Refreshed in His Presence

Be still and rest in the Lord; wait for Him and patiently lean yourself upon Him. Psalm 37:7

This is a post from my blog several years ago but it is so appropriate for me this week.

In the busyness of life sometimes it is beneficial for you to simply "hang out" in God's presence. For me I certainly need to feel His presence this week to be energized spiritually from the busy schedule I have been maintaining. I need to experience the freshness of His marvelous wonder. I want to know that God is walking with me this week. I am praying for God's fingerprints to be evident in every decision I make regarding my future.

Isn't it amazing how God's presence will transform the tired and weary? Many come to Him feeling down and discouraged and are instantly refreshed and renewed. Those who are sick are healed and the hurting restored. God is so good and incredibly awesome.

Take some time today to simply "hang out" in His presence. Allow God to wipe away any fears you are dealing with or anxiety and discouragement. God is the answer to all things. "Hanging out" in His presence will give you a fresh start in the middle of the week so you can pursue excellence in Him.

Blessings to you today!

Friday's Cup of Wisdom

Have a fantastic weekend!

Blessings friends!

Success Driven - For the Kingdom or Self

"Don't panic. I'm with you. There's no need to fear for I'm your God. I'll give you strength. I'll help you. I'll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you."

Isaiah 41:10 MSG

For many years in my career in Corporate America, my focus was about climbing the coporate ladder to success. Even as a pastor's wife, God was not a priority in my life.

As a Christian, we have opportunities and advantages each day with our Lord and Savior that those in the world do not. As a Christian, God cares about every detail of my life and He will always be with me. When I need to make choices I am thankful my God is there. When fear entangles my heart, Jesus is there to provide comfort and peace. As Christians we don't need to attempt to do everything in our own strength. Women carry a very heavy load, but God is there - personally and professionally. He cares and love us so much. He not only cares but He wants to help us.

What is success? To the world it is money, power and materialistic things. To God it is obedience, commitment and putting God first in our lives. Success in God's eyes is not the same to the world.

I am so thankful that I crave success in God's eyes today. That goal has not always been my heart. The things of this world crowded my vision for a long time.

Lean on God. Success in Jesus is real stuff. It is eternal. Seek God's face and permit Him to minister to your heart and soul today. Reach out to Him. His Word and promises are always true.

Blessings and hugs!

Thankful Thursday

Many thanks to Lynn who is hosting Thankful Thursday today.

I am so thankful for what God is doing in my life and ministry. We had a fabulous retreat last weekend with the Potomac District Women in Ministry. The Lord has placed such a passion in my heart for pastor's wives and women in ministry. My prayer is that through my testimony and life experience I can touch someone's life who may be hurting and feeling totally isolated and forgotten.

I am thankful that God is controlling my future and directing my steps.

I am thankful for great women of God I connected with at the retreat who are encourager's and prayer warriors.

I am thankful today for rain and beautiful spring flowers that are beginning to peak their heads through the ground after a long winter's nap.

I am thankful for my grandchildren who miss Grammy when she is traveling.

I am thankful for an incredible family and a loving Godly husband who lives what he speaks.

Blessings friends!

In "other" Words - Reaching Out to Others

"To ease another's heartache, is to forget one's own."

~Abraham Lincoln~

Susan is hosting In other Words today. Check out her blog and the posts from the other ladies. You will be blessed!

I had the privilege of hosting the Women in Ministry Retreat this weekend for the pastor's wives and credentialed women in the Potomac District. It was a phenomenal weekend! God's presence was so real. He ministered in a powerful way through our speaker, Karen Yancey and the gals who presented workshops. It was just absolutely awesome! Yes, I am still on the mountaintop!

This quote by Abraham Lincoln really hits home with me in a huge way. I shared my testimony in my workshop on Saturday. As a young pastor's wife who was filled with insecurities and very intimidated by those around me, I made many mistakes throughout the years of ministry. If only I would have had a seasoned pastor's wife to come alongside me to coach and encourage me as I walked that unfamiliar territory. I was not raised in a Christian home and had no idea what my role was as a pastor's wife. It was very lonely. I chose to pour my life into my career for eighteen years in Corporate America. My heart breaks now as I think about all those wasted years I could have been doing something for the Kingdom of God but instead my focus was on "me" and what I wanted for my life.

