What's In It For Me?

After the message, "Wants & Needs" we were challenged to ask ourselves the followings questions. 

What is it that I want from:

• Church
• Marriage / Relationship
• My Job
• Ministry
• Life
• etc.

I have been asked that question a lot lately.  

• "What's in it for you?"  
• "Why do you work such long hours Monday through Thursday, to get Fridays off to work all day for free serving the homeless?"  
• "Why do you go to church so much?"  
• "Why do you do what you do?"

The easy answer that joyfully flows out is, "Because I want to."  However, to be frank, "I desire to do what I do, I feel I need to do them."

I go to three different churches for three different reasons.  All three are different, they are on different days at different times and they happen to fit into my busy life.  I don't think it is coincidence (which I don't believe in, but that is a discussion for a later time), I believe that God has set it up that way.  I receive different things from each of them.  

Fridays at noon, if I am done serving the homeless there is a worship service down the street from where I serve.  I have a deep, deep desire…an explainable need to just drop to my knees and worship God.  Thank Him for using me.  Thank Him for bringing those in need to the place where they can not only be fed but ministered to.  They not only have physical needs to be filled, but spiritual.  Fridays are my favorite day of the week.  I get to serve God by serving His people.  I get to love on folks that need it the most.  I can't help but worship God when I am done.  He is so worthy of praise that I just have to!  No one knows me there, they probably don’t even notice if I am there or not.  That is okay, I am not there for anything except to worship God and thank Him for being such a good, good Father!

Saturday evenings I get to attend church, pray and take communion with my husband. (This alone means the world to me!)  Before church I get the honor of setting up communion.  I get to bake rolls for the after service fellowship. I also get to minister to folks that I wouldn't meet if I wasn't there.  One of the things that I get out of it that is for me is that I get challenged (every service) to act upon the heard word.  The following week we are asked about it. "Do you remember what we talked about last week?  How did you implement it?" (Etc.)  I love to be challenged.  I feed upon it as I know I am going to grow for the better.  I also love the en-depth conversations that take place after service.  Dissecting what we heard.  Getting the perspective of others.  Going deeper.  Discussing God with others is something I could do for hours if time permitted.  

Sunday mornings is where I get to go to my deepest worship of the Lord.  I get to be in His very presence.  I used to have holy jealousy of those that got to experience God during worship and now that it is happening to me...I want more!  I love the visions He gives me.  Most are just for me, however there are those that are corporate that are to be shared.  I am taught about intimacy with God and manifesting of God's power through the Holy Spirit in me.  One of my deepest desires is bringing Heaven down to earth just as Jesus taught us in the Lord's Prayer.  I have been given a platform in which to grow in my gifts and experience others growing in theirs.  It is awesome!

What about marriage, what do I want from my marriage?  I love my husband with all of my being.  He is my best friend.  I can't imagine life without him.  I look forward to having coffee with him in the morning, meal time at the table, and even watching TV with him. I love talking with him.  I may not always care for the conversations, but I love hearing about what he thinks about.  I love hearing about his hopes and dreams for the future.  I love how someone who is so quiet out in the world has so much to say to me.  I like how he is the chatty one in this relationship.  Don't get me wrong, I do get my chance to utilize my gift for gab, but he is the one who talks the most.  I find it amusing that he doesn't realize it.  I also like how he wants my opinion even if I don't think I have one.  I like how he knows me so well that he can react to what is going on with me without me having to tell him.  I love being with him.  What do I want from him/our marriage?  His love, his companionship, his friendship…I want us to grow together in our love, in God and in our lives together. 

As I go through this life I look for the three "E's".

• Expected
• Exceptional
• Extraordinary

Expected - Taking the easy route, doing the same old, same old that is accepted as the normal thing to do.  Live the ordinary life.

Exceptional - Stepping out of the comfort zone, doing the unexpected.  Rising above the norm to do what Jesus would do.

Extraordinary - What God does when you do the exceptional in His name!

These last few years doing the same old, same old wasn't/isn't enough for me.  I want to do more.  My desire is to "do" and "live" the word.  Jesus said that we are to love God and love people.  That right there is my ministry, to love on folks like I love God, "With My All!"  My personal motto is, "I am blessed, not just to say that I am blessed, but to BE a blessing!"

What do I get out of life?  What's in it for me?

I get to love on folks, I get to share Jesus with them, and I get to do the exceptional so that God can do the extraordinary.  I get to see God bless folks that need it the most.  As I do, God blesses my socks off.  There is not a day that goes by that I don't have a new testimony of what God has done for/through me or blessed me with.

