Shoulders

As I sat down to spend some time with God and to pray over the needs of those around me, I was reminded of a song by "King & Country."  I have so many people in my life that are in desperate need of a touch from God.  Believe it or not, God is always there.  He is working in your life in ways you can't even fathom.   I'm not going to write a long blog tonight.  I am just going to share this song, and pray God meets you where you are.

Blessings

        

Somethin' About the Water

The picture above holds more childhood memories than I could ever explain to you.  What you are seeing is a section of the brook that runs through Spring Mill State Park Pioneer Village.  My earliest vacation memories originate in this very State Park.  Growing up camping was the most economical way for a family of four to vacay, and we did it a lot!

I can't tell you how many times I sat next to this brook to cool off or waded into it with my parents.  I can't fathom how many hours I sat on the banks just listening to the sound of the water as it bounded through the village.  Then one very special day a few years back, God taught me the coolest lesson sitting on the banks of this very brook.

Now there is something you need to understand about the way God talks to me.  Some of the most astounding revelations I have received from God in my life have been while I was on or around water.  I would love to explain it, but I can't.  Some people go to the beach to get tan, I go with my Bible, a notebook, and an expectant heart.  Some people get in a canoe to slowly drift down the river, I go with a notebook or digital recorder on me somewhere just in case.  Something about the water calms my spirit enough to hear God's voice so clearly it's as if he were sitting right beside me.  So it is no wonder, I would learn a lesson sitting by this brook.

My family was there on vacation like so many times before, but instead of camping we decided to stay in the parks Inn.  I can never seem to sleep soundly in a strange place, so I got up extremely early one morning and headed out on my own.  I took the trail behind the Inn down to the pioneer village.

In my backpack, I had my Bible, a notebook and a pen.  It was my plan to have my devotional time in one of my favorite spots.  As I sat down on the stone wall that sat on the banks of the brook, I closed my eyes tight to listen to the sweet sound of the water as it rushed by.  I realized at that moment how much the water sounded like music to me.  Quietly I heard a voice whisper to me and say, "If the water never crashed upon the rocks, the brook would never sing."

So simple, so true.  If the water never endured the clash of the stones in the brook as it made its way, it would never sing the sweet melody that I loved so much.  What a simple but powerful reminder.

We all endure hardships in life.  We feel as if we have been beaten, perhaps at times even defeated.  But who would we be had we not encountered those struggles.  In

James 1:2-4
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete not lacking anything."  

Sometimes we must go through some struggle to learn, to grow stronger.  It doesn't mean it's fun but a necessary part of life.  As we find our way through difficulties, we grow stronger and gain the experience we need for tomorrow.  At least we haven't been through as much as Paul in 2 Corinthians.  He boasted about it!  I find this passage awesomely hilarious.

2 Corinthians 11:23-30, 12:9-10

"Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Paul, the greatest missionary to ever walk the Earth, was proud of the mess of his life because God used the mess in his life to reach the World.  We may struggle, but in our weakness Christ makes us strong and can use our story to impact those around us.  

Today, you may feel that you can't endure one more hardship.  You may feel abandoned by God and too weak to fight.  I think we have all been there at some time in our lives.  But allow God to build you up!  To take you through those struggles, and to build you up, to make you strong.  You are never alone.  God is always with you, and He does care for you.  Just don't give up, keep waiting on Him and he will answer your prayers.  God has an answer, and he will use your life to help others find their way.  

 

I love that little brook in the pioneer village.  It is a source of great peace for me and a powerful reminder that with every struggle I endure my voice grows.  Just like the water with every stone it clashes against, my life sings past the pain.  God can use my struggle to not only change the lives of others, but to strengthen me in my walk with Him.  

 

I love Carrie Underwood's song, "Something in the Water."  I think it is a beautiful way to wrap up this little life lesson.
                                                                                                                                                                   

         

You Are Not Alone

Psalm 23:4

"Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me."

We all walk through dark valleys.  Some of those valleys are emotional and some of those valleys are physical.  I myself struggled for many years with an enemy I could not physically touch.  