As Christians, God is calling us to step out and profess our faith. We are called to live our testimony so people can see Jesus Christ in us. My heart burns with passion to minister to other pastor's wives who may be walking in a deep valley of discouragement. God's purpose for our lives is to reach out to others who are hurting, confused and lost. I sense such an urgency in my spirit for those who are traveling down the road to destruction today. The Lord is going to return and it is time we remove our heads from the sand and get busy about God's business. He wants to use us but because we limit God and think small, His purpose for our lives is not being fulfilled.

When someone is hurting, love on them. Encourage them and remind them that Jesus loves them and has an awesome plan for their life. This life throws all types of obstacles in our paths even when we are striving for that prize at the end of our journey. Life will become overwhelming at times but through prayer and the prayer of others we will make it!

Blessings and hugs!

Proverbs 31 Woman Is You!

If we read Proverbs 31 many times it seems we sometimes tend to visualize a truly Godly woman as a quiet little church mouse, but if you really read and study Proverbs 31, you will find that this Godly woman in the scriptures is nothing like a quiet little church mouse! This woman is a savvy professional businesswoman. She is business-minded, hardworking, committed, and very frugal. She is much like the modern working woman of today. She loves and cares for her family, buys land, expands her crops and finds great bargains! Does any of this sound familiar?

This Godly woman in Proverbs 31 is YOU and I! As Godly women we strive at balancing our career and family. This woman is US as we work to make the best of sales and meet our employer's goals or our boss's expectations each day, while serving the Lord with our WHOLE heart.

Don't allow the enemy to whisper things into your heart and mind today that are absolutely not true! Just because we work outside the home, doesn't mean we will never attain the Godly Proverbs 31 woman's image. God has blessed each of us with multiple talents and gifts. As we use them daily we are honoring our Lord. Our lives are a Godly example to all those around us. We are living our testimony each day whether we are at home, at work or walking in a mall. We are continually influencing others around us.

May you be richly blessed today!

Life in the Fast Lane

I am traveling this week hosting two Chick, Chat and Chocolate luncheons for the Potomac District Women in Ministry at the Sectional Councils. Yesterday we were in Fairmont, WV and today Cumberland, MD. I will return home this evening.

This is a very busy week since I am also preparing for the District Women in Ministry Retreat this weekend. Would certainly appreciate your prayers. God is so faithful and I know He is going to show up in an awesome way.

Blessings friends!

Friday's Cup of Wisdom

Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.

C.S. Lewis

Blessings!

Thankful Thursday - Sowing and Reaping

Lynn at Spiritually Unequal Marriage is hosting Thankful Thursday this week. Visit her site and read the awesome posts from other ladies. They will truly bless you.

Sowing and reaping. What are you sowing in your life? How did you spend your day yesterday? Are you giving any thought to what you’re going to harvest from the seeds you’re planting this week? Are you seeking to please God, sowing seeds of obedience and service? Or are you sowing seeds of sin that will produce shame when Christ returns?

It’s estimated that about 95% of Christians have never led anyone to Christ. That’s not to say that they did not have an impact on people. As the old saying goes; “you can’t fail at sowing, unless you fail to sow!”

Our words, and actions and decisions are more significant than we can possibly know. They echo through our lives and the lives of everyone we meet. We influence people everyday either for the Kingdom of God or the world.

What are you sowing in your children’s lives? What are you teaching them? What kind of example are you setting? How are you preparing them to walk with Christ?

What are you sowing in your own spiritual life? Are you reading the Bible? Are you praying? Are you cultivating a relationship with God? What kind of harvest are you expecting? Are you sowing seeds to produce a a strong faith, and joy, and peace?

What are you sowing in your relationship with your spouse? Criticism? Neglect? Disapproval? You should not be surprised if those seeds produce a harvest of thorns and thistles. Or are you sowing encouragement, and praise, and attention? The harvest of those seeds is love.

What are you filling your mind with? How are you spending your time and money? What kind of seeds are you planting in these areas? What kind of fruit are you expecting?

Galatians 6: 7-9 (NIV), Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. the one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

What do we see? Paul thought it necessary to caution us against becoming weary. He spoke about reaping a harvest “at the proper time.” Why? Because sometimes the harvest does not come when we expect, or when we desire. Sometimes the harvest takes months, years, decades.

About ten years ago I served as the youth pastor for five years in our former pastorate. There were 4 boys in that group, one of them being our son, who gave me an extremely difficult time weekly. Many times I would go home on Wednesday nights in tears telling my husband that I just couldn't do this anymore. The next morning I was at it again! Today, three of those four young men are involved in ministry. I know I am not totally responsible for the calling those young men have on their lives today but i do believe God was cultivating a work in their hearts during those years. It took many years for that fruit to become obvious.

