DAY 37: Full Control

Have you ever been in a situation where you were anticipating a difficult conversation with someone; but before the conversation ever happened, you had already orchestrated it all? It's like you held the remote control of your life up--fast forwarding, pausing, skipping through various parts until you had decided what they were going to say, how they were going to say it, what your response was going to be and what would result from the conversation. As a result of the conversation you had in your mind on behalf of all parties, you either a) decided that it made it unnecessary to have the real conversation or b) went into the real conversation with assumptions and walls that were virtually insurmountable. In your effort to feel in control, you actually walked away feeling tired and extremely misunderstood?

That controlling spirit often takes us to a lonely and exhausted place that is simply no fun. I know that you've spent many an hour thinking and rethinking and OVERthinking the options of your life and found yourself feeling more and more isolated. It's easy to do. It's easy to get lost in the web of your own thoughts, and it's easy to keep people out with that very same web. It's hard to trust because it opens us up to the uncertainty of heartache. But you have to remember that when you open up, you are not just trusting other people with your heart, but you are demonstrating a trust in God that he will be your refuge (Psalm 91:2) and that he will protect you when you feel at a loss to protect yourself.

The Bible tells us in Proverbs 3:5 that we are to trust in the Lord with all of our hearts and lean not to our understanding'. I appreciate how it says "all" and not "some" or "part". We are to trust the Lord even with the part of our hearts that wants to feel known and understood in an authentic way. We are to trust the Lord with the part of our hearts that wants to feel connected. We are to trust the Lord with the part of our hearts that yearns to be in control. And when we trust him with all, when we release control, we allow God to create greater connections for us than we could have ever designed on our own. When we turn every thought and every heart's desire over to God, he said we could trust him to direct our paths. You may want to figure it out and know the next step, but God is challenging you today to let him take full control. Trust him...he's faithful to deliver "exceedingly, abundantly, above what you can ask or think" (Ephesians 3:20).

Be encouraged,
Pastor Andrea

DAY 35: Let's Talk About Sex, Baby

If you are anywhere close to my age, then I know that your head is bobbin' now thinkin' of that song by Salt 'N Peppa back in the day. (And even if you're not then you may know the song.) I remember when it came out and it was so scandalous. There was such debate in mainstream media about the song. Now, discussions of sex happen without even blinking an eye...except, that is, when it comes to the average Christian single (of which I am one). Have you noticed? If you Google Christian and sex you get a plethora of links talking about sex in marriage or the civil rights issues associated with same-sex relationships. But don't be a single person who loves Jesus and utter the word "orgasm", because if you do then you are likely to be condemned to hell by those who overhear. It's like people have stopped talking in a real way about a real thing that most Christian singles deal with...or rather...struggle with in silence but really should be talking about it in healthy, honoring ways. It's the age-old negative emotion/behavior...L-U-S-T.

Everywhere we turn, there are messages about sex. No matter what continent you are on, society is inundated with sexual innuendo and outright sexual messages. Even the sidebars of Internet pages are filled with unsolicited "girls, girls, girls". So, it's not like you can say, "I'll just go crawl in a hole and pray until God sends me my mate." We are human which means that sex is not a bad word. I like to feel sexy and sassy even though I'm fully SAVED and sanctified. God made us to be passionate and sexual...but with the caveat that that plays out at its fullest under the blessing of marriage. So until then, let's keep it real...I'm not immune to a nice smellin' man with a pretty smile (come on ladies...don't act like I'm not the only one). At church, we see and hear message after message that just says "don't do it" or "avoid lust". We hear the "shalt nots" of Levitical law, but no one really talks about what that looks like day in and day out when you have a desire to live holy but are in the battle of all battles against your own flesh. 

When I came to know the Lord in my 20's, I remember thinking that I had already surpassed the ages of the many chaste examples of 13 year old brides who were "betrothed" right out of their father's houses in the Bible. Put simply, it's difficult to know that you're supposed to wait to have sex until you are married when you're not sure that that will come any time soon. And almost 20 years later, that hasn't gotten any easier. As the years went by, I began to fear that God was trying to send me a message that he'd really been calling me to be a nun and I just couldn't get that message straight. But since I know that's not true, it means that I have to negotiate that space and time between now and my wedding night with HONOR, INTENTION and ACCOUNTABILITY. 

