On Divorce and Life's Other Devastating Losses....

I am sharing this encouraging testimony with the permission of Brenda Higgins.  

Fifteen years ago today, I married the man I fully expected to spend the rest of my life with, but a few years ago, disaster happened - divorce.  I thought my life was over.

I know some who have gone through this devastation, despair and destruction of an unwanted divorce, who have clung to their anger, hurt, offense and brokenness.  They have succumbed to bitterness and despair allowing it to cripple, incapacitate and maim them, rendering them ineffective or, at most, minimally effective for the Lord.

I know others who have suffered through that same loss but are sweeter, purer, more focused, joyful, hopeful and effective for it. They have allowed their loss to drive them into deeper relationship with God, a reliance on His goodness, faithfulness and immeasurable promises to make their lives good again - even better than they could ever have been had their marriage survived.

I plan to be one of the latter.  I plan to surrender more fully, rely more heavily, delve more deeply into God.

Fellow "losers", life is not over.  God is not finished with us yet. He has mighty, powerful, amazing things in store for us, if we but surrender our losses, our lives and ourselves to Him and watch what He can do, watch what He will do with our shattered dreams and hopes.

He has something wonderful planned.  Let Him take you there.

-Brenda Higgins is a member of Faith Tabernacle.  She sings in the choir and is the mother to five beautiful children.

Getting Directions

"But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come." - John 16:13

This scripture paints the picture of the Holy Spirit as a "guide", one who gives continuous direction on a need-to-know basis.  

"He will guide you into all truth."  

Much of the heartache and frustration we encounter in discerning God's voice has come from wanting direction from Him before He's ready to give it. 

The Holy Spirit doesn't give us directions all at once or give us all His directions upfront and then leave us alone to sort it all out.  He can be trusted to tell us everything we need to know for now, and then continually update His instructions, as we step out in faith and obey.

Be confident that when it's time for us to know what we need to know, we will.  Timing is everything.

While we wait, He wants us focusing on what He is saying in front of us - right now.

In contrast, the enemy's voice will often focus on the past:  What we did.  What we didn't do.  What we've wasted.  What's the use? 

The enemy will also focus on our future: What could happen. What might go wrong. What others will say. What am I supposed to do next?  

A great piece of advice I received from my dad was this: "Sharon, just keep putting one foot in front of the other and keep walking." He was saying, don't get hung up on what's next, or what God wants me to do.  Just do the next thing.  Just do what He's called me to do right now.  

We get all uptight about the grand scope of God's will for our life, when we just need to do what He's put in front of us at this time.

Nothing catches God off guard or alters His agenda.  We need to be faithful at what we are doing now.

If we don't feel assurance in a decision we need to make, then back off.  Wait. Stop. Listen.

Our lives are like a giant jigsaw puzzle and only God can see the picture on the lid.  He has a full grasp of the entire layout.

His perfect timing and eternal plans are gifts to us that enable us to rest in Him, to enjoy the adventure of following Him.  It frees us from the burden of trying to make things happen on our own.

The Holy Spirit:

• Guides us into truth
• Speaks what He hears from God
• Will declare to us the things that are to come
• Glorifies God
• Is our Helper
• Convicts of sin

Our Response

Be filled with the Spirit and let Him be our guide.

Taken from my notes of "Discerning The Voice of God" by Priscilla Shirer

Flexing Our Faith Muscles

To help us grow in our faith, it's important to change not only our focus but also our thinking and listening practices during times of difficulty.  It's in those difficult times that our "faith muscles" can be flexed.

Here are five suggestions to help us:

1. Exalt God above the circumstances. Set our mind on God's promises, not on the impossibility of our situation.

2. Trust in His divine nature. Our emotions change, God's do not. He is always the same.  Instead of trusting our feelings about the circumstances, trust God.

3. View the circumstance through God's lens. Seek to view the difficulty from His perspective instead of giving it our own limited interpretation.  God has a panoramic view.

4. Listen to the Holy Spirit. What does God have to say about it? What does God say He'll do? Listen to the Holy Spirit instead of Satan's whispered lies, which stir up uncertainties.

5. Rehearse the strength of our God.  Rehearse the Lord's past faithfulness to us instead of dwelling on previous failures.

Our Turn
We must choose to believe God regardless of the situation.  Let's keep on flexing our faith muscles and not let the enemy win.

A Promise

"My child be attentive to my words, to my sayings incline your ear.  May they not escape from your sight.  Keep them in the midst of your heart.  For they are life to those who find them, and healing to the entire body."  Proverbs 4:20-22

Taking a look at this I see.....

Be Attentive.  My part.  "Hey, Sharon, pay attention to what I'm saying."

Incline. Lean in and listen!

Not Escape.  Don't let the word run away from me.  Keep it in my sight always.

Keep Them in the midst.  Let it surround my heart.

The benefits will be....

• Life.
• Healing.
• Health.

I would have to concur that these are pretty good benefits.

