Run your own race!

A few days ago I saw a friends post on Facebook. She was commenting on being a working mother and feeling guilty when others say how important it is to be a stay at home mom. I felt her pain immediately. At this very moment I don't even remember who wrote this post but I know it is a common feeling among working mothers. So I decided to encourage all of us in running our own race in this life.

I remember being a new mother and struggling with breastfeeding. I had so many people telling me how important it was for my baby to get those first few weeks of breast milk. I remember feeling ashamed and embarrassed when I gave up and went to formula. Then there was the struggle with the boys sleeping with us. How many of you have had a family member or friend tell you how BIG of a mistake you were making in allowing your children to sleep with you? I remember trying to find just one person to tell me I was doing a good job. Just one person to tell me I wasn't ruining my kids. Even when I got someone to tell me I was okay, it still didn't seem to help. For every one person who encouraged me, there were five who told me I needed to do something different. The list could go on and on. How long is the pacifier acceptable? What is the appropriate form of discipline? I'm not going to continue because it hurts my head just thinking about it. But you know exactly what I am talking about. We all have our own stories.

This is why I write. IT'S YOUR LIFE!!!!! I am 35 years old. I've been married 11 years and I have an 8 year old child and an almost 6 year old child. I have finally figured out that this is my life. I am the one that woke up in the wee hours of the morning to feed my child. Was I a better mom for breast feeding or a better mom for getting some needed rest while dad took a shift feeding the bottle of formula? In the early 1900's, families lived in one room houses. Six kids shared a room with mom and dad. Did this ruin these children? Is your child ruined if he is encouraged to cry himself to sleep to develop a sleep pattern or if you rock him to sleep every night for the first year? People, there are far greater issues in this world. What works for you and your household? There is lots of great advice out there. Your mother and neighbor may have tons of wisdom. You may have a collection of best selling books on a plethora of topics. But their thoughts, opinions and ideas may not work for you. Just because they made the NY best-sellers list does not make them right in your situation.

To the mother who works out of the house every day, you are no worse or better for your choice. This does not define a great mother. What defines us in life is how we love each other. Do those in your life feel safe, loved and important to you? There are stay at home moms who are so focused on their soap operas and computer games that their children are raising themselves. There are also working mom's who come home refreshed and ready to give their children all the love and attention possible until bed time. Don't let others judge you for your choices in life. Let God direct you in every decision you make. You must live with your decisions and if it works for you and yours then GO FOR IT!

Be confident in who you are and what you do. Matthew 6:33, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." This is why a personal relationship with Jesus is so important. He is the only one who will give great advice every time.

Hebrews 11:1, "And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." It's your race so run it!

Trust, why is it so hard?

Yesterday Ty and I had to take off and land three times to get home from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. On our first plane ride I had a thought. We were speeding down the tarmac about to take flight and I said to Ty, "We sure do have a lot of faith in this plane and this pilot." In all honesty, every time we get on a plane we are putting our lives in the hands of the unknown. I have never met the pilot nor seen his resume before take off. I have never seen the flight log or been told the maintenance history of the plane I am on. I just walk on the plane, fasten my seatbelt and trust that I will make it to my destination without any complications. Why is this so easy to do? How can I hand over control to Southwest airlines but not trust the creator of Heaven and earth with my life? Hasn't He proven Himself enough. I will be honest. This is my greatest struggle in life. Trusting the Lord and giving up control. My favorite scripture is Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understandings; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path."

This is something I will work on every day. I know it's a process and I am not willing to give up. I will trust Him even when I don't understand. I may have days of crying out to God with frustration but thank the Lord, He is okay with me being real. He loves me and He loves you. 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, "His grace is sufficient."

