This morning I went “Back to School!” I LOVE school! I loved school as a young child and I still love school now!
As a young child I loved it when the ‘Back to School’ Ads started! It was time to get new clothes, new shoes, pick out a new backpack and lunch pail!
Then, when I “grew up,” I loved school so much I made it my career. This year marked 34 years of me going ‘Back to School ‘ professionally!
Going ‘Back to School’ today was unlike any other year I have ever faced.
Today we were going ‘Back to School’ after a two week break due to the FireStorms that ravaged our county. I stepped out of my car and witnessed the singed hills surrounding our school. Hills that two short weeks before were lush with green foliage. I could still smell the scent of “burn” as I walked from the parking lot to the playground. Surrounding me was the evidence that God had spared our school even as the flames threatened to destroy it. The fire lines drew a clear line all around our school. The flames had been so close that one man had used a hose to save the gym from burning down. My spirit was overwhelmed with the awareness that God is truly in control and I, nor any other man or woman, is not!

I entered the classroom to see three little girls in tears clinging to pink stuffed bunnies they had been given to them as an “I’m sorry” gift. They had all lost their homes! They were staying at hotels with their families, paid for by insurance.
Yes, we were all going “Back to School,” but nothing felt NORMAL. We had stepped into “A New Normal!”

The dictionary defines NORMAL like this:

“Conforming to the standard or the common type; usual; not abnormal; regular.”

“The Common type, Usual, Regular, and Not Abnormal!

“COMMON”, nothing out of the ordinary, something we do or are use to everyday, like a toothbrush to brush our teeth, or a pan to boil water in. That is the “common” use of these objects. But what if we use a toothbrush to clean the grout that is impossible to get out without a small object? What if we give the pan to our grandchild to use as an instrument and pretend he/she is a band leader? We soon discover that the objects we called “common”, have taken on new life as they are used for more than one purpose!

“USUAL,” the practice of following a routine and doing the same thing over and over. For example, like waking up at 6:00 am and going to the gym each morning before you start your day. However, what if one Morning you wake up at 6:00am and take a walk and watch the sunrise? Or, what if you wake up at 6:00am and take a run around your neighborhood and pray for your neighbors? Or, what if you wake up at 6:00am and take a hike on a new trail and see things you had never noticed before?
You have changed the USUAL, to the UNUSUAL, and possibly increased your desire for exercise by breaking up the routine!

“REGULAR,” the standard way. Like having a “regular” cup of coffee in the morning. Or, eating a “regular” piece of toast. What if you added a touch of pumpkin purée to you coffee and a bit of almond milk? You would turn your “regular” cup of coffee into a healthy pumpkin spice latte and join the world of PSL Lovers! Imagine you add delicious avocado and a perfectly scrambled egg with a touch of sea salt and pepper to that “regular” toast? You would have yourself a power packed breakfast that tastes delicious and adds energy to your day!

“NOT ABNORMAL,” to not draw attention to anything out of the ordinary. Would you want to miss a shooting star flying through the sky? What about a brightly colored hot air ballon soaring overhead? Even the color change painting the night sky as the sun slowly sets, can be quite “Not Abnormal!”

TRUTH BOMB

A NEW NORMAL CAN GIVE US FRESH PERSPECTIVE!

The Final dictionary definition is; “THE COMMON TYPE,” eating what is common, saying what is common, wearing what is common etc, etc, etc…One BIG word comes to my mind just reading this definition…BORING!!!
What would life be like if we all ate the same “common” foods, and said the same “common” things and wore the same “common” clothes? We would all operate as BORING robots, who looked alike, acted alike, ate alike, and all wore boring beige!
That is not the way our Creative Creator intended us all to live! He gave us different personalities with bright, creative minds to develop new ideas and new choices! HE WANTS US TO USE THEM!

We are the ones who create for ourselves prisons of normalcy! We convince ourselves that being “right” and “correct” is by being “Normal.” The greatest problem of all is we allow the world to define what is “normal!”
Friend, ONLY God can determine our NORMAL, and as crazy as it may seem to the world, His “Normal” for us will be perfect! It will be NEW and FRESH and present a perspective we could never have arrived at on our own!

As difficult as it was to face my “New Normal” and go “Back to School,” with singed hills surrounding us, a deep smell of burn hanging in the air, and three beautiful little girls clinging to their new stuffed animals as they mourn the loss of their homes, I thanked God for my “New Normal”, and the fresh perspective He had given me through it!

