Just Remember...........

The next time you feel like God can't use you, just remember.........

NOAH was a drunk....

ABRAHAM was too old....

ISAAC was a daydreamer....

JACOB was a liar....

LEAH was ugly....

JOSEPH was abused....

MOSES had a stuttering problem....

GIDEON was afraid....

SAMPSON had long hair, and was a womanizer!

RAHAB was a prostitute!

JEREMIAH AND TIMOTHY were too young....

DAVID had an affair and was a murderer....

ELIJAH was suicidal....

ISAIAH preached naked....

JONAH ran from God....

NAOMI was a widow....

JOB went bankrupt....

JOHN the Baptist ate bugs....

PETER denied Christ....

The DISCIPLES fell asleep while praying....

MARTHA worried about everything....

MARY MAGDALENE was demon possessed....

The SAMARITAN WOMAN was divorced .... more than once!

ZACCHEUS was too small....

PAUL was too religious....

TIMOTHY had an ulcer.... AND

LAZARUS WAS DEAD!!!!

No more excuses. God is waiting to use your full potential!

This was just to good to not pass on. I pray that it will encourage you today as it has me.

Blessings!

Crooning for Jesus

Bobby and I recently completed one year of Church Life Cohort with Dr. Wayne and Sherry Lee. It has been an incredible journey. We are looking forward to year two as we begin to implement some new ideas into our style of pastoring.

I met with my mentorship group and life coaching mentoring group this month and asked both groups to list 3-4 things that hinder the church from going to the next level. These are some things that stood out above the rest: GOSSIP, COMPLACENCY, CRITICAL SPIRIT, JEALOUSY, ENVY, BITTERNESS, ME FOCUSED , PRIORITIES, DISOBEDIENCE, NON-COMMITMENT.

When these things exist in our lives, how can we possibly think that God is going to bring new families into an environment overflowing with such negativity? The church exists to build up - not tear down. As a pastor's wife and co-pastor I get so frustrated with people who are constantly complaining and griping about EVERYTHING in the church but never once take the opportunity to meet with Bobby and I to discuss the issues. The chatter always makes it's way back to us but not without effecting many people in its path of destruction.

Let's just take a look at the COMPLAINER. A medical survey states that chronic complainers live longer than people who are always sweet and serene.... It actually claims that their cantankerous spirit give them a purpose for living! Each morning they get up with a fresh challenge to see how many things they can find to grumble and complain about. They derive an enormous amount of satisfaction from making others miserable. I am certain that none of you have ever encountered anyone like this in your church.................................. :-)

Chronic complainers may in fact live longer, but they DON'T bless people with a good witness for Jesus Christ. They absolutely do not draw people into our church. In fact, they are probably the reason many folks choose not to attend our church! A sure way not to have friends is to be one of those complainer's and a sure way to kill a church is to complain all the time!

THE LORD IS SEEKING CROONERS, NOT COMPLAINERS! A crooner is someone who sings or hums all the time in a soft, soothing voice. Those who croon, those who sing praise to the Lord, and sing the praise of others, cause the church to move to the next level.

Let's croon for Jesus!

Blessings and hugs!

In 'Other' Words - Let Go and Let God

" Dear Lord, I do not ask that Thou should give me some high work of Thine, some noble calling, or some wondrous task. Give me a little hand in mine to hold."
~ Anonymous ~

Many thanks today to Loni for hosting IOW. Visit her site to read other posts on this quote.

Bobby and I decided that we wanted children after one year of marriage. God had other plans.

After numerous tests, fertility drugs and frustration upon frustration, we finally became pregnant. After seven years of waiting, and not so patiently I might add, we were blessed with a beautiful baby girl. Two years later God blessed us with a son. They were the most beautiful babies I had ever laid my eyes on! :-)

Children are truly gifts and blessings from God. Brooke and Brandon are married now and Brooke has children of her own. Time passes so quickly. It is hard to believe that I am a Grammy.

This time of year brings back many memories. I remember Bobby and I driving Brandon to Evangel University in Springfield, MO. Leaving him on that campus for the first time 1000 miles from home was certainly one of the most difficult things I have ever had to do. At that moment, as we drove away from the campus, tears streaming down our faces, I realized that I must place him in God’s hands. God had entrusted us with these incredible gifts, and as parents, we needed to learn to COMPLETELY trust God with their lives. If we truly expected God to do an incredible work in their lives we needed to "let go and let God". I admit that wasn't an easy task for me in the beginning.

