that is all the reminder that we need to take one more step in His direction.

Be encouraged to stay focused on living for God without trying to be Him.

Blessings,
MinD

Hear The Call. Don't Turn Back.

“For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”

Hebrews 5:13-14

“I have decided to follow Jesus…No turning back. No turning back.” For some reason, this old hymn is floating through my mind. There was a point in my life when Jesus wasn’t even a thought for me. Then, even after salvation, I was not fully committed to giving myself completely to Him. I did the best I knew how to do. I drank the mild of my Christian faith just like it describes in Hebrews 5:13. However, there was a certain point when I realized that God was calling me to a new level in Him—one where mild would not suffice and where the solid food of faith (Heb 5:14) was required. At that point, I made a conscious decision to follow Him…no turning back.

So on days and in seasons when that path is more challenging than I’d like, I am reminded that I have truly made a commitment to go where He’s gone in some way, shape, or form. My suffering (if you can even call it that) only scratches the surface of what Christ suffered. And, as I walk through the valleys of this Christian journey, I can be reassured that even suffering has a purpose. Hebrews 5:8 says that Jesus “learned obedience by things which he suffered.” He was called by The Father and remained committed without turning back despite His tremendous suffering.

You may be struggling with the call that The Father has given you. Drinking the milk of faith has worked just fine for you. But there is more to this walk for you. Today, hear the call that God is placing over your life to eat the “solid food” of your faith and walk with assurance that in your decision you will not turn back.

Be encouraged to keep moving forward.

MinD

Firm, Unshaken & Holding On

"For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ." Hebrews 3:14 (NLT)

Fall is my favorite season. Nature's autumn colors serve as a constant reminder of how God is The Master Artist, and it always brings me such peace. In the midst of a life that is full of craziness, you can always count on a blue sky and a leaf turning ten shades of green, yellow, red and orange (not grey) and settling your mind if only for a moment. Today, I experienced that very peace as I drove through the mountains. My mind began to wander as I remembered a particular tree that I saw a few years ago around this time of the year. Most of the leaves had fallen from a tree and there was just one little leaf who was holding on for dear life in a position that was abnormal to a leaf. I walked away and came back to it still in position. It was like the leaf had sheer determination and refused to be parted from the very thing that had given it life for so long. Even when the stem was disconnected, the leaf was tenaciously hang on just a little longer. And, as I watched that leaf, I was reminded of the kind of fortitude that God expects from us. From the start of our season to the very end, God wants us to hang on for dear life. 

Hebrews 3:14 says that we have to be "faithful to the end". The Amplified translation says that we are to have "assured expectation firm and unshaken to the end". As life turns topsy turvy, as you even begin to feel like you may be disconnected from The Source (God), you need to remember this leaf, make some adjustments to your grip and don't let go. The God who so eloquently made millions of shades of greens, yellows, reds and oranges in ONE leaf, did so much more in us when He perfected us. And the Bible assures us that He will complete the work He has begun in us (Philippians 1:6). If we hold on, we will get to partake with Christ in His inheritance and that's a prize worth waiting on.

Be encouraged to stand firm, remain unshaken and simply hold on for dear life. He's got you!

Blessings,
MinD

Rollin' with God's Crew

"Starburst 4" by Christine Gaut

It's easy to feel alone. Whether you are single or married, with children or without, live alone or with others, that feeling that comes when you close your eyes and your problems are your own and it's only you and God there to solve them can be a daunting one. It can be overwhelming to think about the next steps you must take when life has thrown you a curve-ball. But the thing that I found out today (the thing that God shows me each time that lonely hole begins to swallow me up) is that there's a whole crew of angels assigned to help little 'ole me. The first chapter of Hebrews talks about Jesus being exalted above the angels. The chapter ends with a small statement that stuck with me in verse 14. It says, "Are not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?"

