DAY 22: No Shrinking Back

"You don't have to be scared."

It was a simple sentence in the midst of an internet chat with a friend said the other day. Fear? What fear?! I didn't realize that I was acting scared. I wanted to scream out "I ain't neva skurred!" uhhh...Yeah right. I think that over the years I have gotten so used to wanting to be a competent, independent person that can't be phased that I lost sight that sometimes emotions like fear subversively interfere with my life without my even knowing it. I have spent so much time living out my faith that fear has not has as much space to creep in...or so I thought. Because I was living out loud in some of the more noticeable parts of my life, it was easy to forget pieces of myself that I have conveniently compartmentalized into the box in my heart marked "fragile" and tried to forget even exist. They are the parts that make me appear less brave and less courageous. They are the parts that continually keep me on my knees in the face of my humanity. Where I would love to be this fearless super woman or lionhearted warrior knight, I have to admit that there are definitely human-sized chinks in my armor.

I had/have a decision to make and there's a part of me that has been holding back. There's a part of me that has hesitated and I hadn't previously recognized my reluctance as the beginnings of fear. In one simple sentence, my friend was able to simply call a spade a spade. So today as I prayed and thought about life and me and God, I was glad that fear had been called out. Hidden, it was working against my progress. Hidden, it was hindering clear thinking. Hidden, it was bringing fatigue where there needn't be any. Revealed, I can pray specifically against it. Revealed, the fear loses power. Revealed, I am allowed to be nervous while still being bold as a lion.

I know that I'm not alone. What I want to encourage you in today is to call a spade a spade. Recognize the fear chink in your armor then repair it with the only tool that can fill the hole--your faith. Where you've been hesitating, confused and fatigued, you need to speak to your fears (no matter how big or small they may be) and say 'But I am not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.' (Heb 10:39). Then after speaking to your fears, speak to yourself and remind yourself that 'if you seek the Lord, he will answer you and deliver you from ALL of your fears' (Ps 34:4) even the ones in the compartment marked "handle with care". So, today is the day that I tell you that you will not hesitate. Today is the day that you will gain clarity. Today is the day that YOU WILL NOT SHRINK back as you choose faith.

Blessings,
Pastor Andrea

Recipe for Success: Life + Pepper

There's a saying that a Dutch friend of mine shared with me that I simply cannot shake. She said she felt like someone needed to:

Eat a little more pepper!

The visual of a person choosing to add spice and a little "get up and go" to their approach to life was humorous for sure. In her direct, poetic way she was expressing frustration about a person's hesitance to make decisions and move boldly. And, while not making a commentary on the specific person/situation she was referring to, I gave a hearty "Amen" to the sentiment. You see, I am constantly amazed at the hesitance of Christians. When I read the Bible, I see so many examples of boldness and so many moments where God asked for people to walk with authority. You look at the patriarchs of the faith and see examples people like Abraham who left on God's command and walked boldly into what they were called to do or women like Jael who without trembling immobilized the enemy with a nail into the temple in his sleep (Judges 4). When you look at all of the people who made it into the "Faith Hall of Fame" in the book of Hebrews, you see countless examples of boldness and courage that continue to baffle us to this day. Or you can even think of contemporary examples like Albert Einstein, MLK, Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Margaret Thatcher, and so on across the nations who were world-changers because of their boldness.

Some moved on behalf of Christ and others in the name of whatever power they held dear. And so I find myself wondering how, if people can change the world and walk boldly with non-Christian motivations, how much more can we as Christians do in the boldness we draw from Christ? You may be reading this and have been on a see-saw of emotions--wondering what your next steps in life are, seeking God on which way to turn...which way to go, people to see, places to be. Today, I want to challenge you to move in boldness and add a little "pepper" to your approach. Pick up your mantle of faith and walk without fear. Remember what God has placed in you--the gifts and dreams that have simmered under the surface. Remember the doors He has opened; and walk through those doors without abandon...or to echo my friend...Eat a little more pepper! Need scriptural basis for this command? Try out:

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. (2 Timothy 1:6-7)

Though you may fear making a mistake, I ask you...what is the harm in that? Most mistakes are the building blocks of greatness. So for now, disregard the potential for mistakes and spice up your life. For sure, a little dash of pepper/boldness can surely be that one last ingredient to a recipe for success that you need to accomplish what God has called you to.

Be encouraged,
Pastor Andrea

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

Where's Your Added Value?!

I was talking with a friend and she said something poignant. It’s a lesson that she tries to teach her kids by demonstrating it in her own life; and I liked the way she put it. She said she was appreciative of the value her friends added to her life and always tells them that the people you surround yourself with should bring added value.

Her words stuck with me longer than our conversation as I began to reflect on the upcoming new year. I’ve seen many posts on Facebook and Twitter talking about getting rid of this or that type of unproductive person in your life. I’ve heard the sermons (particularly towards singles) on getting rid of zeros to make room for heroes. We live in a selfish world that is often taking on that old Janet Jackson adage of ‘what have you done for me lately?’ and rarely the other way around. But today my thoughts were not on the other person. 

Today, I began thinking of 2012 as The Year of Added Value. Put simply, I want to bring added value to the life of anyone I come in contact with. It’s easy to point to the other person and say who isn’t doing enough for us, but what if we are the ones who are short-changing others? Are you sitting on gifts and talents that God has been trying to get you to use? Are you praying when God says pray for someone? Are you forgiving when God says ‘humble yourself’? Do you bring positivity or negativity to every situation you are in? Are you stale seasoning or do you bring that added zest? As much as we want to tell others to hit the road, this is the time to assess for ourselves: If I am not added value, then perhaps I’m the one who needs to make a move.

As you ask yourself those questions, know that, if you fall short, grace abounds and that you too can decide to make 2012 the year of added value. Won’t you join me?

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, 

how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing 

but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men." 

Matthew 5:13