“I will praise the Lord, who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me. I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore, my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”

Psalms 16:7-11

It’s that time of year when we get to enjoy fields of sunflowers! I love their bright and cheerful faces and the fact that they always seem to be smiling back at us! And I’ve always been intrigued by the fact that they follow the sun!

Not only do they resemble their name – a flower that looks like the sun- but they also display their attraction to the light by standing tall and turning their face throughout the day, following the direction of the sun. At night they lay their faces in the West and reset towards the East, eagerly awaiting the brightness of tomorrow.

But if you’ve ever brought a sunflower inside it droops it’s face downward. Take it outside, and it comes back to life.

And I know that sometimes in life we can feel like the sunflower that’s been brought in out of the sun. Our faces droop, our joy stoops, our eyes are blinded, and our minds can seem clouded by darkness. But just as the sunflower rejuvenates in the physical light of the sun, we can find revival in the spiritual light of Jesus. We can be assured of the brightness of tomorrow when we keep our eyes fixed on Him.

Jesus is the Light of the world, and when we faithfully seek Him, our source of Life, we can find peace and joy through all of our cloudy days.

Sunflowers are natural followers of the light. As believers, we too should become natural followers of our light, Jesus. It’s not always easy to do what the sunflowers do; to stand tall, turn our faces toward the Son, and resemble our identity as followers of Christ. But the more we move towards Jesus, the more natural it becomes.

Helen Keller once said “Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows”.

Today, let’s keep our face toward the light of the world so the darkness cannot overcome it. Let’s embrace the light of life so we can’t see the shadows! Let’s do what the sunflowers do with bright and cheerful faces, smiling back at world with glad hearts and rejoicing tongues, because, we cannot be shaken.

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life”.

John 8:12

Saturday Soul Search

““Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.”

Romans 12:2-3

They say that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. But I think that you can! In fact I think it’s not only healthy, but expected, for us to learn new tricks and change the way we respond to the world, even if the world doesn’t change for us.

And as the New Year rolls in, may we reflect and resolve to learn new tricks, to try new things, and to better ourselves – not only for how it will benefit us, but for the sake of others as well.

Sometimes though it’s hard to embrace change, especially when it involves ourselves. In a world that is constantly changing, we can choose to be the old dog, or we can choose to learn new tricks to navigate the changes without compromising what we know to be true.

This can prove to be challenging for sure. But when we allow God to be Who He is and incorporate His unchanging character (Hebrews 13:8) into our resolutions to love better, lead better, and live better, we are less likely to fail.

Here are a few ways that you can embody the unity between Christ, yourself and the world. Whether you have decided to learn new tricks, or feeling like the old will do, incorporating these disciplines into your life can accomplish only good.

• Make time to be alone with God. This is not something that comes easily, but it is an intentional sacrifice that will prove to be powerful in your journey to change (Mark 1:35).
• Ask God to search your heart and give you a humbled and surrendered Spirit (Psalm 139:24).
• Be mindful of what you are watching and listening to. Keeping your eyes on things that are good, excellent, and praiseworthy will keep your mind positive and moving forward (Matthew 6:22-23).
• Ask a friend to join you in your journey. Share your challenges and what you hope to gain by learning new tricks. Ask them to evaluate you as well. And see what tricks might be up their sleeve (Ecclesiastes 4:9).
• Dress yourself for Success. The devil is gonna’ be on your back so wear that armor provided by God to stop those darts of defeat (Ephesians 6:10-20).

But of course, our desire to change can only come from Christ. And when He compels us to do so, it is for the good of our witness for Him and increases our effectiveness to love like Him, live like Him, and fulfill His mission in the world.

May the Spirit of the Living and Unchanging God reveal to you new tricks that you can use in this ever-changing world to build a firm and steady bridge to His Kingdom.

Happy New Year Ya’ll!

#SaturdaySoulSearch

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful I know that full well.”