Promise:  "The word is life, healing and health to all who find them." - Joyce Meyer

God Does Not Pull Our "Jacket"

This is a "faith note" written by my husband for our congregation that I want to share.

I like detective shows, especially ones that give enough clues to enable you to figure out who did it, like the British series Foyle's War.

Very often, some suspect has a police record, so the detectives pull the "jacket" - the record of arrests and convictions, and then treat the suspect accordingly.  The presumption is that if they committed some crime before, they are likely to have done it again.

Unfortunately, we all have had a "jacket" before God, and we know it, so sometimes we think that the Holy Spirit is like some TV detective who pulls our record when He deals with us.

Nothing could be further from the truth!

The psalmist wrote, "He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor deal with us according to our iniquities."  

If God was going to deal with Israel according to their sins, He would have destroyed them in the wilderness.  Instead, He revealed Himself as the God of mercy and steadfast love - the love that never gives up.

Paul wrote something similar to the Colossians, that when we were dead in sin, He made us alive - "canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands."

The record of our sins has been canceled!

God does not pull our "jacket".  He looks toward our future to bring His purpose to fruition.  

We are a new creation, brought into His family, and invested with His Spirit.

God Himself has come to dwell with us, with you.

He will continue to work out the brokenness of sin in us, but it is not punishment, it is His gracious work of restoration and renewal.

As the psalmist said - "Bless the Lord!"

Pastor Bruce Garner

Do We Know God?

He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.  Psalm 103:7

Moses met God at the burning bush where He revealed His covenant name, the LORD.  God made Himself known personally to Moses and said to him, "I will be with you."

God would come to meet with Moses at a tent set up outside the camp of Israel.  Moses had access to the LORD that no one else had.  When jealousy prompted Miriam and Aaron to complain about Moses, God told them that He spoke to other prophets in dreams or visions, but He spoke to Moses face to face.

The psalmist says that this intimate contact helped Moses know God's ways, not just what He did. The Israelites saw what God did. They experienced deliverance, divine provision, and God's glorious presence, yet they did not discern God's ways as a merciful, compassionate and loving God.

When Moses went up to the mountain, they could clearly see and experience that glory of God coming upon the top of the mountain, yet they made a golden calf to worship.  Later, when the spies came back in fear, they wanted to return to Egypt.

Moses had learned His ways, so that when God threatened to destroy the people, he appealed to God's character and purpose: "remember Your promise, Lord.  Don't do this or the Egyptians will hear of it."  

Is God afraid of the Egyptians' opinion?  No!

God plans to use Israel to reach the Egyptians and all other nations. The Egyptians do not need to hear that the LORD, who demonstrated to all Egypt that He is God, killed off the people He chose. 

Moses knows what God is about, saving the world, and wants the people to be a part of it.

Reflect and Respond
Do we know His acts or His ways?

~Pastor Bruce Garner
                                                                       

Fighting

Being up north at the lake cabin has always been a relaxing time for me.  This is my get-away place. I bring my study materials, notebooks, pens, computer and iPad to get alone with God and nature.  It's a time for me to reflect on my spiritual life, to take inventory of my growth or lack thereof, to pray and hear from God, to ask questions, journal and then move forward either with a giant step or little steps.

On my third day, it was time to put everything down and take some giant steps.  A giant step in prayer and intercession again.

Today, my husband called me to talk about Kelly, my oldest daughter.  She has been experiencing panic attacks since her move into a new apartment with her 19-month-old daughter Analiese.  The past two years for Kelly has been loaded with stress.  A single mom, now living alone for the first time since her move there in 2012.  She's always lived with people - a family or a girlfriend, but not by herself.

Each difficult stage, she has moved forward, learned some lessons about herself and others, and deepened her faith in God.  I moved forward as well in prayer, trusting God with my daughter, believing He alone can bring her through.  My faith deepened as well.

I believe she will move forward again and defeat this fear and anxiety as well.  The lessons learned will never be taken away from her.  She will learn that we have an enemy who wants to destroy our lives and will use our weaknesses against us.  She will learn that in this anxiety and fear, there is someone greater who can help her overcome - that the enemy will never triumph when God is on our side.  She will learn not to fear "man" and that God has her future in His hands.  There is hope.  God has a plan that will never be thwarted......ever.

So, I have been praying for her and speaking scripture over her as if she is standing right in front of me. The enemy will not win.  He hasn't won these past two and half years since her move to Colorado and becoming a single mom, and he won't now.

Just this afternoon, I sent a pray to her phone and a scripture to encourage her.

Psalm 94:19 "When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations, Your comfort delights and cheers my soul."

I reminded Kelly that God's Word has power, so speak it out loud, speak it in your car, your apartment, at work, everywhere you go - get it out in the atmosphere, surrounding you, covering you.

When I had my panic attacks 18 years ago, it was the Word of God and soothing worship music that brought healing to my soul.  They have never returned.

Faith conquers fear every time.