Being a mom and Grammy has been so rewarding and I am so thankful for our family. Memories of Brooke and Brandon growing up fill my mind. Little hands are definitely a "high calling" and I am thankful that God called me to be one of those who can experience the little hands. God certainly walked with me as I was learning the ropes of parenthood. I still make mistakes and God is teaching and encouraging me when I fail. I may never win the "Mother of the Year" award but there is no doubt in the minds of Brooke and Brandon and Luke and Victoria that mom and Grammy love them with all her heart.

Blessings!

All or Little?

God is incredible and throughout the Bible there is story after story of miraculous events performed by Jesus. These stories are not fairy tales. God used real life people like you and I throughout His Word. Those folks were dealing with heavy duty life problems and God stepped in and performed miracles. He healed the blind man. The lame walked. He raised Lazarus from the dead. He healed the woman with the issue of blood. Time after time there are countless recordings of awesome things that God did in ordinary lives.

During Sunday School on Sunday one of the class members testified. He has been dealing with a severe problem with his sight. During prayer in one of his times of devotion this past week God directed him to a passage in Matthew 9 where a blind man was healed. He was so excited because he believes that God is going to heal him completely.

Why do we often times only ask God for a little when we pray for a need? We might be struggling with finances, sickness, depression, bitterness, etc. Instead of asking God for a complete fix for the problem, we tend to ask for a small portion. Do we doubt that God can totally and completely do the impossible?

My God can do anything and He does! When we pray we should be asking Him for the impossible. When we don't ask for ALL of it, we are demonstrating a lack of faith in what God can do in our lives. He is more than capable of completing the task in its entirety. We hinder His work when we only ask for a portion of the need.

Step up to the plate and exercise your faith this week. Ask God for the impossible in your life. Trust Him with that prayer and watch Him do far more than you could ever imagine.

Blessings and hugs!

God's Favor

Another busy week has been recorded! I left
the office late Wednesday evening because I have been somewhat overwhelmed with a zillion projects. Shortly after I left the parking lot I noticed a battery light was lit on my dashboard. As I traveled a little further my car became difficult to steer. Less than 10 minutes further down the road my control temperature light began flashing and then the needle on my temperature gauge took a deep nosedive into the red zone! Thank the Lord a shopping center was only a short distance away so I quickly navigated into the Harris Teeter parking lot and shut off my car. I called Bobby and he contacted a gentlemen in our church who owns a towing business. He arrived a short time later and put my car on his flat bed truck. My heart sank as he pulled away knowing this was going to be an expensive repair.

A friend of mine was commuting home from Dulles so she picked me up. We even arrived at church early for the Wednesday night service! The car is ten years old but in very good condition although the result of the injury - $1347.00!!!! The fuel pump went bad which also mutilated a huge belt, hose, thermostat and some bearings. UGH! I have been sick about the amount of repairs but things happen. We had been saving that money for a trip we are taking in October to celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary and honestly didn't have the extra money to put into expensive car repairs right now. It was a blessing though the way the entire mishap occurred. Bobby and I had commuted back and forth two days last week to Lutherville, MD. If the car would have broke down on the beltway it would have been a nightmare. We also traveled to Williamsburg, VA Thursday and it could have left us sitting along the highway on that trip so God certainly showed us favor.

Stuff happens in our lives that we cannot prevent. We certainly don't need this repair bill right now but I know God's favor is all over this situation. It would have been far worse if we would have been stranded in the middle of nowhere late at night. If we look deep enough we can always find something good in every situation instead of always focusing on the negative. God cares about every detail of our lives.

I had two meetings in Williamsburg Thursday in preparation for the upcoming Ministers' Retreat for the Potomac District in October. The hotel gave me a complimentary night so Bobby decided to tag along. After my meetings were finished we checked into our room and decided to peruse the outlets! We had dinner at the Whaling Company. We took a drive through historic Williamsburg and called it a night. We had breakfast Friday morning and made a stop at the Pottery Factory. looking for some items for the church, before we left to come home. It was awesome being able to spend some quality time together. It was a short visit but a great time to clear my head and refocus.

