Category Archives: faith
My Birthday Prayer
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You are probably wondering why I’m posting this photo on my birthday? Well, that’s a very good question…
In 1995, I had the pleasure of hearing Heidi Baker speak at my church, Times Square Church. She was a visiting missionary and spoke about her experiences on the mission field in Mozambique.
I was a baby Christian at the time. I remember my heart swelling with longing and tears streaming down my face. I also remember falling on my knees at the altar and telling God I would go.
Umm, it’s now seventeen years later and I haven’t gone. I mean, I’ve gone on a short term mission trip to Guatemala and other adventures, but I didn’t give it all up for God like I prayed that day at the altar.
Lately, I have been bombarded by the same theme.
It started out while reading Mary DeMuth’s book, Everything. Then Jeff Goins’ book, Wrecked to Kingdom Journeys by Seth Barnes.
It doesn’t stop there.
Last week, I watched Half the Sky and thought my heart would explode.
Last, but not least, I began reading a book last night for a blog tour on October 22nd called Tears Water The Seeds of Hope by Kim Lews. Yet again, the same theme.
This coming Friday starts the 25th Anniversary and Missions Conference at Times Square Church. I am looking forward to catching up with all my missionary friends who are serving overseas. I was suppose to be one of them. But chose a different course.
God isn’t over with me yet. I believe He is directing me somewhere. I’m not a hundred percent clear on what it is yet. But, I have been so convicted and burdened lately. The more I read, the more I see, the more I want to help.
Today is my birthday. I am grateful to God for another birthday. He has been amazing and wonderful to me. He has blessed me and my family in tremendous ways. I am truly thankful.
But, somehow the words of Nicholas Kristof echos in my mind and heart…
“Talent is universal, opportunity is not.”
This statement haunts me because it is true.
Again, this same theme/concept jumps off the pages of Tears Water The Seeds of Hope, which is… What are we going to do with what God has given and blessed us with? Are we going to just sit on it, use it for ourselves or give back and help?
I yearn to make a difference in this world. I don’t enjoy seeing starving children, nor girls stuck selling themselves in the Red Light District.
It hurts that poverty is rampant and children are dying from starvation or from diarrhea because parents are so poor to afford antibiotics.
It is despairing that here are multitudes of people around the world who don’t have access to clean water.
I repent of ever complaining, especially when there are so many living in sordid conditions around the world.
So the question remains, what am I going to do about it? I can’t simply talk about it, but I must DO something about it.
I’m realizing if the Christian community chips in, we can make an enormous impact and difference in this world. Yes, the need is great, but if we each did our part, imagine the ripple effect it can have?
In my humble opinion, Christianity is more than going to church on Sunday, reading your bible and paying your tithes.
Christianity is this, “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.” James 1:27
The verse the Lord keeps reminding me of again and again.
Today, my birthday prayer is to give and make a difference to those less fortunate than myself. I want to help the poor, needy and hungry. Those who have nothing, who need food, medicine and clean water.
I am not sure what this is going to look like, but this is my real ‘dream’. Yes, I want to write and use my gifts to the glory of God and bless others. However, my biggest desire is to make a difference, not for myself, but for the children around the world.
Does this resonate with you? Do you have a burden for the poor? Do you want to use your gifts to make a difference in other people’s lives? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below.
Guest Post: Did You Miss The Boat?
I wrote a guest post today for my friend Tammy Helfrich, who is enjoying a much deserved vacation right now. I met Tammy on line and then in person at the Quitter Conference a couple of weeks ago. We developed a quick friendship, she is one of the nicest people I know. I’m so blessed to have connected with her and become her friend.
I had the pleasure of attending my first Quitter Conference last week. I admit, I didn’t have high expectations. I actually went to meet all of my new Quitter friends.
I had become a cynic with regards to dreams.
I remember years ago when I first met my husband, he started telling me about his dreams. I would scoff at him. I would tell him things like, “Oh come on, give me a break, dreams are for kids,” or “Dreams are not for grown ups.”
