Dark Days Can Be A Blessing

Have you ever been in the midst of something that you wanted to overcome so badly? Whether its a job situation, a financial strain, a less than ideal living circumstance, or something else less than “ideal”. You just begin to exist in your life praying that you will overcome your situation sooner rather than later.

Then, the day comes, something happens, God answers your prayers, the tides change, and the end of your trial has been determined and a new journey is beginning. Adios old job, hello better finances. Goodbye gray days, thank God for sunny skies ahead.

Then, days, weeks, months, maybe even years, pass and you realize those long ago gray days weren’t actually as awful as they seemed when you were in the midst of them. They were really just tests and trials that you needed to overcome to be the you God wanted you to be, He was molding you into the person He designed. You begin to thank God for your trial, for the dark days that you thought would never cease. And you realize in the end, your thankful for the dark times, thankful for how it changed you because even in the dark days, God was leading you…

Whoever Humbles Himself like this Child….

In Matthew 18:3 and 4, Jesus says “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven.”

This has been my prayer, it does not say in the Bible to ACT like a child, but to “become like little children”. Becoming like little children in the way of humility and humbleness. I am tired of walking around in my life and being shy, or afraid to tell people about Jesus or invite them to Church. I am more afraid of how they will recieve it, or if they will think I am crazy! THAT thinking is CRAZY!!! Since when is it OKAY to be more concerned about what people think of me, then what GOD thinks of me?!?! It is my duty, and yours too if you have accepted God’s call on your life, to show child-like humility and gumption.

In Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo, it reads “What is childlike humility? It’s not the lack of intelligence, but the lack of guile. The lack of an agenda. It’s that precious, fleeting time before we have accumulated enough pride or position to care what other people might think…. It is the opposite of ignorance- is is intellectual honesty: to be willing to accept reality and to call things what they are even when is is hard.”

We must take pride in the Lord that has called us to do His will. We must take it upon our shoulders to do His work here on earth, until the day we are called home. We must NOT be afraid of people laughing at us, or whispering behind our back because we invite them to Church or talk about God around them. IT IS OUR DUTY TO BE A LIGHT in this world, not to be consumed by the darkness around us!!

I am tired of sitting and looking around at this world that nowadays has little to no faith and proclaiming “Oh, let someones else invite them to church, or pray for them” or whatever it may be. If you have accepted God as your Savior it has BECOME YOUR DUTY to SPEAK, ACT, and SHOW that!!!!

We must “become like little children” and have gumption to do what the Lord has called us to do! Nobody said when you became a Christian it would be easy, now, we have the burden of all those around us that could be going to Heaven with us, but, oh wait…. Were too ashamed of the God that we serve to INVITE people or TOUCH peoples lives the way that He has touched ours!!

WE MUST CHANGE AND BECOME LIKE LITTLE CHILDREN!!!

God is Smiling

I have been thinking about the blessings that God has provided my family and I with, not only recently, but during my lifetime, and today, I just cant get the feeling of God smiling down on us, off of my mind. Have you ever felt like this? Have you ever sat down and felt as if the God that created you and me, was happy and pleased and smiling down at you? We all face difficult times, times when you can’t seem to get a break, everything seems to be crashing down around you and you can’t do anything about it… days when you wish that you could just crawl underneath a rock and take a long nap and wake up and everything in your world be perfect. Well, in the course of me looking back on my short little life, I am now realizing, nothing is perfect, nothing is as it seems, and sometimes, you can’t change everything for the better…. but there is ALWAYS one constant: GOD!

And today, I believe that God is looking down smiling…. like he does every day, on everybody, but maybe because, in a time of struggle, and sadness, I took a moment, or God took a moment, to let me know that He still has my family in His hands, that we are not forgotten, and that He believes in us, in our ministry and in our future!

Have you taken the time today to feel the warmth of God’s presence around you and feel Him smiling down on you?

Not Enough Thanks

When you pray, do you often give God a list of things that HE needs to do, or change, or look over, instead of giving HIM thanks?

I often start out my prayers with thanking God for my many blessings and then subconsiously begin ASKING HIM for anything and everything under the sun. From family protection, security, comfort, and the list goes on! In the middle of my prayers today it was as if something stopped me in my tracks and said “Stop asking all the time and give more thanks!” I have been hit with this question before but like most people busy with living their lives and all these Earthly things, I always revert back to ASKING instead of THANKING!