I won Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson on Brandon's http://www.brandonshank.com/ site this week. It arrived yesterday. I began reading it last evening and it is an incredible book. Thank you son. You are awesome! I love the book!

Blessings and hugs!

Ever Feel Like an Imposter?

I facilitate several mentorship groups and have been doing this for over five years. One of the discussions that has come up often in these groups, and also during the monthly Chocolate and Coffee Bible studies, are feelings of not being the Christian we think we should be. Intimidating feelings that other women are far more spiritual and holy than we are.

Ladies, let me say this. Just because someone appears to have it all together doesn't necessarily mean that they do. We each have become very talented at putting on the churchy face and not allowing anyone around us to know that we are seriously going through something very heavy.

Doubt, intimidation and insecurities come straight from the pits of hell. Satan works overtime daily to play mind games with each of us. He strives to convince us that we are imposter's. That we are far from the real deal. His goal is to convince you and I that we are useless in the Kingdom. Satan wants us to believe that we are not good enough to lead others to Christ. He makes it his mission to create doubt in our minds regarding our salvation.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 Praise the Lord! Hallelujah and Amen!!! That is shoutin' material!

There is absolutely no reason for any of us to ever feel for one second inadequate as a woman of God. Our God equips us with all that we need to do the tasks He has called each of us to accomplish. We are each wired differently and our lives are not the same. We should never allow Satan to place us in the arena of comparison. Serving Him isn't about us. It is all about obedience and commitment to Jesus Christ and His plan for our lives.

Look up today and thank God for His abundant blessings. He loves us and has so much for each of us to accomplish.

Blessings and hugs to you!

Stepping After God's Will

Lori at All You Have to Give is hosting "In other Words" today and she has challenged us with an incredible quote.

"Order my steps, in Your word

Order my tongue, in Your word

Guide my feet, in Your word

Wash my heart, in Your word

Show me how to walk, in Your word

Show me how to talk, in Your word

(refrain)

I want to walk worthy, my calling to fulfill

Please order my steps, Lord, and I'll do Your blessed will

The world is ever changing, but You are still the same

If You order my steps, I'll praise Your name.

~A hymn by Glen Burleigh~

The words to this hymn are beautiful. Nothing in a believer's life is more important than following God's will. God's will can certainly be defined as: "you, as a believer, walking in the steps that God has ordered for your life." Success is finding God's will, as early in your life as possible, and chasing it with your entire being.

The person in whom God delights is one who follows God, trusts in Him, and tries to do His will. God watches over and makes firm every step that person takes. If you desire to have God direct your way, then seek His advice before you step out.

As I was growing up I always wanted to be a lawyer. But as I matured in Christ God took that desire from me. My life became more and more about serving Him and doing His will and not my "wants".

So, how do we find this "will" or "plan" God supposedly has for our lives? He certainly orders our steps, orders our tongue, guides our heart, washes our heart, shows us how to walk, shows us how to talk, but we have a responsibility in all of this also in order for His plan to become relevant in our lives.

First, our lives must be pure. The Bible clearly teaches that the steps of a "good" man are ordered by the Lord. Psalm 37:23.

Second, our hearts must be yielded to the things of God. To yield means to surrender or submit to the physical control of another. God is calling believer's to hand over control of our lives to Him and do whatever He wants us to do. Can you honestly say you are surrendered fully? Do you trust him enough to do that?

Third, you will have to delight yourself in the Lord. When we delight ourselves in the Lord, our will is conformed to His. God merges His will and our desires. He transforms our desires and then gives us our desires. Read the missionary journeys of Paul. Repeatedly it says he went to a place "because he had a mind to go".

God leads through His Word. Psalm 119:105, Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Hebrews 4:12, For the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

A large part of knowing God's will is determining whether the "peace" you feel is what YOU want or what GOD wants. You must bathe yourself in megadoses of God's Word daily. Only His Word can confirm the peace in your heart.

We must first be made good before we can do good; we must first be made just, before our works can please God. When we are justified by faith in Christ, then come good works. Hugh Latimer (C. 1485-1555)

Proverbs 20:24, A man's steps are of the Lord; How then can a man understand his own way?