Psalms 139:13-14

How do you measure success? Success can be defined in many different and healthy ways, but we often look at others and what they have accomplished to measure our own success. But our success should not be characterized by what the rest of the world is doing. The measure of our success should be how we respond in faith and obedience to God’s purpose for OUR life.

We each have our own role for which God has created us for, and when we begin to compare it to what others are doing, it leads not only to feelings of insecurity and inadequacy, but it can also lead to friction in our relationships.

Comparison can also neutralize our effectiveness for God. He made each of us in His own image but with our own individual gifts. He set us apart from everyone else to be who He wants us to be. But if we are too busy focusing on what everyone else is doing that might be bigger or better than us, we aren’t able to embrace the power of the Spirit that motivates us to bear our own fruit.

We are all created and wonderfully made by God Himself! And we can have confidence that He will equip us and empower us to make Him famous in His, and our own, special way.

Friend, you don’t have to compare and compete with others. God is the only one that matters when measuring your success. You can praise God for what He is doing in your life. You can rejoice in your friendships and acquaintances. And you can celebrate all that God has put on their plates, and also, all that He has put on yours.

Who do we need to give a high five to today? And what can you high five yourself for? Start by giving praise to God, who created you to be you – fearful, wonderful and capable you! Then ask Him to help you recognize your special gifts and in what unique way He can use you today.

12 words

Success isn’t measured by what everyone else does. It’s measured by God.

#SaturdaySoulSearch

“The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. You will live in joy and peace”.

Isaiah 55:10-12a

Rain! As it can be such a blessing, we often complain that it never comes at the right time! During droughts it doesn’t come soon enough. And during the floods, we wonder when it will end. When we have outdoor plans, we pout at the disruption and redirection of our day. But God sends His rain because it is good. He sends His rain because He is good. And He has reminded me lately how much I need His rain!

Not the wet stuff that falls from the sky, but His Word that He plants in my heart to nourish and grow my soul.

His Word wasn’t necessarily appealing to me for many years. But that day He grabbed my attention was the day the floodgates opened up. He revealed Himself to me as the gift from heaven who could offer me life! Life! Unlike the one I was living. Unlike the one I imagined. Life! Enriched with meaning and purpose. Living to honor Him and reflect His goodness. Life! Loved, valued, and redeemed by Jesus!

And in the stress and insanity of this past month, when I felt empty and dry, I have been so thankful that God cared enough about me to send me rain! I’m thankful for the flooding of my soul with His Word and His faithfulness so many times in the past that I could confidently know that He would do it again!

Just as God sent rain to protect Noah and his family, He sends rain to protect us from our emotions and strain. He sent rain (manna) to feed the Israelites and He continues to send rain to nurture and refresh us.

God rains down Scripture and encourgement before we even know that we need it. It might seem like it’s not useful at the time, or that it doesn’t apply to us, but every Word that God has written is useful to teach us, to convict us, to prepare us, and to equip us to do every good work that He has planned for us to do (2 Timothy 3:16-17). And He does this because He loves us!

But if we have our umbrellas up and are not paying attention, we might miss what He has in store for us.

In Deuteronomy 11:14, God tells us He “will send the rains in their proper seasons – the early rains and the late rains – so you can bring in your harvests of grain, new wine and olive oil”.

God desires to bless you with a harvest of joy and peace! He desires to annoint you with the Presence and the Power of His Spirit. And He desires to equip you with everything you need. Whether it’s strength and energy, motivation and passion, or patience and self-control. God’s Word will always accomplish what He desires for it to accomplish.

But we have to desire it too. We have to allow God’s Word to saturate our soul – meditating on it day and night. We should obey the commands to love God first and to love each other regardless of how we feel. And we must embrace the fact that God’s Word was written out of love to help us shape our lives into lives that love.

Every good and perfect gift is sent from above (James 1:17) and He is waiting to shower that gift on you! Will you let God’s goodness rain on you today?

12 words

Into every life some rain must fall. Let it be from God!

#SaturdaySoulSearch

Soak in some Worship time with Micheal W. Smith! (You’ll have to skip through the ads).

https://youtu.be/ghHfnXPp2AA

“Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.”

