I have been doing my best to exercise on a regular basis. You may ask, “Have you been successful?” To which I would reply, “Absolutely not.” But today, I went to the track inside the gym where the girls at the academy were having p.e. (physical education). They were to run twelve laps (1 mile). I confess. I’m a sprinter. Been sprinting and darting for most of my life. Ran short distance in high school, but I’ve never been a long distance runner. As a matter of fact, I ran relay, and our team would get a trophy if we would place in the mile relay. This meant I would have to run a full lap, 400 meters. Keep in mind that I trained to sprint the 100 and the 200. I didn’t know how to run the 400. For those of you who don’t run or didn’t run track, you set a pace and then sprint the last 100. I ran track, but they failed to tell me that little detail before they signed us up to run the race. Michelle was in the block. The gun went off, and she started running. I got into place, and the hand-off was as smooth as silk. We never dropped a baton. The baton was in my hand, and I began sprinting. I did fine until I had to continue on pass my 200 mark. I was sucking down some serious wind. My breathing was a mess. There was no pattern, no rhythm. I passed off the baton to Phyllis and then passed out. YEP! I passed smooth out on the gravel track. They got me up and walked me around, occasionally putting my head between my knees to help me breathe. The first time I was bent over was when I noticed the skin on my left leg. It was gone. From my ankle to my knee on the outside portion of my leg, the skin was gone and covered with gravel. (Yeah, that was fun having that cleaned out.) Right then and there, I determined; I set in my mind that I would never run anything longer than 200 in a race.
Had I trained for a race? You bet. Every day. We jogged around the track passing the baton back and forth, making sure we never dropped the baton. Dropping the baton or getting out of our lane would lead to disqualification. Could I sprint? With the best of them. But was I ready when the coach called me to run a different style of race? No. I had to fall back on what I knew, and little of it translated over to this style of run.
Ladies, we train and we prepare for life, but there are times when we are assigned to do something we aren’t trained to do. We are weak and vulnerable and susceptible to making some horrible mistakes. When we study God’s word, when we have a quiet time, it needs to be more than a verse that fits for the day. That is short term. That’s a sprinter.
As Christians, we are called to run the race, keeping our eyes on the prize. We are to fight the good fight. The growth of our faith is not a sprint. It’s cross-lifetime. Memorize the Word of God. Bind it to your heart. Meditate on it. Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and lead you. Get into the Word of God. Have a healthy diet of the Living Bread and Water. This way when things happen in life, you won’t pass out because you don’t have a clue as to how to live through it. You will run without fainting. You won’t grow weary because you know the Source of your strength.
I challenge you to get fit in every area of your life because life is a journey and heaven our destination. It is not something achieved by living short-sighted, so get in the Word.
His Daughter,
Kristy
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
Me? An Angel?!
I had signed in at the registration desk and was walking across the waiting room to join my husband who had found two chairs on the opposite side of the room. As I passed a man and woman who were seated close to the desk, I heard her call out to me not by my name but by the name of the church I had previously attended. Thinking this was a little odd, I turned toward the voice and found myself looking into the face of a woman I hadn’t seen in at least 15 years, and I even remembered her name (Catherine). She apologized for not remembering mine, but when I looked at her face closely, I knew why my name had escaped her: she was not feeling well, and fear was written all over her countenance. That was totally understandable; we were, after all, in a chemotherapy lab. I knew that look; I knew that fear.
As she stood in response to my offering her a hug, she looked rather fragile, and I could see bandages peeking out from the neck area of her shirt. I felt a tightening in my stomach, and even though I knew the answer was not going to be a pretty one, I asked, “What are you doing here?” Rather weakly, she replied, “Today is my first day of chemo.” My heart sank because I remembered my own “first day of chemo” just three years prior. I remembered the fear of knowing absolutely nothing about what was about to take place in my body. How would I feel when the chemo first went into my body? Would it burn? Would I even know it was happening? Would I get sick? How long would it take?
I just had to do it: I sat down in front of her and chatted for a few minutes, sharing my experience with cancer with her, doing my best to reassure her that today would not be nearly as bad as she had imagined it might be. It’s that not knowing that sets one’s imagination in motion. Thank goodness, she has the same oncologist that I do, and he’s a wonderful, Christian man as well as a phenomenal physician, so I spent a few minutes singing his praises. I also assured her that (in my opinion) she was being treated at the best cancer treatment facility in town. The staff people are absolutely wonderful, and they wait on and take care of their patients as if they were royalty. My cancer was stage three breast cancer three years ago. I am now on a two--three month check-up schedule, and I can hardly wait to get there every time to see those wonderful men and women who took such great care of me; it’s like a family reunion every time I go.