Through the years, as I “matured”, my dreams began taking the back seat. I would hear someone talking about their dreams and I would think to myself, “Oh boy, here’s another ‘rainbow in the sky’ person.” I would politely smile as I listened to their banter on ‘dreams’.
Then I met these Quitter dreamers on line. I started to watch and observe them interact with each other. I loved how they were supportive of each other’s dreams. I liked them because they were all positive and encouraging people.
To read the rest, please click here.
Holy Surrender
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Daniel Smith Photography
God woke me up at 6:00am this morning. I don’t know what is happening lately, but I feel as if my heart is about to explode. Since reading books like Mary DeMuth’s Everything and Seth Barnes Kingdom Journeys, something is changing in me. I can’t quite put my finger on it or explain it, but it’s all good.
I woke up to this song on my mind, “A Broken Spirit and a Contrite Heart”. Interesting that I would wake up to this song in my head. It’s not like I’ve been thinking about Psalm 51 which is David’s prayer of repentance to God after committing adultery.
For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise. ~ Psalm 51:16-17
I meditated on the above verses this morning and just wept. I have no idea why I was weeping or why my heart felt like it was going to come out of my chest. But I didn’t move, I just stayed with it and worshiped God.
I have this great love for God, but if I try to explain how or why, I am at a loss for words. How does one explain the enormity of God’s love? Words get in the way or become small and limiting. He is so big and vast. He is beyond beauty and grace. He’s perfect and wonderful.
My logical mind wants to confine or define Him. But you can’t put God in a box or explain Him. He says, I am that I Am. Simple as that. But we seem to want to complicate Him.
There are times I want to convey Him to others. I want them to see the enormity of His love. But again, I am limited. Limited by my flaws and failures.
My words don’t do Him justice. I can’t really translate what it is I feel for Him. My love for Him goes beyond feeling and emotions. I just know Him.
I hear Him, feel Him, see Him and love Him. He is the air I breathe and my beating heart. He is the light by day and a song by night. He is my inspiration. He is my all and all.
The constant wooing, yearning, craving and longing perpetually drawing me to Him. Sometimes I don’t know whether to throw myself at His feet or scream from the highest mountain. The intensity of His love is too much for my body and heart to contain.
How do you explain love? When you love someone, you know you love them. From hence does it come?
It comes from God. The creator of the universe. He composites love. He embodies love. He creates love. He is love.
By now, you are probably wondering if I’m a flake? Nope. I’m not. I’m just sharing my love affair with you.
My intimacy and relationship with God is a big part of who I am. I am who I am because of Him. He created and formed me. He gives me life, He makes me breath, He motivates and inspires me. He makes my heart sing and speaks to me in the night. He is my constant companion and my loyal friend.
Jesus is my Everything.
So no, I don’t know what exactly is happening, but I want more. I want to experience the fullness of God. The depths and heights of His love, I want to experience it all. I don’t want the rules and regulations. I don’t want the stale bread of religion. I don’t want to live a hum drum existence. I want to live a life of bountiful faith. I want to live fully alive.
I want to live holy surrendered in Him.
In conclusion, I want to share an awesome worship song I listened to this morning. It’s called “Sweetly Broken” by Jeremy Riddle. I love the lyrics.
Kingdom Journeys by Seth Barnes
Paperback: 250 pages
Publisher: Ashland Press
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0985833408
ISBN-13: 978-0985833404
Price: $12.99
Purchase: Amazon
Description
Do you feel like you’ve been missing out on the abundant life? Most people do. If you take a look at the life of Jesus, you see that he called his disciples to follow him – on a physical journey, not just a spiritual one. Hundreds of books talk about our faith walk as a journey. But few delve into the subject of how a physical journey can reinvent and revitalize our spiritual journey with God. Kingdom Journeys is about the journeys we all take, presented in a series of “initiation steps” by disciples who are taking serious the call to leave everything and simply “go.” This book is an exploration of an ancient spiritual discipline we must recover – if we’re going to truly follow Jesus.