I now saw that alougth the hills were burned, our school was not. That even though a singed smell lingered in the air, the air quality had improved, and even though three small girls had lost their houses, they were safe and sound and so were their families and pets!

Only God knows what will happen in our lives from one day to the next. However, when we allow Him to create a “NEW NORMAL,” in our lives, and let go of our “COMMON NORMAL,” He will graciously give us a fresh perspective as we walk anew in His Hope and Future for us!

Speak Truth Love

I returned home on Wednesday to an empty house, but it was still standing! We still had no electricity, gas, and our water was contaminated. However, I had returned home to a house fully intact! Now mind you, if I continue writing this and pretended that cleaning out the refrigerator, or actually cleaning anything in my house, was an “out of the ordinary task for me,” anyone and everyone who truly knows me would know I wasn’t telling the truth! I have an issue with clean! At my age however, I fully except that it is my issue! It actually even goes to a deeper level of healing when I am hurting! When I say goodbye to my children after a visit, when I watch them drive out of my driveway and back to Southern California or further Northern California, when I hug and kiss those sweet little babies of mine and tuck them securely into their car seats and wave goodbye, the healthiest way I have to absorb the pain is to clean my house!

But this day was different! I was returning home to completely clean out my refrigerator and freezer! The water had already begun to form a puddle halfway across our kitchen floor. We had gotten there just in time! I began to take garbage bag after garbage bag and fill it full of every single item in my refrigerator! It was a sort of “CLEANSING!”

Now, before any of you start getting on me for throwing away perfectly good food in the middle of a crisis where I could bless others, I did take two big bags full to our church where we had evacuees. And I saved things from the freezer and put them into a friends freezer!

However, because it had sat for several days with no energy source there were many things that could not be saved!
I am in no way complaining about cleaning out my refrigerator. It is quite the opposite actually, I had an unexplainable thankfulness in my heart that I still had a refrigerator! The spoiled food I cleaned out and threw into the garbage bag, the water spilling across my floor that I continued to clean up, left me with nothing but gratitude in my heart! My house was spared! But why?

I was in awe, God had saved our house, but why? Why me, when so many others had lost everything? With each breath I took and with each can, bottle, piece of fruit, or limp vegetable I pulled out I would thank Him, and then ask why?
I was feeling more emotion now while cleaning out my powerless refrigerator, then I had felt driving away from my house! Why me, why was I spared, when so many around me were in complete and utter devastation?

I was experiencing what they call, “Survivors Guilt!” I knew I didn’t deserve to have my home spared in such a devastating fire storm anymore then all of those who tragically lost their homes. I didn’t deserve it, but God allowed it.

“Survivors Guilt” produces two distinct responses. The first one stops us in our tracks, it freezes us, we are immobilized by the overwhelming sense of guilt and even shame as to why were we spared when so many others were not? We then let the guilt overwhelm us and we accomplish nothing!
The second response is to realize that we were spared for a purpose! We must move through that guilt to help those in need and fulfill the purposes that God has for us in this situation.

It might DERAIL you, but it does not have to DEFEAT you!
Being derailed is temporary!

I had a choice to make. Would I allow the guilt to overwhelm me and sit frozen, not helping or reaching out to anyone? Or, would I recognize the gift I was given and move forward in my purpose in the devastation?

Recognizing I have been spared, lifting my eyes up in gratitude and hope, instead of down in guilt and shame, allows me to focus on His purpose for me in all of it!

I am to LOVE THE LORD MY GOD, no matter the circumstances, and to “WALK IN HIS WAYS!”

Truth Bomb

The only steps worth taking, are the steps that lead us closer to God.

As I sat near the puddle of water forming on my kitchen floor, I realized the only way I could truly thank God for sparing our home was to GET UP and take steps toward loving my God by helping those in need around me!

I finished cleaning out my refrigerator with much greater vigor than before! I threw each rotted piece of fruit into the place it belonged, the garbage! Each rotted piece reminded me that I too must get rid of each piece of rotten attitude in my life that holds me back and spoils the good fruit around it!

As my hand reached into the freezer to pull out frozen fruit bags that had lost their vitality and hung lifeless and limp, I remembered I am called by God to produce good fruit! And as my hand grabbed for each bottle of salad dressing that contained vinegar and oil, my spirit was overwhelmed by the truth that when my life is seasoned with proper ingredients, I am preserved! Those bottles stayed. They would not only survive, they would last!
Will you and I last? When troubles, trials and devastation consume our lives, will we have the preservatives it takes to STAND UP, AND STEP INTO THE PURPOSE GOD HAS FOR US?