The nurse came out and called me to the back to have my lab work done, so I promised Catherine that I would check on her before I left. After my lab work was finished, I was scheduled to see my doctor for my regular check-up. When that was over, I stopped back by the chemo lab to see how things were going with Catherine. As I chatted briefly with her, several of the nurses came by to speak to me and give me a hug, and I introduced each of them to Catherine and reassured her that they are the best in the field. As I was leaving, I promised Catherine that I would be checking on her in a few days.
Several days later, I did just that and got a most unexpected greeting from her. When she answered the phone, she didn’t even say, “Hello.” She simply said, “There’s my angel.” To say that she caught me off-guard is putting it mildly; I really was speechless for a few seconds. In all honesty, I thought that perhaps she had looked at her caller ID wrong and was expecting to speak to a dear, close friend or a family member. Not knowing exactly how to respond, I sort of chuckled for a bit and then said something really inane like, “Well, am I your angel?” I fully expected her to say something like, “Oops, I thought you were my sister/good friend/mother/etc.” But she didn’t. She went on to say that she had been telling a friend about our “chance” meeting at the cancer center several days prior to this phone call. Catherine had told her friend how nervous she had been, and when she looked up, because of my white blouse and my “blonde” hair that I really did look like an angel sent to her to help calm her fears. (I thanked her for calling my hair blonde, but in all truth, it is now varying shades of gray---thanks to chemo!)
Catherine and I had a wonderful chat about God’s love and power and ability: He created everything and keeps everything working in an orderly manner (I Corinthians 14:40). The really amazing thing is that He also takes the time and effort to do the “little” things for us, His children, when we need His reassurance--like arranging for our paths to cross that day in the chemo lab. Squire Rushnell wrote a book entitled When God Winks At You. He tells story after story of people who have experienced a coincidence in their lives which they later realized was not a coincidence at all but something which God had done for them. Rushnell says that when God winks at you, He is, in essence saying, “I haven’t forgotten about you or your situation; I’m still here. I’m still in control, so you don’t have to worry.” Rushnell also says that when God does something special like this, it’s as if a close friend is winking at you to remind you of some special secret or bond between just the two of you. I love that thought—that God is a close friend trying to reassure me of His love and His ability to take care of anything in my life.
I was first diagnosed in April of 2007. After the shock of the diagnosis started fading a bit and I was just beginning to get just a tiny idea of what treatment was going to be like, I asked a special favor from God: If I was going to have to do this cancer thing, I didn’t want it wasted. I wanted someone else to benefit from all I was going through. God has been so faithful to give me opportunities to share with and encourage other women as they experience cancer and the treatments they must endure.
II Corinthians 1:3-4 (NLT)—
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort.
He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.
When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.
If you’ve ever had doubts that Romans 8:28 could really be true, this is God’s plan for our spiritual growth, the encouragement of His children, and a witness to the unbeliever.
Romans 8:28 (NLT)—
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are
called according to His purpose for them.
God can take all the bad stuff in our lives (death, divorce, cancer, rape, financial problems, problems with our children, etc.), and use them to comfort, heal, and renew us. He then instructs us (II Corinthians 1:3-4) to “pass it along” by helping others who are suffering and struggling. When we obey that instruction, many good things can happen: our faith in and our relationship with God grows; someone else is helped through a tough time; and unbelievers may witness all of this and wonder, “How can I have a life like that?”
However, the key points to this plan’s working is that: (1) First, we have to be willing to give the situation to God. (2) Second, we must be willing to be open and honest with others about our situation when God gives us the opportunity to share. So often, all we want to do is survive the tough time ourselves, put it behind us, try never to think about it again, and we most certainly do not want to tell anyone about our difficulty.
I’m thinking that God the Father might have wanted to do that Himself when His innocent son was crucified for our sins. Aren’t we blessed that He didn’t?
