A new perspective

Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.“

It has been a crazy couple of weeks. My daughter graduated from high school Monday night. Prior to that we flew to her college for orientation, helped her register for classes in the fall and had her graduation party – complete with over 200 cookies! Yep, it has been a busy time.

Yet, I tried to stay in the Word as much as possible. It’s what gets me through the day. One day, my Bible reading brought me to Philippians.

Now, this has always been one of my favorite verses in the Bible. But when I read it on that particular day, something new popped out to me.

Have you ever taken the time to read the verses before it? Verses 11 & 12 are this – “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.”

Philippians 4:13 has always brought to mind success. It has always given me the encouragement that I needed to face any problem or challenge and know that I can overcome it because I have Christ living in me. There is nothing wrong with that train of thought. Nothing is unscriptural about what I just said.

However, when you look at Philippians 4:13 in light of the previous verses, for me, it takes on a whole new meaning. In my mind, Philippians 4:13 transforms from a verse encouraging me to reach higher and do more to one of you can be content in whatever state you are in because of the power of Christ.

It goes from a verse of achievement to a verse of contentment. And that, my friend, is a significant change.

Our world is so focused on achievement – what academic scholarships did you get? what’s the next promotion you are looking to get? what improvements can you make to your car to make the speakers sound better? what do I need to do to get that house that I really want?

God has been bringing me, lately, to a place of teaching me contentment. He is trying to show me what is really important. He is trying to make me see that all I really need is Him. He is trying to teach me to wait on His time and seek out His plan. And boy, is that a tough lesson to learn!

So as you go through your day and hear all the accolades and progress and wants of the people around you, remind them, and yourself, that maybe, just maybe, what we need a little more of in this world is being okay just exactly where you are at.

Another leg of the journey

Psalm 28:7 – “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped:Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.”

It was May 1, 2019 the last time I took to the computer to write my blog. The journey with God is never boring, I’ll say that for sure and for certain. My life has taken some new paths in this year. Some have been fun and exciting and some have been challenging and frustrating.

Yet, here we are. My son has finished his freshman year in college and my daughter will graduate from high school in 18 days. After that, she will be following her brother to college in August. The empty nest is clearly in sight. I’m not quite sure how to feel about that.

The world, in general, has changed so much. My work has made me look at things differently and caused me to dig deep to examine how I really feel. And you know what, I am tired of fear. I am tired of everyone being afraid all the time. I am tired of getting that sideways look whenever I sneeze or cough in public. I am tired of people not thinking for themselves.

I know, in the deepest part of my soul, God is in control. I know that I know that I know that He knows exactly what vehicle I am taking out of this old world. And I’m done being scared of it. Ok, that’s all I’m going to say about that for now.

I have had several people ask me lately if I was ever going to start writing again. I have been rolling it around in my mind for some time. And I have been coming up with every excuse in the book of why I don’t have time. But this is part of my song. This is part of my gift to Him.

Last night, I was teaching my Wednesday night kids about the effect that we can have on people by living our lives for Jesus. I don’t think we fully appreciate how much our words of encouragement, our positive attitude and our unfading joy can have on the world. All most people see is darkness. They see fear and uncertainty and vulnerability and it petrifies their ability to move forward. They need to see our Light. They need to see our confidence and firm foundation and our Shield. They need to see us moving forward with Jesus.

Too often, I’m afraid, they see us acting just like them. Why is that? Why do we keep Jesus hidden away? Why do we keep Him in the church building?

I want my Light to be seen. I want my song to be heard. I want my joy and confidence to be seen. And I want all of that to show them Jesus. It’s not about me. It’s not about making me popular. It is about bringing them the opportunity to have what I have – joy in the Lord.

So, let’s give it a go, again, shall we? Let’s see where God takes this next leg of the journey….

hello…again

Philippians 2:12-14 – “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings: that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain.”

Yes, my friend, I have been absent for some time. But I am grateful that you have taken time out of your busy day to read my musings, again.

