IOW - Peaks and Valleys

"We're not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be." ~C.S.Lewis~

Life is filled with peaks and valleys. A peak is defined as reaching your highest point, crest or maxed out. A peak is something incredible that occurs in your life, something fantastic, something to celebrate and remember. The day you get married - that is a peak. The birth of your child - that is a high point in your life. The day you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior - you were maxed out. During those moments, it's easy to be a Christian. "God is so awesome," you think to yourself. There's no doubt in your mind that God is blessing you.


But we all know that life isn't one continual peak after another. Actually there are times in your life when you probably think the peaks are scarce. There are many valleys. Those difficult moments. The troubles and sorrows of life. When you have been diagnosed with cancer - that is a huge valley. When a loved one dies - that's another huge valley. It is difficult to say, "God is good." Sometimes your faith is shaken. There's some doubt lurking there, when you're in a valley, that God is blessing you and those around you.

Peaks and valleys - so where are you right now? Are you on the mountain top today? Or are you in a valley? Maybe you're somewhere in between - maybe there's a peak or valley for you right around the corner, and you don't even know it. The disciples of Jesus Christ had no idea that they were about to enter a valley - they were about to go through a low-point with Christ. Things with Jesus seemed to be going so well - He had performed miracles - walking on the water, feeding the 5000. He had been surrounded by crowds of people, listening to His parables. It was easy to be a disciple of Jesus at that time. There was no doubt that this was the Son of God, the Savior of the world. The disciples were experiencing one high-point after another with Jesus.

But right around the corner loomed the valley of the shadow of death. The crowds would soon turn against Jesus. He'd be betrayed, and arrested, and tortured, and publicly condemned, and executed in the most shameful way known to man at that time. The valley was right around the corner. The disciples would be filled with fear and doubt that Jesus was the Son of God. Soon, it would be very difficult to be a disciple of Christ.

Jesus takes three disciples to a high mountain top. He lets them experience something amazing - with their own eyes, they catch a glimpse of His glory. Right before the valley, Jesus takes them to a mountain, to a high point, and He does this to strengthen them for the difficult road ahead. Then it was all over. Jesus told them not to tell anyone and they were to go back down the mountain. There was no time to stay there and worship as Peter wanted. There was no time to stay isolated from the cares of the world below. No, they had to go back down the mountain. Jesus did not want to stay on top of the mountain. He said no to the mountain top experience. He is saying that it was good while it lasted, but we must not stay.

We all love mountain top experiences, these are joyful, victorious times of our faith. These are the places we want to be spiritually, but our faith is a journey not a stopping place. We must take what we learn on the mountain top into the valley. A true God experience will change you. If you have had a mountain top experience with God then you should be closer to God than ever before. It is that mountain top experience that will carry you through the valleys in your life.

I don't know if you are on the mountain top or in the valley today in your life. I do not know if you are experiencing a high moment or a low moment in your walk with the Lord. And I don't know where you will be two years from now - what high moments or low moments you will be going through. In reality, neither do you. God's Word is your mountain to climb. Each time you read your Bible or attend church and hear the Word of God, you have climbed the mountain. You see Christ, who has taken your sins away on the cross and has risen from the dead. You catch a glimpse of His glory, even if it's just for a moment. From these experiences you will be strengthened for the days ahead, for all the peaks and valleys that are around the corner.

Jennifer at Scraps and Snippets is hosting IOW today. Check out her blog and the other's who have posted today.

Blessings!

Discouragement - A Tool of the Enemy

The devil, according to legend, once advertised his tools for sale at public auction. When the prospective buyers assembled, there was one oddly shaped tool, which was labeled "Not for sale." Asked to explain why this was, the devil answered, "I can spare my other tools, but I cannot spare this one. It is the most useful implement that I have. It is called Discouragement, and with it I can work my way into hearts otherwise inaccessible. When I get this tool into a man's heart, the way is open to plant anything there I may desire.

"If there is one thing all of us experience it is discouragement. While the devil is busy doing his thing in order to discourage Christians, God is also at work encouraging us to be all we can be for His Kingdom. When the devil beats us down, God lifts us up. While the devil is convincing us to throw in the towel and give it up, God is cheering us on to finish the race!

Life can be discouraging at times. Waiting on God to open the right door or patiently waiting for the right ministry opportunity to come our way is not always an easy task. Most of us are very impatient folks and we want results yesterday. Life isn't that way and God often uses this time to prepare, shape and mold us into the persons we need to be to complete the work He has called us to do. I am thankful today that God controls my future.

Blessings!

The Destruction of Bitterness

Last night the ladies from our church celebrated an evening out at Panera Bread. It was an awesome night. The fellowship was sooooooo good. We had a great time and I appreciate each of them so much. We need Christian friends so that we can encourage and pray for one another. God never intended for us to be satisfied on an island.

