Marked by God

Excited on this day

I don't have a devotional of any kind today.  I just simply want to share my excitement that my family members will be getting baptized today.  I mentioned that my sister and my daughter would be making this step, but last Sunday, my husband decided he was ready to be baptized as well.

I have never pushed him (joked around with him every now and then about it) into this decision.  He decided this at God's pushing.  I honestly never thought that Ryan would ever become a Christian, much less be baptized.  I totally believed God for a long time, but this year has been a year of believing Him not only for things I know He can and would do, but also for the IMPOSSIBLE.  I tell Him everytime I pray... "I believe you for what appears to be IMPOSSIBLE".  If it is God's will.... it will happen, even if it seems impossible. 

So, if you could just remeber my family members today as they make a very important committment to God.  For those who read this... I pray that you trust God for impossible things.  He will surely reward you!

And I will walk by faith.....

I debated if this was a topic I would blog about, but after much needed prayer time, I sensed that this was exactly what I should blog about. 

I am involved in several ministries within my church.  They are ministries I feel enthusiastic about and very much led to do.  Recently, the leaders in our church decided one of these ministries would not be continued.  This particular ministry involved attendance of about 300 people, some from the church and some from non-churched people in the community.  The ministry saw numbers of people re-kindling their relationship with God or starting a brand new relationship with God.  This ministry was not much of a cost to the church, as the members of this ministry absorbed the cost as a way to give to God.

Here is the thing... I didn't understand how anything that is doing so much good for not only church members, but for the community.... how it can just be tossed aside.  I didn't understand how I am supposed to just let go of something I feel strongly that God called me to do.

Here is where my true faith walk started.  The old me would have doubted my leader and made sure that I stirred up doubt in others.  I think this is a problem that has plagued all kinds of churches.  We are not always going to agree with the way our leaders lead.  Sometimes, we then leave churches...thinking... "well, I will show him".  That is not what we are called to do.  I took this to God in prayer, because this was obviously something that was weighing on me.  This is what God led me to:

1 Thessalonians 5: 12-13

12 Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.

1 Corinthians 1:10-13

10 I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. 11 My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas^[a]"; still another, "I follow Christ." 13 Is Christ divided

In God's perfect wisdom and will, He has placed my church leaders in leadership over me.  I am to lift them up and hold them in the highest of regards.  I am to live at peace with them.  I am to be united in mind and thought with them.  This doesn't mean I have to agree with everything that they do, but it does mean that I will follow their leadership and guidance.  I will not be divided in Christ.

One last note, I have always heard that if you feel peace in a situation that you shouldn't feel peace about.....that is God's way of saying, " I am here" "Go where I lead".  I don't know what decision is right or wrong, but I do know that I will go where my God leads, and I know that He calls me to follow my present leaders with faith, love, respect.... and most importantly...UNITY.

 

Unforced rhythms of grace

"Faith is not a feeling: it is an action.  It is a willed choice"- Elisabeth Elliot

I have been blessed beyond words this year.  Probably some of the most difficult things have occurred within my life this year, but some of the most meaningful things have occurred as well.  For so many years, I expected that If I just said my prayers...read my Bible....etc, I would just have this miraculous growth in my spiritual life.  Even though the purpose of prayer and Bible reading had good intent, it was completely passive.  Part of faith, is the willed choice of desiring to be in the Presence of God.  It is an active act of seeking Him out. Prayer and scripture reading for the sake of completion, or for personal benefit, will get us no closer to God.  It may make us look good to others, but not to the One who matters.  He knows our hearts and our motives.

If you desire to come closer to God, no matter where you are in your life, I can not emphasize enough how important it is to start a true, heart felt prayer life.  If you are not even sure of how to do that... that is the perfect place to start.  Prayer does not have to be fancy, it is a communication between you and your God.  Tell Him that you want to start a prayer life with Him, but you just don't know how.  Pray that He sees your heart even when you don't have the words.

Psalm 86 is a beautiful start to learn how to pray God's word.  Read it once, and then read again, but this time  use it as your prayer to God.  Replace any words that you need to make it your own personal heart song.

This was a passage that spoke  deeply into my life at times.  It is a passage that came across my way from something I was reading, but it came after I had been asking.. "what do I do"..."how do I do it".  It is from THE MESSAGE. 

"Are you tired?  Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me.  Get away with Me and you'll recover your life.  I'll show you how to take a real rest.  Walk with Me and work with Me-watch how I do it.  Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.  I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.  Keep company with Me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly"- Matthew 11:28-30

Let prayer be an unforced rhythm of grace for you.  Just talk to Him...and if you don't feel a desire to have this in your life... WHAT A GREAT THING TO PRAY FOR RIGHT NOW!

To Walk in His Presence

So, I woke up this morning and started my day by acknowledging God and thanking Him that I awoke to see another morning.  The weather was just absolutely too beautiful to pass up a hike at the Eno, so I grabbed my water and my dog, and off to the woods I went!

