The Quest Continues

In Primal, Mark Batterson focuses my attention on the Great Commandment.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength."

I have read and heard that Scripture so many times that I have truly lost touch with the depth of its meaning. As I have embarked on this quest, I have longed for more time to be alone with God to truly reflect on the journey He has led me on.

Mark equates the four primal elements of the Great Commandment as follows: "The heart of Christianity is primal compassion. The soul of Chrisitanity is primal wonder. The mind of Christianity is primal curiousity. The strength of Christianity is primal energy."

Now, one of my spiritual gifts is giving so I assumed the chapters on the heart would be the easy ones to read...not much soul searching or conviction. How silly of me. Mark shared an experience he had while attending a Civil Forum on Global Health sponsored by Saddleback Church. A video was shown portraying the effects of AIDS. "Eight thousand people will die from AIDS today. Then, after all the stories and numbers and faces, the documentary posed this question: 'Are you okay with this?'"

That question got me. Not so much because of my answer but because of lack of proof to back up my answer. No! This is not okay. I am not okay with this. I am not okay that children in my country or city are hungry as they try to fall asleep. I am not okay that a child is crying themself to sleep because they have been beaten and abused. I am not okay that little ones are abandoned. I am not okay that people are dying without hearing the name of Jesus. But what am I doing about it?

"Where your treasure is, there your heart is also."

The only way to know if my heart truly breaks for the things that break Gods heart is to look at my bank statement and calendar. What is my money and time spent on? Where is my energy expended? Where is my heart drained? If the heart of Christianity is compassion then my heart needs to be bursting with love that is in action. The action of giving and going; sharing and speaking.

The soul of Christianity is wonder. Christmas is the perfect time of year to ponder this sentiment. A single strand of Christmas lights from the dollar store can transform a child's smile into a radiant glow! Now take that same child by a home that is decked out in Christmas spirit and they are giddy with excitement.

Chloe equates the amount of Christmas lights with how much someone loves Jesus! Right after Thanksgiving a neighbor down the street put up more Christmas lights than I imagined possible in places I never expected to see lights. The first time we drove past this display Chloe said, "Look Mommy! They must really love Jesus because they have so much Christmas spirit." As soon as we were home I got the wreaths on our outside windows! I love Jesus, too!

As adults, we drive past decorated homes with a focus straight ahead. We have somewhere to be and need to get there quickly. But children have a sense of wonder. They are awed by the glow and the twinkles. Their eyes shine with excitement and their imaginations full of possibilities! I have seen it all before. I've lived through so many Christmases, twelve of them in Branson! Silver Dollar City has as many lights as all the stars in heaven! (I'm sure the guys who put them all up would agree with this.) After a while, the thrill seems to wear away.

As a follower of the Almighty God, I desperately pray that the thrill stays new! I yearn for a childlike wonder to fill my soul as I search for how God is moving around me. I keep mementos of the moments that God has floored me with His power and involvement in my life. Items such as a busted communion cup and a photo of a fake tattoo on my son's wrist.

I have yet to delve into the elements of curiousity and energy, but I will. Trust me...I am committed to allowing God to penetrate my being and proof Himself real in every area of my life. In my heart. In my soul. In my mind. In my strength.

I am His.

Join me on this quest.
http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9781601421319

The book will be availabe for purchase on December 22nd. My copy was provided for review by Waterbrook Multnomah.

Quest for the Soul of my Christianity

I'm taking a journey this month to rediscover the heart of my Christian experience. Searching for the days when my Savior was the sole focus of my heart, soul, mind and strength as I read and pray through Mark Batterson's new book, Primal.

I remember times in high school when I knew God wanted to speak with me; times in college when He strengthened me with His provision and peace; times as a new wife as He inspired me to write and witness; and times as I reached my 40th birthday that He gripped my heart with a passion that I feel inadequate to possess.

In the midst of a busy career with active children and a husband that spends his days building the Kingdom of Christ, I find it easy to lose sight of who I truly am in Christ...who He truly desires me to become. He would not place desires and dreams in my soul if He did not believe they would be used for His glory and His good.

I pray that as I go through this adventure, I will truly rediscover the authentic soul of my relationship with my sweet Jesus.

Join me on this quest. http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9781601421319

The book will be availabe for purchase on December 22nd. My copy was provided for review by Waterbrook Multnomah.

