Pay Attention

How often do you notice the Spirit prompting you?  How often do you feel the pang of guilt? This was something that was brought to my attention today.  I am convicted of the fact that I have ignored the Spirit's leading in a situation where I knew I should say or do something.  I have pushed aside the feeling of guilt to continue to do what I wanted to do.  I'm not proud to admit it.  Want I want to be sure I convey is this, God has given us what we call conscience, but really, it is Him within us working to transform our sinful nature.  It is my goal to pay close attention to those things that the Spirit is prompting me to do differently, whether through words that I say or actions that I do.  We are blessed that God is on our side and working for good in us, around us, and through us... ALWAYS.

Pray For Others

Father God, I pray that your Spirit would overwhelm the broken and that you would hold them closely. Take care of those who cannot care for themselves.  Watch over those who are alone.  Protect those who are vulnerable.  Send your angels to attend the weary.  I pray that your truth would reign in the hearts of your people.  Amen.

Still the One

Lately life has been a series of ups and downs. There is good news.  There is hard news. There is happy news. There is sad news.  This is just the way of life.  What I've learned is the importance of keeping with the One who is always the same, so that no matter the current emotion I have a rock to lean on.  God is the only consistent part of my life.  My family is definitely there for me and that is another solid help.  God is the only one though who is not affected by the ups and downs of my life.  He is prepared for them.  He is already working ahead of me to prepare the way for and make my paths even.  There are moments when the emotion of life is too much and I just have to let it out.  Very quickly, I am filled with an overwhelming peace and God reminds me that He's got it. He is still present.  He is still working on my behalf.  He is still the One.  I have been reminded of that several times this week.

Quiet Time

It has been kind of a loud week for me.  I actually do mean noisy.  There has been a lot going on at work with students and my evenings have been busier than normal with friends.  Today I am sitting in my quiet home relishing the silence.  I needed this.  I need my ear to feel the quiet and calm.  I have sat and read Isaiah 42, pondering the coming Messiah.  I have focused my mind on Him and have fixed my ears to hear His words for me today.  This is a moment of "Be still and know that I am God."  I am enjoying my quiet time alone with God today, not talking or anything, just being.  Blessings on your quiet time alone with God today.

The Name of Jesus

For the longest time I did not like to use the name Jesus when I referred to him.  I felt like it was cheesy, which is terrible, but true.  Then I saw The Passion of the Christ and my feelings completely changed.  Today, as I listened to the song Your Great Name, I was reminded of my love for the name Jesus.  There is so much power simply in his name.  It is hard for me to even fathom how deep into my soul it touches.  Hearing it, singing it, saying it, it doesn't matter, it evokes deep emotion and love.  For others in the world I know it evokes negative emotion.  This is something I have written on before, I know, but I am always amazed by how much emotion just speaking the name Jesus evokes in people.  There is something to it, that's for sure.  Today it is my word of praise and focus, to just spend time focusing on his name and him.  Beautiful.

Hugs Aren't My Thing

Each day I reflect on the day's events and think about where I have seen God at work.  This is especially true on days where I am unsure of what I think God might be trying to show me.  Today, I am pondering the ways that we need touch.  We need to hold hands, hug, pat a back, whatever that might be, even if it's presented in a rougher manner (I'm thinking of the hefty pats on the shoulder or the wrestling moves I received from my dad). This is hard for me since I am very protective of my own bubble.  I really don't like to be touched by others.  However, today I realize how important it really is because it is a way that I can share Jesus.  The trick though is that I need the touch to be from people I love and not just anyone.  It has to be people whom I have a strong relationship with and I care about in a very particular way.  I notice that other people don't have that bubble defense and I have to be cognizant of that when they want to invade mine.  Touch is important and it can be useful in refilling our spirit.  We just need to pay attention to whom it is in our world who provides that for us.  And to whom we are the provider.

God's Surprises

Why are we always surprised by how God moves?  We seem to always be taken completely off guard when we realize God has worked out the details of a situation to bring about something new for us.  This is the way it goes for me.  I look back at how God has orchestrated a thing and think, How did I not see this?  How could I have missed it by so far? The truth is, God's thoughts are not my thoughts. As much as I want to be on the same page as God, for some reason I just can't seem to get there.  I am always about two steps behind Him.  I do think this is by His design.  When I feel like I know where something is going, I tend to lean on my own understanding of the thing and lose sight of who is ultimately in charge of all of my goings.  God keeps me in the loop just enough to hook me in and keep me moving forward in trust, but He only reveals what I really need to know it that moment.  I struggle with this at times because I want to know everything.  I know it is in my best interest, but it doesn't make it easier.  However, it does draw me closer to God and that is always worth it.

