It's OK to Ask "WHY?"

All of my life I have been under the impression that we "do not question God".  But today I realized that my mindset about this was wrong.  Even Jesus himself asked “why?” when he was suffering on the cross. (Matthew 27:46) 

As I lay in my bed this morning, pouring my heart out in anguish to God and shedding every tear my body could produce, I did the unthinkable:  I asked Him “WHY?”.  “Why did my friend, who loved her family so much and was such a sweet, wonderful person, have to die? Her children need her!  There are mothers out there who abuse their children (that they never wanted in the first place) and they get to live. Please, Lord, help me wrap my brain around this.  I just don’t understand WHY.”

And guess what?  He didn’t get mad at me. He didn’t strike me down.  He answered me…in a way that I could totally understand and relate to through my relationship with my children.  He reminded me that He is my father.  He loves me just like I love my children and He parents me like I would parent my children.   

Then I began to contemplate and understand the comparison…Sometimes my children are going to ask me “why?” when I make a decision that they don’t like or understand.  Most of the time I can give them an answer, but sometimes I just have to say, “Because I said so.”  They may be upset at first, but they eventually get passed it because they trust me.  They know that I love them and they know that I would do anything for them.  They know that I have their best interests at heart, even if they can’t see it.    And when I say, “Because I said so”, they can move on and accept that I know what is best.  In the long run, they may even look back and understand why I made that decision at the time.

There was my answer.  “Because I said so.”  It may not have been the answer I was looking for, but I can accept that answer because I understand how very much He loves me and that He would do anything for me.  I know that He always has my best interests at heart, even if I can’t see it.  I can get up and move forward with the understanding that He knows what is best. 

What a blessed assurance to know that it is OK to ask my Heavenly Father “why?” and believe that He will lovingly answer and give me peace.  And you know what?  He will do the same for all of you.  Jesus said this right before he returned to Heaven, “But the Advocate (the Comforter), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”    John 14:26-27 NIV

This side of Heaven, we may never know the answers to all of the why’s…but we can know the One that holds all of the answers.  

 “Pain, tragedy and death will come. But joy, comfort, love and peace have already won.  So many things in this world, we just can’t comprehend. But our Father always knows what’s best, so we have to trust in Him.”  (from the song, It’s OK to Ask Why)

Manipulative Women of the Bible: Eve

One rule.  That was all that God had given Adam and Eve.  They were living in Paradise without a care in the world.  God had provided everything that they needed; but He had also given them free will, which included a choice (if there is not a choice to obey or disobey, then free will doesn’t exist).  Some might say that God was being “mean” when he put that one rule into place. That is not the case at all.  He designed man with free will so that he would choose to love Him, not be made to.  Any parent knows that if you have to make your child love you, it’s not really love.       

So here we find Eve in Genesis 3. She had everything: a beautiful home, a perfect body, a gorgeous husband, a relationship with God…a seemingly perfect life.  But she wanted more. (Do you know anyone like that?)   Satan planted that seed in her mind that there was more out there.  So she began to check out the “forbidden tree”.  She walked around it.  She looked at the fruit.  She saw that it looked tastier than the fruit that she had been eating.  Maybe she was bored with her mundane life and was looking for excitement. 

So began the temptation of something new.  Something exciting.  Something that would make her life better.  God knew what she was doing.  He saw her looking at that tree.  He knew her thoughts.  But she had free will.  Satan knew what she was doing, too.  He saw his plan was working and it didn’t take much convincing on his part to get her to do the forbidden.            

But it wasn’t enough for her to take part in the sin.  She had to pull her husband in with her.  How do you think she did that? 

“When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.”  Gen 3:6 NLT

From experience, I know that there are ways that I can get my husband to do just about anything that I want him to (you women do not need an explanation of that!). I will venture to guess that Adam was the same way.  Eve was the most beautiful woman that ever lived (and she walked around naked all the time), one bat of her eyelashes and Adam would have done anything she asked. God put that desire in Adam for his wife, but He did not intend for Eve to use it against him. 

The repercussions of this original sin will never end until the world is destroyed.  That one act has affected every other human being that has lived since then. 