The verse piqued my interest and caused me to research what exactly the job of these spirits/angels is. My image of angels doesn't really extend beyond a flowey white, winged being or that old television series, Highway To Heaven. (The angels on that show were walking amongst us doing good deeds.) So what I found made me look around with gratitude at the air all around me. My research came up with two verses in particular that I think you should hear:

"No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; for He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone." (Psalm 91:10-12)

and

"Bless the Lord, you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His word, heeding the voice of His word. Bless the Lord, all you His hosts, you ministers of His, who do His pleasure. (Psalm 103:20-21)

I don't know about you, but today I was comforted by the fact that God's crew includes spirits whose earthly job is to minster to those of us trying desperately to walk this Christian journey, protect us from evil, all while being strong examples of those who please God. The angels assigned to you are more than little cherubs with wings or frail, whimsical ghosts. They are a gang whose rep is unrivaled by any other and whose power is fighting the fight on your side. You can be reassured that you are not alone and that  the crew you are rollin' with is the one to watch. 

Be encouraged today and know, you're never alone. God and his whole crew have your back!

Blessings,
MinD 

Day 28: Say What You Mean

"He who rebukes a man will find more favor afterward than he who flatters with the tongue."

Proverbs 28:23

There is a saying that goes "Say what you mean and mean what you say." Today's word from the proverbs is simple and to the point. The weight behind our words is immeasurable. This does not give us the license to say anything, but it does give us the responsibility to live in the middle of truth. Saying "I'm just keepin' it real" is not the same as rebuking a man in Christian love. Love is the key word. There has to be compassion and a sincere desire to improve the other person in order for it to be truly "real" and not just your opinion. So this is the day that you have an opportunity to speak in truth and love and refrain from simple flattery.

Be encouraged in truth and love.

Blessings,
MinD

Day 25: Choose Your Weapons Wisely

I often find when speaking to fellow adult Christians that we sound like children in some ways when it comes to how we deal with conflict. Our sense of entitlement to lash out supersedes any desire to be a good witness. Our spiritual reasoning goes out the window when we feel we've been wronged. We operate with that "he hit me first" type of mentality that says it's o.k. to gain vengeance when the recipient of said response is "deserving". Somehow it makes us feel better if the person is mean or rude or annoying or simply just so different from us, but the truth is we know better than that. Being a Christian, an ambassador for Christ, means we've made a conscious decision not to live tit for tat. Specifically, we are called to take the higher road and not even boast about it. Proverbs 25:21 tells us, "If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;". Instead of getting someone who got you, this Christian journey is about getting them with a different tool than the one they used on you--repaying evil with kindness and stinginess with generosity. It's easier said than done in the heat of the moment. But it's possible when you have the Holy Spirit guiding your every move. When you've decided to place no other god before The God (not even self-righteous indignation) then you allow God to get the glory. It's as simple as that.

I know you know this. I'm not saying anything earth-shattering or ground-breaking. It's the A-B-C's of The Golden Rule (Do unto others...), but sometimes you need a reminder. So today, as you encounter people along your way, tests will come but be encouraged to choose to use joy and peace as your weapons of choice even when they "hit you first" with evil and disruption.

Blessings,
MinD

Day 20: Kindness...What A Novel Idea

They say that everyone will get their 15 minutes of fame. In today's media, it seems that so many people are getting more than their fair 15 though they seem to be doing nothing noteworthy. Do you know who I'm talking about? I'm talking about the lovely men and women (and now toddlers) of reality television. Now let me preface this by admitting that I'm a bit of a reality junkie and actually watch many shows. However, I do have a line. You see there are some shows where the people getting all the air-time and exposure are simply a hot mess. They do everything except honor God and manage to get paid to do it.

But as I began to meditate on the life of a reality star, I realized that many of them are here today and gone tomorrow. You see, they can't seem to sustain. They have no staying power--a fact that, in part, could probably be attributed to a simple lack of one character ingredient, lovingkindness. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 20:28 that "Mercy and truth preserve the king, And by lovingkindness he upholds his throne." So many of us are looking for that staying power and can't seem to get it. We try one thing and it seems to fizzle. We try another and just can't get things to flow for us. Our fuses seem to get shorter and shorter as the trials in our lives seem to get longer and longer.

What we know is that as Christians we are called to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) and kindness is a part thereof. And while we watch those who are the most negative or least benevolent in our lives get this or that earthly reward, what we can rest in is that our eternal reward is much greater and that our ultimate staying power far exceeds theirs.As we are tested in life, it is up to us to decide to make the wise decision to choose kindness over being rushed or rude. It is up to us to look beyond our schedules and schemes to find God's ultimate plan for our continued success. It's so simple (and certainly not a novel idea) that I'm almost ashamed to write about this but I feel as though someone out there needs a reminder about the extreme power of kindness.