I got up off the floor, I mopped up the water around me, I cleaned my refrigerator like never before, and then I left that secure, warm home God had given me and then preserved for me, to step into His purpose for me in all of this!
Jim and I were blessed to minister to many who came to our church. We served alongside so many from our church that cooked food for them, secured warm beds for them and shared God’s love for them through kind, warm , sincere smiles and hugs!
Yes, the devastation is real.Some of them lost EVERYTHING…homes, cars, even animals. But, because we all choose to stand up and step beside our God as He loved these people, we were blessed beyond measure!

Friends, I do not know what “REFRIGERATOR” you are facing in your life that needs cleaned out? But I do know that under the most crippling of circumstances, as you step through them toward God, HE WILL WALK BESIDE YOU! He will show you WHY, WHY He saved you to Bear Much Fruit!

I know I will never look at my refrigerator the same again! I intend to use it as a reminder, a sort of ,”Altar of Remembrance,” that no matter how discouraged or doubtful I get of where God has placed me, to be used by Him for His purposes, that as long as I continue to, get up and step with Him, I will be useful in His Kingdom Enterprise!

“LORD, YOUR KINGDOM COME! YOUR WILL BE DONE HERE ON THIS PART OF EARTH WHERE YOU HAVE PLACED ME!”

Speak Truth Love

 

Thirty-two hours ago I was thrown into the middle of the most devastating FIRE I have ever encountered! It exploded around me like a BOMB!!! The noise was so loud and earth shattering that we could think of nothing else except explosives being dropped all around us, while shooting flashes of light shot through the dark night sky! We were thrust out of a deep sleep not knowing what was going on all around us! I looked over at Jim and we both roused to the shocking awareness that a raging fire was right outside of our neighborhood!
The phone rang and the voice on the other end said, “Your neighborhood is being evacuated!” I groggily stumbled to the front bedroom window and looked out! The sight was chilling. The sky was dark black and below it was the deepest, darkest color of orange I had ever seen. In the middle of the orange was a billowing black cloud of smoke from a raging fire.
Due to our Missionary training, we always have a battery powered transistor radio handy. Jim turned it on and the tragic news hit us like a ton of bricks. Above us in the hills of Sonoma County a fire had broken out and was spreading and speeding toward us at record breaking speed!

We had no time to think, only react! Well, I take that back slightly. My brain immediately told me to “GO HOME”, flee to Sacramento where family was close by! That was my first thought when my human nature stepped in. But those words never left my brain to come out of my mouth.
It is in these times of crisis friends, that we truly find out what God can do with us! Are we ready? Are we available to His leading, His calling and His filling in our spirits? Those questions are only answered when we are thrust into crisis mode!
I pray that we would all continue to fill ourselves with His Word and His prayers in the non-conflict times. So that we are ready in the CONFLICT to engage Him and be used by Him!
He is Faithful! He is in complete control!
I turned to Jim, who was listening intently to the radio, and listened. He said that the fire was spreading so quickly that the evacuation centers in Santa Rose were filling to capacity and overflowing already. He said, “We need to get to our church and become an evacuation center for anyone in need.”
He immediately called the news station, radio station and talked to the fire chief in Sebastopol. We grabbed our suitcase, toiletries, anything we could grab of importance, loaded our cars, put Jim’s bike on the back of his car, put our dog in my car and headed to our church under the blackened sky and orange skyline! It took us over an hour to go less than 10 miles, but we got there. We were able to bring about 60 of our neighbors with us!
On our drive to church I was struck by the crazy thought of one of my favorite movies, ‘Leap Year.’ In it the question is asked, “If you had 60 seconds to flee your home, what would you take?” Friends I found out the answer to that question. It was all sitting in my car around me. My children’s Christmas stockings, our family portraits on our walls, the chiming clock my dad gave me, (even though every member of my family would have been happy if I would have left that behind!), my children’s old sports jerseys, the dagen heart glass my grandmother gave me, the baseball bats my Dad gave Tyler when he was born and our family recipes! Thank goodness Jim is a bit more practical and he grabbed our bag of important papers: passports, birth certificates, marriage license, insurance papers etc.!
I did organize and put them together however, but you can see where our hearts go in the middle of crisis!
They were all thrown into my car and represented my life! As we drove away in the erie silence and oppressive darkness, ash fell on us like a severe snow storm.
As we enter the church, we were met by incredible servants ready to bless anyone and everyone God would bring to us! In the words of the Sebastopol Fire Chief, “Sebastopol has been spared by the fire and is a SANCTUARY in this area!” SERIOUSLY, if we had not sensed God’s leading yet, we certainly did now!
Truth is, we had sensed God’s leading and we still do!