At the end of the day, our victory over any of the negative emotions that we've been talking about the last few weeks centers around those three factors. Honor...it means recognizing that you truly do have a desire to apply spiritual principles of sex to your life. You want to honor the Lord and your relationship with him by staying true to his call to "be holy for he is holy" (Leviticus 11:44). So that's the spiritual end of things. But then there's the practical side of intention and follow-through. You have to intentionally set yourself up for success and not failure. If your mind is liable to drift into "vain imaginations" like mine can at times, then perhaps it's not wise to read overtly sexy novels or watch sex-filled shows every day--remembering that the seeds that those things plant are seeds of distraction from that very honor you want to maintain. Maintaining that honor means having follow-through and setting up accountability with people you know will hold you to your goals to honor God. It means doing a lot of things in groups and letting someone know when you're alone. It means not spending every waking moment together in hot embraces that become harder and harder to separate yourself from. It means being honest with someone other than the person you are struggling with that you are in a struggle. 

Now, I know we could talk about this for longer than a paragraph, but I'm sure you've heard it all. But maybe today you needed to hear that God's got your back even as it pertains to this hush-hush issue of lust. When he said he'd never leave or forsake you, that didn't exclude times when your mind wanders or your actions don't line up with his will. Don't get me wrong, he wants us to be right. He wants us to live holy. He wants us to be obedient. But he also wants us to know that he'll help us through when we least expect it. The Bible says he'll "provide a way of escape" (1 Corinthians 10:13)...that means the telephone ringing when you're about to get down and dirty (yeah I said it) or the cat tipping over a glass in the other room or your eye suddenly catching sight of the Bible on the top shelf are just small cues to remind you to stop and choose honor over lust and run (do not walk) in the opposite direction. 

Today I just wanted to take a moment out and encourage my single brothers and sisters in Christ in what has turned into a sometimes silent struggle. Take courage and talk about what's really going on in your lives--sex included--so that the enemy doesn't have a foothold to get you into bondage. Falls and "slip ups" happen when you live constantly in secret. Choose today to be real with some, trustworthy, equally-focused Christian who can keep you moving in the right direction...towards Christ.

Stay strong and be encouraged,

Pastor Andrea

DAY 26: The Way Out of Trapped

There is no greater prison than the one in your mind. I know prison is a harsh term, but it's easy to feel like there's no possibility of moving beyond what you think in your mind. If you believe that you are inadequate, then you live as though you are. If you see yourself as unworthy, then you live as though you are. And this is not simply idle chatter. Proverbs tell us that "as a man thinks so he is." There is such great power in our thoughts and our own expectations. We allow ourselves to be defined by whatever rules about life that we've placed in our minds--you must be X, Y, or Z to be able to succeed--and we maintain the idea that "I'll never quite get to it." Our minds have created this rabbit hole that we fall down early in life and struggle to get out of throughout the years. Put simply: You. Feel. Trapped. 

You keep waiting for someone to rescue you. You keep waiting for a way out. You keep waiting for someone to believe in you, your ideas, your vision...perhaps that someone should be you. While validation is good, it's not the center of how we become able to break past the limitations of our mind prisons. When Christ came, he gave us the ultimate gift of freedom. That freedom was from sin, from negativity, from all things that hold us back from becoming all that we are called to be. "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." (Galatians 5:1) While it may seem difficult, it is not complicated. Your success hinges on your deciding to see yourself differently. The way out of feeling trapped is in the decision to not be.

Today, I want to challenge you to give yourself the awesome/freeing gift of grace and belief. You've been believing your own negative press. You've been trying to move forward but not quite sure what has held you back. Today I challenge you to see yourself as the captor and allow yourself to set your free. For in Christ there truly is LIBERTY...walk in that today.

Be encouraged,
Pastor Andrea

DAY 19: Again I Say...Don't Worry...

As I got ready for church this morning, I was reminded of our dress code that urges for women to wear closed-toed shoes when in formal and/or church settings. As I dressed,I felt this little tug of something as if to say "don't wear them today". When I arrived at the site of the church, I was amazed as they shuffled me up the stairs to a half-built building where seats were reserved at the front and a puddle lined the front of this open air room.