Power in the Blood

There's power in the blood of Jesus! Cameron experienced Ps 91:11 in his life as God's angels kept Satan @ bay. NO FEAR!

Cameron is the athlete in our family. He loves sports of all kind and excels. He was named MVP at Bill Self's (head coach at the University of Kansas) Basketball Camp and voted to the All-Star Team in baseball. He has great instinct, good hands and is fast. This was his first year to play tackle football and he was so excited. Truly, we simply expected things to go like they always do for him and sports.

However, he found himself paralyzed by fear. He was afraid of messing up. He was afraid of letting down his coaches and teammates. Most especially, he was afraid of getting hurt. Fear has always touched him when he tries new things. He has stood frozen at the top of a six foot skateboard ramp not able to let himself go. He has been frozen at the edge of the diving board unable to backflip into the water.

He has memorized II Timothy 1:7..."God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind." He knows that fear is from Satan and power is from God. He has heard the question, "Are you going to let Satan control you or the all-powerful God?" Needless to say, the six-foot ramp is a piece of cake and backflips are beautiful!

I assumed he would follow his pattern of quoting the word of God, remember who he wants controlling his life and be "cured." Football season has not gone this way. Last week, it was so bad that fear completely paralyzed him. Cameron is the backup quarterback and in our divisional playoff game, the starting quarterback was injured in the beginning of the game. Cameron came out and on his first snap, the runningback wasn't where Cameron expected him and the handoff was fumbled. The other team came up with the ball. Cameron went to the sideline and you could see his shoulders slump.

Our defense forced a fumble and we have the ball back. Cameron comes out for three more plays and then it happened. He grabbed his stomach, went to the sideline and took off his helmet. He sat on the bench and there he remained for the rest of the game. Fear had paralyzed him once again and this time he was physically sick. He had severe stomach pains. At first, I was so mad at him for allowing Satan to control him in such a way. I knew his pain was real, but I wanted him to make a choice for Christ and stand against Satan.

I had to leave the game a little early to get Jackson to golf and while I was sitting under the trees during the golf lesson it dawned on me that Cameron is 9. It is my job to guide him to the truth of God's word. I am responsible for the spiritual battle that is being waged on my precious son. When I saw him later he expected me to be mad at him (how convicting that moment was!) and I told him I wasn't. I let him know that I simply wanted him to learn to let Christ have the victory over Satan.

We spent the week reading various portions of Scripture as we prayed over Cameron. Psalm 91 really got him. I read it as my prayer as he fell asleep. He asked me to read it over him several times throughout the week. He would repeat certain portions of it and memorized verse 11.

"You who sit down in the High God's presence,
spend the night in Shaddai's shadow,
say this: 'God, you're my refuge.
I trust in you and I'm safe!'
That's right - He rescues you from hidden traps,
shields you from deadly hazards.
His huge outstretched arms protect you -
under them you're perfectly safe;
His arms fend off all harm.
FEAR NOTHING! Not wild wolves in the night,
not flying arrows in the day.
Not disease that prowls through the darkness,
not disaster that erupts at high noon....

Yes, because God's your refuge,
the High God your very own home,
Evil can't get close to you,
harm can't get through the door.
He ordered his angels
to guard you wherever you go.
If you stumble, they'll catch you,
their job is to keep you from falling."

Cameron knows that Satan was the one bringing the fear. Satan was the one that was causing his pain. He realized that he was allowing Satan to have power in his life. He prayed and asked God, his high refuge to not allow Evil - Satan - to get close to him. Cameron prayed that through the power in the blood of Jesus that the angels God had placed around him to guard him would defeat Satan from having any touch on him.

Practices this week for Cameron were amazing. (btw, we won the division and were playing in the Super Bowl) He came alive and decided he loves defense. He intercepted some passes and caused some fumbles. He was learning that through the blood of Jesus, Satan cannot touch him.

Saturday came and as gametime approached Cameron became quieter and quieter. When it was time to dress for the game, we prayed, quoted our verses and he said he was ready. However, I wanted him to have a weapon down on that field. I wanted him to have something visual and available, so I went and found a sharpie. I wrote Ps 91:11 on his wrist and told him that when Satan came a-calling to hold it up and shout the name of Jesus! As Christians we are covered in the powerful blood and Satan has NO power over us.

