Trust Your Gut
I should have trusted my gut and went with it. It was Friday afternoon in late October. I was in the middle of a difficult recovery from my second knee surgery. I could not drive, so my father-in-law was my chauffeur. We just got home from a long day of physical therapy and doctors appointments in a town forty minutes away from home. My pain meds were wearing off and I was struggling to get up my front steps on crutches. My three kids and mother-in-law met me at the door. The kids were excited and full of the kind of energy that 3 pm on a Friday brings. They were telling me stories and firing questions at me faster than I could process. When You Have To Decide My phone kept dinging, so I checked it to see that my oldest son, a 6th grader at the time, was being invited to a drive-in movie with his friend. The friend’s mom was texting me to get permission to take him. However, the movie they were going to see was a scary movie, that we typically would not allow our son to watch. My husband was at a Cubs game and I could not reach him to get a second opinion on this decision. My gut said NO! Making matters even more intense, the other mom texted me again saying, “What did you decide? No pressure, but we are in your driveway.” No pressure huh? This made my decision even harder. I tend to be very strict with the rules in our house and had only seconds to go over the pros and cons. I felt like caving into the pressure of not wanting to always be the “fun killer” so I told my son yes and sent him out the door. The Consequences When he returned late that night, everything fell apart! He was terrified by the movie he saw and he vomited from binging on soda and junk food. He slept in my bed and neither of us rested that night. The nightmares continued for months and he was even afraid during the day. Not only did I feel terrible because he was struggling with fear, I felt awful because I knew what was best for him, but I compromised my rules due to the circumstances of the moment. As we worked through the consequences of this bad decision, I was reminded of how God cares for us. So many times we think we know what we want in the moment. We pray for things that seem like they will bring us joy, but we, like my child, don’t realize the consequences of the answer that we want. I knew this movie was scary and that my son was prone to be easily influenced by scary things. I knew he shouldn’t watch it, but I let him anyway. God Always Knows God always knows what is best for us. He knows the long term impact of things in our lives. When He says NO, we need to trust that He knows what He is doing because He loves us and protects us from things we are not even aware of. I use this example frequently now with my pre-teen son. He wants to do things, go places, watch certain things, and many times the answer is No. When he’s tempted to give me an attitude and accuse me of being put on earth to ruin his fun, I remind him to trust me. I’m protecting him from dangers that he is too small to understand. The same is true for our Father in Heaven. Are you getting a “NO” from God? Or a “not now” I challenge you to lean into that No. Trust that God has a good plan for you and He is protecting you in every situation. ‘For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you’ says the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’. Jeremiah 29:11 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6
Communion Is All About The Heart
The Last Supper Go out, order in, buy a few pizzas, cook a big meal? It only took 3 rounds of Rock, Paper, Scissors to make the decision, but a fancy meal at home it was. An Easter dinner in our home complete with ham, sweet potato casserole, spoon-bread, and all the fixings, was just what I craved. What is it that makes these meals so special? I don’t think it’s the food. I think it’s the heart. How often do we set out to make what we know is supposed to be a special meal? The mundane every-night dinner is more of a chore than a gift, and that’s what this Easter meal was for me, a gift to my family. When you really think on it, that’s what the Last Supper was, a gift from Jesus to His family. A special moment that came from the heart. It was more about the heart of Jesus than it was about what they consumed. Even today, the heart of that meal means more than the bread and juice. The community that was shared at that table and today in our church home. The closeness of the bond that they shared, and that we now share. The Communion Moment There are times when I crave more from this moment in church; I think that’s my Roman Catholic upbringing. There are times when I want the formal phrases, the transformation of the host and the wine, the familiarity of the ritual. But those words aren’t what Jesus gave us. Those rituals weren’t the purpose of that meal. The only thing Jesus asked was that we would share the bread and wine in remembrance of Him. Luke 22:19 says, “And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” There is no ritual, no fancy wording, just a simple statement of love and a request. I think back on how shocking it was to be in a church where there was no ceremony, ritual, or buildup to communion. No hoops to jump through. No sacrament you have to take to be able to accept communion. It was odd, and then it became normal. Why should there be anything that delays us from fulfilling Jesus’ request? When you come to communion with the right heart and a desire to remember all that Jesus has done for us, what more weight could or should be placed on this moment? Then I had children…and all of a sudden I felt a need for rules. Guidelines. A set of directions for how to bring them to this moment of sharing in the community of Christ. My Southern Baptist husband was no help. At all. His upbringing makes him say crazy things like they’ll come to it in their own time. Or it has to be their choice. Wait, what?! And all over again, like Baptism (that’s a whole ‘nother story), I am rethinking what communion means, what our part in it is. I realized that I really counted on having a planned set of steps for the kids to climb. Instead, I have to follow the path of faith alone. I can prepare myself and I can prepare our children to understand what communion is. Why it is. What it means. It has all been given to us, it’s all in the Bible: While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat, this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Matthew 26: 26-28 When Are You Ready? So then, how can we know when we, or our children, are ready to take part in communion? It’s about the heart. It always has been. When we understand the gift of Jesus’ death on the cross and His resurrection. When we can absolutely do what Jesus has asked, to remember Him, we are ready. Whether we are young, old, or in between, all we need is a heart prepared to remember and give thanks for the gift that Jesus is to us.