Philippians 2:3-5

The nurse was a little irritated that Mom couldn’t get up on the table for the doctor to examine her toe.

There’s one thing I’ve learned from taking care of my parent’s medical needs, and that is that the healthcare system needs a huge overhaul! Maybe in my next life I’ll have some influence over the workings of software integration, internal communication, scheduling, and customer service. But for now, I pick my battles on a daily basis. And this day I stood strong advocating that even with the little step stool to help, Mom wasn’t going to make it onto the table. But then I anxiously awaited my next battle….how will the doctor see her toe?

Much to my surprise, when the doctor came in, he shook our hand then hit the floor. In the most unexpected and heart melting moment, this doctor, whom we had never met before, positioned himself Indian style on the floor in front of Mom, to treat her toe!

This restored a little bit of my faith in humanity, but also really impressed on my heart that this highly educated doctor wasn’t afraid to get dirty! It reminded me a bit of Jesus.

Jesus wasn’t afraid to get dirty either!!! Even though He was the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, He knew the only way to melt hearts was to get dirty and not to place Himself above everyone else. He knew that His greatest influence would be to put Himself right smack in the middle of messes.

Jesus wasn’t humiliated by being a servant. In fact, because He came to be a servant (Matthew 20:28), His greatest demonstrations of power and love were done through acts that others might see as demeaning, or even dangerous.

Jesus didn’t hesitate to touch a leper (Mark 1:40-41). He got his hands muddy to heal a blind man (John 9:6). He walked an uncommon road to meet an unpopular woman at a well (John 4:4-9). And he lowered himself to the lowliest of servants to wash his disciples’ feet (John 13:4-5).

Yet, so often, when met with the opportunity to serve with the same kindness and mercy of Jesus, we fall into self-preservation mode. Not that it’s not sometimes wise to take precautions, but it’s good to evaluate if our fears are rational or if they are just an excuse to not get dirty.

As believers, we’ve been made clean. But sometimes we may think we’ve been made better. And that’s simply not true.

There are always needs to be met. Whether it’s in a tidy and neat prayer room or a dirty and rocky floor of a tent, “we must quickly carry out the tasks assigned to us by the One who sent us so the power of God can be seen” (John 9:3-4).

Just as Jesus dives into our messes to make us clean, we must dive into the messes of other’s as well.

The time is now! Do something unexpected! Get yourself dirty! For you have already been cleaned by the sacrifice and love of Jesus! Be brave and fearless as you show others the Way. And who knows? You might even melt your own heart when you see the impact you make on someone else’s day.

12 words

The Time is Always Now! Don’t be afraid! Melt hearts for Jesus!

#SaturdaySoulSearch

“We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.”

Colossians 1:9b-10

I recently signed up for a continuing education class and through the process of re-arranging and managing my time, I learned that there are a lot of things I need to unlearn in order for me learn effectively.

Learning is a lifelong process of gaining new knowledge, acquiring new understanding, and distributing the skills we have learned. But if we are not willing to unlearn some things as well, our learning is only processing knowledge and not useful for real life or real love.

When Jesus came to earth, He came to unteach us! He came to unteach our prejudices, our judgements, our self-reliance, our bad habits, our labels, our comparison and complaining, our religion, our bondage to sin, and our responses to offense and anger. There are many, many more! But Jesus came to help us unlearn our lifelong patterns of human nature and teach us His spiritual patterns of love and life.

We hear repeatedly from Paul throughout the New Testament (beginning in Acts 9:1-27), how Jesus turned his life upside down when he met Him on his way to kill Christians. Paul’s pattern of life prior to meeting Jesus was one of judgement, privilege, and prejudice. But after Paul met Jesus, he became one of the most powerful messengers for the Lord – because – his was a life that was changed. He had to unlearn his former way of thinking and what society thought was important, to learn the way of honoring and glorifying the Lord.