Sandra Timmons
As she stood in response to my offering her a hug, she looked rather fragile, and I could see bandages peeking out from the neck area of her shirt. I felt a tightening in my stomach, and even though I knew the answer was not going to be a pretty one, I asked, “What are you doing here?” Rather weakly, she replied, “Today is my first day of chemo.” My heart sank because I remembered my own “first day of chemo” just three years prior. I remembered the fear of knowing absolutely nothing about what was about to take place in my body. How would I feel when the chemo first went into my body? Would it burn? Would I even know it was happening? Would I get sick? How long would it take?
I just had to do it: I sat down in front of her and chatted for a few minutes, sharing my experience with cancer with her, doing my best to reassure her that today would not be nearly as bad as she had imagined it might be. It’s that not knowing that sets one’s imagination in motion. Thank goodness, she has the same oncologist that I do, and he’s a wonderful, Christian man as well as a phenomenal physician, so I spent a few minutes singing his praises. I also assured her that (in my opinion) she was being treated at the best cancer treatment facility in town. The staff people are absolutely wonderful, and they wait on and take care of their patients as if they were royalty. My cancer was stage three breast cancer three years ago. I am now on a two--three month check-up schedule, and I can hardly wait to get there every time to see those wonderful men and women who took such great care of me; it’s like a family reunion every time I go.
The nurse came out and called me to the back to have my lab work done, so I promised Catherine that I would check on her before I left. After my lab work was finished, I was scheduled to see my doctor for my regular check-up. When that was over, I stopped back by the chemo lab to see how things were going with Catherine. As I chatted briefly with her, several of the nurses came by to speak to me and give me a hug, and I introduced each of them to Catherine and reassured her that they are the best in the field. As I was leaving, I promised Catherine that I would be checking on her in a few days.
Several days later, I did just that and got a most unexpected greeting from her. When she answered the phone, she didn’t even say, “Hello.” She simply said, “There’s my angel.” To say that she caught me off-guard is putting it mildly; I really was speechless for a few seconds. In all honesty, I thought that perhaps she had looked at her caller ID wrong and was expecting to speak to a dear, close friend or a family member. Not knowing exactly how to respond, I sort of chuckled for a bit and then said something really inane like, “Well, am I your angel?” I fully expected her to say something like, “Oops, I thought you were my sister/good friend/mother/etc.” But she didn’t. She went on to say that she had been telling a friend about our “chance” meeting at the cancer center several days prior to this phone call. Catherine had told her friend how nervous she had been, and when she looked up, because of my white blouse and my “blonde” hair that I really did look like an angel sent to her to help calm her fears. (I thanked her for calling my hair blonde, but in all truth, it is now varying shades of gray---thanks to chemo!)
Catherine and I had a wonderful chat about God’s love and power and ability: He created everything and keeps everything working in an orderly manner (I Corinthians 14:40). The really amazing thing is that He also takes the time and effort to do the “little” things for us, His children, when we need His reassurance--like arranging for our paths to cross that day in the chemo lab. Squire Rushnell wrote a book entitled When God Winks At You. He tells story after story of people who have experienced a coincidence in their lives which they later realized was not a coincidence at all but something which God had done for them. Rushnell says that when God winks at you, He is, in essence saying, “I haven’t forgotten about you or your situation; I’m still here. I’m still in control, so you don’t have to worry.” Rushnell also says that when God does something special like this, it’s as if a close friend is winking at you to remind you of some special secret or bond between just the two of you. I love that thought—that God is a close friend trying to reassure me of His love and His ability to take care of anything in my life.
I was first diagnosed in April of 2007. After the shock of the diagnosis started fading a bit and I was just beginning to get just a tiny idea of what treatment was going to be like, I asked a special favor from God: If I was going to have to do this cancer thing, I didn’t want it wasted. I wanted someone else to benefit from all I was going through. God has been so faithful to give me opportunities to share with and encourage other women as they experience cancer and the treatments they must endure.
II Corinthians 1:3-4 (NLT)—
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort.
He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.
When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.
If you’ve ever had doubts that Romans 8:28 could really be true, this is God’s plan for our spiritual growth, the encouragement of His children, and a witness to the unbeliever.
Romans 8:28 (NLT)—
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are
called according to His purpose for them.
God can take all the bad stuff in our lives (death, divorce, cancer, rape, financial problems, problems with our children, etc.), and use them to comfort, heal, and renew us. He then instructs us (II Corinthians 1:3-4) to “pass it along” by helping others who are suffering and struggling. When we obey that instruction, many good things can happen: our faith in and our relationship with God grows; someone else is helped through a tough time; and unbelievers may witness all of this and wonder, “How can I have a life like that?”