Simplicity

I woke up Christmas morning feeling so very blessed. The snow was absolutely beautiful and I couldn't wait to get to my mom's house for the day of festivities. But first my sweet potato casserole had to be made. So I put my Christmas apron on, turned on the television and got busy in the kitchen. For you to understand what I'm about to tell you, I must first explain one little story. A few weeks ago I was visiting with a close friend about the teaching podcasts I love to watch. The amount of knowledge available to the believer today is mind blowing. I have a long list of favorites. I made the comment that Joel Osteen is a great speaker with a feel good message. His teachings are practical and he offers good advice on "living your best life now". But, I shamefully must tell you that I told my friend that I like a little more Word in my teachings. I like to go a little deeper. Well, guess who was preaching when my television powered up Christmas morning? You betcha! Joel Osteen was sharing a sermon and I had already started peeling potatoes. So I decided to listen. Three times in his message I began to cry. At one point I looked up to see Joel tearing up as well. And all of the sudden everything became so clear. I was changing and growing in a 20 minute message. Joel Osteen was oozing with "The Word". I'm not talking scripture, I'm talking Jesus. Jesus was pouring out of every crevice of this man's being. I suddenly felt like a modern day Pharisee. When Jesus came to this earth, He entered in by way of a common couple and a smelly manger. At the age of 30, His teachings began to be recorded. He showed love and compassion to those that most religious people would walk by and scoff. He chose fishermen and tax collectors to be his helpers. He slept and ate in the homes of the despised. He spoke to prostitutes and lepers without fear of rejection. Jesus was and is the Word. And the Word is Love. The Sadducee's and the Pharisees did not understand the simplicity of Christ's message. He confounded the wise. They were looking for something "deep" and yet they didn't even recognize the well of never ending supply that was standing before them. What does it mean to go "deep"? Is it bible knowledge? Is it knowing Greek and Hebrew translations? Is it possessing more gifts than your Sunday School teacher? Or could it be more simple than that? The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:1-8, "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek it's own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never Fails!" Christ made it very clear how important love was to Him. I will probably spend my lifetime becoming love. I don't want to miss Jesus looking for knowledge. In everything I do and say I want to look to Him. Joel Osteen is preaching love to a world full of hate. He is changing lives one message at a time. Not because of who he is or what he is capable of doing. He is changing lives because he loves Jesus! And this love shines bright for all to see. Now that is deep.

Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Freedom!

This weekend God used a certain verse in Acts to speak to me and many others. It was an amazing story that has kept me smiling for the past couple of days. So this morning in my quiet time, I decided to go back and read Acts chapter 16 in its entirety. As soon as I began, something popped out that I had never understood before. By the way, this is not because of my own understanding. This is because the Holy Spirit points things out to me that without Him would seem like gibberish. He can do the same for you. Anyway, in the first few verses Paul and Silas have come to the town in which Timothy resides. And Paul has decided that he wants Timothy to come and go down the road with he and Silas. Now this is an awesome time for Timothy. He is being invited by one of the greatest missionaries and crusaders for Christ to go preach the gospel to the masses. I can't imagine what He must have been thinking. Pure elation would be my guess. But look at verse 3. "Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek." Now most days I would have just read this and moved on. But something struck me. I was reminded that in Galatians, Titus, who was also of Greek decent, refused to be circumcised before joining the journey with Paul to Jerusalem. He refused because he would not be put under the law by those who tried to argue his freedom. See many years earlier God called all men to be circumcised as a symbol of belonging to Him. But when Christ came, Paul discouraged circumcision because Jews continued to preach circumcision was a sign of salvation. Paul argued that you are not saved by works (circumcision) but by grace (Christ's blood). Circumcision had become a way for the Jews to hold their position over the heads of the Gentiles. Paul was called to preach salvation to the Gentiles and he refused to put law before grace. Not because of his own deciding but because of what Christ came to earth to teach. And in Romans 2:28 Paul says it best, "A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God." Meaning, God looks at the heart. You are saved because God paid the ultimate price. It is a free gift never to be earned by hard work or being good enough. Today many followers of Christ do the same thing that the Jews of Paul's day did. They judge your church attendance, your bible knowledge, your volunteer statistics, how you dress, how you talk, where you go and with who you go. The Bible says, "It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts."

So I say all this to explain what caught my attention. Timothy was circumcised and Titus was not. Why? Was it because of Law? NO! Was it because of tradition? NO! Did he want to fit in? NO! Timothy was circumcised because he knew the people he was going to be preaching the gospel to and circumcision mattered to them. He wanted to reach every last person possible without anything hindering God's mission. Why did Titus refuse circumcision? Was he rebellious? NO! Was he scared? NO! (I would have been). He refused because those under the law were trying to rob him of his freedom in Christ. In fact, Paul said in Galatians 2:7, "God does not judge by external appearance-those men added nothing to my message."

God is a personal God. He wants relationship with each one of us. Timothy had a heart to reach people and He heard God say that circumcision would help break the barrier in the hearts of those who would hear the gospel. Would you be willing to obey God in doing whatever He asked of you? Even if it was painful? So which man was wrong in his decision. Surely two men can't do the total opposite and be right. But the fact is, Titus and Timothy were both right. They were right because they had relationship with a loving God. He spoke and they obeyed. Don't put God in a box. Let Him speak "rhema" to you today. Others need to see the Jesus in you and nothing should be hiding the light that shines inside. Don't follow rules, follow Jesus!!!