For years, I battled depression.  Many think depression is just a feeling, but I am a living testimony that it is a wicked force bent on destroying ones life and dreams.  It not only affects your mind, but it causes weakness and pain in your body as well.  The one thing this enemy didn't count on was the truth of the Word of God hidden in my heart and powerful praying parents.  Through the years of struggle I felt God with me, I was never alone.  As I sought God for deliverance, He showed up in a big way, and in one instant my life was delivered from depression and replaced by a spirit of joy I can hardly describe. I will never forget the night I was healed.  I was jumping so high that my Pastor could see my 5' 3" body way above the crowd.  There is nothing too big for your God.

The last few weeks I have been praying for a friend as she faced a struggle that I myself can hardly wrap my mind around.  She had to have surgery to remove a tumor from her brain.  With the strength of friends and family around her, her wickedly awesome sense of humor and her God, she fought the enemy head on.  (No pun intended)  I was astounded by her faith and humbled by her vulnerability as she shared her journey with the people around her.  I have prayed with her as she shared her faith in God with many who had not yet found Him for themselves.  She is recovering from a successful surgery now, and I know beyond any shadow of a doubt that God has been with her every step of the way.  She has challenged me to trust in God no matter what I go through.  He is able and He will never leave you.

I don't know about you, but it is comforting to me to know that no matter what I go through, I am never alone.  God is with me guiding me and showing me the way.  I encourage you to trust God no matter your circumstances.  He is with you and will carry you through.  You are Not Alone!

“TAKE ANOTHER STEP”

Have you ever had a day when you looked in the mirror and asked yourself, what am I doing?  Where is my life going?  I am happy, but I just feel like there is something more I should be doing.  I’m sure that I am not the only one to have had this mirror conversation, as if the mirror would be any help in answering the questions you are postulating.  None the less, I have done it many times. 

There are days we wonder what God’s plan is.  I have heard many people say, I know God can’t fill me in on everything but if He could just give me the first chapter I would feel better.  It goes back to our desperate and very human need to have some control.  In a world where nothing seems to make any sense, we are constantly grasping for control in any situation we can. 

The fact is, we can’t have control.  The Bible makes it very clear in Proverbs 20.  I love this passage because it is a very direct answer to our questions.

Proverbs 20:24

“A person’s steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand their own way?”

It’s like, duh?  Your steps are ordered of the Lord, what makes you think you can understand.  In fact the Bible says in Isaiah 55 that God’s ways are higher than ours and His thoughts are higher than ours.  We were never meant to fully understand.  We are to have faith and trust in a God who loves us and knows what is best for us.  Sounds really simple right?  Let it go, because God has total control.  Don’t worry, it will work out.

Psalms 37:23-25

"The steps of a man are established by the Lord, And He delights in his way.
When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, Because the Lord is the One who holds his hand.  I have been young and now I am old, Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
Or his descendants begging bread.”

Though it is a difficult thing for us to let go and trust God with our path, it is the smartest way to live.  I like the last part of these verses in Psalm 37.  I haven’t “seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread.”  God does not forget about us.  We may feel that he has, but that is just a feeling.  I can attest that in my own life when things looked there bleakest, God always provided.  There was even a time when I was very small that my own father begged God for just one loaf of bread for his family.  The next day we were picking up a lady for church, like we did every week, and she brought us a loaf of bread.  (They were buy one get one free, but she can’t eat that much bread)  I watched my father’s reaction over that loaf of bread.  The knowledge that God does listen no matter how big or how small the request, He cares for us.  It’s amazing to know deep in your heart that God is in control of every situation. 

So then, when questions raise their ugly heads, how should we proceed?  Just “take another step.”  You may not be able to see the path you are on, but God sees it.  “Take another step.”  I was struggling one day, and just happened (wink, wink) to be listening to Steven Curtis Chapman’s newest album “Glorious Unfolding”.  Then the song “Take Another Step” came on.  It was the reminder I needed right then.  God knows how music seems to break through my stubbornness.

Here are some of the lyrics…

“We walk by faith and not by sight we know it’s true

We say it and sing it and love the way it sounds
But none of us can even begin to truly understand
What it really means till all the lights go out
And there we are nothing to hold on to
But the promises Gods made to me and you
Take another step, take another step
When the road ahead is dark
And you don’t know where to go
Take another step, take another step
Trust God and take another step”

Just trust God and “Take another step.”  It’s just that simple.  And if you still struggle, remember what it says in Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”  All you need to do is sit down and spend a little time in prayer and in God’s Word.  That is all the light you will need on this path we travel.  My Dad always says “hindsight is 20/20.”  As you follow God on this path, at times it is hard to see your way.  However, if you turn around and look back on your life, you will see God’s gentle hand guiding you every step of the way. 