Sometimes the harvest comes too late for us to see it. Moses died before entering the promised land. Sometimes we’re unaware of who we’ve influenced; the fruit appears when we’re not around to see it. And, in some cases, the harvest just doesn’t come in this life at all. Our reward is, “Well done thou good and faithful servant.” Here’s another thing: not only does the fruit sometimes appear at a time we don’t expect; sometimes it appears in a form we don’t recognize as good fruit. We were expecting strawberries and we got potatoes. Sometimes the result of obedience is not an improvement in our circumstances, but a strengthening of our faith and a refining of our character. God, in His wisdom, defines that as good fruit, even though we may be looking for something else.

We need to reflect on how we’re living. We need to consider what kind of seeds we’re planting with our life. We need to work diligently to plant the right kind of seeds, so we won’t be disappointed at harvest time: “A sluggard does not plow in season; so at harvest time he looks but finds nothing.” – Proverbs 20:4 (NIV) We need to place our trust and confidence in God. Only He can produce a good harvest. It’s by His power and grace, and not because of our effort, that good fruit comes.

God provides the seeds and we are responsible for sowing those seeds. I am so thankful today for the seeds God has allowed someone to plant into my life. I am also thankful today for the many opportunities that God has given to me to plant seeds into the lives of others. My prayer is that I will always plant good seeds for the Kingdom of God. I don't ever want to be responsible for planting weeds!

Blessings friends!

In "other" Words - Refuse to be Average

I am grateful for the opportunity to host In "other" Words today for Loni at Writing Canvas. I have selected a quote from A. W. Tozer as my topic this Tuesday.

"Refuse to be average. Let your heart soar as high as it will." Aiden Wilson Tozer

The dictionary defines the word "average" as typical, common and ordinary. Those words definitely identify what I choose not to be as a Christian!

Rev. 3: 15-16, (NIV) "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth."

Lukewarm water makes a disgusting drink. The church in Laodicea had become lukewarm and distasteful and repugnant. The believers didn't take a stand for anything, indifference had led to idleness. By neglecting to do anything for Christ, the church had become hardened and self-satisfied, and it was destroying itself. There is nothing more disgusting than a halfhearted, in-name-only Christian who is self-sufficient. As Christians we should never settle for following God halfway or accept to be average for the Kingdom of God. Allow Christ to ignite your faith!

Typically we don't settle for being "average" in any other area of our lives. We don't intentionally participate in sports competitions to lose. We don't step onto the golf course with the thought of losing the game. We don't go to work each day with the attitude and mindset of being ordinary. If so, we may be surprised when it is time for the annual salary review and we receive a zero pay increase for the upcoming year! We don't expect our pastor to preach an ordinary or average sermon on Sunday mornings. And we will not be satisfied for a long period of time if our church is typical church as usual. We expect more than average in most areas of our lives.

God also expects more than average from you and I. Mediocrity. complacency, ordinary, and average has no place in God's Kingdom. If we are truly sold out and on fire for the Kingdom of God how can we possibly justify average as part of our DNA as a Christian? Jesus certainly was everything but average when He walked on this earth.

God has equipped us with many gifts and talents. He is calling us to fulfill His will for the Kingdom. I don't believe being average will accomplish the task. He equips us to do His will if we totally surrender our lives to Him and choose to be obedient to His calling. If we have managed to accomplish great things for the Lord, passion reminds us that there is yet more to be accomplished. Phil. 3:14 tells us that we are to press on toward the goal to win the prize.

Paul says that his goal is to know Christ, to be like Christ, and to be all Christ has in mind for him. This goal absorbs all Paul's energy. This is an excellent example for us. We should not allow anything to take our eyes off our goal of knowing Christ and completing His will for our lives. With the single-mindedness of an athlete in training, we must lay aside everything harmful and forsake anything that may distract us from being effective and more than average Christians.

Matthew 22:37, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." You are to love God with how much of your heart - how much of your soul - how much of your mind? All of it. Every last tidbit. God does not want your complacency. He wants you to crave passion for the things of God. What if Jesus was complacent? What about your salvation? We have a Savior who loves us. He went to the cross for us with passion. He wasn't complacent about what He was supposed to do for us. Why should we be complacent or average about our commitment to Him?