Jim and I had an immediate and sincere feeling flood our spirits that we were sent here for “SUCH A TIME AS THIS!” We asked God for a verse and we both felt him give us John 1:4-5 clearly;

“The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought life to everyone. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot extinguish it.” John 1:4-5

We have found ourselves in the middle of a raging physical fire in the last 32 hours! What puts out a physical fire? Firefighters who are armed with chemicals, water and fire extinguishers!

We have become acutely aware that God has called us here to be “spiritual firefighter’s!” We are to bring His light into the darkness. To shine His true light in the middle of grief, sorrow, devastation and hopelessness. To demonstrate through His love, that we are BEING HIS CHURCH by being His hands and feet to all those in need!

TRUTH BOMB

WE ARE SPIRITUAL FIREFIGHTERS CALLED TO EXTINGUISH DARKNESS!

We have been given The TRUE LIGHT of JESUS CHRIST friends! It is THE LIGHT that shines in the darkness and the darkness, no matter how severe, can NEVER EXTINGUISH IT!

So shine His Light in every situation you find yourselves in! He is faithful!

Just to give you all an update of our situation, this is debris from the fire, which was a small part of what was left on our front lawn. It is chilling to see the pages burnt from books, and realize that as I picked up what I thought was an ember, it was a fully burnt leaf from the tree!

When Jim and I pulled away from our house yesterday morning in the darkness, we fully expected to have nothing left when we returned. We gave God back the house He had so graciously given us here in Sonoma County. But God had different plans, and we are praising Him! He spared our house from the fire that was less than a quarter-mile away. We do not know why, but we completely give Him the glory and thank Him for it! May we use it for His glory and His glory alone to shine His light in the darkness in this community He has clearly placed us in!

Thank you all for your continued outpouring of love and prayers! They are needed and they are working. There is still MUCH work to be done and MUCH fruit to bear, but God is faithful and He will see us through!

Speak Truth Love

Last week we talked about the LOVE of FAMILY, this week we are talking about the LOVE of FRIENDS!

The tragedy in Las Vegas yesterday, October 1, 2017, has caused each and every one of us to consider those closest and most important to us, namely FAMILY and FRIENDS!

Yesterday we awoke to the devastating news of the Las Vegas tragedy. It reminded us that evil and darkness are ever present. Even though this is a stark and real revelation, The Light and Truth of our Lord Jesus Christ shines brightest in the darkness!
We must hold onto that Truth, trust in Him alone and be His light here on Earth!

I have found no greater way to shine the LIGHT of Jesus Christ than through friendship!
The Bible tells us in Proverbs that a true friend loves always. This means in the good times and in the bad times.

The world displays friendship as a relationship with another that we have something in common with. Sharing, if you will, a common likeness to a particular activity. We can share in a book club, a cooking class, a favorite restaurant, a sport or a love for the arts. Any common interest can create a friendship. We bond over a golf game, a football game, a baseball game or any sport we enjoy. We can watch it together or play it together. We can bond over sharing recipes, new cooking tools, or new cooking techniques. We can bond over an interest in the arts, walking through museums, watching a play or listening to a concert. We can join a running club, biking club or dance club and make friends. We can join a gym, an exercise class or a martial arts class and make friends.

It seems natural to become friends when we find others who share our similar interests. However, I believe the Bible is talking about a friendship much deeper than a shared interest when it speaks about being a friend in Proverbs.

“A Friend loves at all times.”

Proverbs 17:17

This kind of friend sticks by you when times are tough! This kind of a friend understands when you have a bad day and say the wrong thing. This kind of a friend forgives and forgets when you make a mistake. This kind of a friend remains your friend no matter how many miles separate you! This kind of a friend helps in time of need, and comforts in time of grief. This kind of a friend does not just enjoy activities with you that you both enjoy, but this kind of a friend enters into your activities even if they are not their first choice. This kind of a friend puts you first and is there when you need them. This kind of a friend prays alongside you and bloodies their knees in prayer for you. This kind of a friend knows that sometimes there is nothing they can do but stand beside you in silence and hold your hand or give you a hug. This kind of a friend, a true friend, is ALWAYS THERE!