The normal church building was under at least a foot of rain water--flooded after two days of rain in here in Madagascar. The people had relocated with high praises going on from the second floor of the building just in front of it that they are currently building for a new sanctuary. The word God gave me for them in that moment is the word I pass along to you right now...DON'T WORRY. Worry is a useless emotion/behavior. In fact, I appreciate a quote I read that said that "worry is a misuse of imagination".

But we have a God on our side whose imagination is supreme. He is the ultimate Creator and he doesn't miss a beat. The Lord that we serve is detail-oriented. He has every detail of our lives in his sight. That means from the top of our heads to the soles of our feet, he is interested in all that we do...so much so that what I now know was the Holy Spirit would nudge me to do something as simple as not wear a certain type of shoes.

As I read the words of Matthew 6 to this congregation, I was amazed that God would say these words to people who, from the outside looking in, seemed to have plenty to worry about. The church and the house that shares its courtyard it was knee-deep in water like so many homes in the city. There are people around the world still mourning the loss of the Malaysian airline one year ago. There are people in Sierra Leone and Guinea sick and dying with Ebola. There are nations and people around the world at war. Yet, in the midst of it all--come hell or high waters...literally--God says "don't worry". If he tells those in the midst of spaces like this not to worry, then how much more would he expect those of us with concerns of what shoes to wear or what job to take or what people to befriend to walk boldly in TRUST and faith. This is not to devalue what you're going through as much as to encourage you that you can trust in this powerful God who would do as little as make sure my shoes were right for the times I was preaching in. Just like the scripture says, "how much more would he do you, oh you of little faith?"

Selah.

Blessings,
Pastor Andrea

DAY 18: Taste Anything?

There are so may parts of life that are sweet, but in the midst of all the sweetness are also moments of fatigue, grief, hurt, and frustration that make another taste be at the back of our taste buds and overwhelm us--BITTERNESS. Despite the sweet, it's so easy to allow bitterness to be what governs us. There's so much that I could say about it. I could tell you about the times when I've been angry or resentful  or wronged and allowed that to dissipate into bitterness. However, in the end, if you are reading this, then you are grown and I don't have to convince you that bitterness is real. In fact, the person/people this is for today need me to get to the point. So you want to know what to do about bitterness? Ready? Are you listening? Stop.....it.

I know you're hurt and I'm sorry that you've had to experience that betrayal, sting, slap, yuckiness... But no you don't deserve what you think you deserve. Things shouldn't have gone a different way. Because, if you're anything like me, then you must take a minute and reflect on the times when you were bitter that life didn't go your way and then, later, caught a 20/20 hindsight view and could say that things were for the best. Today's point deserves no soft-shoe entry to help us stop the impact of bitterness. At some point, you just have to decide that God knows best. At some point, you just have to be ready to trust Him. At some point, you have to be willing to let it go and simply STOP reminiscing on the place of your bitterness--stop telling the story to anyone who will listen, stop writing Facebook statuses alluding to it, stop writing about it in your journal, stop spending precious brain space breath and emotional energy on the story of your woe. The moment it begins to come off the tip of your tongue replace it with "STOP IT Satan because I know that ALL things work together for the good of those who are the called according to his purpose and that means ME." (Romans 8:28) Yes, that means you. YOU are "the called". You have to stop bitterness in it's tracks and not allow it to continue to taint the sweetness that is life.

No...things aren't perfect and there is pain in life. But there is life. And when you look at the alternative, can't you find anything to be grateful for? I know I can. So today, I just want to challenge you more than encourage you to actively resist the temptation to focus on what makes things bitter over what makes things sweet and I'd love to hear what happens when you do because even if you're doubtful, I'm expecting God to do some miraculous things in your heart.

Consider yourself challenged.

Blessings,
Pastor Andrea

DAY 17: Out of the Darkness

Sitting in a dark room can be comforting at times. Assuming you have no fear of the dark, the mere act of being alone in a space where everything is still can be life-giving when all the hustle and bustle of things have drained your last bit of energy. The darkness of the room seems to bring a silence that is calming to all angst. While, we often use the analogy of darkness to (appropriately) represent evil, there is a side of darkness that simply represents stillness and rest. In the still of the night so-to-speak... We sleep in the dark. Our bodies naturally regenerate in that time of still darkness. And then the light comes...

