A Life Well Lived

Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: ~2 Corinthians 3:2 

I had a really weird dream a while back.  Perhaps it was the result of too much cold medicine. Or perhaps it was the result of a rather unhealthy late night snack I decided to eat.  I have no idea. However, the craziness of it did get me thinking....

The dream:
I am on a road trip with a group of people I know very well, whom I have traveled with often. The purpose of our trip is a very special event we are to attend in the town of our destination. We arrive at a nice upper scale hotel and settle in our rooms to go to sleep.  The next morning we get ready and eat breakfast.

This is where all normalcy goes out the window....

After the breakfast we are just standing around outside in the pretty weather and sunshine, doing nothing of great importance.  In fact, to my bewilderment, a friend eventually starts trying to ask me to do something, something that I keep questioning if I am understanding correctly. It appears she is wanting me to water....a little pond? or was it a ditch?  At this point in the dream I have forgotten the actual reason we are there in the first place, but I do remember that there IS a reason and it is important. I keep looking around at everyone doing their own thing, thinking, "What in the world is going on?!"

The next thing I know we are in a vehicle, headed home. At this point I start remembering why we drove the 4-5 hours in the first place, look at the lady next to me and ask, "Is [the event] cancelled?...What ARE we doing?!"  She gives me an "I have no clue" look. At this point the drivers,while still in the destination town, stop at some beautiful scenic place that, despite the fact that I am still in Arkansas (I think), looks like Arizona. They get out with their cameras, so I dig for mine too, still thinking and asking every once in a while, "Why are we here again?!...Are we REALLY going home without even going to [the event]?!...I'm so confused!...."

And that is how I woke up...very very confused. My first thought was, "what an utterly pointless dream!"  But then, as I thought more on it, I realized that some people live their lives like this dream...

There had been a purpose. And that purpose has been forgotten.

How many people have started out with a clear understanding of the purpose God has for them, and they start in that direction.  But then, something happens. Perhaps they start to forget, then they see lots of other people just standing around, and it all begins to seem normal. In my dream, our trip had a purpose.  A purpose that wasn't being fulfilled.  This agitated me, both when I was fully aware of it and when I wasn't. I believe that same feeling is present in everyone that isn't fulfilling their full purpose.

First, every individual on this earth is born with the same purpose: to worship the One who created them. The problem comes when they don't know this or they stray from it. Then, like in my dream, nothing ever seems quite right.

Think about it...if you are "rapture ready" at this moment and God hasn't taken you yet, there is a reason you're still here, and it has nothing to do with your own personal pleasure.

During my dream, at one point, I was asked to spend time doing something that would have been absolutely pointless and a waste of time.  At another point we were simply distracted by something God himself had created. Yes, He had created that beautiful scene for us to enjoy, but our timing was off.

What is the point of this trip called life, if, at the end of it, when you are facing eternity, all you feel like you've done is whatever was popular, whatever was easy, whatever brought the most praise, etc?

In John 10:10, Jesus says, "... I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." 

The word abundant can be defined as "superior, extraordinary, surpassing, uncommon, or more excellent."

When I looked up the meaning of the word "epistle" as used in the scripture at the beginning of this blog, it does not just define it as a "letter" as I have heard many people say, but rather as a "composition" in the form of a letter.  A composition is something into which one puts great effort and thought. A musical arrangement is known as a composition. The love expressed through the usage of this word by Paul, the writer of 2 Corinthians, doesn't even come close to expressing how much more the composition of your life is written in God's heart. 

God wants your life to be lived in full abundance and He wants you, as an epistle, to live so fully and with such purpose that the light in you shines on the darkened paths of those around you in such a way that they can't help but ask where they also may find this light.

Perhaps you are one that is on that darkened path.You feel like there is more to life, and you are searching around in darkness, tripping here, stumbling there, reaching out, knowing that somewhere there has got to be light somewhere and a better way to live this thing called life.You're searching for purpose...for meaning. That void you feel was created by the God who made you, and it can only be filled by the God who made you. No drug, no lifestyle, no person, and no amount of money can fill it.  You were created by God and you can only experience true fulfillment through God.

It's quite simple: If you're walking in darkness, turn toward the light. 

Let Him heal you. Let Him restore you. Let Him direct you.

(If you would like to know more about beginning a relationship with Christ, feel free to contact me!)

Broken Pieces

"You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people." ~Genesis 50:20 (NLT)

This verse has been on my mind so strongly lately.  Recently, I have heard stories, over and over again, that reiterate the lesson found within this verse...

A minister falsely accused of a crime, didn't put all his energy into fighting the accusation, but rather accepted that God's will would be done.  Now, having been in prison for years, a church has been started behind those bars due to his not despairing and seeing God's hand, even in such a tragic situation.