I am excited! Brandon and Casey are on their way to the east coast!! They should arrive late this afternoon. Bobby and I are taking vacation next week. Family Time!!!!! Love it!

I am constantly hearing so many storiees of people who are dissatisfied with their church and pastor. It breaks my heart to hear people bash their church and the man or woman God has called to shepherd the church. Folks, it isn't our church. It is God's church and His ministry. When are we going to realize that life isn't all about us? People need to dig into their Bibles and diligently seek God's face for forgiveness in their own lives. It seems like so many today are quick to criticize others but have failed to take inventory of their own house.

In churches all over the world people become disgruntled with the church, pastor, or people in the congregation weekly. Choosing not to confront the issues they elect to leave the church. Unfortunately they usually don't leave quietly and even after they leave often times they continue to sow seeds of discontent because they are harboring a bitter and contrite spirit. Oh yes, they tell everyone that life is grand and they could not be happier but the discernment of God clearly reveals the opposite. Because they did not resolve the issue that caused them anger, bitterness will overpower their lives. You can lie to yourself repeatedly but a bitter person does not attract friends or grow God's Kingdom.

Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14 (NIV)

God commands each of us to get along with one another. The Bible also instructs us to go to the person who has offended us and discuss the offense. Anger turns to bitterness and bitterness grows like a cancer causing hearts to become very cold and callous. Bitterness is sin and if the devil has convinced you otherwise you have certainly been deceived. Sin always blocks our vision of God.

See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. Hebrews 12:15 (NIV)

Bitterness is clearly described as a root. Most of the time you cannot see a root because it is buried deep within the ground. If the root of a tree is damaged the tree will perish. If we harbor bitterness in our hearts it will most definitely affect every area of our lives. When we bury bitterness and anger deep within our hearts we can never live in victory. We will never be happy. We will not experience peace and joy is totally out of the question. Our walk with Christ will be tainted. If things are not resolved with the person who hurt you, bitterness will contaminate everything about your life. Your personality, your attitude, and most importantly your walk with Christ. When bitterness shows up in our hearts it overshadows even our deepest Christian relationships. Bitterness brings with it jealousy, dissension, and immorality. When the Holy Spirit fills our lives, however, he leaves no room for bitterness.

Work at getting along with each other and with God. Otherwise you'll never get so much as a glimpse of God. Make sure no one gets left out of God's generosity. Keep a sharp eye out for weeds of bitter discontent. A thistle or two gone to seed can ruin a whole garden in no time. Watch out for the Esau syndrome: trading away God's lifelong gift in order to satisfy a short-term appetite. You well know how Esau later regretted that impulsive act and wanted God's blessing - but by then it was too late, tears or no tears. Hebrews 12:14-17 (The Message)

If we are sincere about chasing God and fulfilling His will for our lives, holiness and God's character must permeate our lives. There is no place in a Christian's life for bitterness. If you have elected to leave your church and have recently started to attend another church don't criticize and destroy the work of the former pastor and church. You are living in a very dangerous place if you are constantly gossiping. No sin will enter heaven. The Bible doesn't say some sin or a little sin will enter heaven. The Bible clearly states that sin separates us from God and no sin will enter heaven.

We are truly living in the last days and people who served the Lord all their lives are being deceived and have turned away from God. Seek God daily by reading your Bible and praying. Grow a close relationship with Christ. Walk so close to God that you will know without a shadow of a doubt that when that trumpet sounds you will be gone! Life is too short to carry bitterness and anger in your heart. Make things right today. No one is worth missing heaven. And besides that ....... God has a great plan for your life!

Blessings to you today! Have an awesome weekend!

Thankful Thursday

Laurie at Women Taking A Stand is hosting TT this week. Visit her site to read other TT posts that will certainly inspire you.

"Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed." Psalm 57:1 (NIV)

God is always there for us when life seems to be full of discouragements and disappointments. He is our strength in all situations. We can take refuge in Him when life seems difficult and challenging but He also rejoices with us when we celebrate victorious moments. I am thankful that my God is always with me.

I am currently facilitating two mentorship groups of ladies. I am so thankful for those women. They have been such an encouragement to me. They have spoken into my life numerous times and I am thankful for their transparency and honesty. God encourages us to invest in others. Each of us are a product of someone who took the time to invest themselves in us. I am thankful today for those who were obedient to the voice of God to invest in my life. I am a much better person today because of their unselfishness and discipline.

I am thankful for the special people God has sent into my life who speak words of encouragement for no reason, give me a heartfelt hug, believe in me and truly love and respect me for who I am. I look forward to seeing them each Sunday and they have greatly impacted my life in such a positive manner.

I am thankful for the women God has called me to counsel. They are going through a difficult time and need Christian counsel and direction. I feel honored that God has elected me for this assignment. I am thankful that these women feel comfortable to be transparent. I am thankful that God is truly changing their lives.