At some point, we must rejoin the world. At some point, we must allow the light, the activity of life to begin again. Whether you call it "the blues" or just being "down", depression is a big word with so many layers and so many levels. The one thing I know is that most people may not be clinical but have moments of depression in their lives. Sometimes it's because of relationships, sometimes our jobs, other times situations in the world and still other times we cannot even find the words to say why or how we got to this space...it just is.

But no matter how you get to the point of feeling engulfed in literal or figurative darkness, there is hope to pull us out of depression. What the enemy tries to convince us is that we must stay down in the depth of the darkness--turning it from a place of refuge to a place of bondage. But Truth says that "greater is he that is in YOU, than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4) and that stinkin' enemy does not have the authority or the power to keep you in darkness. I'm not saying that taking that step will always be easy. For some, the mere idea of pressing forward can be overwhelming and cause anxiety. What I am saying is that there is a reward on the other side of the door...on the other side of the darkness. I'm here today to remind you that there is power in light. There can be joy in deciding to rejoin the world. There is freedom in making a conscious decision to speak to people and embrace life.

Maybe you've been feeling down, "blue", sad...depressed. The first step to healing is to move out of that space of darkness and into light. That may be a matter of shaking off your "blah" day and deciding by re-engaging with friends and family; or it may be that you shine light on true illness and seek help from a professional. You've rested. You've embraced the stillness. Now it's time to burst forth into life. The bible reminds us that we are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." Put simply, God is interested in our mental and emotional health.

Today, be encouraged to move forward in the decision to not allow the enemy to keep you bound in darkness. Come into the marvelous light...

Blessings,
Pastor Andrea

DAY 12: Be Gone Controlling Spirit

Did you know that God is real? He is Creator of the universe? He's Author and Finisher of faith... He is sovereign, omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. I could go on and on and continue to ascribe to you the Greatness that is the Lord. Yet despite my knowledge of His greatness, I like to be in control of things. Is it just me? So over the past few years, my gracious Lord has been slowly but surely whittling away at my need to be in control. I really have felt great peace work in my life as I have surrendered both the big and little things in my life to Him. I watched as He diligently showed me that He's the same God that provided for Elijah at the brook by sending to ravens to feed him there during the famine (1 Kings 17). I've been awed as He has consistently showed me that He's the same God who delivered on the promises he made to Abraham when he told him to 'go' and he promised to meet him "there" (Genesis 12). I've been astounded as he's continually shown that he is the same gracious and merciful God that spared the children of Israel time and time again even though they were hard-headed. In the midst of it all, what I am reminded of daily is that He's much better at this whole controlling-my-life thing than I am.

When I can't think of what to do next, he's there. But the problem is that first I have to let go. I have to be willing to make His plans come to fruition and not mine. When I don't think I'm ready for something, he's there. When my fears kick in, he's there. When my energy is low, he strengthens me. He is detail-oriented and hasn't forgotten a single thing about me or you. I'm just in awe yet again today of how grateful I am that the controlling spirit that wants to take up permanent residence in my life is not more like a visitor now and again and I'm truly looking forward to the day when it is has completely moved away.

My prayer for you today is that you would be encouraged to rest in Proverbs 3:5-6 and that that controlling spirit in your life will stay at bay...

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path. 

Blessings,
Pastor Andrea

DAY 8: Hope MORE or less

HOPE...that glorious four-letter word that most of us look forward to seeing and experiencing. Hope is so big and yet so little. It's those moments in our hearts that we can begin to look past the current situation that we find ourselves in and see even just a glimmer of the light on the other side of the tunnel. It's those moments in our minds that have stopped trying to figure out life and started resting on what we know to be true--God is in control. It's those moments in our spirits when our trust of God far outweighs our fatigue at waiting on Him to deliver whatever He has promised. Hope sweet hope... It's a beautiful thing.

Thus, the absence thereof is treacherous. As we reflect on those negative emotions and behaviors that God wants to rid our hearts of minds of, hopeLESSness is right at the top of that list. No matter what you are going through, no matter where you find yourself in life, God needs you to know that you know that you know that there is always hope. One sign I read said "Hold On, Pain Ends" as a good way to remember what the essence of hope is. Being hopeless means that you have let go of faith and decided to believe that the pain of circumstance and the pain of not seeing God's promises come to fruition will never end. But today I wanted to encourage you with the reminder that Jeremiah 29:11 always gives us. 'God knows the plans he has for you. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a HOPE and a future.' The question is what are you going to hold on to?