Once again, the quarterback went down and Cameron was called in. He was a little tentative, but he played every down he was asked to play. He is on the kickoff return team and caught a kickoff and ran it down the field. He was tackled several times, hurt his back from a late hit but never felt pain. He never felt fear. He never gave in to Satan's attempts. And, he had a couple. He told me after the game that each time he felt like he was getting nervous or scared, he would make a fist, quote the verse in his mind and the feeling disappeared. Praise the Name of Jesus!

What a wonderful week of spiritual growth for my precious nine year old! So thankful that God allowed me to be the one to teach my son how to fight victoriously over the Evil One. Satan, watch out...Cameron is here!

(In case you are wondering, we lost the Super Bowl! 28-0. Who cares though?!! Jesus won during the Super Bowl!!! )

Frisbees, Book Covers, Golf Balls & Fractions

Every morning before we begin our day at school we say the pledges and have a devotional thought. We all take turns reading a verse and sharing a little something about it, pray and then we are ready to begin class. It is an excellent way for kids to become comfortable reading the Bible and praying in front of others and I thoroughly enjoy hearing their insights. I especially get a kick out of some of the verses they choose.

Jackson is in my class this year and lately he has been reading out of Revelation for his devotional day. He loves the villains in all his sci-fi books and movies. General Greivous in Star Wars is his favorite and I have to say, he has the villainous laugh down pat. Not to mention the evil glare that goes with it. His insight after reading is that we need to tell the world about Jesus so they don't have to experience what will happen in the Tribulation. (So much for being the villain!)

Today was my turn and I always let the students bring in items, any item they want, to place in a box. I reach in, pull something out and then share the gospel of Jesus with whatever it is. I want them to truly grasp on to the fact that everything in this world can be used to share Jesus. You simply have to know Him and His word. He will not allow a moment to slip by without sharing an insight if you're heart's desire is to make Him known. As Beth Moore says, "When His glory is at stake, you can count on Him to come through!"

In all my years of doing this for students I have yet to be stumped and this class of students is determined. This morning one girl immediately began working with construction paper and tape to form...we are not sure what. But, when it was pulled out of the box God gave an insight and the gospel was shared. The box contained a book cover...easy, the blood of Jesus covers you; a fold up frisbee...John 10:10 is one of my favorites - Jesus came to give us life more abundantly; a golf ball which proved to be more challenging but as I talked about the goal of golf being a hole in one the gospel fell into place (My heart is the hole and Jesus is a golf ball!); and a bag of fraction manipulatives...sin breaks us into pieces, but the forgiveness of Jesus through His shed blood makes us whole.

The best part of the devotional time this morning is that my students began participating!! They wanted to come grab something out of the box! I absolutely loved hearing them use the items, everyday ordinary items, to share the love of Jesus. I just know that with practice, lessons in using their voices, they will be able to boldly, confidently share the love of Jesus with the world. And, I am a part of it.

Thank you, Lord for the ways you use me to build Your kingdom. May I never fail You!

Timidity vs. Meekness

One of my favorite things about being a mom, teacher and youth pastor's wife is learning from the kids. I am inspired when the Holy Spirit teaches me while I am trying to teach little ones and impressed when teenagers take their knowledge and share it with the world. I am blessed to be a part of God's work in the lives of young Christians.

My husband and I have experienced a rough six years and though we were praying for the end of this season, the past six months have proved that our rain is still pouring. I pray that through it all God receives the glory from our actions, inactions and hearts. I find myself before His throne confessing and pleading as David did, that he would search me, know me and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. God faithfully answers this prayer, as His word promises, and I have sought forgiveness from those I have hurt and God has blessed me with sound sleep as I lay my head down each night, right in His eyes.

And yet, I still feel daggers of attack, most recently through harsh, critical words. My initial reaction is to use my words and defend myself. I want to answer each attack with my side of the story and gather witnesses to prove my points. And, yet, through Godly wisdom of my family, prayer partner and accountability partner, I remain silent. God is telling me to be quiet. To be still. To know that He is God.

Amazingly enough, I'm okay with this. I say amazing because God is used to me wanting my own way. He is used to me trying to rationalize why my way is the better way. I bet He even expects me to cry through my arguing with Him, all the while knowing that my bark is always bigger than my bite! He has known me so long!

