But What About the Joneses?

Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” ~Luke 12:15 NLT

There is a song I hear on the radio, while driving to and from work, that has pierced my heart. The song is “I Want to Go Back” by David Dunn.  What has always stood out to me about the song is this one particular statement:

When I was a kid,I didn’t care to keep up with the Joneses; I was just happy that they lived next door.

For those non Americans reading this blog who are not familiar with the idiom "keeping up with the Joneses",  it basically means "to try to emulate (match or surpass) or not be out done by others".  It is a reference to living a constant materialist struggle of comparison with others. This is a common issue for many people living in first world countries.  Sadly, for many, enough is not really enough. Having nice things isn't bad, but we have to question our reasons behind wanting them. Are they sincere or is it because so and so has them or, "I have the money, so why not?"

There is so much to be learned in scripture about this subject:

In Luke 12:13-21, a man who is most likely already wealthy comes to Jesus wanting him to make his brother divide the family's inheritance with him. Jesus responds accordingly:
“Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?”... “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.  And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:13-2 NKJV)

What I find so interesting about this encounter is that Jesus instantly switches from rejecting the request of this wealthy guy who is coveting for more, when he probably has need of nothing, to addressing his disciples, who are living completely sacrificial lives. He turns to the people whom he had told, "Take nothing for your journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece." (Luke 9:3) and begins to talk to them about the key to true provision:

 Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on.  Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?  And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?  Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?  And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.  For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.  But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.  Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  (Luke 12:22-34 NKJV)

Notice Jesus did not promise his disciples wealth, but he did promise them their needs, both physical and beyond. He promises the disciples,who have given all, their needs, yet to the man who most likely has much already he offers nothing. Perhaps he knew that more would ruin him; by what he tells him, it appears that is probably the case.  Something awesome I discovered while studying this passage is that when Jesus said, "It is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom", that word "kingdom" means "authority or power". If I have to choose, I'm choosing spiritual authority and power over material wealth any day.

It is important to note that the same Bible that talks about how much God loves to bless his people also says that “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:24) The "needle" was a reference used to describe a small door built into a gate. It was created for the safety of the city and was a way that travelers could still get in at night. It was so small that a camel could be unloaded and shoved through, but that was the only way it could fit through. Therefore, Jesus wasn't saying it was impossible for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God, but rather that it was difficult. When His disciples heard Jesus say this, they were astonished and said,  "Who then can be saved?" Jesus responded, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:25-26)

Perhaps you are reading this and you are "The Joneses".  You have been blessed greatly financially.  The only question I'd have before congratulating you is, "Are you as close or closer to God now than you were before you were "blessed"? I put "blessed" in quotes, because how it has affected your life determines whether it is really a blessing or a curse. Just because something looks good doesn't mean it's from God.    I truly hope if you were asked that question your response would be something like, "Yes! I give more; I am able to have the freedom now to spend more time with God and be involved in ministry more; etc." I really hope your answer would look something like that. Sadly, many people's wouldn't. It would involve having God, and sometimes even family and friends, as less of a priority and material goods and luxury experiences as more and more of a priority. 

One of my favorite documentaries is called "The Men Who Built America". It is about the business men, like Norman Rockwell and John D. Rockefeller, who became extremely wealthy in their industries. All the men it highlights ended up with more wealth than any man could probably spend in a lifetime. However, most of them never felt like they had enough, because they always wanted more than the other guy, whichever guy that happened to have taken their "wealthiest in America" spot at that moment.  What a sad way to live!

1 Timothy 6:10 says, "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."

Quit thinking about how the grass might be greener on the other side of the fence. Yeah, that grass might be greener, but what is going on inside that house? Is a family falling apart because the parents are coveting after greener pastures themselves? We have to learn to just be happy for the Joneses, or, if relevant, pray for them, but never compare ourselves to them. Quit thinking, "But what about the Joneses?" What might be a blessing to the Joneses could be the destruction of you.  God knows what you need and if you put Him first, He will provide every bit of it.  

Let's get back to this:

When I was a kid,I didn’t care to keep up with the Joneses; I was just happy that they lived next door.