Are you going to hold tight to the Creator of the universe who spoke and light came into existence, or the lies of the enemy whose goal is to keep you bathed in darkness? Are you going to hold tight to the promise of HIS plan and stop trying to create your own? Are you willing to continue to let the perfect time for your promise to come to pass be set by God's plan and not your watch? You and I both have choices.

Every day, I watch as others live out parts of the dream I have for my life--family, children, love and so on. Every day, I hear of new people walking into those very things that I desire. Every day, my situation doesn't necessarily seem to grow any closer to what God said. Yet every day, I make a decision to believe that what God has in store for me is so great and so worth the wait that I decide to air on the side of MOREhope than hopeLESS. Today, be encouraged that God has not forgotten you and He is worth believing in. Today, refuse to allow the enemy to steal the song in your heart that believes and wishes and dreams--allowing you to dance to the rhythm of what is to come in the midst of silence. As with most things, you have a choice. What are you going to choose?

Lord, today, I pray that Hope will resound and hopeLESSness will fail in the minds and hearts of your children. Keep us deciding today to believe YOU. Help us to stay focused on what YOU've promised and not the bleakness of our circumstance. Help us to block out the the 'no' of the world and rest in the anticipation of your 'maybe' and 'yes'. Let Jeremiah 29:11 reverberate through our minds and spirits as a constant reminder to Your promise; and help us to know that we know that we know that You're not a man that You should lie and You make good on Your promises. Amen.

Be encouraged.
Blessings,
Pastor Andrea

from disconnected to reconnected

Someone asked me today if I'd be willing to share any verse from my last week's bible readings that jumped out at me and was memorable. And, though I read, I was at a loss. As you all know, I don't like to make stuff up, so I just told the truth..."I haven't really had anything this week. I've felt a little disconnected." I know that statement goes against what many people tend to think about ministers and pastors. I think people assume that we must get something whenever we read the Word of God. And, I think that would probably be true some of the time--I often go in looking for that thing...that one word that will heal my hurt or encourage my soul or just make me smile--sometimes disconnect rears its ugly head. 

I know I'm not alone. There are times when, try though we may, we simply cannot seem to feel connected. I wasn't ill at ease. I still had my peace. I just didn't feel any extra "umph" in my relationship with God. It's like having a charger that has a short in the cord. No matter how much you plug it in, you fail to ever truly get your device charged up until you wiggle it around enough to reconnect the short. This works temporarily to get you charged up until you can get somewhere to replace the cord. I decided after that conversation this morning that that's what I've got to do...wiggle it around enough to reconnect my short until God's Word could come in and permanently replace the disconnect with reconnection. 

So I pulled out my Bible and said, "Lord help me see you in these words. Let me here from you today." My "wiggling" was to just keep reading to the next verse and the next passage and the book after that until the Word massaged my soul open. Sometimes you have to press past the disconnect and keep reading until you get to what is yours. Though you may be reading one devotional or reading plan, just keep reading. With that prayer and my wiggle, this is what the Lord gave me in the end:

You keep him in perfect peace

    whose mind is stayed on you,

    because he trusts in you.

4 

Trust in the Lord forever,

    for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.

(Isaiah 26:3-4)

And I sat with perfect peace knowing that no matter how disconnected I feel, when I keep my eyes stayed on him, he is that "everlasting" presence in my life...that Rock from whom living water flows. 

Happy connecting/reconnecting, folks!

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

Moving Past "Didn't"

"Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 

For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God 

you may receive what is promised....But we are not of those 

who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those 

who have faith and preserve their souls." 

Hebrews 10:36-37, 39

New Year's is one of my favorite times of the year (besides my birthday and Christmas, of course). I'm one of those people who thoroughly enjoys the pomp and circumstance of bringing in a new year (fireworks, dressing up, etc.); and I suppose that it's mostly because I like the idea of fresh starts. However, even with the promise of a fresh start around the corner, there is often a time at the end of the year when my heart starts to wane. I find myself doing self-assessments and pondering all of the things that happened throughout the year and all of the things that didn't. And it's the "didn't" things that tend to get top billing in my heart. I consider all of the things I wanted to accomplish or all of the hopes that I had for various promises of God to be fulfilled/made manifest in this year and my confidence begins to falter. "Didn't" seems to win out.

