DAY 13: Anxiety stinks...just sayin'...

The last few years have been...well...interesting, to say the least. I've truly been on a journey with God that I've likened to water-walking. It's been about stepping out onto the unknown and keeping my eyes on Jesus all the while. (If you don't know the story of Jesus' disciple Peter walking on water, then check out Matthew 14.) There have been plenty of moments where I've felt like I was about to sink. As friendships ebbed and flowed and money did the same, I wondered where I was going wrong. I felt like crying out to God on more occasions than I care to remember, "What's wrong with me?!" or "Why can't I have an EASY button, Lord?" And the Lord has heard my whines and has never turned a deaf ear. My anxieties are not news to God. The Bible tells me that he foreknew me before I was formed in my mother's womb (Jeremiah 1:5). He is not surprised by my life's circumstances and he knew the decisions I would make because he knows me better than anyone. He knew that very early on, I would need Philippians 4:6-7 as one of my key life verses.

Each and every time I begin to experience anxiety about what I am or am not doing, who I have or have not become, God faithfully brings this verse back to my remembrance. And every time, I find that peace rising up to the top to quiet my anxieties. It's gotten to the point where I've begun to see anxiety as a place of sin in my heart. You see, every time I get anxious, it's like a slap in the face to God--saying that I don't believe that he knows me as good as he does or that his plan for me needs my help. My anxiousness is a sign of being on the water, taking my eyes off Jesus, beginning to watch the waves and sink. My anxiousness impedes my ability to trust him fully.

Today, I know that there are many people who are sinking...or at least you feel like you are. You feel as though you've taken a step of faith--either big or small--and are now in the middle of the ocean floundering. But the good news is that you are not alone. God is out there with you. He wants to remind you today that your focus needs to be on Him. He wants to encourage you that he's able to keep you from falling. He wants to comfort you with that "peace that surpasses all understanding." Just a suggestion where this is concerned: Take him up on it.

Lord today help us to truly 'cast our cares upon you knowing that you care for us' (1 Peter 5:7).

Thank you for being a great father who is the giver of the best gifts (James 1:17)...including peace.

Amen.

Blessings,

Pastor Andrea

DAY 4: Disconnecting from Discontent

There's that thing in everyone's life that makes you blissfully happy. There are moments that are easy to point to and say, "I was excited" or "That made me smile"--those "Facebook" moments that we're all proud of where there's an obvious sense of euphoria and excitement about life and/or it's events. And, as I drove home from one such moment today, I reflected on the day that I had with a silly smile on my face.

You see, we spent the day exploring this part of Madagascar. How many people get to say that?! We had spent the day having a cultural tour that left me in a state of sweet exhaustion and somewhat overwhelmed. We learned to do this natural paper art with dried flowers, cooked (and ate) traditional Malagasy snacks, participated in rice farming from field to plate, became basket weavers, and met some of the most beautiful people along the way. Yep...it was definitely worthy of 140 characters of tweeting.

But what struck me the most as we interacted with the people we met was something intangible. Looking at the smile of the fisherman in the village we visited with whose home on stilts was creatively arranged to have 3 "rooms" for he, his wife and child or the silent pride in the eyes of the rice farming woman raising 5 children with a husband who works a long distance from home and she sees only once a month or the elder/shepherdess of the church whose 2-part home houses a total of 17 people (near and extended family) I was struck. I can make no suppositions about their happiness and imagine that life has not always been kind to/easy for any of them, but I could discern that they were at peace and CONTENT. They were proud of their families, proud of their traditions, eager to share. They welcomed us with such grace and shared their lives as though they were something precious...because they are.

It is not to say that they don't strive for more. Being content has nothing to do with that 140-character blissful happiness. The definitions of contentedness speak of satisfaction, not stagnation. You could see that they strive for more by the way that they worked diligently to provide for their families and the communities around them. But you could also see that they possessed that very thing that Paul boasts about. Paul who spent much of the time in the bible imprisoned said that he had learned to be content in whatever state he was in (Philippians 4:11).