In our MIP session this past weekend, a minister within the state said that he breaks down his prayers. On Monday he will pray for his Church, on Tuesday he will pray for his denomination, on Wednesday he will pray for his U.S. leaders, so on and so forth. I liked that he offered how he prays because I often get overwhelmed during my prayers. If I had the time to pray all day, everyday then that would be great. But this is not feasable, I dont even think Monks are allowed that much time to pray!

So, in order for me to feel like I am not overwhelmed, I believe that I too am going to start praying like this. Just pick specific days to pray for specific things. And begin every prayer off with thanks to God. And then also delegate one day throughout the week where I ONLY THANK GOD…. AND DO NOT ASK HIM FOR ANYTHING!!! God has already gone over and beyond what I deserve… HE DESERVES TO BE THANKED MORE OFTEN!!! 

Thankful For #1

Thanksgiving is just one week away and to celebrate this wonderful holiday I am going to be giving thanks for the next week. I will blog a new “Thankful For” post each day until Thanksgiving. This, and every season, is the season to give Thanks so lets all begin now! And feel free to comment on my posts to let me know what you are thankful for as well!

Thankful for #1

 

I am Thankful for being saved and being a child of God.

If it was not for God I would not be able to do what I do, be where I am, or think what I think. Because of My Father sending his only Son to die on the cross for my sins, I am able to be who I am today! None of us are worthy of what we have been blessed with. I thank God daily for my wonderful family, great freinds, a place to live and so on and so forth. I could never thank God enough for all of his glory and provisions!

Questions On Belief…

I would say that I have been a Christian pretty much my whole life. Granted, I did not attend Church constantly, and even had the chance to experience almost every religion in America, but I would say that I was ALWAYS a Christian. My grandparents were a big part of my upbringing and my grandfather was a Church of God pastor so I look back and even when I was being taken from Church to Church, my fondest and most memorable memories were from my CoG days.

So, I am posing this question because I realize that some people have fallen away from their faith, a faith that they once would have stood upon NO MATTER WHAT!

If you accept God as your personal Savior, and become a Christian, but fall away from it… were you ever even truly saved at all??

I know that this may be deep for some but I believe that if you believe the whole Bible, and in a God that sent His Son to die on the cross for our sins, and you TRULY accepted these things, then you would not “backslide” or depart from those beliefs…. no matter what!!

No, I am NOT perfect and yes, I have, and will always have, faults but if I claim to be a Christian, shouldnt I be a Christian thru and thru… not swaying but staying firm with everything that is in me?!?!

Am I Worth Following?

This past weekend we made another trip to Greenville for our monthly MIP sessions. Despite the traveling time, late nights and early morning, the weekend went very well. I am so thankful that the COG has such great speakers and that they are giving up there personal time to pour into us. We are all on a great journey… one that will transform and mold us into the ministers that God would have us to be.

I was touched by many speakers this weekend but one in particular (or a video more so) really made me think. Tim Ross made the comment “Are you WORTH following?” That is really deep…. and touching. In the grand scheme of things, AM I WORTH FOLLOWING? Does my life show God and if someone followed me for the day would they be led to God?? Yes, as minister’s (or Ministers wives) we want to say that we are perfect and we NEVER do anything wrong but that is highly doubtful! The deeper meaning of this question is— Would MY life lead the un-Christian to Christ?

I yearn to be the best Christian, leader, and ministers wife that I can possibly be but we all fail. We all say something or do something or think something that may not be Christ-like. This is where I WANT to be better. I WANT people to be led to Christ through my life. I want people to look at me and say “WOW! I want to be like her!” And no, I am not speaking of look, dress, or act like me, but have the faith that I have.

So… in the grand scheme of things— are you leading a life worth following??

MIP Beginning Thoughts

George and I had our first MIP (Ministerial Internship Program) event… or orientation, this weekend. MIP for those that do not know, is the second step in the liscensing procedure with our denomination. It is a nine-month course with daily lessons and monthly seminars and tests that better equips you to be a pastor. It is a process that both George and I have to participate in, pass and graduate from in May.

I am going into this new step with lots of great hopes. I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it will be rough at times. But I also know that George and I will be better leaders and people after this… equipped to do what God has called us to do. George is an amazing man before going into this so I only know that it will strengthen him and prepare him for the journey that lies ahead.

I am blessed to have such an unbelievable husband and for him to want to take the steps forward in what God has in store for us makes me adore him even more. I know that we will grow stronger because of what the next nine months holds in store for us and that what we go through each day will develop our ministry and make us a better couple to go and reach the lost.

I am both excited and optimistic for what God has in our future and I know that as long as we stay in His word and in prayer we can do anything and everything that He requires of us!!  

He never said it would be easy… but he also never puts more on us than we can bear….