However, the key points to this plan’s working is that: (1) First, we have to be willing to give the situation to God. (2) Second, we must be willing to be open and honest with others about our situation when God gives us the opportunity to share. So often, all we want to do is survive the tough time ourselves, put it behind us, try never to think about it again, and we most certainly do not want to tell anyone about our difficulty.
I’m thinking that God the Father might have wanted to do that Himself when His innocent son was crucified for our sins. Aren’t we blessed that He didn’t?
Sandra Timmons
Monday, July 26, 2010
Sharing a Moment of My Quiet Time
There is something about sitting in the outdoors, listening to nature and studying God’s word. When I am in this surrounding it’s as if God reaches down and touches me all the way to the core. I absorb the nature around me, hearing and seeing things differently from the norm and knowing that by His hand these things are created. I love this moment, wishing every moment of my life were like this very moment. Even though it seems short-lived, I cherish it because at this precise moment of my life, I am able to connect with God so strongly, and that is my heart’s desire!
As I sit listening to the many sounds of nature, I think about how I am a vessel – simply that! I perceive my body as such and envision God taking out all the broken, sad, and hurtful pieces. He removes all the trash that has built up and collected there in my vessel. He takes it all out so that there is nothing dark or flawed or sad or tarnished left. Only the good that He has found in me is allowed to remain (which I envision to be only up to my ankles because I envision from my feet upward). So then I envision God’s pouring into my vessel – that part which is now mostly empty - His love, His wisdom, His healing, His ALL until my vessel is completely full, and there is nothing but Godliness from Him in me. I am His. He loves me, and I live for Him.
This is just one of the things I think about and envision in my quiet time with God.
Shared by
Donna Melancon
As I sit listening to the many sounds of nature, I think about how I am a vessel – simply that! I perceive my body as such and envision God taking out all the broken, sad, and hurtful pieces. He removes all the trash that has built up and collected there in my vessel. He takes it all out so that there is nothing dark or flawed or sad or tarnished left. Only the good that He has found in me is allowed to remain (which I envision to be only up to my ankles because I envision from my feet upward). So then I envision God’s pouring into my vessel – that part which is now mostly empty - His love, His wisdom, His healing, His ALL until my vessel is completely full, and there is nothing but Godliness from Him in me. I am His. He loves me, and I live for Him.
This is just one of the things I think about and envision in my quiet time with God.
Shared by
Donna Melancon
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
He Wants a Word with You!!!!
There was a specific time in my life when I wasn’t all too pleased with what God had allowed into my life, and just as I was ready to have a word with Him, He said, “I want a Word with you.” Nothing like being called into your Creator’s presence.
Ladies, unlike any other book in the world, unlike any other document in the world, God’s Word is living and active (Heb 4:12). You can read a verse in a time of need or just in a time of meditation, and then a month later or a year later, you can read that same verse, and He has spoken to your very soul yet again with a different message.
God’s Word is to be preached and taught. In 2 Tim 4:2 “be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instructions.” This is what we need to be doing with His Word.
As I sat down in His presence, these are the things He spoke to my heart:
"Kristy, my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways for my thoughts and ways are higher than yours" (Is 55:8-9). "Kristy, you see in a mirror dimly where as I see the whole picture" (I Cor 13:12). "You need to know that I knew you before the world was even created." (Eph 1:4) "I knew you were going to screw up and need redeeming. I knew you were going to need my perfect Son to die for you in order to save you, and I created you anyway." (That was humbling.) "Kristy, I love you so much that I personally knitted you while you were in your mother's womb. Girl, you are fearfully and wonderfully made"(Ps 139:13-14). "I threw away the mold when I made you. You are a one-of-a-kind. You are priceless." "And if I loved you so much that I created you knowing you would sin and need redeeming after I took my time creating you, do you really think I would do anything to harm you or allow anything or anyone to harm you now?" "Girl, I have plans for you. I want to prosper you. I want to be your hope, and I am your future" (Jer 29:11) "Trust me, child, when I say that I haven't finished with you yet. I'm going to continue my work in you" (Phil 1:6). "And there isn't anything you will go through that I didn't know about. NOTHING SURPRISES ME, and I'm going to use every bit of it to your benefit because you love Me" (Rms 8:28). "I will never leave you or forsake you" (Heb 13:5b). "You can take that to the bank." Then the Babbie Mason song comes to my heart, "When You Can't Trace His Hand, Trust His Heart."