I am thankful for music! I love music and when I am feeling particularly low for whatever reason music strengthens my soul. I lead our praise team and direct the choir in our church and I am thankful for these opportunities. I am thankful for God's anointing in our services and during our worship times.

I am thankful for opportunities that continue to unfold in my life. Patience is not a strong attribute of my character but I am learning to wait upon the Lord. His ways are always better than ours!

I am thankful for my mom who I don't see often but talk to everyday on IM. She is a great lady who has been through so much in her life. She has taught me so many positive life lessons.

And I am thankful for my wonderful hubby. He is an incredible man of God, a great dad and grand-dad and my best friend.

Blessings to each of you today!

God's Provision

I am thankful today for God's provision, protection and for always being there when life simply does not make sense.

I will call upon the Lord, Who is to be praised; so I shall be saved from my enemies.

Psalm 18:3

When I read this verse I don't necessarily think of my enemies in relation to people. I think of my enemies in the form of fear, doubt, discouragement, depression and lack of self-worth or confidence. We tend to make the Bible complicated and that is not what God intended. God is our rock and our strength. God is our refuge. God is our deliverer. God is all things to everyone. As a Christian we have to tap into His resources in order to receive what God has for us. It is so easy but we tend to make it extremely difficult.

I am thankful today that I serve a simple God. Life can become complicated when we are trying to be patient waiting for direction from the Lord. Sometimes we feel lost in the forest and cannot see the forest for all the trees! But even in the midst of all the turmoil and confusion, God is there and He knows what tomorrow holds. He knows why we don't have the answer today for our future. And He knows why He is taking us on the scenic route to fulfill His will for our lives. Just plug in to His resources. God is awesome and He wants you to experience Him in your own life.

Blessings!

Can We Make A Difference When We Are Exhausted?

Yesterday seemed like a never ending day. Have you ever experienced one of those times?

The night seemed short when Jochebed (our new addition) sniffed my face at 3:15am attempting to wake me so she could go to the potty! She was relentless so I stumbled out of bed and took her outside in the middle of the night! The alarm sounded at 5:00 a.m. I hit the snooze button several times before I finally convinced myself I had to get out of the bed and navigate towards the shower. The entire day was long and I was tired. I was really tired......... I wanted to go home after work to RELAX but the RELAX part didn't exactly happen since I had Bible study and choir rehearsal last evening. Long day...................................

Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior

(NIV Psalm 25:5).

It is difficult to not become weary and worn when you have a zillion irons in the fire 24/7. But do you know that when we come to that place of exhaustion that we are not productive for His Kingdom? We become irritable and short tempered with others, we are too tired to read and study the Word and we can't pray for fear of falling asleep when we close our eyes!

We do have a responsibility to take care of ourselves and it must be a daily priority to make time for God. Not a microwave prayer and a mini devotion. When you are craving a doughnut do you settle for those mini's. NO! We want a nice big chocolate covered donut with all the trimmings. We should not settle for anything less than quality time with our Lord and Savior. Microwave prayers and mini devotions will never build a solid relationship with Christ.

Take inventory and eliminate clutter in your life. Mediate on His Word and allow Him to re-energize your Spirit. When we are exhausted, weary and worn we don't make a positive difference in the Kingdom of God.

Blessings friends!

Change - Ready or Not!

The thesaurus lists the following words for CHANGE: alter, modify, vary, transform, revolutionize, adjust and amend. Those are action words. Not one of those words reflects idleness or simply remaining the same. If we are not willing to CHANGE I don't believe that we can fully experience what God has planned for our lives.

Our willingness for CHANGE makes serving Him so exciting. We never know from one day to the next what God has planned for our lives. When He calls on us how are we going to respond? Do you truly pray about making decisions in your life regarding CHANGE or do you simply refuse because it will totally upset your plans for the future?

Without CHANGE there is no fruit and no harvest. When seeds are planted there would be no fruit without CHANGE. When blooms appear on a fruit tree there would be no fruit without CHANGE. CHANGE is a necessary step in life for success.

CHANGE is a necessary dynamic in our walk with Christ. CHANGE often means relocating your family, quitting your present job, accepting additional ministry responsibilities, etc., etc.
CHANGE can signify a multitude of things. As pastors, our family has relocated too different churches a number of times over the past 29 years. There are certainly a multitude of dynamics to deal with when you accept a new pastorate. What if Bobby and I would have ignored God's calling when He specifically asked us to CHANGE? Where would we be today in ministry?

For some folks CHANGE is a very difficult task. They become set in their ways and anything that disrupts their lives is absolutely unacceptable. But in order for us to serve Christ the way He expects, we must be willing to embrace CHANGE, so that we can truly experience all that God has for us. CHANGE is a necessary step in each of our lives no matter how old we become. And as we accept CHANGE God continues to mold and shape us so we can become the person He desires to fulfill His purpose and plan. Although CHANGE may not always be enjoyable it is certainly necessary.