If your heart is right before God and God's Word is in your heart and being applied to your life, then the Lord will direct your steps. We are often confused by the events around us. Many things we will never completely understand; others will fall into place in years to come as we look back and see how God was working in our lives. This proverb counsels us not to worry if we don't understand everything as it happens. Instead, we should trust that God knows what He is doing, even if His timing or design is not clear to us.

Having your steps ordered by the Lord doesn't mean that everything will be rosy and smooth for you all the time. While the Lord is ordering your steps, there will be challenges, obstacles, setbacks, sickness, pain, disappointments, heartbreaks and failures. But through it all, as the Lord continues to order your steps, know and believe that all things are going to work together for the good to them that love the Lord, and is called according to His purpose. You must believe and know God is able to order your steps through anything this life brings to your plate. By trusting the Lord you will win in victory!

Blessings to you today as you allow God to order your steps.

Be Blessed!

Great weekend and incredible services in the house yesterday. Bobby scored a home run in both services and we had such a powerful time around the altar last evening.

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. Galatians 6:10

Women are busy creatures. We wear a ton of hats and are super at multi-tasking. God's word is full of his promises for us. As you race from one task to the other this week be reminded that God truly wants to bless you. Don't give the enemy a second of your time to captivate your mind with negative thoughts. Focus on the cross and what Jesus Christ has done for you. Allow God to use you where you are. Bless those around you. If someone has been hurtful to you I encourage you to forgive them today. Hand over any unresolved circumstances to God. He is much bigger than any problem we might be facing today. Place it in his hands and leave it there. Ask God to help you this week to be a blessing to everyone you meet. Don't use this week to relive the past. Determine in your mind to move forward in the name of Jesus Christ. He has an incredible agenda for each of us.

Blessings!

Running on Empty

Bobby and I completed our first year of Church Life Cohort with Dr. Wayne and Sherry Lee this week. Yahoo!!! We will begin our second year in October. We are beginning to pray about things and plan to implement some ideas in the near future. We are anxious about accepting the challenge to move the church to the next level.

We commuted two hours each way Monday and Tuesday in the wonderful beltway traffic of Northern Virginia. That is always such a pleasant experience. On Tuesday as we traveled home I noticed the gas gauge in the car was less than half full. On the beltway in rush hour - that makes me nervous with less than a half tank of gas in the car. Of course Bobby was certain that we would be fine and we were but I know that you don't go for a long distance with an empty tank! I was concerned that there may be an accident and we would run out of gas if we had to sit for a long period of time in traffic.


My life this week has been more than hectic. Two days of Cohort, church Wednesday night and a meeting at 6pm prior to the service. I didn't get out of the office on time so I rushed home, made a terrific transformation and off to church we went! Today has been overwhelming as well. My boss has been in Springfield, MO this week attending meetings so we had to go over a number of items when he returned to the office this morning. We are preparing for a Leadership Retreat and Ministers' Retreat in the next two months. In addition to that we have a ton of other things which need attention. I also have a mentoring group this evening and we have been invited to dinner with some friends from church Friday evening. Oh yeah, this isn't my week for Friday off so I have to work tomorrow! In the middle of all that I am still trying to finish my classes by the end of the month so I will be eligible to take my credential exam mid September. Yes, I am tired and yes I am absolutely running on an empty tank!


God really spoke to me today and reminded me that when we allow ourselves to get to a place of exhaustion, we are really no good to anyone. Your mind is racing. Your eyes are blurry. Your body feels like a rag that has been twisted and rung out. And you seriously just feel like you have no brain power left to give.


I am so thankful that He offers us His cup overflowing with love and compassion. Through His Word we are blessed and rejuvenated. He is my source and my strength. Thank you Lord for always being there ready to respond when we cry out to you.


Blessings and hugs to you! Fill your tank with God's love and compassion.

Life Under the Sun - Part 2

I continue my blog today in reference to Ecclesiastes 1:3, What profit has a man from all his labor in which he toils under the sun?

Solomon was an amazing man. His reputation is known not just in the Bible. Secular historians are impressed with his unusual wisdom. He was a man who had all the money, all the power, all the time, and all the energy to make his dreams come true. He could literally have and do anything he wanted. But, he was also restless. He wanted to figure out what life was all about. He was on a search for his purpose in life. His choice of journey left him deflated, depressed and disillusioned. The best word to describe his experience is empty.