“Then he said to the woman, "I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you. " And to the man he said, "Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it. It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains.  By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return." - Gen 3:16-19 NLT

What should we learn from Eve?  First of all, look around you.  If you have a good life, do not let satan put thoughts in your head about what you are missing out on.  Be content with the blessings that God has already given you.  If He wants more for you, He will provide it.  Focus on what you DO have and not what you are missing! Count your blessings and you WILL find happiness.

Second, just because something is permissible, does not mean that it is beneficial.  God placed the fruit where they could get to it; it was there within their grasp.  But He had told them that it would cause their death.  The bible warns us of MANY things that we should avoid because they will lead to death and destruction.  Learn from Eve!  Don’t do those things that the Lord has warned against.  He loves you and wants better for you!

"Everything is permissible for me"--but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"--but I will not be mastered by anything. - 1Cor 6:12 NIV

And finally, DO NOT use desire to manipulate others into doing what you want.  Many men (and women, too) have been led astray and pulled into a pit of sin because someone used their desires against them.  A man’s desire for his wife (or a woman’s for her husband) is a God given gift.  (Ask someone who doesn’t have that…they will tell you what a wonderful gift it is.) We should never use that gift to control our spouse or lead them into sin!    

Manipulative Women of the Bible: Introduction

Several weeks ago we began a bible study on Sunday nights in the Youth Room that I named, “Characters Welcome”.  We started in the beginning with Genesis and have been studying the people of the bible.  Currently we are in Genesis 40, in the middle of Joesph’s life.  So far, I have seen quite a terrible pattern among the women that we have studied!  They were very manipulative!  So I decided to do a little further digging into these women’s lives to see what we can learn from their behavior…kind of a “what NOT to do” series. 

Before we begin, first we have to understand what type of manipulation I am referring to.  According to Wikipedia.com, “Psychological manipulation is a type of social influence that aims to change the perception or behavior of others through underhanded, deceptive, or even abusive tactics.”  As we will see, the women that we are going to look at used psychological manipulation on their husbands to get what they wanted.  Some of them were trying to help God out…which is what I think many women today still try to do . 

As we look into the lives of Eve, Sarai (Sarah), Rebekah and Potipher’s wife, we will see the effects of their manipulation.  I pray that we, as women, will guard ourselves from becoming so overwhelmed in our selfish desires that we try to manipulate others to get what we want. 

Looking forward to sharing with you!  Feel free to let me know your thoughts!            

TEAR DOWN THESE WALLS: The Story Behind the Song

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.”  What a lie!!  We say this to our children but it’s just not true.  Words hurt: verbal/ emotional abuse can cause as much or maybe even more damage than physical abuse, but unlike bruises, the pain is hidden behind a self-made wall.   

“Verbal abuse is described as a negative defining statement told to the person or about the person or by withholding any response thus defining the target as non-existent. If the abuser doesn't immediately apologize and indulge in a defining statement, the relationship may be a verbally abusive one.” Wikipedia.org

There are so many people walking around with a smile on their face, pretending that everything is “ok”, when inside their hearts are broken and scarred from verbal abuse. “You are so stupid!”  “Can’t you do anything right?”  “You will never get a boyfriend/girlfriend looking like that!”  “Hey you butterball!  Why don’t you go on a diet?”  “You are so lazy.”  And these comments are nice compared to what most abusers say.  I could go on for days…but you get the point.   I have met so many people that live with verbal abuse every day.  We have no idea what goes on behind the closed doors of people’s homes.

Proverbs 12:18 NIV - "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing."

People who experience verbal/emotional abuse build walls around their hearts to protect themselves from the pain.  We see it so often with teenagers.  They are so hard to reach because the abuse that they have suffered from bullies at school or the adults in their lives have caused them to build such thick walls that it’s hard to get through.  Satan loves it!  The thicker the wall, the harder it is for that person to be reached by the light of Jesus.

Verbal abuse causes the victim to live in a dark prison where no light comes in, and no light goes out.  Even many Christians deal with this kind of abuse.  Walls hold the abused back from being everything that God wants them to be.  They have to realize that Jesus died for their freedom.  He DOES NOT want them to live that way.  They are meant for SO MUCH MORE!

