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 16: Good Grief!

Anyone who has ever watched a Peanuts special knows the phrase "Good grief!" It was the phrase that Charlie Brown uttered at every turn in exasperation. Now I may be telling my age at the mere mention of Charlie Brown, but it is not without cause. You see, I was reflecting on the term and wondered if there is ever such a thing as "good" grief. I've been in an emotional space that's a bit out of sorts. Nothing is wrong per se. I'm doing what I love to do. I work for an awesome God. I support some really wonderful people in doing great things for the Lord. I have love surrounding me in the form of friends and family. Truly, life is pretty good...and yet still out of sorts.

So as I have been attempting to unpack this space of dis-ease and I realized that most of it is just simple fatigue. However, there's a part of this space that has nothing to do with where I am and mostly to do with where I'm not. I realized that I was experiencing an undercurrent of grief.

No, no one I know recently died. That would have been a clear indicator of my grief. Instead, the remnants of this grief snuck in when I least expected it through what I call unfulfilled dreams. Most of the time, I don't think about it. However, every now and again the melancholy of life's ups and downs will sneak in. Perhaps for you it's not about things that haven't happened as much as it is about things that have. Maybe you've lost a friendship or you've changed professional direction. Perhaps you were fired from a job or fired from a relationship (i.e. divorce, break up). It could be that for you, it is genuinely the loss of a loved one. No matter what reason grief rears its ugly head, it just tends to show up on our doorsteps (at times unannounced).

As I had this epiphany, it was not without solution. Two things came my way and are ministering to me in this space. The first are two quotes that I stumbled upon that get right to the heart of the matter: "...the only cure for grief is to grieve." (Earl Grollman) and "No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear." (C.S. Lewis). So often, we are looking for a shortcut or a magic pill to get through the hard points in our life. But the truth is that we just have to go through some things. And, in the case of grief, we fear the thing...the person...the possibilities we miss. For those things that we have yet to see come to pass, we fear that they never will. For things that have happened before, we fear that they will never happen again.

But that's where the second thing that I discovered comes into play. It's, in fact, more important of my two discoveries and it is scripture that puts salve on the healing spaces in my heart:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts 

us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to 

comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with 

which we ourselves are comforted by God. (2 Cor 1:3-4)

At the end of the day, it's this scripture that fills my soul when I'm at my most fatigued. It's the Word of God that truly comforts my heart when I'm feeling most at a loss and trying not to be weary. It's His Word that reminds me that there is purpose in this time of wondering, hoping, and grieving--helping us...helping me to see that there really is a "good" element to grief. It doesn't make the fatigue or pain disappear, but it does assuage it just enough to make it possible for us to simply grieve and get through it.

Today, I pray that you be encouraged in the spaces of your grief. May the God of all comfort comfort you in all your affliction so that you will be able to comfort others who are afflicted. 

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

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

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

Move On The Nudge

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?   

Romans 8:31

I was driving home last night and was simply overwhelmed by...well...nothing in particular. My heart simply felt full and I just felt a great sense of peace and joy wash over me. It's the best feeling in the world and I realized that it has happened more and more as I have had less and less control over my life. The more I have relinquished my life over to God, the more He has brought me that inexplicable peace and overwhelming joy. The more that I have not tried to "figure it out", the more I've seen how He's got my back and got it fully covered. There in my car, I had to take a moment in repentance as I thought back over the years and began to wish that I had been braver, smarter, more trusting, more prepared, wiser (and so on) than I was in the past. I began to think of how grateful I was to be in this season where I am fully surrendered (mostly...haha) to Him and all that it took to get me to this point.

You see, the surrender did not come as willingly as I know God would have liked. Being gracious, God began years ago nudging me here and nudging me there. In retrospect, I see that some of the moves I'm so proudly walking into (with the bruises to show for the hard work it took) today really could have been glided into a little smoother years ago. Back then God was only nudging so I stayed still or, in some cases, moved an inch when He was trying to get me a mile out. While there is wisdom in knowing when to stand still and when to move, I began to think of all the times that life's transitions may have been easier for me if I had moved at the first (or even second) nudge instead of the last push.

The mere nature of a nudge is gentle and smoother than the sudden roughness of a push. Pushes have the potential to knock you down. Pushes have the potential to bring bruising and pain. Pushes have the potential to separate you from a group quicker/harder/more distinctly. Pushes just plain hurt. With that in mind, why did I not move on the softer, smoother nudges of God in the past? Why did it take a shove or two to really jar my awareness and direct me towards His Will? It's as simple as one word: FEAR.