My belief is that Kelly will become even stronger.  She will learn to express her thoughts, not internalize them, her trust in God will further deepen, her fighting spirit will rise up and say, "enough of this enemy, you will not triumph here."

My daughter has a warrior spirit.  She's fought before and won and she will fight again and win.

As Isaiah 54:13a says: "No weapon fashioned against us will succeed"........

Psalm 32:7 also says this: "You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance."

The enemy has no say so in my daughter's life, nor does he have any say so in yours, if you are a Christ follower.

God will contend with our enemy.  God will fight for us.  God is on our side.

This is what I believe for my daughter.  I will never back down.

The fight is on and Kelly will survive and thrive.

What about you?  What battle are you fighting?  Use the Word of God.  It is alive and powerful and will defeat fear, anxiety, and give you confidence in your battle.

Sing, Make Music, Don't Be A Fool......

In my devotion time, I read the first six verses of Psalm 92 wanting to break apart these verses and glean truths for my own everyday living.  I'm not a Bible scholar by any means, but I depend on the Holy Spirit to enlighten these verses to my simple intellect.  This is my journal entry:  

Psalm 92:1  "It is good to praise the Lord and make music to Your name, O Most High....

What two actions are good for me to do? To praise the Lord and make music. To whom?  To the most favored one, the one who sits in highest authority over my life - God.

Psalm 92:2 "Proclaiming Your love in the morning and Your faithfulness at night."

What does it mean to "proclaim?"  Announce officially, declare something important with emphasis.  What should I be proclaiming in my praise and my music?  How his love is with me when I rise in the morning and his faithfulness has watched over me all day and into the evening.  Proclaim the evidence of it being seen.

Psalm 92:3 "...to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp."

Instruments are involved in my proclamation of love and faithfulness. I'm so glad about that.  I love sitting at my piano and making music to my God.

Psalm 92:4 "For you make me glad by Your deeds, Lord; I sing for joy at what Your hands have done."

By the very actions that God performs, the works that He does make me glad.  When I see what God has done with my own eyes, I want to shout, celebrate, dance about.  The writer says he wants to sing for joy.....me too!!  It's His hands that did it!  He performed some great works!

Psalm 92:5  "How great are Your works, Lord; how profound Your thoughts"....

Look at what happens after the writer has praised God for his love, faithfulness and works; he begins to expound on His greatness.  Great works.  Vast depth of thoughts.  This is what happens when we have spent time singing and making music to God and Him only.  Our view changes.  We are lifted into another realm - no longer seeing things in the natural or at a ground level.  This should be my song when I rise and at the end of the day.

God's thoughts cannot be measured, showing great knowledge and insight, great depth.  As Charles Spurgeon wrote:

"In the eternal God, the conception (the idea) and the execution (carrying out or putting into effect) go together."

Psalm 92:6 "senseless people do not know, fools do not understand."

The psalmist now begins to make comparisons.  Senseless people cannot comprehend the works of God, even though it's all around them.  They chose not to know, not to take the initiative to comprehend.  The word "stupid" is used here.  To me a stupid person, or a fool, is arrogant, overly self-confident or parades his/her intellect and yet refuses to see the evidence clearly revealed.

So......
Praise. Make music. Proclaim His love and faithfulness.  Sing for joy. Spend time in worship and see your "view" change. Most of all.....don't be a fool.

My Aunt Archa's Thought for the Day

I'm sharing a post written by my aunt Archa with her permission.  

My thought for the day:
The story of Lot's wife has always fascinated me. I remember, as a child, leafing through the family bible and looking at the pictures that depicted the agony of the Cross, the parting of the Red Sea, the baptism of Christ and many others. One picture, in particular, always caught my rapt attention. It showed a man and woman and their two daughters being pulled away from a burning city by two angels who instructed all of them not to look back as they left. The man and his daughters are walking with determination, with their eyes straight ahead, but the mother has turned to look at the burning city. Her face reflects disbelief as she watches the fire and brimstone fall from heaven. Her city, Sodom, is being destroyed.

The picture always disturbed me because I wanted them all to escape and flee to the mountains, and I wondered why she chose to disobey the angel's instructions to not look back. The woman's name is not mentioned in Scripture. She is simply known as "Lot's wife." Other women in the Bible who became symbols of something are remembered by name. Sarah, Esther, Ruth, Naomi, Mary, and the list can go on and on. But, this woman is nameless.

We don't know why she hesitated to leave her city which was about to be destroyed because of its sinful behavior.. Perhaps she had learned to love the well watered plains or treasured the friendship of the women whom she met daily at the city well to draw water. Whatever the reasons for her glance backward, she paid a dear price for it. Once the judgement of God fell upon her she became a woman who belonged nowhere. She could not return to her city and she could not proceed with her husband and daughters. She could not retreat to the past or move into the future. She was changed into a pillar of salt and became a symbol...of disobedience.