I have been contemplating beginning this blog, yet again, for some time now. My mom had asked me about it a few weeks ago and then last night, a dear lady at church asked me. Between the messages I have heard about reaching out and participating in your purpose and the dear people in my life reminding me of the good things that God has in store for those who obey, I’m going to do my best to make the time to blog again.

You see, I could give you all kinds of excuses ranging from spiritual (reading through my Bible last year) to carnal (just don’t have the time). But if I’m honest with myself, I let the devil take away my joy in writing. Sad, I know.

Last night, my associate pastor reminded me of this amazing fact – “When we praise God in our current situation, God can release His power and work through us instead of around us.”

I have been in the way too much this last year. I have allowed all kinds of things, both spiritual and carnal, to get in the way of something that I know God uses to bless other people, including myself. Instead of praising God in my chaos through my blog, I just stopped and God had to work around me instead of through me. I was working on the inside but I wasn’t letting it come out on the outside.

So, let’s do this together. Let’s stop making excuses and start letting God. Let’s start working on the inside and letting it come out onto the outside. Let’s let God work through us instead of around us.

Identity Crisis

1 Corinthians‬ ‭6:19-20‬ ‭KJV – “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”‭‭‬‬

I have an exercise for you today – get out a piece of paper and write “I AM” on the top of it. Then below that, I want you to write words that describe you – character traits, career choices, hobbies – anything and everything that describe you. Then, I want you to cross out all the words that describe your personality, your career, your hobbies and anything else that describes you. Now, I know that you are thinking, “Good grief Melissa, that was dumb to write it all down and then cross it all out.”

Here is the point –

We tend to think of ourself in certain ways. We see ourself as defined by words that man has made up to describe things and actions. But is that really who you are? Are you really nice? If I had to guess, if you’re like me, not all the time. Are you really hard-working? If you’re like me, laziness creeps into your life sometimes. You see, the words that we describe ourself with are temporary and unreliable. In reality, they limit us. They put us in a box or in a column that restricts who we can truly be. 

If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, oh dear, you are so much more than adjectives on a page. You have been created and designed for a special purpose that it is your duty to fulfill in this life we live on a daily basis. Adjectives on a page don’t begin to describe the beauty and purpose that God has in store for you.

BUT, you have to make a choice. You see, you can see yourself as the world sees you all day long. Or, you can see yourself in the Light of Heaven and find freedom. 

Those adjectives you used to describe yourself are bars around you that keep you from reaching your full potential. The world will tell you – “It’s your life. Live it how you want to live it.” Oh, that may sound like freedom and options and all sorts of wonderful things, but in reality, when you are in control of your life and you are trying to figure out how to live it, things get messy and restrictive. 

But when you let Jesus drive your life, when you let Him describe who you are and what He wants you to do and how He wants you to do it, things begin to loosen up. You are no longer bound by the limits the world places on you. You are allowed to dream big and hope fully. And you can do this because you don’t have to worry about how things are going to work out. You know that when Jesus is in control that everything works out in His time and according to His will. You just have to follow and not stray onto your own path. 

I’ve been listening to a lot of podcasts lately trying to tell me how to be the best version of myself and how to improve my quality of life and so on. But the one thing that all of these “professionals” have failed to mention is the importance of Christ in my daily life. He is the One who makes every little thing I do worthwhile. 

So, today is Thursday. The weekend is just around the corner. Take some time to think about how you see yourself. And then, ask Jesus how He sees you. And then, make His perspective, your perspective. When you realize that your identity isn’t found in the limits of the world, you’re scope opens up in a whole new way. “But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭19:26‬ ‭KJV)

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Something to believe in

Acts 16:30-34 – “And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.”

Everyone is talking about the World Series. Everyone is excited about the possibility that the Chicago Cubs could win (Disclaimer – I’m writing this Tuesday night not knowing the outcome of the game). We all desire something or someone to believe in. 