Man! That sneaky little devil of fear has had so much power. Sometimes he brings his little imp friend, DOUBT, with him. But truly, neither of them is welcome in my soul any longer and should not longer be welcome in yours. These days I am declaring that I am making moves on an inkling of what God wants and not always waiting for full assurance. These days I'm walking boldly in the things of God knowing that "if God be for me, who can be against me". These days I'm declaring that I trust in God to catch me even if I fall. I don't know what you are facing. I don't know what your situation looks like. I don't know what that inkling in your mind or that tug in your heart is telling you. No matter what you are dealing with, today is a good day to shift your mindset and declare a new thing in your life. Even as you read this, some thing(s) have specifically come to mind that God is trying to get you to move on. He's been nudging. He wants to have you move on the small voice instead of the holler. Take it from me...move on the nudge and don't wait for the push.

Be encouraged,
Pastor A

P.S. If this spoke to you, don't forget to pass it forward and share that word with someone you know.

The Task To Believe

"And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, 'I believed and therefore I spoke,' we also believe and therefore speak"

II Corinthians 4:13

Over the last couple of months there have been so many changes in my life. Most of those changes have mandated how I view my life. I've had to reconfigure the lens through which I see what God is (or is not) doing and find ways to be okay with that. And, if I'm honest, in the midst there is a part of me that has been losing ground--my ability to believe. Now, I'm sure that it's sacrilege for an ordained minister of the Gospel to make such an admission. God often compels me to preach and teach around the very topic of belief. It is certainly not lost on me that the power to believe in what God says and in what the tenants of the Christian faith suggest are cornerstones to being victorious in this journey. However, when we put that faith into action, there are times when the monstrosity of our problems and circumstances seems to dwarf the fortitude of our faith--casting a shadow over life that begins to dim our ability to see God clearly.

In this equation, God hasn't changed and never will. However, I came to the realization that I was having a difficult time truly believing that God wanted to do the things He has said for, with and through me. I have no trouble believing in the ability of God to take care of me and my situation. His omnipotence and sovereignty are never in question. However, I find myself constantly thinking of the three Hebrew boys and the fiery furnace--before being sentenced to the fiery furnace, they told the king that they trusted God to be able to bring them out and knew that the only way that they wouldn't make it out was if he didn't want them to. (Daniel 3:8-25) With them in mind, I've often put a caveat on what God has said for me that resembles that very idea but with a flaw. I realized that in providing God that "out" verbally, I have also been giving my belief an "out" as well. In my human desire to guard my heart and avoid disappointment, I had unwittingly put a chink in the very thing that undergirds my faith--that basic ability to believe God. Forgetting who I am in Christ (heir to the throne and one of His chosen people), I had begin to think that maybe God simply doesn't want to bless me in this area or that. I know He can, but when I don't see it happening, it is easier for me to believe that He's changed his mind about me or changed his mind about doing certain things for me (marriage, ministry, direction, etc.). Without much effort, the enemy had begun to slowly erode away at my confidence in being able to hear God clearly by shining a tiny light on the corner of doubt in my mind--resulting in making the task to believe a greater one. And it took two people (prophets of God) on different occasions to reiterate the things that God has said in the past to make me realize just how much of a foothold I had given doubt over my faith.

So this week, it was important to me to send you a reminder to knock doubt off it's pedastal in your heart. Turn off that small light on the corner of doubt and focus on the ability for FAITH to shine brightly if you allow it. I've come to remind you that whatever the Lord said to you before--before the madness of life and the whispers of the enemy began to take root--you need to believe. Whatever God said you need to speak. Don't give faith an "out". Not only is He ABLE to do what He said, He is WILLING and WAITING to accomplish every thing that He set out to do in your life. And your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to encourage yourself and solidify the strength of your belief by speaking that thing each and every day until it comes to pass.

Be encouraged and encourage someone else.

Blessings,
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.

Day 21: Five Minutes...You're On

The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.  

~ Proverbs 21:1 ~

Today I am reminded of a saying that I once wrote about. It was a phrase that one of my supervisors once told me a few years ago that I find great comfort and encouragement in when I reflect on it. She said, "It's five minutes until change." As long as we wait for life to change and for things to work out in our favor, it seems as though change takes a long time. However, change and blessings come in the instant of an eye. It simply takes one right decision, one nod from the right person, provision from the right direction and your life can change in a moment; and sometimes it's good to be reminded of that fact. As you wait and wish for life to happen around you, realize that it's all in God's hand. And, while it may take a lot of energy and pleading and prodding from us as humans to make change, when we leave it in God's hands then we allow Him to make His wishes come true. Proverbs says that God can turn the head of even the king to accomplish what He wishes. That means that you and I can stop trying to do the work. Stop beating your head against the walls trying to convince other people of who you are or what you are capable of. Stop trying to make life happen. Trust only in God and what He wants to do for you.

Be encouraged to make room for His wishes. They will far exceed anything you can ask or think (Eph 3:20).

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 10: Waiting For Whirlwinds To Stop

I don't know about you, but this season of my life has passed me by like a whirlwind...one thing happens after the other. So many parts of my world have felt like they're in the air, whizzing by my face with no hope of slowing down. I feel as though I haven't been allowed the moment to even catch my breath despite all of the air around me. In some ways, the control I'd like to assert on my life has been taken out of my hands and my trust in God tested to the hilt. I'm like so many of you who wear many hats (and more than one at any given moment); and the weight of the hats seems tremendous as we juggle all of the other parts of life. It can be overwhelming, to say the least. But even while the wind is whipping, the Lord has sent a reminder of what His protection looks like. His Word says:

"When the whirlwind passes by, the wicked is no more, but the righteous has an everlasting foundation."