Be encouraged as those tests come think on that old saying, "you catch more bees with honey," and make kindness a priority in your walk.

Blessings,
MinD

Day 19: Return Home

I admit it. I've been pouting this evening...

Oh don't look at me in that tone of voice...It's not like I'm alone. So many of us are struggling. We are in places where we are waiting until 11:59pm minute to see God produce "just in the nick of time" miracles in our lives. And sometimes when we don't see our miracles once our countdown has run out (since we put God on a timer), we assume that He isn't in the business of answering prayers. Tonight, I was about to go down that road with God. I was about to ask, in my best self-entitled voice, the age old question of "Why?" (It's amazing that I would have the gall to think that God owes me an explanation. He surely does not.) However, what I realized was that it wasn't that He wasn't going to answer, it was that I had asked amiss to begin with. How often do we get to that point? We've asked God for this or that and He doesn't deliver like Santa Claus on Christmas morning so we slip into a space of doubt in God or depression around our dreams.

What I love about God is that He meets us where we are. As I was about to slide into that pouty place I read Proverbs 19:23 which says that "The fear of the Lord leads to life, And he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil." Oh how wonderful it would be to abide in satisfaction--what a glorious thought that you live there. But, just like our earthly homes, there are times when we walk out of the doors and have been presented with the opportunity to simply go back home when we're ready. When we make the intentional decision to focus on what God wants more than what we want, we open the door. When we face new days with room for God to change our prayers and our hearts, we step over the threshold. When we praise Him despite what we do or do not get and worship Him just because He's God, we take a seat and "abide".

I don't know about you, but I think I've decided to turn my pout into praise this evening, open the door, step over the threshold and abide in the satisfaction of the Lord. Be encouraged to do the same...

Blessings,
MinD

Day 18: Time To Unpack

“Stuck”…It’s a four-letter word in spirit though made up of five. It’s so easy in life to hit moments when we you simply feel stuck. What’s more, getting “unstuck” can feel daunting and impossible. Beyond simply understanding that "nothing is impossible with Christ" (Luke 1:37), you must take steps to begin to wiggle out of that stuck position. This means you have to actively decide to unlock vision, unchain dreams and unpack the gifts that you’ve managed to stifle inside. There’s something in your heart, a passion that may even be accompanied by a skill set, that seems to be encased in a blanket of slumber (and reeking of moth balls). Do you remember it is there? Do you remember what it felt like to use that gift? Do you remember what it felt like to fly high on your dreams and let that flight catapult you into the next phase of your life? If you answered “no” to any of the above, perhaps it is time to rekindle your fire. Perhaps it is time to unpack the gift and give it the air it needs to breathe and grow wings. We’re told in Proverbs that “A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men.” (Pr 18:16).

Begin today by telling someone about that gift and putting it on display. Be encouraged to unpack and stay a while knowing that a room will be made for you soon.

Blessings,

MinD

Day 17: Hold Your Peace

Have you noticed as we are reading that in this book on wisdom, one common theme seems to repeat itself over and over again? The final words of Proverbs 17 are a perfect example and spark the memory that this is not the first time we hear Solomon reference our talking aparatus. It poignantly reads:

Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; 

when he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive. (vs. 28)

It's enough to prompt a search of the chapters up to this point and determine that there are 69 references to mouth, lips and tongues in the chapters 1 through 17 and 112 references in all of Proverbs. Here is this book that is all about directing Christians in ways to make decisions--a book that serves as an ode to wisdom and understanding--and one of the repeated concepts is about the mouth. It thus becomes easy to draw the conclusion that God is sincerely interested in what it is that we have to say. Someone reading this is like me and needs this point to be driven home. We need our hearts to be sensitive to what is about to come from our lips. We need our minds to match our mouths and not have the disconnect that sometimes occurs when we speak before we think.

If you are looking to better understand what is going on in your life, perhaps it is time to hold your peace. Perhaps it is time to listen twice as much as you speak. Perhaps perception will come when peace proves powerful over what you will and will not say.