When we are young, we want to believe in Santa so that we get presents at Christmas. Some also believe in the Easter  bunny, leprechauns and the fear of a broken mirror. 

But that’s all superstition and tall tales. None of those do any of the good or evil they are portrayed to do. But people believe in them all the same. 

I chose to put my faith and trust in Someone more substantial, more dependable, more proven – Jesus Christ. 

The jailor in this passage was looking for something to believe in. He had probably seen and heard it all. He had experienced superstition and heard every tall tale imaginable. He was ready for something real. Never in a million years would he have guessed that these two fellas who had been arrested for ejecting a demon from a young girl would have the answers he was looking for. They probably looked like a couple of nobodies. There was probably nothing special about them.  Nothing to make them stand out – except for the joy in their heart. They were singing  praises to their God, for lands’ sake, in the pit of a prison! Never had he heard such!

And then there was this unbelievable earthquake and he was ready to end it all thinking that the prisoners had escaped. When he found out they were all there, he had to know what these fellas were all about. 

And did he ever find out! Not only him, but his whole house accepted Jesus as their Savior. They all needed Someone to believe in. 

Are you holding Him back? Do you have people in your life that are searching? They have heard it all and seen it all – except for the Best of All. They are searching for Him and they don’t even realize it! And it is YOUR job to share Him. God has brought you into their life for that very reason. Are you being faithful to your calling? Are you sharing Someone to believe in?

Repost of “Hmmm….”

Crazy morning at my house. I was looking for a past post to repost and this one came into view. I thought it was highly appropriate for today!

Hebrews 4:15,16 – “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

If you worked as hard at your job as you do your relationship with Christ, how far would you get in your career?

A serious question to ponder. For most of us, we feel we have to schedule a relationship with Christ into our already full life. But how full is it really? If your like me, “stuff” keeps you busy. Why, just this morning I was having a time trying to find the verse I wanted for this blog post. The devil kept coming up with “one more thing” that I thought I just HAD to do. Guess what? Those things are waiting. I am choosing to be obedient.

But all too often “stuff” gets in the way of our desire to walk closer to our Savior. Jesus understands. Now, does that give us a “get out of jail free” card? Nope. He also knows that we make time for that which is important to us. He wants to be important to us.

He has been there and done that. He knows the struggles we face. He knows those “sins that so easily beset us.”

So make time to develop that relationship. If you have to, schedule into your busy schedule time to read His Word and talk to Him. But, don’t forget to be quiet and listen as well. He has a lot to say if we will hush up!

Go to Him today, princess. And receive the mercy and grace you are in desperate need of. The King is waiting.

Revisiting Dream A Little Dream

Do you have a bucket list? I don’t care how old you are or where you are at in life, I am asking you to sit down and dream. Dream of the things that you want to do before God calls you home.

I have a bucket list. One of the things on my list is driving a race car. I would love to go really fast in a controlled environment. I would also like to hike an 11 mile (one way) trail in Kauai. One day, I think (not sure on this one yet) that I would like to skydive. Crazy, stupid stuff that might take me closer home than I bargained for.

The point is you need to dream, princess. You need to allow yourself to look forward to something and to take a chance every once in a while. God wants you to dream big. Dream about places to go, things to see and people to meet. The world is a big place just waiting to be discovered.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 – “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

See, God has dreams for you. Plans to grow you in ways that you cannot imagine. You will never know those dreams unless you develop a relationship with Him beyond Sunday morning. It is fun and unexpected. You never know what door God is going to open for you if you are watching for them to open.

So, princess, go ahead and make that bucket list and dream. Just remember to check with the Creator of dreams on the path He wants you to take.

Revisiting “Cowgirl up!”

I wrote this post back in September of 2012. I thought you might enjoy it today!

 

Women are caught between a rock and a hard place. Sometimes we are encouraged to be quiet and listen. Other times we are told to speak up and speak out. What is it that God wants us to do as His daughter – a princess?