The Gift of a Birthday

"And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life... ~1 Samuel 1:11"

Birthdays are special things. First of all they are our own personal holiday and (here's the best part...) EVERYONE gets one! How cool is that?!!! Plus, they are a reminder that God has let you live one more year. If you're someone who has had multiple near death experiences like myself, this in itself is great cause to celebrate!

Until yesterday I hadn't realized that this is my first birthday to be home in four years! (That's five birthdays.) So, today I am simply thankful to be spending this day with the two individuals who brought me into this world. 

Many of you who read this blog I have never had the chance to meet, nor have I ever even visited the country in which you live. Some of you are old friends and may have already heard this story.  Today I would like to share with each of you a story I heard for the first time just a couple of years ago..a story that's very special to me, because it is the story of how I came to have a birthday.

Many years ago my Mom was a stay at home mom who also kept the books for my Dad's construction business, so, basically, she worked two jobs. On top of that her and my Dad were also very involved in various ministries within the church they attend. Having two sons of elementary school age, free time was very limited.  Therefore, my Mom squeezed in prayer time wherever she could...even while washing dishes.

One day, while washing dishes and praying, she reminded God that in His Word He promised that if we would seek first His kingdom that He would give us the desires of our heart. She then prayed, "God...I want a little girl."  Our pastor's wife had taught her to pray specifically, so she did, stating both inner and outer characteristics she wanted her daughter to have. Like Hannah, she concluded her prayer telling God that if He would give her the desire of her heart that she would give the child back to Him.

Now, many years later, I am glad to say that God did. And she did.

God didn't just give her a daughter, but he gave her a daughter with every single characteristic she had prayed for. Alas, my list would have probably looked a little different than hers...but I digress. 

Some of you out there today are praying for something and you have prayed about it for a very long time. Perhaps it is a child. If you are seeking God's kingdom first, I encourage you, keep praying. If you aren't, stop, get your priorities straight (aka: make sure God's first place in your life), then if you still feel like it aligns with God's will, pray on! Sometimes the answer may not look exactly like what you think, but that's ok, because sometimes it's better.

So, today I am thankful simply to have breath and to be able to be with the two individuals who brought me into this world. I am, however, even more thankful that the One who created and gave me life is with me everyday and everywhere I go.  When my Mom prayed God heard and He answered. When I pray He hears and He answers. And He will do the same for you.

"For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him: therefore also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord..." ~1 Samuel 1:27-28

Grace in Disguise

"But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord." ~Genesis 6:8

Often when we think of the story of Noah we think of the verse above... how Noah found grace in God's eyes, how Noah and his family were spared the fate that so many other people had fell victim to, by their own choice.

Rarely do we think about what grace looked like on that ark on the 23rd, or on the 32nd, or on the 39th day. Rarely do we think about the fact that grace is not always pretty when living through the preliminaries, especially when we don't yet realize they are simply just that....a beginning, not an ending.

The Bible says in Genesis 7:24 that "the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days." 150 days living with a bunch of stinky animals....Imagine how gross those stalls must have been!

The smells...the claustrophobia...5 months!!!

Oh, but then consider the alternative.

Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. ~Phillippians 4:11

Calvary was very ugly. It's hard for us to even comprehend the brutality that occurred on that day, but it was even worse for those who had walked with Jesus day in and day out, who had to stand by and witness God in flesh being treated worse than a criminal.

If  only they could have truly understood then, what we are so blessed to understand now.

Circumstances in your life may look bleak. You may feel like you have "drawn the short straw" ...possibly multiple times over. Know that His grace is sufficient. He trades beauty for ashes and makes all things beautiful in His time.

To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified. ~Isaiah 61:3

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ~2 Corinthians 12:9

What about the Potter?

So, it's past 1:00 and I am wide awake...the tragic result of drinking coffee too late. Anyway, earlier today..I mean yesterday, I was taking some time to read back through my prayer journal and came across this entry from early May. I  believe at that time that I was reading from Numbers (thus the reason for the references to Israel's relationship with God). Just felt this might be something worth sharing....Hopefully it will at least speak to someone...