When arriving there,  I knew that I wanted this walk to be a time for me and God to just spend time with each other, hand in hand...so to speak.  I asked my Best Friend to allow my mind to be free from distractions and for my eyes to be opened to new thoughts, feelings, and sights.  I asked Him to provide His company during my walk.  Now, I was not asking to receive some great revelation or answers to my long-burning questions.  I just wanted to be in the moment with God.

As I walked along the Eno, it occurred to me how peaceful everything felt.  The water swept gently over the rocks of the river.... creating just enough sound to let you know it was there.  It looked inviting and pure.  I heard all sorts of birds chirping, and at times it seemed more like beautiful music.  The trees always appeared to be reaching towards the sun, and almost seemed to be holding there branches up to the motion of the wind.  It reminded me of people raising their hands to God during heart-felt worship.

The farther I walked, the more peace I felt.  I became aware that a large-winged, blue butterfly was flying beside me as I walked.  Now, there is nothing out of the ordinary about a butterfly in the spring.  But what WAS out of the ordinary...was this butterfly flew beside me for over 2 miles.  When I would stop to rest, this butterfly would perch itself on a nearby plant, as if waiting for me. 

This moment was very significant for me.  It is not so much the butterfly, but more what it represented to me.  God is always beside us and he is always in our presence.  We don't always take time to enter into that presence with Him, and sometimes we miss what is right in front of our eyes. 

To me, this was a part of the "what" of prayer.  To just be in silence with God and allow Him to pour His peace though you.  Prayer can look different ways, and this is one of the ways that I pray.  I find solitude with God and allow Him access to a free mind.  It didn't take much, or any rituals.  It just simply took me saying...."Come walk with me today, God".

I challenge you to take a walk with God this week.  I guarantee you God will move in your heart...even in the simplest of ways.

Prayer

There has been a great deal of discussion concerning prayer in our small group.  Enough discussion that it has sent me on a quest to really study the who, what, when, where and how of prayer.  This morning in the shower (okay, this is the most inspirational time of the day for me) I was doing my normal routines.  I have a certain order I do things in.  I wash and condition my hair, then I wash my face with only a particular kind of cleanser.  When I get out of the shower.... I keep my routine going.  I make sure that I use the face lotion with SPF, to protect my skin from the sun.  I use dry skin lotion to keep moisture in my skin and keep it soft.  I carefully apply my make-up, being sure to create an appealing presentation for others.  Are you feeling me?
So, all these things have become a routine for me.  They take little time in the morning, but make a big impact on my protection and presentation.  It got me thinking...(yes, I know this can be a dangerous concept), why is it so easy for me to do these things, but it is so hard for me to find time to pray, let alone find time to get into God's word? 
Prayer needs to become part of our routine.  Now, don't get me wrong.... there is nothing routine about prayer and God.  But, seriously consider all the things that we find important enough to do daily.  We need to prepare our minds and hearts to protect us from all the obstacles that we will face in a day.  We need to make ourselves appealing to those around us.  Not by what we apply to our bodies, but what we apply to our hearts and souls. 
So, to start the "journey to prayer".... I am committing to getting up in the morning, and thanking God for loving me and hearing me.  I am going to ask for protection over my day and that I will be a light for others that are around me.  I committ to adding prayer to my daily routine.  Do you?  Isn't HE so much more important than all those other things we take time for??????

Praise Worthy

My daughter, Reanna, just turned 7.  She has a very pure and innocent love for God.  She has a true belief in Him, and shares all her thoughts, joys, and sadness with him.  She truly is my inspiration when it comes to how I want to be with God.  I want to be like a child before God.  She believes without hesitation.  She accepts the truth for what is told to her, and what I find most beautiful....is she truly believes herself to deserve God's love.  As adults... we can't do that.  We all have something that we just feel makes us undesireable at times.

Yesterday, while at Uhambo (children's ministry at our church), she heard from a friend that she could not get into heaven unless she "asked Jesus into her heart".  Well, I know she already had by believing..... but this concerned her terribly.  The thought of possibly not getting to heaven to see HER God was just too much for her little brain to think about.  So, she told her teacher that she wanted to tell Jesus to come into her heart in case He didn't know she already wanted Him there.  So, yesterday...my baby girl officially accepted Jesus Christ into her life, her heart, and soul.  She even understands what baptism is and would like to experiene that. 

If that is not wonderful enough, my sister Crystal has been coming to church and had recently given her life back to Christ.  Change is really happening in her life and it is beautiful.  She is going to ask to be baptized as well. 

PRAYERS do get answered.  Sometimes they seem effortless, as with my daughter.  She naturally wants to follow God and needs no pushing from me.  Sometimes they take years and years...as with my sister.  I have been praying for this moment in her life for over 10 years. 

What a way to start the week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!