In the Bible we are told, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Basically where you spend your money and your time is what you value.

I value God, I value doing what God wants me to do.  I know that I add value to the Kingdom of Heaven because God gave me the gifts to do what I do.   Being who I am is why I do what I do.  I'm about doing the Father's Business.  What's in it for me, an inheritance greater than this world can even comprehend.  

I get God and all the promises that He has given me/us.  

Do you know who you are?  Do you know why you want/need what you want/need?  

Are you willing today to take action?  Fulfill your wants with your needs.  Start by asking yourself the above challenge questions. 

I pray that God shows you how valuable you are and that you take each area to the next level.  Each time growing into the next level and the next.  Growing in Him as you grow in this life to do the exceptional so that He can do the extraordinary in/through you.

Until Next Time, God Bless!

Perspective

In business you learn that, “If both parties walk way smiling, it was a good transaction.”  It didn’t matter if the seller sold the product for too little or the buyer paid too much.  If they both were happy with the exchange, it was a good deal.  It is all a matter of perspective.

Just as there are many facets to a diamond, there are many ways to look at a situation.  However I would like to suggest we look at it through God’s eyes.  God is All Seeing, All Knowing, Ever Present and is All Powerful.  He doesn’t need a jeweler’s loupe to see all of our flaws.  He sees the big picture looking at the true value according to the Kingdom of Heaven’s rate of exchange.      

Take the little, one chapter book of Philemon for example.  There are several ways to look at the situation that happened.  Slave ran off, more than likely ripped off his master as he left, ran into Paul (who by the way, was in prison), slave was converted, Paul asks his friend and spiritual son Philemon (slave owner) to take back the slave…not as a slave but as a brother in the faith.

(Many lessons to be learnt from that one page in the Bible – I encourage you to check it out in its un-Joela-ized / unabridged version.) 

We can look at this situation from all three person’s perspectives, but let’s look at it from a fourth view point, God’s.  Yes the slave ran off, but his path took him to Paul.  Paul witnessed to Onesimus the slave, the slave accepts Jesus as his Lord and savior.  There was a party in Heaven (Luke 15:7, 10) as Onesimus was saved and became a believer.  God now could then use the new convert to really assist Philemon in the spread of the gospel.  Onesimus was able to start fulfilling the plan that God had for His life.

God was thrilled to have another child back home.  He had another child to be about the “Father’s Business”.  Onesimus past was just that, the past.  Didn’t matter what he did as the slate was wiped clean.

God doesn’t see us by our past, He sees us by our future.  Think about that for a moment.  He doesn’t see you as the drug addicted mess, He sees you as the person that has been freed from that bondage and will help others to break that bondage.  He doesn’t see you as that abused child, He sees you as the angel on earth that is going to rescue others from abuse.  He doesn’t see you as worthless at all.  He sent His Son to save you, He thinks you are WORTH it ALL!  Isn’t that awesome?!?!

One of my prayers is to see people through God’s eyes.  Not just see what the person looks like with my physical eyes or even what the person wants me to see about them.  But to see who God sees.  I don’t want to look at life through rose colored glasses; I want to have God-vision!  I want to have God’s perspective on life and those in mine. 

In order to have God’s perspective we have to know what He is thinking.  How do we do that?  It is easy.  We have an intimate relationship with Him.  When we get to know Him as we know our spouse and closest friend(s), we will come to know what is on His mind.  We will begin to see our world the way He does and know our role in the Family Business. 

Everyone is a winner in dealing with God.  Jesus paid the ultimate price for your freedom from the enemy that wants you to pay with your life.  No one will walk away smiling dealing with the devil.  Satan’s business is all about stealing, killing and destroying everyone and everything…period!

Having God’s perspective will also bring you closer to Him.  It will cause you to love Him more.  When you love Him more you will love yourself more and then you will be able to love others more.  Isn’t that was He is all about, Love?!?  He is love and that is His perspective toward life.  He sees the people He loves.  He will turn that mess around into a message through love.  That perspective is the one to have, don’t you think?

I pray that you will seek the Father’s Perspective and have it for yourself.

Until Next Time; God Bless!

He is Able

Worship was already taking place last night as I arrived late to bible study.  The atmosphere was thick as God was not only present, He was having His way.  I had to rush to put my stuff down as the Spirit had me drop to my knees in worship.  It was awesome!

One of the songs that was sang was one God had recently gave me a vision on, however this time He showed me something different.  Please bear with me as I try to relate what was shown as I know this was not just for me.