"But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth." ~Psalm 86:15

"I've been thinking about how God's relationship with Israel, as with us, is so much like that of a parent.  In one instance Israel will do something wrong and God will discipline them, yet, in the next instance, He is telling those in opposition to Israel to basically "treat them right or die." The wilderness was forty years of discipline for Israel, yet, at the same time, God was keeping outsiders from hurting them.  His Word is sure and He won't let anything happen to prevent it from coming to pass. Like a good parent, He always keeps His word, always protects, and always does what's best, whether painful or not, to make sure His child becomes the best He can be.

Yesterday, while having a potter walk my friends and I through the step by step process of the art of old fashioned pottery making, I found myself thinking, "Wow, that's ALOT of effort and inconvenience just to make that cup, bowl, etc...but then I realized, that's exactly the way God is with us!  Often I read poems and such about "being on the potter's wheel", written about yielding to the Potter's hand and they are always beautiful and well said...but, what about the Potter?!! Oh the patience, Oh the love!!!...Thankful for a God that never gives up on me. He protects me. He provides for me. And, above all else He's STILL working on me."

Unredeemed

One of the perks I enjoy best about serving God is getting to watch Him work miracles. Every time I see Him work one it just reminds me how much He loves us and how His love is limitless. Thankfully I have been blessed to get to see quite a few miracles lately...some in my own life, others in those of my friends and acquaintances.

Recently I have had the privilege of watching God begin to restore a family to which I am quite close. A while back I wrote a blog entitled "The Battlefield". In this blog I referenced my dear friend and the guilt and misery she was feeling at the time. Shortly after on Facebook I posted a video to a song that I felt very strongly to share with her. What to many would look like an impossible situation, God could and is redeeming. Below are the lyrics to this beautiful song. "But when anything that's shattered is laid before the Lord"---This is the key. God HAS TO be in it for redemption to come...and because of grace it WILL come. The catch? You must ALWAYS keep God the center of your universe. He's only going to show off for those who will give Him the praise He alone deserves!

Redeem: to release from blame or debt

Grace: unmerited (undeserved) favor from God

Unredeemed
The cruelest word
The coldest heart
The deepest wound
The endless dark
The lonely ache
The burning tears
The bitter nights
The wasted years

Life breaks and falls apart
But we know these are
Places where grace is soon to be so amazing
It may be unfulfilled
It may be unrestored
But when anything that's shattered is laid before the Lord
Just watch and see
It will not be unredeemed

For every choice that led to shame
And all the love that never came
For every vow that someone broke
And every life that gave up hope
We live in the shadow of the fall
But the cross says these are all
Places where grace is soon to be so amazing
It may be unfulfilled
It may be unrestored
But when anything that's shattered is laid before the Lord
Just watch and see
It will not be unredeemed

Places where grace is soon to be so amazing
It may be unfulfilled
It may be unrestored
But you never know the miracle the Father has in store
Just watch and see
It will not be
Just watch and see
It will not be unredeemed

Blessings

O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. ~Psalm 34:8

Today I was sitting in my car, just watching passing traffic, waiting for an opportunity to pull out on the main road. As I was sitting I saw in a passing vehicle a father signing to his teenage daughter....when I saw this I felt a check in my spirit. I immediately thanked God for something many of us take for granted..the ability to simply hear voices..the ability to be able to enjoy beautiful music...the list could go on & on. It is easy to take things for granted, especially when everyone else seems to enjoy the same blessing. There is no blessing that everyone else enjoys, other than the opportunity to experience salvation. No matter what the case, someone somewhere is less privileged in some way than you.

Lately I have been trying to adjust to the fact that I will soon be saying goodbye for a long time to many of my favorite people. The goodbyes that are hardest for me to think about are the ones with my twin niece & nephew and my father. Goodbyes have never been all that hard for me; this time though is a bit harder...

This time I am going on a mission trip for longer than I have ever went on one before...and this time I have no intentions to come back and finish school, etc like I have done in the past...my intentions are simply to do whatever it takes to continue following God's will for my life and my home town is not where God has called me, but rather one of the places He has prepared me.