I’d like for you to read that paragraph again, and this time, put YOUR name in it.
You see, ladies, He was able to do this with me because as a small child people encouraged me and rewarded me for learning scripture. And there are verses I don’t remember where they are found, but the Spirit refreshes them in my mind so I can find them. Look them up in the concordance of your Bible. Look them up at www.Biblegateway.com. Start choosing a verse to memorize each week.
Mrs. Lavahn gave me a small, spiral bound set of index cards that I keep in my purse. I write down verses that I use regularly or that I need to remember. Ladies, I can pull these little cards out anywhere and have a quiet time. The more that we store God’s Word in our hearts, the better He can speak to us. Then in turn, when we are praying for someone or counseling someone or encouraging someone, we can quote these scriptures to them. What better way to encourage someone than a special Word from their Creator?
Ladies, I encourage you. Get into the Word of God. Memorize it. Write it upon your heart.
Written by: Kristy Mullins
Ladies, unlike any other book in the world, unlike any other document in the world, God’s Word is living and active (Heb 4:12). You can read a verse in a time of need or just in a time of meditation, and then a month later or a year later, you can read that same verse, and He has spoken to your very soul yet again with a different message.
God’s Word is to be preached and taught. In 2 Tim 4:2 “be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instructions.” This is what we need to be doing with His Word.
As I sat down in His presence, these are the things He spoke to my heart:
"Kristy, my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways for my thoughts and ways are higher than yours" (Is 55:8-9). "Kristy, you see in a mirror dimly where as I see the whole picture" (I Cor 13:12). "You need to know that I knew you before the world was even created." (Eph 1:4) "I knew you were going to screw up and need redeeming. I knew you were going to need my perfect Son to die for you in order to save you, and I created you anyway." (That was humbling.) "Kristy, I love you so much that I personally knitted you while you were in your mother's womb. Girl, you are fearfully and wonderfully made"(Ps 139:13-14). "I threw away the mold when I made you. You are a one-of-a-kind. You are priceless." "And if I loved you so much that I created you knowing you would sin and need redeeming after I took my time creating you, do you really think I would do anything to harm you or allow anything or anyone to harm you now?" "Girl, I have plans for you. I want to prosper you. I want to be your hope, and I am your future" (Jer 29:11) "Trust me, child, when I say that I haven't finished with you yet. I'm going to continue my work in you" (Phil 1:6). "And there isn't anything you will go through that I didn't know about. NOTHING SURPRISES ME, and I'm going to use every bit of it to your benefit because you love Me" (Rms 8:28). "I will never leave you or forsake you" (Heb 13:5b). "You can take that to the bank." Then the Babbie Mason song comes to my heart, "When You Can't Trace His Hand, Trust His Heart."
I’d like for you to read that paragraph again, and this time, put YOUR name in it.
You see, ladies, He was able to do this with me because as a small child people encouraged me and rewarded me for learning scripture. And there are verses I don’t remember where they are found, but the Spirit refreshes them in my mind so I can find them. Look them up in the concordance of your Bible. Look them up at www.Biblegateway.com. Start choosing a verse to memorize each week.
Mrs. Lavahn gave me a small, spiral bound set of index cards that I keep in my purse. I write down verses that I use regularly or that I need to remember. Ladies, I can pull these little cards out anywhere and have a quiet time. The more that we store God’s Word in our hearts, the better He can speak to us. Then in turn, when we are praying for someone or counseling someone or encouraging someone, we can quote these scriptures to them. What better way to encourage someone than a special Word from their Creator?
Ladies, I encourage you. Get into the Word of God. Memorize it. Write it upon your heart.
Written by: Kristy Mullins
Friday, June 18, 2010
I Have a Blind Spot or Two
When my husband was in elementary school, he and one of his little buddies decided it would be a ton of fun to put all of the balls they used for P.E. (physical education) on top of the covered walkway. Upon accomplishing their fete but before they could escape a teacher saw them. The teacher made them shimmy up the poles and get every last ball. Their excuse for doing this act was, "He was did it first." The teacher had the boys follow him to his classroom to write and fill a whole sheet of paper with a verse that my husband remembers to this day: "The blind will lead the blind and they both will fall in a ditch." (Matthew 15:14) Oh that our teachers today could use the Word of God for reproof and correction!