Review
I have never been so challenged, provoked and convicted by a book in a long time. I read this book, bit by bit, and thought about it each step of the way.
After having a very intense dream this morning (which is the norm for me), I immediately went to my journal and wrote my dream out. The dream was palatable and I didn’t want to lose the amazing feeling of touching the divine I felt was stirred by reading this book. I felt as if my heart would explode.
Reading Kingdom Journeys sparked the desire for more than a mundane existence. I want to live fully alive and experience what Seth Barnes so eloquently describes on each page; a true faith walk, not religion.I truly believe Kingdom Journeysis a must read for every Christian walking the face of this earth.
Seth Barnes speaks from the heart and tells it like it is. He doesn’t present a “pie in the sky” Christianity. There is no sugar coating or pretense in this book.Kingdom Journeys will shatter religion to the core.
Seth Barnes shares his journey as well as the journeys of others who are stepping out and living by faith.
I promise you, you won’t be the same after reading this book. You won’t be able to remain complacent, comfortable or content in your Christian walk.
Reading Kingdom Journeys changed me. I am now left with an insatiable hunger to experience more of God.
Kingdom Journeys I highly recommend this book. If you purchase the paperback of Kingdom Journeys now, there is a special offer until October 13th. Please take advantage of this promotion, because you won’t want to miss it.
Please visit http://kingdomjourneysbook.com/ for more details and tell your friends about it too!
Seth Barnes is a work in process.The son of a physician and prayer warrior, he embarked on his first mission trip in high school. During that two- month adventure in Guatemala, Seth was exposed to poverty he never knew existed. It changed him.
Before graduating from Wheaton College, Seth joined a mission to Peru and later worked in a Thai refugee camp for Cambodians fleeing the Khmer Rouge.
Soon after graduation, he married Karen, and they left the United States to serve as missionaries in Indonesia and the Dominican Republic. A few years later, he earned his MBA at the Darden School of Business, University of Virginia.
In 1989, Seth began Adventures in Missions in his garage. From that modest beginning, Adventures has equipped and sent over 100,000 missionaries to connect the body of Christ to the needs of a weary world.
Through the process, Seth grew to understand the importance of a relationship — and conversation — with God, which has guided his entire ministry and life.
Seth and his wife, Karen, have raised five children in Gainesville, Georgia. You can find him online at sethbarnes.com.
Insecurity, The Bully
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Do you know her? Insecurity? If you do, then you know she’s a possessed bully.
Insecurity has an uncanny way of showing up even when she’s uninvited. She is obnoxious and rude. She is no friend of mine. No siree.
Insecurity annoys me to the utmost. Every time I think I’m going to beat her at her own game. She winds up winning.
What makes matters worse is that she’s always laughing at me. You know the sinister kind you hear in a horror flick. Infuriating.
I want to kick her in the butt, like “Karate Kid” or “Rocky”.
Insecurity has been bullying me all my life. Every time I would get on stage to sing, I would hear her cackling and saying, “Ha! She thinks she can sing. Watch her crack or forget her lyrics. It’s hilarious.”
I start to recite scriptures to myself to drown her out. Nothing works, I could feel my throat constrict, heart race and palms sweat. Insecurity wins again.
Insecurity always sneaks up on me unawares as I sit staring at a blank page. She howls, “You can’t write, just like you can’t sing. There are so many other talented people who can really sing, write and do everything much better than you. Haven’t you realized you don’t matter? Nobody is even remotely interested in what you have to say. Look at you, what have you accomplished in your life? You are going to be 46 years old and you’ve done nothing. Zip. Zilch. Nada. You know why? Because you are a loser with a capital ‘L’.”
At this point, I’m either going to do “Moves like Jagger” or go “Rambo” on her. Or better yet… shoot her! Metaphorically speaking, that is. I shalt not murder. So, get thee behind me… Insecurity.