If you have a friend like this, you are blessed and you understand the true definition of Proverbs 17:17.

If you are a friend like this, than you are fulfilling God’s purpose for friendship.

Truth Bomb

A friend loves at all times!

We have the opportunity to shine the LIGHT and LOVE of Jesus when we practice this kind of friendship. When we give even when we have nothing left to give. When we love even when we feel unloved, and when we pray even when others do not deserve it. Most of all, when we display hope when life circumstances feel hopeless!

Yes, even on the darkest of days, when senseless tragedy makes us feel sad and dark, we have the potential to bring the LIGHT as we live out true godly friendship!

As we are reminded how short and uncertain life is, may we not waste another precious moment loving our friends ALL OF THE TIME!

Speak Truth Love

 

Family. What does that mean?
To me it means togetherness, I’m not alone! It means I’m understood, better than anyone else understands me. I do not have to explain myself at every turn or statement, they just “get me!”
It means I am accepted. For good, bad or ugly, it’s just ok for Me to be Me!
Ultimately, It means I Am Loved!

In the Family of God, that’s the way it should be too!

Proverbs 17:17
“A friend loves at all times.”

Family is everything!
God ordained family as the structure He put into place that we are to live under.
Biological family and spiritual family, both are important! One is vital! The family of God, our spiritual family, must demonstrate to the world what family love truly looks like!

“Beloved, let us love one another. For love comes from God and he who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not live, does not know God, for God is love!”
I John 4:7-8

If God has given you a biological family that demonstrates Gods love to each other, then you are blessed beyond measure!
Hold on to that my love! Guard it, protect it, and promote it, do not take it for granted! Give encouragement, support, and appreciation to all those in your biological family! Celebrate them! Hold them and hug them, because you have been given a precious gift from God! It is rare! It is priceless! The love you share within your biological family reflects the love of God to the rest of the world. So let your light shine so that others will see the way a family is truly supposed to be!

If you were not given a biological family on this earth that reflects the love of God, then pray for them. Never stop praying for them! God made us family when we were born. We do not pick our family like we pick our friends. We need to pray for them, be there for them, and never, Never give up on them! Pray for them while there is still time! God is a God of miracles! The example you set for others In loving your family members who do not demonstrate God’s love to you, is an even greater reflection of the love of God to the world around us!

Remember, like the verse above says,
” LOVES COMES FROM GOD!”
Love does not come from us it comes from God. While in our own human flesh and nature we are not able to love those well who do not love us, in God’s strength and spirit we are more than able!
We stand to be the greatest example of God’s love and light when we love those who do not love us back! Most sincerely, it is the most difficult and painful thing to do! But with God’s strength, we can do it. And the world will see what true love is!

As a spiritual family, THE CHURCH, we are also to love well! We should not grumble and complain, we should not find fault with every different style or preference, but we need to love unconditionally the way God loves us!

In this crazy, chaotic world we live in, what greater thing can we show them but love! Real love, God’s love, the kind of love that never leaves us or forsake’s us!
After all, God is love! It is not a piece of who He is, it is all of who he is! God is love first, John 4:16
“God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.”

When the world turns angry toward our country and its leadership, we show God’s love.

When someone betrays you or turns on you, we show God’s love.

When someone yells at you in a parking lot or on the highway, we show God’s love.

When someone shows favoritism to another, we show God’s love.

When someone treats us unfairly, we show God’s love.

I John 10-11 says it clearly,
“This is real love-not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.”

“WE SURELY OUGHT!”
I love that phrase! It is simply a response for us to love others, because of God’s great love for us!

“WE SURELY OUGHT!” It compels us! It encourages us! It allows us to rise above our own selfish selves, and put others first! Just as God put us first!

Friends, it is not easy to live or even feel loving when others around us are acting hateful. However, if our heavenly father could send his precious son to demonstrate the greatest love anyone has ever or will ever know, when he was hated, betrayed, and killed, “WE SURELY OUGHT!”

Love one another friends! Demonstrate God’s love to all those around you, deserved or undeserved, and wait and see what God will do! The world will stand, open mouth, and look up to the true author of love!

TRUTH BOMB

WE SURLY OUGHT TO LOVE OTHERS AS GOD LOVES US!

Speak Truth Love

F A L L I N G

Fall is in the air, apples are ripe for the picking, and leaves are beginning to turn colors and fall!