So many people would notice the poverty of the places we saw, but what I saw most was the peace. You can't bottle that. You can't sell it. You can't pay for it. Peace is priceless. Most of us have more than they have, yet we spend so much time just missing that space of contentment and peace as we search for all of the material trappings of life. In our desire to not stagnate, we don't just strive but we lust after those things that we desire. It's a dangerous yet fine tightrope that many of us fail to stay on--falling because of dissatisfaction and discontent. We allow discontent to sour our moods to make enjoyment of even the little things in life like playing in the mud or splashing like children in a pond virtually impossible.

Today's trip was a reminder to me that I pass along to you: We are privileged beyond measure. Not because of any things we may possess beyond others. No. Our privilege lies in the fact that we have the key to disconnecting the power that discontent has on our lives permanently if we so choose. Paul finishes his famous thought on contentedness with a well-known verse that I think we fail to fully grasp. He says, "In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:12b-13) You have a choice. You can choose to be strengthened and charged in the satisfaction and peace that comes from the power of Christ, or you can choose to be drained by discontent. You can choose your focus. You can choose to give voice to the places of joy in your life and silence discontent. You can choose to meditate on what you lack and where your life is missing something or you can find strength and satisfaction in the small things that remind you that life is good. Be encouraged today to make the decision to disconnect from discontent and plug into small joys and underlying peace that comes with being content.

Lord, help us today to choose you in our focus. Help us to meditate on those small good things that bring us joy and peace. Help us disconnect from the power that discontent has on our lives. Help us to choose contentment in this day. Amen.

Blessings,
Pastor Andrea

Where There's A Will...

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

Over the years, I have been fortunate enough to go down some challenging routes of faith for God. My decision to follow Him was not predicated upon conditions of where/how I would be willing to go or not. I didn't say "I'll go if..." I've trusted Him (even when scared) as opportunities to do somewhat unrealistic things with my life or to venture to somewhat dangerous areas, during somewhat dangerous times. However, I am often surprised by the fact that the loudest voices of fear that I hear come from Christians. Their excitement for what God is doing in/through me is often tempered by love and words of caution. As a human being, it makes me smile and feel cared for, but as I listened to the last of these "lectures of love" most recently from a relative, I couldn't help but feel a little sad as well.

You see, there are some verses of scripture that just about every Christian can recite (even if they don't know where it's found in the Bible). Philippians 4:13 is one of those verses. But I often find myself wondering if we really believe what we recite. Do we believe that small three letter word that defines what we are capable of...A-L-L? When David faced Goliath with stones, He didn't cower in fear but conquered in courage (I Sam 17). When Abraham was told to leave all he knew to be precious and "go", he didn't didn't rest on a "woe is me" song but instead started singin' "On the road again..." (Gen 12). When Esther was asked to stand against all odds before a king in the face of death, through her own fear/hesitation, she rose to the challenge "for such a time as this" (Esther 4). And when Christ himself faced the cross, he did so saying "not my will by Thy Will be done" (Luke 22:42).

From Genesis to Revelations, we have that "great crowd of witnesses" that the Bible talks about (Heb 12:1) who testify to how God can both grant supernatural victories in the face of defeat and bless you beyond your wildest dreams while doing it. The key to being able to really live that Scripture out is simply to do it. There is no magic solution. This week alone, there have been forces coming against you to stop you from doing things (big and small) that line up with God's Will for your life. And time and time again, you've allowed the small voices of fear and doubt to overrule the "still small voice" of God unctioning you further in Him. God wants to help you do the impossible. He wants you to take your eyes off the greatness of the end result and just do what He told you to do. Take that leap of faith to find what you need waiting for you at the top of your jump. What's waiting are the fruit of His promises and the relief of your destiny. Be encouraged this week to plow forward into ALL THINGS with abandon that shows you truly believe that you can do it all through Him.

Blessings,
PastorA

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.