The words of the song that started this vision of God's conversation with me was, "You are able, more than able to carry me through."

I saw Jesus carrying a person.  The sky was dark as the storm was in full rage.  The clouds were as dark as they could be, filled with the anger as it was releasing its full wrath upon the earth.  Booming thunder was immediately followed by the cracks of lightning.  There was no chance to count one Mississippi, to see how far the storm was, as we were right in the middle of it.  The rain was coming down hard and fast.  The wind was having its say as it wailed and pushed against us.  The storm waters rose and Jesus kept going, walking through this storm as it raged on.  I felt as if the person in His arms knew that they were safe as peace enveloped them/me. It didn't matter that the waters were rising and that the lightning was inches away, peace was wrapping them in a comforting hug.

I kept hearing the lyrics, "He is able, more than able to carry me through."

God showed me that Jesus could have told the storm, "Peace, Be Still!" as He did in Mark 4:39.  He showed me that He was more than able to stop the storm, however He wanted me (or the person) to go through the storm knowing that Jesus was keeping them safe.  

This vision was more powerful to me than the famous "Footprints" poem that used to hang in my house.  This was more than just him carrying me through the bad times.  He wanted me to experience His Peace as the destructive storm was having its way with the earth.

He wanted to show me that there are different seasons in this life that will feel like nothing will survive or withstand the destructive force that is taking place.  He wanted to show that He not only carried the person through the storm, but that they had complete peace through it.

Think about that for a moment with me. 

He is able, MORE than ABLE to make the storms disappear.  However He WANTED to carry the person through it.  He wanted them to know that not only did they survive the storm they were at peace through the storm.  If they would have moved the slightest bit to the right or the left the lightning would have taken them out and yet they were in absolute peace.  

I have been in storms where the lightning hit the power pole across the street from where I was sitting watching nature take anger out on the world.   When that bolt hit that pole, it scared me and I ran inside.  That was too close for comfort for this girl.  So imagine how one would feel if the bolt was an inch from their head?!?!  Peace would not be what was felt!  

There are different storms that we will go through in this life.  Some more terrifying than others.  Some God will need us to walk through, taking the steps of faith to get to the other side.  However know that He will be right there holding our hand.  We are safe.  

This vision was specifically to show that, just as Jesus was at such peace that He was able to sleep on the boat during the storm, we can also have that peace.  We can rest in His arms in His perfect peace.

After all He is called the Prince of Peace!  

I want to leave you with this.  Know that He loves you, cares for you, He is not going to leave you or forsake you.  He is not mad at you, He is not punishing you.  He did not cause the troubles you are in or going through.   He does not want harm to come to you.  He is your Father.  As your Father He wants to take care of you, but also wants you to know that you can experience His peace as life carries on as it does.

Know that He is able, more than able to carry you through all you have to do is let Him.  

Until Next Time, God Bless!

What if I...

Last night we were challenge to play the "What if I" game.  You know where you ask yourself, "What if I..." and posed different scenarios for your life.  Getting out of your routine of same old, same old.  Changing something that you have always wanted to change or maybe even create.

What if Thomas Edison stopped at 2773 attempts to invent the light bulb?  He would not have found that attempt 2774 would work.  He didn't look at his failed attempts as failure.  He looked at it as, "2773 ways not to make a light bulb".

There are things in this life we want to do.  However it will take asking ourselves, "What if I..." and going for it.

I started writing these blog articles three years ago.  I knew I wanted to write and didn't know where to start.  I had been asked to read the daughter of my Facebook friend new blog and it inspired me to throw my writings into the blog ring.  It took me asking, "What if I started a blog?  Before I could let fear and doubt settle in, I jumped in with both feet.  

After I created the God Blog (as my daughter has lovingly named it), the enemy started in on me.  What if nobody reads it?  What if nobody likes what I write?  What if this, what if that?  

I went to God and He said, "What if you don't write?  What if you could have written something that helps one person get through their day?  What if you just keep doing what I ask and not worry about what others think?" 

He is so Good, isn't He?  I know that some of the things I have written are pretty bad, but that's okay.  Because I know that a few things have been pretty good as folks have sent me private messages telling me how they needed that word that day.  Not to mention that each time I write, I get better.  And when it is not a good article, I discovered what (or how) not to write!

Okay that was my what if I...from 2013.  Now let's talk about today.  As I was in prayer this morning, I was asking God about this "What if I" game challenge.  And boy did the ideas come flowing!

What if I...