So how do you escape from the prison you have built?  You make a choice not to let others determine your worth.  You make a choice to not let those words hurt you.  You pray for Jesus to tear down the walls and let His love shine through.  He can rescue you from your prison and He is big enough to handle your situation.

The chorus of the song is: “Tear down these walls, and let your love shine through.  I know that You can hear me, and you know just what to do.  I’m tired of being a prisoner, I can’t do this anymore.  Tear the walls down of my heart, I’m meant for so much more.”

Don’t be a victim anymore.  Don’t be a prisoner anymore.  The enemy has already been defeated.  Rejoice and let your light shine!!   

Psalms 64: 3-10 NIV  “They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their words like deadly arrows. They shoot from ambush at the innocent man; they shoot at him suddenly, without fear….But God will shoot them with arrows; suddenly they will be struck down.  He will turn their own tongues against them and bring them to ruin; all who see them will shake their heads in scorn.  All mankind will fear; they will proclaim the works of God and ponder what he has done.  Let the righteous rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in him; let all the upright in heart praise him!”

LET ME: The Story Behind the Song

On one of the rare Saturdays that I was actually at home, I was doing housework and listening to music.  As I stood washing dishes, for some reason I became so burdened for the lost. (Perhaps it was a song that I was listening to on the radio...)  The burden for me was this: I KNEW there were lost people surrounding me every day, but what was I doing to lead them to Jesus? 

In my little world I come into contact with so many: my family, my church family, my co-workers, those I see at my job, the teenagers I work with at church, my Facebook friends, people at the grocery store…Do they ALL see Jesus in me?  Am I living my life in a way that shows them that Jesus loves them?

"Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers."  1 Tim 4:16

Then the question in my mind was: What if I’m the only Jesus that some of them ever see?  I began to cry and I didn’t stop all day.  Every word of the song “Let Me” was poured out with tears.

Our job as a child of God is to show the lost the way to Him.  That job is the difference between everlasting life (in Heaven) and everlasting death (in Hell) for those that we are supposed to witness to. How overwhelming!

If we don’t love others and show them the way to Jesus, who will?  This world has gone so wrong; there is darkness at every turn.  WE HAVE TO BE THE LIGHT! 

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."  Matthew 5:14-16

But without Jesus, we cannot do the job we are called to do. The chorus of the song was a prayer from my burdened heart that day, “Let me hear them with YOUR ears, see them with YOUR eyes, speak to them with YOUR words.  Let me love them with YOUR love, bring comfort with YOUR touch, let me show them who YOU are.”

We cannot pretend that lost people don’t exist, they are all around us.  As hard as it may seem to love some of them, we are CALLED, it is our MISSION, to show the love of Jesus and to reach lost souls for Him.  I still cry every time I sing the song.  But, I am so thankful that the Lord has burdened my heart for the lost. 

Who will reach them before it’s too late?  My prayer is that we will all cry, “Let Me”!

"And then he told them, "Go into all the world and preach the

 Good News to everyone." Mark 16:15 NLT

The Definition of Love: The Story Behind the Song

My son, Cody, proposed to his beautiful girlfriend, Rebekah, in January 2011.   After they announced their upcoming nuptials, they told me that they wanted me to sing at their wedding (which was originally supposed to be May 2012).  And not just any song, they wanted me to WRITE a song just for them. No pressure!  A year and a half should be plenty of time to be inspired, right? 

Actually, I had not ever written a “commissioned” song before. The Lord had always just given me words and music whenever He felt like it.  I was a little stressed thinking about it because now I had to write a song with a deadline!  What was even more stressful was that they changed the wedding date to September 2011 – 8 months less time for me!!!

Over the course of the next six months, I tried to come up with a song that was special enough for their BIG DAY!  Finally, one night in June, I was home alone and was determined that I was going to write this song even if I had to stay up all night!  As I sat on my bed, I began to think, “What did I want my son to hear on one of the most important days of his life??  What marriage advice could I impart to them on their big day?”  As I racked my brain about what I could say, it hit me!  It didn’t matter what I had to say, it only mattered what the Lord had to say!  His advice was way better than mine! 