Our times today are no different than those of Sodom. People are marrying, building, planting and planning their lives. Many do not include God in their plans. They don't take time to seek God and refuse to accept the salvation that Jesus offers. How about you? Do you live your life to be pleasing to God,or do you live it haphazardly, thinking that there are no values, no morals, no obligation or responsibilities...no God. Life is short. Don't be careless. Don't be foolish. If you have not thought about the destruction that will come upon this world one day because of sin, it is time to think about it now. God has provided a way of escape if you will simply believe upon His son, Jesus Christ, as your personal Savior. 

Verse To Remember
John 3:16, says, "God sent his only begotten Son into the world,so that whosoever believes upon Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Are You Anxious? Try this.....

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7

Since I'm the type of personality that tends towards anxiety and worry, I've printed out scriptures regarding this and taped them into my journal.  This particular verse stood out to me today.  Right after I read this verse, I sent a text to my daughter about making her requests known to God and He would watch over her heart and mind.  She sent me a text saying she had to stay home with her 18-month-old daughter today from work because she was running a fever.

Oh great! Anxious thoughts start to kick in:  "she's losing money today that she needs as a single mom. She needs someone she can call when this happens so she's not missing work.  Why all these fevers all of a sudden?"

Immediately, I had to speak this verse out loud again and break it all apart to get the understanding I needed today, to lessen my anxious thoughts and to grab God's peace. 

These are the phrases/words that stood out to me today I want to share with you:

Do Not Be Anxious
This sounds like a pretty hard command doesn't it? It's written by Paul who, at the time, was imprisoned in Rome.  You could say, he knew exactly what he was talking about regarding anxiety.  What are we not to be anxious about?  Anything and Everything. We are not to be anxious about all that exists in a situation or circumstance. Look at the verse previous, though (vs 5), that says "the Lord is at hand."  This will help us to know that the Lord is near, even in our anxious state.  He is never a passive bystander.

What are you facing today that you're anxious about?  My anxiety is mostly directed towards my girls.  I need to let it go.  Put your name in the first part of that verse: "do not be anxious ________ (your name) about all that exists in this situation, in this circumstance."

Prayer, Supplication, Thanksgiving
These words are the "how to" script to move us towards not being anxious. When my daughter sent the text to me, my imagination began to take over; anxious thoughts swirled into my mind.  How sad that this was my first response, my default way of thinking.  I had just read and spoken out the Philippians verse. I thought, "come on Sharon, you need to apply this not just now, but get it inside of you for every day."

What can I do when these anxious thoughts swirl around mixed with worry and fear? Paul gives us the ingredients: pray, ask earnestly and then mix in thanksgiving.  We are to vocalize our requests, make them known to God.  Yes, He does know them already, but He wants us to ask.  Get that request out there in the atmosphere.  God will grab hold of it and do something about it. 

Ask earnestly
Ask with a purposeful and sincere intent
Ask passionately

Let thanksgiving accompany your praying and asking.  It says "with thanksgiving".  This preposition means "in the company of, accompanying, next to, alongside of".  Just be full of thanks that God has heard and will answer.

Peace Of God
There are two types of peace mentioned in the Bible: peace with God and the peace of God.  Because of our faith in Christ, we now have peace with God. At one time, we were enemies of God, but through salvation we now have peace with God.

The verse we are looking at says and the peace of God.....

God is peace, and so He extends this peace to us.  He gives us His peace in the midst of our not-so-peaceful state. What a reassurance that I'm not in this alone.  God will hand me His peace, which is a part of who He is.  Because of my relationship with Him, I have all the resources of Heaven extended to me:  peace is one of them.

It Surpasses My Understanding
Just wrap your mind around that phrase.  I won't be able to even comprehend the peace He will give.  His peace will surpass anything I could imagine.  It will surpass my human understanding because it is God-powered and Spirit-connected.

Surpass - "to become better, greater or stronger; go beyond; transcend the reach, capacity or power."

Will Guard My Heart and My Mind
His peace will be like a garrison around my heart and my mind. This is how I visualize this phrase:  

If you lived back in the days of frontier towns, being harassed by raiding parties or enemies, a military troop would be dispatched to live beside your town.  They would be "garrisoned" to your town. Their presence would provide protection during an attack and hopefully dissuade any enemy from launching anymore attacks against your town.

For us, the peace of God is garrisoned to our hearts and minds.  It provides an ever present protection from within.  It mingles and indwells our heart and mind, so that these anxious thoughts cannot invade us permanently and settle in to make themselves at home. 

In Christ Jesus
There is no other way for this peace to guard us but by being enclosed, surrounded and tucked away in Christ Jesus.

Your Turn
Is fear and anxiety your default?  Meditate on this verse today. Allow yourself the privilege of being enclosed, surrounded and tucked away in the peace of Christ Jesus.

"When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy." - Psalm 94:19

My Aunt's Story.....

When I walked down the church aisle September 1951, and gave my heart to God, I never fully realized how it would effect and change my life. I was a Sophomore in High School at the time and the idea of searching for the meaning of life had not even entered my mind. It was definitely not a priority.