I welcome CHANGE today. CHANGE is exciting and in order to be everything I need to be for the Kingdom of God I know CHANGE in my life is truly necessary. Each of us are still a work in progress and I know in my own life God still has much to do!

Blessings to you today as you welcome and embrace CHANGES in your life.

God Is Still Awesome!

God's presence was powerful in our services Sunday. His anointing was all over that place. If you were in that place and didn't feel the presence of God you truly missed it!

If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land (Isaiah 1:19). What good is it to have the truth preached Sunday after Sunday if you refuse to apply it to your life? What good is it if you are repeatedly exposed to incredible services where the presence of God is real, refuse to respond to the praise and worship and simply disobey God when the invitation to the altar is given? What good is it to bring your needs to the church week after week after week and refuse to ask God to help you? You my friend are missing out on something incredible!

Jesus said, "If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink!" (John 7:37). If we have any need of any magnitude we are to ask Jesus for what we want, believe that He can deliver and then receive it. Yes, it is that simplistic. Ask and you shall receive. How difficult is that to comprehend? But people Sunday after Sunday enter the church with excessive baggage strapped to their backs only to exit the church carrying that same baggage. Jesus is waiting with outstretched arms to remove those things from our lives but we refuse to be obedient and surrender unto Him.

Sunday I went to church thirsty for more of Him and excited about what God was going to do. I wasn't disappointed. As Christians we need to be thirsty for more of God each day. Pursuing holiness and Christ-like character requires consistent thirsting for the things of God. God is available to us 24/7. As Christians we should NEVER be satisfied with our walk with Him. We should be growing daily in the things of God. Mediocrity has no place in the Kingdom of God.

If you are thirsty today for more of Him seek His face with high expectations of receiving everything He has for you this day. God is still awesome and if you are obedient and willing, He will pour out His presence and blessings upon your life in an awesome way. I sense an urgency to preach about God's goodness and mercy and His plan of salvation to those who do not know Him. We live in a world that has lost its morals and values for Christianity. We need to live our lives so that others can see Christ through us. People are desperate and are searching for something that can satisfy their hunger for peace and security. God has the answer and He is calling you and I to tell the world about Him. Are you excited about serving Him today?

Blessings to you today!

God's Overcoming Power

Jericho and Jochebed

(our little people with fur)

What an awesome weekend! We adopted an additional little people with fur on Saturday. Her name is Jochebed and she came from a local animal shelter. She was abused and seized from a home who was starving her. I don't understand how anyone could be so cruel but she will live like a princess now! Jericho loves her and is happy to have a playmate.

Bobby preached two incredible messages yesterday. It was a great day in the House and God's presence was amazing!

Luke 10:19, I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.

With God's power, we are able to overcome anything the enemy puts in our path. Even though God's Word reaffirms that many times we find ourselves questioning God and allowing fear to creep into our minds about situations we are facing.

Matthew 6:25, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life......." Why do we worry so much about everything? God's Word encourages us not to worry about anything. When we allow worry and fear to creep into our lives we tend to focus on the negative and miss God's opportunities. We become consumed by the possibilities of what could happen and sometimes that prevents us from recognizing what is actually transpiring in our lives. The doubt and fear overwhelms our very being and there is no place, time or desire for prayer or spending time with God. We become useless as a Christian because we are so caught up in things we most likely cannot control or change. I believe we miss many blessings because we doubt that God can take care of us.

As Christians we must learn to trust God and completely relinquish all of our worries and fears to Him. We practice great lip service but do we sincerely place our trust in God and believe that He will take care of every need in our lives? His Word explicitly tells us that we are not to worry about anything. Worry distracts us and hinders God's will in our lives. God loves and cares for us just the same as we love our children, grandchildren and spouses. Allow Him to take care of your needs. Practice releasing every worry and concern to Him this week. You will be amazed at how well He manages and resolves issues in our lives that seem to be managing us.

Blessings!

Praising Him In Everything

"Blessed Be Your name. When I'm found in the desert place. Though I walk through the wilderness. Blessed Be Your name..."

~ Matt Redman ~Lyrics from "Blessed be Your Name"

The lyrics of this song are amazing. As a worship leader this is one of my favorite songs and we sing it often at our church. God is awesome and His name is blessed!

C.S. Lewis once wrote, "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains. It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world." It is easy to praise God when we are on the mountaintop but it can also be difficult to raise our hands and shout praises to our Lord when we are wading through the muck of life's deepest valleys.

Becoming wounded and discouraged is an element present in each of our lives. What do we do when we are hurting and disappointed? PRAISE AND WORSHIP GOD! This is truly the antidote to our pain.