But without fail, God does what He did this week. He points me to His Word in reminder of how I can nip the downward spiral in the bud. I think we (including me) sometimes forget that God is the ultimate Father who wants to give good gifts...He's God who is actively "doing" and hasn't forgotten what's on his task list. He's not like our image of Santa Claus--He doesn't put us on a "naughty" or "nice" list and attach his promises to our works (though sometimes consequences to our actions feel that way). Keep in mind what he already DID despite whether we deserve it or not. I mean...He already gave the ultimate gift in His Son, but that wasn't the end. We (me too) need to remember that God isn't done. It's like if a parent gives a child what they asked for for one birthday...they don't resolve to never give their child another gift ever again in life. Such is how God does me (His favorite daughter). Such is how God does you.

And so, this end of year time as you begin to self-assess and wonder/worry/ponder on the things that you didn't get or do, take heart that there is still a "great reward" that awaits. God is in the did business! Do not shrink, but instead be one to have faith and endure because what God promised is still on the horizon.

Be encouraged and encourage someone else...
Pastor Andrea

He's Steadfast

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: 

The STEADFAST love of the Lord never ceases; 

his mercies never come to an end; 

they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 

“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, 

“therefore I will hope in him.” 

Lamentations 3:21-24

I've been thinking a lot about God's love recently. I simply cannot fathom how much He loves me. Even though I, like so many others, learned John 3:16 as my first memory verse and could recite it to this day in my sleep..."For God so love the world that He gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but shall have everlasting life..." I know I haven't fully gotten it. We say the words, but still don't feel the love. Today, when you woke up and the situation you left behind last night was still waiting for you in the morning, did you feel loved? When your car wouldn't start or you realized that you're coming down with a cold, did you simply know that you are enveloped in the warmth of God's love? When you got passed over for the promotion, lost your job, your house, your parent, your child...did you recall in those very moments that "Jesus loves me, this I know?" 

Some would say yes to that question. Some don't have a hard time plugging into God's love and can feel bathed in it every second of every day. But so many more of us struggle at times to truly feel connected to God's love and believe that it's there even when we've disappointed Him and ourselves with sin, disobedience, and simple lethargy. Do our actions reflect a true knowledge of the fact that God loves us beyond our imaginations? Or are we holding back on God just as we would a man or woman who we haven't fully decided to trust?

Today, I wanted to take a minute to simply encourage you as I was encouraged. You see, I've been doing a personal study with some friends on the subject of LOVE. It has thoroughly challenged me in ways that would never fit on a page. And, as I read Lamentations 3 today, I had one of those moments that I simply couldn't let pass by without sharing.

STEADFAST. God's love is steadfast. As I read that word, the image of a heart monitoring machine popped into my head. I could see God's rhythm as consistent and unwavering. The pattern of his heart repeats the same and will never change. While I can be fickle and not always show love, God is nothing like that. If you were to see my heart monitor, it would be all over the place with blips and beeps going from small to large with no rhyme or reason and certainly no consistency. God on the other hand loves us so strongly and so resolutely that we can trust in Him without any reservation. 

I'm not sure what your life looks like--you may feel like you're at the end of your rope or simply trying to stay afloat. But God wanted me to remind you today that He is STEADFAST in His love of you--so much so that He's prepared new mercies for you each and every morning. So make the choice today to hope in that. Don't hold on to what happened yesterday. Hope in the love that holds you up today. Be encouraged and share that same love with another. 

Blessings,
PastorA

Get Perspective

Have you ever felt like your mind was spinning? No literally...as if the inside of your brain may truly leak out of the side of your ears if you turned to fast to the left or the right? There's no doubt that 9 times out of 10, you understand this or know someone who has recently expressed feeling like they are in that whirlwind where everything seems bigger than what it really is. The roller coaster ride of your life seems to be never-ending and you wonder if today will be the day that the cart pulls into the station to give you a moment of rest.