Transformational Grace

One of the Lenten journeys I am on this year is with my 5th-6th grade Sunday School class.  We are learning the first steps of activating the Spirit in our lives to experience a heart change through Transformational Grace.  We have each identified something in our lives that we know is a sinful act we do and when we catch ourselves doing those actions, we say a simple prayer, "Lord, help me."  On Sunday, when I asked my students how they were doing with this, and if any of them had noticed that they were doing their said action less, several of them said, yes.  They also said they were using the quick prayer when it happened to help stop the action.  They were very pumped about the fact that they were recognizing and experiencing the Spirit's work in their own lives.  This is what gets me most excited about Kingdom work, watching others experience the work of the Spirit in their lives.  These kids are trusting God do the heart transformation they know they need.  It is our Lenten goal as a Sunday School class.  My action has been decreasing as well, along with even the thought to do the action.  Transformational Grace is a real thing people.  Just trust God to make you the better person  you wish you were. Your new you is in there, but you need the Spirit to make the changes needed.  Don't try harder, pray more.

Beautiful Work

Father, thank you for the way you love us through the difficult times.  I praise you for the way you are working in my heart to transform it into something beautiful.  I'm so glad that I am noticing the work you are doing.  Help me to not give up or give in and keep moving forward with you.  It is beautiful when we get to experience your transformational grace in an obvious way.  Thank you for giving the Spirit to do the amazing work of sanctification.  Life with you is so much more than I could have ever imagined.  Thank you! Amen.

Yay God!

What beauty when we can see God at work in the lives of others!  One of my favorite things about being a follower of Jesus is watching other followers' lives being transformed through the Spirit right before my very eyes.  It is incredible to me the power of prayer in this process.  There is no need to point out the flaws of someone or shame them into obedience.  Rather, to take time to pray for God to move and for God to work His will in the life of someone is a response that brings about true change.  I so enjoy spending time with someone and seeing how God works in little increments to make big changes.  He does the same in my own life, and that gets me pretty jazzed.  The work of the Spirit is something that I do not fully understand, but I know, in my soul, it is very real and is tangible.  Glory be to God who gives us the grace we need to walk with one another and lift up each other to bring us all into closer relationship to Him and transform us into the new creation we already are in Christ.  Yay God!

Encouraging Words

Today, I recognize the importance of encouragement. God is reminding me of who He is and who I am in Him.

I am King.  You are loved.  I am everlasting.  You are important.  I am good.  You have value.  I am hope.  You are free.  I am mighty.  You are heaven bound.  I am always with you.  You are forgiven.  I am your redeemer.  You are more than a conqueror.  I am victorious.  You are my child.  I am compassionate.  You are heard.  I am your maker. You are my beloved.  I am worthy of your praise.  You are mine.

...Patience...

Patience is in the list of fruit of the Spirit.  I've been told that the fruit of the Spirit are not necessarily separable and in the current situation where I am lacking patience, I have to say that I agree.  I'm not experiencing any of the fruit in the situation.  I don't love where I am; I don't have joy about the situation; I am not at peace; obviously, I'm not patient; I'm not handling people in the situation with kindness, just frustration; I'm not finding the goodness in the situation either, so that doesn't cause me to act in goodness; I guess I would say I am being somewhat faithful, but even that is a stretch since I am tired of trying to figure out what God is really up to; gentleness is not something I can say I am exuding, as you can tell from my writing this week; and self-control seems to be elusive.  So now what? Well thankfully this is the Fruit of the SPIRIT, so now that I have realized I'm not producing fruit in this situation I will begin praying for an overtaking of my spirit by the Holy Spirit.  In other words, I need to get a little God on me about this and see what happens.

I GIVE UP!

Psalm 91:15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.