Job is a great example for each of us. He was persecuted and deeply wounded. In the world's eyes he had it all but ended with nothing. Throughout life's pain and one discouragement after another, Job continually worshiped and praised God. He didn't become bitter and angry. During the numerous heartaches he continued to connect with God, blessing His name and trusting Him for everything. Job's relationship with God was stretched to the limit yet he continued to cling to the Lord. In spite of all the adversity in his life, Job refused to let go of God. Even in the midst of his suffering and confusion he knew that there is no other place to take all his problems but to God.

Do we praise and worship God when we are having a major bad hair day? Do we call out blessings to His name when we are sitting in a ten mile backup on the beltway and are already thirty minutes late for an appointment that took one month to arrange? Are we rejoicing in the Lord when we are tired and weary from a long day at the office, our house is a mess, the laundry is piled higher than the washing machine, our children are tired and cranky and everyone is waiting for us to prepare the evening meal? Do we praise Him when we are in the midst of spiritual warfare and a number of hurtful things have been repeated about us and our family to others in the church? Do we truly worship God when everything goes wrong in our lives? It is certainly an easy task to worship Him when all is going our way. It's easy to be a fair weather believer. But when things get tough and life becomes challenging where do we stand?

Praising God turns our attention away from the problems and trials of this life. His name is blessed whether we are in the valley or on the mountaintop. He is certainly worthy of our praise in all circumstances.

My hubby and I have walked through many valleys in our ministry but God never fails to be there for us with outstretched hands. Praising Him in the midst of the storms brings peace and comfort to the weary. My dad passed away at the age of 49 with lung cancer. God gave me tremendous peace as I watched my dad rapidly deteriorate over a six month period. I was eight months pregnant with our first baby and the first grandchild. Dad passed away two months before Brooke was born. The pain of watching my father suffer was overwhelming but I never stopped praising God. I trusted Him throughout this time in my life and again God gave me abundant peace.

My brother passed away at the age of 42 with pancreatic cancer. He also was an unbeliever and very bitter about my father's death. As we traveled back and forth from Maryland to South Carolina those seven months, I continued to praise God and believed Him for my brother's salvation. Like my dad, he gave his heart to the Lord several weeks before he passed away. God was on the scene and with me throughout this difficult time in my life. I continue to praise Him today for the peace and comfort He provided to me during that challenging time of my life.

Blessed be His name! God is awesome. He is everything to me. He is my life. Praise Him today for all life is offering you. God has a plan. What you are going through today is not a mistake. Rejoice in it and be glad! Blessed be His name!

I am thankful today for all He has done in me. I continue to be a work in progress and anxiously anticipate His will each new day. What about you?

May God pour His blessings upon your life today!

Be A Risk Taker For The Kingdom

Can you imagine what God could do with our lives if we were willing to put everything on the line, step totally out of our comfort zone and do whatever God called us to do? Wow! It blows my mind to think about the possibilities in my own life.

Why do we tend to hesitate when God calls us to a task which often times appears impossible to the human mind? Why do we question Him as to our ability to answer a call He has placed upon our lives? Do we lack faith? Are we questioning the voice we hear? Do we think God doesn't have what it takes to care for us as we enter unknown territory? Are we too mature and steadfast in our ways to allow God to use us in a new work for the Kingdom? Do we question why or how God could use us to further His Kingdom? Do we think that God doesn't use people over 50? NOT!

GOD EQUIPS THE CALLED. That statement says it all. If God calls you to do something He will give you everything you need to complete the task. EVERYTHING! Amazing isn't it? All we have to do as Christians is to be willing to accept the challenge and allow God to do the rest. That's it! No strings attached. Just demonstrate your faith in Christ by being obedient to the call He places upon your life. No matter how old or young you may be. It doesn't matter.

God uses all kinds of folks to complete His work. The Bible is full of examples where God continually used ordinary people to do extraordinary things. He has a work for each of us. There is no retirement when God is your employer.

I feel such an urgency in my own spirit to seek God for clear direction in my life. Time is short and there is a tremendous task at hand to tell people about Jesus. Do not allow fear and the voice of the enemy to hinder God's call on your life. He is looking for willing vessels who are anxious to step out of the comfort zone and take a risk for the Kingdom. Yes, it can be frightening to accept the challenge of God in blind faith, attempting to do something that you have no idea how to do.
But God will be with you every step of the way.

I encourage you to be diligent and obedient in your walk with Christ. Serving Him is an exciting adventure. It becomes boring and unfruitful when we demand control of our lives and refuse to listen and obey His call. I challenge you today to be a risk taker for the Kingdom. God has big plans for your life. What are you going to do with it?

Blessings!

Effective Christian Leadership Is Not An Event

For anyone who serves in a leadership position, you have an awesome responsibility to consistently develop and mature spiritually. Effective leadership in churches is a product of spiritually mature Christian leaders. This is a process which demands hard work, commitment and time. There is never a quick fix to spiritual growth.