Be encouraged today to hold your peace...

Blessings,
MinD

Day 16: The Price Of Peace (Don't let 'em try you!)

What price would you pay for peace in your life? Does it seem like turmoil and trials have taken over the space where peace and freedom used to reside? There is an opportunity that presents itself each and every time we are presented with confrontation. Sometimes our desire to be right can even overshadow our desire to be godly. Our buttons get pushed and we are pushed to the limits. As a petulant teenager, one of my siblings used to say that someone "tried" them when adults confronted them about a fight they may have been in. And the truth is that so many of us are "tried" day in and day out even as adults, and we allow anger and pride to rule how we choose to respond in those situations. But today's word is brief and to the point: Proverbs 16:32 gives us instruction in wisdom that seems to speak directly to that very thing. It says, "He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city."

I appreciate that God associates power and might with the ability to respond beyond our angry places. Having temperance over emotions can serve as the biggest tool you have and make you mightier than even those who conquer cities. It seems hard to imagine that the simple idea of self-control empowers us to truly act in accordance with God's will. But it does. When we make decisions to not allow ourselves to be "tried" in a court of our emotions, we present our spirits with the sentence for freedom and peace. And that, right there, is priceless.

Be encouraged to choose temperance in the face of confrontation today...

Blessings,
MinD

Day 15: There Is A Point

There are times in our lives where situations and circumstances we face have us wondering "what's the point?" Despite our good deeds and sacrifices (though minimal they may be), sickness still comes, death still happens, evil still runs rampant over the earth... It's almost enough to make one throw in the towel. But it is at moments like these when the ultimate inspiration shines through in God'd Word saying:

"The way of life winds upward for the wise, That he may turn away from hell below." Proverbs 15:24

The point of our journey towards wisdom and understanding is simple and to the point: it brings us closer to God and His goodness and further from those very evils that confound us. Today/yesterday, things happened in your life to make you pause, but don't allow that pause to make you skip a beat completely. Keep pressing forward knowing that the upward move of this walk is enough to keep you going.

Be encouraged,
MinD

Day 7: Understand?

Years ago (sometime circa 1980ish), there was an episode of The Cosby Show that had a line that seemed to stick in my mind. Cliff (the husband) was chastising one of his children as he did on so many occasions in a silly way and whatever child was looking at him with that same blank look that they all seemed to do and he slowly and with emphasis said, "Do you understand the wooords that are coming out of my mouth?" You see whatever it was that he was saying was obviously something he had had to repeat. As a parent, he was none too pleased about this need for repetition and was at the point where he wanted to be express about his direction and ensure that he was getting through to whichever child that it was. It was just one of those lines that stuck in my mind and is one that I've repeated with silliness when trying to communicate a thought to friends. "Do you understand the wooords that are coming out of my mouth?"

As I began to read chapter 7, I was struck at how it began: "My son, keep my words, and treasure my commands within you. Keep my commands and live, and my law as the apple of your eye." (Prov 7:1-2) For a while there, I thought that I was reading the wrong chapter because I could have sworn that this was how what I read yesterday began. And when I looked back again, I noticed that it wasn't just familiar because of yesterday but because of the past 5 days. With each chapter from chapter 2 through 6 beginning with some similar version of "my son pay attention to my commands". But what rang even more true in this particular chapter was how it began to close in verse 24. Solomon says, "Now therefore, listen to me, my children; Pay attention to the words of my mouth..." Who knew that good ole Heathcliff was a preaching man?! For just like that frustrated father on television, God reiterates to us the necessity to keep his commands and pay attention to his law and make them the center of our hearts.

Today, as you examine your heart, where are God's laws/commands? Are you in touch with what he has commanded of you? Are you moving in obedience? Today's word to you and I is simply about obedience. This is not to condemn you but to simply remind you that obedience is so very important to God--important enough for him to repeat himself a minimum of 6 chapters in a row. The Bible tells us that "obedience is better than sacrifice" (I Sam 15:22). Today is your new opportunity to pay attention and move in the right direction. If tomorrow didn't flow quite right, today push reset and remind yourself of what HE said and then "just do it".

Be encouraged and encourage someone else!

Blessings,
MinD