2 Timothy 1:7 – “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”

God did not put it in the heart of a woman to be run over. We may be weaker physically but that does not mean that we should cower or feel inferior to man. Now, don’t get me wrong – this is not something feminist. A princess does not back down from a challenge but she knows how to be tactful and full of grace in the midst of troubling times.

You have a spirit of power in you, princess. Power from the Most High God. Don’t let that fall on deaf ears. Pull on your big girl panties and “cowgirl up!” Be respectful but be bold. Be brave but know when to ask for help. God has placed some amazing women in your circle. Find their power and lean on their experienced shoulders.

You have a spirit of love. God has placed within you the capacity to love just about any thing and every one. Now this is not always easy but necessary. Don’t let the devil shield your view of the opportunity to love someone who REALLY needs it. Remember, love covers a multitude of sins.

And finally, you have a spirit of self-discipline. This means holding your head up and making the right choices, even the hard ones. Don’t let the other two empower you and then trip up on this one. Self-discipline includes everything from not eating that donut to choosing to follow Christ through it all. Yep, hardest one yet.

Don’t sit there and take it – know how to handle it. Life is full of hard choices and sometimes we need someone to hold our hand and tell us the truth. Don’t be timid, sister. Get it out but do it in love.

Trials & Tragedies

1Peter 4:12,13 – “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.”

Bad things happen to good people.

We have heard that saying multiple times over. Most of the time, people attempt to use it as a balm to ease away the pain of tragedy. We wonder why. Why did this have to happen? What has he done to bring this upon himself? What sin has gone on in his life that has brought this on?

We think that tragedy and trials are the result of something we have done. And sometimes that may be the case. But oftentimes, the catalyst for our suffering is something to bring glory to God. Remember the blind man that Jesus healed on the Sabbath? The Pharisees were outraged. Not that this man had been healed but that his healing occurred on the Sabbath. Anyway, that is not the point. I digress. The point is this: the disciples had asked Jesus who had sinned in this man’s life to cause him to be blind. They assumed that this trial, this tragedy, was the result of sin. But lovingly “Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.” (John 9:3)

Sometimes trials and tragedies are opportunities to show God at work in our life. We may not recognize it at the time, but looking back we can see Him working out situations, protecting us from harm or even how we may have touched someone else’s life along the way. We may never know what our trials in this life have meant to others. All we are asked to do is keep on truckin’ and doing what Jesus has asked us to do.

So remember, princess, we only suffer for a little while. But our hope, our peace, our joy, should be found in the fact that we are storing up treasures in heaven for our Savior. For without Him, we would probably all be hiding under a rock waiting for the storm to pass.

Are we there yet?

“Are we there yet?”

If you have ever been in the car with a child, going anywhere, you have undoubtedly heard this question. Five minutes down the road, they have to go to the bathroom or they start asking this question.

I remember one time I took my son and his best friend, AJ, to Indianapolis to Brick Masters – a Lego convention. AJ was so excited to be going that he asked me this question every 10 minutes from Fort Wayne to Indianapolis – a 2 hour trip. I finally had to laugh at him and tell him my ETA so that he could look at the clock to know how close we were. He wasn’t doing this to be ornery, he was just so excited he was about to come out of his skin!

There are days in my life when I feel like AJ, although it is not the Lego convention I am looking forward to, but rather Heaven. Do you ever wake up in the morning and think today could be the day? Today is the day that I might get to see Heaven. I do. Makes me all giddy to think about it!

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 – “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and  with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.”

That gets me pumped! Wouldn’t you love to be near a graveyard when that happens?! If your mind could process it in time, that would be AWESOME!

How excited are you to go Home? Some days I want it now and some days I want it to wait one more day. Regardless, we are called to be ready for it at any time. That means, princess, we need to start acting like it could come at any time.

Jesus said in Acts 14:3 – “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” He wants you there! He is coming back for you!

So when those little people in your car are driving you crazy with “are we there yet?” just bounce that question back up to the Father and ask Him “Are we there yet?”