But, as I sat under the teaching of my Pastor, I soon became aware that I was responsible for the choices that I make, and my choices could change the DIRECTION of my pathway in life. The decision that I made that Fall day started me on a journey to SEEK TRUTH. That search has not ended. It is still going on today.

As a teenager, when I first began to study the Word, I began to realize that there are spiritual principles and lessons to be learned to live a Christian life. I studied the Bible all through High School and upon graduation traveled to Missouri to assist my grandparents in church ministry. We preached revivals in churches and in the open and brush arbors, such as you see in the pictures. It was a wonderful experience for me because I got to see the results when the Gospel was preached in the power of the Spirit.

Messages such as "Come unto Me, all ye who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." touched the hearts of sinners and they repented and accepted the Lord as their Savior.

Over the years, I have seen changes in the Churches. Not so much emphasis on outer appearance but more attention to the inner man. More witnessing about Jesus love, our love toward each other and more emphasis to meet the needs of others.... and that is good.

I too have changed. I am not so concerned about what others think I should do, to be classified a "Christian", and I do not purposely offend them. But I am more concerned about what the Bible says I should do to follow Christ. I desire to love my Lord God with all my heart, soul and mind and to love my neighbor as I should.

GOD IS SO GOOD!

Community......

Guest post from my friend Sara Chambers "Healthiest Mama" Facebook Page.  Thank you Sara for allowing me to share this today.

Community:: a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common: a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.

Ecclesiastes 4:10-12 "If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble...A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken."

Being in close relationship with fellow believers often brings the best of times and the worst of times. They encourage us & sometimes they burn us and still we are asked by God to “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit.” (Eph 4:3) Why does God want this?

First of all it’s for His glory to have a Bride unified as one before Him, pure and spotless, redeemed. But also, it’s for us. Because we need it. Because we will be required to lay down our flesh over and over, to fight fear, take huge leaps of faith and follow Jesus wherever He takes us. We need people beside us saying “keep going” “you’re doing great” “be encouraged” “God will be faithful” “I’m right there with you” “you can cry with me” “I will fight for you”. It’s just not healthy to go it alone. It’s not how we were created to function.

After 14 years in ministry I (Sara) have had my share of ups and downs, but I firmly believe that one of the greatest acts of spiritual warfare is to love. Especially when it’s exactly opposite of how you want to respond. When you love, you cast a judgement on the darkness and declare that you belong to the Kingdom of light and that you, were made for more. “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” John 13:35.

There are people out there struggling and they need you. They need you to meet them where they’re at, face to face. They need your listening ear, your empathy and your encouragement. They need your smile and the life that you carry inside of you. They need your accountability and your presence. Hebrews 3:13 says,“But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ SO THAT none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”

Get in community. Don’t let your wounds keep you away. God uses people to make us holy.

Prayer: God you have designed me to need and be needed by others. Help me be a light in the darkness. Heal my offenses and my wounds. Help me to love like You love.

Denise's Yadda Yadda on Soap Making, Crafts & Personal Ramblings: Under $2 Victorian Centerpieces

Denise's Yadda Yadda on Soap Making, Crafts & Personal Ramblings: Under $2 Victorian Centerpieces

What Makes You Happy.....AKA "Learning Contentment"

Today, in honor of my papa's birthday on July 5th, I want to share some "soul food" with you that he wrote on his website www.nuggetsoftruth.com

To be happy, add not to your possessions but subtract from your desires.

_________________________________________________________________

"But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. I Timothy 6:6-7

What is the one thing in life that all of us are desperately seeking for? The answer to that question is a one word answer. Happiness! Paragraph two of the Declaration of Independence declares that the pursuit of happiness is one of our inalienable rights.
There can be little question that we have taken that statement to heart, because for the past two hundred years plus we have pursued our share of happiness like a hound dog howling after a rabbit. We know it's out there someplace because our Declaration of Independence tells us we have a right to go after it. It is our right to be happy, and we will be happy no matter what we have to do to achieve it. If anyone interferes with our pursuit of happiness they are likely to get walked on or ran over because pursuing happiness is our constitutional right and woe to the one who tries to tamper with that right.

Contentment isn't getting what we want, but being satisfied with what we have.