It’s good for leaves to fall to the ground and for apples to fall from trees. However, when it comes to us, God keeps us from FALLing when others disappoint and let us down.
We just have to keep our eyes on Him!
“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”    Psalm 42:5

Truth Bomb

WHEN DISAPPOINTMENT MAKES YOU WANT TO FALL,
PUT YOUR HOPE IN GOD!

 

Speak Truth Love

Circumstances are tough! Let’s face it. Most days just getting up presents more reasons NOT to smile than to smile! It’s too early, it’s too late; I ran out of coffee, I forgot to buy tea; the weather is too hot; the weather is too cold; I have an ache, I have a pain! The list goes on and on and on…
Truth is, there is always a reason NOT to smile.

However, today I am presenting THE TRUTH, that when Jesus is the Source of our smile, there are too many reasons to keep that smile off of our face!

We are speaking The Truth today, and The
Truth is Jesus gives me far more reasons to smile than not too!
Jesus gives me HOPE! When I read and listen to the heartache and devastation around me, instead of hopelessness, Jesus gives me Hope in knowing He is in control. He promises to “…work all things together for good…” Romans 8:28

That puts a smile on my face as I lift up prayers to Him for His people!

Jesus gives me Grace! When I miss a day of getting up early He gently reminds me that, tomorrow is a new day, and a new start. Instead of defeat taking me over, a smile of renewal spreads across my face!
Jesus gives me Joy!

“The Joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10b
He promises me that when Joy fills my life instead of sorrow, I am strong!

More than ANYTHING ,
Jesus gives me Forgiveness! Nothing that I do or not do, nothing that I say, is ever beyond the reach of God’s Forgiveness! Now, if that doesn’t put a smile on my face, nothing will.
When Jesus is our Source, we can get up each morning, put our feet on the floor, and say,
” This is the day The Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.”
Psalm 118

That is Real! That is Truth! That is authentic!

Truth Bomb 

Your smile is real when Jesus is the source!

So smile! Someone is watching! They need to see your Source before they can know Him!

SMILE, JESUS LOVES YOU!

 

Speak Truth Love

“PLAY BALL!”

Those words blared from a loud speaker yesterday as I sat at a baseball game with some of my family.

Those words were immediately followed by ACTION! The players ran onto the field ready to play the game. The umpires were in position and the fans rose to their feet in applause!

To “PLAY BALL” is to begin or continue something.

To “PLAY BALL” is to start or continue an action.

To “PLAY BALL” is to work together; to cooperate; to achieve a desired purpose.

When I heard those words ring loudly through the baseball stadium, a chill of excitement ran through me! Something was about to begin. Players who had put time and effort, heart and soul into practicing and perfecting their skills were ready to compete. The players, as well as the spectators, did not know the outcome, but they were ready to “PLAY BALL!”

The game was exciting! One of the best I have been to in ages! The first inning opened with four runs scored. The other team answered back scoring three runs. Back and forth, back and forth, each team continued scoring. The game ended up in extra innings. It was well played by both teams. But as we all know, in the game of baseball, only one team can win.

As Christians, that is not true for us! Our victory was won at the cross. Our Savior died once for all, our victory is secure. WE WIN and our enemy loses!

As I drove home from that game and the words “PLAY BALL” continued ringing in my ears, I began thinking, “Am I ready to “PLAY BALL?”

When I wake up each morning and “run out onto my playing field” that day, am I ready to “PLAY BALL?”
Have I put in “time and effort,” “heart and soul” into my practicing and perfecting of my skills? Have I prayed, asked God for direction, listened to His answer, and spent time in His word? Am I ready to “PLAY BALL” when I hear God over the loud speaker of my life call me into “The Game?”

I want to be! I know that In His game I will be victorious. My team will win in the end.
Oh, the day to day battle certainly takes it’s toll. Life’s demands make me weary. I deal daily with feelings of insecurity and rejection. I have success one day followed by defeat the next.
Life is tough friend, and it is SO DAILY!

Clinging to my life verse keeps me focused and in the game;

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

Christ is the one who has won the victory. Christ is the one who makes me strong. Christ is the one who gives me strength when I am weak.                                      Christ in me keeps me in the game!

Our part is to equip ourselves as players. Discipline our weaknesses and use our strengths. Condition our minds and bodies to play this game of life well. Stand firm in the TRUTH we know. And trust completely in our Savior to get us through!

So, if you are like me, and life at times seems difficult and overwhelming…Stay in the Game!
If it feels like you are peddling uphill and sliding back more than you are going forward, Stay in the Game!
If the condition the world is in seems sad and hopeless, Stay in the Game!