Paul’s life was transformed from a life that brought fear and division, to a life that brought love and unity. Paul unlearned his entire identity to identify with what mattered most to Jesus.

When we are willing to unlearn our behaviors and attitudes, we free ourselves for meaningful and purposeful conversations. (James 1:19).

When we were are willing to unlearn the fear of differing cultures, thoughts, and opinions, we free ourselves to love like Jesus. (Acts 10:34).

When we are willing to unlearn religion, we free ourselves to know the value of our relationship with Christ. (Philippians 3:1-11).

Unlearning will not only develop our relationship with the Lord and each other, it will help us use our new knowledge and understanding to live life without presumption, have faith without limitations, to love without resistance, and have obedience without hesitation.

Unlearning leads to a life that expresses godly character, courage, integrity and gratitude. “Don’t copy the behaviors and customs of the world any longer. But let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12:2). What things can you unlearn to love, live, and serve Jesus better?

12 words

Live without presumption. Love without resistance. Believe without limitations. Obey without hesitation.

#SaturdaySoulSearch

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it might benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving, just as Christ forgave you.”

Ephesians 4:29-31

I had just started attending Bible Study when my pastor said it was almost 4:30[1]. I had no idea what he was talking about since it was obviously almost 7:00. But as the night progressed, I found this to be a proactive phrase I repeat in my mind when harsh words are forming on my tongue.

Our tongues can be our worst enemy sometimes, and unfortunately, our tongues are also probably our hardest temptation. As I don’t think it’s so bad to vent to those you can trust, I know how hard it is to keep the venting from going on to the next level of bitterness, anger, rage, and slander. And then it becomes easy to sling words around that do more damage than the original intent – even if it’s just an ash in our own soul. For one unwholesome word leads to another, and then as James warns us like “a tiny spark that sets a great forest on fire” (James 3:5) it begins to burn out of control.

Our words can bless and praise the Lord, or they can curse His creation (James 3:9). Our words can influence others whether they are a worthy reflection of God or an unworthy reflection of ourselves (Jeremiah 15:19 and James 3:3-4). And our words can breathe peace or bleed poison (James 3:8).

Now I’m not saying that I have this under control yet, cause taming the tongue is hard to do, but when I feel like I’m getting ready to dance with the devil, that alarm clock goes off telling me it’s 4:29 (Ephesians 4:29). Sometimes I repeatedly hit snooze, and sometimes I get up and go, but there’s not any time that God hasn’t reminded me Who my words should honor and that by speaking the words that are forming on my tongue I could “grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30)

So as much as speaking our minds may clear our heads, where does it steer our hearts? Does it soothe our soul or spoil our Spirit? Does it gratify peace or cultivate trouble? Does it bring glory to God or bring grief to the very one who gives us breath to speak? Is it almost 4:30?

12 words

Are our words headed towards grief or grace? Stop, breathe, and reframe.

[1] Origin unknown, but my pastor, Scott Sharman, gives credit to Brian Jennings.

#SaturdaySoulSearch

“Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.”

Hosea 6:3

Have you ever stopped to think about the one thing that God can’t do? Wait a minute?! Did she just say that?! The God who makes the sun rise and the moon set? The God who changes the seasons and sends rain to refresh the earth? The God who makes the mountains crumble to the seas? That God? Is there anything that God cannot do?

Yes, I believe, there is. God cannot change the past. He cannot change the choices that we’ve made. But ya’ know what! He can redeem them! He not only will forgive our bad choices, but He’ll turn them into something good to be used for the future.

One of the greatest emotions I hear when I spend time at the jail is regret, remorse, and guilt. Many of the inmates sit day after day, imprisoned by their emotions and beating themselves up as they face the consequences for their choices.

And many of us are imprisoned too. We all have made bad choices and though some of our consequences are more severe than others, those consequences and the choices we made do not define who we are moving forward. They simply help us remember who we were, what we did, and hopefully, motivates us to learn from those mistakes.

But in order to move forward, we must realize where our mercy, forgiveness, and freedom comes from. It isn’t something we get from ourselves. It isn’t something created by others. It comes from God Himself.