Does God Answer Prayer?
A common question I hear is, “Does God answer prayer?” Here are the facts: God wants to hear from you, and He wants to know your concerns. God is not a magician. A magician makes things appear as though they are not, a deceiver. You have a God that is a God of truth! God is real, straightforward, and there is no instability in Him. The fear of the Lord, which refers to respect, not submission, is the beginning of wisdom. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. – Proverbs 9:10 (NIV) The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. – Proverbs 4:7 (NIV) God Always Keeps His Promises God answers prayers in his timing. That answer may be a Yes!, No! or Wait! It might not be when you want him to answer, and the answers might not be what you want to hear, but He is ALWAYS on time! God knows what’s best for you and always answers your prayers. There are a couple of things that can keep Him from giving you what you ask for: #1. Sin, which is acting outside of the will of God. #2. When you’re asking for something that goes against the will of God. Remember God knows what’s best for you, but because sin separates you from Him you must turn to his Son, Jesus Christ, who paid the price…the ultimate price for your sins. When you do, then the roadblock is removed and God hears all of your prayers! Isn’t that great? Are you ready for a real relationship with Jesus? This relationship with Jesus is the direct prayer line and will bring you to great joy and immeasurable peace. When all else has failed, don’t you think it’s time to give Jesus a try? A real try! God loves you and has a plan for success FOR YOU! The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. – John 10:10 (NIV) But understand this, man is sinful and separated from God. We have all done, said, or thought bad things, which the Bible calls sin. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. – Romans 3:23 (NIV) There Is Good News God sent his son to die for your sins! God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. – Romans 5:8 (NIV) Christ died for you, but it did not end there. He was buried and raised on the third day. Now, take thought to this next key scripture giving understanding as to why you pray in the name of Jesus. Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me. – John 14:6 Salvation can’t be bought, earned or bargained for. We are saved only by God’s grace when we have faith in his Son Jesus Christ. All you have to do is believe you are a sinner, believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins, and ask for forgiveness. Then, turn away from your sins, which is called repentance. Jesus Christ loves you and knows you. What matters to him is the attitude of your heart, your honesty. God answers your prayer through you receiving the gift of salvation. An Important Prayer Try praying this most important prayer and see what happens: I pray in the name of Jesus as I confess I am a sinner. I ask for forgiveness. I believe with my whole heart, mind , and everything within me, that Jesus is your only son. I believe that he died for my sins. I believe you, Oh God, raised him to life again! I want to trust you Jesus as my savior and follow you as Lord of my Life from this moment foward. Lord in the name of Jesus, be shepherd of my life and help me as I learn of you and do your will. It is in your son Jesus’ name I pray…Amen Read What Is Prayer? Part 1… Read What Is Prayer? Part 2…
When Tragedy Strikes
2017 has been a tough year with disaster and tragedy becoming a common occurrence. Hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires, shootings, attacks, and the list goes on and on. You haven’t recovered from the last one when the next one hits. So much loss, so much devastation, so much hurt. It can be overwhelming and exhausting, and sometimes you may feel like the battle is being lost. Can you relate? Do you ask yourself, “When will it stop? Why does this happen? What am I supposed to do?” Evil is real. It’s a cold, hard fact of our world. You can’t run from it, hide from it, or escape it. We’ll never know why the bad stuff happens. It doesn’t make sense. What Can I Do? When that evil rears it’s ugly head, take time to remember. Remember that in the end God wins. Remember that God’s love is stronger. Remember that God’s grace is bigger. Remember that God’s plan is better. Take time to turn to God’s Word, the Bible, for direction and encouragement. Download the Youversion app on your phone, tablet, or computer. You can find reading plans based on different topics to help you with your specific questions. Add Bible time to your calendar, schedule it in and make it a priority. If you spend time every day in God’s Word, you will see a difference. Guaranteed. Try it and see what happens. Pray. Then pray some more. And when you’re done, pray again. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. -Romans 12:21 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart because I have overcome the world. – John 16:33 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. – Psalm 34:18 In his kindness God has called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. – 1 Peter 5:10 Sometimes we don’t know what to say to our kids in the midst of the tragedy. Here is a resource that maybe helpful to you: How To Talk To Your Kids About Tragedy