I’m sick of listening to her go on and on and on. She’s incessant and never shuts up. I’m tired of her already. I want to be free of Insecurity, once and for all, whatever the cost.
Do you struggle with insecurity? Are you ready to kick her in the butt and tell her where to go?
The Extraordinary Vessel
I do not know about you, but I feel run over. Like a Mack truck hit me going 90 miles an hour. Not physically, but spiritually.
Sometimes, when God is working new things into us, He has to work the old stuff out of us. This process is uncomfortable and often stressful.
You are not alone if you feel this way. As servants, we are vessels to be filled and emptied.
Over and over and over.
No one said this life following Christ would be easy. In fact, Jesus said we would have trouble in this life. The good news, no, the great news is He overcame the world and since we are constantly being changed into His image, we can develop the skills we need to overcome too!
We can go from “glory to glory”.
When you face a struggle or a trial remember this.
- You are not alone. (God will never leave you or forsake you)
- Help is on the way. (He is help in this very present trouble)
- When you have done all you can do, stand. (If you look to your left and right, I bet God has brought someone to stand with you!)
Struggles in life will come. Some may be physical, some financial, lots of them spiritual, but in every struggle there is a promise.
He has you in His hands, and nothing: not height, not depth, not any creature, no man, no woman, no boss, no debt collector, no doctor, no death, NOTHING can separate you from His Love.
The work of growing, of pressing through until you have victory may be hard, but it will be worth it.
Here is a story to drive it home:
A young woman, who was afraid of her garage because she did not like spiders and hated the smell of dust, avoided her garage as much as possible and often put off washing her laundry because the washer and dryer were in there.
One day a man came by and said “If you clean out your garage and get it ready, I will fill it with your dream car.”
She doubted at first, but she saw he was going to her neighbors and offering the same deal to them. Soon she saw Bentleys and Porches lining her street.
So she began the work.
It was hard. It got hot. She was itchy. Spiders crawled on her. She shook with revulsion, but she pushed through.
She found things in there that she wanted to hang onto, but knew she needed to trash. Soon, everything that was garbage was on the curb. The inside was clean and organized.
Sure enough, the man showed up with a brand new car. It was full of all the bells, and whistles. If there were a better car for her, it had not been made yet. This man had fulfilled his promise.
Now, you are the girl, the garage is your heart and the “man” is God. He is waiting to give you your dream. You just need to press through and get on with obeying Him. He has a reward far greater than you can ask or even think.
The struggles you face may not be from the enemy. They may be God trying to turn the ordinary vessel into an extraordinary vessel!
Join the discussion:
Do you have a favorite scripture that helps you face difficult times? Share it below.
A Balancing Act
Ever feel like you are doing this in your life?
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Lately, I’ve been feeling like this Orangutan.
I’ve been on walking the tight rope of life and it’s turning out to be a balancing act.
This past weekend I had to take a step back and reassess my life. I knew if I didn’t, I was slowly going to crash and burn.
I started thinking about how I wound up here. Why had I taken on so much? What motivated me?
I realized it all came down to fear. I was afraid to say ‘no’ and letting people down. I am the type who loves to help, encourage and support others.
This time I went too far in the people pleasing department.
I reevaluated what I was doing and why I was doing it. Granted, what I am doing is good and harmless.
However, is it what God wants and is He in it?
Am I really asking Him what He wants me to do? Or am I going about my business doing what I think is right in my own eyes? (Proverbs 21:2)
The truth is I haven’t been asking Him. I got swept up in the fervor of helping others.
Before I knew it, I found myself in a cyclone, being thrown every which way.
All because I didn’t want to disappoint anyone.
So, guess what happened?
I started feeling worn down, worn out, exhausted and thus, unhappy. I realized I started to lose the proper spirit or attitude in my giving.
I was doing everything out of a sense of obligation, therefore, begrudgingly.
However, God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7)
The fault is mine and mine alone. Noone forced me or made me do anything. I made the choice.