Well I get it. Been there, done that, still wearing the T-shirt. I, like so many others, get caught up in the minutia of my problems and forget the bigger picture. I stop seeing God and see only the threads of my life that are woven together in a pattern that only He truly understands. Recently, in the midst of that feeling, I was listening to a worship mix and the song I Choose To Worship (sung by Wess Morgan) came on. I felt God nudging me into release the details of my life to Him and Matthew 11:28 came to mind: "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." I began to write in my journal the realities of my feelings--aching, discomfort, uncertainty, etc--and then sealed it with the words "God knows." 

When I took that moment to breathe...when I took that small moment to step back and get some perspective, the peace of the Lord began to work on my anxiety. Sure, money problems don't just go away, relationship issues don't simply vanish, trials and traumas don't magically disappear...but when I give it to God then I know it will be taken care of according to His will. No matter what "it" is, He knows. No matter how traumatic or dramatic the issue, God knows. And when He knows he doesn't just sympathize with us. He literally takes on our burdens--leaving us to do what we can and leave the rest up to Him.

Today, my friends, take a deep breath. Choose to worship and tune into Him instead of the rhythm of your concerns. Be encouraged that God knows and He will give you rest if you allow Him to.

Blessings,
PastorA

P.S. Wondering what the picture above is? A purse...but up close, all you see is threads...gotta step back to get perspective. Selah.

Hidden Sunrise

"And when by His light I walked through darkness;" Job 29:3b

"And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way..." Exodus 13:21a

The other day, I arose earlier than normal. While some people make it a habit of waking up before the God-given indication that the new day has begun, I've always been a firm believer in seeing sunlight first. So, needless to say, I'm not a morning person. But that morning I thought that I would take advantage of my random alertness and attempt to see the sun rise. I made the trek to the deck on the ship and set up my chair with expectancy.

Time passed and as I sat in quiet prayer, the peace of the morning covered me like a down blanket. I knew God was with me. I have to admit that, for a moment, I began to understand how it is that those early risers must feel. And as the sky moved from dark to light, I thought for a moment that I had missed the main point of my being out there...the SUN. In all the peace, I realized that I missed the fact that I didn't get treated to a beautiful sunrise filled with oranges and purples and reds and golds. The sky went from one shade of blue-grey to a lighter shade thereof. The peace that I felt had distracted me from missing that "show" of light.

And before I could even think of being disappointed at that fact, the Lord began to minister to me about how the sun was still there and had, in fact, still put on a show that I simply could not see. Even though it was veiled by clouds, it was there. It didn't cease to rise just because clouds were in the way or because it couldn't "show off" its splendor. The sun had risen behind the clouds and pushed darkness away. Regardless of what my sight was telling me, the sun didn't change its habits just because the clouds were in the way.

And so it goes in life. There are times when we can't see God and when it seems like the He's not there, but there's evidence of His presence comes as the light (joy, peace, love, etc) pushes out the darkness (confusion, anger, bitterness, etc.) of life. If we allow light to enter and meditate on those things, there's no way for darkness to stay. It must go! No matter what you are going through, you need to remember that, like the sun, The Son is always there. As Job testified, He can serve as a light to help us push through darkness. (Job 29:3a) As He was with the children of Isreal so long ago, He will guide us in the midst of the clouds. (Exodus 13:21a) If you focus, God has a peace that surpasses all understanding (Phil 4:7) waiting to cover you like a down blanket even in the midst of your trial. At the end of the day, be encouraged and remember that the presence of God has the ability to distract you from the fact that you can't make sense of the light.Walk in faith. Don't worry about your sight.

Blessings,
PastorA

Build To Order

"So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. This is how you are to build it:...And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him...But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded."

Genesis 6:14-15a, 7:5, 8:1

The other day, I was assisting with the process of organizing chairs in a conference room. The conference room was average size and the chairs enough to sit approximately 350-400 people. As the process began, one of the ladies in charge began to explain to me their way of doing this. It would not be enough to simply "eyeball" the chairs and line the backs up in lines. The precision that the process demanded literally boggled my mind. She explained that we had to have at least 3 people to make the process work--two to hold ropes at either end of the room and the third to arrange the actual chairs in line. I stood there with my brow a bit furrowed as she and the others explained the process, on the edge of protest to say that it didn't have to be this complicated. Until the Lord began to deal with me. 