A Divine Appointment Part 2
I listened intently as she spoke about her past. So much pain, layer upon layer of it. I kept thinking about how incredible God is and how he sees each one of us, exactly where we are at any given moment. With this thought in mind I dialed into the conversation, “Lord, what do you want me to say to her? She just ran into my car, we are both stuck on the side of the road. This is an opportunity to share who You are.” I considered different ways to approach delivering the Good News. The longer I considered it, the more nervous I became. “She is going to think I am nuts,” I thought to myself. She had been through so much and as I listened, there was so much that I could relate to and remember from personal experience. I remember everything from my former life, I am just no longer a slave to it. I was set free by the Blood of Jesus and she needed to be set free too. That had to be more important than her “possibly” thinking I was crazy. I looked at her and asked her if she knew that Jesus loved her. “Do you know that Jesus loves you right where you are? Right here in the mess, but he loves you too much to leave you here. He wants you to give all this pain to Him. If you do, he will turn it into something beautiful. If you will hand over the ashes of brokenness, he will give you beauty. Tomorrow doesn’t have to look like today. You have a choice to make. Choose Jesus, He already chose you.” I handed her an invite card to our church. I told her that I wasn’t just inviting her to church but more importantly, into a relationship with her Lord and Savior. Then I exhaled……… At this point the officer walked up with our paperwork from the accident. We stepped away and he went over everything with me, then he did the same with her. Before I got into my car, I walked back over and hugged her, this woman that had become my Divine Appointment. What a blessing this encounter had been, but as I pulled away from the side of the road, I knew that I should have prayed with her before I left. I prayed this prayer instead, “Lord, forgive me for not praying with her before I got back into my car. That was a missed opportunity. If you give me another chance, I will do it right.” He did give me that chance and it happened soon after! God hears our prayers and He loves to answer them. Keep an eye out for your next Divine Appointment! Read A Divine Appointment Part 1
Speak Faith Into Fear
My facebook post on August 11, 2016 was this….. I’m surrounded by great leaders. While sharing with a leader that we are a little short in our offerings this year, he responded by saying “It won’t matter when we are reaching 1000 people and we need to expand parking”. I really needed to hear that because the finances were not very strong at that point in time. In fact, we were approximately $40,000 behind in our budget. Although the finances weren’t strong, God was bringing the people and attendance continued to grow. It was clear that we would have to take a step of faith and add a service to make room for more people. What if we had focused on the finances, circled the wagons and not stepped out in faith? What if we had let the fears overcome our faith? Thankfully, a trusted leader lined me out! He said what I needed to hear, and He spoke truth in love. He spoke faith into my fear. Now it’s August 15th, 2017 as I write this, a whole year later…. We’re working on expanding the parking! In fact, we’re getting pricing to add 104 parking spaces in 2018! We’re restructuring our staff and our systems to set the church up to reach 1,000 people every week! That’s 1000 people coming to know Christ! That’s 1000 people reading the Bible and applying it to their lives! We’re making plans to add a new service in the future! Stay tuned for more details coming in the Fall on that. We’re in the process of turning over 2 rooms in the church for more kids space because we are running out of room! Oh yeah, God provided the finances. We concluded 2016 above budget. Literally an extra $50,000 came in the last days of December that brought us to where we needed to be. We are very thankful to God for always providing. At this point, we’re currently just above our budget with great opportunities to end the year strong and set up for hundreds of more people’s lives to be changed! Surround yourself with good people! Listen to people of faith, not fear!