The Local Church- To go or not to go?

I had a short but great visit with a dear friend of mine on Wednesday. We were discussing a couple of books that have become very popular in the anti-church world. People who once belonged to a local church and are now discouraging others from stepping through the front door. They list problem after problem with the church and they make many good points. In fact, I have very close friends who feel the same way as the authors of these books. Many people have been hurt or they have watched others be hurt. They have seen Pastors fall hard and pull many people away from the right path. They have heard wrong teachings, witnessed raw manipulation, and seen God's Word be shared in a poor theatrical presentation. I have been a part of the local church my entire life. I have witnessed more than any person should and I have been saddened by too much. BUT.................... This is what my friend said on Wednesday. Although she has experienced tough times in church. She has had many great times there as well. She was saved in the local church. She was married in the local church. She was supported by her church family when her first husband passed away. She dedicated her children to God in her local church. She was baptized with the Holy Spirit in the church. Her love for God's Word grew in the local church. She said, "Where would I be in my faith if it weren't for the local church?" Do we have hurts? Yes. Have we been disappointed? You bet ya! But is God still using Pastor's and teachers to spread the Gospel in all the World? Absolutely!! To quote a theme song to an old television show, "You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have; The Facts of Life." Now this may sound heartless. I honestly and whole heartedly don't mean for it to be. But the fact is, we are all human. Only with God's help can we make a change in this world. Are there some churches you shouldn't go to? Of course there are. But there are men and women who have a love for God and His Word. They are humble in spirit and they love God's people. They preach the Truth and nothing but the Truth. They are held accountable to their peers and to God first and foremost. Will they still make mistakes? Probably. As Bishop TD Jakes once said, "We are lambs leading lambs." The Good Shepherd is our Heavenly Father. He and only He is perfect. But praise God for Grace. It is sufficient for all of us.

So, should you belong to a local body of believers? What is God telling you? And whatever He tells you, don't assume He is telling others the same thing. I personally can't imagine my life past, present or future without the local body. Through all the good and the bad the FACT is I have been abundantly blessed.

In The Storm

When things are tough and you have so many questions, how big is your faith? I've learned over time that during tragedy your faith can be limited. When things are going good in my life, I can pray and believe for everyone. But when I'm down and struggling, it's much more difficult to have faith. A wise man once said, having faith during tragedy is like trying to build a house during a hurricane. Isn't that a true picture of your own personal storm. But that is why we have each other. In my darkest times I need you to believe. And in your darkest times you need me. The family of God is so vital in our lives. We need one another to lift the other up when standing seems impossible.

I'm reminded of the story of Moses and the battle between Israel and the Amaleks. Moses stood on the mountain top and as long as his hands were in the air, Israel was winning the battle. As soon as his hands began to fall, the Amaleks dominated. When Moses' hands became too heavy, Aaron and Hur stood on each side and lifted them up. Isn't that a beautiful picture of the Church. As the Children of God, we hold each other up. When your tired, I am there. When I don't feel I can stand, you hold me up. It is the power of God working through His people.

So when you are smack dab in the middle of your storm, don't beat yourself up because of the size of your faith. Lean on those around you. Let them pray for you and let them believe for you. The battle is yours so don't give up.

Thankful!

We are nearing Thanksgiving and it is not uncommon for people to start talking about what makes them grateful. Why is it that we only do this once a year? All year long we grumble about the troubles in our lives. Why me? How much longer? When will this end? Do these questions sound familiar? What if we started everyday thanking God for the good gifts He has given us? James 1:17 says, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." I can't tell you how many times I hear people say, "God is testing me in this trial." They say,"God took him/her because He needed another angel." This is hogwash. God sent His son to give us life and life more abundant. The enemy came to kill, steal and destroy. God does not "take", He "receives". God does not lead you into the valley of the shadow of death, He walks with you in the valleys. God does not throw you into the fire, He stands with you while you are in it and when you come out you don't even smell of smoke. A grateful heart may not change our circumstances but it does change our perspective. We have so much to be thankful for and it far out weighs the trials in our lives. Our perspective has to change. Be grateful 365 days a year not just Pre-Thanksgiving. If you're reading this, you can see. If you're reading this, someone invested in your education. If you are reading this, you have breath in your lungs and tomorrow is a new day. Give God thanks! This is the day the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it.