So I turned to the “LOVE” chapter in the bible, 1 Corinthians 13.  According to God’s word, what was the definition of love?  1 Corinthians 13:4-8 NIV “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails.”

And that is where the song “The Definition of Love” came from!  I added a chorus based on typical marriage vows and “BOOM” the song was done (I even got the melody that night, too and I didn’t even have to stay up all night!!!)  

Fortunately for me, the Lord placed an amazingly talented musician, Jason Grant, in my path that could hear exactly what I was hearing in my head for the music!  The original recording that we used for the wedding is what we used on the actual CD.

The wedding turned out beautiful…and so did the song!  Cody and Rebekah loved it…and I hope that you do to!

WHAT WE REALLY NEED: The Story Behind the Song

As I was preparing for one of our monthly ladies ministry meetings, I was pondering the topic that we were going to be studying for that month:  The Promise of Provision.   The Lord had been giving me a new song each month and I was praying for another one! My goal for this month’s song was to show that what we need and what we want are two different things. I began to think about the things that we need in order to live...of course there are the basics of food, water, clothing and shelter. Then there are the things we “think” we need…make-up, pedicures, manicures, hair-do’s, new clothes, new shoes, new cars, bigger houses…you fill in the blank.

As a songwriter (I think I can call myself that now?) I have learned to write about what I know.  Well, at that very moment, I knew I needed a dye job in a BAD way…my gray was shining.  And I knew that I had gotten my toes painted this really pretty teal color, but it did not really go with any of my shoes…and so from that thought process the first verse of “What We Really Need” was formed!  I wanted to show how silly we are with what WE think that our “needs” are. 

Now the second verse did not go the way I imagined that it would…the Lord took it to a different level.  Opposite from the first verse that showed how silly we are with our wants (that we insist are needs), the second verse shows that some people REALLY do need new hairdos, shoes, cars and houses…but for reasons beyond their control.  The woman fighting breast cancer and taking chemo does NEED hair, the homeless girl on the street does NEED new shoes, the old man that lost his home in a hurricane does NEED a new house, and the man whose wife left him for another man and took everything he had does NEED a new car…but are all those “things” what they REALLY need? 

The Lord showed me that no matter what situation we are in, FIRST we need Him.  Those worldly things will not mean anything if we do not have Him.  HE is our healer, HE is our provider, our rescuer, our comforter…we are to seek HIM first!  He gave us great advice on this subject in Matthew 6:25-33…

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in his entire splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

If we trust in Him, He will take care of ALL of our needs. The chorus of the song is this…”If you take a look around you’ll see that what you want and “think” you need will never be enough to satisfy.  The only way to find contentment in a world that’s so self-centered is to see beyond yourself and realize, that what you REALLY need is Him.”

I never intended for this song to be recorded! I definitely never even considered it for my CD!  But on the way to practice the night before we started recording, the Lord impressed upon me to put it on there.  When I originally sang it, I did it very slow.  But He changed that, too!  By the time I added the voice to the music, it had a Calypso beat complete with Bongos and a Ukulele!!!   It is a fun song that we had a great time recording.  (I even got to play the Bongos (thank you to Eli Hunt for the quick lesson!), listen for me at the very end!)   Even though the second verse deals with some sad situations, He wants you to know…He is ALL you need and if you have Him, you will be HAPPY!!!   

I don’t know who you are…but Jesus included this song on my CD just for YOU!!  I pray that you are ministered to and forever changed by it.

HE CARES: The Story Behind the Song

One Sunday night we were sitting in church and discussing how best to minister to the youth of our area.  One lady spoke up and said that many of our teenagers struggle because their parents don’t care about them or want them.  Most of their rebellion comes from trying to get attention.  In a small quite whisper, I heard a little girl on the pew beside me say, “My mother didn’t want me.”  She never looked up from the picture she was drawing, so I wasn’t sure if that was what I had really heard her say.  After the service I asked her to repeat what she had said.  Again, she said, “My mother didn’t want me.”   Not knowing any details of her life, I said what God laid on my heart to say.  I told her that even though she didn’t live with her birth mother, God had placed her in our church full of mother’s that would always love her.  I told her she was very blessed to be where God had placed her… 

When I got home that evening, our conversation weighed so heavily on my heart.  God has placed her in our church.  It is our job to show her that He cares about her.  How many little girls and boys in this world feel like no one wants them; that no one loves them or cares about them?   Those same little girls and boys become teenagers and start to act out to get attention.  Will we love them, or send them away?  Those same teenagers become adults with abandonment issues that cannot cope with loss because they have had so much already.  Will we console them and comfort them, or will we ignore them? 