In our pursuit of happiness we must be going about it all wrong, for happiness seems to have become a rare commodity among the general population. Some people in their pursuit of happiness are spending themselves into financial ruin in an attempt to capture it. But it seems the harder they try, the more futile their quest.
There is something we need to remember as we run around looking for our pot of happiness at the end of the rainbow. Our constitutional right is to pursue it but nowhere are we guaranteed that we will find it! I sometimes wonder if most people would recognize it if they did catch up to it. Do you know what really makes you happy? Think about that question for a moment. What actually makes you happy? Is it money? Is it friends? Is it possessions? Is it being looked upon by others as being successful? One of the main reasons there are so many unhappy people in our society is because many have never taken the time to discover what it is that makes them happy. Chances are if you were to ask someone else what would make them happy you'd get a list of the same things I mentioned above. The truth is, most people have a difficult time stating exactly what would make them happy for the simple reason they've never really thought about it.
A successful person by society's standard isn't necessarily a happy person. However, I believe a successful person is always a happy person by the Bible's Standard. Just because a happy person doesn't drive the latest car, or have the finest home in the development, or buy their clothes from the finest clothier doesn't mean that person isn't successful. It only means that person understands that material things are not part of the equation for producing happiness.
Our happiness has nothing to do with our possessions, our environment, or even our health for that matter. Our happiness comes from a source that is independent of all those influences. Genuine happiness is a state of contentment - a peace of mind - a sense of well being regardless of outward circumstances going on in your life. The main ingredient to anyone's happiness is contentment.
The Apostle Paul was a man with few friends, no possessions, serving a jail term and facing death sentence. Yes, he was happy. How could he be happy in the midst of this storm in his life? 
Paul tells us in Philippians 4:10-13, "But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly...for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengthened me."
If you and I could master the contents of those four verses, we would find that it takes much less to make us really happy. Paul had learned to be content. His contentment is the number one ingredient to this illusive thing we pursue called happiness.
So -- how do we learn to be content? Let me offer a few suggestions.
(1)  We learn to be content when we stop comparing our life and possessions with other people. There will always be houses bigger, better and more expensive than the one we have. There will always be people with much more money than we have. As a pastor, I know there will always be other ministers with larger and stronger churches than the one where I minister. There will always be those who can declare the Word of God more effectively. If we keep comparing ourselves to those who are better, bigger, richer, more talented, and better looking, we'll always walk under the cloud of unhappiness.
(2)  We learn to be content when we accept the fact that there are some things about our life that we can't change no matter how much we want to, and so we should quit worrying about it.
There are two things we shouldn't worry about. Those things we can change and those things we can't change. I saw this prayer recently on a wall plaque: "God give me the wisdom to change those things that can be changed and the serenity to accept those things which cannot be changed."Contentment comes when we know we cannot change everything about life.
(3)  Contentment is based on making Christ the very heart and center of our life. Jesus has our best interests at heart. Everything He does in our life is for our eternal benefit. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus showed His disciples the highway to happiness. He promises that all who faithfully walk this highway will possess a happiness the world cannot take away.
John A. Redhead in his book, Living All Your Life", said there are three kinds of blessings: pleasure, joy, and happiness. Pleasure comes from satisfying our physical senses. Joy comes from our association with others. But happiness results from a right relationship with God.

The heart is the happiest when it beats for others.

"Where your pleasure is, there is your treasure: where your treasure, there your heart; where your heart, there your happiness."     St. Augustine

It isn't your position that makes you happy or unhappy, it's your disposition.

There is happiness available in this world. And you can find it. It all depends upon where you look as you pursue it. I point you to the source of all happiness and say to you, Look to Jesus! Look to Him - and live and experience happiness   - true happiness.

Pastor Bill

When We Have Said: "I Have Had Enough....Lord"

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Have you ever had seasons where you find yourself crying out "enough...I've had enough Lord."

It's reassuring to know that in I Kings 19:4 Elijah was crying that same cry:

Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day.  He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, Lord," he said.  "Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died."

It's not as if the Lord doesn't know already the place we have come to in our exasperated cries.  

Psalm 34:17 shows us so clearly that He hears:

"The righteous cry out and the Lord hears....

What should our response be during these times of depleted energy, weariness, pressures of living life, and the I've-just-had-enough-of-this cries?

For me, I must find a place to be alone and just be still.  A quiet place to reflect with confidence when the burners are turned up full blast and I have the need to run away.  During this time, I remember He is working all of this out for some redeeming value - mostly an inward work in me - reminding me who is greater.

I know I cannot get to this place on my own.  It's difficult for me to lead myself to a place of peace.  It takes an intentional effort on my part to walk away from my overactive thoughts, fears and worries, to take a "time out" and enter into the peace that only God can give me.

Only when I still my soul and know that He is God - the key word being "know", can I be set in the right direction - the direction of peace.

You will find in verse 5 of I Kings 19 that after this outcry, "he lay down under the tree and fell asleep."  Wouldn't that be nice?

Your Turn

If you happen to be in that place of weariness today, take the time to be still and reflect on God's Word.  When you do this, it will still your anxiousness and everything that weighs so heavily on your heart.

Your circumstances may not change, but you will find the strength and peace you need to just keep walking.

"Come with me by yourself to a quiet place" - Mark 6:31

"Be still before the Lord" - Zechariah 2:13

"True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction" - Psalm 23:3

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ADVENTURE

This writing today is from a special friend - Sara Chambers.  You can visit her Facebook Community page "Healthiest Mama".  I love her take on adventure.

Adventure: an undertaking usually involving danger & unknown risks: the encountering of risks <the spirit of adventure>: an exciting or remarkable experience. 
Matthew 4:19 Come follow me and I will send you out to fish.