Let me pray for you….

Lord, you know we all struggle to trust you in our daily walk.  Sometimes we struggle to see the path you have us on, and we begin to get discouraged.  God, please be our light and guide our paths.  Give us strength to trust you no matter our circumstance because we know you care for us.  Help us to love others, to guide those around us as we allow ourselves to be lead by your Holy Spirit.  Guide our steps, that we may fulfill your call on our lives.  In Your Precious Holy Name, Amen.

Morning Worship

Have you ever woken up with a song on your heart?  You hear it so clearly as if all of heaven has set up in your room, right where you're at, and begun to sing with such a power it almost brings you to tears?

That has been my morning!  I woke up to all of Heaven singing Praises to an awesome, mighty, holy God!  It is impossible to ignore God when He starts your day that way.  So, I grabbed my Bible and began to search the Word of God.  He encouraged me to rejoice today!  God took me to a very familiar portion of scripture in Philippians.  As you begin to read what the Word of the Lord says, you need to remember that when Paul wrote this letter to the Philippians he was sitting in prison.  It totally changes the impact of this passage.  As he sits there, himself in prison, he says to them...

Philippians 4:4-9
"Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again:  Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all.  The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true , whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.  Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me - put into practice.  And the God of peace will be with you."

Rejoice!  Get your praise on!  No matter what in life has come against you...Rejoice!  I call this passage the "Don't Worry, Be Happy" text.  We spend so much of our lives in worry.  We stress over the things that come against us, things that we have no control over.  I used to be a serious worrier.  I would obsess over every little thing in my life, and I have to be honest I still struggle with that.  I am a natural fixer.  I see a problem or a difficult situation and my natural instinct is to try to fix it.  I have made myself sick a couple of times trying to figure out problems that I had no business messing with.  Stuff happens, the question is how are we going to react to it?

I want to be like Paul!  I want to be one who prays and lays it down.  Am I always successful at that?  NO!  I am the worst, but I strive everyday to grow in this area.  God wants to be invited into that situation.  God can handle any problem you have if you ask.  Then after you do, Rejoice!  Get your praise on.  He is already at work in that situation!  Let God's peace reign over you.  I tend to be a very happy person for the most part.  I am learning that in this life things happen that are just far out of our control.  Why worry?  It's doesn't help the situation, and it just makes you miserable.  I am learning to put on joy and walk away trusting that God's got everything under control.  He loves me and He wants the best for me.

So get your Joy on!  And whatever you do (Like that transition, Ha), whatever you make sure that what  you read, listen to, watch, etc is uplifting and will feed your spirit.  We allow too much junk into our lives via television, radio, movies, and books.  There is material out there that will uplift and encourage you.  Why allow the trash in?  I believe the saying "Garbage in, garbage out."  If all you are feeding your mind with is garbage then that is what is going to manifest from your life.  Read the Word of God, pray, break out your hair brush and have church with some Godly praise music in the middle of your house.  You will usually find me having church in my car!  (Refer to the post:  Drive Safely!)  It isn't always a safe way to drive, but I feel amazing whenever I get to where I'm going!

So today, Rejoice!  Have a party!  God is watching over you, and He will not allow the things of this world to overtake you.  And, I want to share the song that God invaded my morning with.  I encourage you to start this video, close your eyes, raise your hands, and allow God to invade your space.

Blessings!

Drive Safely!

Y'all it is one beautiful morning! This morning I wanted to reenact that scene from Oklahoma,  you know Gordon MacRae on a horse singing to the corn stalks!

I love to hear him sing.  I would make any excuse to stick a video in of him singing.  They don't make musicals like that anymore.  Anyway, it is a beautiful day, and like many of you I have a bit of a commute to work.  This morning, I attached my IPod to the car, put it on the worship playlist I created, and started on my way to work.  This is both an invigorating and dangerous way for me to drive to work.