• Ate better, or even ate less?  
• Exercised more, or even moved more?  
• Both of those...hmm I could lose more weight.  What a concept!
• Worked through the pain?
• Things might just get done.
• Talked to more people?
• Loved more?  Loved on more people?
• I could help more folks.  God could open so many different doors that I can't even begin to imagine!
• Prayed more?  
• Read/studied my Bible more?  
• Praised and worshiped more?
• Spent more time with Him?
• Closer to God, being in His presence...my prayer is that I want more of Him...hmm
• Wrote more?
• Sewed more?
• Mentored more?
• All my ministries would grow...
• Saved money?
• Well that one is a no brainer!!!

I want you to notice that when you ask God the "What if I's...", His responses are always positive.  God focuses on your future.  He focuses on the good.  

When you ask yourself the "What if I..." questions, the enemy is going to throw the doubt and fear at you.  When he does, you throw God's word back at him.

"Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world!"  

"If God is for me, who can be against!"

"He that has begun a good work in me will be faithful to complete it!"

Build yourself up in the word and know that God wants to help you answer those "What if I's..." that you have.  Let Him help you achieve it!

Until Next Time, God Bless!!! 

Hiding the Brokenness

In our shower is a beautiful metal corner rack that holds all the shower products from shampoo to the exfoliating brush that is needed (or wanted) when I take my shower.  The rack does its job holding everything in place, keeping the shower beautifully organized like we paid for it to do.  However you have to be gentle with this rack.  It may look strong and beautiful, but when you touch it, you see that it is in fact rather flimsy.  One wrong move could take the shelf and all the products down with it.  Talk about looks can be deceiving!

In my prayer room that doubles as a guest room, there is a tall lingerie dresser that provides much needed extra storage.  In one particular drawer I keep items that don't have to be accessed very often as the drawer doesn't have the track to help it glide in and out of the unit with ease.  It takes being more than careful getting into the drawer without causing further damage.  The piece of furniture looks great but it is hiding the truth that one drawer is in want of much needed repair.

How many of us are like these things?  On the outside we look fine.  Maybe we are gorgeous and petite like some dream to be, but our personal life is a mess or we have inner turmoil that is a tornado that is brewing ready to destroy everything in its path.  Maybe we look strong but one false move and we will crumble to the floor in a heap!  Maybe, just maybe, we are moments away from our world being broken beyond repair.    

We let others see what we want them to see or even let them see what we think they want to see.  In this life there are circumstances that will test our character, our strength, and even our belief system.  

We hide that we are hurting so bad that we think that our hearts will break to pieces.  We hide that our strength is at the point that if one more thing is added we are going to collapse under the weight.  We hide the fact that we are not fine and need help or at least comforting.

As I was in prayer this morning the song "Wrap Me in Your Arms" came on.  I had to smile as the lyrics were expressing my prayer I was speaking to Him.

The lyrics were (are):

There is a God who loves me

Who wraps me in His arms

That is the place where I am changed

And that's where I belong

Take me to the place Lord

To that secret place where

I can be with You

You can make me like You

Wrap me in your arms

Wrap me in your arms

Wrap me in your arms

I was in my secret place that I go to be with God.  Calling out to Him wanting to BE WITH Him.  Knowing that is where I belong, with Him.  In His presence.  

As I was meditating on that song, I could picture the Lord holding me in His arms.  As He held me I was being renewed.  My strength was returning, my hurting heart was being repaired, and burdens were being lifted.  (Amen, Hallelujah, Thank You Jesus!)

As I heard the words, "You can make me like You" I remembered Genesis 1:26, Let us make mankind in our image...  We were made in the image of God.  God is our Father, He created us.  His DNA runs through us.  I had to get up and dance as it is true.  He loves me, He made me like Him and He wants to be with me as much (if not more) than I want to be with Him.

He is our Papa God, our Father.  When things aren't going they way that they should, why do we think that He doesn't love us or that He is mad at us?  Why do we think that He doesn't care about us or our problems?  Why do we think that He is the one that causes are of our pain and bad issues in life?

He doesn't.  He isn't the one that causes all of that.  The enemy is the one who steals, kills and destroys.  

We make the choice of who we are going to serve in this world, God or satan.  If you think you don't serve either one, you are wrong, the fence belongs to the devil.  

God wants to help us all.  He knows what brokenness we are hiding.  He wants to heal us of our pain, sickness and diseases.  If you are like my shower shelf or the dresser and you are in need of what you can't give yourself, please, I pray that you will go into your secret place and let God wrap you in His arms, making you like Him.  In His presence is where we all belong.

Until Next Time, God Bless!!!