King Solomon asks a question, “What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?” The word, “gain” literally means, “That which is left over.” He had removed the delight, joy, and pleasure out of everything. And now he wanted to know what would be left over, what would he have to show for himself when it was all said and done? The phrase “under the sun” is used 29 times to show that life on the earthly level is ultimately empty.

What does a man gain from all His labor under the sun? In other words, what does your life say about you when you take your last breath? When you turn the lights out at the end of the day, are you satisfied with your accomplishments? As you climb higher and higher on that corporate ladder of success, do you begin to wonder if you have leaned that ladder against the wrong wall? When your life ends will you have made a meaningful difference for the kingdom of God?


When we get closer to God it will change our lives. We will discover a level of joy that we have never experienced before. Your relationship with your family, and other people you meet, will change, because now you will see them as a chance to impact lives for eternity. Your work becomes much more than a paycheck; it is God’s calling for your life. Even the trials and tribulations of life will change, because now you will see them as other chances for God to demonstrate his power through you. And this leads to other things that brings our life meaning, because when we KNOW GOD, we see the importance of making Him KNOWN.

Solomon was looking for something of substance in life. Nothing ultimately satisfied him. After experimenting with everything he could think of, he realized that there had to be more to life. If life is only lived on the horizontal level we will be empty. In his wisdom, Solomon concluded that life is also meant to be lived on the vertical level. To use Solomon’s expression, nothing under the sun will satisfy because we have been created to live in an interactive relationship with the loving and faithful God of the universe.

This life offers all kinds of things "under the sun" but none of these options will ever satisfy our soul. Sin satisfies the flesh for only a season. Our satisfaction can be found in Jesus Christ. He provides what each of us needs to satisfy the emptiness that is present in our lives without Him.

Blessings!

Life Under the Sun

I am working on a class and one of my assignments is to prepare a sermon outline from Ecclesiastes. I chose Ecclesiastes 1:3, What profit has a man from all his labor in which he toils under the sun? (NKJV) I am trying to complete the assignment this week. If finished, my Life Coaching mentorship group may be asked to critique the project Thursday evening.

Life is absolutely meaningless because it is much like a treadmill going nowhere. King Solomon viewed life as constantly in motion but never achieving a meaningful goal.

The phrase, Under the sun, indicates the limited focus of his vision. As an earthly observer, he could not seem to get his eyes above the limited perspective of life on earth.

I will post more on this later. It has been a long day. Bobby and I are participating in a two year Church Life Cohort. We traveled to Lutherville, MD today and must leave in the morning at 6am for a second day of incredible teaching.

Time for bed!

Blessings and hugs!

Thankful Thursday - Showing Jesus to Others

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Ephesians 5: 1-2

As Christians we have an awesome responsibility to demonstrate Jesus to everyone we meet. Even when our home is in an uproar and we are experiencing a very stressful and challenging day, we are still responsible to show Jesus to everyone we meet. This can be a very tall order.

Bobby and I have been pastoring for almost thirty years. Admittingly there have been some experiences that didn't encourage me to show Jesus to those I was dealing with at the time. But God clearly instructs us in His Word to be imitators of God. Even when people hurt us and do things to hurt are families, God expects us to be imitators of Him. Very early in our ministry I can tell you that I did not fulfill this command. Pastor's and their families deal with so much hurt, frustration and disappointment, and sometimes it is difficult to just "get over it" and go on. God has helped me so much over the years to not become bitter and angry.

I am thankful today for a God who understands our heart and listens to our cries in the middle of the night.

I am thankful for a God who instills Godly wisdom when we ask for it.

I am thankful for a God who provides protection and a hedge around our families.

I am thankful for all my experiences even when we were in the dark valleys in ministry. We grow spiritually in those valleys. God uses those experiences to help someone else we will meet along this life journey.

I am thankful for the Internet and how God has guided me in using this blog as a part of my ministry.

I want to show everyone I meet the character of Jesus Christ. Through my actions and my words I pray that all people will see Jesus in my life. We are just like plastic storage containers that are being filled each and every day to overflowing with the Spirit of Jesus. We can demonstrate God's character everywhere we go and become a blessing to others if we choose.

Visit Iris at Sting My Heart to read the other posts for TT.

Blessings and hugs to you today as you show everyone Jesus in you!

Who is Your Coach?