Dear Jesus, remove the blinders from our eyes so that we can see those things that are holding us back from doing what you have called us to do. Help us God to be above average for the Kingdom of God. May the Holy Spirit give us boldness to preach the truth and demonstrate Godliness in all areas of our lives. Help us Lord to give the devil a good ole' kick in the comfort seat! Lord, mold us into the people we need to be to further your Kingdom.

Let's go friends! God has an awesome plan. Let's pursue excellence and soar as high as God will take us. The journey is exciting!

Blessings!

Search My Heart Lord

Do you know that each of us possess "sinful attitudes" in our hearts? Those attitudes are responsible for robbing joy from our lives? Do you realize that "sinful attitudes" is viewed by God on the same level as sin committed in our lives?

I am teaching a study about "Godliness" in Sunday School and this week's topic was "Joy" and the stumbling blocks that hinder joy in our lives. The most common stumbling block is sin and sinful attitudes of the heart. How many of us truly examine our hearts daily seeking to find anything that may hinder our walk with Christ? When we look in the mirrors at ourselves each day we don't see the same person everyone else sees. Sometimes it is very easy to ignore the areas of our lives which need attention. It is easier to focus on the weaknesses of others.

Sin is obvious in other's lives. All of us know that murder, adultery, lying, stealing, gossiping, etc. are obvious sins. But, what about those sinful attitudes of the heart that we don't readily want to admit exist in us? Critical spirits, hate, jealousy, envy, pride, etc. I would like to elaborate today on critical spirits.

What exactly is a critical spirit? A "critical spirit" is an obsessive attitude of criticism and fault-finding, which seeks to tear others down - not the same thing as what is sometimes called "constructive criticism." The only criticism that is ever constructive is that which is expressed in love to "build up," not to tear down- it is always expressed face-to-face, never behind their back. The person with a critical spirit usually dwells on the negative, seeks for flaws rather than good.

We all need to be cautious that an unmerciful, fault finding critical spirit does not take residence in us. As Christians our goal should be to demonstrate mercy, kindness, love and forgiveness to others especially when they fail. I want to represent a Christian who people will run to when they mess up and not run from. When people's weaknesses come to light I want them to know that they can come to me for prayer and will be received with love and not judgement. I don't want to be a person who condemns the weaknesses or the failures of others.

We must be careful that we are not pointing fingers accusingly or shunning sinners. We cannot excuse the sin in their lives but we must be an understanding, compassionate and merciful Christian who will extend a helping hand to those who have fallen. God's abundant mercy in my own life permits me to walk in freedom, peace and joy. If I refuse to express that mercy to others, but instead have a critical attitude toward them, I will forfeit these things. We have a tendency to exaggerate the errors and failing of others while we tend to minimize our own weaknesses and failures.

My prayer today is that God will help me to examine my own heart and to search for anything that may hinder my relationship with Him. I want to be a Christian who helps others and not hurt. I want to always see the good in other people and not look for faults. There are many folks in the Christian world today who make it their business to study the faults of others! If we focus on our own iniquities and strive to correct those, we certainly would have plenty to do.

Psalm 129:23 (NIV)

Search me, O God and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

A note in a Caribbean Airline Travel Guide read, "Just in case you find any mistakes in this magazine, please remember they were put there for a purpose. We try to offer something for everyone. Some people are always looking for mistakes." Let's not be those who are always looking for mistakes and dwelling on the negative. As Christians, we need to guard our hearts and attitudes and be cautious that we don't possess a critical spirit.

Blessings and love to you today friends!

In "other" Words

Thank you Miriam at Miriam Pauline's Monologue for hosting IOW this week. Her quote is:

"God does not speak simply to be heard,

He speaks to be obeyed.

Obedience is the Alpha and Omega of discerning God's voice."

by Priscilla Shirer

Discerning the Voice of God: How to Recognize When God Speaks, P. 174

I can honestly admit I have never heard the audible voice of God speaking to me but I have felt God speaking to my heart many times. Sometimes I was even tempted to ignore it but the Holy Spirit would not allow that to happen. God penetrated my heart and there was no peace until I acted upon His instruction. Ever been there?

The story of Elijah in 1 Kings 19: 11-19, reminds us that God doesn't only reveal Himself in powerful, miraculous ways. Elijah knew that the sound of gentle whisper was God's voice. To look for God only in something big like rallies, churches, conferences, or highly visible leaders, may cause us to miss Him. God is often found gently whispering in the quietness of a humbled heart.

Are you listening for God? Step back from the noise and activity of your busy life and listen humbly and quietly for His guidance. It may come when you least expect it.

Blessings!