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.

Garden Excess

This year our zucchini and squash were abundant in our garden. You can only eat so much of it and then give the rest to friends and family. If you're like me, you love to find new and creative ways to fix these veggies for lunch/dinner. So here is a great recipe that i made up and the family loved it.

Take left over grilled chicken breast or you can roast some in the oven. Olive oil, salt and pepper rubbed all over chicken. Bake at 350* for 30-40 minutes. Then when cooled, chop into chunks.

In a large saucepan on med heat, add 2 TBS. olive oil and 1 TBS. butter with 1 white onion (chopped). Saute for a few minutes with salt and pepper. Then add sliced zucchini and squash to onions. I usually use one large zucchini and squash or use 2 medium of each. Continue to saute a bit longer before adding any type of tomato. I have used fresh grape tomatoes as well as a can of diced tomatoes. Fresh is my favorite. Add a bit more salt and pepper to taste. Then add chicken broth to pan. Do not cover veggies with broth. Just add broth half way up. Cover with lid and turn heat down a bit. Just let the veggies simmer for 5 - 10 minutes. You want veggies tender. Then remove lid and reduce the liquid by half. In a large, salted pot of water, boil whole wheat Penne pasta to Al dente texture. Drain pasta and pour veggie mixture on top. Add chunks of chicken and toss. Top with Parmesan cheese. Great way to get your kiddos to eat their veggies. Believe me, I have a very tough time with Hudson Bean and he loved it.

I Trust In Him

Today I awoke and wondered if I would get a phone call from Dr. Hyacinth. Would the lump I've had for over a month be cancer or not? Today I awoke to a journal entry from a father I barely know. Would his eight year old daughter who unexpectedly went into heart failure have a good day today? Today I awoke to a text message from a dear friend who is sitting in a hospital room with her daughter for the umpteenth time. Would her daughter's breathing improve and the seizures stop? Today I awoke and dressed for my Wednesday with Seth Anderson. Seth has been a vital part of my life for fifteen years. This 21 year old young man has never ridden a bike, never eaten a piece of birthday cake and never spoken a word. But he has ministered to me more than any person I know. Would today be my last Wednesday to serve him? To be honest, there are some days that I would like to sleep through until the next sunrise. There are some days that my heart is heavy. My understanding of life is unclear and my questions are unanswered. But then I am reminded that I don't have to know all the answers. I am protected, loved and cherished by the one who does. Our world is full of things we don't understand. I shared on Sunday morning a revelation that challenged me to my very core. We were singing a song that says "I Trust in Him" and once again I asked myself, "Do you really?" It's so easy to love Jesus when everything is going great. It is so easy to trust Him when everything is in its place. But what about those times that you don't understand what He is doing? So the analogy I shared was about overpasses. My mind shot to Dallas/Fort Worth and the maze of underpasses and overpasses. It's like a ball of yarn that some genius engineer designed. Then he handed his plans off to a contractor who then instructed laborers. To be honest, I get a little overwhelmed thinking about the magnitude of that job. Can you imagine the responsibility and design efforts. But every time I go to Dallas I go under and I go over those passes. I don't stop mid-traffic and say,"I don't understand how this works, therefore I don't know if I can trust this structure to hold me and my precious cargo." No, I don't dare stop in mid-traffic in Dallas Texas. I put the pedal to the metal and stay on my course, TRUSTING that everyone who had a hand in this structure knew what they were doing. Have accidents happened and structures failed? Absolutely! Time, weather, environment and more have effected the strength of our highways. But I trust that it won't fail me. And I do that without even thinking about it. So why can't I trust the Creator of the Universe with my life? Does time, weather and environment put a toil on this body? Absolutely! Does God cause bad things to happen to good people? NO! But He does walk with us through those events. We live in an imperfect world, with imperfect people but we serve a perfect God who we can TRUST! My prayer for all of us is that it gets easier to do just that. I want to take those leaps of faith without hesitation. When I walk through those dark valleys, I want to walk with confidence that God has not left me. Because the truth is, "He will never leave us nor forsake us." I don't understand all that happens in this life. But I trust God has a plan that only He may know. I don't understand the job of a highway engineer but I trust his design will stand strong. But I tell you this, I trust God more than a mere man. I think we all do. It's just the process of letting go. Stop trying to figure it out and just drive this course of life without fear.