Confidence is generally described as a state of being certain, either that a hypothesis or prediction is correct, or that a chosen course of action is the best or most effective given the circumstances. Confidence can be described as a subjective, emotional state of mind, but is also represented statistically as a confidence level within which one may be certain that a hypothesis will either be rejected or deemed plausible. Self-confidence is having confidence in oneself when considering a capability. Overconfidence is having unmerited confidence--believing something or someone is capable when they are not.

There is a wealth of material available regarding personal inner power and self confidence. I received an article today via email that was very disturbing. It was published by a Master Certified Coach and she teaches that self confidence is all about personal power and an inner awareness. An internal state of being if you will. A power that makes us feel in control of our lives. An inner knowing that we are capable of achieving goals and our ability to attain what we want in life. I beg to differ with her philosophy.

As Christians, it isn't about us. Any talent or ability that we posses has been given to us from God. It has nothing to do with us. Our confidence and strength comes from the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the one who encourages us to keep fighting the good fight. He encourages us to keep our eyes fixed on Him and to achieve the goal He has set before us.

Self-Confidence is a misplaced reliance and it is offensive before the sight of God. We sin against God when we think we can be self-sufficient and the masters of our fate. How many times do we shake our fist in God's face and tell Him we know much better than He does when we defy the Word because it simply does not fit our lifestyle? God instructs us to study His Word daily so that we can reject the temptations of the enemy. But we think that we have it all together and we choose to trust in OURSELVES and OUR abilities instead of God.


Whenever we turn our hearts from God, we are telling Him that we do not want to be connected to His life coaching class. We would rather coach ourselves and rely totally on our own abilities. But in the end all we will have conquered is to commit spiritual suicide. Our life coaching efforts will go right down the drain!


Our source of life is God. God says that anyone who turns away from Him to trust in his own sinful flesh for strength will, "be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt where no one lives" (Jeremiah 17:6).


God tells us of consequences that will occur in this life and the next if we turn our hearts away from him and trust in ourselves. Isolation, deprivation and condemnation are the best we can expect if we choose that path. Bushes in the desert are small and their growth stunted because they are cut off from the rains that give life. Without God and His Word, which is the living water, we also will become like the dry lifeless bush living in a parched wasteland.


Jeremiah writes, "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit" (Jeremiah 17:7-8). God is the exact opposite of a barren wasteland. He gives confidence to His children. God always provided, always delivered, and always responded to the cries of His people for help.


Our trust and confidence is often misplaced, often disappointed. Our ideals lie shattered, our goals unattained, our ambitions unfulfilled. In the end, we find that self-reliance and inner power is able to produce nothing but depression and despair.


Jeremiah reminds us to place our trust and confidence in God. God has given us His Word so that we can sink our roots firmly into His promises. God confidence instills self-confidence. There is no inner personal power. Personal power CANNOT move mountains and personal power does not solve problems. Jesus Christ moves mountains. He provides Godly wisdom and coaches us when making life decisions. I rejoice today knowing that my confidence comes from God. He has blessed me with many talents and abilities but I realize that I am nothing without Him.


Thank you Lord for being our source and our strength and our encourager.

Blessings and hugs!

Run To Him

This week's quote for IOW is hosted by Heather at Mommy Monk. Scoot on over to her site and check out her take on an incredible quote by Charles Spurgeon.

"I do not know that the prodigal saw his father, but his father saw him. The eyes of mercy are quicker than the eyes of repentance. Even the eyes of our faith is dim compared with the eye of God's love. He sees a sinner long before a sinner sees Him."

~C.H. Spurgeon~

The desire to leave home and face the responsibilities of adulthood is perfectly natural but restless yearning to flee responsibilities is immature. In Luke 15 the prodigal son grew restless, his polluted imagination conjured up exotic, far away dreams. He could envision the implications of total freedom from authority and pits of pleasurable sin.

The father permits his son to leave. Sometimes the worst thing God can do is to give us what we want. The prodigal son got what he thought he wanted, but lost what he had.

Gathering up his belongings, the prodigal departs for a "far country". Many times this "far country" exists in our hearts as well. Like so many of us, his happiness was conditional upon his circumstances. He was not content with where God had placed him.