Leadership is a broad term. Women are leaders and many often fail to recognize that concept. Just think about all the multi-tasking which is required of you daily. You take care of your children, grandchildren, hubby, home, finances, etc. Many women are SAHM but many also work outside the home. And still many women are care-givers for their parents. Do you teach Sunday School, Missionettes or Children's Church? If so, you are serving in a leadership role and impact lives weekly. Multiple responsibilities and numerous leadership opportunities are at your finger tips.

How do you remain sane and effective in your role? How do you determine that you will not become stagnant in your Christian walk? How do you determine that you will continue to cultivate and grow to attain spiritual maturity? What steps do you take to make certain you do not burn out, stress out or lose out spiritually in the ministry?

Setting aside quality time each day for you and God is a requirement. You will not be a success in your role as a leader if the relationship between you and God is not cultivated and nurtured daily. Paul compares spiritual maturity to a plant in Colossians 2. We don't just place a seed in dirt, add water and expect a plant the next day. In order for that plant to develop into its purpose, cultivation of the soil, sunshine and rain are requirements. Without these elements it will simply remain a seed and rot in the ground. Without spiritual maturity you will wither and die. Spiritual growth is a requirement in order for you to develop and bloom as God has planned for your life.

Sounds simple doesn't it? We know better! Satan will discourage you in your journey as you commit time to read your Bible and pray but God is your source, strength and the answer to all of life's challenges. If you are determined to be effective as a leader and a Christian, God will provide the tools for your success. Spiritual growth is not an event - it is a lifelong process.

Blessings friends!

A Crown of Thorns

I am not a writer but I truly love blogging because God has allowed this site to become a ministry to women all around the world. I am so thankful today for that awesome privilege He has afforded me at this season in my life. I have a burning passion in my soul to encourage women of all ages and backgrounds, whether it is a pastor's wife or a young single mom, to live large for Christ! I am excited about the doors of opportunity God continues to open in my ministry. If this site changes one life it is worth it all.

"They gave our Master a crown of thorns. Why do we hope for a crown of roses?"
~Dr. Martin Luther King~

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me" (Galatians 2:20). In other words my eyes are on Jesus, not on me! Paul is telling us that as Christians our primary focus in life will not be on what pleases self. That is wearing a crown of thorns and not a crown of roses.

People many times demand a crown of roses without bearing the cross. How can we expect a crown of roses if we have never experienced a crown of thorns? In order to truly experience a crown of thorns we must be crucified with Christ. This requires dying to self and totally committing ourselves to Jesus Christ.

The Bible tells us we have a choice. We either choose to live for self or live for Christ. Whichever one you choose, you have to make the choice to die to the other because you cannot serve two masters.

God will not settle for partial commitment from His children. Following Him requires placing Christ first in all areas of our lives. Experiencing a crown of thorns will require sacrifice and a daily pursuit of holiness in our lives. You may often be rejected by friends, family and co-workers because of the life-style you have chosen to live. Your 10% tithe is no longer an option and attending church regularly is a given. Your role as a pew sitter is history and you will now be busy for the Kingdom of God. Often times what you do in the church will go unnoticed. Your life must reflect a willingness to serve.

People are not always willing to sacrifice everything in this life for the crown of thorns. Achieving success in our lives requires hours of hard work, commitment and dedication to the cause. Peace, salvation, God's forgiveness, mercy, grace and love all come with a price. It is impossible to achieve the crown of roses until we have experienced the crown of thorns.

If you are living for yourself today, expecting a crown of roses, you are not living for Christ. If for you to live is all about you, you are undoubtedly missing out on the forgiveness that God wants to give you. You cannot wear a crown of thorns if your life is all about you. If you strive to be in the forefront, you will never show anyone Christ. If your desire is to be exalted in the body of Christ as a Christian, you have missed the entire message of the Bible.

Christ was rejected, criticized, beaten and then died for you and I so that we can have a choice where we will spend eternity. Why do we think we are beyond suffering and experiencing the same things Christ dealt with when He ministered on earth? Why should you and I wear of crown of roses when our Lord wore a crown of thorns?

Blessings to each of you today! God loves you and cares for you more than you will ever know.

Thankful Thursday - Casual to the Exactness of God

Sometimes our lives become so full that we just get too busy for God. Have you ever been in that place? We are sprinting to and from appointments, taking care of children, cleaning the house, running errands, cooking meals, paying bills, involved in all sorts of ministries in the church, etc. We quickly become overwhelmed with the activities taking place at the moment and totally lose sight of what we should be doing for God. We become casual to the exactness of God in our lives because the other stuff is competing for first place.

Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me." But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:38-42) Martha was so worried about all that was happening around her that she totally missed an awesome opportunity to simply sit at the feet of Jesus and enjoy His presence.

You and I have done the very same thing many times. The demands on our lives become so overwhelming that spending time with God is not a priority. We have wonderful intentions at the beginning of each day. We recognize that our relationship with Christ is a vital ingredient needed to survive this journey of life. Spending quality time in the presence of the Lord each day is crucial to our Christian growth. But somehow He becomes a distant thought at times. A not so important entity at the moment. Disruptions and busy lives crowd out our time with Him. We, like Martha, miss an incredible opportunity to be with the Lord. We can become so casual to the exactness of God that we begin to question His will for our lives.