Update:

Me: I'm cancer free! Thank you Jesus!

Father's journal: "We live in a fallen world where pain and suffering are not strangers. But there is relief found in our Savior Jesus Christ. We thank God for our time here and for the love of so many people. His will be done. Still time for a miracle or a new heart."

Friends text: "Seizure free today! What is going on in LBK? (She was checking on me.) Hope all is well. Please, please let me know if you need anything. I will be right there. Love you more than you know." Amazed at her desire to be there for me even in her time of need.

Seth Anderson: He had a great day and I "get" to go back next Wednesday.

Psalm 39:5

"You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath." Make the most of today. Love more, give more and Trust more. We do not know what tomorrow holds.

Self Reflection

A couple of nights ago, Ty and I were in our bathroom getting ready for bed. Hudson walked in brushing his teeth and had toothpaste dripping from his chin. Ty quickly directed him to the sink so he could spit. Ty thought it would be a great opportunity to coach him a little in correct brushing. So Ty pulled out his toothbrush to demonstrate. I was brushing mine as well in my sink. In the middle of us all brushing, Ty instructs Hudson to change hands. I was viewing this whole situation in my mirror because the boys were behind me. I immediately jumped on Ty saying, "He doesn't use his left hand, he is right handed." Then it hit me to turn around. Ty was helping him move the toothbrush from the left hand to the right hand but the mirror had deceived me. From my view everything was backwards. Luckily, Ty didn't understand what I was saying so an argument didn't break out nor did I have to apologize for being wrong. Praise the Lord!!!! Isn't it hard to admit when we are wrong? But this experience caused me to take a long hard look at myself. Do I jump to conclusions too fast? Do I jump in the middle of things that do not concern me? Do I think my way is better than others? I think I'm going to keep my answers to myself. How about you? Perception is a funny thing. We all have one but we all think ours is the only one. At least the only one with any value or merit. I believe it is important for all of us to recognize our shortcomings. Have you judged someone too quickly? Have you let one bad experience dictate the direction of a relationship that was full of many great experiences? You could very well be seeing everything backwards. You could be wrong! Gasp.... Slow down and look at your situation from every angle. You may need to close your mouth, you may need to open it and apologize and you may need to take a long look in the mirror. The written Word of God is full of wisdom. Take a look at the following scriptures and see if they open your eyes to Truth.

James 1:22-24 Romans 12:19

Proverbs 10:19 Matthew 5:44

Proverbs 12:18

Proverbs 18:21

The Mountain before you!

During prayer time last night at Cowboy Junction, I quoted the scripture found in Mark chapter 11. Jesus is speaking to his disciples and telling them to have faith. And with faith they can speak to the mountain and it shall fall into the sea. The struggles and difficulties that stand before us often seem like a mountain standing in our way. These trials are keeping us from our "promised land" and there is nothing we want more than to see it removed. Well the Lord used a message I had recorded back in March to speak to me in August. I woke up this morning and turned on a previously recorded message by Bishop T.D. Jakes. In this message, he spoke something that gave me a different perspective of those mountains. He said that victory is not found in changing your mountain. Victory is found in your mountain changing you. The Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years in search of their destination that was only a few days journey away. Why? Did they pray and ask God to get them out of the desert? You bet they did. But there was something they had to learn in the desert before God would bring them into their promised land. Do you ever feel like you go around the same mountain over and over again? Be prepared to keep circling until you change what is keeping you there. Mark 11 tells us that with faith all things are possible. But we must also know that God cares about our future. He cares about our children and our grandchildren's future too. The decisions you and I make today can effect our offspring for generations. If there is something we must learn in order to prepare our path to our promised land, God will walk with us around our mountain until we are ready to change our course. The thing is, we have a choice. Do you want your mountain to change or will you let your mountain change you?