Do you know why "they both shall fall in a ditch?" It seems obvious, doesn't it? They couldn't see. When a person has been sighted and then loses it, the way they experience their world is radically changed. They have to learn a completely different way of operating in the world using their other senses, assistance, and devices.
You might be wondering where this is going, but hang in there with me.
There have been times in my spiritual walk where I've been blind. I was walking in my faith by sight. Is that really faith? It's definitely not a rich, growing faith. I remember going through the adoption process the first time. No one I had ever known had gone through fertility treatments and certainly not the adoption process. I remember telling my mom, "If God would just show me, if He would just tell me, I would obey! Just give me a sign or something as to where I'm supposed to go to get my baby!" (My fear was that I would get the wrong baby. When you give birth to your cherubs, you really don't have to worry too much about that.) I remember crying out to God not knowing what direction I was supposed to be going or what I was supposed to be doing. God knew the intent of my heart was to be obedient (Proverbs 16:2), and He wasn't going to allow me to go astray. If He had whispered in my ear, "This is the way walk in it," (Isaiah 30:21), He knew I would follow, but His ways and thoughts are higher than our ways and thoughts (Isaiah 54:8-9). He saw the whole picture whereas I only saw a corner of the picture. My Lord was choosing at this time of high anxiety and stress in my life to develop my faith, my blind trust because my obedience has already been established.
Since that time in my life over nine years ago, I've had other blinding experiences, and I've relied on and claimed Isaiah 42:16, "I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them." Are you going through a "blinding" experience right now? Maybe it's with your health, your marriage, your family, your job, your finances – you have no idea what God wants you to do. God knows exactly where your blind spot is, and He is going to use it to its maximum potential to grow you up in faith.
Think about that verse. When you're blind, you are led. Who do you want leading you during your trial? Do you want Someone who has known you since before the creation of the world (Ephesians 1:4) to guide you? Do you want Someone who loves you so much that He died for you to guide you? Do you want Someone who knows what tomorrow holds to guide you down this unfamiliar path? Here's the thing. The path is only unfamiliar to you. He is the Creator of the path.
Did you notice the word "guide?" If He were to lead you so it was blatantly obvious it wouldn't require much faith from you. Would it? And sometimes, He chooses to work like that – Thank you, Jesus! But other times, He chooses to GUIDE. A synonym for the word "guide" is "Shepherd." He will shepherd you where you need to go.
He also said He would make the "rough places" (those "rough places" have jagged ends that can do irreparable harm) smooth. Notice He didn't say, "You won't have pain." There can be and more times than not will be pain in growth. Not only does He smooth the rough places, but He is the Light. Where He is, there is no darkness. We just have to pray that He will remove the scales from our eyes, so we can see what He would have us see.
All those times I was in a "blind spot" He never once left me (Hebrews 13:5). I might not have known His plan or how He was going to work it out for my good (Romans 8:28), but I had confidence that He was going to finish what He started in me (Philippians 1:6), and you can have that same confidence. No matter how difficult a time you are in or what your struggle is, He's not going to leave you in it.
His Daughter,
Kristy Mullins
Monday, June 14, 2010
Seeking God’s Kingdom First – It’s All About Balance
We live in a fast-paced world, and as Christians we have to deal with being part of this world, but not of it. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus instructed us to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; then the things that we need would be provided.
Recently, during a time of prayer, I sensed the Lord speaking to me. This is what He said: “Press through the smoke screen of this world – the counterfeits of Me and My glory. I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Push past the allurement of the world – the bells and whistles, the “new” innovative ideas, new marketing strategies and techniques. Go past the photographs which promise MORE.”
A few weeks ago, I went to dinner with my family. My sister ordered the “new” chicken dish, which was touted to be so spectacular. The bottom line? It was grilled chicken with fancy macaroni and cheese. Not even a new taste! Nothing new, nothing to “wow” me – much ado about nothing! Just another marketing technique used to convince me that this item was better than any other – so I should spend my money purchasing it.
We must push past the descriptions. The world will always “hawk” their wares like a carnival worker wanting us to throw away our money on a rigged game. Satan’s plan is to lure as many as possible onto the broad, easy path of destruction and to pull us off the straight and narrow that leads to eternal life.