This is where my heart was when I wrote, “He Cares”.    In the song, there is a little girl, a teenage boy, a hurting wife and grieving man needing someone to care.  The chorus gives the answer, “But what they can’t see and what they don’t know…is that they have someone who loves them, more than they could ever know.  He feels all their pain, He holds all their tears, and He wants to be their Father, He wants them to know He cares.”

But who will show them that He cares?  We are supposed to be His hands and feet.           1 Corinthians 12:25-27 NIV – “…its parts should have equal concern for each other.   If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.  Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”  It is our job as the church to show them. The end of the song says, “WE have to tell them. WE have to show, that there is someone who loves them, more than they could ever know.  He will heal their pain, He’ll dry all their tears…and He will be their Father, He will be their Comforter, He will be their Everything…we’ve got to show them that He cares.” 

1Peter 5:6-7 NKJV – “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

Marriage Takes Three

September 16, 1989…sometimes it seems so far away, sometimes it seems like only yesterday.  That is the day I married the most gorgeous man I had ever laid eyes on!  He was not only easy on the eyes…he was the kindest, most generous man I had ever met.    We dated for a whole year and never even had one cross word.

We were so very much in love that we wanted to get married above all else.  So here we were, two eighteen-year-olds with love in our eyes and not one penny between us…starting our journey together. 

As a wedding gift, a lady from our church, Pat Green, gave us a poem.  I hung it on the wall of our bedroom and memorized it because I saw it every day.  The words of that poem spoke such truth into our lives.  The poem was titled “Married Takes Three”…

I once thought marriage,

Took just two to make a go,

But now I am convinced,

It takes the Lord, also

For not one marriage fails

When Christ is asked to enter

As two lovers come together

With Jesus at the center

But marriage seldom thrives,
And homes are incomplete,
Till He is welcomed there
To help avoid defeat.
In homes where Christ is first,
It's obvious to see,
Those unions really work,
For marriage still takes three.

Author Unknown

And that is the secret.  That is why so many marriages fail.  If it had not been for Jesus in our lives, I know we would not be married today.  But against all odds, and ONLY through the grace of God…these two 18-year-old, starry eyed teenagers created a great life together and raised two amazing children.

We had to learn to depend on the Lord and each other because we didn’t have anything else!  I will not tell you it has always been easy…but I will tell you it has always been worth it!  The Lord has blessed us with 23 wonderful years together and I pray He will give us many more!! 

Shelter: The Story Behind the Song

 In March 2012, we began a monthly Women’s Ministry called L.I.L.Y. (Ladies Influencing Ladies for You) Pad Ministries at our church.  The vision of the ministry was for ladies of our surrounding area to come together once a month to worship and be ministered to.  Our leader, Dorothy, had a desire to strengthen women in their faith so that they could, in turn, have an influence on those around them.

Months earlier, as she began to pray about this ministry, she had asked the Lord to bring her who she needed to fill each position.  When she started praying, we had never even met.  God brought my family to Calvary Baptist Church in February 2012.  Then He impressed upon both Dorothy and I that my part in the L.I.L.Y. Pad Ministry was to be the Worship Leader. 

As I was preparing for the first meeting, all I knew about the study was the title, “The Shelter of God’s Promises”, and a scripture Psalm 91.  I began to pray about what songs the Lord wanted me to lead and He started showing me a picture of a woman standing under an umbrella (I would later find out that the picture for the study was….a woman standing under an umbrella…goose bumps anyone?)   But instead of actual rain falling on her, it was the hopelessness, regret and shame of her past “raining” down on her.  And after reading Psalm 91, I began to write the theme song for the study:  Shelter.