Because Friends, The TRUTH is, whether we are in the first inning, the fifth inning, the ninth inning or in overtime, When God shouts over the loud speaker of our life, “PLAY BALL,” WE WIN!

Truth Bomb

CHRIST HAS WON THE VICTORY! WE JUST NEED TO STAY IN THE GAME!

Can I get an “Amen?”

See you next week!

Speak Truth Love

This weekend I did something I need to do far more frequently… I took time to BREATHE!

I set aside an entire day, to do nothing but BREATHE in God’s Spirit and BREATHE out His Love! I sat still amongst tall redwood trees. I surrounded myself with friends who love Jesus. I listened to Truth from God’s Word. I sang songs of worship to my God. And I BREATHED! I breathed in God’s Spirit, and I breathed out God’s Love.

I will admit to you that it was not easy! Although, “breathing” is one of the most fundamental activities we do every second of every day, I mean, after all, it is necessary if we want to continue living, it can be one of the most difficult activities to put into practice spiritually!

Seriously, if we do not take air in through our lungs and “inhale,” and then let the air out and “exhale,” we will die! It’s plain and simple! It is the way our creator designed it.

However, I have come to realize that “Spiritual Breathing” is just as vital to our existence as Physical Breathing is. If we desire to LIVE this Christian life and not just walk through it, we must learn to Breathe spiritually.

This is easier said than done! I had to set aside other opportunities to participate in, in order to BREATHE Spiritually. I was presented with two of my very favorite activities the same day I had set aside to BREATHE. My sister and nephew planned a trip to visit my “Happy Place”, Disneyland, on the same day! They offered to take me with them. I had to say no, and it was not easy! To make the decision even more difficult, they were traveling to Disneyland in Southern California where my daughter and grand babies live! Now, I was saying no to spending time with my family that I love and miss! That was certainly NOT EASY! Then, one of my favorite conferences which is usually far from where I live, was coming to Sacramento, only 2 hours away, which was drivable, and I had to say no again! Truly Not Easy!

As hard as it was to say no to these other “good” opportunities, I knew God was calling me to BREATHE! To Breathe in His Holy Spirit and to BREATHE out His Love!

The dilemma comes when we make the mistake of thinking that we can live our spiritual lives without taking the time to BREATHE God in! That’s the inhaling part. We never stop to think about breathing in physically. We simply suck in the air God has placed around us in His perfect atmosphere. But what would happen if something prevented us from taking in that air. Would we fight with all of our might to free ourselves from what ever was hindering us from breathing physically? Of course we would! We would pull those covers off of our head so quickly that our hair would stand up on end! We would tear that plastic bag off with such physical force that we would feel like a super hero. It would be our natural reaction to anything hindering us from breathing! We want to live! We fight to breathe physically.

Now think about this question, do we fight to breathe spiritually? Do you really fight to push all distractions out of your way so you can breathe spiritually? Do you set aside whatever hinders you from sitting at God’s feet, reading His Word, taking in His creation around you, and listening for His voice?

Are you willing to do whatever you need to do to practice “Being still and knowing He Is God?”
To sit still long enough and calm your mind, heart, and life down so that you can take a deep breath in and feel His Spirit fill you up. Then to breathe out (exhale), His love to all those around you. I believe this is as vital to our spiritual life as breathing is to our physical life!

Without Breathing in God’s Spirit on a regular basis, we will die spiritually! It is a slow death. We may not even notice it at first. We lose our joy and enthusiasm, our pace and service slows down, we attend church less and less and being a part of a small group becomes a distant memory. Before we know it we are walking around out of duty and obligation, as lifeless as a corpse! Our physical body continues to breath in the air around it, but our spiritual body is dry and lifeless.

In Genesis 2:7 it tells us that the reason we have physical life is because God breathed His breath into us…

“God breathed the Breath of Life into man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.” Genesis 2:7

Did you catch that? God had already created man, but man was not LIVING until God BREATHED LIFE INTO HIM!

We are alive because God Breathed His Life into us! We remain alive in Him when we take the time to BREATHE Him in!

Truth Bomb

Breathing God in is vital to our spiritual life!

It is worth it my friends! When we take time to “BE STILL AND KNOW HE IS GOD,” He gives us His PEACE. He frees us from anxiety, tension, pressure and worry. When we Breathe Him in, His spirit refreshes us and gives us vitality and joy. We have a spring in our step. We look forward to being in fellowship with fellow believers and we can’t wait to get to church and to our small group. Our bodies are filled with the life only God can give and we are ALIVE!