Freedom became freedom to sin, and pleasures provided a false enchantment. The prodigal son was eager to experience the pleasures of life, apart from God. The lost son lusted for freedom without restraints and ended up enslaving himself. When his money was gone, his friends deserted him. Destitute, he was forced to do for a stranger what he refused to do for his own father. He was forced to work as a swineherd.

Sin promises freedom but it only brings slavery. It promises success, but it only brings failure. It promises life, but "the wages of sin is death".

We often meet our destiny on the road we choose to take to avoid it. The lost son "came to his senses", and "found" himself. The prodigal complains about no one but himself, and speaks of no unworthiness but his own. He doesn't point fingers at his former companions. He admits his willingness to leave home and offers no excuses to cover his guilt or justify his sinful choices

When he left home he had a somewhat positive self-image. His companions most likely assured him that he was a pretty likable and generous fellow. When he began playing the comparison game looking at the bums, harlots and degenerates, he measured favorably. Even later when he was forced to work at pig farm , he may have compared himself to the other swineherds. Maybe he assumed he was a better person than them. After all, he was from a privileged background. But when his thoughts focused on home and he began to compare himself to his father he abandoned, he admitted he was no longer worthy to be called his son. He suddenly adopted a new standard of comparison.

We may be guilty of looking around us at people in various degrees of depravity and assume we're OK. Our standard is Jesus Christ - not other people. When we compare ourselves to Christ we see our true condition and how hopelessly far we fall short of His holy example and righteous expectations.

Guilt and shame are painful to face, yet we desperately need to see ourselves for what we are. Before we can respond to God's mercy we must gain a sense of our inability and unworthiness, and the horror of how our sin has debased our lives and offended God.

The now penitent son unconditionally confesses his sin, offering no excuses. Realizing how well his father treated his servants, he turns from his sin and turns toward home. It seemed unlikely to this young man that his father would allow him to return, even as a servant. I am sure all kinds of questions were racing through his mind as he made his journey home. When the father noticed his son he immediately ran to meet him and lovingly embraced him.

Jesus is also waiting for those who have decided to journey away from home. He waits with open arms to embrace those who have made wrong choices. He is waiting today to embrace those who are willing to ask for forgiveness for the sinful choices they have made. He loves us and wants only the best for us. This life isn't about us. It is all about Him.

Embrace Him today. Maybe you are that prodigal today and sincerely yearn to go home. God is waiting. It doesn't matter what you have done. Ask God to forgive you for the bad choices you have made. He can completely change your life. You can make a difference for Him.

Blessings and hugs!

Roadside Assistance

Vacation was great but now it is time to reprogram the mind. So much to do to prepare for Sunday. The music schedule needs to be put together for worship and I need to study my Sunday School lesson. Heart to Hearts Gals women's ministries is hosting a Luau next Friday evening so next week will be consumed with final details for the event. And then of course there is my work waiting for me at the District Office. I have been checking email daily and trying to keep up with anything I could resolve from afar but there isn't anyone who assumes my responsibilities while I am away. So....... welcome back to real life!


It has been hot this week and I noticed there were lots of vehicles stranded by the side of the road between Virginia and Missouri. Some had flat tires, overheated engines or simply ran out of gas. There were signs posted all along the highways with instructions for ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE. I don't think there is anything worse than being stranded in an unfamiliar area with no one to call upon for help.



Many times we find ourselves in that same place spiritually. We become stranded on the highway of life lonely and no where to turn. We have a choice to make when we find ourselves in that place. Do we search within ourselves for the answers or do we call upon the ONE who has ALL the answers?

I lift my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip, he who watches over you will not slumber;indeed , he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord will keep you from all harm, he will watch over your life (Psalm 121: 1-4; 7).

So you see, even when the enemy comes pounding at our doors fully equipped with his garbage, Jesus will take care of him when we make the choice to place our trust in the Lord. When depression sets in, our God will fill our minds with encouragement. When loneliness overwhelms our being, our God will pour His love into our hearts. He never sleeps. He is always watching over you and I.

I am thankful today for my roadside assistance provided by my Jesus in this hectic and stressful life. God is so awesome. He continues to bless us abundantly and His way far exceeds our plans. Thank you Lord for your protection, provision and love. I pray that I will always demonstrate the willingness to allow YOU to assist me when making decisions and choices.

Blessings and hugs to you today!