God knows exactly what He has planned for each of us. He leaves no crumbs on the table. He didn't just die on the cross. He was the lamb of sacrifice who died for you and for me. Mary was seeking the good part. She pursued the exactness of God and refused to be distracted by all the other things that were happening around her. She chose to sit and enjoy His presence. She determined in her heart that nothing was going to stop her. She wanted everything He had to offer.Why shouldn't you and I reflect that same determination in our lives? He must be a priority. Pursue all He has to offer you. Refuse to be casual to the exactness of God.

I am thankful today for the constant nudging of the Holy Spirit when my life becomes so busy I can't seem to focus on what is important. God is so awesome. I am so thankful today for His Word and His love and His awesome plan and purpose for my life.

Visit Laurie today at Women Taking a Stand for other posts on TT.

Blessings friends!

Love Your Enemies

How can you love people when they are constantly saying BAD things about you? Matthew 5:44 tells us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Now I will admit that is a very tall order for most of us. It is very easy for the flesh to gain control in this type of situation and get downright ugly. You know what I am talking about here. We have all experienced this type of pain and when the attack is upon our family or us personally we want to retaliate. Rumors, gossip and slander is extremely damaging to everyone involved. There is rarely any facts associated with the malicious lies. As a pastor's wife I have had to face these challenges repeatedly but God is always there to encourage me to press onward to the Kingdom. He is my Rock and my Salvation!

Honestly I feel very sorry for people who find happiness in hurting others. I pray for my enemies daily. They need Christ and until they find the true meaning of serving Him they will continue to be Secret Agents for the enemy, constantly on a mission digging up or creating something new and juicy daily about somebody. It' s amazing how these folks say so many horrible things about people thinking it will never get back to those they are criticizing. Then they embrace those folks they have been scrutinizing all week on Sunday and act like their best friend. What's with that????? It sickens my heart to hear of people working so hard to destroy God's Kingdom. If only they would redirect that energy in building up the church and God's people. Wow! Many of our churches would be involved in building programs because they would be bursting at the seams.

As Christians we must strive every day to be more like Christ in all areas of our lives. If that means separating ourselves from people who are constantly tearing down God's people and the Kingdom, we need to do it. We become like those we hang out with so we need to be very careful when selecting our friends. Pray daily for those who can't seem to find any good in anyone. Many times I don't think these people realize what they are doing. They see themselves as victims and don't recognize the sin they are involved in. Satan is deceptive and a liar.

When things are said about us it does bring pain and it is discouraging but we need to focus on the God we serve. Our relationship with Christ is all about pleasing Him not man. People will always talk - no matter what. Don't allow the enemy to consume your mind with empty chatter. Think about how much we lift up the enemy when we worry and fret about what others are saying about us. We don't read our Bibles or pray because we are heavily burdened with this garbage. Who wins in that situation?

God commands us to love our enemies. He didn't place that scripture in the Bible because He needed to fill pages. As Christians we must model that in our lives. The truth eventually will come forth and God is bigger than all the deception and lies of this world. When we come to the place in our lives where we can finally give it all to Him we will discover that He will take care of it in His own timing. And you know what? He will do a much better job at it than we can!

How Are You Responding to Adversity in Your Life?

We have each experienced it at some level in our lives. Small, medium, large and extra large. ADVERSITY!

If you faint in the day of adversity, Your strength is small. Proverbs 24:10

Each day brings some form of adversity to our plate. It could be an argument with our children, a misunderstanding with our boss or a group of disgruntled people within the congregation who have decided to start a campaign to remove the pastor and his family from the church. Trusting God is easy when life is going smoothly but difficult when adversity attacks. Some say that a woman never shows her colors as truly as in crisis. A crisis will either tear a marriage apart or cause a couple to pull together. Proverbs offers good advice on how to be strong in adversity.

Adversity can be useful. It shows you who you really are, what kind of character you have developed. In addition, it helps you grow stronger. When Jeremiah questioned God because of the adversity he faced, the Lord asked how he ever expected to face big challenges if the little ones wearied him (Jeremiah 12:5). Life was extremely difficult for Jeremiah despite his love for and obedience to God. When he called to God for relief, God's reply in effect was, "If you think this is bad, how are you going to cope when it gets really tough?"

Not all of God's answers to prayer are nice or easy to cope with. Any Christian who has experienced war, grief, or a serious illness knows this. But we are to be committed to God even when the going gets tough and when His answers to our prayers don't bring immediate relief. Don't complain about the adversity in your life. The adversity you face today is training you to be strong for the more difficult situations you will face in the future.