David was one of the greatest men in the Old Testament. He was a shepherd, a giant-killer, a warrior, a poet, and a king. And of course, it was from his lineage that Jesus was born. But David was also a sinner! A repeated sinner. And His sins were great, but so was his God!

Psalm 51 begins with David crying out to God, “Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins”. This Psalm is a great example of pressing on to know the Lord. David’s plea to God was heartfelt for he realized how deeply he needed the Lord. He realized the impact of his sin. He realized how faithful God is. And he was confident in the hope of salvation that was gifted by God. David knew that mercy comes from God alone. And he knew the power of confession, repentance, and dependence on God to make better and right choices in the future.

If you too are beating yourself up, or you just can’t move past your poor choices, this is a great place to start in seeking God’s trust. As you read all of Psalm 51, reflect on your stumbling blocks and then on the character of God. Ask God to help you move past your regret and help you determine what to do next. Ask Him to help you with your temptations (He will always give you a way out). But most of all, ask Him to “create in you a new heart and renew a right spirit in you”. Then expect His response! Freedom will surely come when we seek Him with broken spirits but hopeful hearts.

So no, God can’t take away your past, but he will turn your darkness into light. He will move you into new seasons of life. He will take those mountains of guilt and throw them into the sea. And best of all, He can and He will change your future! Will you press on to know Him? Will you trust Him with your heart? Will you let Him guide your future? Will you accept His forgiveness and freedom so you too can joyfully sing His praise?

Oh, that we might know and remember the Lord, for His mercy is great and His love is unfailing!

Psalm 51

#SaturdaySoulSearch

“We do this by keeping our eye on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.”

Hebrews 12:2

I had the opportunity to visit the Billy Graham Library last week. I’ve never really known much about him or his family, except that they were faithful evangelists. And sometimes, there is a misconception that those who are in the spotlight, especially Christians, should, or do, live perfect and comfortable lives. But I think anyone who is a true follower of Christ knows that those expectations are not only not true, but they are impossible.

I was touched by what Ruth Graham had on her tombstone. It reads “End of Construction. Thank you for your patience”. And I think this is such an important understanding of living a Christian life. We are all under construction and it’s a lifelong journey of detours, road closures, merging right or left, and reconstructing our own imperfections to become more and more like Christ.

It’s also about grace and embracing the imperfections of others. Just as God sees us not for who we are, but for who we can become, we too, should see others not for who they are, but for who they can become.

I’m not saying this should be an excuse for anyone who knows what is right and chooses not to do it. I’m saying it’s a process of knowing what is right and desiring to learn how to do it.

Building a life that reflects who we are in Christ takes a lot of work, a lot of patience, and a lot of grace! And as we always want to strive for perfection, we must realize, that will not happen until we meet Christ face to face. We must strive for progress though if we are to build our faith and improve our grace towards others.

There are many ways to make progress as we are under construction. Listening to the Holy Spirit is the only way that you will know what your personal progress involves, but here are a few places to start.

Ask God to help you identify and acknowledge those places that need to be worked on. Seeing that in others is oh so easy. But seeing that in ourselves is really, really hard. So that’s a good place to start.

Practice self – control and be patient with yourself in those areas. If you need an accountability partner, find one. If you need professional help, get it.

Continuously and intentionally invest in building others up instead of tearing them down. This may take some reframing of your own mind to remember that grace and patience was extended to you so that you can extend it to others.

Keep your eyes on Jesus. Our construction started on a wooden cross with nail scarred hands and feet, and it continues in us today with those same hands and feet. Jesus didn’t suffer to leave us as we were. He suffered to save us from who we are without Him, and He is in the business of breaking down walls, restoring what is broken, and building it up new and improved.

Are you ready to lean on Jesus for strength, mercy, and grace as you travel this road called life? Then pull out those tools and press on to possess the perfection that only Jesus can provide for the purpose of which He has called you (Philippians 3:12-14).

#SaturdaySoulSearch