Tonight as I strolled through facebook, I find one of our teenagers status that is one of my Wam Bam Walla (Thanks, Tammy Whitehurst! :) ) verses. 2 Timothy 1:7 which says that "God did not give us the spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, love and self-discipline."

A comment was made about the contradiction of spirit of timidity verse and the meek shall inherit the earth. So, as a good teacher, I went to the dictionary and discovered that timidity means lacking in self-assurance, courage, or bravery; easily alarmed; timorous; shy...fearful. While being meek means humbly patient or docile, as under provocation from others.

Light bulb!! The humility of meekness through biting words and comments of others is only possible because the Holy Spirit did not give us the spirit of timidity.

Gotta love it when it all comes together! The Bible never contradicts itself...it confirms itself!

My friend went on to say in a comment, "When we became Christians, Jesus gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38; Titus 3:3-7). The Spirit lives in us, making our bodies a Temple (1 Cor. 6:19-20) and blessing us in many ways (Romans 8). We can be courageous people even in the face of attack, criticism, and ridicule because of the Spirit's presence. The fruit that the Spirit produces (Gal. 5:22-23) and the love that the Spirit pours into our heart (Rom. 5:5) do not make us weak. Instead, the Spirit's presence is a powerful force to help us overcome sin (Rom. 8:13) and live self-disciplined lives."

So, even though I want to shout from the rooftops, I am contentedly silent. I choose to allow the "Spirit's presence to be a powerful force to help me...live a self-disciplined life" in "the face of attack, criticism and ridicule" because the Holy Spirit is alive and well inside of me.

NIV stands for...

This morning, Cameron and I were talking about all the Bible verses he is to memorize for church and school. James 1:19 is his church verse and we always add one or two for him because his memory is so amazing and the Bible so powerful and effective. He suggested verse 20 and I commented about how much I love verse 17 and quoted it for him. Remember, I am a just-turned 40 year old, steeped in the good 'ol King James Version.

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."

Cameron looked at me a little funny and said, "No, Mom. That's not right. It says, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." I laughed and reminded him that when I was his age we always used the King James Version. He looked at the edge of his Bible and said, "Oh. I have the New Improved Version!"

I laughed and laughed! He turned a little pink as I corrected him, but what a truth he has placed in my heart today. I do not need a new and improved God. Hebrews 13:8 says, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever." He doesn't need to improve. He is all I need right now and in the future. His words do not need to improve. They hold life for me...they are life for me.

In the age of upgrades, be content in the knowledge that Jesus Is. You can't get any better than Him...just as He is.

Lessons from Chris

"Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492." This little ditty is learned by school children all across the United States. It is an important date in American history. What was the purpose of Christopher's exploration? Well, besides business, he wanted to prove that the earth was round. Although he didn't actually circumnavigate the globe, he did challenge the world's thinking. He went against the flow. He stood up to the majority. As the Harris twins say, he did the hard thing.

Being one of the crowd is an easy thing to do. Agreeing with the majority is comfortable and secures a place for us. We are welcomed and included when we think like everyone around us. However, does this benefit us? Does it benefit the Kingdom? No. Not at all.

How can we stand up and challenge the world's thinking? What platform do we have to stand up and say, "Jesus is the only way to heaven." Do we take advantage of the opportunities that are presented to us? Pastors from California call it a Kingdom Assignment. Some call it divine appointments. Call it what you will, but when God wants you to do something, be sure to obey. Be intentionally opportunistic!

Ephesians 5:8-17 (the message)
"You groped your way through that murk once, but no longer. You're out in the open now. The bright light of Christ makes your way plain. So no more stumbling around. Get on with it! The good, the right, the true - these are the actions appropriate for daylight hours. Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it. Don't waste your time on useless work, mere busywork, the barren pursuits of darkness.

Expose these things for the sham they are.

It's a scandal when people waste their lives on things they must do in the darkness where no one will see. Rip the cover off those frauds and see how attractive they look in the light of Christ. Wake up from your sleep, climb out of your coffins; Christ will show you the light!

So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times! Don't live careless, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the Master wants."

Use what the world dishes out and point it for Christ. Yesterday was "National Coming Out" Day. I challenged the youth at my church to Come Out for Christ! According to the little children's Sunday School song..."Hide it under a bushel...NO! I'm going to let it shine!"

Stand up and be counted! Challenge the world's thinking and lead them to Christ!