Today I just needed to read God's words.  My word for the year is trust and boy has it been difficult.  God has even been very clear about what He is doing, but for some reason I am still struggling with trusting Him.  At this point my issue is with His timing.  I know God's timing is perfect, but trusting in the meanwhile is hard.  I know what the end result is, or at least I can kind of see what's coming, but the time that it's taking and the valleys to walk through in the midst of the waiting are daunting.  I try to stay focused on Jesus.  I remember He is always working for my good.  However, there are just moments where I just want to scream, "I GIVE UP!"  In a way, I guess that is exactly what I need to do, stop fussing with it all and just give it over to God.  Unfortunately, that is not my sentiment. :-)  I want to have a bad attitude about it all and tell God to just do whatever He wants whenever He wants.  I desperately need an attitude adjustment.  I think that's exactly why the Spirit sent me to the Word.  It is a gentle reminder, as only the Spirit can give, that when I scream at God, He hears me, He is with me and He is working on it.  Even in my bad attitude God loves me and is on my side.  Humbling.

Invest In Others

One of my favorite questions to ask friends when we are out for coffee or dinner is, "What is God teaching you right now?"  I have found that as social media has become popular and texting is the way we converse rather than actually calling (not gonna lie, I don't mind that so much since I hate talking on the phone), it seems my conversations with people are very surfacy.  We talk about things we've seen on Facebook, or quotes that are fancy that we read on Twitter, or laugh about YouTube videos that have been shared.  Unfortunately those things don't really connect us very deeply.  In an effort to get into true relationship with others, and invest in who God has created them to be, I am making it a point to ask deeper questions rather than just have shallow conversation.  The other positive that has come from asking the question is that it has forced me to ponder the question for my own life. God is always doing something in my world, but if I am not deliberate about looking for it, I run the risk of missing Him completely.  I don't want to miss Him.  So, what has God been teaching you lately?

We Are All Broken

Boy, we are so quick to judge others and call them out.  And we do it in the name of "calling it out for the sake of making the truth be known". Here's what I think.  God doesn't need me to fight on His behalf.  God doesn't need me to convict others of their faults, in the effort to change them or their beliefs.  God doesn't even need me to shout out truth, especially if I'm going to do it in a spirit of "so there".  God can fight his own battles, and He does.  The Spirit does a pretty darn good job at convicting me of my sin; I'm assuming He does the same for others.  And as for changing people or their opinions, I'm going to leave that to the power of Jesus in people.  I'm going to let God do His job and keep my nose out of it.  It doesn't mean that I won't speak truth to people or try to help others understand who God is, WHEN THEY ASK, but it does mean that I'm not going to stand on the mountaintop and shout out all of the imperfections I see in everyone else because, frankly, I don't want anyone to do that to me.  We are all broken.  Get over it and let God do something about your own brokenness.  That's all. ;-)

Prayer of Love

Lord, thank you for the love you have shown and bestowed on us.  Thank you for the way you work in our lives and care deeply for us.  Thank you that you love us unconditionally and that you love us in our broken state.  Thank you that your love does not leave us in our brokenness, but makes us into a new creation through your grace.  I am forever changed by your love and cannot express through words the meaning it has brought to my life that is soul deep.  You are a beautiful God who is always present, mercifully good, and unconditionally loving.  May our lives reflect who you are to the world. Amen.

Relax and Reflect

When I have days off, I always try to take time to just sit and do nothing.  And I mean nothing.  Just sit in the silence and allow my mind to reflect.  During these times, however, I find that I am overcome with emotion.  I am reminded of people who are gone, or circumstances that are difficult, or hiccups in the calling.  I feel very much during these times where I allow myself the time to just be.  I hear people say that they don't allow themselves any down time because then they have to deal with the emotions of life.  I don't believe that is healthy.  I've found there to be so much healing in tears.  When I'm able to think on circumstances that are trying, I can take the time to deliberately turn them back over to God so that I don't start to slowly take them back unconsciously.  I am able to take time with my frustration about my calling and listen to what God is saying and reflect on the ways he is working.  Silent time of reflection is so necessary for us, but we fight it with everything in us.  We want to medicate ourselves with busyness or people or drugs instead of going to the One who really can heal our brokenness.  Be sure you're spending quiet time with God.  I know it's not always easy, but it is necessary.  Just a reminder from the beginning of the year.