This time I have a niece & nephew who are two and who have completely stolen my heart. This time I have a father who is in his 70s and who had three silent strokes last year. This time is different.

While talking with God earlier this week about this and asking him how best to cope, I felt Him speak to me, "Thank me for the blessings." So, I began to think about what God meant. It didn't take long to realize exactly what he'd meant....

1) My niece & nephew are miracle babies..the babies we prayed for for 10 years...they are an answer to prayer. Beautiful. Healthy. Great personalities. I'm proud & thankful to be their "Aunt Rachel".

2)When I got the phone call while living in Tupelo, MS last year that my Dad had experienced a minor stroke, I could have arrived home and found him in a much worse condition...I had a grandma who was paralyzed on one side for over 10 years. That's the only way I ever knew her. I automatically thought of her when I received the voicemail from my sister-in-law. But God saw to heal my Dad from ninety percent of the damage that had been caused from the strokes within weeks of them occurring.

3) I've grown up with a father who has always been there for us and always shown love to my Mom & us.
4) My father is a very godly man whom I've never heard a negative word spoken about...a true example of Christ.
5) Him & my Mom have brought me up to know & love God as well and to always follow His will.

Sometimes it's important to stop and count our blessings...The specific blessing that God was talking about to me? The blessing of simply having an awesome niece & nephew and a loving, godly father to whom to even be able to say goodbye. It's easy to take for granted how blessed we really are.

So....as I was sitting in that car earlier today thinking about thanking God for things I take for granted, this song (see link at bottom) came on the radio.
Sometimes we take obviously good things for granted...but sometimes things we think are bad, are actually good...blessings in disguise. Some of these we may never realize until we get to heaven. As the old song goes, "We'll understand it better by and by."

Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has many; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some. ~Charles Dickens

I hope this song touches you as it did me. God bless!

Blessings

Never Never NEVER Give Up

"Never, never, NEVER give up." ~ Winston Churchhill

The blog below (posted by another one of my close friends) tells the testimony of a dear friend of mine, a friend I just met this last summer, but that I now feel like I've known forever. One day this last July her and another friend and I went to a restaurant for lunch on a Sunday afternoon. I had heard she had an amazing testimony and asked her to please tell me it. Two hours later this girl I had just met that morning had me in tears right there in that restaurant as she shared her testimony with me. The tears came because God in a strong way began to speak to me to never give up on anyone. To ALWAYS keep reaching and to NEVER place judgement. Isn't that exactly what Jesus would do?

I hope this short version of her testimony ministers to you as it did to me.


Fancy~Shmancy: A letter from Angel: "In late September, I met a young lady with a big smile and lots of spunk. Her and her friend Linda were introduced to me and my friends thro..."

What If?

My friend sent me this very long text a few weeks ago and it got me thinking...

"What if God had nothing to offer? No blessings, no promises, no protection? And what if we had no knowledge of a heaven to go to for eternity? What if we didn't get anything out of living for God, but a relationship with Him? What if we got nothing out of it but God Himself? Would we be as driven to live for Him? And what if we didn't need Him or have to have Him to fulfill our needy list of prayer requests? What if we accepted him as He is, whether we agree or disagree with His plans? What if He became our love and we focused on worshipping Him in every way and loving on Him with our prayers instead of using our prayers to control or change a situation the way "we think God wants it to be?" What if we lived for and focused on loving and pleasing God? What if all that mattered was Him instead of what He can offer-no heaven, no promises, no blessings, no protection, no favor because of your obedience and fastings- nothing but His love, His presence, Himself? No strings attached on either side."

My initial thought when I first read the text was, "Wow, that would stink!" Some parts of the text itself were self-conflicting. Any God of love would desire to bless, protect, make and keep promises to, and provide for His children. If this desire is not present, love is not present and as anyone who serves Jesus knows, God IS Love. The god mentioned in that text wouldn't have died on Calvary, yet Love in flesh DID die on Calvary for us and rose again.

However, going along with the text, I did ask myself, "What If?"...quickly the words to one of my favorite songs came to mind:
"I was made to worship you, live for you, open up my mouth and praise you, I was made just for you, to adore you, you and only you."