There are many allurements for women, such as the quest to look better - a younger looking body, wrinkle serums and creams, face lifts, Botox, tucks and lifts, cosmetic surgery, hair color, more cosmetics, breast augmentations, collagen injections. These are just some of the outer allurements. Then there are the latest fashion trends, jewelry, shoes, sexuality, power and money.
Sisters, don’t get me wrong. I’m all for looking good – as much as possible. But if our hearts and minds seek these things first instead of furthering the kingdom of God, then we have our priorities all out of balance.
I heard a minister say that Satan can’t take away your salvation, but if he can cause you to not be productive in God’s kingdom, then Satan has succeeded. There are numerous ways through which he can influence us. Our number one line of defense is the same one Jesus used when Satan tempted Him in the wilderness – through the Word of God. And the greatest commandment is that we love the Lord, our God, with all our heart, soul, mind and strength: that is seeking first His kingdom. And that, dear friend, is living a balanced life.
By: Sally Frazier
Recently, during a time of prayer, I sensed the Lord speaking to me. This is what He said: “Press through the smoke screen of this world – the counterfeits of Me and My glory. I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Push past the allurement of the world – the bells and whistles, the “new” innovative ideas, new marketing strategies and techniques. Go past the photographs which promise MORE.”
A few weeks ago, I went to dinner with my family. My sister ordered the “new” chicken dish, which was touted to be so spectacular. The bottom line? It was grilled chicken with fancy macaroni and cheese. Not even a new taste! Nothing new, nothing to “wow” me – much ado about nothing! Just another marketing technique used to convince me that this item was better than any other – so I should spend my money purchasing it.
We must push past the descriptions. The world will always “hawk” their wares like a carnival worker wanting us to throw away our money on a rigged game. Satan’s plan is to lure as many as possible onto the broad, easy path of destruction and to pull us off the straight and narrow that leads to eternal life.
There are many allurements for women, such as the quest to look better - a younger looking body, wrinkle serums and creams, face lifts, Botox, tucks and lifts, cosmetic surgery, hair color, more cosmetics, breast augmentations, collagen injections. These are just some of the outer allurements. Then there are the latest fashion trends, jewelry, shoes, sexuality, power and money.
Sisters, don’t get me wrong. I’m all for looking good – as much as possible. But if our hearts and minds seek these things first instead of furthering the kingdom of God, then we have our priorities all out of balance.
I heard a minister say that Satan can’t take away your salvation, but if he can cause you to not be productive in God’s kingdom, then Satan has succeeded. There are numerous ways through which he can influence us. Our number one line of defense is the same one Jesus used when Satan tempted Him in the wilderness – through the Word of God. And the greatest commandment is that we love the Lord, our God, with all our heart, soul, mind and strength: that is seeking first His kingdom. And that, dear friend, is living a balanced life.
By: Sally Frazier
Friday, May 28, 2010
Just a Shepherd Boy
I love studying the life of David. I find such encouragement in his life. God called him ‘a man after my own heart’ and while he was that, he stumbled, fell and hurt just like the rest of us. That speaks to the melancholy in me that is determined to do it all and do it perfectly. I can mess up and God will still allow my heart to beat just for him. First and Second Samuel read to me like the most fascinating of any novel I could find on the shelf at my local Barnes and Noble and right now in this blessed season, I have the privilege of studying the life of David once again.
I’ll have you know that I’m only on the second day of my Bible Study and already my mind is ablaze in wonder.
I wonder what David thought when he was brought in from the field that day and anointed by Samuel. I wonder what he had been thinking about while tending to the sheep in that field just hours before. Were his thoughts lofty or mundane? Was he happy and content tending to the sheep or did he dream of greater things?
These are just a few of the many questions I have the day that I meet my King face to face.
This speaks to me, because in my life right now I feel like I am in a season of sheep tending. Not the pastoral type of sheep tending, but the real sit in a field all day watching sheep graze the grass type of shepherding. I wake up in the morning, eat a bowl of cereal, get the baby ready, kiss the hubby, head to work, sit, answer the phone, sit, greet a guest, sit, pick the baby up, cook dinner, bathe the baby, go to bed. Surely I thought life would be so much greater when I was a young girl. Perhaps you feel this way, too.