A number of years ago Bobby and I were called to pastor a very troubled church. I must admit those five and a half years were some of the most challenging years in our ministry. We were in the valley more than we were on the mountain top but those years were training years for both of us spiritually. I matured in my walk with Christ and learned to lean on God in all situations. Many times we faced huge giants but God always showed up and took care of the adversity in an incredible way. It was amazing! Did we experience pain and hurt during those times? Absolutely! Were the odds against us for conquering the adversity? Absolutely! The average tenure of a pastor in that church was three years! But our response to the adversity proved to God that we were serious about the calling upon our lives as pastors. With God by our sides we were able to conquer the enemy repeatedly and are equipped today to handle more challenging circumstances in our ministry.

Adversity is not God's ultimate desire for His creation; yet, there is a clear message that God uses adversity. He is in control over the most adverse of circumstances. We are wrong to presume that God is necessarily in the business of removing our adverse circumstances or reversing the situation that led to adversity. Rather, the Bible points to the conclusion that instead of taking us out of adversity God is much more interested in taking us through it, using the adversity to effect something good in our lives.

Naomi and Ruth provide a great example of triumph over adversity. Women in Bible times had few independent or autonomous rights. As a result, most women depended upon the patronage of father, family or husband. To lack such a protecting relationship was to invite adversity in many guises. Naomi's family left Judah and went to Moab in search of food. There Naomi not only subsequently suffered the loss of her husband but later the loss of her two sons as well. Utterly unprotected in a foreign land, she determined to return to her native city Bethlehem for safety.

Naomi's story is significant, because of the faithfulness of her daughter-in-law Ruth, who could have chosen the protection of her homeland, Moab, but rather gave up her own rights. Ruth did not choose the suffering of widowhood, but she did choose the vulnerability and possible suffering involved in following Naomi back to Judah, turning her back on the security and protection of her family in Moab. God clearly emerges as the Protector of the unprotected who place their faith in Him. The womanly wisdom of Naomi foreshadows Jesus' character as revealed in the New Testament where He seeks those in need of being defended. Naomi was able to direct Ruth to Boaz, her kinsman redeemer, who, as Ruth's husband, became a guardian both for her and Naomi. This is one of the clearest examples of how God's ultimate purpose is worked out through human adversity.

How are you responding to the adversity in your life today? God may be preparing you for something huge but the end result will be determined by how you handle the adversity you are currently facing.

Lord, help us not to focus on the adversity in our lives but to learn to lean upon you and your will. Help us to trust in you more each day and to respond to challenges with Godly character and integrity. Help us Father, to demonstrate astounding faith when the odds seems to be against us. Remind us that we can overcome any adversity in our lives with you by our side .

Blessings to you!

God's BIG Plans

If we could understand everything God does, then He'd have to be a small God ~ small enough to fit in our little minds.

~Randy Alcorn~

Nothing about God is small. As Christians we are to think big, dream big and pray big. When we do anything less we are placing God in a confined box limiting the completion of His will in our lives.

For I know the plans I have for you, "declares the Lord," plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

God's desire is to give you the best. In fact, in many cases God is more anxious to pour His blessings on you than you are to receive them. A.W. Tozer said, "If we yearned after God even as much as a cow yearns for her calf, we would be the worshiping and effective believers God wants us to be. If we longed for God as a bride looks forward to the return of her husband, we would be a far greater force for God than we are now." [A.W. Tozer in Men Who Met God. Christianity Today, Vol. 30, no. 15.]

God has raised you up to succeed and not to fail in life. If you will simply align yourself with God's will for your life, you will discover that He is absolutely on your side! He is a big God with big plans but our stinkin' thinkin' keeps Him a small God with small plans for our lives.

Are you in a rut today in your spiritual life? Do you feel your life is stagnant or just going nowhere? Your relationship with God which encompasses your prayer life, worship habits and personal devotion will determine your rate of success in your spiritual life.

God is always with us whether we are in the valley or on the mountaintop. "Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou has holden me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory." Psalms 73:23-24 (KJV)

How can we possibly question whether God is a big God or a small God? Look around you today at the beauty of the earth He created. How could a small God ever accomplish such a task? Look at the lives of people you know who have experienced a total life change when they accepted Christ as their personal Savior. How could a small God deliver someone from the pits of addiction?

God is everywhere all the time. His power can be felt anywhere at anytime. His love can be experienced anywhere all the time. Is that the work of a small God?

God in all His awesomeness is incredible! His plans for you are vast. We limit what He wants to do in us. Thinking small produces small results. Thinking big allows God to work in your life in an enormous way.

My God is a big God and I am so thankful for that today. He has performed numerous miracles in my life and family. I am a work in progress and this journey is exciting! I am so grateful today for His forgiveness and His love.

Seek Him today with big plans and big expectations for your life. We cannot see the big plan but God can. He longs for you to completely trust Him with your future. He has everything completely in control. That is why He is a big God.

Blessings to you!