Be A Voice, Not An Echo
Coming Home Coming home doesn’t seem like it should be hard. But when you see up close the beauty of God’s creation, His grace and mercy, His provision and His people doing “the work” really, really well, it feels sacred and my heart aches to return. Anyone who asks me about our experiences in Swaziland usually gets this: “So good…our best trip yet!” What I’ve Seen This is my generic answer for now because I am honestly not sure yet what I need to share. Occasionally, someone will get my over-detailed response and wish they had an appointment to get them out of the conversation because the work Heart for Africa is doing in Swaziland is exceptional and such a joy to share. I have seen it grow from a dream 5 years ago to a city on a hill. I’ve seen children rescued from the worst imaginable circumstances who are now fully loved and nourished physically, emotionally, and spiritually. They have been and will continue to be restored in the name of Jesus. In turn, they will restore others. I’ve seen a thriving Artisan business that makes absolutely beautiful pieces. This Artisan business gives hundreds of employees the opportunity and the ability to care for themselves and the other 13 or so individuals living in their homestead. Their work is exceptional and also allows more children to be seen and brought home to Project Canaan. I’ve seen food distributed to communities and churches serving meals regularly, mostly to the elderly, and orphaned and vulnerable children. I’ve seen eggs – did you know how incredibly good eggs are for you?? – and milk and soon I pray to see water coming down the mountain, an answered prayer and a fulfilled promise of God’s provision. I could go on, but I know this is the point when my sweet audience begins to regret asking that innocent question, “How was your trip?” Sorry friends…I’m working on it, but I have never been great at giving a brief response. Thanks to my husband, Luke, I am now more aware of my rambling and tend to put the brakes on quicker, but I’m always happy to share if you want more information! Focus On This So rather than telling you about my personal experience, I want to focus on my voice – and yours. I teach music, and have been intentional with my junior high students this year about the power of their attitude and their “voice.” While searching for inspirational quotes about this topic, I stumbled upon this one: “Be a voice, not an echo.” I cannot get it out of my head. And I think God intended this one for me. To remind me what He wants my voice to sound like, and stop trying to determine what I want. My voice has changed a LOT in my lifetime, and I am so glad He uses our brokenness and mistakes along the way to give us a new perspective. Growing up, I always had a plan and a picture in mind of what life would be. Don’t we all? But one lesson I have learned, and will continue to learn, is it’s not up to me. If I had complete control, I would mess it up (have messed it up), and I would miss out on an opportunity that God has for me. He can always find someone else. Zoom out for a second and be willing to say, “I don’t know and I am ok with that”. We are not called by our SAVIOR to have all the answers, all the plans. We are called to love, to listen, to seek wisdom and truth, and step forward in faith. Most people at The Village know me as one of two people: the girl who sings, or Nate’s sister. Both titles I am proud of and grateful for, but can I tell you that until a year ago I didn’t think my “voice” had much to offer? I loved singing, and that is why I wanted to be involved. It was selfish and self-serving. It made me uncomfortable to receive encouragement, especially from people I didn’t know because I wasn’t really doing anything…I was copying and hoping it communicated the way I had interpreted it. Please don’t misunderstand. This was not always my feeling, and I have always loved the experience and emotion worship brings. But I was an echo. Whether is was self-conscious or intentional, I wasn’t using the voice God had given ME. I was stifling it. Yet he used my insecurity to draw me close, build my confidence and let me see this year especially that I have something to offer. This is what I long for and this is what I saw in Swaziland. So many amazing voices saying yes to God’s calling on their life. Some voices carrying really far while others gently living their truths, each one coming together to make a beautiful and powerful song. We Need Your Voice We NEED all the voices. All the gifts. All the faith to say yes and recognize what God has given us. We NEED to stop echoing what we think we should be so we can be the voice He created us to be. If we all “sang” the same melody, no one would listen to Pandora. I pray we can each be more sensitive to the voice God has in store for us and fully experience the blessings and provision that come when we say yes. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him…May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Ephesians 3:16-19