It is a song that emphasizes every aspect of Psalm 91, but makes it relevant to every person that has ever felt like God couldn’t love them anymore.  In my own life I have felt that God couldn’t possibly use me after things I had done in my past.  The opening words of the song, “I am standing in the rain, of hopelessness, regret and shame, looking for a place of shelter in this storm”, is a place that I had been before and I knew others would relate to. 

“Shelter” is a song of hope.  Those who dwell in the shelter of the Most High will rest in His shadow and will be covered with His mighty wings.   What an amazing promise!!  I absolutely love singing this song.   It makes me feel so loved and protected!   When I hear the ladies of L.I.L.Y Pad singing this song at the top of their lungs…the words that God gave to me…well, I just cannot describe how amazing it is.  I get goose bumps every time, so I know the Holy Spirit is there with us when we sing.   I pray that you feel Him when you listen to the song!!     

He is Strong: The Story Behind the Song

In September 2011, my husband, Chris, was having extreme back pain. He could not stand up straight and was having trouble even walking.  After going to the ER and seeing our family physician, he was referred to a specialist.  There he was told that he had Degenerative Disc Disease.  At that time we weren’t sure what that entailed and wondered if he would even be able to work or maintain a normal life.    Because of his age, they did not want to do surgery and he was in excruciating pain most of the time.   

So many questions were running through my head as I was (again) driving to work one morning.  Will my husband be permanently disabled?  How will we survive if he can’t work?  How can he live with such terrible pain?  Will he ever be able to enjoy life again?  I was crying out to God and begging him to heal my husband.  As I was praying…I began to sing the words of my favorite childhood song, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the bible tells me so.  Little ones to Him belong, they are weak but He is strong.”  That was my answer.  Somehow through all of the pain and weakness, Jesus was not only going to give His strength to my husband, He was going to carry all of our burdens.     

Matthew 11:28-30 NIV - "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

The song “He is Strong” came from my encounter with the Lord that morning. We don’t always understand why pain and sickness happen to those we love, but just like Paul talked about in 2 Corinthians, sometimes we have to experience weakness in order for God to show us His strength. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NIV – “But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

The song begins with the simple words of “Jesus Loves Me” and builds to the chorus that He gave me that morning, “He is strong, He is strong. We are weak, but He is strong.  He carries our burdens, in His outstretched arms.  We are weak, but He is strong.”

We are still believing and praying for complete healing for Chris’ back. And even though he still deals with pain most days, the Lord has helped him continue to work and provide for our family.  In the midst of everything, He has also called him into Youth ministry.  Every day is a blessing from God and we are so thankful that He carries us through in His strong arms.    

1 Peter 5:10 NIV - And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

You Are Here: The Story Behind the Song

One morning, I was driving to work and for some reason I was thinking about the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life”.  It is one of my favorite movies of all time.  In the movie, the main character, George Bailey, (after a series of events that leaves him hopeless) decides he wants to commit suicide because he feels like everyone, including his family, would be better off if he was dead. 

But God intervenes, and sends an angel down to show George what life would have been like if he had never been born.  He was shown how important his life really was to everyone that he came into contact with. If he had not been born, it would have altered the lives of everyone around him, and not in a good way.   

So I just began to write based on the emotions that George Bailey was feeling when he was at his lowest point, about to jump from that bridge.  I also began to think about other people that I know personally that felt like they couldn’t overcome their past mistakes.  So many times, I have heard people say, “This world would be better off without me”, or “I wish I had never been born”. 

The song, “You Are Here” was birthed from there.  We are surrounded by hurting and hopeless people.  They don’t realize that God never makes mistakes.  Every person that has ever been born and every baby that may not even make it out of the womb has a purpose.  I believe that with all of my heart.  

Part of the song says “You were formed in your mother’s womb by the hands of God.  There’s no one else in this world just like you.  Don’t you ever feel that you don’t have a purpose in this life; you are here because the Lord has plans for you.”   If you did not have a purpose, you would not be here.  It’s that simple.

I pray that this song renews hope, touches lives and opens hearts to the truth of why we are here.  He has great plans for each of us.  It’s up to us to figure out what they are. 

Psalm 139:13-16 NIV – “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

Psalm 138:8 NIV – “The LORD will fulfill [his purpose] for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever--do not abandon the works of your hands.”