I (Sara) love the definition of adventure. It’s almost exactly opposite of how I’d naturally want to define it. My definition would be: excitement, thrill, exploring the unknown! All positives. Oh, so romantic.

The fact is that this lifelong adventure called “faith”, this adventure of following Jesus is scary, hard, and full of risk and the unknown.

I've had my share of adventures- moving to Indonesia to plant a church, traveling to Afghanistan to volunteer with helping rebuild the government & working in a Mother Theresa home for the destitute and the dying in India to name just a few. But all of these adventures I’ve been on were all just an outward expression of an inner working of faith happening inside of me.

My husband likes to say that life with God is full of adventures and risks and leaps of faith. And sometimes these adventures involve suffering. Sometimes you’re stuck out at sea scooping out water with your hands in a little canoe in the middle of a horrendous storm with no end in sight.
There’s pain when things don’t go how we had planned or expected. Or when we’re abandoned by our shipmates. Or when a big ship that could save us, passes us by.

But, sometimes the adventure is glorious and you’re praising Him from the middle of the ocean while watching a sunset with a view that only a person that was crazy enough to follow Him to the middle of the ocean would have.

Jesus says, “Come follow me” and all He asks for in our response is “Yes, I will follow You”. Day after day after year after year we say “yes” to Him over and over again. Sometimes it’s a tiny whisper and other times an echoing shout. And each time He is pleased.

What adventure are you currently in and how are you responding to the difficulties of it?

Is God calling you to a new adventure? Will you say “yes” again?


Prayer: Lord I will follow You again today. I will say “yes” to Your ways. Thank you that You know all of my days and that You see every step of faith I take for You. Thank you that You are PLEASED when I say, “I will follow You”.
Teach me to fish for souls.

Will Never Forget

We were all packed up and ready to take my youngest daughter Haylee back to college in Eastern Pennsylvania.  On this particular trip back, my parents wanted to come and take a look at Haylee's campus and dormitory for her sophomore year of school.

It took us much longer to arrive than we had expected.  Along the way, my dad had to stop numerous times to use the bathroom.  His bladder was signaling to him that he had to go but in reality, he couldn't.  I couldn't figure out why we were stopping so often, thinking "is dad drinking too much soda or what?" Anxiety began to creep in that we wouldn't reach our destination at a decent time.  It never occurred to me that there was a problem, until my dad was in excruciating pain because of his bladder.

We stopped at a rest area just inside the Pennsylvania border.  I was adamant that my dad and mom should travel back to Michigan even telling my dad to drive Haylee's car back. Instead, we decided to find an emergency room because he wasn't sure if he could make it back.

God was going ahead of us on this one.  In Sharon PA, we found an urgent care center just a few miles off the expressway.  I was relieved to see that it was not busy.  My dad was taken into a unit to have his bladder drained.  They fitted him with a leg bag and a catheter.  Feeling relieved, we were soon on our way again.

My parents did get to see Haylee's campus, dorm room and meet some of her friends on that adventure.  It wasn't until two months later we received the awful news that my dad had stage IV prostate cancer.  I remember sitting in the office with my parents, my sister and myself when the doctor broke the news to us.  "Well", he said, the horse is out of the barn".  Meaning, there's nothing we can do but try to prolong my dad's life a little bit more.

My mom, sister and I walked with heavy hearts back to the waiting room while my dad underwent some lab tests.  We were stunned, shocked, our world had been severely shaken.

Through all the chemo, radiation, holistic treatments, juicing programs, labs, x-rays and much more, my dad was a trouper.  He would witness cheerfully to the medical staff taking care of him and was never a problem patient.  His focus was always on others not himself.

My dad eventually became bedridden because of the cancer, not able to attend church and share his warm, inviting presence with the church family, visit our home or travel to our cabin up north.  He was sorely missed.

Many came to visit my dad at home.  During their visit, he would talk about life, his family, and his God.  He never bemoaned his condition or felt sorry for himself. Not my dad.  He encouraged those who came to visit, inspiring them on to live a greater life for God and ending their time in prayer and praise.  How like my papa.

During his last days, he wasn't aware of his family around him.  My papa was already experiencing a little bit of Heaven as he lay dying. He was entering into that great and glorious heavenly home.  I remember him saying "all those books."  We were certain he was seeing the library in heaven with "all those books."

His gaze was continuously directed to the upper corner of his room, as if he was seeing events we could not see.

Finally, his breathing became labored, his last gasp of air was exhaled and my papa was taken to a better place.

That day will forever be etched in my memory.  

My dad was a hero in life, and he was a hero in death.

THE MUSIC OF SPRING

Spring has officially arrived with warmer weather setting in and sunnier days chasing away the gloom and harshness of winter.

Goodbye to the gray days of winter. Hello to Spring!

Spring is like a rebirth - what once was lying dormant is now coming to life. Our hearts are glad for a new season. 

It might even be appropriate to say that "Hope springs eternal". You can see it just by glancing outside our windows....and, most importantly, even inside of our hearts.