However, when I had my meltdown this weekend, I realized something had to change. I couldn’t keep going the way I was.
I also started to feel convicted about what I was doing and reached some conclusions:
- God doesn’t want us building kingdoms for ourselves on earth.
- God doesn’t want us pleasing others more than Him.
- God doesn’t want us to manipulate or scheme to get ahead or succeed.
- God wants us to trust Him with the results.
Something was getting lost along the way with social media, (i.e., promoting and marketing strategies).
I know the Lord has been trying to get my attention because lately, the whole social media/marketing/promotion thing hasn’t been feeling right to me.
Life is short to be trying to build our little kingdoms here on earth.
My husband made a valid point when he reminded me of what the Lord did to the Tower of Babel.
Christians are not suppose to take their lead from the world. We are suppose to take our lead from God.
Does this seem narrow to you? Do you find it legalistic?
I am far from being a legalist, but I will say this, if whatever you’re pursuing doesn’t line up with the Word of God, then you are building on sand.
It’s like those sand castles we build on the beach, they eventually get washed away by the waves. They simply don’t last.
Such is our dreams and pursuits, if they are not Christ centered, then they won’t last.
I don’t know about you, but I’d rather art be inspired, blessed and prospered by God, than by man’s scheming, marketing and promotion any day.
Personally, I’d rather just trust God with the success of anything I pursue, whether it be art, writing, singing, cooking, etc… You can’t go wrong.
Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)
Do you agree? I would be interested in reading your thoughts on this.
The Hope of “Yes”
I am participating in Blogging Through the Book: The Gospel of Yes by Pastor Mike Glenn. This series was birthed by Dana Pittman, who is an amazing writer and speaker. I am honored to be partnering with her and her amazing team of writers. Every Wednesday we will be blogging our thoughts and insights from this book.
“As the Living Christ infuses every crevice and hidden place of believers’ lives with his life,
everything dark and broken is pushed out.” ~ Mike Glenn
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I enjoyed reading Chapter 6, “The ‘Yes’ of the Resurrection.” What especially stood out for me was the story of pediatric surgeon Ben Carson.
Pastor Mike Glenn explains Ben Carson had a serious anger problem. One incident was so extreme it forced him to really look at himself.
“He retreated to the bathroom in his home and read his Bible and prayed that God would remove this terrible temper. He wrote, “Lord, despite what all the experts tell me, You can change me. You can free me forever from this destructive personality trait.” After spending almost all day in the bathroom, praying, reading Scriptures, crying, and begging God to help him, Carson finally found the peace he was searching for.”
I don’t know about you, but this encouraged me. We all have struggles as Christians, we haven’t arrived. I’m sure there are times you think to yourself if you will ever overcome a particular issue. Whether is it cursing, losing your temper, unforgiveness, pride, etc…
We do have hope.
Our hope comes from our risen Lord Jesus Christ. He died and resurrected for all the messes in our lives. He died just for you.
If you were the only person in the world, He would have still died on the Cross for you. I know this may be hard for you to believe or wrap your mind around.
We can’t fathom the enormity of God’s love for us.
I mean think about it a minute, can you fathom or even understand God’s love? I know I can’t. But, the Scriptures point to His love.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son…” (italic mine, John 3:16).
We hear it time and time again, He gave His only Son. He died for us in our less than perfect state, more like messy state.
God loves us despite our sins and even despite ourselves.
We can’t change ourselves, we can try and make a valiant effort, but we will fail. The only person who has the power to change us from the inside out is Jesus Christ.
I meditated on this truth. The fact is all of our striving is for naught. All we need to do is come as we are, messed up and broken… “Here am I, Lord.”
He is longing and waiting for us to reach the end of ourselves.
He is waiting for us to surrender. Surrendering will look differently for each of us. But, it is in the going to Him that we will know what He is specifically asking from each of us.
We do this by getting in the Word of God, having our minds renewed and by much prayer.