You may be able to attend a Retreat like I did, but let’s face it, those do not come around everyday. When they do, I highly recommend you take advantage of them. They are a true spiritual high! I know I have a bigger spring in my step this week! But all of us can do something to BREATHE spiritually each day. You can remove distractions and read your Bible. You can journal what you feel God is teaching you through what you are reading or is speaking to you. You can listen to worship music and hear him speak and teach you through the words of the songs. You can take a walk in His beautiful creation, hear the birds sing, the bees buzz or the simple silence that surrounds you. You can simply be still, rest, and listen for His still small voice. You can practice inhaling and asking Him to bless you, hold your breath for a few seconds, than exhale and ask him to bless others through you as you do. These are the best ways I know how to BREATHE His Spirit in DAiLY, and Breathe His love out to others around me as I walk in the vibrancy of the life He fills me with.

I am Spiritually ALIVE as I BREATHE HIS SPIRIT IN AND BREATHE HIS LOVE OUT!

Speak Truth Love

 

 

This week we continue on in the theme of “Accepting Challenges!”

I shared my “Life Verse” with you last week through the VLOG and encouraged you to seek out and find your Life Verse and send it to me.

I am happy to share that several of you did just that! You “Accepted the Challenge” and proved that you too, are “getting into shape!”

Now I know that I spoke last week about my 30 day challenge to give up sugar, grains, dairy and Diet Coke. I also shared about my challenge to move this body God gave me each and every day. And yes, hopefully with commitment and repetition the best of doctors tell us that I should see a change in my health and shape.

I want to be healthy so that I have endurance to run this race that God has set before me!

“…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 that God has set before us.”    Hebrews 12:1

That is why I am doing my best to “strip off every weight that slows me down.” But this Blog and my Challenge is not about losing weight, looking good, or even exercising. This Blog/VLOG is dedicated to what I believe is the “race God has set before me to run with endurance,” which is, Speaking His Truth In Love!

That is the reason that I chose to share my three part challenge with you. The third part and the least important part, is the physical. Without taking Step One, to get up early and put God’s Word into my heart and mind, and Step Two, to step out in faith to Blog and VLOG, I would never have the strength to accomplish Step Three, eating healthy foods for my mind and body!

The “getting into shape” that I am referring to is the kind that lasts forever! It is the kind of shape that draws us closer to our living God. It is the kind of shape that forms our character into those that care, love and give selflessly to others. It is the kind of shape that puts the power of the Word of God into our lives and changes us and the lives of others. It is the kind of shape that puts us at risk to being conformed to the image of Christ!

It truly is the only “getting into shape” that really matters! It is the putting of God’s Word into our lives daily so that as the prophet Isaiah shared; “The Word of God will accomplish the purpose for which God gave it.”

I was blessed and encouraged by all of the verses you shared and I want to share them this week with all of us, so that we can all be encouraged by them.

When we talk about the Word of God we are speaking about POWER! GOD’S POWER!
The only power to accept any challenge God gives, and accomplish it!

As you read the powerful LIFE VERSES these women have shared with you and I, I pray it will encourage you to step out in Faith, find your LIFE VERSE, and develop a “DANGEROUS HABIT!” The habit of reading scripture and allowing it to “SHAPE” your life!

Debbie shared: Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, For the Lord Your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Sheri shared: Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in The Lord with all your heartened lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

Kelly shared: Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

These women have stepped into the Challenge with me to “Develop the Dangerous Habit of Allowing God’s Word to Shape Your Life.”

“For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

Do you want to get into shape? Are you ready for the Power of the Word of God to cut away anything in you that doesn’t look like JESUS? Are you ready to have your life changed into the very purpose that God created you for? Are you willing to get into the best shape you have ever been in in your life?

Then Let’s GO!!!! Let’s accept this Challenge together to form the “Dangerous Habit” of reading Scripture daily! God promises it will change us from the inside out, and put us in the best shape we have ever been in! The shape God intended for us to be in!

TRUTH BOMB

Reading God’s Word daily, whips you into shape!

That’s the challenge this week friends, TO BE IN THE WORD OF GOD EVERY DAY!
YOU CAN DO IT! Open up the word of God, and let it’s transforming power whip you into the best shape you have ever been in!

We are in this together! See you back here next week as God lays another TRUTH BOMB on us! KABOOM!

Speak Truth Love