A child away from God, wandered much too far, and, while under the influence of drugs and alcohol, accidentally killed someone. Now, both him and his nephew, also in prison, have come back to God and many others are coming to know God through them as well.  

These are both real stories that have been shared with me within the last couple of months. 

Granted, every story doesn't climax with someone in prison. (Thank God!) These just happen to be the two examples I felt to share. And every story doesn't  involve literal flesh and blood people causing the harm. Scripture says that, "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." ~Ephesians 6:12 

The scripture at the beginning of this blog is from the story of Joseph, and Joseph's story is just that...Joseph's story.  In Joseph's story his brothers are the ones who did him wrong.  God took that and used it.  He used it to the extent that he was able to use Joseph to save the lives of a multiplied number of people, his brothers’ included. 

Each one of us has our own story.  The negative part of the story is not what matters. What matters is what you are willing to let God make of it.  God can take anything and make something beautiful.  He can take a royal disaster and make it into a royal masterpiece. But you have to be willing to hand it over to him...broken piece by broken piece.

You see, the picture of your future you had formed in your mind?  It's nothing compared to what the master artist can design. As a matter of fact, you will probably not even recognize what he creates as you begin to hand over those pieces, one by one.  

Frustration..hand it over.
Hatred...give it to Him.
Jealousy...let go of it.
Judgement...it's the Lord's.
Discouragement...lay it down.

Piece by piece by piece, watch God make something beautiful. Something others can look at and learn from. Something that can transform other's lives as well. 

Piece by piece by piece.

While at LA Camp meeting recently I heard the song "Healing is Here" for the first time.  Two particular lines stood out to me above all the rest:

You are the God of all power,
And it is your will that my life is healed. 

Yes, it is God's will to allow us to go through tests and trials.  If we continue to persevere,  these will transform us into vessels more fit for his kingdom.  However, it is also His will for our lives to be healed.  It is especially His will that our lives are healed.  The entire point of the sickness, trial, or test  is for Him to receive glory through the healing. 

Whatever your circumstance, it IS God's will that your life is healed. It IS God's will that others benefit through your testimony. God is not blind to where you are or the circumstances that you face. He took Joseph from the pit to the palace, but He didn't do it overnight.... 

He did it piece by piece by piece. One act of obedience followed by another act of obedience.  Back stabbed? No problem, shake it off. Forgotten? It's ok, it's not God's timing yet anyway.

Piece by piece by piece. Trust God. Obey God. And Watch God do what only HE can do. 

Jesus, At the Center

"...And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man..."~Revelation 1:13

During service at my home church Sunday night, while singing the lyrics to this well known Christian song, the Spirit of God began to move in such a beautiful way.... 

Jesus at the center of it all
Jesus at the center of it all
From beginning to the end
It will always be
It's always been You
Jesus, Jesus

Nothing else matters
Nothing in this world will do
Jesus You're the center
Everything revolves around You
Jesus You
At the center of it all

No doubt, those going through difficult circumstances were reminded that Jesus has everything under control.  Those who had begun giving up their allegiances to things that are only temporal were instantly brought face to face with the reality that there is only one that deserves that allegiance. I personally was reminded of what I am reminded of every time I hear this song, a message  preached by Rev. Marrell Cornwell that I heard many years ago.  I didn't hear it in a camp or conference setting or even during a church service. I'm not even sure how I ended up with a copy of the sermon in the first place,  but it has greatly impacted my life.  No, I listened to it via headphones while sitting on my back porch on a blistering hot summer day...just me, myself, and I, with an open sincere heart, desiring to let God direct and impact me as much as possible. Though so many years have past since that day, not one has past that I haven't taken time to step back, reexamine, and do what I call "The Candlestick" test.

And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death...The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. ~Revelation 1:12-18,20

Jesus be the center of my life
Jesus be the center of my life
From beginning to the end
It will always be
It's always been You
Jesus, Jesus....

From my heart to the heavens
Jesus be the center
It's all about You
Yes it's all about You

Close your eyes and envision those seven candlesticks in your life...now, who or what do you see in the middle of them?  This isn't a "the right answer is..." type question.  This is a "be honest with yourself, there's a lot riding on this" type question.  So who is there?  Is it Jesus?  Is it Jesus and...? This is not a place He is willing to share. Has He been shoved out all together? Who or what is at the center of your life?  Who or what is at the center of your family's or your church's life?  Yes, I said it. Even church's are susceptible to becoming social clubs and thus becoming their own center.  