Today I read a blog entry written by one of my best friends. She’s really struggling in life right now. Through her written words I can hear her practically screaming “Is this all life has to offer me?” at the top of her lungs.
And then I think of David. I wonder if he thought those exact thoughts while he spent his days watching sheep eat grass, poop and sleep. It’s a known fact that sheep aren’t the smartest or the most interesting animals, surely he got bored.
Perhaps he loved being a shepherd. One of the sweetest moments in my day is having the Daycare’s Bye-Bye buggy make a visit past my desk. (The Bye-Bye Buggy is a cart full of precious one year olds who make their way around our establishment, either in order to prevent boredom or keep the babies from falling asleep.) I love those babies; I know each of them by name. It’s a sweet thought to think that David knew each of his sheep by name- that they were more than just sheep, they were cherished pets.
Regardless, David’s life changed one afternoon when his father sent for him to leave the field and head home. In just a matter of hours, David went from being just a shepherd boy to the anointed and chosen one of God. It says in The Message that the spirit of God entered David like a rush of wind. Can you even imagine?
I’m going to think about David, the shepherd boy David, when I find myself in a rut. When life feels mundane and I want to shout at the top of my lungs “Is this it, Lord?”
Where are you in your life right now? Are you feeling bored, weary, unimportant, overlooked?
Tomorrow could be the very day that God pulls you off of the field to anoint you and call you to the very thing he chosen for you to bring glory to Him. Are you allowing God to prepare you for that time or are you too busy wallowing in your sorrows?
Make a choice to be thankful for wherever God has you in this movement. Learn from it, cherish it, live in it.
I imagine that when David looked back on his exciting and prosperous life, he was indeed thankful for that time he spent in the field merely tending to the sheep.
Sunni Scott
I’ll have you know that I’m only on the second day of my Bible Study and already my mind is ablaze in wonder.
I wonder what David thought when he was brought in from the field that day and anointed by Samuel. I wonder what he had been thinking about while tending to the sheep in that field just hours before. Were his thoughts lofty or mundane? Was he happy and content tending to the sheep or did he dream of greater things?
These are just a few of the many questions I have the day that I meet my King face to face.
This speaks to me, because in my life right now I feel like I am in a season of sheep tending. Not the pastoral type of sheep tending, but the real sit in a field all day watching sheep graze the grass type of shepherding. I wake up in the morning, eat a bowl of cereal, get the baby ready, kiss the hubby, head to work, sit, answer the phone, sit, greet a guest, sit, pick the baby up, cook dinner, bathe the baby, go to bed. Surely I thought life would be so much greater when I was a young girl. Perhaps you feel this way, too.
Today I read a blog entry written by one of my best friends. She’s really struggling in life right now. Through her written words I can hear her practically screaming “Is this all life has to offer me?” at the top of her lungs.
And then I think of David. I wonder if he thought those exact thoughts while he spent his days watching sheep eat grass, poop and sleep. It’s a known fact that sheep aren’t the smartest or the most interesting animals, surely he got bored.
Perhaps he loved being a shepherd. One of the sweetest moments in my day is having the Daycare’s Bye-Bye buggy make a visit past my desk. (The Bye-Bye Buggy is a cart full of precious one year olds who make their way around our establishment, either in order to prevent boredom or keep the babies from falling asleep.) I love those babies; I know each of them by name. It’s a sweet thought to think that David knew each of his sheep by name- that they were more than just sheep, they were cherished pets.
Regardless, David’s life changed one afternoon when his father sent for him to leave the field and head home. In just a matter of hours, David went from being just a shepherd boy to the anointed and chosen one of God. It says in The Message that the spirit of God entered David like a rush of wind. Can you even imagine?
I’m going to think about David, the shepherd boy David, when I find myself in a rut. When life feels mundane and I want to shout at the top of my lungs “Is this it, Lord?”
Where are you in your life right now? Are you feeling bored, weary, unimportant, overlooked?
Tomorrow could be the very day that God pulls you off of the field to anoint you and call you to the very thing he chosen for you to bring glory to Him. Are you allowing God to prepare you for that time or are you too busy wallowing in your sorrows?
Make a choice to be thankful for wherever God has you in this movement. Learn from it, cherish it, live in it.
I imagine that when David looked back on his exciting and prosperous life, he was indeed thankful for that time he spent in the field merely tending to the sheep.
Sunni Scott
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