As He pierced my spirit, I tempered my tongue and simply fixed my face and followed instructions. While I couldn't truly grasp what the point was for the complicated process, I knew that it was an order that had been handed down from the leader of the organization. This was the way it was to be done. And as we completed our task and stood back, it became increasingly clear that the level of excellence that they demanded was well worth it. It was almost breathtaking to seek the whole room in such a state of order. While I would have been satisfied with approximations of lines, they were striving for consistency, excellence and obedience. I thought of all the times in the Bible where we read instances where God spoke and people obeyed--Solomon with the temple, Nehemiah with the wall...but Noah was at the top of my mind. When God said "this is how you do it", Noah did not respond "well why?" Instead, he moved forward in obedience down to the very cubit. And God remembered him in the end and "the waters receded."

Do you ever wonder what if things in the Bible had gone another way? What if Noah had not been as righteous? What if he had questioned God? Or what if he had proceeded but changed the measurements of the wood or only brought one horse instead of two? How many times do we have the opportunity to submit our will to that of others and/or God and we either do it reluctantly with questions of "why" along the way or we simply don't do it? How many times has God unctioned our spirits to proceed in one direction and we have turned to the other? How many times have we had supervisors who have given us instruction that we have grudgingly walked out when we could have simply submitted our spirits to authority with a smile? If you're anything like me, I'm sure you can point to a number of opportunities that you missed. So I'm here today to encourage you not to miss your next chance. Something or someone will come your way in in the coming week (or just came at you recently) and I want to challenge you to proceed in pure, uncontested obedience. Perhaps you are waiting for the waters (things that are overwhelming you) to recede but haven't built the boat to order. Imagine the "floods" of life that God will keep you from and bring you through if you simply obey. Selah...pause and think on this.

Blessings,
PastorA

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

Trust Your Voice

When I was in high school, I was quite active in the drama department. One year, I tried out for our spring musical. I prepared my song with much angst and decided to try out for the chorus with the the thought that I couldn't possibly be able to carry a major role. Though I had been in choir and knew I could sing, somewhere in the back of my mind, teenage doubt began to seep in. I wondered if I would be good enough. The day of the audition, I was shaking in my boots. My anxiety reached new heights and it showed. As I sang my song, my nerves kicked in and I unintentionally sang the song one key higher than I had practiced. It wasn't flawless, but I finished it nonetheless.

The director and music director both looked at me, shaking their heads with smiles. I will never forget that they then asked me why I hadn't auditioned for one of the lead roles. I nervously admitted to my anxiety and the feeling of not being good enough. They shared with me that, with training and practice to get my nerves under wraps, I was more than capable of doing the job. I was cast in one of the lead roles and was understudy for the leading role. The play went off with flying colors, but it was more than just a play. It began the long journey of teaching me to trust my own voice and to trust the gifts God has given to me.

This lesson came back to mind recently as I was called upon to serve in a ministerial position that I'm less comfortable with than standard teaching/preaching--prophecy. Though I recognize this as a part of my calling and have accepted it as a gifting from the Lord, it is often easy for me to talk myself out of saying what "thus says the Lord" and insert myself into the picture (telling myself "Oh that's not really God, that's just me thinkin' something or other..."). However, this time I was tired of reverting back to the scared me and took the bull by the horns, praying God would grant me holy boldness to flow according to his will. I heard the Spirit remind me, "TRUST MY VOICE"peace. At the end of the day, I felt such a lightness. As I flowed in the giftings, a feeling that I can only describe as "right" or like coming home overtook me. As I flowed, there was genuine

How many times do we second guess ourselves and, consequently, second guess God? How many times does God have to tell us to flow boldly in Him? What is he telling YOU to do or say that you have been second guessing? Well don't even dwell on that. I'm here to remind you that you are good enough! Today is a new day. Today is the day you remember to be encouraged because the Holy Spirit in you will not lead you astray and only wants to fill you with "liberty". (II Corinthians 3:17) Today is the day to decide you will not revert to the old you and you will flow with confidence in the creation He has crafted. Today is the day that you must decide that 'greater is He that is in you' than even YOURSELF, your flesh and your doubts (1 John 4:4). Today is the day you must silence the voice of doubt in your mind and pursue Him with a fervor like none other. Today trust the voice of the Holy Spirit in you. I promise you that there is a reward of peace and joy on the other side of your obedience.

Blessings,
PastorA