By Grace, Through Faith

Why is it that we hold on to our pride so tightly?  Why do we spend a lifetime trying to avoid humiliation and weakness?  If we are called to live our lives as Christ and in Christ, humility is paramount.  Pride is such a double-edged sword.  On one hand it can make us work hard to perform well and strive for excellence in certain arenas.  On the other hand, it can be completely debilitating.  It leads to self-destruction when we can't admit we my need help.  So how do we balance the need to do things well, yet not let it overtake us and ruin us?  The key is to recognize our own imperfection and the need for Christ to redeem it.  Once we believe in our hearts that Christ is the only way to fix the brokenness of life, we will see that all of our excellence comes from him too.  We owe everything to Him who created us, redeemed us, and transforms us. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

Faith Builders

Today I read the story of David and Goliath.  David convinces Saul he is able to fight the Philistine based on his experience in guarding his flock.  He had fought a bear and a lion and won.  God gave David these experiences to prepare him for such a time as this.  Yes, David knew God would be with him in battle and that was where his faith lay, but for Saul, he needed some extra proof.  The slaying of the lion and the bear not only helped Saul, but they were also how David knew what it felt like to go into battle with the Lord on his side.  Those were faith builders for David.  It made me think, what experiences has/is God giving me that are building my faith for a future encounter?  How might I look at my circumstances differently if I knew they were God's preparation for a day to come?  There is value in the journey.

Heart Change

Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship.

What does it look like to offer your body as a living sacrifice?  That is my question.  Paul describes it as a spiritual act of worship.  It seems like a physical act of worship, and I think many people read this verse as such.  We try to "beat" our bodies into submission through workouts and diets, aiming to make our bodies the perfect temple for God.  That's not what I'm gathering from Paul's writing here.  He is stating that by offering our bodies as living sacrifices we are worshipping the Father spiritually. So how does one go about doing so? Offering your body to God means you are turning over your earthly desires to him to transform and remove any inkling of temptation that can come through the body.  This type of sacrifice is spiritual in nature because it requires a heart change.  The heart change is the Spirit's work and my spirit can only truly worship God when my body gets out of the way.  This is my journey for Lent, to allow God to change my heart such that the things and thoughts, of which there are many, that tempt my physical body will no longer cause me to stumble.  These thoughts and moments may come across my path, but my heart will be such that it has no desire for the earthly reward.  My heart will be fixed on things above and the reward that is in Christ Jesus.  May this be the time when I gain the full understanding of the words, "and lead us not into temptation".

Reflection For a Lenten Journey

I'm starting into my reflection process as Ash Wednesday approaches and the season on Lent is upon us.  I'm not one for giving up something for Lent, but I definitely make this season a time of focusing on God's work in my life and the transformation He has in store for my heart each year.  This time of reflection before the journey begins gives me the opportunity to spend time with God and ask Him what He is working on in my life and how I can become more aware of His movement.  I will spend time writing prayers and seeking His wisdom to guide my steps on the Lenten journey ahead.  What are your expectations of the Holy Spirit as you journey through Lent this year?  Is it a focus on Jesus through the removal of a distraction?  Is it a focus on the Spirit as your heart is transformed? Or is it a focus on God's sovereignty as you reflect on His work throughout your life?  Whatever your Lenten journey, set out to allow God to change your heart so you are never the same as you are now.

All In

Last Sunday, Dad preached a sermon about Jesus being "all in".  What was he "all in" for?  Us.  Just like the nation of Israel missed the Messiah because he didn't conquer Rome, I believe I miss him because I'm looking for him in the wrong way too.  I want Jesus to be Superman.  I want him to take over the world in a physical sense.  I want him to put leaders in place who would lead like him.  Oh, wait, his leading was so different than what I'm thinking.  When I think of a leader who would lead like Jesus, I'm thinking of the Superman Jesus, not the real life Jesus.  What would it look like if we did have a leader like the real life Jesus?  Hmm...makes me think.  Then I realize, maybe I am called to lead like Jesus.  What does that look like?  Not someone who takes over the world or even is overly zealous about my beliefs.  Instead, it is the man who spoke truth and loved everyone where they were, who was "all in" for the world, even when all of his followers ran.  He came to redeem us, not to take over the world.  Oh, what being loved while we are still sinners does for our broken lives!  I pray that I can be "all in" as Jesus was, for the sake of others.  Changed people change people.

Clyde Teel's Sermon on Jesus being "all in"

Prayer of Silence

Father, today's prayer is one of silence.  Here is your servant.  I'm listening.