Jesus, who is our eternal hope, never goes out of season.  He's always encouraging us to let our hope grow and our faith bloom - so what's happening outside in nature can also happen inside of our hearts.

Hope is the music of Spring.  

Hope that we will grow and bloom after the difficult season of our winter.  As Isaiah 35:1-2 says:

"Even the wilderness and desert will be glad in those days.  The wasteland will rejoice and blossom with spring crocuses.  Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers and singing and joy!" NLT

Look at that verse closely.  It says in this version "there will be an abundance of flowers and singing and joy!"  What an image to visualize. Hope is springing up in abundance.  

The Biblical definition of hope to me is this: a certain expectation of good things to come.

In our Spring, we can look for the joyous melody of God's everlasting love and celebrate the promises and blessings He gives to us. Our spring season can be full of rich foliage and vibrant growth.  

It's a time to sing and make music in our hearts to our God.  We can have a song of hope in this season, which is a melody that God bends down to listen to.

According to Julia Bettencourt from Creative Ladies Ministry, we can look forward to our Spring because.....

God Will Give Us Wings To Fly (joyful soaring).

He has a wonderful way of taking our lives and molding them to do great things.  As Christians, we have a wonderful fulfilling life. Isaiah 40:31

God Gives Us Food For Growth.

We have God's word to guide us and make us grow. Jeremiah 15:16

God Gives Us A Song.

The strength that joy brings to our lives should make us walk with that Spring in our steps.  Nehemiah 8:10

So what are we waiting for?  Let's hear the music of hope and sing to it.  Let's allow our hearts to dance for joy.

"And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us."

YEP....I'M A PASTOR'S WIFE

Many books have been written on how to be a pastor's wife, the role of a pastor's wife and even suggestions that she is the most vulnerable person in the congregation who lacks attention, is lonely and whose identity is weak. Maybe this has been other pastor's wives dilemmas, but not mine. 

The Bible doesn't have a job description or office called "pastor's wife", as I recall.  It's only the people's expectations, not God's.  

Addressing the "How To's" and the "Role"
I've never thought about the "how to's" or the "role".  I don't believe there is a model for a pastor's wife.  My role is just to be me.....Sharon - a little quirky, fiesty, loving to laugh and make others laugh, using my sarcastic humor on those I feel "safe" with, pulling pranks, fitting in where my gifts can be used, making friends with women in our congregation who have the same interests and aren't looking for insider information, to support my husband with encouragement and to make our home a safe place for him to hang his hat, put his feet up and chill out.  He loves coming home, always has. 

My husband doesn't place unwanted expectations on me.  I've attended funerals, weddings, camps, youth events, open houses, conferences and more with my husband, but not every one. He knows me well and gives me a choice.  

I've encountered people who ask me questions I can't answer and get the...."but aren't you the pastor's wife? Shouldn't you know that?" What should I know? How to manage the heat and air conditioning, where to get a video/DVD player for a class and how to set it up, where the meeting for such and such is taking place, who's in charge of a school event, when the baby shower or bridal shower is for whatchamacalit, where to find a missing piece of equipment, or the "can you tell Bruce"....? (I'm good with one sticky note in my brain on any given Sunday. Anymore than that, and I'm in overload).  

Since we are a fairly large congregation, God has gifted others to answer these details. I simply answer: "I don't know". If needed, I will direct them to somebody who does know. 

Quite simple, indeed.  

Vulnerability
I don't think I'm the most vulnerable person in the congregation either. Let me just say this: when you are involved with many different personalities, there will be clashes. Every member in the congregation is vulnerable not just me.   

Lacks Attention

Frankly, I'm not one who needs a lot of attention either. I'm pretty independent, self-motivated and goal-oriented.  I'm not needy. I understand fully my husband's job.  He understands my transcription home business. 

I've never felt cheated that my husband's hours are undefined or he has events in the evening when he has worked all day.  I'm not one to nag, be clingy, insist that he stay home.  I do require that he call when he's running late so I don't worry.  My children and I have never felt deprived of his attention or complained when daddy came home late.  Because I never made this an issue, neither did my children.  

Feels Lonely
Have I felt lonely?  At times, yes.  Isn't this with all people though? We can be in the middle of a crowd and still have bouts of loneliness.  It's not just in being a pastor's wife.  I believe loneliness can be a soul-cry to God for close relationship with Him.

Weak Identity
I'm not lacking for an identity.  I find my identity in Christ - not in my husband, others expectations, leading worship, being involved in our Girlfriends ministry or in facilitating a Bible study.  I'm not absorbed in a role.  

For Me....
Let's face it, I'm not perfect nor ever will be.  I will make mistakes and disappoint people.  I will try to defend my husband, even though he says it's not necessary.  I will continue to be feisty, outspoken when appropriate and most likely not measure up to unrealistic expectations.    

Being a pastor's wife isn't about me fitting into a role. Thankfully, these preconceived notions have changed over the years.  It's about me being who God created me to be while loving and taking care of my family. 

This I can do.