Jeremiah29:11 NIV – “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

The Question

The last couple of days, I have felt an urgency like never before to ask my friends and loved ones “THE QUESTION”.  If you died today, where would you go?

I am certainly not your judge.  Only God can judge your heart.  But I do know that the bible says we will “know them by their fruit” (Matthew 7:19-20)…..and some of you are not very fruity!

Something to think about:  From GotQuestions.org

“True saving faith is always manifested by good works and a life that desires to live in obedience to God. Ephesians 2:8-10 makes it very clear that works do not save us but that we are saved “for good works which God prepared beforehand that we would walk in them.” When we are truly born again you will have hearts that are transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit where God’s law is written so that we might walk in His statutes and judgments. As Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

Faith without works is dead because it comes from a heart that has not been regenerated by God. It is an empty profession of faith from someone to whom Christ will say, “I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.”

I have had times in my life after I became a Christian when I was not living for the Lord.  But during those times, I was miserable with conviction from the Holy Spirit living within me.  If you feel that way, that is a good thing.  That means you have Him!

But if you are a carnal Christian living in sin and selfishness, and you have no conviction or remorse, you may need to examine yourself. You may not actually have a personal relationship with Jesus…and that is a very frightening place to be.     

This life is temporary.  We are NOT guaranteed tomorrow.  I want to spend Eternity with all of you.

Please, check your heart.  Examine your fruit.  Jesus wants to have a relationship with you, just like you want to have a relationship with your children.  But even more so, He wants to save you from eternal pain and torture.  He wants you to have an abundant life!  He died for you to have that life. 

I am here for you.  I will help you in any way that I can.  My heart aches for you to know the joy and peace that comes from knowing that you are secure.     

Just Say the Word

This week I have had the privilege of teaching the bible story to the children at VBS.  The goal was to make them feel like they were part of the story.  We had actors that portrayed the characters so that the stories would come to life.  As always, I am sure I learned more than they did as I prepared for the lessons. 

The first night, we saw Jesus heal the servant of a Roman Centurion.  Looking into Matthew 8:1-13, we witnessed the great faith of the Roman soldier. He believed, without a doubt, that Jesus could heal his paralyzed servant.  “Just say the word, and my servant will be healed” the soldier pleaded.  Jesus was astonished at his faith and healed the servant with just a word. 

The second night, we helped Mary and Martha wrap their brother Lazarus in the grave clothes after he had died.  (John 11) We cried with them as we laid Lazarus in the tomb.  Mary and Martha were very disappointed that Jesus didn’t get there in time to heal their brother.  But when Jesus finally arrived, Martha said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."  She had faith that Jesus could still do something, even though Lazarus was already dead.  Again, with just the power of His words, “Lazarus come forth”, Jesus brought a dead man back to life before their eyes!!

These two stories are not just fairy tales made up to entertain children.  These stories were eye witness accounts of events that actually took place.  But Jesus’ healing ministry didn’t stop when He left this earth.

In John 14:12-14, Jesus was talking to His disciples before His crucifixion.  He told them, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.  And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.  You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”

This week has been filled with people receiving bad diagnoses from the doctors.  I have learned of four in the last two days.  I am sure you know someone that is sick right now.  Jesus is sitting at the right hand of His Father, just waiting for us to ask, with faith, for Him to heal those that are sick and bring life to the (physically and spiritually) dying.  It is so simple, yet we make it so complicated.  It’s all about the faith.  Jesus honors our faith, just like he did the Roman Centurion’s and Martha’s.  Speak His words over sickness and death…JUST SAY THE WORD. 

Rebuilding My Temple

I shared a song at church the other day that I had written called, “House of God”.  It talks about the fact that WE are the church…not the building that we meet in.  It is based, in part, on this scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 NLT - “ Don't you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.”

After focusing on that scripture, I started thinking about how I was treating my “temple”.  Sadly, I realized that I was slowly destroying it…and I only get one!  I was very overweight, I never exercised, and I ate entirely too much junk.  My feet and knees were hurting, my back was aching and I was so short of breath, I could barely sing. I knew that God was not pleased with how I was treating His “building”. 