There is really no better place to hang out with God than in your car.  For many of you, it may be the only time in your day you can truly be alone with God.  Now the truth of the matter is, you aren't really alone.  In fact, many of us share the road with hundreds of people everyday.  All of them aware of your morning antics via the windows of your vehicle.  However, I don't know about you, but it has never deterred me from having church, and I mean holy ghost, shouting, singing, preaching out loud church right there in my vehicle.  And, I have no inhibitions when it comes to this morning time ritual of mine. 

Take this morning for example.  I was worshiping along with Group 1 Crew and Chris August to "He Said" at the top of my lungs. When I look over and realize that the man in the truck next to me is going to pass the car in front of him without taking notice that I existed.  This could have been a tragic event in my morning, but I hit the brakes, honked my horn slightly, and kept singing.  I recognized his attempt to wreck my pretty navy blue car, but I didn't let it upset me or even slow me down.   I just kept praising God! 

There are things that happen in life that often try to derail us from our path.  Tragedy strikes around us all the time.  The question is, how are you going to choose to react to those moments that try to distract you from your desired destination?  Perhaps I should share the lyrics I was singing when this incident happened this morning.

"You may be knocked down now
but just believe what He said, He said
I won't give you more, more then you can take
and I might let you bend, but I won't let you break
and No-o-o-o-o, I'll never ever let you go-o-o-o-o
Don't you forget what He said
Don't fear when you go through the fire
Hang on when it's down to the wire
Stand tall and remember what He said"

No matter what tries to distract you in life, keep holding on to the Lord and trust that he is there to care for you.  And for added insurance make sure you pray.  I say the same prayer every time I get in my vehicle.  "Lord, please protect me from others on the road. And please Lord, protect others from me."  Especially in those times, when the holy ghost falls, I've got my hands raised, and tears are running down my face.  Yes, it happens!  I told you I have church.  I even have church in the car on the way to church.  I think of it as a warm up.  And no matter what happens in your life, remember these words....

James 5:13-16

           "Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.  And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." 

Say a little prayer and trust God to take care of you.  The Bible says in Matthew 6:27 "Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life ?"  So don't worry, and follow my not so safety conscious self and keep worshiping.  God's got this! 

Disclaimer:  Having church in the car can distract you, so make sure you do not allow yourself to become so distracted that you are unaware on the road.  I am a horrible example!  Do spend time worshiping God like crazy, but don't allow your worship to cause accidents on the road.  I can only imagine what my Uncle, who's a state policeman, would say to you if you used worship as an excuse for an accident.  So Drive Safe!

Do Something!

Ok, so I have to confess that I have a music addiction!  I own more cd's than any one person in the World should.  I can't help myself.  Songs tend to articulate thoughts and feelings in a way that gets down into your heart and stirs your thoughts.  This morning my soundtrack happened to be

 Matthew West's "Into the Light" album. 

By the way if you don't have it, this cd is a must!  A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

I love every song on this album, and it is not unusual to catch me singing along with it to the top of my lungs.  Trust me, ask some of my kids church kids.  They have caught me more than once singing and having church in my car.  It is the best because you feel like you are alone with God and for some reason whether people can see me or not in my car just does not matter.  It is one of my best Secret Places to get alone with God. 

 

This morning God chose to use the song "Do Something" to stir my heart and mind.  In fact, I can't stop thinking about it.  Here you have to listen to it.....

 



We look around at the World and get so frustrated by the politics, the crime, and the total loss of morals in our country.  We get angry that people in the World go hungry or homeless when there is plenty to go around.  We see lost and hurting people around us, and we look up and ask God why?  I hear the question all the time... why does God let bad things happen to good people?    My question to you is what are you doing about these things?  We have a voice, we have hands so what are we doing to help those around us?  What are we doing to love people who are hurting?  God created me, and he gave me the ability to reach out to others. 

 

God sent his one and only Son to die on the cross for us so I think He is completely within His rights to ask us to step up.  The Word says that we are to Imitate Christ...

Ephesians 5:1-2

"Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

 

So if we are to follow God's example, we have some work to do.  We do have the ability to make change in the World around us, but the first step is deciding to get up and "Do Something!" It can be anything.  Get involved with a local homeless shelter, offer to mow the lawn for the elderly lady down the street, volunteer in an after school program, vote in every election (preaching to myself there), smile and say "Hello" when you pass people on the street.  I could go on and on!  Get involved and make your voice heard.  We can't blame God for our own laziness.  It is time we.......

"DO SOMETHING!"