Jesus be the center of 
Your church
Jesus be the center of Your church
And every knee will bow
And every tongue shall confess You
Jesus, Jesus

So I ask you, Is your universe in the correct working order?   Thus as in our physical universe, if things were not perfectly aligned as God created them, chaos would ensue, so it is in the spiritual realm.  God will only take the reins to our lives when we hand them over to Him, and only by doing that can He align our lives so that they are working in perfect sync with His will, according to His ways (Isaiah 55:8-9).

From my heart to the heavens
Jesus be the center
It's all about You
Yes it's all about You.

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

The Mold

"But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?”  ~Romans 9:20 (NKJV) 

Last weekend  I was coloring a picture with my niece and nephew.  It was quite large, large enough in fact for all three of us to be coloring on it at the same time. While doing this I began to observe my niece and nephew and the irony of how totally opposite their approaches to coloring were.

She would take a crayon, any crayon, and start coloring whatever random part of the picture she felt to color at the moment, with no concern whatsoever about staying in the lines.  She would then walk away, do something else for a while, come back, and commence coloring the same way. I began trying to help her. I would point to the puzzle we had just put together, which had a picture of the same characters who were in the picture we were coloring, hand her the correct color, tell her what to color, and attempt to explain to her how best to color in the lines. While she improved slightly, it was clear that she really, at that moment, couldn't have cared less. 

Then there was my nephew...nose to the grindstone. He cared about having the exact color more than I even did and was coloring so hard and carefully that it took him the same amount of time to color just a square inch as it took me to color five times that. While I didn't try so much to explain to him about coloring in the lines, since he was doing pretty good, he began asking me how to do it anyway. He observed very carefully when I showed him, asked me to show him again, then stopped to show me each section he colored, so I could see how well he did. He also sometimes pointed out minor spots where he had went over, saying, "A little's not too bad, right?"

Same birth date. Same home. Two different molds.

I've heard people use the saying, "God broke the mold when he made [insert name]." Sometimes people say this jokingly about someone who is unique in an odd way. Other times it is used in a very flattering way, expressing how special someone is. Well, newsflash, God broke the mold when he made each and everyone one of us...and I mean that both ways.

For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand..." ~Psalm 139:13-18 (NKJV)

Yes, we are each molded by the hand of God...yet there is another mold the world tries to reshape us into....

A while back, while visiting a friend, she passed off a couple of magazines to me. I don't remember what they were, but they were ones that would fall in the fashion/ beauty category. It had been years since I had actually looked through any of them and I thought, "Sure, why not."  Living in different cultures often leaves me clueless as to what is actually "in style" at the moment in the U.S., which is something I have began to not really care about anyway, but I thought, maybe this will help me catch up a bit.

Well, I was very surprised the feelings that began to come over me as I did something that I had grown up doing all the time....simply browsing through a mainstream magazine, one that was quite "clean" material and picture wise. To my surprise, as I flipped through the pages I felt an anger rise up in me...the more pages I flipped, the more it grew.  As one who studied marketing techniques some in college, I subconsciously dissect advertisements and the approach they are taking to get people to buy items...it's something I can't shut off, I just do it.  Now days these type of magazines are 80% advertisements. So as I looked through it, I saw what is subconsciously relayed to those who fall prey to the marketing: "If you don't wear this this, you're ugly."..."If you don't own this, you're a loser."..."If you don't look like her, you'll never get him." It didn't affect me much in this way, because I've been taught to read between the marketing lines, but it once did.  And most people it still does. And THIS is what made me so fiery mad. Pictures of air brushed, plastic people, many with eating disorders, who are the global prototype to guys as to what they think their woman should look and act like and to women as to what they think they have to look and act like... And it's a complete façade.

The voices of this world. Sometimes they are audible, other times they aren't. Voices attempting to squeeze people into molds they are not made to fit.  There is only one mold for each person, and it was broken when they were born. God made each of use unique. On purpose.

Looks. Personality. Gifts. Talents. You are a priceless masterpiece. You are God's creation and therefore you are responsible to be a good steward of it. One way to do this is by not trying to cram yourself into a generic mold that has been created by industries exclusively for their own material gain. Exercise, eating healthy, and good hygiene are other ways, as well as regularly measuring up your treatment of others by the Word of God, and allowing God to mold you into to the best you that you can possibly be.

Be your own beautiful (or handsome) self, not a cookie cutter image of someone who has forgotten their true hair color, skin tone, and personality. Be the you the creator of the universe created. He's the one who created the beautiful mountains and the gorgeous beaches; I'm quite sure he knew exactly what he was doing when He created you.

Surely you have things turned around! Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay; For shall the thing made say of him who made it, “He did not make me”? Or shall the thing formed say of him who formed it, “He has no understanding”? ~Isaiah 29:16 (NKJV)

 Yet, O Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You our Potter, and we all are the work of Your hand. ~Isaiah 64:8