Yes, I thought, I WOULD worship Him, even if He was a distant god and I was a pawn, because He is my creator and that's what I am created to do. But boy do I love him so much more knowing that he is an intimate God who knows both the thoughts and intents of my heart and loves me with an ever lasting love.

Later, the text wasn't on my mind, but while praying God reminded me of it again and I felt Him say, "Billions of people do this everyday."

I got the point...And my heart sunk.

Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not:They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them. ~Psalm 115:5-8

I'm thankful I serve a LIVING God who is also a LOVING God. So many people know OF Him, but have yet to really KNOW Him. And there are still so many people who have yet to even hear the name Jesus.

I pray we never take our knowledge of the one true God forgranted.

A God You Can Trust

So, here I am, sitting on my couch for the 6th hour in a row...No, it's not because I'm a loser and a bum. It's because my day has went nothing like I had planned. It started out according to schedule: Teach summer school a few hours...then in charge of watching the boys at Parks Hall for a while,...then, well, before that "then" occurred my plans for the day came to a screeching halt. Out of nowhere I became really dizzy and had to call for someone to fill in for me and take me back to my apartment. This is actually the second day in the row this has happened, but last night I was already sitting on my couch when the feeling hit me. So, my evening plans of catching up via phone with a dear friend and mentor didn't happen (slept through the time we were supposed to talk). Packing for my trip home hasn't happened. Nor has some actual packing up I was planning on doing for a soon coming transition happened. All I have accomplished this evening is eating a little and reading a little...and these only if I hold my head veeerry still.

I'm not saying any of this to make you feel sorry for me, no point in that...well, unless you live nearby and want to bring me ice cream or something. ;o) While I've been lying and sitting here bored out of my mind, I have been trying to think positively, instead of thinking about all the random things I should be accomplishing, but can't just yet. This has kind of been a theme in my life lately..thinking and talking positively no matter what.

So, while I was lying here I got to thinking about how thankful I am that I can barely remember the last time I was sick...and how I should have died in a car accident about 3 years ago, but didn't...I wasn't even hurt more than a few bruises. After that I vowed to myself that I would thank God every day simply for the gift of life, no matter how bad things might seem. And I did...for about a year or so. Recently I realized that I had gotten away from that some, and am now working on it again. No doubt 2 years ago God spared my life as well...think I'm the only person I know who's been in 2 car accidents within 2 hours of each other (for the record, I was only driving in one :o). Once again, no injuries. God has truly protected me.

After thinking about all this this evening, and then starting to read, what do I happen to read but the following:

Sickness helps us appreciate health. Failure helps us appreciate success. Debt helps us appreciate wealth. And the tough times help us appreciate the good times. That's just the way life is. I've also learned that our worst days can become our best days. ~In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day

A quote I just read tonight sums this up well, ""Today's thorn is tomorrow's flower."

The author goes on to talk about how he has a birthday he celebrates and a pseudobirthday. When I first read that I was like "Huh?!" Then it made more sense when he went on to explain how that was basically the day he should have died due to a serious medical problem. He goes on to say:

It is difficult to take life for granted when you have almost died. I enjoy life more because I've come to terms with my mortality.

After that first major accident, many people asked me things like "Did you think you were going to die?" "Did your life flash before your eyes?" I was honestly able to tell them "No". I thought "this might hurt!", but there were many promises and words about my future that God had given me and I knew it wasn't my time, because they hadn't been fulfilled yet. God had spoken and when my car was spinning, being hit, and rolling, in His Words is where I found my peace.

God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? ~Numbers 23:19

What's going on in your life? Has God spoken to you? If so, are you walking by faith or by sight? God doesn't use words to butter you up and make you feel good. When He speaks, it's for a reason. His words are truth and He doesn't throw them around.

I know my best days are ahead of me. I am excited about committing my life to doing what God has called me to do. Recently I was reminded that only through this will I ever truly be fulfilled. Fulfillment in Christ is my soul desire. I've realized I need it more than I need anything else. Hold to Gods promises. You can trust Him like none other. Do what you know to do and trust God to take care of the rest. He doesn't need someone to offer Him advice; He needs a willing vessel.