Proverbs 10:25

Can you imagine that the Lord has us in a supernatural bubble. Though we can feel all the wind, it doesn't have the power to truly take us out. Though it feels like it may destroy us at any moment, God assures us that our foundation will be in tact once all of the winds still. And so all that's left to say at that point is...Praise God for his peace that persists in the mean time. May it guard your heart and mind while you stand with diligence and righteousness through the whirlwinds of your life.

Be encouraged,
MinD

Day 6: Empowered for Greatness

"Lord, PLEASE HELP ME get out of this situation!" Do these words sound familiar? Have you ever found yourself backed into a corner? We often find ourselves waiting on God to bring us out of this or deliver us from that. However, what we fail to realize (or own up to) is that we are backed into corners of our own making. God sees us, loves us and has the power to change things for us. But what I love about God is that He also empowers us. In the words of wisdom from Proverbs 6:5 (unlike so many other places in the Bible where God brings his people "out"), we see God's instructions to us:

"Deliver yourself..."

Though He could wink an eye, snap a finger or merely think a thought to free us, there are times when God has empowered us and is waiting for us while we think we are waiting on Him. Is that where you are? Ask yourself what are you asking God to do where He is turning the tables right back on you and reminding you of the greatness He gave you when He gave His only Son. The Bible tells us in Philippians that 'we can do ALL things'. So today, let's take God at that word and "deliver ourselves" into that space of greatness that is our destiny.

Be encouraged and encourage someone else!

Blessings,
MinD

You Must Show Up!

You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.”

2 Chronicles 20:17

The other day I was following what has now become somewhat of a routine on public transportation and transferring from the train to the bus that would take me to my final destination. As I exited the train station to the awaiting bus, a woman sat on the bench and asked if I had money for her fare. Not thinking I did, I gave my apologies and entered the bus where I was joined by two other women.

Fishing in her bag, one woman summoned the waiting woman to the window and handed her a portion of what she would need to make her fare. Not to be outdone, both myself and the other lady on the bus began straining to the bottomless pits of our bags hoping to find random spare change that we didn't previously know we had. Between the three of us the woman's fare was covered plus a little. And as the woman walked away from the bus to purchase her ticket, one of the ladies said something poignant, "She just had to show up, dressed and ready for work and her way would be made."

I could've shouted Hallelujah! right there on the bus! For I knew instantly that the situation was simply a reminder of how God works with us. Blessings come your way often and by various methods. There are times when it is instantaneous. And then there are times when you have to do your part. Sometimes that part is a large starring role and at other times, God just wants you to come ready and simply show up ready to work. I was reminded that this is how He did in Bible days, reminding His people, that their job was simply to position themselves, stand still, and watch Him work!

You may feel like you are in a holding pattern. You may be wondering which direction your next victory is coming from. You may not fully understand how the financial, relational, spiritual, emotional blessing you are needing will be delivered to your doorstep. But God wants to remind you that it's not your job to understand (Remember Proverbs 3:5-6?), it is simply your job to show up ready to work...in position, with the fortitude to stand, and the vision to watch God get all the glory through your deliverance.

Trust Him. It's coming.

Be encouraged,
MinD

Nothing Is Missing!

Do you ever feel like something is missing in your life? There's a void in life? Sometimes you feel like you missed an opportunity or you’re missing a relationship or you’re missing…well you get the point…With life not quite where you want it to be, it feels like SOMEthing must be missing. But there’s a Word from the Lord today and a reminder of his power:

Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things,

Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name,

By the greatness of His might and the strength of His power;

 Not one is missing. (Isaiah 40:26)

Not one is missing! In this day, God wants to remind you that He is the Lord of all details. Not even a leaf on a tree is out of place. In our finite minds, we think that perhaps He has forgotten this or not seen that. As we endure life’s uncomfortable moments and experience life’s awe-inspiring times, we sometimes forget that God is a part of it all. He skips nothing. He leaves nothing out. Sometimes we have to be reminded just how grand and sovereign He is. His power extends beyond what we will ever understand. One of the following verses says “The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.” His greatness is incomprehensible! Though you can’t understand why he/she died or you’re getting tired of all the madness on your job or you are losing faith in whatever promises He made to come to pass, be rest assured that the Lord we serve understands all and has seen to every detail.

And when you catch hold of that, it is then that you can truly celebrate the ending of the chapter…the popular verse that everyone remembers:  “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” (vs 31) God has truly got your back. He’s more efficient than the greatest of event planners and has orchestrated this event we call life to a Tee. He has called you by name. He has seen to every detail. Not one is missing.

Be encouraged!

Blessings,

MinD