So, I decided it was time to get it in gear!  I went back to Weight Watchers, because that had worked for me in the past.  I got some great exercise buddies to go to the track with me…they won’t let me be a slacker! But most importantly, I asked the Lord to help me rebuild my temple.  He reminds me every day that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 NKJV

And now I am letting you -the whole cyber world- know about my renovation plans!  If I know people will be watching me, I will have to stay on track!  “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every WEIGHT that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us RUN with endurance the race God has set before us." Hebrews 12:1 NLT  

We are the temple of the LIVING GOD!!!  What better motivation could we have than that? I challenge everyone who reads this post to join me and LET THE REBUILDING BEGIN!!    

Do You Have a Big BUT? Part 4: Begin to Exercise

I don’t know about you, but when I’m trying to lose weight, it doesn’t matter how healthy  I eat, if I don’t exercise, I will not be successful.  It’s the same way with our “spiritual” diet.   You can fill yourself with great spiritual food every day,  go to church every time the doors are open, and listen to only Christian music, but until you start walking out what you have learned, you will not be successful in getting rid of your big BUT. 

With physical exercise, we have to start small and work our way up to build strength and endurance.  Myself and three other brave ladies are going to start training to run (and I use that term VERY lightly) a 5K race.  But, we can’t just jump out there and start running.  We have to build up to it over several weeks.  If I tried to run right now, I would probably pass out and quit!   It’s the same thing with our spiritual race.   You have to start small and work your way up!  For example, if you are afraid of praying out loud at church, start praying out loud in your car.  Then graduate to praying at the dinner table in front of your family.  Before you know it, you will be silently screaming at the preacher at the end of the service, “pick me, pick me!”   Or maybe God is calling you to be in ministry and you think that you can’t speak in front of people.  Start by leading a small devotion at work or at home with your family.  Then move up to filling in teaching a Sunday School class.  Eventually you will have the courage to speak in front of more and more people.

Possibly you think that there is nothing that God is calling you to do?  That is not so!  God has called each of us to do some form of ministry.  From the preacher to the person that cleans the toilets at church; from the missionary in Africa to the person that smiles and encourages the tired clerk at the store….God has something He is calling you to do.   I love Paul’s words to the body of Christ in Romans 12:  “Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ's body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.  If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well.  If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.  Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.  Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.  Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.  Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.” Romans 12:4-12 NLT

  

Don’t let your big BUT get in the way of what God is calling you to do. When He calls you, He equips you.  So get rid of that BUT by GETTING UP, EATING THE RIGHT FOOD, and EXERCISING!!  No more big BUTS!!!!!     

Do You Have a Big BUT? Part 3:Start Eating the Right Food

“…people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.” - Deuteronomy 8:3 NLT

The second thing that we have to do to get rid of our big BUT is…START EATING THE RIGHT FOOD.  The last couple of weeks, I have been trying to lose weight.  That means changing the way I eat.  “Garbage in, garbage out” is a quote I love.  If I put junk food in my body, my body runs like junk.  But, if I put healthy food in it, I will be healthy.  It is the same thing with our “spiritual” food.

Do we really expect to be able to grow spiritually and minister to others out of what we learn from watching secular TV, reading secular books and listening to secular music?  (Secular = of or pertaining to worldly things or to things that are not regarded as religious, spiritual, or sacred; temporal.) Trust me; there is nothing there that would teach us how to be more like Jesus. Most of the television we watch is completely opposite of what the bible teaches.

I’m not saying that you have to cut out all of the “junk”.  Just like on my diet, I still have that ice cream cone if I want it.  But the main part of my diet is healthy food. And I always find that after eating healthy for a few weeks, the junk food just doesn’t taste good anymore.  The same goes for our “spiritual” diet.  After we begin to concentrate on reading God’s word and listening to Christian music or watching Christian TV, when we do watch or read something else, we will most likely find it offensive. “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.” 1Peter 2:2-3 NIV

So to work on that big BUT, you must start eating the right “spiritual” food.  The bible tells us that we must mature and grow so that we can teach others AND be able to differentiate between right and wrong.  “You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God's word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn't know how to do what is right.  Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.”  Hebrews 5:12-14 NLT