Life Giving Time

Sometimes I allow myself to give of my time, energy, and emotion to a point that I am no longer able to give, but keep trying to dole out to those in need. I am amazed at how I don't realize how drained I am sometimes.  I forget to stop and take the time to allow God to refill my spirit. I spend a little time with my family and I notice my life meter jumps. I don't always recognize how far I have been drained until I spend time with people who refill me.  For me, it really is only my family that does this.  I spend time with them and realize how energized and joyful I feel.  What I find interesting about this is that I have spent time alone with God to refill, and that is needed.  However, God has put very specific people in my life to walk alongside and care for me when I don't even realize I need caring for.  Family is a beautiful gift.  I do not take my family, or the time I have with them, for granted.  I realize that not everyone has this, but I do know that God brings people into our lives to be those caregivers for each and every one of us.  Who is your life giving caregiver that God has given to you?

Rollercoaster

I wish I was not so easily discouraged or distracted.  It seems that these days it takes such a small thing to put me into a bummed out funk.  I have been asking God to give me eyes that see the bigger picture and understand where He is taking me on this journey.  Some days I am fine with not knowing  then other days I am frustrated, and yet other days it makes me sad.  I would not call myself a rollercoaster of emotions on a regular basis.  Normally, I am quite even keeled.  So, now I'm asking myself, what about this situation is causing the rollercoaster?  Why can't I seem to let it go and just wait for God's move?  That's the prayer, Lord, give me your patience to wait upon your good work.

The Calm After the Storm

This is one of those days where my mind is empty.  I am able just sit and reflect on the work God is doing.  There is nothing fantastic, nothing terrible, just a status quo. I am learning to just be still and know that God is God and I am not.  In the stillness I can listen more carefully to His voice or just rest in His peace.  That is what today is, the calm after the storm, resting in the peace and quiet that can only come through the Spirit.

Depth of Soul

Job 42:5 My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.

When contemplating my own depth of soul, I look to the story of Job.  Job who had everything, had everything stripped away, had moron friends for counsel, then experienced God in a mighty way and was restored.  Job was able to lose everything externally and internally, minus the love of God, and still held fast to his Creator.  His circumstance did not affect his life with God.  Oh, to be that connected to God that I could walk all roads and know that I was going to come out unscathed.  I hope that is where my soul is in Jesus, but I have not had to go through much horror to know for sure.  I learned so much during my mom's battle with pancreatic cancer and experienced God in ways I could never describe.  Her example of what it looks like to walk with Jesus for a lifetime and experience inner peace that passes all understanding even unto death is engrained in my heart.  I hope that those moments of grace are what I will cling to and relive when circumstances arise, and I am called to focus solely on Jesus so I can grow deeper with him.  There is nothing like being in the presence of the Holy One, and Job knew it.

Honest Words

I have been drawn to the Psalms lately.  I am encouraged by the honest words of its writers.  I think I forget how real the people in the Bible were.  I forget that their lives were difficult, and frankly, probably a lot more difficult than mine, just based on the culture in which they were living.  The Bible tells us who God is and how He is in relationship with us.  The words of the psalmist in 142 (David) are honest and valid.  Crying aloud to God for mercy and help from those who are against him.  I have no idea what that must have felt like for David, but I do know what it feels like in my own life.  Sometimes I'm my worst enemy and need the reminder to extend grace to myself as I work through the journey.  God is faithful.  He is our refuge.  He is our ever-present help, even when we aren't able to recognize Him.  I needed that reminder today.  It is God's mercy that allows me to walk this journey and it is His grace that transforms my heart.  He can handle my honest words and use them to build a beautiful relationship between Him and me.

Relinquish Control

I'm such a figurer (I know it's not a word) and a planner.  I can't stop figuring out things with our budget or working through what the next steps in a specific journey need to be in order to get from point A to point B.  I am definitely strategic.  This comes in handy when you have a vision to implement or need to help people make little steps to get to the big picture.  However, in trusting God, it is horrendous.  I find myself taking back the responsibility for planning when I had given it to Him only a month or so ago.  Really?  Do I love control that much?  Oh, I use the word responsibility most of the time to describe it because it softens the blow, but really it is all about control.  And God has had to allow me to get so deep in my own mess so that the only option I have is to say, "God, you take it.  I can't do it."  How I wish I could be that person who just hands everything over to God without a struggle, but I'm not.  I disappoint myself. Thankfully God is never disappointed in me.  He loves me through the struggle.  What a relief!  So, Lord, you can have it back.  Change my heart to relinquish control to you and leave it in your hands.