He is our Hope and our Divine Yes.
We have a hope and it is found in Jesus Christ alone. When we say ‘yes’ to His Word and His ways things begin to change in our lives.
He is more than able to heal all those messy places in our hearts and lives. We just have to be willing to let Him do it.
Have you said ‘yes’ to Jesus? Do you believe He can heal and change you?
Blogging Through the Book is a group of bloggers who literally blog while reading the book. It’s different than merely reading a book and posting a review. We have a chance to read and share our thoughts in community. To learn more visit www.danapittman.com.
Guest Post: On The Tablet of My Heart
Today I have the pleasure of guest posting on my friend and awesome writer Sundi Jo. If you don’t know who she is, I encourage you to follow her blog, she is an inspiration.
I’m new to this whole guest posting scene, but I made a commitment to God that I would write, despite the fears, doubts and insecurity. You can read more about it here.
Book Review: When You Need a Miracle by Linda Evan Shepherd
Publisher: Revell (July 1, 2012)
Language: English
Pages: 205
ISBN-10: 080072108X
ISBN-13: 978-0800721084
Price: $12.99
Purchase: Amazon | CBD | BN
“God makes the impossible possible every day.” ~ Don Piper
Description
When we are hurt, we want a God who is big enough to rescue us from heartache and circumstances beyond our imagination. But even if we believe that such a God exists, we don’t always know how to approach him, much less how to ask him for impossible.
Linda Evans Shepherd knows what it’s like to be in a desperate need of a miracle. And she knows what it’s like to receive God’s answers to her prayers. In this powerful book, she shows you how to reach out to God and simply ask. She shows how God’s answers may not come packaged in the ways we would expect, but they do come in ways that will transform our lives. Through solid biblical teaching and dramatic real-life stories, Shepherd walks you on a journey of renewed hope and the assurance that God still works miracles.
Review
When You Need a Miracle is predominantly a book about prayer. Linda Evans Shepherd takes you step by step in learning how to pray and also what hinders prayers from being answered.
She shares from a deep, personal place reflecting on some of her own life experiences. She discusses two incidents when she especially needed a miracle. One had to do with her brother and the other had to do with her daughter.
When You Need a Miracle really touched me in many ways. My heart ached in certain parts of the book. Especially when she discussed what happened to her daughter.
But, my heart also rejoiced when the Lord answered her prayer and did a miracle.
The chapter which spoke the most to me was Chapter Five, entitled The Forgiveness Factor. There was much truth dispelled on each page.
In this chapter, Linda Evan Shepherd discusses a tragic situation which occurred in someone’s life. I had difficulty reading this chapter because I identified strongly with what had occurred in this person’s life.
When tragedy happens to people at the hand of another person, it’s not so easy to forgive. This chapter delves into the importance of forgiveness.
My favorite chapter was Chapter 7 entitled, Fighting the Enemy. I learned some very powerful prayers in this chapter which I will continue to implement in my own life.
Overall, there is much to glean and learn from When You Need a Miracle. I recommend this book to anyone struggling in their life and desire a miracle through answered prayer.
In conclusion, I want to thank Revell for sending me a complimentary copy of this book to read and review.
Linda Evans Shepherd is an award-winning author, a successful speaker, and a media personality. The president of Right to the Heart Ministries, she is the author of When You Don’t Know What to Pray and When You Can’t Find God. She lives in Colorado. Visit www.NeedMiracleBook.com for more information.
Guest Post: Obedience: The Key to Writing
“It’s OK to be afraid. It’s not OK to be afraid and disobedient.” ~Chip Ingram
Yesterday I attended the Philadelphia Writers Conference held at the Philadelphia Biblical University.
I have been struggling with writing recently. So, a colleague of mine encouraged me to attend the conference even if it was just for a day.
I also have been praying about the Lord’s will and writing for some time now. The Lord has been nudging me to write, but lately I’ve been resisting and holding back.
The reason is fear.
To read more please visit Godly Writers.
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